Jennifer Sundberg
What is your earliest memory of life at St Andrew’s?
Meeting the other girls in my dormitory and feeling as though I’d stepped into Malory Towers (which I loved).
What stands out most from your time at St Andrew’s?
Learning how to learn. I left St Andrew’s confident that, if I put my mind to it and tried hard enough, I could achieve my goals.
Was there a teacher who was inspirational?
Two teachers really stand out.
Alistair Bawden was my form teacher when I arrived at the school when I was about 10 years old, nervous and lacking in confidence. A year later, I left his class for the senior years of the school full of enthusiasm for what lay ahead. He encouraged creativity and he tried to make learning fun. He was also kind and encouraging which went a long way with me.
The other teacher who really stood out was Simon Farrar. He taught me English and was utterly inspirational. He introduced me to the power of words and encouraged originality. I’d come from a school that valued conformity and I found Mr Farrer’s approach liberating.
Alistair Bawden was my form teacher when I arrived at the school when I was about 10 years old, nervous and lacking in confidence. A year later, I left his class for the senior years of the school full of enthusiasm for what lay ahead. He encouraged creativity and he tried to make learning fun. He was also kind and encouraging which went a long way with me.
The other teacher who really stood out was Simon Farrar. He taught me English and was utterly inspirational. He introduced me to the power of words and encouraged originality. I’d come from a school that valued conformity and I found Mr Farrer’s approach liberating.
Do you still keep in touch with fellow Androvians?
Sadly not. I left in a pre social-media age so keeping in touch wasn’t nearly as easy as it’s been since I left my secondary school. But I often think back with fond memories to my time at St Andrew’s.
How did St Andrew’s shape your future life?
As well as good core skills in English, maths and so on St Andrew’s gave me self-confidence and taught me self-reliance. It set me up well for my next school, Roedean, and I can trace back a lot of what helped me to succeed at University to my time at St Andrew’s.
Is the school different or the same as it was in your day?
I had lunch at St Andrew’s a couple of years ago and the food has improved (which wouldn’t be hard) and I’ve read about the new facilities. But the ethos feels consistent and so many of the buildings are the same that it still feels familiar.
