Staff Valete

I vividly recall my first meeting with Mrs Aoife Gibson. It was a sunny day in June way back in 2010 on the hallowed grounds of Berkhamsted School where, it turned out, we were both interviewing for the same job!

Aoife was, as she is now, friendly, welcoming, intelligent, articulate, highly trained, talented and jaw-droppingly beautiful…and married to the Director of Sport. Of course, I hated her immediately.

Somehow, Mark Steed liked us both, and we were hired! Aoife was given a tutor group of Year 7s in Bees under Danny Van Noordwyk and she immediately threw herself into giving each of the students in her care the tailored, individual and meticulous love and compassion that was the hallmark of her teaching career.

Aoife taught across the Prep School and the Senior School where she was given a crash course in dealing with helicopter parents. Aoife was always able to handle queries, complaints, niggles and outright moans with grace, efficiency and kind candour.

Aoife’s incredible commitment to the arts has meant that our Year 9 GCSE and A-level students had the pleasure of companies such as Les Enfants (The Trench), Splendid Theatre (Metamorphosis, Ubu, Macbeth, The Odyssey), The Paper Birds, Gecko and Frantic Assembly performing shows and giving technical workshops. Aoife’s commitment extends to having arranged for Splendid Theatre to come in September even though she will no longer be here. Because of her dedication, commitment and marvellous networking skills, the students’ creative lives and experiences have been immeasurably enriched.

It would take more time than I have to relate the amount of support and guidance that Aoife has given to the lucky students in her care and her fellow colleagues in the Drama department and in the wider school community, both in terms of teaching and learning and in terms of her indefatigable enthusiasm for directing 90 odd staff in a Berko charity panto!

Aoife has always thrown her heart and soul into everything that is asked of her, has faced every challenge Berkhamsted – and life – have thrown at her head-on with a fierce determination, and her company, wisdom and outstanding humour will be sorely missed.

Dawn Wylie

Dave Gibson

Dave joined us from Bishop Stortford High School in September 2003. He was a bright-eyed and bushy-tailed whirling dervish of a PE teacher. He was so full of energy and enthusiasm, and he had that willingness to get stuck in to everything right from the start. He is, and always has been an exceptional teacher and sports coach for rugby, football and cricket in particular. He’s also taught Academic PE at the top end: A-Level and GCSE. Dave was my right-hand man within the department, but also on stage in several pantos: Little John, Smee, Cinderella, Cinderfella, and he always kept me on my toes in the department and onstage whenever I had tough times or fluffed my lines. Gibbo’s sheer capacity and his developing leadership qualities meant that he was always destined to take over the department. It was just a matter of time; a matter of when, not if.

Now, as soon as my wooden legs appeared from the DT department in 2012, Gibbo moved into the director’s chair and he swiftly started to build a team, take sport to new levels and reach exceptional heights. He quickly became known as “The Meerkat”, always looking out for others, looking up and looking down, quick to respond, busy, sharp, attentive and decisive. Gibbo’s leadership style, as we all know, has an impressive blend of blue and green with some red traits: positive and decisive when he needs them, but undoubtedly it is his ability to deal with people, to motivate others to work to his high standards, to show empathy, to not expect anyone to do anything that he would not do himself, and all of these qualities stand him apart. He’s held in such high esteem, and Gibbo is a genuine great guy to everyone he meets, to everyone he works with. His professional qualities are obviously interwoven with those personal qualities. He cares, he’s bothered, and don’t tell him this, but he’s a pretty funny guy as well. When we criticise Gibbo for doing all those extra jobs – for stepping in to clear up the cones, for putting the covers on the cricket wickets, we hear him plead “just let me be me,” and we do.

Gibbo has played a huge part in developing remarkable people. We’ve been lucky enough to see some of those people flourish, both on the staff body and amongst the Old Berkhamstedians. These characters he’s managed through some tricky situations throughout his career have always appreciated his great care and attention, and his human touch. Gibbo is always onside, and he has never been red-carded. Like many others over the last eighteen years, I have had the honour of sharing some incredible experiences with Gibbo. Some of the sports tours we have been fortunate enough to be on together are my certain highlights. We’ve sipped cocktails in Buenos Aires, we’ve safari’d in South Africa, we’ve jogged on the beach in St Lucia and sung karaoke in Barbados.

Gibbo, we will miss you, but we hope that, like football this summer, you will come home. So whether you’re listening at Wembley or in Wimbledon, let’s all raise a glass to the irrepressible and irreplaceable David Gibson.

Richard Mackay

Graham Burchnall

Graham joined the Prep School in September 1986 when it was on the Chesham Road site – it was his first teaching post. During that year, alongside his teaching commitments, he coached prep football but also helped out with senior rugby, and when a Geography post came up at the Senior School the following year the then headmaster, George Pitman, encouraged Graham to apply for it. So, Graham started in the Geography Department at the Boys’ School in September 1987. To give some context to the times – these were the days of blackboards, chalk and bander machines and some housemasters still had canes in their offices.

Before going into detail about some of Graham’s achievements at Berkhamsted, a brief numerical overview is in order. He worked at the School for 36 years, teaching Geography and a bit of Maths to well in excess of 4000 pupils. He was a housemaster for 24 years with the responsibility of looking after some 1200 pupils. He coached close to 3500 pupils, in 155 sports teams and was actively involved in nearly 1400 fixtures. Thinking about what that means in terms of time – if each fixture wipes out 4 hours on average (a very conservative estimate) and counting a working day as, say, 12 hours (not unreasonable for a teacher), that is equivalent to an extra year and a half of work! And lastly, Graham has raised a staggering £225,000 for various local and national charities, which is a truly remarkable achievement.

But the numbers only tell half the story. I would describe Graham as an obsessive, even slightly fanatical old-school schoolmaster. He worked far more hours than he should and probably needed to, and he set himself targets and standards which others found virtually impossible to replicate.

