Sixth Form Newsletter 21-22

SIXTH FORM NEWSLETTER A C A D E M I C Y E A R 21-22

MICHAELMAS TERM (SEPT-DEC) LENT TERM (JAN-EASTER) TRINITY TERM (SUMMER TERM)

Sixth Form Newsletter

Michaelmas 2021

A message from our Head of Sixth Form

Welcome to the Sixth Form newsletter!

As I write this, we approach Christmas and reflect on the term so far. It's hard to believe we are only one term into the year. This week sees the last of the UCAS applications go off and once again we have seen more of our students applying from the previous year. I have enjoyed finding out about the students’

experiences from reading each and every one of their personal statements.

It just makes you realise the amazing opportunities our students have had and taken advantage of despite the impact of covid and how these experiences have helped build their confidence and skill set. I have also been able to share with them their joy and excitement as they begin to receive offers at their chosen universities.

This week has also seen the students deliver their EPQ presentations, the culmination of a year of hard work and independent research. The topics and delivery choices were varied, but the passion and learning that had taken place from the process was consistent.

I have been proud to see our students immerse themselves in all aspects of School life. Recently a number of Year 12 and Year 13 students gave up their Saturday morning, forgoing a weekend off from fixtures and volunteered to help out at the Prep School Christmas Fair. Their hard work and efforts were appreciated by all and it helped make the morning a truly special occasion. The Prefects have been busy helping to support deliver key messages to the younger pupils in the School and more recently they have been involved in organising and delivering fun activities and charity events to the Senior School. We have also had our first Year 12 working group meeting. Getting the students’ ideas on the internal fixtures, fitting and cosmetics of the new Sixth Form Centre was the first item on the agenda. They made some great suggestions on some practical aspects of the fixtures, which makes their input so valuable and we can’t wait to see the finished Centre and begin utilising it.

It has been so good to finally hold some face to face events too with the Sixth Form Open Evening and

our Year 12 information evening and as the year comes to a close we look ahead to the New Year and lots more events and activities.

The first of these is the Gala Dinner. Our Year 12 students are involved with planning and delivering the whole event and the Chef training for this commences the second week back in January.

Apologies, there will be many aspects of School life I know I have missed but with this newsletter being updated on a regular basis we will hopefully be able to showcase them here in the future.

Sarah Baxby Head of Sixth Form

Sixth Form Newsletter

Speakers Last Thursday, Year 12 had a talk from Keith Millard about driving safety as well as some general safety when going out in pubs and clubs in a few years.

With pupils in Year 12 turning 17, and beginning to start learning to drive, the talk was very relevant to us and helped highlight situations we may encounter when on the roads with friends in the car.

We were shown a video to highlight the outcomes of friends messing about and distracting the driver, and were given tips on how to deal with those situations after.

Keith also spoke to us about the recent spiking issues and how to protect ourselves on a night out, showing us simple solutions like elasticated glass covers and bottle stoppers to stop the majority of spiking problems.

The talk was very valuable for Year 12, teaching us about topics that are not always included in the curriculum. I’m looking forward to our next external speaker next term!

Oli, 12CR

Michaelmas 2021

Sixth Form Newsletter

Michaelmas 2021

Making sure the student voice is heard

An article in All Things Business magazine.

Each year, Wellingborough School appoints two Sixth Form students to act as Heads of School, to act as a voice representing pupils of all ages and conveying their thoughts and ideas to senior members of the School. Here, this year’s Heads of School, Max and Katie talk about their roles and their experiences so far.

How did you become Heads of School?

Max: I knew from Year 9 that I wanted to become a prefect. This dream became a reality in the second term of Year 12 when the application process began. We had to write a letter of application that was to be read by the members of the Senior Leadership Team (SLT). We then had two interviews, with the previous Heads of School as well as the members of the SLT, and a group task that saw all the possible applicants working together to tackle an epidemic in a small rural town in Alaska.

Katie: Before the application process started, I knew I wanted to be a part of the prefect body.

For this reason, I made sure to involve myself in the School community early on by attending after-school clubs such as Eco Warriors, allowing me to show my leadership skills and dedication to the School. This was also a good opportunity for me to get to know different teachers which has made communicating as Head of School easier. I also took any public speaking opportunities offered to me

Sixth Form Newsletter

Michaelmas 2021

Is the role the same as Head Boy/Girl? If so, why the change of title?

