TheFoundation.sculpture is made from steel wire with an aged zinc finish. Its title communicates a powerful message, reinforcing Radley’s strong emphasis on community and its commitment to ensuring that mental wellbeing is fundamental to all pupils and staff.
Radley holds a special place in Rupert and his family’s hearts, in particular the Countryside Centre. Find out more about Rupert and his work at www.ruperttill.com.
A new school year is also a time of reflection on what has gone before – we can look back with satisfaction on our 175th anniversary year and, more recently, the success of the European Transplant and Dialysis Games. It is also a time to look ahead, and there are lots of exciting initiatives in the pipeline including the development of our partnerships offering and new activities at the Countryside Centre – you can find out more in the pages that follow.
I wish you all a successful and enjoyable year ahead. Best wishes,
Never Alone in Radley’s Newest Garden
I am delighted to welcome you to a new school year at Radley.
We live in uncertain times, and it is at times such as these that the strength of the Radley community can really shine through as we look out for each other and play our own part in helping address the issues of the day. Of course, there are many challenges out there we cannot personally influence, but what we can do is work together to ensure Radley thrives regardless of what is thrown at us.
As part of the development of the space around Chapel, a new ‘contemplation garden’ has been created, for those seeking quiet solace and reflection. The wild flower garden has been planted and will flower again in the spring, when it will be set with benches for boys and staff to spend time in the space. Rupert Till’s sculpture ‘Never Alone’ acts as the focal point and was commissioned as part of the development of the garden, funded by an anonymous donor to the Radley
Rupert Till is an OR who was at Radley in the 1980s. You will also notice his beagles sculpture, gifted to Radley by Rupert and positioned by B Social on the turning to the Countryside Centre.
Do take a few minutes to look through this Bulletin to see all that has been taking place around the campus, to catch up on news and insights into different aspects of College life and to look ahead.
BURSAR’S BULLETIN Issue 18 Michaelmas Term 2022
“It has been incredible to meet so many people taking part in the Games. They were truly inspirational and it was wonderful to experience first-hand the joy they felt at being able to participate. One of the Italian athletes told me his motto was “Mai Arrendersi” which translates as ‘never give up’. It was clear that his motto applied to all athletes taking part.” Victoria Buse
“The week of the Games was the culmination of much hard work and planning by so many people. However, getting to meet all of the athletes from so many different countries and hearing their individual stories made it more than worthwhile. It was undoubtedly the high point of this summer and will take some beating in the future.”
“What an absolute honour to meet these athletes, particularly Michael (86 years old) who ran the 5k at Blenheim (where I was tail bike for the race) as well as competing in the 400m, 1500m and squash tournament. It was a pleasure to drive the athletes around, and get to know them. One brought me to tears by saying he hopes to medal at the Games but being here is his victory.”
“After seeing achievement and inspiration from attending the games in previous years, to being behind the scenes at this one: WOW! A big thank you as always to all the organisers and volunteers. It’s been incredible.” Ian Biggs
For the first time in its 22 year history, the European Transplant & Dialysis Games took place in the UK this summer. After five years of planning it was finally time to welcome the athletes to Oxford. We caught up with those involved in hosting the sports events and athletes at Radley.
OR Patrick Walker (2011 - 2016, G Social) contacts Andrew Ashton to suggest Radley College as a venue for a UK bid to host the 2020 European Transplant & Dialysis Games
2016SEP 2017SEP 2017NOV 2018OCT
“I thought it was about time I gave some time to a good cause, its easy to get wrapped up in work, so it was fun doing something different – in my case driving a minibus – for a few days to help others.”
Les Newell, Emily Noel-D’Avila and Caitlin Baker
Jon Buzzard
First Alison(theTransplantbetweenmeetingDrPaulHarden,ChairofSportorganisersoftheGames)andGoodfellow,EventsManagerRadleyCollege The Oxford bid for the butTransplantEuropean&DialysisGamesissuccessful,forSummer2022 British SportsGamesTransplantRacquetWeekendheldatRadleyCollege
Karen Newell
“It was Openingininvolvedtoprivilegeabethe Ceremony, meeting all the competitors who in most cases have overcome serious illness.” Leo Healy
Selina Woodcock
2021SEP 2022DEC 2022APR 2022AUG
“A wonderful team came to Radley to film and stream the games, led by Arthur Davie-Thornhill, who set up an impressive portable live-streaming system, plus Daniel Willmott, Isaac Aldred, Oliver Marshall, George Vaan and Philip Ashton. Victoria Buse interviewed and narrated. We were all moved by the interviews we filmed, with comments like ‘Each day I wake up and feel grateful for another day of life, and to my donor.’”
“The atmosphere was fantastic, and it was a real opportunity to see transplant recipients and dialysis patients from all over Europe come together and enjoy a week of sport! It was very inspiring.”
