Pipers Aquila | 2023

Emma Herzog Editor -In-Chief

Annabelle Proctor Assistant Editor

Sophia Haynes Shariff Design Editor

Lily Khlyn Design Editor

Evie Collins Social Media Coordinator

Perfection.

What is it? Why does it exist? What is its purpose? Can it ever be achieved? Is it a truth or an illusion?

As soon as this topic was mentioned, all of us were raring to go with ideas, talking over each other, bursting with energy. We knew the path we wanted to take.

Perfection is a complex topic and one that we felt needed to be spoken about. For a long time, it has been a taboo topic and something that never used to be discussed despite the true impact this social concept can have. Naturally, the idea of perfection exists. The perfect grades, the perfect body, the perfect lifestyle. Everything can be seen to be perfect, but that very same thing can also be seen as imperfect. So how is it possible to know what perfection really is? Perfection is entirely subjective. Nobody will have their same idea of perfection. So how is it possible to ever achieve it?

This year we wanted to expose the reality of perfection - the good and the bad.

As a team, at the very start of the year, we spoke about what our idea of perfection may be. Some said it was to be entirely and utterly happy. Others wanted to be cosied up in bed with a cup of hot chocolate. Sometimes our ideas of perfection can be harmless, however, at other times, it can cause problems in our society.

We wanted to work to create change in all aspects of our magazine - not only our topic. We’ve worked with our publishers, to produce an environmentallyfriendly magazine by ensuring maximum efficiency in every aspect of the process. In the print production of this magazine, chemical-free prepress methods were used, recycled paper stock has been chosen and vegetable oil-based inks colour the pages in a bit to make sure we keep our planet as ‘perfect’ as it can be.

Finally, we would like to personally thank everyone who submitted articles for this edition of Aquila. This would not be possible without you.

Emma Herzog Editor-In-Chief

What is perfection? Messages Contact

@benandhollieslitlekingdom5

Perfection is society's lie

@Sm3lly.D@wg

The definition of perfection is very flexible and can mean many different things. Perfection is also impossible. For example, you can't fold a piece of paper in half perfectly. Perfection is nothing, it means nothing. They should change the dictionary definition of perfection to nothing. You need an eagle's eye to find the key to perfection.

@MegThouMeglidon_123

Perfection is impossible because no matter how hard you try you can never succeed the act of perfection

@Twilight36527

Perfection is something you will only truly achieve if you believe.

@ilovetheschoolmagazine!

Perfection is a standard which no one will ever achieve :(

@Misss_Perfectionesss

Perfection is a synonym for impossible. You can't be that perfect person, you can't have that perfect job, you can’t live that perfect life. No one can.

@DaddyPig

Perfection is a state of mind, it doesn't exist. It's simply an unrealistic target that puts pressure for people in unrealistic ways

@theDOfEdreamteam

Perfection is completing DofE

@xjess_bramx

Perfection is something that cant be tampered with or changed, it is entirely without fault, it is perfect.

@IneedSleep

Perfection is Starman by David Bowie

@netball_3621

Perfection is something you can't get any better at.

@Dusty_dog

Perfection is when everything is in the right place. Everyone is doing the right thing and there are no mistakes.

@lookoutyour_window87

Perfection is a way to hate yourself

@MarshmallowMargo33

Perfection is a shield from creativity

@brown_chocolate_cow

perfection is something that cannot improve and is flawless.

@floridaman23

An ideal image in a utopia where everyone is fake

@Lizardgirl123

What is Perfection: Perfection is happiness that can never be reached

@Dogboy_1111

An Introduction from the Head Girl : Jada Baptiste

Excellence (noun) /ˈeksələns/

• The quality of being outstanding or extremely good Perfection (noun) /pəˈfekʃn/

1. The state or quality of being perfect

2. The process of improving something until it is faultless

As Pipers’ students, we are taught to strive for excellence in, our academics, our extracurricular activities and in our characters. But often, somewhere in our school journey, our definition of excellence becomes misconstrued with that of perfection; instead of celebrating excellent or even extraordinary accomplishments, we become fixated on perfection in our work and apply unachievable standards

to ourselves. Bombarded with external images of perfection, whether they be academic, personal, or superficial we are consistently fed the message that perfection equates to success- that it is necessary for happiness and fulfilment. In reality, a search for faultlessness will often leave a person dissatisfied: it is an impossibility that detrimentally affects our self-image with unreachable expectations that no one, no

matter how much they try to convince you otherwise, can reach constantly. Therefore, as one of my last acts as Head Girl, I’d like to remind you all to embrace being perfectly imperfect.

It is a trap that I have often fallen into, particularly during my earlier years at Pipers. This standard of perfection that I constantly found myself failing to achieve was not imposed upon me by teachers or friends but by myself. The

positive aspect of self-enforced expectations is that they can be broken down by you (if you choose). Rejecting the mindset of perfectionism involves not only accepting the inevitability of some form of failure but embracing excellence, rather than faultlessness, as your new goal. This was a process that I only really experienced in the last few years, but despite this, it has played a vital role during my time as Head Girl. I’ve been able to grow and develop a deeper sense of self-acceptance, as making mistakes

provides us with valuable lessons on how to improve. By reframing mistakes as stepping stones rather than unbeatable hurdles, we can overcome fears of failure and adapt our mindsets.

Whether you’re feeling yourself fall into the trap of perfection, or watching your friends, family members or teammates, I

encourage you to help each other acknowledge the fact that making mistakes, and not always being perfect, doesn’t define your worth or your ability to achieve.

The Pursuit of Perfection

Martha Ford

The pursuit of perfection is a concept that has been discussed, debated, and attempted for hundreds of years. In today's society, we have both the emphasis of needing a balanced and mentally healthy life, and a deadline-driven, workcentric lifestyle. However, the perfection that is most often discussed is in our actions and achievements. Internal perfection is often far more complex, and therefore not the subject of a motivational Instagram post.

It would be naïve to suggest that many are not aware of the dangers of the pursuit of internal perfection - we are blessed to live in a society that is becoming more accepting and understanding of mental health. However, the stigma and lack of understanding about the many forms of internal perfection and pressure is something that is more difficult to acknowledge.

they placed on themselves due to being in “bottom set” maths. It is this categorisation, regardless of intention, that acts as the catalyst for the strive for internal perfection - there are clear goals to meet, but they do not consider perfection existing outside of these niche skill sets.

The first, and perhaps most obvious form of internal perfection is goal-induced perfection. In an academic setting, we live by strict rules and expectations that often fail to appreciate the nuance between different students - an aspiring astrophysicist may wish for a 9 in GCSE maths, but the budding journalist may be thrilled with a 5. However, the lines we draw to separate these two entirely different skill sets can often lead to feelings of inadequacy regardless of a person's true skills.

The journalist may never use maths once they have left school, but they may still suffer the implications of the pressure

This may be obvious to those at school, but goal-induced perfection is also common in the workplace. There is a reason “perfectionism” is often given as the perfect answer to the dreaded interview question: “what is your greatest weakness”because it is not truly seen as a weakness in a job. High quality on a tight deadline, even within a new job role is something expected and normalised, and the pressure from managers combined with the expectation of independence furthers the pursuit of perfection created in school.

Another poignant form of the internal pursuit of perfection is the wish for cultural perfection. A transgender student attending a same-sex school may find themselves uncomfortable in straying from the idealised student, despite this process allowing them to live in the best version of themselves. A queer person raised in a religious household may find themselves uncomfortable with the idea of ‘coming out’, or uncomfortable when having to answer their

inquisitive relative’s questions: “Have you got a boyfriend yet?”.

A black woman working in an office job may feel pressured to straighten or change her hair to make it seem more “professional”. The myriad of cultural expectations that we often experience through a straight, cis, Anglo-centric lens can lead to the vast majority of people feeling culturally alienated as they do not fit the ideal. And the pursuit of this perfection can often lead to them feeling they have to hide who they are or conform to society's standards.

“The myriad of cultural expectations that we often experience... can lead to the vast majority of people feeling alienated”

This pursuit of “perfection” can surely not be seen as anything but negative and stemming from a close-minded view.

Perhaps the most difficult form of perfection is the one most personal to us - perfection and growth. Our society is increasingly aware of our mental health, and we are also aware of our emotions and how we react to them. But this hyperawareness of our emotions has resulted in several downsides. One of them is the constant strive for personal growth. Of course, the benefits

of recognising your flaws and wanting to improve cannot be negated. But it must also be acknowledged that this can often result in a unique form of self-loathing, in which people constantly strive to change their reactions and personality, and diminish their emotions, in order to present themselves as the perfect version of a “mentally healthy” person. Furthermore, this hyperawareness of our emotions can lead to selfdiagnosis, with people wishing to put a label on their emotions so that they can find an explanation for the feelings they are ashamed of. Of course, the resources available to us for mental health conditions are undoubtedly a blessing, but it can lead to people feeling “othered”.

The pursuit of perfection is upheld as a “valiant quest” for improvement to meet the standards that we already recognise as damaging. However, its many internalised forms and the pressure of external factors are often under acknowledged even though we understand the damage of stress. Perfection is seen as a positive and its pursuit a prerequisite for success - despite its long-lasting negative effects.

Personal Perspectives on Perfection Personal Perspectives on Perfection

Maisey Mahoney

The essence of perfection is its imperfections. It is impossible to achieve perfection and those that we see as ‘perfect’ both personally and socially are often found to be nauseating. Perfection is held up as a utopian ideal that should be strived for, but when someone is perceived to have attained ‘perfection’ or a form of it, they are often pushed away. People dislike seeing someone, or something perceived as better than them in every way. It causes people to scrutinise their own faults and look at the reasons for their own lack of perfection.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Despite the physical ideals force-fed by the current media narrative, Roald Dahl was correct when he wrote “If a person has ugly thoughts, it begins to show on the face… A person who has good thoughts cannot ever be ugly.” Physical ‘Perfection’ is meaningless for most if you are not a kind person. Focus should be on correcting personal flaws to work towards being a kinder person who makes you and those around you happier. Media and society can express physical perfection (in whatever form or trend it currently is) as anything, but

person is considered beautiful by more. In time, kindness will bring more happiness than a ‘perfect’ appearance.

