Ibstock Place Alumni

George Bradley

OI 2016

After he left Ibstock Place in 2016, George completed his Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science at Newcastle University, working as an investment analyst during his final year.

Upon completion of this degree, George worked on his Master’s in Artificial Intelligence at King’s College London a pursuit which, as he notes, ‘made me fall in love with computer science and AI’. George is now further exploring his academic interests with a PhD at City University of London within the Research Centre for Biomedical Engineering. His work looks at traumatic brain injury (TBI).

George especially enjoyed his history classes with Dr Martin. ‘I particularly remember him always saying “how are you doing George?” before coursework meetings which, although might seem trivial, made all the difference’.

Dominic Alldis

OI 1973

Dominic initially studied classical piano and cello, but developed a fervent passion for jazz. Upon finishing his school years, Dominic studied music privately with a variety of teachers and subsequently enlisted himself into the ‘Paris jazz scene’.

Whilst in Paris, Dominic also began to teach jazz to classical pianists, establishing his interest in teaching. Dominic began teaching at the Royal Academy of Music in 1991 - a career he has enjoyed for nearly forty years. His proudest moments include conducting orchestras, teaching gifted musicians, and the foundation of his company Music & Management in 2003.

His time at Ibstock Place was crucial to cultivating his lifelong creativity and ambition. The Froebelian roots were beneficial, he said, as they ‘promoted kindness, tolerance, creativity, and relationships’.

Pandora Melly (Vaughn)

OI 1971

Since leaving Ibstock Place, Pandora has embraced several different roles, precipitated by her omnivorous appetite for learning and experience. In the early 1970s she was involved in farming and horse husbandry. She attended art school in the late 1980s and cultivated creative skills which were utilised in many later roles.

Indeed, she wrote and taught courses for adults and children on and off over the last thirty years, including a successful course for students at the Royal College of Surgeons on ‘The Art of Reconstruction’. Besides her educationalist interests, Pandora has also worked as a journalist for The Independent and other publications.

She has, further, created voice-overs for commercials, started a law conversion course and worked as a dog-trainer. Her careers, like her academic interests, have been varied and enriching. Her interdisciplinary interests were especially facilitated by her education at Ibstock Place in her primary school years. She notes, ‘Ibstock taught me to question “how” and “why” which I believe are two of the most important questions from pupils, and I wish all education was that good’.

Bianca Tavella

OI 2013

After graduating from Ibstock in 2013, Bianca studied International Relations and Spanish at the University of Exeter (with a year abroad in Madrid) before working for an NGO and then in the hospitality industry.

In 2021, she set up Fair Shot Café, a social enterprise café that supports adults with learning difficulties through training and employment. The business has gone from strength to strength, with the café moving to a new space in Covent Garden and shortlisted for the 2024 Startups 100 Social Impact Award.

She recently came back to Ibstock to speak to our Sixth Form pupils about her life after graduating, securing funding for her business, managing a team and networking. Bianca fondly remembers her time at Ibstock. ‘I absolutely loved every aspect of it and made great friends. My time with my friends on the orchard in the summer were truly the best of days!’