You are reading the online edition of the Old Camdenians Newsletter, June 2022.

Once again we have had a very busy time at Beacon High since the last newsletter. This summer has seen the first undisrupted GCSE exam season since 2019. We are rightly proud of our students who have applied themselves diligently despite missing huge chunks of their in-school learning over the last two years. We have high hopes for them.

This term has also seen us host Holocaust survivors and their families as we continue our commitment to being a beacon school for Holocaust education. We believe it is very important for young people to learn from the mistakes of the past so that it is not repeated in the future. Unfortunately as the situation in Ukraine develops our learners have been focused on supporting families displaced by the war and fundraising on their behalf. Our student ambassadors are once again at the forefront of these campaigns and lead the school in the development of initiatives and community minded projects.

Beacon High continues to go from strength to strength and is becoming a school of choice for our local community once again. At this year’s Islington Education Awards Beacon High was the recipient of the awards for Innovation in Inclusion and for Senior Leadership Team of the Year. We are all righty very proud. I wish you all a safe and happy summer.

It was my pleasure to kick off the summer with a gathering of some 1960s Holloway School contemporaries over a lively dinner at the German Gymnasium restaurant in King’s Cross. Joining me were Ray Rowe, Mike Capocci, George Georgiou, Phivos Kimonis (visiting with his wife, Virginia, from their home California) and a special guest – Biddy Hudson, one of our (younger) maths teachers. Phivos had managed to make contact with her, and she came down from her home in Oxford to reminisce with us. Biddy and I recalled doing the lighting for a school musical production called Zounds! in what was then the New Hall. We hope Biddy will join us at the annual lunch in October.

Everyone was in good form, but the occasion was tinged with sadness because, before we met up, Biddy had informed us that her friend and fellow maths teacher at Holloway, Cathy Braithwaite, had died in 2019. There are quite a few OCs out there who would have been taught by Cathy and who will remember her fondly. Indeed, George Georgiou, who went on to study maths at Warwick, described her as “one of the most motivated, capable and helpful teachers at the school”. An appreciation appears below.

Dear Old Camdenians – supporters of Beacon High – firstly a thank you for your ongoing support and interest, it means a great deal to our students who benefit directly and indirectly from the support you give.

The year seems to be racing away, and we are just a couple of weeks away from the end of this academic year. It has certainly been a roller coaster year again, with Covid providing unexpected twists and turns. It does seem that we are building back and the natural rhythms of the terms being reinstated. For the first time in three years our students sat through formal exams, a “return to normal” for experienced teachers, but a new one for our students who in 2019 were in year 8, exams were a long way away. Alan and his team worked hard to prepare them, and were pleased with their commitment, now it is a wait and see for them and the school until Thursday 25th August.

Alongside exams we have seen the return to school outings, sports events, welcoming parents and families into our schools and indeed governors. Beacon High has been on a long journey of improvement, led by Alan Streeter, Headteacher, and his team. I first became involved as a governor, four years ago, and it was an unhappy school, with many lacking enthusiasm and ambition. Today, it feels vibrant, focused and ambitious.

The London Borough of Islington introduced the Islington Education Awards five years ago, and Beacon High were an early winner, with Teacher of the Year, in the inaugural year and have won various awards subsequently. This year, I was very proud to see Alan and his team collect the Senior Leadership Team of the Year award, and the Innovation in Inclusion Award, both awarded against the criteria of exceptional ambition, innovation and excellence. (see photo)

One of the tasks I am called upon as a Governor is to meet with students who are really struggling in a “Governors Warning” meeting. Without exception, the young people and their families that I have met have all been struggling, not horrid and naughty, but really needing some help, something a little different. It has also struck me that often these young people seem to be lonely. They are not members of after-school clubs or football teams, they fall behind at school and lose confidence. As you look ahead as to how you as an organisation can support the school, enrichment and support for those who need that bit more of a boost is a very worthy cause. It can make a real difference to lives.

After 12 years as a Governor and four years as Chair of Governors of Islington Futures Federation, I am standing down at the end of my term. It has been a tremendous honour to contribute just a bit to the education of our young people, at Beacon High and at our other schools. I have learnt so much and have developed a deep respect for our schools’ staff and their young pupils. I have also learnt that there is nothing quite so uplifting as visiting a school and seeing our children learning – and developing, especially when they come to perform on the stage!

I am staying involved in schools in Islington, as Chair of Kate Greenaway Nursery School and a member of the Islington Education Board, and I look forward to hearing that Beacon High continues to shine in the borough. The Board of Governors are recruiting for a new Chair to start in September. Tim Archer is a great chair of the school committee, and Alan is an experienced, skilled and passionate headteacher – all you need now is a new “school song” please! Wishing you all the best and again thank you!

                                                                                                Senior Leadership Team of the Year Award

Congratulations to Alan and his team at Beacon High on their award – well done!