There is no set definition of perfection. You may achieve 100% in a test but for another person, 100% is meaningless unless they finished the test at an earlier time. For another, simply writing their name neatly might be enough. The core meaning of perfection is dynamic and volatile, it depends on the person as well as the society around them. A society might see being married and having a successful career as a form of perfection, but the individual may see a career alone as the perfect outcome of their life. We cannot quantify, and by extent therefore attain perfection, so why bother aiming?

copy of the flawlessness of the original idea. The world as we know it is simply an illusion. Every group of objects with similar properties will have an ideal form. Humanity lives in the illusionistic world; the intelligible world is inaccessible to us, except through thought as it is made up of ideas and ideals, not tangibility and senses. There is no single defining element of perfection. There are merely forms of it and each of them depend on the individual.

Plato’s theory of forms states that perfection cannot exist, thought. Everything we know in our world is a mere

A tamed garden might be perfect to one, but a wild garden perfect to another. There is no proof of perfection, or even a true and accurate definition, so can it really exist?

However idiotic it may be, people will still aim for it, even if it doesn’t exist. Humans are generally aware that nothing and no one is perfect; yet it is the

constant gold standard to strive for – to provide purpose and meaning to life. But the choice of an impossible goal is not the most intelligent one.

People should have a goal they can realistically achieve. It would bring more satisfaction than continually chasing the unfeasible, which will leave you dry and dull from lack of success, like an old,

unused and abandoned flannel.

Despite this, humans continue to target perfection, but why? Perhaps it is due to a competitive nature or because they know they won’t have to actually work for this goal. After all, why bother working for a goal you know is

“Perfection cannot exist, except in the realm of thought”

- Plato

impossible? A far-off distant goal is not enough motivation for most and aiming for perfection when you know you aren’t going to get there is ‘letting yourself off the hook’.

Perhaps a more noble ambition would be to strive for excellence or personal improvement. If all you can achieve for now are the basics, then aim for that and once achieved, set yourself another goal. If you are willing to do this and put effort into it, you will create a cycle of fulfilment.

Malcolm Gladwell’s adage from ‘Outliers’ states, it takes 10,000 hours or approximately ten years of consistent practice to become an expert in anything. If achieving a certain level or form of something is all you can achieve, then aim for that and consider it to be your own personal perfection. It should not matter if someone else can do better than you, as long as you know you

have done the best you possibly can.

Without a set definition for a volatile and intangible idea like perfection there are quite literally no boundaries to what can be considered perfect in different areas of life. Societal perfection is a harder check to balance. It too is ever morphing and changing and there is just no point trying to keep up. As long as you are content, then one should not feel the pressure to change to fit what you are told is the current perfect, you will end up with the personality of a Tik Tok feed: ever changing, generally popular, but soulless and generic… a slave to an AI algorithm. Stick to what you can achieve, renew goals regularly and eventually you will find and fulfil your own personal perfection. Maybe we should reframe our quest for perfection, to a search for contentment, how perfect would that be?

What exactly is perfect? Is it a thing or, simply, a nice idea? Or is it both? Well in my opinion you can only ever find perfection in science and numbers when they fall into a

sequence so perfect that it is seen all over our world. I believe perfection is reached only when what had seemed to be truly impossible is breached. Can it truly be understood? Has humanity been freed from Plato’s Cave or is it that our new understanding is simply still a

shadow that seems nicer than the rest. Can our knowledge and understanding be perfect?

Pi, Fibonacci you have properly heard of them: Pi (3.14159) is the circumference divided by the diameter of a circle and Fibonacci (1,1,2,3,5,8)

“What if there is no perfect understanding of the Universe”

is the sequence that forever will add the last two digits and seems to be the secret formula of nature. Can you imagine discovering these incredible elements, the feeling when something works for every circle, for sunflowers and snail shells?

But there is something that I will never let slip my mind. What if maybe, just maybe, Plato was right?

What if humanity’s understanding is and always will be limited and even after

moon landings, genome editing and the Theory of Relativity, we are still in that cave? What if there is no perfect understanding of the universe? What if science and knowledge can only scratch at the edges.

What if these numbers are nothing more than a deeper ink crawling past a pure, untouched, dull, smooth, grey wall of the unknown. The others think it’s pointless to ponder such things, but to me they only exist as crooked voices. They say why ask questions about something you can never understand. And, well if we listen to that rather

peculiar statement, then why ask any questions at all.

Because how can you be sure you will ever get a good enough answer, so you can understand anything? Because of course we know the answer won’t be perfect. I know it won’t be perfect. Even if we will never truly understand the universe, why shouldn’t we try? Why shouldn’t we do “other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard.”

It’s not just a thought, I know that my view is tainted, twisted, distorted. I know this reality can’t just be me staring at this excruciatingly simple wall. There must be something more, there must be something Perfect.

An Exemplary Education?

How has education changed in the last 60 years, and do we have the perfect system today?

Arabella Davis

Education is the most important tool in teaching the next generation the knowledge and skills they need for life; it is the setting where young people learn, grow, and develop into the adults they will eventually become. In the UK we have the luxury that every citizen has the opportunity to be educated, creating generations of successful and inspiring people. However, do we have the perfect system, or is it flawed like so many other things today?

I decided to interview my neighbours and friends and ask about the changes in education and what makes the perfect school?

I interviewed young and old, former students and fellow students. Different generations all have differing views on education, and out of everyone I interviewed there was a shared view that expressed and stressed the importance of education.

When interviewing my contemporaries, it was clear that the younger generation have a stronger and more developed relationship to technology. Technology can excite students to learn and be used in a positive way to encourage learning and increase the curiosity

of students. Moreover, it aids students who have busy schedules, giving them greater resources and the option to learn at home (an obvious example of this the online learning during the COVID pandemic). Education was saved through online teaching; although it was not to the same level of interaction as a classroom would be, students were able to understand the basics of the topics covered. Allowing students to carry on learning during a global pandemic. Technology is so widely used that it is essential in schools to allow students to learn and develop skills, as these will be some of the most important skills education can give. A cutting piece of technology was likely the friendlyenvironmentally slate and chalk which was replaced by the less environmentally friendly reams and reams of paper. Laptops and tablets have now superseded this, and this means that schools are now more environmentally friendly as their use decreases paper and photocopying use and costs, promoting the concept of a “green revolution”. However, some experts say that technology in education

can affect students’ ability to think as it is reduced, as they constantly have the opportunity to use the internet to find answers.

Students in Gen Z say “It requires fewer resources, and allows me to revise anywhere”; therefore, students have the freedom to revise anywhere, partially when travelling and this means students are achieving better grades as there is more time to be used for work purposes. So is the perfect school portable? Can it be carried around and experienced through a screen and no inside a classroom?

Older generations did not have the support of technology in their education, Michael (my neighbour) said “It did not aid my studies, as the internet was just emerging when I finished high school, and I only used it occasionally for research papers.” This proves education can be undertaken without technology. Perhaps nowadays, it just requires more effort. However, the advancement in technology has given people globally the opportunity to learn a vast amount and if used in the right way, can be the greatest tool for education,

as students have the resources to learn about current affairs, wars, history, delve into scientific archives and explore their passions. Perhaps it could lead to a better but maybe not a perfect education?

What certainly has improved in schools is the use of rulers. They are now exclusively used for measuring and drawing lines rather than beating guilty or innocent children. Thankfully, corporal punishment has been taken out of schools! Punishment has changed significantly over the last 60 years, from the older generation saying, “being hit by a ruler was a humiliating experience, which made me not want to misbehave”. Jane (my 75-year-old) neighbour’s view was this was a forceful way of punishment that produced a generation of respectful and compliant men and women, who understood the importance of respect for people in positions of authority. In the 21st Century, some students view punishment as ineffective with my fellow Year 11 Mary positing that, “having a more understanding approach would help reduce misbehaviour, as it tends to

“What certainly has improved in schools is the use of rulers. They are now exclusively used for measuring and drawing lines rather than beating guilty or innocent children”

be the students who suffer most academically who talk the most and disrupt the class.” After speaking to someone who went to secondary school in the early 2000s, it was clear that James also agrees with the view that the classic detention is an imperfect and ineffective way to punish children but through information and guidance students can learn and develop better behaviour so lessons are not disrupted and the school can solely be focused on learning in lessons, to produce the greatest chance at academic success. And how do we measure that success? Exams! Possibly the most controversial of educational topics. I get the feeling that every single pupil has wanted to get rid of them but once they grow older and become adults, they have the “I had to do them, so you have to do them” attitude. Results are given based on

one exam and that’s the only opportunity students have to demonstrate to third-party judges their two years’ worth of devotion and hard work. It’s an archaic approach to learning and assessment in my opinion. If they fail, then they must retake these examinations months later, rather than being tested throughout the years to obtain a more accurate final grade. Coursework is perhaps a fairer option to give a more accurate result of how the student is doing (however, with the advent of Chat GBT I think the days of coursework are probably numbered). One could argue that examinations are effective and useful, teach us resilience, time management and prepare us for future demanding occupations and dealing with stressful situations. Unfortunately, when it comes to how students are judged and finally assessed, unlike Maths problems, there doesn’t seem to be a perfect solution.

The Perfect Princess

Olivia Xiao

Princesses: Wear pink dresses, be passive, be pretty, find Prince Charming. These are some of the factors that Disney, for over half-a-century, wanted little girls to want and need to be. Since 1938, Disney has made Princess after Princess; portraying girls with unachievable body standards. They have stamped a picture in your head that finding “true love” is an endgame and that girls should want to be an obedient wife and should seek the approval to be accepted as “beautiful.”