Les Newell appointed Head of Sports Centre & Commercial Enterprises and handover begins for the ETDG 22 from Helen Smith, Head of Commercial Lettings ETDG Oxford 2022 launch event at Blenheim Palace Transplant Sport test events held at Radley College, includingswimmingfootball,andracquetsports ETDG Oxford 2022 declared officially open, welcoming over 600 athletes and supporters from 26 countries – the largest event in its 22 year history
Elisabeth Anderson
Max Horsey
James Gaunt
“I volunteered as I am so proud that Radley is hosting the ETDG. My role was to collect several dialysis patients and take them to the Churchill hospital. I arrived at Hollywood Bowl as the medals were being awarded and I was moved by the sheer enthusiasm and pride of all the competitors and the wonderful camaraderie between the teams.”
“What struck me most was differentathletesbetweenthetogetherness,thecamaraderiethefrom countries. This was sport at its best – a fusion of friendliness and athleticism on show, with everybody recognising the efforts of all of the athletes taking part.”
Alex Gilley
“I hosted a wonderful evening of croquet , with a tremendous showing from Teams Finland, GB and Kazakhstan. The opening of the beer barrel after an hour of play was greeted warmly but did not deter the German team who stayed firmly put, playing until it was too dark to see a thing. Harry Crump
“It was such a privilege to be a part of this. I've seen asthewhenprofessionallytransplantIworkedontransplantwardastudentNurse and wrote my dissertation on the subject! Seeing the participants enjoying the event was humbling.”
ManagerSystemsITBuzzard,Jon
As a department we have installed CCTV, built our server rooms and installed access control for all the College buildings – over the years we have done most of the design of systems and networking ourselves, meaning we could tailor things to the specific needs of the College. I’m proud to say that, for the most part, our systems have been very reliable!
What’s been your biggest challenge?
We’d been trying to get buy-in for Teams for two years before Covid, so the implications were a huge bonus. What’s changed over the years?
I started here in 1981 as a Physics Technician working with Len Herbert. In 1986 he died of a sudden heart attack, so I then took over as Head Physics Technician. I made a lot of the equipment for the department, and I was quite surprised when I went in there recently to see that they were still using the equipment I made, including electronic circuits, the ‘monkey and hunter gun’ and gas tubes. Len was an ex-engineer so he taught me a lot.
Email Anna: amth.haynes@radley.org.uk
What have you particularly enjoyed over the years?
One of Radley’s longest serving staff members, IT Systems Manager Jon Buzzard started here in 1981 when he joined the Physics department. I asked Jon to take us back 40 years, to the start of his career. I decided to stay on at school for the Sixth Form because I didn’t know what I wanted to do, other than knowing I wanted a career in science or engineering. The Head of Sixth Form told me about a job vacancy for a Physics Technician at Radley College. I was interviewed by Richard de Silva, who was Head of Physics and David Hardy, who was Head of Science at the time. I wore a suit for the one and only time in my life and I later heard from David Hardy that part of the reason I was offered the job was because of my smart appearance, so it was worth it!
And which aspects are you most proud of?
As a department we’re always learning and moving forwards, which we all enjoy. I love problem solving and I hope that as a team we are able to advise staff and boys, and help them to help themselves as much as they can. We are lucky to be one of the few operational departments that interacts with all the other departments and all members of staff and boys through IT inductions, Helpdesk and managing different department’s IT needs. How would you describe working at Radley College?
radleyMY
I have a great team around me and we get on really well. We all get stuck in and we work well together. I love the people and the place. I don’t mind working long hours and being on-call most of the time, but I love getting to pursue other hobbies during the holidays. Would you like to feature in a future My Radley article? Is there someone you would like to hear from?
How did the Covid-19 pandemic affect your department?
The change of e-mail system to Office 365 in 2014 was a huge challenge but had a successful outcome. The project took a year to plan and six months to deliver.
I loved my role as Physics Technician, especially making things – I’m a practical person, so outside work I’ve built an extension to my house, as well as motorbikes and trikes.
Some teaching of coding had begun in about 1989 and one of the boys produced all the hardware and wrote the code for our Bulletin Board system which worked like Teletext and was available in all the main buildings, but not the Socials.
When did you make the move into the brave new world of IT and computers?
In 1986 the College had just started using computers –there were five computers here when I joined in 1981, but no one knew how to use them! We installed a BBC ‘B’ network. It was unusual back then for schools to network computers together and I was involved in the project and then began fixing computer hardware, picking it up as I went along. I moved full-time from Physics to Computing in 1989. I was a one-man IT department back then, installing and networking the hardware and fixing issues. The College sponsored me to do an Open University degree in Information Technology and Computing in the early 90s – it took me eight years to complete, studying around working full time. When did IT start to branch out further into the College?
