London: Heads of School at St Benedicts

Alexandra Vangelatos and Xavier Crean have been appointed Head Girl and Head Boy at St Benedict’s School in Ealing, west London, for the academic year 2014/15. Both Alexandra and Xavier are Benny students through and through, joining St Benedict’s at the start – Alexandra in Year 7, the first year that the school went co-educational and Xavier right back in Reception in the Junior School.

Next year’s Heads of School are potential scientists though they are keeping their options open by widening their AS choices. They are both studying Chemistry and Mathematics to which Alexandra adds Biology and Economics while Xavier’s other choices are Physics and Latin. Alexandra and Xavier both took part in the annual school pilgrimage to Lourdes travelling with a group of children with special needs.

St Benedict’s has been Xavier’s school for the past thirteen years and it is part of his way of life. He is thinking about studying Natural Sciences at university, hopefully at Oxford or Cambridge, which would follow the tradition of previous Heads of School at St Benedict’s. In this context Latin might seem an odd choice but Xavier explains that he enjoys the subject because it is intellectual and he is fascinated by texts from two thousand years ago. Xavier plays the clarinet and violin and sings in the school a capella group, the Pafties. He enjoys his rugby and is a great fan of Formula 1 motor sport.

Alexandra has an open mind about her future career. She sees Economics as being very relevant to the world around us but also enjoys her Biology studies. She is passionately committed to charity work and is the President of the Sixth Form Society of St Vincent’s de Paul. She regularly helps out at a local soup kitchen for those in need and organises numerous events in school, such as Rich Man, Poor Man fundraising lunches and parties for senior citizens. Alexandra keeps fit by swimming and playing netball in the school team.

The Heads of School represent St Benedict’s at various student functions during the year but they also have a vital role in organising and motivating the whole Sixth Form team of officials, Deputies and Decans (school prefects). The Sixth Form team helps out at numerous school events during the year and serves as a wonderful role model to younger pupils of service to others, in the true Benedictine tradition.