SCHOOL NEWS// CAREERS & BUSINESS NETWORK
FOPS CONTINUE TRADITION
OF GIVING BACK
The Friends of Pocklington School (FOPS) have enjoyed
supporting the school this year by holding social events,
fundraising for school projects, and welcoming families to
events such as parents’ evenings, open mornings and sports day.
An evening of laughter and dancing at the Christmas Ball,
raised £1500 and we are pleased to announce that this money
has been donated to the following projects:
• Boarders’ Fireworks, an event which FOPS have been long
standing supporters of
• A clay slab roller for the Art Department
• A LEGO Mindstorms EV3 Robotic Building Kit for use in
Science, IT and Design Department
• Hire of a mobile planetarium, a fantastic educational unit
for pupils… and parents may get a peek too!
These educational materials will benefit pupils from across
the school years in Prep and Senior School. The provision
of resources such as these would not be possible without the
support of the Pocklington School community. Parents and
guardians become members of FOPS when they join the
School. Attending FOPS events, or giving your time, services
or skills, can make a real difference to our pupils.
In March, FOPS launched the ‘Big Breakfast’, inviting First
Year families to a Saturday morning breakfast in the dining hall
before school, followed by similar events for Fifth Year, Upper
Sixth and Second Year families. Everyone enjoyed tucking
into a cooked breakfast for £1 each, thanks to Mr D’Arcy and
his catering team, whilst chatting with fellow pupils, parents,
Headmaster Toby Seth and teaching staff. We’re thrilled with
how well this initiative has been received and will be inviting a
different year group each half term, so look out for your email
invite!
For more information about FOPS, ways to help or join our
committee, please email: [email protected].
We would love to hear from you!
VALUABLE CAREERS INSIGHTS
Fourth Year students benefitted from the careers insights of
Pocklington School’s wider community in a series of talks
aimed at stimulating ideas about their future careers, and
building momentum ahead of next year’s GCSE exams.
Parents, OPs, friends of the School and members of the Careers
and Business Network came into the School to deliver ten-
minute talks on their current jobs and career journey. Speakers
included an anti-corruption lawyer, a software developer, a
local GP, a financial adviser, a HR manager and a Professor
of Art History.
The event was part of the School’s structured careers guidance
which begins with lessons in the Third Year and progresses to
individual, one-to-one careers advice in the Fifth Year and beyond.
Careers and University Advisor Gillian Jones said the visitors’
talks were valuable opportunities for pupils to broaden their
career horizons, learn about routes to the workplace and the
skills that are valued, as well as help them make informed
decisions about future subjects and courses.
She added: “Hearing someone talk about their job can spark an
interest in a career which might not otherwise have occurred to pupils.
It’s equally important that they hear about the speaker’s career path
and realise it’s not always straightforward. Some of our speakers didn’t
necessarily excel at school, or at their first choice of career, but still went
on to find their niche.
“That’s where a broad education such as that we offer at Pocklington
School comes in. The extra curricular activities also help develop skills
and personal qualities which they can call on in the future.”
Recently-published research by the Education and Employers
charity showed pupils who heard directly from employers about
the realities of getting a job went on to get better grades. It also
recognised the advantages of extensive links with employers.
Mrs Jones said: “Hearing first-hand about how a particular
qualification helped someone get a job helps pupils recognise the direct
implications of their exams and motivates them to study harder. Real
life role models are also inspirational.
“We hope that our current Fourth Year students will mull over what
they’ve heard during the summer holidays and return to their GCSE
year super-motivated, with burgeoning.”
THE POCKLINGTONIAN
17