To Read and So 2019 by JAGS School

TO READ & SO... The Alumnae Magazine of James Allen’s Girls’ School OCTOBER 2019

FROM THE HEADMISTRESS

I am delighted to be able to introduce the latest issue of ‘To Read and So’ and to have another opportunity to write to you all. It was a pleasure to see so many familiar faces at the Alumnae Lunch in May, as well as meeting so many of you for the first time. Since I last wrote to you, our Community Music Centre has officially opened and has been used for a multitude of events - both our own and those of the local community. I know that many of you have had the opportunity to see the space for yourselves, but if you haven’t please do keep an eye on our events and come along. The 2

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acoustics really are incredible, and must be heard to be believed. In this edition of ‘To Read and So’, we share the stories of five alumnae whose classes range from the years of 1964 to 2010 – quite a time span! They have all gone on to make their own positive stamp on the world, each with a unique story. These extraordinary women have influenced business globally, have written and starred in brilliant comedy series and have undertaken extensive research into multiple species living in the world’s oceans. We also speak to the Patel sisters, who have all gone on to work in the NHS and to do important work.

I’m also pleased to share with you some of our creative endeavours over the past year, including our immersive theatre performance and our Sixth Form art exhibition. We have included a fantastic selection of poetry written by current pupils, giving you a glimpse into life as a JAGS pupil. There’s even a poem about a headmistress, although I think she is entirely fictional! We always look to keep in touch with our Old Girls, both to keep you updated on life at JAGS, and to hear all about your journeys and the diverse paths you are taking. If you would like to tell us your own personal stories and share them with

Contents CANTADORA/THE FARM Page 4

TOXIC TIDE: CAN WE LIVE WITHOUT PLASTIC? Page 6

AN INTERVIEW WITH THE PATEL SISTERS Page 8

STEPHEN LAWRENCE WEEK Page 10

AN INTERVIEW WITH PAT HUTCHINGS Page 11

CATHERINE SHEPHERD Page 12

POETRY Page 14

PAMELA DUSU Page 16

AN INTERVIEW WITH HANNAH BLOWS Page 18

ALUMNAE LUNCH 2018 Page 20

JAGS JOURNEYS Page 22

OBITUARIES your peers, please do get in contact with our Marketing Team whose details can be found at the back of this magazine. For those of you who may not yet be aware, I want to take this opportunity to let you know that I will be stepping down as Headmistress of JAGS as of August 2020. I have been offered the post of High Master of St Paul’s School, London, and look forward to the unique opportunity of becoming the first female Head in their 500-year history. I have very much enjoyed my time at JAGS and will be sorry to leave such a vibrant and inspiring community of pupils, alumnae and

staff. The Governing Body are now in the process of recruiting a new Headteacher who will continue to champion the values that JAGS embodies. We will, of course, keep you all updated. I look forward to catching up with many of you over this coming year, and I do hope you enjoy this edition of the magazine.

Page 23

BURSARY CAMPAIGN Page 25

A HISTORY OF JAMES ALLEN’S GIRLS’ SCHOOL Page 25

QUESTION TIME COMES TO JAGS Page 26

UPCOMING EVENTS Page 27

Sally-Anne Huang James Allen’s Girls’ School 144 East Dulwich Grove London SE22 8TE Telephone: 020 8693 1181 www.jags.org.uk

To Read & So…

CANTADORA/ THE FARM Many of you will remember the music block, beside the playing fields. Since we have opened the Community Music Centre, this building has been used by the art and drama departments for a variety of exciting projects to develop our students’ practice. At the end of last year, staff and pupils worked with Sectio Aurea, a local theatre company, to devise CANTADORA, a site-specific immersive theatre production. Culminating in four performances, it examined ways of introducing immersive site-specific work into the school environment. The project also involved working with practitioners from the wider community; performers, directors,

technicians and musicians from the world of theatre and art all lead workshops to help the pupils to devise the piece. Throughout the process, students were introduced to a range of working practices, choosing to develop their own specialism in writing, performance, technical theatre or even design. Whilst Year 9 drama students worked on the performance aspects within the space, the Sixth Form art students created pieces for their portfolios in response to this. The performance snatched the audience away from their everyday lives the minute they arrived. Never sure of the boundaries, upon arrival they were asked to sign indemnity

forms in case ‘any harm’ came to them during the performance, and they were also asked to wear protective suits and masks. They were split into groups, and lead into a laboratory environment with androids laid out on slabs. They then experienced an ‘emergency’, where they were rushed into the story world; the part inspired by the text and the idea of the collective subconscious with each member of the audience experiencing something unique. Commenting on the audiences’ reaction to being thrown out of their comfort zone, Simon Jermond, Director and drama teacher said, ‘it really pushed the boundaries of what the parents and audience were expecting from a school production, and even from theatre more widely. They seemed really delighted with what the girls had come up with.’ He added, ‘we’ve been incredibly lucky to use a style of theatre that few schools have access to, and the medium has allowed us to be really reactive to things that have been happening in the media. It’s a safe space for the pupils to explore those ideas and push their creative boundaries.’ Our Year 13 art students also used the space for their final show. Talking about her experience, Caitlin noted: ‘Working at The Farm has allowed me

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to extend my artwork practice making it larger and more immersive in scale. The room that I chose soon became the epicentre of my work, which became the location for the photoshoot, and where I later displayed the photos and the pieces for the exhibition. I think that being able to work and move through the space, and see how the other students were interpreting ‘The Farm’ in such different ways, feeding it into their work, really helped everyone push their artistic practice beyond the studio. The project also crossed over into the Drama department, who would be having lessons whilst we were all working in ‘The Farm’, and so in turn there became this fusion of departments making this immersive and collaborative environment.’ ‘My work explores the different ways and reasons that we, or society, tries to deform our skin – which I see as simply an extension of our ‘internal self’ brought to the surface. Through a process of casting from live models, and working into these casts with hard and soft materials I have created a series of wearable casts that exist as extensions of our inner selves. In my work I have taken on complex themes such as feminism, body image and societal pressures and expressed them in more accessible ways by relating them to something that every human can understand; their bodies. I have aimed to explore skin as material, medium and metaphor – being the visual representation of the centre of our character, it is the membrane that keeps the body, its parts and our character contained.’