Katie: As society evolves, it is important we include modern changes into our School environment. A recent change has been replacing the title of Head Boy/Girl with Head of School. A person chosen for the position may not identify as a girl or a boy, therefore the title is not appropriate for them. As a School we want to be supportive and inclusive to all our students which is why this change was necessary.

Do you have much interaction with younger pupils in your role?

Max: We noticed, as a group of prefects and from our own experience, the lack of interaction with the younger years. To combat this we estab lished Year Group leads. This assigned two prefects to each year in the Senior School. For example, I am the lead for Year 8. The goal of this is to increase the ease with which the student voice can be heard, as well as to give each year a familiar face they can trust and talk to.

What have you had to do so far?

Katie: The main role of Head of School is to represent and lead the entire student body while listening to the student voice and conveying new ideas to senior members of the School, such as the Headmaster. This is done through fortnightly meetings with the Headmaster and weekly meetings with the prefect body and Senior Leadership Team. When attending School events, I may be asked to give a speech; on Open Days I have spoken to prospective parents and students giving them an insight into life at Wellingborough. On a day-to-day basis the Heads of School have a responsibility to ensure all the prefects are carrying out their duties to a high standard. From making sure there is a door rota for Chapel doors, to making content for and delivering assemblies. It is important for the Heads of School to communicate with the different groups in School. For example, when we were creating the CLUB plan (Culture Language Understanding and Behaviours) it was crucial that we communicated with the Inclusivity and Pride Soc groups so the collaborative project could be successful, and for each group’s points and ideas to be listened to.

Sixth Form Newsletter

Michaelmas 2021

In what way do you hope to make a difference?

Max: I think one thing that all the prefects want to make a difference with is making the School feel safe and inclusive; this was one of the main reasons behind the Wellingborough CLUB initiative. Everybody wants to see the School become an even safer environment for all students to thrive in.

What do you hope to take from the experience?

Katie: I am very thankful for the experience; not only has my confi dence grown immensely but I have learnt how to be a good leader, a skill that will be beneficial to me throughout my life.

The position has highlighted my strengths and weaknesses and has allowed me to push myself out of my comfort zone. I have also improved my time management skills, as the weekly schedule can build up very quickly!

How do you balance your A level studies with your responsibilities and duties?

Max: It is a difficult task but having a very supportive prefect team and Senior Leadership Team, the balance becomes easier. The main thing I do is plan my week ahead nice and early, this makes everything just a little bit easier!

What are the perks of the job?

Katie: As well as being able to wear the famous red gowns, the best part of the job is having the platform to show what the prefects have achieved. A significant moment for me was when Max and I had a meeting with the Board of Governors to present new initiatives and what we hope to do, and we believe it is important that they hear from the student voice.

The Wellingborough

CLUB

The Wellingborough CLUB stands for Culture, Language, Understanding and Behaviour. The CLUB is a student lead, collaborative project between the Inclusivity Group, Pride Soc and the prefect body. The 5-week CLUB plan was implemented in the first term with each week surrounding a different topic. The aim of this project was to create and deliver age-appropriate assemblies followed by a set of scenarios where students could apply what they have learnt from the presentations into discussion-based activities.

The specific topics we chose to cover were Feminism, Sexual Harassment, Racism, Body Shaming and Workplace Discrimination.

Inclusivity Group and Pride Soc. We were conscious we were speaking about sensitive topics and for this reason we had different presentations depending on what year group the student is in. For example, the Year 8 assembly focuses on students understanding the basic terminology of the subject such as learning about simple terms like "self-esteem" by learning in small steps it allows any misconceptions to be resolved. Whereas an Upper Sixth assembly will cover the basic terminology as well as looking at related news stories. The focus is on the application of our knowledge. For instance, in the Workplace Discrimination topic we looked at how factors such as sexuality, age, gender and race play a role in the workplace and what an employer can do to prevent discrimination, by understanding the laws that are put in place. In addition to the presentations, we felt it was necessary to create scenario-based activities to allow students to consolidate their knowledge in their smaller form groups.

