Name: Mr Ian Pittaway

Occupation: Solicitor (Senior Partner at Sacker and Partner)

Years at Robert Clack School:1967-1974

Details:

Mr Pittaway studied Law at Hull University and qualified as a Solicitor in 1980. He has worked as a Senior Partner in the City of London for nearly 30 years and is currently Senior Partner at Sacker & Partner, a firm specialising in advising big pension funds.

Mr Pittaway is married with one child aged 14.

He describes himself as an avid, if occasionally frustrated West Ham fan

Name: Mr Jason Paul McCarthy                              

Occupation: Fashion Designer & Professor

Years at Robert Clack School: 1994-2001

Details:

British born designer Jason Paul McCarthy currently lives and works in America and is a former pupil of Robert Clack school with a Masters from the prestigious Royal College of Art. At present Jason is working as a fashion designer in New York and a Professor of fashion in Savannah.

Jason studied at Robert Clack between 1994-2001 and graduated with 4 Alevels.

Jason’s fashion journey started when he attended the University of East London (UELl) where he studied for a BA Hons in Fashion Design with marketing. After a successful catwalk show at graduate fashion week which included an interview for the BBC, features in magazines and on advice form his peers, Jason applied to study a Masters degree at the Royal College of Art (RCA). After an intense interview and international selection process Jason was selected as one of only a few to study there.

While studying at the RCA Jason was able to gained expert advice from influential people in the fashion industry such as Betty Jackson, Tristan Webber and Julie Verhoeven. During his experimental time at the RCA Jason was a finalist and won a number of competitions and awards such as Bower Roebuck & Umbro. On completion of his MA and showcasing his second catwalk collection, Jason received positive media coverage which has seen his work exhibited in numerous fashion magazines such as Drama, Oyster, Drapers record, international textile etc.

On completion of his MA, Jason was approached by a number of fashion labels and decided to work for Nocturne, a high end womenswear label based in London selling internationally from China to the UK to Dubai. Jason has also work as a Professor of Fashion at American Intercontinental University (AIU) and at the University of East London where he taught across three programmes: Fashion Design, Fashion Marketing and Fashion Futures. Jason versatility and experience ranges from Menswear and Womenswear to many aspects of the fashion industry including, designing, visual merchandising, branding, story boarding, design realization to the futures of fashion and wearable futures. Other employment includes Vivenne westwood, Scott Langton, Moleta and Fashionizer.  

Jason recently moved to the US after to explore and access the American fashion market as well as being offered a position as Professor of Fashion for Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD). At present he is working as a designer in New York for a new label designer for the fall (Autumn) 2010 collection

Jason continually supports the school and occasionally returns to give workshops or presentations. Robert Clack is still very special to Jason and he is continually in contact with staff at the school.

Jason states that “Robert clack opened up my opportunities and was a key catalyst to who and where I am today. I believe schools especially Robert Clack are vital to the community as well as providing the opportunity, development and inspiration for pupils to enrich their lives. The excellence and achievements to date of the school and the calibre of the students, is a testament to the head teacher, staff, students and everyone involved in the school“

Jason hopes to continue expanding his horizon in America and in the future look to set up his own fashion label.

Name: Mr Russell Taylor

Occupation: Deputy Headteacher (Robert Clack School)

Years at Robert Clack School: 1989-1996

Details:

Mr Taylor attended Robert Clack School between 1989 to 1996. After A Levels, Mr Taylor studied Economics at the University of London, Queen Mary College where be obtained a First Class BSc Econ degree. Whilst at University, he achieved the Westfield Trust Prize for Outstanding Academic Achievement (2nd Year) and the Drapers' Company Prize for Outstanding Academic Achievement (3rd Year).

After University, Mr Taylor attended the Institute of Education (IoE) where he gained his Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE). He joined the teaching staff of Robert Clack School in 2002 as a teacher of Economics and Business Studies. He was promoted to Head of Year in 2003, Assistant Headteacher in 2006 and Deputy Headteacher in 2008.

Name:Miss Kathryn Mason                                

Occupation: Student (Cambridge)

Years at Robert Clack School: 2000-2007

Details:

Having left Robert Clack School with 5 'A' grades at A' Level, Miss Mason is now in her final year at Cambridge University where she is studying History.

Her time at Cambridge has been both academically and personally rewarding: she has been made the History Society President at her college; acted as an ambassador for both the college and History department and has played netball for the college team.

