St Faiths Newsletter 2021

OF
the old fidelian
2021
Welcome to
our new
Headmaster
Our Mini
Moo ‘Faith’
joins in
Cows about
Cambridge
Our day out
at Goodwood
Racing Track
Staff
Retirement
Interviews

DEAR OLD FIDELIAN,
Contents
learning system. Meanwhile, over
100 children of critical workers were
educated at school with staff
teaching pupils in class and those at
home at the same time. The Sports
Hall was transformed into a Covid
test centre with staff and Year 7 and 8
pupils being tested by our nurses
twice per week. The Ashburton Hall
has been used as an additional dining
room to ensure social distancing at
lunchtimes.
It was to everyone’s delight when we
were able to welcome the pupils back
to school in March and whilst daily
routines have been far from normal,
lessons have been able to run
effectively and there has been a
renewed sense of appreciation for
school life and all it offers.
2 Headmaster’s Welcome
9
As one parent remarked to me at the
end of the Summer Term, ‘It’s been a
funny year hasn’t it?’ It certainly has,
in more than one sense of the word.
It’s been a funny unusual year, with
the pandemic bringing
unprecedented changes to the way
we have been required to operate the
school. Despite the disruptions to
normal school life, pupils, staff and
parents have coped extremely well
and the typically strong St Faith’s
values of resilience and sense of
humour have prevailed, with plenty of
funny amusing moments too. At the
end of a most remarkable period in
the school’s history, I am delighted to
say that the school is in great shape
and most importantly, the pupils have
achieved much progress and
success.
Not since the start of World War II,
when the boarders were evacuated
to Devon, has the school community
been required to work in such a
different way. For much of the winter
period, most pupils were required to
stay at home as lessons continued
online, with each child following their
normal timetable via the new remote
At the end of this academic year,
Jane and I are moving on to pastures
new, after ten happy years at St
Faith’s. It has been a privilege to lead
this great school and we will miss the
community very much. We have
greatly enjoyed meeting Old Fidelians
and hearing about the school’s
history, including some of the antics
that former pupils got up to! There is
a real spark and vitality about St
Faith’s and its pupils which will no
doubt continue under the leadership
of my successor, Dr Hyde-Dunn. We
wish him and his wife, Lucy, every
happiness and success in the coming
years.
Thank you very much for your
support over the past 10 years. We
trust that the Old Fidelian network will
continue to flourish and former pupils
will keep in touch with each other and
the school, as this forms such a
valuable and important part of the
school’s community spirit.
I hope you enjoy reading about Old
Fidelians and the achievements of
our current pupils in this annual
newsletter.
With all good wishes,
Nigel Helliwell
3 Welcome from Dr Crispin
Hyde-Dunn
3 Welcome from the Chair of OF
Committee
4 OF News
5 Leavers’ Destinations
5 OF News
5 School News – Michaelmas
Term
8 School News – Lent Term
9 School News – Summer Term
14 Staff News
16 Support Us
12
2

