Farewell to our Leavers ...

Andy Williamson joined Lancing in 1982 and thus his time at Lancing has spanned four decades and nudged into a fifth. A long-standing Head of Chemistry, he has been utterly committed to the school and won hearts as well as minds. Long before it became fashionable he listened to pupils and believed in their ability to shape and run initiatives. His impact has been huge over the decades and we will be renaming his classroom in his honour: generations to come will be enjoying their chemistry in the Andy Williamson Laboratory. We wish him tremendously well in his retirement.

Christopher Langworthy joined the Music Department in 2014 and swiftly became indispensable. We trained him as a teacher and he soon became Assistant Director of Music and Head of Academic Music. Kind, warm, energetic, an encourager and enabler he has the wonderful capacity to make people feel better about themselves and believe in themselves. He has a laugh that lifts the spirit and the temperament that ensures it is often heard. Godolphin and Latymer are fortunate indeed that he joins them in September as Director of Music.

Heather Beeby has been an outstanding Head at Lancing Prep Worthing since 2014. She has been a true leader and her relentless focus on what is good for the children, in combination with immense kindness, warmth and personal integrity, are evident at every turn. LPW pupils are extremely welltaught and often lead the scholarship lists but, regardless of their particular strengths, all of them have been inculcated with a truly strong sense of community, responsibility and ethics. These strengths – and a great deal more – were recognised in the outstanding Inspection report we were all so delighted to celebrate at the beginning of last summer. Heather has inspired us all and it has been such fun too: we cannot remember a day – even in the most difficult moments – when there has not been laughter. She embodies the values of the school and we will miss her immensely.

Peter Tarbet joined Lancing College as a teacher of Mathematics and Computing initially in 1996 and after a stint at another school he rejoined the College in 2015. Recent years have seen him undertaking the delicate task of school timetabling with consummate skill. The richness that he brings to the Lancing community – mathematical, philosophical, human –will be sorely missed.

Giles Preston joined Lancing in 2008 as Head of Physics and Head of the Science Department. Successful in all sorts of spheres and an innovator, he developed links with Ricardo Engineering which has seen our pupils involved in projects and apprenticeships and winning CREST awards. He is always keen to make his students think and has been a perennially popular Sixth Form Tutor. We wish him all the best for his (semi) retirement – and the adventures it will contain.

Ed Watson joined Lancing in 2017 as a teacher of Economics and Business Studies. Jocular, and warm, his style has been relished by those in the Sixth Form as has his commitment to the cocurricular life of the school – particularly when it comes to his abiding passion in sport. He leaves us to take up a post as Economics teacher at Worth.

Tom Miller also joined the College in 2017 as a teacher of Mathematics and in his time here he has also taught within the Psychology Department. He is someone who consistently gets the best from his pupils within the classroom and beyond. Tom’s promotion to Second in the Maths Department was thoroughly deserved. He leaves us for Harrow –and their gain is indubitably our loss.

Finally, we thank our Assistants –Ted Farr, Kitty Holroyd, Grace Lee and Lily Newton – for their energy, kindness and can-do attitude over the year. We wish them the very best with their future endeavours.