Lisa Hillgrove BY FRAN COOKE
her kindness and support as I started as Head of Lower School in the post-Covid recovery period. After a remarkable 23 years at the College, Lisa retires with our warmest congratulations and best wishes as she enjoys every minute of being a new grandmother, and enjoys going wherever her travels may take her. ◉
Lisa joined the College in October 2000 as part of the Middle School administrative team. This was in the days of handwritten reports and paper registers, when email, certainly on the scale we use it today, was but a twinkle in the IT Department’s eye. There she worked alongside Iain Scarisbrick when he was Head of Year in the Middle School, and he quite rightly insisted that Lisa take on the Lower School Secretary role when he moved into his post as Head of Lower School. Over the course of her time as secretary, the Lower School has undergone extraordinary changes, not only administratively, with Lisa overseeing the shift from paper registrations and reports to an entire- ly digital system, but also in terms of how we look after the pupils in our care, putting their wellbeing at the very centre of all that we do. Lisa would often be the first per- son whom many boys would speak to if they were having a difficult time at school or home; she has a great instinct for knowing when something isn’t quite right with a boy, and as such has been a key figure in our pastoral work for so many years. She was also a lifeline for parents going through challenging times, often just as a much-needed friendly ear at the end of the phone. There is much to learn from how Lisa went about her professional life, some of the key aspects of her philosophy being: always be helpful to a colleague in need; never forget to show appreciation; remember that everyone makes mistakes; and finally, try not to take things too seriously. Ten years ago, I remember being heavily pregnant, and just needing a few minutes’ rest and distraction whilst on my weekly Lower School duty. A quick chat and a crossword with Lisa was just the ticket to get me through the afternoon. I shall never forget
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THE ALLEYNIAN 712
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