The Roedeanian Winter 2016/17

The Roedeanian

Winter 2016

Developments at Roedean 2016

OR Clare Prebble speaks to students as part of the academic lecture series

Deepdene School partnership visit

Girls enjoy the refurbished Keswick

Mrs Chandler and students at the school farm

Alumnae events 2016

New York Reunion

1989 Reunion, London

Hong Kong Reunion

Roedean Rocks Reunion, London

Welcome to this first issue of The Roedeanian I hope that you enjoy our new Roedeanian magazine, which aims to keep all Roedeanians in touch with the school and in touch with each other. There is a huge amount going on in school and even more beyond school in the lives and careers of all our alumnae.

This magazine aims to celebrate and share school and alumnae news, and to enable us to make new connections with each other.

As you will remember from your own time at school, the last week of the Autumn Term at Roedean is always packed with festivities. We have been enjoying wonderful whole-school performances of ‘A Christmas Carol’ in the Theatre, a very atmospheric Carol Service in Chapel, a staff social at Roedean House, a very lively House Christmas song competition, indulgent House Christmas lunches, and our traditional final Chapel and handshaking.

We are pleased to report on the opening of a small school farm, where the lambs and chickens have been well looked after by the girls and added an extra element to their walks around the site. We are about to complete the refurbishment of Keswick House (which used to be called Junior House) as a boarding house and a Sixth Form Centre, so we hope to share photographs in the new year.

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Mr Oliver Blond Headmaster

Contents School Highlights

4-5

Alumnae Highlights

6

OR News

7-8

Your Roedeanian Feature: Going back to their roots

9

Feature: Worth a Roe-read

10

Farewells

11

Alison Fraser Sue Stanway Remembrance & Obituaries

12

Staying connected

13

Roedean Community Network Roedean Rocks 2017 Events

14

Roedean through the Ages

15

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School Highlights ISI judges Roedean to be excellent!

It was in May that Roedean received the report from its ISI Inspection in March, and we are delighted that the school was judged to be excellent in every area.

The ‘girls have an exemplary attitude towards learning’, along with ‘high levels of success in the many extracurricular activities’, and ‘excellent standards of personal development’.

All-round

Beyond the academic, the girls are also highly successful in the many co-curricular activities available to them: ‘the school provides a range of excellent facilities and resources which enhance the educational experience’ and ‘the contribution of extra-curricular opportunities strongly supports pupils’ excellent achievements’.

Roedean’s commitment to its holistic vision of education is clear to see: the girls are becoming intimidating adversaries in sport, they achieve very highly in the Performing Arts, they feel strongly about charity fundraising and are keen to be involved in community action work, as well as being supported as much as possible to realise their full academic potential.

Gabriella in the NCO January saw Gabriella (L5) win a coveted place in the National Children’s Orchestra of Great Britain. A huge achievement, because the competition to get in as a clarinet player is very tough. Gabriella has enjoyed taking part in a variety of concerts this year, including performing at the Barbican.

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We are delighted that the school’s remarkable provision in terms of teaching, facilities, pastoral care, boarding, and co-curricular opportunities has been recognised in this way – these highest of accolades from the Independent Schools’ Inspectorate highlight the fact that Roedean provides a fantastic all-round education for the girls.

Darcey’s been published!

Darcey (L4) had some of her Joan Miró-inspired artwork selected to feature in a new book by Anthony Penrose, entitled ‘Miró and the Magic Animals’, which went on sale in April, published by Thames & Hudson. Darcey was very excited that her work has been published for the first time – she is certainly a creative talent.

Two Roedeanians are National Champions Amber (U5) is a talented sprinter. She ended the academic year as the European and British record holder. She has been a member of Brighton & Hove Athletics Club since she was 9, and her dedication to the sport since has produced some wonderful results.

In July, Amber won the English Schools’ Intermediate Girls’ 300m title and achieved her first international selection as a result. She was very proud to represent England, winning the Home Countries Schools’ International 300m race, and she won a second Gold Medal, anchoring the 4x300m relay team to victory.