You will be pleased to know that the Club will be holding their Annual Lunch on Friday 28th October 2022, at the school. There will be a tour of the school and our 113th AGM followed by lunch. I have agreed to organise the event together with Ann Tennant and her team and build on the success of George Ives’ annual lunches. Why not visit our Photo Gallery and view last year’s lunch. Please book your place now and get the date in your diary.

The Club Committee continues to use Zoom as a means of meeting and we all look forward to when we can attend the school once again. Also, we have represented all of you that could not attend the funeral of Alan Robinson. Alan’s son, Colin, was pleased to hear the esteem in which his father was held and the legacy that he left for the Club. For more information please visit our website.

Have you visited the school’s website recently? Their weekly newsletter The Beacon always covers an entry for the Club – our thanks to Sarah MacDonald.

Lastly, I will be taking over running the 50+ Club from August 2022 and will be writing to all of you who currently support us. I do hope to continue George Ives’ legacy that provides the club with a regular income to allow us to support the school and its students. Please contact me if you would like to join and make a contribution.

50+ Club membership is £60 per year or a standing order of £5 per month. A number between 1 and 59 is selected and that is entered into a monthly draw which is determined by the first two numbers drawn in the National Lottery. Prizes are £100 (£200 in November) and £20 (£50 in November). For more information contact us here.

After a month’s worth of exams, university is finally over for the year. What an experience it has been, and what some amazing memories I have made. I am looking forward to going back in September, moving in with new friends, and nearly finishing my degree. I want to thank you all for your help through this year, and I am glad to have you on this journey with me.

I hope everyone has been well and healthy since the last newsletter. I was saddened to hear that another member of the OCC had passed away. My condolences to Mr Robinson’s family and everyone else affected.

I have now finished my foundation year and am awaiting final confirmation of my assignment results in early July. It has been an exciting and challenging academic year for me in many ways but I am grateful that I received so much support and was able to go through it successfully. Now I will use my time to finally rest and enjoy my summer holidays; I am due to visit Switzerland for the first time very soon and I cannot wait for this new experience. I do hope everyone is able to take time for themselves too and enjoy the nice weather outside. Until next time! Kindest regards.

Hello, I cannot tell you how much finding your site means to me. A brief background about me: I was born in Newcastle Upon Tyne. I was 11 when my mother remarried and we moved to London to live in Coombe House (the flats next to the then Holloway Boys School) and by permission from ILEA I was able to start my secondary education at the school. I was a pupil at the school from September 1973 until summer 1979 having stayed on to the sixth form. My first year form was 1UJ and my form teacher then Mr DJ Joad. Such great teachers creating great memories. Highlights include learning to horse ride (only 10 of us chosen in the 5th form and taken on a weekly basis by minibus to the stables); and winning the 100 meters ( 13 seconds) and being told I had beaten the then school record. I also became part of the editorial board of the school magazine for a time. It would be impossible to list all my adventures and experiences, only to say it had its highs and lows, however, I loved the school and all my teachers. Sadly my parents wanted to move back to the North East so as I was only 17 at the time had to move back with them, leaving my school friends in London. I do hope this message finds you all well and once again thank you all for keeping the flame alive of our most special school.

I am a great cricket fan and have been for many years – it helped me keep sane while serving in the Army. My wife passed away some years ago and I like to get out as much as I can and being a member gives me that opportunity. Thank you

James Sanderson and Barry Page have written a new book Islington Boys and Girls.

For further details, please contact James at: ironlay@yahoo.co.uk

Alan Robinson

Alan Robinson died on 11th April 2022, aged 85. Alan  was born on 30th May 1936 and went to Holloway School (1947 to 1952). Alan was a stalwart supporter of the OCC who loved his cricket and football. playing sport for the club at all levels. Indeed, Alan held the office of  President of AFC and Vice President of AFC, LOB and AFA. He was our auditor for many years and ensured that our accounts were in order. Our thoughts and condolences go to his son, Colin.  Ray Rowe

Cathy Braithwaite

Catherine Braithwaite (b. 1940; d. 2019), who died after an accident near her home in Radstock, Somerset, taught mathematics at Holloway School in the 1960s, her first job after graduating from Girton College, Cambridge. Catherine taught mathematics all her life, and researched the teaching of the subject. She was the author and/or co-author of a series of teaching guides for SMP (School Mathematics Project) maths published by the Cambridge University Press. Between Holloway and later posts in Portishead and Bath, she worked at Stanford University and at the American School in Guatemala. Denis Piggott

The 113th AGM, followed by our Annual Lunch under the stewardship of Ann Tennant and her team, will be held on Friday 28th October 2022, at Beacon High School, London N7 0JG. Please let us know if you would like to attend via ‘Contact Us’. Also, if you are interested in attending an evening event during the year, please let us know and we will see if we can organise something for you.