To Read and So 2021 by JAGS School

To Read & So... THE ALUMNAE MAGAZINE OF JAMES ALLEN’S GIRLS’ SCHOOL OCTOBER 2021

To Read & So... A V E RY WA R M W E L C O M E T O T H I S 2 0 2 0 / 2 1 EDITION OF TO RE AD & SO.

When I first introduced myself in last year’s edition, I had very much hoped that the worst of the pandemic was behind us and that we could look forward to a relatively normal year. How wrong I was! We have experienced another extraordinary year, both as a school and on a global scale, and it has been testament to the strength of our community that we have been able to respond to such dramatic circumstances, often at very short notice, so calmly. The year has been shaped by the mitigations required of us. Our pupils have been learning in year-group ‘bubbles’ for the majority of the year, meaning activities traditionally run across year groups have not been permitted and students have spent significant amounts of time within their year group ‘zones.’ With one-way systems, face coverings, hand sanitisers, LFD testing and numerous other logistical challenges in place, not to mention our periods of remote learning, we wholeheartedly congratulate all students for their resilience and achievements, not least our Year 11 and 13 students whose GCSE and A level exams were cancelled in January. In March, our focus turned to discussing and supporting our pupils with the issues raised through the website Everyone’s Invited. We spent much time listening to them, and you, and are grateful for all your feedback. We continue to ensure that our actions and conversations have the welfare of our community at their very heart.

Mrs Hutchinson and the new Head Girl team JAM ES ALLE N ’S GIR LS’ SCHOOL

CONTENTS HIGHLIGHTS FROM THIS YEAR AT JAGS Page 4

AN INTERVIEW WITH FIONA ROSS Page 6

THE EMERGENCE OF RITUALS IN COVID-19; ANTHROPOLOGICAL REFLECTIONS Page 8

AN INTERVIEW WITH KIKI NARTEY Page 10

The circumstances of my first year here at JAGS have truly led me to see just how dynamic and caring this wonderful community is, and reinforced for me our strength of purpose and commitment to create lasting positive change. I have also been so impressed by the total dedication that staff have shown to ensure that our pupils receive the very best education, no matter the circumstances. Despite the year’s challenges, we’ve still enjoyed countless musical and theatre performances, Sports Days, pantomimes, virtual speakers, cocurricular clubs, academic enrichment, charity work and many more highlights which make JAGS so special. I am delighted to introduce another issue of this magazine, featuring brilliant alumnae with wide-ranging interests and fascinating careers. We feature an interview with Fiona Ross CBE (Class of 1970), who has dedicated her long, illustrious career to the nursing profession. We also speak to Kiki Nartey (Class of 2013), who works at Flair, a brilliant start-up that helps organisations build anti-racist cultures through their data-driven solutions. We have been working with Kiki, and Flair, at JAGS as part of our ongoing work on diversity & inclusion at our school, and we hope you

enjoy learning more about the important work that Flair does in this issue. We also feature highlights of this past year at JAGS, and share a farewell from our incredible outgoing Head Girl Team. We also feature a fascinating essay written by Jaya, a Year 13 pupil, about rituals during the pandemic. It is also a pleasure to present an extract from our new (and long-awaited!) history of JAGS book, written by Corrine Barton, a treasured ex-member of staff whom many of you will know. I hope you enjoy reading the book as much as I did, and you can find details of how to purchase it later in this magazine. As I have come to the end of my first year at JAGS, it seems so strange that there has been no opportunity to meet you, the alumnae, and I am hopeful that we will be able to welcome you back on site during the next academic year. May I take this opportunity to thank everyone for their support and kindness. It is a pleasure and privilege to lead this wonderful community. Please do keep in touch and I do hope to meet you all as soon as I am able to. Mrs Alex Hutchinson, Head of JAGS

JAGS JOURNEYS Page 12

AN INTERVIEW WITH POLLY PHILLIPS Page 13

INTRODUCING A HISTORY OF JAGS BOOK Page 14

HEAD GIRLS’ FAREWELL Page 15

AN INTERVIEW WITH FEDERICA AMATI Page 16

AN INTERVIEW WITH CHLOË STEWART Page 18

OBITUARIES Page 20

AN INTERVIEW WITH JESSICA TANG Page 22

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

To Read & So…

What’s been happening The 2020-21 academic year has been another extraordinary time for JAGS, as schools were forced to move to online learning for a second time in January 2021 and have operated with many restrictions in place for the entire year. Despite this, spirits have remained high, and in true JAGS style, we have continued to flourish and to provide the best possible education we can for our pupils. Here are a few of our highlights from the past twelve months.

SEPTEMBER

O C T O B E R

Year 13 students worked extremely hard to make their pop-up show ‘Inside’ happen within weeks of being back on site, taking full advantage of the collaborative arts space and being back in the studio.

October marked Black History Month and to celebrate, the drama department were delighted to present a short film, devised with our Year 12 Drama students. The film explores and challenges a range of political and moral issues, still highly pertinent today, through the medium of theatre.

N O V E M B E R JAGS celebrated ‘Outdoor Classroom Day’ for the first time as a whole school. Here some Prep School pupils are enjoying an outdoor DT lesson.

In a move that shows the school’s dedication to protecting our planet, JAGS is committing to cut carbon in a number of key areas and join other schools around the UK in becoming a zero-carbon school. Over the next crucial ‘climate decade’ JAGS will be part of Let’s Go Zero – a national campaign creating a network of schools and sustainability organisations to share information, learn about how to get to zero carbon, and work with local councils and government to make it happen.

D E C E M B E R Pupils enjoyed various Christmas celebrations in December. In particular, pupils in Reception at the Pre-Prep loved decorating the tree!

We were delighted to have two winners at the Poetry by Heart competition this year. Poetry by Heart is a national competition in which young people choose poems they love, learn them by heart and perform them in their schools (or virtually, as was the case this year). Congratulations to Daisy in Year 11, who was the KS4 County Winner London Central, and Emma in Year 8, who was awarded Specially Commended National Finalist.

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at JAGS?

J U N E

J A N U A RY

A P R I L

The beginning of 2021 saw a return to remote learning. Pictured is a screenshot from our Geography Society.

Year 12 student Sophie was awarded runner-up in the prestigious Oxford Scientist Schools Essay competition. Sophie’s essay was titled, ‘‘Creativity: A Scientific Necessity.’

June saw our very first Whole School Eco Week, with assemblies, webinars, film screenings, forest bathing, competitions and much more taking place across the school. It was great to see the return of Sports Days at JAGS this summer! We enjoyed celebrating with individual year groups at the end of the school year. This involved team building activities, musical performances and the famous Form Song competition! It was also wonderful to celebrate with our Year 13 pupils at a special leaving event for them one Saturday evening.

M AY JAGS adopts the Halo Code – the UK’s first black hair code.

January saw the beginning of Wag for JAGS, where we encouraged members of our community to share pictures of their pets in order to spread some joy in lockdown. We also enjoyed the Head Girls’ Weekly Challenges, where pupils and staff had to find or make something with a new theme each week. Themes included a cooking challenge, the colour yellow and Pride.

