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Merchant Taylors’ bids farewell to long serving support staff

Posted on July 31, 2020 by MarquesAdemir

Admissions Officer Sue Barrington, retires after 18 years at the school. Sue joined Merchant Taylors’ Girls’ School as PA to the Headmistress in March 2002. In 2007 she was appointed as Admissions Officer for MTGS and in 2018 became Admissions Officer for all year groups throughout Merchant Taylors’ Schools more recently based in the Lodge at MTBS. Sue says she has thoroughly enjoyed her diverse roles liaising with colleagues, parents and pupils, and over the years she has dealt with thousands of enquiries through to admission. Following her dedicated 18 years’ service, Sue will be getting creative in her art studios at home. She wishes the School, its staff and pupils every success in the future.

Also leaving is Swimming coach at Stanfield, and Old Girl, Anna-Louise Hodkinson, who says:

‘I have had a strong connection with the school over the past 43 years, including 8 years as a pupil, 19 years as a parent and 18 years as a member of staff.

I was a pupil at MTGS between 1977 and 1985. I educated my three sons, Ben, Max and Joe at MTS, all three went from Reception through 6th Form between 1999 and 2018. I have been a member of PE staff for the last 18.5 years, teaching swimming to junior girls and junior boys, as well as spending many of those years teaching PE to reception and infants at Stanfield.

I have loved my connection with Merchants, I will miss the place enormously. I will keep in touch, and I will always watch with interest, news about the future successes of the swimming teams and the sports teams. My thanks go to all the staff and pupils who made my time working here so much fun and made me look forward to Monday mornings!’

We are also saying farewell to PA to the Headmistress at Stanfield, Marie Langham, who says:

‘I’ve had the pleasure of working with many wonderful colleagues over the past 27 years and I can’t believe how quickly the time has gone. I have loved my time here and have many happy memories of Prize Givings, Concerts, Christmas Plays and numerous other fun events too numerous to mention.

I have had the immense joy of watching your children flourish from little reception beings to confident, well rounded individuals. I will miss the hustle and bustle of a busy school life but intend to enjoy other opportunities afforded to me in the future.

I wish the school every success for the future too.’

Thank you to all of them for their years of service.

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Mike Slemen 1951-2020

Posted on July 21, 2020 by MarquesAdemir

A message from our Headmaster: We are extremely saddened to share the news that Mike Slemen passed away yesterday, 20 July 2020.

Mike enjoyed a stellar Rugby career, earning 32 England caps, touring South Africa with the British Lions and being selected for a World XV in 1980. He joined us at the height of his career and has been a constant and colossal presence at Merchant Taylors’ Boys’ School ever since.

Mike’s passion and commitment to excellence in sport and his enormous contribution to the school’s Combined Cadet Force and Duke of Edinburgh scheme have left an incredibly positive mark on the lives of so many Merchants men, past and present.

Mike brought his sporting pedigree and experience to bear at school every single day and it is no coincidence that so many boys under his tutelage went on to enjoy professional rugby careers.

He will be sorely missed by all of those who had the opportunity to work with and learn from him and our love and support go to his family, particularly his wife Eileen and his children Sarah and David. They and Mike will forever be a part of the Merchant Taylors’ family.

mikeRichard Greenwood OBE, President, MTS Crosby Old Boys’ Association, said:

Mike Slemen, the most elegant and intelligent of players and a true gentleman of rugby. He was quick in both thought and deed for Liverpool, Lancashire, the North, England and the Lions, and had the distinction of inventing the role of left winger as auxiliary full-back.

He possessed uncanny positional sense and would control everything kicked his way. He was courageous under the high ball and, when he detected an opportunity, was lethal on the counter-attack.

I played against him for Waterloo v Liverpool, I was England Coach during his later international days and I was Team Manager of the North of England when he became the Coach. In every context he performed at the highest level and I have been privileged to have known such a great man.

Posted in Alumni, Boys Sixth Form News, Junior Boys News, Senior Boys News | Comments Off on Mike Slemen 1951-2020

Senior Boys’ Says Farewell To Mr Sutcliffe & Mr McKie

Posted on July 10, 2020 by MarquesAdemir

Merchant Taylors’ Boys’ School says farewell to two long serving members of staff this summer.

