WELCOME BY PAUL HAGGIE (60-67) ONA PRESIDENT AND GEOFFREY STANFORD HEAD
t gives us great pleasure to welcome readers to this latest edition of the ONA Magazine, which celebrates the 20th anniversary of the first girls joining the RGS. Given that we jointly launched our recent ONA Survey, it felt fitting for the President of the ONA and Head to co-author this introduction. If you have not received the survey, it means that we do not hold a valid email address for you so please do visit www.rgs.newcastle.sch.uk/rgs-family/ON to register and receive the link.
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The standout feedback of the survey was the immense satisfaction which the great majority of Old Novos feel about their time at school, and the transformational impact that RGS has played in their subsequent lives. There are stunning anecdotes about the knowledge, skills, confidence and opportunities RGS has afforded so many decades of ONs. It was especially heartening to read about the role that Direct Grants, Assisted Places and Bursaries have played in affecting the trajectory of Old Novos’ lives – and often those of their families.
Of the Old Novos we contacted, an impressive 480 (12%) responded. The oldest respondent joined the school in 1936, the youngest left in Summer 2021, with strong participation across all decades. We were overwhelmed by the amount of time Old Novos invested in completing the survey. Many included rich narrative about their experiences at school and what each has gone on to achieve in life. Every response has been read with care and will directly inform school and ONA activities in the future.
While the responses are as varied as the wonderfully diverse community of ONs, a common theme threaded through the narrative is the immense influence that teachers and contemporaries can have in a young person’s formative years. You told us in great detail about the incredible interactions with inspiring teachers or peers which made profound and indelible impressions. We read about the enlightenment, enrichment and passion which comes from being amongst the most talented teachers and brightest peers.
ONA | OLD NOVOCASTRIANS’ ASSOCIATION MAGAZINE | ISSUE 110 | AUTUMN 2021
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