Copeland: Charlotte Tidy née Barnard OW 2011

I loved my seven years at KESW, and they still stand as some of the happiest times. I’m very fortunate to still be very close with a number of my classmates. At time of writing, I will be attending the wedding of one KESW alumna next week! I have also been a bridesmaid for one school friend, and she was a bridesmaid for me, too.  

I joined King Edward’s in 2004 in Copeland, where I was Head of House in 2005-2006. After this, I joined Tudor in 2006, where I stayed until I left in 2011. I was also a Prefect in Sixth Form. My older brother, Chris, was in Edward House. After KESW, I headed to the University of Nottingham where I studied English and German, the highlight of which was spending a year abroad in Hamburg teaching English to adults at a woodwork college – very niche!  

Some of my happiest times at school were singing hymns in Chapel, or when taking part in anything sports or drama related. I was fortunate to be in lots of plays during my time at KESW, and co-directed a production of ‘Hairspray’ for House Drama one year (we were robbed! Did win best directors, though).  

I also look back very fondly on my time learning languages at KESW. French and German were big passions of mine, and I was able to take these through to A Level. I still occasionally use German in my work, and I read German children’s books to my daughter, hoping something may rub off there.  

Since leaving uni, I have worked in production and marketing roles in the conference industry, and I now lead a small marketing team for a global events company.

I now live in Buckinghamshire with my husband, our Standard Dachshund and our little girl, born April 2024.