French and they have Kate to thank, in part, for initiating this change. In 2009 Kate joined the Examinations team. Then there were just two boys who were entitled to use a computer in their public examinations. There are now over 200 boys in such a position and the amount of paper work has increased dramatically. This is where Kate’s organisational skills have really come to the fore and her IFOR WILLIAMS I for Williams joined Dulwich in September 2001 following a 15-year stint at Forest Hill Boys’ school in Lewisham. This long experience in the maintained sector meant that Ifor was unfazed by the conduct of even the most wayward Dulwich pupil and, in a short space of time, he had established himself as an effective and highly popular teacher of Physics. His practical and common sense approach has been highly appreciated by boys and staff alike – there seem to be very few skills that Ifor cannot turn his hand to: car maintenance; building; child- minding; and bicycle repairs, to name but a few. Many of these skills have been harnessed for Liberal Studies. As a keen windsurfer, for many years Ifor organised and accompanied the annual Water Sports trip to the Isle of Wight. Shortly after his arrival at Dulwich it soon became apparent that Ifor was MARK NASH M ark Nash joined Dulwich College in September 2004 as a NQT and it rapidly became clear that he was a motivated, innovative and highly committed Phil Cue Robert Baylis
efforts have been appreciated by so many boys for whom the process has been made very straightforward. Kate was also responsible for introducing Study Skills to the College and delivering lessons to boys in exam preparation and technique. This is now embedded in our Wellbeing teaching but its origins lie with Kate and the Learning Support Department. In 2013 Kate became Co-Head of going to play a major role in the social life of the Science Common Room: barbecues; restaurant visits; and day trips to the Continent began to fill the diaries of Dulwich scientists – all initiated and organised by Ifor. The excursions to Belgium and France seldom passed without incident and always included a compulsory stop at the hypermarket on the way home to stock up on vast volumes of ‘Continental produce’. Trips abroad were, in fact, to become a notable feature of Ifor’s time at the College. I was very grateful when in 2005 he stepped in with barely a week’s notice to join me in accompanying a month- long school expedition to Borneo when another colleague was forced to drop out. Despite the short notice, the trip was a great success despite an infamous emergency quest for deodorant after standards of personal hygiene amongst some of the boys began to wilt in the steamy tropical heat. His appetite for adventure clearly whetted, Ifor signed up for two more expeditions to Brazil and Tanzania. These trips were always eventful and highly enjoyable; in all teacher. From the outset he was highly successful on both a pedagogical and pastoral level and this led him to be chosen to take over a Sixth Form tutor group in his second term to cover a maternity absence. He is foremost a passionate and enthusiastic Hispanist who is devoted to promoting the Spanish-speaking world. His motivation led to his appointment at an unusually young age to the post
the Department and has done so much, along with Anne, to ensure the boys receive the highest level of support throughout their time in school and, in particular, in preparation for their exams. Kate has contributed hugely to College life and freely admits that she has thoroughly enjoyed her time here. We wish Kate well in her retirement and I am sure she will enjoy spending more time with her family. of them Ifor proved to be the perfect travelling companion: unflappable, reliable and, above all, great fun. In his role as Science Administrator, it was Ifor’s job to ensure that the wheels of the three Science departments were regularly oiled and that tickets for trips were booked, coaches organised, coursework collated and, most importantly, that the scientists never ran short of tea or coffee. I suspect that we will only truly appreciate all of the things that Ifor has done for us once he has departed. Ifor leaves us for what I expect will be a very active retirement. His many friends at the College were delighted when last October he married his long- term partner Christine and I am fairly certain that further foreign travel awaits him in the years ahead – although this time without 20 or so teenagers in tow. His reliable, kindly and resourceful presence will be much missed by the scientists and the broader Common Room alike and I am sure I am not alone in hoping that he comes back to see us as often as possible. We wish him a long and very happy retirement. of Head of Spanish in 2007 from a field of strong and experienced applicants. Through his drive, determination and outstanding skills in the classroom he maintained his own high level of teaching whilst successfully leading a team of experienced teachers. Spanish under his leadership grew significantly and it is now the most widely taught language at Dulwich, and led the school to be chosen as
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