Berinda Banks 1990-2001

How many pupils did you have in your House at the time you were there?

It varied from about 80 to over 100 at one point. I remember writing end of year reports seemed to take forever! Actually I loved being in a busy day house, there was always something going on and every pupil, even if you were shy, got pulled into everything that was happening around you- it was a very social, happy house full of music, drama and life.

What are the specific challenges of running a day house that may be different to boarding?

I think the main difference between day and boarding would be the pace of life, many of the day-to-day problems or concerns needed to be dealt with quickly while the pupils were around, which added to the busyness of each day. I also felt (perhaps incorrectly) you were more accountable to local parents many of whom thought I lived in McClure House.

I remember one call at 10.00pm from a mother wanting me look for her sons’ missing rugby sock…This enhanced level of contact could be really helpful as there were some amazingly supportive parents who could not do enough to support the House and the pupils in it, or it could be frustrating, particularly at busy times of the term. I rapidly got used to catching up on House admin during the evenings and spending at least one day of each weekend in House tidying, organising and preparing for the week ahead. Being a Housemistress was never a career choice - it was a way of life!

Was there a sense of legacy from John McClure?

I was always immensely proud of being part of McClure House. The importance of Sir John McClure had been highlighted to me by the naming of the Music School, McClure House and the Chapel window that bears his name. Later, I read the book written by his daughter (let’s add the name in here of the book) and a few other writings concerning his time at MHS and was struck by two things. One, however challenging a situation he was apparently able to create an environment where everyone felt their needs had been acknowledged and recognised - in this way he encouraged the best from people (often using humour to good effect) and ‘presided over all with an easy discipline’. Secondly and more soberly, during the First World War he took to reading out the names of the young men who had lost their lives in the previous week’s fighting; this act of remembrance for those he had nurtured and supported was devastating to him - reflecting the love and care he had invested into those placed into his care.

While humbly acknowledging any resemblance between myself and McClure would be at most coincidental, as Housemistress I worked to establish a strong, caring community while accommodating and celebrating the many individuals who made up the House.

How was McClure House perceived by the rest of the school?

I like to think we were recognised as a cheerful, outgoing house demonstrating a vibrant creativity and a bolstered by a strong sense of community. As a large house we were able to compete in all School events and do well, we had our fair share of keen sportspeople, however, there was always a strong drive to do well in the performing arts. McClure pupils took the House Play Competition and any involvement with music extremely seriously. This may have been because the House was blessed with more than its fair share of fantastic actors and musicians, many of whom have gone on to work professionally. I would particularly acknowledge the efforts of Josh Lever, Harry Melling, Daniel Sharman, Nancy Wallinger, Barry and Robin Green, Ben Anderson, Emily Seale-Jones, Katy Kamakliotis, Lana Constantine, Pippa and Katie Woodrow as well as Chloe Schwitzer and many others, in helping to promote and encourage a creative House ethos.

Did the house have a specific identity and character?

Although McClure pupils were recognised for being very involved with the performing arts, they also achieved a good academic standard with some outstanding exam results and some great sporting achievements. It was known as a warm, social house and pupils were encouraged to place a strong emphasis on caring and supporting each other, however, there was a definite competitive drive when competing in any inter-house events. The house also attracted and sustained a good number of excellent 5’s players, I particularly remember G Wenzerul, N Krendell, J and P Mason,

G Audley and J Fry, W Hughes and J Coakley making an excellent contribution to this wonderful sport. Other notable sportsmen included Lee Blair and Marc Dweck who impressed by playing at first team level for all major sports. Unfortunately, participating in the CCF never seemed to be as popular, and despite our best efforts, we consistently failed to win the annual marching competition/parade turn out during my tenure.

How did the geography of the house impact the atmosphere?

Firstly, the large social space in the middle of the house (the St Mark’s Square of McClure) with the my office and other form rooms radiating from it. This was where all year groups came together to play games and socialise. This space encouraged McClurians how doe we spell this?need to check it is consistent through the magazine to forge those all-important social links and helped to create a strong house identity; in addition, the easy mixing between the year groups strengthened and supported the mentoring system. All the display and information boards were centrally placed so relevant information was quickly disseminated and successes celebrated. As pupils moved through this space it also made it easy to spot problems or concerns, or for support to be sought if needed.

Secondly, the McClure House ‘debate’an expression coined by DSP who is this? as this was particularly evident during the House Play Competition. The strong personalities involved meant that before every production each aspect of the play would need to be hotly debated, reducing the available rehearsal time, and causing an amount of stress. The fallout generated by these impassioned discussions meant several bruised egos would need to be ‘gentled’ before a number of house or school events could be undertaken!

As MHS went co-ed how did it feel creating a new culture in the house?

During my tenure the number of girls in the house became more significant as we went completely co-educational; having responsibility for one the largest mixed houses in School was a source of real pride. In this capacity I did my best to foster both self-confidence and self-belief in McClure girls, redesigning the House tie to be a better fit with their uniform and encouraging older girls to take on positions of responsibility within the School. Supported by some seriously impressive 6th form standard bearers including P Woodrow, K Kamkliotis, G Audley, C Leach, L Constantine and J Fry providing early, strong role models and positive mentoring engagement, our youngest girls were encouraged to get actively involved from the very beginning of their time in house.