Music Week at the Prep School saw pupils ‘busking in the playground’!

May saw the very welcome return of sporting fixtures. Pictured here is one of our Year 7 tennis teams.

J U LY JAGS was shortlisted for Girls’ School of the Year and Pre-Prep School of the Year in the Independent School of the Year Awards 2021.

M A R C H JAGS Pre-Prep was shortlisted in the Tes Independent School Awards 2021. In late March our Year 12 students organised a powerful vigil, tying red ribbons on the school railings and displaying posters demanding change from a nationwide culture of misogyny, sexual harassment and abuse. It was a profound and moving event for our community.

Saskia in Year 11 had a piece of her artwork selected to show in the Royal Academy Young Artists’ Summer show. Year 10 pupils put on a fantastic production of ‘Picnic at Hanging Rock’ in May, and Year 9 performed A Mystery at Marlow Grange in June.

To Read & So…

AN INTERVIEW WITH NURSE AND ACADEMIC:

Fiona Ross CBE CL ASS OF 1970

Can you give us a brief overview of your career so far? I count myself lucky to be in a generation of nurses who were educated in universities and are driven to improve the quality of care for patients and families through evidence – bringing together the art and the science of nursing practice. I went to Edinburgh University and I fell in love with the city and never regretted the long train journeys. I made life-long friends, met my husband (to be) and was involved in student politics. After university, I decided hospital nursing was not for me, but I was attracted to the idea of whole person care and therefore went into community and district nursing. Believing that good nursing care needs to be evidence-based, I started a part-time PhD at King’s College London – while practising as a district nurse. I finished the PhD after I had moved to my first lectureship at King’s – teaching social policy and community nursing on the new nursing degree, as well as fitting in our first two children. Then I moved to St George’s Hospital Medical School for a promotion as Senior Lecturer in Primary Care Nursing. During this time, and as an older mum, we had our youngest son and I became involved in setting up a joint university faculty for training and research in health care professions. This was, and is, an innovative partnership between Kingston University and St George’s, then a stand-alone medical school. I was part of the core senior team establishing applied and practice-based research as well as designing high-quality education for nurses, midwives, social workers, paramedics, physiotherapists and radiographers. Following a stint back at King’s College running a government funded research unit in nursing, I became the Joint Faculty’s first nurse and woman Dean. Can you explain what your work involves day to day? And has the pandemic directly impacted this over the past year or so? Although I have formally retired from the university as Dean after eight rewarding years, I am not the sort of person to stop. I see retirement as a form of re-invention and having had a successful academic career, as well as having three amazing children – I feel there is lot more I can give and my husband says I am better to have around when I am busy! The university has made me an Emeritus Professor of Health and Social Care, and so I supervise PhD students, continue with research and occasionally give advice or lectures in the UK or overseas.

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Over the last ten years I have become very engaged in issues of equality in higher education and I am on a national committee that advises on equalities in research excellence. Over the past decade, I have been privileged to be a trustee and Chair of Princess Alice Hospice in Esher. We are a charity with minimal NHS funding that provides care to people reaching the end of their lives, gives support to families and provides bereavement services. We offer specialist palliative care in our inpatient unit but also in the community across South West London and large parts of Surrey. The last eighteen months of the pandemic have been profoundly disruptive and in the early days of the first wave I really did wake at night worrying how we would keep our services going and ensure the safety of staff. All sources of charitable income came to an abrupt halt, we closed our 45 shops and the government classified hospices as “social care”, so we were low down the supply chain for accessing PPE. In desperation we pulled out all the stops to get supplies from wherever we could. I remember sending emails to local universities and schools to beg for visors and our wonderful communities set up local teams to sew protective gear and scrubs from old duvets and even Liberty off cuts. But it shouldn’t have been like this. While hospitals, hospices and care homes have business continuity plans, scenario plan and rehearse emergency response, what the pandemic revealed was this is only as good as it goes. In the future there is a need to make sure emergency response is done across the system of health and social care and not just in organisational silos. The responsibility for ensuring a pan system response to a national emergency must sit at governmental level. Next time, and there will be a next time, the country must be better prepared. I was thrilled to be appointed CBE in the 2015 New Year Honours. It may be a cliché, but it is true we are only as good as those around us and those who nurture and support us. It was an amazing honour and experience to go to Windsor Castle to receive my gong from the Queen herself with my whole family. Lots of bubbles and laughter were enjoyed that day over a celebration lunch. My only regret is that I could not find a way to take my 100-year-old mother with us.

Do you have any fond memories of JAGS? I started at JAGS aged seven in 1958 and left in 1970 for university. I arrived at JAGS well ahead in the three Rs and poetry, but then sat back, secretly devoured books at the back of the class, and lost ground so failed my 11+! This blew a hole in my confidence that took a long time to recover. While I was not one of the popular sporty girls, there is a lot I am grateful to JAGS for, such as my friendships and good teaching. Rather defying expectations, I did well in my O levels and then chose to do English, Botany and Zoology A levels. In those days the timetable was constructed to support arts or sciences and never the twain could meet. This meant for two years I had to manage lesson clashes and catch up with notes. The stand out teacher for me was Dr Peach who taught Botany. She inspired interest in her subject, instilled the importance of detailed observation and expected a lot. Recently walking in the Scottish Highlands, I was reminded of how she animated topics like sphagnum moss and ancient peat bogs. I also think JAGS instilled values of public service that have been important to me. With my best friend, I visited an old lady as a volunteer

with the Peckham settlement over many years and we kept up a correspondence after we left school. Perhaps it was this experience of learning about the lives of others that shaped my life-long interest in supporting better community care. How do you spend your spare time? I am beginning to “own” my spare time – quite a challenge for a workaholic. Family is the biggest pleasure. Our youngest son lives in Leeds and the other two, and our three grandchildren, live in Tulse Hill, so I drive the south circular regularly (we live in Kew). I often pass near JAGS when collecting the older ones from Rosendale School. Although lockdown came with deprivations, there was also the gift of time. For me it has allowed more reading for pleasure, time for the garden, writing a short family history, discovering ever more hidden places and local walks. I love my new E bike – we enjoy going on long distance trails such as cycling down the Danube or walking in France. Escaping to our house in rural France is always a pleasure and we hope to get back there soon.

