HEAD GIRL AND HEAD BOY

You found out you had been voted in as Head Girl and Head Boy during the first lockdown – how did you find out and how did you feel?

Poppy - Samuel and I both received a phone call from Mrs Kirby during our Geography lesson, It came as a very pleasant surprise for the both of us, we were both over the moon with the opportunity. However, celebrating the role was very difficult seeing as we were in the midst of lockdown!

This has not been an average year as Head Girl and Head Boy. How have you found it?

Poppy - It certainly has been very different as head girl and boy, compared to how we have seen the role play out in previous years. However, this year more than ever the school has needed some form of stability and reassurance which I have tried hard to provide. I hope the whole community has appreciated our presence and have felt able to come and speak to us throughout our time as heads of school, even though a large chunk of it was spent communicating over a screen!

What would you say were the highlights of the year?

Samuel - Speaking at the Celebration Evenings was a lovely challenge to try and sum up what has been a very busy year in a short speech. Our open mornings were also particularly fun as we had the opportunity to meet pupils who may join us - it’s lovely to meet others outside of our community, hear their stories and show them our school.

Poppy: I think I am most proud of our speech at the Celebration Evenings and also our (virtual) speech for the OSA dinner, it was a great opportunity to actually get a message out to the whole Shebbearian community. Samuel and I both put a lot of work into these speeches and it was a great feeling of accomplishment when we had delivered them.

And the worst parts?

Poppy - Not being able to be as visible around the school and getting to know pupils better has been difficult due to restrictions through the ‘bubble system’. I am also very upset that I was never able to say “will you please stand” in Chapel - as our Chapel services have all been virtual this year!

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

Samuel: Biology, Chemistry and Geography. Juggling them has on some occasions been a little challenging but our subject teachers and the wider school have been very supportive in recognising the importance of our studies. I have found it helpful to keep a bullet journal to manage my time and prioritising engagements and deadlines!

Poppy: Geography, English and Economics. This year has been very different to previous years, in terms of what the role encompasses, it seems to have been more virtual tours and interviews in contrast to being able to meet people in person. At times it has been difficult to determine what needs to be prioritised but it all seems to fall into place. I like to keep note of what needs to be done in my diary and take every week as it comes.

What are your plans for the future?

Samuel - Currently I’m interested in Emergency Medicine and pairing that with my interests in the outdoors perhaps working as an Expedition Doctor but who knows - I may change my mind many times in the next few years.

Poppy: I will hopefully be heading off to the University of Bristol in September to study English. At the moment I am very undecided about what style of work I want to get into after that. I am hoping I will be inspired at university. Moving to a large city such as London after university definitely appeals to me!

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

Samuel - I don’t think there is one single thing. We have been so lucky to have an amazing group of friends in the Sixth Form and in that respect perhaps we have most enjoyed strengthening these friendships that I hope we will maintain throughout life.

Poppy: Sixth Form has felt like quite the rollercoaster, especially this year with lockdowns taking place every couple of months! However I have loved having the Sixth Form Centre as an independent place to work in the quiet study or in the communal room playing a game of ‘cheat’ with everybody. I have to say the pizza night quiz is always a fun memory to look back on, and, of course, the Rounsefell Dinner..

What is your funniest/best memory from Shebbear College?

Poppy: I would have to put my funniest memories down to the Barbados sports tour, perhaps almost crying because we had turned our air conditioning up too much and wrapping ourselves in bath mats to keep warm. I had the best time with everybody there and I will treasure those memories forever.

What advice would you give the next Sanctuary team?

Poppy: To not take the role lightly and to understand the responsibility it withholds. It isn’t just about tours, interviews and speeches but also forming relationships with your peers throughout the different year groups. It is important to always try and set a good example at all times by always having the school’s best interests at heart.

Samuel: Take a genuine interest in other pupils because they can teach you way more than you could ever share with them.

interviews

In the Sixth Form, we offer all pupils the opportunity to complete the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ), a research-based project on any topic of their choice which carries UCAS points and enables them to work independently and extend their academic studies further. This is always a popular option among our Sixth Formers, and we spoke to three of our EPQ pupils, Bella (Lower 6), Laura (Upper 6) and Kynan (Upper 6) about their topics, why they chose them and how they think the EPQ will help them in the future.

Please give a brief description of your project.

Bella: My chosen topic is ‘How do we strengthen children’s resilience to climate change in Low Income Countries (LIC)?’. I started my project at the start of the school year (2020) and handed it in at the end of Lent Term (2021) to be marked, - I get my mark on results day.

Laura: The topic I have chosen to talk about is mental health within agriculture and what more needs to be done to raise awareness. I am mainly writing about the importance of talking about it, and what action is being taken to raise awareness of the problem, and how detrimental the problem is to the community. I’m also researching Doug Avery who has written a book about how he fell into a hole of depression, and then how he found his way out. I’m trying to find a way that we can get the farming community talking about how we feel and raise more awareness.

