After volunteering as a speaker at the 2026 Careers Fair and attending the reunion marking his cohort's 20 years of leaving Latymer, Stephen, class of 2006, took a moment to chat to us about his Latymer school days and what then followed for him.
When were you here at Latymer?
I was here between 1999 and 2006. My time here was great, and it was so nice being back in the Great Hall – the character and appearance of the space look exactly as it did when I was here as a student all those years ago!
What initially attracted you to Latymer?
I found the whole environment very appealing; the buildings and spaces I viewed during the open day struck me as being very grand and magnificent, steeped in history. I've always been fascinated by historic buildings, which probably explains my career choice! It also seemed like a very friendly, inclusive and supportive school to be part of.
What are some of your fondest memories of your time here?
It has to be the field trips, particularly to our affiliate school in Cwm Penmachno, Wales. Fantastic times, especially all the outdoor activities and doing stuff I would never have pushed myself to do naturally – things like rock-climbing, abseiling, and hiking up mountains! There was always good camaraderie with other students and even the teachers as well – I felt like we saw a different side to the teachers when in 'holiday mode'.
I also really enjoyed sport and consider myself very fortunate to have experienced a variety of sporting activities the school offered as part of the curriculum. I will admit however, that the thought of doing the 'rec run' during what seemed like every PE lesson, irrespective of weather conditions, still feels me with fear!
Did you take part in any extracurricular activities?
I started doing my Duke of Edinburgh here but quickly realised it was quite the challenge to keep up with alongside my studies and so didn't stay the course unfortunately. Massive kudos to those that completed it! But there were always a variety of clubs that you could join and take part in – I remember in Year 7 being invited to join Greek Dancing club, given my Greek heritage, and so I gave that a go but probably lacked the finesse to be considered any real success! I played a lot of sport too – football, tennis, cross-country and hockey – and enjoyed competing against other school teams.
After Latymer what did you do?
After my A-Levels, I headed to the University of Kent to do an undergraduate degree in architecture and never looked back really – in fact I liked Canterbury so much that I haven't left! I would say it's the kind of course that tests your staying power – after three years as an undergraduate, I returned for a further two years on a master's course, with the final stretch being an examination of practical experience gained in practice. All-in-all it took around 8 years and 3 graduations before gaining my title but it was worth it!
I still think back to the various work experience opportunities Latymer sourced for me, when you're faced with this decision of what you want to do with your life after leaving school. I'm still very grateful for that support at a vital time in my personal development. It helped to provide focus and establish some early life goals!
Tell us about your current role now.
For the past two years I have been working as a conservation architect on the Houses of Parliament Restoration & Renewal programme. Most of my career has been in the heritage sector working on buildings of protected status, and so to be part of the team responsible for the preservation, care and restoration of one of our nation's most iconic historic buildings feels me with immense pride. My role largely encompasses acting as an advisor to the architects and designers the programme has appointed, drawing on my conservation expertise to offer guidance on the suitability of design proposals, from a heritage perspective. It also involves maintaining oversight of the many surveys our team are carrying out on the building as we strive to learn as much as possible about it before construction work begins!
What makes Latymer special to you?
The memories, the people you meet and friends you make. I've recently reconnected with former classmates, largely as a result of attending this career's fair! Meeting up with everyone again has rekindled those past relationships and it has felt very natural to hang out with everyone again after not seeing them for so many years. My sister went to Latymer too and similarly she sees her friendship group regularly – arguably more so than me! The building and its amazing spaces like the Great Hall will always be special and the fact that it remains exactly as I remember it reinforces that notion – it is so nostalgic being back.
You recently attended the 2026 Reunion Day. What did you make of the occasion?
Firstly, I can't believe it has been 20-years since we left, where has that time gone? It was great being back and seeing everyone who attended and really nice to hear what everyone is doing with their lives now. It was a bit like living through the final scenes of the last Harry Potter film where everyone has grown up, still look largely the same, coupled with the fact that a few of us have mini versions of us in tow now. I thought the reunion day was really well organised, lots of great tours by current students willing to give up their time on a Saturday! And I really enjoyed the fact that it was attended by multiple year groups, all of whom were celebrating their own anniversary – really put into perspective the reputation and longevity of the school. I didn't manage to attend the lunch session unfortunately, but I am told it was tasty!
What advice would you give to this year's leavers?
The world is full of opportunity, so go and grasp it. When I left Latymer, I had never spent a period of time living outside of London and naturally felt very tied to the area. I was also painfully shy and was daunted by the task of meeting new people. But on leaving school I recognised the next stage of my life was about gaining my independence and finding my place in the world – where I wanted to go and what I wanted to be. You are always still learning that throughout life and those initial years can be quite daunting, especially for myself coming from a sheltered environment, but I would say just believe in yourself, that you will get through those challenging moments and I've no doubt that you will probably end up enjoying the journey. I know I certainly have – so I wish you good luck!
