Notable Alumni

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Many of our Old Stamfordians have gone on to leave an indelible mark on the world through their contributions in various fields, including the Arts, Sciences, the Military, and sporting achievements.

From award-winning actors and esteemed scientists to international sports stars and military leaders, our alumni have excelled in their respective careers, showcasing their talent, leadership, and unwavering commitment to success.

Their achievements span across diverse fields, reflecting a broad spectrum of skills and passions cultivated during their time here at Stamford.

Many return to the school to share their experiences and offer invaluable advice to current students, fostering a strong, supportive community.

SPORT

Stamford has a rich history of producing international sports stars

M.J.K. SMITH (OS 51): England international in both cricket & rugby

IWAN THOMAS (OS 92): Olympic athlete and UK 400m record holder

MARK JAMES (OS 72): Professional golfer; 1999 Europe Ryder Cup captain

CATHERINE FAUX (OS 06): Professional triathlete

HANNAH BREWIS (OS 14): Professional sailor; participant in the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race

SHAN MASOOD (OS 06): Professional Cricketer, Pakistan captain

SIMON HODGKINSON (OS 81): Former England international rugby union player. He represented England at fullback between 1989 and 1991, gaining 14 Test caps

ROBERT CLIFT (OS 80): Hockey player; gold medal 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul. Silver with the England squad at the 1986 Hockey World Cup

ALEXANDER SIMS (OS 06): Professional racing driver, winner of the 2008 McLaren Autosport BRDC Award for promising young British drivers.

ZAK CHAPPELL (OS 14): Professional Cricketer, Derbyshire CCC

JOSH HULL (OS 22): Professional Cricketer, Leicestershire CCC

JOEY EVISON (OS 20): Professional Cricketer, Kent CCC

GORDON RAINSFORD (OS 78): Chief Tournament Director of the World Bridge Federation

MICHAEL SHARPE (OS 64): Athlete; represented Oxford, British Universities (record holder), England and Great Britain in the Long Jump. Subsequently launched the RSPCA’s Farm Animal Welfare scheme in 1994

ACTING

Many of our OS have gone on to grace stage and screen

LUCY COHU (OS 87): Emmy award-winning actor; The Queen's Sister, Torchwood

DECLAN SPAINE (OS 15): Actor; title role in Hamilton on the West End

BEN WILLBOND (OS 91): Actor, part of the Them There troupe that wrote and starred in Horrible Histories and Ghosts

GEROGE ROBINSON (OS 17): Actor, star of Netflix's Sex Education

NEIL MCCARTHY (OS 50): Actor, appeared in several films and tv programmes across the 1960s-1980s, including Zulu, The Avengers and Doctor Who

TOM BUTCHER (OS 81): Actor; The Bill, Heartbeat, Holby City

MILITARY

Stamford has a proud tradition of producing leaders who have served with distinction in the Armed Forces

GENERAL SIR MIKE JACKSON (OS 61): Former Head of the British Army

AIR CHIEF MARSHALL SIR SIMON BRYANT (OS 74): Former Commander-in-Chief of Air Command

KIRSTY MURPHY (OS 95): First female Red Arrows pilot

JOHN DREWIENKIEWICZ (OS 64): Retired British Army officer. Appointed a Companion of the Order of Bath in 1998 and a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George in 2000

MUSIC

Our OS have made a lasting impression on international music

SIR MALCOLM SARGENT (OS 1912): Conductor, organist and composer who co-founded the London Symphony Orchestra

FRANCES TINKLER (OS 1884): One of the first students of Stamford High School. Later became piano teacher to Sir Malcolm Sargent and Sir Michael Tippett

SIR MICHAEL TIPPETT (OS 1923): One of the leading British composers of the 20th Century

ROBIN BAYNTON (OS 01): Grammy Award-winning recording engineer and film music editor; Taylor Swift, Coldplay, Kings of Leon

IZZY BIZU (OS 12): Singer, supported Coldplay and Sam Smith and performed at Glastonbury. Seen here performing at the School.

NIGEL BOON (OS 74): Director of Artistic Planning for the US National Symphony Orchestra

JAMES JOHNSTONE (OS 78): Renowned musician, and a leading expert and professor in early music. Recently, he was part of the English Baroque Soloists who played at the coronation of King Charles III

JOHN WELLS (OS 66): Concert organist and composer

DAVID JACKSON (OS 65): Musician in the prog rock band Van der Graaf Generator

ROBERT ALDWINKLE (OS 62): World renowned harpsichordist

SCIENCE

Our alumni have made groundbreaking contributions to scientific discovery and innovation

SIR M STANLEY WHITTINGHAM (OS 60): Chemist; winner of the Nobel Prize for Chemistry for his role in the development of lithium-ion batteries

SARAH MITCHELL (OS 96): National Clinical Director for Palliative and End of Life Care, NHS England

STEVEN LEY (OS 64): Professor of Organic Chemistry, included by The Times in the list of the 100 Most Important People in British Science

KATHARINE DUNN (OS 07): Joint Head of Quantum Technologies at Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council

PROF MALCOLM JEEVES CBE (OS 45): Emeritus Professor of Psychology at the University of St Andrews

WRITING & JOURNALISM

Our OS have left a lasting literary legacy

COLIN DEXTER (OS 48): Creator of Inspector Morse (himself an Old Stamfordian in the stories!)