As a housemaster (in Reeves when it was a junior house, then founding Loxwood as a senior house, and then Reeves as a sixth form house), Graham, at some point, was asked to write leavers’ letters. For him this meant long, personalised, handwritten letters to each of his leavers, reflecting pretty much every one of their achievements, and to do these he used to get into his office three hours before school started. His houserooms were shrines to those in his care, smothered in photographs, with at least one photo of everyone in the house. His house leaving events were legendary – often with live entertainment, always with speeches recognising the talents of his students and, more recently, a carefully chosen individual song reflecting the personality of each of those leaving. His students loved him. In his office, there was a noticeboard covered in literally hundreds of cards and letters from students and their parents thanking him for his service.

Graham is a huge panto fan, and his ‘over-the-top’ performances as one of the buxom panto dames remains a fond memory. When Graham was in Loxwood, he decided it would be a good idea to put on a pantomime or two. In the end, he put on four – Aladdin, Snow White, Peter Pan and Jack and the Beanstalk. He scripted these himself, with plenty of in-jokes, invited all the parents on the first night and teachers on the second. Who can forget the moment Will Fraser and Miles Bailey, dressed as a cow, decided to improvise, come off the stage, and sit on Priscilla Chadwick ’s lap? Graham looked on in horror and saw his career pass before his eyes, but Priscilla took it in good spirit and Graham survived to fight another day. It was at these events that Graham started to raise money for charity and many individuals and numerous organisations have benefited from his efforts. Most notably, the Hospice of Saint Francis, Dreamflight to send disabled children to Disneyland, Spread a Smile for children with cancer, Leukaemia Research, the Henry Fraser Trust and Everyman to raise money for testicular cancer. Closer to home, when our entertainment manager Alex Coughtrey had a stroke, Graham organised a collection which raised £1900 for him and when Steve Cripps’ house caught fire, Graham organised a collection to replace some of the things that Steve had lost. Graham cares about people, he loves helping people, and he’s one of the very best at drumming up support and encouraging others to get involved with his fundraising efforts. It was almost inevitable that Graham would eventually get hold of, and completely revamp, the Community Service Program, which gave Year 13 students the opportunity to volunteer in the local community.

Graham’s competitive spirit was probably most evident in the Sixth Form House Music Competitions. Nine years ago, with Alex Fage running the show in Reeves alongside Graham, Reeves set the bar at a completely new level, and we all knew at that point that the parameters and expectations of the competition had been irreversibly changed. The other Heads of Sixth Form Houses all admired the spectacle and sat smiling through gritted teeth as Reeves picked up one award after another. Did it endear Graham to us? No, it did not. Did it endear Reeves to us? No, it did not. Did it help us to aim higher and raise our game? Yes, it did. Thank you, Graham.

Graham is not perfect. Many years ago, house swimming took place at the town sports centre on a Saturday evening. During house time on the Friday, Graham banged the drum, gave the house his full Churchillian ‘fight them on the beaches speech’ inspired them, and threatened them with detention if they failed to show up even as a supporter. Loxwood did brilliantly that year, coming second only one point behind the eventual winners. Only one house member forgot about the event and failed to show up, and that was Graham. On the Monday morning, his house captain quite rightly gave him a dressing down which Graham humbly accepted.

On the sports field, Graham’s commitment over 36 years has been second to none, and I think that every term he has been at the School he has managed a school team with regular Saturday fixtures. This was recognised by the Sports Department recently when he was presented with a beautifully embroidered 100 term cap. Graham has coached and managed the U12As and 4th XI football sides and the U12Cs, U13Bs, U14As and 3rd XI cricket teams. He was master in charge of junior swimming for two years and also coached athletics – for many years taking the boys to the IAPS events.

Although Graham has enjoyed coaching all sports, rugby is where his real passion lies. As a player in Y12 at school, he captained Leicestershire and had his first successful England trial, representing the Midlands against the North. Sadly, subsequent to that game, Graham suffered a catastrophic knee injury, which put an end to his playing career and any dreams he might have had of representing his country. However, his passion for the sport remained, and still remains today.

At one time or another, Graham has coached the U13B, U13A, U16B, U16A and 3rd XV rugby teams. For many years he was a selector for Hertfordshire Rugby. He took the juniors to Rosslyn Park for the first time in 1989 – they had never been before – and under his guidance, the U13 VII got to the quarter-finals of Rosslyn three years in a row. Since then, he has taken all of the qualifying teams to Rosslyn – the 1st VII, U16 VII, U13 VII and the U18 Girls VII.

Graham loves being up on the field in all weathers, and his natural exuberance and positivity rubs off on those that he coaches. Perhaps his greatest strength is giving players self belief and encouraging them to be the very best they can be. Graham went on one tour to South Africa in 1996. He has some amazing memories of the trip, but the one that I would like to mention which reflects the sort of person that Graham is, is that before the game against Kimberly High School, Graham decided to clean and polish the boots of all 27 squad members. Would anyone else have done that? I certainly wouldn’t. In the end, the boys won 6-0. Did taking the field with clean boots give them a marginal psychological game? Did the fact that they had someone in their corner prepared to do that for them give them an edge? Possibly, who knows? Graham thought it might make a difference, so, typically, he took it upon himself to do it. It is difficult to be absolutely certain but, simply through sheer longevity of service, I suspect that Graham has secured more victories as a rugby coach than any other teacher in the history of the School. In 2009, in recognition of Graham’s commitment to school rugby, he was presented with an award from the RFU and invited to Twickenham to receive it.