Over 24 years at the school Simon Sutcliffe has been Head of History, Head of Teaching & Learning, Head of Hockey, and will perhaps be best remembered as Head of Cricket.

Simon says: ‘The highlight of coaching Merchants players was 2017 when the 1st XI won three trophies and the Under 15 team, captained by my son Jackson and including outstanding players such as Rob and Harvey Rankin, George Politis and Oliver Green, won the Lancashire, North West, and North Cups in both T20 and 40 over cricket, and played in the national finals of both. Finishing runners-up in the 40 over trophy and joint winners of the T20 trophy was an absolutely amazing achievement, and I think my biggest disappointment is that the 2020 1st XI, which would have included most of that side, has been deprived of cricket this term.’

Merchants boys have been a genuine pleasure to teach. It is hard to put your finger on the common characteristics of a ‘Merchants man’, but one word which does spring to my mind is loyalty. The boys are loyal to their school, to their teachers, and to each other. I have seen this time and time again. If you are loyal to those around you, if you have a sense of humour, and if you boldly pursue your ambitions with perseverance, then you will do well in life. This is what Merchants men do, and I am proud to have been associated with them for so long.

Ian McKie has been Head of Physical Education since 1993. In his time he has seen countless sports teams and tours, and some of his former pupils have shared their memories:

‘His ability to educate was quite remarkable, even in the context of a golden age of Merchants teachers, but more fundamentally he has an approach to life which continues to inspire me to want to be a better person.’ (Jim Davies)

‘You have a rare instinct and are a natural teacher who clearly finds complete fulfilment with the work he has chosen. I recall your confidence and positive enthusiasm being infectious and commanding great respect, and I even recall my mother choosing to speak to you when she was once in need of parenting advice.’ (Dan Walters)

‘For me, my fondest memories of Merchants were rugby and the relationships we would have with our teachers, and I feel Mr McKie epitomised both of these. He was a teacher who I have always respected and regarded so highly and still do to this day.’ (Charlie Hudson)

‘I will mostly remember Mr McKie as a gentle giant, being a demanding but encouraging rugby coach. His refrain during wet CCF and DofE expeditions of “skin’s waterproof” still comes to mind every time I’m in the hills and it tips it down!’ (James Moreland)

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End of an era at Senior Girls’ School

Posted on July 10, 2020 by MarquesAdemir

Merchant Taylors’ bids farewell to a number of long-serving and much valued staff this summer.

After 35 years, 15 as deputy headmistress, Dr Bush is ‘passing on her baton’!

She joined the staff in 1985 having trained initially as an orchestral violinist with professors from the Royal Academy of Music and the Guildhall School of Music, and as a postgraduate at Cambridge University (Trinity Hall) she was a member of the renowned Queen’s College Choir.

As Director of Music at MTGS she recalls many memorable achievements by the girls – notably, conducting the Senior Orchestra at the Philharmonic Hall, the Senior Chamber Choir at Liverpool Cathedral (2013) and the Barbican (2000) as well as numerous radio and TV performances, including BBC broadcasts. She introduced the annual ‘Music Competition’ in 1997, adjudicated in its inaugural year by the RLPO’s internationally acclaimed conductor, Libor Pesek. As Artistic Director in the 1990’s she introduced a series of concerts (over 5 years) involving professional musicians funded by local business, and open to the public, generating excellent marketing and publicity for the school.

Her ‘life after Merchants’ is going to be very busy with inspection work, consultation projects, and musical performance. She is a published author on leadership identity and development (the focus of her doctoral research) and is currently working on further publications, including the links between musicianship and being a leader! She is really looking forward to attending LFC’s home matches from now on without feeling guilty that she should be doing school work!

She would like to thank the thousands of girls she has taught over the years for making her time at Merchants so rewarding and for all the fun times and shared aspirations along the way. She is very proud that so many former pupils are now distinguished musicians in their own right. Above all else, she would like to extend her appreciation to the 6 head teachers who have given her opportunities to develop as a professional and as an individual, with an enormous ‘thank you’ to Headmistress, Mrs Margaret Davies, who appointed her in 1985 and ‘always made her feel special’, and who remains her role-model for her elegance, intellect and unstinting optimism!

