3 July 2018
It is with great sadness that we announce that Jayne Triffitt, Headmistress of our school from 2007 to 2016, died peacefully this morning. Jayne had been battling cancer for the past year and her condition deteriorated rapidly last week.
Jayne was born in Cornwall in 1957 and attended Truro High School for nine years before going up to St Hilda’s College, Oxford to study Chemistry. She also took her PGCE at Oxford and spent the first seventeen years of her teaching career in the maintained sector, before moving on to be Head of Sixth at St Mary’s Ascot. Her first Headship was at St Mary’s Cambridge.
Jayne was appointed Headmistress of Woldingham in 2007, providing inspirational leadership of the school for nine years until her retirement in 2016. During her time at Woldingham she was a member of the GSA Council, the Catholic Independent Schools’ Conference Committee and the ASCL Council. As Head of Woldingham, Jayne worked with her team to ensure that Woldingham was recognised as a leading Catholic girls’ school; Jayne instilled a widespread respect for learning, clearly building the academic profile of the school. In her time as Head, Jayne invested in pastoral care for girls, families and staff alike. She also insisted on good behaviour and continued a significant programme of building and refurbishment.
Upon Jayne’s retirement the Board of Governors introduced a Bursary Fund in Jayne’s name, in recognition of her outstanding contribution to the school. This reflected the value Jayne felt she had gained from receiving a scholarship to Truro High School. Her legacy is reflected every day in the inclusive, warm and friendly ethos of the school.
May she rest in peace.