Look at Sleeping Beauty. Blonde hair, blue eyes, pale skin, perfect skin, perfect figure. Even when she’s sleeping. Disney has only portrayed women at their “physical peak” (even when sleeping). No Disney Princess has realistic skin with blemishes. In my opinion, this is malevolent, as Disney has unconsciously approved unrealistic body standards, ergo unrealistic diets, causing young girls to

expect something that will never happen. One of the rarest combinations, and one of Disney’s favourite character traits to use is blue eyes and blonde hair. It is estimated that just under 1% of the population have both traits. Of course, it is important to acknowledge minorities, but Disney created a new bias. A new bias where women were not acknowledged for being smart or funny, it is for women who can be “lucky” enough to be born with the perfect face. Personally, I find this disgusting. With the power Disney has in the modern day, they could find different ways to incorporate diversity. But do they? This is not supposed to be normal. No one is born with perfect skin or a perfect figure. This is not true! For the live action version of Cinderella, Lily James had to go on a liquid diet to fit in her 17-inch corset! Although we don’t know how much weight she lost, we can tell just by pictures. The difference is astonishing. She even said, “I’m not trying to portray the message for girls to do this as it is mentally draining”. That is not Disney dialogue though. Although Disney has moved to make more Disney princesses ethnically diverse, and sometimes behave realistically feminine and feisty, the focus on a perfect appearance is still not shaken off even when turning the cartoon into a live-action.

So at this point Disney isn’t even trying to portray an accurate depiction of women in the modern day, as most of them still have a damsel in distress need for a man and a fancy dress. Thankfully, some examples that don't follow these rules are Elsa and Anna from Frozen, Merida from Brave and Moana. These movies came out after 2012, after Disney started getting criticised for their movies that had no authenticity. Some women of the modern day have glasses or are gay and have average sized bodies. More realistic representation is needed.

It’s not just that a cartoonish representation or indoctrination of women has been promulgated by

“Disney has unconciously approved unrealistic body standards... causing young girls to expect something that will never happen”

Disney, real women have suffered at the hands of Mickey Mouse. The Multi-media company has affected many real actors and children. Many of the child-stars feel that they were exploited. One being Bella Thorne. She starred with Zendaya in the hit TV show; ‘Shake It Up’. She has claimed to many sources that the crew and director of the show made them think they were competing, as they were the two main leads, claiming “they starred me in one episode and her in another and compared the ratings” This made them unable to create a friendship throughout Season One, as Disney made them hate each other. In the present day they are friends as they were able to talk about how Disney was putting them against each other and valuing ratings over developing positive relationships and working conditions. She has also said that “there are definitely a lot of pressures in the Disney eye to be so perfect and I think that’s where Disney in a sense goes wrong because they make their kids seem perfect.” She goes on to state “that image is very difficult. It’s also never been me; I always do whatever no one else is doing.” Thorne continued, “little kids growing up don’t need to see perfect people. Kids need to see reality. They need to see diversity”. I couldn’t agree more.

Disney also always has a strong male character often as the prince, even when there is not even meant to be a prince present. They recycle this typical Disney imagery and have a Captain for her to fall in love with. In the original legend, Mulan’s family is totally fine with Mulan running off and being an

amazing independent warrior. She doesn’t meet a romantic partner and is successful and praised by the emperor for saving the day. This proves that Disney is trying to carve other cultures into an Americanised version. These male characters were also not good for boys to look up to. The female character is shown as a passive damsel in distress and shown as hopeless. However, on the other side, the “prince” character is always shown as a perfect man and is a strong and courageous hero. The prince in “Sleeping Beauty,” Prince Phillip, is utterly forgettable, a completely flat character. Many people probably wouldn't know his name was Prince Phillip, probably assuming his name was Prince Charming. Charming is actually from Snow White. All this simply teaches the boys who watch Disney movies that they need to be strong, but silent and withdrawn, to be successful.

Thankfully there seems to be some change in Disney’s

direction. But hopefully the idea of the “Perfect Princess” is relegated to the last century where it can live happily ever after.

A Glass and a Half full of Perfection

Evie Collins

Building a perfect brand can take years. A brand is defined as a name, sign, symbol or design that is used to differentiate goods or services from those supplied by competitors. Building a brand is a key part of promotional activity and is important to businesses as they try to compete in their respective markets.

There are four key ways that a business can develop a brand. Firstly, a brand can be developed through creating a unique selling point (USP) to differentiate the product from those that are already present within the market. Secondly, advertising can be used to reinforce the image of a product or the message that they may be trying to get across. Thirdly, a business could consider sponsorship –associating their brand name with an event, by providing funds in exchange for placement of their logo or company name. Lastly, a hugely popular method that businesses use to build a brand is social media. Social media helps businesses to easily a particular customer group and build loyalty.

One business that could be said to have created the perfect brand is Cadbury. Cadbury operates in the chocolate and confectionery market which is predicted to grow by 13% between 2022 and 2027 with sales expected to reach £6.66 billion from £5.9 billion (2022). The market is also incredibly saturated with large competitors such as Galaxy and Lindt. However, Cadbury is

said to be the UK market leader with a strong market share and reported sales of £505 million in 2021. Cadbury have achieved this through a variety of factors including the quality of their chocolate, the variety of flavours but most importantly their easily identifiable brand. Their branding is one of the strongest within the chocolate market due to their use of emotional branding, their brand family and their use of advertising. Through this Cadbury have created large brand awareness, which was

“Cadbury can associate their products with a feeling of happiness and become synonymous with joyful occasions”

evidently displayed through a survey in which respondents were shown both the logo and the written brand name and 96% of respondents said they were aware of the brand. They have also used all the steps that businesses can use to develop a brand by using slogans to emphasise their USP, partnering with football teams, and creating viral advertising campaigns.

They have therefore become one of the largest brands in the UK. Cadbury’s chocolate is well-known and well-liked for its high and reliable quality. This is not only evident when

the product is eaten but also through their prominent slogan, which they have been using since 1928: ‘A Glass and a Half Full of Joy’. The ‘glass and a half’ signifies the amount of milk that goes into each bar of Dairy Milk chocolate; by highlighting their recipe through their branding they differentiate their chocolate from competitors. The idea of optimism and joy – ‘a glass half full’ carries on throughout the brand as in 2015 they introduced their ‘free the joy’ campaign which encouraged consumers to try new and old flavours of chocolate to their find favourites. This therefore helps to re-establish a relationship with the consumer but again re-visits this idea of joy with Cadbury’s chocolate. By building this emotional brand, Cadbury can associate their products with a feeling of happiness and become synonymous with joyful occasions, which may make people more inclined to purchase their product.

When you walk into a supermarket or a convenience store it is incredibly easy to identify a product by Cadbury on the shelf. The notable deep purple packaging stands out from other chocolate bars on the shelf. The purple was originally for Dairy Milk, however, as Cadbury have expanded their product portfolio into new flavours of chocolate all the products using the Dairy Milk as a base are mostly made up of the purple packaging, with a different colour to denote the flavour -

yellow for caramel, green for mint. Because of this Cadbury have been able to develop a brand family. Not only have they developed their brand family through the use of colouring, but all other products that are related to Cadbury also feature the Cadbury logo above the name of the product. By developing a brand family they’re more likely to be able to convince consumers to try new products that they introduce, and the customers feel a sense of loyalty towards them. Over the years, Cadbury have had many different approaches to advertising. Many will recognise the ‘Gorilla’ advert from 2007. In which a man in a gorilla suit plays the drums to ‘In the Air Tonight’ by Phil Collins. The ludicrous nature of this advert got people speaking about Cadbury and their advertising. But it also made people laugh; it helped Cadbury to build their emotional brand of joy.

This approach to humorous advertising continued with the ‘Eyebrow Dance’ advert in 2009, which featured two children who made their eyebrows move in all sorts of ridiculous directions accompanied by a techno tune. This again creates links to the idea of joy. However, it could be said that these adverts do not advertise the chocolate in any way, however, both adverts are easily identifiable as Cadbury’s due to the use of purple (the children are dressed in shades of purple and the gorilla is in front of a purple background) and of course their slogan appears at the end. Cadbury relating their products to joyful occasions carries throughout their new advertising campaigns. The ‘Yes Sir, I Can Boogie’ advert which first aired in 2014 depicts an office worker who eats a bit of a Dairy Milk bar and then sings along to Bacarra’s 1977 hit. The advert helps to show how the chocolate may cheer up someone’s day and bring a little bit of happiness into their lives. Another more recent example in the commercial ‘Bus’ released in 2020, sees a little boy is sitting on a bus with a Dairy Milk chocolate bar. He notices a girl crying and offers the bar to her – making her smile. The advert ends with the phrase ‘There’s a Glass and Half in Everyone’. Other adverts like this include ‘Garage’ and ‘Mum’s Birthday’. These ads could be called the Cadbury “Acts of Kindness” adverts. Each one of these shows a person doing

something for someone else involving a bar of Cadbury’s chocolate and each one brings joy to everyone involved. The message is clear. When someone receives a bar of Cadbury’s chocolate it brightens their day. Each Cadbury advert helps them to develop their emotional brand even further. Even though they are all done in a different way the message is the same...

Cadbury = Joy.

So, what makes this the perfect brand? Cadbury have successfully made themselves one of the most identifiable brands that you can find. Not only that, but their branding also has positive connotations. Therefore, this has helped them to grow to the size they are and retain their position in the confectionary market and people’s hearts.

Lies? Obsession? Volatile? Evocative? Annabelle Proctor

The definition of love is something that has been pondered over for centuries. Whimsical ideas and scientific theories that have been fabricated and tested; however, nothing has really been able to answer the question of: what is love? Is it a specific concoction of hormones belying the illusion of lust and attraction? Or is it a more delicate and intricate part of us which can only be awoken a few times in our lives.

