Jamie H Year 6 – Thrive Personally
“When I joined Thornton everyone was really nice to me and I had a really nice teacher and when I first came in everyone played with me and it was really fun. All of the lunches are really nice. I joined in reception and I am now in Year 5 which is really fun because you get to move around a lot more and go upstairs. When I was 
in Year 4 I was really excited to do that and now I am in Year 5 it is really good fun. I like PE and singing and I also like English and Maths and I like every lesson. I do running club in school and I go to chamber choir on a Thursday. I like in PE that we do the Thornton trail and that’s fun because it is a good course and I like doing drills such as shuttle runs and press ups. I like running because it is an individual sport and you can wear what you want and run at any speed that you want and I feel very free when I run. I did the ISA National Running competition and out of 70 girls I came 33rd and it was 2 hours away and Miss Bates came. I was in a team and we wore a black vest and we came 3rd overall and that was really good. On the way there I was really nervous but when you are running it was really fun. Outside of school I do a lot of after school training, running club, athletics, tennis and a triathlon club so I do lots. Sports and PE is my favourite thing. I thrive at Thornton because all the teachers are really encouraging, all the people are nice and all of the lunches are really really yummy. There are really good grounds and I like running around them. I have lots of friends at Thornton in lots of different years. I like the English classroom because it has the step and the carpet and lots of pillows!”
I thrive at Thornton because all the teachers are really encouraging, all the people are nice and all of the lunches are really really yummy.
Pippa C Year 9 – Thrive Academically
I Thrive at Thornton because of the range of opportunities and that’s in clubs, subjects and events. For example I quite like reading at school. You get to read different texts so at GCSE you read Dr Jekyll and Hyde and An Inspector Calls but you also get to read in the library. I’m a pupil librarian so that means I get to do events like World Book Day and I know today the author Holly Webb is coming in so you get to do a lot of different things. Thornton works for everyone and different interests so if you don’t like academic subjects there are also a lot of art opportunities and the school makes sure you can do anything you want to, or you can do a whole range. I also really like the teachers here because I feel I learn a lot, I’m confident with the subjects and I don’t feel worried about GCSEs because I know the teachers will get me to the point where I can do really well.
I thrive at Thornton because of the range of opportunities.
Alex D Year 9 – Thrive Academically
I like Thornton because it is one big community and everyone is really supportive and you are always encouraged to do your absolute best in everything. It never feels like you’re being overly pushed or pressured its just a big supportive community pushing you to get as far as you can. My favourite subject is history. I like learning about how people have lived and how it relates to our own society now. I really enjoy all the clubs. I do a range of music and sport and it just really reinforces things like teamwork and helps with things like public speaking and performing in front of people and helps me to be more confident in my own abilities. In my GCSEs I want to do as well as I can, I want to do History, Spanish, Music and Geography and just go as far as I can with them. I’d really like to go further in History and Music as these are the subjects I think I can really excel at. I definitely want to pursue things that I love doing and I really want to do a job and a career that makes me happy and I want to use my academic abilities further. I joined Thornton in nursery when I was about 2 ½ years old and realised I loved learning in about Year 6 and especially in Year 7 when I was put in sets so that I could go further and deeper with my learning.
I like Thornton because it is one big community and everyone is really supportive and you are always encouraged to do your absolute best in everything.
