The impactsupport of your
Our Development Office is a bridge linking generations of Hymerians, new and old. Through it we aim to bring Hymerians together in a broad community of mutual support and encouragement.
It is my pleasure, in these my first weeks as Chair of Governors, to introduce our latest Impact Report and to commend to you all the many initiatives and activities underway.
There are, as you will see, many different gifts we can offer the school: gifts of expertise and know-how, in the form of talks, mentoring, opportunities for work experience and so on; gifts of cash and legacies, to transform the lives of today’s and tomorrow’s young people; gifts of service, through the Development Office, the parents’ association and the governing body; and gifts of friendship, through networking, reunions, attendance at our events – in Hull and further afield.
These are testing times for independent schools. Thanks to decisions by government, a Hymers education has suddenly become much more expensive for all. Our need to help hard-pressed parents through bursaries has never been greater. To increase the help available and to make that help sustainable in the long term, we must grow substantially our endowment in the form of the John Hymers Bursary Fund. If you are able to help us with this, now is a very good time to consider doing so.
Be in no doubt that we value your support – in whatever form you can gift it. We hope you enjoy this report of our activities and that it encourages you to keep up and deepen your engagement with the school or, if you haven’t been in touch with us for some time, to renew your contacts with the Hymers community and to get involved.
Dr John Kittmer Chair of Governors OH
1978-85
Again, another school year is underway and I reflect on how fortunate I am to work at the heart of such an engaged and loyal Hymers community. The past year has seen a wealth and breadth of events and activities. Highlights of the year have included our Founder’s and Benefactors’ Day celebrations welcoming back Jack Dixon near his 100th birthday as he spoke to our younger Junior School students. Our co-educational celebrations were a shared afternoon of nostalgia and memories. They brought former Headmasters, teachers, and students from across the decades together with many tales of yesteryear and tours of the school.
Our alumni continue to support our students with mentoring, career talks and the valuable gift of their time. Everything we are working on is for the long-term benefit of the students and to retain the distinctive identity of our school. Education transforms lives, and expanding our funds for bursaries has been a top priority for Hymers in recent years. Bursaries at Hymers give academically talented children from Hymers a chance of a lifechanging and transformational education.
Widening access through bursaries is a key vehicle for social mobility and a route for a more inclusive society. Hymers is a special place for all of us. The ethos of all-rounded excellent care has helped generations of Old Hymerians from all backgrounds to realise their talents and contribute to society. We believe this is an ethos worth preserving as per our founder’s mission to educate every social rank of life and pass down to
more extraordinary children from ordinary backgrounds. A Hymers bursary place has a positive impact on the whole Hymers community. Having a diverse and inclusive student body ensures a social, cultural and intellectual energy that brings more ideas and different perspectives, benefiting us all.
If you are in a position to give and agree with our ambition, please consider supporting our bursary campaign in whatever way you can; donations of all sizes are valued and greatly appreciated. As a former student myself, I understand the importance of supporting our bursary fundraising and I donate and support this vital cause. I, first hand appreciate the value of philanthropy alongside our governors, staff, Old Hymerians who also donate to our John Hymers Bursary Fund. Here at Hymers, it is a point of pride that all of us who seek philanthropic support for the School lead by example, by offering our own support to the
cause about which we care so much. I am proud to stand by other members of the School community who have chosen to do the same. It might be later than we had planned but, if we all do what we can, when we can, together, we will achieve our ambitions for the expansion of the bursary scheme. Our bursary places unlock many opportunities in life as our students go on to become amazing adults. We hope that in the years ahead many of you will choose the John Hymers Bursary Fund as your charity of choice.
If you haven’t been back to Hymers for a while, come and see us, take a tour, share your memories, stay for school dinner! You are always most welcome back where it began for so many of us.
Best wishes
Emily Pennack Head of Development OH 1989-1995
Reunions & celebrations
The past year has seen a wealth of opportunities for alumni to reconnect with their alma mater and their peers.
We aim to provide a range of activities to open doors and welcome you aboard the OH network. We run a busy calendar of events throughout the year, at school and across various cities. Our events can be for nostalgia or networking, whichever you choose. Please get in touch should you wish to host an OH reunion or activity in your town - we would love to hear from you!
The gift of time…
We are extremely fortunate to draw on the expertise of alumni across various sectors for many vital student initiatives across the school.
