THE SIXTH FORM

This year has almost felt ‘normal’? With only temporary periods of online learning, we have been able to progress in a more traditional fashion and our academic opportunities, social events and sports fixtures have been brought back to the fore - a much welcomed return for both staff and pupils.

As ever, our Sixth Formers have led the school in true Shebbearian style, putting themselves forward as excellent role models for the younger pupils and taking every challenge and opportunity in their stride. Our Upper Sixth pupils have shifted through the gears seamlessly throughout the year, ending with a challenging exam season which they have all handled exceptionally well - especially given that this has been their first proper experience of public examinations.

Academically we have seen some fantastic achievements this year including success in both Chemistry and Physics Olympiads and the UKMT Senior Maths Challenge. I must make special mention of Niall in Upper Sixth who, having taken part in the Maths Challenge, qualified for the Senior Kangaroo, where he narrowly missed out on a merit. Niall has also been running an activity for gifted and talented mathematicians in Forms 1-3, ably assisted by James. As one of the liaison schools of the Physics Review magazine, our A-Level Physicists had the opportunity to preview articles and give general feedback on the publication - a fantastic opportunity for them all. We have also enjoyed several trips during the year, including a memorable visit to Sandy Park for the Economics and Business pupils as well as the UCAS fair in Exeter which was extremely valuable for the Lower Sixth.

Our Upper Sixth pupils have been deciding on their futures with many receiving offers to study a range of subjects at top universities including Liverpool, Bristol, UCL, Nottingham and many more. Others have chosen a different path - a fantastic example of this being Sam, who has secured a place on KPMG’s prestigious apprenticeship programme - what a great achievement.

Music and Theatre have been brought back to life this year after the restrictions of Covid, with many of our Sixth Formers getting back on stage at our Performing Arts Christmas and Easter

Showcases, as well as some absolutely fantastic performances at our Gig Night in February - including songwriter Mitzi who performed her latest track and Niamh who sung a stunning version of a song by Ashe. The main event of the year, however, was our school production of Grease in March which saw many of our Sixth Formers securing lead roles - including Nathan and Charlotte who made an unforgettable Danny and Sandy!

On the sports field we had some great results in football, beating Clifton High School in the Society of Heads Cup, and rugby, includintg the 1st XV tour to Rencomb, when they played fiercely against demanding competition. The Sevens team got a few run-arounds and I think they realised how demanding the sport is, whilst Connor in Upper Sixth was selected to play for the England Lambs - a fantastic achievement. Cricket has been welcomed this term, particularly by our new Bajan cricket all star Achilles - who has had a successful season both at school and playing for Hatherleigh Cricket Club - as well as athletics: this year we held Sports Day before the exams started, meaning that our Upper Sixth could be a part of the event for the first time in quite a few years, with it being traditionally held nearer the end of term in June or July. Congratulations to the four Sixth Formers that completed the Ten Tors 45 Mile Challenge in May - Roy, Felix, James and Niamh - who were joined by Sophie and George in Form 5 to form the team and did exceedingly well, finishing in excellent time.

Socially, we have been able to run our normal events again, starting with a Ceilidh in the Michaelmas Term - great fun and a real bonding experience for everyone. We also enjoyed a fantastic quiz night with the Sanctuary providing some funny yet topical questions, impressively showing an engagement with current affairs and some cultural capital to boot! A Christmas meal at Woodford Bridge was a fantastic way to celebrate the end of term. In the Lent term we attended the new House Dinners which were a really good chance for the older and younger pupils to mix within their Houses - there were some brilliant speeches from our Heads of House. In March we saw the long awaited return of our formal Rounsefell Dinner when we frequented the lovely Tawstock House (more on this later) and we rounded the year off with the Upper Sixth Leavers’ Dinner - a fantastic send off after exams.

We say goodbye to our outgoing Sanctuary Team: Bella, Harrison, Michael, Niall, Lauren and Ben who have been an absolute credit to Shebbear College, and we welcome a new team for 2022-23. Roy and Jack are our Heads of School, assisted by our Heads of House, Niamh (Pollard), Mitzi (Ruddle), Will (Thorne) and Charlotte (Way). Congratulations to them all and I know that they will bring a huge amount to these roles.