In 1989, Graham decided to run a small sevens tournament for the U13s with 8 teams competing. Over the following 29 years, this grew to be one of the biggest, most prestigious sevens tournaments in the country, eventually comprising 80 teams, with some travelling from Wales and even France. Only the national competition at Rosslyn Park was bigger. Over the 29 years, approximately 19,000 boys and girls took part, and it’s also worth noting that some of the state schools were only able to compete because Graham waived their entrance fee and even paid for their diesel. For Graham, it was always about giving the youngsters in the less wealthy schools the opportunity to take part. The organisation of these tournaments took Graham the best part of a year. Literally hundreds of pupils, old boys and staff were involved as parking attendants, ballboys, referees and general helpers. Everything was planned to the nth degree and Graham was up at the field at 5 o’clock in the morning to make sure that all of the last minute details were pinned down. Inclusivity was what it was all about, and there were numerous competitions – the cup, the shield, the plate and the bowl so that virtually every team progressed from the group stages to the knockouts. The atmosphere was truly amazing, and at the end, Graham would not leave until everything had been tidied away and all the referees had received a bottle of wine and a hand written thank you note. I will admit there were times when I didn’t feel much like doing it, particularly the year that horizontal rain fell for the entire day, but the thought of letting Graham down was, quite simply, unthinkable. To celebrate Graham’s 100 terms at Berkhamsted and to recognise his outstanding contribution to the School, he was nominated by SMT for the Independent Schools Lifetime Achievement Award.

Thank you, Graham, for all that you have done at Berkhamsted, in the classroom, on the sports field and as a housemaster. You have had a truly amazing career, and hundreds of boys and girls will have left the place feeling that you have developed in them real confidence, self belief and a sense of genuine worth. Enjoy your retirement, which hopefully will mean lots of quality time with Nikki, William and Oliver.

Dave Richardson

Ian Stewart

Ian joined the Girls’ School in September 1989 as Head of Classics. He had quite a difficult first year, not least because there were so few male teachers that girls used to point at him in the corridor, giggle, and then run off. And then there was the Common Room. Hierarchical and quite severe in nature, woe betide you if you committed a crime, such as sitting in the wrong seat at break. Prior to the merger of the Boys’ and Girls’ Schools, Ian became an old-style Head of House, where house meetings took place once at the start of term, and once at the end; a very different model to the one introduced two years later, when he was appointed Head of New Stede in the newly merged Collegiate School. This was a role he carried out for eight years with great sensitivity, which was recognised by the girls who appreciated his willingness to listen and support them.

Also, following the reorganisation of the School, he was appointed as Head of Classics, a position he has held since then. When you talked to Ian about Classics and about teaching and learning, you very quickly appreciate why he has been in the job so long. He has an encyclopaedic knowledge of mythology, and his passion and love for the subject is very apparent. It’s the same with teaching, where I’ve been struck by how he is continuously open to new ideas and discusses them with such enthusiasm. It’s to his credit that the recent external department review by the Head of Classics at another school was so positive.

Ian inspires the pupils he teaches, and indeed many of their mothers when they themselves were pupils at Kings. He passes on that passion and love for Classics to all of his classes. It’s testament to his kind nature and wonderful teaching style that you only have to mention his name at the Girls’ School and all pupils – even those who have never been taught by him – will say, “oh, we love Mr Stewart”. He’s never afraid to be silly, which the pupils appreciate, he’s full of stories, and he’s always willing to give things a go. This is most evident on school trips, which for him is one of the most rewarding parts of his role.

He’s been involved in numerous Classics trips abroad, notably to Greece and Italy, often organising and leading them. He makes trips a lot of fun and his talent shows on the final night are quite renowned, where his double acts with other members of staff are always very memorable, much to the enjoyment of the pupils. He also does storytime on the long coach journeys, where he will commandeer the coach microphone and tell stories about the classical world to pass the time.

No mean feat that he’s able to keep the attention of a coachful of children high on sugar!

It’s not just pupils that Ian has supported over the years. The department has had a steady stream of NQT and trainee teachers who have also much appreciated his approachable, friendly and enthusiastic manner, always making himself available for a chat, sympathy and invaluable guidance. Don’t be fooled by his easy-going nature, however. He can be very persistent in pushing forward his concerns as, for example, those of us who have received one of his missives on the dangers of carrying hot drinks around the School know only too well.

Ian, your initial plan to stay for two years didn’t quite pan out, but that was to the benefit of numerous pupils and colleagues alike. On their behalf, a very big thank you for all that you have done in your time at Berkhamsted and take with you our very best wishes for the future.

Will Gunary

Jane Brodie

When Jane joined the Art Department at Berkhamsted Collegiate School, as it was then known in 2001, I doubt that she imagined she would devote twenty years of her life to the service of its community.

During that time, she inspired countless young people, teaching all the immeasurable value of creativity and setting many on professional pathways within the creative industries.

While formally trained as a stained-glass artist, it was probably her key achievement in introducing photography as a specialist discipline that has left us with her most significant legacy. A keen amateur photographer herself, it nonetheless took tremendous energy, planning and determination to develop the equipment and expertise necessary to establish photography A level early in her tenure. Jane’s real love within the discipline was for the alchemical wonders of the dark room, her command of which was to excite and reward numerous Berkhamstedians, so much so that by the time I joined the department in 2007, there were 40 students in the combined Sixth Form, so popular had the subject become. This, at a time when digital technologies were beginning to challenge analogue traditions. Certainly, Apple Mac computers were a mainstay of the subject from the start, but I always felt that the miraculous large-scale prints emerging from the developer and fix, in turn following the quasi-miraculous processes of dodging and burning, were the tour de force of every end-of-year exhibition.