‘My room became this scientific, hospital environment for the Drama production, ‘Cantadora’, which seemed extremely reflective of the work I was producing, and so whether I became inspired by the Drama departments script, or they became influenced by my casts – the result was this cohesive inter-department fusion of ideas. Just having access to such a space really boosted the level of this year’s artwork, as we were all able to step out

of the studio, take a look at what we had been making previously, evaluate it and then develop our practice in this fresh and exciting space.’ Most recently, we have been able to use the space to work with local schools. In June, Year 3 and 4 pupils from The Belham Primary School each spent a day at JAGS, working with art and drama teachers, as well as Year 8 pupils to develop a performance of The Wolves in the Walls. The pupils took part in workshops throughout the day, which included making their very own wolf masks, and each had a part to play in the production. Their parents were then invited at the end of the day to watch, and the pupils loved exploring the abandoned building and performing in their first immersive piece of theatre.

“The project also involved working with practitioners from the wider community; performers, directors, technicians and musicians from the world of theatre and art” To Read & So…

TOXIC TIDE: CAN WE LIVE WITHOUT PLASTIC? ANYA NASH, Y12 Plastic comes in all shapes and sizes from the things we see everyday, bags and packaging, to microplastics that are found in cosmetic products that most people use daily. It is because of this that plastic has been found in every known ecosystem on the planet. It is predicted that by 2050 there will be more plastic in the oceans than fish. This could change if we remove plastic from our lives. However, there is a huge economic backlash to that idea and would be very difficult to implement. Plastic is so problematic as it doesn’t biodegrade quickly; it takes about 450 years (although this varies with the type of plastic). The oldest plastics are about 120 years old and the majority of plastic is from the 1960s onwards as it became more widely used. This means that the plastics currently found on the planet are going to remain intact on Earth for at least 400 years. Human mismanagement of this incredible material we created has had disastrous impacts. 90% of birds have plastic in their stomachs and millions will die from the plastic in their stomach. The plastic does not break down so cannot pass out of the birds system. Consequently, they feel less hungry so don’t get the nutrients they need, as they don’t get as much food as their brain thinks that they do not need more food. Plastic is destroying life and ecosystems on our planet. So can we adapt to live without it? We could use bioplastics as an alternative as they are made from renewable biomass sources, e.g. vegetable fats and oils, food waste and woodchips. As of 2014 they made up 0.2% of the global polymer market. It is possible to use them in the same way as chemically organic plastics. They are known as commodity plastics as they are used in ways that benefit humans. For example food packaging and biodegradable utensils. Bioplastics leave a smaller energy footprint and do not contain BPA, which is a toxic substance that can be found in petroleum plastics. BPA can leach 6

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into food from packaging made from petroleum and causes complications especially during reproduction with offspring being born heavier and are more likely to be insulin resistant. Bioplastics are not totally beneficial to the environment, they do not always biodegrade faster than petroleum plastics. Additionally, they are difficult to dispose of correctly as consumers are unsure if their product is biodegradable or not. In fact they are associated with a number of environmental problems. It is known to cause eutrophication, when water is over-enriched by nutrients causing decay of plants, deoxygenation of water and consequently the death of the organisms it houses. However they are an alternative to traditional plastics and could be part of a number of substances that replace petroleum plastics. Due to the vast use of plastic we will need to replace plastic with a number of different materials in the different categories it dominates. Another alternative is paper and cardboard. This would replace plastic utensils, cups and bags as well

as others. This is better than plastic as the material is recyclable and trees can be a renewable resource if we plant and chop down at a sustainable rate. Paper cups generate 28% fewer greenhouse gases them plastic cups and plastic cups take 3650 times longer to biodegrade. This would point towards swapping paper for plastic being the easy option. However paper cups are heavier than plastic cups hence it requires more energy to transport. Furthermore plastic cups use half the amount of water in production than paper ones. In a world where the UK will not have enough water to meet demand by 2050 this is a key issue to take which may mean that people are less likely to move towards paper cups meaning plastic remains in our lives.

demand. A general decrease in the demand for oil globally would have serious consequences for countries like Saudi Arabia whose economies rely on oil. It is not just the source that is affected but the products would have to change. Toys, clothes, packaging and bags would have to change or disappear. This would mean all businesses concerned would be affected and have to stock or produce different things. Factories particularly would be affected by this change as the raw materials they are using differ and some of their processes must change. They may even have to adjust equipment. This is incredibly costly and may cause some smaller businesses a significant portion of their profit. Removing plastic from our lives causes economic damage on a global and a local scale and with the global economy still recovering from the 2008 crash removing a product that makes up around 3% of the global economy is unthinkable. Hence the removal plastic from our lives and consequently the global economy is not economically viable.

However, plastic is now so integrated into society and everyday life that to eliminate it from our lives would require huge social change, which would take years at least to implement and a huge change in social norm. The use of plastic would have to become a taboo and be frowned upon by the wider community. This requires a change in mind-set by the entire community that is difficult to accomplish de to the ethnic, socioeconomic, religious etc. diversity meaning that different groups have different priorities and opinions. Social cohesion is very difficult to achieve due to these factors. Particularly at present when there are so many political divisions bringing people together is harder than ever before. Consequently removing plastic from our lives is Overall the removal of plastic from our lives would a lot harder than initially believed. visually benefit the environment and in many ways would reduce pollution. However alternatives to plastic can be better for the environment in some cases but often they are worse for the environment in other ways meaning theoretically we could live without plastic but in reality alternatives may cause more problems than they solve. Furthermore the socio-economic factors mean that it is incredibly difficult to implicate this change in a way that will benefit everyone particularly the economy. Due to the difficulty in mobilising people and the immense backlash Furthermore there are huge economic complications that would come from countries and businesses alike of removing plastic from the global market. Petroleum trying to protect their business it is not plausible to live plastic comes from crude oil, which drives the global entirely without plastic. It is very easy and can make a economy. Oil shares are very expensive as the oil great impact to make smaller changes and this I believe business is so profitable and as it is in such high will be the way forward.

“plastic is now so integrated into society and everyday life that to eliminate it from our lives would require huge social change”

“Bioplastics leave a smaller energy footprint and do not contain BPA, which is a toxic substance that can be found in petroleum plastics.”

Bibliography: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plastic#Toxicity https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plastic_recycling https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plastic_pollution

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bioplastic#Environmental_impact https://www.creativemechanisms.com/blog/everything-you-need-to-know-about-bioplastics https://www.greenandgrowing.org/disposable-cups-paper-vs-plastic/

To Read & So…

AN INTERVIEW WITH:

THE PATEL SISTERS Nisha: Following my foundation training I volunteered in the refugee camps in Lesvos in 2015-2016. I then subsequently worked for a small charity and set up a dental clinic on the Greece/Macedonia border with the support of the military and health ministry. Following this, I completed a diploma in tropical medicine and hygiene.

