Alumnae Newsletter 2023

INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Headmaster’s review 02 / The OGA 04 / From the frontline 08 / Cast in bronze 12 / Looking to the future 18 / The Breakthrough Brit behind the BAFTA 20 / Alumnae news 24 / OGA tea party ‘22 26 / From the archives 28 / 150th Bursary Appeal 30 / In memoriam 34

ALUMNAE

PROFILE

Brigadier Anna Luedicke OBE (NHEHS 1988)

Page 08

Notting Hill & Ealing High School

GDST LIFE

All NHEHS alumnae are part of the 70,000 strong GDST alumnae network which is one of the largest of its kind, anywhere in the world –a community of women from all walks of life and around the globe, who are there to support and inspire each other.

GDST LIFE is the gateway to this community.

MENTORING

GDST LIFE, allows you to easily find and connect with someone who can give you fresh insights and perspectives, and will be on hand to offer advice as your professional life develops. It’s also very easy to become a mentor yourself – to share some of what you have learnt since leaving school.

ONLINE COURSES & EVENTS

With courses added regularly and an extensive digital library you can sign up to participate in workshops, discussions and interactive sessions designed to inform and equip you in your career.

FINDING SCHOOL FRIENDS

Lost touch with some of your school friends? As more alumnae sign up to be a part of the NHEHS Alumnae group you will be able to see who was in your class and reconnect with them.

STAY PART OF IT, VISIT

gdstlife.aluminate.net

Notes from the Editor...

Special mention to the OG netball team who gave the Sixth Form netball team a good run for their money. The final score was 36–29 to the Sixth Form – a highly respectable score for the OGs!

Thank you to all the alumnae who feature in this Newsletter and made time for me to interview them. It was special hearing about memories of their time at NHEHS as well as where their lives and careers have taken them. I’m sure you will find it equally fascinating.

The

WELCOME TO THE 2023 NEWSLETTER!

Firstly I would like to thank you for your support since I started my role at the end of November 2022. It’s really wonderful to have come full circle and be back working at the school where I have such happy memories as a pupil and where I have made lifelong friends.

Despite having only been here for a couple of months, I have already had lovely opportunities to experience the familiar NHEHS warm ethos; it was fantastic to welcome a number of alumnae to the senior school end of term carol service at St Barnabas, in particular Madeleine Heggs (NHEHS 1948), and also to enjoy the nostalgia of the Boar’s Head procession which holds a special place in the hearts of so many of us!

The OGA tea party, which was postponed from September, was held a couple of weeks ago and was as wonderful as always. Despite the chillier weather, it was lovely to welcome so many alumnae, and former teachers, back to the school to enjoy catching up with old friends over a glass of fizz and a delicious scone or two!

Thank you also to all the alumnae who have spoken this year at the Careers Spotlight sessions for Sixth Form, NHEHS Science Week and the Leadership in a Changing World Networking Breakfast. The success of these events depends on alumnae kindly giving their time and sharing their expertise. If you feel you have any ideas for future events and/or can take part, please get in touch with me via alumnae@nhehs.gdst.net. Finally, thank you to Liz Broekmann, the NHEHS Archivist, for her fascinating article about the centenary of the school. It’s a real time of change in the Junior School with the complete redevelopment of the existing buildings, including Redlands and Swallowfield, which hold fond memories for so many of us. It has, however, been very exciting to see the evolution of the brand new Junior School building which will provide state of the art facilities for current and future Junior School pupils. Please continue to send me your news, old photos and memories as well as new projects and adventures. I’d also welcome any ideas of articles you’d like to see included in future newsletters.

Brigadier Anna Luedicke OBE (NHEHS 1988) Cast

Elizabeth Patel (NHEHS 2003) Looking

Clare Kimeze (NHEHS 2002)

Charu Desodt (NHEHS 1994)

Kira Gilbert (NHEHS 1999) Alumnae Relations Officer

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Molly Tollit, Development Manager and Classics Teacher 30

Liz Broekmann, NHEHS Archivist

Headmaster’s review...

MATTHEW SHOULTS, HEADMASTER

The New Year is an exciting one, as 2023 heralds our 150th year as a school, with full celebrations beginning from the Autumn Term, the time of year when buildings opened for the first time in Norland Square as Notting Hill & Bayswater High School, under the redoubtable Harriet Morant-Jones. We will be marking our anniversary in numerous ways: with sports fixtures, concerts, expeditions and more, and hope that our alumnae will get involved. Most importantly, the annual tea party in September will be an even bigger event than usual, and we hope you will gather for what should be a joyous occasion.

As part of our celebrations, we have, as you may know, launched a campaign to deepen our support for bursary places at the School. As Molly Tollit (our Development Manager) explains in the magazine, we do not have the wealthy endowments of some independent schools, and so it is only through fee income and fundraising that we can support students who could not otherwise attend the School. I have been heartened by the response of alumnae to our appeal, and grateful for the pledges which have been made.

I am equally grateful to all of those alumnae who have appeared in School, in person or virtually, to offer wisdom and support to the girls, not least through our Careers Spotlight events: when our students see what their predecessors have gone on to do, it heightens their self-belief and confidence – the effect is profound!

Thanks to Georgina Thornton (NHEHS 2001), Vice President, Head of Tennis at IMG Media and Dr Nicky Keay (NHEHS 1984), Sports and Dance Endocrinologist, who were two such alumnae. I was also delighted that Pavita Cooper was a finalist for GDST Alumna of the Year.

For a number of years we have wrestled with the ageing Junior School building, much loved, but with odd-shaped classrooms and tortuous corridors. With the GDST’s support I am delighted that we have now progressed to the construction of a new Junior School. The new building will provide wonderful, light spaces for the girls, with specialist Science, Music and Design classrooms, and beautiful, creative outdoor spaces; it will also incorporate additional Sixth Form classrooms. The early stages of these projects can seem rather slow, as constructors work mysteriously in the foundations. So it has been exciting to watch in the last few weeks the timbers of the building arising, and a palpable sense of progress, towards the completion of the project this autumn, a suitable moment for our anniversary.

It has been a particular pleasure, as the worst of the Covid experiences have receded, to see girls connected to so many other students through a number of partnership initiatives. We initiated a Greenstem Challenge for our Sixth Form scientists with those from neighbouring academies, solving real world scientific challenges, supported by researchers from Imperial College. Our girls have met up regularly with boys from Harrow School, to research and present at symposia on all angles of different themes, such as Bees (including the mathematics of beehives, bees in Shakespeare, the economics of bee-keeping). And we launched a new primary schools partnership, BUDS (Building Understanding, Developing Skills), teaching girls and boys on Saturday mornings, with both teachers and Sixth Form students sharing public speaking, science and creative skills. The School will continue to be at the beating heart of the community.

The last history of the School, The Fountain Unsealed, stops abruptly in 1972. As we approach our 150th, we will be creating a new, more anecdotal, book, to celebrate our birthday, gathering memories from alumnae of different generations, to reflect on the School’s history, traditions and innovations. I hope that if we reach out to you, you will be able to share your insights and even photographs! So if you are reaching into your loft as part of New Year reorganisations, please do see if you find any old reports, images or other memorabilia! It is all part of your and our story Get in touch and share your NHEHS memories. Scan the QR code to connect with us.

2023 heralds our 150th year as a school, with full celebrations beginning from the Autumn Term, the time of year when buildings opened for the first time in Norland Square as Notting Hill & Bayswater High School, under the redoubtable Harriet Morant-Jones.

Welcome to the OGA Class of 2022

For our most recent alumnae, our Year 13 Leavers, I would like to wish you much courage, joy, fun, purpose and reward in your new ventures – whether they be further studies, joining the world of work, travel or other undertakings. This can be both an exciting and nerve-wracking time in your lives, with the possibilities of independence and exploration in your sights. Do reach out to the school, and the Alumnae team, for advice and support if you need it; that is part of what the OGA is here for. Good luck! The past year has seen a return to some kind of ‘normality’ for all of us, with many reflecting on the positives and negatives of the pandemic and changes to their lives which they might like to put into action, for a better quality of life.

I hope that, despite the more recent upheavals around the world impacting many financially, you have all been able to mark out your own path and plan for a brighter future for yourself and your families. Do take a look at the ‘Alumnae news’ section of this newsletter to see what others have been up to – it might throw up an opportunity to reconnect with old friends.

