Haberdashers’ Adams alumni making headlines

Old Novaportans (ONs), alumni of Haberdashers’ Adams, are making headlines in the performing arts.

The selective co-ed grammar school in Newport, Shropshire, has a reputation for high academic results. However, this reputation is equalled by a huge variety of enrichment activities with over fifty extracurricular clubs running during lunchtimes and after school. 

Music and Drama are at the heart of school life – part of the curriculum in Years 7-9 and offered at GCSE and at AS level. There are fourteen music ensembles that students can join and our large end of year school musical production enables pupils to take part both onstage and offstage. Grease is this year’s show! House Music and House Drama are two days of the year when students come off timetable for the entire day to compete in a variety of categories for coveted house points and honours.

Harshini Muthukrishnan (class of 2019)

Harshini Muthukrishnan, known as Shini, is to become the next Blue Peter Presenter with her first show airing on Friday 19th January at 5pm.

Shini, from Stafford, joined Haberdashers’ Adams for Sixth Form where she threw herself fully into life at Adams. She became a Deputy School Captain on the Front Team and was awarded the Banks Cup for Female Sixth Form Role Model of the Year. She went on to study Philosophy, Politics & Economics at King’s College London and has made a name for herself as a TikTok sensation celebration her British, Indian and Malyasian heritage.

Miss Bowater, Head of Darwin House, commented: “Shini was ‘a breath of fresh air’. She had a smile for everyone and this positivity was infectious. Shini was a stalwart of Darwin House, throwing herself into every house event possible, and it was always clear she would have a very bright future.”

As the 43rd Blue Peter presenter, Shini follows in the footsteps of fellow alumni pupil Radzi Chinyanganya, Class of 2005, who presented Blue Peter from 2013 to 2019 and has gone on to present Olympic sports coverage, snooker, Crufts and Songs of Praise.

Joscelin Dent-Pooley (class of 2014)

Joscelin Dent-Pooley, from Market Drayton and known professionally as Jerskin Fendix, was nominated for Best Original Score for Poor Things at Golden Globes 2024. 

Joscelin’s contributions to the music department, House Music and Dixon Cup are remembered well. He went on to study music at the University of Cambridge and in April 2020, released his first album, 'Winterreise', on the Bandcamp platform. 

Headmaster, Mr Hickey, commented: “Joscelin was an outstanding student in many ways. Bursting with creativity and talent, and always caring deeply for integrity and honesty in the arts, especially in music. It is no surprise to any of us here at Adams that he has done so magnificently well.”