“JAGS friends are the friends that no matter how much time you have not seen/spoken to them” Krupali: I did not always want to do medicine and did think about being a lawyer when young. However, when I was 15, I realised that I enjoyed the scientific subjects and the application of what we were taught to various questions. Medicine is essentially applying what you have been taught but also includes the ability to speak to different people every day, using your gut instinct and is fulfilling.

It was great to catch up with Trishna, Nisha and Krupali Patel, three sisters who all left JAGS in the early 2000s. They have all had fascinating and diverse careers in medicine so far, which we discuss with them below. Can you tell me a little about your careers so far? Did you always know that you wanted to do Medicine? Trishna: I knew from an early age that I wanted to do medicine and therefore spent my foundation years building on that. After completing Core Medicine, I spent some time out of programme working as an Acute Medical and Respiratory Registrar. I set up services for motor neurons disease patients that required respiratory input and for lung cancer patients with pleural effusions. I am now training in respiratory medicine. 8

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“I knew from an early age that I wanted to do medicine and therefore spent my foundation years building on that.” What does your work involve day-to-day? Trishna: Working in the NHS, it is very difficult to predict what will happen day-to-day. There is a variable mix of patients that will be acutely unwell and require respiratory support along with chest drains and rushing to clinic.

Nisha: The unpredictability of my day is similar to Trishs’, although my current specialty is largely focused on management of patients that have had acute strokes. This presents a unique challenge as many of my patients are unable to advocate for themselves. I think we all agree that we are learning something new almost every day. Krupali: My work is in Care of the Elderly and also varies from day to day. The majority of days structure around spending the morning seeing all the patients, reviewing their history, reviewing them clinically and dealing with any new problems that may happen. The afternoon is normally spent doing the jobs and updating their families. However, each day is different as emergencies can arise and patients will have different problems. You recently kindly helped out with our Sixth Form mock university entrance interviews. Can you tell us a little about that? What was it like returning to JAGS? It was a surreal experience for all of us. The school felt much smaller physically and yet we were truly humbled by the achievements of the JAGS girls that we were interviewing. It was fantastic to see the championing of women on the notice boards! We remember doing these interviews over 10 years ago and how scared we were, so being on the interviewer side was slightly mind boggling. Do you have any particularly fond memories of JAGS? Any highlights? Trishna: I am grateful for all the opportunities I was given and also being around such free-thinking teachers. Nisha: Being elected Head of House was a great experience which I learnt a lot from. This definitely showed me the importance of team work which I now apply on a regular basis at work. Krupali: My favourite memories of JAGS is spending the summer on the field or on the bridge in the sun, enjoying spending time with your friends etc. One of my highlights

is definitely bench-ball tournaments and the class singing competitions! I am not the most competitive but these contests always brought our class together which I loved. Do you keep in touch with any of your former classmates? Nisha: Yes! Both me and Trish have been bridesmaids for former JAGs girls and we are all still very close Krupali: I am still in touch with all of my close friends from JAGS despite that some of them now live abroad. JAGS friends are the friends that no matter how much time you have not seen/spoken to them, when you see them it easily falls back into no time has been lost at all. Did you have any favourite teachers? Mr Pattinson was a teacher that all three of us adored. Mr Wesson had the bad luck of having to deal with all three of us... Is there any advice that you would give to your teenage self? All: We would all unanimously agree on the phrase ‘it will all work out in the end’. We have learnt more about ourselves from the mistakes and failures that we have made along the way. Nisha: I wish I was told as a teenager to be kind to myself; being kind and recognising limitations is one of the most rewarding things I have ever learnt.

“we were truly humbled by the achievements of the JAGS girls that we were interviewing” To Read & So…

STEPHEN LAWRENCE WEEK In April, the school celebrated the life and legacy of Stephen Lawrence with a week of commemorative events. This included a programme of wide-ranging talks, lessons and events that explored themes such as justice, legal reforms, living in diverse societies and celebrating creativity and aspirations. Stephen Lawrence was born and grew up in South East London. Tragically, on 22 April 1993 at the age of 18, he was murdered in an unprovoked racist attack. A public inquiry into the handling of Stephen’s case was held in 1998, leading to the publication of the Macpherson Report, which has been called ‘one of the most important moments in the modern history of criminal justice in Britain,’ and led to profound cultural changes to attitudes on racism, to the law and police practice. The school welcomed a variety of speakers during the week. Stuart Lawrence, Stephen’s brother, led assemblies for both the Prep and Senior schools and Criminal Barrister Karen Walton of Drystone Chambers ran a session about Stephen Lawrence and the law. There was also a student-led assembly in which Sixth Form pupils explored what it means to ‘Live our Best Life’. Students and staff joined together one lunchtime to walk a mile in Stephen’s memory, wearing orange, which was his favourite colour. All donations received were sent to the Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust. Other activities included creating an art memorial in Stephen’s memory, reviewing landmark legal cases in lessons, studying the Windrush Generation and exploring Chris Ofili’s portrait of Doreen Lawrence, ‘No Woman, No Cry.’ In speaking about the week, Harin Turrell in Year 12 commented, ‘In light of the Stephen Lawrence Memorial Week, the History of Art department made a short film on Chris Ofili’s ‘No Woman No Cry’, depicting a crying 10

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Doreen Lawrence. ‘No Woman No Cry’ is a mixedmedia portrait made from less conventional materials such as glitter, map pins and elephant dung. Although it is based on Baroness Doreen Lawrence, the woman portrayed does not bear a physical resemblance to the actual mother of Stephen Lawrence. This is because Ofili intended for it to be a universal portrait exploring the themes of motherhood and grief. Our department was fortunate enough to meet Baroness Lawrence, and to show her the film we made about Ofili’s portrait. She kindly took the time to visit JAGS for the day and deliver talks to the entire school. We also learnt that she has since kept in contact with Chris Ofili who helped in designing the Stephen Lawrence centre.’ Daisy in Year 9, wrote the following: ‘The window display made as a memorial by all pupils in Year 7, 8 and 9 depicts inspirational architectural works on over three hundred vibrantly coloured leaf shapes. These drawings signify the future of design that Stephen had envisioned for himself, and the evident potential that he was unjustly robbed of. I think the aspect of the memorial which makes it so moving is how personal it is – the fact that is it representing the ambition and talent of one young man in particular is important. What has made the experience of contributing to the memorial so special is knowing that when people look at all of our leaves on this window, they will remember the lost talent of Stephen and be inspired in this message of creativity and hope.’ Dr Mark Fowle, Head of Politics at JAGS has made a significant contribution to creating and reviewing resources for schools across the country to learn of Stephen’s legacy. The resources, which include lesson plans and ideas for assemblies, are accessible to all age groups and provide teachers with the vital background to the key messages that are central to Stephen’s story and the lessons that can be learnt from it.