We have again curated an interesting selection of feature articles and the news of many of our alumnae. The past year saw a fabulous range of alumnae events, including our Networking Breakfast panel discussion, ‘Leadership in a Changing` World’ with alumnae Katy GranvilleChapman, Ania Rontaler and Dr Shaheena Janjuha-Jivraj and our Careers Spotlight series with Dr Hafsa Malik (NHEHS 2014), Nicky Keay (NHEHS 1984), Georgina Thornton (NHEHS 2001) and Sarah Sherman (NHEHS 1996) –to name a few – who spoke to the Sixth Form about their interesting careers so far. Thank you so much to all the alumnae who offered their time and help with these events. Thank you also to those alumnae who contributed and to all those who help to bring this all together, including Kira Gilbert, our new Alumnae Relations Officer, and our archivist Liz Broekmann.

It was wonderful to see so many of you at our postponed Tea Party in late January. Having delayed the party due to the week of national mourning

ZOSIA THACKRAY (NÉE KULESZA) (NHEHS 1994)

A FEW WORDS FROM THE OGA CHAIR...

for Queen Elizabeth II, it was lovely to look forward to an event in January to brighten the gloom of winter. Copious cups of tea and glasses of fizz were drunk, and scones eaten, amid the glorious hubbub of reminiscences and laughter. We were able to offer tours of the school for those who were keen to remember what it was like to sit at the benches in the Science labs, or see how the old and new parts of the school have been carefully integrated. It was wonderful to have the return of the OG v Year 13 netball match too – it was a great success, with tough competition from the Year 13s as always. Thank you to the PE staff for helping to facilitate this, and to all those who took part; a bit of healthy competition is always exciting! Do take a look at the photos later in the newsletter and on our NHEHS Alumnae Instagram and Facebook pages.

We would love to welcome you all to our next Reunion Tea Party on Saturday 16th September, 2–5pm, where we will be celebrating the School’s 150th birthday. 150 years of educating girls – what an achievement and cause for celebration! Do make sure it is in your diary and start contacting your classmates to encourage them to attend. If you are interested in organising a reunion group for September, or would like to take part in the netball match, do get in touch with Kira Gilbert, our Alumnae Relations Officer. The 150th anniversary of the school will also see the launch of the 150th Anniversary Bursary Campaign. With your help, we hope to provide three new bursaries, timed to start on the School’s birthday in September, for girls who could otherwise not afford to go to the school. So much of our experience at school is communal, whether that be in the classroom, assembly hall, astro or stage so it is fitting that on our 150th birthday we act together to make a difference.

I wish you all a healthy and fulfilling year ahead and look forward to meeting some of you at one of our upcoming alumnae events or the Tea Party in September

Thank you...

A huge thank you to all NHEHS Alumnae who were such an inspirational part of school and alumnae events in 2022.

The following alumnae have donated to the new OGA Bursary Fund, have provided career advice, taken part in alumnae events, talked to Sixth Form about university life and helped in many other ways.

Georgia MacPherson (2017)

Hannah Williamson (2011)

Priya Chande (2005)

Shaheena Janjuha-Jivraj (1991)

Katy Granville-Chapman (1997)

Ania Rontaler (1997)

Sarah Sherman (1996)

Shailina Benning (1984)

Amy Clarke (2003)

Kate Murphy (1982)

Mal Chande (2007)

Olivia Demetriades (2010)

Tori Malone (2013)

Ella Merriman (2013)

Nicky Keay (1984)

Hafsa Malik (2014)

Georgina Thornton (2001)

Guneet Anand (2012)

Sukhi Randhawa (2004)

Bea Appleby (1996)

Chrissis Kounoupa (1999)

Carrie Hartnell-Grundy (1997)

Danielle Allen (1994)

Stephanie Poulain (1964)

Josie Day (1986)

Connie Goring Morris (2012)

Marie Helene Collins (1994)

Kate Hughes (1996)

Pein-Pein Huang (1975)

Alexandra Johnstone (1983)

Audrey Dever (1950)

Margaret Hoare (former staff)

Dinah Manahan (1943)

Jacqueline Glicksman (1965)

Madeleine Heggs (1948)

Mr & Mrs Mr Conn (former parents)

Frances Davison-Oubridge (1965)

Elizabeth Bamford (1954)

Caroline Shaw (1968)

Izzie Jay (2004)

Janet Scott (1965)

Alex Broman (1967)

Cherry Beadworth (1966)

Pandora Pellett (1970)

The door is always open to any alumnae who feel they have something to offer current students so please get in touch with Kira Gilbert, Alumnae Relations Officer.

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A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE OLD GIRLS’ ASSOCIATION

OGA

ZOSIA THACKRAY (NÉE KULE SZA) (NHEHS 1994) OG A CHAIR

The NHEHS OGA is a bit of an anomaly in the GDST. Many schools no longer have an Old Girls’ Association run by actual Old Girls. We now have several thousand members (the largest number out of all the GDST schools) and are emailing, rather than posting, an increasing number of our newsletters. We have a Facebook (NHEHS Old Girls’ Association) and Instagram presence, for online nostalgia, and are able to communicate more instantly with many of you. Membership is free and automatic to all Old Girls and former staff.

The Committee, who run the OGA, is a great mix of former pupils with a range of perspectives and experiences to offer. Our aim is really to help keep you all in touch with each other and to keep a living link to your school. We are always looking for a few more alumnae to join the Committee, with fresh ideas for events, and to help us remain relevant to leavers of all ages. Here, we thought we would tell you a little bit about our OGA committee members and share a few memories from their time at NHEHS.

Please do get in touch if you’d like to lend a hand. We have just two Committee meetings a year and we organise and host the annual OGA Tea Party – it really is a very small time commitment and we have a lot of fun!

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After 15 years as a primary school teacher (including 6 years in the NHEHS Junior Department!), I became a specialist teacher for children with dyslexia and literacy difficulties and have been working in this role at St Augustine’s Priory, in Ealing, since 2014. Ms Mercer, my History teacher, was a big reason why I wanted to become a teacher.

JOSIE DAY (NHEHS 1986)

I loved English and History of Art. Learning History of Art started a lifelong passion. I am still in touch with two of my English teachers, Sue Hamlin and Joy Peerless. Felicity Williams was instrumental in my future. She encouraged me to apply to Magdalene College, Oxford, where I ended up having an exhibition and spending the best three years of my life. Finally, Anne Harvey’s inspired teaching stands me in good stead for every work presentation.

CHRISSIE KOUNOUPA (NHEHS 1999)

My favourite subject at school was Art. Choirs and school plays are my favourite memories of NHEHS; (specifically ‘get-in’ nights), the Boar’s Head Carol which, for my year, we sang at St Barnabas Church in Pitshanger Lane. I am currently Brand Manager at Côte restaurants, celebrating all things French food!

I have so many wonderful memories from my time at NHEHS: winning the Wilson Netball Cup, ballgirling for Tim Henman, playing tennis, school ski trips, playing Frankenstein’s monster in the school play and chatting for hours with friends at the end of the day about the day! I am currently a senior in-house lawyer at Disney.

I have so many incredible memories, from singing around the piano in Kindergarten to the amazing shows we put on in the Senior School especially Little Shop of Horrors and Cabaret. We also set up a ballgirling team and supported matches at incredible venues like Queens Club and Wimbledon thanks to Mrs Wilson.

I’m a French and Spanish teacher in a school just outside Reading and have two daughters (11 and 9). When I first qualified as a teacher I spent three wonderful years working at NHEHS and many of my former teachers became not only colleagues but good friends. One of my favourite memories from school is finally being allowed in the staffroom on our last day!

I’ve been a History teacher since 1998, and have held various roles in all-boys’ then all-girls’ schools. I now teach History and Politics at NHEHS and I’m the Director of University Admissions. My favourite time at school was in the Sixth Form. Our year group gelled very well and I was lucky enough to really enjoy my A Level subjects.

Our trips with the Madrigal Choir were amazing as we performed in incredible venues around Europe. I also loved our trip to Charney Manor which seemed to take on a distinctly magical charm. ‘Rest’ in Redlands is a fond memory. We would sit crossed-legged on the floor of the ’chalet’ and play with each other’s hair while listening to a story!