Was there anything that you specifically added to the McClure?

As someone with a design background I knew I wanted to bring more colour and visual impact into the House. To achieve my goal in a period where magnolia was the instant colour of choice, I ended up painting most of the rooms, corridors and other house spaces (what colour?). Large posters were put up and graphic images stencilled onto lockers, plants and blinds were purchased as I tried to give the house a more intimate, less institutional feel. The flow or layout of the house initially presented a problem as the main room had a narrow, gloomy corridor running along one side reducing the social space for no real benefit. Realising this ‘wall’ was just made from some sort of flimsy board, I came in one weekend and smashed it down (with a little help from a nameless member of the ground staff). The area was transformed immediately, light flooded previously darked areas and the main room became large enough for a pool table as well as a table-tennis table - increasing social space. I was delighted with the transformation, but quickly brought back down to earth by a summons to attend the Headmaster’s Office on Monday morning to explain my wanton destruction of school property. My explanation that this was not really a wall, just some plywood sheeting was eventually accepted, but I was made to sign a declaration that I would not knock down any more walls. Mortifying!

As Housemistress what was your main focus of attention?

As one of the first Housemistresses of a co-educational house I chose to run the house as an extension of my own family. The well-being and engagement of the pupils was probably my main focus and I managed this mostly through being present, I arrived in house around 7.00am and locked up about 12 hours later. I tried to always be around, encouraging the pupils to do their best, to get involved and to be proud of being part of the McClure

House family. To acknowledge pupil achievement, I attended every event that I could, I wanted house members to know that their contribution, however small, was both noticed and valued. Parental support was vital to establishing the warm and supportive atmosphere I sought to create, and I was fortunate to be able to build some wonderful home-school relationships, reflected in the number of siblings we were able to welcome over the years, I would particularly like to salute Mrs Lee who each week, tirelessly shopped for snacks and drinks for the House tuckshop.

The pupils also contributed to this approach, Heads of House and House Prefects quickly assumed responsibility for one of the weekly house assemblies and this evolved into a celebration of pupil achievement. R Baker began a tradition of pupils giving match reports, and one of the earliest to finesse this development was N Krendell, providing florid descriptions of 5’s matches, including critiques of STP’s minibus driving technique!

Do you have any celebrated Old Millhillians from your time in the House? Can we do a wall of fame – if they are famous they must be possible to find them on the internet. Harry Melling, Daniel Sharman and Nancy Wallinger (Zamit) - professional actors. Robin Green - musician (former pianist of the European Union Youth Orchestra). Barry Green - musician (Barry Green Trio), Matthew Frise - NHS consultant and researcher. Levi Young - entrepreneur, Pippa Woodrow - Barrister - (co-founded a Human Rights NGO), Richard Dweck - teacher! Apologies to any I have missed… but you are all winners to me!

Do you have any favourite memories? Many memories and a few unrepeatable stories. Things I remember from the sublime to the ridiculous include David Richmond’s over enthusiastic participation during the amazing farewell hog for Andy McBroom, (most House Hogs were memorable in some way or other!), a fantastic house tutor trip to Paris, the finals of so many House Play Competitions, but particularly Dealers Choice, Cloud Nine and 4.48 Psychosis. Painting house lockers one Sunday morning after Diana, Princess of Wales had died, my eyes filled with tears. Levi Young arriving dressed as a puppy on Mufti Day, demanding sticks be thrown for her to ‘fetch’, Pippa and Katie Woodrow singing exquisitely in Chapel and then cracking shins on the hockey pitch, Robin and Barry playing on the house piano (when we had one), finding myself sitting in the Head of House office laughing at some ridiculous story, encouraging overly sociable pupils (Will and Joe!) to finally leave house at 7.00pm. Lastly, I remember so many years of watching U6 McClurians on their final day of school, setting off to make their mark on the world and leaving me devastated, yet so proud of the young men and women they had become.

Do you keep in touch with anyone?

I meet up with ‘old’ house tutors David Proudlock, Valerie Miner and, occasionally, Trevor Chilton (who taught me so much about how to be a Housemaster). In the past few years, I have been delighted to see both Nancy Wallinger and Harry Melling on the

West End stage and my son, Jotis, is still in long distance contact with Daniel Sharman.

What might pupils say about being in McClure under your tenure?

A well-organised, bright, positive space with excellent academic and social support provided by an experienced, caring tutor team. Somewhere where participation in and out of the classroom was encouraged and where pupils offered each other an extraordinary level of friendship and support; a fun place to hang out, but with nowhere to hide!

What advice would you give to someone taking on the job?

Use evenings and weekends for catching up with admin tasks keeping the day-time free to actively support those in your care. Be present and celebrate all forms of pupil engagement, try not to knock down walls without first seeking permission!