AN INTERVIEW WITH:

PAT HUTCHINGS Dr Pat Hutchings (Class of 1964) has lived in Australia for nearly fifty years, arriving after completing her PhD at the University of Newcastle on the reproductive biology of the sea worm. She successfully obtained a position as an Assistant Curator at the Australian Museum, Sydney (one of the oldest Natural History Museums in the world), and continued to work there until she retired in July 2016 as a Senior Principal Research Scientist. We spoke to Pat about her fascinating career and her memories of JAGS. Can you tell us a little more about your research? When I arrived in Australia in 1970, there were no polychaete (seaworm) biologists, no museum with a polychaete worker and Australia’s polychaete fauna was largely unknown. This seriously hampered benthic studies because polychaetes are diverse and abundant in virtually all marine and estuarine environments. So, I began to document Australian polychaete diversity and have described over 350 species new to science. As a result, while much remains to be done, we now have a strong polychaete research community in Australia. I have also been part of an advisory committee established by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Authority, to advise in the complete rezoning of the Great Barrier Reef. I’ve been heavily involved in producing reports which predict the status of the reef over the next 10, 20 and 50 years. Although you retired from the Australian Museum a few years ago, you are still very involved in various aspects of your previous work. What does this include? I am continuing to actively publish as well as supervising PhD students. My French student is arriving in October 2019 to work with me for nine months as part of his PhD, and a Polish student arrives in August for six weeks.

This year, I will be visiting a Professor in Malaysia for two weeks; running classes and providing advice on establishing a Malaysian Natural History Museum. I then go to Long Beach, California for an international polychaete conference which I initiated in 1983 in Sydney and has run every three years since in locations such as China, Brazil, Wales, USA, France, Iceland, and South Africa. I also edit a couple of international journals! It sounds like you are still incredibly busy with your work and research. Do you have time for any hobbies? We really enjoy sailing and we used to do ocean racing too. I regularly kayak and paddle board, and I used to play competitive squash and ski. I hope to ski again after knee surgery last year! I also enjoy gardening, growing veggies and cooking.

“I began to document Australian polychaete diversity and have described over 350 species new to science.” Do you have any memories from JAGS? Any favourite teachers? The most influential Mistress (as we called them) was Dr Peach who was very supportive and encouraged me to go on field trips before I went to University. I will always remember Miss McCleod, who taught zoology. She was deeply religious and could not accept evolution – slightly problematic for a zoology teacher! Do you keep in touch with any classmates? Yes, I have kept in touch with Christine Alley (nee Chapman) who lives in New York - we have met up in Sydney and in USA. I also caught up with Gillian Kilpatrick (nee Hudson) in Cardiff in 2016 and she visited me in Sydney in 2018.

To Read & So…

CATHERINE SHEPHERD Catherine Shepherd (class of 1994) has built a successful career as a writer, actor and director. Most recently, Catherine starred in Sally4Ever with Julia Davis, and has also starred in well-known comedies such as Peep Show, Cardinal Burns and Ruddy Hell! It’s Harry and Paul. She spoke to To Read and So about her multi-hyphen career and her memories of JAGS.

That is the crucial difference about my work, that I could sit down and write a script and come up with the ideas, even if I’m not getting paid in the beginning, and that’s really empowering. It’s a rollercoaster, but I’m really happy. Now I can’t imagine having a normal job. I’m used to that lifestyle and things come up more and more frequently. It’s less terrifying than it was!

Did you always know that you wanted to work in comedy? After I left JAGS, I studied English and Italian at Edinburgh University. I loved it, it was brilliant. We had a very vibrant student theatre there, so I did lots of theatre and comedy; starring in various shows. We did our shows every year during the Edinburgh Fringe at our union. From doing the Fringe I managed to get an agent at the end of my fourth year, and thought I’d try and make this work as a job. Of course, it was not that straight forward. It’s very difficult, the first few years and subsequently to make it a consistent job. It comes and goes, sometimes you have an amazing few months, and then it goes quieter. I did lots of other things as well; temp jobs, bits and pieces. I worked in Damien Hirst’s studio making replica pills for his exhibitions - that kind of creative freelance stuff, which is notoriously insecure. I didn’t exactly have a career plan, but I kept going. Maybe that was the major difference. Other people fall away, I think they get tired of not having that security and I managed to keep going. Then slowly you do more and more, and you get better at what you’re doing - I don’t think I realised that was a thing either. The work starts to stable a bit more and you find that you are being asked to work with people that you really admire and one thing leads to another.

What’s next for you? I’ve written a feature film which I’m hoping to direct next year. It will be an enormous challenge, but I’m really up for it. The BFI have commissioned the script and that’s finished, so hopefully I’ll be directing that. I’ve done one short film before, with Olivia Colman, and I loved doing that, much more than I expected. I loved editing and post-production – these were new aspects to the whole process which helped me to see things differently.

How would you describe the work that you do dayto-day? I’d definitely describe my career as multi hyphenated. In comedy, everyone is a hyphen and I really like that. Lots of people write, lots of people direct, make films, make short films, animations. I don’t even mind which role I’m doing in any particular job, so long as the people are interesting and the work is good. I like having two or three months on my own, working on writing for example, and not having to interact. Then that gets a bit lonely, and you want a social side and something collaborative. Then that becomes really exciting, but that only ever lasts for six or seven weeks.

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Can you tell me about any fond memories of JAGS? I have so many fond memories of JAGS! I had a really happy time. I loved art lessons, especially life drawing. Sally [Hawkins] and I, and lots of other friends, had such a good time doing it. It was such a good class; it was hard work but you’d come out elated. It felt like you were at art school, and we were treated like we were adults. All of the teachers pushed us to do our absolute best, I really remember that. It had a big impact on all of us. I also remember the comradery, good friends who are still my really good friends. There was a lot of laughing! Did you have any favourite teachers? Mr Dunford, the art teacher, was amazing. Everyone I know from my era at JAGS talks about him with real reverence. He was also just a fantastic painter. I went to the Slade to do a Summer School, about 10 years ago, and just from my pictures someone asked whether I was taught by Mark Dunford at JAGS! Mr Putley in Physics was also great. I wasn’t particularly good at science or maths, but he managed to get me an A in my GCSE.