We have received positive feedback from both students and staff expressing how helpful it has been to explore these different subjects. A successful part of the plan was how each week focussed on a different topic; this created a strong sense of community throughout the school. This was highlighted when the school Chaplin We as students feel it is important that we have a basic understanding of current affairs in the media spoke about the CLUB topic in his weekly chapel and many of the topics included in the CLUB often service, this was a great addition as it allowed students to see the matter from a different perspective. appear in the news. This understanding ensures Additionally, the Headmaster mentioned what the that in the future we are better prepared to have CLUB topic was in his weekly assembly which further useful discussions, as well as handling different informed the students and staff of what was coming situations correctly. More specifically, at the end up that week. of the last trinity term, the story involving Sarah Everard was prominent in the media, students in Moving forward we are looking to provide students the senior school, particularly in the sixth form, showed an interest in having conversations about with top-up sessions throughout the year. This may consist of a workshop where each station has a what occurred and why it happened. However, we different focus or activity. As the new prefect body take felt that some people found these conversations over, the CLUB project will be shown to them; from this more difficult to have than others due to a lack of knowledge on certain topics. The CLUB plan allows they can develop it further using their new ideas. students to explore topics such as Feminism and Aside from learning about the different subjects within Body Shaming in a safe environment while the CLUB plan, it also created a unique opportunity for building a secure understanding. the students leading the project to develop their Firstly, we created the material for the communication skills and their public speaking presentations, this required extensive research in abilities. small groups of prefects as well as help from teachers and partnering groups such as the

SIXTH FORM CENTRE The Sixth Form Centre is taking shape and it is exciting to watch it progress.

Its completion in 2022 is much anticipated!

Scan Here to see the Sixth Form Centre Film

Sixth Form Newsletter

Prep Festive Fair From ofof the Prep School Parent’s Association Fromthe theChair Chair the Prep School parents Association

I would like to highlight the stellar performance of 5 six formers today at the Prep Festive Fair. What impressed me most was their positive energy. Their work ethic was wonderful and they were just delightful to work with. They are a credit to themselves and the school.

Please pass on an enormous thank you from the WPSA.

Michaelmas 2021

Y13 Medicine Interview Preparation Afternoon Lead by The Medic Portal written by Walter Elekijma and Ali-Asgar Sadikot

'On the 30th of November, aspiring medics including ourselves attended a valuable training session led by The Medic Portal.

The afternoon was full of tips regarding MMIs (Multiple Mini Interviews), the most common interview technique adopted by medical schools across the UK. We were CDNG VQ TGƔGEV QP YJ[ YG YCPVGF VQ DGEQOG medics, times where we had shown leadership and how a professional doctor must act.

The session was led by Dana Mahdi from Kings College London on behalf of The Medic Portal. She was enthusiastic and was able to offer informed suggestions because she had undergone the process herself. She was charismatic and perfectly demonstrated the extreme reactions that actors may exhibit during the breaking bad news station.

We were also able to individually engage with Ms Mahdi in interview practice where each student could act out a potential station that may be involved in future interviews. The tasks ranged from general interview questions such as “Why would you like to do medicine?”, to a problem-solving task where you are asked to select 3 professions from a list best suited to survive on a desert island.

After attending the session and receiving an interview tips notebook, it was clear that the session could not have come at a better time for us; Year 13 prospective medics have sent their UCAS applications in and are hopefully awaiting invitations to interview. '

Sixth Form Centre Update CLICK HERE

Lent Term

https://vimeo.com/547319338

Week 2 Since being appointed to the position of Head of Sixth Form in 2020 I have been fortunate to play such a big role in supporting and preparing our Year 12 and Year 13 students for their future careers and life. I would like to share some of the ways in which we provide opportunities to enable our students to be well equipped to take on the opportunities and challenges that theymay face. In the last few months, we have helped over 70 current and OWs in their UCAS applications. With many of these undertaking interview practice to help them secure their course and university of choice, this has ranged from having The Medical Portal in, to drawing on the School’s experience and contacts to share their experience and provide support. As this year’s applications all go, we begin the cycle again with our UCAS evening in March to be quickly followed by our Apprentice evening and Oxbridge evening.

We recently made a video in which I was quizzed by Helena from our current Year 11 on why she should consider staying at Wellingborough for Sixth Form. Three students that joined us from other schools also shared their experience of the Wellingborough Sixth Form experience so far.

We also have had some updates on the new Sixth Form Centre; it is so exciting to see the build make progress and to be involved alongside the students in making the decisions on the internal layout and fixtures and fittings. We can’t wait to be in and utilising this fantastic space!

Gala Dinner training begins ...

