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ONLine, Alumnae and Development Office, Canons, Canons Drive, Edgware HA8 7RJ EMAIL
onla@nlcs.org.uk TELEPHONE
020 8951 6475
EDITORIAL TEAM PRODUCER
Carolina Jayson (ONL 1991), NLCS Alumnae and Development Officer ARTS COLUMNIST
Chloé Nelkin (ONL 2006) ARCHIVES COLUMNIST
Joelaine Fitch (ONL 2006) COVER Ramsay MacDonald with
members of his family by Peggy Angus
Dear Old North Londoner, Our new House Activity Programme, launched just last year, is now fully integrated into the life of the School, with many events in the calendar centred on the Houses such as Sports Day, InterHouse Chess and The Summer Charity Fête – these activities run alongside the existing layer forms, which remain unchanged. The Houses are named after inspirational ONLs, who achieved prominence in a variety of professions. Through this House system, and together with the photos and stories of ONLs that line the corridors of the buildings here at Canons, we are hoping to excite and inspire the current generation of students through the many remarkable achievements of their predecessors. Our theme in this issue of ONLine is Inspirational Women; we are very grateful for the thoughtful articles written by ONLs about women whose stories have inspired them in some way. I particularly enjoyed reading about two women, Lucy Nganga, who brought change through sheer determination and courage, to the people of Nakuru, Kenya and Eleanor Rathbone, a truly committed humanitarian. As all ONLs know, in 1865 Frances Mary Buss, who remains the original inspiration for us all, appeared before the Schools Enquiry Commission (the Taunton Commission) to advocate secondary schooling for girls. It was thanks to her ambition to have ‘girls trained to match their brothers’’, that her pioneering School was founded and has long been seen as a model for girls’ schools across the country and indeed the world. And of course, since the opening of NLCS Jeju in 2011, a North London Collegiate education is 2
ONLINE | 2016
now offered to South Korean boys as well (although boys and girls are taught separately from the ages of 11 to 16 in a ‘diamond’ structure). Meanwhile, other governments in the Middle and Far East are now seeking to offer their young people (boys as well as girls) the quality of education an NLCS student receives. I know that many of our students and ONLs understand that a North London education is a privilege which brings with it a responsibility to give back to the wider community; I am continually impressed to hear about students and ONLs giving their time and enthusiasm to projects in countries where there is need, whether it be for education, medical care, food, shelter, or even clean water. At Canons we want to encourage our students to see themselves as the leaders of tomorrow. We are very grateful to those ONLs who take time to help our students and each other, whether through offers of work experience or career advice in order to widen their horizons and be aware of the opportunities for their future working lives. Finally, my thanks to ONLs across the world, for being a constant inspiration to us here at Canons. We want to develop in the girls at School today the skills, ambition and confidence that you have shown, to follow their own path in life and make the choices that are right for them. Everyone at Canons is conscious of the powerful role models in previous generations, whose stories inspire today’s students to aim high and make a difference to the world in which they live. With warmest wishes, Bernice McCabe Headmistress
INSPIRATIONAL: A PERSON OR THING THAT INSPIRES. It takes only a short conversation with an ONL for them to mention a teacher from School that inspired them, a role model, or someone who they look up to. I have really enjoyed editing this issue, discovering who some of these amazing women are and learning along the way that we are a varied and eclectic group of women with many different interests and motivations. What stands out for me is how wide a circle we draw our inspiration from, and it is really exciting to think about what current North Londoners will be inspired by in years to come. Please do keep in touch with the Alumnae Office with your news, interests and thoughts. We are keen for ONLs who are not in contact with the School to be brought back into the fold, so please inform us if you know of any. Our theme for the 2017 issue of ONLine will be ONLs around the World and we are always grateful for contributors so feel free to get in touch! Best wishes,
Holly Levy (née O’Connell, 2003) ONLine Editor