Head of Modern Languages Yvonne Whalley also leaves after 30 years at the school; many Old Girls talk about how Señora (or Madame!) Whalley devoted her time to ensure the girls got the most out of their schooling.

‘Madame/Señora/Mrs Whalley, the Modern Languages department at Merchants won’t be the same without you! Language students owe you so much – how could any of your students conjugate ‘être’ without thinking of you singing ‘irregular verb of the week’? Mrs Whalley, you inspired myself and so many others. I am eternally grateful for your wisdom and, above all, your kindness and understanding! I wouldn’t have survived the Oxford application process without your extra teaching and patience! Et maintenant tu mérites de te détendre! Gros bisous! ‘(Rebecca Gregory, 2016)

Head of Classics, Angela Wadsworth, who leaves after 31 years, says: ‘Little did I know when I walked through the door as a teacher of Classics at the Girls’ school in September 1989 that MTGS would form the backdrop to my life for the next 31 years. I have been privileged to have taught, discussed with, debated with, laughed with and celebrated with so many of you students of Latin and Classics. I have witnessed so many of you gifted young women in plays, concerts, assemblies, sports days, CCF days and so much more and I have watched in wonder. Thank you for the privilege of walking beside you for the briefest moment and for allowing me to be a small part of your journey.’

Head of Computing and ICT, John Power, remembers: ‘After 12 years at the most amazing school I could ever have wished to have taught at I am moving on to pastures new. It is an overused phrased: it has been my honour; why? Because I have able to teach and walk alongside so many fantastic, amazing girls and their parents.’

Long serving English Teacher, Monica Myring, says: ‘I have loved teaching at Merchants’ as it has always been so rewarding. Over the years there have been ups and downs, moments of great happiness and moments of sadness too, but all shared with colleagues, friends and students. There have been huge changes from blue ink and fountain pens to surface pros, online teaching and remote learning. People often say that there is no ‘I’ in team and I would like to add that there is no ‘I’ in Merchant Taylors’ because like all great institutions it is greater than any individuals. It is a community I will really miss and I feel privileged to have been part of it for the past 29 years.’

Director of Art, Mick Gill, will also leave, and will miss (in his words): ‘teaching at Merchants, living in Liverpool, indoctrinating my Art students with the music of Michael Head every day, my Everton Fume-o-meter, talking about the Dalai Lama, and Mr Evans!’

Headmistress Claire Tao adds:

‘I would like to express my gratitude and appreciation for the unstinting support of all the staff who are leaving. In the words of JM Barrie: ‘Never say goodbye because goodbye means going away, and going away means forgetting’.

But we all know that as a member of the MTGS community this is never true! Everyone remains part of the Merchants’ family.’

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Year 5 Take Part in Hold Still Project

Posted on July 8, 2020 by MarquesAdemir

Back in May The Duchess of Cambridge launched a community photography project which was to be spearheaded by the public. The idea behind ‘Hold Still’ was to capture the spirit, the mood, the hopes, the fears and the feelings of the UK as we continue to deal with the Coronavirus outbreak.

The project is open to all ages and abilities, Hold Still will capture a snapshot of the UK at this time, creating a collective portrait of lockdown which will reflect resilience and bravery, humour and sadness, creativity and kindness, and human tragedy and hope.

One hundred shortlisted portraits will feature in a gallery without walls – a one of a kind digital exhibition open to all this August.

The images can be captured on phones or cameras and each image will be assessed on the emotion and experience it conveys rather than its photographic quality or technical expertise. Our Year 5 MTJBS pupils took part in this fantastic project and you can see a selection of their efforts below.

Well done to everyone who took part, hopefully you will be featured in the digital exhibition in August!

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Governor Opportunities

Posted on July 7, 2020 by MarquesAdemir

Do you have some time to spare and want to be inspired by the impact of education?

Merchant Taylors’ is one of the finest schools in the North West of England, founded 400 years ago in Crosby, near Liverpool. We provide an excellent independent education to around 1,300 girls and boys aged four to 18 years across three prestigious heritage sites.

We are currently looking for committed volunteers to join our Board of Governors. Led by the Chair of Governors, the Board is responsible for the holistic wellbeing of Merchant Taylors’, taking or endorsing strategic and financial decisions, monitoring the School’s educational and pastoral provision and preserving its extensive estate, which includes Grade II and Grade II* listed buildings.