We are hugely grateful to those of you who spoke to our students last year in varying forms including assemblies and all of our student societies: Business and Economics, Law, Language, Engineering, BioMedical, History of Art, Geography, and more!
Particular thanks to our medic mentors who are one-to-one supporting 17 of our Sixth Form medics over a two-year period as they approach their medical studies after Hymers.
Others supported our Hymers Careers and Networking evenings for our Senior School students alongside their families. Our mock interview support evening continues to grow with offers of support from our network alongside our annual Careers Convention.
The work experience programme each summer offers Year 11 students a placement at a business of their chosen career sector, thank you to a huge amount of Hymer’s families that offer this from their workplace.
Again, our popular annual letter writing project that started in lockdown had over 130 of you willing to write to a Junior School student moving into Senior School, sharing your Hymers memories - thank you!
The students find this invaluable and very informative!
“A Fund Manager chatted to us on Zoom about his career after university and what he looks for when hiring graduates.
“He offered to support some of us when we get to that stage going back to him to see what job opportunities were available at his employer!”
Year 12 Economics student
impact
The Old Hymerians’ Sixth Form on our
We owe immense thanks to our alumni network who have a huge impact on our Sixth Form students lives.
Many of you have had a video call from overseas in different time zones to speak to a student on a one to one about their career choices in niche sectors, the power of the OH network is invaluable.
I know I want to study Medicine but I am not sure where, or in which specialism. We have had so many Old Hymerian speakers this term, from an anaesthetist surgeon through to a clinical psychologist. The offers of support to the group for work experience and mentoring have been amazing. It has also been wonderful to grow our medical network.
Year 12
Aspiring Medicine student
I am so grateful for the support of the team in the Development Office. Within days of me asking if they knew anyone in fashion design, I had two Zoom meetings in my lunch break and one Old Hymerian came to meet me to chat through my options and share all her experience within fashion.
Daisy - Sixth Form student
Life-changing bursaries
Thank you to those of you that have informed us of your intention to leave a legacy to the John Hymers Bursary Fund.
We of course hope that we won’t see this for a while. However, when we do, your donation will go to making a difference to young people’s lives in Hull. Gifts in wills are transformative to our bursary provision. You can leave a gift in your will at no cost to you now and, in doing so, leave a lasting legacy for Hymers students far into the future. Your donation doesn’t have to be part of our strategic bursary plan to maintain our bursary offering. In recent years we
received a £135,000 legacy donation that enabled us to invest in the facilities needed to strengthen the school in the future. By developing Hymers, we will be able to maintain demand for the school and enable us to support increased revenue through areas such as our letting business, which is essential to maintain future affordability.
Last year we had a donation of £14,000 to support music lessons for our bursary students in Sixth Form and our cricket
scoreboard has now moved with the times to electronic.
Two generous donations from our alumni community covered the cost of the upgrade. We consider it our duty to ensure that Hymers remains the special place we know through our most important traditions and improving the offering of the school where we can to future generations. Our students are involved in fundraising in various forms across the school for the future generations of Hymerians. This year they have enjoyed participating in a Colour Run and many a bake sale to support the Development Office in their mission. Our inaugural school Golf Day donated half their funds to our initiative.
Set your name in stone at Hymers College
This term we saw the laying of our first stones of alumni and teachers at the front of the school in the West Drive. We are excited to see the pathway develop over the years ahead.
The John Hymers Bursary Fund ‘Sponsor a Stone’ campaign supports the fundraising efforts to increase our bursary provision at Hymers. We are offering a unique opportunity to have your name engraved at the heart of our school. ‘Sponsor a Stone’ for £250 and have your name as a lifetime link to Hymers. Perhaps you are a former student, parent, or staff, or would like to purchase a stone in memoriam.
For every stone sponsored a donation will be given to the John Hymers Bursary Fund. The West Drive walkway leading up to the main entrance will be laid with engraved stones in front of the main school entrance and the Headmaster’s office. This gives you a unique opportunity to be part of Hymers history.
By sponsoring a stone at Hymers, you will be helping to preserve and protect our precious heritage and stay true to our founder John Hymer’s mission; “to educate every social rank of life”.
We hope many of you will return to Hymers and see your name on the grounds when
your stone is laid. For any questions before purchasing a stone, please don’t hesitate to contact Emily Pennack, Head of Development, to discuss wording.