Mr Wilson Sixth Form Coordinator

Bella & Harrison

Heads of School 2021-22

Were you expecting to be voted in as Heads of School?

Bella - I didn’t expect to be voted in as Head of School because I was up against my classmates who were just as capable. I found out in an economics lesson and I felt a mixture of excitement and pride.

Harrison - I was quite surprised as there was tough competition and plenty of capable candidates. I felt very proud when I found out but also ready and eager to work with the rest of the Sanctuary team to implement our ideas. What were the highlights of the year?

Bella - There have been so many highlights, but the ones that have stood out to me have been attending the OSA dinner in London, captaining the 1st Hockey team and attending the Roundsfell dinner. The dinner was a lovely chance to dress up in black tie - especially as we missed our Form 5 Prom because of Covid!

Harrison - There are many moments that stand out to me but some of my favourites were both the Rounsfell and OSA dinners and the Rugby Sevens tournament at Rendcomb. It was a really nice way to end the season and a final chance to play rugby with my classmates.

What are your main responsibilities in this role?

And the worst parts?

Bella - There is a huge range, including student representation, tours and speeches on behalf of the school, coordinating the Sanctuary Team, overseeing School Council and attending official functions. A role I wanted to make a priority when I became Head of School was the wellbeing of pupils and I have tried to be accessible to everyone as a Mental Health Ambassador.

Harrison - Our roles are quite diverse with lots to do from attending and speaking at school events to leading meetings for Sanctuary and School Council. For me one of the most important responsibilities is acting as strong role models for pupils up and down the school and to make the Sanctuary team something to aspire to be a part of. Part of doing this is being open and approachable to everyone and taking the time to listen and talk to pupils.

Bella - Personally the worst part of this year has been the uncertainty - times of Covid, learning away from school and going into my A-Level exams having never sat public exams.

Harrison - This year has been challenging for a number of reasons, but the most difficult part for me was the build up towards A-Level exams and all of the stress that comes with that but I’m sure that all of the hard work will have paid off!

What subjects have you been studying in the Sixth Form and how have you juggled school work with your Sanctuary duties?

Bella - I have been studying A-Level Geography, English Literature and Economics, and completed an EPQ in Lower Sixth. School work has been busy, but the Head of School is such an important role so I have made sure I have been organised enough to keep on top of both. Good organisation skills are a really important part of being in the Sanctuary team!

Harrison - I have studied A-Level English Literature, Biology and Chemistry. A-Levels are demanding so time management is a key skill I’ve had to use and develop over the course of the year to be able to balance everything. This skill has been really useful to me and I’m sure I’ll need it a lot more in the future.

What are your plans for the future?

Bella - I have been offered a place to study Global Humanitarian Studies at University College London and my insurance offer is from The University of Leeds to study International Development. With either of these degrees there is the opportunity to either convert to Human Rights Law or take up a career in Humanitarian Aid.

Harrison - Over the next year I will be travelling as much as possible to a variety of different places. I’m hoping to couple my travelling with plenty of volunteering work and memorable experiences. After this I will be applying to university to do a healthcare orientated degree with the aim to have a career in the NHS in the future.

What have you enjoyed most about your time in the Sixth Form?

Bella - I have enjoyed being able to make new friends and studying independently. Sixth Form has given me the opportunity to study subjects I am interested in, whilst exploring the possibilities for the future. Harrison - I have really enjoyed the independence that we are given in Sixth Form. It has been a great opportunity to learn new skills but also to enjoy time with friends and classmates. Sixth form has also been a time for looking towards the future and I feel that it has really prepared me to move forward into the wider world.

What is your best memory from Shebbear College?

Bella - My best memories have been the Barbados Sports Tour in Form 2 and crossing the line twice in the 35 mile Ten Tors!

Harrison - My favourite memory of my time at Shebbear was beating West Buckland by a point in a very hard fought rugby match! It was a great end to my first season as part of the 1st XV.

What advice would you give the next Sanctuary team?

Bella - My advice would be to share the duties equally between the team and be approachable to the other pupils because you never know when someone might need you.

Harrison - My advice would be to work together and to make the most of the opportunity to represent the school and put your ideas into practice as the time flies by very quickly!