The Board of Governors works as a team and is appointed from a variety of backgrounds, united by a commitment to the education and care of our children and the continued success of the School.

Governors do not need any formal qualifications, but must be aged 18 years old and over. The appointment is for three years, with the possibility of re-appointment up to a maximum of three terms. The School has high expectations of the time and commitment required from its Governors in order to fulfil their roles effectively. Importantly, this includes attendance at certain key events throughout the academic year, such as School Speech Days, as well as a number of Board and sub-Committee Meetings, some of which occur outside of working hours.

We are particularly interested in applications from individuals with backgrounds in health and safety, IT, marketing and fundraising, finance, and business development. Please don’t be discouraged from applying if you don’t have one of these skills, as your enthusiasm and potential contribution to Merchant Taylors’ is just as important.

Any current parents who wish to apply are welcome to do so. There will be a maximum of one per school site (Senior Boys, Senior Girls and Primary School), and they will be recruited onto the Board for their individual skills and expertise, rather than as parent representatives.

If you are interested in applying or would like further information, please request an application form from Mrs Jill Cheseldine, Executive Assistant and Clerk to the Board of Governors, via [email protected]

We look forward to hearing from you.

The Merchant Taylors’ School Board of Governors

Merchant Taylors’ School is proudly committed to promoting diversity and equality,
regardless of any protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010

Merchant Taylors’ School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children.
Applicants must be willing to undergo child protection screening appropriate to the post,
including checks with past employers and the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).

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Matthew Lock Makes Second Appearance on This Morning

Posted on June 29, 2020 by MarquesAdemir

Merchant Taylors’ Senior Boys’ Pupil, Matthew Lock, made his second appearance on ‘This Morning’ last week.

Matthew appeared to discuss vacuum cleaners with hosts Philip Schofield and Holly Willoughby, a passion which he has had since age four, when he was given one as a gift. Matthew reviewed different models of vacuums from his home, discussing the pros and cons of each machine, as well as some live demonstrations of the suction powers. You can catch up on Matthew’s appearance below.

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Virtual Art Gallery

Posted on June 18, 2020 by MarquesAdemir

During the lockdown period, a challenge was set by the Art department to ‘Create a living painting’ using only objects and props found around the house. The response was fantastic! Well done to everybody who took part. Below are a selection of the entries.

Create a Living Painting – Whole School Art Challenge

Our Year 7 girls took part in an online activity week and were set two different art challenges. The first was to create outdoor artworks inspired by the artist Andy Goldsworthy. The second was to create a ‘Kitchen table sculpture’, based on the artist Henry Ward, by assembling a range of found and discarded objects.

Year 7 Andy Goldsworthy challenge

Make a ‘Kitchen table sculpture’ based on the work of artist Henry Ward

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Merchant Taylors’ welcomes first groups of pupils back to school

Posted on June 16, 2020 by MarquesAdemir

We are delighted to have begun welcoming some of our children back to school.

Girls and boys in Reception and Year 6 have now returned to school and they will shortly be followed by children in Year 10 and Year 12 (in smaller groups on separate days) as well as Year 1 in the coming days.

The reopening is taking place in a phased sequence as part of a careful and considered process to ensure a safe learning and working environment.

The safety and wellbeing of children, staff and parents is paramount in our plans and we have been working diligently across school departments for many weeks to ensure that every practical precaution has been taken.

We are hoping that later this term we might be able to have other year groups back in school too, albeit not quite yet in a normal way, and we are awaiting changes in the Government guidance before we are able to do so.

In the meantime, our remote learning will continue without interruption and we are extremely grateful for all of the positive feedback our wonderful staff have received in recent weeks as children have enjoyed online classes, one-to-one tutorials, counselling sessions and examinations.

Merchant Taylors’ is well-prepared to support the needs of our pupils in any environment and we will continue to find ways to ensure this remains the case.

Posted in Boys Sixth Form News, Girls Sixth Form News, Infants Events, Junior Boys News, Junior Girls News, Primary School News, Senior Boys News, Senior Girls News | Comments Off on Merchant Taylors’ welcomes first groups of pupils back to school

New Head Boy Team Announced

Posted on June 16, 2020 by MarquesAdemir

Congratulations to James O’Sullivan who has been announced as the new Head Boy, and Edward Pope and Marcus Baldwin who are the new Deputy Head Boys. The Head Boy team are representatives for the whole school and have the important task of leading the student voice, as well as organising a variety of events. We spoke with the boys following the announcement.