“Mrs Wakely was incredible. She spoke like Tony Benn and taught us about European History, which I’ve been thinking about a lot recently.”

Catherine Shepherd

To Read & Soâ&#x20AC;¦

POETRY Dulwich Gothic

by Poppy Thwaites, Year 13 The word of the week appears on Monday: It is presbisestablishmentationism. You’re not sure that’s a word; You read the definition to understand; You do not understand. You stare at the word to work out how to say it; The letters have changed. You still do not understand. The sofas in the Sixth Form block are older than the school itself; They are starting to grow furry. Sixth Form Council was today You cry and scream for them to be replaced, But when you go in, there is a toaster and a pool table. The sofas stare at you, accusingly. They know. You sit down and an identifiable stain blinks at you as you do so. They know, and they will not let you win. The bake sale is today; The tables have appeared. There is cake. Nobody has baked a cake and yet there is cake. The bell for rec rings You blink and suddenly there is no cake Only crumbs and the tables remain. The bells ring for slightly too long, The lessons end and they ring And ring and ring and ring;

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They do not stop ringing. You have learnt to blank out the bells, They ring even when no one is here. Every year the Year Sevens get smaller, You know they are, if you are not getting any taller. Your year was eleven years old and tiny. This year they are eight years old at most, Their heads come to your waist. Next year they will be smaller than their backpacks They swarm, a hive mind. A sixth former looms through the corridors, a shark among swarming minnows, Tiny swimming minnows, Swarms of them, year seven minnows. They wear lanyards round their necks, Why Nobody knows why. You go to the Deep End to buy a cheese toastie and a cookie. The cookies were 40p last week, Now they are £1.50. Next week they will cost a full term’s fees. You spend rec calculating the monetary value of your first born child. You don’t know how you’re going to finance this. You sign your soul over to the dinner lady, sobbing And impassive, she hands you a cookie. You take the cookie.

Headmistress

Old Jim, former Head of PE

Gullible children thought she lived at school Inside her head was a raging whirlpool.

On a dusty sofa, watching TV Sat old Jim, a former Head of PE, Gazing back upon a life far away, One he loved and remembered every day, Of bats and balls and laughter, fun and noise, Of playful girls and cheeky happy boys. Now he’s hunched with his muscles growing weak, One so strong and bold, not so mild and meek.

by Niamh Atwal, Year 7

Living two different lives, by day and by night, And surely you’d think that that wasn’t right. Scary and strict, she was straight as a pin, Tall as a pole and twice as thin. Dizzily excited, keen for the bell, Singing to herself as sweet as caramel. Oh! How she longed for her evenings of dance! Twirl, joy and spin in a hypnotic trance. The twinkle of her aquatic blue eyes, And her rosy red cheeks should win first prize. Her dress code at work, so confined by rules, Muted, monochrome banishing all jewels. Alive with the stars, fizzing with passion, Bright neon colours, the queen of fashion.

by Olivia Gaspar, Year 7

His eyes were fading, dullish blue They didn’t sparkle like they used to do, He now has a tummy where once he was lean, Too much beer, not enough fresh greens. His face was ungroomed, full of spiky grey hairs, His teeth were unbrushed, a poor state of affairs. His baggy tracksuit was stained the knees Even his sweatshirt had holes in the sleeves. With glasses all greasy, perched on his nose, With nothing to do he often would doze. Fifty press ups each morning – he had a strong core, Now when he tries he ends up on the floor. A champion scorer, the top of his game A role model, a teacher of considerable fame, He misses his old job at the school up the road, But now his legs have significantly slowed. ‘It’s time I got out and got active again A pilgrimage to Canterbury would help me amend.’ So he found his old trainers, smartened his clothes, He tried a few press ups, and touched his toes. From London to Canterbury is an awful long way But he walked and he walked day after day. He drew quite a crowd who encouraged him on, He became fitter and stronger and his stride grew long. After six weeks and a day he had finished his schlep New purpose in life and a spring in his step. He has proved himself you’re never too old, To do what you love and always be bold.

To Read & So…

PAMELA DUSU Pamela Dusu (class of 1999) has a stellar legal background, having read Law at the University of Cambridge and worked in various global firms. She has lived and worked in the UK, USA, Africa and Hong Kong. Born in the UK to Ghanaian parents, Pam expertly intertwines her Ghanian heritage and British sensibilities to bring an Afropolitan perspective to her work. She spoke to To Read and So about campaigning for more diversity at Cambridge University, and her fascinating career so far. Can you tell us about what you did when you left JAGS? I did a three-year Law degree at Robinson College, Cambridge. I always worked very hard when I was at JAGS; I had an academic scholarship during the Sixth Form and I really pushed myself. I was excited about being challenged further at Cambridge but it was nothing like I’ve ever experienced – it was such hard work. It was very intense, especially doing Law. It’s heavy on workload, heavy on the amount you have to read and the information you have to absorb. Having said that, it was an amazing place to be; the people, the brand, the experience. You feel very proud to be part of something so unique. However, it was always very clear to me that diversity wasn’t something that was very abundant at Cambridge. Coming from JAGS, I always felt the school had a great mix of different cultures, with girls from all backgrounds. Cambridge was nothing like that.

“I was excited about being challenged further at Cambridge but it was nothing like I’ve ever experienced”

James Allen’s Girls’ School

“Coming from JAGS, I always felt the school had a great mix of different cultures, with girls from all backgrounds.”

You were heavily involved in driving campaigns to improve diversity at Cambridge. Can you tell us about that? In our year group, starting in 2000, there were only eight British born African-Caribbean students. The numbers were really, really low. I got involved in a lot of different campaigns, predominantly one that is called ‘Access Now’. I was helping at open days for kids coming from various schools, as well as helping them with applications. We did many anti-racism campaigns at both College level and University level – it was very important to me. In 2004, I featured in a BBC documentary series called ‘Black Ambition.’ Cameras followed the stories of eight Afro-Caribbean students during our final year at Cambridge to see whether the experience there had given us a boost at the beginning of our careers. It was a great experience and I got a lot of positive feedback from people but I can’t help but feel that they could have gone further with it – it wasn’t clear what they were trying to say and the message got lost. And do you think that diversity at Cambridge has improved? I think the saddest thing is that the conversation is still exactly the same as when I was there nearly 20 years ago. I don’t think the numbers have increased very much at all. I know that my friends who I was on these committees with, that I’m still friends with now, all have the same sentiment and we all feel so sad. I do think that Stormzy’s initiative is a good idea; I’m really, really glad to see things like that happening. However, more needs to be done from an educational level by the government.

