“I am currently a student-athlete in America studying towards a sports science degree. I graduated with an associate degree in May 2024 and will be transferring to a different school to complete my Bachelor’s and continue to play football at a high level. I chose this career because I wanted to experience something different than just a regular UK university. Living in a different country provides great opportunities and life experience, maturity, and personal development at a young age. I still will receive the same qualification that I would have at home; for me, it was a no-brainer. I really enjoyed the learning environment at Bishop Challoner. The small class sizes were perfect. It allowed me to have good relationships with all the teachers, which in turn helped me to become more confident with the learning material. I have many fond memories of my time at Bishop Challoner. If I had to pick two, the first would be A-Level PE with Mr Oliver and Miss Johnstone, those lessons were always great fun, and I learned a lot about Kinesiology, sports psychology, and the history of sport. The second would be my last year in secondary school before COVID and GCSEs. The majority of the year group were mates, and it was a great pleasure to spend time with them on a daily basis. The teachers at Bishop Challoner are fantastic as they were able to create a solid learning environment. The relationships that can be developed from small class sizes are ideal and create a foundation for success in a wide range of classes. If I could give some tips to current Bishop Challoner students, I would say to work hard, and to be polite and respectful to the staff - they always want the best for you. I would also advise you to try to have a goal for your future that you can work to achieve. These tips, I feel, create focus and drive and will enable you to have a successful future.” - Thomas Y

"Since September 2022 I have been working at Lockton as an HR Apprentice. Lockton is the world’s largest privately owned Insurance brokerage. I have been doing many different rotations around the different areas of HR such as HR Admin, Associate Development and Employee Relations, which is where I currently am, doing mainly HR Advisory work. Whilst working my job I am also studying towards my CIPD qualification which is due to end July 2024. After I have completed my qualification, I will be able to choose a role within HR that I would like to stick with. My goal is to stay in Employee Relations and become an HR Advisor. I always knew inside that university wasn’t 100% what I wanted to do after sixth form. I always preferred the idea of working and learning on the job. I also believe apprenticeships give you so much corporate experience which is a very key aspect when employers look at your CV. I was also desperate to start making my own money and not be bombarded with debt from university. I feel like I made the right choice for myself and would definitely recommend an Apprenticeship to everyone. I immensely enjoyed Sixth Form at Bishop Challoner, I spent my time with a close group of friends, and we managed to make the most of our time in the school and have fun with it whilst also studying for our A-Levels. My favourite time of year at Bishop Challoner was when we had our school shows. When I was there, we did the Wizard of Oz and Grease. In the Wizard of Oz, I played Glinda and in Grease I was Sandy. I did these shows with all my closest friends which made it even more fun and performing was one of my favourite things to do. I have many fun memories from both shows. When I was in sixth form our teachers were very caring and did their best to help us. I think when you get to sixth form you become more of an adult being the oldest in the school, and your relationship with the teachers changes the most in that time as you get to work with each other on a more personal level especially since the sixth form size is a lot smaller at Bishop Challoner which is perfect for someone like me who works better in a smaller classroom where I can ask the teacher lots of questions. Our teachers always provided us with the best materials they could to help us with our studies. My top tip for any student right now to not stress about your future. There are so many more options now other than university if you think it is not the right fit for you, such as Apprenticeships, and your grades will not be carried around with you for the rest of your life. It is important to do your research on your options, but it is nothing to stress over!" - Alice S

"Along with the compulsory subjects, at GCSE I studied History, Geography and Latin and I achieved nine grade 9’s and one grade 8 in my exams. At A Level I studied History, Classical Civilisation and Biology. I ended up receiving an A grade in all of these subjects. I also did an EPQ on the impacts of the Black Death on medieval society. I am currently on a gap year, having finished my A Levels in 2023. While on my gap year, I have been working part-time at a local pub. In October 2024, however, I will be going to Oxford University to read History at Pembroke College. A gap year was not initially my plan, but after receiving my results last August I decided to take one, and I couldn’t be more pleased with my decision. It has given me the time to develop as a person, and also to expand my interests outside of school through reading and experiences. I decided to apply to Oxford after visiting the university on an open day that I was encouraged to attend. I re-applied to Oxford on my gap year, having been rejected when I was in Year 13, and receiving my acceptance email made all the hard work feel amazing. The family feel of the school was the reason that I decided to join Bishop Challoner in Year 7. The small nature of Challoner meant that friendships were formed across all year groups and this helped to create a vibrant school community that made the school an enjoyable place to learn. This community was especially special to me as my dad and brother both attended Bishop Challoner before me. My favourite memory from my time at the school is my first Prize Giving in Year 7. My brother and I were both there receiving awards and the guest speaker was my Godfather. With my parents in the audience, it really encapsulated the feeling of community at the school. I believe that without the small class sizes at the school, and therefore the close attention of the teachers, I would not have had the confidence to apply to Oxford. My top tip for current Bishop Challoner students would be to work hard and take advantage of every opportunity that a small school provides you." - Harriet M