To Read and So 2020 by JAGS School

TO READ & SO... The Alumnae Magazine of James Allen’s Girls’ School OCTOBER 2020

TO READ AND SO... 2019/20

I am pleased to have this opportunity to write to you all and say goodbye properly. I don’t think any of us could have predicted all that has happened since I wrote the introduction to this magazine last year, and it was disappointing to have to cancel events that we normally welcome our alumnae to, including our alumnae tea party, music concerts and Founder’s Day.

Staff and pupils have faced unique challenges over the last term and a half, as many of us have, and I am exceptionally proud of the JAGS community once again. They have demonstrated kindness, empathy and resilience throughout this period, and made the most of opportunities available to them. There is a feature later in this magazine all about our remote learning during lockdown, and I hope that you will find this interesting.

Therefore it just remains for me to say thank you to you all for your warmth and kindness over the past five years. 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, which it has been a privilege to be a part of. I know JAGS will be in safe hands with Alex Hutchinson and I wish you all success, health and happiness now and in the future. Sally-Anne Huang

I am delighted to be able to introduce the latest issue of To Read and So and to have the opportunity to introduce myself to you all. I have been very encouraged by the warm welcome from pupils, staff, parents and alumnae so far, so thank you for that. I very much look forward to meeting many of you in due course. My journey to the Headship at JAGS has seen me hold a wide range of roles. After an initial foray into co2

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education teaching Chemistry at Clifton College, I began teaching in all-girls’ schools in 2001 and have been a passionate advocate of all-girls’ education throughout my subsequent career. Following time as Head of Science at St Mary’s Ascot, I became Head of Sixth Form at Central Newcastle High School, spent a wonderful year teaching Chemistry at JAGS, then moved to become Head of Sixth Form at Wimbledon High School. From here I moved as Deputy Head to Woldingham, where I became Headmistress in September 2016.

Those of you following this carefully may find it an unusual geographical route around the UK. The explanation is a simple one, and involves juggling two burgeoning careers in education as my husband, Chris, and I followed our routes to Headship. Chris has been the Head at Royal Russell School since 2011 and it is a pleasure for us now to be both settled in South London. There are no plans for any further moves! Outside school I have been a lifelong sports enthusiast and, until very

Contents CELEBRATING GIRLS IN EDUCATION Page 4

JAGS JOURNEYS Page 6

HEAD GIRLS’ FAREWELL Page 7

ARE WE ENTERING A NEW PERIOD IN WORLD HISTORY? Page 8

AN INTERVIEW WITH: PHOEBE ECLAIR POWELL recently, played competitive hockey in the Surrey league. Cricket is my other great sporting passion which alongside hill walking, cycling and tending the vegetable patch, means any time spent in the fresh air is a joy. I am an avid reader, a cryptic crossword fanatic and an enthusiastic (but rarely tuneful) member of occasional choral ensembles.

edition of To Read and So, we share the stories of five alumnae who are pursuing interesting and diverse careers, including an athlete, a playwright and a doctor. They have all been generous in sharing their stories with us, and particularly how the pandemic has affected their work.

We also take a look back from some the highlights of the past academic year. There’s a feature on the Girls in My year spent in the Chemistry Education celebrations that were held department at JAGS in 2011/12 was in September 2019, as well as a piece an extremely happy one. I discovered on some of the most memorable a fantastic body of eager and parts of remote learning for the curious students, a committed and inspirational team of staff and a diverse JAGS community. community working together for a We always seek to keep in touch with clear common goal. To return here our Old Girls and staff members and as Head is nothing short of a dream we would love to hear of any news come true. I do, however, arrive as you have, whether it be personal Head in unprecedented times as the school comes back together following or professional. We are very much the period of UK school closures. Our hoping that we will be able to hold events at the school in the near future immediate priority is to rebuild and which we would love for you to attend reconnect as a community. We will where possible. all have been affected by this global pandemic in different ways and JAGS I look forward to meeting many of you will, without doubt, do what it does over this coming year, and I do hope best and wrap up each individual in the warmth and care of its community. you enjoy this edition of the magazine. In keeping with the theme of this extraordinary community, within this

Mrs Alex Hutchinson

Page 10

CHARITY SPOTLIGHT: ART HISTORY LINK-UP Page 12

AN INTERVIEW WITH: FAARIA KHAN Page 14

AN INTERVIEW WITH: ANNA BRIGHTMAN Page 16

AN INTERVIEW WITH: KATIE SNOWDEN Page 18

REMOTE LEARNING HIGHLIGHTS Page 20

AN INTERVIEW WITH: DR DOMINIQUE WARREN Page 23

OBITUARIES Page 26

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

To Read & So…

400 ANNIVERSARY TH

CELEBRATING GIRLS IN EDUCATION

JAGS and St Saviour's and St Olave's pupils perform with dance collective Feet off the Ground

In September 2019, JAGS held two weeks of events celebrating girls in education. Last year marked the 400th anniversary of Edward Alleyn’s charitable foundation, The College of God’s Gift, without which Central Foundation Girls’ School, James Allen’s Girls’ School and St Saviour’s and St Olave’s School would not exist as they do today. In order to celebrate this milestone anniversary, the three girls’ schools joined together to explore what it means to be a female in the 21st century. We welcomed a variety of highprofile speakers during the first week, including space scientist Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock, journalist and broadcaster Emma Barnett and activist and journalist Caroline Criado-Perez. Diverse subjects were

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covered and included discussing powerful women in art history, examining growth-mindset, the importance of discussing periods openly and highlighting the extent of gender data bias in today’s society. All of the speakers proved extremely popular, and pupils enjoyed lively Q&A sessions after each talk. The second week of events saw all-female dance collective Feet off the Ground take up a week-long residency at the school. They ran multiple workshops with Year 9 pupils, exploring the representation of women in a strong, physical capacity. A group of pupils from JAGS and from St Saviour’s & St Olave’s also devised a piece with the dance collective, culminating in a fantastic public performance at the end of the fortnight.

