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Charlie Byrne (2006 Leaver) – Fashion Writer for The Times

I remember reading articles written by alumni when I was still a pupil at Merchant Taylors’ Girls’ School. The smiles of successful doctors, lawyers and vets beamed out from the pages of the school magazine. Their careers were impressive, but they weren’t pathways I aspired to. I hated (and I mean absolutely despised with a vehement passion) every single P.E. lesson I ever had, so I couldn’t relate to the women who had gone on to great sporting achievement either. I found out later that it didn’t matter – just because I wanted to do something that no one else had done before, didn’t mean it wasn’t possible.

My career in fashion journalism started in the classrooms of five teachers. Miss McWatt was happy for me to spend my lunchtimes sketching fashion illustrations in her studio. Mr Donnan taught me how to write news stories (I still have a piece I wrote age 13, pretending to be a reporter for The Sun newspaper, which is part of the News Corporation that I now work for!) Madame Mistry, Mrs Whalley and Mrs Doyle taught me French and Spanish, the languages I would go on to study at Durham University and still use today when dealing with foreign fashion houses. It was an amalgamation of their skills, and of their encouragement, that allowed me to forge a career that none of us had any experience of.

It wasn’t hard, however, to come by the experience I needed.  Fashion is an industry where you learn the ropes by shadowing as many people as possible, and enthusiasm will get you everywhere. I interned at magazines in my breaks from University term time, and it helps if you can write as much as possible on small platforms too – whether that’s a blog, a website, or contributing to independent magazines. My first paid writing job paid me just 1p per word! After leaving University I went on to obtain a Master’s degree in fashion journalism from London’s Central Saint Martins, whilst doing a full time one year internship at ELLE magazine. It took me a while to get a ‘proper job’ as a fashion writer at The Times, but persistence paid off.

The skills and values instilled at Merchants can be applied to any career – little things, no matter how unusual, do grow in harmony. At school, I wasn’t one of the cool kids; I certainly never imagined I would have the chance to sit front row at Milan fashion week. But that’s the great thing about growing up – who and what you become, is entirely up to you.

Charlie Byrne
(2006 Leaver)

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A huge thank you to all pupils and parents/guardia A huge thank you to all pupils and parents/guardians who generously donated an advent calendar in November for the @trusselltrust.

Working together, we successfully gathered just over 300 calendars to bring some joy to children's lives during the month of December.
Yesterday, during TENDO, pupils who were participa Yesterday, during TENDO, pupils who were participating in the Forensics activity had the opportunity to complete forensic examination techniques on airsoft and air rifles with Miss Birchall.

During the examination, the pupils were able to recover trace evidence, such as hairs and fibres; this evidence can be crucial in forensic investigations as it can provide valuable information about the individuals who may have come into contact with something such as a firearm. By analysing these trace elements, forensic experts can potentially link suspects or victims to the scene of a crime.

In addition to this, the pupils also sampled for contact DNA, which is the genetic material left behind when a person touches an object. This is a powerful tool in forensic investigations, as it can provide DNA profiles that can be compared to databases of known individuals or used to establish a link between a suspect and a crime scene.

By conducting these forensic examinations the pupils were able to apply their theoretical knowledge to a practical setting and the hands-on experience deepened their understanding of forensic examination techniques.
Pupils have been very busy rehearsing ahead of our Pupils have been very busy rehearsing ahead of our upcoming Christmas events 🎶

A Merry Merchants' Christmas is now completely sold out, and we only have a limited number of spaces left for A Festival of 9 Lessons & Carols, which will be held at St Faith's Church.
In the words of Mariah - ‘It’s timeeeeeee’ 🎄

#christmas #christmastree #wreathmaking #christmaswreaths
Great to have former Rugby League legend @bobbieg7 Great to have former Rugby League legend @bobbieg777 in to coach the Year 10 and Senior Rugby group yesterday.

Bobbie has over 350 top flight games and 22 international caps under his belt, along with international coaching experience with France.

Great to have you on board Bobbie💪🏽
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.. 🎄 It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.. 🎄
It’s been wonderful to see our Year 8 and 9 pupi It’s been wonderful to see our Year 8 and 9 pupils working hard to write Christmas letters to some of our older alumni with @merchantsalum recently ✍️

Each year at Christmas we bring some of the oldest and youngest members of our community together in a letter writing project – the pupils enjoy receiving responses to their letters and learning about the many shared school experiences that span the decades.

Over the last 3 years, pupils have written to over 300 alumni, and this year’s batch will be on its’ way soon! 📨
Congratulations to the winners of Stanfield's Chri Congratulations to the winners of Stanfield's Christmas Wreath competition! 🎉🌟 

There were so many beautifully designed creations that it was difficult for our judges to pick just a handful of winners. All of the wreaths will be proudly displayed around school, adding a touch of Christmas cheer to our corridors, classrooms and of course, the Christmas tree! 🎄 

A huge thank you to our parents and guardians for helping pupils with their masterpieces 👏
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