More needs to be done from the Cambridge end too, more access schemes etc. It’s a multi-faceted problem that needs more than one solution. Can you tell me about your career so far? How did you decide what to specialise in? I am a Project Finance Lawyer. There are lots of different specialisms within the practice of law, and what I do is quite specific. I joined a large international law firm and trained for two years, rotating through different departments, mostly with finance elements. I specifically picked Project Finance as my area of expertise because emerging markets were exhibiting rapid growth. Africa in particular was quite exciting, and has remained so. I knew that it would be a good area to go into, focusing on funding and developing large scale energy and infrastructure projects. I started off doing oil and gas deals, then I moved on to do more power deals. I also combined this with some infrastructure practice, things such as transport, roads, bridges etc. At my second law firm, I joined a team in which 80% of our deals were in Africa. I chose to take a corporate solicitor route as opposed to becoming a barrister so that I could work in a team. I’m a real people person so I get invigorated by having other people around me. There was also great scope for international travel which was a strong attraction for me. The other pull was being able to marry legal advice with commercial advice. Some of the best lawyers become trusted advisors to their clients, rather than just looking at everything from a legal perspective, and that’s definitely something that interests me.

To Read & So…

AN INTERVIEW WITH

HANNAH BLOWS Hannah Blows left JAGS in 2010, before completing a Foundation Diploma in Art and Design at Camberwell College of Arts. She then went on to study Graphic Design at the University of Brighton. We caught up with Hannah to discuss life after JAGS and working on multiple projects simultaneously. Can you tell me a little about your career so far? I always wanted to be an artist, which to me meant making things all the time, so I guess I am broadly fulfilling this vision, but under different labels. When I finished my degree at Brighton I worked with Andersen M Studio, primarily making paper models for stop-frame animations. They also asked if I could make them a new website, and so I taught myself web programming in order to do that. That one website led to lots more freelance web design and development work, and I’ve have had a consistent flow of interesting projects for creative individuals, or small collectives and businesses since then. This year I’ve taken a job with Animorph; a co-operative social enterprise that develops augmented and virtual reality solutions addressing medical and social challenges. Initially my focus is on communication and design, but I’m looking forward to learning some programming for these media too. It is really fulfilling to contribute to multiple aspects of a larger initiative, with fantastic people, and on projects that have a positive social impact. Since I left university I have also been contributing to STRIKE! Magazine, a political print publication. Someone from the magazine saw my work at the Brighton end of year show, and invited me in to design layouts and illustrations. I then co-designed the magazine for a few years, and we are now in the process of changing the 18

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entire format and direction of the project. There’s lots to do but we are excited to be re-launching soon! Alongside all of this, I try to bring my skills to two other projects I am engaged in; a Community Land Trust in South London called CASH, which seeks to bring housing, working and social spaces into the ownership of the community; and Sun Co-op, a housing co-operative organising to develop purpose-built communal housing and work space. What does your work involve day-to-day? When I started out I used to work mostly from home, but now I work from Space4, a cooperatively owned and run co-working space, either on the freelance web design and development projects that I manage, or working with Animorph. The majority of the time I’m either writing, researching, designing, coding, or talking with people. I’ve enjoyed working freelance as a developer, as it rolls project managing, designing, and programming all into one, though it can be challenging going between multiple roles. One day a week I work on STRIKE! from MayDay Rooms, a radical political archive on Fleet Street, posting orders of back issues of the magazine, meeting potential contributors, designing, plotting, and generally re-shaping the project. Do you have any particularly fond memories of JAGS? The common rooms, corridors, and art rooms stand out in my mind, as my favourite memories of JAGS are those of being with my friends, and these are places much of

the talking/laughing/singing occurred. Throughout sixth form, groups of us would go to work in the art rooms after school, and this pretty much daily therapeutic wind down of making and chatting forms a special set of memories for me. Do you keep in touch with any of your former classmates? Yes, I’m still very close with a couple of pals; talking most days and meeting up regularly. Larger groups of us get

together a handful of times a year, and it is always lovely to see everyone, and hear how they’re doing. Did you have any favourite teachers? The whole art department is a treasured troop. Aside from the delight of making, each of them shared something with me that has resonated beyond the art rooms; especially the ephemeral but invaluable self-confidence to develop my own insights, and to share my perspectives.

“Throughout sixth form, groups of us would go to work in the art rooms after school, and this pretty much daily therapeutic wind down of making and chatting forms a special set of memories for me.” Photo by: Lili K. Féheri

To Read & So…

ALUMNAE LUNCH 2019

James Allen’s Girls’ School

Thanks to all the alumnae that attended our lunch in May this year. It was great to see so many past pupils including a large contingent from both 1989 and 1994!

To Read & Soâ&#x20AC;Ś

JAGS JOURNEYS Fay Hankins (nee Bryant), class of 1951 Before my life changing time at JAGS, my education interrupted by illness and evacuation, meant that at the age of eight I could neither read nor write, which gave me a difficult start. Returning from evacuation due to illness just as the London Blitz began, all the state schools were closed except JAGS. So we applied and a crash course in reading and simple maths followed before my interviews. Amazingly I got in. Failing at GSC level with only four passes, I left feeling an absolute failure age 16. I’d longed to go to art school, but without the necessary qualifications, it was decided that I’d do a secretarial course -the idea of which I really loathed. Despite four excellent jobs in five years (Jaeger, Midland Bank Head office, Aeroservices, Notaries Public) I was not happy. I married at 21, had three talented children and stayed at home until they were all at school. Moving to Ditchling in 1967 from Brighton where I had been working as a shorthand typist, I had a major operation, which did not go well necessitating three months complete rest. While recovering I noticed an advert in the village post office window: ‘Wanted: Someone to weave. Good eyesight & patience. Training will be given. Ring this number’ Intrigued, I applied and arriving at the house I was met by a reserved man of few words speaking with a thick Polish accent. He showed me to a loom, previously 22