Despite the ideas of where love originates from, throughout our lives, the media has told us that love is an idyllic and serene journey that everyone embarks on. From coming-of-age movies to Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, love is portrayed as something that saves us from the turmoil of a callous reality; saving women from financial insecurity and loneliness and helping teenagers to mature from childhood to adulthood.

Modern literature has fed us that love is simple and straightforward, an ideal that everyone has or needs to accomplish by the time they have left for university or college. That no external variable - like distance or another personcan hinder a love’s progression or snap the string connecting one another. Certain genres of literature have seemingly been created to home the corny and cheesy portrayals; somehow there are thousands upon thousands of books all telling

and retelling the same storylines. The quiet smart girl is forced to tutor the bad boy and falls in love, school enemies or academic rivals find out that the hatred they feel towards each other is in fact the complete opposite, or childhood friends suddenly wake up one day and decide that they love each other more than best friends. Though these stories may comfort and captivate young minds, it has caused us to idealise love. Our perceptions become twisted and warped to what we think we know and have learned from these books and movies and TV shows. We become ignorant to the enigma of falling in love.

Most importantly we start to believe that if we were ever to fall in love, our life would take a turn for the better, that we would never face any tribulations, that life would ultimately be perfect. It amazes me that within the span of 500 pages of a book or half a season of a TV series, we can become infatuated and enamoured with some fictional character’s love story, conjured from the hopes and dreams of (most likely) a hopeless romantic.

Older literature showcases the idea that love is not always as picture perfect as the more modern literature implies - that love can be gruesome and potentially fatal. Jane Austen’s novels - which revolve around society’s toxic perception of

love – shows us that love can be destructive as well as beneficial. In fact, it is described as one of the most challenging things that a human can encounter. The twists and turns within the dense maze of falling so deeply in love with someone that you could not imagine living without them can be exhilarating and dangerous and exhilaratingly dangerous. So much so that every thought of everyday is spent thinking of them, that an emotional connection so complex is formed, bonding two people together for life, that the fear of judgement and criticism is irradicated in their presence.

Mind

In reality, love is much like the one depicted pre-Netflix. The love predicted in older literature. There are those who you fall for and there are those who do not fall with you: the unrequited love. As cruel as it may sound, most of us will experience this, maybe even more than once. We can become in love with, not the person, but the toxicity of the love that we have only become accustomed to from past experiences. So much so that the pain, whether it be spiritual, physical, mental, or emotional, becomes somewhat comforting despite how it may harm us. Love can cause someone to believe that they are not good enough, that anyone who may love them in the future is in their life not for who they are, but for their body and their physical attributes. This could develop

Emotion

“Love... evolves with age and experience... finding the balance between selfcare, love, and work.”

into the desire to receive consistent validation and verification from their other half.

Having to ask if they can wear certain clothes, if they can go out and meet friends and, sooner or later, if they can leave the house.

As much as some of us would like it, love is not set in stone, it evolves with age and experience. It grows from the excitement of holding hands in the playground to exploring levels of intimacy to finding the balance between self-care, love, and work.

Under the ‘umbrella’ term of love, there is a smaller, quieter type of love. Self-love. A spectacle that is stumbled upon by adolescents and stays with you for the rest of your lives: where someone’s action is directed to aid their own welfare.

Much like in day-to-day life, self-love can have good and bad days. On a bad day, selflove can cause you to tear yourself down if you didn’t get that grade you had hoped and worked hard for. It will destroy you when things may not have gone your way. But on the good days? Self-love is when you get that grade and you are overcome with relief that the hours you spent actually paid off, that when things do go your way, you are proud, relieved and self-love induces the feeling that nothing can hinder you; you feel on top of the world.

On the other side of the spectrum, speaking scientifically, love is a

concoction of specific hormones and chemicals. From the Dopamine, Norepinephrine and Serotonin, generating the warm and fuzzy feeling to the dependency and attachment formed by the Oxytocin and Vasopressin to the lust caused by the Testosterone and Oestrogen. All the released chemicals activate the wired circuit of physical symptoms – the racing hearts, the sweaty palms, the flush cheeks, the passion, and the anxiety.

I believe that, despite what we are told, no one really knows what love is, at least no one really knows until it decides to present itself in your life. I believe that until you are bewitched by its spell, thrown out from the warmth of its presence, chosen by it and lost in it, you may not actually know. I know that the version of love that my inner child yearns for escapes me, at least for now. I suspect that we all shall learn that, no matter how hard we try, love has no actual definition, that there is no singular meaning to love. The love we experience now, the love for friends, your family, your pets, they are not the same. That it may encompass everyone and everything, but love is something personal and unique to everyone.

Imagine posing the question of what is the perfect love? I suppose we will never know.

“Better

Perfect Design

Lily Klyhn

a diamond with a flaw than a pebble without.” - Chinese Proverb

This Chinese proverb is referenced by many designers and within a multitude of industries. For designers, it roughly translates to “Even when lacking in execution, design with a solid idea will be infinitely more memorable than a bland design that's polished to perfection.” When researching the topic of perfect design, this was a common theme amongst product designers, interior designers, and architects alike. So is striving for perfection a worthy goal?

Trying to achieve perfection has become an onerous, but highly desired part of the design process, but it is still what most designers endeavour to achieve. Some experts believe that many designers end up producing designs that are excessive and impractical when striving for perfection at the first stage of designing, instead of what is desired by the customer or client. Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (author of the much-loved children’s classic The Little Prince) captures the notion that perfect design can be simple:

“Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.”

Perfection. From who’s point of view?

Is there a clear point at which any design becomes “perfect”? The problem is, what’s perfect differs from one person to another. What’s perfect in the architect or designer’s world may not meet the client’s needs so collaboration and compromise are important elements of creating a good design (we’ll come to that later). Compromise is an approach some designers struggle with. There may be egos involved and not just from the designers.

Design. A work in progress

Liang-Cheng Lin, a Design Consultant, wrote an article for Adobe in 2018 in which he stated that “Good designers observe, empathise, ideate, prototype, test, iterate, refine, and learn during

the journey.” He goes on to explain that through the process of developing, in this case a product, it enables a design team to identify critical and not-socritical features. Allowing the designers opportunity to retain elements which work for the client and remove elements that don’t. He highlighted the fact that good design will evolve over time into great design which, he believes, is often a simple product that exceeds customer and consumer expectations.

What is good design?

An adaptation/translation of “De architectura” from 1624 by Sir Henry Wotten is a baseline for many ideologies of good design today: "The ideal building has three elements; it is sturdy, useful, and beautiful." The modern adaptation of this statement is that design needs to fulfil its purpose (work), last a long time (durability) and fulfil the desired looks (aesthetics). This is reflected in The Ten Principles of Good Design written in the 1970s by the industrial designer Dieter Rams. They covered what Rams believed to be the most important principles for good design. These principles are still

used today and often taught to design students (appearing in the DT GCSE curriculum). According to Rams, good design is innovative; useful; aesthetic; understandable; unobtrusive; honest; longlasting; thorough down to the last detail; environmentally-friendly and features as little design as possible. This perfectly reflects author and pilot Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s opinion.

What does perfection cost?

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, “Perfection is having all the required or desirable elements, qualities, or characteristics as good as it is possible to be.” However, for many designers, the concept of perfection seems unreachable but striving for all the required or desirable elements, qualities and characteristics seems like a reasonable goal but sometimes it’s hard to know when to stop. If we think about the science, the Pareto principle or 80–20 rule explains this numerically. For example, it commonly takes 20% of the time to complete 80% of a task while to complete the last 20% of a task takes

80% of the effort. Achieving absolute perfection may be impossible and so, as increasing effort results in diminishing returns, further activity becomes increasingly inefficient. Embracing imperfection

Imperfection has been embraced in the Japanese aesthetic of “wabi-sabi”, where there is an acceptance of the transient nature of the world and imperfection. They believe that by living in the current and embracing the fact that life is not permanent, people are more likely to learn, grow and feel content. When looking at examples of architectural designs that embrace wabi-sabi, it can be noted that as a result of finding beauty in a symmetry and utilising natural materials these structures create a sense of balance and serenity.

The Korean architectural aesthetic of “mak” also embraces the art of imperfection. To a Western designer these buildings may appear “raw and unfinished”; however, this is instead an aesthetic statement recognising the natural tactility that is preserved within the Korean culture. This differs greatly from Western architects who rely heavily on symmetry, a concept, which is sometimes referred to in Korean architecture as “bium”, which when literally translated means emptiness. The aesthetic of “mak”, often enables haste to surpass perfection, allowing for misalignment and uneven arrangements.

The British architect Piers Taylor believes that architecture is not meant to be artistry or a craft but is meant to be a form of

learning by doing. He believes there is a certain joy from seeing a bodged joint, as it showcases to others that they are allowed to feel free and explore concepts instead of restricting themselves to the pursuit of perfection.

Taylor elaborated by stating: “I’ve always been suspicious of people who prioritise making something perfectly, because it’s like saying that technique is more important than anything else”.

As a Textiles and Design Student, I’ve come to think of perfection as an improvement process that requires me to constantly review and enhance my work. I like to think that as I progress with the design of a garment or product, making changes that help develop the design to make it as good as it could possibly be, I am achieving my own goals as well as those of the client. I believe good design may never be defined the same way for each designer; so, it must be accepted that everyone’s idea of perfection is different.

I would like to leave you with this quote from one of my favourite Textiles artists, Anni Albers: “The conscientious designer, does not himself design at all but rather give the object-to-be a chance to design itself.”

Perfection in Nature

Melanie Collins

As a keen environmentalist, I have always been in awe of the splendours of our natural world and the complexities of the symbiosis which exists to maintain the future of all living species. As a geographer, I have not only become ever more aware of the impacts of human activity on our fragile ecosystems, but also the fact that knowledge provides us with an opportunity to appreciate more of what nature has to offer. It is too easy to take nature for granted, but if we stop for a moment, we can begin to appreciate that nature has been around far longer than we have, and we could be learning a lot more from it.