Top row, L-R: Chapel dedication service by the Bishop of Oxford in March – the new donor board is unveiled and Thomas Trotter gives the inaugural organ recital; the whole school photograph comes together in 15 minutes, after a lot of planning!
Second row, L-R: 175 Concert at London’s Cadogan Hall in May; celebrating the College’s birthday on 9 June with cake on Mansion Lawn; 75 entries for the 175 commemorative tie competition, won by Jeff Xi (A Social, Vth).
Look out for the forthcoming ‘175 Year in Pictures’ photobook, commemorating our anniversary year, due out shortly.
Third row, L-R: Festival 175 –Archie Manners performs magic and illusion; Kabantu entertain 1000 children from our partner primary schools. Below, L-R: Dame Mary Berry with the finalists of the staff & partners 175 Bake Off; Picnic in the Park started the Festival week off in style.
WHAT A YEAR!
For parents seeking a school for their son, the admissions team is front of house, and first impressions set the tone. How we make parents and prospective boys feel during that first point of contact and going forward can determine whether they choose us or not. Whilst we are fortunate to be oversubscribed, we want to bring the very best and most talented boys to Radley so we work hard to give prospective parents the red-carpet treatment.
The Admissions Team
Spotlight on:
When I took on my first job in the education sector, a colleague warned me that I’d be juggling hats and spinning plates. They were right. But as the years have passed, the challenges of independent school admissions have become greater and more nuanced. If I were the one passing on advice now, I’d say it’s akin to performing in a circus, whilst playing the stock market, maitre-d-ing in a Michelin starred restaurant, running a helpdesk, manning a travel agency and, occasionally, practising some psychology. It isn’t a job for the faint hearted, but I’m fortunate to work with a fantastic team of professionals and we always manage to share a laugh at some point in the day. I hope this short overview gives an idea of what we get up to.
Alongside a constant flow of Open Days, individual tours, Social visits, Fun Days and prep and feeder-school liaison, we run numerous assessment and interview days for Shell and Sixth Form entry as well as academic, art, drama, music and sport scholarship days. It’s never dull. The best bit is that we get to work with many different departments throughout the school, and the Tutors, HoDs and boys. We are ever grateful for the support we receive and proud to show families around our wonderful site. The feedback is fulsome in its praise and parents always remark on how friendly, kind and happy the school
‘Oh’, say I, ‘What sort of doctor is she?’. He scratches his head, thinks for quite some time and replies: ‘She’s average’.
If you’re interested in learning more about the work of the admissions team, please do come and see us in Mansion. We make a lovely cup of tea.
Sophie Langdale became Director of Admissions and Communications in September 2020. She tells us about admissions at Radley and introduces her team.
Myfeels.favourite interview moment this year was chatting to a young chap who had mentioned that his mum was a doctor.
We run three years of admissions on a rolling basis – that’s about three thousand sets of parents and their sons who are all expecting a bespoke and customer-focused journey. There are four entry streams per year – Radley List, Open Entry, Funded Places and Scholarships, so we are managing multiple entry points and processes at the same time. We field a relentless stream of 300 plus emails and non-stop phone calls every day … seven days a week.
Tasha has worked in the Admissions office since it opened in 2006, when she also worked for two days a week in the Foundation office. When the Admissions office opened, it was just the Registrar and Tasha but over the years, the jobs in Admissions have grown and so has the team. She has worked in most areas of Admissions but as Events Manager, now organises all the many Admissions events. When not at work, she can often be found catching up with friends with a glass of wine in hand, ferrying her children to various activities, or walking their dog,
LOUISE ROQUES Admissions Officer Louise took on a termtime role in Admissions five years ago. She focuses on Sixth Form entry and Scholarships although in the intensely busy Admissions environment, she is also involved in the wider work, including a number of Open Days, Assessment Days and Fun Days each year. Her favourite part of the job is helping recruit young musicians to the College and in any free time during term, she will probably be found at a lunchtime coffee concert or evening recital. She also enjoys swimming, walking in the Lake District, playing the piano and reading.
Sophie was born and bred in boarding schools and three generations of her family were educated at Radley. She joined as Director of Admissions and Communications in September 2020 having been Director of Admissions at Wycombe Abbey and prior to that, Director of Admissions and External Relations at Magdalen College School. Having read Classics and played a lot of lacrosse at Durham, her early career spanned fifteen years in finance and broadcast journalism at Sky News. Sophie enjoys singing, opera, cooking, walking and cryptic crosswords.
JACQUIE HARRIS, Admissions Officer
Jacquie has worked at Radley for 19 years. She joined Radley as Deputy Housekeeping Manager, back in 2003. Since 2016 she has been happily working as part of the Admissions Team. It may only be 2022 but Jacquie spends most of her year working several years ahead, and is currently working on the 2025 entry. Outside school Jacquie likes to spend as much time as possible with her little grandchildren, decorating, cooking and planning her next holiday!
