Changes at Tring Park

Changes at Tring Park School

On 5 July 2023 Tring Park School for the Performing Arts announced the retirement of its long-standing and accomplished Principal, Stefan Anderson. After a rigorous selection process, the school announced the appointment of Simon Larter-Evans, effective from 1 September 2023.

Growing up in Canada, Stefan discovered his passion for music. He moved to the UK to study at both the Royal College of Music and University of Cambridge. He began his teaching career at Wellington College and The King’s School Canterbury, before joining Tring Park School.

Commenting on his retirement

Stefan says, “Tring Park School is unique and will hold a special place in my heart. It has been an honour to work with the most dedicated teaching staff and incredibly talented young people over the past 21 years. The buzz and energy that fills the school is unmatchable and I will continue to follow its progress and watch on with pride during my retirement.”

Simon Larter-Evans (see photo) also comes from an arts background, beginning his career as a dancer following his training at prestigious The Rambert Academy. His varied career saw him work within both PR and publishing, ultimately re-training as a teacher. Roles in education have seen him working within several world class institutions, including Head of Boarding and English at Yehudi Menuhin School and most recently as Head of St Paul’s Cathedral School.

He says “Tring Park School is a vibrant hub of extraordinary talent. I’ve known of the school for decades and am aware of its reputation of being a real centre of excellence for young performers, with a wonderfully strong sense of community that people carry for life. I wanted to be part of that. My aim is to build on the already fantastic achievements the school has, from performing across all vocational disciplines, to the excellence in academics, together.”

Angela Odell, Chair of Governors at the School says, “After working hard to find the right fit following Stefan’s incredible career with us, we knew we needed an individual with a similar passion for education and the performing arts, who also shares our vision of providing the best combined vocational and academic education. We are thrilled to have Simon on board and thank Stefan for his unwavering dedication, wishing him well on his well-deserved retirement.”

Proposals to close Wendover's railway ticket office

Wendover station’s ticket office is scheduled for closure under plans to save money by selling all tickets online or through machines.

This is part of proposals published by the Rail Delivery Group (RDG), the nationwide body responsible for ticket offices, machines etc. If accepted, the closures will affect most stations nationwide, including all on the Chiltern Lines routes.

Details of the proposed closure are posted at the station: You can also read them here: www.chilternrailways.co.uk/ ticketofficeproposals. RDG puts a positive gloss on its proposals, claiming that it will see “ticket office staff transitioning to multiskilled ‘customer help’ roles.” It claims that only 10% of tickets are currently bought over the counter, with the rest being bought through ticket machines or online.

The group says that station staff will be available in the same periods as current ticket office opening times and will be able to help people with access problems, or those having problems operating the ticket machines (a familiar issue at Wendover station). At the time of going to press it was understood that there will be a member of staff available at the station.

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Can I “provide and protect” in my Will?

Family arrangements are often complicated, such as with children from previous relationships. Many people want to provide for their new partner, but ensure that their children will benefit in due course. Peace of mind and flexibility can be achieved by use of Will trusts.

How?

If you left everything to your partner and then, when they have died, to your children, (or other chosen beneficiaries), there is no guarantee that your children will actually benefit. Your partner could, for example, rewrite their Will if their circumstances changed, or there could be situations beyond their control, meaning your children miss out. With a “life interest trust”, your partner is entitled to receive the interest from the trust, including the right to occupy your share of the property. However, as the trust assets are owned by your appointed trustees (normally your executors), if your partner changed their

Will, for whatever reason, it should not affect the assets in the trust. When your partner dies, the trust comes to an end. The trustees then transfer the trust assets to your named beneficiaries, such as your children.

Reviews

I advise that wills are reviewed regularly, at least every 3 to 5 years, or earlier if there is a change in personal circumstances or legislation. Many people will use this Will trust at the beginning of a relationship and then, when the relationship has settled, prepare a new Will without it.

A Will is one of the most important documents you will ever prepare. I therefore recommend that you take specialist professional advice.

If you have any questions, or would like to discuss any of the above, or related matters, please contact me on iain@ wanstallconsulting.co.uk or 01296 415700. You can also find more on my website: www.wanstallconsulting.co.uk