Back in 2007 I visited the Eden Project in Cornwall with a group of students with the intention to understand more about the power of plants. Earlier that year the Education Centre had been completed, known as The Core; it was a remarkable structure designed by Jolyon Brewis, whose inspiration came from biomimicry, with the roof being formed of opposing spirals based on the Fibonacci sequence, in a pinecone structure. The Fibonacci Sequence (or the Golden Ratio) has been heralded as Nature’s Secret Code and since my visit to the Eden Project, I have since looked at sunflowers, pineapples, and many other plants in a completely different light. As a child I was intrigued by the passionflower that grew on the front wall of my parents’ house. I remember being fascinated by its shape and, even as a youngster,

I appreciated the beauty in its symmetry but did not fully appreciate that nature had its own perfect mathematician working tirelessly behind the scenes, ensuring so much logic in its systems.

The snowflake is another magnificent example of the beauty of nature, each one unique yet perfect; nevertheless, their lifespan may only last for a fraction of a second. This highlights both the beauty of nature and its fragility and ephemerality. Nature gives and takes away, creating a harmonious equilibrium that has stood the test of time, yet humans have been responsible for huge changes in our natural systems, disrupting this delicate balance and with

“The natural world is the greatest source of excitement. The greatest source of visual beauty. It is the greatest source of so much in life that makes life worth living.”

David Attenborough

the climate emergency upon us, we must take time to reconnect with the natural world and the knowledge it can provide. Nature really does hold the answers and we must seek to find ways to work with it, understanding that its power is so much greater than ours. Nature is perfect with order and balance in its systems. We clearly have a lot to learn.

David Attenborough, one of the most well-known advocates for the perfection of nature, highlights in his documentaries and books the beauty and indeed the complexity of the natural world: from the highly intricate markings on birds and insects to the mass migration of

animals such as the great wildebeest across the Serengeti. He reminds us that “The natural world is the greatest source of excitement. The greatest source of visual beauty. It is the greatest source of so much in life that makes life worth living.”

Nevertheless, he has drawn attention to the threats facing the natural world, from climate change and habitat loss to the impacts of human activities such as pollution and overfishing. With the climate emergency threatening life for future generations, it is now more important than ever that we strengthen our connection with nature, not only for its own sake but for the sake of

humanity as well. Perfection in nature as a concept reminds us that we have a responsibility to our natural world and by appreciating this perfection, we can begin to understand the role we need to play in protecting it for future generations. Our lives may not be perfect but when perfection lies in nature, surely now is the time to sit up and take note?

(Con)fidence (Cult)ure

I think most of us have probably struggled with self-confidence and insecurities. It is something completely human and it can often feel like nothing will make it better.

As a remedy, we find comfort in our phones and social media where there is a flood of visual content and inspirational quotes about how to put on your “Confidence boots” and become “that girl”, the “it girl” and live an aesthetic lifestyle to help be the best version of yourself. Inherently similar variations of the same message are continuously thrown about in social media without realising the true weight that they carry. And often it seems that the answer is always ‘just’ confidence.

“Girl Boss”

Not doing well in school? You need confidence in class! Insecure? You need confidence in yourself! Don’t think you can wear that? Be more confident! As if when you reach a certain level of confidence all your problems will magically vanish. You won’t be insecure and can do whatever you want.

Now, it is not for me to say that this confidence culture can be completely cast aside and defined as bad as some find merit in it. However, it has been so deeply embellished and embedded into our society that it is as if confidence is a fool-proof solution and I feel that it is inescapable

Roisin Messervy

and often hard to spot as it comes across as such a positive thing.

Professors Shani Orgad and Rosalind Gill are the authors of Confidence Culture, a book I discovered recently. They introduce the idea of confidence as a cult, in the way it has been placed beyond debate and how it has been saturated right across society. I feel like a lot of times we may not see the issue with what we are being sold, because brands are enhancing topics that not talked about enough and doing it in a seemingly positive way. However, what they are actually doing is flattening out differences and finding scapegoats for systemic issues. So where do we get these expectations to be this confident brilliant bold person? Everywhere.

Kicking off in the 2000s, we have had a rise in phrases and new coinages such as: “Girl Boss”, “That Girl” or the “It Girl”. And in 2023 it is making a stronger, larger come back because of social media. So, what is the idea around the “It Girl”? Confident, bold, life together, cool. These aren’t bad things. Why is it a problem that this trend of “That Girl” is so popular? Unfortunately, it is more exclusive than it might seem. A quick internet engine search shows predominantly skinny, white, rich girls.

What these trends that are continuously circulated and re-designed across social media do is give girls the idea that they always need to have

their lives together-when that might not always be the case. It’s impossible to always have your life together. It sets an unrealistic standard for girls to think that if they aren’t waking up early to exercise, wearing the newest clothes and leading the same monotonous routine everyday their lives are not healthy or of a good standard. Now, it may not be done intentionally but on social media it is very possible for harmless videos to be interpreted in harmful ways. It gives the idea to girls that confidence, and good wellbeing can only be achieved when their lives look like this. And that is very dangerous. Even more so for people struggling with their mental health searching for what stability looks like. Inflicting weird workouts on yourself, fasting, or feasting on fad diets and spending all your time making your life look perfect in “insta-reality” cannot be beneficial to one’s mental health or bank account.

Taking up yoga isn’t going to fix your mental health.

Waking up at 5am won’t help with anxiety.

A self-care journal from Amazon isn’t going to council you through childhood trauma.

Detox teas, skincare, green smoothies, yoga, colourful lattes... the list goes on and on. It is heavily tied in with spending money and unfortunately this has shown to create unconscious classist bias towards what we perceive to be a successful, happy life compared to a bad, burnt-out life. People in

“That Girl” Girl”

poverty or receiving a low income are proved to be more likely to exhibit mental health problems and if this is what they are being sold in the media, it can be even more damaging to their wellbeing as they see that they are not able to afford this desirable lifestyle. If confidence was a tangible item at a cheap price everyone could have it. But it’s not, and we need to stop acting like it is.

Furthermore, the amount of confidence quotes put in adverts, billboards, books and magazines has drastically increased. These seem harmless on their own right? But many of them only serve to flatten differences, for example, being pregnant is the same as being disabled, or being a different race is the same as having a skin condition. Girls are subjected to intense appearance pressures and unrealistic, unattainable body ideals and yet the beauty industry combat this by saying ‘confident is the new sexy’ while only producing products for a narrow audience. How are people supposed to help themselves or feel better when they are being treated with hollow solutions that don’t address the real systemic issues and instead are treated like their lack of confidence is what is making them insecure?

However, the effects of confidence culture are not confined to the beauty industry. They are also very prevalent in the workplace and in schools. Women still suffer from profound

inequality at work and in return they are offered ‘Confidence Training’. Companies are using it to bring attention away from the sexism in their workplace and to exploit women by making a profit from pretending to solve issues that they are creating in the first place. Tell me, how does a woman’s supposed self-confidence issues lead to her hourly wages being reportedly a third below men’s? It doesn’t, because believe it or not confidence isn’t going to fix sexism.

Gender, racial, and class inequalities are persisting and yet women are still called upon to just believe in themselves, and all the while confidence culture eats away at us. So let me give it to you straight. You do not need your life to look like a rich social media influencer to be confident, happy, and healthy. Work on yourself by looking inwards and finding strength and peace in yourself not from what makes others happy.

Confidence, real confidence, cannot be found within just clothes and makeup no matter the amount. Don’t think just

because you are insecure and working on yourself in a way deemed un-Pinterest worthy, that you aren’t improving your mental wellbeing. Putting in effort is merit enough.

“IT Girl”

Don’t fall into the trap of presuming a woman in a lower position is a weak character, or not confident enough to stick up for herself. Instead, understand her position, be aware of the social injustices around us and how they affect everyday aspects of life. And finally, try to familiarise yourself with all kinds of lifestyle and not have a bias towards those whose lives do not meet the standards we consider to be desirable. Instead appreciate confidence, bravery and the courage to work on yourself, however it looks.

Beethoven’s Piano Sonata no.14 was playing next to her hospital drip at Manhattan General. It was her favourite piece and hence why it was going to be her piece for her graduation at The Julliard School Conservatory. It played on a little radio above her bed, repeating its mesmerizing descending symphonies. It was a piece so delicate it was known as ‘a flower between two chasms’ though to her it felt more like the gentle sway of rose leaves. Its gossamer notes drowned out the rattling trolleys, the alarms, the ringing phones, the screams, cries, and moans. It just sifted unconcernedly by. Her friend Olivia, also a piano player, left her a bunch of vermillion roses on the far table along with a get well soon card. The card stood elegantly amongst the needles and tubes below as she reached over her side to read it. She had been putting off reading it for about two days now for she knew what was coming - it read “Hey Lizzie, wishing you a speedy recovery for graduation”. “Speedy recovery” was inherently undermined by Lizzie’s third round of chemo that month.

Sofia Haynes-Shariff

Olivia's roses infused Lizzies antiseptic veiled, sterile room with a syrupy, saccharine scent blending into the A minors and D majors of Piano Sonata still playing from the top of her bed. She closed her eyes and was somehow taken back to Julliard’s Meredith Wilson Hall last year. She was practising before her first spring recital; she remembered being so timorous; she was going to be sick yet felt so animated it was indescribable. She had the hall to herself to practise. Placing herself on the stool behind the grand piano and just surrendering her hands to the keys. She pounded down on the rich notes weaving in and out of the fugue and rapid rhymes of Piano Sonata, embracing the racing resonance of the sound in her chest and infinite echoes the hall replayed. A rhythm of perfection, creating a state of euphoria she profoundly missed.

