Sian Berry (Class of 1992), co-leader of the Greens, came third in the London Mayoral elections recently. She managed just shy of 200,000 first-preference votes, double her party’s total in 2012. The Green Party saw a surge in the recent local elections, as it gained votes in every single London Assembly race it stood in, firmly cementing its position as London’s third party. Sian’s campaign for London Mayor focused on new plans for housing, making London the greenest city in the world and sustainable transport.

As a previous Pate’s student, she has helped to inspire some of our current Politics A-Level students to enter the world of politics. Ariana Strait in Year 13, stood for the Greens in the local council elections in May and came third in the Cirencester Park ward, gaining a respectable 225 votes. We are hoping that Sian will visit Pate’s in the future to share her journey into politics and valuable advice for our future politicians.

The  Politics department at Pate's has a thriving and politicised group of A-Level students, and many are inspired to pursue politics outside of the classroom in a range of activities including pressure groups, campaigning for modern world challenges and political parties. The department has a significant number of students who have chosen to study Politics, PPE and HSPS at top universities next year. Emily Cluer, History & Politics Teacher and Head of Y12 

A few facts about Sian:

She graduated from Trinity College, Oxford in 1997 with a Master of Engineering in Metallurgy & the Science of Materials.  She has worked in a wide range of jobs including as a TV researcher, medical copywriter and an IT manager (at Imperial College) and was a transport campaigner until she as elected to the London Assembly. She is the Green leader in the London Assembly (elected in 2016) and is also the Councillor for Camden Council, representing Highgate. She has written six books including 50 Ways to Help the Planet and 50 Ways to Greener Travel.

Sian's biggest supporter is her father John who very kindly sent us the photos for this article.  A former member of staff at Pate's (1992-2012), John taught history and PSHE, and was heavily involved with sport - football, cricket, waterpolo and rugby - and was responsible for introducing overseas rugby tours to the school. He was one of the founder editors of our school magazine Pate's Progress in the 1990's, a bi-annual publication which has gone from strength to strength and given to every one of our students.

Sian and John Berry at City Hall, Southbank