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warped up and then gave me the briefest instruction on how to operate it. On the table beside it were a variety of yarns and objects, which I was to insert as the weft. He then pointed to a hanging on the wall and said ‘like this’ and left me alone for 3 hours! When he returned and looked at the result he said, ‘can you start on Monday morning?’ I quickly decided to accept. Little did I know that he was Tadek Beutlich, an internationally known fibre artist and weaver who sold and taught in Britain, Europe, America and Australia. He needed someone to train to his unique style that he’d be able to leave when he was away travelling and working. It was a marvellous experience and so after six years I was devastated when he said that he was moving to Spain with his family. I could not even contemplate returning to shorthand typing and decided to risk setting up my own workshop at home. I could not just copy Tadek’s work and so began a long period of experimentation. Cutting a long story short, I began showing my wall hangings locally and was surprised when invitations quickly followed and I also diversified into fashion fabrics. A London PR woman offered to represent me, which brought me orders from Liberty’s of London and well known fashion designers. A successful solo exhibition of my wall hangings in Stratford-upon-Avon brought further commissions and opportunities from galleries all over Britain and Europe. I know I had extraordinary luck. I’d had no idea that I had an aptitude for weaving but I took the risk. And it opened a whole new world for me.

Heather Westrup (nee Wells) 1941 to 1949 After leaving JAGS and following a couple of years in secretarial jobs, Heather spent 5 years working for the BBC as a Studio Manager in the drama department. In 1960 she married Terry Westrup and the relocated to Geneva where he worked for CERN. Whilst in Geneva, they had two daughters. On their return to the UK, Heather trained to be a primary school teacher but soon they were off again to spend 5 years on the Italian Riviera where Heather taught in a small NATO school, mostly working with children whose language was not English. In 1975 they moved to Holland where Heather because a senior English Language teacher for the British Council. In ‘85, following Terry’s sad early death, Heather returned to the UK, but was off again to complete her Master’s in

Applied Linguistics at Concordia University in Montreal. This was followed by a series of assignments in various countries including Canada, Holland, Cameroon, Pakistan, Malaysia and Siberia, where she taught English to staff at the Ministry of Health. Concurrently, she worked for VSO helping to prepare volunteers before their departure to assignments in foreign parts and in 2000 at the age of 66, she herself became a VSO volunteer in Vietnam. She has written some books for language teachers and now, at 85, is active with u3a, teaching Italian and as their National Language Adviser giving advice and running workshops around the country on language teaching methodology. She lives in Chorleywood and keeps in contact with Jean Taylor (nee Dowsett) her dear friend and tennis partner at JAGS.

OBITUARIES: Susan Williams (nee Reed), class of 1952 passed away late last year.

Julie Evans (nee Meynink), class of 1961 died at Easter time.

Emma Langley, class of 2007 died on 6th December 2018. She left JAGS aged 17 and went onto study Anthropology at Sussex University.

Nimmi (Narayanee) Eliott (nee de Mendonca), class of 2001, passed away on 15th April 2019

Doreen Hilda May Heath (nee Weston), class of 1932 After attending primary school in Brixton, Doreen was awarded a scholarship to JAGS. She attended annual school reunions up to her late eighties and in late 1997 was one of just 6 Scholar’s Fund girls to be invited to submit an article for a special edition of JAG’s school magazine, which was launching a new Scholar’s Fund. Doreen, who was a scholar at the school between 1927 and 1933, said:

‘I went to JAGS in 1927 on a Junior County Scholarship provided by the then London County Council. I left in 1933 and took up a post in the Public Library. Going to Jags was a revelation. After attending a grim elementary school in the Brixton area, the spacious buildings and the playing fields were from a different world. What I value most from my education there, however, are the pointers shown to me to ideas and interests. These have had a lasting influence and made pleasant my leisure time.’ Doreen married Richard Heath in January 1974, living in Steatham and finally in a lovely maisonette in Caterham. Richard and Doreen shared a great interest in history, classical music and European countries with Florence being Doreen’s favourite city. Both were also active members of the National Trust. Doreen was a great correspondent and made a number of friends whilst on her travels whom she kept in regular contact. One of these was Jean Levin whom she met on her first day at Jags then living in Israel and who at the age of 99 did a university course on archeology. Jean died last year aged 101. Doreen was always very independent, with lifetime socialist views and a strong sense of social justice.

To Read & So…

Margaret Hudson (nee Denning), class of 1940 died on 29th January 2019 at the age of 95. A sporty, rebellious schoolgirl she creatively embraced new projects throughout her life: being married to Gerald, a priest, she took an active part in parish life, she was a pioneer in the teaching of dyslexic children, built a timber framed eco house in 1975, created a magnificent garden, learnt to play the piano aged 90, wrote memoirs, communicated with her 5 children, 10 grandchildren and 8 great grandchildren using social media, enjoyed the theatre and cinema and also kept abreast of the latest fiction. She was an inspiration to all who met her.

Dr Claudine Tyson, class of 1948 As we all crowded into The Greyhound Inn at Staple Fitzpaine to see who bought Otterford Mill in, I think about 1989, there was a lady with blonde hair bouncing up and down with excitement in the front row. The blonde lady bouncing was no other than Dr Claudine Tyson who said that more than 70,000 miles had been searched to find such a project. Claudine had been a GP with her own practice in Putney and had decided to take an early retirement mostly due to the fact that she had been involved in an accident. Claudine set about the rebuilding of the Mill with an enthusiasm that many would have found daunting. She lived in a caravan on site and researched everything in the minutest detail and contacted those of the highest skills to work on the property. The roof which was in a ‘bit of a state’ was redone with something like forty tons of Welsh slate and cut to the sizes that would show the true perspective as it goes up the roof. The flag stones were all treated, under supervision of English Heritage, with acids to remove whatever it was that was not quite so good and replaced with something that would preserve them for ever. This work necessitated her (and her terriers) walking the plank to keep their feet off the acid. Claudine did not stop with the Mill, she continued by having the cobbles lifted and re-laid evenly and having found a painting by Miss Tyrrell (formerly of Higher Whatley

James Allen’s Girls’ School

Farm) showing a barn on the side of the road considerably taller than it was at the time, she set about having that rebuilt too. Claudine always said that she was a poor gardener with no knowledge at all – again with much reading and studying she made a garden of which many of us could be truly envious. Despite this amazing task, Claudine found time to be a member of the Bishopswood Ladies, learn to play bridge, a member of the Yarty Gardening Club, and to become the Neighbourhood Watch coordinator. Sadly, Claudine’s health deteriorated and she had to move from the Mill to Nynehead Court to be nursed and lived there for four and a half years before sadly dying on 22nd November 2018. Kindly written by Edwina Wakley, a former neighbour of Claudine’s.