Her tumour was one of the brain though soon to be removed. She knew among the lowered voices of the doctors and the pitiful faces of the surgeons her hearing would be sacrificed. She did not need to be told. She was never again to hear the thick famous melodies of Symphony 9 or the light lustred rhythm of ‘Für Elise’. She would have to just remember. “The Spaniard” had lost his hearing but still wrote masterpieces. She just had to remember them. The dainty notes flowed, filling an entire room, seeping beneath ward curtains, and

“She pounded down on the rich notes weaving in and out of the fugue and rapid rhymes of Piano Sonata”

meandering down the ED’s bare walls. From there it curled around dialysis machines, made its way beneath surgery department doors, and ended up out in the entrance air. As the piece progresses its delicate melodies blend into ones of liveliness and jubilance elevating the spirits of those around, for she knew because she listened to it on a quotidian basis; She knew even if she weren't to hear it on, she would know it was on, by the sound variations in the soft beats and the way it saturated a room with beauty and grace.

“We are ready for the operation”. The man in the blue scrubs and a bouffant surgeon cap said to her. Lizzie nodded as another man pushed the ward bed forwards. She heard the faint, last notes of Piano Sonata

In a closed room of the Royal London Hospital Museum, in a corner, in a dusty cabinet, unannounced, is this simple stand. This is the mask that Mr Joseph Merrick had to wear. 160 years ago, Mr Joseph Merrick was considered too

normal little boy: intelligent, sensitive, poetic.

As he got older, his body began to develop larger and larger bony lumps. By his teenage years, his arms and tongue and feet could not work properly. At 13, his parents told him to leave. He wore a mask of sacking but could not get a job. The only place for Joseph was the workhouse – a kind of prison for the poor, performing the most

often, beatings.

“Ladies and Gentleman... if you dare... prepare yourselves... the most disgusting human being ever to draw the breath of life”

by bronchitis, he could not speak clearly: more evidence of his repulsive wickedness. He was beaten, and any money he had, stolen. He did however still have Frederick Treves’ card and made his way there. Treves began to realise that Joseph not only was speaking, but that all the while he had been caged and abused, he was as intelligent as he, thoughtful, a reader and writer of poetry, with, somehow, beautiful handwriting. Joseph’s wish was

‘Utopia‘ s Utopia‘

Zahra Pierce

Perfection is an ideal concept that appeals to many but is impossible to fully achieve. A perfect example is the concept of Utopia. Utopias date back many centuries; it's even embedded into religion. The Garden of Eden was a utopia, a paradise that God created; when the Abrahamic religion was established the Garden of Eden was used to represent how God could create perfection, but people could take that perfection away. Eve gave in to temptation and took the forbidden fruit which can in turn be used as a metaphor for how individuals are never satisfied and will always give into temptation. We can draw

parallels between this and attempted utopias, especially Twentieth Century communism, even if someone enters power and holds authority over a ‘utopian society’ with the intention of doing good for the people, they can quickly become absorbed by their own power and have a desire for more. Many have dreamed of Utopian societies; however, in history it has never been achieved. The simple fact is that utopias were never meant to succeed. The concept was designed to fail as the word Utopia means nowhere or no place in Greek.

Furthermore, perfection is subjective so a utopia could never be perfect to every

individual person because we all have different concepts of perfection due to our different backgrounds, morals, cultures, abilities, and world views.

Equality is the dominant feature of utopias and even though this is desirable and appeals to a large number of people, in practice if everyone had to treat everyone the same, we would just become carbon copies of each other with no unique traits or features. We all have different wants, needs and desires so even a utilitarian utopia seems an impossibility. In this futuristic Shangri-la, if everyone was uniform, they may be

easier to manage however there would be no individuality and people wouldn’t be able to express themselves, so arguably this aspect of perfection cannot be achieved. Moreover, nothing that people create can ever be perfect due to us not being perfect (humans are multidimensional so no one can ever be perfect). Sometimes, people may prefer the imperfection such as having a handmade cake over a shop bought one even though the shop bought cake is supposedly more polished and perfect.

Perfection could even be seen as a harmful concept in a multitude of ways. We will never feel like we are enough as long as we strive for perfection, and we also

won’t be able to embrace the world around us in the same way if we are set on a Sisyphean goal. Perfection is unrealistic

“We all have different wants, needs and desires so even a utilitarian utopia seems an impossibility”

and can be tied to things such as beauty standards that can cause a whole range of problems and make people feel like they aren’t good enough; if people base their self-worth on whether they are perfect it can be very damaging if not detrimental. The root cause of perfectionism is often a fear of judgement and disapproval from others.

As a society we shouldn’t be making people fear not being perfect because it sets them up for failure whilst trying to reach a fictitious goal.

Perfection is just a cleaner or sanitised version of reality which means it lacks complexity that makes something real. Perfection is impossible and Utopias and other ideas of ‘perfection’ were always destined to fail. An outcome that is more sinister and more probable is instead the creation of the perfect dystopia.

Dear Agony Aunt GPT

What is perfection?

Perfection is an abstract concept that can vary in meaning depending on the context and personal perspectives. Generally, it refers to a state of flawlessness, completeness, or excellence that is regarded as the ideal or ultimate standard for something.

In different areas of life, perfection can have different interpretations:

1. Personal Perfection: This relates to self-improvement and the pursuit of one’s highest potential in terms of character, skills, or achievements. It often involves striving for excellence and setting high standards for oneself.

2. Creative Perfection: In creative fields such as art, music, or writing, perfection can be seen as the ideal realization of a vision or the flawless execution of an artistic expression. It may involve achieving a harmonious composition, impeccable technique, or conveying a specific message or emotion.

3. Perfection in Relationships: In human interactions, perfection can be associated with an idealised notion of a perfect partner or a perfect relationship. However, it is important to acknowledge that relationships are complex and imperfect by nature, and focusing too much on an unattainable ideal can be detrimental.

4. Perfection in Work or Performance: In professional settings, perfection can refer to delivering work or performance that is free from errors or defects, meeting all requirements and expectations. It often involves attention to detail, precision, and consistent high-quality output.

It’s worth noting that the pursuit of perfection can sometimes be unrealistic or lead to excessive stress and dissatisfaction. Embracing imperfections, learning from mistakes, and focusing on personal growth and improvement rather than an unattainable ideal can lead to a healthier and more fulfilling approach to life.

Dear Aunty GPT,

What is perfection?

Are you perfect?

As an artificial intelligence language model, I do not possess personal qualities or characteristics like humans do. I am a program created by OpenAI designed to provide information, assistance, and engage in conversations. While I strive to provide accurate and helpful responses, I am not infallible or perfect. Like any technology, there are limitations to my knowledge and understanding.

It's important to remember that I generate responses based on patterns and information available in the data I was trained on, which includes a wide range of topics up until September 2021. However, I don't have access to real-time information or personal experiences beyond that date.

While I can assist with a variety of inquiries, it's always wise to verify and crossreference information from reliable sources when necessary, especially for critical or time-sensitive matters.

Dear Aunty GPT,

What is perfection?

Can the world become perfect?

The idea of achieving a perfect world is a complex and subjective concept. It is important to acknowledge that the world we live in is diverse, with a multitude of perspectives, beliefs, and values. Perfection itself can be interpreted differently depending on cultural, social, and individual perspectives.

From a practical standpoint, it is highly unlikely for the world to become entirely perfect in every aspect. This is because perfection implies the absence of any flaws, problems, or conflicts, which is challenging to attain in a complex and ever-changing world.

However, it is possible for societies and individuals to work towards improving various aspects of the world and strive for positive change. Progress can be made in areas such as social justice, equality, education, healthcare, environmental sustainability, and more.

Efforts towards creating a better world require collaboration, understanding, empathy, and a commitment to continuous improvement. It involves addressing systemic issues, promoting dialogue, and taking collective action. While perfection may not be achievable, striving for progress and positive change can lead to a more equitable, compassionate, and sustainable world.

Dear Aunty GPT,

What is perfection?

Can a person be perfect?

The concept of a perfect person is subjective and highly debated. From a practical standpoint, no human being is flawless or completely perfect in every aspect. Every individual has their strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement.

Perfection implies the absence of any mistakes, faults, or shortcomings. However, as humans, we are inherently fallible and prone to making errors. We have limitations, emotions, and unique perspectives that shape our behaviors and decisions.

Moreover, the definition of perfection can vary depending on cultural, societal, and personal beliefs. What may be considered perfect in one context or culture may not align with another's definition.

While no person can achieve absolute perfection, individuals can strive for personal excellence and continuous self-improvement. It's more realistic and fulfilling to focus on becoming the best version of oneself, developing strengths, and working on areas that require growth. Embracing our imperfections and learning from mistakes can lead to personal growth, empathy, and a more balanced perspective on life.

LIGHTS, CAMERA,PERFECTION

Carys Vaughan-Smith

The subjective view of filmmaking

As directors and producers set out to make a film, their main goal is to make it perfect. However, the challenge that they face is that perfection is based on the perception of the chosen audience for the genre - these perceptions can differ between individuals, and on a wide range of outside factors.

There are five key elements to create the ‘perfect film’: the narrative, the cinematography, sound, Mise-en-scène and editing. Whilst a film can be broken down into these five elements by critics, the audience trying to decide on what really constitutes the perfect film should aim to consider it holistically. However, it must be remembered that perfection as a concept is subjective, changes with the historical context within which the movie is viewed and is reflective of society’s need to fit ideals and tick boxes. Therefore, to try to assess whether a film is ‘perfect’ is built on the combination of these five elements that are being judged.

A director may have all these key elements to work with but has to work together with a huge team to turn their vision into reality. If you sit through the credits at the end of any modern movie, you will be able to see the almost inexhaustible

list of contributors to a movie’s production (including but not limited to: cinematographer, producer, actors, art department, graphics, CGI, stunt people, SFX and VFX) coming together over months or even years to produce the director’s subjective vision of the perfect film.

