MANDALAY SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF CHARITY - Key Persons
As a school friend of David Blakeway Smith's wife, Sandy, who founded MSFD, Anne has been closely involved with the charity since the idea of it was conceived in May, 2013. She had the privilege of visiting the school in the autumn of 2016.
Anne Dearle JP NFF B.Ed Having been Froebel trained, she has had a life-long interest in child...
Clare is a Chartered Accountant, based in Middlesex. As well as running her own accountancy practice she has been a trustee of a variety of charities over the past 35 years, usually serving either as Treasurer or Chairman.
After training with a large accountancy firm, Clare started her own practice, providing tax and accountancy services mainly to individuals and their families.
Over the past 35 years, she has also been actively involved with a number of charities, usually serving either as Treasurer or as Chairman of the Trustees. Many of these charities are in the field of education, and she was Chairman of the Governors of Queenswood School for nine years up to 2014.
She and her husband David have two adult children and several grandchildren.
Clare King BAHons FCA After training with a large accountancy firm, Clare started her own practice, providing...
Originally from Devon and educated at Stover school, Jane attended Haileybury in the VI form in the late 1970s where her father was the RMO. She went on to an exciting career in fashion in London. Once married with two small boys and relocated to Bolton in Lancashire, Jane cared for her eldest child who has complex health, learning, hearing and language difficulties.
Having owned a successful independent design and production company for 20 years she has been Secretary of The Haileybury Society since 2013, of which she is also a trustee.
After teaching History for six years at Haileybury, where my long-lasting friendship with David and Sandy Blakeway Smith began, I joined the Council of Europe (Strasbourg), becoming ultimately Head of Translation there.
John Parsons After teaching History for six years at Haileybury, where my long-lasting friendship with David and...
Pauline retired as Principal of Queenswood School in Hertfordshire in 2016, a highly successful senior boarding and day school for around 425 girls. Sandy Blakeway Smith, who set up the Mandalay School for the Deaf, was an Old Queenswoodian which explains Pauline's involvement with the charity.
Pauline has worked in education in the state and independent sector for nearly 40 years. Before taking on Headship, she was Head of Sixth Form, Teaching and Learning Co-ordinator and Head of History and Politics at Francis Holland School. She continues to be involved in education as a Governor (Islington Futures Federation). She is passionate about opening up educational opportunities for children whatever their circumstances.
Pauline Edgar BAHons PGCE Pauline has worked in education in the state and independent sector for nearly...
As a Lecturer at De Montfort University, Robert teaches on both the Undergraduate and Foundation Degree programmes and as the Clinical Placement Lead is responsible for students' clinical learning and supporting the work carried out by Clinical Educators in both the NHS and Private sector.
Robert is a senior lecturer at De Montfort University in Leicester and also a registered Audiologist, having previously spent nearly 20 years working in the NHS. Robert has worked in both Adult and Paediatric diagnostic and rehabilitative roles and developed a specialist interest in working with adults with learning difficulties and children with Hyperacusis and tinnitus. He continues to hold an honorary contract with a local NHS Trust to work clinically. Robert has also been actively involved in the British Academy of Audiology for many years, especially in the Continued Professional Development committee, and has been involved in the recruiting and assessing of M Level students via the National School of Healthcare Science's Scientist Training Programme for several years.
Robert Frost BSc Hons, PGCert Robert is a senior lecturer at De Montfort University in Leicester and...
Job Titles:
- FRCS Robin Is an ENT Consultant Surgeon in West Suffolk Who Has an Interest
Robin is an ENT Consultant Surgeon in West Suffolk who has an interest in the treatment of deafness. He assisted David Blakeway Smith in establishing the Mandalay School for the Deaf Charity. He has been involved with deafness initiatives in low-income countries for 25 years and is also a Director of The Britain Nepal Otology Service. He has close connections with ENT surgeons in Myanmar, having organized educational activities since 2002.
He established and was the Lead for Global Health with ENTUK and is a Past President of the Otology Section of The Royal Society of Medicine. He is also Emeritus Editor in Chief of The Journal of Laryngology and Otology, an international publication. His MD from the University of London was awarded for research into chronic ear infections. He has a Postgraduate Certificate in Global Health Policy from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, where he is an Honorary Associate Professor at the International Centre for Evidence in Disability.
Robin Youngs MD FRCS Robin is an ENT Consultant Surgeon in West Suffolk who has an interest...
Trish Wrinch Tricia spent over 30 years working in Human Resources. Now retired, she is enjoying working...
Job Titles:
- Teacher of the Deaf and Educational Audiologist ( Retired )
Vivien has over 30 years of experience as Head of Audiology and teacher at Mary Hare School - a special school for the Deaf in Newbury, Berkshire. In addition, Vivien had a key role in training teachers and audiologists under the Mary Hare /Oxford Brookes University partnership. She was an Audiology module leader and lecturer on the Teacher of the Deaf course and has led workshops and day courses for a range of professionals.
Vivien was honoured to be part of a team, along with David Blakeway-Smith and his family, on a working visit to Yangon and Mandalay in October 2016. She was able to see the work at the schools first hand and to get an understanding of the issues in Myanmar and the challenges for the charity in providing support from the UK.
Since retiring from her full-time roles, Vivien returned to Myanmar in January 2020 as part of a team focusing on training local teachers and parents. She was invited to join the charity as a trustee in July 2020.
Vivien Ogg BA (Hons) MSc (Aud) Vivien has over 30 years of experience as Head of Audiology...
Wendy worked for many years in deaf education as a qualified Teacher of the Deaf and Educational Audiologist. She has worked in schools for the deaf, resource bases for deaf children and young people in mainstream education and as peripatetic teacher of the deaf. Wendy wrote a book with a Deaf parent of one of the deaf children she worked with " Deafability not Disability". She also worked for the RNID/Red Cross in Romania training staff in schools for the deaf. She joined Manchester University as a lecturer and worked on and further developed the training programme for those wishing to teach deaf children. She has edited and contributed to a number of books and written journal articles. She has worked as a consultant in deaf education in Vietnam, Rwanda, Myanmar, Meghalaya in India and Ireland and lectured across Europe, Australia and New Zealand. She became the first female Professor of Deaf Education and won a national Teaching Fellowship prior to retiring in 2018. She is currently a co-opted member of a Government Think tank considering how to assess the audiological needs of children with complex learning needs.
Wendy's work in Myanmar has been primarily as a teacher of the deaf, offering training to school staff. "Teachers" in Myanmar are trained as Social Care staff and schools are required to follow the National Curriculum which leads to rote learning. So, the children develop great writing skills but little understanding of what they are writing. The team which goes to Myanmar has focused on training staff and parents, demonstrating what can be achieved practically. Hearing aid test kits have been given to schools and families as well as training to ensure aids are working and used. As a trained Educational Audiologist Wendy has been able to retest children where test results do not match classroom observations or where children are new to the school. Parents have been delighted with the hearing aid care kits and most surprised when Auditory Training Units are used. These are special hardwire sets with headphones and a microphone. They can provide high levels of sound. Some parents saw their deaf child use their voice for the first time. The team have been able to train staff on how to use them and leave three sets in the school.