Jane is a deeply curious, imaginative and open-minded creative practitioner, and so when offered the opportunity to learn new skills in printmaking, she was keen from the beginning. Of all my colleagues past and present, none have been as visionary and innovative as she in recognising the potential of the large-scale etching press to realise ambitious collograph and dry-point projects. This adventurous spirit manifested itself also in Jane’s enthusiasm for supporting activities outside the curriculum, assisting Duke of Edinburgh expeditions, skiing trips and residential Art trips to New York and Venice to name but a few. Always recognising the importance of an all-round approach to education, Jane was also a committed tutor, supporting the boys of Fry’s House in countless events over and above her daily commitment to their pastoral care. The love and respect she instilled was regularly evident in the piles of chocolate and flowers she received at Christmas, and not least by the vast bouquet gifted by them this summer.

But what I shall miss most about Jane as she embarks upon the next chapter in her life will be her infectious sense of bonhomie and camaraderie. Often ready with a cheeky quip during department meetings, often at her own expense, unfailingly willing to step up during a mini-crisis and always supportive of new and inexperienced colleagues, Jane was a team-player to the end. Whether running extended curriculum activities, supporting the department as SEND co-ordinator or simply offering constructive and sensible suggestions to resolve procedural problems, she made her presence felt and was valued by all. Rumour has it that she plans to ‘camper van’ her way around the UK with her irrepressible canine companion Brodie by her side, learning to paint in oils along the way. Whether in this or other creative adventures, I don’t doubt that she will bring laughter, light and inspiration to all whom she encounters.

Caroline Ferguson

And now we have a number of contributions from Liz’s colleagues, past and present. Firstly, a selection of extracts from her Leaver’s Book, followed by a spirited speech from Richard Thompson, and finally, a few words from Richard Backhouse.

Liz Richardson

Liz is all things a good teacher should be, knowledgeable, flexible, approachable and above all compassionate. There are many more words I could add to the list but suffice it to say she is a consummate professional. Liz always makes time for whoever needs her. A rare trait in these days of ever increasing pressure from all directions. It has been a pleasure to work with and alongside you throughout your time at Berkhamsted and I wish you every good wish as you move, along with Dave to the next phase of your life.

Chris Nicholls Head of Boys

I hope you have a wonderful retirement. You have done so much for the School, especially for girls education and pastoral care. You will be greatly missed by the community.

Dr Helen Brooke Vice Principal (left the School in 2014)

I admired Liz for her depth of knowledge, her enthusiasm, her passion, her organisation, her energy and her ability to inspire. She was always very supportive towards me and if anyone deserves a long and happy retirement it is Liz and Dave.

Richard McIlwaine Member of English Dept (left the School in 2013)

I will always remember the selfless, tireless, relentless focus Liz has for the girls’ flourishing. Her leadership from the front, her willingness to go the extra mile and her inexhaustible good humour have been, to coin a phrase, remarkable.

Richard Backhouse Principal

Liz Richardson’s Leaver’s Speech 8th July 2022

I felt quite honoured when Liz asked me to say a few words for her (and she most certainly exaggerated the word ‘few’ to me as part of her instructions).

However, as the request sunk in, I read between the lines and realised that she had to choose someone who had been here for a while and was getting on a bit, so I realise now, Liz, that you had to search for an old man!!! THANKS!!!!

Because I felt that this speech had to be one of some magnitude, I felt as though I should get some support in writing it, so I turned to the internet. It was brilliant. I found a site called ‘Speech creation’ where the company said it would write the whole speech for a member of staff who was leaving a place of work.

I thought this can’t be true. All I had to do was insert a few details of what the member of staff had actually done and achieved in the place of work. The site would then write the speech with a full timeline and stories, including details from when Liz arrived up until this very day. It even printed out details of Liz’s first day here in Berkhamsted, which is where I begin the story.

In 1066……………………………………!!!!!!!!

There are some moments during your working life when you feel really touched, and one of those moments for me was when Liz asked me to say a few words. I do, indeed, feel honoured.

Liz arrived at Berkhamsted School for Girls on January 1st 1988, my first year at University!!

It was clear from the first day that Liz would be a member of staff who would not merely take the easy option and look to cruise her way through her career. She wanted challenges, and challenges she got.

It’s actually been quite an eye opener reading through the extensive list of what Liz has been involved in while here and, indeed, her achievements. Much of this was news to me and, I’m sure, will be news to you, but this highlights one of Liz’s many virtues…the fact that she takes things on for the right reasons and not, merely, to fill up a CV or to shout from the rooftops about.

There has been one thing at the centre of all that Liz has achieved at Berkhamsted, and that is the pupils.

From her early years, she helped to run DofE for Girls, helped with the swimming team, edited the Berkhamstedian magazine, ran and organised debating and public speaking teams, and introduced Media Studies A Level to the School.

Liz is able to offer advice and wise words to many, having been both a Head of House, the first Head of Russell House, in fact, and a Head of Department, as Head of English.

It was in this capacity that I have my first real memories of Liz. At that time, I was Deputy Head of Boys and had specific responsibility for all school trips, including overseeing the paperwork process and logistics. At that time, sadly, we relied on physical copies of paperwork and I kept trip files, housing the EV forms. Now, at this point, I can say that there were varying degrees of detail included with the paperwork submitted by trip leaders…then there was Liz’s paperwork!! That had to be housed in a filing cabinet of its own!! Not only did it include all the necessary information, but it also covered details of the colour of the bus, the name of the driver, what shoes the members of staff would be wearing, what brand of rucksack they would be taking and whether they would be drinking water or orange!!!

I say this in jest, but it highlighted that Liz’s eye for detail is remarkable, an important skillset for the positions she’s held in the School.

Liz flew through her time as Deputy Head of Berkhamsted Girls, and no-one was in doubt that she would make a truly excellent Head of

Berkhamsted Girls, which she duly became in 1994. At this point, I must stop and tell you that when I asked Liz for her Berkhamsted timeline, she actually wrote that she became Head of Berkhamsted Girls in 1914!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

In my time as Head of Berkhamsted Boys, Liz and I worked closely together and, it must be said, went through many, many highs, but also some lows.

