With thanks to all who have contributed to this edition of ONLINE magazine. The opinions expressed are those of the writers and not necessarily those of North London Collegiate School.
This magazine is edited by Sonal R Dhadphale and designed by The Graphic Design House, tgdh.co.uk.
With special thanks to Joe Dunster, Jane Cole and Sarah Prentice.
North London Collegiate School Canons Canons Drive
Edgware
Middlesex HA8 7RJ
onla@nlcs.org.uk | +44 (0)20 8951 6450
Frances Mary Buss
@francesmarybuss
Frances Mary Buss
#ONLCommunity
Natalie
Vivien
Dame
Dates for Your Diary
10.09.25
ONLs vs StudentsLacrosse & Netball
Join us back on the courts and pitches - whether you are playing or cheering on from the sidelines, we’d love to see you there!
22.10.25
Drinks in New York, USA Hosted by Michelle Clayman (ONL 1971) 26.11.25 Medics Conference
Be part of our first-ever Medical Conference - a chance to share your story and shed light on the journey through applications, university life, and beyond with students exploring careers in Medicine and Dentistry.
of 2020: 5 Year Reunion 15.12.25
ONLs Winter Drinks For the Classes of 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025. The Albany, London, W1W 5QU
11.03.2026 Honorary ONLs Reunion with Senior School Play 17.05.26 Decades Reunion
For the Classes of 1976, 1986, 1996, 2006 and 2016
Fashion Come and be part of an unforgettable evening celebrating creativity and style at NLCS. A visual feast not to be missed! 26.02.26 Careers Convention
Come and share your insights into ‘the squiggly path’ of careers at our biennial careers convention in partnership with local schools.
14.06.26 Half Decades and 55+ Reunion
For the Classes of 1971, 1981, 1991, 2001, 2011 and all celebrating 55+ year reunions. Full event listing and booking details can be found at:
Events will be hosted at NLCS unless a different venue is specified. Excited to share your journey? Register your interest to volunteer at the Medics Conference and Careers Convention by emailing onla@nlcs.org.uk
There’s something uniquely powerful about the way North Londoners stay connected: across generations, professions, and continents. Whether you left Canons recently or decades ago, the energy that defined your time here continues to resonate. It is my great pleasure to welcome you to this year’s commemorative edition of ONLINE, where those connections are brought together and celebrated.
Over the past two years, I have seen first-hand how the ONL community continues to support the School with grace and generosity. Your involvement in key days such as Giving Day, your enthusiastic participation in events, and the stories you share with current students are profoundly appreciated. Thank you, too, to our dedicated former staff, who remain an enduring part of the NLCS story. This issue offers an exciting window into the life of our School and alumnae community in our 175th year. You’ll find updates from ONLs across the globe, a behindthe-scenes look at NLCS International, and reflections on leadership and legacy. We’re proud to spotlight your published works, thank the many volunteers who keep our community thriving, and, importantly, honour those we have lost.
Of course, Founder’s Day at St Paul’s Cathedral was a special moment of reflection and togetherness, celebrating both our past and our present. Thank you to everyone who joined us. This year, as we reflect on the vision of Frances Mary Buss, we are also looking ahead to new beginnings with the launch of the Ideas Hub, which will be integral to shaping the next generation of NLCS innovators.
As you read this edition, I hope you feel the same sense of pride that we do. This magazine is, above all, a celebration of you.
Best wishes,
Vicky Bingham
Welcome from the Headmistress
Welcome from the Alumnae Relations Manager
Looking back to look forwards feels especially meaningful as we mark 175 years of North London Collegiate School.
In this special anniversary edition of ONLINE:
•we celebrate the past, the present and future of the School,
•we celebrate your legacy and the remarkable ONLs and Honorary ONLs who make up our wonderful community, and
•we celebrate the rich diversity that has strengthened our School.
Every generation of ONLs and Honorary ONLs has woven their own vibrant thread into the rich tapestry of the School, enriching the broader narrative of our exceptional community. Your stories, ambitions and accomplishments continue to inspire, shaping the legacy of our School for the next 175 years and beyond.
The deep affection you have for NLCS is unmistakable, as is the warmth, kindness and generosity that flow through your shared experiences. As we look to the future, your insights and involvement remain central to creating a community that thrives on connection, belonging and contribution.
Guided by the enduring legacy of Frances Mary Buss, and with our sights firmly on the horizon, this commemorative edition seeks to capture the unconquerable spirit of ONLs and Honorary ONLs - your resilience, your flair for innovation and ultimately the deep-rooted sense of community that brings us all together.
It has been a privilege to work on this edition. A special thank you to everyone who has contributed so generously to making this celebratory edition of ONLINE so memorable.
With your encouragement and support, I look forward to continuing this journey – together. I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I have enjoyed putting it together.
Warmest wishes,
Sonal R Dhadphale
Frances Mary Buss would undoubtedly be proud to see her School’s many achievements during the last 175 years. This anniversary is a good time to reflect on these.
The School has also taken this opportunity to launch a programme of initiatives that will enhance its ability to equip students with the knowledge, tools and personal attributes that they will need in their future careers.
Earlier this academic year, the Headmistress, Vicky Bingham, invited me to take on the role of Honorary ONL Ambassador with the aim of helping the Alumnae Office to keep former staff (to be known as Honorary ONLs in future) in touch with the School community. The School acknowledges the important contribution that Honorary ONLs make. It hopes that through regular events and communications with Honorary ONLs, we will develop our own identity, as distinct from former pupils, ONLs.
In this new role, it has been a great pleasure to connect with the School community and learn more about the School’s many exciting developments, not least the new buildings and Ideas Hub at Canons. The ingenuity and enterprise shown by the staff and students in everything they undertake is as impressive as ever.
It was a great privilege to interview Dave Harris for ONLINE when he retired after more than 40 years’ service to the School. I know he was delighted to see so many Honorary ONLs at his surprise retirement party held on
the terraces in glorious Canons sunshine. It was a fitting tribute for such a devoted member of the School team.
From now on ONLINE magazine will contain a section for Honorary ONLs to which you are warmly invited to contribute. In particular, this section provides an opportunity to acknowledge and welcome staff when they leave School and join the Honorary ONL community.
I hope that you will enjoy reading ONLINE and take up forthcoming opportunities to strengthen your connection with School and most importantly with each other.
Very best wishes,
Jo Newman
Welcome from the Honorary ONL Ambassador
Bussing into the Future
Bussing into the Future
In Conversation with Vicky Bingham
You’ve been here for two years now, but you won’t have met all our ONLs yet. Tell us a little bit about you. I am a career teacher (Classics) and I have always taught in girls’ schools. The former was a deliberate choice (I wanted to take knowledge I thought mattered to my grave and teaching seemed like the best option to do this). The latter was a very happy accident! I fell in love with the buzz and agility of girls’ schools on Valentine’s Day 2001 when I went for my first interview at Guildford High School. I joke that I am a two-trick pony. I know about academically selective girls’ schools in two places – Surrey and North London. I was Head at South Hampstead High School for 7 years before joining NLCS in September 2023. Outside work, I have a teenage daughter, a very patient husband and a very silly but beloved dog who comes running with me in the Chiltern Hills.
Frances Mary Buss was a trailblazer in girls’ education. How do you think she would view NLCS today, and what do you think she’d be most proud of?
I believe she would be incredibly proud of how NLCS continues to uphold her vision of academic excellence and ambition for young women. She had to fight for young women to even be allowed to sit university entrance exams, so the fact that 50% of our Class of 2025 have accepted offers from the Top Ten global universities would make her heart sing. She would be delighted to see how teaching has evolved over the years as she was passionate about the need for effective teacher training. I suspect she would rather have enjoyed the collaborative and creative approaches we have to teaching today and the way in which our lessons give voice to our students.
Bussing into the Future
She would be thrilled that we offer 18 sports at the School today (no more callisthenics!) and I suspect she would be stunned that her portrait hangs in Schools in Jeju, Singapore, Dubai and soon Kobe.
Beyond academic excellence, what qualities do you hope every NLCS student develops by the time they leave?
I might start by clarifying the phrase ‘academic excellence’. I don’t mean results but the fostering of intellectual curiosity and courage. Our students today will enter an
learning all the time. Fostering a curious mindset is the most important thing we can give them for the workplace but also to enable them to live fulfilling lives. They should leave school with a sense of how much more there is to learn. Beyond this, I want them to succeed with integrity. I want them to have a clear sense of who they are and what their values are and to be true to these. Life is too short to be inauthentic. I’d like them to feel they can make positive change and a big part of my own leadership style as a Head is to foster pupil voice. The students often have such brilliant ideas for the School.
Bussing into the Future
What are the biggest challenges facing girls’ education today?
Progress is fragile and at times of uncertainty there are forces which may try to undo all the progress that women have made since FMB founded NLCS. We saw in the pandemic how it was more commonly women who were furloughed or lost out on promotion. In politics we are seeing a hardening of views in young men, and the toxic content of parts of the internet represents a threat to women. In the independent schools’ sector, girls’ schools, which are often smaller, are under increasing threat, especially since the introduction of VAT on school fees. At NLCS, places are still heavily in demand, but it’s not the same picture in the rest of the country.
The role of a Headmistress has evolved significantly since the school’s founding. What excites you most about leading NLCS?
Dave Harris who retired this Summer Term famously said ‘anything is possible’ at NLCS. That’s what I love about working here – there is a palpable sense of possibility and I see my job as unlocking possibilities for the School community. I love it when a staff member wants to do something but there’s some barrier or other, and I can say ‘Don’t worry about that, let’s make it happen’. I love the fact that although NLCS has been standing for 175 years, we are always moving forward. NLCS is a very open-minded community in that way so it’s an absolute joy to lead it. It’s true that the role of the Headmistress has changed a lot in 175 years, but it’s important to remind yourself that ultimately you are there to serve the people in the School.
What have you been focusing on in your first two years in post, and what are your plans for the future?
Gosh, you really don’t want to hear the entire strategic vision, but it’s based on four pillars – Intellectual Tradition, Intrepid Innovation, Investment in the Individual and Impact and Influence. Together they blend tradition with innovation, and intellectual with personal development. I’m passionate about the professional development of teachers because it’s they who really create the magic in schools, not the Headmistress. So I spent a lot of my first year observing lessons and thinking about a framework
for teaching at NLCS. Setting out a clear vision for our Ideas Hub was also an essential part of my first couple of years – defining what innovation means at NLCS. We’ve also developed a new strategy for sport and invested in the grounds. And in our 175th year, we have relaunched the School Houses, named after intrepid female space explorers or spacecraft with female names – it was a play on the ship motif.
Naturally, I’ve also had to spend quite a lot of time protecting the School for the future in the VAT era and I’m thrilled that we closed one of our most successful admissions seasons in recent years this March. We also launched a new philanthropic fund this year and we’ve raised over £1m in gifts this year alone, and I’m so grateful to everyone who supported us.
We’ve just opened the Ideas Hub, our innovation centre. What could innovation in girls’ education look like?
The Ideas Hub is a home for our brilliantly creative Engineering and Art Departments, but it’s also a space for the whole community. It’s given us grown-up breakout and study spaces that we didn’t really have before. We
describe it as a ‘university with stabilisers’. The spaces like the Atrium, the Exchange, the Boardroom and all the little quiet study booths have been transformative for our Sixth Form students, but they’ve given the whole school community a space for collaborative and playful learning. The Ideas Hub is also an abstract concept – it’s like our NLCS think tank, except it drives action rather than just thinking. It’s the centre for new curriculum development. We are especially excited about the launch of Surge, our new Start-Up Academy for the next generation of female founders. The course has been written in partnership with NLCS parents who are experts in their fields and the whole programme will be taught by leading experts in the business and tech world. We’ve also been working very hard on our Raising Voices oracy programme and the Ideas Hub Atrium is a wonderful space for presentations. The Ideas Hub is also driving teaching and learning – this year we crystallised exactly what we meant by great teaching in the context of NLCS and the Hub is supporting this work with research into what makes effective teaching. We are even piloting a peer observation programme that blends human and AI-powered lesson observation.
There is often debate about how we prepare students for a rapidly changing world. How does NLCS strike a balance between tradition and forward-thinking education?
Our curriculum is rigorous and intellectually stimulating, but we also integrate cutting-edge technology, experiential learning, and global perspectives to ensure that students are prepared for whatever the future holds. However, we must not lose sight of the fact that education is more than just preparing you for the workplace. What a depressing vision of education that would be. The point of education is to enable you to develop your human capacities to their fullest potential. Education should give you an intellectual framework for your life, an ethical compass too (though that’s in partnership with parents), and plenty of beauty, awe and wonder. I slightly roll my eyes when people list any number of things they think schools ought to teach. I won’t give examples…I might get shot. But let’s say that there is an awful lot that clever women can work out for themselves and they don’t need to waste time learning it
Bussing into the Future
at school. School should teach you the things you can’t learn on your own.
What role do ONLs play in shaping the future of NLCS?
A critically important and very helpful one! I have loved meeting ONLs. Their genuine interest in the school today has really touched me, as well as their affection for NLCS in their day. Their love for the School is very moving. They are fantastic role models and mentors for our students; we could not run our Careers Events or Higher Education programme without them. They have also been incredibly generous in their support for the school and enabled us to fund more Bursaries and progress projects faster than we could have imagined. They are amazing.
Some quickfire questions – favourite NLCS location, meal and event?
Location - the gardens beside Budge Square – we performed The Bacchae there last summer. And I love the smell of the Chandos roses. Meal – the Wednesday roast. Event – tough call between the Christmas assembly and Canon’s Follies. NLCS students have a wicked sense of humour. I’ve reduced the censorship of their scripts in recent years and so far they’ve played it really well.
You have to write a Founder’s Day speech each year steeped in all the wonderful history of our school. Do you have a favourite NLCS Headmistress?
That isn’t really a fair question. I admire them all and I love coming in each morning and seeing them on the walls of the Old House. FMB is opposite my office so every time I open the door, it’s as if she’s reminding me not to mess it up. Julius Caesar famously felt inferior to Alexander the Great who had conquered most of the known world by the age of 26. In turn, Napolean felt inferior to Julius Caesar. Researching for my Founder’s Day speech makes me feel a bit like Julius Caesar, but without (I hope) the Ides of March. You just can’t help but feel insignificant in the face of these amazing women. But I think humility is a good quality for a Headmistress. It keeps you keen and makes you want to achieve even more, so watch this space!
1. Badminton Players Reach Semi-finals of National School Sports Magazine
2. Middlesex Netball Champions (first time since 1998)
3. Year 10: Loose Canon
4. Classroom Pods
5. Ski Championship Winners
6. Giving Day Staff Run
7. Senior Societies with The Rt Hon Lord Michael Gove PC
8. Year 6: Trip to France
9. Canons Choir Wins Barnado’s Choir of the Year (3rd Year Running)
10. Junior School STEAM Week
11. Fantasy Fashion
On Friday 21 March, we marked the 175th anniversary of NLCS with a special Founder’s Day celebration at St Paul’s Cathedral - a venue deeply connected to the school’s history and traditions.
Spring: Founder’s Day at St Paul’s Cathedral
Summer Highlights
1. Valedictory
2. Year 7 & Year 8 Play: Around the World in 80 Days
3. English Department Trip to Dublin
4. Year 9 & Year 10: Cricket
5. VEX World Championships in Dallas, USA
6. Year 3: Camping at Canons
7. Masterclass with Margaret Fingerhut MBE (ONL 1973)
8. Ideas Hub Opening
9. Installation of Blue Plaque for Dr Beryl Gilroy
10. Junior School: School of Rock
11. Valedictory - Welcome to the ONL Community!
12. Year 5: First Eureka Partnerships with Local Primary Schools
13. Summer Solstice: Celebrating 175
14. Sports Celebration Evening with Guest Speaker Fatima Whitbread MBE
11.
13.
Honorary ONLs
Meet Our New Honorary ONLs
With warm gratitude, we welcome the following staff now as Honorary ONLs.
Halimat Adio Graduate Sports Assistant
Ruth Amdur Junior School Teaching Assistant
Lucile Aubic Teacher of MFL
Deborah Baum PA to the Headmistress
Sanjit Binning Teacher of EDT
Tracy Bush Payroll & Fees Administrator
Vicky Brock Teacher of History
Emma Cukier Junior School Teacher
Sarah Dowe Teacher of Swimming
Jasper Federman Teacher of PE
Louis Forde Teacher of History & Politics
Poppy Forde Teacher of Classics
Claire Hill Teacher of PE
Harriet Jones Archivist
Soo-Lin Lui Teacher of Classics
Heather May Director of Drama
Awadh Mohamed IT Support Technician
Stacey Mott Teacher of History
Abigail Permain Head of Art
Philip Rosenthall Junior School
Assistant Head, Enrichment
Ana Schuldt Archivist
Dr Richard Silverman Teacher of Biology, Head of Careers
Rosie Scordoulis Teacher of Biology
Tara Stephens Development Office Administrator
Lindsey Tibballs Teacher of French with German
Dr Will Van Reyk Deputy Director of Innovation, Head of History & Politics
Varsha Virdi
Accounts Payable Assistant
Harriet Woods School Nurse
Retiring Staff
Dr Clare Jackson Assistant Head and Teacher of Biology
What have you enjoyed most about working at NLCS?
Being constantly challenged to keep up to date with the latest developments in Biology. Even in my last few weeks, I have been frantically searching in various journals for answers to questions which have arrived in emails from students, with a clear expectation of a prompt response.
What was your favourite memory of your time at North London?
There are so many good memories that its hard to single one out. Period 1 & 2 on a Friday morning with my Year 13 IB class back in 2012 was, however, a highlight due to one student, on discovering that I had a sweet tooth, making it her mission to produce homemade cakes every single week. The goodies would be revealed at some point of her choosing during the lesson, together with a risk assessment for eating in the lab - which apparently made it perfectly safe!
What will you miss and/or not miss about School life?
Most of all l will miss the comradeship of all my colleagues who have always been there in best of times and the worst of times. I will not miss compiling the daily cover rota, updating EPQ spreadsheets, or putting the Middle School and Year 10 invigilation timetables together.
What advice would you give your students and/or a new member of staff?
There are a huge number of opportunities at NLCS, for staff and students; make sure you take advantage of at least one of them, you won’t regret it.
Which part of the School site is your favourite and why?
The Drummond. Partly because it was my first Form Room and partly because I love the traditional features of the room combined with its airy feel and the beautiful view of the terraces. I have had the good fortune of running a couple of courses in the Drummond this term and being able to open the glass doors and take parts of the course outside was a huge bonus.
What are you looking forward to doing next?
1. Getting up at around 8am instead of around 6am - dogs permitting.
2. Getting trained in the use of a drysuit so that I can explore what lies beneath the surface of the UK waters.
3. And assuming that I survive 2, spending more time with family and friends.
Leonie Marks Junior School Teacher
What have you enjoyed most about working at NLCS?
There are so many things! The energy across the entire school, being part of a wonderful, vibrant community, having had the opportunity to work with amazing colleagues who quickly became, special friends. Above all, teaching girls who have a real desire to learn, watching them flourish through work, and a lot of play!
What was your favourite memory of your time at North London?
I still clearly remember when the then, Prince Charles, came to visit us at Canons. The place was buzzing with excited children, and teachers too! I have thoroughly enjoyed celebrating the many school milestones as well, such as events that have taken place as we mark this, our 175th year. Being part of our rich school shared heritage, such as Founder’s Day will always be special to me.
What will you miss and/or not miss about School life?
I will miss hearing the sound of laughter, the hum of chatter in the classroom, and of course the daily dose of friendship that I get the second I walk into school. I will also miss the challenge of new initiatives, as well as the chance to develop
myself, I too feel that I have learnt so much, and I still have a lot more to learn! What will I not miss? The early mornings, my personal dramas with anything tech related (honestly, I’m no technophobe, but there have been moments when I have been very close to picking up my device and hurling it........!!)
What advice would you give your students and/or a new member of staff?
Be prepared to work hard, challenge yourself and get stuck in to NLCS life! It is a magical place to be, yes, it is demanding but exhilarating too! Embrace it!
Which part of the School site is your favourite and why?