CONNIE GORING-MORRIS (NHEHS 2012)

JULIA BUSHBY (NÉE WOOD) (NHEHS 2000)

MARIE-HELENE COLLINS (NÉE QUARADHEGINI) (NHEHS 1994)

CARRIE HARTNELL (NHEHS 1997)

DANIELLE ALLEN NÉE POULAIN) (NHEHS 1994)

From the frontline

BRIGADIER ANNA LUEDICKE OBE (NHEHS 1988)

Anna Luedicke (née Jackson) left NHEHS in 1988 to read Music at Bristol University. Following a gap year spent travelling, Anna attended the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in January 1993 to become an officer in the Army. She joined the Royal Logistics Corps (RLC) and was deployed to Northern Ireland, Bosnia and Iraq, as well as undertaking several overseas multinational exercises. She was awarded an OBE in the Queen’s Birthday honours list in 2010 for her work in planning the Army’s budget for equipment support. Now a Brigadier, she is currently working in the MOD’s organisation which procures and supports military equipment. She was recently appointed a Colonel Commandant of the RLC, an honorary appointment agreed by the Sovereign, and is one of the most senior female officers in the British Army.

WHAT ARE YOUR FAVOURITE MEMORIES OF YOUR TIME AT NHEHS?

I joined NHEHS aged 5 and absolutely loved Redlands. I loved the climbing frame in the garden, making elderflower cordial and just generally being at school. I never wanted to miss a day even if I was unwell. I remember Miss Ross and so many other lovely teachers. I was also in Skipton when I met my best friend, Katie Tyndale

(née Lewis). I also loved the Senior School and Sixth Form as there were just so many opportunities to grasp, friends to make, and things to learn. My sister Harriet Mitchell (née Jackson) was in the year below me, so we were able to share so many things together, including walking to school which was only 5 minutes away yet I was always late! I genuinely loved my whole time at NHEHS.

Music was always a big part of my life, which I have to thank my mother for, as she encouraged me (and my sister). NHEHS allowed me to pursue my music, with so many outlets in the Senior School in particular. Cello was my main instrument and I played in various orchestras and chamber ensembles. My ‘lowlight’ must be playing the cymbal in the orchestra instead of the cello and using the plaster cast on my right wrist to hit it with instead of the beater – I had just broken my wrist falling out of a tree before my grade 8 cello exam!

I can still remember my nerves before auditioning for the Madrigal Choir with Mrs Weiland and the thrill of getting in. We did so many things including lots of school concerts, overseas concert tours, we performed at the Royal Albert Hall and the South Bank, and made a Vinyl record after winning Sainsbury’s Choir of the Year competition when Mr Pullin was in charge.

My favourite teacher, if I had to pick one, would be Mrs Weiland. She was so inspirational, fun and down to earth but I have to mention Mr Pullin and Miss Morgan too as they were also instrumental in my music too.

As well as music, I played netball, hockey and tennis which is great for teamwork skills. Miss Chapman was head of PE and I remember her with great affection as I think she was there the entire time I was at the school.

I also did lots of extracurricular drama with Mrs Powell who was simply brilliant. The Sixth Form play of Alice in Wonderland will always stay in my memory as such a fun time. I also did public speaking with Olivia Marks-Woldman (née Marks) and it has stood me in such good stead when I needed to address a Regiment of hundreds of people. It all gave me confidence and skills that are hugely valuable today.

NHEHS taught me to take advantage of every opportunity that you can. I was always horrifically busy and am still today. I loved getting involved in everything I could.

The trust and loyalty you have to have in each other when you go on operations and are in mortal danger is immense. It binds us together and it is unlike any other walk of life

HOW DO YOU FEEL NHEHS INSTILLED A ‘GIRLS CAN ACHIEVE ANYTHING’ MINDSET DURING YOUR TIME AT SCHOOL?

I don’t remember being aware of it expressly. We were at school and we all happened to be girls. I did physics as an A Level and it was just normal. We didn’t do home economics and subjects like that, everything was academic. I am now part of an organisation where I am outnumbered by men everyday and I have never really noticed it, I have just been me and just done my job. In an intrinsic way NHEHS did give me that confidence; it was just taken as a given that you were going to achieve and there was just a general atmosphere of ‘doing’.

HOW DID YOU START YOUR CAREER IN THE ARMY?

In my second year at Bristol I joined the Officer Training Corps as I wanted to do something different. I loved it as it challenged me mentally and physically and was so very sociable. And we also got paid! I got a Territorial Army (now the Army Reserves) commission at the end of university and then I went travelling. At the time I had a place to do postgraduate teacher training at Cambridge to teach music and maths, but whilst I was travelling my heart was telling me I didn’t want to be a teacher and that I should join the Army.

I am now part of an organisation where I am outnumbered by men everyday and I have never really noticed it, I have just been me and just done my job.

TOP PHOTO: 5 Upper and 6 Lower in 1986. BOTTOM PHOTO: ‘Practice time’ with Helen Vickery on the keyboard, Claire Parkyns on the flute and Anna on the cello

I tried to argue myself out of it because I had reservations about it not being a compatible career if you also wanted to get married and have a family. But my heart said to go, have fun, it’s a challenge and it is you. My parents were a bit surprised by my choice and weren’t that keen to start with but they supported me whole-heartedly.

I passed the test to get into Sandhurst. During the three day assessment they are looking for raw leadership ability. You have to do all sorts of command tasks which are seemingly intractable problems that you have to solve with people you don’t know and they are looking for the ability to motivate other people, leadership qualities and intellectual dexterity. Sandhurst was probably the best year of my life; it was tough and they pushed you to your limits but I thrived on that. I was in a female platoon and having gone through that testing year together, we still now have an unbreakable bond; we talk everyday. I was then posted to Aldershot after Sandhurst and was deployed to Bosnia in 1995 during the war and at the time the United Nations was handing over to NATO. I was there for six months and I was a Troop Commander delivering ammunition, food and fuel to the forward troops all over Bosnia.

WHAT HAS BEEN A CAREER HIGHLIGHT SO FAR?

Bosnia was probably one of my career highlights, even though I have loved every minute of my career. I realised that I was doing what I was trained to do and was given a huge amount of responsibility. I was in charge of a troop of soldiers and I had a real sense of purpose and I loved the camaraderie with my fellow officers and soldiers. I felt at home. I look back on that time as such an endorsement of my choice of career.

There were also some tense times during that deployment. At one point, the convoy I was commanding was going up Mount Igman in central Bosnia and Herzegovina to deliver some ammunition and we were required to have an armoured vehicle

at the front and at the back of the convoy. However, we were in soft skinned trucks with ammunition in the back and we started being mortared. The personnel in the armoured vehicles shut their cupolas (the hatch on the top) and all we could do was put up our windows! Luckily we were all okay.

I also served in Iraq and I was in charge of the squadron at Umm Qasr Port for the British Army in southern Iraq. Umm Qasr Port was where the roll-on/roll-off ferries were bringing in supplies and vehicles for the troops, and servicing the reverse supply chain going out.

We all want to serve our country and do the best for the taxpayer. The trust and loyalty you have to have in each other when you go on operations and are in mortal danger is immense. It binds us together and it is unlike any other walk of life.

In my current role in Defence Equipment & Support, part of the Ministry of Defence, I am running a £7bn contract on behalf of Defence which provides support to military training and operations worldwide. I deal with commercial issues daily to ensure the best deal for the taxpayer whilst delivering military outputs. I didn’t join the Army to do that but it is challenging and really interesting and, working now predominantly with civil servants, it is hugely rewarding knowing that what I am doing in the ‘back office’ is helping our troops on the front line. It’s the people, the challenge and the fact that no day is the same which motivates me. I like challenges to keep me stimulated and the Army, the wider military and the MOD certainly provides that.

WHAT ARE YOUR TOP TIPS FOR ANYONE CONSIDERING A CAREER IN YOUR FIELD?

We had infantry protecting us and sniffer dogs looking for IEDs and we used to conduct the offloads/onloads at night as it was safer. I have relished being on operations, as it is liberating to do your job for real and to the best of your ability.

