A short term but a busy and momentous one; incredible to think we are only three weeks away from the Summer Term and the familiar sound of trundling cricket bags. As always at this time of the year, we announce our departing staff and those that will become Beacon people from September. Alongside previously mentioned Mrs Liz King as Head of Girls, we are very much looking forward to working with our new colleagues in September and fully appreciate that the best schools invest primarily in the most important resource, their staff.
With our expanded and re-designed Nursery, we welcome Mrs Hayley Cottrell, who is currently Deputy Head of Pre-Prep at St John’s Prep School in Northwood, to work alongside our existing team. Hayley is a highly experienced and well-regarded educationalist with a warm, calm and engaging manner. Living in Amersham and with a son going to Challoner’s in September, she is very much looking forward to meeting and working with our Little Beacons.
In Years 3 and 4 we are delighted to appoint Mrs Tabitha Palmer-Reid and Mrs Natalie Paterson. A keen hockey player and chorister, Tabitha joins us from Habs where she has taught across the age range in both the boys’ and girls’ prep departments and is Head of House. Though she was well aware of The Beacon, her husband, a DT teacher at Merchant Taylors’, has always spoken highly of our boys that have joined that school over the years. Natalie is currently a Key Stage 2 teacher and holds a Level 7 Diploma in the teaching of Dyslexia. Her easy company, compassion for young children and expertise in key learning areas will add much to the school and family feel of our Common Room; not just because of our strength of team and comradeship, but she also happens to be the sister of our Head of DT Danielle Reeve…we are a family school in every sense! Talking of families, as some of you may have noticed from the concerts and productions recently, Team Voneshen will be expanding this August with Jane, her husband David and daughter Sophie expecting their second child. Jane will work until the end of the academic year and then we look forward to her returning to her Beacon family in due course.
Next term, the Beacon Peloton rides again and it will turn out to be the swansong of our regular ‘Lead Out Man’ Alex Walker, who will be leaving his Head of PE position with us to move with his family to Portugal to set up a wellbeing retreat. Alex is a great guy, a brilliant sportsman in every sense and a role model to all of our boys. He will be much missed but his roles and responsibilities will be ably replaced internally by Marcus Harris, who has a clear vision for the Department and the advancement of PE, gymnastics and swimming.
We will also be very sorry to say hasta la vista to Mrs Freya Ritchie who is relocating back to Somerset to take up a position at King’s College Taunton. Freya has done a brilliant job raising the profile of Spanish in the school and has been such a champion for The Beacon in the broadest sense; our school community will miss her and her family, who will always be considered our dearest friends.
Have a restful and enjoyable Easter break. I will be picking up Patrick from University tomorrow and as much as he is looking forward to coming home, he’s as excited as I am about 1st April. As the boys may tell you from this afternoon’s Assembly, the 1st April is when my two great loves collide with the release of the very first Lego Tintin Set. This has been rumoured for as long as the Internet has existed, and for us ‘Lego Tintin fans’ (of which there appear to be many millions) the 1st April has been a red letter day for many years. I have bought two – one for home and one for The Beacon – and whilst Patrick wants us to ‘race’, I will be savouring the build and ensuring every piece is correctly placed – can’t wait. I’m also going to Naples for a few days with Brigid, which she thinks is more exciting than a Lego Tintin set but hey, each to their own…
Thank you, sincerely, for all your support this term and have a great Easter; see you in the ‘summer’!
Nick Baker