Farewell
Hazel Knight n We knew, even before Hazel arrived, when she postponed her start date to accommodate looking after her current cohort of children at her previous school that we were getting someone who was committed to the wellbeing of the children over everything else. And so, it has proved. Through her time in the Junior School she has reset and upgraded all aspects of our pastoral care and wellbeing. Our values were re- written, the schemes of work changed, community service integrated into the curriculum, processes for pastoral support improved and overall just a very high bar set for what we should aim for when looking after the children in our care. The wellbeing surveys she instigated of the staff and pupils, during Remote Learning have been so insightful for helping individuals and whole groups too. Her INSETs, assemblies and talks to parents were always first rate and captivating with her oratory and sensitivity to the audience. More recently she has helped us all to understand the implications of the Everyone’s Invited movement for the KS2 age group and taken the boys and the staff on a journey on what consent and equality (especially with respect to gender) looks like for our age group and how we can instil these important values to affect real change for these young men in the future. It is no understatement to say she has touched the lives of all in our Junior School community and well beyond. Beyond her professional contribution we have enjoyed her personal support as a friend and colleague greatly. I, personally, will miss her ear-to-the- ground and sensitivity to the mood of staff and boys alike to help guide what we should do going forward. She leaves us to return to Cambridge with her husband David and daughter Imogen, and to a role at The Perse where she will be teaching A Level Psychology; her degree and real academic passion. We wish her luck with the move but know that very quickly she’ll be helping to organise the children, manage staff without really trying and setting high bars of professional behaviour and pastoral care. We wish her luck and really hope she keeps in touch! Alice Alderman n Alice Alderman joined the College in September 2014 as Alice Robertson and has seenmany life changes since. She quickly settled in to the Junior school to teach Art and DT and soon established herself as a kind and trusted colleague. Running Art, Drawing and Craft clubs, organising Art exhibitions and charity sales, making play sets and helping with Gallery visits. After a maternity break in 2016 to have her son, Stanley she returned and continued her enthusiastic approach to all things in the Junior School. She can always be on hand to think of creative and innovative ideas as to how topics can be taught to celebrate the Arts. Alice’s love of the environment has seen her championing the recycling in the Junior School and sharing her passion with her students. Her recent seed bombing workshop in the Junior School symposium was very popular with the students. We wish her all the best as she takes time to focus on her family and a possible relocation to the countryside. She will be missed by all the Junior School staff and students, although hopefully we will twist her arm to come back and run some workshops in the future. Jacob Allen n Jacob Allen joined us as an elite level athlete (personal best for the 5k is 13 min 43 – google it!) with bags of experience in schools and children’s camps. He leaves us after two years as our Graduate Assistant Teacher, having completed his PGCE in Secondary PE teaching through the University of Buckingham. Jacob has shown himself to be completely committed to teaching and the pupils throughout his time, particularly in the PE and Games fields but also pastorally too. His specialism in running and athletics has been widely used across the College where he has supported national level teams and individuals. But in the Junior School he has been equally at home supporting the Year 3 beginner swimmers and in Forest School. He has been a tremendous colleague and important member of the Junior School team always being reliable and going above and beyond where he could. He leaves us to take up the role of a PE teacher at the Central Foundation School for Boys in Islington. We wish him every success there and for his athletics career too. Sylvia Hall n Sylvia Hall joined the Junior School in November 2019 in her role as After-school Care Assistant. Her calm demeanour helped ensure a sense of tranquillity whilst she got to grips with helping the boys with their Home Learning on Teams. Always patient and approachable, she built up a good rapport with the boys, especially those in Year 3 and 4. During a period of Remote Learning, Sylvia spent time at DUCKS supporting their Key Worker Care, and it was there that she developed a real passion for working with younger pupils. She has now taken up a role as a teaching assistant at DUCKS, and although she’s not far away(!), she will be missed.
88
Made with FlippingBook Digital Publishing Software