Alumni | WeAreTownley

Don't forget to share your story!

Here at Townley, we are incredibly proud of our brilliant alumni community. The education and experiences gained here continue far beyond the school gates, and we love hearing how our alumni are making their mark on the world. Whether you left us recently or decades ago, your journey is part of the Townley story. Explore some of our alumni profiles below.

Baroness Valerie Amos

Master of University College, Oxford

Zoe Smith

Team GB Weightlifter, Commonwealth Gold Medallist and European Bronze Medallist

Gillian Saker

Up and coming actress

Rebekah Evans

A global Newsletter editor, all sparked from a Townley trip to The Guardian

Emily Griffiths

Barrister at 187 Chambers

Our Alumni profiles

BARONESS VALERIE AMOS, OBE

Baroness Valerie Amos attended Townley Grammar School from 1966 to 1973 (then Bexley Technical High School for Girls), where she made history as the school's first Black student and served as Deputy Head Girl. A trailblazer in diplomacy and public service, she became the first Black woman to sit in a British Cabinet when she took up the position of Secretary of State for International Development in 2003, later serving as Leader of the House of Lords. On the world stage, she served as the United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator. She has also been a transformative leader in higher education, serving as Director of SOAS, University of London (the School of Oriental and African Studies), before making history once again as the Master of University College, Oxford—the first Black person to head an Oxford college.

EMILY GRIFFITHS

As a criminal barrister, I prosecute and defend cases in criminal courts across London, Essex and Kent. I was a student at Townley from year 7 to year 13 and I finished my A-Levels in summer 2019. I then completed a law degree at LSE between 2019 - 2022, before studying the Bar Course at the Inns of Court College of Advocacy between 2022 - 2023.

After completing the Bar Course, I worked as a paralegal at a London criminal defence solicitor’s firm for a year, before starting my pupillage at 187 Chambers in October 2024. Since I finished pupillage, I have prosecuted and defended people charged with a range of serious offences, including attempted murder, drugs and theft conspiracies, robbery, fraud / money laundering, and public order offences like violent disorder. As well as working in the adult courts, I am also a trained Youth Court advocate, meaning I represent children charged with criminal offences. I am interested in regulatory law and am qualified to represent the Nursing and Midwifery Council at professional disciplinary hearings.