OF News
Welcome from the
Chair of OF
Committee
It is a great pleasure to be invited to
contribute to the OF Magazine ahead
of my arrival at St. Faith’s School as
Headmaster from September 2021. I
am very excited to be joining the St
Faith’s community, which has thrived
under the headship of Nigel Helliwell.
By way of introduction, I arrive at St
Faith’s from the Headship of the
Dragon School in Oxford, and before
this, Abingdon Preparatory School.
Prior to taking up the Headship of
Abingdon Preparatory School, I also
enjoyed four very happy years as a
Deputy Head in Cambridge.
I entered the teaching profession in
1997, having read History at St.
Catherine’s College Oxford, followed
by a PGCE and I am a keen advocate
of life-long learning. During my career, I
have really appreciated the opportunity
to undertake an MA in Educational
Leadership and Management as well
as the National Professional
Qualification for Headship. Pursuing
my interest in History I have also
completed a part-time PhD, exploring
the visual display of the intriguing
monarch, Henry VII. Turning to wider
interests, I have a longstanding
enthusiasm for Italian cars and motor
racing, as well as following the variable
fortunes of Tottenham Hotspur.
I am married to Lucy who is a vet and
research scientist in genetics, as well
as a friendly source of advice for pets
in the school community. Lucy was
particularly delighted to learn that the
Discovery Zone at St Faith’s has a
canine staff member.
It is a real privilege to be the next
custodian of the school, and we have
already been very warmly welcomed.
Having previously taught in
Cambridge, I have long admired St.
Faith’s, with its smartly distinctive red
and black uniform and imaginatively
sculptured entrance gates on
Trumpington Road. As part of the Leys
Foundation, it is clear that St Faith’s
inspiring, inclusive and innovative
curriculum prepares pupils
exceptionally well for life’s journey,
underpinned by Christian values. The
opportunities afforded and lessons
learned at St Faith’s are not only
appreciated by current families, but
they are clearly evident in the
remarkable life stories and
achievements of Old Fidelians
contained in this Magazine.
Thank you most sincerely for staying in
touch with St Faith’s and I do hope
there will be an opportunity for us to
meet in the near future.
With all best wishes,
Dr Crispin Hyde-Dunn
A warm
welcome
once again
to the OF
magazine.
This year
finds us
still facing
many
challenges
brought by
the pandemic, but from reading
this year’s issue it is clear that St
Faith’s has continued to flourish
and has managed to remain a
happy and enriching environment
for its pupils despite the many
restrictions and hurdles faced.
Fortunately with restrictions
beginning to lift I was delighted
that we could have our first nonvirtual
get together in quite some
time kindly hosted by OF
Pasquale Benedetto at The
Plough, Coton. It was great to
see some old faces and also to
have the opportunity to say our
goodbyes to Nigel Helliwell.
Throughout his time at St Faith’s
Nigel has been a big support to
the OF committee and I know I
speak for all of us when I say that
Nigel will be missed. However,
we look forward to welcoming his
replacement Dr Crispin Hyde-
Dunn and we also look forward
to more OF events in the coming
year, details of which will be sent
out in due course. If you would
like to learn more about the role
of the committee or any of the
events we organise each year,
please do get in touch via
marketing@stfaiths.co.uk
Alex Nichols
Chairman of the OF Committee
3

OF News
Ashburton – The spirit of kindness
and positivity in the face of adversity
is not a new trait to St Faith’s. During
World War II, boarders at the school
were evacuated to the Golden Lion
Hotel in Ashburton, Devon. The
memories of a number of Old
Fidelians who spent part of the war in
Devon can be found on our website,
we encourage you to take a look –
they are really quite
powerful. Poignantly one OF
recalled, ‘The Ashburton air raid siren
was a primitive mobile affair, driven
round the streets on a car . I always
hoped WGB (Mr Butler, Headmaster)
would sleep through the warning and
that we would not have to go down to
the wine racks in the cellar. Some
years later when I saw the results of
the destruction in Plymouth, I realised
how lucky we had been in
Ashburton.’ Our thanks to OF Sir
John Tusa for sharing these
memories with us.
OF Virtual Visit – We were thrilled to
introduce one of our Year 8
Engineering classes to Old Fidelian
and co-founder of Bremont Watches,
Giles English, in November. Giles
attended St Faith’s in the 1980s (he
was in Bentley). He commented that
he was shy and struggled when he
joined but once dyslexia was
diagnosed and the right assistance
was provided, ‘the school made me’.
Giles and his brother, Nick, founded
Bremont Watches in 2002 when they
combined their love and passion for
engineering and aviation to set up a
British watch-making firm. Their
brand has grown to be a world-leader
in the luxury watch market and with
the release of a new limited edition
range, Giles got in touch to share his
love of Engineering with the school
that kicked it all off for him. The Year
8 pupils were enthralled by Giles’
stories of aviation adventure and
loved hearing about the intricacies
and precision engineering of watchmaking.
Giles was bombarded by
questions including, ‘Have you had to
do any major re-designs if a watch
4
doesn’t work?’ To
which Giles
answered, ‘Yes,
every watch design
goes through
multiple design,
build, test,
redesign stages’.
Q: ‘How many
parts are there in
a watch?’
A: ‘Basic watch
around 180 –
watches with chronometers or dual
time zone up to 300. There are
86400 sec in 1 day – Bremont
watches are precise to +/- 4 seconds
making watches the most accurate
mechanical devices made’.
Q: ‘How long does it take to create a
watch?’
A: ‘Hawking watch released this
week took 3 years from concept to
product’.
Q: ‘What is your proudest moment?’
A: ‘Seeing our first watch sold after 5
years of research, design and
manufacture in the UK.’
It was a captivating session for our
staff and pupils. We very much hope
to welcome Giles onto site in the
future so that more of our pupils can
learn about this fascinating aspect of
British engineering.
Christmas Cards – We were
delighted to receive from Old
Fidelian, Anthony Bevan, school
Christmas cards from 1946 and 1947
and thought you might be interested
to see them. Clearly, the school
colours of red, white and black have
endured!
Charity Walk – In April OFs Jack,
Jack, Ruari and Joe completed a 50k
walk around the 31 Cambridge
Colleges in under 12 hours in aid of
Parkinson’s UK. Collectively the boys
have all had relatives affected by
Parkinson’s so they decided to raise
funds to support further research into
this devastating disease. They raised
an impressive £4,100 and enjoyed
the opportunity of a renunion along
the way.