The Herbaceous Border, I love it so much there. The changes that come and go with the seasons, the life there and the beauty of the back drop, the magnificent Old House.
What are you looking forward to doing next?
I don’t have a bucket list, I think it might take me a while to get used to not rushing to school laden with bags at the crack of dawn! I love writing letters, currently I write to cancer patients via a charity which I am keen to do more of. My husband and I hope to do a little more travelling, It will be strange going away during term time! London is a great city, there will be plenty of opportunities to enjoy walking around, popping into galleries and museums, perhaps a few extra trips to theatres too. I know that the next chapter will be an exciting one, but of course I will miss life here at Canons hugely.
Dr Ruth McLoughlin (Dr Ruth Ling) Second in English and Teacher of English
What have you enjoyed most about working at NLCS?
Over the years, I have worked with so many delightful and able students at North London where I have been privileged to share my love of literature with inspiring and receptive young minds. Indeed, partaking together of the nurture great writers provide, has never failed to bring me joy here. More tangibly, teaching the IB alongside the Pre-U at Sixth Form, has allowed me to offer the most wide range of material both in English and in translation – from Beckett to Baudelaire. The students here are so clever and curious that even at Key Stage 3 with Dickens or Bronte say, I have always continued to learn on the job! Crucially, the English classroom where dialogue and personal growth are finessed, has provided a wonderful forum for the school’s particularly rich cultural diversity. I will always be grateful, for instance, to my Year 10 students who have shared such rich written accounts of their family backgrounds.
What was your favourite memory of your time at North London?
I depart with many happy thoughts of readings, performances and partnership events. English excursions I have been fortunate enough to organise have also been great fun. One fruitful day trip was to the newly opened ‘Home Place’ in Bellaghy, Country Derry, with an A level class studying Seamus Heaney. From Belfast Airport to the Heaney centre itself and then on through the poet’s childhood rural haunts, brought the work alive in the most thrilling of ways. I will also always remember one special Summer afternoon when I took an IB class down to Virginia Woolf’s Sussex home, Monk’s House and beautiful garden – a fitting place from where to wave them off to their university study of the Humanities.
What will you miss and/or not miss about School life?
I have certainly relished my Partnership work here. Being able,
on a regular basis, to witness students work with a new-found confidence in a workshop or symposium - with peers from other schools - will live long in my memory. I will also miss the daily myriad of interactions teachers tend to have on any one day – whether student 1:1s, corridor chats with colleagues, catch-ups over the photocopier, or ad hoc philosophical discussions in the Humanities office. And as the most unsporty member of staff ever, I shall miss measuring the javelin throws with the English Department on Sports Day! And what won’t I miss? Well, nothing quite beats the sense of relief in finally reaching February half-term after the long haul of the dark, cold January days.
What advice would you give your students and/ or a new member of staff?
At a time when the Humanities are under such threat for many reasons, I would urge students to value literature highly – Shakespeare and poetry in particular. Great writing has the power to help us understand ourselves, to contain the complexities of the human condition and to negotiate our ever-changing world. Quite simply, literature can help us get through. Whatever profession the students of North London pursue, books and theatre – and might I add opera – will remain crucial.
Which part of the School site is your favourite and why?
The scent of the Chandos roses wafting through the breeze in Budge Square is enchanting in June as I write, and the light and space of the Ideas Hub which really does embody the school ethos of ‘anything is possible’, is a brand new boon for future generations to enjoy. When I remember that Handel lived and worked on this very site, I continue to pinch myself when looking out from the windows of the Old House down through Canons towards St Lawrence’s Church. I have such fond memories of the production of Acis and Galatea – the masque composed by Handel for the Duke of Chandos – that the Music department put on one Summer in the gardens with the group of La Nuova Musica. And again, as part of my Partnership work, I was delighted, one year, to be able to bring the musicians of North London together with the London Handel Festival for a masterclass-lecture and an evening concert in St Lawrence’s.
What are you looking forward to doing next?
Being a teacher demands a high degree of multi-tasking almost all the time, and this, I won’t miss. Now instead, comes some precious time to really hone my knowledge of literature. I plan to read slowly and closely for depth rather than breadth of learning! More specifically, I am looking forward to completing my current critical project on great comic novels such as Pickwick Papers, Joseph Andrews and The Moor’s Last Sigh, and with this project in mind, I will be launching my own little series of Nicholson-inspired lectures, aimed at the general public in my home town. Let’s see where that leads me in my adult education ambitions! Having just redesigned my little Suffolk garden, I can’t wait now to get sowing and planting for the future.
Dr Julian Roberts Teacher of History
What have you enjoyed most about working at NLCS? Conversations, every day, with colleagues, and students.
What was your favourite memory of your time at North London?
This is impossible to answer: there are too many. What will you miss and/or not miss about School life? See 1. above!
What advice would you give your students and/or a new member of staff?
… that (almost) the only thing that matters is the conversations we have with each other.
Which part of the School site is your favourite and why? Room K, which was my classroom in the 90s, and my Tutor Group room since 2015; and Lime Avenue.
What are you looking forward to doing next? Taking life as it comes!
Martin Smith Teacher of Economics
What have you enjoyed most about working at NLCS? The friendly and purposeful nature of the school, both staff and pupils.
What was your favourite memory of your time at North London?
Sitting in the sunshine watching the girls play lacrosse which is a game I had never seen before.
What will you miss and/or not miss about School life? I will miss the interaction with students I taught (all 6th formers). I will not miss the marking!
What advice would you give your students and/or a new member of staff?
I would give the same advice to students and staff.... be ambitious.
Which part of the School site is your favourite and why? I have enjoyed sitting in the beautiful grounds in the sunshine. What are you looking forward to doing next?
I am looking forward to travelling, mostly to the USA and Canada to see family and friends.
Honorary ONLs
40 Years, One Toolkit
Estates
Manager Dave
Harris looks back with Jo Newman, née Caspari, Honorary ONL Ambassador (ONL 1976, Honorary ONL 2022)
It was a privilege to talk with Dave Harris about how his initial four-month contract turned into a unique 40-year career at North London Collegiate. As Estates Manager, Dave is responsible for the upkeep of the 30-acre estate and buildings and for ensuring these support the school’s educational provision. For the school community, Dave has become an institution, nothing is ever too much trouble and as he always says, ‘anything is possible’.
Before Dave joined North London in the mid 1980’s he was a dispatch rider but a board in the Job Centre provided him with two options: school gardener or factory worker. For
Dave there was no competition as he loved the outdoor life. Even though at his interview, Miss McLauchlan’s dog Rowan weed on his leg he was undeterred and joined the team of five gardeners at Canons.
Dave was promoted to the role of Assistant School Keeper in 1986 and lived on the school site. This was idyllic for his two children who were born while he lived there and are now in their thirties. Dave fondly remembers the school keeper team and the warm family atmosphere. On Friday nights, the team gathered at the end of the school field to burn the rubbish, enjoy a beer and share the week’s stories.
In the early days, the school keepers were based in the
dungeons which have long since become the Senior cloakrooms. There were no walkie talkies or mobile phones then but just two landlines in School. Whenever a school keeper or gardener was needed a red or green flag (respectively) was put up in the window of the Bursary Office and one of the team would go to the office to discover what was required.
Dave remembers well the remarkable Headmistresses with whom he has worked and the many developments on the School site over the last 40 years. He recalls in Mrs Clanchy’s time, the building of the Junior School on the hockey pitch followed by the First School and under Mrs McCabe, the Performing Arts Centre. Dave was sad to say farewell to the wooden boathouse when the PAC was built. A new one was put up but doesn’t have the same ‘lost world atmosphere’. In Dave’s view, “all buildings create their own challenges but once they are built and everyone is in, all that gets forgotten and we are left with lovely buildings.”
Among Dave’s numerous projects, the construction of the indoor swimming pool in the early ‘90s was perhaps the most challenging. Several of the contractors went out of business so that Dave never quite knew who he was dealing with but he still managed to complete the building, to which the sports hall was later added.
Dave recalls the time when the Bursar rang while he was meeting two community policemen in the Tractor Barn and asked him to get to the pool immediately. During a Year 3 swimming lesson, incorrect chemicals had been delivered and toxic gas was escaping. Dave and his team ensured that the girls were evacuated quickly, wrapped only in their towels on a chilly morning. The coughing and spluttering girls and teachers were rushed to Edgware General and Northwick Park hospitals. Everyone was fine although it’s a day many will remember.
Dave takes in his stride the unusual requests made by staff and students. His ‘can do, nothing is a problem’ approach is his highly valued trademark. However, Dave was almost floored one Exhibition Saturday in the days when it involved the whole School and all form rooms were themed and decorated. One class decided to create a war scene in Room G on the top floor of the Old House. Dave was asked to provide 800 old bricks which had to be transported upstairs in those pre-lift days! The room soon looked like Blitz London but Mrs McCabe later decided that Exhibition Saturday should only be held in the Junior School. Dave notes that most student requests are simpler…to retrieve shoes, clothes or folders which have ended up in inaccessible places. Staff have also been grateful to Dave and his team for changing a punctured tyre or starting a reluctant car on a damp evening. We also value the improvements to classrooms and facilities that Dave has provided, not least his ability to create storage space magically out of thin air. Countless staff have expressed their appreciation of Dave’s
40 Years, One Toolkit
The smooth running of NLCS depends hugely on the hard work of Dave Harris and his team. Remove all the chairs from the hall and put them back there three hours later? No problem. Get up at some unearthly hour to clear the icy paths before the gates open? Of course. Search for the missing lectern that is a vital part of this afternoon's event? Here it is. Dave was the archetypal swan: he could normally be seen beetling at speed around the school grounds and buildings, his long, curly hair streaming behind him (this was many years ago…) but when you spoke to him about anything you needed he was always calm and in control. Nothing was too much trouble and no unreasonable request refused. There were many of those: he was once nearly asked (with two days to go) to put a door in the front of the organ lobby so the support staff could come down the raked seating to join in the daffodil procession at Founders Day. The request remained unvoiced but we all knew that if he had been asked, Dave would just have said that was fine, and he would have made it happen, because that was what he always did. He was utterly reliable, unruffled and good humoured, no matter how many demands were placed on him. Any request for help –stopped clocks, stuck blinds, even a broken down car – would be responded to immediately and effectively by his resourceful team who were all, affectionately, just known as The Men. It made a huge difference to everybody on the staff to know that there was somebody so dependable, willing and supportive they could call on for practical help at any time. The school has been immensely fortunate to have Dave there as its backbone for so long and I am sure he will be very much missed.
Reflections by Helen Turner, née Coombs (ONL 1976, Honorary ONL 2014)
Honorary ONLs
support and their gratitude that he didn’t lock anyone in the building even when they had outstayed their welcome! Dave remembered once owning a yellow van which staff assumed was a school vehicle and he found himself using it to move staff member’s furniture and belongings from a top floor flat. Dave soon disposed of that vehicle to avoid similar requests. The Parents’ Guild have also called regularly on the ground staff’s services and tested their skills in setting up events such as fetes, donkey derbies and balls. Dave especially remembers the Emerald Ball held to mark Mrs McCabe’s retirement and the Ball Committee’s challenge of setting up the marquee and dance floor.
Year 11 ‘Muck Up’ days, as they were known, have also been memorable. Dave recalled the amusing time when the girls smuggled sheep into the school and hid them back-stage so they could appear during assembly. Dave’s team were left with a major clear up afterwards!
Dave recalls the hurricane in October 1987 as the most challenging incident he ’s ever had to deal with. Many trees fell that night in Canons Drive but the School only had one small chainsaw. Consequently, Dave and Richard Jobling resorted to using a long saw to cut the tree trunks and ensure that the school remained accessible. On a later occasion, the cedar tree by the dining room fell down in the middle of the 11+ entrance day and Dave and his team again came to the rescue.
The school’s venture into franchising is seen by Dave as perhaps one of the most significant changes but also enabled it to develop the site further.
Reflections by Caroline Powell (Honorary ONL 2018)
Dave’s talents stretch in many unusual and perhaps less obvious directions - two incidents spring to mind:
Keen fans of Frances Mary Buss from the Junior School, Barbara Ruben and Caroline Powell, decided one summer holiday to make a pilgrimage out to Theydon Bois to see the final resting place of FMB. At the church the two teachers wandered around to the graveyard behind the church to discover the grave - and it was not in the best of conditions having suffered from some neglect over the years, as well as being close to some building work that had taken place recently to the church structure. The two returned to school and met with other interested parties to discuss a possible restoration plan. Permission had to be granted from the remaining members of the Buss family and a relative was tracked down in America who willingly gave his permission. What next? Step forward Dave Harris who just happens to have friends in very high places and lo and behold Dave knew a man, who knew a man…. and within weeks the project was up and running… railings were removed and restored, stonework was cleaned, repaired and replaced and the grave looked as fine as it did in 1894.
This wide network of contacts came into its own when members of the school staff went on a pilgrimage to meet Fr Paul Reece, Rector of St Lawrence’s Church, Little Stanmore, accompanied by Tom Hardy, Head of Art and Dave Harris.
As the teachers crouched down and peered into a dark cupboard below the Chandos pew, the light of their mobile phones lit up the dismantled William de Morgan stained glass windows, removed many years before when the church was restored to its more 18th century appearance. Would the school like to become the custodians of these fine examples of William de Morgan stained glass work, we were asked. You bet we did, and we could all think of a suitable place to put these windows, behind the hall in the new history building; but what do we do with bits and pieces of a 19th century church window?
Call for Dave Harris, who knew a man, who knew a man… and lo and behold some months later the windows were restored put into place and a true NLCS welcome was extended to all those involved in the restoration and members of the Wiliam de Morgan Society came as well. All done without any problem whatsoever - again thanks to Dave Harris and his amazing network of skilled craftsmen.
Dave recalled the time when the girls smuggled sheep into the school...
Dave is typically self-effacing and places great value on the team that he works with. He never asks anyone to do anything that he won’t do himself and helps his team with all the physical feats that they have to undertake.
Throughout the years, Dave has worked effectively with countless tradesmen including electricians, decorators and groundsmen and built long lasting relationships with many of them. While he demands high standards they respect his fair and supportive approach, even when the impossible is being requested. Dave’s reminder that ‘cheapest isn’t always best’ should be noted.
Dave highlights the importance of clear and timely decisions about the work that needs to be done in short School holidays. Changes in leadership can be challenging because it takes time for the team to rebuild trust and prove that they are providing value for money. Dave is always prepared to accommodate requests even if his experience tells him that some changes probably will not work. We laughed together about failed schemes such as the “plastic or not plastic” grass outside the medical centre, paint colours in the Buss and Drummond and new signage around the School site.
Royal visits have presented specific challenges. Princess Alice of Gloucester, the School’s patron, made several visits but most memorable was HRH The Prince of Wales’ visit in November 2005. Dave recalls security being even tighter than the period when Norman Tebbit’s children were in School. This visit required buildings and grounds to be searched, special equipment on the roofs and protection team members to be dressed as teachers. Corridors had to be painted and the gents toilet in the Old House received a makeover but no one knows what happened to the special wooden toilet seat after the visit! The Prince’s use of his
aubergine helicopter was kept a secret until the last minute. Dave was learning to fly at the time but was only allowed to sit in the front seat not the royal quarters in the rear!
Dave recognises that every building project presents different trials and the Ideas Hub has certainly had some, not least the pandemic and spiralling costs, although the build itself is straightforward. Dave recalls that he was away at the time of the boiler house fire in February 2025 but was pleased how the school managed to reopen very quickly using an army of generators. It shows that you can achieve most things if you put your mind to it especially if you have a good team supporting you. He advises his successor, lovely Dave Piddington, to be his own man and bring his team along with him. Things may go wrong but it’s the way you overcome problems that is important.
Dave is now looking forward to his next project, although it doesn’t sound much like retirement as he is planning a major development at his home. This involves building a new barn, offices and a house. Dave will no longer have to endure the 52-mile commute to and from Bedfordshire but thinks he might miss the pressure although, given the timetable he has set for his new building, he will probably have plenty of that.
Dave’s long service leaves an enormous legacy to the whole school community both past and present. This is visible in the school’s physical environment and evident in the positive culture that he has created and the respect he has earned among staff and students alike. Dave’s retirement is very much the end of an era but his ‘can do’, ‘anything is possible’ approach will remain in the DNA of NLCS forever.
Dave, we salute your many achievements and wish you much happiness and plenty of fun in your next exciting ventures.
Honorary ONLs
Looking Back, Moving Forward
Little Six (Year 12s) Leila Deo and Katie Rawlings interview Dave Harris, Estates Manager
After more than four decades of service, Dave reflects on his career, the school’s evolution and the stories he will carry with him into retirement.
Describe your role at NLCS
The Estates manager’s role is to facilitate the safe running of the school – making sure everything’s in place for safe teaching and learning. That covers the statutory stuff, like emergency lighting and RDC detection, plus site security. We also set up meetings and pretty much handle anything that needs doing.
Typical day?
Every day is different. There’s routine stuff, but I never get to all of it because of interruptions. I’m forever opening lockers, getting folders from the dungeons, even retrieving shoes from the ceiling. And then dealing with contractors too.
Exactly, how long have you been at NLCS?
HR say 1986, but I started in 1984 under Madeline McLauchlan. I was originally a gardener.
What brought you into Estates?
It got cold in winter and there was a lot of weeding. I enjoyed both, but moving indoors made more sense. I liked building, and the money was better.
Favourite events you have seen at NLCS?
The 2005 visit from King Charles was a big one – landed by helicopter, planted a tree, and stayed longer than expected.
The Emerald Ball for Bernice McCabe was a great party too. And the early Canon Balls were amazing – full sets and real effort.
Biggest challenge you have faced working at NLCS?
The Great Storm of 1987 where we lost 37 trees. Clearing the roads and reopening the school was really hard. More recently, the fire was another big one. Challenges don’t stop.
Naughtiest thing you’ve ever seen at NLCS?
One muck up day, someone smuggled a sheep on stage. They made a mess and ran riot. Another time they moved every single chair in the school hall outside. Took ages to sort out! I don’t think we ever got the chairs right after that until we changed them years later.
Worst or the most disgusting thing you’ve seen in dungeons?
No comment!
Any really funny moments?
Lots. Once on own-clothes day, someone came in dressed as a clown. A teacher told them to wipe the smile off their face – it was hilarious!
Favourite building in the school?
The Old House, it’s got amazing features – a sprung floor on railway springs, a minstrel gallery. We reinforced the floor to install glass – a costly job for a tiny office.
Biggest architectural change you’ve seen?
When I started, there were many fewer buildings. There was the old art block, the music school and the library had just been finished but it was built as a theatre. The planning restrictions meant that you had to keep the old entrance, so where they had the seats, you couldn’t actually see the performing space, so it got converted into the library.
Why have you chosen stay at NLCS for this long?
I came for four months and forty years later, I forgot to go. The calendar breaks up time, and before you know it, the year’s gone. I tried to retire, but it didn’t happen.
Plans for retirement?
We’ve got a small holding. I built the last house, then we moved again during lockdown – too noisy. Now we’re further out. I’ll rebuild the new place myself, it’ll save money, and I’ll enjoy it.
How many lockers have you had to break into?
Far too many! One year, pupils started using massive padlocks – one I had to break by hand.
Has the estates team changed under different headmistresses?
Not really. We sit in the background and just get on with what’s needed, whatever the priorities.
Strangest request to the estates team?
Carrying 800 bricks and bags of sand to the top floor of the Old House for a wartime display – no lift back then. We had help getting it up, but not clearing it up!
How was the lockdown period?
We kept going – regulations don’t stop. My wife’s in the NHS, so we both worked through it. The main thing was how quiet the weekends were.
Do we have enough daffodils on site?
You can never have too many daffodils.
Do you enjoy Founders Day?
I enjoy the prep – we used to march around and point out what needed fixing. I’ve never actually been to the service though!
Really? Are you coming this year?
I don’t intend to start now, not even for St Paul’s!
Favourite event in the calendar?
The Parents’ Guild summer fair and fireworks. Great fun to set up and see everyone enjoying themselves.
Least favourite event?
Entry Days – your arms ache, your voice goes, but we want it to go well. It’s just tight logistically.
