CAREERS

Careers & Mentoring

Our alumni networking platform continues to gain momentum, with near to 1,000 active users, Repton Life is an ideal place to re-connect with peers, organise events and share news and job opportunitiues. In addition to this, The Careers Hub is an area on Repton Life that might be useful to find out more about ORs, their experience at university and subsequest career paths. Please do visit The Careers Hub to browse the stories of some of our careers

ambassadors, and do feel free to contact them directly using the chat functionality. If you would like to feature in The Careers Hub, please contact the OR office or@repton.org.uk Bekah Walton (F’16) Third Year Mechanical Engineering Student, Loughborough University.

“Studying at Loughborough University, I am in an incredibly fortunate position to pursue both my athletic and academic ambitions. I currently train for twenty-five hours a week, which I balance alongside my Mechanical Engineering Degree. Although training is demanding and requires a strict routine, I have recently become the British Senior Javelin Champion, and finished fifth at the European Under 23s Athletic Competition, Tallinn.

I was once disinterested in Engineering as the traditional association with machinery had no appeal. However, the degree at Loughborough University has allowed me to combine my passions for STEM and sport, enabling me to undertake further study in Sports Engineering, which I find particularly engaging.

In my role as a STEM ambassador, I aspire to encourage more women to consider careers in Engineering. I am grateful to Repton School for supporting my journey when I first joined their Sixth Form and shaping the individual I am today.” Edward Sheasby (S’17) Graduate Audit Trainee, BDO Global.

“As of September I will be starting my career as a Graduate Audit Trainee for BDO Global

following the completion of my Geography degree at the University of St Andrews. I have successfully navigated the graduate recruitment process for a major company, which might be useful for other ORs.

Therefore I am able to offer advice to those who

will find themselves going through this process either as a graduate or an apprentice as they often follow similar application journeys.

In addition to this, during my penultimate year I successfully secured an internship with Baillie Gifford & Co, where I navigated a competitive application processes.

I was totally overwhelmed when I started my career hunting process three years ago and any help I could offer fellow ORs would be a pleasure.”

Bekah and Edward are part of our mentoring programme and can be contacted through Repton Life for any questions relating to University experience and career pathways. The OR Society are working with over 50 industry ambassadors from the OR community, all available for career advice and guidance. Please contact the OR Society for further details. If you would like to sign up as an industry ambassador and share your own experience and advice, please do get in touch.

Musings from the Archives

Repton: A 1958 Victory by Ronald J. Sichel (L’54)

Ithought that Reptonians both old and new might possibly be interested in a tournament that the school, sadly, is no longer able to compete in.

Late in the Summer Term of 1958 Repton School Cadet Eight won at Bisley the Inter Schools Full Bore Rifle Competition….better known as the Ashburton Shield. As was usual in those days just under one hundred schools descended on Bisley Camp each year to vie for that coveted trophy. The event was shot at 200 and then at 500 yards, and I was both privileged and delighted to be a member of the winning team as well as being selected to compete with the United Kingdom Cadet Team against Canada (for the Alexander Graham Bell Trophy) which the UK won. Dress for all events was military uniform, and all used the .303 Lee Enfield No. 4 service rifle but fitted with micro-adjustable, aperture rear sights. The Ashburton-Shield (pictured in the enclosed team photograph) was first presented by the third Baron Ashburton in 1861, making it one of the older sporting events. In the competition’s years of existence Repton had only won the shield once before – in 1913. Being ‘first in the field’ in 1958 was exhilarating to put it mildly! The drive back to Derbyshire, in the old school bus, took rather longer than usual as we had to have several celebratory ‘pit stops’ en route! We returned to a flood of congratulations which even included, I seem to recall, a message from the Archbishop of Canterbury. For me it was also a wonderful way to end four very happy years at Repton. Bisley, Brookwood (near Woking) is the largest complex of ranges in the world covering an area of over 3000 acres. It caters for every precisionshooting discipline, be it military or civilian rifle, pistol or shotgun. It provides ranges from fifteen yards to well over one thousand. The camp itself has a special atmosphere, being largely made up of rather charming colonialstyle clubhouses as well as being the HQ of the National Rifle Association. Naturally with so many competitors descending on the place for major events the clubhouses themselves are unable to provide sufficient accommodation. We cadets therefore were all billeted under canvas in rather old army tents – rather fun unless it rained! It may be of interest (to those who do not know) that all national shooting events originally took place on Wimbledon Common, London. The move was made to a newly constructed Bisley in 1889. The inaugural shot on Wimbledon Common was fired on the 2nd July 1860 by Queen Victoria by pulling on a silken cord attached to a rifle that had been firmly lashed to a special tripod! The target is on display at the NRA’s museum for those who would like to see how well Her Majesty did!