Alejandra Year 9 – Thrive Globally (International Boarder)
Being at Thornton has been a lovely experience and I could never imagine it was going to be like that because living at school has been a different experience with different languages. I never thought I was going to have this fun and meet these different people living here with the other girls and sharing things with them. I really enjoy the activities we do in boarding on Saturdays because they take us to places and we have visited London, Oxford and Cambridge and I hadn’t really had the opportunity to go to these places but we go every weekend with school. On Sundays they always find activities we can do so we are never bored and even if I am in school I am having a really great time. Even in the weekdays all the students are really nice and I met them and made lots of friends, it’s a really nice experience because I am learning another language. The way they teach me is an easy experience for me to learn it so I can improve my way of speaking and listening to them helps me day to day. My English has changed a lot because I am all the time listening and also the way they teach me it helps me for my speaking and all the classes make sure that I really understand it. First I thought I couldn’t speak to lots of people because it’s everything in a different language and maybe I didn’t have the words to express myself but they really helped me and now I’m used to speaking in English and all the girls understand that I’m not English and they just help me a lot. The timings of the day are strange at first because I eat much later in Spain so here it was different but it is fine because I get used to it and the food in school is really nice and I never really thought it was going to be like that. At school in Spain you have a plate of food and you have to eat it but here you have lots of food to choose it. In my class students are really nice and I have made friends with everyone and also because we mix classes in lots of subjects we do a lot of projects in teams and I have also had the opportunity to meet all the other people in other classes. I think this experience has helped me because it is another way of thinking because it is in a second language. I really enjoy Chemistry here because we do a lot of experiments. I really enjoy the labs here they are amazing and also the teachers explain it really well and so I understand the subject. I like the sports here because the sports we do here I don’t normally practise them like hockey I’ve never played it before and netball I have never played netball before and now I am in the team and I play it every week. I went to other schools and played matches. My favourite trip has been Oxford – we went to Oxford when it was the Christmas Market and everything was really nice and in a few weeks we are going to London and I am really looking forward to it.
Being at Thornton has been a lovely experience. I never thought I was going to have this fun and meet these different people living here with the other girls and sharing things with them.
Chiamaka O – Thrive Professionally – (Sixth Form Day Student)
I joined Thornton in Year 10 and at that time when I joined I had no clue what I wanted to do coming into Thornton. If you told me back then that I’d be wanting to go and do physiotherapy in University and some of the A Levels that I have taken now I’d think that’s crazy, because I couldn’t imagine myself doing that given my previous school I was in. I feel that in my time from Year 10 to 13 the support I have been given and the pathway the school has helped me pave and building my confidence so that I know I can go on to do all these big things with myself and my life has just really encouraged what I want to do next. Also going for Head Girl and getting Deputy Head Girl and being within the team and working with people around the school I feel like that was something I would have been scared to do. However now, like I said before, the confidence I have built being in the environment where everyone is just kind of pushed to be their better selves explains how I went to the This is Me event, being able to talk with people I have never seen before and working really well with Victoria and with staff and students. Mrs Scott, the Careers Advisor, helped me to get work experience, which so helpful because that was the first professional setting in the physio world that I ever got to experience what it’s like to be a physiotherapist for a few days and I feel like if I hadn’t got the support and guidance from Mrs Scott I don’t think I would have been able to get a space on the programme. It was quite difficult, however, I’m really glad I got it because it really gave me a great insight into what it will be like when I go out into the professional world. Even in Year 10 we had careers sessions with Mrs Lewis looking at UCAS and different careers opportunities and this helped open my eyes to the amount of difference careers you can have and go into and encourage yourself to throw yourself into it and put yourself out there. My work experience was at Milton Keynes Hospital and I go to shadow a physio therapist, doctors and nurses. I got to go into their meetings before consultations and it was a really good experience. I do biology, psychology and health and social care and I’ve just completed my EPQ and I want to go on to do physio therapy and specifically specialise in respiratory physio therapy. I would like to go on to the University of Winchester and it’s really good and I’m really excited for it all. Thornton has especially given me confidence and organisational skills because with the support you get you become more organised and I feel that going into the professional setting being organised and having the confidence is so important.
I feel that in my time from Year 10 to 13 the support I have been given and the pathway the school has helped me pave and building my confidence so that I know I can go on to do all these big things with myself and my life has just really encouraged what I want to do next.