Prediction on when the Ideas Hub will open?
99% sure you’ll be in there after Easter – temporary blocks should be gone too.
Favourite school lunch?
A traditional roast beef, if I dare say it.
Do you like pear and chocolate crumble?
It’s my absolute favourite pudding – even over a roast.
How has the Estates team responded to climate change?
We’ve got solar panels on most buildings now. It took years to get double glazing in Richardson, but the efficiency is way better. New buildings have air source heat pumps, and we monitor all our energy. We have reduced waste and switched to reusable cleaning products. I’d love a wind turbine, but planners won’t allow it – I’ve got one at home though.
Do the geese cause disruption?
Mostly for the gardeners – they have to clear up the mess. We try to keep them off the astroturf and decking with covers and barriers.
Favourite memory from your time at NLCS?
Just working with so many inspiring, lovely people. I’ve got fond memories, but it’s just one part of life. If you enjoy what you do, you never really work.
Raising the Bar
In conversation with Judge Angela Bradstreet
Looking back, what first sparked your passion for law?
It was definitely the debating society at NLCS. I really enjoyed debates and advocacy. Nobody in my family was a lawyer, but since I was 12 years old, I just decided I wanted to be a lawyer. After becoming a solicitor in England, I took a Greyhound bus around the States and fell in love with San Francisco. I felt it would be a great place for me, particularly given my sexuality, as the Bay Area was known to be welcoming to LGBTQ+ people.
You have broken significant barriers in your careerbecoming one of the first female and LGBTQ+ Managing Partners in the legal profession. What were some of the toughest challenges you faced, and how did you navigate them?
Sexism and homophobia were much worse 30-40 years ago, although they still persist today. When I was asked to be Managing Partner at my law firm, I was approached with: “How about if you be the HR/Administrative Managing Partner, and then we will have a male co-Managing Partner to handle the finances?” I calmly responded that it was not workable for me - the firm had always had one Managing Partner, and I was perfectly capable of handling finances. They listened, and I became a two-term Managing Partner before going into public service.
What does leadership look like to you, especially in the legal field? Have you had a mentor or role model who shaped your approach?
There are a lot of egos in the legal profession, so leadership requires inspiring people to work as a team and bringing out everyone’s individual talents. Giving credit to others, listening, and motivating people to work together are all essential qualities. The closest I had to a female role model was Senator Dianne Feinstein. She taught me TO STAND UP FOR WHAT YOU BELIEVE IN AND TO HAVE THE COURAGE TO DO WHAT YOU BELIEVE IS RIGHT. As a leader, you cannot please everybody. You have to take an approach that does what is best for the entire group.
Your career has spanned private practice, public service, and the judiciary. How did each of these roles shape your perspective on justice and advocacy?
In private practice as a litigator, I learned that integrity and ethics are critical in advocacy. Your reputation rests upon your word always being your bond. In public service as California Labor Commissioner, I witnessed the incredibly difficult working conditions that many people endurepeople working 20 hours a day for less than minimum wage in appalling conditions. Having presided over many civil and criminal trials as a judge I was inspired by the value of jury trials – it is amazing how much thought and care jurors put into a verdict. For the most part, the justice system works.
As a former President of California Women Lawyers and the San Francisco Bar Association, you founded the ‘No Glass Ceiling’ initiative to advance women in the legal profession. Could you share its impact and the meaningful changes you have seen?
Twenty-five years ago, there were very few women partners in law firms, and even fewer managing partners. As President of the Bar Association of San Francisco, I created the No Glass Ceiling initiative with a prestigious committee that included the US former Vice president Kamala Harris, who was then District Attorney of San Francisco. We set goals for law firms to commit to having at least 30% women partners within five years and 10% women managing partners. Over 100 law firms and corporations signed up in the Bay Area , and it went national with Bar Associations across the country adopting the concept. Five years later, our follow-up survey showed significant improvement in the numbers of women partners and managing partners. We still have a long way to
go – ideally, at least 50% of partners should be women – but significant progress has been made.
You played a key role in amending judicial ethics to require transparency in organisations that excluded LGBTQ+ individuals. How did that fight unfold, and what did it teach you about driving change?
When I took this on in 2002, the President of the State Bar of California told me I was “crazy” to pursue it! I received death threats from across the country. The existing canons of ethics already prohibited judges from being members of organisations that excluded women or minorities, and we were simply adding LGBTQ+ people to this provision. I had a meeting with the Chief Justice of the California Supreme Court, who agreed that this was a rational position, and the Supreme Court amended the commentary to the canons of ethics. The same person who told me I was “crazy” later presented me with the State Bar Diversity Award! Positive change, however challenging it may appear, is possible.
Mediation and negotiation are core to your expertise. What is the most powerful lesson you have learnt about resolving conflict?
Listen, listen, listen. Being a good listener is critical in any career. It is key to successful negotiation. Respecting both sides’ positions, and having a high emotional IQ to fully understand the trigger points and the parties’ perspectives are also crucial elements. Rushing the process is almost always unproductive. Both sides want to feel they have gotten the absolute best deal possible – that they are winners individually. The process needs to feel measured so that each party feels you have extracted everything possible from the other side and done the very best for each of them.
What motivates you to keep pushing for progress in areas beyond the courtroom?
It has always been important to me to give back. I feel grateful for all the opportunities I have had. The legal profession and judiciary are noble professions, and I feel extraordinarily blessed to have been in public service. I am passionate about the advancement of women in the legal profession, and I believe in following one’s passion, whatever it may be.
If you could give one piece of advice to young lawyers - especially women and those from under-represented backgrounds, what would it be?
Be mindful of your own internal glass ceilings and breaking those down. Women often have fears about asking for what we want. We tend to forge connections with others, but when it comes to putting ourselves first – asking for business, asking for what we want, or asking for a particular case – we can be inhibited by our own internal glass ceilings. We need to recognise and overcome those barriers.
On a lighter note, if you could argue one case in front of any historical figure, who would it be and why?
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. I had the honour of speaking at her Senate confirmation hearing in 1992, and she had the most brilliant mind. There is nobody who has done more for the advancement of laws on women’s rights. She was very clever in how she got male judges to go along with her. When she was with the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union), she hand-picked cases on gender equity, initially representing men who had been discriminated against. She later used those favourable opinions as precedent for winning numerous cases advancing women’s rights including pay equity.
Hon. Angela M. Bradstreet (Ret.) joined ADR Services, Inc in 2022 as a mediator after serving over 11 years as a Judge of the San Francisco Superior Court, where she was named Judge of the Year (2017). In 2023, she was named Mediator of the Year by San Francisco Trial Lawyers.
Before her judicial appointment, Judge Bradstreet served as California Labor Commissioner enforcing wage and hour laws for low-income workers. Earlier, she broke barriers in private practice as her firm’s first woman and one of the Bay Area’s first LGBTQ+ Managing Partners.
Widely recognised as a pioneer for the advancement of women and LGBTQ+ equality in the legal profession and in the judiciary, Judge Bradstreet previously served as President of the Bar Association of San Francisco, California Women Lawyers, and Queen’s Bench Bar Association. Her numerous accolades include the California State Bar’s Diversity Award, Minority Bar Coalition’s Unity Award, Anti-Defamation League’s Jurisprudence Award, and the American Bar Association’s prestigious Margaret Brent Women Lawyers of Achievement Award.
Judge Bradstreet holds a Law degree from the University of Bristol, a Masters in Law from UC Berkeley, and an honorary doctorate from Golden Gate University.
The Power of Networks
In conversation with Michelle Clayman
For Michelle, networks are not simply professional tools, they are communities built on shared values, mutual support and intentional generosity. As the founder of New Amsterdam Partners, a prominent philanthropist and advocate for gender equity, Michelle’s leadership journey offers a masterclass in the quiet power of generosity and intention. Her involvement with NLCS where she helped conceptualise and support the new Ideas Hub reflects her belief in networks as platforms for shared growth and impact.
We spoke with Michelle about her approach to building meaningful networks, how she mentors the next generation
and what she hopes to see from the ONL community going forward.
What makes networks effective and what gets in the way?
Connections with peers often become unexpectedly valuable, especially when they evolve naturally rather than through a transactional lens. There’s truth to the saying: ask for advice, you get money; ask for money, you get advice. The approach matters.
Networking isn’t always linear, and it should go both ways. Even if you are seeking something specific, think about what you can offer in return. That generosity creates stronger, more lasting relationships.
How has the ONL network shaped your journey?
Professionally, it hasn’t played a major role, though I have remained close with my best friend from school. Sadly, my other close friend passed away, though I have stayed in touch with her daughter, also an ONL and supported her over the years.
There have been smaller moments of connection. I once gave my best friend’s son, now an executive in Hong Kong, an internship and later a job in New York. That was made possible by our ONL connection.
What role has philanthropy played in your life and how does it connect to networks?
Philanthropy, for me is about responsibility. I have had access to great education and opportunity, and I believe in giving back in a way that opens doors for others, especially women, children, and families.
It is not just writing a cheque. It’s about being actively involved, serving on boards, mentoring, advocating for structural change. And it always comes back to networks - building communities that are thoughtful, inclusive and values-driven.
What makes networks effective and what gets in the way?
Cultural values take time to shift and that’s true in networking too. Years ago, I attended a women’s business
school event where someone I had just met asked me for $200,000 for her startup before we had even exchanged more than a few words. That kind of directness misses the point of authentic connection.
By contrast, I have seen powerful networks emerge when there’s room for generosity and shared purpose. At my Institute at Stanford, we had to work to bridge generational and cultural divides, but with time and intention, it became a truly welcoming space.
What advice do you have for ONLs today?
In the UK, I still notice a bit of schadenfreude, where achievements are quickly undercut in conversation. In the US, there’s more of a “good for them” spirit. I think we could all benefit from that mindset.
So don’t hesitate to reach out. Be thoughtful, follow up with a thank-you, and don’t let hierarchy or formality hold you back. And support each other, actively. Whether it’s reinforcing someone’s point in a meeting or opening a door, subtle gestures can have a big impact.
How do you maintain relationships over time?
I try to send a quick note when I see someone mentioned in the news, just a small gesture that often sparks conversation. It’s an easy way to reconnect.
For ONLs, small group gatherings based on shared sectors or interests could be a great way to deepen ties across generations. Give people a few prompts to help the discussion flow, and keep it informal. I have seen this model work very well in the US.
Can you share a mentoring experience that meant a lot to you?
Through a programme I ran at my Oxford college, I mentored students by bringing one Clayman Scholar to New York each year. They weren’t always the top student, but the ones who would benefit most from the exposure. Many came from modest backgrounds and went on to secure roles at places like Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan.
A couple of years ago, twelve of them returned to Oxford for a dinner in my honour. It was deeply moving to see how their careers had developed and the role that mentorship played in their journeys.
How should the ONL network evolve?
NLCS has a storied history with worldwide recognition. ONLs are known as bright, energetic and community minded. As we celebrate the 175th anniversary, I’d like to see the ONL network harness that energy for the good of not only the ONL community but the world around us. For older ONLs, the focus should be on staying connected and
Michelle’s Networking Tips
• Reach out - with intention and humility
• Offer as much as you ask
• Celebrate others’ success
• Keep connections warm over time
• Build bridges across generations
paying it forward - helping others benefit from the NLCS experience.
Looking ahead, I hope the network fosters inclusiveness and empowerment, and continues to offer events that bring energy and inspiration. There’s real value in connection across generations, and we can build on that with warmth, openness and intention.
Final thoughts on the power of networks?
Younger ONLs: don’t dismiss older people as out of touch. Often, they have useful insights and a willingness to support you, you just have to ask. Be respectful and always express thanks.
And for older ONLs: you can learn a great deal from the younger generation. A friend of mine in her 80s joined a women’s circle at Stanford and came away with a stronger connection to her own daughters and granddaughters. The learning goes both ways.
Michelle Clayman (ONL 1971) studied Philosophy, Politics, and Economics at Oxford University (St Anne’s College), earning both BA and MA (Oxon) degrees. After two years at Bank of America in London, she moved to the US to complete her MBA at Stanford. She began her career at Salomon Brothers in Quantitative Equity Research and, at 32, founded New Amsterdam Partners, an institutional asset management firm, retiring in 2023.
A lifelong volunteer and advocate for children, women and families, Michelle currently chairs the Board of the Girl Scouts of Greater NY and the Advisory Council of the Michelle R. Clayman Institute for Gender Research at Stanford. She has also served as a Stanford Trustee and sits on the Dean’s Council at Harvard Divinity School and the Board of the Bard Music Festival. She is a published author, co-editor of a corporate finance textbook, and a frequent media commentator.
Ledgers to Layer Cakes
My journey from corporate finance accountancy to creative entrepreneurship
When I walked through the gates of our prestigious school, I, like many of my peers, believed my path was set. The expectation was clear: we would graduate and step into prestigious careers in law, medicine, engineering, or finance. For me, that meant accountancy. I qualified with an ACA qualification as a corporate tax accountant at Deloitte & Touche, one of the ‘Big Six’ firms at the time, and followed the traditional trajectory of success. But deep down, something felt missing.
After Deloitte & Touche, I transitioned into a finance role at Walt Disney Television, an environment brimming with creativity, yet my day-to-day work remained firmly rooted in numbers, spreadsheets, and financial analysis. While I was successful on paper, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was climbing a ladder propped up against the wrong wall. It wasn’t until I took a career break to have children that I stumbled upon the passion that would redefine my life, baking.
It all started with a simple, heartfelt project: my daughter’s first birthday cake. What began as a one-time creative endeavour soon became an obsession. The more I baked, the more I loved the artistry, the precision, and the joy it brought to others. Word spread, and before I knew it, I was making cakes for friends, then friends of friends, and eventually, for paying customers. What had started as a hobby was quietly evolving into a business.
Then, about eight years ago, someone asked if I made cupcake bouquets. Without hesitation, I said, “Of course!” even though I hadn’t made one before. I took it as a challenge, learned the technique, and soon realised I had found something truly special. Cupcake bouquets became a niche for me, setting me apart in a growing market where more and more people were turning to cake-making, especially after lockdown. Today, they are my most popular product and have become a signature of my brand.
But here’s the twist: while I had left the corporate world behind, I brought with me something invaluable, my financial expertise. Running a business isn’t just about talent; it’s about strategy. My deep understanding of accounting, budgeting, and financial forecasting became my secret weapon. Spreadsheets, once used to analyse tax implications, now helped me price my products, track my costs, and manage my inventory with razor-sharp precision. My ability to plan, stay organised, and be meticulous, skills honed during my years in finance, allowed me to turn my passion into a profitable enterprise.
As my children grew, so did my business. What started as a one-woman operation from my kitchen expanded into a full-fledged brand: Natalie’s Creative Cakes. I moved from private commissions to corporate work, mastering the art of
The corporate world gave me structure; motherhood gave me purpose; baking gave me joy…and I turned that into a career
not just baking, but branding, marketing, and social media engagement. Today, I am proud to have a strong online presence and a loyal client base. Most recently, I signed a contract with The Dorchester, one of London’s most prestigious hotels, to create edible floral arrangements for their Mother’s Day celebrations, an achievement that still feels surreal.
My journey has been anything but conventional, and that’s precisely why I want to share it. To the students reading this, feeling the weight of expectation: know that your career path is not set in stone. The skills you acquire, whether in finance, law, or medicine, are not constraints but tools that can be applied in unexpected and fulfilling ways. Success is not just about following the ‘right’ path; it’s about carving your own.
I am my own boss. I set my own hours. I choose the projects that excite me. And most importantly, I’ve built a life where I can be present for my children while growing something I love. Looking back, I wouldn’t change a thing. My years in finance were not wasted, they were the foundation that enabled me to build my dream on my own terms.
So, whether your passion is buried beneath textbooks or hidden in a weekend hobby, don’t ignore it. You never know where it might lead.
Natalie Cramer, née Zenios (ONL 1990), is the founder and owner of Natalie’s Creative Cakes, a thriving bespoke cake business known for its intricate cupcake bouquets and high-profile collaborations, including one with The Dorchester, another with the Chelsea Flower Show. After leaving North London Collegiate School in 1990, she studied English at the University of Manchester (BA Hons, 1990–1993), before qualifying as an ACA at Deloitte & Touche (1993–1997), where she was awarded a national
prize in her conversion exams for topping the country in Company Law. Natalie then moved on to take the position of Finance Manager at Walt Disney Television (1997–2000), contributing to international budgeting, planning, and channel acquisitions. In 2000, Natalie left the corporate world to raise her three children, Yasmine (23), Isabella (22), and Benji (19) whilst also slowly developing her cake business from a personal passion into a full-time enterprise. Natalie now runs the business single-handedly, combining creativity with a solid financial foundation and a deep love for commercial innovation. @natalies.creative.cakes
W Mapping the Future
hen North London
Collegiate School was founded in 1850 by Frances Mary Buss, it marked a bold new chapter in education - an all-girls school with academic ambition at its core. Just three years later, in 1853, my family business Edward Stanford Limited was established in London, perfectly in tune with the Victorian fascination with travel, discovery, and global exploration. These two institutions grew out of the same moment: a time of transformation, of expanding horizons, of bold and innovative ideas.
It’s no surprise, then, that the histories of NLCS and Edward Stanford should feel connected. Both were born in Camden, and both helped Victorian society reimagine what was possible - whether through knowledge or navigation. For my family, that passion for understanding the world has been passed down for generations.
I come from a long line of Oxford University geographers. My grandfather studied geography at Lincoln College, as did my father. My mother, Patricia Godfrey, studied at St Anne’s College - where I, too, earned my degree in geography. Our love of place, of landscapes both physical and human, runs deep. It connects us to each other, and to the broader story of mapping.
Oxford has long produced some of the world’s leading geographers like Sir Halford Mackinder, one of the founding figures of geopolitics, and Professor Danny Dorling, a contemporary leader in social geography. It’s a tradition I’m proud to be part of, though my path was anything but direct.
After university, my father advised me not to join the family business straight away. Instead, I began my career at McKinsey & Company. After earning my MBA at INSEAD, I spent seven years with McKinsey before moving on to
Stanfords Map - Kabul, 1880
Grand Metropolitan, now known as Diageo. I led several businesses and loved living in Minneapolis, Minnesota for nine years. Following that, I ran my own business in Fort Lauderdale, Florida for twenty four years. It was only in the last seven years that I returned to my geographical roots and took on the role of CEO at Stanfords. In many ways, it feels like coming home. My experiences working for a global consulting firm and a consumer food and drinks giant have been invaluable in preparing me to run my own businesses.
My grandfather, Ernest Gordon Godfrey, joined George Philip & Son in 1923. That firm would later acquire Edward Stanford in 1946. My father joined the combined business in 1949. In 1995, Stanfords became an independent company again, and today my brother Joseph and I are the majority shareholders, alongside some seventy five others from the Stanford, Philip, and related families.
The Stanfords business includes the world’s largest and finest map and travel bookstore located in Covent Garden. Our current premises is our 6th home. The business was founded next to Trafalgar Square and has moved several times but always within Westminster. Stanfords sells online at www.stanfords.co.uk. We operate Bookharbour
a specialist maritime retailer in Southampton and online at www.bookharbour.com and Manchester is home to our Stanfords For Business division that mostly sells digital maps for planning. Our newest bookstore is Battersea Bookshop located in the newly redeveloped Battersea Power Station and www.batterseabookshop.com.
The business has evolved dramatically, but the spirit of exploration remains. While sales of traditional road atlases have declined, the appetite for maps - both digital and physical - remains strong. We now provide charts for sailors, tools for hikers and travellers, and geospatial data for planners and researchers. Today, maps aren’t just paperthey are platforms for real-time decision-making, storytelling and insight.
With the rise of satellite imaging, AI, and augmented reality, the future of mapping is more exciting than ever. Maps are dynamic, interactive, and central to our understanding of everything from climate change to urban planning. As we look ahead, mapping will only grow in importancehelping us not just to see the world, but to understand and improve it.
