Mrs Santer has worked here at Cranbrook for over 24 years and has acted as a valuable and loved asset to the school. Due to her retirement this summer, I was fortunate enough to speak with her and discuss her background in education and other industries. Mrs Santer’s skill in linguistics and avid encouragement of children’s language acquisition, in addition to her appreciation for the students at the school who she works alongside, exemplify her commitment to the education that Cranbrook provides. Upon her retirement, Mrs Santer plans to continue this passion by volunteering to work at Hawkhurst primary school; simultaneously pursuing her other interests outside of her career. Mrs Santer’s contribution to the school and unwavering amiability towards everyone throughout her time here only briefly outlines her character as her generosity is boundless. Cranbrook is very fortunate to have had Mrs Santer as a representative of the welcoming environment that they strive to offer for students and her presence will be deeply missed. I hope that this interview somewhat encapsulates what an interesting and admirable character Mrs Santer is and how her consistent efforts are greatly acknowledged and valued.

Did you always know that you wanted to work in education?

Not at all: When I graduated from university back in the early 80s jobs were scarce, and I couldn't find anything where I could use my language. I did go for one interview with a German company and they basically said “Oh yes, lovely, you've got a degree in German and Linguistics, but what can you do?” which pulled me up sharp. I realised that I needed to accumulate some skills and went off to learn how to type and do shorthand - electronic typewriters were just about coming in then!  I needed to earn some money and took a temporary job working for a businessman who owned a chain of stores that sold jeans and other denim and casual wear in Notting Hill, Camberwell and Fulham. It was quite a cool environment and there was a very eclectic mix of people; out-of-work actors and musicians, retired air hostesses, students. Everyone took turns working in the warehouse, tagging clothes, customer service and working on the tills, as well as some management stuff. It was interesting but I needed to find a full-time job.

I moved on to the Advisory Committee on Pollution of the Sea (www.acops.org.uk), a knowledge NGO based in London and originally founded by Sir James Callaghan. They needed someone with admin skills who could also do some copy writing and proof-reading for their magazine and yearbook, send out mailings and organise and minute-take committee meetings. These were held at the House of Lords and the House of Commons and the various committees were made up of politicians, marine scientists and oil industry representatives. I gained a lot of experience while I was there and met many interesting people. I was then offered a job by a London-based conference company who had organised a marine pollution conference for ACOPS in Venice.  Conference Associates was based in Grosvenor Square and organised events for the medical industry, financial sector and publishing world. It was a busy and exciting time and I gained a lot of useful experience. However, the long working hours and daily commute between Tonbridge and London started to take their toll, and I looked for a job closer to home.  

I found new challenges working for Stormont (now Hendy Ford) as their customer relations manager. Back in the late 80s the company had five big branches around London and the South-East, and they were looking for a customer relations manager and marketing person. I went along for the interview, got the job and enjoyed a couple of years there. Unfortunately, they experienced some financial problems and cut some of the middle management roles, including my own. Redundancy was not a pleasant experience, but it made me focus on what I was going to do next. I got a job with the Charities Aid Foundation as their conference and events manager and worked there until our daughter was born. Sadly, I wasn't able to go back part time or do a job share because those options didn't exist within most organisations at that time. I wasn’t ready to return to full time work after just a few months and made the difficult decision to resign. I'm pleased that it’s easier now for women to work and have a family: they should have the right to choose but need adequate support to do that.

Once our daughter was settled with a childminder, I started my journey back into the workplace. After a few months of doing temp work through an agency I found a job working for a Wadhurst-based publishing company, which specialised in construction machinery titles. As well as my German, I'd learnt some Italian by then and my French was reasonable. This came in handy, as they needed someone who could liaise with construction companies in Europe (and occasionally Japan, as I had acquired some conversational Japanese, too). I would phone up and request editorial copy for particular articles that the magazines were running, or interview them about new products they had purchased, etc. I attended exhibitions abroad too, visiting the various exhibitors stands to ensure that we had them signed up for the magazines. I also translated several specialist books on various aspects of construction from German into English, something I hadn’t been trained for, but which seemed to come to me naturally and which I enjoyed.

