Rhubarb 2020

ST EDWARD’S r h u b a r b

there to Eton, where he later taught. He took a Congratulatory First in Classics and Modern Languages at Merton College, Oxford, where he also won a lightweight rowing half blue. How about that for a CV! Alastair and his wife Zannah have two daughters Mary and Lizzie, so his extensive experience of educating boys is matched by a passionate interest in the education of girls. He shares the Governors’ ambition to build on the current Warden’s achievements and secure St Edward’s place as an undisputed leader in co-education.

W E L C O M E

Alastair Chirnside and family

This year we have said a fond farewell to a number of long-standing members of staff. Stephen Withers Green stepped down as Bursar in December 2019 after 21 years at Teddies and we welcomed our new Bursar Edward Hayter at the start of January. We also said goodbye to Ed Hunt (1987), Phil Jolley (1993), Debra Clayphan (2010), Philip Mallaband (2010) and Liz Boast (2010), all of whom will be known by many of our OSE.

The last five months have seen an unprecedented number of OSE and community-related events being cancelled due to the pandemic. It is a huge tribute to the team of Rachael Henshilwood, Emma Grounds, Emily Rowbotham and Tracy Payne (not forgetting the Hon Sec John Wiggins) that the well-oiled machine has continued in the way it always did. This has included some events being held remotely through platforms like Zoom.

David Smart and Charles Cooper

I should like to set out my vision for the next two years: Firstly, I want to be in regular communication with as wide a range of OSE as possible by listening to and learning from them. I will aim to grow the support that the Society provides to OSE across all generations. This will take some doing given our size and diversity but we have all learnt over the past few months the importance of unity, human interactions and technology. The support the Society will offer OSE over the coming months will include: access to careers advice, mentoring and training, professional and personal networking events, OSE and family events, online speakers, videos of interest, all as much of a source of help and advice as possible. Some of this will be through our new online platform Alumnet, which I hope you have signed up to and are using. Communication has already increased through the new Teddies in Touch monthly e-newsletters and we are planning a series of diverse and engaging events both face-to-face and virtually. MY TWO-YEAR VI S ION

I would like to increase the Society’s support for the School. This, I hope, will be in the form of OSE offering to speak to our pupils, engage in committees, offer work experience, internships and professional advice or helping us advance an ambitious bursarial support programme which could benefit many OSE families and the wider community. These exciting initiatives are being driven through an evolution of the old OSE/ Development office to the Beyond Teddies Team which you can read more about on page 6. The team will continue to support the Society and all OSE but also seek to grow synergies and support between OSE, parents and pupils and the wider North Oxford Community for the benefit of all. So we have many plans for growth and support and if any of you have any ideas of ways in which you can help, do please contact me on smartd@stedwardsoxford.org

3