At NLCS, that same spirit of innovation is alive and well. The school has opened its new Ideas Hub - an exciting space designed to spark creativity and cross-disciplinary thinking. For the school’s geographers, this hub can be a powerful tool. Imagine students using 3D printers to create topographical models of mountain ranges or coastlines, building tactile, visual representations of spatial data. These kinds of projects don’t just deepen understanding - they build the kinds of skills geographers need in the modern world: analytical thinking, problem-solving, and the ability to translate data into action. I’m sorry that a fabulous facility like this didn’t exist during my years at NLCS. My mother who taught geography at NLCS and I would have taken full advantage of the new space.
I loved my time as a pupil at NLCS and am proud to be supporting the school as a member of the Governing Body. I sit on several committees of the Governing Body and I chair the Development Committee. My personal passion is to create an endowment for the school that will provide an income stream to support the school in the future. You will hear more about this in the coming months.
North London Collegiate School has always fostered innovative minds. So has Edward Stanford Limited. As we celebrate 175 years of bold thinking and boundary-pushing, I’m proud to stand at the intersection of both traditionsand to help guide the future, one map at a time.
Vivien Godfrey (ONL 1979) came to NLCS at the age of seven. She has a great love for all types of sport and especially excelled at hockey. Her mother taught Geography at NLCS and her father was a Director of the family business. Before reading Geography at Oxford University she was awarded an English Speaking Union scholarship to attend St Catherine’s School in Richmond, VA for two semesters. At Oxford she was awarded a full blue playing hockey and scoring all three goals in her first match against Cambridge.
After graduating Vivien worked at McKinsey & Company in its London and Toronto offices serving clients in the retail and consumer goods sectors. Following two years at McKinsey she left to gain her MBA at INSEAD and returned to the firm for five further years. She joined Diageo in the London Headquarters but soon relocated to Minneapolis, MN and held a series of management positions in the Pillsbury division including being the General Manager of Haagen-Dazs North America for four years.
Vivien married her American husband in 1997 and in 2000 they bought a niche maritime business in Fort Lauderdale, (Florida). In 2009 she was headhunted to be the CEO of the milk marketing campaign based in Washington, DC famous for using the GotMilk? slogan and the celebrity milk moustache campaign.
Since 2017 she has split her time between the USA and the UK and is a dual citizen. Leading her Stanfords business is now her full-time job after selling the Florida business in 2024. When not working or supporting NLCS Vivien still enjoys many sports with a daily early morning swim, running around London’s parks and golf.
Leading in Challenging Times
NLCS embedded in me that I had an obligation to contribute to the world to the best of my abilities. That obligation manifested at the time in choosing to be a scientist as not enough women did science. But ‘leading’ wasn’t something I saw in myself until, as a consultant at McKinsey, I started to get training on how to lead, gained an understanding of what leadership really is, and started to become aware of my natural style, how it needed to adapt to what would be effective for the people around me, and how it might need to adapt to different challenges.
Although I had led through challenges before, the pandemic put a whole new level of pressure on all of us. For example, I was asked to lead first the ventilator and PPE responses for the NHS, and then later the vaccine deployment programme. Two learnings stand out for me. First, the leader you are in that situation is the sum of all you’ve learnt and all the skills you’ve built, and therefore the way you lead won’t be the same as anyone else in the same situation. Second, in many ways leading in a crisis is easier than leading in ‘peacetime.’ When the ship is sinking, you no longer need to discuss the potential colours for the lifeboats, you focus on getting people into their designated boat.
So, the way I experienced – and envisage - leading through a crisis is built on the core components of leading every day. That goal for me is always to provide the frame, rationale, energy, and support to enable everyone around me to work towards our joint goals. Specifically to provide: The goal, purpose, or destination: It’s hard to put in your best effort in if you aren’t clear where you’re going. In a crisis, goals are often more immediate and therefore clearer to everyone involved – for example, deliver the maximum
number of vaccine doses safely, and as quickly as possible. In peacetime it can be harder to make sure organisational goals are both individually meaningful and add up to something worthwhile for the organisation. Even in a crisis where the overall goal is unarguable, it’s still critical that all parts of an organisation have their part to play – those in support roles, for example, need to feel as responsible for success as those in front of the cameras.
The reason for going there: For many of us, but as one of my friends regularly points out – not all of us – a goal isn’t enough. I need to know why the goal is important, and I need to care about the goal. In a crisis, this is easier. We built it into our vision in the vaccine programme: ‘delivering high uptake in priority groups, to minimise morbidity and mortality.’ While, in slower time, the goal may be less immediately compelling, it’s still critical to ensure that there is a reason for people to show up every day. That might be developing their
Leading in Challenging Times
The way you lead in any situation will be the sum of all your experiences to date…
professional qualifications, earning a good wage, connecting with colleagues, or leading a part of the overall goal – and what’s meaningful to you may be different from what’s meaningful to others.
The plan to deliver: I learnt from working with military colleagues that the point of the plan is not to force everyone to adhere mindlessly to it, it’s to force you to think through what you’re going to need to deliver – in energy, skills, physical and financial resources, and time. Making the plan helped give me the authority to ask for what we needed in expertise, for example, and gave me confidence to be firm in working with government leaders to set stretching but at least theoretically deliverable targets for vaccine uptake. Without the challenge and support provided by those experts, and without the detailed understanding of what it would take to deliver, we would have been unable to confidently present our business cases and set the programme up for success.
HOPE: Celebrating Emily’s birthday with a COVID-19 cake baked by her team.
The support to adapt, learn, support each other as we go: You are never completely right up front about the goal or the destination, particularly over longer timeframes – which is one of the reasons I argue that purpose is so important as a foundation to those goals – the purpose shouldn’t change, while the exact goal might. For example, a week before the programme launched we had to change our initial roll out plan as we managed the tension between the conditions in which the vaccine could be transported, and the need to vaccinate the elderly first. How you make sure you create an environment where the team can raise issues, how you learn individually and as a team, how you manage your energy, and how you course correct, are all core components of effective team leadership in crisis as well as in peacetime.
The ability to make decisions. When there are lots of potential solutions, someone needs to make the call. There are rarely any perfect answers, just the best one available given what you know and can mobilise at the time. Making good decisions under pressure means having put the work in to make those difficult moments as easy as possiblehaving that clear purpose and plan, an effective team that can identify, share and problem solve together - so that in a pinch, you as a leader can make the call, and then back the team to get it done.
I am very lucky that I happened to be in the right place at the right time, with the right backing and the right life experience to be able to lead teams of thoroughly amazing people, as well as being able to support tens of thousands of people to support their communities and get people vaccinated. That experience tells me that leading in a crisis is no harder, and possibly easier, than leading every day. The same principles and learning will help us to lead regardless of the specific nature of the situation we need to tackle.
Dame Emily Lawson DBE (ONL 1985, left in 1983) was until recently the Chief Operating Officer of NHS England. She has had a long career in a variety of areas, always with a focus on aligning the work and goals of individuals with the goals of the organisations of which they are a part. That has included running the Prime Minister’s Delivery Unit; leading the Ventilators, PPE, and Vaccine Deployment programmes as part of NHS England during the Covid-19 Pandemic; being Chief People Officer at Kingfisher plc and Group Human Resources Director at Morrisons Supermarkets; and 13 years at McKinsey and Company. Emily has a Natural Sciences degree from Cambridge, and a PhD in plant sciences from the University of East Anglia.
A Who will Engineer the Future?
t age 75, I look back on a career in Engineering and Project Management, during which time colossal changes have occurred in the way we do things, and in the nature and location of people who do Engineering. It is dizzying to try to imagine the future if this rate of change continues.
Although everyone uses the word “Engineer” few can define it. An engineer is a professional who applies scientific and mathematical principles to invent, design, develop, and improve structures, machines, systems and processes to fulfil functional objectives while considering limitations imposed by practicality, regulation, safety and cost. Engineers are involved in various stages of a project, from initial planning and design to construction, testing and maintenance.
My first encounter with engineering was when I was 10, and my father took the family for a short drive up the newly opened stretch of the M1 motorway near London. I was amazed by the traffic whizzing along the wide road, with no traffic lights or roundabouts to negotiate, and I admired the concrete bridges which enabled this. I wanted to know how it was done, and that inspired my ambition to design and build motorways. I achieved those things by the time I was 27, but I could not have imagined the range of opportunities and projects which followed.
An enjoyment of maths and problem solving were key to completing my civil engineering degree, together with a commitment to hard work. Our time was filled with
lectures, tutorials, workshop experiments, learning to use surveying instruments, technical drawing, design tasks, the use of early computers, and gaining an appreciation not only of the properties of materials such as steel, concrete and soil, but also the fundamentals of mechanical and electrical engineering, contract law, architecture, and British Standards and Codes of Practice which set out guidelines and parameters for design and construction. On emerging
from Birmingham University with such a comprehensive education, I had a wealth of job offers. Having been one of only three women in a department of almost 200 students, I also had experienced the pressures of pioneering as part of a tiny minority and combatting impostor syndrome.
In those days, we used punched paper tape and punched cards to input data to computers to help us design structures. The computers were huge and occupied large rooms. The programmes took hours to run. Handheld electronic calculators did not exist, let alone the worldwide web. How different from today’s world where we wear computers on our wrists, complex analyses are completed in moments on laptops, information flashes round the world, our phones are mobile and provide infinite experiences, and collaboration and communication are easy wherever you are.
I don’t believe the advent of AI will replace engineers, but it should further assist them in the future. But whereas homeworking used to be out of the question because all the equipment and materials were at the workplace, now it is feasible. Homeworking can support women continuing an engineering career whilst starting a family. It also assists people who have mobility issues, so representation of those two minorities may increase in engineering.
My first employment was working in a firm’s Highways & Bridges department under a training agreement to gain the key qualification of Chartered Engineer. I started by designing viaducts followed by a bridge and subway in
Devon. I then worked as part of the site supervision team for the construction of the M11 motorway in east London. My departure from the office created quite a stir: they had never sent a woman on site before, so there was a beer-fuelled party, and lots of advice about managing stroppy tradesmen. My presence on site attracted attention, but all went well and I stayed there for 3 years until we opened the motorway, exceeding the one year I needed for my training. I adored the outdoor life, dealing with unexpected technical challenges, and seeing the motorway and structures taking shape day by day. I got on well with the men on site, probably because I explained clearly what I required them to do and why. One of the proudest days of my life was when the motorway opened. I feel I proved women were totally competent to work on site, and these days there are plenty more who do so.
The motorway building programme in the UK dried up, and my colleagues went to Kuwait. There was no possibility of a woman working there, but I returned to the office and within a year was working in South Texas, doing cost engineering on an ethylene plant.
Later projects included a jumbo jet aircraft hangar, a retail park, site supervision in Teesside of the largest slant drilling rigs in the world, structural appraisals following the London bombings, the first mobile phone system sites, Euro Disneyland, and some work on the Channel Tunnel. I managed up to 150 engineers.
As Chairman of the Construction Industry Council’s Equal Opportunities panel which I helped found, I oversaw the making of a careers video featuring role models from under-represented groups in construction, such as women, ethnic minorities, and people with limited mobility. The video was distributed to 5000 schools.
Improved education opportunities worldwide mean that engineering expertise is no longer confined to a few countries and many more nationalities can take part.
I anticipate that more people from previously underrepresented groups will engineer the future.
Helen Stone OBE (NLCS 1957-68) was Head Girl at NLCS and studied Civil Engineering at the University of Birmingham. She had a high profile career in construction and project management, pioneering equal opportunities. She became the third ever female Fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers, a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering and received an OBE for services to construction. She has governed schools for 35 years, starting at Cheltenham Ladies College for 9 years, then at NLCS where she was Chairman for 10 years. During that time she worked with Bernice McCabe to establish NLCS Jeju, being a governor there from 2012, and Chairman from 2017 until the present. Who
Checking Levels on the M11 Viaducts, c1976
Honorary ONLs Founder’s Day Reunion 28 March 2025
• Each word must use the central letter.
• Each letter can only be used once in a word.
NLCS Puzzles
• At least one word using all nine letters can be found.
• Proper nouns and plurals are not permitted.
• Verb forms ending in ‘s’ are allowed.
Word Square
Thank you to Julie Alberg, née Mills (ONL 1985), Jane Cole (ONL 1972) and Sonia Shah for their creative contributions.
Ratings 16 Good; 19 Very Good; 22 Excellent.
How many words of four letters or more can you find in this Word Square?
Crossword Puzzle
E R I O F M D T I
• Each word must use the central letter.
• Each letter can only be used once in a word.
NLCS CROSSWORD
How many words of four letters or more can you find in this Word Square?
• Each word must use the central letter.
• Each letter can only be used once in a word.
• At least one word using all nine letters can be found.
• Proper nouns and plurals are not permitted.
• Verb forms ending in ‘s’ are allowed.
Ratings 16 Good; 19 Very Good; 22+ Excellent.
• At least one word using all nine letters can be found.
How
• Proper nouns and plurals are not permitted.
Down:
• Verb forms ending in ‘s’ are allowed.
many words of four letters can you find in this Word Square?
2. BBC documentary 1965 (9, 7)
3. First female Doctor of Science (6)
4. School building opened in 1988 (6, 6)
8. Founder's initials (3)
Across:
1. Unveiled the mural made to commemorate the sesquicentenary (5, 12)
5. The seventh Headmistress’s (surname) (7)
• Each word must use the central letter.
11. The next NLCS partnership school (4)
12. Area of school which shares its name with an area in Russia (3, 5)
6. Shelter or Headmistress (8)
7. The number of Headmistresses (not including interim) (3)
9. Company of benefactors (12)
Each letter can only be used a word.
14. Peggy Angus's domain (3, 5)
15. A stained glass window on permanent loan (6)
17. School's second home (6, 4)
10. Charitable project supported by school, old girls and pupils (shorthand) (7)
13. Burial site of mountain climbing (8)
least one word using all nine letters can be found.
22 Library or Headmistress (8)
UP
Down: Across:
16. Outside the Headmistress’s office (5, 6)
18. Original feature, still standing (7)
19. Buss and Drummond rooms’ first uses in school (9)
20. We process with these (9)
21. Duke of ?, original owner (7)
23. Organist at St Lawrence’s Church, Little Stanmore (6)
24. Climbed by pupils until it was hit by shell fragments (5)
25. School badge (4,4)
3.First female Doctor of Science (6)
4.School building opened in 1988 (6, 6)
8.Founder's initials (3)
If the number in each circle is the sum of the two below it, how quickly can you work out the top number:
2.BBC documentary 1965 (9, 7) the sesquicentenary (5,12)
1.Unveiled the mural made to commemorate
5.The seventh headmistress (surname) (7)
6.Shelter or headmistress (8)
26. Decoration in Kitchen Court (5)
11.The next NLCS partnership school (4) including interim) (3)
7.The number of headmistresses (not
12.Area of school which shares its name with
an area in Russia (3,5)
9.Company of benefactors (12)
14.Peggy Angus's domain (3, 5) girls and pupils (shorthand) (7)
10.Charitable project supported by school, old
NLCS QUIZ & TRIVIA
1. The Old North Londoners Association was founded by Frances Mary Buss, in what year?
2. Miss Buss and Miss Beale met as students; where?
3. In what year and in what circumstances did Miss Buss coin the term “Headmistress”?
4. Which two livery companies were associated with the School’s endowment and the premises at Sandall Road?
5. Miss Buss died in 1894. Where is she buried?
6. Mrs Bryant’s first appointment at NLCS was as a part-time teacher of Mathematics and a second subject - what was it?
7. On succeeding as Headmistress, Mrs Bryant became President of ONLA. What were the two main innovations of her Presidency?
8. What was the connection between Sophie Bryant, Eileen Harrold and Madeleine McLauchlan?
9. Miss Drummond “discovered” Cannons (as it was spelled in 1927) but it was not initially intended to be the home of the school. What was she actually looking for?
10. Which British Prime Minister’s two daughters attended NLCS?
11. What led to the creation of the Parents’ Guild?
12. What was the purchase price of Canons?
13. Completion of the purchase was in May 1929, more than two years after Miss Drummond’s discovery of the site but when was the foundation stone of the Richardson Building laid?
14. In the lobby of the Old House, Miss Drummond’s portrait is a photograph and not a painting but why is that?
NLCS PICTURE QUIZ
15. Miss Harold attracted criticism in weekly prayers – for what?
16. When was the first Christmas Carol Service?
17. How were the cloakrooms in the Richardson building adapted for use as classrooms during WW2?
18. One pupil died in an air raid in February 1941 - how is she remembered?
19. How was an excellent standard of nutrition maintained in the war years?
20. What special item of clothing did Dr Anderson purchase for her interview for the post of Headmistress in 1944?
21. The school symbol is the Buss Ship, a play on words but apart from being a North Sea fishing boat, what is another meaning of the word “buss”?
22. In what year was the first exchange visit between NLCS and Goethe Gymnasium, Ludwigsburg?
23. Whose generous gift enabled the school to build an outdoor swimming pool which opened in 1955?
24. What was Art Mistress, Peggy Angus’s innovation for Christmas time?
25. In what year was Dr Anderson made a DBE?
26. The mural in Kitchen Court was unveiled in 1965. Where are all the stones from?
27. In what year was the term “Canonaid” first used to cover the School’s community service activities?
28. NLCS has produced one MP Judy Mallaber (ONL 1969). Which party did she represent?
29. When the Direct Grant was ended in 1976 and NLCS became an independent school, an appeal was launched to fund bursaries. Miss McLauchlan sent a handwritten note of thanks to every contributor and spoke at 44 meetings of ONLs up and down the country. Results exceeded expectations by four times. How much was raised?
30. In what year did King Charles visit the school?
31. Where are the Service and Wisdom stained glass windows?
32. Dame Judith Weir (ONL 1972) was made a DBE in the New Years Honours list for services to?
33. When was the “First” School (not “Infants”) opened?
34. Who opened the Canons Sports Centre in 1998?
35. The PAC was opened in 2008. Which famous actress cut the ribbon?
36. Where are the NLCS franchise schools?
37. Which School building was opened in 1988?
38. Who said in her first assembly ‘this School will only go on being wonderful if we live wonderful lives in it and outside it’
39. Who designed the wallpaper in Red Square?
40. Which Headmistress is the library named after?
41. How did Sophie Bryant travel to school?
42. In which church is James Brydges, the 1st Duke of Chandos buried?
43. Where (in London) is it said the Palladian columns from the original Chandos Palace can be seen?
44. Which opera was composed at Canons?
CROSSWORDS FROM YESTERYEARS
Latin Crossword, From NLCS Magazine, March 1939
Clues Across
1. If you are this you won't finish the puzzle.
10. To shut.
13. Bread (abl.)
14. Winter habitation.
17. Wish or sign.
18. That.
19. I have played.
20. This makes good soup.
32. Race.
33. That (dat.)
35. But.
36. Journey.
38. A young airman
39. Muddled anger
40. But.
41. Idleness.
44. I half study.
45. It will graze (beheaded).
46. Single.
49. Interjection.
50. lambic.