OF News
Leavers’
Destinations
We are delighted to announce
that 98% of our 2021 Year 8
leavers are moving to their first
choice senior school. These are
the best results we can
remember and are particularly
impressive given the
circumstances of virtual entry
assessments etc. The full
breakdown of onward senior
schools is shown below:
School leavers
The Leys 42
The Perse Upper 5
Uppingham 3
King’s Ely 4
St Mary’s 4
Culford 2
Sancton Wood 2
Greshams 1
Parkside 1
In addition, we are delighted to
say that 21 scholarships have
been offered to our leavers:
Scholarship
Academic 5
OF Events
OF Golf – In May 14 OFs
gathered at Royal Worlington Golf
Club for the annual OF Golf Day.
This year the event included a
round of 18 holes and a light
lunch outside the clubhouse.
Congratulations to the winner,
David Sabberton, and thank you
to Richard Devoy, the OF Golf
Chairman, for arranging the event.
In late June the OF committee
and Mr Helliwell welcomed a
small group of OFs to a reunion at
The Plough, Coton, by kind
invitation of OF Pasquale
Benedetto. This was the first in
person reunion of the OF
community since 2019 and was a
lovely opportunity for Mr Helliwell
to say a few farewells to those he
has enjoyed getting to know over
the past 10 years. We look
forward to holding more in person
events in 2021/22.
STEM 3
Art 4
Drama 2
Music 2
Sport 5
5

School News
Michaelmas Term
No doubt many of you reading this
Magazine will recall vividly the day
you first learned how to use a Bunsen
Burner. Early on in the Michaelmas
term, under the watchful eye of the
Science staff, Year 5 pupils learnt the
theory of the Bunsen Burner flame
before lighting one themselves. After
a few shaky-handed moments, all
pupils gained in confidence achieving
their Bunsen Burner Licences on the
road to becoming fully fledged
scientists!
With inter-school fixtures for the older
children being off the agenda due to
the pandemic, the Sports Faculty
used the opportunity to modify the
curriculum and place greater
emphasis on athletic fitness,
specifically speed, power, agility and
reactions, as well as continuing to
develop the core skills of our main
team sports. The aim of this
approach has been to create more
efficient athletes of our pupils and
also decrease their risk of sportrelated
injury now and in the future.
Due to the need to reconfigure a
number of classrooms to keep year
group ‘bubbles’ isolated from each
other this year the library was
repurposed as a music room.
Perhaps for the first time in St Faith’s
history the sound of drums being
banged, horns being blown and
songs being chanted was
encouraged in this normally calm and
quiet space!
In October we welcomed and greeted
the recently appointed Leys and St
Faith’s Foundation Chaplain,
Reverend Simon Coleman, for a
virtual Harvest Festival
assembly. Reverend Coleman who,
previously, was the Chaplain at
Portsmouth University, spoke directly
to all Year groups from the Britten
Room via video link. As part of his
assembly, he showed the children a
conker he had picked up from a
horse chestnut tree at The Leys on
his way to St Faith’s, to illustrate his
analogy that children are like
seedlings, and will grow and develop
given the right conditions. He took
the opportunity to thank the children
for their very generous donations of
produce, which have been collected
by the Salvation Army and were
provided to families in the Cambridge
area.
6