Amelie (L4) is a Street Dance champion. Earlier this year she won the Silver Medal in the open age dance battle competition at the UK Hip Hop Internationals, won her second regional solo Under 14 title, and became a UDO European Under 14 Street Dance Champion in May. In August, Amelie represented England at the UDO World Street Dance Championships in Glasgow. She came third in Advanced Under 14 crew and duo, and 4th in the solos.

A Year of Success It has been a wonderful year for Roedean. The girls are excelling in a range of different fields, from academic work and winning top university places, to sport and dance, and music and community action work – the girls’ talents never cease to amaze me.

One of the highlights of 2016 was our outstanding ISI Inspection report. The inspectors were full of praise for every aspect of school life – we were awarded ‘excellent’, the highest grading, in each of 14 categories.

Roedean is very clearly the school of choice for girls’ education in the area, and the girls who sat public examinations in 2016 did themselves and the school proud. At A Level, an impressive 62% of all grades were A* or A, which represents a 14% increase from two years ago, and 75% of all GCSE grades were also at A*-A – these represent the best A Level and best GCSE grades in the same year, which is outstanding.

Roedean provides an environment where every single girl can excel and realise her potential in a variety of fields. The School’s trajectory is very clearly upward, and what Roedean girls will achieve over the next few years is an exciting prospect.

Oliver Blond Headmaster

Speech Day 2016 with Professor Tanya Byron As well as welcoming back many of the girls who completed their A Levels last year and are now at university, it was wonderful to have Professor Tanya Byron as our guest at Speech Day. She is an eminent child psychologist as well as being a media personality, with over twenty years’ experience, specialising in working with children and adolescents. Tanya was commissioned by the then Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, to undertake an independent review into potentially harmful effects of video games and the internet on children, which resulted in the ‘Byron Review’, Safer Children in a Digital World, which was published in 2008.

Professor Byron’s theme was how to embrace imperfection and how to banish crushing visions of failure: ‘you don’t have to listen to your thoughts: they don’t always tell you the truth’. Byron’s cartoon-style diagrams and engaging, informal manner sowed the idea that the brain is something we can step outside, and ‘extract those paralysing mind-worms of despair’. The message of this rock-star of psychology, that we’re all beautifully imperfect, was enthusiastically applauded by her audience.

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Alumnae Highlights Alumnae Highlights Roedean Day We were pleased to welcome back alumnae and their families for our annual reunion day on 25th June. We were particularly pleased to welcome those who left in 1976, who were celebrating their 40 years on anniversary. The day started with tea and coffee in House 2 ODR, from were all activities started.

The school play ‘I Could Always Find Tears’ by Robert Rigby, was directed by Carolyn Rigby and presented by a fifty-strong cast of girls from U3-L5. Every single one of the cast stayed on stage for the entire show and created a marvellous snapshot of life in the great houses of the 1920s.

There were spirited student-led tours of the school and boarding houses, and a trip down the tunnel, returning in time for cheerful drinks in the Cloisters and a delicious lunch in the dining rooms. There was an opportunity to see the archive display, as well as GCSE and A Level art exhibitions. Alumnae and parents alike were wowed with the exceptional quality of our students’ work.

In the afternoon, the school hosted a forum for Governors.

This was followed by the Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM), run by Electoral Reform Services (ERS).

Old Roedeanian London Lunch On 9th September, fifty ORs met at The Sloane Club for the third time at this very enjoyable event. This year we welcomed ORs representing 5 decades at the school.

Conversation was quickly drawn to the differences between the decades and the things that had not changed at all!

ORA Chairman Virginia Stephen gave a speech before introducing the Headmaster, Oliver Blond, who was warmly received as he gave a speech on Roedean’s ‘summer of success’ - including the ‘best ever’ GCSE and A Level results.

Several guests expressed their delight at the progress the school is making.

Our archivist, Jackie Sullivan, kindly provided photographs from across the years, featuring photos from the air raid shelters, a visit from Princess Margaret, and the lacrosse and cricket teams of 1949 and 1950 respectively. Some of the photos included younger versions of the guests themselves, received with much delight, and a little teasing from old classmates!