“This has been a fantastic event, allowing us to celebrate all that has been achieved through the education of women but also to acknowledge the challenges ahead. We were fortunate to have top speakers to come in and address the girls but perhaps the best part was in sharing that with the girls who attend our state partner schools. It was a real privilege to host them and I hope that we can build further on the success of this project well into the future.” Sally-Anne Huang, Headmistress at JAGS

“We have been delighted to take part in the ‘Celebrating Girls in Education’ talks at JAGS. These events have been a fantastic opportunity for our students to hear from a range of inspirational speakers, and to have time to reflect on their own aspirations. We are thankful to JAGS for inviting us, and we share the sentiment of forging closer working links with JAGS and our partner schools, to learn from each other in the spirit of empowering all our girls through education.” Esther Holland, Headmistress at Central Foundation Girls’ School

Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock with JAGS students

“It has been amazing for St Saviour’s & St Olave’s girls to take part in the ‘Girls in Education’ event hosted by JAGS, in celebration of the 400th anniversary since the Edward Alleyn’s Charitable Foundation was set up. I’ve heard so much from staff and students on how wonderfully inspirational the speakers were across the week and I’m looking forward to strengthening our links through future projects with JAGS.” Catherine May, Headmistress at St Saviour’s and St Olave’s

JAGS pupil Kate with broadcaster and journalist Emma Barnett

To Read & So…

JAGS JOURNEYS Dr Claudia Moore-Gillon (Class of 2013) has just graduated from Guy’s, King’s and St Thomas’s School of Medicine and Dentistry (GKT) at King’s College, London and has been awarded the Jelf Medal. The Medal is awarded to the student of greatest all-round distinction and is the highest honour that can be given to mark an undergraduate career. She achieved a Distinction in Basic Medical Sciences, First-Class Honours in her intercalated BSc, and three further Distinctions in her final exams. Claudia was the Gustav Holst Major Music Scholar at JAGS. She entered King’s in 2014 with the award of a Desmond Tutu Scholarship, as a student judged to be of exceptional promise. She led the King’s College Symphony Orchestra, and was the first non-music student to win the King’s Concerto competition with her solo performance of Prokofiev’s 1st Violin Concerto. Claudia played First Team Hockey, was Secretary of the GKT Women’s Hockey Club, and was awarded full colours and blues for her contributions to college sport. Claudia has now started work as a Foundation year doctor at St Mary’s Hospital, Paddington.

Sarah Munby, Class of 2000, has been appointed as the new Permanent Secretary at the Department for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy. In speaking to The Telegraph, Business secretary Alok Sharma said that the appointment was ‘very good news for the department and for the government’, and that ‘Sarah is an outstanding public servant who has already made a significant contribution to the work of the department.’ Sisters Amy Chung (Class of 2006) and Emily Chung (Class of 2000) have recently released their debut cookery book The Rangoon Sisters: Recipes from Our Burmese Family Kitchen. The sisters are home cooks and junior doctors, and they began their sell-out supper club in 2013. The book contains recipes for slow-cooked curries, fresh and zingy salads, vibrant garnishes and heaps of steaming rice plus much more.

As many of you will be aware, we sadly had to cancel our Alumnae Tea Party planned for April this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, a group of tech-savvy alumnae from the Class of 1960 decided to meet up virtually instead! Thank you to Ruth Cousins for sharing this photo with us.

Janet Thomas (nee Knight), Class of 1956, was honoured with an Order of Australia Medal for services to youth, on July 1st by the Governor of Queensland. A huge achievement, Janet has been a Girls’s Brigade leader for fifty years. Originally, she was a member of the Girls’ Life Brigade in London for ten years, before she moved to Australia in 1970. So, for three quarters of her life she has been involved with the organisation! Please do keep us updated with what you are up to! News and photos can be sent to marketing@jags.org.uk.

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HEAD GIRLS’ FAREWELL Julianna Nowaczek – Head Girl 2019-20 ‘The opportunity to be Head Girl has played a great part in making my last year at JAGS very special. I will miss the weekly catchup meetings with Mrs Huang and the Head of Sixth Form, Mr Weeks, and of course spending time with Sophia and Grace. As I’m sure others would agree, JAGS is so enjoyable because of all the people that make up the school community and the friends that you make here. My best memories would surely not exist without engaging in the JAGS community; I will particularly remember winning form song and the hockey cup match against Alleyn’s. Next year I will hopefully be studying Natural Sciences at Cambridge University but in the future, I would love to be working in the film industry. I have had so much fun at JAGS and I will remember my time here fondly.’ Sophia Hassel – Deputy Head Girl 2019-20 ‘Being part of the Head Girl team was an incredible experience. I will miss our meetings with Mrs Huang and the support from the Sixth Form team. I feel especially grateful to Julianna and Grace, who were not only amazing teammates but also became good friends. Having been at the school since the Pre-Prep, I feel

intrinsically part of the JAGS community. Some of my fondest memories are from playing in the school orchestra and running the debating club. Although our final weeks at JAGS were cut short, the friendships I made are bound to last a lifetime. In the future I am hoping to study Law. I know that I will always look back on my JAGS days with gratitude and a smile.’ Grace Rowney – Deputy Head Girl 2019-20 ‘I have loved being a member of the Head Girl team, I’ve especially enjoyed running the school council meetings and having our weekly meetings with Mr Weeks. At school in general I’ve loved all of my lessons, with a special mention to my politics class, who’ve always made the discussions lively and the ‘banter’ unparalleled, not forgetting the delicious weekly cake rota allowing me to show off my cookie baking skills. I’ve had the most amazing time at JAGS and will miss the school, the teachers and my year as a whole dearly. In the future I’m hopefully going to Edinburgh University to read Politics and will be taking a year abroad to combat my inability to travel this summer. My days at JAGS will always provide me with the happiest of memories thanks to everyone who has made my time here so special.’

To Read & So…

JAGS EDITION ARTICLE:

ARE WE ENTERING A NEW PERIOD IN WORLD HISTORY? During lockdown, Elsie in Year 11 has been designing and editing a very successful e-newspaper called JAGS Edition. Pupils from all age groups have written articles, and the e-newspaper has been enjoyed by pupils and staff alike. Topics have included climate change, Antarctica, book reviews, science and tips for keeping healthy in lockdown. Below is an example of one article written by Rawdah in Year 11.

History doesn’t repeat itself. But it does run in cycles. These cycles can arguably be seen in the course of our short existence on this planet: civilisations, empires, ideologies, movements rise and fall. Historians have helpfully (or indeed perhaps unhelpfully, depending on how you see it) divided human history into three main overall periods: Ancient History (3600BCE-500CE), spanning from about the end of the Stone Age to around the time of the fall of the Western Roman Empire (with Rome itself falling in 476CE); the Middle Ages (500-1500CE), featuring the Renaissance, the Black Death, the Rise of Islam, the beginning of the Age of Discovery etc.; and finally the Modern Age (1500-present), characterised by advances in science, politics, warfare, technology, and globalisation. Determining the precise beginning and ending to any period is usually arbitrary. The periodisation of history

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is also often imperfect and biased, usually viewing the world from a Western, Eurocentric perspective (e.g. the so-called ‘Dark Ages’ were anything but ‘dark’ in places like China and the Middle East). Nonetheless, periodisation helps us to organise and systemise knowledge; categorising the past into discrete, quantified, named blocks of time facilitates the study and analysis of history. This results in descriptive abstractions that provide convenient terms for periods of time with relatively stable characteristics. Common examples of criteria by which periods can be separated from each other include shifts in politics, culture, warfare, society and intellect. But there are three other factors, that often work in tandem and in some cases transcend the inevitable geographical bias of periodisation, that can be helpful for identifying when an old period ends and a new one begins:

mass migration, climate change and pandemics. Mass migration refers to the migration of large groups of people from one geographical area to another. Sometimes, specific mass migrations have been especially influential to the course of history, for example, the IndoEuropean migrations (4000-1000BCE), the Migration Period (375-568CE), which took place during and after the fall of the Western Roman Empire and the migration of Puritans to New England (1620-1640CE). In recent years, the world has watched an unprecedented number of refugees flood into a Europe unprepared for the new arrivals, driven from their homelands largely due to conflict and social unrest. At least 70.8 million people have been forced to flee their homes, according to the UN refugee agency, and that number is set to rise, not only due to conflict and unrest, but also with the very real threat of climate change.