Vics is the newest member of the Admissions team, having joined in March 2022. After a baptism of fire in all things Admissions and the idiosyncrasies of the process, her role has been to assist team members in all areas, be it enquiries, Radley List registrations, Open Days or Prep school visits. Vics worked in the wellness industry for a decade, has a masters in Psychology and, more recently, qualified as a QiGong instructor.
COOPER Events Manager
SUE COLMER, Admissions Officer
A large part of her role involves administering the ISEB pre-tests for prospective boys. Prior to Radley, she worked for over 10 years as an Account Manager for a sports event management company, allowing her to travel extensively to events such as the Olympic Games, Football and Rugby World Cups. She lives in Radley village with her husband and three children.
Polly joined Radley as Senior Admissions Manager in June 2021, having previously been Director of Admissions & Marketing at St Hugh’s Prep School. She describes a career of two halves as, prior to education, she worked in healthcare. As well as helping with the day-to-day management of the Admissions Office, Polly is responsible for all things visa related for new boys and can often be seen showing prospective parents around the school. In her spare time, Polly enjoys walking her rather ancient Labrador, Tizzy, gardening, entertaining and reading.
Senior Admissions Manager
Sue joined Radley in 2015, initially working just one day a week but enjoyed the challenge and now works five days during term time.
VICS McCLELLAND, Admissions Asst.
Director of Admissions & Communications POLLY JOHNSON
Dora.TASHA
SOPHIE LANGDALE
Removable bollards have been installed, allowing Memorial Arch to be opened up at busy times, while remaining closed for the majority of the term.
Elsewhere on campus, the refurbishment of Covered Passage continues. The ceiling has now been dropped and new lighting installed along the centre and in the recesses to illuminate the art displayed more effectively.
Shopping Around: Estates Update Shop is now complete and will soon be ready to welcome each Social on a rota basis for lunch each day. The modern design, large windows and roof lights give an airy feel and the range of chair styles, upholstered in a variety of different fabrics and colours – as well as the smaller tables and benches – are contemporary and stylish. The accoustic timber and use of blues and greens ties the interior with the exterior and also with other buildings on Campus such as SLT and Coffee Shop. The Shop space has been designed with versatility in mind and can be reconfigured and used for functions and events. In addition, two fabulous new meeting spaces have been created. Downstairs is the Sewell Meeting Room (pictured left) seating 10, and upstairs the Wilson Meeting Room, which is fully equipped with two conference TVs, video calling and connectivity and seats 12. Both rooms are available to book via Outlook. As you would expect, sustainability has been central to this refurbishment, with LED lighting, wifi enabled energy-efficient ovens and an exciting ‘living wall’ created on the zig-zag outer wall opposite A Social. This will help soften the architecture and add more greenery to this part of the campus. Opposite, a Mediterranean Garden has been created using rocks, gravel and drought tolerant plant varieties. The revised road layout and new resin pedestrianised areas will slow traffic and signpost vehicle access more effectively.
I’ve always been a natural athlete and I’ve always had too much energy! I try and do as much as I can for charity – I must be the most uncompetitive person the planet, I’ve got no desire whatsoever to win, so doing these challenges for charity gives them a purpose. I just like to cross the finish line and enjoy facing the challenge with friends. I’ve done seven Tough Mudders, including two Europe’s Toughest Mudders. The hardest was the one I did during Covid, running on my own through the night for 12 hours straight! The best thing about doing these events in normal times is the people and the camaraderie – it’s nice to get to your target mileage but other than that, it’s just about having fun. What would be your ultimate dream challenge?
I’d love to do a World’s Toughest Mudder. They usually take place in America, usually 24 hours rather than 12 and you have to qualify for it – maybe one day! What’s next on your list?
I’m planning an epic challenge in the spring! The idea is that we’ll cycle down to the coast, then do the Isle of Wight Ultra Marathon (106 km / 66 miles) before cycling back to Oxfordshire, raising money for Prostate Cancer UK.
Being able to have a family life has been a huge change for me since I started this job. I appreciate the flexibility and understanding, especially during term-time. Radley is an extremely family- and community-orientated place to work. And outside your role, tell us about your work in setting up partnerships between the College and Kennington Pre-School.
It’s worked out really nicely. There are six children from College families who’ve just moved from Kennington Pre-School to Radley Primary School. You’re known for some of the incredible challenges you’ve taken on recently, have you always been into sport and fitness?
I’ve had some great mentors over my time and learnt a lot of skills. Each day is different in my job and I’m always learning something new. I get involved in the house renovations, particularly during the summer break, and I’ve been putting in new kitchens and bathrooms which I enjoy – my job has a more settled rhythm over the summer, as I tend to be in one place for a couple of weeks at a time. In termtime, I can be all over the campus working on different projects. What projects stand out for you?
