Lawrence School

The school is situated at number 1 in Lovedale, which is part of Ootacamund in the Nilgiris. It’s quite high up and the weather is very different from the plains. Most days there is a bit of mist or a chill in the air, so everyone stays wrapped up in warm clothes. The buildings are old stone structures that have been standing for a very long time. They have a lot of history to them, but for us, they are just the places where we work every day. You can see the hills from almost every window. It’s a very quiet area, away from the main noise of the Ooty town center. The students spend a lot of time walking between the different halls and fields. We spend our time managing the day-to-day needs of such a large place. There’s always a lot to do, from organizing the dining hall to making sure the dormitories are okay. The wind can get quite strong in the evenings, whistling through the trees. It’s a very physical place to work because of all the walking on the slopes. We don’t have much in the way of modern, flashy additions. We mostly stick to the way things have been done for years. It’s a lot of routine, looking after the grounds and making sure the students are where they should be. It’s a unique spot but it takes a lot of effort to keep it running.