The disastrous impact climate change could have on the course of human history is two-fold: the devastating effect it will have on our environment and the influx of climate refugees created as a result. An example from the Middle Ages of the destructive effects of climate change is the Locust Invasion of 873-874CE, with the hot summer of 872CE creating the perfect conditions for an excess of locusts, leading to massive famine in parts of Europe. This is unnervingly similar to the locust infestation in Africa, the Arabian Peninsula and South Asia this year. In addition, social conflict and unrest are due in part to climate stress e.g. induced food shortages. Indeed, many of the places that will be badly hit by climate change are already places in political and

social turmoil. With the threat of vast swathes of land and entire islands becoming uninhabitable and with the risk of our planet’s biodiversity being decimated, humanity will inevitably have to adapt on an unprecedented scale to allow the continuation of their very existence on this planet, almost undoubtedly marking the start of a new period in world history. Unless, of course, we take drastic action now and, if climate change does indeed help to bring about a new period in history, let it be one of greater climate awareness and action, rather than one that is dominated by natural and human disasters. Pandemics have afflicted civilisations throughout human history, with the earliest known outbreak occurring in

430BC during the Peloponnesian War. Many of these pandemics have had significant impacts on human society, from killing large percentages of the global population to causing humans to ponder larger questions about life. An example of a pandemic playing a critical role in the heralding of a new era is the Plague of Justinian (541-750AD). This outbreak of the bubonic plague is thought to have killed between 30-50 million people, which could perhaps have been equal to half of the world’s population at the time. Consequently, trade largely ceased, and the Emperor Justinian’s Byzantine Empire was mortally weakened: the Roman Empire was never united again and the socalled ‘Dark Ages’ began. The inability of the Byzantine Empire to recover from the human and economic impact of the pandemic is perhaps eerily reminiscent of the current fears and doubts about how even the most powerful countries today will recover from the impact of Coronavirus. But does the fact that we are undeniably experiencing these three things mean that we are entering a new period in world history? The answer is no: this all speculation and the periodisation of history itself is arbitrary. Even if we were entering a new period in history, nobody would actually know. There isn’t exactly a fanfare and a fireworks show announcing that we are now entering the ‘x’ age/era/period. Perhaps a better question to ask would be something more specific, e.g. whether we are entering a new period in globalisation or race relations or gender equality...Only time will tell. Written by Rawdah, Year 11

To Read & So…

AN INTERVIEW WITH:

PHOEBE CLASS ECLAIR OF 2007 POWELL Did your journey to becoming a playwright happen fairly organically? Did anyone or anything in particular inspire you? I didn’t think I wanted to be a playwright at all – I was much more interested in directing at university, but after I left I started writing in the evenings after my day job at a sweet shop. I was really jealous of a friend of mine who got into the Royal Court writers programme and my jealousy kind of indicated that I clearly wanted to do the same thing. I found that I really loved creating worlds and suddenly it all fit into place. How would you describe the work that you do day-to-day?

Image credit: Helen Murray

Did you always know that you wanted to work in the creative industries?

It depends on where I’m at with which project, so either writing a new play and trying to get the bulk of it down, or re-writes (never fun) or writing a TV pitch. Sometimes I’m having meetings with producers, or chatting to directors, maybe in auditions, or sometimes just in my pyjamas watching Netflix (it’s research….ish…). When I worked on Hollyoaks I mostly sat around bingeing Hollyoaks! Where do you find the inspiration for your writing?

I loved drama, art and English at JAGS and was torn over whether to do an art foundation, try and get into drama school or do a drama/English degree. I loved how seriously JAGS took creative subjects and was a total drama nerd thanks to the excellent drama teachers. I was spoilt for creative inspiration and had a really arty year who were so talented. I think I just felt at home in that side of things.

I find inspiration from lots of places – sometimes a news article, or even just a location – if I can sort of see it in my head I can then create the story around it. Otherwise I get a lot from art and music – and often overhearing someone on the bus. Once the character starts speaking the story usually follows. What are you working on at the moment?

What did you do after you left JAGS? I ended up doing a drama foundation at Drama Centre, and then an English degree at Oxford. I never thought I could apply for Oxford, but I have the English department to thank as they pushed me hard and had a lot of faith in me.

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Because of COVID a lot of my theatre projects have been paused and postponed (and to be honest theatre has been hit so hard by this I do really fear for the future) as such I’m trying to concentrate on TV projects that are in development. But, TV has also been hit – and it’s

uncertain when production companies will be able to start shooting as normal again... However, I’m writing plays for Reading Rep, Bush Theatre and Paines Plough, as well as working for a range of TV companies.

San Francisco have been cancelled and the production postponed, but it’s just heartening to know that the play I poured over for five years was received well and understood by the judges.

“...in fact that’s what sticks out to me – just how kind the teachers were. It felt like they wanted me to do well.”

SHED: EXPLODED VIEW is a split narrative play about three couples over thirty years centred around themes of violence, power and love. It’s certainly the most ambitious play I’ve ever written and I just hope I get to see on stage one day.

What is the highlight of your career so far?

Of course – loads. I really loved JAGS! I had a really nice year, and met my best friends there. We were so weird and annoying and messy and odd and I think JAGS allowed us to be quite opinionated and curious and interested. I loved the art teachers and the drama department. Being in rehearsals, making ridiculous devised pieces with frames and pieces of material and thinking we were amazing – ha! I remember water fights in the courtyards and snow fights in the winter. Mostly just hanging out doing dance routines in the sixth form common room. Muck up day was feral. I also had this insanely lovely piano teacher who was really kind to me – in fact that’s what sticks out to me – just how kind the teachers were. It felt like they wanted me to do well. Even if I was a bit mouthy and weird.

