SCHOOL NEWS// STAFF LEAVERS
MARY ROBERTS
Mary Roberts joined Pocklington
School 25 years ago and quickly became
a popular member of the administration
team. She was dedicated to the School
and everyone within its community,
whether they were pupils, staff, or
parents.
Mary was a popular member of the
administration team, very family
orientated and fiercely patriotic
especially when Ireland were playing
rugby. She very much enjoyed joking
with others who were unfortunate to
support lesser teams such as England,
Scotland and Wales!
On leaving
Pocklington she will enjoy spending
more time visiting her family here and
in Ireland, and also take the opportunity
to travel.
MARK & FIONA RONAN
Mark Ronan and his wife Fiona departed
from Pocklington School in December
of 2018 after eleven years of steady and
consistent progress at the School.
Mark was a young headmaster at just 39
when he joined Pocklington from Trent
College where he had been deputy head,
having previously taught at Rugby School
under the headship of Patrick Derham,
who remains a significant influence. An
intense and dedicated man, Mark took
on his new role with appropriate gravity.
He recognised the issues facing
Pocklington at the time and was keen to
address them. A methodical approach
was taken to all aspects of the School, in
contrast to the more flamboyant Nicholas
Clements, who Mark succeeded. This
style stood Pocklington in good stead
throughout his time at the School.
Mark was not afraid of major decisions
and took them after in depth review. He
successfully introduced the Pre-Prep,
adding 60 young pupils to the School roll,
and later a small pre-School section. The
former was particularly important at a
12
THE POCKLINGTONIAN
Throughout her time at the School, Mary
became the first port of call for many
colleagues across the years needing help
or guidance on administrative matters.
Mary was always willing to help, often
going above and beyond to ensure that
work would be perfect and completed in
time, even if requests may have been a
little late in arriving! Mary had a magic
way with photocopiers and a certain set
of skills to get them working again – if
you were in the way when she had her
long tweezers out to unblock a jam you
had better move!
The calm way in which Mary dealt with
the most complex of exam-related and
administrative tangles was always a
relief. You knew that is she was involved
there would be no pressure, no problem
and no need to panic. She never turned
away anyone asking for help and there
time when independent school numbers
were falling across the country.
Mark often referred to and was very proud
of his background. Having been brought
up on the Isle of Man, he worked his
way to reading economics at Emmanuel
College, Cambridge before curtailing a
career in banking to teach. Mark’s own
experiences gave him particular empathy
for the pastoral care provided by the
School, which has been outstanding
under his headship, with great strides
forward and early recognition of the
importance of wellbeing and mental
health issues.
Any circumspection he might have felt
on arriving in Pocklington was replaced
over time by a deep understanding of
and affinity for the Pocklington School
ethos. Mark developed into a confident
and engaging public speaker and was
instrumental in the celebration of the
School’s five hundredth anniversary,
with crowning events at both York
Minster and St Paul’s Cathedral.
With immense loyalty to the staff he led,
Mark remained frustrated that he could
not solve all the issues of the School,
were many occasions when she had
to be reminded that she worked part
time now and should actually leave
the building.
She was the very heart of the school for
a long time and will be sorely missed.
25 years’ service to Pocklington School is
an incredible achievement – thank you
Mary for your care and commitment,
it was very much appreciated, and we
wish you well for the future.
but was without doubt a very successful
headmaster, described by at least one
experienced onlooker as the best head
Pocklington has ever had – praise indeed!
Mark’s lasting legacy to Pocklington will
be seen and unseen. He successfully
campaigned
internally
for
the
replacement of the much loved but rather
dilapidated Design Centre. The “DC”
was usurped recently after a remarkably
successful fund-raising campaign, by
the establishment of the new Art &
Design Centre, an inspirational building
at the centre of the School. Mark also
reinvigorated the School motto of
“Virtute et Veritate” into the plain English
values of “truth, trust and courage” which
now stand as the epitome of what it is
to be a Pocklingtonian and have been
integrated fully into School life.
The King’s Hospital School has a fine
new headmaster, who believed in and
nurtured Pocklington School and made
a significant contribution to it. We are
in his debt, and trust that he and Fiona
will find living, working and walking in
Ireland as fulfilling as it was at the foot of
the Yorkshire Wolds, and that they enjoy
the same success.