Welcome to the start of the new academic year: new students;
new staff; existing students and existing staff. I hope that you have had a wonderful summer,
that the results that you have achieved reflect your efforts and that you are
ready for the next part of our exciting journey.
Our results are the best that have been achieved at our
College in terms of the top grades (104 A*), nearly 50% of students achieving
A*– B grades, and a higher proportion, nearly 40%, achieving A – B at AS
level. The BTEC results are also
outstanding with many students achieving Distinction* and progressing on to
University. More students have been
successful in gaining entry to University (500) with many going on to the top
Russell Group (4 to Oxbridge), and on to highly prestigious courses (medicine,
economics, law, engineering, mathematics and natural sciences).
We are really proud of all of our students who have
completed their study at our College and wish them success in their future
careers.
Your journey begins on Wednesday and Thursday. Our enrolment is complete and we will not be
enrolling anymore students for 2015-2016.
Mark Twain said:
"20
years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do
than by the ones you did do. So throw
off the boat lines. Sail away from the
safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in
your sails. Explore. Dream.
Discover."
I would urge all of you to take this advice and make the
most of your time at our College. These
can be some of the best years of your educational career and you need to make
the most of all that you will experience.
You will meet many new people (staff and students), experience new
subjects, have a range of opportunities available (trips, visits, performances,
team games, competitions……), and become a part of one of the best Colleges in
the country.
We would like all of you to shine, have fun, further develop
the thrill of learning in a new environment and enjoy yourself whilst achieving
success.
"Remember
when you were young, you shone like the Sun.
Shine
on you crazy diamond.
You
were caught in the crossfire of childhood and stardom,
Blown
on the steel breeze.
Come
on you target for faraway laughter, come on you stranger,
You
legend, you martyr, and shine!" Pink
Floyd
As you meet many new students and staff, remember that they too
may be as nervous as you are. Whilst
others often appear calm and confident on the surface, inside, they may be
equally anxious and self-doubting:
"What do they think of me?"
"Do I fit in?"
"Do they like me?"
"Am I as clever as they are?"
Are the clothes that
I am wearing acceptable?"
The metaphor of the swan comes to mind, calm, peaceful and
radiant on the surface but frantic paddling below the water. Remember, that everybody is in that
situation.
At Wyke, the emphasis is on being yourself, perhaps more so
than at any other time in your school career.
Individuality and diversity need to be cherished and celebrated but by
becoming a member of our College, you are also a member of the collective. Being a Wyke student carries an expectation
about your behaviour, your intellect and your maturity. My advice is to be yourself but also be
mindful of which "you" you present.
Billy Joel’s songs come to mind:
"Don't go trying some new fashion
Don't
change the colour of your hair
You
always have my unspoken passion
Although
I might not seem to care.
I
need to know that you will always be
The
same old someone that I knew
What
will it take ‘til you believe in me
The way that I believe in you", BJ,
"Don't go changing".
"Well,
we all have a face
That
we hide away forever
And
we take them out and show ourselves
When
everyone has gone
Some
are satin, some are steel
Some
are silk and some are leather
They’re
the faces of the stranger
But
we love to try them on", BJ,
'The Stranger'.
Every week each of our curriculum areas have put forward a
word for the week to help expand your word horde. This week I have started the ball rolling
with ‘endeavour’ (OED definition: try hard to do or achieve something and an
attempt to achieve something). I trust
that you will endeavour to be
successful in all your pursuits this year and look forward to seeing you grow
academically, professionally, emotionally and personally.
On a different note, my beloved Leeds United have a much
stronger team (like our College), and have started the new season well. I am quietly confident about the future and
all of the pre-season changes that have been made. Like Leeds, I believe that our performance as
a College will get even better.
Have a brilliant start to the new Academic Year.
Jay Trivedy
