SIXTH FORM

Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls, Emma and I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for joining us today. It has been our privilege to hold the positions of heads of school and we can't believe how fast this year has gone by. Emma and I have both put together a few words to express our feelings as our time at Rockport comes to an end.

Through my eventful 10 years at Rockport, I am so thankful for the efforts of my teachers, helping me with not just learning the required content but growing my curiosity and passion for my subjects as well as always understanding the students. The teachers always turn learning from a chore into an activity, even during lockdown when everything was changing and normalcy wasn't possible for most. Thanks to their hard work and continuous support, our lives remained structured and we had the ability to socialise every day when other schools were limited to purely worksheets. I want to take this opportunity to thank all of the teachers for giving us a friendly face willing to provide support through the days of COVID when the weight on our backs began to drag us down. I am glad that Rockport has prepared me with a new set of tools to face challenges head on with as I leave to begin my next chapter. I will now hand over to Emma, who would also like to say a few words. Tabitha Allen, Head Girl.

 

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When I was first told by my parents that I was moving to Rockport in year 9, my reaction was that of any twelve year old being told that they have to start over in a new school. I was upset to leave my friends, scared that I wouldn't fit in, and worried that Rockport wouldn't be the right place for me. My parents agreed that if I spent a year at Rockport and still didn't like it, I could move back to my old school. If I was told back then that I would be standing here today giving the head girls speech 6 years later, I would never have believed it. It only took a matter of weeks of me being at Rockport until I told my parents that I was staying for good, right after the Marbella trip. The people who made me feel so comfortable at Rockport so fast are many of the same people that I will be leaving with next week, but Rockport has so much more to offer than just the close friendships brought about by the small class sizes. 

One of the many things I will miss are the teachers, however after handing Mr Corcos an average of 8 essays a week but never remembering to hand in my French homework for Mrs Palmer even thought it was completed (honestly Miss, I actually had it done), I'm not sure they will miss me as much. When you approach teachers here, they will never turn you away, whether you are asking them for help with a topic you struggle with or just telling them about your weekend of watching grey's anatomy and eating salted pretzels. I would like to thank Mrs Walker, Mrs Hobson, and Miss Bridges in particular for always being a shoulder to cry on, metaphorically and literally, but that was just one time. No matter how trivial an issue, such as a year 10 breakup, they have always made me feel seen and heard and it is because of them that I intend to continue English as a hobby alongside my degree next year. I would like to thank our lovely sixth form supervisors, Mrs Gordon and Mrs Vance, for actively taking interest in our lives as well as our studies. I think Mrs Gordon was more excited than me when I finally passed my driving test after a year of my horror stories from in the car. Mrs Vance always brought in our 'Friday treats' every week at break, and I must admit that it was always my hand in the bowl first. 

When I speak to my friends at other schools, their teachers don't even know their last names. Now, I can't imagine being at a school where you're just a name on a sheet because the teachers here know you personally, just because they care. I would also like to thank Mr Corcos, who taught me that whilst my grades are important they don't define me or dictate what the future holds for me.

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I would never have been able to achieve what I have without Rockport academically, but I would also never have been able to experience what I have either, from Round Square trips and Sports Tours to eating home-made cakes on Wednesdays in English. But the thing I will miss most of all when I leave Rockport to start my next chapter is the school lunches. I would finally like to thank Alan Greene and the kitchen staff for all that they do for everyone at school. Some days during study leave I would come into school just to get lunch and I intend to come back for the mashed potatoes. Without a doubt, going to Rockport shaped me into who I am today and I owe my achievements to Rockport but also to my parents, who never doubted me and always ensured I put my all into everything I did. They taught me the value of hard work, determination, and never giving up on what you want to achieve. To finish, I would like to reiterate a phrase of Mr Vance's that I have felt to the fullest recently. You may leave Rockport, but Rockport will never leave you. Emma Yeaman, Head Girl.