As a colleague, Liz has always been meticulous, thorough and extremely hard working but, at the same time, caring for pupils and staff alike, an extremely good listener, pupil centred in all she does and thinks, and patient. In many of the things we actually had to work on together, in producing detailed documents, I was reminded of the programme Blue Peter when, as I sat down ready to start from scratch with a blank piece of paper, Liz would say, ‘Here’s one I prepared earlier’! Music to my ears!!!

To me, though, Liz’s ability to remember exactly who she has taught and when she taught them always stands out.

Whether it’s current pupils, former pupils, former pupils who are now parents or former pupils who are now grandparents, Liz can remember them. That’s because she has always taken a genuine interest in all of them while they are, or were, current pupils at Berkhamsted. Each and every pupil matters and has always mattered to Liz.

I have always thought of Liz as not only a colleague who is a friend but also as a friend who is a colleague. It always stands out to me how she has the time to ask how I am and how the family is, and I’m sure that’s the same for many of us here. Liz, your sense of humour is second to none, and I’ll always remember the laughs that we’ve shared either face to face, over the phone or via Teams. It’s kept us going on many an occasion!

Liz has travelled far and wide during her time here, assisting with numerous school trips such as the DoE to Brecon Beacons, Geography trips to Wales, Hong Kong and China, English trips to theatres and Youth Hostels for 6th Form English

Study weekends, and History trips to Berlin, Normandy and America, to name but a few.

Outside the Berkhamsted walls, and probably unknown to many of you, Liz has also recently been a Director of the Veritas Educational Trust in London.

When recounting many of these details, Liz talks about the ‘mists of time’. They may feel like mists, Liz, but I can guarantee that those mists will be full of many happy memories that you have created for pupils and staff alike here at Berkhamsted.

So what next for you…and Dave of course??

I doubt very much whether the actual word ‘retirement’ has been listed in your vocabulary or mentioned by either of you.

As you walk out of the Berkhamsted School gates, I sense the next set of gates is already opening for you.

Dave actually made a point of finding and mentioning to me the other day that he’s looking forward to seeing you 24/7.

Liz, thank you so much for all that you have done for Berkhamsted School, its pupils, its parents and its staff. We wish you well.

Richard Thompson Vice-Principal

A Final Few Words from Richard Backhouse

“For 35 years Mrs Richardson has served the School as an English teacher, Head of Department, Deputy Head, and with great distinction, as Head of the Girls School – as part of the most senior group of the Group’s employees. And she retires at the end of this year.

I have seen her dedication, attention to detail, love of the girls, care of their wellbeing, ambition for their success, all at first hand, and I am sure you recognise many of those qualities too. She has had an extraordinary impact on the School, and while we do not normally mark individual leavers at this event, it would not be right to let this moment pass without a moment of appreciation for all that she has done, and the person she is, so please join me in a round of applause as we show our gratitude.”

Marie-Claire Gould

Marie-Clare joined the School 10 years ago as the Head of the Chemistry Department. She brought huge amounts of energy to the role and helped to transform Chemistry from being the least popular A Level science choice to being the most. She will be mostly remembered for her excellent sense of humour and fun, which was appreciated by her colleagues in the staff room and her students in the classroom.

Marie-Clare’s children, Peter, Alistair and Robyn, all attended the School. The Chemistry Department were always invited to an enjoyable family BBQ at the end of August, just before the start of term.

She was a regular participant in the Staff Panto, where she played Wee Jimmy Krankie, a role that suited her perfectly!

MC, as she was fondly known, was a regular participant on DofE trips and, in particular, the Year 8 activity trip to Snowdon. She was often seen around the School with her backpack, as though ready to head off on an adventure. Sadly, she has left for a new adventure and has moved on to teach Chemistry at Northampton Academy, where we wish her every success and happiness.

David Binnie

Patrick Cowie

My first memory of Patrick happened before I had even met him: it was when I applied to be an Economics teacher at Berkhamsted School. He sent me an email with instructions regarding the lesson I was to teach as part of my interview. I was to teach a lesson on monopoly theory, and he sent me a helpful file that he had typed out that I could use to help plan my lesson (the sign of things to come!). Amongst the humdrum of theory that I barely understood were the words “how could the silly bearded twit be so wrong?” – on a resource provided to the students! At that point, I probably should have immediately withdrawn my application to work at the School!

My second memory of Patrick was during the interview day itself. I had taught my lesson and sat through a slightly awkward lunch with the other candidates. Patrick then took us all over to Common Room for a coffee before the interviews. We were all sat around waiting to see what the great man was going to say before he uttered the words, “what I am really looking for is someone who I can have a beer with down at the pub”.

In the time that Patrick has been at the School, he will have taught hundreds and hundreds of students – of which so many have been inspired by him to read Economics at university. Patrick is a mainstay in each successive Yearbook and regularly receives multiple mentions. I looked through some of the recent yearbooks and found a few gems:

Tom Richardson from 2017 said that, for his “Favourite Subject”, it was “Economics with my boy Cowie”.

Luke Woodmansee from 2018 said that, for his “Favourite Teacher”, it was “Best mate Cowie”.

And… my personal favourite… Georgie Stockwell, also from 2018, answered the question: ‘What will you miss most?’ with simply: “Cowie’s Savagery”.

The students hold you in such high regard. I have lost count of the number of OBs that I have met who, almost universally, immediately ask: “is Cowie still there?”. In fact, last month, Patrick discovered that he had taught a 2022 leaver, Matthew Fairburn’s mum from all the way back when Economics was the only A-level subject taught co-ed at Berkhamsted! It was so nice to see Patrick hunt out Mrs Fairburn at this year’s Prize Day and for the two of them to reminisce about days gone by.

