THE ALLEYNIAN 708 | OUT OF THE ORDINARY
THE ALLEYNIAN 708 | OUT OF THE ORDINARY
VALETE
LISTENING TO HER READ TO A FORM IS MAGICAL: YOU CAN HEAR A PIN DROP AS THE BOYS ARE TRANSPORTED INTO THE REALMS OF FICTION HEAVEN
FRANCESCA SOUTHERN
Richard Oubridge
F ran joined the College in September 1998, having previously taught at Herne Hill Prep School. She joined a happy staff working in the Junior School under the leadership of Penny Horsman. Fran fitted in perfectly, taking charge of a Year 3 form, working alongside colleagues such as Jane James, Jane Brind and Fiona Johnstone. Whilst nurturing the youngest boys in the College was very rewarding, Fran had a desire to be able to develop boys’ knowledge and understanding further and so a move to Year 6 beckoned. Being in Year 6 allowed Fran to focus slightly more on her real passions, of which English was at the forefront. She took over the co-ordination of the subject, redesigning the curriculum and ensuring that the boys were challenged to develop their reading, spelling and writing. The introduction of visits by the Young Shakespeare Company brought the works of the Bard to life and continues as an annual fixture in the calendar to this day. Suddenly, the Year 6 corridor was alive with the boys’ interpretations of Hamlet , Macbeth , The Tempest and A Midsummer Night’s Dream . Class reading books have always featured highly in the English curriculum, and Fran has a talent for bringing these stories
Another keenly anticipated feature of the calendar is the annual residential trip. Fran has accompanied numerous visits to the D-Day beaches of Normandy, PGL in Dorset, Devon and France, and of course the Outdoor Centre in Wales. She and I have spent countless hours discussing with the boys how the Allied troops planned and carried out operations in 1944, and then quietly visiting the British and American cemeteries; we have enjoying watching the boys playing on the beaches in the evening, building their own sea defences, only to return the following morning to find them all washed away. Whilst the co-curricular is important in the boys’ rounded development, we are in the business of educating, and the importance of the curriculum has always been at the heart of Fran’s teaching. Therefore, it was no surprise that she took on the role of Curriculum Co-ordinator, later to become Deputy Head Academic. This role was to occupy her until this last year and has seen her oversee a greater emphasis on the teaching and learning that we offer. As part of this we have had changes in the school day, firstly ensuring that English and Maths were given protected time at the beginning of the day, and then came the big reorganisation of the working day by the whole College.
home to the boys, drawing out their understanding of the skill of the author in manipulating language, developing storylines and character analysis. Listening to her read to a form is magical: you can hear a pin drop as the boys are transported into the realms of fiction heaven. Working in the Junior School means that you have to be involved in many different aspects of the life of the school and Fran has always played her part in activities beyond the classroom. The introduction of more co-curricular clubs led to Fran setting up the gardening club, with groups of boys tending a variety of plants under her direction. She has guided Spenser House for most of her time at Dulwich, organising numerous competitions, most notably the poetry, creative writing and verse speaking. The Year 6 production is always a highlight of the year and Fran directed many of these, bringing classics such as Oliver , Joseph , Sweeney Todd , Treasure Island and Bugsy Malone to the Edward Alleyn Theatre. Then there is the writing talent: she turned Simon Middleton’s novel Freddie and the Key to the 19th Case into a script to be performed by a cast of 60 boys – no mean feat giving everyone some lines to say.
Throughout this process Fran was in the midst of allocating the amount of time each subject was to be given and then looking at how we shaped the subjects for the new length lessons. Whilst these changes were taking place, it was decided that the Junior School could follow the Senior School’s lead in holding an annual symposium and this fell to Fran to organise. Encouraging staff from around the school to run sessions and bringing in outside speakers made the day full of fun activities for the boys with lots of learning taking place. It was such a success that we soon invited JAPS to be involved, doubling the number of children and activities taking place, now on two sites! So, having made the decision to retire, Fran stepped down from her senior role and has spent this year as joint form tutor to a Year 4 form. But what does the future hold for her? Well she isn’t committing herself to anything, but with a second grandchild due to arrive in July, there will, no doubt, be plenty of visits and reading of stories as she passes on her love of books to a new generation. We wish her well.
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