From nursery to university

reflections on my claremont journey

by james w, year 13 school captain

Hello, my name is James W. in 2011, as a curious three-year-old, I joined claremont nursery. today, with a mixture of anticipation and excitement, i am preparing to leave sixth form as a school captain. As I prepare for an exciting new chapter at university, I wanted to reflect on my time at Claremont.

Fifteen years! That’s when my journey began with my first (much smaller) foot steps into Claremont’s nursery, aged just 3. As I look back, my experience has given me far more than my education. This school: the people, the teachers, the opportunities and the values have shaped the person I am today.

Do not underestimate the impact a school experience like Claremont will have on you! I have grown from a little boy to a young man on these grounds… And I truly believe I am one of the luckiest people in the world to have had that experience.

Over my time at Claremont, the school has changed enormously, from the teachers to the buildings. I have been fortunate to see the school undergo its most rapid transformation, including the opening of the Sir Sydney Camm science and technology building, the Orchard maths classrooms, the garden rooms, the new music studios, the new dining room… And of course, our expanding sixth form centre, which has grown with the sixth form students to become a standout success. When I joined nursery, there were 12 students studying to Year 13 at Claremont. Today, I am one of over 200 students studying towards higher education and our professional pathways. This expansion has wholly benefited my education – from my first lesson experimenting with a Bunsen burner for the first time, through to the celebration of air conditioning arriving in the Orchard classrooms, it has been clear to see during my time at Claremont that it has benefited from the growth, change and evolution.

I have a lifetime of memories to look back on from my years at Claremont, but a few certainly stand out. In October, I was fortunate enough to be part of the school’s expedition to Morocco. Over our 13 days there, we visited indigenous towns, hiked through the Atlas Mountains, rode camels through the Sahara and explored the Souks in Marrakesh. It was an unbelievable experience of a completely different landscape and culture, whilst I certainly won’t look back at the two days I spent feeling like a corpse after getting food poisoning very fondly, the entire experience is something I am truly grateful for. Another standout moment would certainly be GCSE results day. I think there is something very powerful in seeing that all your years and years of effort in your education have finally amounted to something tangible. That sense of achievement and pride in what you have accomplished is something I hope every student experiences at one point or another.

The vast array of different opportunities at Claremont is something I have probably taken for granted over my time here, as it was all I knew. But even still, there was so much to get involved in. Starting with the Minecraft club in Year 7 (which I remember being particularly excited about), football training, personal statement workshops, and so much more. The Inspire lectures have also been a welcome addition to the educational opportunities, and I think a talk by Rick Findler, a photojournalist, was a particular highlight, as his ability to capture the emotion in live war zones was a powerful story that you would not usually get in a classroom.

After so many years at Claremont, I realise that many of my values and life lessons have been shaped on the school grounds. Reflecting back now, there are certainly a couple that stand out. First, it is confidence in yourself, the people around you, in your work and what you can achieve. As you grow and move comfortably in an environment, I think it’s inevitable that you become more confident, but life at school is not forever. Confidence is so key, it’s one of the first traits new people who meet you will pick up on, and can open endless doors to new friendships, relationships and opportunities – the challenge is to take that strength with you once your school days are over. Second, is the importance of the people you choose to be around. My time at Claremont was only so incredible because of the close friendships and relationships I had built with people in my years and with the teachers; that is what makes going to school every day a choice, not a chore.

It has been a dream of mine since I was in Year 3, when I saw the School Captain giving a speech. In my earlier school years, up until Year 9 or 10, I was a fairly introverted guy, still finding my confidence. Being chosen for the role was a crucial part in changing that, as whilst at the start of the year it was certainly demanding, the ability to actually influence decisions in the school, establish new traditions like the sixth form Winner Dinner and raise thousands of pounds for charity through the revival of Charity Week, was a big part of making the role and contribution feel significant. But undoubtedly, the greatest skill I will take away from it all is public speaking. It was something I had done very little of before becoming School Captain, but the numerous speeches I have delivered at sixth form open evenings, open mornings, assemblies, Gala Day and Graduation Dinner have been among the most rewarding experiences of my time at school. I believe the ability to communicate effectively and confidently to a large group of people is such an important life skill – and I would encourage every pupil and student to take an opportunity they can to practice it.

The future after school is intimidating for many. But I won’t claim it isn’t slightly daunting, but the overriding emotion is just excitement. The careers support at Claremont was indispensable in me achieving two interviews at the University of Oxford, and offers from Manchester, Bristol and Leeds. Whilst having the breadth of options was comforting, it also posed a very daunting question of what to choose. Still, I believe I have made the right decision by accepting my offer to study Law at the University of Nottingham in September, as it’s a new journey I can’t wait to embark on.

My advice to younger pupils as they begin their Claremont journey is simply to enjoy it. I don’t want to be the one to tell you to work hard and behave yourself, since everyone already does. But what I think is easy to do, as I know I certainly did it, is to be unappreciative and constantly wish your school life away. Regardless of how little you want to wake up at 7 in the morning and go straight into an English lesson, you have to realise one day that you will miss it, as at no other point in your life will you see your friends every day and have as little responsibility as you have now. I do believe that it is the very nature of education, the deadlines and final exams, that you can spend so much time rushing to the finish line that you can miss the journey. There is one quote that articulates this point and is something I try to remind myself of every day: that school and life are not the pursuit of happiness, it’s the happiness of the pursuit.