Finally, I think it is fair to say that Doug, David, Victor, Sophie, myself and all of the previous members of our department owe you so much with regards to how our careers have turned out… mostly because you always planned our lessons for us…! But seriously, you have made us all better teachers with your guidance, wit and wisdom and we will all miss you so much.

We have all clubbed together to buy Patrick an end of term survival kit, including wine and cigars. But I have to admit to stealing and framing a relic that probably belongs in the School’s archives. This was on the Economics Office board when I became Head of Department. It reads:

“To Staff Common Room: We are pleased to announce the appointment of Mr Patrick Cowie as Head of Economics and Business Studies from 1st March 2003.”

Patrick, I wish you all the best for a happy retirement and hope that I have been that guy that you can have a beer with down at the pub.

Andrew Ottoway

Given that Patrick is known (and adored) for his razor-sharp wit and unique turn of phrase, it would be bordering on criminal not to share his valedictory address…

“So, I came to Berkhamsted in 1991 – hired by Nick Stevens – and have served for 31 years or 93 terms. Not quite carrying my bat, but a reasonable achievement.

During my time here, I have taught Economics, Business and a year of History. I have enjoyed almost all of it – GCSE Business was always a trial! – and have been a Head of Department for around 20 years.

I’ve always been good at studying – bit of a swat at school and useless at sport – and I hope that I was able to share this enjoyment with my students and also to share my interest in Economics –48 years of learning + teaching!

Being Head of Department was as good as it gets for me and I have worked with some excellent teachers – Andy, the new Head of Department, doing a fine job; Doug, Sophie, David, Victor and Kathryn, Toby and Shannon. We’ve done our own thing and have made Economics and Business two of the most popular subjects in the Sixth.

I am not sure about this retirement malarky – Anthony Trollope, a favourite author, argued that a man should only retire when he was incapable of doing his job. This may be the case for me. Teaching involves more and more IT these days and I am known to be fairly useless in that area.

Also, I have had health problems – as many know, I was nearly brought low by a large chunk of beef – and I’m only here due to the help of good friends and the wonderful ambulance service. I have also been diagnosed with ‘Parmesan Cheese’, or Parkinson’s Disease as it is more usually known.

As the ‘convict/greased piglet’ said yesterday, “Thems the Breaks”. The key is to focus on what I can do and not whinge about what I cannot do. So, no more teaching and that is a source of some sadness. But, I must thank my admirable department for all their support and all the extra work that they have had to do – done with a smile and no complaints. Thanks also to Tracey for her support.

Lastly, I’ve been lucky to make some good friends, many of whom have been very kind and generous, in my time here – some through the creation of the ‘421 Club’ which I am proud to say that, with Paul Jennings, I established.”

Rachel Bradley

From 2005 when Rachel joined Berkhamsted, she was a highly dedicated member of staff with a commitment to the highest standards across the board. She had the impressive ability of being able to teach both History and the Classics and to inspire students with her encouraging manner, infectious enthusiasm and clarity of explanations. Not only was Rachel an excellent classroom practitioner, she was also a caring pastoral leader who was Head of Holme House, Wolstenholme House and at St John’s Boarding House.

She always wanted the best for her girls and provide the support, care and challenge to enable them to fulfil their potential. Her commitment was epitomised during Covid when the boarding houses stayed open throughout the holidays for almost the whole year so that the international students were provided with stability, care and a homely environment during a difficult and worrying time. Many students have benefitted from Rachel’s professionalism and would join us in wishing her well for a long and happy retirement.

Martin Walker

Richard Thompson has kindly shared with us his rather dramatic leaving speech for Steph Gunary! Take a bow Steph, the rapturous applause for this curtain call will echo through Berkhamsted’s walls for years to come.

Steph Gunary

“Now, I’m not sure how many of you know about this, but Steph has a hidden talent. That talent is her ability to include great levels of detail in conversations and discussions about any topic you could think of, even if she has no knowledge of the topic at all!! Remembering that talent and, in preparation for this leavers’ speech, I asked Steph to jot down a few bullet points about her time here at Berkhamsted, which she very kindly did!!!

In January 1995, Steph was employed as a result of a ‘boozy lunch’ enjoyed by Keith Wilkinson and the Headmaster at the school in which she held a full-time position at that time. In true Steph style, she managed to talk her way into a job share where she brought her existing A Level students down to the Boys School to have joint lessons with her sole Berkhamsted class. Your powers of persuasion were clearly evident from day one, Steph!!

In no time at all, Steph had become Head of Drama, transforming the subject from an extra- curricular option to one in which lessons were taught across all age ranges.

She became close to the Music Department, singing in the choir, playing in the orchestra and going on tour to Paris. Drama, though, was growing and growing.

In September 1997, after the merger of the Boys and Girls schools, Steph enjoyed many, many memorable performances from pupils who went on to great things: Stephen Campbell Moore, Andy Jaye, Tallulah Riley who went on to marry Elon Musk, KSI, Mini Minter and, of course, Roman Kemp to mention a few.

One of the things that Steph is most proud about is introducing LAMDA into the School.

Extra-Curricular productions were a great way to get to know staff and Steph recalls lots of memorable moments working with colleagues including Becky Miles, Jane Brodie, Katie Bly, Laura Knight and Director Martin Scorsese…sorry Pett, whose highlights included his production of The Critic when one of the main characters, Tom Warren, let out the most enormous full-throttle fart to a stunned audience in his opening scene with the then Principal sitting in the front row just feet away. It brought the house down!!

In Steph’s first year, she took her first group to the Edinburgh Festival, subsequently taking similar trips just about every year. In 2003, she took a school production to perform on the Fringe, a rare thing for a school to do at that stage. Scary as it was, Steph was undeterred, and she repeated it every few years. The last two shows both earned 5-star reviews in the press which, quite rightly, fills her with pride even now.

