Lottie, Abdullah and Elizabeth reflect on their first week at OLA
Starting a new job of any sort is a big experience for most adults so what’s it like starting a new school in the middle of a nationwide pandemic for a Year 7 pupil? This week I was very lucky to catch up with three of our new starters who were ready to give me the full story of their first week at OLA.
How did you feel on your first morning at OLA? What were you excited about? What were your worries?
Lottie: I was really scared on the first morning because I thought I wouldn’t make any friends for weeks but I did actually make a lot of friends very quickly. I was really excited about going into different classrooms and being at a bigger school as my old school was really, really small.
Abdullah: I was a little nervous at the start that I would make no friends but then as the day went on I made some friends and met some of my old friends. I really enjoyed it when we had to go around the school and find different things in a quiz that helped us to find out all about the school as far as we could within our boundaries. There were about 20 questions and it would say go to the hall and find a piece of cake or how many classrooms are there in a corridor. So we went around in groups of four or five.
Elizabeth: I was nervous inside my tummy but excited everywhere else. I was also concerned about making friends as only one girl from my old school came here but I made loads of friends quickly too.
School is a little different this term because of the COVID-19 measures. Has this been challenging for you?
Lottie: It’s quite easy because I wasn’t used to how it was before so we have just had to learn things as part of everything else.
Abdullah: I was a little annoyed at the start because I started to go in wrong directions but from this week on Monday I know the way.
Elizabeth: My brother comes here so I came here for shows and things so it is very different to how it normally is. I think it is quite sad it has had to change so much so I hope it can be back to normal soon.
What have you liked most about OLA so far?
Lottie: I really like the different lessons especially the things we didn’t have in my last school like Art and Textiles.
Abdullah: I like the classrooms and lessons because everyone teaches in a different way to how other schools teach. The teachers do it so everyone is having fun at the same time and enjoying it rather than thinking I want to get out of here now!
Elizabeth: I like the lessons but mostly I like the friendly atmosphere as everyone is really nice. If you get lost they help you.
What have you found most difficult?
Lottie: I got lost a few times and went the wrong way on some one-way routes. I went backwards on one route so had to go back and do it again.
Abdullah: The difficult thing about the first week was it was hard to find your way around places to start with so I got lost and had to ask people for help but people helped me. For example finding Maths which is in a gazebo so the librarian helped me to find it.
Elizabeth: I found finding the routes difficult too to start with but also because we are keeping within our boundaries we couldn’t make friends with other groups.
What’s your favourite lesson so far and why?
Lottie: I really enjoy Textiles because I like making things. It’s a lesson we didn’t have in my last school and it’s really fun.
Abdullah: It’s three. I can’t choose between Drama, French and English. Drama is just fun. In French my teacher is very nice and teaches in a sort of way that really gets me on with the lesson. My English teacher is really funny and does fun things.
Elizabeth: I enjoy Textiles and Drama. In Drama we had to go into little groups and they gave us the name of a picture and we had to freeze frame to make a scene from that picture. In our little group we had to create a freeze frame of say a film like The Great Escape.
If you had to sum up your first week at OLA in one word what word would you choose?
Lottie: There are two words exciting and tiring and hot. Three words!
Abdullah: Exhausted but fun!
Elizabeth: I also have exciting and tiring!
Thank you, Lottie, Abdullah and Elizabeth. Next week I hope to bring you part 2 of this feature as I journey over to the Lower School to meet some of our new faces in Years 3, 4, 5 and 6.
Article by Kevin Ball, Head of Marketing.