51. Thou.
From Black and White Supplement, 1955
Clues Across
1. Colourless. (3)
3. German commonwealth. (5)
8. "White coal" (abb.). (3)
11. Definite article in Arabic. (2)
12. Woods which walked to Dunsinane. (7)
14. District Attorney. (2)
15. A chip off the old block. (4)
17. Essential medium for 34 across. (3)
18. Sere. (4)
20. Victorian father. (4)
21. Noise of the raven. (3)
22. Military disorder. (4)
23. Civil Defence. (2)
25. That is. (2)
26. He wrote "The Woman in White". (6, 7)
30. Ali's father. (3)
31. Elegant eighteenth century exclamation. (3)
32 Hole in the front of the eye. (5)
31. How does the fish get around in winter? (5)
36. The miser has been beheaded. (4)
37. Half-goat with musical inclinations (3)
38. Alas. (Lat.) (4)
39. This little girl came to a sad and beautiful end. (4)
40. Species extracted from the store. (4)
41. General tendency. (5)
Clues Down
1. North Londoners?
2. Formerly.
3. I was advising (reversed).
4. That.
5. Register of Citizens.
6. Wealth.
7. The result of keeping fit.
8. One.
9. Half-open.
10. Nor (reversal).
12. Schedule.
15. Laughter.
16. Same as 41 across.
21. To learn.
22. Tin (abb.)
25. Alas!
30. He.
31. I stop.
33. The jasper (curtailed)
34. After your manner (curtailed)
37. It is.
42. Brass (reversed).
43. For a long time.
47. Note well (abb.)
48. As.
Clues Down
1. Insect with a nice waistline. (4)
2. Potassium carbonate, for instance. (6)
3. Royal Institution. (2)
4. Gradual schoolboy. (4)
5. Imprison. (11)
6. Masticate. (4)
7. Exclamation expressing almost anything. (2)
9. He invented electric lamps (6)
10. Stuffs with something soft. (4)
12. Did she find God? (5, 4)
13. Black slaves in Mohammedan countries. (9)
16. He who climbs goes this way. (2)
19. With reference to. (2)
24. How to get a number. (4)
25. Misfortunes. (4)
26. The function of windscreen wipers. (6)
27. Its only purpose is to provide buttonhole or a good grip for shaking. (5)
28. State in U.S.A. (5)
29. Detective in action. (6)
33. Employ. (3)
35. More unusual prefix indicating three. (3)
NLCS QUIZ & TRIVIA
1 5 2 7 5 7 4 2 4 7 1
1. 1874
2. Queen’s College
3. 1874, the founding of the Association of Headmistresses
4. Brewers and Clothworkers
5. Theydon Bois
6. German
7. Subscriptions, a formal constitution
8. Henrietta Barnet School
9. Playing fields
10. Ramsay MacDonald
11. Parents’ interest in the school’s charitable project, Frances Mary Buss House.
12. £17,500
7
13. 5 May 1939
8
14. Miss Drummond refused to have her portrait painted.
Across 1. David Attenborough 5. Clanchy 6. Anderson 7. Ten 9. Clothworkers 10. Bromley 13. Chamonix 16. Budge Square 18. Pergola 19. Libraries 20. Daffodils 21. Chandos 23. Handel 24. Cedar 25. Buss Ship 26. Mural
Celebrating the ONL Community – Then, Now, Always
175 Years of Innovative Minds
ONL Regional Groups
Stay Connected, Wherever You Are
Connect with ONLs across the UK and around the world – or start a group of your own!
Whether you have moved cities, are planning a trip, or simply want to connect with friendly faces nearby, our ONL Regional Groups are a wonderful way to stay part of the NLCS community - no matter where life has taken you.
Our fantastic Regional Leads are based across the UK and around the world. They host meet-ups and help you stay connected with ONLs in your area.
And if there isn’t a group close by, maybe you would like to start one? We would be delighted to support you in setting it up, email us at onla@nlcs.org.uk
Pam Lea, née Toyne (ONL 1972) and Linda Parr, née Williams (ONL 1970) lindasusanparr@gmail.com
International Australia
Elizabeth Oswald, née Hammond (ONL 1962) onla@nlcs.org.uk
Israel
Debbie Benstein, née Kestel (ONL 1980) dbenstein@gmail.com
United Arab Emirates
Laura Pyke-Jean (ONL 1987) laurapyke@yahoo.com
Interested in bringing ONLs together at your workplace? We would love to support you! Contact us at onla@nlcs.org.uk
Regional Event: Australia
Last September, we met at a flower nursery that has a restaurant and our group enjoyed each other’s company catching up. Our next gathering will probably be July or August this year.
All eight of us live in Sydney but we do have others who live outside of Sydney and sometimes join us.
We would be delighted to welcome anyone visiting Sydney or planning to make it their home.
If you would like to join the Australia group, please contact Elizabeth at onla@nlcs.org.uk.
From bottom left: Maggie Moss, née Clough (ONL 1969), Gillian Robinson, née Berdinner (ONL 1959), Val Whatham, née Payne (ONL 1959), Susan Labordus, née Selby (ONL 1961), Elizabeth Oswald, née Hammond (ONL 1962), Liz Burrows (ONL 1973), Tina Brain (ONL 1979) and Kay Moyes, née Hannah (ONL 1965).
Regional Event: Hampshire
Eight of us were so lucky with a sunny day at our last meeting at Mandy’s house in Hill Head – we stayed in the garden the whole time! After lunch four of us (plus Bobby the Labrador) walked on the nearby beach while Heather rested in the sunshine. We really appreciated Susan Jones making the effort to attend and she is planning to host our Autumn meeting on 11th October 2025 in Shedfield.
Left to right around the table: Mandy Collins (ONL 1973), Sue Griffiths, née Morgan (ONL 1966), Susan Jones née Purkis (ONL 1954), Heather Bowering née Williams (ONL 1956), Lorna Fitzpatrick née Hamlin (ONL 1986), Angela Bassam née McLennan (ONL 1960), Cathy O’Connor née Giagnoni (ONL 1978) and Helen Jex (ONL 1983) took the photo.
Regional Events: Scotland
Escape Room Adventure
1 February 2025
Nine intrepid members of the Scotland ONL group gathered with anticipation and excitement for our Escape Room challenge. We were divided into two teams, the task ahead: to solve the puzzles and make our escape, within an hour, from our assigned rooms. The rooms were a maze of cryptic symbols, hidden compartments, and logical conundrums, all standing between us and our escape. The relentless countdown of the clock added to the thrill and urgency of the task!
Despite our collective skills and determination, neither team managed to escape from our respective rooms within the allocated time. But the puzzles proved to be an exhilarating and formidable challenge and the lack of a successful escape did nothing to dampen our spirits.
Huge thanks to Nora Mogey for organising a fun day out.
Photo 2: Clare Winsch (ONL 1972), Vanessa Glynn (ONL 1978), Ali Harris, née Bell (ONL 1982), Ruth Law (ONL 1974)
Regional Events: Scotland
Founder’s Day Service and lunch
21 March 2025
Given it was a special anniversary this year, we gathered together to watch the 175th Founder’s Day service, live-streamed from St Paul’s Cathedral. It was a lovely way to share the occasion and we thoroughly enjoyed joining in with the songs and hymns with gusto! Fortunately, three members of the group still sing in choirs, so that helped us all feel confident to join in. Each person brought a dish to make up a buffet lunch, so we were able to chat over a delicious feast afterwards..
Standing left to right: Ali Harris, née Bell (ONL 1982), Nora Mogey (ONL 1979), Ruth Law (ONL 1974).
Sitting left to right: Janet Mundy (ONL 1973), Shereen Benjamin (ONL 1983), Gillian Sweetman, née Fletcher (ONL 1970), Mary Winsch (ONL 1968), Clare Winsch (ONL 1972), Linda Majcher, née Clare (ONL 1973).
Annual Scotland ONLs lunch
22 March 2025
We met for our annual Founder’s Day commemorative lunch and it was lovely to welcome Woody and Alison to the group. As introductions were being made around the table it was clear that there were a number of school connections being remembered, which led to a lively lunch, greatly enjoyed by all.
Founder’s Day lunch photograph from bottom left in a clockwise direction:
Ali Harris, née Bell (ONL 1982), Nora Mogey (ONL 1979), Janet Mundy (ONL 1973), Clare Winsch (ONL 1972), Mary Winsch (ONL 1968), Elizabeth Holt, née Glass (ONL 1966), Woodstock (Woody) Taylor, née Buchanan (ONL 1976), Alison Sheridan (ONL 1975), Ruth Law (ONL 1974), Mary Cranston, née Nickless (ONL 1974).
As a group, we try to organise at least two events a year, a lunch to commemorate Founder’s Day, plus something else in late summer/early autumn. If you are based in Scotland and are interested in joining the group, please email onla@nlcs.org.uk.
ONL News
1940s
Rosemary Sayigh, née Boxer (ONL 1945)
Rosemary graduated from NLCS in 1945 and from Somerville College, Oxford University, in 1948. From 1951 to 1953, she taught at Queen Aliya College, Baghdad. In 1953, she married Palestinian economist Yusif Sayigh, and they had three children: Yezid, Joumana, and Faris.
She is the author of Palestinians: From Peasants to Revolutionaries (1979), Too Many Enemies: The Palestinian Experience in Lebanon (1984), and Becoming ProPalestinian (2024), along with numerous articles published in The Journal of Palestine Studies and The Journal of Holy Land and Palestine Studies. Rosemary taught oral history at Birzeit University (2006–2007) and at the American University of Beirut (2008–2014).
In 2023, she was honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 12th annual Palestine Book Awards.
Valerie Bello, née Kay (ONL 1949)
Heroes Award for her leadership role of the B’nai B’rith UK’s annual European Days of Jewish Culture and Heritage, held throughout the Autumn, since its inception 25 years ago. B’nai B’rith is a large Jewish international organisation which focuses on philanthropic and humanitarian causes, nurtures our cultural heritage and fosters mutual understanding. and goodwill.
1950s
Erica Brostoff, née Rees (ONL 1953)
Erica was appointed to the BPS Psychotherapy Committee for the 2025–2027 term and contributes to the revision of BPS practice guidelines. Erica’s professional interests focus on the prediction and underlying causes of ineffective therapy, as well as exploring potential remedies.
Ruth Fasht OBE, née Devon (ONL 1957)
Better known to many as Ruth Devon, Ruth Fasht OBE left NLCS in 1957. She went on to have a long career in Child and Family Welfare, Assisted Reproduction Regulation, and Adoption Services. Now living in Harrow, she is married with two adult daughters. She sends her warmest wishes for happiness to all.
Bridget Dommen, née Meade (ONL 1958)
Since retiring from public service Bridget has published eight books in French on personalities who marked Swiss history in the 19th century. The eighth came out last October, and she hopes to write two more.
Janet Wells (ONL 1958)
Janet recalls that Tuesday was Bromley Day while she was at school and that every class collected for France Mary Buss House that she visited in Bromley-byBow in East London (1927 – 1967). There, activities were organised for children, lunches cooked for elderly people and care provided for mothers and babies and anyone else in need.
After school and completing an intensive secretarial course at Kilburn Polytechnic, Janet read Social Administration at Nottingham. Office work and supply teaching helped to clear her student debts and she then went to Australia as a £10 Pom and taught for three years with the Anglican Mission in Papua New Guinea.
Back in the UK she worked in the Education, Health and Voluntary sectors. While with the Leonard Cheshire Foundation, NVQs in Care were instigated and Janet introduced them to staff in the Foundation homes and Family Services. Later, working in Tower Hamlets, she trained and assessed the first domiciliary Careworkers for their NVQs, often visiting the homes of her students’ clients in Bromley-by-Bow. Her life had come full circle to the place where she first met significant poverty and the need for care!
1960s
Susan Bennett, née Rose (ONL 1961)
Singing with Jane Williams at school, led to performing in folk clubs and broadcasting. At Sussex University, Susan invited Paul Simon to perform and he offered to write a song for her. An injury stopped her playing guitar and ended her career.
Turning to pottery for solace, she “Came Home”, supplying shops and galleries. Asked to teach by Moy Keightley, Susan agreed with trepidation but a natural teacher was unveiled.
Meanwhile, the garden Susan created with her partner Earl Hyde, was chosen as her favourite by Maureen Lipman, leading to an invitation to open for the National Garden Scheme in 1995. Featured on TV, magazines and books, it draws hundreds of visitors and helps raise large sums for their caring charities.
As Assistant County Organiser NW (North West) London, Susan looks out for “gardens of quality and interest.” Do join her “Up the Garden Path”.
Susan and Earl open their garden at 5 St Regis Close, Muswell Hill, London N10 2DE (www.ngs.org.uk).
Margaret Tompsett, née Hatfield (ONL 1961)
who taught Biology at NLCS, Margaret came to NLCS in the Sixth Form, where the stimulus of Dame Kitty Anderson and a group of intelligent classmates enabled her to go to Cambridge to study Medicine. After graduating from Cambridge and St. Mary’s Hospital Medical School she married physicist, Mike Tompsett and the couple moved to the USA on a Fellowship from the Mental Health Research Fund.
Mike worked at Bell Labs where he invented the digital camera, while she qualified as a child psychiatrist. Over the course of a successful career, Margaret became President of the New Jersey Psychiatric Association and volunteered with the Red Cross providing disaster mental health support.
Now retired to Cape Cod, Margaret and Mike enjoy the company of their four children and six grandchildren. They have also travelled widely since retiring and enjoy hosting ONLs who come their way.
Caroline Raffan, née Alcock (ONL 1965)
playing violin with local people and making glasswork. She did a post-grad course at Central St Martins in 2000-2001 and is a member of Contemporary Glass Society and the British Society of Master Glass Painters.
At school she was lucky to be taught by Peggy Angus, Philippa Threlfall and Moy Keightley. She still really loves the work of the Sussex artists although she lives in Kent!!! Caroline pops over to the Towner Gallery in Eastbourne if there is something nice on there and also makes the occasional dash to the Tate galleries and other London things which she misses, having moved out to live the life of a country mouse!
She is grateful to be reminded of happy days in the Art Block!
Mandira Sen, née Sengupta (ONL 1966)
took Dame Kitty Anderson’s admonition, “Keep Questioning” to heart. She worked in quality publishing and is a Director of Bhatkal and Sen, a high quality independent in a world dominated by corporate multinationals. The company publishes two imprints: Stree (Women’s Studies) and Samya (Cultural Studies, with special focus on the margins).
Dame Anna Wintour CH DBE (ONL 1967)
In January 2025, Anna was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honour in the United States by President Joe Biden. This prestigious award celebrates Anna’s outstanding contributions to fashion, journalism and philanthropy.
As the longtime Editor-in-Chief of Vogue and Chief Content Officer of Condé Nast, Anna has shaped the fashion industry for decades, championing creativity, emerging designers and cultural change. Beyond publishing, she has been actively involved in philanthropy, notably through her work with the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute and various charitable initiatives.
Diana Kinston Ayres (ONL 1968)
what she learnt to her own health and to help others around her. She has recently completed the Membership training and is very proud of her new MFHom (Pod) degree.
Alison Churchill, née Richardson (ONL 1969)
where her son and his family live.
Alison sees Sue Wood (née Mason) and Janet Enever (née Mortlock) and is in touch with Jacki Reason and also sometimes, the West Midlands ONLA Group.
1970s
Lesley Leak, née Groome (ONL 1973)
Lesley finally retired in May, aged 70 and is looking forward to ventures new!
Charlotte Cory (ONL 1975)
plays and drama series on BBC Radio 4. You can find her “Grand Visitorian” toy theatre publications and games at the Benjamin Pollocks Toyshop in Covent Garden. She divides her time between Greenwich in London and Sancerre, a Medieval hilltop town beside the Loire in central France where she runs La Compagnie Théâtrale de Sancerre, Robert Louis Stevenson which performs toy theatre by the Loire every summer with local young actors.
The launch of her latest novel about a young unknown Japanese artist, SIX MONTHS OF DREAMING, was accompanied by an exhibition at the Artworkers Guild in Queen Square London (where she is the first and only “storyteller” Brother) and will be moving to Japan in the autumn as a fringe event attached to Osaka Expo 2025. “My career has been gloriously chaotic but fun. Some might say all over the place!” Recently at a gallery launch in Paris she heard someone boasting about having genuine Charlotte Cory wallpaper on their wall. Of late Charlotte has developed quite a reputation as a tarotmancer using woodcut tarot cards designed forty years ago. People are always astonished by how accurate her predictions are - but her life has been anything but predictable. And yet, when she thinks about it, nearly every strand of her varied creative output has its origin in interests sparked long ago at Canons. www.charlottecory.com; @charlottecory_artist
Susan Masters (ONL 1975)
University in 1980. She married a Canadian cardiologist in 1982, then emigrated to Toronto, Canada. She has three daughters (born in 1986, 1987 and 1991 respectively) and now all are married and live in Toronto. Two of her daughters are practicing physicians, the third is an executive at the world’s largest tech company. She has four grandchildren. Recently retired after 43 rewarding years as a family physician, she is happily spending free time with her expanding family and travelling.
Jane Chadwick, née Wright (ONL 1977)
swam a marathon (or two) which is a swim of 10K or more. She swam downstream in the Thames for 13K and a 10K swim in the London Docks. This year she is swimming Lake Coniston and raising money for Level Water.
Francesca Lasman (ONL 1977)
about ageing well, Francesca Lasman has been strength training. At the age of 66, she and her friend took on their first Hyrox competition, as a doubles pair for a laugh. Amazingly, they won the London Excel competition for their age group, and then came 2nd in the world championships held in Nice in June 2024. Some of the ONL grit and determination paying off!
Lucy Cooper (ONL 1979)
printmaker. She now lives in Brighton where she creates colourful, semi-abstract fine art screenprints, often inspired by places she’s been fortunate enough to travel to over recent years. She’s appreciating this stage of life and the flexibility that it offers to combine a longheld creative passion with other interests, family and friends. She particularly values the long-lasting friendships she made at NLCS and enjoys meet-ups with the Class of 79. Her prints can be viewed on her website www.lucycooperprints.com.
1980s
Emma Haggas, née Lawson (ONL 1982)
Art has always been a huge part of Emma’s life. Inspired by the fabulous work on display in the art block at NLCS growing up, she studied Fine Art and Education at university with her first solo show in London, aged 27. Both Moy Keightley and Robina Barson (art teachers in the 1970/1980s) came to support her. Emma now paints full time with shows in London, Berkshire and Hampshire.
Ali Harris, née Bell (ONL 1982)
Year’s Day Triathlon around Arthur’s Seat on a beautiful, sunny, calm day, Ali decided to set herself the challenge of entering the 2025 event. As a keen swimmer and okay runner, she thought it would be possible. The training regime was quite tough, particularly as she is a novice cyclist but, thanks to the generosity of two other ONLs, Vanessa Glyn who gifted her a bike and Nora Mogey who gave up a lot of time to help with cycling training and some practice runs, Ali was all set. Unfortunately, the weather conditions on 1 January 2025 were somewhat different to the previous year – high winds and torrential rain which rapidly turned to snow!
What she discovered was that, despite the famous Edinburgh New Year’s Eve celebrations being cancelled due to the weather, the Triathlete Community are a hardy bunch and the race was still on. It was a good decision as the weather improved as the day progressed. As she nervously waited to start her race, Ali’s main aim was to complete the course without any spills or injuries and, hopefully, not to finish last! Much to her surprise and delight she finished 4th in her age category and 250th overall out of a field of 400. All in all, it was a great experience. Would she do it again? Probably not as she isn’t sure if her body will hold together for another year of intensive training so she is looking for her next, perhaps less physical, challenge for this year.
Kate Hudson, née Cobby (ONL 1982)
Ford’s dealership training centre. In 2023 she led the submission process to enter their ‘Focus on Leadership’ programme for a Princess Royal Training Award. This prestigious award is given to employers who can prove that their outstanding training and skills development programmes have resulted in exceptional benefits for their business. After a gruelling two rounds of evidence-backed presentations and interviews, the team were successful. Kate was privileged to receive the award from HRH the Princess Royal at a ceremony at St James’s Palace. Alison Wilson, née Smith (ONL 1982)
Şafak now lives in Turkey with her family. Alison lives just south of Bristol with hers. Both are still working, in the family furniture business and as a Consultant Anaesthetist respectively. They both have grandchildren to keep them extra busy.
Jessica Duchen (ONL 1983)
about music as critic, biographer, novelist and librettist. She has just completed a major new biography of Dame Myra Hess, the great pianist who boosted Londoners’ morale during World War II by running lunchtime concerts in the National Gallery every weekday notwithstanding the Blitz. Myra Hess – National Treasure is timed to mark the 80th anniversary of World War II’s end this year. Early reviews termed it ‘magnificent’ (The Spectator) and Jessica ‘a jewel in the crown of the British music scene’ (CD Choice). Jessica’s next project is the libretto for a major new choral work with composer Roxanna Panufnik, to be premiered in Birmingham in December 2025.
Irene Wolstenholme, née Wood (ONL 1983)
of the Royal Victorian Order) in the New Year’s honours 2025, for her work at Coutts & Co in service to the Royal Household. King Charles III presented her with the MVO badge at an investiture at Windsor Castle in March 2025.