Over her time here, Steph also got involved with other areas of school life and was a regular on school trips including the one to Normandy with Ted, to Italy and Greece with the Classics Department and numerous trips with DofE. She even remembers being Jo Vila’s supervisor in Italy for her Gold trip.

Fred Charnock then persuaded Steph to join the CCF team, where she led the Navy Section for five years.

Ski trips brought much enjoyment for Steph as she learned another new skill amongst the beginners, but she also recounted an example of real staff camaraderie when two members of staff, still in the school so who will remain nameless (although their initials are DR and WG), ‘apple-pied’ Reesy’s bed and hid in the shower peeping through the crack in the door watching as Reesy tried to get in!!!

Steph has always felt that the strength of Berkhamsted is its community and, through her role as Common Room Social Secretary, she felt this even more. Staff events have given her so much joy and the pantos have been nothing short of a hoot.

After 12 years or so of being in Drama, she enjoyed a stint as Head of House and became the first female to take on the position of Head of House in a Boys House. Steph loved that time, but was tempted back into the world of a Head of Department to become a Head of Faculty as Director of Performing Arts.

Since then, the Music and Drama Departments have become more independent again, and Steph’s last five years have focused purely on the music department. These have been especially happy years for her and have allowed her to rekindle and return to her love of music teaching, which is how she started her career. Steph quotes that it has been a great privilege to work with such dedicated, creative and talented teachers, as well as the pupils. Ben and Malc, especially, have been of huge support over these years, and Steph will remember the wonderful music you have all shared, the fun music tours and your great company. Amanda has brought a fresh energy over the last couple of years.

The last thing that Steph will take away with her from the School is Will!! It’s amazing what a few saxophone lessons can lead to!! After a lengthy courtship, they got married and had their blessing in the School Chapel with Dave Richardson as Will’s Best Man.

Steph and Will are off travelling for a gap year or two in their new motorhome, firstly for a year or so in Europe and then another year over to North America to explore Canada, Alaska and USA.

Who knows when and what they will do when they get back…I suspect that will be the start of another adventure!!!!

Steph, your drive and energy will be sorely missed but not as much, I think, as your friendship, your smile and your laugh.

Take care and send us a few postcards!!!”

Richard Thompson

Will Gunary

After his Maths degree at Birmingham University, Will qualified as an accountant, but very quickly saw the light and decided that teaching was what he really wanted to do. Prior to joining Berkhamsted as Head of Mathematics in September 1994, he had a short spell at Clifton College and was second in the Maths Department at RGS Worcester.

On arriving at Berkhamsted, Will quickly made his mark in the department. He was progressive, one might even describe him as innovative. He introduced an annual departmental work scrutiny and even started to use a new-fangled machine called a 386 to help him with the departmental administration. Will fully embraced all new technologies, but as the years rolled on, and over the last few years particularly, he admits that he has gone from being at the cutting edge to the trailing tail.

Will is a great teacher – clear and patient with high expectations. Both of my children were taught by him at various points, and had nothing but praise for him. More recently, he has really got into OneNote and has found new enthusiasm for using Dr Frost and preparing lessons.

Will became Director of Studies in September 1996 and wrote his first timetable for the whole School – Boys, Girls and Sixth – in September 1997. This was, and still is, a mammoth task taking something like 350 man hours. Who can forget the pained expression on his face for pretty much the whole of the summer term, the carnage in his office, the tired eyes and hunched shoulders as he got to grips with Post-it notes, paper clips, coloured highlighters and the wish lists of a hundred or so members of staff. The timetable worked – it had to – but in those days there was virtually no cross-campus teaching. He could not have foreseen the horror that was to unfold when it became more of an expectation that staff should teach both boys and girls. The shoulders got higher, the eyes got baggier, the scraps of paper on his office floor were joined by his hair.

Over the last 25 years, Will has largely been solely responsible for the work patterns and rhythms of all the students and staff in the Senior School and Sixth Form – when we had break, when we had lunch, when we had free time, which evenings we were expected to mark, if and when we travelled between sites and this responsibility was something that weighed heavily on him. Over the few years that I helped Will with the timetable I was constantly amazed by his commitment to the task. He is something of a perfectionist and always went the extra mile to make sure that the final timetable was the very best it could be. Once he had finished a year group, he would always look at it critically, pick out the bits he was not entirely happy with and spend a significant amount of time trying to improve them. If the lesson distribution for one teacher was not good, he would always say let’s spend an hour trying to improve it, and that would normally turn into a couple of hours. It was always about compromise because as one aspect of the timetable got better, another inevitably got worse.

As the Director of Studies, Will always felt that he needed to keep his ear to the ground and stay closely in touch with the Common Room and the snippets of information and knowledge he picked up was invaluable when it came to timetabling. He enjoyed all the various Common Room parties and events and, with Steph, got involved in the Car Rally, as well as Crufts and even Strictly.

Beyond the world of the highlighter, Will was a tutor in Hawks, when it was a junior House, and also in Incents Day House where he tried to keep David Wiles in check. He successfully managed various junior soccer teams as well as the Under 16s when Jon Cooper represented them. On arriving at the school in September 1994, Will immediately joined the staff Monday five a-side soccer group and, barring the odd spell out due to injury, he played most Mondays for the next 28 years. He’s actually a really good player –fit, difficult to beat, a very good passer of the ball and, about once every couple of years, he would score. On Monday evening, after our warm down in the pub, he would dose himself up with anti-inflammatories and on Tuesday morning conceal his discomfort from Steph for fear of attracting comments like ‘should you really be doing this at your age?’

Will is also a very good skier and for many years we spent some great New Year’s abroad with Daryl Simpson on the junior ski trip. Almost more than skiing, Will loved the apres-ski and particularly the first hot chocolate after a hard day on the slopes. Will is, unashamedly, a chocoholic and when he was timetabling, Steph could barely keep up with his insatiable appetite. As well as sport, since marrying Steph in December 2009, Will has been the designated photographer for numerous music and drama productions and regularly accompanied the summer music trips as well as the theatre trips to the Edinburgh Fringe.

