STAFF ANNEXE
FAREWELL
FAREWELL
The school bids farewell to the following staff :
Rachel Farrar ( 02-16 ) Careers and University Advisor
Anne Lawson ( 89-15 ) Physics Lab Technician
Jan Midwinter ( 06-16 ) Faircote Boarding Housemistress
Nick Tomaszewski ( 89-16 ) Head of Economics , Business Studies , Government & Politics
NICK TOMASZEWSKI ( 89-16 )
Nick Tomaszewski came to Pocklington in 1989 after a brief tenure at St Peter ’ s in York . Appointed as a teacher of Economics and Politics he became the head of department 18 months later ; a post he has held since then . A forward thinker , he noted the difficulty that Economics caused for those with weaker mathematical skills and got permission to run a pilot of ‘ Industrial Studies ’ – a forerunner of today ’ s Business Studies . Initially five pupils , Business Studies is now often the most selected subject by students in the lower sixth .
From his arrival he has been a stalwart of the CCF rising to the rank of Major taking responsibility for the training programme and , alongside Mr Evans , Mr Kilsby and others , establishing in school the format of the cadet force we have today . Many students have been with him at Welbeck , the Colts Canter , Skill at Arms Meetings not to mention numerous summer camps and adventurous training trips .
He was Housemaster for Wilberforce House for 21 years , initially in a non-pastoral capacity when the school had heads of year , but for 10 years as a full Sixth Form Housemaster guiding students through their UCAS applications and onto university .
For 17 years through Young Enterprise he encouraged sixth form students to set up their own businesses , which have won many awards , and on two occasions they reached the Regional Finals . Economists under his control have also taken part in the Bank of England Target 2.0 competition with some success .
In years gone by when we had a varied curriculum he taught Earth Mysteries , taking ( willing ) students to see the Devil ’ s Arrows at Boroughbridge and the Rudston Monolith and enlightening them in Neolithic ways such as stone circles , burial chambers and ley lines − even inspiring one student to read Archaeology at university .
A high level distance runner in his younger days , he switched more recently to biathlon and triathlon , not for him cricket and rugby . He has also been a champion of so called ‘ minor sports ’ in school − basketball and badminton .
Blue was definitely his favourite colour – Chelsea and the politics of Margaret Thatcher his passions , alongside his family of course .
He leaves us into retirement and moves away to Oxfordshire to be nearer his partner and to play more golf .
JAN MIDWINTER ( 06-16 )
Jan started at Pocklington in 2006 and having grown and developed Orchard and built upon Faircote for the past three years , she has seen boarding move from the ‘ good old days ’ to the present flourishing boarding environment .
She began her career in the Women ’ s Royal Air Force ( WRAF ) as an Administration Officer , rising to Commissioned Officer and then being made the first female Intelligence Officer in Phantom Squadron . Jan left the WRAF to pursue family life ; however , being married to an RAF pilot saw her continued involvement in Forces life . She has lived all over the world : Germany , Singapore , Cyprus , Saudi Arabia , as well as various postings around the UK . She became involved in youth work as a teenager , having been a Queen ’ s Guide , and then as her children grew up she became a Brown Owl and later a District Commissioner for the Girl Guides . After working for the NHS , Jan returned to working with children at Marlborough College in 2003 as a Dame in Little Field House , before finally moving to Pocklington and Orchard House as Assistant Housemistress in 2006 .
The Orchard girls proved to be a great delight , so much so that when Hélène Knights retired as the Housemistress of Orchard , Jan was successful in her application to take over the reins . Jan ’ s mission statement has always been ‘ every child matters ’, with the girls ’ well-being and education at the forefront of her work . She has laughed with them , guided them , praised them when they ’ re getting it right , conversely explaining when they ’ re getting it wrong , and many a time literally fallen over with them !
One former Housemaster aptly said , ‘ A day is a long time in boarding ’, and so you can only imagine exactly how long 10 years in boarding feels . It is definitely not a sleepover or babysitting , though it has definitely been blood ( one Assistant Housemistress got her fingers jammed in the kitchen window and wasn ’ t found till after lights out ), sweat ( it ’ s either 45˚C or -5˚C in the Faircote Office ), and tears ( Jan often chose a Saturday night film for the girls to have a good cry over ).
We have laughed , cried , jumped for joy and celebrated every achievement of the girls . There have been wonderful outings with Orchard , St John ’ s , Dolman and Fenwick-Smith , Christmas dinners , barbecues , boarders ’ Remembrance services , parties , board games , movie nights , plays , dances , a plethora of pranks , reading to the ‘ Lyndies ’, poetry , sorry notes , hashtags , snow fights , picnics and some very strange and wonderful conversations . Although there have been sad times , the abundance of good times has always been greater .
Jan is truly cherished in the community and we wish her good health , happiness and longevity as she retires . keep in touch
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