Sara Paul, née Wicebloom (ONL 1984)
Early in April a group of 1984 leavers met together in London, many of whom had not seen each other since leaving school. Initial fears about not being recognised or not being able to recognise others were soon overcome. Voices and mannerisms seem to remain constant despite the years. Fond memories of school life were recounted, together with updates on home and work life. New and renewed friendships are being made. Their intention is to continue meeting every 6-8 months, and they very much hope that others from the year group will enjoy joining them in the future.
Jo Flanagan, née Coburn (ONL 1986)
the Scottish independence referendum, Brexit, the Ukraine war, Covid and Labour’s election victory last year. In 2018, Jo launched BBC2’s daily discussion programme Politics Live with guests from across the political spectrum and has hosted the show for eight eventful years.
Jo said: “It has been an incredibly exciting and demanding career covering one of the most tumultuous periods in British and global politics. I have loved almost every minute.”
Meta Chavannes (ONL 1987)
Meta is working as a paintings conservator and lives in Arnhem, the Netherlands with her partner and two sons. After studying Art History in London and Amsterdam, and Paintings Conservation in Cambridge, she has worked for various museums (Rijksmuseum Amsterdam, Kröller-Müller Museum Otterlo, Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, and Museum of Fine Arts Boston) and has been working privately for museums and private clients since 2017.
Professor Roz Shafran (ONL 1988)
and evaluation of cognitive behaviour therapy for perfectionism and mental health disorders. As well as research publications, Roz has co-authored and co-edited four self-help books, the most recent being, How to Cope When Your Child Can’t: Comfort, Help and Hope for Parents.
1990s
Janine Brahams née Collins (ONL 1990)
Thank you, Janine!
Janine joined NLCS in year 7 (UIII 12) and made an immediate impression as one of the tallest and most socially sophisticated in our year, rocking a pixie cut and eye liner. Her height advantage did not last but by then she was firmly established. After Maths, Physics and English A Levels, Janine studied law at Manchester, living in a flat with ONLs Laura and Emma with whom she is friends to this day. After qualifying as a solicitor in London and practising as a litigator in several City firms, Janine branched out to more entrepreneurial ventures in the art world which she combines with teaching young lawyers for their professional exams, continued legal advisory work and a charity trusteeship. In this time, Janine has married Nigel and they have four children together: Leon plus triplets, Zara, Saskia and Joel, as well as a menagerie of animals. Somehow Janine always finds time to keep our friendships alive, frequently organising reunions and gatherings large and small. In fact, Janine pioneered the NLCS school reunion before they were fashionable. In 2000, she contacted school, roping in former Head Girl Binita and friend since UIII, Sally, to arrange the first of its kind at NLCS, taking charge of the invite list, daring to suggest the serving of Pimms and even organising the photographer. A tradition was born.
Shout-outs to Janine!
“Janine is a natural born organiser. The class of 1990 was the best represented year group at the reunion, thanks to Janine. She rallied the troops and ensured that she contacted every single one of us before the event. Thank you, Janine. xx”
Emma Castleton, née Lewin
“Janine provides the social glue that holds us all together. Much more than that, she is and always has been a great friend, ready with a listening ear, word of encouragement and an invite.”
Sally Dyson, née Walford
“When my heart was broken by a boy from Habs in 1984, I knew phoning the ever cheerful and wise Janine would make me feel better! She was an absolute cheerleader for our class UIII 12 and continued to keep us all in touch as we got older. She’s overcome challenges in her own life as well as inviting us to share the joys and she has inspired us all to stay strong and stay connected.”
Xanthe Bevis
“Janine is not only a wonderful, loyal friend but also an enthusiastic organiser of gatherings. She’s always bringing people together and turning what would otherwise be vague plans into reality.”
Laura Boyask, née Joyce
Setting aside North London rivalries, Sally has become an active member of The Haberdashers’ Company, a City Livery Company, sitting on their non-executive board and chairing their multi-academy trust of nine schools in South London, alongside professional work as a client listener, executive coach and business skills trainer for lawyers through Firm Sense Limited. Sally is the author of several business books including The Real Deal: Law Firm Leadership that Works. A far cry from the texts studied under the great Mrs Moore but still a page turner! Sally is married to Steven and has two teenage sons.
Fiona Wilson (ONL 1990)
Taking in a deep breath and launching sound into the airwaves has been Fiona’s passion since her first singing lesson at NLCS in September 1987. But 25 years later, during a performance of her show ‘Bon Voyage – from opera to popera to broadway’ on a luxury cruise ship out in Tahiti, she felt the breaths weren’t coming quite so easily and was subsequently diagnosed with an autoimmune lung disease. Once back to full health, she became passionate about raising money for Asthma + Lung UK and has been running on the charity’s Team Breathe ever since, culminating in the London Marathon on 27th April. As part of her fundraising, she organised a Singathon of sixty songs which took her around 175 minutes…unfortunately the marathon took slightly longer!
Dame Antonia Romeo DCB, née Rice-Evans (ONL 1992)
Antonia became the Permanent Secretary of the Home Office in April 2025, leading the Government department with responsibility for public safety and policing, national security, and border security. This follows four years as Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Justice.
Juliet Mann, née Errington (ONL 1993)
events on a vast range of topics from entrepreneurship to sustainability.
Soleil Nathwani (ONL 1995)
After transitioning out of a career in finance and media into magazine writing and work on a first novel, Soleil was selected for the Tin House and Bread Loaf Writer’s Workshops this year for her work in fiction. She is a proud alum of both. She continues to write a column on Arts and Culture for Rolling Stone India from NYC, where she is currently based, and hopes to publish more literary criticism and fiction in the future. She is often in Mumbai and occasionally in the UK, hopes to see more ONLs in the future and is thrilled NLCS is celebrating its 175th.
Sally Dyson, née Walford (ONL 1990)
2000s
Emma Levy, née Roston (ONL 2002)
she was diagnosed with breast cancer in the midst of the Covid pandemic. Going through this transformational journey motivated Emma to start a podcast exploring the concept of posttraumatic growth. In “When Life Gives You Lemons” Emma interviews high performing individuals who have gone through trauma, with the intention of inspiring others going through challenging times that they can also come out stronger the other side.
Emma has now released nearly 100 episodes of the podcast, over seven seasons, and previous guests have included Olympians, Paralympians, Broadcasters, Actors, Popstars, Activists and many more. The podcast is available on all major platforms or you can watch on YouTube. Emma is also a motivational speaker.
Smruti Sriram OBE (ONL 2004)
Awarded an OBE in the 2025 New Year’s Honours List for Services to Fashion. As CEO of Bags of Ethics by Supreme Creations, she leads the world’s largest ethical manufacturer of reusable bags and sustainable packaging.
Elizabeth (Lizzie) Paton (ONL 2005)
In her previous role covering the global fashion industry for the New York Times, she spent almost ten years reporting on assignments from places including Paris, Milan, Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia for the Styles, Business and International sections of the paper. Beyond several front page investigations on abuses of power in the fashion world, other career highlights included “A British Person Explains the WAG Wars”, visiting Elton John at home in Nice and decoding the cult of Colin the Caterpillar to America. It will be a return to the FT for Lizzie, who covered luxury and retail from New York for several years for the paper as a corporate reporter earlier in her career. Her first job was as an assistant at Sunday Times Style magazine.
Laura Parker (ONL 2006)
After over a decade abroad with the UN working on refugee and migrant rights, Laura is returning to the UK following the drastic funding cuts which have decimated the sector and left humanitarian responses reeling globally. She looks forward to (re)connecting with ONLs, settling back into London, pursuing human rights and environmental justice work differently, but also exploring new directions. One of these projects is training as a polar expedition guide and lecturer, following a recent fascination with Antarctica. She’d love to take anyone keen to chat about these topics out for coffee – feel free to write on lauracparker@hotmail.com.
Tejal Doshi (ONL 2009) and Nehal Doshi (ONL 2012)
shared journey. Having crossed paths with so many inspiring individuals, they feel compelled to share these candid and open conversations with a wider audience. Each episode captures powerful stories centred on the core theme of resilience - stories of overcoming and thriving. With warmth and authenticity, the sisters create a welcoming space where guests reflect on identity, culture, and perseverance. Roots and Resilience is a tribute to the journeys that shape us and the strength we discover along the way. Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube.
Roots and Resilience is a heartfelt podcast
Lizzie was appointed Fashion Editor of the Financial Times in June.
2010s
Anoli Mehta (ONL 2011)
Since Anoli founded and launched the fastest growing platform for preloved South Asian fashion Circular Threads, she has appeared on BBC 100 Women, BBC Sunday Morning Live, Sifted, The Guardian, Sheerluxe and many other publications showcasing their work and shining a light on South Asian fastfashion which is often overlooked in the sustainability space.
Circular Threads offers an effortless platform to buy and sell designer and boutique sample pieces for a fraction of the price. Since inception, Circular Threads has organically built a community of over 20K, hosted 1000+ people across their pop ups! www.circular-threads.com
Nikhita Sethi (ONL 2015)
Nikhita recently channelled her passion for wellness and entrepreneurship into founding Dosha – the world’s first ready-to-drink Ancient Indian wellbeing beverage. Using powerful natural ingredients like ashwagandha, turmeric, and ginger, Dosha offers a new way to experience traditional wellness, with no added sugar and under 23 calories per can. Since launching in October 2024, Dosha has quickly gained momentum, now selling online and across selected locations in London. Perfect for promoting calm, focus, and energy, Dosha is bringing authentic Ayurveda to modern life. Explore more at www.drink-dosha.com.
Rachel Hochhauser (ONL 2016)
Even as a child, Rachel always loved debating, and from as early as she can remember, she wanted to be a lawyer. In fact, in her primary school yearbook, Rachel wrote that her dream was to attend Harvard Law School. Through her time at NLCS, this dream was nurtured through mentorship from teachers, time in the Debating Society, and as a result of the always vibrant classroom
discussions. These experiences cultivated her intellectual curiosity for the law and helped develop the critical thinking skills essential to it. Incredibly, this year, Rachel’s 11-year-old self’s dream became a reality, and she graduated from Harvard with a Juris Doctorate. It has been an incredible journey, and Rachel is so excited to begin her career as a media defence lawyer in New York, representing journalists in defamation suits.
Nishka Patel (ONL 2016)
An incoming resident doctor from King’s College London Nishka was recently awarded the Sue Britton Bursary for showing exceptional resilience and compassion. After being diagnosed with a vestibular schwannoma in her third year of medical school and undergoing brain surgery, she continued to thrive academically while leading student initiatives, mentoring aspiring medics, organising academic conferences, and advocating for others with single-sided deafness. She recently completed part of her elective with the Plastic Surgery Department at Johns Hopkins Hospital, USA, and hopes to pursue a career in surgery. Her journey reflects the courage and dedication the bursary was created to recognise.
brought further awareness to Martha’s Rule, a major patient safety initiative campaigned for by her aunt and uncle, which has already had a “transformative effect”. If you’d like to read more about Martha’s story or donate, here’s the link: https://2025tcslondonmarathon.enthuse. com/pf/izzy-grint
2020s
Tammy Berman and Amy Reeves (ONL 2024)
Tammy and Amy started an amateur theatre company alongside their university degree and apprenticeship. They want to bring together young people with varied experiences and unite their passions for theatre to create
performances they hope will inspire others to chase their dreams.
Wavelength Theatre took to the stage last summer with their debut production, What’s Funny About Oxbow Lakes? This year, they are back with another original play - Seven Minutes and a Dolphin - a warm-hearted comedy about family friends on a cruise holiday. It is a sunny show and a sweet story, filled with love, laughter, and, of course, a couple of dolphins.
Wavelength Theatre owes a huge amount to the support of their amazing teachers at NLCS. The original Seven Minutes script was co-written and directed by Tammy and Zarah Grant (ONL 2024) as the first student-led production at the school. As Wavelength’s second show as a company, they are excited to bring a new twist to the play that first set them on their journey.
The show is playing on 8, 9 and 10 August at the Canal Café Theatre, Little Venice and they would love to see you there!
We love hearing your news. If you have an update you would like to share, please email onla@nlcs.org.uk.
ONLs in Print
Life, in Shorts
by Rachel Davies (ONL 2001)
Set in Lusaka and based on travels around Zambia and Southern Africa with her family, Life, In Shorts is a collection of poems by Rachel Davies that explore what it means to be outside your comfort zone.
These poems share some of her experiences during her year as a Londoner in Lusaka, alongside questions around identity, what it means to be away from home in a different culture, and discoveries and reflections during her travels.
Be Mine by Lizzy Barber (ONL 2005)
From the Richard & Judy best-selling author of Out of Her Depth comes a thrilling ride about identity, manipulation, and our desperate desire to belong.
You can run, but the past is never far behind…
Once, Beth was a different person, convinced she was living her dream life with the enigmatic wellness group, Elixir. But when that dream became a nightmare, she had no choice but to run, no matter what – or who – stood in her way.
Ten years later, exhausted and struggling with the pressures of motherhood, she receives a mysterious letter bearing only the infinity symbol, and knows immediately it is from them.
The past she’d run from has finally caught up with her, and the secrets she’s tried so hard to hide will soon be uncovered. Can she finally escape them for good, or will her freedom pay the ultimate price?
If wellness is the new religion, what happens when it’s taken too far?
The Walled Garden by Sarah Foot (ONL 1979)
1946: Alice Rayne is married to Stephen, heir to crumbling Oakbourne Hall. Once a sweet, gentle man, he has returned from war a bitter and angry stranger. Lonely and increasingly afraid of the man her husband has become, Alice must try to pick up the pieces of her marriage and save Oakboune Hall from total collapse. She begins with the walled garden and, as it starts to bear fruit, she finds herself drawn into a new, forbidden love. Set in the Suffolk countryside as it moves from winter to spring, The Walled Garden is a captivating love story and an exploration of trauma and the miracle of human resilience.
Six Months of Dreaming
by Charlotte Cory, née EverestPhillips (ONL 1975)
Charlotte‘s seventh novel and tells the story of Yutaka Kajikawa, an ambitious young Japanese artist who hopes to find success with his ‘Jazz Age’ necktie designs in the West. When he hears that the extravagantly named, English aristocratic journalist, Lady Grace Hay DrummondHay is visiting Japan in August 1929 on the first Round the World flight of a Zeppelin airship, he decides to send her a letter explaining his artistic ambitions, enclosing his designs and asking her help in realising his dreams. Nothing quite goes to plan. And yet… Kajikawa’s fate quietly encompasses the whole history of the Twentieth Century. Published by The Limitedition Press, 2025 (www.limiteditionpress.com)
The Stranger in Room Six
by Jane Corry, née Thomas (ONL 1974)
My story is about Mabel, a young girl who is evacuated during WW2 to her aunt’s rambling house in the country. There she finds herself unwittingly embroiled in illegal undercover activities. Fast forward to the present day and Mabel has turned the house into an old people’s home, Sunnyside Home For The Young At Heart, where she is a resident herself.
Enter Belinda - her new carer and seemingly respectable mother of two. Thanks to forged papers, no one knows that Belinda has just been released from prison for accidentally murdering her husband.
The two women enjoy each other’s company more than either would have thought possible. Without meaning to, they share secrets from the past. But neither knows they’re being watched by the stranger in room six who will stop at nothing to fulfil a mission. Even if it’s a fight to the death….
THE STRANGER IN ROOM SIX is published by Penguin Viking and is available in supermarkets, bookshops and online. The book will also be released an ebook and audiobook.
The Princess and the Pets by Angela Kanter, née Kiverstein (ONL 1981)
A short chapter book for beginner readers, with illustrations by Maddy McClellan. Princess Mina really wants a pet. Will her fairy godmother make her wish come true? And what if the spell goes a teeny bit wrong?
Queering Psychotherapy
by Jane Czyzselska, née Winterburgh (ONL 1987)
LGBTIQ+ people are more likely than cisgender and heterosexual individuals to suffer with mental health issues, yet often have poorer therapeutic outcomes. Mainstream Eurocentric psychotherapeutic theories, developed largely by heterosexual, cisgender and white theorists, tend to see LGBTIQ+ as a singular group through an “othered” lens. Despite the undeniable value offered by many of these theories, practitioners can often misunderstand and diminish queer clients’ lived experiences. In this volume, the author explores and rethinks in a dynamic conversational format with diverse contributors some of the unique challenges encountered in a world that continues to pathologise queer lives.
Offering key insights and practical advice this book is an invaluable training in itself.
Non-Fiction
Myra Hess - National Treasure
by Jessica Duchen (ONL 1983)
Throughout World War II, Dame Myra Hess, Britain’s greatest concert pianist, ran lunchtime concerts at London’s National Gallery. They became the stuff of legends, proving music’s power to support the human spirit in the darkest of times. This biography, the first in nearly five decades, follows Hess’s transformation from rebellious young musician into inimitably powerful woman and national heroine. As a woman seeking to build a performing career before World War I, she faced an uphill struggle for recognition and a clash with her father. Stardom ensued when she first travelled to the US in 1922: with America at her feet and her beloved transcription of Bach’s Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring capturing public imagination, Hess seemed unstoppable. During the war, she also became an unsung activist, helping refugee musicians from Nazi-occupied countries to find their feet in Britain.
The book draws extensively on her previously unpublished correspondence and postwar American tour diaries, presenting colourful insights into her collaborations with towering musicians of her day, Arturo Toscanini, Pablo Casals, Bruno Walter and Kathleen Ferrier among them. There are also interviews with her surviving pupils, friends and relations. Dame Myra Hess emerges as a unique personality replete with generosity, courage, humour and sheer, unfailing ‘chutzpah’.
‘I loved reading this affectionate, elegant and informative biography of one of the greatest figures in British musical history.’
Sir Stephen Hough
The
Ecumenical Chaplaincy of St Albans Cathedral by Pamela McElroy, née Shepard (ONL 1969)
In 1893, in the optimism following the Second Vatican Council visionary clergy established an Ecumenical Chaplaincy at St Albans Cathedral in Hertfordshire bringing together Anglican, Roman Catholic, Free Church, Lutheran and Orthodox communities. This is unique and in 2023 celebrated its 40th anniversary. This is an account written (via contributions) by those most closely involved in this long and fruitful collaboration that has created a legacy of immense value.
Totally Fine (and other lies I’ve told myself):
by Tiffany Philippou (ONL 2006)
‘If Dolly Alderton, Glennon Doyle and Elizabeth Day had a love child, this is the writer they’d produce.’ Laura Jane Williams, author and journalist.
This is a heartfelt memoir on grief, shame and love. It’s an honest and ultimately hopeful account of Tiffany’s life after the tragic suicide of her boyfriend, Richard, when the couple were students at Bristol University in 2008. The book follows her journey in the ten years after Richard’s death - as Tiffany confesses - she spent her twenties pretending this incident didn’t happen. She was isolated in grief and left alone to absorb the discomfort and judgement of others she felt following his passing. In her own words, ‘Richard was living with a lot of shame before he died. I felt silenced and oppressed by shame once he was gone.’
Our twenties are all about self-discovery and adventure; it’s a decade of many firsts as we establish our careers and relationships in the adult world. Yet there isn’t a guidebook on how to grieve, especially when processing such an event at this pivotal stage of life.
It has taken Tiffany many years to navigate her grief and shame but by opening up and embracing her past she has been able to look to the future and to understand that there is no right way to grieve and no right way to live. Her hope, is that by sharing her story, she can encourage others to tear down the walls and to not suffer under the burden of shame alone.
Totally Fine (and other lies I’ve told myself) is a beautifully written and poignant story that will deeply resonate with anyone navigating layers of loss, heartbreak or rejection.
Start To Identify Grasses
by Dr Faith Anstey (ONL
1961)
Faith Anstey is currently working on her eighth book on botany for beginners. Start to Identify Grasses is a small book, but one highly regarded as an educational resource for prospective botanists. Young ecologists frequently have a yawning skills gap, being no longer offered straight botany at school or university. Together with those taking up field botany as a leisure interest, they appreciate a less technical approach which, instead of microscopes and intimidating keys, uses field characters and flowcharts to ease the terror many feel at identifying even common grasses. Because she didn’t do botany at NLCS – in the 1950s, ‘clever’ girls had to do physics and chemistry –Faith knows what it’s like to start from scratch later on. She began to write after retiring from her main career (running a riding school) and has recently received an Outstanding Achievement Award for her work in botanical training.
