Albans
Housemistress: Lizzie Alexander
Lizzie took over as Housemistress of Albans in September 2008 from Jenny Howard who had nine years in charge. Lizzie lives in Albans with her husband Robert, daughter Maja and son Rueben. She graduated from Nottingham University in 1999 with a degree in Music. Whilst at Nottingham she played hockey but has since taken up rowing at Broxbourne Rowing Club. Lizzie joined Haileybury in 2003 as Registrar, a post that she still holds alongside being Housemistress.
The Albans girls are a talented lot, winning Junior House hockey and netball in the last year alone. Prior to that we have won House swimming twice and have very recently won the recycling competition! Perhaps that means we actually eat more pizza than anyone else…
Origins of the House
The shell of the Old Sanatorium was refurbished and opened in September 1977 as Haileybury's first girls' House. It was named Albans to mark the centenary of the founding of the St Alban's Diocese. The Old Sanatorium was built in 1867. A charge of seven shillings per term 'Medical Fees' were added to each boy's bill to pay for the building!
House tutors
Jess Burger - Assistant Housemistress
Jess joined Haileybury in September 2008 after two years at St Alban's School. She was educated at Westonbirt School and then went on to study Geography at UCL, where she also completed her PGCE. At Haileybury she is involved in Duke of Edinburgh and Debating, and is looking forward to sport in the summer term when it stops raining! To wind down at the end of a long week/term, Jessica enjoys good food, travelling to every corner of the globe, fine wine, time with friends, and gooey chocolate brownies!
Charlotte Orford - Resident Tutor
Charlotte has taught Art and Design at Haileybury since January 2007, specialising in drawing and painting. She has also enjoyed being Alban's Resident Tutor and coaching hockey, netball and tennis, which she has played to University and County level. Charlotte was attracted to work at Haileybury having herself been educated in private co-ed boarding schools in Suffolk (Culford) and Norfolk (Gresham's). She studied Art History with Fine Art at Northumbria University, Newcastle and at Charles H. Cecil Studios in Florence, Italy, before working as a professional artist for two years and undertaking a secondary art PGCE at the Institute of Education, University of London. As well as being a practising artist, Charlotte enjoys other sports including ski-ing, water ski-ing and surfing; food, films and travelling. She has recently tried kite surfing for the first time…!
Alison Baker - Tutor
Alison has been connected to Haileybury for 10 years as she is a parent of two children, Ben and Alex, who both came to Haileybury in the Lower School. Ben was in Thomason House from 1999-2004 and Alex was in Allenby from 2001-2006. Ben is now working at Haileybury Almaty in Kazakhstan. Alison joined Haileybury as a teacher and Head of Religious Studies in 2002. Her previous career was a mix of police work, raising a family, selling American sewing crafts and quilting, volunteering in a local church and eventually teaching, which she believes is her true vocation. In addition to heading up the RS Department, she runs the community service programme and the CAS programme for the International Baccalaureate. Alison has been happily married to Colin, a research scientist, for 25 years. They have run school trips to Rome and India and are keen travellers and home swap aficionados. Other interests include gardening, home making and trying to wear out and train their Springer spaniel, Charlie.
Jonathan Cohen - Tutor
Jonathan joined Haileybury in January 2006 after a successful career as an investment banker in the City. He studied Economics as an undergraduate at Bath University and as a postgraduate at Bristol University. At Haileybury he is Head of Economics and, in addition to teaching Economics, is also responsible for delivering Haileybury's International Finance Programme, the Haileybury Business Challenge and Young Enterprise activity. He coaches rugby, football and cricket, sports which he once enjoyed playing and still loves coaching and watching! His other passions include politics, Italian food, fine wine, chocolate, Harry Potter, the music of Paul Weller, international travel and Strictly Come Dancing!
Maggie Brooking - Tutor
Maggie was educated at The Winchester County High School for Girls and Peter Symond's Sixth Form College in Winchester. From there she went on to Bedford College of Physical Education where she studied a degree in human movement studies. Her first teaching post was at Broxbourne School where she moved on to become head of girls' games and finally Director of Sport. With the birth of her second child, she decided that a part-time teaching post would be a better balance with family life and therefore moved to Haileybury in 1998, which was the first year that girls were introduced into our Lower School. Maggie is married to Nick and has two children at Haileybury. As well as a hectic family life, her hobbies include all sport, travel and good food and French wine.
