The Sixth Form, where I spend most of my time in school, is buzzing with energy at the moment; two acronyms are on everybody’s lips: HMAD and UCAS. For those less au fait with these terms, we are all focused on university applications, and the annual school extravaganza which is House Music and Drama: the perfect blend of creativity and scholarship on which to end a half term.
Although it seems early to be talking about university applications – we are only in the first half of Autumn term – with nearly half of the Upper VI applying for early entry courses at university, the gentle tapping of laptop keys as personal statements are edited for the fifteenth time echoes through the halls: the deadline is fast approaching. I have had the joy this week of reading through many personal statements, and the accompanying references – written by the students’ wonderful teachers. What strikes me each year that we go through this cycle is how accomplished our students are; how impressive they are as candidates applying for the very best academic courses to be had, but also how much of their time they have spent giving back to our community, through running clubs, chairing councils, and volunteering in the local area. Reading each personal statement, everybody has something that they have contributed and that generosity creates a real richness of experience that benefits everyone at The Abbey.
Every conversation about a future course, every line of a reference, feels like a small contribution to a bigger story. Seeing a student realise what they want to pursue – whether it’s Medicine, Art, Engineering or Politics – is one of those quiet but powerful moments that remind us what education is all about. Each time I get ready to press the ‘send’ button that whisks these applications away to the universities of choice, I get a little flutter of excitement: what does this mean for the next step on each student’s journey? Which of their five universities will they eventually select as their first choice? And what waits in store for them there? The possibilities seem endless, and that’s the beauty of the moment.
A similar flutter of excitement occurred when I received an email from a Sixth Former this week informing me that a student will be portraying me in the Sixth Form Sketch for HMAD this year – this is the first time that this has happened to me at The Abbey, and it surely means I’ve now been accepted as a true member of The Abbey community! I may live to regret agreeing to this – I’m not sure I really had a choice! – but my hope is that whomever my doppelganger will be, they will bring great joy to the audience and lots of laughter. HMAD never fails to deliver surprises – yet whatever the outcome, I know it will somehow be quintessentially ‘Abbey’.
HMAD offers everyone the opportunity to get involved with something beyond the curriculum: you can’t walk through a hall at lunch time or after school without seeing dance rehearsals, hearing choirs practising, or coming across an orchestra rehearsal. With each House working so hard, the final showdown (and I do mean showdown, because we take this competition very seriously!) is bound to be an amazing day. In amongst all the students rehearsing, the Upper VI House Captains are always to be found directing proceedings: another example of their wonderful leadership and community spirit shining through. It’s really wonderful to see the things they’ve written about on their university applications coming to life. What both UCAS and HMAD remind us is that every student has their own voice, their own story to tell. Whether they express it through music, drama, or a carefully crafted personal statement, each one reflects the same truth: that our students are thoughtful, creative, and endlessly ambitious young women who make The Abbey the remarkable community it is.
Next week we also have a little party planned to celebrate the installation of the artwork which we commissioned in the Sixth Form Centre last year. In response to Student Voice, a number of students from the current Upper VI spent time with our artist in residence, Isaac, creating beautiful large canvases, full of colour, to adorn the walls of the Sixth Form Study Hub. The result is uplifting and calming all at once – an incredible achievement, and a lasting reminder of the power of Student Voice and the joy it can bring. Improving the Sixth Form is something that we constantly strive to do (despite having an incredible brand new Sixth Form Centre built only a few years ago!). This term we have also converted one of our meeting rooms into a Wellbeing Space, dedicated to Sixth Form students – complete with views over the fields and the perfect bean bags. This was also a move that came from the Student Voice and I can’t wait to see it in use more often. There is so much to celebrate about life at The Abbey.
As we look to the future, be it next week for HMAD, or next year for university, my mind turns to the Upper V who will be joining us on Wednesday for their Sixth Form Taster Day. Along with Year 11 students from local schools, we can’t wait to welcome them and show them around. I remember looking at A Levels myself for the first time, and the sense of possibility seemed endless – my hope is that this taster day will begin to help in narrowing down the options and making some choices about subjects. I also hope that the Upper V and our visitors really love spending time in the Sixth Form – enjoying the views and the art work. The theme of the future seems to be always present over here in the Sixth Form building – I think the excitement is catching!
As we approach the end of the first half of term, the week is full of anticipation: we await the viewing of the HMAD performances; we await the unveiling of the Art Work; we await the arrival of Upper V on Wednesday; and we await those first university offers coming in. In these hectic, busy days the sense of shared experience, felt by staff and students alike, offers strength and courage. It would be easy to get overwhelmed with so much happening, but with good humour and the support of each other, I know that we will all make it through to that final week of term and we will enjoy those moments of joy – whether it’s the thrill of a university offer coming through, or the laughter that fills the hall during a hilarious HMAD sketch! Moments like these remind me what makes The Abbey so special: it is not just what our students achieve, but how they support one another in achieving it.
Mrs Hart, Assistant Head and Director of Sixth Form