Sarah Baxby, Head of Sixth Form The first training session to take on the roles of Chefs for the Year 12 Gala dinner took place this week. The enjoyment from the students was clear to see and the smells coming from the kitchen were amazing as were the results. https://vimeo.com/636719975

I look forward to seeing what is on the menu next week and am happy to help sample for quality control purposes!

The planning for the event begins next week as another group of Year 12 students start to formulate and organise the event.

Week 3

Physics News The Physics department celebrated some excellent results from our Year 13s in the British Physics Olympiad, with every participant receiving at least a Bronze level certificate in this prestigious competition.

Congratulations to James 13PL for achieving a Silver award. Year 12 are now preparing for the Senior Physics Challenge which will take place in March, and the Online challenge with takes place this week.

The Physics department also hosted its first Pizza and Physics lecture night, attended by our Year 12 and 13 Physicists. The lecture “Structures in the Universe” was delivered by an Oxford Astro Professor, Professor Katherine Blundell OBE, and was part of a lecture series called “Cosmic Revolutions” streamed live from the Museum of London.

Thank you to Mr Eggleston for organising.

Rebecca Hill Head of Science

Preparations continue for the Gala Dinner ...

For the past two Wednesdays, 10 of us Year 12 students have participated in chef training in preparation for the Gala Dinner. In the first two sessions we looked at pastry skills and then a Thai green curry. Everyone is thoroughly enjoying themselves during these sessions and this is down to help from the kitchen staff. Over the coming weeks, we'll start to look at creating an affordable but elevated menu and this is a task we will gain great experience from as a team. Thank you to the chefs and Kirsty for welcoming us into their kitchen and providing us with all the tips and tricks they've learnt over their years of experience.

Callum H, Year 12

Sixth Form Photo Shoot This week our photographer, Abbey Cohen came in for a photo shoot to update our images of Sixth Form.

It was a successful day and we managed to capture a day in the life of our Sixth Formers well.

Thank you for everyone that took time out of their day to take part.

Week 4

Life Skills in Year 12

A variety of important topics have already been covered in our Life skills lessons. Towards the start of the school year, we produced and finalised our individual CV’s which will be an important tool to draw on when applying for opportunities. This accompanied with competency based interview practice has been very beneficial in preparing us to provide rapid examples to tricky questions.

We do so many things at school it is sometimes hard to put the examples into words when we are put on the spot and asked direct questions around certain areas, such as demonstrating leadership or resilience.

Recently we have been learning about racism and xenophobia. I feel it is important to educate younger people on these crucial subjects as most do not understand how frequently these incidents occur.

Most recently we have debated current affairs and how the changing economy will affect our generation. Mrs Scott explained interest rates, mortgages, salaries, debits/credits, along with the fast changing inflation rate and the impact of this. Reflecting on the 2008 financial crisis was also enlightening.

Our lessons are filled with fun and enjoyment with an icebreaker taking place at the start of every lesson. This involves fun games such as passing a balloon behind your back to your teammates, heads down/thumbs up and wink murder. There was even one lesson where we were separated into teams and challenged to make the tallest possible giraffe adhering to specific rules. The game required high levels of teamwork and creativity to get the tallest giraffe. These icebreakers are a great way to start and relax the students to learn for the rest of the lesson. Along with this it is giving us ideas of how we may motivate and work in teams in the future!

Vignesh 12 CR Mrs Scott - Head of Life Skills

Careers Lunch Our first Careers Lunch took place on Friday 28 January. We welcomed Mr Iwan Ellis all the way from Cardiff University to speak about 'Applying to Medicine and Dentistry'. Students had signed up ahead of time and helped themselves to sandwiches, fruit and cake in the Marketing Suite which lent a business-like backdrop to our Careers Lunch.

Mr Ellis started by showing our potential Medics and Dentist a film where Cardiff University School of Medicine students talked about the most rewarding areas of their training, it also showcased the facilities available at Cardiff University School of Medicine and key skills that Medics and Dentists in training would need. Mr Ellis talked us through the structure of training at Cardiff University, then we looked at different frameworks of training at all universities – Traditional, Problem Based, Case Based Learning and Integrated, we also heard about 'Intercalation' whereby certain courses include an extra year of study where students can specialise or study abroad.

