Above: Mrs Fiddaman at Dame Allan's Schools
Mrs Fiddaman is retiring from Dame Allan’s after 30 years, having helped to shape the future of generations of young women in her time in post. She has been an integral part of the Schools, acting as Head of the Girls’ School for 13 years, alongside sharing her passion for history as a History Teacher. From sending handwritten notes to pupils following entrance exams, to being the brains behind much-loved school activities such as Speech Day, she will be a big miss.
We spoke to her about her time at the Schools and her plans for the future:
I started at Dame Allan’s in September 1995 and I remember the very warm welcome I received into the (then) Girls’ School Staffroom. There was a very clear sense of a team working together and an immediate acceptance into that ethos. Help and support was readily available for the ‘newbie’ and I felt confidently ‘at home’ from the earliest days. I knew that this was somewhere I could teach without limits.
It is very hard to limit myself to only a handful of highlights during my time here! If I had to choose, I would say the visit of the late Queen Elizabeth II in 2005, when she visited to open our Sixth Form Centre (fittingly now known as The Queen’s Building). This was part of our tercentenary celebrations, which also saw another highlight for me in the Tercentenary concert that we held at The Sage (now The Glasshouse). There were so many fantastic pupil performances and it was a real celebration.
Additionally, I remember fondly the whole school sponsored walks down the Derwent Valley. We raised funds for vital local causes, including the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation, and covered 11 miles! If I can cheat a little and add on a few more highlights, it would definitely be all the whole school events such as Speech Days, the Carol Service and Founder’s Day when everyone is gathered together, they are just very special.
I will miss a lot of things about Dame Allan’s, but primarily the community of staff, pupils and parents and the goodwill of working together towards a common aim of inclusive excellence - everyone has the goal of being the best they can be.
I’ll also miss the genuinely funny moments that have both staff and pupils in stitches, working with the history department (the most amazingly talented and dedicated bunch of people ever), coming into school early when it is quiet and calm and watching it spring into life, and at the other end of the day, staying on as the place calms down and sinks back into peaceful torpor. I will miss that rhythm of the day (and still plan to have my coffee at break time and stop for a breather at 3.45pm).
It is those relationships between staff and pupils that make Dame Allan’s so special. Most pupils won’t realise how genuine and warm these are because, for them, it’s just natural and what they have come to expect. Those who come from other schools are often staggered at the collaborative and respectful relationships pupils have with their teachers, which is very special indeed.
There’s also something very special about our history, being a part of the fabric of the city for 321 years and counting. Looking back in the archives, I see the daily lives of thousands of pupils who share that common thread of their school and the value of their education, living their lives in the best way they can, making the most of their opportunities.
Now that I will have more time on my hands, a great deal of travelling is planned with the joy of being able to book holidays in term time! I will also be spending more time with my two grandchildren, Mia and Jacob, doing lots of craft and catching up with skills that I have lost through lack of time - like playing the clarinet, learning some French, and rediscovering my maths skills. I also plan to volunteer with a couple of local charities.
Mrs Fiddaman’s ‘Words of Wisdom’ for Dame Allan’s Pupils
- Don’t sweat the small stuff. We all make mistakes. Ask yourself if this will matter in a day, a week, or a month? Learn your lesson and look forwards.
- ‘Fess up. When you have done something that hurts someone else, have the moral courage to admit it. Say sorry and move on. I can guarantee you will feel better for it, and those around you will have the utmost respect for you.
- Appreciate people while they are with you. Tell them you love them. Tell them what you admire about them. They won’t always be here.
- Be the person who cares about the little things. Notice when someone is down, pick up some litter, say please and thank you, and hold the door open.
- Above all, appreciate that time goes quickly. Make the most of every day - it won’t come round again and give you a second chance.