To Read & So…

J A G S E D I T I O N A RT I C L E :

The Emergence of Rituals in COVID-19; Anthropological Reflections A N E S S AY W R I T T E N BY J AYA , Y E A R 1 3 Anthropologists understand that people across cultures seem to participate in more rituals during times of uncertainty in response to anxiety. It has long been observed that stressful events such as warfare and economic crises are linked with spikes in ritual activity. A 2015 study indicated that under stressful conditions human behaviour tends to become more rigid and repetitive, in other words, more ritualised. Cognitive make-up can reveal the reason behind this tendency. Our brains are encoded to use past knowledge to make sense of current situations, but when the world is full of ever-changing variables, our ability to make predictions is limited. Rituals are highly structured by nature and always involve repetition. Even if they can’t directly influence the physical world, rituals provide a sense of control by imposing order on the chaos of everyday life. Aligning behaviour and creating shared experiences forge a sense of belonging and common identity that transform individuals into cohesive communities. Collective rituals require coordination and are fundamental to society as they help to maintain and enrich relationships. Highly

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traditional and ritualised ceremonies such as Bengali weddings strengthen bonds and bring people together. Anthropologists’ observations show that when people dress alike, chant in unison and synchronise in movement, when performing in group ceremonies, they feel as one. Coordinated movements can intensify trust with one another and even increase the release of neurotransmitters associated with bonding. COVID-19 has disrupted our meaningful activities, cultural norms and customs. People have had to reimagine rituals in a technologically-centred pandemic era in order to maintain a broader sense of human connection. The world watched through screens as Italy suffered unspeakable losses at the hands of the pandemic. We watched as the Florentines and Milanese threw open their windows at the exact same time on Friday evenings to sing, clap, bang pots and pans and play musical instruments in efforts to applaud the tireless service of frontline workers. As

fatality rates escalated across the globe, cities such as New York and London mirrored what was seen in Italy and so began their own spontaneous nightly rituals. Whilst this performative display of public appreciation occurs, most careers are underpaid and underequipped relative to the risk they face. A proportion of immigrants and women have been exposed to hostile environments in Western countries, whether it be government policy or racism and sexism which has treated minorities, migrants and women as unskilled and undesirable even as their work now proves to be essential to our way of life. Although the proudly performed ritual to ‘clap for our carers’ may be shifting the narrative from unskilled to worthy of worshipping like mythical heroes, we are still denying the humanity of our key workers as they lack the tangible pay rises and protective equipment.

A complete lockdown in many communities coincided with Spring religious holidays - first Nowruz, followed by Passover, then Easter and finally Ramadan. The usually joyous holidays were profoundly altered by COVID-19 and restricted gatherings to those within an immediate household, coupled with those on Zoom. Nowruz, the Iranian New Year’s festival, is a two week-long holiday, consisting of rituals of poetry reading, dancing and jumping over fires. Iranians across the world adjusted and poetry was read over the phone, recipes were texted and family members jumped over candles. They gathered the Haft-Sin, seven symbolic items, including barley, wheat germ sweet pudding, Persian olive, vinegar, apple and sumac, all of symbolic importance with replacement items as interruptions to supply chains disrupted their annual celebration. COVID-19 has heightened our realisation that food is not only for sustenance but is also extremely important to our cultural narratives. The way we

prepare it, distribute it and consume it is undoubtedly revealing of our own cultures and so uncertainty arises within communities when particular ingredients become scarce. However, people drew on their powers of resilience to show that the core principles of Nowruz can transcend even a global pandemic. Although, how innovative or unsatisfying the outcome is open to interpretation. COVID-19 has also disrupted common greeting patterns of Western cultures, such as the handshake which stretches back to Ancient Greece and Medieval Europe. A handshake was a symbolic gesture of peace to demonstrate that the hand did not contain a weapon. With the outbreak of the disease the handshake is now associated with less beneficial shared outcomes and many societies have needed to momentarily leave behind these entrenched rituals to choose existing alternatives from

different cultures and time periods: bowing, bumping elbows, shaking one’s own hands together, touching shoes. In a 1929 report, a nurse named Leila Given recommended that Americans adapt the Chinese custom of shaking one’s own hands together when greeting one another, “at least our bacteria would then stay at home.” Rituals bent but didn’t break during COVID-19. The virus proved how global cultures are embedded in action and revealed how remarkably innovative and resilient they are to design new rituals which capture and express the current moment. As the virus subsides, most new rituals will slip away but some will undoubtedly prevail and continue to thrive amongst certain communities. Governance, health care and economic systems have felt the catastrophic repercussions of the virus but the discovery of humankind’s creative capacity and requirement for human connection is profoundly moving.

Collective rituals require coordination and are fundamental to society as they help to maintain and enrich relationships. To Read & So…

A N I N T E R V I E W W I T H R E L AT I O N S H I P M A N A G E R A N D E D U C AT I O N L E A D AT F L A I R :

Kiki Nartey CLASS OF 2013

As alumnae may know, as part of the school’s ongoing diversity & inclusion work, JAGS has been working with Flair, a company helping organisations build anti-racist cultures, through anonymous surveys, performance tracking & data-driven solutions. Earlier this year, Flair ran an audit of both staff and student experiences at JAGS, helping us to understand levels of racial inclusion, racial awareness and racial diversity. The data-driven recommendations, grounded in practical and academic research, helped us to drive the next part of our strategy. Alumna Kiki, who works at Flair, speaks of her time since JAGS below and explains more about the important work that Flair are doing.

Can you tell us what you have been up to since you left JAGS? After I left JAGS, I went to the University of Warwick and I studied German with International Studies. During my time there, I was really interested in radio and hosted shows on the university radio station. I made some great friends and really enjoyed it. I graduated in 2017 and initially thought I wanted to go into broadcast journalism, and I worked at Channel 5 News, ITN for a year as a Programme Assistant. However, I realised it wasn’t necessarily the career for me, and I spent a few months working at a community radio station in Greenwich and I took some time to think about what I wanted to do. Then, in 2020 George Floyd was murdered, sparking a global response. I saw that other alumni were writing to their former schools detailing their experiences. Feeling inspired to do the same, and with the support of my peers, I decided to write an open letter to JAGS. In an interesting turn of events, when I shared the letter on social media, the co-founder of Flair (Darrell Coker), saw my open letter and reached out to me. He said that it aligned with the work they were doing at Flair, trying to connect with schools to help them measure and build anti-racist cultures. And through that, I helped Flair and JAGS have initial meetings. In turn, Flair were looking to hire someone full-time and that turned out to be me! What I found so interesting is that when I left ITN, I had really wanted to get into diversity and inclusion as a career path. And so now I work at Flair and love my role. I

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spend a lot of time speaking with schools - independent, state and international - and we support schools in becoming antiracist through surveying and data-tracking their staff and students. Can you explain more about the work that Flair does? Last summer, schools and businesses across the country released statements pledging their commitment to becoming anti-racist. At Flair, we strongly believe that building an antiracist culture has to start with having the right data. Without the right data, organisations risk making huge investments on solutions that may not address the underlying problems, with no real way of tracking which initiatives have worked or failed. Our team at Flair has created a people analytics survey and dashboard that enables schools and organisations to gain clear insights into their culture, and to measure and benchmark their progress over time. Our surveys are strictly anonymous because we want to encourage our respondents to be as honest as possible when completing the questions. We also provide bespoke recommendations to address improvement areas flagged by the data. Over 55 organisations are now using our product since we launched in September 2020. The thing I love

about our platform is that we help schools and organisations leverage the voices of their communities. It really helps to open the conversation and more importantly, it means that these voices directly impact the decisions that are made. How did you find the experience of working with JAGS? It was incredible – it felt like a full circle moment. I wrote the open letter to raise awareness of particular experiences that had affected Black students specifically, as it felt really important to elevate our voices. But even more importantly than that was to come up with solutions, and to create lasting change. If you raise problems or issues, then you also must think of ways to overcome them. And now, to be working with JAGS on such an important initiative is a blessing. Working with Alex (Hutchinson) and Sam (Payne) has been brilliant, and I knew Sam from school as she was my art teacher. They have been so cooperative, very accommodating and willing. It’s been one of the highlights of my career so far.