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Roedean and former staff visit Hong Kong Two well-known, and loved, retired staff took trips to Hong Kong to visit alumnae this year. Dr Bailin visited in September while Mrs Stanway visited in October. Mrs Stanway said: “After hearing from so many of you about Hong Kong, it is very nice to see it with my own eyes. Particularly the world famous skyline, which many of you recreated in your artwork at school.”

They were delighted to see so many familiar faces on their visits, being met with tears of joy on some occasions!

As always, the staff were particularly interested in hearing about what our alumnae are up to now. All in all, Mrs Stanway met with over seventy alumnae spanning the years 1989 through to 2015, some of whom we have seen recently, some of whom we were delighted to reconnect with. We have even joked about taking Mrs Stanway on a world tour to be able to see you ALL! Our special thanks go to all those who made the trip so enjoyable, particularly to those who helped organise events and supported us during our stay.

Once in a Lifetime theatre event A charming evening was enjoyed by a twenty-strong group of ORs at the Young Vic Theatre, London, on Monday 28th November. We met in the Club Room for drinks, canapés and a special, exclusive, introductory talk from the Artistic Director of the Young Vic, David Lan. The Hart and Kaufman play ‘Once in a Lifetime’ was directed by Olivier and Tony Award winner, Richard Jones. It was full of humour and incredible set designs, perfect for just before the mad Christmas rush. We were treated to delicious food from The Cut restaurant and all concurred that they would highly recommend the theatre to others. Everybody enjoyed the opportunity to meet up with friends and make new thespian-themed OR acquaintances.

If you have a theatre or play we could consider for our next theatre-themed event - as part of our societies initiative - please get in touch: network@roedean.co.uk

OR News

Aishleen Lester (No. 3, 1991-96) Aishleen is a sculptural artist turned jewellery designer with an impeccable eye for detail. This year, she was shortlisted in the Benchpeg Awards’ category for Design for Creativity, Innovation and Disruption with a few of her beautifully unique pieces.

Rebecca Long (No. 4, 1982-91) Boudica, Europe’s first film finance initiative aimed at female-centric films, launched this year at the Cannes Film Festival. The initiative, co-run by Rebecca Long offers production and completion finance for films that meet a number of criteria with the aim of increasing the employment of women in the film industry.

Tanya Streeter (Dailey, No. 3, 1986-91) A record-breaking free diver, Tanya owes her career and success to the sea. With a much deeper insight into the ocean than most, Tanya has become a staunch environmental activist, and has taken on a central role in the documentary film ‘A Plastic Ocean’. Set to be released in early 2017, ‘A Plastic Ocean’ explores the sheer amount of plastic buried in the depths of the ocean, and how our neglected plastic waste comes back to us in our food and drink.

Eugenia Cheng (No. 4, 1987-94) With both a passion for and long career in mathematics, OR Eugenia Cheng is on a mission to popularise and demystify the often intimidating subject of maths.

She has so far had great success, with her book ‘How to Bake ∏: An Edible Exploration of the Mathematics of Mathematics’ selling over 25,000 copies in the US, appearing on ‘Late Night with Stephen Colbert’ and her online tutorials being viewed more than a million times.

Gina Miller (Singh) After the Prime Minister’s assertion that the government could trigger Article 50 to leave the European Union without Parliament’s consent, Gina Miller headed the legal campaign to challenge this claim. An investment manager and philanthropist, Gina has been pushed squarely into the limelight of British politics as a result of the case.

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OR News Your Roedeanian I hope you are enjoying this first edition of The Roedeanian, which is published by the school and is free to all members of our wider community. For the magazine to be a success, we will need your help, to include your articles and old photos in future editions.

If you would like to submit an item in a future issue, please do get in touch.

As shown by ‘Going back to their roots’ (page 9), we are always delighted to welcome back ORs, staff and friends of the school for a visit. I started working here at Roedean in October, after 8 years in a similar role at The Glasgow Academy. Roedeanians have given me a really warm welcome – for which I am really grateful, and I look forward to offering the same when you return for a tour or to attend Roedean events.

