Shailey’s Story

Shailey told us how studying at Ratcliffe’s Sixth Form in 2020 helped her to push herself to achieve her potential:

What was it like studying at Ratcliffe?

I spent the majority of my education transferring between schools and would say that I was really glad to spend my sixth form here. There are numerous reasons for why I enjoyed my time here:

– one of which are the teachers who were very supportive and tried to make their lessons as enjoyable as possible, which in turn helped me achieve my grades . Furthermore, I would say that my teachers were tremendously helpful in terms of preparing me for university – in particular, helping me articulate my personal statement and explaining the entire application process, as I was the first person in my immediate family to attend university.

– I was part of a really good cohort, in that we were all quite competitive, so it was nice to be pushed to my potential in a stimulating and challenging environment. In addition, I have made some life-long friends during my time at Ratcliffe which I am grateful for.

– Another aspect of Ratcliffe that I enjoyed was being a prefect in which I was given responsibility to maintain an atmosphere of friendly co-operation, peace, and unity in the school which I would argue helped me develop strong interpersonal skills.

Do you have any memorable moments from your time at Ratcliffe?

– Going to the IMMAC ball during the Christmas period, as it was nice to spend time with the cohort and teachers outside an academic environment

– Attending French film club after school on Thursday’s was very memorable as I got to watch some amazing films such as; ‘les choristes’, ‘les intouchables’ and ‘Bienvenue chez les ch’tis’ which are films I still watch to this day and recommend to others. This was a very fun way to learn French and something I would argue helped me become better at the language.

– Attending the voluntary service unit with other classmates, and spending time with adults who had disabilities – one of my favourite moments from there was a Halloween themed disco night where everyone was dressed in costumes.

What did you do after Ratcliffe?

After Ratcliffe I went on to go study Politics, Philosophy and Economics (PPE) at Lancaster University, where I received a first in my first and second year.

What are you doing now?

I am currently on my placement year (third year) which is part of my university scheme. I work at a Japanese bank called SMBC in London, where my current role is a Market risk analyst. This is a job I started last summer in July and will be completing in September.

Would you say there’s anything which you learnt at Ratcliffe which you still carry with you today?

I learnt how to maintain confidence in a bigger range of situations, particularly with people who come from very different backgrounds – as Ratcliffe was quite diverse – and thus have different views and opinions. This is something I have adopted especially now while being in the workplace.

What would you say to others to encourage them to give money to support the Bursary Fund at Ratcliffe?

I think that the Bursary Fund is a great scheme, since yes it gives students like me the opportunity to attend an institution which has amazing academic and social reputation, but I would argue it also gives them confidence grow as an individual while also being part of a larger community.

Also, I would like to add while the fund is there to provide academic/sporting opportunities for students it is also enables them to build connections with alumni giving them access to a vast network with different careers.

Do you have anything you’d like to say to any of the donors who supported the Bursary Fund whilst you were at Ratcliffe?

I’ll be forever thankful to the donors who made it possible for me to attend Ratcliffe, because this school pushed me to reach my full potential and aided me in becoming the person I am today, and I hope that as a member of the Ratcliffe alumni, I can impact the lives of future students.