RIPON GRAMMAR SCHOOL Issue 15 The RGS community magazine 2018/19 TOP CLASS RGS is one of the best-performing INSIDE schools in the WESTMINSTER country How Tommy got into the thick of it GIRL POWER The past pupils making history Art & SOUL WHAT KATIE A talented former RGS DID NEXT student’s remarkable The benefits of creative legacy taking a gap year PLUS: Careers network launched Reunion news Sports successes 1 Past pupil updates Where are they now? We catch up with former RGS students to discover what they did after leaving RGS and find out what they’re up to now ALISON WILSON A letter from Left RGS 2006 fter leaving RGS, I went on to study A sport and exercise our chair of science at the University of Bath, before going on to complete my MSc governors in physiotherapy at the University of Southampton. reasure your schooling’ was just one of the messages Having worked in the given to us at Speech Day. National Health Service for ‘TOur Spring Concert in the beautiful a few years and loving the environment of Holy Trinity Church was great outdoors, I decided just one justification for the obedience to pursue my dream and of this command. The performance move to New Zealand, of Haydn’s Nelson Mass at the end where I am currently of a musical extravaganza involving working as a private more than 150 students, staff and practice musculoskeletal supporters epitomised the values of physiotherapist. our precious institution. A consequence of collaboration, perseverance and In 2015, I re-discovered my dedication, combined with amazing love of sport, which was talent, students and staff delivered a always something I enjoyed beautiful masterpiece. at school. I have taken part in Ironman long-distance We have, over the last year, had triathlons, competing in in Wanaka. And in Gippsland, Victoria, I helped build much cause for celebration, both on the 2016 and 2017 Ironman the first approved ‘earth bag’ sustainable roundhouse and off the sports field, including DAVID PRESTWICH in Australia, using a combination of ‘earth bag’ or World Championships in Left RGS 2017 outstanding musical, drama and Kona, Hawaii, where I super adobe construction, with layered long fabric bags academic achievements. This edition of filled with adobe to form a compression structure, and finished sixth and second fter sixth form. I secured a place at Newcastle Clocktower, celebrating the many and rammed earth. respectively in my age University to study medicinal chemistry but diverse accomplishments of past and group. I still continue deferred my place to take a year out. I found present members of our school, provides to pursue my love of A After I returned from my travels, in early June, I went myself at the Swinton Park Hotel working as a food and evidence of the numerous opportunities back to Swinton Park to work there for a further two sport and racing and am beverage assistant in The Terrace restaurant in mid- available. From diving to teaching, months before taking up my place to study medicinal regularly found on the start August and worked there until mid-December. I then journalism, politics, community projects chemistry at Newcastle University. line of numerous events. went to Australia and New Zealand for 22 weeks in overseas and scientific research, what is I am continuing to pursue total, all from the money I earned at Swinton. During abundantly obvious is how the alumni of Earning money to pay for his adventures abroad: a career in physiotherapy my travels, I saw the whole of New Zealand, which was our school are equipped with the skills David Prestwich at Swinton Park, above Living the dream: sporty Alison Wilson is enjoying the great outdoors in New Zealand here in New Zealand. spectacular, and hiked the infamous Roy’s Peak Track and talents to strive to succeed and follow their dreams. had the opportunity to briefly volunteer for Our role as governors is to support AMY BARRETT a charity in India. Focusing on palliative care the school in the maintenance of this Left RGS 2010 in Kerala, I worked with some of the poorest exceptional environment, where students communities to support families with end-of- fter seven years of attending almost every can pursue their love of learning, feed life care. extra-curricular club Ripon Grammar their curiosity and achieve their very best School had to offer - rather than revising - I within a community of mutual respect, A Finally emerging from academia, I am missed out on my first choice course at Newcastle care and support, where co-curricular working as a foundation-year doctor in University. life is as fundamental as the rigour of the respiratory medicine at Heartlands Hospital in classroom. Birmingham. This