Royal honours for Benita Congratulations to Benita Refson (Ronson, No. 2, 1960-64) who was made Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in The Queen’s Birthday 2016 Honours’ List, in recognition of her services to education.

Circumnavigating the world – OR travels 45,000 miles

We recently launched our new Roedean Community Network (RCN) site, which allows you to update your details online and learn about the exciting things happening at school.

To find out more about RCN and how you can register, please see the information on page 13.

We have lost touch with some Roedeanians who should have received the magazine.

If you can help us find them please let us know, so that all members of our community have the chance to be involved and receive The Roedeanian in the future.

With all good wishes to you and yours at this special time of year.

Mark Taylor Director of Alumnae Relations and Development mta@roedean.co.uk 01273 667500

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If you think you have clocked up some mileage, it is probably nothing on Caroline Bowen (No. 1, 1991-98), who recently completed racing almost 45,000 nautical miles around the world on Qingdao, a 70ft yacht, as part of The Clipper Race to raise money for the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer [EORTC].

For the first half of the race, her sister Leo Bowen (No. 4, 1994-2001) competed on another boat, Garmin. Leo sailed 19,000 nautical miles, raising money for Cancer Research UK. The race was the brainchild of British ocean-racing great Sir Robin Knox-Johnston; it is the only global race open to amateur sailors assigned to boars skippered by professionals.

Feature: Going back to their roots Many, many ORs have found themselves stepping into their school shoes again this year by taking a visit back to school.

Here are some of our visitors and what they had to say afterwards: Tanya Hardy (Sargent, No. 1, 1983-87) “We all move on in our busy lives. Some of us move away and don’t even think about going back.

Having helped set up Roedean Rocks, I returned to school after 29 years to help Seema, Miranda, and Teresa with a talk to the sixth formers. I wasn’t sure what to expect after being away for so long. The emotions that I felt were overwhelming; so much was familiar. I was amazed at the strong feelings I felt just from walking through the corridors - so many happy memories. Don’t put it off; plan a day to go back. Those memories are special.”

Rebecca Ridley (No. 4, 1972-77) and Chen-Ling Purcell (Wong, No. 4, 1971-77) Rebecca explains, “Our departure from Roedean coincided with Chen-Ling’s family emigrating from Nigeria (where her father was a doctor) to California. I have spent a good part of the intervening years living in Oman, so we really couldn’t have been further apart.”

“It was lovely to see the school looking in such good shape – a great deal more comfortable than the rather bony conditions of the 1970s!”

“The icing on the cake was meeting with Mrs Stanway, particularly as Art was very much Chen-Ling’s thing.

She really hadn’t changed at all. It was quite spooky – she had been praising Chen-Ling’s name only a week before.”

We received the news that Chen-Ling was battling pancreatic cancer when she visited. She sadly passed away in November, making this trip back to Roedean all the more poignant and important.

Denise Yam (No. 4, 1989-93)

Ina Klinge (No. 3, 1988-90)

“Returning to Roedean and Brighton for the first time in 21 years has been the most emotionally rewarding experience. I was eager to show my husband and two daughters where I had spent my teenage years, and was also excited to find the improvements and developments at the school since I graduated.

While some of the rooms and halls now present a modernised look, they still ‘smell the same’, and brought back a lot of memories, leaving me feeling very nostalgic. We would certainly love to come back again during term time to meet the presentday Roedeanians and teachers, and hear from them first-hand how great the school is and how proud it makes us today.”

“As I stepped out of my plane at Gatwick one morning in late August, I rejoiced in brilliant sunlight and the sudden thought of visiting the school grounds once more. So I took along a friend and her daughters who were just as delighted about my impromptu idea of returning to Roedean. My years at school had been blessed with many happy moments and deep, lasting friendships that enrich my life to this day.

Caroline took precious time out of her busy schedule and gave us a spontaneous tour of House 3 and the grounds.

I delighted in the angelic chapel mosaic: I had just been appointed MD at a prominent mosaic/glass art company!”

