When did you join RGS Prep? September 2019

What’s the best thing about RGS Prep?  Seeing the boys every day – they are always full of energy and enthusiasm and it is contagious!

What excites you most about coming into work each day? No two days are the same and there’s always something new to challenge you.

If you could change your name to anything, what would it be? Mrs Elf

If you were allowed one dream perk, what would it be? Friday afternoons off whilst my children are still at school!  I could run around and get all the jobs done so that weekends were free to enjoy.

What luxury would you have on a desert island? My guitar

What’s your favourite film and why? ET – I’ve loved it since I saw it at the cinema when I was little and I still cry at the end!

What would your autobiography be entitled? There she goes…..

What food will you absolutely not, under any circumstances, eat? To be honest I’ll give most things a go but I’d have to draw the line at eyeballs – I couldn’t stomach the crunch followed by goo!

What’s your life philosophy/motto in life? ‘Seek to understand, not be understood’ (wise words from my dad when I was young) and ‘work hard, be nice’.

When did you join RGS Prep? September 2021

What’s the best thing about RGS Prep? The caring and supportive environment that runs through the school.

What excites you most about coming into work each day? Interacting with the boys when learning or playing.

What luxury would you have on a desert island? Netflix.

What animal most reflects your personality? A cat.

What’s your favourite film? Matrix with Keanu Reeves as Neo.

What would your autobiography be entitled?  Choose joy and strength in the storm.

What food will you absolutely not, under any circumstances, eat? Jellied eels.

What’s your life philosophy/motto in life? Three things last forever – faith, hope and love. The greatest of these is love.

Maroof is a medical doctor who graduated from Imperial College London with dual degrees in Medicine and Business Management. During his training as a doctor, Maroof wanted to focus on the effects of smoking. In 2017 – as soon as he graduated – he founded Quit Genius, a gamified cognitive behavioural therapy application to help smokers stop. In 2018 he was listed by Forbes magazine as being one of the ‘30 under 30’ entrepreneurs. The app has since expanded to include alcohol and opioid addiction.

Martin is a legendary English football commentator for Sky Sports and the voice of the FIFA videogame series. In 2003 he was voted FA Premier League Commentator of the Decade. After graduating from the University of East Anglia, he enjoyed a sporting stint as an amateur player at Corinthian Casuals before moving into production and presenting at LWT, Granada and ITV before moving to Sky. A lifelong Woking FC fan, Martin is also currently on the coaching team for the football club, who finished mid-table in the Vanaramara National League 2021/22 season. Still close to the RGS community, Martin is also a parent of a former RGS boy. At a recent King’s Lecture given at the School, Martin emphasized that, “you might not find your path by an orthodox route, but if you have genuine passion, you’ll find your path.”

Sir Philip Sales, and his brother Richard, attended the RGS as sons of an OG. He went on to Churchill College Cambridge (BA) and Worcester College, Oxford (BCL). Called to the bar in 1985, Philip was a barrister for 23 years and appointed First Treasury Counsel (Treasury Devil) by Tony Blair in 1997, before becoming a High Court Judge in 2008 and a Lord Justice of Appeal in 2014. In 2019, Sir Philip took office as one of only 12 judges appointed to the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom, which is the final court of appeal in the UK for civil and criminal cases.

James studied PPE at Balliol College Oxford, where he spent his summers as a research assistant to an aspiring Tony Blair, following him to No.10 as a Special Adviser in 1997. In 2001 he was selected Labour candidate and won the seat of Stalybridge & Hyde. His work as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Creative Industries and Tourism in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, contributed to the UKs now robust film industry as he helped created tax breaks for the film industry. In 2008 he was promoted to Work and Pensions before resigning to follow his passion for the arts. After a series of Directorships at the BBC, including launching BBC Sounds, James accepted the role of President at the University of Arts in 2021.

Currently studying Natural Sciences at Pembroke College, Cambridge, James is an emerging leader in conservation and environmental policy. An aspiring nature presenter and filmmaker, James has put his passion for a greener planet into action by helping to engage others in the protection of biodiversity. As part of the Youth Land Trust, he organised the Concert for Conservation, and led the Climate Change Clock in Glasgow as part of COP 26 in November 2021. James attended COP 26 as a delegate with UNICEF and was a panellist at the State of the Earth Question Time event. His blog ‘Knee Deep in Nature’ gives more insight into his work as a youth climate activist and changemaker.

Former House Captain of Powell, Mark attending the RGS whilst enrolled on the Harlequins Academy programme for young rugby stars, He represented England at U19 and U21 and graduated to play as Prop professionally for the Harlequins, announcing his retirement in 2020 – the longest premiership career in Harlequin history. In 2017 he was elected as Chairman of the Rugby Players’ Association (RPA) following his 3-year tenure, Mark is now Head of Rugby Policy at the RPA and undertaking an MBA at Imperial Business School.

Sir John studied Natural Sciences at Gonville & Caius College, Cambridge. He became a teacher of Chemistry and creating ‘Science across the World’, a schools networking project involving hundreds of schools in Europe, Asia and America. He also piloted the ‘Technology Enhancement Programme’, which developed learning materials for schools. Sir John is Senior Adviser in Education at the Gatsby Foundation, Emeritus Professor of Chemistry at the University of York, former President of the Royal Society of Chemistry, Founding Director of the National Science Learning Centre and was National STEM Director for the English government from 2006 to 2010. He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2010 for services to education.