Meet the Sixth Form Team (Willis House)

Meet the Sixth Form Team Willis House

Miss Georgina Taylor Assistant Head (Sixth Form)

It is my pleasure to look after the Sixth Form students here at Downe House. The Sixth Form experience is an exciting one with a rich offering that is designed to prepare students for life and give them the tools to face whatever challenges may come their way.

I joined the team on April 2023 and have loved every moment since arriving. I feel very lucky to work with the wonderful Sixth Form girls and am incredibly proud of all they achieve. My career spans teaching and multiple boarding roles and I brought a huge amount of experience and expertise to this position. My teaching life started at Concord College as a Geography Teacher and Sixth Form Boarding Parent before taking on the role of Head of Form 3 (Year 9). While there, I also worked on the safeguarding team.

In 2018 I joined Wycombe Abbey as Head of Geography, and quickly moved back into boarding as Senior Housemistress as I missed the boarding environment! I spent two summers in China working for a tutoring agency and enjoyed the experience so much that I continue to tutor Geography up to A Level.

I am currently a member of the Geography and Learning for Life Departments and love being in the classroom. Last Easter I led our School ski trip and look forward to next year’s excursions on the slopes. It is so important to me to be involved in life beyond Sixth Form as it allows me to get to know girls and staff well, as well as really immersing myself into all that Downe House has to offer.

My remit extends across the whole of the Sixth Form community as I work with a range of people to ensure the delivery of the highest quality educational experience for the girls. During such an important time for the pupils, I lead and support them throughout their examinations and preparations for life beyond Downe House, whatever that may look like for each individual. It has been such a joy to get to know the girls in both the LVI and UVI, they gave me a warm welcome and are fantastic ambassadors for the wider School community – I have no doubt they will welcome all the incoming LVI will open arms. Downe House clearly offers a huge amount to students of all abilities, cultures and interests. It provides a broad and rounded education, focusing on the whole person, something I am hugely passionate about. I am always so impressed by the way in which students support and boost one another, celebrating successes, and the fact that the School has an environment that allows students to grow and flourish at their own pace.

Emilia and Anjola Head Senior and Deputy Head Senior

Hello everyone! We are Emilia Lim and Anjola Bolodeoku, and we are your Head and Deputy Head Senior. We wanted to give an introduction to what Sixth Form is like, which we believe will be the best part of your school experience. Sixth Form at Downe House opens you to a variety of opportunities and activities, allowing you to be independent and fulfil personal/academic aims - all while making unforgettable memories. Although Sixth Form can seem intimidating, the school amplifies the support you will have, through our wonderful Sixth Form team, tutors, and the Futures department. Through having our whole year living in one house, a strong sense of community and friendship is developed which provides a great opportunity to open yourself to different interests, personalities, and cultures!

Despite the fact that joining the Sixth Form is an exciting prospect, there are multitude of responsibilities and sacrifices that you will have to make. This involves being willing to help the wider school community at all times and helping younger students in harbouring an environment in which girls feel comfortable, and able to express their needs. You will learn how to balance your time through an exceptional amount of commitment and organisation which is essential for the Sixth Form. The busy schedule will gradually get easier to manage and you will be able to delegate your time between the workload and participating in extracurricular activities.

As students in our seventh year at Downe House, our main advice would be to get involved in the wider aspects of school life as much as possible. You should embrace the opportunities you are given and treasure the little time you have left at school. Time really goes by in a flash! Although academic rigour and focus is inevitable, it is of paramount importance to take care of yourself and do things that you enjoy. We assure you that you will make lifelong memories and friends here, and simultaneously acquire the necessary skills to prepare you for your life beyond Downe House. We are unbelievably lucky and grateful for the experiences we have had, and to leave you with a top tip: do what you love, spend time with the people you love, and be present in the moment!

Willis (GO)

I took on the role of Housemistress in Willis in September 2022, having joined Downe House as an Assistant Housemistress in 2020. I feel very privileged to be able to guide our girls through their final two years at Downe House. One of the many rewarding elements of this job is spending time with the girls outside the classroom and I am very much looking forward to seeing them flourish and grow.

I graduated from the University of London, Institute of Paris with a BA in French Studies. After four years studying in France, I then moved to Switzerland where I began my career as an Assistant House Parent at an International School. I remained there for three years, rising to the Position of Senior House Parent before returning to the UK. I have recently completed a Postgraduate Diploma in Education at the University of Bath.

In addition to my role within Willis House, I am a member of the Futures Department and I enjoy working with the girls to help them discover their options for life after Downe and it is an immensely rewarding part of my role. I also teach French, and I facilitate the Ivy House Award – a leadership award for girls in the Lower Sixth.

Miss Madeleine Killacky Assistant Housemistress (Willis VKR)

Madeleine joins us in September as an AHsM in Willis. She started her career in pastoral care at a boarding school in Canada whilst finishing her BSc (Hons) in Biology. She then moved back to England to pursue doctoral studies in English Literature. She continues to work across the curriculum in both the sciences and humanities, and holds memberships with the Royal Society of Biology and Royal Historical Society. She enjoys presenting her work both within the academy (recent talks include University of Oxford, Durham University, and Leeds International Medieval Congress) and beyond: she writes regularly for History Today, The Conversation, and Conservation Physiology.

Madeleine is very passionate about girls’ boarding and was awarded the Boarding Schools’ Association Research Fellowship for 2023-24.

Outside of work, Madeleine is a keen musician, playing the pipe organ and piano, and an avid skier where she is involved in amateur racing.

Miss Georgiana Oldham Housemistress (Willis GO)

Willis (VKR)

After completing a degree in English and a PGCE in English and Drama, I began my teaching career in a large comprehensive school. After three years, I moved on to run the Drama department at Tudor Hall where, as well as teaching and directing several School productions a year, I began my journey through the pastoral care of Sixth Form girls and was an Assistant Housemistress for three years. I then spent six years in the Drama department at Stowe, where I also worked in several boarding houses, finally settling once again in a Sixth Form girls’ house.

I came to Downe House as Housemistress of Willis in 2007. As well as teaching in the Drama and Dance Faculty, I am also Head of Sixth Form General Education, responsible for delivering the Extended Project Qualification to girls and I find this extremely helpful when supporting the girls with their academic work. I have recently completed an MA in English and have a son who was at boarding school and is now at university. I feel very privileged to share my life with the girls in Willis and to be supporting them through their final two years at School.

Jemima Potter joins us as a new AHsM in Willis in September. Having been a boarder myself and loved sport since I can remember, I am so excited to join the Downe House team. I love all sport but was lucky enough to get a scholarship to America to play tennis where I also studied Sport Science at University. Since then, I have been in England and have worked in two boarding schools and become a P.E teacher. I now have got back into my netball, love running, and walking my dog.

Ms Victoria Ryan Housemistress (Willis VKR)

Miss Jemima Potter Assistant Housemistress (Willis GO)

Cold Ash, Thatcham, Berkshire RG18 9JJ T: 01635 200286

www.downehouse.net