School News
Many of you will most likely recall the
impressive trees we are so privileged
to possess on our large green site. In
October, pupils in Year 3 were to
be found out and about in the
school grounds as part of their
Science topic. The pupils enjoyed
the autumn weather as they
identified tree types, measured
their trunks and used this
information to estimate the age of
the trees. Among the specimens
measured was the Horse Chestnut
which looks proudly over School
House field with a circumference
of over 3.5m and of course our
impressive Copper Beech with a
circumference of over 5m!
Enrichment days are an important part of
our curriculum, providing off-timetable
days of extended activities and projects
which enrich our pupils’ understanding
both within and beyond the set
curriculum. In November, Year 3 arrived at
school dressed as Egyptians and spent
the day immersed in the world of Ancient
Egypt. They crafted their own scarab
beetles from clay, learnt to communicate
using hieroglyphics and created Egyptian
themed collages. Not be outdone, Year
4 arrived at school dressed as Romans
brandishing their home-made Roman
battle shields! During the day, pupils
planned a traditional Roman banquet,
writing their own menus. They also made
Roman coins and took part in a Roman
army training camp that included (foam)
javelin throwing, marching skills and long
jumping!
Year 5 meanwhile spent the day
in the science laboratories,
gaining a deeper understanding
of science and climate change.
They also combined their
knowledge of the climate with
creative skills in the art rooms,
where they were influenced by
the works of Dutch graphic artist
Maurtis Escher who made
mathematically inspired
woodcuts, lithographs and
mezzotints. Year 6 pupils spent
their enrichment day welly-deep
in Hobson’s brook, our local
historic water course that
changed the fortunes of
Cambridge with its delivery of
clean water to the city in the 16th
century. From water depth to flow
measurements, the children took
to their geography field work like
ducks to water (pun intended).
Meanwhile Year 7 spent part of their
day in the engineering workshop and
outside, learning more about the
workings of the Goblin go-karts, and
having the opportunity to drive the
cars.
7

School News
Due to the still dominant restrictions
at the time, our normal round of
nativities and carol services were
replaced with virtual alternatives in
December. Foundation pupils filmed
a traditional nativity, ‘A Christmas
Treasure Hunt’, using their
classrooms and our expansive school
site as their movie set. Year 2 pupils
took advantage of green screen
technologies to produce a most
memorable pantomime, ‘Pirates
versus Mermaids’. Confident acting,
lots of great humour, clever use of
props and lovely singing made for a
most entertaining show. Pre Prep
children also recorded a virtual
Christingle Service, complete with
live flames, much to their delight.
Meanwhile pupils in Years 3-8
enjoyed the first St Faith’s Virtual
Carol Service. The pre-recorded
video was watched by pupils in their
various classrooms. The newlyformed
Chamber Choir (a small group
of singers from Year 8), under the
dedicated tutelage of Mr Gorick, gave
up their early mornings and break
times in order to rehearse and record
the carols and bring us all a more
formal taste of Christmas. Finally in
the absence of our infamous Last
House Standing event, pupils in
Years 3 to 8 took part in our own
filmed version of The Twelve Days of
Christmas, including a very special
cameo appearance from a very busy
man in red. After a long and highly
successful term what a wonderful
way of sending the school off for the
Christmas holidays!
Lent Term
The Lent term got off to a very
different start as all schools across
the country were once again closed
to all but the children of Critical
Workers. Thanks to diligent planning,
underpinned by excellent IT support,
our curriculum switched to virtual
lessons live streamed into homes
across the region (and indeed for
some pupils, world). Following their
normal timetables pupils joined
lessons from kitchen and dining room
tables to receive the robust and
meticulous education for which St
Faith’s is renowned.
Keen to ensure our pupils continued
to receive a physical education our
ever resourceful sports department
developed a number of video
tutorials and challenges to keep even
the most active Fidelians busy in
between on line lessons. From
Netball On The Beat to hockey skills
practice, often accompanied by
upbeat music, the staff and children
clearly embraced the challenge. To
help our hockey players keep
focused Old Fidelians, Katie C and
Charlie H, both part of the England
U18 squads, got involved by setting
competitive challenges, for which we
are very grateful.
From mid-January our Sports Hall
found itself re-purposed into a COVID
testing centre as all staff and pupils
over 12 years began twice weekly
lateral flow testing. Our team of
resilient nursing staff, ably supported
by our Operations Manager and Head
of Pastoral care were to be found
twice a week, taking and testing
swab samples with the aim of helping
to keep our on-site community safe.
Schools across the country revised
how they carry out entry
assessments for new students in the
New Year. For entry into St Faith’s
pupils undertook online virtual
assessments under the watchful eye
of our Registrar via video link. Year 8
pupils sitting assessments for senior
schools also sat exams from home
for a variety of schools. Furthermore,
many who were applying for
scholarships had to quickly adapt
their preparations and expectations.
Thanks to the robust education of St
Faith’s, and the resilience we have
worked hard to develop in our pupils
all rose magnificently to the task and
did themselves and the school proud.
Keenly aware of the impact of home
learning and our pupils spending in
excess of 6 hours a day on video
calls, in mid-February we held the
school’s first Wellbeing Day. Pupils in
Years 3 to 8 left their screens behind
and embarked on a range of tasks
which promoted creativity, mental
awareness and kindness. Later in the
day, Houses came together for
special assemblies and then
everyone was encouraged to enjoy
an hour of physical activity, as part of
a structured session from the Sports
Faculty or as a family by walking,
running or cycling in their local area.
Given the weather, many
understandably chose to enjoy fun
and games in the snow! We were
delighted that our children revelled in
these different activities and chose to
share details of their photography,
letter writing, art, music practice, den
building, snowball making and acts of
kindness. We received much positive
feedback thanking the school and in
particular the Wellbeing Day
Coordinator, Miss Kennerley, for
organising this off-timetable day.
In early March we were given the
green light to bring pupils and staff
back to school full time. In order for
this to happen all pupils in Years 7
and 8 had to undergo two rounds of
in-school lateral flow testing before
they could return. Our highly capable
nursing staff, with support from staff
in the school offices, successfully
tested the 150 or so pupils twice in
the week preceding their return to
school. Once school opened, pupils
and staff switched to performing their
own testing at home, meaning that
the Sports Hall could once again be
use for sport rather than as a testing
centre!
8