Mr Ellis identified how important Work Experience is for prospective Medics and Dentists and mentioned that in these times where face to face work experience is hard to secure, students can be thinking of upskilling using virtual work experience.

We moved on to talk about MMI (Multiple Mini Interviews) and Mr Ellis gave the students some ideas of what admissions officers and interviewers would be looking for and how to stand out; highlighting transferrable skills, presenting yourself well and showing empathy were cited as being extremely important, the following example was given; if the actor playing the patient is crying and there is a box of tissues available, offer them a tissue and ask how they are.

We addressed calendar dates by when students will need to apply for Medicine and Dentistry via UCAS, good steps to take such as visiting for Open Days to get a feel for each institution, signing up for notifications from the Universities and Medical schools that the students are most interested in and joining University buddy forums where students can ask questions of current Medical and Dentistry students. Mr Ellis then opened the floor for students to ask questions about the application process. The talk was informative and timely, and the students have been given the presentation and resources to refer back to as they progress through their application process.

Life beyond Wellingborough The journey begins As Year 12s, we were exposed to the UCAS system as early as possible. This was great because at first, I had no idea about the university application process. This allowed me to get many of the admin components of the application done. I could then consider what I wanted to study and where. Unifrog was an invaluable tool to do this. The website allowed me to investigate different careers. I was especially interested in careers in healthcare; Unifrog allowed me to compare these different paths. The site also had many useful tools including sections that allowed me to consider my core competencies, “supra-curricular” activities I had done, and universities all over the world.

The Unifrog and UCAS career advice was bolstered by several careers talks provided by the school.

Some talks were more general and covered careers ranging from marketing to law, while others were more specific to careers like medicine. I was also made aware of valuable online opportunities. For example, Mrs Baxby recommended a foundation's surgical skills webinar that was interesting and provided evidence of my interest in medicine for my personal statement.

I also took part in Mrs Kenney’s Oxbridge/Medicine group that allowed me to focus on the medicine-specific parts of the UCAS application such as the UCAT, the BMAT and early entry. It was also in this group where I first considered applying to Oxbridge (previously thinking it would be impossible). To improve my chances of a successful medicine application, I realised my personal statement had to be the best it could be. Mrs Kenney, Mrs Baxby, Mr Holman, my form tutor and my science teachers all read my personal statement and provided useful advice. I could also strengthen my personal statement using work experience organised by Mrs Baxby. Earlier last year, it was very difficult to arrange work experience in a primary care setting (GPs) due to Covid pandemic restrictions. Thankfully, once restrictions were eased, Mrs Baxby put me in contact with a GP. The experience in the GP surgery was enlightening as I was able to sit in on consultations and get "hands-on" clinical experience. The experiences of speaking with certain patients such as an amputee and the opportunity to do neurological and abdominal examinations further reinforced my desire to do medicine.

The experience in the GP surgery also helped me in my interviews, as I could show that I had a realistic expectation of what a career in medicine was about. After submitting my personal statement, I was fortunately, able to obtain interviews for all of my medical school choices. Before the UCAS process, I had never done an interview. Therefore, mock interviews with Mrs Kenney, Mr Holman and Mr Birch (my Chemistry teacher) were invaluable. The first interview I had was for Cambridge, and afterwards I felt it went terribly; I was kicking myself over things I had said in it for about a month. I then had a UCL interview, followed by a Queen Mary University London interview. I was also able to prepare effectively due to a Medic portal interview session organised

by Mrs Arber. The session consisted of a series of mock interview stations led by a medical student from Kings College London.

I am still awaiting responses from some of my choices but have luckily received offers for Biological Sciences at Leicester University and Medicine at Cambridge University. My tip for this year’s Year 12 would be to use their summer break well. The long summer break is a perfect time to read books about their subject, prepare for entrance exams and obtain work experience.

Walter 13PL

Well done to Year 13 students Harvey, Will and Toby, who represented the Midlands last weekend at an England training camp. Testament to their hard work and talent.