Yvonne Hulsen (No. 3, 1953-56) “It was interesting to see how much more comfort they have today compared to us: bedrooms, lovely teas with cake (we got bread and dripping if we were still hungry!)”

“There were no males in sight, books and letters were censored. The only outings allowed were 3 Sundays in the term with our parents from noon till 6 pm. Every evening, before supper, was story time in the office of the Housemistress and you could bring your sewing, rug making or knitting with you! Should there be a storm in the night and you were frightened, you could go to the Housemistress and have hot chocolate!

All this must be far removed from life at Roedean today!”

If you would like to arrange a visit back to school, please arrange this in advance with Lesley Morrill lmm@roedean.co.uk / 01273 667574

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Worth a Roe-read Whether you’re looking for a great holiday read, a night time tale for your little ones or an inspirational story for a bit of perspective, there are a number of books written by Old Roedeanians to suit your literary tastes. We’ve chosen a few recently published texts by ORs to give as a gift in the categories of fiction, autobiography, and children’s books.

Fiction Camilla Macpherson (No. 1, 1989-94), Pictures at an Exhibition Exhibition, 2012 Set in 1942, with bombs raining down on London, the National Gallery’s most treasured paintings have been hidden away and one masterpiece is displayed each month. The story is told by protagonist, Daisy.

Gillian Smellie (Aikin, No. 1, 1973-81), Timesmudger, 2014 Thirteen year old Poppy returns to school to discover two major changes; there is a new girl in her dorm, and Poppy can smudge the edges of time. Both turn out to be more troublesome than she ever imagined. Revenge and the revelation of a one hundred year old secret change Poppy’s life forever.

Autobiography Anita Mays (No. 4, 1970-77), Flygirl Adventures: An Autoflyography yography, 2011 Anita takes us through her journey as an aspiring flyer to an accomplished executive jet pilot, recounting various memorable experiences from around the globe with a birdseye view - from ferrying a WW2 bomber over the Atlantic to flying rock stars around Europe.

Yang-May Ooi (No. 3, 1975-80), Bound Feet Blues, 2015 Bound Feet Blues is the very personal story of bestselling novelist and acclaimed performer Yang-May Ooi. This memoir is a performance in book form, interweaving and personal stories, cultural reflections.

Children’s books Anna Walford (Head, No. 2, 1971-78) and Alexandra Moore, The Tails of Max and Hero Hero, 2016 Tall Tales is written through the eyes of best friends Max and Hero. Their adventures always get them into trouble but, through friendship, courage and humour, they win through.

Preeya Sud (No. 2, 1999-2005) and Ching-Ching Chen, Brave Becca Leans In, 2016 Brave Becca is a tale inspired by Sheryl Sandberg’s ‘Lean In’. We follow Becca in her first week at wizarding school as she learns to speak up, act with confidence and attribute her good results to hard work in her quest to defeat Damon the dragon.

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Farewells Valete Alison Fraser Miss Alison Fraser joined Roedean in September 1983. Working in House 2 as well as teaching Biology, she soon became Head of Biology. During the 33 years that she has been here, Miss Fraser has had a great number of roles: she was a Master Teacher, a Health and Safety guru, and sat on the Common Entrance committee as well as organising the Medical Society, Murder Mystery Days, and Rockpools Days. She was unstinting in the hours of help that she has given her students, both in Biology and in her careers advice, and in the joy she’s brought to them via the many excursions and events she’s put together.

Working right to the end, over her last six months at Roedean Miss Fraser carried out an archaeological dig in Biology 1 and discovered many biological artefacts from a bygone age. She is highly respected by her students and is the only Roedean teacher to have an appreciation society on Facebook. A stalwart of the Science department, Alison could always be relied upon to get things done. She will be missed, and the entire school community wishes her well for her retirement.