Miss Mason also has he own column in one of the student newspapers at Cambridge 'The Cambridge Sanctuary'.

Her long term aim is to become a Barrister

Name: Miss Alison Berner

Occupation: Student

Years at Robert Clack School: 1999-2006

Details:

Miss Berner gained 11 A*s & 2 'B' grades at GCSE and 6 'A' grades at A' Level in Biology, Chemistry, Physics Maths, Further Maths and General Studies.

She attended Cambridge Univserity between 2006 to 2009 graduating with a 1st class honours in Pathology (BA). She is currently attending University College of London (clinical medicine) as is due to graduate in 2012.

Away from her academic work, Miss Berner was the founder and captain of Cambridge Univsersity Cougars Cheerleading Squad, winning ICC Level 2 Nationals in 2009!

Name: Mr David Parrott

Occupation: Chief IT Architect Years at Robert Clack School: 1978-1985

Details:

David attended Peterhouse, Cambridge from 1986-1989, graduating with a 2:1 in Engineering and Computer Science, and went on to research his PhD in Computer Science at University College London from 1989-1992.  He then spent two years working with BT at their Martlesham Heath Research Labs, researching artificial intelligence techniques, before settling into a career in financial information.  David joined with the Financial Times and, in 1997, joined the Reuters news agency and information company, servicing the financial services industry, where he remains today in the role of Chief Architecture Officer leading the IT architecture for the company's financial markets systems.  David is married and has two daughters just entering secondary education.  In his spare time, he is a keen ice skater.

Name:Mr Nigel Kiely

Years at Robert Clack: 1979-1986

Occupation: Consultant Adult and Children’s orthopaedic Surgeon at the Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital, Oswestry, Shropshire

Details:

Nigel Kiely is a Consultant Adult and Children’s orthopaedic Surgeon at the Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital, Oswestry, Shropshire.

Nigel Kiely left Robert Clack School in 1986 after gaining 3 science A levels. He studied Medicine at Nottingham University until 1991, undertaking house jobs in that city. He then moved to Leeds to teach Anatomy, before undertaking basic and higher surgical training in Manchester. He was appointed as a Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon in 2004, specialising in conditions such as clubfoot, hip dislocation in children, limb deformity and young adult hip disorders.

He states that “ my time spent at Robert Clack is remembered with fondness, and provided me with a foundation to achieve a challenging and rewarding career. It gives me great pleasure to see that Robert Clack is providing the same opportunities to pupils today”

Nigel Kiely's website http://www.nigel-kiely.co.uk/

Name:  Michael Jeffery  

Years at Robert Clack School:  1958 – 1963

Occupation:    International Investment Banker  Chief Executive of LECG Corporation: A public company based in California, USA, providing Economic, Accounting and Finance consulting

Details: 

Michael Jeffery left Robert Clack in 1963.  He married a girl from Dagenham County High School, became an International Banker, and moved to the United States in 1972.  Michael lived in Chicago and then moved to New York where he spent most of his career running the Global Trading and Sales division of a major New York Bank. 

In 1987 Michael moved back to London for six years to become the Chief Executive of a UK bank’s Investment Banking business.  On returning to New York, Michael continued his career in International Banking running a $600 million Trading, Sales and Investment banking business that operated in 26 countries.

Michael retired from banking in 2001 and moved to Vermont, USA. In 2003 he accepted a position as a non-executive Director of LECG Corporation. He became their Chief Executive Officer in 2006.   LECG is a consulting company based in California, with 36 offices around the world, providing consulting and advisory work in Economics, Accounting, and Finance.

In the USA, Michael has homes in Vermont and Colorado. He also has a home in Dorset where he spends about two months of every year.  He has four children and six grandchildren, all living in the USA.  Michael is close to his second attempt at retirement and in his spare time is an avid skier and motorbike rider and continues his unconditional support of West Ham.   

Name: Karen Fisher

Occupation: Associate Producer, Theatre Royal Stratford East
 
Years at Robert Clack School: 1970-1977 

Details: 

After ‘A’ Levels in English, History and Geography at Robert Clack, Karen obtained a BA in English and Media Studies at Dorset Institute of Higher Education (now Bournemouth University).  She has worked in professional theatre for 30 years: first in publicity and marketing at the Queen's Theatre, Hornchurch (following a brief college holiday job as a snow-machine operator!); and then at Brentwood Theatre, which she ran for over four years.  She now works as Associate Producer at Theatre Royal Stratford East, where she has been since 2001.