David and Annie-May are the newest Head Boy and Head Girl here at Oakham School. With big ideas coming from them and the rest of this year’s eager Decem, they are an integral part of School. Get to know about them and their plans for this upcoming year.
David
I joined Oakham in September 2017 from The British School of Paris, where I was taught for five years. Before this, I lived in Sydney for a year and a half. Having grown up exposed to significantly different cultures and dialects, I have been fortunate to have gained diverse cultural experiences, and appreciate what individuals can contribute to a group. I feel privileged and proud to be Head of School with Annie-May this year.
A key aim of mine, and more broadly the Decem, is to ensure everyone feels fully integrated in the school, especially after the fracturing impact of COVID-19. The Decem and I feel that it is imperative that Oakham School mirrors the way society functions, where possible. We want Day and Boarding pupils, Girls and Boys, Upper, Middle and Lower School pupils to feel part of the community.
Having been involved in a range of co-curricular activities, I have witnessed and been a part of an integration of pupils and teachers who in other situations may not have crossed paths. This uniting of the Oakham community is something I have most certainly grasped and enjoyed and is something I want to encourage and ensure it remains accessible to my fellow Oakhamians.
Within this aim of the Decem, individuals have made great progress in their areas of responsibility: The Charity Decem has launched their Open Mic Night which was met with huge enthusiasm and the exposure of secret talents; the Co-Curriculum Decem are well underway with the planning of their What’s on Bulletin inherited from last year’s Decem; and the Equality Decem are gaining awareness for their upcoming events in which pupils and staff can engage in meaningful communication.
Overall, it is clear that this Decem team have hit the ground running and I have high hopes for the upcoming academic year with this group. Not only this but I feel privileged to be in the position I am in, especially with such an impressive group around me.
Annie-May
My name is Annie-May and I am the Head Girl for 2023-2024. I am a Drama Scholar and I’m fortunate enough to be in the first team for Netball, Squash and Athletics whilst studying Philosophy, Psychology and Drama at A-level.
This year, I am one of the Sustainability representatives on the Decem and our main aim is to create an official ‘game plan’ to increase sustainability in the long term. We are striving to educate pupils, especially within the Lower School, on simple but effective ways to increase sustainability to create a green culture running throughout the School as these pupils are the future.
In addition, there are also personal goals I have been looking to achieve, one of which is boosting the numbers in Girls Rugby. Along with other Form 7 girls on the rugby team, we have been trying to recruit and encourage girls of all ages to join, including speaking at an assembly.
For me, I feel that everything in School this half term has been very successful, across every area of the School whether that be sport, music, drama or academic. Due to the fact that I cover all sections of this school, I have been able to support others doing these things and I couldn’t be more proud of the success other students have had across the year groups in their various endeavours.
To finish with some advice, as the year progresses, workload increases, and so does the need for commitment so pupils should not hesitate to ask for help or support whenever they need it – people are on hand to help.