Having a play on is a nerve wracking but incredibly exciting experience and I love the family you make with every show. I was so proud of my first play WINK at Theatre 503, and subsequently my play FURY at Soho Theatre. But winning the Bruntwood prize tops everything – it was a dream of mine and I can’t quite believe it came true. I also always loved getting home from school and watching Hollyoaks, or watching the omnibus hungover at Uni - so the day I got to write for the soap and be on set and hang out in that fake village was kind of amazing. Last year, you won the prestigious Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting for your play SHED: EXPLODED VIEW. Can you tell us a little about this play, and also how the prize works? The prize was set up in 2005 at the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester and is the UK’s biggest playwriting prize – and in 2019 was opened up to international writers for the first time. It’s completely anonymous and anyone can enter. The prize is incredible because not only is the money extremely helpful to a freelance writer, but it comes with attachments, residencies and other opportunities. And usually a production of your play. Because of COVID, sadly those rather exciting residencies in Canada and

Do you have any fond memories of JAGS?

Do you keep in touch with anyone from JAGS? All the time! There is a group of us from my class who still talk to each other pretty much every day. I really did make my best mates there – we might all be incredibly different women – but we have grown up together and it counts for a lot. I know that my group of friends is equally mirrored across the year with lots of groups still being really close to one another. I think that’s quite unique and special.

To Read & So…

CHARITY SPOTLIGHT:

ART HISTORY LINK-UP Art History Link-Up is an important charity, and one that JAGS has proudly supported since 2016. The charity works to address a real gap in the UK education system and gives young people from diverse backgrounds the opportunity to study art history, providing free accredited courses for sixth form state supported students, in museums and galleries. Fewer than eight state schools in the country currently offer History of Art A level, yet the creative industries added over £100 billion to the UK economy in 2017. Art History Link-Up offers benefits to a diverse range of students who might not currently have these opportunities: access to the arts, cross-curricular connections, and enhanced skills and career development. AHLU’s flagship Art History for Everyone programme offers free Art History A level and EPQ courses for state supported students, with students being given the option at the end of the first year to continue for a second year and sit the A level exam. To date JAGS has entered AHLU students for their qualifications; and the first nine AHLU Art History A level candidates received their awards in August 2020. On average, around half of their alumni say they wish to pursue the subject at university and/or a career in the arts, so keeping the subject and sector alive, diverse and vibrant. Until recently, courses were hosted at the Wallace Collection and at the National Gallery, and colleagues at other museums and galleries have been generous with space and time. Classes have also been hosted at The British Museum, Victoria & Albert Museum, Courtauld Institute and Birkbeck, University of London’s Art History Department.

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Obviously, things have changed for the charity over the past few months with the closure of galleries and many public spaces. In March, their courses migrated online and have continued with great success. As a result, they are offering entirely online courses from September, and they hope to pivot to a hybrid model - government health and gallery regulations allowing - with some students based in the galleries, as in previous years, and others remaining entirely online. This will allow them to extend their geographical reach and the number of students they are able to offer opportunities to, at a time when access to education and to the arts for state supported students will be very challenging indeed.

“Art History’s greatest impact on my life was its influence in my degree choice. From the first lesson, my passion and love for art was unearthed and brought to life, since it was suppressed during secondary school. The lessons and gallery time we would have viewing art in person affirmed that I wanted to study a subject with a focus on the arts and culture. In particular, I found the lessons on Ancient Greek and Roman art particularly fascinating. Our trips to the British Museum to see Elgin’s marbles and the Roman sculptures caught my interest, and learning about how they were created and their history was perhaps the trigger to me considering Classics as a degree. I can safely say that if it wasn’t for Art History, I would never had even thought of studying Classics. I now hold an offer to study Classics at Cambridge University this October and I couldn’t thank AHLU enough for nurturing this path of mine.” Avesta

Courses will continue to be structured around works of art that are on view in our great public collections, with expert visitors to class from a wide range of specialist organisations. Rose Aidin, Chief Executive and Founder of Art History Link-Up, is also a History of Art teacher at JAGS. In speaking about the charity she has said “AHLU could not be more grateful for JAGS’ support in widening access to the arts to our diverse student body. This year over 80% of our students were BAME and/or from disadvantaged backgrounds. It is so inspiring to see the impact that studying Art History has to pupils of all backgrounds,

and that the independent and state supported sectors can work so effectively together. At a time of decreased access to education and the arts, this offer could not be more important. We believe that studying Art History has the potential to transform our students, and that they in turn, have the potential to transform the art world. The uptake and support for our work really does demonstrate that Art History is for everyone: thank you JAGS for supporting us on our extraordinary journey!” You can learn more about the courses and how to support the charity via their website arthistorylinkup.org

To Read & So…

AN INTERVIEW WITH:

FAARIA KHAN CLASS OF 2017 What inspired you to become an engineer?

Can you tell us about your journey since leaving JAGS?

During my time at JAGS, I enjoyed languages and arts subjects as much as sciences. However, after doing some research and organising a variety of work experiences, I felt I would be best suited to engineering, particularly once I realised that engineers need to be creative. After reaching this decision, I was honoured to be awarded an Arkwright Engineering Scholarship in Year 11, sponsored by Nissan Technical Centre Europe.

I went straight to the University of Oxford and the change was interesting; you go from being a big fish in a small pond to a small fish in a massive ocean. What helped me adjust was the motivation to make an impact and to be a part of something bigger than myself. Despite a steep learning curve and a very demanding study schedule, I have been involved with multiple societies, teams and committees. Learning to deal with new challenges and developing my leadership skills has been as important to me as my academic achievements. I’m too restless to be idle so often push myself to the limit but I wouldn’t want it any other way.

How have the internships that you did helped you in the future? During my school years, I was fortunate to work at multiple companies across the engineering industry including chemical, mechanical and design. While at University, I’ve worked for FedEx in Dubai and in engineering research at Oxford. Truthfully, I’ve never been someone who took an opportunity for the ‘UCAS’ or ‘CV points’. Each work experience or internship was pursued because of the exposure it would give me to that industry and workplace. By reflecting on those experiences, I gained a much better and honestly invaluable understanding of which environments suited me and, just as importantly, which did not.