Valete Sue Stanway Picture the scene – it is a misty morning in the summer of 1970. A young, newly qualified Art teacher, Miss Susan Davenport, makes the journey from Penge station to Roedean for the first time. She is small, has very long dark brown hair, and is wearing her favourite Biba outfit and a pair of very fashionable and slightly risqué boots. She was successful in her application for the role of Teacher of Art, and I am sure she had no idea at the time that a 46-year career lay ahead of her. During her time at Roedean, she has also been Head of Lower Four, and, of course, latterly a very successful Head of Art. Few, if any, can claim to have been more devoted to the Roedean cause and many, many girls have studied under Mrs Stanway, experienced her unique approach, and gone on to achieve great success in the creative industries.

She keeps in touch with so many of her pupils and is often invited to be guest of honour at events and exhibitions, not to mention the weddings of her former pupils. The girls love her – well-known textile designer and OR, Clarissa Hulse, explained that the Art studio was always a haven for young boarders who were homesick and that Mrs Stanway always had time for them – nothing has changed.

They do say ‘no-one is indispensable’, but Mrs Stanway may well be the exception to this rule. She will be greatly missed by everyone at Roedean, and will always be welcome.

On Sunday 4th September, a 30-strong group of alumnae, Council members, former staff and current staff covering 5 decades reunited for dinner to celebrate Mrs Stanway’s retirement. Anabela Chan created an incredible evening for Sue who was bowled over with gratitude for all the gifts and kind words everyone had to say. The same could be said for ORs who wanted to show their immense gratitude to ‘Madam’ Stanway for her patience, kindness and incredible commitment to them as their teacher.

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OR Obituaries Josephine D Lloyd (No. 2, 1945-49) Miss Josephine Daphne Lloyd lived in Compton, just outside Winchester. She died aged 83 in July of 2015.

Despite our best efforts, we have not been able to get in touch with a family member who can write a proper tribute to her. If you remember or knew Josephine and can help us with this, we would be really pleased to hear from you. We hope to publish a proper tribute to her in the next edition of The Roedeanian.

will, please let us know so that we can ensure we thank you properly. There are significant inheritance tax (IHT) benefits to leaving a gift in your will to Roedean because the school is a registered charity (No. 307063). Bequests to charities are entirely free of IHT and gifts to Roedean of 10% (or more) of one’s estate can reduce the IHT rate to 36%.

We are particularly keen to pay tribute to Josephine considering her generous bequest to Roedean. If you have also made an arrangement to remember Roedean in your

If you can help us write a fitting tribute to Josephine, or if you would like more information on the IHT benefits of leaving a gift to the school, please contact Mark Taylor on 01273 667500 or via mta@roedean.co.uk

Penelope Houston (No. 4, 1941-45)

Ellen Carsch (Adler, No. 1, 1907-09)

Born in Kensington, London, Penelope Houston was the daughter of Duncan McNeill Houston and his wife Eilean. Her father was a rubber broker, while her maternal grandfather was Thomas Marlowe, an early editor of the Daily Mail. She attended Wimbledon High School, before winning a scholarship to Roedean in 1941, whilst the school was evacuated to Cumbria.

Ellen Margot Carsch was born in Stuttgart, Germany.

In January, 1939, Ellen migrated to England with her parents, Elizabeth and Karl and her two sisters, Marion and Sybil.

In 1950, she joined Sight & Sound, the journal of the British Film Institute. Houston became their editor in 1956, where she remained until 1990. During this period she was a regular contributor to the Monthly Film Bulletin.

She also had a period as a film critic for The Spectator, deputised for The Times critic, and for The Observer as CA Lejeune’s deputy in 1957. She also wrote for The Observer and, occasionally, for The Guardian.

As well as being a film critic, Penelope was also a keen author. Her book ‘Keepers of the Frame: The Film Archives’ can be found in our OR Authors’ collection on the Community Network.

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When the family arrived in Britain, her father was immediately interned as an enemy alien on the Isle of Man while her mother took the children to live in a small town near Brighton.

A local resident suggested sending Ellen to Roedean and provided a stipend. This was a magic moment in her young life. During her short time here, the Roedean way of self-reliance, diligence and learning impressed and informed her for the rest of her life. Ellen went on to earn a certificate in Organic Chemistry at London University’s John Cass Institute.

