WELCOME // HEADS OF SCHOOL
HEAD GIRL
As my final year at Pocklington School draws to a close , having been at the school for eight years , I feel the quote of A . A . Milne perfectly summarises my feelings , “ How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard ”.
Back in 2014 , when my parents and I looked around a number of schools , what immediately stood out to me about Pock was the friendly and welcoming atmosphere the school radiates ; it truly felt like home , and I am glad to say that my first impression was accurate . I am so glad I chose Pocklington to be not only my school but also my home , and I cannot imagine the person I would be if my choice had been different .
Pocklington School is a special environment , it pushes it students to aspire , work hard , progress and achieve the unexpected , whether within the fields of academia , sports , music , drama , the arts , and much more . However , it must be noted that behind every positive result or success , there has been a great deal of dedication from both student and staff bodies . That being said , Pocklington School is not only a special environment in terms of pushing students to be the best individuals they can be , the compassion and care of the school for all its students is second to none .
Looking back over my Pocklington experience , I only have one major piece of advice to all prospective or current students in the school : take risks ! The opportunities at this school are endless and I can honestly say , not only have I found massive enjoyment in so many areas of school life , they have also undoubtedly shaped the person I am today . You may not always be the best or you may fall short of your personal expectations , and that is okay ! Get involved , give opportunities a chance and strive to become a well-rounded individual so you can look back at your Pocklington experience and know you have made the most out of it .
A massive thank you must go to the team of prefects of the Class of 2022 , especially the leadership of deputy heads of school , Christopher Sebastian and Amy Jordan . As a team , you have made mine and Tom ’ s job much easier and have certainly acted as role models for younger years to aspire to . A personal highlight of mine has got to be the prefect team ’ s first trip to Keswick , where we hiked , camped and gorge-walked together at the beginning of the year .
As for the new heads of school Anna Wraith and Henry Rodmell , and the prefect team of 2022 / 2023 , I wish you the best of luck for the upcoming year , and I hope that you enjoy the experience as much as I have .
Lucy Wedge
HEAD BOY
I joined Pocklington School as a First Year in September 2015 and , after weekly-boarding for seven years , Pocklington has become a second home to me . It will be strange not to return when September comes around again . Nevertheless , I look forward to beginning the next chapter of my life post-Pock !
Being offered the role of Head Boy at Pocklington School for this last academic year , has been an immense honour . After a lengthy application process , it was heartening to see that my efforts had paid off . I knew the role would vary greatly this year , due to the pandemic and the spontaneous nature of the role ; I saw this as a challenge which I was eager to tackle .
I have been incredibly grateful to have Lucy , the head girl , by my side , along with a talented team of prefects to share the tasks . Their willingness to take on responsibility has resulted in incredible teamwork , and we have been able to tackle many obstacles this year . Thankfully , we have now seen the back of the pandemic and are moving to a much more ‘ normal ’ Pocklington School life .
Throughout the years , Pocklington has offered me so much and I am very grateful for this . Sport has played a massive part of my time here and I am very proud to say that I have represented the school in nearly every sport possible . In doing this , I have made some incredible memories that will last a lifetime – one of which was the demolition of Hymers on the hockey pitch this season . I would like to thank everyone at school for a wonderful year – there has never been a dull moment !
Finally , congratulations to Anna and Henry – I wish you the best of luck next year . You ’ ll smash it !
Tom Dyson
THE POCKLINGTONIAN 3