Janet Clemence
14 April 1950 to 12 May 2010

Janet was former course leader for Primary Education with QTS BA(Hons) at the University of Brighton. She taught a range of students on a number of courses in the School of Education including teaching assistants, practising teachers and student teachers. She held a BEd from Brighton and MA in Education from Sussex. 

Janet made an extraordinary contribution to the school, characterised not only by her effusive personality but also her profound and visionary understanding of mathematics education. 

She was a talented and inspirational practitioner who demonstrated her capabilities in ways that only Janet could. Her analogies generated much laughter and brought a breath of fresh air and optimism to any occasion – but beneath these descriptions laid an ability to combine a deep philosophical perspective with pragmatism. Not surprisingly, shrewd engagement of this kind has enabled us all to view things from a different perspective and has led to innovative solutions. 

Primary mathematics education in the school enjoys a longstanding reputation that is second to none – Janet’s intellectual stance laid at the heart of this – and her contributions will ensure that it takes on a permanence that cannot be articulated – though it will be observable in colleagues’ thoughts and actions. 

In Janet’s case, it was impossible to detach the personal from the professional – both were inextricably linked and accounted for her strong, invincible professional identity.