What does Radley mean to you?
I’d moved house seven times by 2018 and re-done my own kitchens and bathrooms in the houses we lived in, so I’d developed a lot of skills from that. I had to prove myself in my first year here though!
I’ve worked with John Sparks and Richard Hughes – they organised eight boys from A Social to come down during half term and help with painting for two days to refurbish the Pre-School building. My wife Vickie works at Kennington Pre-School, and she has two Radley boys who go along regularly to help the children with their reading.
TechnicianMaintenanceMulti-TradeWard,Alex
radleyMY
Tell us a bit about your role and what it entails? Mainly drains! I’ve got no sense of smell so I seem to have inherited blocked drains as part of my role here unfortunately.
I was involved in helping with the birthing kennels at the Countryside Centre. Simon gave me the measurements and an idea of what he wanted as it was all new to me, and I then made the boxes to fit each kennel. It was an ongoing trial and error approach, and I slightly modified each box to make the design more effective. We eventually settled on what seems to be a successful design. The pens have an additional rail on each side to ensure that the mother doesn’t squash her new-born pups who can get accidentally lodged under her. In the last year I’ve completed a plumbing course, gaining certificates that allow me to work alongside Colin and Stuart and I’ve learnt a lot from both of them and been able to put my new skills into practice with the house renovations.
When he’s not fitting new kitchens and bathrooms in College properties, he’s taking on mega challenges, such as Europe’s Toughest Mudder. I tracked Alex down and managed to find out more about his role at Radley and his busy life away from work. I started at Radley in May 2018 – Billy Bray told me about the vacancy in the Maintenance Team. I had been working as a truck mechanic for 17 years and the shift work meant that I didn’t get to see my family as much as I would have liked. I have three young boys and it got to a point where I wanted to be able to work more conventional hours.
At the heart of managing these weekly meetings and planning is Sarah Sheldon who, in her new role as Partnerships Administrator, ensures regular communication across each partnership strand. Weekly catch-ups take place to review music (Sam Gladstone), sport (Pete Bennett), international collaboration (Mark Jewell), girls’ schools partnership (Harry Crump during Lydia Robinson’s maternity leave) and recently meetings with Charlie Herbert to develop the opportunities to partner through our Countryside Centre.
Ruth Tufnell will pop in to review the charities work being undertaken and David Anderson will swing by most weeks to look at how we can manage our estate to widen the scope of our partnership offer. Recently we have been looking at the development of a cookery school to be located in the barn next to Park End. This multipurpose space – cooking stations and function space – will serve boys and staff at Radley and the wider community. At the same time we are developing outdoor classrooms at the Countryside Centre.
Niall Murphy, Co-Curricular Senior Master, and I meet fortnightly to see how we can blend partnership work into the activities already taking place and how we can include as many boys as possible across each year group. Bringing a group of children or guests to Radley requires a commitment across all departments – Catering, Housekeeping, IT, Sports Centre, Sports Department, Security, Health and Safety, Maintenance, Grounds and Gardens. It is not hard to imagine the role of everyone working together to deliver a conference with Downe House, a sports day for local primary schools, or a group of boys visiting Desborough College for a day of academic enrichment. Without this internal partnering we could never hope to partner with those beyond our own gates. The boys remain at the heart of all that we do, and their development through partnership activities is a core element of the Awareness to Agency programme. Supporting this aspect of our work is a weekly conversation with the Second Prefect, who alongside his partnership committee, discuss types of partnership engagement, messaging, impact and inclusion. Regular feedback from boys continues to help in the reflection and development of activities.
A week in the life: Any mention of partnership will often lead one to look beyond Radley and to the work taking place within local schools and organisations. However, our week is characterised as much by internal collaborations that enable the wider activities to take place.
The new partnership office is a place for many meetings with boys and staff across all College departments. Its central location in the Bursary makes it easy to drop in to catch up on developments, share ideas, and look at ways to facilitate partnership ideas and opportunities – our door is always open.
“It is amazing how much can be accomplished if no one cares who gets the credit.” Harry Truman
@RadleyLinks
The Partnerships Team
Summarising all that is taking place is done through two separate fortnightly meetings with the Warden and Bursar. In both cases we aim to look at the short term achievements set alongside the longer term partnership aims. These discussions feed into a termly report written for WeeklyCouncil.communication with our partners happens both in person and online. Each week external visitors to the partnerships office are made to feel very welcome by Sallie Swain at Bursary Reception. Groups of school children visit to join us for a range of activities: visiting Michael Noone at the Radley zoo, joining Harry Crump for the STEPS activities, or recently children from Fitzharrys School led by Simon Timbrell in countryside pursuit activities. These small, regular weekly activities are set alongside the larger events.
