This month our lunchtime supervisor Shanty Keyvani is celebrating 20 years of working in the Junior School since she started in 2001. We asked her all about her work at NHEHS and how things had changed over the years.

How and when did you start working at the Junior School?

Shanty: When my daughter, Mona Naqvi , started Year One in our school in 1996, I was a volunteer to help the teachers. I mainly helped in practical maths to start with, but a couple of years later, once the After School Club had been established,  I was employed to help run the club along with another member of staff. I also later acted as treasurer to sort out the accounts for the club. After one year working at the After School Club, I was offered the chance to be a lunchtime supervisor by Mrs Lynch, the Junior School Head at the time. 

My duty as lunchtime supervisor has been mainly to help the girls and serve partly on the salad bar. I also have to make sure all the girls get the recommended balance of food as well as observing the food allergies some girls may have. Being in the playground for another hour after lunch is the second part of my duty. Over the years I’ve helped out with different year groups. 

How have things changed since 2001?

Shanty: When I started my lunchtime duty, the lunch hall was very different from what it is now. The floor was carpeted and we had just around 60% of the existing area. Tables and chairs were grey and boring. There was definitely not the variety on the salad bar as we have today. After renovations and the extension, the lunch hall we have today with its colourful chairs, fitted screens, wall hanging photos and paintings, with its tiled flooring is much more suitable and a more enjoyable place to eat in. 

What food do the girls like best?

Shanty: I keep encouraging girls to take more healthy food such as fruit and salads and they do respond really well to that! Generally the deserts are very popular as are the hotdogs! During this last year of the pandemic I have been trying to make sure the girls have more fruit and vegetables to increase minerals and vitamins to help keep them fit and healthy.

Which year group are you looking after in 2020/21?

Shanty: In the canteen I’m serving all year groups and during playtime I’ve been mainly looking after Year Two since September 2020.  Overall, I really like working with the girls in the dining hall and in the playground and really enjoy my job.

Congratulations on your twenty year NHEHS anniversary, Shanty! Keep up the great work – as one of our Year 5s said, “Shanty’s lovely – she’s our lunchtime supervisor – she always makes sure me and my friends get lots of fruit and pudding!”