Our Class of 2021 gained an outstanding set of A-Level and BTEC results last summer with a pass rate of 100% and all pupils securing places at their choice of university. 63% achieved A* - A in their A-Levels with 83% gaining A* - B. Those studying BTEC qualifications also excelled. Pupils went on to a range of universities.

UNIVERSITY DESTINATIONS

2021

University of Surrey

University of Nottingham

University of Southampton Physics with Nuclear Astrophysics

Mechanical Engineering

Electrical and Electronic Engineering

Bristol University of West of England Business Management and Leadership

University of Bristol English

University of Southampton Aeronautics and Astronautics/ Spacecraft Engineering

University of Aberdeen Business Management

University of Southampton Acoustical Engineering Aberystwyth University Marketing

Queen Mary University of London Comparative Literature

Queen’s University, Belfast English and Film Studies

Anglia Ruskin University

University of Exeter

University of Exeter

Oxford Brookes University

Cardiff University Medicine

Ancient History

English and Film and TV Studies

Psychology

Computer Science

Loughborough University

University of Winchester English and Sport Science

Film Production

A BRIGHT FUTURE AHEAD - FOR NIALL

Outgoing Head of Ruddle House, Niall in Upper 6th, won four prizes at our recent Celebration Evening including the Kenneth Isaac Staff Prize for Academic Work, the David Hodges Memorial Prize for investigative work in Mathematics and an Upper Sixth Academic Prize.

As one of our top achieving students here at Shebbear College, Niall has contributed greatly to the school, particularly in the areas of STEM - gaining top scores in the UKMT Maths Challenges and the British Physics Olympiads as well as setting up a popular Maths Society for younger pupils - and Drama, with some memorable performances, top LAMDA marks and successful Youth Speaks competitions.

Niall joined Shebbear in Form 3 and has just taken his A-Levels in Maths, Further Maths, Physics and History. We spoke to him about his time at Shebbear College.

What are you passionate about? I’m very passionate about maths, and in particular getting other students to develop a love for maths like I have. I also enjoy drama and public speaking, and have taken part in numerous plays as well as Youth Speaks competitions and LAMDA exams.

What’s one word to describe you? I’d probably have to say driven as I’m always determined to improve in my subjects.

What inspires you and why? My main inspiration is the opportunity to improve and the thought of how it will feel to be successful in my A-Levels and in the future. I also find the story of the mathematician Ramanujan very inspiring, as he was able to achieve a lot in maths despite having no formal education.

You were recently awarded several prizes at the Celebration Evening and have consistently been one of the school’s highest achievers over the years - what would you say has been your biggest achievement at Shebbear College? I’d probably say my biggest achievement was my GCSE results, where I got 12 9s and an 8. Another big achievement was earning three Grade 8s in different LAMDA exams. I’m also happy to have got gold awards in maths and physics challenges as well as winning the David Hodges Memorial Prize for Mathematics three times, which I hope reflects my contribution to maths at the school.

What do you enjoy most about school? One of the main things I enjoy about school is the opportunity to learn more, particularly in the Sixth Form when I have the chance to delve deeper into subjects that I’m already interested in. As I mentioned, I want to pass on a love for maths so I’ve really enjoyed setting up a couple of different maths activities. I also really like the community feel of Sixth Form and being able to use the Sixth Form Centre.

How did you feel about being voted at Head of House for Ruddle and what responsibilities has this brought with it? I was very proud to have been appointed Head of Ruddle. The main responsibilities include coordinating common room duties among the house prefects, organising events within the house and speaking at school events as a member of the Sanctuary. I’ve really enjoyed getting to know younger members of Ruddle and I hope I’ve provided a positive role model for them.

In March our Upper and Lower Sixth Formers had the opportunity to dress up in black tie for the formal Rounsefell Dinner, this year held at Tawstock Court near Barnstaple. It was the perfect setting for such a prestigious event, with beautiful panoramic views and an impressive interior. Sixth Form pupils and tutors enjoyed a three course meal followed by entertainment from Rushwood & Co. The night was very much enjoyed by everyone, and, as well as being a lot of fun, was also a useful experience in dining etiquette for our soon to be fully fledged adults!