department with her outstanding lessons, infectious energy, and enthusiasm for the subject. She has worked hard to help all her students succeed and one of her many highlights was the trip she organised to CERN, and the recent and very successful 1st form STEM day. Curlyne Browne has been an integral part of both Bellerby and the Games department, and she cares a great deal for the pupils in her charge. When she first joined the College she was just coming to the end of an incredible international hockey career with Trinidad and Tobago and she fitted into a coaching role with both boys and girls hockey with ease. Within the boarding house her support to Mrs Izzard has always been unwavering and she has remained fiercely loyal to the girls in her charge throughout. Ed Pegden arrived as a Chemistry teacher ten years ago. He quickly made an impact in the Science Department and was involved in the Chemical Magic show which was such a hit with Junior and Primary School children. After taking on the Head of Chemistry role, he became Housemaster of Tower in 2018, where he has done excellent work, fostering a strong sense of home and community. He has made many improvements to the furnishings and has provided an outstanding level of pastoral care to the boys Chitesha Senaratne joined us in April 2010 as a newly qualified teacher but quickly became known for the hours she spends meticulously planning her lessons and marking work. As a top student of her year, she earned a scholarship to study at a university in Russia where she attained a 1st class honours degree and gained a doctorate
in engineering. Her fluency in the language came to the aid of a number of our students over the years as she helped guide them through their A-level Russian examinations. Robin Bendall arrived at St. Lawrence in 1988, to take up his first teaching post. He quickly established himself as a caring professional, willing to help anyone in need. He has inspired generations of Lawrentians with his love of languages and has taught both French and German throughout his time, as well as Religious Studies and EAL. For many years he directed the school plays, several by French dramatists such as Molière, and encouraged and inspired budding young actors and actresses to take on some challenging roles. He was Housemaster of Tower for a number of years and is remembered fondly by generations of pupils as a kind, generous, caring and inspirational person – an exceptional Housemaster. His chapel services and prayers have inspired and helped so many and I am delighted that he will still be with us, helping out the chaplain next year. So, as we draw this academic year to a close, there is a great deal to celebrate. I hope that the achievements and prizes in this programme, and that the Deputy Head will read out shortly, give you a sense of the outstanding effort that our pupils have exhibited. Whether they have won a prize today or not, we are incredibly proud of the way in which all of our pupils have applied themselves this year and I wish them, and all of you, a very restful and healthy Summer.
Following on from last Summer, when pupils and staff in the Design Department created PPE visors that were used at QEQM Hospital, I have also been really impressed by the number of our pupils who have helped out in vaccination centres and doctors’ surgeries over the course of this year. This level of community involvement, and understanding of service to others, is essential to the development of outward- facing global citizens who understand the concept of social responsibility. Speech Day is also a time when we celebrate our exceptional staff body and I would like to say a heartfelt thanks to all members of our staff. Once again, their flexibility, adaptability and resilience has risen to the fore, and they have worked tirelessly to give our pupils the best possible chance of success – in both online and face to face lessons. Additionally, our support staff have worked tirelessly to facilitate the teaching and learning, and ensure that the school has continued to function and operate effectively. It also falls to me to say goodbye to those staff who are leaving. I am sure that the whole College is, as I am, very grateful for their contributions over the years and I would like to wish all of our leaving staff the very best for the future: Mrs Waring, Mr Taggart and Miss Sheldon all leave with our very best wishes, although we will still see Miss Sheldon as she will be helping out with CCF in the future. Additionally, we have a number staff who have been with us for a long time, who we also say goodbye to this year.
Barney Durrant Head of College
Vikki Langman joined the College in 2015. She has made a significant difference in the
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LAWRENTIAN 2021
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