Jean Costerton obituary

Jean Costerton explained she never had discipline issues because she could recognize youngsters with behavioural issues and give them the personal attention they necessary

My aunt, Jean Costerton, who has died aged 89, was a teacher and then a headteacher in some of the poorest nursery schools in south London, including Clyde nursery school in Deptford, and Kintore Way nursery college in Bermondsey.

In 1973, she was seconded to be a nursery adviser to London colleges, and was portion of the team that established Educational Home Going to, funded by the Inner London Training Authority, for extremely younger children. She understood the which means of play in little one development and was a great storyteller.

The eldest of 3 daughters of Val and Zara Costerton, Jean was born in Camberwell, south London. Aged 9, she was operated on for peritonitis and needed blood transfusions. Jean believed that the impeccable regular of nursing at Guy’s hospital eventually saved her life. She was capable to return to Mary Datchelor college in Camberwell two years later on, but was readmitted with issues in 1940 and survived the bombing of Guy’s during the blitz.

Jean studied at the Rachel McMillan instructor-instruction college, Deptford, and took up her very first teaching publish, choosing to specialise in nursery training. As her self-assurance grew, she felt in a position to introduce her very own educating methods and play components. She stated she in no way had discipline difficulties – she could recognize kids with behavioural problems and make certain they received the personal consideration that they necessary.

Jean was often keen to understand. She finished a kid growth program at the Institute of Schooling, London University, attended conferences and travelled to the US for a Nursery School Association summer school in 1972. She grew to become a keen European traveller and realized Italian to converse on her holidays in Tuscany. She was a lifelong member of the Labour party and proud supporter of the Co-Operative Bank. Following retirement, she became a licensed lay reader in the Church of England. Her ministry was at St Luke’s, Whyteleafe, Surrey.

Jean was an organised and easy individual. She planned her move to Glen Arun, then a house for retired schoolteachers, in Horsham, West Sussex, in 2008. She sold her house and gave away almost everything she had, and appreciated this enormously. She joined a new church community nearby, at St Leonard’s, Horsham, and continued her ministry there and in Glen Arun.

She was significantly loved by her nephews and nieces and taught us to play cards, Scrabble and numerous other video games. She loved sport, specifically cricket, and was able to converse with every person about something, simply because she had so a lot of interests.

Jean is survived by her sister, Mary, and by her nieces and nephews, Annabel, Matthew and Jon Marsh, James and Sebastian Hammond, and me.

Jean Costerton obituary