Take Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy which was released between 2001-2003. The way that Jackson handles the five key elements of movie making, despite the massive scope of the movies, created what many hailed as the ‘perfect’ movies of their age. These films were so full of book-accurate detail that they came to eight-nine hours before editing. Each three-hour long film had a clear narrative that followed key events in the books, and subsequently the cinematography was reflective of a journey, with its wide

landscape shots, panning over the otherworldly ‘Mines of Moria’ or the incredibly detailed ‘Helm’s Deep’, with close ups of many a Hobbit’s frightened expression or an Orc’s growling menace in the mise-en-scène. In addition to this, composer Howard Shore’s musically detailed score allowed Jackson and his team to take an idea on a page and bring it to life for some people’s version of the ‘perfect film’.

However, there are other factors that determine whether a film is perfect or imperfect, including audience reaction and general consensus from actors and the media. The film critic website Rotten Tomatoes uses film reviews from the public to determine whether a film is good or bad, if a film receives above 60% positive ratings, there will be a little red tomato displayed to indicate its “Fresh” status and if it is below 60%, the film receives a green splat to indicate its “Rotten” status. Interestingly, The Lord of the Rings has received between 91-95% across the three filmsso could this be considered almost ‘perfect’? Although, it must be remembered that this is based on audiences’ subjective views. Rotten Tomatoes is only one of many film critiquing websites - the other most notable are Screen Rant and IMDb, and these are all equally as subjective when it comes to the ‘perfect film’. In fact,

you can measure the difference in ratings between these critics. As of April 2022, on average Rotten Tomatoes and IMDB are 13% apart in their assessments of movie quality.

The differences in these websites are not just between each other, they measure and report on audience review and critic review and even with these two review choices, there can be significant variation. If you look at any movie and compare the audience’s review to the critic’s review, you will be able to see how they can differ massively for some films. For example, The Lord of the Rings (The Fellowship of the Ring) film has a 91% critic rating and a 95% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes – even with this 4% difference, this can still cause a significant difference of opinion on such a classic film.

“There are five key elements to create the ‘perfect film’: the narrative, the cinematography, sound, mise-enscène and editing”

Director and producer, Quentin Tarantino (widely known for films such as Pulp Fiction, 1994, Django Unchained, 2012, and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, 2019) funnily enough became an officially recognised critic on Rotten Tomatoes in June 2020, with his reviews going towards the “Tomatometer” rating.

During an interview in October in which Tarantino discussed seven ‘unassailable’ movies, the host asked him which he considered to be ‘perfect’, and his response was “when you say perfect movies you’re talking about any individual person’s aesthetic but trying to account for all the aesthetics”, thus highlighting the reality of filmmaking – everyone will have an opinion, but the director has to try and encapsulate this into two and a half hours to fit everyone’s definition of the ‘perfect’ film. Furthermore, Tarantino places emphasis on the fact that “perfect movies kind of cross all aesthetics to one degree or another. It might not be your cup of tea but there’s nothing you can say to bring it down”. This cements the idea that films are totally subjective; each person has an opinion, and even if films fit into more than one category, directors and producers will not be able to please everyone.

Whilst writing this, I discussed a film trilogy I believe to be one of the best out there; however, as Tarantino says above, this boils down to my subjective opinion. I would class these films (and the subsequent prequels made in the 2010’s) to be my definition of the ‘perfect’ film. This is the beauty of perfectionthere is no singular opinion that defines it.

Each filmmaker sets out with

a goal: to create their idea of perfection, and many achieve this through years of refining and adapting, audience previews and further changes before their ‘perfect’ film is distributed to the world. As you read the article, you may have agreed with some of my opinions, but my challenge to you is not to follow the crowd when it comes to reviews of a film, but to enjoy it for yourself and form your own opinion on it. And perhaps, if you start thinking about the five elements outlined, it may help you analyse for yourself - what makes your perfect film?

Mi ie Powers

Perfect Imperfections

To be perfect is sunshine every day

To be perfect is always knowing what to say

To be perfect is calorie-free food

To be perfect is always being in a good mood

To be perfect is top grades every time,

To be perfect is to have no mountain to climb

To be perfect is to be the best at sport

To be perfect is to never need a plan B or ‘’last resort’’

To be perfect is to never embarrass yourself

To be perfect is to have read every book on the shelf

To be perfect is to workout every single day

To be perfect is to look flawless, in every single way

To be perfect is to be resilient, because people can be mean

To be perfect is popularity, being heard, being seen

To be perfect is to never argue or never to fight

To be perfect is always to be in the right

This perfect is impossible, this perfect is fake

But perfect is a journey, made up of all the small steps you take

This perfect is unachievable, leaving you weak,

But if perfect is not like this, then what does that mean?

To be imperfect is your laughter when you are drenched in rain,

To be imperfect is eating without fear of weight gain

To be imperfect is to not achieve the highest score

To be imperfect is to cry, when you need kindness more

Laugh, have fun, enjoy every day

Live, be imperfect, live life your way.

Love, be kind, succeed through what you are taught.

Because life is too short.

Love your imperfections,they make you you

Be proud of the scars, of what you go through Dance in the rain and cry when you’re sad

Because imperfection is perfect, perfection is bad

Chlöe McBarnett

I

Earth’s velvet ceiling tore itself apart. Silken ripples swirl, like ballerinas, across the night’s open stage.

Luminous, silhouettes of the forms of brilliance, crystalline shapes dancing upon a canvas of charcoal. Like illuminated spectres

Hung mid-air. Strung from stars.

II

Faintest traces of winds through petals and glossy leaves over streams.

Murmuring brooks whilst chirping frogs leap from rain’s bullets.

Patches of light dapple emerald fronds.

III

Amongst glitters of jewels

Nestled in Fabergé eggs, leaves of gold unfurl to reveal.

A small robin of burning amber, and plated silver, Moonlight against the flames.

V

Eyes of glowing bottle-glass, holding years of forests reflected Flecked with the warmth of umber.

A heart like the hearth of a fire.

That immediate comfort-sense

The summery smile

Lights the world aflame.

IV

Over high-rise skylines the Sun bares its face. Lifting with a downy Sunlight the haze of fragile lingering mist. Like fine dust of glitter. Hangs over glass set aflame by new sunlight. Meanwhile, below. Down boulevards hurrying up streets go the commuters.

For the owner of the vivid red shoes, against streets of steel, this is home.

Perfection. The Presentation of Women in Advertising and Political Campaigns

Chloe James

It is estimated that the average person is exposed to between 300 and 500 adverts every day. Adverts are everywhere. It is effective because it is often so simple, utilising subtlety and creativity as a guaranteed method of reaching a particular audience. Exposure to advertising has been compounded by the surge in social media use. It is estimated that the advert-post ratio on Instagram is approximately 1:5. It is this powerful subtlety that often causes certain aspects to be overlooked: the covert sexism of photoshopping, or a slogan, idealising the perfect body, the perfect job, or the perfect life. Or, the perfect woman.

Twentieth Century Adverts

Sexism in advertising campaigns has been around as long as the industry has, perpetuating idealised gender stereotypes. Countless examples provide insight into the traditional values upholding society. The famous Weyenberg Massagic Shoe, marketed in 1974, featured the slogan “Keep her where she belongs.”

It is argued that in this advertisement, the topless woman is being objectified as the shoe. It is implied that the woman belongs on same level as the shoe: on the floor. It could even be taken further, the shoe a devious symbol of the expectation of docility and subservience “underfoot.” It depicts the superiority and dominance of men; the position of this woman implies that it is easy for the male to “tread” on her. It decries the effort of women to be recognised in society and the company, Weyenberg, standing against female liberation. This woman is naked: immediately the gaze is focused on her body. Published in the notorious Playboy, it is an example of the manner in which the image of the thin, glamorous woman was utilised to attract money. Being thin and beautiful are two equally desirable traits, an archaic concept that continues to be fuelled by degrading depictions such as this. A specific look at her gaze suggests entrancement, accentuating the trope of sexuality. A similar advert, boasting yet another type of shoe, takes an equally sexist stance, this one being just as visually disturbing. Published in 1970, it promotes a strict patriarchy, objectifying this woman as a rug. What is especially striking is that it is a tiger-skin rug, as if an object of a hunt, implying that the power lies in the man to “use” the

woman. It draws upon antiquated perception of women as weak and impressionable, promising that they will be “floored” by a pair of Mr Leggs.

La Guía de La Buena Esposa

Advertising campaigns are not the only perpetrators. Political campaigns further exacerbate it. Studying A Level Spanish led me to research this Francoist campaign, entitled “La Guía de La Buena Esposa,” meaning “The Guide to the Good Wife,” a simply heinous concept today. Women lacked social mobility, their lives being dictated not only

by the regime, but through the stringent doctrines of the Roman Catholic Church. Established by the far-right dictatorship of Francisco Franco in 1953, it was received, quite literally, as a “Guide,” in the form of a booklet, and consisted of eleven “rules”:

1. Have dinner ready: plan a delicious meal in time for his arrival.

2. Look beautiful. Relax for fifteen minutes before his arrival so that you feel fresh and gleaming.

3. Be sweet and interesting.

4. Tidy your house: it must be impeccable.

5. Make him feel in Paradise.

6. Keep the children kempt.

7. Minimise the noise. At the time of his arrival, turn off the washing machine, dryer and hoover and try to keep the children quiet.

8. He should see you happy.

9. Listen to him.

10. Walk in his shoes. Try to understand his world of pressure and compromises.

11. Don’t complain. Do not burden him with insignificant problems.

There are arguably few scenarios in which the sexist rules of “perfection” underpinning society are physically written. It is clear from this the extent to which women were restricted, not only economically, but also domestically. This guide, as shockingly suggested by the title, enforced the concept of the “perfect” woman, degrading them to second-class citizens.

