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BANCROFTIAN COMMUNITY 21
News
from the
Governing
Body
Prof Philip Ogden, Chair of Governors
The summer of 2017 saw the
retirement from the Governing
Body of one of its long-serving
members, Dr Vicky Philp. Vicky
has served on all the main
sub-committees and taken a
particular interest in the Prep
School and in safeguarding
throughout the School. Since
2013, she has been Deputy Chair
of the Governing Body. It was
a source of great pleasure for
other Governors that the Drapers’
Company awarded Dr Philp a
Drapers’ Medal for distinguished
service at a ceremony at the Hall
in the early summer.
Vicky has been succeeded as Deputy
Chair by Professor Peter Kopelman,
formerly Principal of St George’s
University of London. Like Vicky, Peter
lives in South Woodford and sent his
children to Bancroft’s. We will also have
a new Governor from late autumn 2017:
Lizzie Wingham is a BBC TV editor and
producer and also a Freeman of the
Drapers’ Company. Lizzie’s father is an
old Bancroftian and she is very keen to
contribute to the School’s theatrical, film
and musical activities.
For some years now, the Governing Body
has held a very successful Governors’
Day when we sit in on lessons and other
school activities. This is a very enjoyable
and informative day and a pleasant
complement to the committee work that
necessarily takes up most of governors’
time. In the current academic year, we are
also planning an away-day with the Head
and Senior Leadership Teams to consider
the strategy for the School over the next
few years. Governors also continue to
attend many events at the School during
the year and very much welcome the
opportunity to meet all members of the
School, including parents.
Macmillan Cake Sale
Every autumn the Prep School, Senior School and the staff all join in with
Macmillan’s World’s Biggest Coffee Morning by holding breaktime cake
sales. It is one of the first inter-house events and prompts a degree of
rivalry amongst the four houses in the Senior School as they compete to
outbake each other. This year, the Prep School also organised this on a
house basis with each house having its own stall.
It’s always a popular event and this year we raised over £1000 in total for this very worthwhile
cause. Thank you to all parents who contributed – we have seen the effect of
TGBBO
as the
standard of cakes seems to get higher each year!
Heart-Warming Fundraising
for Gosh
By Joe Ormsby and Mohammed Jiwani, RS
On Wednesday 14 June the current
RS raised money for GOSH (Great
Ormond Street Hospital). To raise
money we, as a group, ran 21 miles
altogether. Why 21 miles? Because
that’s the distance from Bancroft's
to GOSH and back again. As well as
running we also did a cake sale, as
we know that people can’t resist a
tasty sweet treat! Everyone had a
good time baking and buying the
cakes, muffins and biscuits and
from this we raised over £400.
Great Ormond Street Hospital is a children's
hospital which specialises in treating rare
and serious illnesses that a regular hospital
cannot treat. This hospital is one of the
world's best in paediatrics. Now, you're
probably thinking...why fundraise for GOSH? Well, we picked GOSH because they saved my
(Joe’s) life when I was a baby. I had a condition called Transposition of the Great Arteries
which meant my main arteries were the wrong way round and thankfully, through open
heart surgery, the GOSH surgeons were able to switch them around. Without this operation
I would have died.
As a result, I have a lot to thank them for, so I have tried to fundraise for them as much as
I can throughout my life so far, collecting spare pocket money and even my Dad's change
when he's not looking! In last Christmas’ edition of GOSH's newsletter, I fronted a campaign
to raise money for two new echocardiograms; these machines help doctors scan hearts and
I plan to keep helping raise money for this amazing hospital.
GOSH is a massive part of my life and without them I wouldn’t be here. Thank you to
everyone who took part and donated. It is really appreciated. Half the proceeds of School
House’s Open Mic night in November will be going to GOSH.