01482 347492 or epennack@hymers.org
History of Hymers
The rich heritage of Hymers
Our history dates back to the time when John Hymers founded our school for “every social rank of life”.
Our Hymers Archive contains documents, photographs, artefacts and audio-visual material relating to the 131-year history of the School. We have a complete collection of the school magazine, Hymerian, which began publication in 1893, as well as photographs, admissions registers, text and scrapbooks, uniform, drama and music programmes. We continue to add to the archive with material from the life of the school as it happens, and we have material in the archive that dates from this year.
We have digitised various sections of the archive on our website. To browse the digital archive, please visit oldhymerians. com.
Over May half term, our History department took 47 Year 10s to Belgium and France to explore the Battlefields of WWI. The plan was to enrich their understanding of the GCSE case study on trench medicine; to enjoy Ypres and to honour the Old Hymerian dead. In the months before they left, our Year 7s researched the location of the OHs around Ypres and the Somme, and armed with memorial cards they made the trip even more meaningful by paying their respects to a dozen OHs.
Where are they now?
I can’t begin to express my gratitude to the teachers I encountered in my time at Hymers; so many went above and beyond just teaching their class, encouraging students to find their passion and pursue it fully.
Two in particular stand out for their impact on my life and career. John Harston introduced us to computers in the Junior School when we first got one: a Commodore Vic-20. John moved to the Senior School a couple of years later and oversaw the expansion of a computer lab from the Commodore PETs in B3, and encouraged me to pursue a career in software.
Although I was never destined to become a physicist, Roger Wooldridge left an indelible mark both as an encouraging force and for his ability to help break down problems to help my understanding, and when he noticed an interest in a certain topic he would go far beyond the required teaching and gently guide students to explore further. Although these two are often in my thoughts, so many others have had an extraordinary impact on my life and I will never be able to fully repay them for their time and patience teaching to every student in the class and meeting them at their level.
Frazer Middleton OH 1981-1988
Receiving a bursary to attend Hymers from Year 7 through to Year 13 was something I am greatly appreciative for. My time at Hymers was something I will never forget; from lifelong friends to the amount of opportunities I was presented with at the school, Hymers has set me up for life. Currently I am studying Medicine at university and a lot of credit goes towards the support that I received from the school as an applicant. Experiencing first hand the benefits of the Hymers experience (the teaching support, pastoral support, as well as the opportunities to express yourself as an individual via academics and sport) I believe that bursaries are vital in bridging the gap between those fortunate enough to access private education and its benefits and those unable to.
Alisha Ali OH 2017-2024
Top: Frazer.
Bottom: In Hymers uniform, 1982.
The memory of my mother taking me to Hymers for my first day of Year 7 is one that has stuck with me. At that moment, I was a timid and reserved girl who didn’t know what to expect, being in such an unfamiliar environment. As the days went by, I quickly realised just how much I was beginning to enjoy it.
At first, I was afraid that I would not fit in, being from a less privileged background than many of my peers. However, with support from my teachers and the friends that I made, I realised that I was just the same: a young girl who wanted to do well. As the years passed, I was offered advice from my teachers, and the encouragement they offered me is what ultimately gave me the confidence to trust in my ability to succeed. I believe that it was these little moments that enabled me to become the well-rounded version of myself that eventually was able to become Head Girl. This achievement is one that meant a lot to my mother especially, who made several sacrifices for me throughout my time at Hymers to ensure that I could remain at the school and ultimately have the brightest future ahead of me.
It was thanks to the school’s engagement with the local community, which taught me gratitude and the importance of charity. The leadership and team opportunities within the school, such as being a mentor, a member of a Young Enterprise team, or a member of a sports team, were all things that I took part in throughout Hymers network in numbers…
my seven years. These helped me to become a person that both the school community and I myself could be proud of. Although this chapter of my life is now over, I still firmly believe that without the opportunity to be at Hymers on a bursary place I would not have such big dreams and the actual chance at succeeding in them.
Vanessa Chicumbo OH 2018-2024
214
5,250 Alumni 160 … are able to offer career guidance Members … willing to answer industry-specific questions
former pupils are in touch
Vanessa meeting Catherine, Princess of Wales, during her fleeting visit in 2024.