Explaining Renewable Energy by Dr Elaine Moore (ONL 1966)
Renewable energy is currently on everyone’s mind in the context of climate change. This text provides students with an introduction into the science behind the various types of renewable energy enabling them to access review literature in the field and options that should be considered when selecting methods.
Living with Conflict
by Susan Robson, née Crockett (ONL 1957)
100 years after the start of World War 1 this book enquired why peace advocates find it so difficult to acknowledge and deal with conflict in their own community. Issues of identity, authority and gender among Quakers and other peace churches are explored together with theoretical methods of conflict handling. Each chapter starts with a stand-alone story of a real world incident in a conflict.
Logistics and Supply Chain Toolkit
by Susan Grinsted (ONL 1975)
The 4th edition of the Logistics and Supply Chain Toolkit was published in March 2024. It contains over 100 tools for supply chain professionals to improve management of transport, warehousing, inventory and the whole supply chain. Each tool is structured in 4 partsintroduction, when to use the tool, how to use it followed by an example. An accompanying website contains further examples and downloadable content, including audits for assessing transport, warehouse, inventory and supply chain performance. www.howtologistics.com.
The Answer Is A Question
by Laura Ashley-Timms, née Goldsmith (ONL 1985)
Distinguished favourite at the New York Big Book Awards.
Co-authored by ONL Laura AshleyTimms, this book breaks down how to develop a new superpower that’s been proven to work by the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) in a major academic study across sixty-two organisations. By making some immediate changes you’ll yield fast and exciting results, revolutionising how you manage forever.
Thank You
Thank You
We are deeply grateful for the incredible generosity shown by our ONL and Honorary ONL volunteers, who continue to generously support the school with their time, experience and expertise.
Over the past academic year, you have shared career advice, delivered inspiring talks, helped with University interviews, offered work experience and industry insights, sat on panel discussions, led regional groups, helped with ONLINE magazine and so much more.
Your involvement has greatly enriched the experiences of our whole school community.
We want to say a HUGE thank you!
If we have missed you from this list, we sincerely apologise. Your support is deeply appreciated – thank you! Interested in volunteering? Get in touch at onla@ncls.org.uk.
Julie Alberg, née Mills (ONL 1985)
Roma Agrawal (ONL 2001)
Aramide Ajayi (ONL 2024)
Charlotte Allen (ONL 2008)
Aria Banerjee-Watts (ONL 2022)
Marina Bansard, née Bradbury (ONL 2002)
Natalie Baskind (ONL 2007)
Ananya Basu (ONL 2020)
Olivia Beecham (ONL 2010)
Louise Bennetts (ONL 2008)
Debbie Benstein, née Kestrel (ONL 1980)
Louise Bentata, née Parlons (ONL 1996)
Holi Bhudia (ONL 2024)
Imaan Zahra Bilgrami (ONL 2023)
Natasha Black (ONL 2007)
Izzy Brand (ONL 2021)
Mia Borgese (ONL 2020)
Kirsty Bridges (ONL 2024)
Diane Brown, née Green (ONL 1964)
Jenny Brown, née Cullen (ONL 1987)
Jane Cole (ONL 1972)
Mandy Collins (ONL 1973)
Keira Cumming (ONL 2022)
Laura D’Arcy, née Crowley (ONL 2000)
Dia Deepak (ONL 2023)
Nehal Doshi (ONL 2012)
Tejal Doshi (ONL 2009)
Kate Driscoll (ONL 2023)
Diluxshy Elangaratnam (ONL 2007)
Dorothy Farley, née Coode (ONL 1955)
Emily Ferris (ONL 2008)
Reese Forrest (ONL 2024)
Sara Gamsu, née Gibbons (ONL 1993)
Emmanuelle Gelain-Sohn (ONL 2021)
Juliette Gerstein (ONL 2003)
Isabella Giagounidis (ONL 2024)
Olivia Gielen (ONL 2024)
Tanya Giridharan (ONL 2024)
Vivien Godfrey (ONL 1979)
Priya Gopaldas (ONL 2016)
Emma Gower (ONL 2024)
Gaby Gower, née Kruger (ONL 1994)
Laura Green (ONL 1993)
Hester Greenstock (Honorary ONL 1994)
Hannah Hammond (ONL 2023)
Ali Harris, née Bell (ONL 1982)
Claire Hill (Honorary ONL 2025)
Natasha Hopkins (ONL 2018)
Zoe Ilivitzky (ONL 2011)
Charlotte Jay (ONL 2024)
Sheethal Jethwa (ONL 2013)
Elisabeth Joyce (ONL 2018)
Ruhi Kanani (ONL 2009)
Rupal Kantaria, née Sachdev (ONL 1998)
Kavya Kapadia (ONL 2024)
Jemma Kattan, née Wayne (ONL 1998)
Sarina Kenward (ONL 2023)
Hannah Khan (ONL 2023)
Sailee Khurjekar (ONL 2017)
Roshni Kumar (ONL 2021)
Pam Lea, née Toyne (ONL 1972)
Aryn Liddell (ONL 2024)
Kyla Lief (ONL 2012)
Jane Lunnon, née Cullen (ONL 1987)
Tafadzwa Machengo (ONL 2020)
Thivi Maruthappu (ONL 1999)
Nia Marshall, née Bramley (ONL 1993)
Nora Mogey (ONL 1989)
Alexandra Morgan (ONL 2022)
Disa Nalawde (ONL 2024)
Hannah Needley (ONL 2023)
Jo Newman, née Caspari (ONL 1976, Honorary ONL 2022)
Stephanie Newman (ONL 2004)
Amena Noorani (ONL 2007)
Ifé Ojomo (ONL 2016)
Elizabeth Oswald, née Hammond (ONL 1962)
Linda Parr, née Williams (ONL 1970)
Kate Parsons (ONL 2024)
Ria Patel (ONL 2020)
Devashree Pattni (ONL 2015)
Jessica Peng (ONL 2020)
Maia Pereira (ONL 2021)
Barbara Pomeroy, née Toyne (ONL 1968, Honorary ONL 2012)
Laura Pyke-Jean (ONL 1987)
Ruby Qureshi (ONL 2024)
Agalya Ramanathan, née Sivakumar (ONL 2009)
Jessica Rogers (ONL 2013)
Natasha Roston (ONL 2006)
Jessica Salazar, née Greenstock (ONL 1994)
Talya Samji (ONL 2022)
Penny Segal (ONL 1993)
Aanya Shah (ONL 2019)
Jasmine Shah (ONL 2023)
Mahi Shah (ONL 2024)
Sachna Shah (ONL 2008)
Tanvi Shah (ONL 2014)
Tia Shah (ONL 2024)
Sophie Sheldon (ONL 2021)
Emily Spungin (ONL 2020)
Natasha Spungin (ONL 2023)
Carol Stegmann (Honorary ONL 2006)
Helen Stone (ONL 1968)
Jacky Summerfield (ONL 1986)
Aashni Tanna (ONL 2024)
Caroline Utermann (ONL 2022)
Anya Vaghani (ONL 2022)
Rali Vanguelova (ONL 2024)
Sarah Wedl-Wilson (ONL 1987)
Laura Weller, née Margolis (ONL 1990)
Payal Wilcock, née Shah (ONL 2007)
Fiona Wilson (ONL 1990)
Imogen Woods-Wilford (ONL 2019)
Joanna Yassa (ONL 2024)
From the Archives
Professor William Richardson
The ‘Frances Mary Buss Brooch’
Professor William Richardson unravels the history of one of NLCS’s most striking archive items.
There is a tradition at North London Collegiate School (NLCS) that this magnificent brooch, held in the school’s archive, was awarded to the founding President of the Association of Headmistresses, Frances Mary Buss, at some point during 1874-94.
When, in 2021, I came across a smaller replica in an office in Leicester I was prompted to search for the origin of the brooch, first among archives held by the University of Warwick and, eventually, at the school itself at Canons.
The brooch described
In 1975, Garrard & Co. (the Crown Jewellers to the British monarch) inspected the brooch, describing as follows: ‘18ct gold badge and chain of office set with amethysts, cultured pearls and green cornelians’. But what was its date?
Looking at the brooch today – the initials, torch flame, entwined leaves and sinuous wires of wrought gold, set within a trefoil frame – there seem hints of various stylistic influences: Gothic architecture, early woodblock lettering, the Arts and Crafts Movement, post-1918 graphic design and Art Deco. Was it really awarded to Miss Buss some time before 1898?
The origin of the brooch
As is well known, Miss Buss was elected founding President of the Association of Headmistresses (AHM) in 1874 and held the position for next twenty years. Thereafter, the presidency was filled every two years and a further eighteen prominent
headmistresses served in the role between 1897 and 1935, including a second head of NLCS, Dr Sophie Bryant (1903-05).
It was at this point, in the mid-1930s, that the AHM executive decided an insignia of office should be made and so set about commissioning an appropriate piece of jewellery. This was described by the chair of the Executive Committee, Ethel Jones (Headmistress of Clapham County Secondary School), as ‘a very difficult matter’ since, during its six decades of existence, the Association had ‘neither motto nor colours to help a designer. The only thing’, she suggested, ‘was to fall back on symbols’.
The symbolism and design of the brooch
Two symbols seemed to select themselves. The first and most obvious, thought Jones, would be ‘a torch, of course … and in spite of its familiarity by the wayside we have dared to embody it’. This was a reference to the road signs for indicating a school that the Whitehall Ministry of Transport had introduced and made familiar across the country from the early 1920s.
Almost as obvious, it was decided, was the inclusion of laurel leaves: ‘for is not the election to the Presidency’, declared the Executive Committee, ‘in itself a crown of laurel?’.
So far so good. But the commissioning group was concerned that determining the choice of precious stones as additional elements ‘would be more difficult’. To solve this problem, it was decided to approach the distinguished historian of art and jewellery, Joan (later Dame Joan) Evans who was, at that time, Honorary Librarian at the Courtauld Institute.
Evans’ response to AHM’s commission was enthusiastic: ‘What an amusing task!’. However, she wondered whether most precious stones were ‘not perhaps very educational’. Thinking about it further, she felt more cheered: surely, ‘the qualities needed by a Head Mistress are so varied that there are few stones she could not wear with propriety’?
Drawing for inspiration from a late fifteenth century English manuscript, the Peterborough Lapidary, Evans offered AHM a list of six stones for possible inclusion within what she advised should more correctly be called a ceremonial ‘badge’ of office. These were diamonds (for strength and power), amethysts (for resilience and comfort in sorrows), chalcedonies (for eloquence), jacinths (for respect), sapphires (for the creation of harmony) and rubies (for gracefulness and honour). Of these, the commissioning headmistresses were particularly attracted to the qualities associated with sapphires and rubies.
On this basis, the task of execution seems to have passed to the Central College of Arts and Crafts (renamed, in 1989, Central St Martin’s) and the final design incorporated the flaming torch and fourteen laurel leaves, as Ethel Jones’ committee had proposed, superimposed with the letters A H M and set within a trefoil frame – all in 18 carat gold.
When it came to the precious stones, the pink sapphires and rubies first envisaged (for honour, grace and respect) gave way, instead, to four pink amethysts (for fine bearing and clarity of voice). Alongside these, two green cornelians were introduced (for eloquence), with the entire ensemble being set above a base of three cultured pearls (for virtue).
The President’s Badge in use
In this form the President’s Badge was presented to Ethel Gwatkin (Headmistress of Streatham Hill High School) at the Association’s Annual Conference in 1936. Thereafter, it was passed, every two years, to a further twenty AHM Presidents down to the mid-1970s and was worn at major conferences and on other formal occasions.
The ‘Frances Mary Buss Brooch’
The decline of the AHM and the donation of the President’s Badge
to NLCS
The Association of Headmistresses was never a large or wealthy organisation, its compact membership (just 629-strong in 1942) making economies of scale difficult. The commissioning of the President’s Badge was a rare pre-war extravagance.
After 1944, ‘secondary education for all’ saw a period of expansion and provided some breathing space. But the reorganisation of schools as comprehensives, announced in July 1965, soon meant that headmistresses began to lose out, as smaller single-sex schools were merged to form larger, coeducational comprehensives –predominantly led by men. The membership of AHM had already peaked and now began a steady decline, leading to merger talks with the Headmasters’ Association that came to fruition at the end of 1977.
Among the last rites at AHM were discussions about dispersal of its property, the most valued and valuable item being the President’s Badge. Sensing the Association already had its own spiritual home, the Executive Committee decision in September 1977 was unanimous: the Badge – ‘together with Archives of value concerning the Association and its founder, Miss Buss’ – should, henceforth, ‘be held at North London Collegiate School’.
Professor William Richardson (University of Exeter) is Honorary Archivist at the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) and Chair of the School Archives and Records Association (SARA).
175 years of NLCS
1965
Madeline McLauchlan becomes the sixth Headmistress.
1976
Direct Grant is withdrawn and NLCS becomes and independent school with charitable status.
1953
A cedar is planted on Founder’s Day to mark the Coronation.
1987
Joan Clanchy is appointed the seventh Headmistress.
1850 North London Collegiate School is founded by Frances Mary Buss in the Buss family home.
2025 Commemorative service celebrating the 175th anniversary of the School.
1950
Centenary of North London Collegiate School.
1987 Junior School opens.
1948-9
Ludwidsburg link established by Caroline Senator, NLCS staff 19191958.
1997
Bernice McCabe is appointed the eighth Headmistress.
Ideas Hub opens. 2023 Vicky Bingham joins NLCS as the tenth Headmistress.
1870
NLCS moves from Camden Street to Camden Road leaving old premises for establishment of a Lower School.
1944
Kitty Anderson is appointed the school’s fifth Headmistress.
1999
NLCS is named Independent School of the Year by the Sunday Times.
2020
NLCS Singapore opens.
1874
Founding of the Association of Head Mistresses, with Frances Mary Buss, the first President.
Association of Old Pupils formed.
1941
Eileen Harold is appointed the fourth Headmistress of NLCS.
1875
“Our Magazine” is first published.
1940
The whole school moves to Canons and Isabella Drummond retires.
1879
NLCS relocates to a new building in Sandall Road, opened by the Princess of Wales.
1929
Canons in Edgware is purchased as a new home for the School.
1880
First evidence of Founder’s Day being celebrated is a poem written in 1880 on the School’s 30th anniversary.
1918
Isabella Drummond is appointed the third Headmistress of the School.
1895
Sophie Bryant is appointed second Headmistress of the School.
1900
The School celebrates its 50th anniversary at St Paul’s Cathedral.
2000
Commemorative service celebrating the 150th anniversary of the School.
2018
Sarah Clark appointed ninth Headmistress.
2004
The International Baccalaureate is introduced.
2005
King Charles III, then Prince of Wales visits the School.
2018
Bernice McCabe awarded OBE for Services to Education.
2006
NLCS is again named Independent School of the Year by the Sunday Times.
2007
Opening of the Performing Arts Centre.
2011
NLCS Jeju opens.
2015
NLCS Dubai opens.
W Winifred Alice Myers
(1909 - 1985), ONL 1927
ith her sharp intellect and unwavering passion for books, Winnie Myers was always destined to follow in her father’s footsteps. Her upbringing was steeped in literature, surrounded by books and manuscripts that nurtured her passion for collecting. Her father, Albert Isaac (Ike) Myers, a highly regarded antiquarian bookseller, was a staunch advocate of education, believing it to be the cornerstone of success. Determined to provide Winnie with the best possible academic foundation, he ensured she received a first-rate education. She spent her early school years at Kilburn High School in Willesden, where the family resided. Academically gifted, she excelled in all subjects except for writing and needlework.
In 1921, Winnie advanced to North London Collegiate School (NLCS), which was then located in Camden Town. A stronghold of academic rigour, the school upheld exacting intellectual standards while fostering a commitment to community service, embodying the Founder’s Day principle: “Thou dost require much from those to whom much is given.” NLCS proved to be an ideal environment for Winnie, encouraging her literary enthusiasm and shaping her lifelong commitment to feminism and equality. Grateful for her formative experiences there, she remained a dedicated and generous alumna of NLCS throughout her life. As Winnie contemplated her career path, her father guided her towards librarianship, recognising its value in training her in cataloguing and archival curation. So following his advice, she pursued her studies at University College London, building a strong foundation for her professional journey as an antiquarian archivist.
Winifred Alice Myers (ONL 1927)
Beyond academics, Winnie was deeply involved in Jewish causes and held strong religious convictions in her youth. She entered adulthood amid the economic turmoil of the interwar years, witnessing the rise of Nazism and the persecution of European Jews. Possessing a profound sense of social responsibility, she actively supported Jewish relief organisations, understanding the privilege she enjoyed and the obligation to assist those in need. In the late 1930s, her father played a crucial role in helping German Jewish booksellers fleeing Nazi oppression. Winnie contributed to these efforts by assisting refugee women in finding employment upon their arrival in England — a daunting task, as most of them were restricted to work in domestic service, a field for which their middle-class backgrounds had not prepared them. From rescuing these women, to retraining them, and finding them a suitable home and career, Winnie played a crucial role in rehabilitating these women and restoring them to a life of dignity. Letters exchanged between Winnie and her acquaintances and friends, now preserved in the school archives (see pictures), offer us a deeply moving glimpse into the life-altering role she played in these women’s lives.
During her years at NLCS, the school was still situated in Camden, only relocating to Canons in 1927, the year she graduated. Her passion for collecting historical documents was greatly influenced by her time at NLCS and her fascination with its distinguished legacy. By 1927, the school had outgrown its original location, and so the Governors decided to acquire a country estate in
Stanmore to relocate the school. This property stood on the site of the former palace of Canons, originally constructed by James Brydges, 1st Duke of Chandos (1673–1744). Coincidentally, a few years earlier, in July 1921, the ancestral estate of the Dukes of Buckingham and Chandos, Stowe House, had undergone an extensive auction lasting eighteen days. Among the countless historical treasures sold was a volume containing original letters written by Cassandra, Duchess of Chandos, between 1713 and 1735. Years later, Winnie acquired this significant manuscript, marking the beginning of her Canons collection. She later donated this volume of letters to our school, where it remains a cherished part of the archive.
Over the years, Winnie gained recognition as a distinguished archivist and collector with an enduring interest in the history of Canons. She assembled an extensive collection of documents related to the estate and its past. A tradition soon emerged in which she presented carefully selected historical autographed items to the school on Founder’s Day each April. Initially, she intended to bequeath her entire collection to NLCS but reconsidered upon learning that the school might sell it to fund student bursaries. However, in 2004, her heir, Ruth Shepherd, discovered that the school had since established a professional archive. Reassured that the collection could now be properly preserved and appreciated, Ruth honoured Winnie’s original intention and formally donated the Canons collection to the school archives. Today, it is meticulously catalogued and maintained, serving as a valuable resource for academic and historical research, ensuring that Winnie’s legacy continues to inspire future generations.
Anjali Pathiyath, Head Librarian & Archivist, NLCS
Reference & Acknowledgements: Winifred Myers | ABA: The Antiquarian Bookseller Association Robin Myers (no relation), Honorary Member of the Antiquarian Booksellers’ Association (ABA), London.
In Memoriam
All death notices and obituaries featured in ONLINE are based on notifications received by the Alumnae Office. If you would like to notify us of a death, or submit an obituary, please contact onla@nlcs.org.uk.
Death Notices
With deep sadness, we share news of the following deaths.