Sexism in Modern Day Adverts

An obvious criticism is that “well, that was acceptable for the time.” That is certainly true; however, this is not just something of the past. There are no longer nationalistic regimes publishing overtly sexist leaflets and the degree of sexism in modern day advertising campaigns is less strikingly obvious. That being said, it is still present, and it subtly but powerfully continues to infiltrate all forms of advertising. It could be said that a subtly

powerful form of sexism is airbrushing. Dove released a video highlighting the extent of photoshopping and airbrushing in advertising campaigns.

A timelapse, spanning seventyfive seconds, reveals the staggering transformation of a model before her face appears on a billboard. It is awareness campaigns such as these that underline the extent of an issue that is all too easy to overlook, and just how much the perception of beauty is distorted as a result of sexist advertising campaigns.

This is a before and after. The video reveals the process of meticulous editing to “perfect” this model’s face, including enlarging the eyes, nose and lips, and lengthening the neck.

It is not only true of advertising campaigns, but also of Social media. A survey conducted by Google has revealed that approximately 93 million selfies are taken every day, and of those that are uploaded, 71% have used some kind of filter or been through editing software. The same survey suggests that 85% of girls have applied filters to enhance physical appearance in their photos before the age of 13. It is no wonder that the perception of beauty and the seeming need to be “perfect,” as

communicated by advertising campaigns, is triggering the need that is felt to perfect what we post online.

Therefore whilst advertising strategy has significantly developed since the time of the Weyenberg and Mr Leggs advert, the pillars of sexism continue to undermine this. It is so subtle that it goes unnoticed, but a deeper look reveals that what underpins the message of advertising campaigns is still widespread.

And, so...?

If the average person comes into contact with at least 300 adverts a day, it is easy to understand the influence that they have. Times have undeniably changed: today, it would be unthinkable to see anything like a Mr Leggs advert, or a leaflet, brandishing a sociopolitical ideal of the “perfect” woman. Times, in other respects, have hardly changed: there is still the pressure to be “perfect”, which still is subtly infiltrating every media. Perfection is a subjective umbrella term, extending to beauty, physical appearance, and gender, and upholds idealised values that simply cannot be achieved. It is because of this that the ideal portrayed to us is so dangerous.

Valete

Eleanor Bothwell

Teacher of Religious Studies

Eleanor’s ability to seamlessly step in and teach a diverse and rich curriculum was truly remarkable, especially as an ECT. Her hard work and commitment to getting to know the students individually have not gone unnoticed. Eleanor’s meticulous approach has enabled her to immerse herself in her craft, leaving no stone unturned in her pursuit of comprehensive understanding. Eleanor’s dedication to the growth and development of her students has made a lasting impact on their lives. She took the time to build meaningful connections with each student, providing them with support and guidance along their educational journey. It is evident that Eleanor’s presence will be greatly missed by the students and staff alike. We express our gratitude for the tremendous effort she has put into her work. Her passion and dedication have left a lasting impression on our school community. We wish her continued success in all her future endeavours.

Toby Boydon Drama Assistant

Toby Boydon leaves the Drama Department after two years, in which he has taken on a variety of roles from Drama Assistant to Head of Radio. Known for his love of musical theatre, Toby has been a stalwart of numerous productions, making backstage a fun place to be. He leaves us to renew his own career in the performing arts, which has always been his first love. Toby has provided students with fun, laughter and an outstanding array of dungarees and will be very much missed by all.

Andrea Duncan Arts Centre Manager

Having been part of the Pipers community as a LAMDA teacher and in the Drama department for some years, Andrea became our first Arts Centre Manager in 2016. Having spent a long career in professional theatre before Pipers, Andrea was the perfect choice to get the Arts Centre up and running, and to make it the success that it is today. Lured back by the excitement of the professional performing arts world, Andrea is now set working in Opera, and has most recently been working at the Royal Opera House. Andrea is missed by many here at Pipers, and we wish her luck in all her future endeavours.

Hayley Humphries Head of Mathematics

Following a worldwide search last year, Hayley joined the Pipers community all the way from Sydney, Australia. Her Welsh roots however, had held strong during her time down under and her accent was unmistakably British. Whilst the move back to the UK presented its challenges, we have been delighted to have Hayley at Pipers, maintaining high expectations and standards around the Maths classrooms. Always looking ready for business and wearing her heart on her sleeve, her willingness to share her teaching experiences with us has been hugely valuable. We all wish Hayley the best of luck with whatever challenge she embarks upon next, whether in the UK or back in Australia.

Bassam Mansoor Teacher of Physics

Baz joined the science department as Head of Physics in January 2021. Despite the challenges of the Covid pandemic, Baz managed to encourage an enthusiasm for Physics from the outset. Baz is a popular and friendly member of the science department and will be remembered for his

infamous demonstration of lifting his car with one finger while hidden technicians did all the work!The students will also take away the memory of their annual trip to the energy from waste site and despite the distinctive smell, the students had a fantastic time!Baz will be greatly missed by students and colleagues alike and we wish him all the very best for the future.

Clare Nicholas School Counsellor

Clare joined Pipers as School Counsellor in April 2017; needless to say, with the challenges presented by lockdown and the ensuing sea change in children and young people’s emotional wellbeing and mental health needs over the last several years, her role in school has been pivotal. Everyone who has worked with Clare in the pastoral, wellbeing, and safeguarding teams speaks of her ability to earn the students trust, built up positive and constructive rapports and offer invaluable support and guidance in helping them to develop in their individual journeys. Always calm, with a gentle and considerate demeanour, all who have worked with her, whether students or staff, have known that she treated everyone with trust, confidentiality, and kindness. She has built up the role of School Counsellor into a key part of the School and she will be greatly missed as she moves on to her new adventures.

Sage Patel Teacher of Chemistry

Sage joined the science department at Pipers Corner School in September 2020. Her enthusiasm from the outset was infectious and she was often seen wandering the corridors in a witch’s hat with a wand. In true Piper’s style, the students didn’t bat and eye at her quirky antics.

Her chemistry knowledge was second to none and she was always keen to share this knowledge and her time with the students. Sage will be sadly missed not only by her students but by the entire science department. We wish her all the very best for the future.

Sarah Smith

Teacher of English

On the off-chance of magic fairy dust, I interviewed a teacher over Zoom from upstate New York, from a log cabin. Here was someone ready to leave in search of adventure. Sarah found it as difficult to leave those students as she has found it to leave her students and colleagues at Pipers – can it be only four years? Sarah is that important teacher who sees English in life, that the two are inextricable, and give each other purpose. Hiking under the fire of Adirondack autumns, paddleboarding on the Thames, snorkeling in freezing water under Lundy’s cliffs with grey seals, footsteps in the wind and surf of the Inner Hebrides, Sarah is a modernday Thoreau, today’s Emerson with a slice of Obama. En4 became a refuge for students, a calm quiet place of support. Sarah was that teacher who puts the student’s experience at the heart – the student leads, the student speaks, the student explores. She stood behind students as they took Assemblies on Human Rights. She stood behind students as they entered writing competitions, picked plastic off beaches. For someone who avows to loving solitude, Sarah is a leader: chocolates, cards, emails … constantly creating, constantly sharing: “Guys, have you seen …?” Every day, no matter the weather, Sarah climbed to school through the ancient woods, watching the seasons change, finding feathers, watching fawns emerge – life is there to discover and there is no better guide than Sarah, who leaves her students with a sprinkle of magic dust.

Lucy Snellgrove Head of Dance

Lucy joined the school in 2008 as a part-time dance teacher and has never stopped motivating and engaging students in Dance. When she was promoted to Head of Dance, Lucy worked hard to increase the number of students who selected the subject as a GCSE, and has ensured that Dance is now always offered as an A Level option. Outside the classroom, Lucy has been committed to developing dance across the school: From wonderful dance performances showcasing our best talent, coaching Sixth Form students to teach and dance with PrePrep, choreographing the movement in Senior Productions and allowing time for reflection whilst students dance in whole school services. Lucy has also guided Milton House as their House Coordinator (most notably finally leading Milton to success at Sports Day) and supported Year 11 as their Head of Year. She leaves Pipers to relocate to the south-west of the country. We wish her the best of luck and hope she is finally able to have her own chickens.

Genevieve Swart Teacher of Spanish

Gen joined Pipers in September 2019 from Berkhamsted School as a specialist teacher in Spanish delivering across the board and being a key teacher of GCSE, AS and A Level classes. She has also taught French to the younger students inspiring their love of languages at an early age. She has shown tremendous warmth and care for her students and has aways gone the extra mile to provide extra sessions to ensure students always achieve their true potential. She has a cheerful and delightful disposition and has shown amazing calm and patience, juggling all her work commitments with her busy home life with her young children. Gen now embarks on an exciting change of direction to work in the Postgraduate Admissions Department at King’s College, London.

Rebecca Wells LAMDA Teacher

Rebecca joined Pipers in 2020 as a peripatetic LAMDA teacher. She graduated in Musical Theatre from The Urdang Academy of Performing Arts and achieved her qualified teacher status from The University of Reading. Her passion and energy for teaching the syllabi was immediately evident and she has devoted herself to building students skill and confidences’ in her charismatic and engaging manner. Rebecca’s results have been consistently high, and the students have loved being taught by her. She will be missed, and we wish her well in her new position.

Tammy White Teacher of Biology

Tammy has been with us for three years and in that time, she has brought a great deal to the department in terms of energy and ideas. Tammy has led her popular life cycles club, with students rearing tadpoles to frogs and toads, before carefully releasing them into the wild. The students also raised leaf insects, which appeared to have a voracious appetite for the brambles dutifully collected by members of the group on a weekly basis. Painted lady butterfly caterpillars were also hatched and reared then later liberated into the School grounds when they emerged from their chrysalises. In her spare time Tammy taught herself to identify butterflies, through online courses and by carrying out a butterfly survey for a local conservation group, then created and carried out a butterfly transect within the School grounds. We will miss Tammy’s enthusiasm for all things biological and wish her well.

Great Kingshill, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, HP15 6LP