“I wrote the open letter to raise awareness of particular experiences that had affected Black students specifically, as it felt really important to elevate our voices.”

What do you think the future holds for Flair? It’s really exciting – we’re constantly expanding. I manage the education sector, that’s where we started. Following that success, we’ve moved into businesses and charities and we’re working with the likes of Network Rail and Age UK East London. We just want to try and connect with as many people as possible, to help and support them. Our motto is to create a world in which all ethnicities can thrive, and to build a strong movement across sectors to become anti-racist. It’s so exciting to be part of a start-up business too; our team is constantly learning and growing together and we’re seeing the genuine impact our work is making. We really value the feedback our clients give us; especially from pupils. Pupil voice really has the power to impact everything. These young people are our future leaders. And what memories do you have of JAGS? I have really fond memories of JAGS. I started at the Prep School in Year 4 and went right through to Year 13. RS was my favourite subject, and Mrs Lewis was a fantastic teacher. I also really enjoyed Art and Maths. I also got on really well with Mrs Plant, and Mr Billington and Mr Arora were so kind to me. It’s only when you get older that you realise how kind teachers are. I loved muck-up day in Year 11, and all the inter-house competitions - I was in Clarke. I really appreciated the Common Room in Sixth Form, being able to mix and interact with other pupils was great.

Kiki as a student at JAGS

To Read & So…

JAGS journeys L O U I S E B E AT O N ( N É E V I R G O ) , C L A S S O F 1 9 74

CAROLINE MACKENZIE , (NÉE DARGIE) CL ASS OF 1991

Louise received an OBE for her work in support of rural communities, and for her long-standing dedication to village and community halls. Louise has over 40 years’ experience of supporting those running community buildings, at both local and national level and has contributed to changes in policy and legislation which have helped volunteers to maintain financially viable community buildings. Throughout 2020, Louise supported the efforts of Action With Communities in Rural England (ACRE) to ensure village and community halls had access to up-to-date guidance to help them understand Covid-19 rules and keep residents safe.

Caroline celebrates the Latin language in her latest book, 'A Latin Lexicon: an Illustrated Compendium of Latin words and English Derivatives' (Archaeopress, 2020). Delightfully illustrated, this charming volume is a perfect gift both for learners of Latin as well as crossword and Scrabble lovers. Caroline pays tribute in the book to her JAGS Classics teacher, Mrs Jo Ruscoe. Caroline’s first book, 'Culture and Society at Lullingstone Roman Villa' (Archaeopress, 2019) was recently reviewed by Sir Rupert Jackson as ‘a ‘must’ for anyone planning to visit Lullingstone… [with] much to offer any reader with an interest in Roman Britain.’ In 2013 Caroline established Caroline K. Mackenzie Tuition and offers private tutoring in Latin and Greek, and runs online Classical reading groups for all ages and abilities. She lectures and writes on various Classical subjects.

ST E P H B R I D G E M A N ( N É E D U N CA N ) , CLASS OF 1995 Steph continues to lead her media measurement consultancy Experienced Media Analysts, which she set up in 2004. The company provides support and guidance to media intelligence, PR agencies, freelancers and in-house communications teams. Steph recently joined the board at her trade association, the International Association for the Measurement and Evaluation of Communication; she also continues her board role at Nelson & Colne College Group, having been involved in FE governance since 2013. Currently enjoying the quiet life with Tom surrounded by fields and sheep - 1,000 ft above sea level atop the Pennines, on a windswept Lancashire moor. Her daughter, Kim, is now 19 and going to university shortly.

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K AT I E S N O W D E N , C L A S S O F 2 0 1 2 Congratulations to Katie who was selected to represent Team GB at the Tokyo Olympics this year in the 1500m event. At the time of writing Katie has yet to compete, but we wish her the very best of luck.

JILL TREBILCOCK (NÉE BOLSOVER), C L A SS O F 1 975 Recently, Jill has been working as part of the UK Cyber Security Formation Project helping to set up the UK Cyber Security Council, which will be the "Medical Council" equivalent for the cyber industry. Jill has worked in cyber since qualifying as an accountant in what is now PwC in 1982. Jill is the Director of the Chartered Institute of Information Security (CIISec) and through this became involved in the Cyber Security Alliance, a group of sixteen organisations with interests in cyber security. Jill’s professional life after PwC took her to the BBC, Sky then RBS and she continues to work as a consultant.

AN INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR :

Polly Phillips CLASS OF 2000

Can you give us a little background on what you’ve been up to since leaving JAGS, and your career so far that has led you to becoming an author? Funnily enough when I was at JAGS, I had no intention of ever leaving London or the UK, but I’ve ended up travelling widely and living in several different countries. After studying History at the University at Cambridge, I came back to London and worked in journalism for a few years. However, I became quite disillusioned with it, so I switched careers and spent time working as a political risks insurance broker in the City. While I was working there, my husband was offered a transfer to Australia and we decided to go for it. I got back into journalism and started freelancing as his career took us from Perth to Copenhagen, Dubai and then back to Australia. I was longing to write a book but I didn’t know if I had the stamina. Suddenly, when my daughter was about 3, I had a now or never moment, enrolled on an online course and started writing a historical fiction. Although that wasn’t very good, it whet my appetite to keep going and my next book My Best Friend’s Murder sold at auction.

quickly falls on Bec. It’s a novel that deals with rivalries within female friendship, the ways in which we sometimes define ourselves by our friends and ultimately how it’s those closest to us who have the power to hurt us the most. I really enjoyed the writing process I’d written about 10,000 words when I entered it into a literary competition in Dubai in 2019 and it won! That definitely gave me the validation I needed to keep going, even though it meant a lot of early morning editing around my freelance work and the teaching work I was doing at a school in Dubai. It was worth it though! What can we expect from your next novel, The Reunion, which will be released next year? It’s another psychological thriller - in The Reunion, Emily Toller has tried to forget her time at university and the events that led to her suddenly leaving under a cloud. She has done everything she can to forget the shame and the trauma, but events like that can’t just be forgotten. So when an invitation arrives to a University reunion, Emily has a plan. Because if you can’t forget – why not get revenge?

My Best Friend's Murder is your debut novel – can you tell us about it? How did you find the writing process?

Can you tell us a little more about yourself – your hobbies & interests for example?

My Best Friend’s Murder is the story of two women, Bec and Izzy, who’ve been best friends since they were teenagers. They’ve grown up sharing everything and being there for each other through thick and thin. But there’s a toxic edge to their friendship and the novel begins when Izzy is found at the bottom of a set of stairs in a pool of blood, and suspicion

A lot of my hobbies and interests are reflected in the books I write - they do say you should write what you know! I’m a keen runner and always up for entering things like trail races or marathons. I’m also a voracious reader - one of the huge perks of being an author is that publishers now send me books they think I might enjoy for free!