Jamie C – Thrive Globally (International Boarder)
At first I was really scared joining Thornton because it is a new place, a new world so far away from my country and I was crying a lot in the first week. Then the first person who I met asked me if I wanted a hug and I immediately felt warmed and welcome because you are alone and in a new place and you want someone to be with you. I think at Thornton the boarding part is really nice because in the first week you play games and get to meet each other. Also at dinner you sit with different people and you get to make new friends from different countries. I have friends from Nigeria, Korea, South Africa, India and all around the place. We all talk about different cultures because we don’t know much about each others countries so we ask lots of questions and learn from others. It’s nice because when you visit those countries in the future you can meet your friends again and know more about those places already. I like the boarding common room because we can hang out there and play games, relax on the sofa, buy snacks, make noodles and watch TV. I have been at Thornton for four years now and I am so pleased because I never thought I would study in a different country so far away from my country Hong Kong but I am enjoying it so much. I like science because we do lots of different practical’s and experiments. MY favourite subject is biology. I am doing separate science, geography, photography and ESOL for my GCSES. Esol is for people who English is not their first language to learn basic English and do exams to be able to work and study at university. I enjoy the weekend trips – we visit museums, art galleries, and go shopping! My favourite trip has been ice skating at Milton Keynes and going out for pizza! I have made lots of friends with UK students across the whole school because last year we did a Guys and Dolls drama production and I was back stage so I got to help everyone so that’s the time I got to meet everyone in the school. Friends invite me to their homes for their birthday parties and at the weekends for a sleepover and it’s really nice. In boarding at dinner we do lots of different culture food. I liked the geography trip so much and I play the piano. I learn to play the Ukulele with Mr Ireland and he teaches us the songs he has learnt and I really like playing cricket in the summer.
I have been at Thornton for four years now and I am so pleased because I never thought I would study in a different country so far away from my country Hong Kong but I am enjoying it so much.
Jess H – Thrive Professionally – (Sixth Form Day Student)
I think I thrive professionally because I have had the opportunity to do lots of careers events at school. We have the STEM event which is really interesting because we get to learn about different pathways like apprenticeships and university and teachers really support you all the way through that. I would like to be a teacher in secondary school and teach geography probably. Thornton has given me the opportunity to explore what I would like to do and explore different pathways without ruling out other things so that if I choose to go down a certain way and then I realise that’s not what I want to do we can take a step back look at it again and then go down another pathway. I love interacting with people and I would like every day to be different and I would like to give something back and that’s why I would like to go into teaching because I think it is a great way to help people. Sixth Form is really great. The subjects are great; there is variety and the class sizes are really small which means you get more time with the teacher and they can support you to get top grades. Also teachers help you with everything they help you with UCAS, they will help you find universities, they will help you find courses, they will help you with references and jobs. Sixth Form life is busy, very busy, but its fun and supportive and everyone just gets on really well. Although we are all busy doing different things we do come together as well. I study philosophy and ethics, geography and English literature – lots of essays I’ve found out! I’m really enjoying all of them to be honest and they all sort of link as well for example philosophy and English I’ve seen loads of links because of time periods but also with geography and philosophy with the world and how it relates with political geography. We went to Iceland for our geography trip which was just the most amazing trip; we went in lava tunnels, we went in the blue lagoon, we went up a glacier, we went to the coast and see the rock formations there and geothermal energy which is something I am really interested in and I have done my EPQ on ‘the potential for using geothermal energy in the UK’ to help with energy insecurity. An EPQ is an Extended Project Qualification and it is worth half an A Level. You study it alongside your A Levels. You can choose the topic and choose a question which you go and research and write a report. The geography trip really helped me to understand more about it. It was an amazing trip and it was such a great few days and we learnt so much and we can put what we learnt into our studies because we saw it in Iceland and can link what we experienced with what we are studying in the classroom. There are lots of leadership roles at Thornton. You have Head Girl and Deputy Head Girl and three House Captains for Cavendish, Ingleton and Tyrell our three Houses. You then have an ethos representative, a boarding prefect and a marketing and development prefect. I’ve got marketing and development prefect and I work with the development team and help talk with people, talk to prospective parents, help with events, help promote the school and show people what the school is about. All of this experience gives me responsibility above anything else you have to manage it alongside your studies, but also for me personally I have developed social skills especially in this role because you are interacting with different people whether they are inside school already or coming into school. I’ve learnt to talk with loads of different people. I also think all those things that come with responsibility like time management, organisation and confidence, will help me when I get a job as these are all the skills that will be needed.