has followed placements in Instead, I studied biomedical science at Keele paediatrics and colorectal medicine. Clocktower is a celebration of everything University, achieving a first class degree after three years. Following my unexpected move to RGS has to offer and we are indebted to Perhaps because of my long-winded and the Midlands, I enjoyed working in laboratories, our editor Ruth Savage for yet another unexpected path to becoming a doctor, I am almost full-time in the Students’ Union and exceptional publication. In a world where still undecided where my passion lies in terms rediscovering a love of academia. Success in my news is not always good, and there is of specialist training. That said, I am enjoying undergraduate course opened the door to take on uncertainty, scepticism and concern, we the many varied opportunities foundation a medical degree as a postgraduate at Warwick can be justifiably excited by the diversity training offers and a long overdue study break! and talent celebrated here. University in the West Midlands. Dr Amy Barrett, left. Right, pictured at the After being ‘sent to Coventry’, four years of With best wishes, Trivandrum Institute of Palliative Sciences in intense placements and relentless examinations Kerala with colleague Dr Lucy James and Dr followed. Outside the lecture theatre, I also Elizabeth Jarvis M R Rajagopal, founder of Pallium India 2 3 Alumni news ‘It’s great these Cooking up success Joy Sutcliffe is one of two gifted former RGS students who have made history at Durham Cathedral. The talented singer opportunities tells us how she won its first female choral scholarship are finally being made GIRLS available’ t may come as some surprise to hear that She looks back on her time at RGS with Jack Baldwin, who left RGS in 2017 to follow his passion for allowedthere are still church choirs which won’t fondness: “I was incredibly lucky to be accept female altos. Thankfully, the fact surrounded by so much high-quality music- cooking, is making a name for himself as a young chef that Durham Cathedral had never appointed making at school,” she says. Joy was a chorister a woman in the role didn’t put former RGS at Ripon Cathedral and a member of RGS’s former student who left RGS to take friend and work colleague,” he said. Istudent Joy Sutcliffe off. chamber and senior girls’ choirs before she left up an apprenticeship as a chef has RGS, where she studied music at A-level with A been crowned Young Chef of the Year After two years there, the talented young chef The 19-year-old recently made history when Edward Seymour, in 2017. at the Flavours of Herriot awards, just a year has now been snapped up by the new five-star she won the first female scholarship at the after leaving school. luxury hotel Grantley Hall, near Ripon. prestigious 900-year-old Norman-built place of “Mr Seymour showed me the importance worship: “It’s great that these opportunities of studying music academically as well as Jack Baldwin beat off stiff competition Jack says: “I love so much about my job: the are now finally being made available to female encouraging my choral involvement,” she from 200 other entrants to win the coveted accomplishment I get from serving good dishes singers and I hope that Durham is setting a says. Her advice to other student singers is: award. He also got down to the final six in the of food, the feeling after a long successful trend for other UK cathedrals,” she says. “Definitely keep your eyes open for scholarships Grand Final of the Toque d’Or competition in shift and also working with a great group and places in choirs that will London, having reached the last 60 out of 500 of colleagues. The most difficult part is the Now in her second keep you singing regularly chefs selected in the semi-finals. working hours, but I have a passion for the year studying music at alongside your job or degree catering industry and I wouldn’t have it any Durham University, Joy and certainly don’t let Jack said of the Herriot award: “It’s been the other way.” explains how she wasn’t traditions limit where you highlight of my career so far. It was a tough His signature dish is a mouth-watering hopeful when auditions apply.” competition and to win it meant a lot. It has for the scholarship given me the confidence to grow further.” chocolate torte and many of his recipes came up: “I knew there Mr Seymour adds: “I’ve are inspired by eating out in acclaimed hadn’t been a woman had great pleasure in His first job was with The Bruce Arms in West restaurants, he says. “I’ve always wanted before.” working with many talented Tanfield, where he worked part-time as a pot to be a chef and this was apparent through musicians at RGS.