School News
We learned in March that
Ryan in Year 7 had won his
age category in the Oxford
University Computing
Challenge. No small feat in
itself, but all the more
impressive given that there
were over 68,000 entries
globally for the
competition! Competitors
had to solve a series of
challenging coding tasks
against the clock. Well
done Ryan!
Summer Term
Hermione in Year 8 was
awarded the Rotary Club
Young Environmentalist
prize for her project on
Sustainable Urban
Transport, which included
an investigation into the
effects on air quality by
switching from petrol to
electric vehicles.
In mid-March our school Eco Co-ordinator, in
collaboration with the Earth Restoration
Service, took delivery of 50 tree saplings which
children across the school helped to plant in a
corner of our wild flower meadow. The mini
oaks, maples, hornbeams and wild cherries will
be nurtured by our children here on site for the
next two years before being moved on as more
substantial trees.
In late April pupils across
the school were encouraged
to celebrate the life and fund
raising efforts of Captain Sir
Tom Moore. Pupils across
the school took part in their
own ‘100’ challenges, from
100 minute walks to baking
100 cupcakes. Archie in
Year 4 decided to sleep for
100 nights in the open air
and completed his 100 th
night at the start of the
summer holidays raising a
staggering £5000 for the
Captain Sir Tom Foundation!
9

School News
For the sixth consecutive year St
Faith’s has retained its Eco Schools
Green Flag status. The judge who
assessed our application wrote to our
Eco coordinator, Miss Gamble,
saying ‘I would also like to take this
opportunity to say thank you for
continuing to work on your Eco-
Schools Green Flag during these
unprecedented times – it is a true
reflection of your school’s
determination to make a real
difference.’
This year over 22 pupils received a
school record breaking Gold Award,
24 gained Silver and 28 Bronze in the
Junior Maths Challenge, a nationwide
competition aimed at pupils in Year 8,
which encourages mathematical
reasoning, precision of thought and
fluency in applying mathematical
techniques to solving problems.
Owing to the accelerated nature of
our curriculum many pupils in Year 6
and 7 took part as well as all in Year
8. Three pupils went forward for the
Olympiad stage of the competition
add details. Meanwhile a further 19
pupils took part in the Kangaroo
round with an impressive 8 achieving
a Merit.
James in Year 8 was named national
winner of the Junior Scientists award
of the Big Bang! Competition for his
independent research into the antimicrobial
properties of a variety of
mouthwashes. James was delighted
with the result and more delighted
still that he scientifically proved that
out of his entire family, his preferred
mouthwash of choice was, according
to his results, the best at killing
bacteria!
Pre Prep Sports Day looked a little
different this year without parents and
spectators lining the track to support
their little ones. Competing one year
group at a time, the children were still
able to enjoy a variety of races from
sprints and egg and spoon to hurdles
and 200m. Despite a few tumbles,
dropped eggs and the odd shoe
coming loose, the races went
smoothly. Coinciding with the lunch
breaks of some of the older pupils,
the Pre Prep relished the opportunity
to compete in front of an audience
and basked in the overall atmosphere
of the day.
10

