EAC Magazine - Alleyn's School

S c h o o ln e w sThe Club congratulates the following membersof staff on their promotion or retirement:Margaret HunnaballMargaret joined Alleyn’s in 2003 asa teacher of physics and soon provedherself to be an enthusiastic andinspirational teacher who possesseda natural affinity with her students.Furthermore she joined Alleyn’s withconsiderable leadership andmanagement experience so it was notsurprising that after just one year shewas appointed Deputy Director of Studies and then, in 2007,promoted to the post of Assistant Head [Director of Studies],becoming a member of the Senior Management Team.As Director of Studies she was responsible for learning andteaching throughout the School. She chaired the AcademicPolicy Committee and oversaw the School’s curriculum andtimetabling. As an expert on academic monitoring and trackingand with a special interest in the use of value-added data,Margaret was responsible for developing the use of Yellis[a system to measure the value Alleyn’s adds to each pupil] theMiddle School with enhanced ‘Alleyn’s targets’ as well asoverseeing public examinations and learning support.Despite her considerable workload in School, she has still foundtime to continue her own academic research studying atSouthampton University, gaining her MA (Ed) and undertakingfurther research into the co-curriculum. Margaret is also on thepanel of international hockey upire managers and a member ofthe international hockey rules board. She leaves us to becomeDeputy Head at King’s College School, Wimbledon: a welldeservedpromotion. She will be very greatly missed at Alleyn’sand we send her our very best wishes and warmest thanks.Colin DiggoryRoger SkidmoreRoger arrived to teach chemistry atAlleyn’s in September 1997 with twohuge, heavy bags of beautiful handpickedrock specimens and a completeset of Chemistry in Actionprogrammes on industrial processes.His gift to the department was all themore impressive because he had cometo work by train and his journey involved quite a walk at eitherend! Such energy and total dedication to the cause are twothemes which have come to define Roger in his work in somany different areas of the School during his 13 years here.Roger soon brought his previous experience of being anindustrial chemistry at Courtaulds Ltd into the classroom andused his love of geology to make the pupils (and teachers) startenjoying earth science and the chemistry of the rocks rathermore than they did on his arrival.Roger also enjoys outdoor activities and is a qualified mountainleader. He has contributed to the wider life of the school bysetting up and running a new training programme for the Silversection of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme. This hasinvolved organising and overseeing training for hundreds ofpupils: there is nothing that Roger does not know abut packinga rucksack, reading the fine detail on a map or removing a tickfrom someone’s foot!Roger leaves us to start a much deserved retirement with hiswife Jill in Sutton. He is looking forward to spending a bit moretime in the garden and will be brushing up on his German andFrench language skills. He will not be allowing him to rest forlong, however, as he is intending to lead many walking holidaysin Europe with experienced walkers.Roger’s outstanding communication skills, sense of humour andgood judgement have made a real difference to so many of ushere at Alleyn’s and to what it has been possible to achieve inso many areas of the School during his time here. We will allmiss him more than we can say.Wendy CollinsRobin SuttonRobin Sutton, Head of the ArtDepartment, retired after 22 years ofservice. He came to Alleyn’s withprevious experience as Head of Art intwo London Schools. He was a studentat St Martin’s School of Art and later atthe Royal College of Art where hisstudies included art history, painting,photography, projection systems andlarge environmental installations.Robin brought a structured approach to the Art Department atAlleyn’s, ensuring pupils were given a broad range of mediaexperiences. Specialist studios teaching ceramics, painting anddrawing, photography, printing and graphics continued todevelop over the years providing pupils with firm visual andpractical skills.The Art Department has expanded and flourished under hisleadership. Robin’s painting and drawing skills in the teachingof A level Fine Art were particularly appreciated by the studentsand his philosophical discussions about concepts and issuesbehind the art expression of any era meant that students wereconstantly fascinated and intrigued by the subject.Robin was a valued sixth form tutor for 19 years at Alleyn’s.His tutees enjoyed his witty banter but more importantlyappreciated his shrewd and sensitive counsel.He will be missed greatly and we wish Robin a healthy andfulfilled retirement, continuing his engagement with thephilosophy of art, studying for a PhD, ‘playing with oak andstone’ as he would say in rebuilding and adding to his Frenchhouse. Producing art will be of continuing importance to himas, in his own words, ‘it will be a difficult habit to break’.Geoff TonkinGeoff Tonkin has given dedicated service to Alleyn’s for 22years, as an Upper School tutor, Housemaster, teacher thenHead of Drama and Theatre Studies. He worked closely withEileen Chivers, and later with Matthew Grant, their finalcollaboration being Antigone in 2003. A distinctive quality ofhis teaching is unstinting dedication to the academic andpastoral development of each student in his care. His attentionto detail, penetrating intelligence, critical sensibility and senseof fun, make him a formidable teacher. His commitment tostudents’ dedication always went far beyond the classroom inso many ways; he would always put himself out for them.His deft ability to give precisely timed, poised and penetratingadvice ensures self-reflection that encourages all students, and14