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Being one of the few ethnic minority women in engineering didn’t cause as many issues as I expected. My fellow students have mostly been respectful and valued my opinions and input. It does help that I am selfconfident and not easily intimidated. Furthermore, if you are well prepared, you will earn respect. You have won various impressive awards and prizes during university. Can you tell us about those? I’ve been very fortunate to receive awards for both academic and

extracurricular work during my degree. In my first year, I received an IET Diamond Jubilee Scholarship sponsored by the Royal Exhibition of 1851 for the duration of my degree and was one of ten recipients in the country. I am most proud of winning the Oxford Student Union Diversity Award 2020 for my work as the Oxford University Islamic Society’s President. This award is given to the student across the University who excelled in making Oxford a more inclusive place to study. It was really humbling to receive this as the role and Society had been such a huge part of my life this past year and I am thankful to the committee for all of the work we did together. Earlier this year you co-founded Student Needs which sounds really interesting. Can you tell us more about this? This is a non-profit, online tuition company that I have co-founded with my older brother and a fellow Oxford student. Our focus, structure and software make us unique compared to other tuition services. We provide online tutoring for disadvantaged students in Years 7 - 11 within set teaching terms, having just launched with a summer holiday term. We only charge a low, termly admin fee and the lessons themselves are free. The motivation behind this company is that many secondary school students experience difficulties in their school, home and

local environments that prevent them from reaching their potential. Through personal academic support, we hope to develop our students’ skills and confidence, so that they have a strong foundation to build their future upon. Thankfully, we’ve had a successful launch and have lots of plans so please do keep up to date with our work or get involved! What is the highlight of your career so far? The highlight so far has undoubtedly been my time as President of the Islamic Society (OUISoc) this year. It’s one of the most active societies in the University, home to over 500 active members and organising over 50 events per 8-week term, including campaigns, conferences, access work, classes and volunteering. When I say ‘home’, this isn’t an exaggeration. Being a part of OUISoc is a life-changing and irreplaceable experience for so many. Through this role, I learnt an invaluable amount about running a society and company, leading a 20-person committee and about myself, in fact. It was the most challenging but also rewarding responsibility I’ve ever taken on and an experience that I’ll continue to reflect on for many years. What do you hope to do in the future? I have one year left of my MEng course, which I hope, come October, will be relatively ‘normal’ despite the lockdown. I am also looking forward to being Cisco’s Brand Ambassador at the University this year. Going forward, I am considering multiple avenues for my career but will most likely pursue a Master’s in Data/ Statistical Science, while growing Student Needs.

How did you find the experience of being Head Girl at JAGS?

Do you have any fond memories of JAGS?

Becoming a representative for both my year group and the school was an incredibly rewarding experience. I really valued the opportunity to give back to the school that had influenced and taught me so much in the previous 6 years. During our tenure, the team and I set up a school-wide Sisters’ Scheme, in addition to organising events, school council, the leavers’ projects and much more. I feel that the role brought me to a better understanding of the school, its students and my own strengths and weaknesses.

Of course, there are so many highlights with friends, at events, in sport, on trips, in class and random conversations. I’m really grateful to the students I grew up with and the breadth of experiences and adventures I could have at JAGS. They ultimately shaped a lot of who I am today. My sister is about to enter Year 13, her eleventh year at the school. Through her stories and my visits to JAGS since leaving, it’s fascinating to see how much has changed. It’s ever-evolving and now even changing Headmistresses. While my family’s journey at the school may soon be concluding, it won’t be forgotten.

To Read & So…

AN INTERVIEW WITH:

ANNA BRIGHTMAN CLASS OF 2011

Did you always know that you wanted to start your own business? To be honest, no. When I left university I went straight into management roles – property management first, then into supermarket management. I knew that I loved working with people, and I enjoyed everything about being a manager, but it was my brother (who I co-founded UpCircle with) who has always been the true entrepreneur. The initial idea to collect and recycle coffee grounds came from him and it was my influence to use it in skincare. What did you do after you left JAGS? After leaving JAGS I went to the University of York and studied History of Art. I chose my course because I thought it was a perfect balance between my genuine interests and my academic strengths. I loved my time at

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university and my choice of course, but it was a little scary leaving after three years feeling no closer to a decision on my career. I even began a law conversion course and swiftly changed my mind – I didn’t even make it through the induction week before realising it was not right for me! After a year in short term roles I got onto the Aldi grad scheme which was a complete game-changer. I graduated from the scheme within nine months and was then responsible for four stores each with about 50-80 staff – it was quite something as a 23 year old! How did you come up with the idea for UpCircle? Every UpCircle product is made from a core ingredient which would otherwise have been discarded. It all started about four years ago. My brother asked his local coffee shop what they did with their waste coffee and was shocked to hear that they were producing so much that they had to pay the council to have it removed and disposed of on landfill sites. Throughout my teenage years I wanted to be a makeup artist so always had a keen interest in beauty and skincare. I knew that coffee had loads of great skincare benefits, so… lightbulb moment! Why not repurpose the coffee into sustainable circular skincare products? We began our journey collecting

coffee grounds from one coffee shop, we now collect from around 100 coffee houses across London – our list is always growing! We made a name for ourselves as “the skincare brand who collect coffee”. Soon enough we had businesses coming to us asking if we could come up with a circular skincare solution for the by-products of their companies. How would you describe the work that you do day-to-day? Varied and never-ending! The umbrella term that I give my role in the business is “The Story-Teller”. I manage press, events, all social media channels, brand partnerships, setting targets and managing the team and creating content – whether that’s website content or the copy on our packaging. I also lead new product development and have the final say on branding decisions. Are there any new exciting products you’re working on at the moment? Our intention is to keep on innovating. Our most recent range was made from upcycled powdered fruit stones, and at the moment we’re working with surplus fruit waters from the juicing industry and rescuing flower petals from local florists. We’ve got 6 new products set to launch before Christmas so it’s busy, busy, busy!

What is the highlight of your career so far? It’s so hard to choose one! Having 3 dragons fighting over us on Dragons’ Den was certainly a high! Last year I won a live pitching event to Sainsbury’s buyers which led to our range being launched in their stores nationwide… that was obviously pretty amazing too. This year we launched our range into over 800 stores with one retail partner in America – that was a pretty big deal! But if I’m completely honest I cherish the little things even more. When customers take the time to email or even send letters, showing before and afters of their skin and letting us know how much they love UpCircle – those sorts of things are what I value more than anything. Growing our team is also something that excites me greatly. With each new member we have a new wave of excitement, passion and personality.

We hired our first ever staff member last year, we’ve welcomed another since, and have 2 more on the way! You’ve recently been involved in building pamper packages for NHS workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Can you tell us more about that? We were keen to do our bit to support the heroes working on the frontline during this time. So, we offered pamper parcels as a token of our gratitude. We announced the initiative on our newsletter and had more than 1000 requests within the first hour, and our gesture was mentioned by press giants like The Independent, Hello! and Refinery 29 – to name a few. We were also interviewed on BBC Radio London. Safe to say the word got out quickly! In the spirit of always trying to find a silver lining, I think despite having to physically isolate from each other, in

some way this global pandemic has been a unifying experience. It’s given us all a renewed sense of community and reminded us to always look out for one another. Do you have any fond memories of JAGS? I have many! Interhouse music competitions, cake sales seemingly every day, ten hour art exams, constant shushing in the library, hours of chatting in the common room, finding every excuse under the sun to avoid going swimming, amazing trips like Romania, detentions for uniform violations..! To name a few… Do you keep in touch with anyone from JAGS? Yes! All the time. There’s a handful of us who I have no doubt will be lifelong friends!

