Matt Slade

Matt joined Lower School in September 2022, arriving from Singapore to take up a role in Year 4. From the very start he was committed to helping children progress, but most importantly, making sure they were happy and looked after. After all, happiness is the key to success and not vice versa. His love for Maths instilled confidence in many that found this subject a daunting prospect. Each day with his help, they have flourished, and the world of Maths has opened. Matt loves cricket and rugby, and helped the pupils to progress and succeed when representing the school. Change is never easy, but Matt embraced that and leaves The Prep to continue his progression as a teacher in different school environments. We wish him well for the next steps in his career.

Rachel Hamlyn

In her seven years at The Prep Rachel has made a profound difference to many children individually and to the school as a whole – particularly the academics. She has gone way beyond her academic remit, involving herself in so many different aspects of school life. Individually I suspect children will remember the extraordinary pastoral care she has offered, particularly to those children who have perhaps needed it most. Many a child has had a happier and more fulfilled time at The Prep as a result of Rachel’s guidance and care. On a school-wide level it is undoubtedly the improvement in our overall academic provision for which she will be best remembered. She has created a culture in all our classrooms that has cultivated habits and attitudes that enable our pupils to become better learners, as well as facing difficulty and uncertainty calmly, confidently and creatively. She has fully understood that academic progress only really accelerates when pupils feel happy, safe and confident and that children really do perform better when school is fun. Rachel has been a hugely popular member of staff, providing support and guidance to many of us. She has stepped in whenever and wherever needed (Head of Pre-Prep, Head of English etc etc) and has been a key confidante as part of the senior team that has taken the school forward over recent years. That she is well placed to be an outstanding Head is in no doubt. The Manor Prep in Abingdon has made a very wise choice. She will be brilliant. We will all miss the energy, the dedication and the talent she has brought to her varied roles, and I will miss her wise advice and her friendship, but we all wish her well and know that she will make a huge success of her new role. Most importantly of all Rachel leaves us, hopefully, knowing that she has made an enormous difference to the lives of so many children over the past seven years. Thank you Godspeed.

Tom O’Sullivan

Barry Lambert

Barry has been an integral part of the Cheltenham community having spent more than 20 years working at College and, after a short attempt to retire, joined The Prep in November 2020. Coming to help cover an absence initially, Barry has been instrumental in overhauling the Design and Technology provision for our pupils and hasn’t left since! Working tirelessly to draw on his wealth of subject knowledge and experience, he has built wide and varied opportunities for the children to develop their design, practical and evaluative skills, with them often producing work of such a standard that it could easily be mistaken as having come from the senior school. With warmth and incredible patience, as well as a jolly, positive demeanour, Barry has been a well-loved popular member of staff having a kind word, reassuring arm round or laugh and joke for all. Ever giving of his time, he has offered support with productions, helped pupils pastorally with Chill and Chat sessions, as well as throwing himself into the ski trip. Providing invaluable opportunities for local primary school pupils as part of our outreach programme, Barry has enriched the educational lives of those children that wouldn’t otherwise get to experience DT as a subject. He has worked with at least 300 children over these last three years. Exciting times are ahead for Barry as he really does retire (or so he says!). He shall be greatly missed but we wish him every happiness in this new phase of his life.

Rachel Hamlyn