Sixth French exchange to Brussels and ran it very successfully for nine years and was also in charge of the Year 9 exchange to Lyon for several years .
I was lucky enough to share the running of the Charity Action Group with her and together we organised the school charity week . Not only did we have such fun , and get to know a host of wonderful pupils , many of whom still maintain contact with us , but I also learned a massive amount from her . I remember especially how her organisational skills came to the fore in the way she arranged the fashion show one year . She took the lead in everything , only drawing back from appearing on the catwalk herself in her realisation that was probably a step too far ! One night she even got her lovely husband Tom to come along at 11 o ’ clock at night to take down all the staging and lighting . The show made £ 4000 , but the cost to herself in terms of stress and extra work Alison typically kept a wellguarded secret .
ALISON MAYNARD
I remember when Alison arrived at Sevenoaks ; she immediately struck me as being a bit like Miss Honey from Matilda : one of those people everyone wants to be with , clever , friendly , and , most importantly , dedicated to helping others , whether young or old , teachers or pupils . Alison ’ s ability to listen is one of the major reasons for her being so greatly loved both as a teacher and as a colleague .
She began her Sevenoaks life as a French teacher , and very quickly established herself as the one every pupil wanted as their ‘ facilitator ’ into the world of le croissant , le continent and Eric Cantona . Her lessons were fun and interesting , and pupils could always be sure of achieving their very best . Alison took over from Sue Tierney the responsibility for the Lower
Subsequently Alison metamorphosed into the Head of Learning Support , a major career change for herself , but one that resulted in the complete transformation of the department . She very quickly made it into a place where pupils felt very comfortable to spend time ; they came to rely on and trust implicitly all the help and support that Alison and her team had on offer . Colleagues also knew that the advice and information they could receive for pupils they were teaching would be of invaluable assistance .
Alison ’ s three sons were all very committed and highly valued pupils at the school . She is very much looking forward to being able to spend more time in her retirement with her family , and especially her two granddaughters , and to taking life at a more reasonable pace on the beautiful farm she shares with Tom . We wish her very well , and thank her for the immense amount she did for the school .
Celia Duran-Oreiro
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