And finally, can you tell us of any memories of JAGS? I absolutely loved JAGS, although I was definitely a challenging pupil! JAGS gave me the opportunity to rebel in a smallscale way, while supporting me through the academic side of things and allowing me to find my place in the world. I had some absolutely amazing teachers and I have incredibly fond memories of Mr James, Mr McClafferty, Mrs Mulcahy, Mrs Wakely and Miss Ledsham, all of whom went out of their way to encourage and support me. And whilst I might have travelled an awfully long way from Dulwich, my closest friends are still the JAGS girls who know where all the bodies are buried!  To Read & So…

A History of James Allen’s Girls’ School

We are delighted to present the highly anticipated A History of James Allen’s Girls’ School book, written by Corrine Barton, who taught at JAGS from 1998 to 2018.

Speaking about the book, former JAGS Archivist Elen Curran said, ‘The book represents the essence of the community and seeks to show that the pioneering spirit of James Allen has been enhanced and invigorated over the generations with vitality to meet the needs of a changing and developing society.’

The book is a wonderful exploration of the history of JAGS, detailing thorough research alongside interviews with members of our community past and present.

The book covers an array of topics and themes, from exploring the very beginnings of the school, to buildings, Headmistresses, the grounds, the arts, science labs, houses, beyond the classroom and even the future of the school. It is filled with beautiful images from our archive, together with more modern photographs.

T H E B O O K I S N O W AVA I L A B L E T O P U R C H A S E A N D I S P R I C E D AT £ 2 0 P L U S P O S TA G E , PA C K A G I N G A N D H A N D L I N G F E E . P L E A S E S C A N T H E Q R C O D E , O R V I S I T B I T. LY/ J A G S B O O K T O O R D E R . P L E A S E C O N TA C T U S V I A M A R K E T I N G @ J A G S . O R G . U K S H O U L D YO U H AV E A N Y Q U E S T I O N S . 12

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Head Girls’ Farewell ANUSHA JAL AN – HE AD GIRL 2020-21 ‘I have to say being Head Girl and getting to enjoy the experience with Ellie and Sula, the best teammates anyone could ask for, has definitely been one of the highlights of a year that has been anything but ‘normal’. I am going to miss our weekly meetings with Mrs Hutchinson and Mr Weeks very dearly. JAGS has been an amazing journey, one which I will cherish for life and a community which I’m thankful to have been a part of. Just because we have to physically move on from seven years of countless memories, enthusiastic teachers and great friendships, doesn’t mean that we don’t carry everything we have learnt with us. Next year I hope to study mathematics at university and although I will miss JAGS, from the inter-house sports events to the charity fundraisers, it will always be a part of me.’

S U L A D U N N E - P R E VAT T – DEPUTY HE AD GIRL 2020-21 ‘I started my journey at JAGS at the age of four in the Pre-Prep, and being part of the Head Girl team has been the perfect end to fourteen years here. Anusha and Ellie are the loveliest, kindest teammates I could have hoped for, and I have enjoyed my time working with them and the Sixth Form and Senior Leadership teams more than I thought possible. Being able to affect positive change, as well as forming strong and lasting friendships as a group has been an immensely rewarding experience, as has working alongside Mr Weeks and Mrs Hutchinson and being able to better understand how an institution like JAGS is run so effectively. Being part of the Head Girl team during the pandemic has been a challenge that has consistently pushed us to think outside the box, and it has been a learning experience that I will value always, and we have had a lot of fun along the way. I will carry all the lessons I have learnt and skills I have gained as a JAGS girl and as Deputy Head Girl with me to university when I go to study French and history, and JAGS will always be a founding pillar of my personhood.’

ELLIE HOLLIMAN – DEPUTY HEAD GIRL 2020-21 ‘Joining the Head Girl team gave Anusha, Sula and I an opportunity to give back to the JAGS community that we have loved being part of so much. The support that Mr Weeks and Mrs Hutchinson have given us over the last (quite challenging!) year has been invaluable and I will miss our weekly catch-ups. I will also greatly miss my teachers and my classes (especially Spanish), the hockey team, evenings in the art studio, the Deep End cookies... I am hoping to study Architecture at Manchester and I am excited for the future, but I am incredibly grateful to have been part of such a fun year group and I will always look back at my time at JAGS fondly. ‘

To Read & So…

A N I N T E RV I E W W I T H SC I E N T I ST A N D R E G I ST E R E D N U T R I T I O N I ST

Dr Federica Amati PhD ANutr

CLASS OF 2000

You’ve had a fascinating career so far, combining your science career with communications. How did you decide on this career path? It wasn’t something that I initially planned or knew I wanted to do; I began with science and that was my initial path. Whilst I was at JAGS I loved English Literature; I did a combination of sciences and humanities for my A levels which was unusual at the time. I’ve always enjoyed writing and I love reading, and when I was studying Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacology at Edinburgh I worked for a student events company in my spare time. When I left, I went on to do a Master’s in Public Health at Imperial College London. I also continued working in events and communications back in London; it had nothing to do with my degree, but it was a great opportunity to meet a variety of diverse professionals and it was really fun. After my Master’s in Public Health, I took an opportunity to fulfil my dream of working in New York, for a company that held film and arts events. I loved the human side and the creativity of those jobs, and most relevant to my subsequent professional choices, whilst I was doing that, I realised how much science lacked good messaging to reach out the public. Mundane things that weren’t that consequential to people’s lives were making headlines, but then important scientific discoveries weren’t. Studying science, I constantly learnt things that I thought should be more common knowledge. This really spurred me on to want to make science communications 14

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more accessible, and to present scientific evidence to the public in an easier way to understand. By the time I came back to the UK in 2014, after an exciting six-month job with ITV, I felt I had enough experience in communications, PR and building good working relationships and was ready to go back to science and to academia. The next step for me was getting to a point where I felt that I could research well enough to be able to communicate sound scientific evidence responsibly. There is a lot of science writing around now which is based on very superficial or weak research and is ultimately confusing and unhelpful to the public. I didn’t want to be another person adding to that noise, and so the most important thing for me was to get the right qualifications and experience behind me so that I could confidently say that I knew what I was talking about and that it was based on good quality data. The biggest lesson I have learned is to know my limits and stay humble on what I can and can’t comment on. I did my PhD at Imperial College, and those were a great five years. I also had children during that time which I wouldn’t necessarily recommend if you like to sleep! I really did learn so much, and I fine-tuned my abilities to research as well as to juggle competing priorities. And what are you working on now? I remained active in science communications whilst studying; I wrote academic and non-academic articles, presented my own research at seminars

and conferences, communicated through social media and in-person events; I really wanted to practise writing about science in an accessible way. My second Master’s in Nutrition for Global Health at LSHTM really boosted my knowledge and understanding of the area I am most interested in: nutrition. I continue to work in research and publish academically with Imperial College London, NNedPRO Global Centre for Nutrition and Health, ZOE Nutrition and I’m working on a really exciting book with a brilliant professor coming out next year. I also write for magazines and popular blogs, answering interviews and podcasts and I provide evidence-based consultancy in scientific research and nutrition for private companies. During lockdown I took part in some Instagram lives and really enjoyed creating my own podcast too. Working as a nutritionist in a central London clinic allows me to work face to face with individuals looking to boost their health. I have a particular interest in women’s health, especially at certain life points such as pregnancy where nutrition is really key for the health of future generations and chronic disease prevention. If I can help people directly in my work as a nutritionist and they tell me that their quality of life has improved as a result, that’s a great feeling and it makes me feel proud of what I do. I think I’m really lucky in that I love what I do, which makes working every day really enjoyable.