WHAT IS THE FAVOURITE PART OF YOUR JOB?

For me it is the people. Everyone in the Army is motivated by a common purpose and shared values, but there is diversity of backgrounds and diversity of people. The Army is such a huge organisation and you move around within it so you feel like you have a new job every couple of years, but with the comfort blanket of the organisation staying the same.

If someone is looking for a career that gives you constant and different challenges, that keeps you engaged, that tests you but makes you feel part of something bigger than yourself, then you will love the military. No day is ever the same; there are constant education, training, sport and adventurous training opportunities and there is also job security. Key to me are the values of the Army, defending the nation and doing what is right for the world to make it a safer place.

The Army is very aware that supporting women and their careers is the right thing to do now. A woman would never be promoted just for being a woman, but there has been a significant cultural shift in recent years and I would highly recommend it as a career choice to anyone considering it

Everyone in the Army is motivated by a common purpose and shared values, but there is diversity of backgrounds and diversity of people.

Cast in bronze

In September 2018, Elizabeth returned to NHEHS as the SENDCO (Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities Coordinator) in the Junior School and more recently started working in Senior School too. She joined the Junior School as a pupil in Year 3 when her sister Katherine was in Year 5, and left in Year 13 to go on to university.

Tragically in 1996, aged 13, Katherine passed away after a year-long battle against aggressive bone cancer. The bronze sculpture, situated on the lawn outside the dining room of a little girl reading a book, is a memorial to Katherine. As well as sharing her memories of her time at school, Elizabeth also shares some of the myths surrounding the sculpture that she’s heard from pupils over the years and explains the significance of the sculpture.

ELIZABETH PATEL (NHEHS 2003) (NÉE MYNORS)

WHAT ARE YOUR FAVOURITE MEMORIES OF YOUR TIME AS A PUPIL AT NHEHS AND WHO WAS YOUR FAVOURITE TEACHER?

Well, there are loads but if I had to pick out a few, I really loved singing in the choir and also going on school trips. There was a great one with the Design and Technology department. We went to Central London and visited a number of different museums and just had a really great day out by the river. I really remember that. Other standout memories from school trips are when I went camel trekking in the Sinai desert, and my German exchange trip to Hildesheim. I still meet up regularly with the friends I made there, and they’re now godmothers to my children!

DID YOU HAVE A FAVOURITE TEACHER OR SUBJECT AT NHEHS?

Mr. Phillips was our music teacher and he was so passionate about the Beatles. He also had this little rhyme: “I wish I had a Jaguar so I could drive to town, but an X-reg Skoda’s all I’ve got so I can get around” and every time I see a Jaguar, that rhyme still comes into my head –it’s amazing the things you remember. I really enjoyed D.T. My teachers were Miss Wade and then Mr McInally, who had this really strong Scottish accent. He sometimes had to write words up on the board so we’d know what he was talking about, but he was an absolutely brilliant teacher. I had wanted to take D.T. for A Level, but at that time it wasn’t offered as an option beyond Year 11.

I was really disappointed and went to Mrs. Whitfield, along with a few students in my year group, to make the case for introducing it at A Level. She took our feedback on board and I believe the following year it became an A Level option, unfortunately too late for us, but better late than never! I ended up doing Maths, French and German for A Level and an AS in Music.

THIS PAGE: Year 6 picnic during sports day at Durston’s playing fields, Summer 1996.

OPPOSITE: Outside school, about to leave for the Sinai desert, Autumn 1999. Year 11 muck-up day, Summer 2001.

Mr McInally had the strongest Scottish accent I’d ever heard. He sometimes had to write words up on the board so that we’d know what he was talking about!

DID YOU GO STRAIGHT INTO TEACHING AFTER UNIVERSITY?

No. I went to Cambridge University to study French, German and Linguistics, which I did for the first two years of my degree and then changed to Management Studies for the last year. When I left, I joined a Graduate Management Training Scheme with a hotel group. I realised though that I wanted to do something to give back to society and decided that actually, I really wanted to teach. So when I’d finished my year in the graduate scheme, I signed up for a PGCE which I went on to really enjoy and, as part of that, was able to do teaching practices not only in London, but also one month in a French primary school in the Loire Valley. I had first spent time teaching years earlier though, when I was helping out in a primary school in Tanzania on a GAP year, before university.

I was able to learn some Kiswahili while I was there, and as well as French and German, now speak Gujarati too, which is my husband’s first language. I wanted our children to learn some and they haven’t yet, but this actually came in handy during lockdown, as it gave me and my husband a way of communicating that our children didn’t understand!

HOW DID YOU GET INTO SEND?

After I’d signed up for my PGCE, I needed to wait almost a full year for the course to start and managed to get a job working for Ealing Council’s SEN (Special Educational Needs) Admin Team. I did things like typing up panel decisions for whether or not funding was going to be awarded to particular children. I would write up Statements of Special Educational Needs and file all the paperwork for the different cases across the borough, which gave me a really good understanding and background in SEND.

I did my PGCE and taught for a couple of years before having my first child, then combined teaching part-time with running an Ofstedregistered childminding setting at home, which I did for quite a few years parttime alongside the teaching. As a class teacher, there were lots of opportunities for CPD and learning more. I then did a Level 5 specialist dyslexia teaching qualification with the British Dyslexia Association. So that, again, gave me more specialist skills. My role now at NHEHS is the first time as a teacher that I’ve fully specialised in SEND.

WHAT’S IT LIKE TEACHING AT THE SAME SCHOOL YOU WENT TO?

I do have moments of déjà vu but I think it’s actually really lovely because I can see how things have moved on, but also how some other things have stayed exactly the same. The nicest bits have stayed the same, such as the ethos of the school, and the things that have

needed to move with the times and move forward have done so too. For example, in my role as SENDCo in the Junior School I’m based in what’s called the ‘Rainbow Room,’ which is just full of wonderful resources for the girls and is a space for groups to come out of class and work on things that they need to get a bit extra support with. When I first started working at NHEHS, nothing like this existed. My room was a former cloakroom and I actually remember hiding in that cloakroom when I was in Year 3 on one occasion. I can’t remember why, I must have been scared or upset or something, so to have it as my office now with a great big desk feels amazing.

That was definitely enough of the corporate world for me and I also realised that I wanted to do something to give back to society and decided that actually I really wanted to teach.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: The sculpture in Vanessa Marston’s workshop, Spring 1997.

Katherine going into school on crutches in Year 8, Autumn 1995.

Mrs Whitfield at the installation of the sculpture, Autumn 1997.

CAN YOU PLEASE TELL US ABOUT THE BRONZE SCULPTURE ON THE LAWN IN MEMORY OF YOUR SISTER?

I’ve heard of various rumours in my time working at the school about what had happened to the girl in the statue outside the lunchroom – that she died falling down the stairs or eating school dinners – but it is actually in memory of my sister, Katherine.

Katherine loved school. She had an extremely rare and aggressive type of cancer that, really unfortunately, in spite of the best chemotherapy available,

led to the amputation of her leg. Despite this, she liked to be in school as much as she could throughout her illness. She even continued to come in on crutches following her amputation, right up to the end really, and didn’t need or want any help. She died at home when she was 13 in 1996, on my 11th birthday.

Petrina Tate, who had set up ‘Dance Gallery,’ a local dance school attended by lots of NHEHS girls, organised a jazz dance show at the Watermans Theatre to raise money for a memorial for the school.

I drew a little frog, as Katherine absolutely loved frogs, and it felt like a fitting tribute. All these years later and the plaque on the sculpture is hard to read but the words, ‘In memory of Katherine’ are still visible.

Petrina came across some of Vanessa Marston’s work, when visiting the Chelsea Flower Show, and suggested that she should make a sculpture. When Petrina shared Vanessa’s details with my parents, it then emerged that there was a connection there because Vanessa’s father had been my dad’s godfather. We were able to visit the workshop at her home while she was finishing off the sculpture, and Vanessa asked me to draw a picture somewhere discreet in memory of my sister so I drew a little frog in the clay, as Katherine absolutely loved frogs, and it felt like a fitting tribute. All these years later and the plaque on the sculpture is hard to read but the words, ‘In memory of Katherine,’ are still visible

Elizabeth is happy for anyone thinking of a career in teaching or SEND, to get in touch. Scan the QR code to connect.