James O’Sullivan – Head Boy

Q: Congratulations on becoming the new Head Boy, how does it feel?
James: Thank you! I’m delighted to have been appointed as Head Boy, and I’m really looking forward to having a positive impact on school life. I have looked up to all the Head Boys during my time at Merchants and I have tried my hardest to meet the high standards that they set, so to be appointed to the role was a tremendous honour for me.

Q: What do you hope to achieve during your time as Head Boy?
James: One of my main goals for next year is to create more opportunities for the different year groups to interact with each other. I feel that the younger years can learn so much from the older boys and, whether it be through Sixth formers helping at form periods, clinics or sport sessions, I would like to encourage a lot more interaction between the year groups. Through this I hope to inspire the younger boys in the same way previous Head Boys have inspired me.

Q: How are you finding working from home at the present time?
James: I’ve got to admit that it did take me a while to get used to such a big change. To start with I found it difficult to distinguish between the weekdays and the weekends. However now I have managed to get myself into a good routine where I am able to get all my school work done whilst also having lots of spare time, most of which I have filled with garden rugby. I’d say the hardest thing for me has been not being able to see my friends, so I’m really looking forward to getting back to school as soon as possible !

Q: Do you have any tips for other students?
James: I’ve found that sticking to my normal school timetable has helped me with my productivity and has meant that I stay on top of all my work and tasks for the week. Another tip I would give to the boys is, at the start of the day, write a list of all the things you want to achieve on that day and then assign them a time slot. I find I’m much more likely to get it all done if I write it down, it’s like a little commitment to yourself.

Q: For those who may want to follow in your footsteps and become Head Boy one day, what advice would you offer?
James: My main piece of advice would be to say yes more than you say no. This school offers such a wide range of activities and when you join the school you won’t know what you like and what you’re good at unless you give it a try. This will not only push you out of your comfort zone, but you will be able to pick up little bits of knowledge from all the activities which will be an enormous help as you grow up, not to mention all the friends you will make along the way! And lastly, I’d say whatever you find yourself doing here at Merchants, give it your all, because you don’t want to have any regrets when you look back at your time here.

Edward Pope – Deputy Head Boy

Q: Congratulations on becoming the new Deputy Head Boy, how does it feel?
Edward: Thanks very much! I feel very proud to be able to represent Merchants and I’m really excited at the opportunity to make a positive contribution and give something back to our school in my new role.

Q: What do you hope to achieve during your time as Deputy Head Boy?
Edward: I hope to encourage more communication between the different year groups at our school, and help ensure that everyone has access to support if they need it so that their time at school is as beneficial as possible. I also hope to create an environment where others feel encouraged to come forward with their suggestions to improve the school.

Q: How are you finding working from home at the present time?
Edward: It’s definitely something different and unexpected and I’m trying to make of the most of the current situation. For example, it’s given me the opportunity to dedicate more time to thinking about my future plans and do some research into universities. However, I’m still looking forward to returning to school!

Q: Do you have any tips for other students?
Edward: I would just advise that you try and stick to a timetable, as if you were in school, so you know what you should be studying, and when, as well as making sure that that you’re spending enough time on each subject, so you keep on track with your work.

Q: For those who may want to follow in your footsteps and become Deputy Head Boy one day, what advice would you offer?
Edward:Take as many opportunities as you can and get involved in all aspects of school life whether it’s sport, music, drama or any other kind of activity. No matter whether you want to be one of the head or deputy head boys, this’ll help you really enjoy your time at school and make the most of it.

The following boys have been chosen to be Prefects for 2020-21:

Marcus Baldwin
Alex Day
Vandam Dinh
Huw Evans
Ben Falconer
Charles Farrar
Seb Keegan
Lucas McAdam
Ben Maitland-Titterton
James Moores-Pearce
Daniel Naguib
Roshan Naidoo
James O’Sullivan
Edward Pope
Shripad Pullagura
Samuel Roughley
Oliver Spencer
Cameron Stokoe
Luke Suarez

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