Bradfield really is a people place and being Head of School has been such an honour. The responsibilities of the job have easily been outweighed by the opportunity to serve this outstanding community. I have learned that you can achieve absolutely nothing alone, so I’d like to thank the whole Bradfield community for making my time here so special.
Before I joined, when my dyslexia was identified, I really struggled with the entrance exam. After getting though it, I then read a book that was supposed to teach me how to use dyslexia as a superpower. I sat in lessons waiting for this superpower to suddenly kick in, but it didn’t.
However, with the help of the amazing Support and Study Skills Department, with whom I had lessons since Faulkner’s, I can now use dyslexia as an advantage, if not quite a superpower. The staff are the true heroes and helped me to work with dyslexia, not against it, which has been so crucial to my development. They have changed my life.
The teaching staff have tailored our individual Bradfield journeys and made them so rewarding, proving the saying that ‘the good teacher explains and the great teacher inspires’.
I would never have believed I could get the role of Head of School, but it was my teachers and my support team who gave me the confidence that I needed. Maybe, like me, you still can’t believe we pulled this whole thing off.
My parents are my role models and have always been one call away, offering such wonderful advice. They have been incredibly supportive and have sacrificed so much for me.
My fellow Prefects have been amazing. I have drawn from their energy every day and I’ve tried to reflect back the traits which they have displayed; heart, character and commitment. They are unsung heroes and have gone above and beyond to make Bradfield better. Their work ethic is unmatched and I cannot wait to see what’s next for them all.
I must admit I did not know Yoli, the other Head of School, very well before this year. She was always in top sets, top sports teams and spent time with incredibly intelligent people; it is fair to say I wasn’t involved in any of these three categories.
Not only has she been a fabulous Head of School, but she has become my best friend, taking on the role with grace, courage and drive. She has bettered the lives of so many Bradfieldians, and, as Barack said to Michelle: “A new generation sets its sights higher because it has you as a role model.”
As a year group, the Upper Sixth leavers witnessed each other grow up and as such it is a close community. Even when times got tough during COVID and around exams, everyone stayed on the same team.