RAE EARL (OS 90): Writer & broadcaster; works include My Mad Fat Diary and the Emmy & AACTA nominated children's series Mustangs FC

ANITA GANERI (OS 79): Writer of the Horrible Geography books, as well as nearly 1,000 other non-fiction works.

JOHN TERRAINE (OS 39): Eminent military historian

ROB TEMPLE (OS 02): Journalist & founder of the Very British Problems series

PROF MARGARET MCGOWAN CBE (OS 49): Leading academic in French Renaissance culture and specialist in history of dance

TORBEN BETTS (OS 86): Award-winning playwright

ALFRED HARMSWORTH, 1st VISCOUNT NORTHCLIFFE (OS 1883): Newspaper magnate; Founder of the Daily Mail & Daily Mirror

MATT KEW (OS 14): Motorsport journalist

BROADCASTING

Stamford has produced influential voices in broadcasting

ANNA WOOLHOUSE (OS 02): Sports journalist and Sky Sports presenter

ANDREW MCGREGOR (OS 80): BBC Radio 3 Presenter

SARAH CAWOOD (OS 89): Presenter & broadcaster

DAPHNE LEDWARD (OS 62): Garden designer & broadcaster

PUBLIC SERVICE

Our OS have dedicated themselves to making an impact in government, law and leadership

WILLIAM CECIL, THE LORD BURGHLEY (OS 1535): Chief advisor to Elizabeth I, twice Secretary of State and Lord High Treasurer from 1572. Secured an Act of Parliament in 1548 which ensured the survival of Stamford School

ANSELM ELDERGILL (OS 77): Judge & Lawyer; ranked #1 Mental Health Lawyer in the Chambers and Partners Directory

NICK FLUCK (OS 70): Former President of the Law Society

RT HON SIR SIMON BURNS (OS 71): MP for Chelmsford for 30 years

ROBERT WARDLE (OS 70): former director of the Serious Fraud Office

NICK ANSTEE (OS 74): Lord Mayor of the City of London, 2009-10

FILMMAKING & PRODUCTION

Stamford has produced filmmakers who have made their mark both locally and globally

PETER BAYNTON (OS 01): Oscar and Emmy award-winning filmmaker; works include The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse and The Tiger Who Came To Tea

PAULE CONSTABLE (OS 85): Award-winning lighting designer, working on War Horse, Evita and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime, among others

TONY FARQUHAR-SMITH (OS 88): Animator & filmmaker; works include Corpse Bride & Fantastic Mr Fox

SARA MCCOURT (OS 92): Documentary maker; Celebrity Hunted, The Secret Life of the Zoo, 24 Hours in A&E

LUCY FERGUSON (OS 94): Founder of award-winning production company Mediorite

TONY ROE (OS 73): BBC Producer for 26 years. Interviewed seven PMs and other world leaders

HELEN NIXON (OS 94): Bafta-winning director and producer; Who Do You Think You Are, Empire State of Mind

ALISON MATTHEWS (OS 80): Line producer, worked for BBC, Sky, Channel 4. Productions include BBC's 'The Serpent', 'Emmerdale' and 'The Bill',

OLIVER BAYLDON (OS 57): Production designer; works include Dad’s Army, The Railway Children, Z-Cars, Poldark, He received BAFTA nominations for his work on The Onedin Line and When the Boat Comes In, winning for Memento Mori

ART & DESIGN

The creative talents amongst our alumni cross various mediums

NELSON DAWSON (OS 1877): Artist, enameller and etcher. Studied architecture and painting then took up metalwork. (photo courtesy of Victoria & Albert Museum, London)

EMILY CARTER (OS 10): Award-winning fashion designer

MATT CAMPBELL (OS 99): Executive Creative Director and co-founder of award-winning creative agency 'Matta'.

TESSA YATES (OS 06): Children's author and illustrator

KAREN BURWELL (OS 03): Artist specialising in modern and abstract art. Exhibitions include 'Gallery of Modern Art' and 'Koine' in Naples.

MULTI-TALENTS

Stamford has produced versatile alumni who have broken boundaries as adventurers, explorers and fundraisers, amongst other things

CLAIRE LOMAS (OS 98): Motivational speaker, campaigner, fundraiser and former event rider. Finished the London Marathon in 17 days using a robotic suit and lit the Paralympic cauldron

JOHNNY FENN (OS 86): Adventurer & Photographer. Spent four months walking across Nepal in 2023, raising money for the Gurkha Welfare Trust

SARAH OUTEN (OS 03): Adventurer and author; first woman and the youngest person to row solo across the Indian Ocean

MICHAEL ASHER (OS 71): Desert explorer, writer and historian

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