Once our daughter had been at primary school for a few years I looked for a job closer to home, so I could save time travelling. In the spring of 2001, I spotted an ad in the local paper for Head’s PA at Cranbrook School and decided that I wanted to see what the post entailed. I had an interview with the Headteacher at the time, Angela Daly. Afterwards she said asked me to go and sit back in the waiting area, which I did (she was a Headteacher after all!) She returned a short time later and said ‘We'd like to offer you the job!” After a chat that weekend with my family I accepted, and here I am talking to you about it now!

Have you ever worked with children below secondary school?

Before I came here, I was clerk to the governors at a local primary school and that's how I sort of got to know what education was all about: it gave me a flavour of it. The other thing that swung it for me when I came for interview was that the ethos here reminded me a lot of the girls' grammar school that I attended. When I was shown round there was that familiar smell of school, the atmosphere felt good and it’s a beautiful setting. I admired what teachers achieved and felt that my experience at the primary school and other skills would carry over well to Cranbrook.

Would you say that working in education can be challenging?

Yes, definitely. I think it's very different from when I first started working at the school.  Cranbrook has retained a lot of its traditional feel. We're very lucky to have that here - the site that we've got, the church, that tradition is still there. But we must move with modern times. I think staff now, not just teaching staff but support staff too, are far more involved in bringing up children in other aspects of their lives than just their academic education. There are many other things that are now part of children’s lives. We’re more involved in guiding them through those and we're all supporting young people to make the best of themselves going forward.

What particularly about working at Cranbrook do you enjoy?

The phrase “Every day is a school day” is so true! I learn something new each day; that could be from students, teachers, visitors, colleagues, whoever. I would say that being an older person, very close to retirement, I love the fact that I'm working with young people because I learn so much from them. I sometimes hear people outside of school saying negative things and I tell that that the young people at Cranbrook are great. As you get older, you forget that you had similar issues that young people have now. In fact, I think that young people have more challenges now than we did, or different challenges maybe, but it keeps you fresh to the idea that there are other ways to look at things. You see things through the eyes of a young person

How would you describe the students at Cranbrook?

That's an interesting one. Bright, quirky - definitely quirky...I would say that I've never seen young people be so unselfconscious as on ‘Wear What You Like Day’! You wouldn't see that at any other school. I’d say that they are also willing to try new things - you have so many opportunities here and the fact that students involve themselves, whether it's a Warhammer club or scholars’ events,  all the kids here buy into it.

So how would you describe your experience at the school in one word?

Invigorating!

Would you recommend Cranbrook to students considering applying and why?

Yes, for pretty much the reasons I've given already: you've got a wonderful mix of day and boarding which brings that extra richness to the community. You've got great teachers and support staff who are all committed to the kids here and I think that there's a natural warmth and welcome, which continues when the child joins. There is always support here. Sometimes I have a child come and say that they really need to speak to the Head and we'll find a way. I think that the package Cranbrook offers, certainly in this area, is second to none.

Are there any particular experiences from your time at Cranbrook that stand out?

I'd say the school’s 500th Anniversary celebrations. I was very involved in the organisation of those, and there was so much interesting stuff coming through and I learnt a lot of new things about the school. We held events for Old Cranbrookians and had some very interesting speakers in from various fields of expertise. That's something I've enjoyed doing throughout my time here.  To be here, to be lucky enough to be working here for that year, and the preparation and everything that went with it, was an honour and a delight.

Finally, have you got any particular plans following your retirement?

Yes, so apart from family things, I've got elderly parents, I've got grandchildren- I have 10 grandchildren, so it’s quite a posse and some of my time is obviously going to be dedicated to that. I have already signed up to volunteer at Hawkhurst Primary School to assist children with their reading. Linguistics was something I very much enjoyed at university, and I find child language acquisition very interesting; the way that their brains absorb and then use the information when they're speaking and comprehending. I've also recently seen an ad for goat feeders required at Buttercups goat sanctuary, so I might give that a go. When I’ve settled into retirement I would like to have some pygmy goats. We're lucky enough to own some land and I think now's the time. So, I won't be a mad cat lady, I'll be a mad goat lady!  Apart from that, I don't want to make plans that are too structured: I've got plans and I know that there are things I have to do and that there are things I'd like to do. I would like to travel some more, but I'm going to see what the future brings.

Thank you, Mrs Santer.