To Read & So…

AN INTERVIEW WITH:

KATIE SNOWDEN CLASS OF 2012 What inspired you to become an athlete? I’ve always enjoyed playing and watching all sports but I initially started running because I realised from school Sports Days it was something that I was good at. I liked the social side of it too as my close friends also played sport. I started running more frequently once I was at JAGS after Ms Murray and Ms Head suggested I joined a local club (Herne Hill Harriers who I still run for today after 14 years) but it was still very much just for enjoyment then. It wasn’t until after University that I made running my priority. At what age did you start competing in national competitions? Winning the 800m at the English Schools’ Championships in 2009 aged 15 was one of my earliest memories of success at national level and I had qualified for that through representing JAGS at London Schools. My first Great Britain vest followed a year later in 2010 when I competed at the Youth Olympic Games European Trial in Moscow. What did you do after you left JAGS? I studied Geography at the University of Nottingham for 3 years and then after graduating I moved to Loughborough as British Athletics is based there. I was part of their World Class Funding Programme which

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gave me the opportunity to train as a professional athlete and make use of the top facilities they have at Loughborough University, as well as training alongside other elite runners. I had part-time jobs while I was there, and also completed a Personal Training course before returning back home to London last year. I decided I wanted to change my training set-up and be closer to friends (many of them from JAGS), having been based in the East Midlands since I left school. Clearly, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a huge impact on the sporting world, including the postponement of the Olympics. This must have a huge impact on athletes - mentally and physically. Can you explain how your training has been affected in recent months? Are you hoping to compete in Japan next year? Yes, for a lot of athletes it has been a really challenging time but I think for runners we are actually very fortunate that we have still been able to go outside and run. For other sports that rely on certain facilities and equipment being available, and team sports in particular, it has been a lot more difficult for them to continue their normal routines. I have found though that there have been some positives: I have explored some new running routes near home and I have also been using the track at Dulwich College which I didn’t know existed until recently so that has been a great discovery!

However, I have still had to adapt my training quite a lot due to not having access to a gym or being able to see coaches or physios, and it has been tough doing sessions without my training partners. I am hoping to compete in Japan next year. It was actually a blessing for me that the Games got postponed as I was injured for the 2019 season with plantar fasciitis, and then I ruptured my plantar tendon soon after that, so I was only able to return to training a few months ago. I’m therefore very grateful to have more time now to prepare as best I can for the Olympic trials in July 2021. What is the highlight of your career so far? My highlight so far is competing in the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast in 2018 as it was my first major championship and my first visit to Australia. I’d also been to the Commonwealth Youth Games in 2011 when I was still a pupil at JAGS so it was satisfying to feel I’d successfully transitioned from a junior to senior athlete. I hope I can use the experience I gained there to run better in future championships over the next few years. It will be special to have the next Commonwealth Games closer to home in Birmingham in 2022.

“It’s also very nice to know that the PE Department at JAGS is still following my career as an athlete.”

Do you have any fond memories of JAGS? I have lots of good memories particularly surrounding the PE department and the teachers who were there at the time. I felt really lucky that we were able to do such a range of different sports at JAGS and a netball and hockey tour to South Africa in year 9 was definitely one of my highlights particularly as my sister Izzie was in the Year 11 hockey team that also went so we got to go together. Do you keep in touch with anyone from JAGS? Yes, very much so, and particularly since I’ve moved back to London. It’s also very nice to know that the PE Department at JAGS is still following my career as an athlete.

To Read & So…

REMOTE LEARNING HIGHLIGHTS Although 2020 has not been the year that any of us had imagined, there has still been much to celebrate at JAGS. Pupils and staff embraced remote learning with enthusiasm, and constantly strived to make the most of a less than ideal situation. It has been a period of many firsts; our first virtual sports day, virtual assemblies and virtual drama productions. Over these two pages, we look at some of the highlights of the past few months. At the beginning of the lockdown period, JAGS donated 3D printers to Dulwich College for them to print more visors with. During April 2020 over 2,000 full-face visors were produced by the DT departments for key workers in London. We also donated a lot of PPE equipment for use within local NHS trusts and hospices, including science goggles and glasses.

Agnes in Year 12 spent time volunteering in a local foodbank. In speaking about her experience she said, ‘I started out doing jobs here and there but I am now managing the deliveries, packing boxes, checking them and organising their deliveries. I have really enjoyed the experience and have continued to do it around my schoolwork this term. I feel lucky to have met so many new people, to help others who really need it during this difficult time and to contribute to the community, so close to JAGS.’

Our music department worked tirelessly to keep us entertained during the lockdown period. For assemblies, the girls recorded themselves singing at home and Mr Gritton combined their parts and looped the recordings.

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We enjoyed ‘Summer is a-coming in’ and Jerusalem, which you can hear via our Twitter page. We also enjoyed remote performances from our Gospel Choir, our music scholars and even a version of the everpopular ‘Friday Night Live!’

Our art department have also been busy during this period, encouraging girls to remain creative and to see everyday objects in new lights. There are many images of the girl’s brilliant work on their Instagram page, JAGS_Art.

The senior school PE department hosted their first remote Sports Day. This consisted of eight different events taking place over the course of a week. Events included sock-ball launch, sprints, standing long jump and a plank challenge. The PE department also hosted lots of virtual workout challenges on their social media channels for the pupils in take part in, alongside their timetabled PE lessons.

Pre-Prep key worker art

There was also success for the DT departments in both the senior and the Prep school. In the senior school, three teams of girls were selected as national finalists of the TeenTech competition. The TeenTech Awards run each year and students work in teams of up to three to look at problems large and small to see if they can find a better way of doing things. You can read more about the girlsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; inventions on our website. The girls did exceptionally well and won awards for communication skills, teamwork and a gold award for the school. In the Prep school, all six of our girls were selected as finalists in the City of Tomorrow 2020 National Showcase.

Year 11s enjoyed weekly careers session, assisting with skills such as CV writing. Year 12 students considering Engineering & Technology were invited to take part in the the first ever virtual UCAS Fair. Three Y13 and five Y12 students have gained places on the Young Professionals virtual work experience programme in June, where they had an introduction to the business world and the (virtual) corporate environment.

Year 13 student Polina created sculptures in her bedroom during lockdow

To Read & Soâ&#x20AC;Ś

Alongside the wider performing arts community, COVID-19 forced the drama department at JAGS to think of new ways of creating performance work. As always, the girls have risen to this challenge brilliantly, embracing their new digital stage, and we are pleased to present a taster of their hard work to you. The drama department conjured for our delight, three unique theatrical digital gifts, as a fitting finale to an extraordinary term. You can view musical numbers from Aladdin and ‘You Can’t Stop the Beat’ from the musical Hairspray on our school Instagram or Twitter channels.