Will was a member of SMT for 25 years. He was thoughtful, challenging when he needed to be and was always happy to explain, sometimes in words of one syllable, why a particularly ludicrous suggestion on improving the timetable could never work. Back in the day, of course, it was 8 periods then 9 and, when we were all expecting the progression to continue to 10, it became 22 and the Gunary was born. Over his years in SMT, Will always says that he spent more time discussing grading and reports than anything else. He even stood up in a staff meeting and tried valiantly to explain the concept of standardisation, with uncomfortable and pained looks coming back from the historians.

Will is a notoriously careful shopper and before parting with a significant sum of money, he will research numerous comparison sites and read endless reviews. They say that opposites attract, and Steph is a much more spontaneous shopper. When the two of them moved into their new house in Park Street, they wanted a new large telly, so Will eagerly got onto ‘Which’ and other comparison sites to work out which was the best one to buy. A spreadsheet was developed with pros and cons, including things like pixel quality and power usage in standby. Whilst all this careful preparatory work was going on, Steph lost patience and, much to Will’s dismay, she just went out and bought one because it looked nice. Steph confided in me that she believes, somewhere in OneDrive, there is a spreadsheet lurking entitled ‘Steph’s pros and cons’.

Will’s contribution to the school over the past 28 years has been enormous. More importantly, though, he is a genuinely nice guy – kind, caring and funny when he gets warmed up. Will has four children, all of whom enjoy travelling and grandchildren based in Los Angeles. Over the next couple of years, Will and Steph will spend more time in the States, as well as travelling around Europe in their swish new campervan. We wish him them both the very best of luck in all that they do.

Dave Richardson

Mandy Casey

Mandy is an amazing member of our school community who has been a great friend to everyone who has known her. She will be missed greatly by all staff and pupils and especially in the Maths Department. She has been a cornerstone of the Maths Department for fourteen years, and I really don’t know what we are going to do without her up at Kings.

Her dedication to her teaching practice, but more importantly, the progress of her students has been exemplary. Nothing has been too much for her in terms of pastoral support, the extra maths sessions, assessments, feedback on progress, updates to anxious parents and heads of houses, and the liberal distribution of merits, golds and very necessary blue notes given to those whose mathematical progress has been in her care. She was instrumental in organising the first Maths Department trip for over a decade, giving Year 12 students the opportunity to be inspired by the practical applications of Maths at the Maths Fest, and then continuing to make this a regular feature of our calendar until the outbreak of Covid last year. Her calm persona and aura of kindness is something to be very proud of. She is always willing to be a sympathetic ear and a sounding board to anyone who needs help, advice, or an opinion on something. She has been a huge support and fountain of knowledge and experience to the youngsters up at Kings, as they like to refer to themselves, and her presence there will be sorely missed. Having been a Head of House at Russell and then Old Stede, she has continued to be a strong pastoral presence at Kings. Mandy has always encouraged the girls to be the best that they can be and to stand up for themselves, encouraging them to be strong and independent young women who will make a difference in the world.

Rachael Warburton

Sylvie Shipton

Sylvie joined Berkhamsted School in 2005 and served as an ambassador to both French and Spanish for 17 years. A committed Francophile in every way, all those that crossed the threshold of her classroom were treated to 100% target language from minute-one! Over the years, Sylvie inspired a plethora of students to take their language learning beyond the walls of Berkhamsted and was adept at bringing alive French political viewpoints and the finer details of Camus’ existentialism. Alongside her language teaching, Sylvie served as Head of St David’s House at the Girls’ School for 10 years. She was a great servant to all things Berkhamsted and a great colleague in the Modern Languages department.

Nick Cale

Martin Pett

The Seven Ages of Pett

All the world’s a classroom,

And the men and women merely teachers;

They have their lesson plans and set texts,

But one sage man – Mr Pett in his time has played many parts,

His acts being seven ages. At first the prep school boy,

Full of questions and dreaming in Nanny’s arms;

And then the Durham University undergraduate with his trusty satchel (which he still has by the way)

And shining morning face, bounding like a beagle

Eagerly to his lectures. And then the lawyer,

Raging like a furnace, with a passport and a pile of case notes,

Ready to litigate in the City or Honkers!

But thankfully fighting in court was not his path

And to a PGCE he ran full of strange pedagogical concepts

and dreams of inspiring new generations,

Then Mr Pett caught the eagle eye of Paul Neeson

who knew a good thing when he saw it and Martin found his calling!

What follows the longevity to survive three HoDs –

Trevor Lines, Liz Richardson and Tim Grant, but not little old me!

Never jealous in honour, but a rock on which to build a department,

Full of patience and knowledge

along with a true love of our subject and his books!

And then the Head of House in fair round belly with silver fox locks lined,

With eyes understanding and an ever-willing arm

around the shoulder of a wayward Swifts lad or a St George’s scholar,

Full of wise assemblies and warm words to inspire

and create truly remarkable people.

And so he plays his part. The Sixth Age shifts,

but his Eton Fives lives on as a Master in Charge for over 23 years!

Now lean and at times bespectacled, but never inactive,

His legacy of DENS charity sleepouts will live on

under the careful guidance of Dougie,

Still rocking his English classroom

with lessons that will live on for generations with quizzes well compared; H

is youthful glow remains, well saved,

kept young with Surface Devices and lockdowns!

And his big manly voice hung upon by team and student alike,

Last scene of all the traveller, the skateboarder!

We will miss him awfully, his smile, his belly laugh,

but do return even sans teeth.

You are a Berko legend and we love you Martin Pett!

Stuart Simons