It is also a great pleasure to walk the College site –or drop into an online discussion with students and teachers in Abingdon, Oxford, Maidenhead, Birmingham or Africa – and see the many activities taking place in the classrooms, on the river, in the sports centre, the Sewell Centre Gallery, library, theatre, and the music school. It is evident from all that is taking place each week how many staff are involved in delivering meaningful partnership Everyactivities.weekly visit and interaction provides further evidence of the impact our partnership work is having on our boys and those we work alongside.
One of the greatest joys each week is visiting the schools and organisations where we are working. The support of the dons and operational staff who lead on a wide range of programmes – supported by Anne Blagrove in organising minibuses to transport boys – ensures that I am given a warm welcome at all the places I visit.
This is why we partner, and this is why our conversations both internally and with our partners are at the heart of what we do every day. As Director of Partnerships, I oversee the day-to-day activities and provide a framework for partnership work; however, the whole is bigger because of the sum of its many parts.
On a wider stage, chairing a section of the ISC Community Action Group allows for regular contact with other school partnership leads, which also happens through a monthly online partnership breakfast. These wider links continue to show how our partnership work benefits from collaboration across our sector. Mike Hills has worked with St Paul’s (Colet Mentoring, providing online maths support), Fergus Taylor with Harrow (Luminar, providing online support for children in care), and Andrew Norman with Abingdon School (Science programmes for primary school children).
Many weeks I will visit either Broadway Academy or Desborough College, alongside joining boys at Pegasus or Orchard Meadow Primary Schools in Blackbird Leys. In addition I often join Pete at The Oxford Academy, or Sam at Radley Primary School to plan our sport and music activities. In addition, joining regularly with our partners at Active Oxfordshire, Oxfordshire Youth and Headway Oxford help shape our partnership work to be truly meaningful.
Weekly meetings take place online with the OX14 Learning Partnership leads, and each half term with their headteachers. Regular calls are made with senior leaders at the primary and secondary schools where our boys volunteer through the community action programme. These conversations ensure regular feedback and planning to provide the greatest impact from our collaborations. A monthly meeting with the Rev. Rob Glenny (Vicar, St James the Great Church, Radley) and a monthly Parish Council meeting, allows frequent communication within the local community.
John DirectorSparksofPartnerships
TimReverendMullins(1959-2022)
Tim Mullins, much loved Chaplain of Radley College from 2005–2012, died in July, at home surrounded by his family; Lucy, Simon, Nick and Kate, having been diagnosed with a brain tumour in September 2021. Any who knew Tim will have their own fond memories of him and know what a special person Radley had as Chaplain for those years.to the following on their new roles: Oliver Astley to Head of MFL (and Head of German), Mili Carter to Head of Spanish, Sally Matthews to Teacher of Physics, Molly Moran to Musician in Residence, David Robinson to Teacher of Maths, Lee Ryan to Head of Geography (Interim) and Eoin Simpkins to Teacher of Maths.
Cedric Ploix in D Social, Bradley Jarvis in F Social, Eoin Simpkins in G Social and Anthony Hibbs in K Social.
Our recruitment drive continues, particularly in the Catering, Housekeeping, Sports Centre, Gardens and Maintenance teams. We held two succesful job fairs over the summer and you may already have seen Radley’s recruitment adverts displayed at bus stops in Didcot. If you know anyone who might be interested in working at Radley, contact HR – you might be in line for a £100 (£250 for Catering roles) introduction bonus!
NEW RESIDENTIAL SUB TUTORS FOR 2022/23
CONGRATULATIONSEmployeeAssistanceProgramme
Radley offers all staff access to an Employee Assistance Programme, delivered by Health Assured. This is a confidential employee benefit designed to help you deal with personal and professional problems that could be affecting your home life or work life, health, and general Askwellbeing.theHR team for more details.
RECRUITMENT
Staff NEWS BABY NEWS
Congratulations to Michelle Kerr (Housekeeping), Amanda Norris (Housekeeping), Lydia Robinson (Head of Geography) and David Perdiguero-Blanco (Estates) on their new arrivals!