Jean Hanmer (nee Drury), class of 1936 She had a fulfilling life: head girl at JAGS, BA from Bedford College, geography teacher, local councillor, one of the founders & supporters of her local community centre, local preacher in the Methodist Church for 60 years, mother of four children, grandmother, & great-grandmother, who was still reading the Guardian cover to cover in her 99th year. She had a great zest for life, always interested in people, community, & politics.

Patricia Proctor, taught at JAGS from 1967-1985 ‘I extended my teaching of art and needlework to cookery and was Head of Home Economics for many years and also Senior Mistress. During my years of teaching, I took school parties abroad at Easter for just on 21 years all told. For 15 of those years, we cruised on the educational ship, the SS Uganda, of which so many of us have such fond memories. We were on board when the ship was requisitioned for the Falklands War.’ Patricia sadly passed away late last year.

NURTURING TALENT: A SIMPLE BUT AMBITIOUS PLAN JAGS has always been generous with bursaries. Now the school is preparing to do more. Plans are underway for a major, long-term bursary fundraising campaign. The aim? To reach a position where no girl academically suited for JAGS is denied a place because her parents cannot afford it. The benefits for girls awarded bursaries are obvious. But there are two further important reasons behind the ambitious scheme. Firstly, there is a consensus among staff, governors and parents that the school gains as a whole by having a diverse pupil population. Secondly, the bursary scheme enables JAGS to forge even stronger links with the local community.

Currently, 17% of JAGS girls receive financial assistance. The forthcoming campaign will give alumnae the opportunity to support deserving girls with donations from a few pounds a month upwards. Headmistress, Sally-Anne Huang comments: ‘Wide participation is a key aim for us. It would be lovely to see a really significant percentage of old girls being part of this - each at a level that suits them.’

Find out more

The campaign is set for formal launch within the next year, but the school welcomes early support from alumnae. So, please contact the Marketing team if you would like to find out more and discuss a possible donation - marketing@jags.org.uk

A HISTORY OF JAMES ALLEN’S GIRLS’ SCHOOL It’s been 400 years since Edward Alleyn founded Dulwich College and without the College, JAGS wouldn’t exist as it does today. So we are delighted to present a brand new publication celebrating the history of our school. This large format hard back book (120 pages) will be available in the new year and costs £25. Jam-packed with photos from the JAGS archive and written by former Head of History, Corrine Barton, the book kicks off from our humble beginnings in the back room of a pub in Dulwich Village and ends in the present day. If you would like to order one in advance, please contact marketing@jags.org.uk

To Read & So…

QUESTION TIME COMES TO JAGS In November, the BBC flagship programme Question Time came to JAGS, after Ms Stack, Headteacher of the Prep School, put the Vaughan Williams Auditorium forward as a potential venue. It was the first time that the nation’s most popular political debate programme had been filmed in Dulwich, and local residents were encouraged to apply to be a part of the audience on the evening. Throughout the day, Year 12 Drama & Politics students were lucky enough to take part in various rehearsals with the production team. Two of the students who took part, Zara and Lexi, offer their reflections: ‘I sat on the panel in the place where the Irish MEP Mairead McGuinness would sit later that evening. I was asked whether a second referendum on the Brexit deal would undermine democracy. I felt very important as people in the room wanted to hear what I thought. David Dimbleby was charming and down to earth. He was very interested in us and asked each of us what we wanted to be when we were older. The experience has made me more interested in a career in politics, however, it has also convinced me that democracy is slow and ugly, but essential. I think it is impressive how the panellists compose themselves in front of the audience. Overall, I think Question Time is part of British culture. It simultaneously helps you keep up with current affairs yet also amuses you due to the variety of colourful characters in the audience.’ - Zara, Year 12 26

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‘Ten girls, along with Miss McDonald, got the chance to go behind the scenes of Question Time to see how the production team make the production appear so seamless on our screens. It was an amazing opportunity as we had the chance not just to get a look at all the cameras, but to talk to the Director of the show, Rob Hopkin, as well. During the tech run, we were allowed into the big broadcasting van which contained over 20 screens showing the different angles of the Vaughan Williams Auditorium where Question Time was being filmed, as well as other BBC channels live on air. We watched the camera checks and half of our group acted as both the audience and the politicians for the night in the ‘studio’. We even had the rare opportunity of seeing Mr Luttick smile! We also listened over the group communications and all the crew were cracking jokes and having fun, subsequently making the rest of us laugh too.’ - Lexi, Year 12

“we were allowed into the big broadcasting van which contained over 20 screens showing the different angles of the Vaughan Williams’ Auditorium”

EVENTS JOIN US My Penguin Year: Life with the Emperors by Lindsay McCrae in association with Village Books Sunday 3rd November - 3.00pm VWA

Remembrance Service Sunday 10th November - 10:50am Christ’s Chapel

Autumn Concert Thursday 14th November - 7.00pm VWA

Joint Chapel Lunchtime Concert Wednesday 20th November - 1.30pm Christ’s Chapel

‘Legally Blonde’ Senior Production Wed 27, Thurs 28, Fri 29 & Sat 30 Nov - 7.30pm Prissian Theatre

Christmas Concert Thursday 5th December - 7.00pm VWA

Spring Concert Wednesday 18th March - 7pm VWA

Christmas Carols Monday 9th December - 7.30pm Southwark Cathedral

Alumnae Tea Party for the class of 1940 & 1950 22nd April - time tbc Holst Hall

Come and Sing! Community Carols Tuesday 10th December - 7.30pm VWA

Alleynian Blues Lunchtime Concert Wednesday 15th January - 1.30pm Christ’s Chapel

Music Scholar’s Lunchtime Concert Friday 6th March - 1.15pm St Bride’s, Fleet Street

Friday Night Live! (Jazz) Friday 19th June - 7pm Holst Hall

Founder’s Day Saturday 27th June - 1.30pm JAGS

Founder’s Concert Tuesday 30th June - 7.00pm VWA

Keep an eye on the JAGS website for more information on all events.

GET IN TOUCH

We always look to keep in touch with our alumnae so we can keep them updated on life at JAGS but more importantly so we can hear all about your journeys. If you would like to tell us your own personal stories and share them with your peers, please do get in touch with our Marketing Team by emailing: marketing@jags.org.uk To Read & So…

James Allen’s Girls’ School 144 East Dulwich Grove, London SE22 8TE Telephone: 020 8693 1181 www.jags.org.uk