EXPERIENCE When writing my personal statement and completing my UCAS application, I received a large amount of guidance from School. The teachers in School helped me to adapt my personal statement to reflect my strengths and experiences, so that it appealed to the universities I was applying to. When writing my personal statement, I used Unifrog, this was a great platform to get me started, it provided me with different ideas to write about, essential when you don't know where to begin. When I had completed my first draft, I took it to my Housemaster, he looked through this with me and gave me more ideas of what I might want to include. It then went to the Head of Sixth Form Mrs Baxby, who sat down with me and discussed how I could develop it further, to present myself in the best light. The final draft alongside my reference was then sent to the Headmaster, this was the final element of the quality assurance process, he also looked over it and gave me a few final pointers which I found useful. This support was invaluable and as a result soon after I sent off my application, I received offers from all the universities as well as interviews from my top two choices. As soon as I found out that I had interviews the School offered me practice ones, this allowed me to gauge what type of question I might be presented with and allowed me time to prepare and utilise the feedback given in the process. As part of my interview at the University of Gloucestershire for a course in Sport Journalism, I was given a task which involved me having to interview a professional footballer, I was so excited about this task that any nerves I had soon disappeared. The actual interview went really well, because I was able to use the experiences and knowledge which I gained from my practice interview and link it back to aspects which I had written about in my personal statement. This has subsequently led to me being given an unconditional offer at the University of Gloucestershire, which I am thrilled about, and I have further gone on to accepting this offer, which I really looking forward to undertaking.

My advice is to get started early and accept all the help and support that the School provides.

Justin Murphy Y13, Sports Journalism UCAS Application

What a fantastic evening. The food was amazing, the service attentive and the musicians set the ambience!

On the Chef's side I found it enjoyable to work in a pressured professional environment alongside a group of people who have made a career in this industry. It was a great feeling to see your product enjoyed by others, and it gave me and the rest of the chef team a real sense of pride alongside lifetime skills and memories.

Callum Y12

Both my husband and I thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

The food was excellent and the service and attention to detail was second to none and an awful lot better than some professional events we have attended in the past.

You should be very proud of all the students and what they achieved as it really was a very memorable evening.

Parent email

One of many lovely reviews from the evening

What a wonderful evening, the dining hall looked amazing, with the tables set and decorated elegantly, with the fairy lights in the gin bottles created a welcoming ambience. The students were focussed and eager to get the evening underway, the chef team had their Wellingborough School aprons on, whilst the front of House Team wore traditional white shirts and back bottoms. The pianists helped create a relaxing atmosphere through well-chosen and executed pieces of music.

The night itself held a buzz, parents enjoyed socialising and getting to know newer parents to the School. The appetisers alone were delicate, tasty and filling, even before we sat down to enjoy a mouth-watering three course meal. Whilst the night was in full swing the students were busy preparing the next dishes, ensuring drinks were replenished and selling raffle tickets to raise money for the School Cancer charity (£640 was raised on the evening).

The event was a triumph which couldn’t have been achieved without all the past weeks of preparation and training and on the day itself the students had been at School all day in lessons and from 3pm they were busy preparing the hall, food and finalising the last details for the event.

I would like to thank all the students for their hard work, Chartwells for helping to guide and train the students and the parents and staff who attended on the evening.

I eagerly look forward to next year’s Gala Dinner, but wonder how they will be able to trump this one!

Sarah Baxby Head of Sixth Form

Trinity Term 2022-2023 Prefect Team Year 13 are very much still with us, but the transfer of some of their responsibilities has begun! The Lent term traditionally encompasses the Prefect application process, starting with a letter of application.

Shortlisted candidates were then put through their paces via interview with senior members of staff, as well as an exercise in which they were observed and then questioned by other senior staff and the current Heads of School. This year's sixteen successful students were announced to the School just before Easter, and they have already begun their handover from the existing Prefect Team.

We very much look forward to the work they will do in the coming year. Next year's Heads of School, as well as Heads of Houses, will be announced just before Years 11 and 13 go on Study Leave in May.

Parliament Visit This week began with Year 12 and 13 History and Politics students on a trip to the Houses of Parliament, kindly organised by Mr Farley. We had a guided tour (superb) of both Commons and Lords; followed by Q+As in a Select Committee Meeting room with Wellingborough MP, Peter Bone’s Case Workers (really interesting). We also watched from the public gallery of the Commons as the Home Secretary took questions from a number of MPs. Whilst fascinating just to be in a building where so much has gone before, many students had career opportunities revealed to them and came out highly enthused by what they had experienced.

What an experience! My highlight was standing in the House of Commons where Boris Johnson has passed so many laws. The architecture of the Commons and Lords is incredible and surprisingly smaller than they look on the television.

What a fun day out! Has to one of the most interesting trips that the school offers.