Ally Horton, Health and Safety Manager Charlie Jennings, PHM B Social Joe Lord, Teacher of Classics
George Evans, Assistant Greenkeeper Jess Farrell, Leisure Assistant Louis Finegan, Teacher of Economics
Virginia Carter, Exam Invigilator Alan Chandrachud, Teacher of English Mia Conybeare, Graduate S&C Coach Ishan Dirks, Cook Fellow Nat Dodds, Nurse Iuliana Enea, Accounts Assistant (Projects)
Charlie Herbert, Director Countryside Centre Partnerships
Sasha Martin, Social Media & Communications Executive Rachel McKeon-Clark, PHM D Social Maria Medel, Spanish Language Assistant Tracy Miller, Academic Support Teacher (Maths)
Chloe Godfrey, Domestic Cleaner (Term Time)
Joanne Rogers, Nurse Dominic Saul, Teacher of Geography Tim Schmalz, Teacher of History Callum Stubbs, Sports Centre Duty Manager
Lil Pullen, Head of Academic Support/SENCo Lily Qualtrough, PHM F Social Meghan Rees, Nurse
Charles Taylour, Design Intern / Assistant Technician
Gloria Thomas, Teacher of Spanish Melanie Tuck, PHM E Social Sophie Tyler, Weekend Reception Porter Mary Willoughby, Domestic Cleaner (All Year) Andrew Wood, Teacher of Biology Isaac Yates, Sports Centre Duty Manager A warm welcome to staff who have joined since April 2022:
Michelle’s daughter Emily Rose was born at Easter and pictured (clockwise, from top left) are: Maeve Norris, Octavia Robinson with proud big sister Annabel Rose and Jack Sebastian Perdiguero.
In 2008 we had the archive surveyed by the National Archives and several aspects, such as the Shop accounts and Natural History Society’s biodiversity records, are of national importance. Can you tell us a bit more about the physical and online archives?
What changes do you see reflected in the College’s history?
I started as Head of Library in 1995. Richard Morgan wanted to create a vibrant central library here, so I was appointed as the school’s first professional librarian, tasked with setting it Beforeup.
From the 1940s to the 2000s, the archive lived in the Bursary, before moving to Tony Money’s flat at the top of Mansion and then to the Library where it currently resides, growing at a phenomenal rate.
I arrived, the school had the Wilson Library, which was made up of Lakeside, Blue Room and Panelled Room, and the Singleton Library (currently home to Admissions). It was run by boys and dons but it wasn’t really being used and a lot of small departmental libraries had developed, duplicating work and resources. My role was to centralise resources and establish a vibrant cross-curricular academic space to improve standards within the school. My appointment made me one of the first female academic heads of department.
In the 2020s it grows electronically more than in physical form. There are two aspects to this – some records that only exist in a physical format, like original photographs or printed school magazines, are copied to create a digitised version. Most of these records are added to www.radleyarchives.co.uk to create a digital archive. (The originals are all kept!) Alongside this we also have ‘born digital’ material. This describes items that have never existed in any format other than digital, for example our videos, our website, photos, publications and reports. These are a much greater challenge because they can be changed or deleted very easily, so I have to be aware that they exist to preserve them.
What makes Radley a special place to work?
How has it been seeing your most recent book, ‘Untold Stories’ published? It’s been a nice culmination of a period of very hard work. As a historian, I look for the gaps and the silences. The history I wrote reflects this and is very different to most other school histories – I was looking for the instances when names were not appearing in school records and what has changed in cultural attitudes to allow them to begin to appear. In contrast to the previous histories of the College, this is a contemporary approach which is cultural and social.
As the College’s Archivist, Clare Sargent has a unique understanding of the school’s history and culture. I caught up with her to find out more about her role in preserving Radley’s archives for future generations.
ArchivistSargent,Clare
I came from Queens’ College, University of Cambridge where I’d headed up a building project for an undergraduate library but my expertise is in rare books and manuscripts so the archivist’s role here was always on the horizon!
Two changes stand out for me from my time researching and writing ‘Untold Stories’. The first is women – when I arrived most of the women working in the school were cleaners, matrons and secretaries. There were five female members of Common Room. Women started to come into senior positions, such as Julie Fletcher as Head of Finance and Sarah Ballard as Head of HR, from the 2000s onwards, which has had a big impact on the community and on career structures here. A second change is same sex marriage, which was legalised in 2014 and allowed gay men and women to be open about themselves and their relationships in a way in which they never were before, thereby encouraging positive role-modelling for the boys and the wider community.
radleyMY
When was the archivist role established at Radley?
The archive was originally run by A.K. Boyd who wrote the centenary history. Boyd had been a boy here in the 1900s and subsequently a history teacher here. Various history dons handed the role on before it came under the remit of Tony Money, again a boy here in the 1930s, a don in the ‘60s and full-time archivist during his retirement. I worked with Tony until his death. In 2014, Angus McPhail asked me to take on the role full-time, so I stood down as Head of Library to concentrate solely on the Archives. Until that point no one had done the ‘nitty gritty’ of archiving – establishing a policy to about what to collect and creating a full catalogue.
The support I receive to do my work properly and of course, Radley’s beautiful grounds. I love the creative aspects of my work – writing in particular. I’ve been fortunate to have a number of roles over the years; I’ve taught Classics, been a Sixth Form master, an Oxbridge supervisor and still teach 6.1 EPQs, all of which ensures that I meet the boys which is so important.
