Jane was one of the College’s most dedicated and long-serving members of staff and was instrumental in setting up in-house support for special needs and supporting those who coped with Dyslexia. She also played a very full part in school life and was in every way a true Princethorpian. 

Early days of special needs were fairly basic, with a Portakabin accessed from the playground, a couple of desks, a whiteboard and a few chairs. Jane built the department up with enormous enthusiasm, adding to teaching resources and was there when technology started to play an important part in the learning process. Jane occasionally found that some of her charges were more familiar with computers than she was! Later she was joined by the late Mary Jaffer, who was equally passionate about the cause and together they made a wonderfully supportive team, working with pupils in the classroom and also in their own unit.  

Jane was never one for half measures and she supported all school activities as well many of her charges in their extra-curricular interests, frequently travelling to sporting matches or motor racing meetings to cheer them on. Additionally, she helped out weekly at Helen Ley House at Blackdown, the care home which had been named after her mother. She helped those who stayed there and nearly always had a fund-raising scheme in which she was actively involved. 

Jane grew up locally and had not strayed far from her roots; her father Doug worked for GEC in Coventry. For many years she and husband, Jim, lived in Stretton-on-Dunsmore, where they had a smallholding, then in retirement they moved to a smaller house in Rugby. Jim predeceased Jane by a few months. 

Jane will be remembered as someone who was immensely kind, considerate and helpful with a keen sense of purpose and a wonderful sense of humour. 

Her funeral was held on Tuesday 10 February 2026 at Rainsbrook Cemetery and Crematorium, Rugby.

Jane is pictured in 2001 with the then Registrar, Loretta Curtis, and Deputy Head (Pastoral), Margaret-Louise O’Keeffe.