ONLs:
Helen Clarissa Skinner, née Waygood (ONL 1947)
Diana P Knighton, née Isaac (ONL 1950)
Marion Rosenberg, née Romney (ONL 1951)
Audrey Nellist, née Auborn (ONL 1953)
Dr Joanna Sandy, née Fraser (ONL 1953)
Margaret Gobbett, née Campbell (ONL 1954)
Susie Halford, née Mercer (ONL 1954)
Susan Fletcher, née Dakin (ONL 1955)
Valerie Haynes, née Postons (ONL 1956)
Julia Levine, née Seviers (ONL 1957)
Dr Susan Lader, née Packer (ONL 1958)
Professor Celia Britton (ONL 1964)
Patricia Kay Hann, née Newham (ONL 1966)
Kirsty Westerholm-Smyth (ONL 2000)
Dr Neha Shukla (ONL 2011)
Honorary ONLs: Martin Harrap, Teacher of Physics
Margaret Gruenberg, née Semple (1939 – 2025), Staff: Director of Instrumental Studies and Assistant Director of Music 1969 – 1991
‘Just get on with life and make sure you spend time doing the things you love,’ would have been Margaret Semple’s response to our mourning, according to her stepson Mark Gruenberg. A straightforward, positive, no-nonsense, crack-on-with-it and kind message which perfectly sums up the essence of, for many of us ONLs, our most significant musical influence. For it was not only
her phenomenal musicianship and genuine love of music which she passed on to us, but also her refreshingly positive mindset which inspired us to leap over mental blocks and reach beyond.
Margaret was born in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, Canada in 1939 and studied English at the University of Toronto before pursuing organ studies in Frankfurt and Cologne. She achieved an Associate Diploma from the Royal Conservatory in Toronto and earned gold medals for the piano and organ for attaining the highest marks in Canada. Following her studies in Germany she came to London and continued studying with composer Eric Thiman and organist Douglas Hawkridge before gaining a Fellowship of the Royal College of Organists in 1964.
She joined NLCS in 1969 and enjoyed a long and distinguished career as Director of Instrumental Studies and Assistant Director of Music. Everyone at school knew Margaret, whether they were involved in the musical life of the school or not, because each morning her organ playing would serenade us into the school hall for Assembly. At Founder’s Day each year we would be thrilled and uplifted by her Voluntaries and in particular by that majestic opening to the Old Hundredth, All People That on Earth Do Dwell.
As an academic music teacher Margaret would be highly creative with the syllabus, wanting us to achieve the best grades in true NLCS style, but also holding on to the main purpose of education: to instil in us a love, a curiosity and a boundless quest for knowledge and musical discovery. She would spend a whole term teaching her A Level class about Mozart operas (whether they were on the syllabus or not), highlighting the lifelike characters and humanistic themes and, whilst drawing upon her love of literature, she would focus on the wit and humour of the Italian libretto. Before the advent of surtitles, she and her husband Karl would find themselves the only ones laughing out loud in the stalls of an opera house, having studied the text in such detail that they could appreciate every nuance of Mozart’s, and the librettist Lorenzo da Ponte’s, collective comic genius in terms of wordplay. Indeed, she told us that if she were ever marooned on a desert island her choice of discs would be purely Mozart.
Margaret would enthuse about all great music but arguably her most significant contribution to the musical life of NLCS was in her development of the chamber music tradition which continues to this day. In the mid 1980s
the National Chamber Music Competition for Schools was established, and Margaret was adamant that we would enter. Some schools would enter just their star instrumental and keyboard players, but Margaret wanted everyone to be involved. Everyone should have the right to experience making music together, especially chamber music. That so many of her former pupils are still meeting up to play together ‘for fun’, is testament to the love of this art form which she imparted.
Margaret shared this deep appreciation of music with her husband, the mathematician Karl Gruenberg. Their joint passions for art and culture were limitless, extending to theatre, fine art and travel. Together they would embark upon adventurous trips around the world to Australia, North America, Europe, Southeast Asia and China. These trips would be arranged around Karl’s lecturing and academic commitments and Margaret’s Associated Board examination schedule. They would always find time to include hikes and excursions to natural wonders, such as Uluru/Ayers Rock, the Terracotta Army and treks in the Rockies, and on their return, they would entertain family and friends with homecooked dinners (Margaret was also an excellent cook), followed by slide shows.
In her retirement, Margaret continued playing chamber music with her friends, both on the piano and on her new passion, the cello. She also devoted time to learning Italian ‘because it’s the most beautiful sounding language.’ She would make regular visits to chamber music concerts at the Wigmore Hall, and take an avid interest in young, upcoming talent.
Following her diagnosis of multiple sclerosis, Margaret demonstrated the most humbling strength of character, and although in the last few months the effort to get settled onto the piano stool obviously caused her great pain, she would never complain and indeed was playing through her beloved Haydn piano trios and quartets until a couple of weeks before she lost her battle with the illness.
All of us who were inspired by Margaret’s musicianship, boundless energy and passion for the arts are deeply saddened by her loss, but we carry with us her belief in the knowledge that anything is possible with a spot of hard work, a sprinkling of positivity and a dash of humour.
Margaret believed we could. So, we did. And we must continue in this belief.
Fiona Wilson (ONL 1990)
Kay Moore, née Harrison (1940 – 2025)
Staff: Teacher/Head of English (1964 to 1969 and 1980 to 2001)
[Kay Moore], handsome, clever and [kind], with a comfortable home and happy disposition, seemed to unite some of the best blessings of existence…” [“Emma” – Jane Austen]
We can still hear these (slightly adapted!) words from the opening of Jane Austen’s Emma, tripping off Kay’s tongue, as she introduced us to one of the wonders of English literature as part
of our A Level course. This summary of Emma also happens to perfectly describe Kay, ‘Mrs Moore’, our lovely English teacher: “handsome, clever and kind”, who inspired generations of NLCS girls and who taught us about so much more than the delights of English literature.
Rather like Emma Woodhouse, Kay Moore had style. Anyone who thinks
of her, will surely first remember her golden hair, always elegantly held back by two combs on either side, her big blue eyes, trained warmly on you as you offered your ideas and, above all, her infectious smile, which spoke so powerfully of the delight she took in sharing her passion for great texts with her pupils. And Austen would certainly have celebrated her elegance of mind and her assiduous eye for detail which were always apparent and which you could see so clearly reflected in her neat, stylish handwriting all over the many carefully marked essays and homework. One of our peers, Sarah says: “I recall her extensive and generous notes on essays, from the UIII onwards. Thanks to her, I learned grammar that a 1970s primary education had deemed pointless.”
Her clarity and insight, her delight in the potential of language to transform the world, her readiness to listen, and her ability to elicit memorable discussions, at every stage and with every age group, taught us all not just about the texts we were reading, but how to communicate and understand each other, how to analyse and discriminate and how to get to the heart of the stuff that really matters. That is what Kay showed us, because that is what she herself did and that is what made her so widely beloved by her pupils.
So many of our year group have written to us to saying she was ‘their favourite teacher’, for a variety of reasons. As my classmate, Vicky, puts it: “Kay Moore made the biggest positive impression on me of all my teachers. I loved her dresses and we all still write in a version of her handwriting.” Or try to in my case! But what came back most often from alumnae of 1987 were these words, repeatedly: “inspiring”, “encouraging”, “supportive”, “confidence-building”, “kind”.
It’s no wonder that in our Lower Sixth Year, there was something of a mutiny from those pupils not allocated to her A Level set. I remember a contingent
queuing up outside the staff room, begging to be re-assigned to Mrs Moore’s class; I know, because I was one of them and there was a long line of us! Because we knew, we just knew, even at 16, that she would bring light to the whole process of reading and learning literature like few others could and, my goodness, we were right in that.
Whatever text she was teaching, she ignited her pupils’ literary enthusiasms through her own. She clearly loved her job and we all felt that. Being introduced to the metaphysical poets by Mrs Moore as part of our Oxbridge preparation classes was one of the great intellectual delights of our youth and since both my sister and I now have our own wonderfully satisfying careers as English teachers and (more recently) as Headteachers, it’s fair to say that her impact and literary passion was absolutely definitive for us. As it was for so many.
What made her stand out was that she found the time and space to really get to know her students. She loved stories, narrative, plays, poetry, any text, but more than that, she really loved people. And that was clear in all that she did. The annual Upper Fourth charity pantomime was led by her with characteristic energy and her unfailing sense of fun, as were the numerous plays and shows she directed; The Boyfriend and Oh What A Lovely War are two particularly vivid memories for us. But even in the shows she was not directing, we remember what a team player she was, maintaining her sense of humour when trying to sew my sister and me into a single costume made out of a sack, so that we could appear as a convincing two-headed troll in that year’s school play. Whatever bit of scenery was collapsing or cast member failing to appear on stage, Mrs Moore was both resourceful and funny. We recall for example, her exasperated amusement, as she hilariously tried to make sense of a last-minute costume request for a “withered leaf”, tossed
out by the director in the same optimistically ambitious production of “Peer Gynt”.
And that playfulness, her great sense of fun is mentioned by many alumnae and didn’t desert her whatever the provocation. Consider Lucy’s recollection of her: “Always stylish she was my most memorable teacher with a twinkle in her eye, even when I took her son to a late night party and returned him rather the worse for wear.”
Her warmth and care for her pupils didn’t end at school. As Suzy reflected it’s amazing how when she “bumped into her a few times over the years after leaving NLCS Mrs Moore always remembered me, despite having had so many students over the course of her career.” It found expression in the good luck cards she sent for Finals, the lifts down the road she gave us in our last year at school and her continuing and ongoing affection and interest in so many of her pupils’ adult lives and careers. We will never forget that of course. And will always be grateful for the part she played in our lives.
Emma Woodhouse famously had to do some learning to earn her Mr Knightley and the domestic felicity which beckons for her at the end of the novel. Kay Moore helped us to do the learning and there was no doubt about her own domestic felicity; we all knew, even as pupils, how much she loved her family and her boys occasionally made it into her lessons as glancing, but clearly beloved, references.
Kay’s legacy will live on in the hearts and minds of all lucky enough to have been taught by her. Karen reflects that she “still loves reading and seeing plays because of her” and what about Georgia’s lovely memory: “Mrs Moore taught me English at A level and because of her I achieved my first and only A grade in any exam! I loved her passion and joy for every book we read and when I opened my envelope with
my A level results a little note fluttered out that said ‘Brilliant English’ in her beautiful calligraphic handwriting. I remember it so well and felt she was as excited and gobsmacked as I was that I’d achieved top marks. Imagine doing such a small thing and having someone remember it their whole life.”
This is her tangible and lasting gift to us. As Wittgenstein points out: “to teach is to work for a future you’ll never see”. How fortunate we all are that Kay Moore truly devoted herself to that future.
Jenny Brown and Jane Lunnon, née Cullen (ONLs 1987)
NLCS, Kobe
Global Impact, Local Roots
Global Impact, Local Roots
NLCS has been, since its founding 175 years ago, a place where innovation and creativity flourishes. After so many years leading girls’ education in the UK, it is perhaps no surprise that under the leadership of Bernice McCabe, NLCS embarked on another innovation; setting up NLCS schools globally.
The rationale for establishing international schools was clear. The school was proud of its direct-grant heritage, which has enabled generations of ONLs to benefit from an education which would otherwise have been beyond the means of their families. Although this scheme no longer exists, the revenue generated from franchising a group of international schools could ensure that many more girls could be supported through the bursary programme which replaced the scheme. An added benefit to the school was the potential to offer girls (and staff) a wider world perspective and a deeper understanding of different cultures globally.
So it was that in 2011, NLCS opened its first international campus, on Jeju Island, South Korea. This was followed in 2017 by NLCS Dubai, NLCS Singapore in 2020, and NLCS Kobe, which opens this year.
All of the schools have their own unique character, and all follow different variants of an international curriculum. They are all co-educational, unlike the UK school, and one is a
boarding school (with Kobe offering boarding from 2028). On the surface, they could not appear more different. Yet they are bound together by a shared educational philosophy. Alongside visible markers of NLCS in the schools, such as portraits of former UK headmistresses, and Drummond and Buss rooms in every school, and (of course) the blue and brown colourway for uniforms, there are more similarities in their day to day routines, including a version of the Nicholson Lectures in each school, senior societies and Founder’s Day.
Fundamentally, NLCS’s international schools are an extension of the home school, and they must deliver on the promise of a genuine NLCS education, no matter how distant from the UK. To this end, there is now a full-time team dedicated to support the international schools. Partner experience in developing and operating schools is not necessary as the NLCS International team can support every step of the way.
In the eighteen months to two years before a new school opening, we support with many aspects of the process, from financial planning to marketing, campus and curriculum design and the appointment of the founding team. Every year we support all of our international schools in the recruitment and training of passionate and knowledgeable teachers who inspire a love of learning in their students. We visit each school at least annually for quality assurance purposes to safeguard the reputation of the brand and to ensure that the educational philosophy which makes the UK school such a special place is being lived out by all members of the community. We also talk to each of the school principals at least weekly on a 1:1 basis and gather them all together termly to discuss matters of strategy and common interest.
www.nlcsinternational.co.uk
Internationalism remains alive and well too, with a plethora of collaborations and exchanges taking place between the schools, giving students the opportunity to connect with their peers around the world. In June 2024 we held the first international mini MUN (Model United Nations) at Canons, with staff and students from all our schools visiting for a week of debate and exploration of London. In February 2025 students from all the schools travelled to NLCS Singapore to participate in our first NLCS joint music festival. Ideas are also exchanged between the schools, with the UK school adopting a competitive house system and also developing an arts festival of its own following the success of both initiatives in Jeju. Our teachers come together in the summer before they take up post internationally for a 3-day conference which explores the heritage, philosophy and character of our international schools. This enables them to forge links across the schools to share ideas and advice. Our middle leaders have their own weekend conference, held in a different school each year, and again this is a forum to discuss leadership in the context of NLCS and to catch up with their colleagues across the world.
We want to extend this connection to ONLs too, as our international schools start to grow an ONL community of their own. To this end, we have launched dedicated LinkedIn pages for each school’s alumni, in the same vein as the Frances Mary Buss page you will already be familiar with.
We hope that with further development of in-country ONL groups, you as the ‘original’ ONLs, wherever in the world you are, will welcome our global ONLs into events you may be hosting. We hope, over time, to develop the ONL community as one which can offer friendship, support and advice to ONLs from all our schools, knowing that you all shared the same outstanding education as a result of the vision of Frances Mary Buss, 175 years ago.
At the moment, our schools in Singapore, Dubai and South Korea go from strength to strength, achieving excellent academic outcomes and producing young men and women who, in accordance with our aims, are ‘an outward looking, internationally and socially minded community that promotes respect and compassion, service to others, and active, positive participation in society and the wider world’.
NLCS International remains committed to assisting the UK school by extending its support beyond the 100% coverage of bursaries which we already achieve, to provide financial support for more girls, which will enhance the education of current and future NLCS students. To achieve this, we are seeking to identify additional future school partners who share our vision and are interested in collaborating to establish more schools. If you can help or know someone who might be, we would welcome the opportunity to connect. Please feel free to reach out to us at international@nlcs.org.uk.
1. Valedictory, NLCS Jeju
2. NLCS Singapore
3. International Day, NLCS Dubai
4. NLCS Jeju
5. Founder’s Day, NLCS Dubai
6. International Mini NLCS MUN (Model United Nations) Conference held in London
7. Lunar New Year, NLCS Singapore
8. NLCS Dubai
THE WORK IN HOPE FUND
Passing it On. Shaping What’s Next.
Launched in our 175th year, The Work in Hope Fund is about passing on the opportunities that generations of ONLs have benefited from - helping every student at NLCS flourish through exceptional learning, real-world experiences, and targeted support where it’s needed most.
Thanks to the generosity of our community, over £1.4 million has been raised this year alone in donations and pledges. These gifts are shaping the School’s next chapter — and we’re just getting started.
“As an ONL and Chair of Governors, I feel incredibly proud to support The Work in Hope Fund. NLCS shaped who I am, and I believe deeply in giving back to help future generations access the same transformative education and opportunities.”
Mrs Gabrielle Gower, OBE, ONL 1994, Chair of Governors
THE BERNICE MCCABE BURSARY FUND
Transforming Lives Through Education NLCS HARDSHIP FUND
A Safety Net for Our Community EUREKA SCHOOLS PROGRAMME
Expanding Access to Excellence
SURGE ACADEMY
Inspiring the Next Generation of Entrepreneurs IN RESIDENCE PROGRAMME
Bringing World-Class Experts into the Classroom
RAISING VOICES
Developing Public Speaking and Leadership Skills
Join other ONLs and Honorary ONLs who are helping to shape the NLCS of tomorrow.
To support the Work in Hope Fund, complete the donation form overleaf or visit www.nlcs.org.uk/donate-here/
Every gift, no matter the size, moves us forward.
Celebrating 175 Years with Purpose
THE WORK IN HOPE FUND HAS RAISED OVER
£1.15 million £278,000
SINCE ITS LAUNCH IN JANUARY 2025, TO INVEST IN BURSARIES, INNOVATION AND OPPORTUNITY
RAISED IN OUR 3RD – AND MOST SUCCESSFUL GIVING DAY
£18,000
A Legacy of Hope and Light
Gifts that Endure
These gifts are acts of faith, expressions of gratitude, and beacons of hope for future students.
Vicky Bingham, Headmistress
Since 1850, legacy gifts have helped shape the NLCS of today, supporting bursaries, improving facilities, and enriching learning. Over £4 million has been entrusted to the School through Gifts in Wills. To keep NLCS thriving for generations to come, we must invest beyond what fees alone can provide.
This summer, a recent generous bequest from Carol Smith (1938–2023), ONL 1955, is helping transform the Richardson
Building into a modern, collaborative learning space - a lasting legacy for future pupils. Whether modest or major, legacy gifts can be directed to the areas that matter most to you, and help shape the future of NLCS.
You can be part of this legacy. To find out more, or to let us know your intentions, contact Joe Dunster at development@nlcs.org.uk or 020 4524 9502 or simply tick the box on the donation form overleaf to request more information.
To honour my sister’s memory and express gratitude, I will leave a gift in my Will to establish a bursary in her name.
Carolyn Eadie, (ONL 1971)
DONATION FORM
PLEASE COMPLETE AND RETURN THIS FORM IN THE ENCLOSED FREEPOST ENVELOPE, EMAIL A SCAN TO DEVELOPMENT@NLCS.ORG.UK OR CALL 020 4524 9502
YOUR DETAILS
Title: First Name: Surname:
Email: Phone:
Home Address:
YOUR GIFT
I/We wish to support: The Bernice McCabe Bursary Fund The Work in Hope Fund
With a single gift of £
BACS Transfer
Credit/Debit Card
If donating by Credit or Debit Card, please complete the section below:
Name: North London Collegiate School Sort: 20 29 60
A/C No: 30930903
Reference: Your name
Card Number: Expiry Date: ____ / ____ CVV (3 digits): Name on Card: ______________________________________
Billing Address (if different from above):
Please contact me to take my card details securely by phone.
LEGACY
GIVING – FRANCES MARY BUSS FELLOWSHIP
Please send me information about leaving a gift to NLCS in my Will
BECOME A REGULAR SUPPORTER
Postcode: ________________________
Joining our 1850 Society of regular supporters helps us plan and make long-term commitments to students and programmes.
To arrange this:
Please visit www.nlcs.org.uk/donate-here
Under Gift amount, select ‘Recurring donation’, or scan the QR code and complete the Regular Gift form.
GIFT AID
Boost your donation by 25p of Gift Aid for every £1 you donate.
I want to Gift Aid my donation and any donations I make in the future or have made in the last 4 years to North London Collegiate School. I am a UK taxpayer and understand that if I pay less Income Tax and/or Capital Gains Tax in the current year than the amount of Gift Aid claimed on all my donations it is my responsibility to pay any difference.
Signature: Date:
STAYING IN TOUCH
I would like to receive NLCS news, event invitations, and fundraising updates via: Email Phone Post
Spe laboramus | We work in hope
Our ONLs and Honorary ONLs are incredibly important to us. We are here to keep the ONL Community connected - from the latest news to events, reunions, volunteer opportunities, and so much more.
We would love to hear from you and what you are doing. Whether you’ve…
• Moved to a new city or a country?
• Changed careers or started a new job?
• Received an award or special recognition?
• Reached a personal milestone like publishing a book?
• Got married or started a family?
• Started an exciting new project or business?
• Pursued a creative project, passion, or hobby?
All your stories and photos will be warmly received. #ONLCommunity
Stay In Touch:
Make sure you keep your details up to date to hear the latest alumnae and school news at onla@nlcs.org.uk.
Go Digital:
Our communications are mainly online, so make sure you share your email address.
Get In Touch:
You can contact the team at onla@nlcs.org.uk or by calling +44 (0)20 8951 6450.