Despite the normal seasonal lull in beagling, life at the Countryside Centre has continued apace over the summer months with the arrival of Charlie Herbert in the newly established Director Countryside Centre Partnerships role, a full programme of internal and external countryside activities, and a timely package of infrastructure enhancements in and around the Centre. At the heart of our nascent partnering efforts over recent months has been a pilot development programme with a small cohort of boys from Fitzharrys, which saw them undertake a wide range of animal husbandry, field sports and woodland skills activities over a six week period, and a separate bushcraft activity day.
CLGH, SCT, TGW
Beagles, Bushcraft and Building: News from the Countryside Centre
Concurrently, we have been building relations with other key partners – including Broadway Academy, Radley Primary School, Kingfisher School and Headway Oxfordshire – with a number of new countryside partnership activities expected to start in the Michaelmas Term. Closer to home, we’re equally delighted to be starting a new Shell Countryside Centre programme from September, which will see all new Radley boys introduced to a broad range of countryside, conservation and environmental activities and issues over a five or six week period during their first year here at Radley. Recent visitors to the Centre may already have seen the three new outdoor classrooms that have been constructed to help us deliver some of these new initiatives; the first step in our efforts to provide the right platform for the countryside education and training of Radley boys and partners. Over the course of the year we hope to expand the geographic size of the centre – to include ponds and ditches, woodland pasture, an orchard and a small hay meadow – as part of a phased programme of development and change aligned with Radley’s sustainability agenda and determination to enhance the biodiversity of the site. Elsewhere, the rhythm of the spring and summer season has continued unabated, with the successful breeding of eighteen beagle puppies and ten lambs, the arrival of four new Oxford & Sandy weaners (future sausages for those interested) and a very well attended annual Radley College Beagles Puppy Show at the start of Festival 175 Week. Our three newly appointed Joint Masters (Hector Tufnell, Ben Evans-Freke and Will Tanner) should be congratulated also on their excellent showing of Radley hounds at both the Royal Three Counties and Wales & Border Counties Hound Shows, with a total of four 1st places, four 2nd places, one 3rd place and four 4th places – a terrific achievement from the only school pack to enter these prestigious hound shows, and a great credit to the Joint Masters, Kennel Huntsman and don i/c of Beagling, TMM. And finally, we are hoping to offer a few guided tours of the centre in the Michaelmas Term for those who have not yet had an opportunity to visit. More details to follow, but we would love to see you there.
The next Operational Staff Meeting will take place on FRIDAY 14 OCTOBER 2022 at 11:15am in the Theatre –more information to follow Sustainable buggies
MarathonAndrea’s
Andrea Cattell from the Housekeeping team is running the London Marathon on October 2nd in memory of her Mum, who sadly passed away in November 2021. Andrea’s amazing Mum had battled through breast cancer twice before she was diagnosed with kidney cancer in 2020. Cancer Research UK offered Andrea a place in the London Marathon to raise money to help families like hers. While she has done some running in the past – she was part of Team Radley in this year’s Oxford Town & Gown, and has also run Oxford Half – this is Andrea’s first marathon. Good luck from us all! To support Andrea, please visit her donation page using the QR code. Radley College has chosen to replace its fleet of utility vehicles with lithium-ion batteries. Adam King, Head of Grounds, said: “Making this commitment to a fleet of all-electric utility vehicles is part of the estate’s plans to become more sustainable. The lithium-ion batteries that power the new buggies are much more favourable when it comes to longevity and charging.” Look out for them around the campus!
Louise Morrow (HR) and Dusty OxfordNightjoined(Housekeeping)EvanstheShineWalkinonSaturday 3rd September, raising money for Cancer Research UK, a cause very close to both their hearts. Lou and Dusty set off at 7:25pm walking 10k through the centre of Oxford and finishing at 9:33pm. If you would like to donate, please use the QR code to visit their fundraising page: Sous Chef Kevin Richardson completed an epic challenge over the summer, cycling 1,020 miles from Land’s End to John O’Groats to raise funds and awareness for Multiple Sclerosis with Bike UK for MS. Kevin raised an impressive £1,085 with many members of the Radley community generously sponsoring him (you can still donate using the QR code below). Following on from last summer’s 50 mile Bike Oxford challenge, is there another ambitious challenge ahead for Kevin? Cycling for MS Over the summer, the Gardening Team had the opportunity to visit Highgrove Gardens, the residence of the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall in Tetbury, Gloucestershire. Mike Ginger, Head Gardener said “It was a real treat to get the opportunity to visit Highgrove, a huge thank you to Michael Noone for arranging the trip. We were primarily there to look at the how the wild flower meadows worked with the formal gardens, both of which complimented each other perfectly. The gardens are all very different, and the stump garden and wild thyme path were particular favourites of the group. We returned with plenty of ideas to implement here at Radley.”
Garden Inspiration
theWalkingWalk
