A statement from Ms Rachel Bailey, Headmistress of Benenden School:
It is with enormous sadness that I announce the death of Janet Allen, who spent nine years as Benenden’s Headmistress in the 1970s and 80s.
Miss Allen succeeded Elizabeth Clarke as Headmistress in 1976 and during her tenure she oversaw a period of significant transformation, which in many ways shaped the modern-day Benenden we see today.
Under Miss Allen’s stewardship, Benenden School increased its pupil roll through the construction of Founders and the expansion of Guldeford, while other important School facilities were created, including the Bernard Sunley Gymnasium and Squash courts, the improvement of the Library and the creation of the School shop, LASS.
Through these projects alone, Miss Allen most definitely left a lasting impression on Benenden that generations of Seniors will be enormously grateful for.
In her earlier years Miss Allen read History at the University of Leicester before completing a PGCE at Cambridge. Prior to her appointment at Benenden she was for many years at Howells School in Denbigh and had first met Miss Clarke, her predecessor, at Cheltenham Ladies’ College.
Miss Allen passed away on Friday 23 January at the age of 89 at the care home where she had been living for several years. Our thoughts and prayers are with her family at this difficult time.
Her funeral is taking place on Tuesday 17 February and the family would be delighted for members of the Benenden School community to join this event online. We will share a link as soon as it is available.
In the meantime, we will be gathering the students this week for a short period of reflection and are planning to hold a service in memory of Janet Allen for the entire Benenden community. Further details will be communicated in due course.
In addition, we have set up a Memories Page so that those who knew Miss Allen can, if they wish, leave their memories of her which we hope to compile into a book to share with her family. You can access the Memories Page here.