confident about is that we are offering a very special education and a very special sense of care and belonging and community. As a college, we’re really committed to making sure that we don’t lose pupils because their parents suddenly can’t afford college fees. We have more than 200 pupils on means-tested bursaries. That’s something we’re really proud of and we want to continue to have a really diverse community. We want to make sure that we have every type of family in our community, so we’re actively working with governors and with our bursary committee to make sure we continue to do that. We are offering a very special education and a very special sense of care and belonging and community Q: How important is looking outwards as a school? FA: What I love is when a pupil or a parent or a member of staff comes forward with a passion for a particular local project. Individual enthusiasm and commitment to those partnerships and causes can make a big difference to us as a community. Two Year 7 boys wrote to me last week, saying they wanted to design a Dulwich College Monopoly board. They want to sell it to raise money for our school charity. Q: Is there a societal expectation for indi- viduals to act altruistically? And should there be? What’s the right balance? FA: I think there’s a societal expectation for us all to act altruistically. Cooperation and helping each other are fundamental to a successful and thriving community. We encourage you to get involved in charitable activities or contribute to community wellbeing. As educators, we try to instil in you the importance of kindness and empathy. But I also think we want to teach
Q: Would you ever like to see girls intro- duced to the college? FA : Well, do you know what? Sometimes I look out of this window and I could be mistaken for thinking that this is a co-ed school. We have girls here doing CCF, rowing on the river, and in the theatre. I am a big supporter of single-sex education. But if you choose the right school where there are co-ed opportunities built in, you get the best of both worlds. I think the team who lead the college are very committed to boys’ education. Our exam results are good, our students are respectful and I cannot see us changing to co-ed education any time soon. Q: How do the best teachers cultivate a deep love for their subjects in students? FA : By passionately caring about their subject and wanting to share it. You know from your own experiences when your teacher is teaching something that they are passionate about. It sparkles from them. In our recent inspection, it was observed that our A level and GCSE lessons were more like scholarly activity overseen by a mentor than a traditional teacher-pupil relationship. We have very able, very passionate, very clever teachers who care very much about their subjects and their pupils. Q: Is it more important to leave with good grades or good friends? FA: Oh, I would always say good friends. That is a simple one. When we were inspected, pupils, staff and parents completed a questionnaire, and the results were really interesting. 98% of parents said that their son is happy at school. 96% of students said that they are happy at school. After that, everything else is an added bonus. Most parents just want their children to be happy. How happy our school is, compared to other schools, is unbelievable. Friendships and relationships are the most important things that you will ever have in your lives. That’s really important to remember.
Mastermind
Raqib Nasar Ali (Year 8), Geraint Jenkins (Year 9), Krish Thapar (Year 10) and Nicholas Adamides (Year 12) sat down with Mrs Angel in her study to enjoy her company and find out a little more about the first female Master of Dulwich College
Q: Tell us a few things about you. What did you study at university and why? Did you enjoy it? FA: I studied product design at university. I come from a creative background. When I was at school, I chose English and RTE alongside Art, then went to university and studied something completely different. I learned how to make things and about problem solving, so I’ve got a different background to lots of teachers in this school. I think it prepares you for looking at things from different viewpoints. I was Head of DT here. Coming from a design background means that you can live with a bit of ambiguity and you don’t always need to know the solutions to things immediately. I’m also a twin. I’m one half of a pair, so I’m often mistaken for her – and she’s often mistaken for me! And I’ve had two boys who’ve come through Dulwich College. My youngest is in Year 13.
Q: Do you maintain a lot of those interests? FA: I still really enjoy drawing and painting. What I miss most in my role as Master and Senior Deputy is being in the workshop and designing every day with pupils. I miss drawing too. Q: What are the qualities of a Dulwich student? FA: There is no one Dulwich pupil. What is great about Dulwich is that in a school of 1,900 pupils, everyone is unique. But the thread that brings you all together is a sense of purpose, a sense of joining in, and a sense of trying things. And I think you’re very kind. Q: What kinds of developments and oppor- tunities would you like to see in the future? FA: I would like to open up our gates and to understand better our role in our very local
community. We are in an incredibly unique and privileged position geographically. London is essentially our classroom. What can we do as a community to get out of SE21? I think also for you guys, we’re part of a big global community. We’ve got schools in China, Singapore, Korea, and we’re just about to open one in Bangkok. You know, we are, a global community, and what can we make sure that we’re doing as a school to facilitate you being able to access that global community – if not now, then when you’re OAs. Q: How do you think VAT will affect the parents of Dulwich students in the future? FA: Inevitably, when something becomes more expensive, people reflect on whether or not it’s something that they can still afford, and, more importantly, whether or not they’re getting good value for money. I think what we as a school can be really
you all to make thoughtful decisions about when you’re working to the benefit of others and when you need to work to the benefit of yourself. Like most things, it’s a balance. Q: What is more important – Maths or Art? FA: I think they’re both incredibly important. So, Maths is essential for critical thinking, planning, problem solving, and logical reasoning. From a career perspective, those things are really important. Art plays a role in fostering creativity; it creates an opportunity for emotional expression; it develops cultural awareness; and it encourages imagination. Art is fantastic for communicating and supporting wellbeing. It can be something that gives an outlet for stress and a means of exploring different expressions of the world around us. So, I’d say, go both ways, guys!
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THE ALLEYNIAN 713
OPINION, INTERVIEWS & FEATURES
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