A Message From The Assistant Head Of Sixth Form, Mr Thompson

With the return of work experience opportunities, face to face university visits, the UCAS and US applications evening and normal assemblies, this term has had a sense of normality about it.

Reintroduction of the Lifer's Event at The Club and the opportunity to invite Year 13 parents back to Legacy Day to greet their son/daughter after the guard of honour was also a very special moment to savour.

Our Charity Club has also sprung back into life and the work of a group of Year 12 students who have grafted to collect and pack 7970 books for the 'Old books for new eyes' charity has been truly inspiring.

I cannot reflect on the year gone by without thanking the staff who have engaged and assisted our Sixth Form students. The student experience is very much determined by the relationships they develop with their teachers, tutors, coaches, support staff and the unwavering support of their Heads of Year, and like anything in life, they get out what they put in. We always encourage our students to take advantage of the plethora of opportunities available to them both inside and outside of the classroom, as as restrictions continue to lift, this will be a strong focus going forward.

Every leader relies heavily on being surrounded by loyalty and I am extremely fortunate to have a selfless Sixth Form team who place the student at the centre of every decision they make. Mrs Roughley has had a huge impact in her first year as a Head of Year in the BSAK Sixth Form and and it has been wonderful to work with and learn from her this year. The Year 12 students should all be truly grateful that they have her in their corner next year.

After 5 years of unquestionable commitment and passion to the students, Mr Byrne will be leaving the Sixth Form team and I wish him every success as he moves his Liverpool FC memorabilia to a new office to start his new Assistant Head role next year. I can't think anyone who has so clearly 'left the jersey in a better place' than him.

As many of you know I will also be leaving BSAK at the end of this term after 14 memorable years, and I do so with a heavy heart and trepidation for what is around the corner. We often refer to the lessons we want our students to learn throughout their journey at the school but when I think of the 'more' streamlined version of me that walked through the doors for the first time in 2008 to the more wrinkled father of three that is departing, I reflect positively on all the lessons I have learned and opportunities I have had over the years, for which I am truly grateful.

This is a special school and one that has shaped me as a teacher and as a person, and I am excited about the future of the Sixth Form. We continue to attract students from all over the city and are still the first choice for many students beginning their Abu Dhabi journey. Student recruitment has become a year long process and next year should see the largest Sixth Form ever. It is therefore fitting that there are new study areas in the pipeline (as part of the extra space available from the new Science and Innovation).

I wish you all a restful summer and look forward to watching (albeit it from Edinburgh on social media...) the 'Class of 2023' rising to new challenges next year to shape their own BSAK legacy.