Why does Repton no longer compete? A much smaller CCF today must be one reason I guess. In the 1950s the CCF was almost at battalion strength. Moreover it is not possible for a school to provide a full-bore rifle team unless the squad is able to train (in the summer months) on a range situated within reasonable driving distance of the school itself. Repton had the use of an old 200-to-600 yard military range built on nearby flood meadows next to the river Trent and juxtaposed to Burton itself. Unfortunately, with Burton town expanding too close to the line of fire, the range was eventually deemed unsafe, and long range shooting had to be discontinued. The enclosed photograph is of the 1958 team. I shall attempt to name those shown correctly, however, should there be an error, I can only offer my most profuse apologies, as time tends to fade one’s memory.

Top row – left to right: C.S.M A.Lowe | J.N.Collin (New) N.P. Thornton (New) | Lt Col J.D.Eggar Capt H.B.Williams (MIC shooting) M.J.Barrett (New) | F. D. Marsh (Cross) C.S.M J.V.Paul | A.K.Bolland (MIC shooting) Middle row – left to right: T.R.Scorer (Orchard) | R.J.Sichel (Latham) R.J.R.Owen (Priory) | P.R.Anderson (Brook) | J.P.Stanley (Priory) Lower row – left to right: G.P.R.Boon (Priory) | E.W.Monro (Cross)

Some Other Openings, Some Other Shows by Mark Woolgar (H’54)

Squire Trelawney in ‘The Admiral Benbow’ at Foremark on a stage of shoved together tables, dubbed ‘a personable fishwife’ by the Birmingham Post in a musical ‘Comedy of Errors’ in Pears School, lead in ‘The Strong Are Lonely’ , which was invited to Derby Playhouse, Polonius in the new 400 Hall – I suppose what happened later was inevitable. Mostly Charlesworth’s fault!

Later began with three years school mastering, directing a newish school’s first full length productions, and endless theatre visits. Then four years with the Bristol Old Vic Company, initial professional directing and expanding educational and outreach work; seven years as Artistic Director at Derby Playhouse (now Derby Theatre), two in the old theatre, five in the new, doubling attendance, ‘The Seagull’ transferred to West End.

On to the inevitable ‘make your own work’ period, taking my own Oscar Wilde show around the UK and three times to USA, guest directing from Dundee to Worthing via Coventry. Work in Drama Schools, including seven years at Guildford School of Acting, in schools (Charterhouse, Wellington, Trent), many years with teenagers’ residential summer Drama courses, and with American Acting and Musical Theatre majors in their London semester. Finally, a mixture – first Senior Moderator of qualifications in Professional Acting, Dance and Musical Theatre, ran the Richmond Drama School and now, after nearly three hundred productions one way or another, teach youngsters LAMDA exams, watch over the Library at Guildford’s Performance Preparation Academy and comment on ‘reflective writing’ for Drama Studio London.

Five months was my longest period without work. It’s much harder to get started now. While wishing any ORs trying to do that all good fortune, I say a personal thanks to Foremark, Repton – and the benevolent ghost of Michael Charlesworth!