Later, Ellen immigrated with her husband and daughter to the United States. Ellen continued to be a pioneering analytical chemist, scientist and quality engineer, with such organisations as the American Cyanamid Corporation, ICI and Dupont Pharmaceuticals.

Staying Connected

https://community.roedean.co.uk Anyone who does not have access to the internet – or has any difficulty registering – can call Mark Taylor on 01273 667500

Roedean Rocks!

This year saw a resurgence of enthusiasm and engagement from our alumnae, with record numbers of speakers giving talks, visits back to the alma mater and generous offers of help and support.

When students leave Roedean, they don’t really leave.

Roedean will have become part of the girls’ DNA – with lifelong experiences and memories forever. To make sure girls keep in contact once they embark on their careers - and to harness everyone’s energy and desire to help ORs in those careers - two new initiatives began this year: Roedean Rocks and the Roedean Community Network.

Roedean Rocks is a Facebook group for alumnae.

Launched in February, its popularity soared with 1,000 members joining within the first

two weeks. At the last count, Roedean Rocks had over 1,400 members and 176 OR articles published.

Roedean Rocks has also enabled Roedeanians to share 97 business opportunities and job adverts, as well as help to fundraise for 14 different charities, showing how strongly Roedeanians stick together, long after their time in Sussex.

Through the group, a dozen members of Roedean Rocks have given inspiring talks to 200 current students, covering topics such as basking sharks, girls’ rights (on International Women’s Day), stem cell research and nutrition. This grassroots alumnae support and engagement a new, vital life-blood to the School; it creates invaluable opportunities for our girls.

Roedean oedean Rocks!

Rocks!

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Dates for your Diary – 2017 Friday 3rd February

Roedean Rocks - One Year On

From 7.00 pm

The Roof Gardens, 99 Kensington High Street, W8 5SA

Monday 13th March

Roedean School Governors’ AGM

5.30 pm

The Caledonian Club, Halkin Street, SW1X 7DR (A buffet supper will follow the ORA AGM)

Monday 13th March

Old Roedeanian Association AGM

6.30 pm

The Caledonian Club, Halkin Street, SW1X 7DR (The AGM will be followed by a buffet supper)

Saturday 6th May

Brighton Fringe Festival Concert

4.00 pm

Roedean Chapel (A very popular event. Book early to avoid disappointment)

Monday 22nd May

Roedean Rocks presents ‘Call My Quaff’

7.30 pm

Venue (in Sussex) TBC

Saturday 24th June

Roedean Day Roedean (Our annual reunion day. A special welcome to those celebrating 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 and 60 years on)

Friday 15th September

Old Roedeanians’ London Lunch

12.00 – 3.00 pm

The Royal Thames Yacht Club, Knightsbridge, SW1X 7LF For more information and booking, please contact: Mark Taylor: mta@roedean.co.uk Lesley Morrill: lmm@roedean.co.uk You can also call us on 01273 667500

Thank you A number of generous ORs and friends of the School have kindly donated or pledged to support the School again this year. Whether to ‘Bursaries’ or ‘Buildings’, we are always extremely grateful for every gift, large or small.

We want to note our thanks in particular for the generous Bursary support we receive from McMillan Williams (MW Solicitors). Currently, around half of our girls receive help with fees. This has ensured that a Roedean education is possible for talented girls (from a very broad range of backgrounds) from Sussex, surrounding counties, London and beyond.

To all those who have generously given this year, thank you. Your support is making a real difference to the quality of the educational experience at Roedean.

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Roedean through the ages – and today!

We love seeing photos of past times at Roedean.

Perhaps you recognise a few of these faces? We also want to let you see photos of these activities at the School today. If you have old photos you would like to share, please send them to our archivist, Jackie, at jsu@roedean.co.uk.

Top to bottom: Dance 1989 and 2016, Cricket 1989 and 2016, Italy trip 1964 and 2016.

roedean.co.uk Roedean School, Roedean Way, Brighton, East Sussex, BN2 5RQ Tel: +44(0)1273 667500 Registered Charity 307063