Recently appointed Captain of School Freddie Beasley, who is heading into his final year at Millfield, reflects on his journey by revisiting what he thought when he was in Year 9.  

What is your favourite aspect of studying at Millfield?  

Freddie in Year 9: I am a Year 9 boarding student who joined the school in September after having spent two years at the Prep school. I chose to come to Millfield because of the stunning sport facilities and the amazing rugby coaches and because of the academic program that is offered to all students and the amazing teaching staff. My favourite aspects of the school are probably how beautiful the campus looks all year round, especially in the summer when all the flower's bloom. I also really enjoy the wide range of co-curricular activities ranging from maths to golf to scrabble to engineering. 

Freddie in Lower Sixth: My favourite aspect of studying at Millfield is the atmosphere. Everybody at Millfield is here for their own unique reason and is undergoing their own unique journey. The one thing that we all have in common is our passion and our drive. It is an incredibly special place to be – surrounded by so many multitalented people. 

 

Why did you choose to come to Millfield? 

Freddie in Year 9: I started boarding towards the end of Year 8 and I find that boarding is very enjoyable as it allows for you to socialise and make friends with many people. On Saturday nights we have Pizza, and we also occasionally have movies, ice cream and candyfloss. We also have tuck twice a week if we are good and often go to go-ape, paintballing or watch the 1XV rugby matches. We spend a lot of time socialising and have the option to wake up early to go and do activities such as rugby, basketball, football, swimming or just go for a run. We also have three amazing matrons and two brilliant house masters. 

Freddie in Lower Sixth: I chose Millfield for a multitude of reasons. I have always been studious, and both the academic culture and enrichment at Millfield are phenomenal. That being said, the main reason I chose Millfield was for the breadth of opportunity beyond the classroom. Since joining Millfield in Year 7, I have partaken in rugby, hockey, cricket, athletics, tennis, shooting, debating and much, much more in an attempt to make use of all the amazing facilities. These wide range of co-curricular activities have helped me to find my “super skill” over the years I have been here and developed my resilience and character. 

 

What’s been a highlight of your time here so far?  

Freddie in Year 9: The highlight of my time at Millfield was probably the atmosphere that is surrounding all major fixtures, especially the highly anticipated Sedbergh game where we were faced with a huge supporting crowd and with great resilience came out on top. Currently as a Year 9 student I am studying two languages, three sciences and three humanities as well as maths, English, music, computer science, art and food tech. I really enjoy all my lessons and have lots of friends in my set. We often do practicals which make the lessons more hands on and interesting. 

Freddie in Lower Sixth: My highlight at Millfield so far is undoubtably playing for the 1XV against Clifton College. It was a special moment for me as it was my first game in the infamous “blue stripe” after a long injury period with the added bonus of being on my birthday too. The incredible atmosphere created by the students and the many OMs who came to watch was second to none. 

 

What are you studying and what are your plans and hopes for the future? 

Freddie now: I am currently studying Maths, Further Maths, Computer Science and Physics A-levels alongside an EPQ in cyber security. My plans post-Millfield are to study a computer science degree at the University of Cambridge for 4 years before delving deep into the innovative tech industry. 

It is quite surreal to see that my Year 9 highlight is almost identical to my current highlight with a slight shift in perspective. In Year 9 I admired the atmosphere of the 1XV games as a spectator, now I can admire it as a player. I also find it amazing that despite 4 years passing, I still see Millfield’s greatest attribute to be its phenomenal facilities and the encouragement to try everything that there is to offer.