Notting Hill & Ealing High School

150ANNIVERSARY

150 years through 150 memories

As part of the celebrations for Notting Hill & Ealing’s 150th birthday, the school is putting together a commemorative book telling the story of the school’s 150 years through 150 key memories. From traditions like the Boar’s Head Carol, through the dramatic events of the war years, to the special festive reindeer visit of 2022, our book will bring the history of NHEHS to life through memorable moments big and small.

If you have memories from your time at the School and are willing to share them with us, we would love to hear from you.

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Don’t worry if you don’t remember all the details: one memory tends to spark another, and the more contributions we have, the more vivid the picture we’ll be able to put together.

To contribute your memories, please get in touch with Roberta Klimt by emailing r.klimt@nhehs.gdst.net giving your name, the year you graduated, and details (more is more!) of your favourite memory from NHEHS.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Looking to the future

Prior to starting her company with her sister, Clare studied Economics at Oxford and first joined the Civil Service fast stream and then became an investment analyst. Kimeze Eyewear, which makes fashion forward eyewear to fit a broader range of facial features, launched in 2021 and is now sold globally via Net-A-Porter.

CLARE KIMEZE (NHEHS 2002)

CLARE IS THE CO-FOUNDER OF KIMEZE EYEWEAR, TOGETHER WITH HER YOUNGER SISTER CHRISTINA (NHEHS 2004).

kimeze

I have so many lovely memories from my time at NHEHS as I was there from the ages of 5 until I was 16. What really sticks out in my mind is the really strong friendships I made during my time at school and, by the end, feeling like I had these friends that I could really rely on. Even now I’m still really close to a lot of them which is amazing. I’m still friends with Arda Eghiayan, Roxy Dara, Antonia Kraskowski and Rebecca Jenkins from my school year and we meet up regularly. I also used to really enjoy sport at school. Mr Davidon was totally my favourite teacher however, although I love skiing now, I never went on any of his notorious ski trips as my dad’s African so it was never on his radar. He used to say, “I hate snow, it’s awful. Why would you want to go skiing?” My mum was also not particularly keen so we never went skiing as children although I’ve made up for it now!

I studied Economics at Oxford after leaving school. Originally I wanted to study French, and I’d even written my UCAS application, but my dad changed my mind and told me that Economics would be more useful and I’d find it easier to get a job. I can’t believe I let him change my mind! After university, I was accepted on the Civil Service fast stream and was a government economist in the HMRC Treasury for 9 months. It was a very attractive graduate scheme where they paid for you to do a Masters at UCL on a full (and substantial!) salary. Ultimately it wasn’t the right environment for me. It was too slow and sleepy and I wanted something a bit more dynamic and fast-paced.

I then joined PWC and qualified as a chartered accountant before leaving to go into investment and asset management at Met Life, an insurance company with a big asset management department. After 7 years I left because I was looking for something more. I spent a year looking for my perfect job in the same industry but, when offered a new position, I would always find reasons not to take them.

HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH THE IDEA FOR KIMEZE?

The turning point was when my younger sister, Christina, also quit her job and I had the idea, sitting at home watching TV one day, when I saw this guy’s glasses kept falling off on Westworld. I realised that my glasses did the same thing! I called Christina and we did more and more research into it and found that it was a well known, unaddressed, issue within the industry that glasses were not made for lower and wider nose bridges. There had been a fit for Asian features since the 1980s, which is for very flat bridges, and most glasses are made for Caucasian features.

People in the industry we spoke to acknowledged it as a real gap in the market but they weren’t doing anything about it so we thought, let’s give it a go!

We went to a series of glasses fairs, spoke to opticians and manufacturers and it really confirmed that there was a gap in the market. We 3D modelled a range of fits and worked with manufacturers to design a range of glasses that both look really good, reflecting our British and African heritage, but that also are a much better fit for a much greater variety of people.

The development of the glasses took a couple of years. We received investment in March 2022 and we delivered our first order to Net-A-Porter that summer. It’s all been such a recent, exciting journey! As well as being stocked globally on Net-A-Porter, we now have a lot of other interested retailers who are keen to stock the brand. My sister still owns part of the company. She is also an award-winning artist exhibiting at the top galleries in London (currently Michael Werner) and her creative input is invaluable.

We have quite a bit of momentum at the moment and it’s really exciting. Amazing things just keep happening and we never really know what’s coming next! We have five big pitches coming up which is a big deal because these retailers don’t just take orders from anyone.

I always said I’d never start my own business. My dad had his own business, a shop, when we were younger and he worked really long hours for not very much money. I decided that I wasn’t going to follow in his footsteps. By contrast, my mum worked for PWC and I used to think it was a much better job because the hours are defined, you get status and lots of things that you just don’t get when you run your own business. Like many plans in early life, things have turned out quite differently and I do sometimes laugh at how strongly I felt about not working for myself at 18 and, by contrast, how passionate I am about doing exactly that.

WHAT IS YOUR ADVICE/TOP TIPS FOR STARTING YOUR OWN BUSINESS?

Just do it! Take it in small steps and just start. Go for it and have an amazing network of people who are a bit further down the road than you who can support you and give you advice and who you can talk to because it can be a bit lonely at times. I’ve come across such an amazing network of women, who are trailblazers, many of whom are at later stages than me of their businesses and who have given me so much of their time and advice around the business and fundraising and it’s been so helpful. I am so grateful to these women (and some men!) for all their time, as I know how busy they are. However, over time, I’ve realised for them it’s exciting. They like being back in the trenches of an early stage business (for a little bit!). It’s addictive – I do feel lucky that I get to wake up every day and put my all into something I really believe in and enjoy

Clare is happy for anyone thinking of starting a business to get in touch Scan the QR code to connect.

The Breakthrough Brit behind the BAFTA

CHARU DESODT (NHEHS 1994)

Charu Desodt left NHEHS in 1994 to read Maths and Psychology at Royal Holloway followed by a Masters degree in Engineering at Cranfield.

She started in console gaming as an engineer at Sony PlayStation by creating the technology behind the hugely successful SingStar franchise which won a BAFTA in 2005 for originality.

She was the first female engineer hired by Sony’s London Studio and has since gone on to win a Breakthrough Brit in 2014 and has been named in MCV’s Top 100 Women in Games.

Charu is now Studio Director for independent game studio INTERIOR/NIGHT.

WHAT ARE YOUR FAVOURITE MEMORIES FROM YOUR TIME AT NHEHS?

There are so many! The beautiful magnolia tree and having lunch around it in the summer. Also my art lessons. The school let me continue my creative side during my A Levels by letting me attend the art practical sessions. I really loved that because I didn’t have to do any of the essay work that came with Art A Level, but I got to paint. I took A Levels in Maths, History and Biology, nothing to do with Art, but I was allowed to just come to the A Level practical lessons to indulge my love of painting as well as going to the art exhibitions with the other A Level Art students. It was so nice to feel constantly involved in that world without the pressure of having to take an exam at the end of it.

WHAT WAS YOUR FAVOURITE SUBJECT AND WHO WAS YOUR FAVOURITE TEACHER?

I have to say Ms Critcher. I remember her joining the school, becoming our maths teacher and making cakes which she brought into our lessons! I then actually continued to do Maths A Level even though she wasn’t totally convinced I was good enough! Not only did I end up doing Maths A Level, I also ended up studying Maths and Psychology for my degree at Royal Holloway, where Ms Critcher had also studied. I absolutely loved History too and I think a lot of that was down to Ms Mercer.

Again, I remember her being quite young when she joined the school. I think we told her that we thought she was middle-aged because, of course, we were teenagers and anyone over the age of 20 was middleaged then! She was a lot of fun and had exactly the right mix of authority and passion for her subject. I thought she was an outstanding teacher.

HOW DO YOU FEEL NOTTING HILL INSTILLED A ‘GIRLS CAN ACHIEVE ANYTHING’ MINDSET DURING YOUR TIME AT SCHOOL?

I think at Notting Hill girls really can achieve anything. There was always an atmosphere of wanting to succeed, both amongst the students and also amongst the teachers who wanted their students to reach their potential. You were expected to do as well in Chemistry and Physics as you were in History and English Literature. I have two children now and I do wonder if there is, at a mixed school, a kind of acceptance of girls not doing quite so well or not choosing more science-based subjects.