Thornton has given me the opportunity to explore what I would like to do and explore different pathways…
Sasha K – Thrive Personally
I joined in Year 7 when I was 11 and I felt really scared on my first day but everyone the teachers and students made me feel really welcome and I never felt like I would get lost or anything. I know sometimes it can be intimidating going to bigger schools but that never happened coming here which was really nice. I think it is really nice that all the years are all together in the quad because you have all the tiny little students all the way up to the year 13 and it makes it a nice community. I’ve never felt scared going up to people and asking questions if I don’t know the answer. I really enjoy the science and history and geography – they are my favourite subjects but all the other subjects are good too. I do lots of horseriding. I live on a farm with my family and I’ve been competing since I was five years old. The equestrian team is really good here and I love doing the NSEA which is the National Schools Equestrian Association competitions for Thornton and it’s a really nice equestrian team. I came to the school a bit shy and a bit unsure of how to be and how to make friends. I’ve come here and everyone just seems so nice and the teachers really care. I know in other schools you’re just one of a billion children they teach but here they really care and will notice if you are having a bad day and will ask if you are ok. Everyone is really nice and I never feel that there are groups that I don’t want to talk with – everyone here is really nice and polit e and I’ve made lots of friends. The equestrian team is an all discipline team competing in dressage, show jumping and eventer challenges all over the country and there are lots of championships to qualify for. It’s all about having fun and making friends. I have two horses, an older experienced one called Baxter and a younger one I am producing called Clara. At Thornton we have won lots of team competitions and we are currently regional champions and we have qualified for the Hickstead nationals in lots of disciplines and we have all qualified for Royal Windsor in May. There is an air about Thornton and you never feel scared or that anyone is going to judge you.
I came to the school a bit shy and a bit unsure of how to be and how to make friends. I’ve come here and everyone just seems so nice and the teachers really care. I know in other schools you’re just one of a billion children they teach but here they really care…
Victoria G – Thrive Professionally – (Sixth Form Day Student)
I already know for a fact that Thornton has given me so much confidence. I know this because I have been successful in gaining placements at the Hummingbird Cancer Treatment Centre and in a dementia care home. They always said that I’ve got so much confidence and am such a breath of fresh air. I honestly feel that from being at Thornton I’ve been pushed out of my comfort zone but it’s because they have known my potential. For example, I have been in some performances like Grease where I’ve had some main parts and also through drama, LAMDA and through more recently the This is Me I have been able to get to know beyond Thornton in terms of wider networks and wider business such as Milton Keynes Business Leaders. I’m studying biology, chemistry and history and I also did the EPQ which I really enjoyed because the topic I did it on was chosen with my specialist supervisor. It really pushed me because I was speaking with someone with Alzheimer’s and my supervisor was a historian so I had to break down such complex theories. This meant that in general I feel I can explain things clearly with anyone I meet – all concepts. The This is Me project was such a wide vision that Chiamaka and I had and we had to really break it down for lots of different audiences. I 100% believe that Thornton has helped me thrive. I have been at this school since nursery and I honestly feel that my whole time at Thornton there has never been a day where I haven’t been happy. The school get to know you on an individual basis and they are able to do that because they really get to know you as a person not just your academic abilities in the classroom and they don’t just have one method of teaching, for example in my A Levels I know that one of my teachers does something different for each student in the classroom because she knows how we learn. I know that the person I am here at school has been shown even more outside of school. The confidence I have means I can meet and talk with so many people outside of school and get to know other people and help the community beyond Thornton as well such as my dementia care work. I would really love to do medicine but I haven’t heard back from all the universities yet but I also potentially may want to do neuro science as I have gained an offer for this course at the University of Manchester and this course would allow me to go abroad. Through my EPQ at Thornton I have learnt that the brain is something I am really interested in and so I may wish to take a gap year and look for hospital placements and take up my offer to expand on my Alzheimer’s research I did with my EPQ. I am still working it out as I may wish to do something in neurology, psychiatry or even further research and this will depend on how much people contact I wouldlike to have. I may find this out with a work placement but at the moment I definitely have an interest in the brain so something within that field that would allow me to communicate with people. At Thornton I have enjoyed being able to grow my confidence in this learning and show this outside of school as well. I 100% believe I have had the support to identify the area I want to go in to. Mrs Scott has worked with me like she does with every student to tailor a personal programme for example I was offered a young doctors programme in London which was really useful for me. I got to explore medicine, something I would potentially love to do, and all the different alleyways you can go into for example Maxillofacial which you have to do alongside dentistry. I got lots of help with that and I got to speak with lots of different doctors and learn about their specialities. Also, Mrs Scott helped me with the careers STEM event and at that event I got to meet a Doctor and her husband. The Doctor offered to help me with interview skills and mentor me which she is already doing. I feel before even leaving sixth form I have a healthy network of contacts in the field I want to go in to. I have actually really enjoyed the extra curricular things I have done at school for example I have been on the ski trip twice allowing me to get to know other people in the school and all the training we have done for sports trips. Also being part of the chamber choir and performing at the stables and playing one of my Grade 8 pieces at the Christmas concert with the amazing acoustics.
