Yesterday in assembly I spoke to the school about a friend of mine who has enjoyed considerable success in life and his career, but whose starting point was perhaps not what you might expect. Despite some great GCSE results, he left sixth form with not-so-great A levels, then left university without finishing his course. My takeaway for the pupils came down to three key points:
What once worked for you may not always do so. He thought his approach to GCSEs would work at A level and beyond, but discovered that he needed to adapt.
Forge and follow your own path, not anyone else’s. He felt university was the next step because it had been the next step for his friends and relatives, rather than because it was right for him.
Your skills will very quickly become what people are interested in. Through hard work, he developed skills that have helped him progress; not having a degree has not stood in the way of his success.
I felt this was an important message for many pupils (and parents) to hear, particularly as Year 11 and Year 9 will be making decisions this winter about post-16 pathways and GCSE options. There is no single ‘right’ choice; the starting point is what feels right for you at the moment. What do you enjoy? What suits your interests and current skills? If you need to develop your skills for a particular option, how will you go about it? And if future you changes their mind, how easy will today’s choices make it to change direction? Friendships matter, of course, but if you drift apart from your friends, will you still be happy with an option you chose mainly to be with them?
Both year groups will have plenty of support in the coming weeks to help them make the best choices for them. We will bring our knowledge and experience to those conversations, while keeping one eye on proposed changes to GCSE and post-16 options.
I was pleased to announce our prefect leadership team this week. Congratulations to Jaiya and Dhaman, our joint Head Prefects, and to Olwyn, our Deputy Head Prefect. All three made excellent pitches to the school and received strong support in the pupil vote. I am looking forward to continuing to work with them once their mock exams are finished.
With Prizegiving now taking place in July, one of their first big roles will be at next month’s Carol Concert. Please do save the date: Wednesday 9 December at 6.15pm. Additionally, I would like to thank Jaiya for leading the school’s remembrance service this morning; the pupils behaved impeccably.
Finally, there are just a few days left to spot Hollygirt School on the side of a bus! I’ve really enjoyed seeing our advert travelling up and down Mansfield Road and around town. There’s something rather lovely about seeing our wonderful school’s name up in lights — or, in this case, stuck to the side of public transport. Not quite the West End, but it has certainly made me smile. Keep your eyes peeled!
Ever Onward and Upward
Ms Purdy