I think at Notting Hill girls really can achieve anything. There was always an atmosphere of wanting to succeed, both amongst the students and also amongst the teachers who wanted their students to reach their potential.

HOW DID YOU START YOUR CAREER IN GAMES PRODUCTION?

I joined PlayStation as a programmer and I was the first female engineer they employed. My very first role was to work on the game design that the studio manager had at the time. They needed somebody who could program mathematical concepts because I had to program sound design. I had to use sound analysis and work on environment morphing, so essentially I was programming mathematics and engineering. That then became SingStar which ended up being a really huge, successful billion dollar franchise for the PlayStation and it actually helped transform the studio into making casual play games. When I joined, we were making games within the traditional genres of sport, like This is Football and role playing, like The Getaway

We then transitioned as a studio into making games which were singing games, dancing games and virtual reality games, as well as some of the other traditional genres. It was a real turning point. That game was released in 2000 and they only stopped making it two or three years ago. It spanned PlayStation 2, 3 and 4 which they never thought it would. I do remember, though, that because it was a singing game, it was a very new type of concept in the studio and there were lots of people who didn’t want to work on that kind of game.

The industry has changed a lot since those days and the workforce is far more diverse which is a must in order to make the types of games that audiences want to play.

HOW IS THE GAMING INDUSTRY EVOLVING IN TERMS OF DIVERSITY?

The place where I work right now is called INTERIOR/ NIGHT and it is one of the most diverse studios I’ve ever worked in and diverse in so many ways. For example, we hired people specifically from the film industry to come and work on our video games because we want a film interpretation of the script, the characters and the character evolution to work alongside the cinematic artists who normally work in video games. The studio is about forty per cent female which is very rare. As well as me being Studio Director, the CEO, who’s my boss, is female as well.

HOW DID YOU FEEL FOR ONE OF YOUR GAMES TO BE NOMINATED FOR A BAFTA?

SingStar won a BAFTA in 2005 for originality and it was also nominated in the same year for three other BAFTAs. I was the first person to work on SingStar and I created the original prototypes each year. It started with just me. Initially, I worked by myself on the technology and then we had a team join, who was instrumental in its success. It was really nice to have been recognized by BAFTA. I also got the BAFTA breakthrough award. They selected me to be one of the 18 people across three industries – film, TV and video games, whose career they wanted to support. That was fantastic because those industries feel very siloed but actually there is a lot of blurring between them in terms of the themes and the types of experiences they make. The game I’ve just made, As Dusk Falls, is very much at that intersection between film, TV and video games.

You’re really at that kind of bleeding edge of creativity meets technology and so having confidence in the creative side of what you’re making and being able to lead a team through that can be quite challenging.

WHAT’S BEEN YOUR TOUGHEST MOMENT?

The games industry is a tough place to be. It’s risky. When you make a game, you’re really making something that’s never been made before because the whole industry is constantly evolving, as are the players and their expectations. You’re really at that kind of bleeding edge of creativity meets technology and so having confidence in the creative side of what you’re making and being able to lead a team through that can be quite challenging.

WHAT ARE YOU CURRENTLY WORKING ON?

We’re being very ambitious and making something that’s never been made before. As Dusk Falls, which came out in July, is literally like a TV series with the power of video games behind it. I think gaming is currently expanding in all directions in so many ways.

In terms of the platforms, the number of people who are playing, the amount of time and money they spend on video games and also the types of games which are being made. Video games now make more in revenue than music and film put together. I think there are lots of misconceptions about the industry or about video games. Today, 50% of the players are female and females spend a lot of money on video games as well. This should actually increase a lot because there are still great waves of demographics who don’t really play video games or don’t associate with the term ‘gamer’. Imagine if we were making games that they wanted to play? Games are just another type of media. There’s no reason why we should focus on just action games.

AND FINALLY, WHAT ARE YOUR TOP TIPS FOR ANYBODY CONSIDERING A CAREER IN YOUR FIELD?

I really enjoy working in games. You’re going to find every day challenging because the problems that you solve are really hard but you also come to love doing that every day. Another tip is to try and get some work experience in games. There are lots of ways in which you can experiment with making games yourself. There are loads of free resources that you can just look up on the Internet and always remember that it should be fun

Charu is happy for anyone thinking of a career in games production to get in touch. Scan the QR code to connect.

OPPOSITE: 1992 last day of uniform in 5 Upper.

THIS PAGE: ‘As Dusk Falls’ released in July 2022 to rave reviews.

Alumnae news

RACHEL GOODHART (NHEHS 1989)

Having left teaching in 2019 (after 26 years in one school), I was able to enjoy travels in the USA, Australia, Thailand and Cambodia before my onward plans were cut short by Covid. I then worked as Operations Manager at St Nicholas Church in Tooting from September 2020 to August 2021 before returning to my natural habitat of a school – this time as Librarian at Saint Cecilia’s Church of England School in Southfields.

DIANA PEMBERTON-PIGOTT (NÉE SELLMAN) (NHEHS 1969)

I continue to sing with the Oxford Operatic Society and we finally performed My Fair Lady at the New Theatre in Oxford at the end of 2021 on the 3rd attempt due to Covid. I played the part of Mrs Eynsford-Hill and as I write this am looking forward to playing Lady Cravenshire in Calendar Girls at the Oxford Playhouse in July 2022. I have a voluntary job at our local hospice and have been able to help at a friendship centre for Ukrainians through my church. I am lucky to be a grandmother of eight and love being involved with my grandchildren!

JULIA BUSHBY (NÉE WOOD) (NHEHS 2000)

Many alumnae will remember Mark Bushby, Assistant Director of Music at NHEHS from 2005 until 2009. Mark and I were married in 2008, meeting “on the job” at NHEHS when I returned as a teacher after leaving as a pupil in 2000. We decided to relocate out of London after marrying and became houseparents at a boarding school just outside Reading, during which time our two

daughters were born. Mark passed away suddenly in 2019, by which time he had become Head of a local Prep school. His death came as a shock to us all, but it has been so heartwarming to hear from so many of Mark’s former pupils who remember him so fondly; many from his time at NHEHS. In Mark’s name we have launched a scholarship, supported by the London Music Fund. This enables us to sponsor young people who have an interest in and talent for music, but who would not otherwise be able to access tuition. Recipients receive four years of instrument hire, one-on-one tuition and ensemble group membership.

If you would like to support this wonderful initiative, please do visit the link below to donate to the fund. We hope to choose our next scholar in April. https://londonmusicfund. enthuse.com/pf/bushby

SALLY ALFORD, NÉE JONES (NHEHS 1970)

I trained as a Professional Actor and Contemporary Dancer at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and have taken part in numerous productions. I performed professionally as a soloist in a contemporary dance group then began teaching Drama, Speech and Voice and Dance at numerous institutions.

I have produced a number of large scale productions and created a successful Theatre in Education Company. My main passion for the past 16 years has been The Theatre Shed (www.thetheatreshed.co.uk), an inclusive theatre company, where I have served on the Board of Trustees, helped organise fundraising events and have supported the Artistic Team, both in performance, and at workshops and I am now a Patron. I was privileged to take part as a Performer at the 2012 Paralympic Opening Ceremony. I have been involved in several community drama projects as an actor/director including A Passion Play and recently co-directed The Amersham Martyrs

Community Play for the third time with a company of nearly 100 folk involved either as performers or backstage. My love of Drama and English developed because of the amazing Miss Richards and Anne Harvey at NHEHS whom I remember with great fondness and with much appreciation.

DR NICOLA KEAY (NHEHS 1984)

My main update is that in October, on my birthday last year, my book was published ‘Hormones, Health and Human Potential: A Guide to Understanding Your Hormones to Optimise Your Health & Performance.’

All the excellent science teaching I received during my time at NHEHS set me on a course to be scientifically inquisitive. My Classics teacher Mrs Anstey will hopefully also be pleased with references I’ve made to ancient civilisations. Also all the sports staff for encouraging participation in school sports and the Drama and English staff: although I was never a good actress, I could dance and did so in many school productions. I have enjoyed giving talks to current pupils at NHEHS involved in sport and giving advice on how to maintain hormone health to enable best performance.

