What our pupils say - (click on pupil name)

Marianna Krupnikova in Year 10 and halfway through her GCSEs
Matthew Greathead in Year 12
Robert Readman in Year 8

Matthew Greathead in Year 12
Matthew has been at Stanbridge for five years. He is now in the L6th taking AS Art & Design, PE and retaking GCSE Maths and English.

A Typical Stanbridge Day
When you're on duty you wake up about 10 minutes before the start of breakfast. I have to make sure everyone is up, in uniform and ready for breakfast. I am responsible for checking the flow of pupils into the dining room.

I am responsible for waking myself up. We set our alarm, get a shower.
The sixth form are treated like adults. We are given the responsibility and respect by staff.

There are two or three of us on duty. When it's over we have to lock up the room and thank the dining staff. We have a break, before checking that all students are in chapel at 8.45. If there are any missing you have to check on them in their blocks. Sometimes we have to find a particular child for the teachers. Then back for a cup of coffee in the common room before lessons.

At 9.10 lessons start and continue to either 3.20 or 4.00. On Wednesdays lessons finish at 2.40. Lessons are 40 minutes long, but most of mine are doubles. ASs are very difficult and I need all the time to digest the information.

In my PE lessons there are 3 pupils in the group, in Art there are 6 to 8. The advantages of this are that I can ask all the questions I want and there are few distractions.

There are Junior and Senior lunchtime duties. The team of monitors and prefects sort out between them who does what. These teams work well if you get along with each other. The Head Boy and Girl organise the teams along with the Head of Sixth Form. You can negotiate who you work with.

After lessons there are compulsory activities; boys do football, rugby, basketball; the girls netball and swimming. I enjoy being in the teams. It's a privilege. There are a wide variety of team games. Depending on how good the sessions have been, games last for around an hour and a half.

I made friends in my dormitory groups and through my brother who is also here. I've got friends throughout all age groups. I know some of these friendships will last for years.

Then there's supper. Checking children in, making sure tables are clean. Breakfasts are good, dinner can be good. Lunches - there's a salad bar, quite a lot of variety and I like fish and chips on Friday and chicken on Mondays. Brunch on Sunday is excellent - lunch and breakfast together and a bit later, a good idea..

After supper in the week, the sixth form have a break, watch TV, relax and prepare for prep. Some days I go to the IT room. There are always one or two staff around. It's the students' responsibility to know what they have to do, but there are staff there to help.

The ALCs are excellent. You won't get them like this anywhere else. If you have problems you explain them to the ALC teacher and together you get things done. We know that without then we would not have got through the GCSEs and the same with MLC teachers in the new Maths Learning Centre.

At weekends there's Saturday school. After chapel at 8.45am, we talk with the Head of Sixth Form about careers, general topics and interview techniques. It gives us a view of the outside world. It prepares us for life.

I came here in year 9. Before I came here I can remember never knowing my times tables. Outside school things were alright. At Stanbridge there is this bond. I've got the guys I've grown up with. Some leave, some new ones come. Now there are six guys I've known all the way through. It's like a big family. We've all got the same sort of situations. I'm more confident. I've got my sport. My parents have noticed the change. Before, I never understood things. Stanbridge has really changed things for me. Stanbridge is magic.

WHAT OUR PUPILS SAY