School News
St Faith’s held its first live-streamed
music concert in June for the
Headmaster’s Recital. Year 8
performers put on a concert
showcasing the wonderful talent of
our soloists. From ‘Flower of Scotland’
on the bagpipes to ‘Bourbon Street
Stomp’ on the trumpet and ‘Vivace’ in
G Minor on the piano, as well as many
delightful vocalists and other
instrumental pieces, it was a great
pleasure to hear our musicians and to
see them perform with so much
confidence. Staying on a musical
theme, our Year 8 Percussion
Ensemble created a drum piece with a
difference by devising a piece of
music using a single drum and four
chairs. Adding lighted sticks to the
mix they then performed it in the dark
to great effect.
In late June a number of Year 8
musicians put on a mini outdoor
concert in the Headmaster’s garden
for pupils in Years 3 and 4. The sun
was shining, the quality of the music
was terrific and there was a tangible
feel-good factor in the air. A most
uplifting and memorable half hour
was had by the many pupils and staff
present.
11

School News
Our Year 6 General Knowledge Quiz Team reached
the national finals in June. Competing against 21
other schools who had won their regional
competitions, our team answered questions as varied
as, ‘Which element has the chemical symbol W’ and,
‘In Tolkein’s The Fellowship of the Ring, how many
companions initially made up the fellowship?’ Our
team finished a very impressive 3 rd overall and were
delighted with the outcome.
Our Mini-Moo, ‘Faith’, joined the herd in Cambridge in
June as part of the Cows about Cambridge art
project, in a very tasty location in the window of
Fitzbillies bakery. The whole school participated in the
design of Faith, basing their design ideas on the
1930’s poem, ‘On Leaving Cambridge’ by former
University scholar Xu Zhi Mo. Pupils used the
principles of Aboriginal dot painting, together with
some distinctive school accessories in the form of
striped socks and a school tie, to create a unique St
Faith’s Mini-Moo.
Our three Goblins race teams travelled to the historic
Goodwood race circuit, to be tested on their engineering
knowledge, team work in pit stop conditions and of course,
driving skills in the only race of the year in June. Mrs
Oxborough was delighted with the performances of all pupils
and very thankful to all the St Faith’s parents who volunteered
and without whose help the event would not have been
possible. As way of a reward there was a specially organised
‘Parents Race’ at the end of the day, which by all accounts was
keenly contested!
12

School News
The school year culminated in early
July with Speech Day. For the first
time only Year 8 pupils and their
parents attended the event in the
marquee, with the rest of the school
observing proceedings from their
classrooms, and parents from their
living rooms thanks to live-streaming
technology. Guest of Honour this
year, was Sir Mene Pangalos,
Executive Vice President of
AstraZeneca, a current parent who
has been leading the development of
the AZ Covid-19 vaccine. As well as
talking about his experiences of the
past Year Sir Mene gave our Year 8s
plenty of advice for the future,
imploring them to be resilient, be
brave, be team players and to love
what they do. Speech Day ended
with a twist when Mr and Mrs
Helliwell were given a surprise escort
through a Guard of Honour formed by
Year 8 into waiting golf buggies which
then drove them around the school
grounds past all the pupils and staff
who waved banners, cheered,
performed special songs, dances and
saluted. The parade even included a
drag race against the 3 Goblin race
cars across the tennis courts. Mr and
Mrs Helliwell were both taken
completely by surprise and clearly
loved every second of their farewell
tour.
13