SALLY ROBERTSON (NÉE OWEN) (NHEHS 1986)

I continue to be the vicar of St Andrew’s, a small church in North Swindon, and am just coming to the end of my first year as Swindon Area Dean. This involves coordinating all the Anglican churches in Swindon and liaising between them and Bristol Diocese which is a role I really enjoy. With only one daughter left at university and at home occasionally (the other two based around the corner and in Bristol) my husband and I enjoyed even more boardgames, geocaching and holidays last year and it was good to be back on stage post-pandemic in HMS Pinafore –only at the back of the chorus!

Upcoming events ‘23

THURSDAY

JUNE 15

ART EXHIBITION

SATURDAY

SEPTEMBER 16

OGA 150TH ANNIVERSARY REUNION TEA PARTY

Date: Thursday 15th June

Time: 5pm – 7pm

We would like to invite all alumnae to our summer Art Exhibition at Notting Hill & Ealing High School.

The exhibition will showcase the best of our students’ GCSE and A Level artwork.

Date: Saturday 16th September

Time: 2pm – 5pm

150 years of educating girls – what an achievement and definitely worth a celebration!

All alumnae are welcome to attend please get in touch if you would like to arrange a table for your specific year group in what promises to be a really special, and memorable, afternoon.

MONDAY

DECEMBER 11

ST BARNABAS CHRISTMAS CAROL CONCERT

Date: Monday 11th December

Time: 7pm

All alumnae are invited to join us at the annual Christmas Carol Concert.

St Barnabas Church, Pitshanger Lane, London W5 1QG

If you would like to be involved in any of these events, or would like more information, please email: alumnae@nhehs.gdst.net or visit the alumnae section of the NHEHS website.

OGA t ea p arty ‘22

New 150th Anniversary OGA Alumnae Bursary

NHEHS celebrates its 150th Anniversary in September 2023. Such a significant birthday merits a pause, a moment to reflect on what unites our past, our present and our future.

We have always been an ambitious school, giving girls the academic and social confidence to achieve their dreams. We have also always been a grounded school, with a diverse pupil body taken from across London. Throughout a pupil’s journey with us, we teach them to challenge assumptions. Our girls are kind and empathetic, willing each other on to be the best they can be. Each year we send a cohort of motivated and warm-hearted global citizens into the adult world.

πάντα ῥεῖ – ‘everything is in flux’ –the Greek philosopher, Heraclitus, once wrote – we cannot be sure of what the future will bring but we know that we want NHEHS to remain what it has always been – aspirational and grounded.

Of the many challenges this statement presents, the most significant one concerns affordability. Since the end of the Assisted Places scheme in 1997, independent schools have had to fund financial support for families in need from their own resources. At NHEHS our current resources are smaller than similar schools and yet our location and our welcoming and inclusive culture mean that demand is greater. Ever since alumnae and others came together to form the Berryman memorial bursary in 1926 our community has provided financial support for students; we now need a huge collective effort to meet the current and future climate.

This increase in the number of 100% bursaries we could offer would bring NHEHS up to the number which similar schools currently offer. The most significant of these three would be a new OGA Alumnae 150th Anniversary Bursary. Given to a girl who has the talent but not the means to benefit from and contribute to this amazing school, it would run for all seven of their senior school years. It would be a first for a GDST school and a first for a GDST OGA Alumnae association.

We need £150,000 to make the OGA Alumnae 150th Anniversary Bursary a reality. Thank you to those of you who have already made donations following our campaign launch. We need more of you to make donations if we are to be able to offer this life-changing opportunity to a pupil this September. We have more worthy candidates than we can currently support and urgently need your help.

Our OGA Alumnae leads the field in so many areas – in subscribers, in volunteering – please help us remain trailblazers within the Trust by doing something remarkable of which we can all be proud as we celebrate our 150th birthday on Saturday 16th September 2023.

To donate to the OGA Alumnae 150th Anniversary bursary simply visit https://gdst.net/donate/NHEHS

To discuss the campaign please do contact me:

E. development@nhehs.gdst.net

T. 020 8799 8400

MOLLY TOLLIT, DEVELOPMENT MANAGER AND CLASSICS TEACHER

So we are reaching out to you for your support. In October 2022 we launched our 150th Anniversary Bursary Campaign. Through it, we hope to set up three new transformational bursaries, i.e. for families with a total household annual income of less than £43,000.

Every donation makes a difference and will go directly to support the OGA Alumnae 150th Anniversary Bursary.

Everyone makes a difference.

From the archives...

LIZ BROEKMANN, NHEHS ARCHIVIST

CELEBRATING A BRIGHT FUTURE FOR GIRLS

Notting Hill has a long and proud history. It was a beacon in girls’ education in 1873 and 150 years later is still an important player, equipping girls with the knowledge and confidence they need to make their mark on the world.

Since the school opened its doors with 10 pupils on 16th September 1873, it has strived to provide a good academic education for girls. Old Girl, Dame Harriet Chick (1887–1893) referred to this in her speech at the Centenary Dinner when she said ‘I have all my life been grateful for the excellent education I received at this school and I have no doubt it offers an excellent—if more colourful education at the present time’.

When a school has been in existence for so long, there will inevitably be many special moments that it looks back on with pride. Notting Hill has had its fair share of landmark anniversaries, but one of the most important, and the focus of this article, was its centenary in 1973 when the school could reflect on and celebrate its first 100 years.

The celebrations began in February 1973 with the performance of a specially written play, Unwillingly to School, which provided an overview of girls’ education since 1873. The play involved 168 girls and ended with them all on the stage singing the school song, which had been written by old girl Emma Gurney Salter in 1910.

There was another drama production just before the summer holidays. Entitled And bid them speak for us, its script included poetry and prose taken from old school magazines.

Music too, played an important part in the celebrations, with the thanksgiving service and two music concerts. In March, a combined choir of current and old girls performed a choral concert in St Stephen’s Church and in May, the senior choir was joined by two Old Girls, Helen Liebman and Susan Hemming, for a special Centenary Concert.

An open day in March provided an opportunity for visitors to come and see the school in action. There were science demonstrations, an art exhibition, dance and gymnastic shows and a display of the girls’ workbooks.

One of the especially exciting events of the year was the Prize-giving held at the end of June. On this occasion, the school welcomed HRH the Duchess of Gloucester (Patron of the Trust at the time) as guest of honour. As a thank you, she was presented with ‘a spiky pot plant’! The Chairman of the Girls’ Public Day School Trust (GPDST), Dame Kitty Anderson and the Mayor of Ealing were also special guests. The evening was a great success and the organisers (and girls) took the unexpected explosion of one of the stage lights in their stride. This drama was very well ‘camouflaged’ by sixth form pupil Ellen Jackson who ‘calmly played gentle tunes on her viola’ until the lights had been restored.

The biggest event of the year was undoubtedly the special Thanksgiving Service in St Paul’s Cathedral in July. About 2,000 staff, girls, old girls and parents attended, all conveyed on a special central line train from Ealing Broadway to St Pauls. Everyone on board was given a unique train ticket which they could keep as a souvenir.

The choir played a key role in the service. The excitement of singing in such an iconic place was summed up by sixth former Hilary Davies who said, “The experience of singing in the Cathedral was something we will all remember for a very long time.”

After the service, a few lucky people were invited to tea in the Apothocaries Hall. The old girls who did not attend were taken to the school by coach where they enjoyed tea and a wander around their alma mater.

In the evening, the Old Girls Association, whose Hon Secretary at the time was Joan Hazell, held a celebratory dinner. About 200 Old Girls attended, some travelling from as far as the USA, South America and Japan. The guest speaker on the evening was Dame Harriette Chick who was 98 at the time. Writing in the school magazine afterwards, Headmistress Miss Hendry reminded the school and old girls that Dame Harriette was a direct link between the first Headmistress, Miss Harriet MorantJones, and the present school.