it is implemented is not up to scientists. We know there’s a whole host of other reasons why our children are obese, but the government can’t hope to tackle all of the structural and systemic issues at once. So how do you keep the public purse happy, and the nation healthy? The benefits of reducing childhood obesity probably won’t be seen for 30 years, so when political parties have four-year terms, they won’t see any immediate benefits from these policies they’re potentially implementing. It’s often difficult for science and politics to come together when the benefits won’t be seen for years beyond anyone’s political interests. Can you tell us more about yourself?

There has arguably been more science in the press than ever before with the pandemic in recent times. How do you feel about how this has been communicated to the public? The issue with the Covid communications hasn’t been the scientific side, but the political. The scientists have, generally speaking, been on the same page; it’s rare to find a reputable researcher who has wildly different interpretations of the data to someone else. What’s been really exasperating is how that scientific evidence, which has been communicated to policy makers, is then communicated forward to the public in many different ways. It can be really confusing, if not infuriating. There are scientists out there who are really trying to make Covid communications more accessible; Adam Kucharski tweets regularly about his research and his interpretation of the data. He is really specialised and great at what he does. There’s also people like Prof. Tim Spector, who is managing to cross that barrier between ‘science for scientists’ and ‘science for the public.’ His ZOE Covid app is helping massively. He is cautious in his predictions, but he will also make it clear when he doesn’t think the worst-case scenario is likely.

When it comes to people’s health, you have to be responsible, and so you often find yourself warning of danger but it’s also important to be balanced, and to weigh up risks. Policy makers have different reasons for why they might want to stress the potential of the worst case or try to focus solely on the benefits of their decisions. One thing I found really frustrating was people thinking scientists are part of a system that is trying to control them. More often than not, scientists aren’t funded by the government or political parties. When you do research and present your findings, it’s independent and impartial. As public health researchers, we’re seen as part of a machine that is trying to take away people’s liberties. Politics and science aren’t the same job with the same aims, and they need to remain separate. The sugar tax is another example of this, and one that is closely linked to my work. We all know it’s a step in the right direction to tackle childhood obesity, but it’s not enough. Scientists didn’t ask just for a tax on carbonated drinks, but that’s all the policy makers gave. The recent UK Nutrition Report is another step in the right direction, but whether

I feel like I haven’t changed much since going to JAGS. I still love spending time with friends, learning new things and eating good food. I love going to restaurants and leaving the city to go to lovely hotels in the countryside or to enjoy some horse-riding as the ultimate time to myself. I enjoy learning about the sustainability of food in different cultures and making food at home with my girls so they too can learn to love tasty, healthy food. I find physical exercise really helps with keeping my energy levels and mental clarity high for work and my family, so I try to prioritise movement either as yoga or training in our makeshift gym in the garage. And what comes to mind when you think back to your JAGS days? I loved JAGS. I was one of those people who loved every minute and was so sad to leave. I loved Mrs Barton, she was great, and Mrs Hawkins. Mrs Parkinson was fabulous. Mr Hicklenton was really kind to me. I was so lucky to have such wonderful teachers. I was House Captain and I used to run around at lunchtimes trying to do as many activities as I could. I was also a tennis coach and I loved sport at JAGS. I just had a great time! Some of my best friends to this day are still JAGS girls. I couldn’t fault anything about my time there and it gave me strong feminist roots which I didn’t fully appreciated until more recently. To Read & So…

AN INTERVIEW WITH OWNER OF S U S TA I N A B L E F O O D B R A N D N I B S E T C .

Chloë Stewart CLASS OF 2009* Can you give us a bit of background about nibs etc.? It’s been a really organic journey from an idea that’s evolved over the last few years. It started as a blog in 2015 about upcycling leftovers and no-waste recipes, and one of the big reasons I started the blog was because the month previously I spent time working on a farm in Italy on a programme called WWOOF (Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms). You effectively offer your labour in return for room and board, and it was a wonderful reminder of what we should be doing with our physical resources and our food. The term ‘zero waste’ is not a new concept or trend, it’s been around since time began. In Italy, no food went to waste. It was both refreshing and inspiring and I had a brilliant time. After JAGS I moved to Beijing, and then I moved to the USA for university and lived in San Francisco afterwards. All of these different cultures have different relationships with food, and it increasingly made me aware of how food is consumed. I was living in Switzerland, back home with my parents and I was frugal as a young graduate, cooking with what was around us as we weren’t close to a supermarket. The blog culminated all of this energy into something productive. I love to develop recipes, I love food photography and food writing and so it felt like a natural progression. I moved back to London for a different job, but quickly realised I still wanted to work in food. I visited every food market I

could to reacquaint myself with the city and I met a juicer. I thought about how interesting upcycling the pulp could be, how much was going to waste every day. The pulp is full of fibre, it’s really nutritious. I spoke about this on the blog, and I held informal supper clubs for friends using a lot of dishes involving this pulp. I continued to develop products, a couple of years passed and I won a few awards and some money and opened a stall at Borough Market as of 2017. In 2018, I won some more money from the WeWork Creator Awards and so in 2019 I could really develop the business, build a team and build out the supply chain. I was focusing on one product at this time, the pulp granola, as there was a demand for it and it was easier to scale. Pulp perfectly told the story of what we were trying to do - to design the concept of waste out of our lives and our habits. How has the pandemic affected your business? It’s been a really interesting time for the business. The idea was to originally have three different flavours of pulp granola and expand that into a new product range, for example, crackers, and then add different sweet and savoury snacks made with different upcycled by-products. Because of Covid we ran out of juice pulp, as we were sourcing it from suppliers in the food service industry who had been forced to close. Since then, I have been constantly looking for new partners we could work with, or looking at different industries we could source from but it’s

*CHLOË LEF T JAGS IN YE AR 10 IN 2006 16

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been tough and we haven’t had pulp for most of 2021. In the meantime, to keep the business afloat, I decided to tweak the recipe slightly and keep our customers supplied. I called it the Emergency Mix, and it’s a granola without the juice pulp. It’s still produced with the same ethos and quality of ingredients, and we now have a chocolate emergency mix too made with several unique British ingredients. We will never stop looking for new by-products to upcycle as we don’t realise how many nutrients are going to waste each day. I’ve been looking at ways to use nut pulps for example. Has anything surprised you about running your own business? Perhaps it’s not a surprise as such, and more of a realisation, but I have definitely learnt that I am my biggest obstacle. There are business challenges and supply chain challenges but ultimately with persistence and perseverance you can overcome these. I’ve definitely realised how much of an obstacle I can be to myself in my own head. What has been your proudest moment so far? Probably the second WeWork Creator Awards I entered in 2018. I applied for the Business Venture award, which required various videos, pitches, and a Q&A. The final stage was to pitch live in front of an audience of 4000 people, and to a panel of judges which included Ashton Kutcher and the Co-Founder of Monzo. I’ve never experienced a panic attack but

before going on stage I was close! I was so nervous, but somehow, I got up on stage and nailed the one minute pitch and the three minute Q&A and ultimately was one of three (all female!) winners. That’s definitely my proudest moment! What do you hope is next for nibs etc.?

