Pupils' Stories
Saul Landrock, Year 9
Everyone remembers their first day at a new school. It seems like only yesterday I was walking up to Mill House on my first morning of joining Millfield Senior School. I was wearing my new PE kit and although the journey took less than five minutes it seemed like hours.
Thoughts were spinning in my head; what if no one liked me, what if I did something wrong? When I got to Mill House, I recognised many of the people because they were from the Prep School. On the way over to the Johnson Hall for our first year group assembly, I became nervous about meeting the rest of my year but excited as well. In the Johnson Hall I saw so many new faces - over half of the year were from other schools.
The first day seemed to go in an instant; I made lots of new friends and the activities we did in groups made it easier to meet people. The teachers seemed to be good fun and were friendly and helpful. I only hoped tomorrow would be as successful as today. That week went by as a blur - I had experienced so much already: lots of different lessons in small groups, my first games session and my first MAP activity.
The Headmaster's BBQ at the end of the week was great fun and it really brought the Year 9's together.
In the weeks that followed the Year 9 pupils had a lot of things going on: the beach trip and sandcastle competition to Weston-super-Mare was a bit of a disaster for my house, as we forgot to bring buckets and spades to build our sandcastle, which led to us making a dreadful castle and the House coming last. We all thoroughly enjoyed it though! We did redeem ourselves however with a great victory in the House singing contest later in that same week. How we managed it I will never know!
I am now halfway through the year and can honestly say that I have thoroughly enjoyed my time so far. The Senior School offers so much more academically as well as on the sporting field. The five period timetable (with longer lessons), is I think, an improvement to what we had in the Prep School because it allows me to focus more on my subjects. We have fewer lessons each day and they last for the right amount of time so you can get into the lessons without them becoming too boring!
The highlights for me have been making the A team in hockey, being in the junior school play which is happening later this term and coming 11th in the house cross country competition. Also the social times I have enjoyed with all my friends - either at organised events or just playing pool and hanging out in Mill House which is a great addition for the day boys.
Sarah Lidbetter, Year 9
My name is Sarah Lidbetter, I'm from Cobham, Surrey and I was new to Millfield this year. At first it all seemed very daunting as I was completely new to the boarding experience and didn't know quite what to expect. The first few hours after being dropped off, I found myself feeling very nervous. However, everyone was really nice and a few of the older ones came in and made us feel really at home.
On the first day we were all separated into groups across the year and did activities. This was so we could get to know some of the other people in our year.
As a border you find yourself constantly around people. As a result of this you have to learn to share and be respectful of others. Boarding is a fantastic experience and you will usually find yourself in the company of a friend. At times you may want to have some privacy. There are always places to go and people to talk to.
Compared to my last school not much has changed in terms of class size and the lessons that we do. For majority of people, classes are slightly smaller than they are used to and lessons are slightly longer. The teachers are always really helpful and if you ever have trouble on a subject, teachers are always there for help and support.
Most people will be involved in extra activities such as sport and music. This keeps you busy most of the week and you will rarely find yourself with nothing to do. I am a swimmer and most mornings I'm up at around 5am, I often find myself very tired but this all pays off on a Sunday morning when we get to look forward to a long lie-in and Sunday brunch.
After a term-and-a-half at Millfield I have found myself really enjoying it, people have made it very easy for me to settle in. For some it is slightly harder to settle in as they may get homesick, but there are always friends to talk to and older ones to help you out if you ever need it.
Orla McCarthy, Lower Sixth
My name is Orla, I'm originally Irish, but I grew up in Bahrain and I joined Millfield in Lower Sixth of September last year. My primary reason for coming to boarding school was to advance in swimming, but I also wanted a school that had a good balance of both academics and sport.
Prior to coming here, I visited a number of schools, but when I arrived at Millfield, I realised very quickly that this was the school for me. It is not just the amazing facilities or academics that make Millfield so special. It is the fact that I can really be myself here.
Before I came, I worried about whether I would fit in, whether people would like me, whether I would make friends easily. The truth is - it's not as hard as it may seem. I was one of 150 new students!