Staff Updates
Mrs Linda Smith, Head of Pre
Prep retired at the end of the
school year following 31 years of
service to the school. We asked
her a series of questions about
her time here.
In what unique ways have you
contributed to the St Faith’s
community? Please list the many
roles you have had/hats you have
worn.
I have had great fun class teaching at
first in Pre Prep, then in Year 3. I
invented the Year 3 straw pyramid
project and the marble maze to fit
with studying the Greeks. Perhaps
some of you did these when you
were in Year 3! I have done some
teaching in Year 5 and Games
teaching in the younger years. I
improved my football no end when I
had to teach it to Year 3.
What have been the biggest
changes you have experienced
since joining St Faith’s?
The transition from being a boys to a
coeducational school was a big
change at the time, but I had taught
in coeducational schools before St
Faith’s and knew that we would soon
adjust. The biggest change across
the school during the whole of my
time has been digital technology. You
would not believe the BBC
computers that we first started with
at St Faith’s, just 12, incredibly slow,
and the children shared one between
two taking turns with the keyboard.
What a quick learning curve for me in
my last couple of years having to
prepare, record and edit remote
assemblies!
Describe a special memory of your
time at St Faith’s.
I really enjoyed the day of the 25 th
anniversary party for the opening of
the Pre Prep as it was the biggest
birthday party ever! We were all out
on School House field, involving older
children looking after the younger
ones, with stalls, games, cake, ice
cream and bouncy castles; what a
mixture!
Where is your favourite place in
school and why?
Pre Prep, of course! Who doesn’t
love a rack of picture books, a
colourful display, a gaggle of giggling
girls, a squabble of boisterous boys,
a rainbow of painted hands, all mixed
up with a dinosaur, a knight and an
astronaut. Having said that, I also like
Ashburton Hall as it is where so many
special events take place, from plays,
to concerts, services and assemblies
and… Foundation Games lessons,
my favourite part of the week!
If you could attend one last school
trip or event what would it be and
why?
It would have to be one of our School
services, and I wouldn’t mind which
one as they each have a special
meaning for me.
What are you looking forward to
most about your next stage in life?
Every day is a day for new learning,
so I am going to develop some new
skills and I’ll tell you all about it when
I see you at the OF barbeque
sometime in the future!
What were your goal and dreams?
Have you fulfilled them?
I wanted to be a teacher from about
the age of 12, so yes I made my
dream come true. What makes it
super special though is I found a
lovely school to work in.
What is the best book you have ever
read or piece of music you have
listened to, and why?
I loved Lord of the Rings, just
because I was entirely absorbed by it
at the time and stayed up into the
night to read it.
Three words to describe your time
at St Faith’s?
Sparkly Active Rewarding
Favourite Quote?
Don’t judge each day by the harvest
you reap but by the seeds that you
plant.
Words of Wisdom to the pupils at St
Faith’s?
Peace begins with a smile.
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Staff Updates
Mr Peter Kite left St Faith’s in
December 2020 after an
impressive 19 years as Head of
Maths. Before he left we were
able to catch up with him to find
out more about his time here.
What did you do before you became
a teacher?
On completing my degree in Maths in
London near the end of the 70s I
suddenly realised I had to do
something after university. I thought if
I did a teaching course for a year I
could put off making a decision. I had
tutored at weekends and had often
helped people in the past so it
seemed something that I could have
a try at.
How many schools had you taught
at before St Faith’s?
I started off in south London teaching
classes of 30+ skinheads in a low
attaining school in the middle of one
of the largest council estates in
England. The head of maths had to
resign under mysterious
circumstances and so after one year
as a teacher I was appointed to that
role.
After two more years my future wife
got a position in the new Science
Park in Cambridge and so I looked
for jobs in the area and ended up
teaching at a very large
comprehensive school at St Neots,
where I stayed for 17 years, teaching
from Year 7 up to Cambridge
University entrance candidates. Here
I saw in the change to the new GCSE
exams, and the introduction of a
national curriculum.
When did you join St Faith’s?
Both my two boys were at St Faith’s
in the Pre Prep and so I got the
weekly newsletter, and one day in
2001 it mentioned that Mr Anns was
leaving, and the post of Head of
Maths was coming up. I felt like a
change, and so applied and luckily
for me was appointed later that year.
Describe your various roles during
your time here.
Head of Maths kept me busy, but I
have collected a few other positions
over the years. As my boys were here
already it was easy to take on doing
late stay once a week, which turned
into overseeing it full time. Also when
Mr Dawes retired, I took on writing
the whole school timetable, which at
that time was not being done with the
help of a computer.
I also became involved in a number
of more unspecified roles, such as
sometimes filling in for Santa, helping
write and perform parts for Last
House Standing, doing the
scoreboard at Sports Day in Roman
numerals, dancing on stage in a tutu
and wellies, to name but a few.
Where is your most favourite place
in St Faith’s?
I have fond memories of Room 18
which was my teaching and tutor
room for the first few years at St
Faith’s. I also liked to spend time in
the tranquillity of my maths office,
which was converted from a shower
room before I moved in!
What you will miss most about
school?
The pupils, the staff and that very
special feeling of being part of
something bigger. It really is like a
family. When walking around school
the nods of welcome from staff,
pupils and parents made me feel
happy.
A number of other staff have left St
Faith’s this year, either to enjoy a
well-earned retirement or to explore
pastures new. Mr Mutucumarana,
Maths teacher and Newton House
tutor is leaving for a role at Netherhall
School. Mrs Bucklow, most recently
Computing Teacher and Latham
House tutor is now enjoying her
retirement, and Mr Robinson, Year 3
and 4 Tutor is also leaving. Mrs
Thurlby who has led the Discovery
Zone over recent years is leaving, as
is Mrs Haig, Discovery Zone
Assistant. We wish all staff who are
moving on the very best for the
future.
15