I really hope that the world realises the importance of reducing food waste, and acting with urgency.

I really hope that the world realises the importance of reducing food waste, and acting with urgency. I think people are finally understanding what we [nibs etc.] are doing and why we’re doing it, but haven’t quite realised the importance of committing time and resources to it. Ultimately the big dream for the business is to have the most delicious range of sweet and savoury snacks, all made with at least one third upcycled industry byproducts, sold up and down the country, recognised by every household, and eventually expand our modular, circular system internationally. In everything we do we’re trying to reduce waste and design it out of the whole system; from our packaging to our distribution. I’d love that to be the norm, to be what you see on grocery shelves. The dream is big! There are a lot of industry by-products and side streams that need upcycling. Can you tell me about any memories of JAGS? I have a lot of memories from my time at JAGS, but in particular around sports. I played a lot of sport, and it was a really big part of my love for the school. My happiest memories were at sports tournaments and being part of a team. I think I really grew as a person as a result. I loved Mrs Johnson! To Read & So…

Obituaries B E RY L B R A D N A M ( N É E A R N E Y ) , CLASS OF 1945

J E N N I H O L M A N , T E A C H E R AT J A G S FROM 1972 TO 2008

Beryl grew up in Dulwich and went to JAGS when she was 8 years old in 1935, but the war interrupted much of her education. Along with the rest of the school she was evacuated to Sevenoaks soon after the war started, but later returned, and completed the rest of her education back at JAGS, through the Blitz. She left JAGS in 1945. After her Higher School Certificate she went to secretarial college. She carried on with sport after leaving school, mainly tennis and skating, and it was at the ice rink she met Colin and they were married in 1951. Beryl worked in London until her children, Lesley and Hilary were born. She and Colin lived in Norbury until Colin retired, when they moved to Somerton in Somerset. She talked fondly of her time at JAGS and regularly attended Alumnae lunches until well into her 70s.

Jenni joined JAGS in 1972 as a teacher at our Junior School and remained an important part of JAGS beyond her official retirement in 2008. In 1979 she became Head of the Junior School and oversaw the opening of the new lower school, now our Pre-Prep. Jenni then joined the Senior School as Head of Fourth in 1991, as well as teaching History of Art, progressing to Head of Department. Even after Jenni retired in 2011, she was a frequent visitor to the school attending lunches and events, especially those relating to History of Art. Jenni embodied the JAGS ethos with her enthusiasm of learning for students of all ages. Her legacy lives on as the Pre-Prep School continues to thrive and History of Art remains an important part of the JAGS curriculum.

K AT H L E E N D AV I S ( N É E A U S T I N ) , CLASS OF 1946

PA M E L A H U BY ( N É E C L A R K ) , CLASS OF 19411

Kathleen was evacuated to Kent in 1939 and soon after to Lyme Regis, returning to JAGS in 1944. She married Ronald in 1949 and she worked at The Times newspaper and Partridge Coopers until becoming a full-time mother. She was an active part of St.Barnabas Church, Dulwich – both in the Mother’s Union and establishing one of the first play groups in the country in the early 1960s. With nine grandchildren and six great grandchildren, she was a true matriarch beloved by her family.

Pamela joined JAGS at the age of 7 and from her early school days it was clear that Pamela was remarkably intelligent, winning prizes for academic excellence each year. It was at JAGS that she developed her interest in Classics, and Pamela won a senior scholarship in Classics to Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford University. She went on to gain a double first at Oxford and lectured at the University of Reading, and St Anne’s College, Oxford, before joining the University of Liverpool as Lecturer, and later Reader in Philosophy. In 1967 she wrote a pioneering article on the conflict between free will and determinism. She was a world expert in the Ancient Greek philosopher, Theophrastus, and continued her work into her 90s, still translating works of the ancient philosophers for publication.

GIULIA DESIMONE, CLASS OF 2018 Giulia was a much-loved and popular member of the JAGS community, and she is remembered for her great warmth, kindness and generosity that she showed to all those around her. Giulia joined JAGS in Year 7, and thrived at the school. In the Sixth Form, she was elected as Holst House Captain, a role that she was extremely passionate about. She was a great inspiration to her peers and to younger pupils. ‘I taught Spanish to Giulia for several years and I keep very fond memories of her. Her witty and lively personality, her energy, her excellent social skills, her honesty and, above all, her laughter come to mind every time I think of her.’ Cristina Sanchez, Head of MFL at JAGS

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B R E N D A L U C A S ( N É E WA D E ) , CLASS OF 1948 Brenda attended JAGS during the war years from 1941 to 1948. After leaving school Brenda attended Goldsmiths College where she trained to be a teacher specialising in mathematics and science. Her first appointment was at Plassy Road Secondary School for Girls in Catford and after marrying her husband Douglas in 1952, they settled in Preston and had two children, John and Beverley. She continued with her teaching career and progressed through a number of posts before becoming the Deputy Headteacher of a large comprehensive school where she remained until retiring in 1990. Brenda was an avid bridge player

and took an active part in her local club where she was fondly remembered for helping new players to develop their skills. Whilst at JAGS she developed a love of the cultivation of fruit and vegetables and became a very keen gardener which was a hobby that she continued to enjoy for the rest of her life.

MYRRA ‘JANE’ MELLING (NÉE ASH), CLASS OF 1946 Jane attended JAGS during the Second World War, following which she became a tracer. Whilst working at British Petroleum, Jane met Bill whom she married and had two daughters. The family moved to West Sussex in the early 1970s where Jane continued to live her long and happy life.

M A U R E E N P L U N K E T T, CLASS OF 1958 Maureen lived a varied and much travelled life, inheriting her mother’s statistical and mathematical head for figures, and her father’s strong Christian faith. Maureen attended JAGS from 1947, joining her cousins Heather, Gillian and Judith, and had a happy time. It was somewhat disrupted in 1953 when, aged 13, the family emigrated to Canada. Returning to London in 1957, Maureen continued her education and in 1963 completed her Teacher’s Certificate. She began her teaching career at Bexhill Grammar School. Between 1970 and 1975 Maureen taught at Gayaza High School in Uganda, and it was clear that this was one of the happiest times in Maureen’s life. She returned to Lesotho in 1984 as Headmistress of St Catherine’s High School. A military coup in 1986 brought this to an abrupt end and on returning to the UK, Maureen taught at a number of schools, including JAGS! She later retired and lived in Lynton, where she could be found either surrounded by piles of exam papers she was marking or at Arlington Court as a volunteer guide. Maureen was an outgoing, warm hearted and lively character with a big laugh. She was extremely hospitable and always on hand for a chat and some invariably sound advice.

