DNCC Chief Executive George Cowcher recalled his days at the Priors Court prep school (1964-67) and Kingswood School (1967-72) in Yeovil earlier this week to the Nottingham Post Newspaper.......
"I went to primary school in Yeovil, Somerset, but I was very fortunate that my grandmother left enough money to send her five grandchildren to boarding school.
"I was ten when I started boarding. It was a three-hour journey in a Hillman Minx to Priors Court prep school in Newbury, Berkshire, and it felt like a different planet.
"It was tough, There was no heating, limited food, and a very, very rigorous regime. Parents could come and visit you a couple of days a term but not for the first five weeks. I was studying subjects such as Latin which i'd never done before. And there was no connection with the outside world.
"I just remember playing endless board games. The first year was tough, but you made friends and there was a pattern. Going home was a great treat, but after a few days there you were half-keen to go back to school, I learned more In three years there than at any other school.
"But going to Kingswood School in Bath felt like a return to civilisation. it was a much more liberal regime. I was very good at certain Subjects, including English, history, and geography, and gave them a lot of attention.
"There were others I wasn't good at and didn't give attention to. I struggled with anything scientific. played rugby, scrum-half, and loved it. And hockey, which I hated, I got to 0-revers early; then took my eye off the ball and struggled to get four more.
"So at 16 there was a debate about whether to leave school or not. I think my parents thought about bringing me home for a bit of parental supervision. But I stayed, and got four A-levels - two As and two Cs.
"I think being away from home at an early age does give you a high degree of self-reliance. it makes you want to strive for success."
Now, it may have been a long time ago, but Mr Cowcher's recollection of his school days really goes to show the importance of a good education. And this is what our School of the Year category is all about.
It's about showcasing the great work that goes on in the local education community and will be given to the school that demonstrates excellence in the way it approaches the support given to their students to enable them to gain key employability skills required and identified by employers.
Entrants will be asked to demonstrate how they build robust relationships with business, delivery work-related enrichment activities and how they ensure that students are exposed to the world of work to ensure that they are job-ready.
So, if you believe your school has got what it takes to win this award, then why not download an application pack by clicking the link in the side bar and you could be picking up our prestigious new School of the Year award later this year.