Support
Support Fund
From humble beginnings in a shed in
Belvoir Terrace in 1884 our school
has grown in size, stature and
reputation. Many of our former
students have gone on to become
leaders and innovators on the
national and international stage. In
the school’s 135 year history we have
relied solely on fee income and the
generosity of Old Fidelians and the
wider St Faith’s community to fund
both bursaries and infrastructure
projects. Indeed, Ashburton Hall
would not exist today had it not been
for the many kind donations which
made its construction possible.
Please remember…
Every contribution to St Faith’s
counts, regardless of the
amount. If you give regularly,
your contribution, added to
others, makes a significant
difference to the future of our
school. Where possible, please
select GiftAid as this adds an
additional 25% to the value of
your already generous
donation.
Thank you very much indeed for
supporting St Faith’s.
Bursary Fund
St Faith’s is inclusive in nature,
valuing diversity and welcoming
children from all cultural and religious
backgrounds. However, due to rising
costs and reduced affordability, we
are beginning to witness a shift in the
balance of our school’s character and
social make-up.
St Faith’s injects £175,000 per year
into a Bursary Fund which currently
allows more than 35 (or around 6%
of) pupils to receive a St Faith’s
education. The fund also provides a
mechanism for assisting current
families who experience hard times
and, for short periods, may need
support in meeting their school fee
commitments.
By supporting our Bursary Fund you
can help to transform the educational
experience of a child whose
circumstances would otherwise
preclude them from receiving a St
Faith’s education, and in so doing
you can help us to maintain the
diverse culture of our school.
If you share our vision for the future
of St Faith’s, and are able to support
our Bursary Fund, we would be
extremely grateful for any donations,
made via our easy on-line form or
downloadable forms available on the
school’s website.
School Facilities
To provide the world-class, future
focused education for which we are
renowned, we need to make regular
capital investments into our
infrastructure. Facilities which we all
enjoy today and remember fondly
from yesterday would not be possible
without the support of Old Fidelians
and the wider St Faith’s community.
We invite you to make donations of
any size to supplement our own
source of funding for future capital
projects. These include the
renovation and expansion of our Year
3 and 4 facilities in School House, an
indoor waiting area for parents, an
all-weather sports surface on site and
expansion and refurbishment of the
dining room.
If you share our vision for the future
of St Faith’s, and are able to support
us, we would extremely grateful for
any donations towards our
infrastructure projects. This can be
done via our website.
★
How to get in touch
marketing@stfaiths.co.uk @ St_Faiths www.facebook.com/OldFidelians
www.linkedin.com/groups/4387206
www.stfaiths.co.uk
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