One of our Year 13 students Grace, organised a charity group virtual workout for the Senior School with ESPH gym in East Dulwich. Parents and pupils were asked to donate to Macmillan Cancer to take part in the workout this morning at 9am. Grace raised over £400 and 70 pupils and staff members took part.

A story written by Ellie-Rose in Year 5 was amongst the top 50 stories to be chosen in her age category in the BBC Radio 2 500 words competition.

There has been lots of baking going on throughout the JAGS community. Girls studying languages were asked to follow recipes in that language to develop their vocabulary. There was also a school-wide bake off for charity, raising over £300 for the Close the COVID Gap campaign.

Below are the winners of the House competition in which pupils were asked to design subject logos for our online learning platform.

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One of the many fun activities that the Pre-Prep students took part in was creating fruit and vegetable faces. Aren’t they fantastic!

AN INTERVIEW WITH:

DR DOMINIQUE WARREN MBBS/BSC MRCOG CLASS OF 2003

Can you tell us a little about your journey since you left JAGS? After I left JAGS, I went to Imperial College London to study an intercalated medical degree for six years and I graduated in 2009. I did my foundation years in west London before joining the training programme in obstetrics and gynaecology based in the south London area. I’ve recently finished this training and I’m now a Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist at Croydon University Hospital. I have a great interest in promoting access to healthcare for all regardless of race, social class, financial status and language. I have recently spearheaded a project at my hospital to improve translation tools and services to help consult with patients who do not speak English but need maternity healthcare. I’ve also recently started a social media page about women’s health on Instagram called @ theovarystory. Now that I’ve finished training, I aim to focus more of my energy on this. I want to encourage self-discovery and empowerment regarding all women’s health conditions and how fertility changes as women age. In my spare time I spend time with my family and enjoy boxing fitness, visiting art galleries and trying to be creative in one way or another such as decorating parties or simply making candles.

To Read & So…

At what point did you know that you wanted to work in medicine?

What might a typical day look like for you?

When I was younger, I wanted to be a lawyer but I quickly realised where my skills were once I started at JAGS. I realised I was more of a scientific and technical person, and that I had more of an interest in the human body. From around Year 11, my interest was in medicine. I am appreciative of my experience at JAGS as it allowed me to flourish, and along with my family’s support, achieve the grades needed to be the first member of my family to attend university. I attended JAGS on an academic scholarship and I remember being so nervous as an 11-year-old when I went for my scholarship interview with Mrs Gibbs to this day. It was the experience I needed to set me up for many more nerve racking interviews throughout my career.

As you can imagine, every day is different! Some days I’m on call on a labour ward. Therefore, I am responsible for everyone pregnant over 16 weeks with a medical issue in the hospital. These patients could be on the antenatal, postnatal ward, or labour ward. I usually start the day by doing a ward round of everyone in active labour, and everyone with a serious medical issue who is pregnant. We manage their labour

throughout the day; and it’s very much an unpredictable day as anything could happen at any time. You don’t know who is going to walk through the door about to give birth. As the doctor on labour ward we are involved in complex deliveries and I perform caesarean sections and instrumental deliveries as well as other surgical procedures common after delivery. When I’m on gynaecology and on call, I look after patients who attend the hospital with abdominal pain and

How did you choose to specialise in obstetrics and gynaecology? I’d always been interested in reproduction and the human body, but I ended up doing work experience at St George’s IVF unit when I was 16 years old whilst still at JAGS. This was only organised after my mum happened to bump into a nurse on a train who worked there and has since become firm family friends. I also didn’t understand why periods, or why child birth hurt and wanted to learn more about what research had gone into making this part of women’s life easier and safer.

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“I enjoyed school a lot and the teachers were great. I was Head Girl in my final year which I loved”

suspected gynaecology pathology. This involves performing scans, looking for ectopic pregnancies, ovarian cysts and if necessary, treating people in operating theatre. I also do clinics on a non on-call day. This can be an antenatal or gynaecology clinic dealing with menstrual disorders, pelvic pain or hormonal issues. I regularly work in theatre too; performing key hole surgery, examining pelvic organs and open surgery removing fibroids cysts or performing hysterectomies. There is a very emotional aspect to my job; communicating with patients with symptoms affecting their quality of life or managing patients who have experienced a miscarriage or still birth. Labour ward particularly can be very happy and very sad, from one room to another, on the same day. This variety is what makes me excited to do my job and help people in all situations. How has COVID-19 impacted your role? I think COVID-19 has increased anxiety to heights I have never seen before both amongst patients and colleagues. As health professionals we were anxious about contracting COVID-19 but we were mostly scared of making a mistake and putting a patient with symptoms in the wrong place and infecting other patients. Luckily, we didn’t get a pregnant lady or baby who was severely unwell, but obviously Croydon was hit quite badly as an area generally. They took all of our junior members of staff away and redeployed them

to A&E, medical wards and Intensive care unit. This meant that we were running on skeleton staff on an emergency rota, which is particularly difficult for labour wards which never stop. There was an increased workload felt by all staff members who were still trying to maintain excellent quality of care. Operating theatre appointments were cancelled, and suddenly anyone who had a planned operation was having to wait. This created lot of anxiety. We are happy that we adapted swiftly to that way of managing patients but thankfully clinics and theatres are returning so that we can provide the care necessary. What do you remember in particular about JAGS? I enjoyed school and have good memories of my time at JAGS; from the Lake District trip in Year 7, to learning to play hockey, to forgetting a line from my poem at my poetry festival recital, to dancing to reggae at the multicultural evening. Not everything was perfect, and I had some difficult days at school as everyone does, but I managed to get through them with the friendships I developed. I still keep in touch regularly with a few JAGS girls and have lifelong friends from my time at school. I was voted Head Girl by my year group in my final years which I was and am still very proud of. Mr McClafferty, the English teacher, was hilarious and very inspiring, Miss Johnson was always happy and supportive and Mr Dunford also stands out in my mind with his bellowing voice echoing in the art rooms. Mrs Barton got me interested and excited about politics due to her

enthusiasm in classes. I do think that JAGS should take the lead and be an example by continuing to expand their history lessons to include a balanced view of colonialism, slavery and the real effects it has had on the world and the benefits that are enjoyed because of it by Britain. I remember educating my fellow students on the playing fields about Windrush and my grandparents’ journey to England whenever I was confronted with any ignorant views. This should be highlighted more in the history syllabus. I will always remember Mrs Gibbs and her assemblies about radiators and drains. I even quoted her in my final Head Girl speech! The message implied that, ‘you don’t want to be a drain, but instead radiate: be helpful, be kind and help change things for the better.’ It’s 17 years since I left JAGS (which I can’t believe as time has flown), but I still laugh and reminisce about that assembly with other old JAGS girls as we vow to be radiators.

