Wealden Times | WT230 | July 2021 | Education supplement inside

Education Supplement sponsored by
Recipe for
Success
Vinehall School, Brighton College and Reed’s tell us about
the famous former pupils inspiring the students of today
Sir Tim Smit KBE
“ “
Sir Tim Smit KBE is a much celebrated member of the
Vinehall alumni. Sir Tim is known for his work on
the Lost Gardens of Heligan and the Eden Project, as
well as the Charlestown Shipwreck & Treasure Centre.
A pupil at Vinehall in the 1960s, Tim has often reminisced
about his formative years spent exploring the grounds and
wildlife at Vinehall. ‘There were several great teachers,
but I would single out Tom Gilbart, a Cornishman with
skin like bronzed hide, a moustache with handlebars,
eyes that flashed and a voice that transported all of us
children when he read Brigadier Gerrard, King’s Solomon’s
Mines and Sherlock Holmes. He loved wildlife and
history and turned all of us into Natural Historians.’
We follow Sir Tim’s career keenly and are delighted that he
has been able to reciprocate his early inspiration for natural
history whist at Vinehall by supporting us in our recent whole
school commitment to sustainability. We will be working
with Tim and his highly recommended associate, Richard
Dunne of the Harmony Project, to raise an awareness of how
to live more sustainably within the Vinehall community.
We aim to empower our children to consider the path they
want to take and the future they want to create; there are some
major challenges for them to contend with; however, our aim
is to spark the change they wish to ignite.” vinehallschool.com
Brighton College alumna and filmmaker Chloé Zhao
scooped the Best Director Oscar for Nomadland
earlier this year. She became only the second woman
to win this accolade. The film also won Best Picture and
Best Actress awards at the event, as well as winning four
BAFTAs earlier on in the year, where she gave Brighton
College a name check, thanking her teachers there.
Chloé was a Sixth Form boarder at the school from 1998
until 2000, where Julian and Alison Withers were the teachers
responsible for her pastoral wellbeing. Alison is still a teacher
at the College, and said: ‘Everyone at Brighton College is
incredibly proud of Chloé. We were her Housemaster and
Housemistress during her time here, and remember her very
well. She was always a determined and driven pupil, with a
wonderful sense of humour and a keen sense of curiosity. She
liked to question things, and she was always fascinated by people
and different cultures. She contributed to the life and soul of the
boarding house, and we are delighted for her in her success.’
Renowned for its focus on kindness, Brighton College
is one of the world’s leading independent schools for girls
and boys aged 3-18. The College regularly achieves the
best A-level and GCSE results of any co-educational school
in the UK, whilst ensuring children enjoy a wealth of
extracurricular opportunities.” brightoncollege.org.uk
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