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Old Girl Sian ‘Wins her Wish List’

Old girl Sian Stephens (nee Evans) 1980-87 was sitting at her desk one Monday morning opening emails to the busy careers enquiries mailboxes she managed as the national Recruitment Manager for a UK luxury boutique hotel chain when an email from a TV Company caught her eye. Looking for lively couples to apply for a TV quiz show to win their dream wish list by answering general knowledge questions on a range of topics against the clock and is hosted by Shane Ritchie on the BBC Lottery show on Saturday night. Sian saw this as an excellent opportunity to try and win their dream holiday to visit their best friends who had moved to Perth in Australia and as both her and her husband enjoy quizzes and know their general knowledge and trivia so Sian applied. A few weeks later Sian had forgotten all about the show until she got a phone call from one of the show’s producers who invited her to audition there and then over the phone. Sian’s husband Phil also received a phone call which was somewhat of a surprise as Sian had forgotten to tell him! However they both passed the initial audition and were then invited to a live audition with 6 other couples in Manchester. We were very nervous and I made a few comical errors Sian recalls, but managed to win over the producers who selected them for the show.

In August 2015 the couple along with 5 of their friends who were invited to come and watch for support, travelled up to the BBC studios in Glasgow to film the show in front of a live studio audience.  It was very nerve racking but Shane Ritchie was lovely and really made us feel at ease Sian remembers and we overcame our nerves to win an amazing 6 out of our 7 prizes which totalled £35,000 including our dream holiday to Thailand and Australia, a festival in our garden with live band, DJ and Hogroast, room makeover, a man cave for Phil and a spa weekend by answering all our questions correctly beating the clock to even get some as an instant win. Sian’s topics included nature and popular culture and has credited her Merchants education as helping to give her the thirst for knowledge and keeping up to date with current affairs – I knew my General Studies A Level would come in useful one day she states!

The couple had become somewhat celebrities after appearing in the local paper twice so decided to organise an evening for friends and family at a local tennis club when the show was aired to help raise money by holding a raffle for their friends charity Believe Organ donation (believe-ods-org.uk) started by the widow of local boy Stuart Bates who was tragically killed with his young son by a speeding driver last Christmas as they walked home from a family party. They continued their fundraising by collecting donations for the charity at their recent festival in their garden.  Sian is a keen athlete and charity fundraiser and with her previous company Lloyd’s Register EMEA (marine surveyors) was chosen by the CEO as one of the runners in an international team from offices around the world to compete in the gruelling 250,000 anniversary Athens marathon in 2010 raising over 40k for various marine charities. In 2010 Sian also started a charity project called the Breakfast Club for local homeless shelter the Whitechapel Centre in Liverpool which involved volunteers from her office serving breakfasts to the Homeless on a weekly basis which launched the volunteer programme still going today.

After Sian left school she attended Surrey University achieving a Joint Honours in English and Sociology then continued living and working in London in Health Club Management for over 13 years. She then moved back to Crosby in 2002 and married childhood sweetheart Phil Stephens whose sister Elizabeth was deputy Head Girl in 1986/7 and eventually buying her childhood home which she shares with Phil and their 3 children.

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A huge thank you to our Prep School pupils, famili A huge thank you to our Prep School pupils, families and staff for joining us at our @macmillancancer Coffee Afternoon, earlier this week ☕💚

With your amazing support (and some very tasty cakes 🍰), we’ve raised over £500 for Macmillan Cancer Support.

Every bake, donation and smile on the day helped make this such a special event - all for a cause that means so much 👏
Year 4 marked National Poetry Day with a special r Year 4 marked National Poetry Day with a special reading in the library, where they shared a wide variety of their favourite poems. It was inspiring to see the different choices and hear each one brought to life in their own way 📚
Plenty to smile about this National Poetry Day 😬

Year 3 shared their own poems on the theme of ‘Smile’ 🙌
✨ “Prep is a happy and caring school where eve ✨ “Prep is a happy and caring school where every child is cared for, known, valued, and supported. We believe that the early years of education are crucial for building strong foundations, not just academically, but socially and emotionally. Our pupils are encouraged to explore their independence, express their creativity, and develop the resilience to take on new challenges.” ✨

- Miss Elizabeth Lynan, Headmistress

Discover more at our Prep School Open Morning on Saturday 11 October, 9.30am-12.30pm! 

Click the link in bio to book your place! 🔗
✨ Discover Merchant Taylors’ Prep ✨ Join us ✨ Discover Merchant Taylors’ Prep ✨

Join us for our Prep School Open Morning on Saturday 11 October, 9:30am-12:30pm. 🌟

From Reception through to Year 6, our pupils thrive in a happy, nurturing environment where curiosity, confidence and creativity are encouraged every single day.

📍 Merchant Taylors’ Prep School, Stanfield Site, 134 Liverpool Road, Crosby, L23 5TH.

Come and explore our classrooms, meet our dedicated staff and see first-hand the difference a Merchant Taylors’ education can make.

Book your place via the link in our bio 🔗
Our Reception pupils have been spending time with Our Reception pupils have been spending time with their Year 6 buddies, and it has been wonderful to see so many happy, smiling faces as new friendships begin to grow.

The buddy programme is designed to support our youngest pupils as they settle into school life, giving them a familiar face to look out for around School. For our Year 6 pupils, it is also a valuable opportunity to take on extra responsibility and act as positive role models.

Buddies will meet at least twice each week to play, share stories and spend time together, and we look forward to watching these friendships flourish over the year.
Our Year 11 Geographers enjoyed a fantastic two da Our Year 11 Geographers enjoyed a fantastic two days in the Lake District last week as part of their GCSE fieldwork.

Day one saw pupils carrying out a river study before rounding off with a cruise on Lake Windermere and traditional fish and chips by the water. On day two, the focus shifted to human geography data collection, with a stop in Grasmere (and its famous gingerbread!) along the way.

It was an enjoyable and rewarding trip for all involved, and pupils are now back at school ready to write up their findings.
Before heading home, our Year 7s made the most of Before heading home, our Year 7s made the most of one final morning at Castle Head, throwing themselves into a last round of activities.

It’s been a fantastic few days of adventure, challenge and new friendships! The end of the trip - but just the beginning of their journey together.
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