I will always remember Mrs Gibbs and her assemblies about radiators and drains. I even quoted her in my final Head Girl speech! To Read & So…

OBITUARIES Barbara Ballard (nee Whitting), Class of 1960

Brenda Hillier (nee Watson), Class of 1956

Barbara dedicated her life to understanding the causes of poverty and improving people’s lives. From the late 1980s until 2007 she worked for the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) in York, coordinating social research with its focus on improving government policy for disadvantaged groups.

Brenda will be remembered during her JAGS days as very sporty and part of the hockey and tennis teams. Brenda trained as a Home Economics Teacher at Battersea College and had a long and happy career at various schools.

Barbara also found time for travel, listening to live music, going to the cinema, making gooseberry jam and watching sport.

Joyce Crane (née Lemon), Class of 1948 Joyce attended JAGS from 1936 to 1948, along with her sister Audrey. In 1939 Joyce and Audrey were on their school summer holidays in Cornwall when war broke out. Their father recommended that they remained there with their mother (Irene Evelyn Cecilia Lemon, also a JAGS girl) and so they then became war evacuees based in Carbis Bay, Cornwall. Joyce had fond memories of seeing St Michael’s Mount from the bus on her journey to and from school each day. She did however yearn to return to JAGS which was indeed what happened once the war was over. Joyce made some lifelong friends at JAGS including Pat Sheehy, Jill Brown (née Grace) and Celia Ward (née Fogg). Celia, at the age of 91, is unfortunately the only one who survives Joyce and was very sorry to hear of her passing. When Joyce left school in 1948 she attended secretarial college at the City of London College, Moorgate, and landed her first job at Cluttons (an established firm of surveyors) based in South Kensington. It was whilst working at Cluttons that Joyce met Alan Crane, a Chartered Surveyor with the firm, and they were married in 1956 at Christ’s Chapel of Alleyn’s College, Dulwich. Sadly, they didn’t quite get to see their Diamond Wedding Anniversary as Alan died in February 2016 and it would have been the special anniversary in August of that year. Joyce and Alan had two children, Simon and Sarah, and their family home was Sanderstead in Surrey.

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Brenda’s longest standing friend was Maureen Ellis (nee Perrett) whom she met at JAGS aged 7 and they enjoyed 74 years of friendship. Throughout Brenda’s life she also kept in contact with other JAGS friends, Eileen Hamilton (nee Black), Sheila Williams, Pat Firth (nee Mines) Francis Eggo (nee May) and Angela Angel (nee Winter). It was lovely that they all met along with others from their year at the Alumae Tea Party in 2018, when they were all celebrating being 80 years old.

Barbara Forrai, teacher at JAGS from 1973-1987 Barbara taught at JAGS starting part-time in 1973, fulltime from 1978, through the sudden death of her dearly loved husband in 1980, till retirement in 1987 as Head of Department for Mathematics and the then new Computer Studies Department which she had set up with the support of Jan Pringle. Her pupils were very dear to her and she was enormously thrilled by their achievements, small or large, mathematical or otherwise. Barbara continued her life of service and long-term commitment to helping others by volunteering for the British Heart Foundation, eventually serving as Hon Chairman and Events Organiser for the Croydon Branch, as well as, In Memoriam Secretary which she continued doing until her death. Amongst other awards of appreciation, in 2017 she received the British Empire Medal (Civil Division), in The Queen’s Birthday Honours List, for services to charity in the UK and Russia.

Cynthia Pullin, librarian at JAGS from 1990 - 2013 Cynthia started to work part-time at JAGS in 1990 as a librarian and archivist, before taking over the role fully in the mid 1990s. Although she retired in 2013, she returned

to JAGS regularly to cover for sickness and invigilate exams, up until earlier this year. She was instrumental in forming the thriving JAGS library that we know and love today. She started and ran author visits, Carnegie book groups, the staff book club, book sales on Founders’ Day and the displays for alumnae at their events. Alison Venn, Cynthia’s friend and former colleague has written, ‘Cynthia was a breath of fresh air in the JAGS Library. It became a welcoming, open place in her reign where everyone was greeted with interest and a warm smile.’ Alumna Olivia Horne wrote, ‘I remember her patience with my over enthusiasm as a library monitor, and the way she made exceptions with the borrowing limit when I couldn’t choose between the many books I wanted to read, among many other kindnesses. She is a central figure in my memories from my early years at JAGS.’

Brenda Tagg (née Thompson), Class of 1960 It is with great sadness that Brenda passed away in London in July at the age of 78, after a diabetes-related illness. After leaving JAGS in 1960, Brenda studied Mathematics and went on to become an A Level Maths teacher. She married David (an Alleyns Old Boy) in 1963 and had two children, Jeremy and Lucy. Upon her and David’s retirement in 1998 they lived for 6 months a year in a village in the heart of Burgundy, France, and thoroughly enjoyed being a part of the local community as well as the delights of vineyard tours, local antiques fairs and generously hosting visiting family and friends. They sold their house in France 4 years ago to spend their time in London with their children and grandchildren, Samuel and George.

Brenda never let her health issues, which developed suddenly in her early 20s, restrict her ambitions and enjoyment of life. She is fondly remembered as a nurturing teacher who was able to bring the best out in her pupils, a good friend who maintained friendships from her youth (including Delia Bubley, also JAGS class of 1960) and a loving wife, mother and grandmother. She is survived by David, her children and grandchildren.

Rosemary Toler, Class of 1946 The death of Rosemary Toler in December 2019 was marked by several friends at both her Cremation service and later Service of Thanksgiving at St Stephens Church. Rosemary had friends from far and near many of whom knew each other. The friendly welcome was always embellished by her infamous culinary skills - she was a notably good cook. A lover of active sport she played badminton and croquet, was a superb gardener and together with her husband, John, the garden of their home Ambrook House on Sydenham Hill was annually opened to the public in support of local charities. Rosemary was a very active member of the Garden Committees of both the Dulwich Society and the local to them Abbeyfield Home on Sydenham Hill - for whom she also organised meals for the residents on the housekeeper’s day off. Time on the Dulwich Decorative & Fine Arts Committee with her friend Mary Bramwell included arranging visits and holidays in the UK for members. In the latter years Rosemary’s health declined and thanks to the skills of a group of truly wonderful nurses, together with the tender care and support of her neighbours and friends, she was able to remain at home in spite of becoming completely bed bound. Her years at JAGS were formative and memorable and she would never knowingly miss a JAGS alumnae gathering.

To Read & So…

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