Mr Farley put 100% in. Jaw dropping moment standing in the place where so many crucial decisions have taken place.

Joshua, 12Pl

Robbie, 12Pl

Cripps’ all nighter On Friday night last week over 50 Cripps' boys stayed in the House overnight accompanied by three rowing machines. The aim: to row as far as possible in 13 straight hours from 6pm until 7am.

It was an extraordinary evening, even by previous standards, the boys excelled themselves with a total distance of 437 kilometres; that's from Wellingborough to the Eiffel Tower!

The night began with some spicy chilli and a live broadcast of the Saints vs Harlequins and finished with sausage sarnies cooked on the same grill and scenes reminiscent of a disaster movie as various very tired boys celebrated their achievement. Some even went straight to sports fixtures. In between all this there was head and leg shaving and even a nightclub in the back room!

The current total raised so far is £3,873.00 but this will grow as there are still several sponsorship forms and donations to be returned. Well done everyone and many thanks to all parents and boys concerned as well as Mr Kay and Mr Porter for their supervision assistance, housekeeping for their assistance and the lovely Chartwells for all produce.

Senior student roles

Following on from the Prefect announcements earlier in the year, Years 11-13 gathered in Chapel to congratulate their peers who have been chose for senior student roles within the School. We very much look forward to seeing what these deserving young people help fellow students and the School itself achieve in the coming year.

Business A level It is a reflective time when Year 13 are partaking in their last academic Business lessons. Pandemic news and economic challenges have provided this cohort with so much content. Students have done extraordinarily well at adapting and keeping informed of the current business and economic situation.

Molly (13MA) completed the LiBF Finance course in Year 11 and this sparked her interest in Business A level, an option she hadn’t considered previously. Molly explains further: Business A level is relevant and interesting. I would encourage anyone considering this course to go for it! Clearly there is a male dominance in many of the top positions within large businesses.

The television show ‘The Apprentice’ has shown that women can, and do, equally succeed in business (the last few series’ being won by female candidates) and we continually explore misconceptions.

Furthermore, this course lays the foundation knowledge and critical thinking skills useful in all employment and educational settings, making it a great subject regardless of other A level choices. I know theories and knowledge learnt from this A level will always be useful in my future career.

Molly, 13Ma

Business A level has helped me to gain an offer onto the PwC Accountancy Flying Start Degree Programme commencing in September (A level grades dependent). I will be paid during my four-year degree and undertake work experience and training to become an ICAEW Chartered Accountant.

During its highly competitive selection and interview process, I was able to use my knowledge of different business examples and strategies to help me answer questions. I had to demonstrate a range of skills during the group task activities. Having analysed and evaluated different topics in Business, such as Finance, Leadership, Strategy and Ethics, I found this aspect enjoyable. After a long selection process I was pleased to be offered the opportunity by PwC. I am confident this understanding around how people, countries and real-world businesses operate and appreciating why not every business works in the same way, has given me good grounding for an Accountancy and Business career.

Bertie 13Cr

My Sixth Form experience Joining the sixth form this year has been a formative experience for all pupils, both new and old. Having been at this school for 8 years, I wasn’t quite expecting for much to change, but this academic year has come with plenty of pleasant surprises. Overall, the way in which we complete work has evolved since I first joined the school in Year 5. With the introduction of private study, pupils in Sixth Form have much more autonomy.

This increased independence was great as it led to us developing our time management skills.

Within the Sixth Form, there is a greater sense of responsibility than the rest of the school. I believe that, as a collective, we all take pride in the fact that we are looked upon as role models by the younger years. My highlight from this year has to be when I rowed throughout the night with the rest of my House (Cripps’) for charity.

I’ve found that the sense of camaraderie you feel within the House system does not diminish as you progress through the school. One thing that has stayed constant throughout my time in the school is the plethora of extracurricular activities offered. I am currently involved in MedSoc, Chemistry Olympiad and Student Council. As individual pupils we may choose completely different extracurricular activities, but regardless of this choice, they all serve to complete our Sixth Form experience which in turn prepares us for the world we face after our time at this school.

My Sixth Form experience has been overwhelmingly positive thus far, I have been able to take on the position of School Prefect and have recently been selected to the role of Head of School.

This is an opportunity and responsibility I look forward to fulfilling. I’m now looking forward to what Year 13 brings!

Josh Nganunu

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