Other important guests on this momentous occasion were Dame Kitty Anderson and old girl Jane Sayers who recorded the school’s rich history in a specially commissioned book, The Fountain Unsealed. This book was described by Miss Hendry as a ‘remarkably lively and fascinating account of the school’s evolution and of the personalities who contributed to its distinction’.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP:

1973 Prizegiving, Junior girl with Dame Kitty Anderson

1973 Train ticket; Head Teacher Miss Hendry 1959–1974

1973 Centenary barbecue

1973 Open Day

THIS PAGE CLOCKWISE FROM TOP:

1973 And bid them speak for us

1973 Letter from London Transport

1973 Outside St Pauls before service

OPPOSITE CLOCKWISE FROM TOP:

1973 Duchess of Gloucester and Dame Kitty Anderson

1973 Cast from Unwilling to School

1973 Open Day movement display

1973 Centenary OG dinner ticket.

The year’s celebrations ended with the school’s 100th birthday in September. As the actual ‘birthday’, the 16th of September, was a Sunday, the school celebrated on Friday 14th with ‘Expedition Day’. This was a day of special outings for the whole school. The magazine reported that ‘Their tracks reached out to places as far distant as Bath, Stratford and Cambridge and their activities covered a multiplicity of interests. One party went to Whipsnade Zoo, while another ventured on a Nature trail to Hazelborough Forest and the nature reserve at Emberton Park. Some gave themselves ghostly thrills in the Hell Fire Caves at West Wycombe and then petted the donkeys in the Donkey Sanctuary. Another group looked round the Kodak factory and museum at Harrow and afterwards went on to Kew; one party travelled by river to Greenwich and there visited the Royal Observatory Vast amounts of crisps, sweets and other edibles were consumed in the efforts to keep up flagging energies needed for the physical and intellectual exercise, not to mention all the laughing, talking and singing that enlivened the journeys’

The next day saw the final event of this momentous year –a barbecue – when several fathers were roped in to cook the ‘mountains of food’. Not only was there lots of meat, there was also lamb on a spit. When it was ready, a Scottish piper summoned the crowds and when everyone had gathered, Miss Hendry got the ball rolling by carving the first slice. After dinner, the ceremonial cake appeared and the evening ended with a firework display – just as the heavens opened!

In her toast to the school at the Old Girls’ Dinner, Dame Kitty Anderson reminded the guests that ‘In 1873 the task was to explore and widen educational opportunities for girls; today the challenge is to encourage young women to go through the many doors now open to them and to put to good use their abilities and talents’. Fifty years later, as we prepare to celebrate another important milestone, this remains an important goal

In memoriam we fondly remember.

Former students

LUCY MARGARET BROWN (NHEHS 1940)

Lucy passed away on 26th November 2018 aged 96 years old.

We would like to thank Lucy for her generous donation to the school.

PAMELA FITT (NHEHS 1949)

Pamela passed away in May 2022 aged 90 years old.

We would like to thank Patricia for her generous donation to the school

PATRICIA BARRETT (NHEHS 1950)

Patricia passed away in Chiswick in July 2022 aged 90 years old. From her cousin “She died peacefully in July and was remembered with a well attended Thanksgiving Service at St Mary’s Osterley. She certainly lived life to the full and her old school hymn, I believe... “Thy Hand O God Has Guided” was sung at the service.”

We would like to thank Pamela for her very generous donation to the school.

SYLVIA REID (NÉE PAYNE) (NHEHS 1942)

Sylvia died on 20th August 2022. Her son told us “Sylvia was born in 1924 and attended Notting Hill, where she excelled at art and music. She went on to the Regent Street Polytechnic to study architecture and met John Reid who was to become her husband and collaborator, a relationship which was. Their marriage and design partnership continued until John’s death in 1992.

Their work was prolific and wide-ranging, winning three Milan Triennale medals (1954, 1960 & 1963) and four Council of Industrial Design awards (1957, 1958, 1959 & 1961). Their enamelled cast iron Anniversary Ware for Izons is part of the permanent collection at the V&A Museum. They also undertook a good deal of graphic design, including the ‘NIC EIC’ logo which has remained unchanged since 1967 and can be spotted on electricians’ vans throughout the UK. They are perhaps best known for their furniture designs for British manufacturer Stag and their lighting fittings for Rotaflex. Their iconic S230 dining chair was awarded a Design Guild Mark on its 60th anniversary in 2019.

JUDITH TITTENSOR (NHEHS 1944)

Aged 95 years, alumna and former member of staff,passed away on 5th November 2021.

JOY THOMAS (NÉE GOODYER) (NHEHS 1958)

Joy passed away on 24th September 2022.

ATARAH BEN-TOVIM (NHEHS 1958)

LILI GWYNETH MASON (NHEHS 1947 )

Lili passed away in October 2020. Her daughter said of Lili “She talked very warmly of her school years, the last few were notably during the Second World War. She remembered lessons being given in the changing rooms during dangerous times as presumably this was on lower ground. We still have all her school prize books and various year photos. She went on to university and became an orthodontist. She had initially wanted to become a doctor and believed being a woman in those days went against her, however, studying dentistry would still have been very male dominated so still a great achievement I believe.”

ANNE SHEPPARD HEARN (NÉE MEAD & PREVIOUSLY ORGAN)

Anne passed away on 28th January 2022. From her daughter “She loved attending the OGA reunions and kept in touch with many friends from her school days.”

ALISON GRACE HILDA BEAUMONT (NÉE BROWN)

Alison passed away on 19th October 2020.

SHEILA JOYCE BAILEY (NÉE FLETCHER)

Sheila passed away on the 28th July 2022. From her son “I know she often looked back at her time at Notting Hill with great fondness. She and her sister Zena both won scholarships to attend. Sheila entered the BBC in the late 1950s. She was Sir Robin Day’s personal secretary for many years.”

Former staff

SUSAN ‘HILARY’ MELLOWS, HEAD OF JUNIOR SCHOOL, 1986 – 1998

Susan “Hilary”, died on 30th March 2022, aged 81. Hilary was an inspirational teacher, who taught at Nottingham High School for Girls and head teacher at St Paul’s Primary and Notting Hill & Ealing schools in London. Hilary loved singing and was in various choirs including the London Philharmonic and Bridge Singers. Hilary returned to Nottingham upon retirement where she was a well-known sight with her beloved Westies and Scotties. Hilary found happiness with Roy Williams, who passed away in 2016.

ANNE HARVEY, SPEECH & DRAMA TEACHER, 1965–1986

Anne died on 24th December 2022.

EILEEN APLIN, HEAD OF ART, 1978 –1994

Eileen passed away on 3rd February 2023 aged 89. Her daughter told us, “Mum absolutely loved teaching and NHEHS. After she retired in 1994, she and my dad moved to Canterbury. They loved to go to Ramsgate, always on a Friday, and they would have fish and chips and sit by the beach. They both enrolled on an Adult Education art class, to keep up her skills, which she really enjoyed. She was quite independent until she sadly had a mini stroke in 2018. She was a loving, caring person and will be sadly missed but never forgotten.”

Leaving a lasting gift...

Several NHEHS alumnae, former staff and former parents have chosen to leave a gift in their will to help to ensure more girls with the ability but not the means can benefit from NHEHS’ uniquely aspirational yet grounded education.

Leaving a single bequest or a percentage of your remaining estate to our Bursary and Assistance fund could make such a difference to future students at NHEHS.

As an NHEHS alumna, you can write your will for free using leading will-writing service, Farewill. Get started by visiting https://farewill.com/nhehs

If you have already pledged a gift to us in your Will, thank you so much. Please consider letting us know. As a token of our appreciation, you are invited to two special events a year, in addition to the one organised by the GDST’s Minerva Circle.

As we look forward to celebrating 150 years of Notting Hill & Ealing High School, we hope you will consider helping us create a more equitable future by leaving a legacy gift to NHEHS.

My reason for leaving a legacy to my old school is that getting a place at NHEHS was probably my luckiest break in life and if in some small way I can help someone else to get that opportunity it would be great. It is my small way of helping to return to the principle of helping to level up education and opportunities in life, which I feel passionate about, as well as thanking NHEHS for such an inspiring education.

If you have any further questions, please contact our Development Manager, Molly Tollit (development@nhehs.gdst.net) or visit www.gdst.net/support/ gdst-legacy/

Alison Bond (NHEHS 1971)

We pledge that legacy gifts of over £10,000 will lead to a tree being planted in your name on the school site.

farewill

While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy throughout this publication, we hope you will please forgive any minor errors and please inform us of any major ones!

February 2023