Here at Millfield, I have so many opportunities to try different things without fear of being judged. I tried cross country running... very briefly... and it definitely wasn't for me, but I wasn't the only one who quickly realised that their talents lay elsewhere.
Some of my other endeavours were more successful. I got involved with the Charity Committee last term. It was really fun and extremely rewarding to raise money for the Teenage Cancer Trust, more specifically a teenage cancer unit in Cardiff. I represented the school at a swimming competition in Stockport, my house in both house netball and swimming.
So what are the negatives you may ask? Well, life does get very hectic here and there have been times when I found it a bit overwhelming. But I'm not in it alone. The girls in my house, as well as my house parents, Mr and Mrs Landrock, are extremely understanding and supportive. There is always someone there to turn to and Kernick house has really become home away from home for me!
I'm very grateful that I have the opportunity to study here at Millfield. The first 6 months have gone so quickly, and I honestly can't wait for what lies ahead.
Bruno Banks, Lower Sixth
I joined Millfield in year nine - a petrified boy with many of the anxieties that I'm sure some of you have in your mind - whether the school would be right for me, would I fit in and most importantly, would I make it through the first day without walking into a door or tripping over my own feet. Of course my biggest worry was whether I would find anyone who would accept me into their friendship group - considering I was still, at that stage, only 3 and a half feet tall, losing my hair to chlorine damage and acted like I was still only 7 years old, this was a fairly big ask.
But I soon found my place like every other pupil I know, and within a week I could barely remember why I was so nervous in the first place. The thing about Millfield is that there really are so many different ways to meet people - through sport, your house, your classes and extra activities - and although it sounds very clichéd, you honestly do get out what you put in. You need to be prepared to work hard and throw yourself into as much as possible, because there are so many opportunities at Millfield for the sixth form which you wouldn't get at many other schools.
I originally came to the school for the incredible swimming programme, a sport which I still do at a high level, but have been given so many opportunities since then that I feel like when I do leave the school I'll leave as an independent and well-rounded person. For example, I've been involved in four plays with the school and enjoyed drama so much that I've taken it through to A-level, along with history, maths and English, which I hope to study at university. I write for our school newspaper, Millfield Voice, I'm part of the catering committee - food being a subject very close to my heart - and have been able to organise school events, compete in house matches and help mentor the younger pupils of the school. It's actually reached the point where if I do have half an hour of free time, I don't know what to do with myself. But honestly, I wouldn't change it for the world, and can't imagine myself at any other school.
Maddy Jury, Lower Sixth
I'm Maddy, I joined Millfield at the beginning of the year. I came from a tiny school in a small town in North Devon where my main focus was my academic studies and achieved some great GCSE grades there. If I had stayed there for sixth form, I'm sure my A-levels would have gone just as well. However, I had been at that school my whole life and as much as I loved it there, I felt I really needed to move on and get out of Devon, this is the real reason why I came to Millfield. I knew that going from a school where there was around 300 people in total to Millfield, a school where there was 301 in my year alone would definitely be a change, but one I'm sure I'll never regret.
I know when my Mum first suggested Millfield, I instantly thought of the 50m swimming pool where I had spent some nervous afternoons waiting for races I knew I wasn't going to win and almost instantly decided that a sports school wasn't for me. However, after doing some research, I realised that you don't have to be an international sports player to appreciate Millfield and it does have a lot more to offer. For me, the small classes and teachers willingness to offer extra help has definitely made my aim of achieving top grades much easier.
My sister told me that I would hate boarding, she said there would be too many distractions that could pull me away from my academics. Being who I am, I wanted to prove her wrong and it's turned out that living with other ambitious people has actually encouraged me to excel. I love the atmosphere and, I know it sounds cheesy, but I have made some true lifelong friends. Another thing I would say is that boarding in the sixth form has definitely made me more independent.
Moving here has probably given me more opportunities in the last few months than I think I have ever had in my life, I never thought I would try trampolining or Pilates or be taught how to fence by the England coach.