M A U R E E N P R I N C E ( N É E K N OX ) , CLASS OF 1964 After a life in public service including teaching, youth & community work, education welfare and latterly supporting unaccompanied child asylum seekers, Maureen “retired” in 2011. She was married to Nick for almost 32 years, and they have three children and nine grandchildren. Maureen was active in Thatcham Baptist Church and until June, Chair of Thatcham u3a. She kept in touch with the Class of 1964 via Zoom during 2020 and attended JAGS alumnae events for many years. She will be greatly missed by all who knew her.

J O S E P H I N E R U S C O E , T E A C H E R AT JAGS FROM 1981 TO 2002 Josephine Ruscoe (Jo) was a much loved and valued member of the JAGS community, and made a huge contribution to the school over many years. Jo joined the school in 1981, and taught here for over twenty years, becoming Head of Classics, alongside being a highly respected teacher and form tutor. She retired in 2002, before moving to Athens with her husband. She was a great inspiration to many pupils. ‘It will be no surprise then then to anyone reading this if I say that Jo’s commitment to her subject and her pupils was unparalleled. Her comments on pupils’ work – always in fine script in green ink- were meticulously considered and targeted. She would agonise over the mot juste in appraising a piece of course work – possibly more than the author of the essay.’- Frances Shaw, former colleague

H A Z E L S K I N N E R ( N É E H E AT H C O T E ) , P I A N O T E A C H E R AT J A G S F R O M 1948 TO 1980 Hazel began teaching piano at JAGS in September 1948. Being a very young graduate of the Royal Academy of Music, she quickly gained 60 pupils and was admired by the girls not only for her beautiful piano playing but for her up-to-date fashion sense and hairstyles. Hazel had great zest for life and always attended the JAGS alumnae lunches, meeting with numerous past pupils who still marvelled at her stylish sense of fashion. Hazel was also a very keen golfer and when she gave up golf shortly after her 90th birthday, she took up bridge instead.

JE AN SOMERVILLE-BROWNE ( N É E S O M E R V I L L E ) , C L A S S O F 1 9 74 Jean’s sudden illness was a shock to everyone but provided enough time for her wedding at home to her Dulwich sweetheart from teenage days, Tony Browne, with whom she lived in South Croydon. Jean was an immensely kind and attractive girl and she never lost those qualities. Although a very talented artist and craftswoman, Jean and Tony ran a company specialising in security and fire alarm installations and Jean was its organisational wizard. There was hardly a day off but on those precious occasions she would have friends in stitches mimicking the situations she faced on a daily basis. Jean’s funeral in South Croydon was attended by many friends from JAGS days.

FULL OBITUARIES CAN BE FOUND ON OUR ALUMNAE WEBSITE – W W W. A L U M N A E . J A G S . O R G . U K To Read & So…

AN INTERVIEW WITH ARCHITECT

Jess Tang CLASS OF 2010

Jess Tang is an architect living in London. She left JAGS in 2010 to study BA (Hons) Architecture at the University of Brighton. She then went on to complete a Professional Diploma in Architecture (RIBA 2) at London Metropolitan University, and a Postgraduate Diploma in Architecture at the University of Westminster.

My biggest learning curve was how group-focussed the industry is. As an architect, you never work alone. You work with engineers, consultants and huge teams of people. I underestimated the importance of collaboration and teamwork.

Did you know you wanted to be an architect from a young age?

We were never an industry that did flexiworking, and I think that’s mostly to do with the collaborative side of our work. That was the biggest change; getting the logistics right in order to work from home. We have managed to adapt but we do miss brainstorming and sketching things out. The benefits of having everything online really shone; it’s allowed the construction industry to keep going.

Not at all! It wasn’t until we did work experience after GCSEs that I even thought of it as an option. I loved theatre and set design, and because of that I was encouraged to do architecture work experience, as many of those creative skills and interests were somewhat transferable. I loved the work experience; the fact that you never doing the same thing every day and it wasn’t wholly desk based. I liked the thought of there always being a new project, and different clients and different sites. How did you find studying architecture compared to practice? Universities are a completely different world to practice, and they don’t always prepare you for the world of work. Often, you’re trained to think spatially; you develop your creative eye, and you might learn about the history of architecture. However, the industry isn’t always like this, and the business side of the industry isn’t always covered for example.

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How has the industry changed over the course of the pandemic?

However, the uncertainty of the pandemic was unfortunately reflected in the industry. It’s expensive to build, and many large project clients are risk-averse. As a result, many architects I know were sadly made redundant last year. But things change quickly and thankfully things seem to be picking up again. It’s been an opportunity for us to re-evaluate how we work. It’s been educational for us as designers to actually re-examine how the workplace functions, as workplaces are one of our sectors as a practice. It’s shown us the importance of communication; we are creating spaces for humans who are sociable by nature.

There’s always an opportunity to learn and that’s another thing that I love about my career, I’ve never stopped learning. Where things change, and your clients change or your brief changes, there’s always something new to learn. Can you tell us a little about the mentoring work that you do? I’ve been very lucky to have mentors myself throughout my career, and it has been so valuable to me so it was something I wanted to get involved in. My practice does a social outreach programme, and part of that is that we have a connection with the charity Blueprint4All and I have been assigned a mentee through this. The beauty of technology is that we’ve been able to carry on the scheme throughout the pandemic, and I’ve been able to provide support for my mentee during the second year of her undergraduate degree in Architecture. I also mentor a younger pupil through the Girls’ Network. It’s so interesting to be part of contrasting mentoring programmes. You are the first professional contact they have; for things like time-keeping for example, for them to commit to something. These are vital skills to develop from a young age. With my mentees, we’re not limited to architecture; we talk about everything and what it means to be a young woman in our society right now. I hope that they enjoy having someone to talk to, and I’ve learnt just as much as they have.

[The pandemic] has shown us the importance of communication; we are creating spaces for humans who are sociable by nature. And finally, what do you remember most about JAGS? I was a musician, and I came back for a concert fairly recently. It brought back a lot of memories of trekking to the (Old) Music School! I was in Holst house, and some of my closest friends today are still those same girls who were in Holst. I really remember the encouragement that all the teachers gave us. Mrs Lewis was one of my favourites, as was Mrs Davies. You spend a lot of time with the teachers, and you don’t realise at the time how important they are. I am grateful for all the opportunities we had; we were encouraged to have a voice. One of the biggest shocks after leaving was that wasn’t always the case in the world! The environment and the culture surrounding us led us to believe that we really could do anything. I don’t think I realised it at the time, but it’s something I can see now when I look back.

To Read & So…

James Allen’s Girls’ School Ages 4–18 144 East Dulwich Grove, London SE22 8TE Telephone: 020 8693 1181 • Email: enquiries@jags.org.uk www.jags.org.uk