Kynan: My EPQ looks at the complexity of iron age life and the roles hillforts played, still visible today due to their distinct layered earth fortifications and towering stature. In my EPQ I investigate ‘The Role of Hillforts in Iron Age Society, specifically in the Southwest of Britain’. To examine the role hillforts played in iron age society I used the experience gathered by experimental archeologist David Freeman, the archaeological evidence gathered by Barry Cunliffe and the views and opinions of historians Alice Roberts and Nile Oliver. As part of my EPQ I examined the relatively local hillforts Maiden Castle, Clovelly Dykes and Mount Batten, assessing their variety of roles they played in iron age life.

Why are you interested in this subject?

Bella: I am passionate about the world around me and social justice for people who don’t have a voice themselves. I think it’s important to understand the position others are in and what we can do to help as it is our future, so we should take it into our own hands. Often it is thought that the older generations are more vulnerable, however it is the children that are left behind and they will suffer the consequences of the damage we have created in the future.

Laura: With Covid being such a huge topic that has hit the farming community, more farmers and farm workers are isolated and seeing less and less of friends and family. It is a very current subject within the farming community and I believe it is something that needs to be questioned and explored more for the sake of future farming and the future of food. By educating yourself on a sensitive topic it allows you to talk confidently about it and point out where the myths and untrue facts are being projected.

BELLA KYNAN LAURA

Kynan: It is my belief that history is written in blood and sweat. We hear and read a lot about the blood spilt, immortalized in stories, songs and poems, which was for a long time what I had been interested in. As I was coming up with an idea for my EPQ I wished to explore the other aspect of the phrase, for history is also written in sweat. This is seen in the monumental constructions that adorn our world. From the pyramids of Egypt and South America to the walls of China and Nigeria, we remember monumental efforts. An overlooked example is the hillforts of the iron age, and thus I wished to learn more about them.

How have you found the more independent nature of the EPQ?

Bella: I have really enjoyed the flexibility of the EPQ as I have been able to get it completed in my Lower 6th year so I can focus completely on my studies for Upper 6th. The independent nature allowed me to do my EPQ when it was best for me and I could control the topics I wanted to include. I like to be organised so being able to complete my EPQ work around my schedule worked really well - I set myself deadlines which helped me to complete things when I needed to.

Laura: Sometimes I really struggled to find certain information that I wanted to know on the topic, as mental health is such a hidden talking point to start with, let alone within a community that already struggles to talk about their feelings. But it was interesting going down all the avenues that evolved mental health within agriculture and finding out about different people’s experiences. Being able to talk about what I want to talk about and explore what I want to learn about has been great! Kynan: The independent nature of the EPQ is very enjoyable, mostly due to the free choice of resources and topic. Although I found time management… challenging, the freedom gave me more enthusiasm.

Does the EPQ link to your next steps after Shebbear, if so, how?

Bella: I believe my EPQ does link to my next steps after Shebbear as I would like to study a degree in Global Humanitarian Studies and/or International Development, so I think topics such as climate change and the rights and resilience of children, will lend themselves very well to these degrees, and help me prepare for life after Shebbear with research skills, organisation skills, essay writing skills and knowledge of my chosen topic.

Laura: I have no intention of going to university at the moment so I didn’t take part in the EPQ for this reason. However, if I choose to go into agriculture, then my research on mental health within the industry will definitely be relevant as I have the background knowledge that I have gained through the project. My organisational skills have improved (slightly!) as well as my drive to carry out research myself into a topic that is so often overlooked and avoided.

Kynan: My EPQ was closely linked to the research and work I have been doing for my History A-Level and the style of independent learning is also quite similar, so it has complimented this. Completing the EPQ has cemented my understanding and ability to assess and validate sources, strengthened my ability to write essays and urged me to take deadlines seriously. Although I did not necessarily learn new skills, I am in no doubt that the experience will be priceless for University.

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Upper Sixth Leavers Rounsefell Dinner q

Friday 25th June saw our Upper Sixth pupils don their ballgowns and tuxedos to mark the end of their education at Shebbear College and say goodbye to their teachers at their black tie Rounsefell dinner. This is a traditional event at the school and it was fantastic that we were still able to hold it under government guidance.

The pupils enjoyed an outdoor drinks reception at school before travelling to nearby venue, Woodford Bridge Country Club, for a formal supper where they were presented with yearbooks and scrolls signed by all their teachers. After the meal, they enjoyed some fabulous music from Mr Oxenham’s band, Rushwood & Co.

Goodbye and good luck to this fantastic year group (including our international pupils who couldn’t make the event as they have already travelled back home for the summer) who have led the school in a very strange year and have acted as excellent ambassadors and role models for our younger pupils. They will be very much missed but we wish them all the best for the bright futures ahead of them.