I 100% believe that Thornton has helped me thrive. I have been at this school since nursery and I honestly feel that my whole time at Thornton there has never been a day where I haven’t been happy.
Kianna – Thrive Personally – (International Boarder)
So at first I was actually really nervous when I came to Thornton but then I found a really nice bunch of good friends and the teachers helped me a lot in different ways. I joined at the start of Year 7 last year. It was like joining a family because I used to live in Hong Kong and this was my first school and time in England. Thornton was really great at helping me adapt because schools in Hong Kong are really different to here. School here is really relaxed and in Hong Kong the teachers are really strict but here they are happy and I’m enjoying myself. I’ve got different clubs, I do choir, jazz works, orchestra and sting ensemble because I really like music. I play the cello and piano. I like the cello because I really like the sound of it – it is really rich. I take part in all the music concerts at Thornton. I used to be really shy but now being at Thornton I am now brave. The teachers encourage me to not be scared at all and play solo in concerts and I have a bunch of friends and teachers that support me to do these things. I like the variety of clubs at Thornton because I didn’t get that many options in Hong Kong.
I used to be really shy but now being at Thornton I am now brave. The teachers encourage me to not be scared at all and play solo in concerts and I have a bunch of friends and teachers that support me to do these things.
Year 1 Students – Thrive Socially
Aurora
“When I joined Thornton I met a friend called Thea, Mrs Jacobson introduced me to her and I played with her. I loved joining Thornton because I love learning. I love all my lessons but I love maths and I like playing with my friends.”
Jenna
“I’ve gone to nursery and now I am in Year 1. I like the food. I like the way they have fish and chips on Fridays because I think they have it on Fridays because they have yummy food on Fridays because it is nearly the end of the week. I love chips. My favourite food is green olives. I get all the olives because I can’t pick out the green ones but when I get to the table I eat the black ones first so I have the green ones left. I make friends because I ask them their name and I like playing with them. I have lots of friends and we like playing on the grass and I like going on the climbing frame and when it is indoor play there are teddies in the group room and you can have a pile of your own teddies and I get Ella her group of teddies in the morning. Ella is a friend because she is kind. We are all friends because we are unique and this means we are all different and we are all kind to each other.”
We are all friends because we are unique and this means we are all different and we are all kind to each other.
Ella
“I started Thornton in reception and saw my friend Frankie. All my friends in Year 1 are nice to me. When I wake up in the morning I look forward to seeing Mrs Thomas. I like playing with all my friends and we play tag and we play different languages. Being nice and respectful makes being a good friend.”
Luna
“I started Thornton in nursery and I remember spending time with Miss McPartlin. I like the food the most and the crafts. Poppy and Ella are really good friends and Jenna because we always play games together. Today we played a game where I’m the mum, poppy is the big sister, I’m the baby and Jenna is the big sister. I like the snow outside at Thornton and I like the rain because I like my hair getting wet. I like playing on the grass at Thornton and when it is sunny I will run across the grass and do lots of flips and we are allowed to go on the monkey bars. Thornton is a friendly school and come to Thornton and be my friend. Everybody is lovely and it is a friendly school here.”
Thornton is a friendly school and come to Thornton and be my friend. Everybody is lovely and it is a friendly school here.
Thea
“I love Thornton so much. Because I like doing Maths and I like writing. I have lots of friends in Year One and I like doing cards and pictures and hugging my friends. We play all sorts of games and my friends help me with stuff. Today I had to carry lots of things and Jenna helped me.”
I have lots of friends in Year One and I like doing cards and pictures and hugging my friends.
