Giving a talk to State 6th Formers Next Month on Success

[motiv8ionalguru]

Fellow Mumsnetters,

I am to be the keynote speaker at South London state 6th form federation school next month. My speech, which will take approximately 45 minutes - 1 hour, will focus on high state school achievers in their 30's. The idea being that the students can visualise where they might be in 10 years from now. This institution has an unenviable reputation for drugs and crime, poor results and low aspiration. My address will (hopefully) illustrate what is possible 10 years from now. I am still penning the draft, though I have come up with the following individuals (from South London) who have achieved a lot in the 10 or so years since leaving their respective state schools. Could you help me identify any other pupils?

Euan Blair (London Oratory - now a high-flyer in the world of banking)
Paul Sackey (John Fisher School - England and Stade Francais rugby player)
Will Seaward (John Fisher - comedian and actor performing at Edin. Fringe)
Hayley Attwell (London Oratory - actress)
Johnny Lee Miller (Tiffin - actor)
Safety Fire (London Oratory - a band)
Oritse (London Oratory - JLS a rap group)
Rafe Spall (Haberdashery School - actor and son of Tim Spall)

Kind regards,

D.

This institution has an unenviable reputation for drugs and crime, poor results and low aspiration.

The first on your list is the born into wealth son of a former PM. The last is the born into fame son of a world famous actor.

You want to use these people to inspire children who you have already indicated may have been born into and live within the constraints of particularly difficult circumstances.

I suggest you lack the necessary judgement to present this speech.

Most of those schools (all of them) are difficult to get in to. The examples are not going to inspire the students. They need to hear how people from the same background have achieved success. Look up the school and similar schools on Wikipedia and look for alumni.

Think about who they will have heard of and relate to in terms of their stories- music/ sport/ jk Rowling etc. examples from their world.

They are hardly bog standard state schools are they?

And most of those people had a leg up in life.

I think you need to reconsider your list.

Yes Tiffin is hardly your every day comp

A rather ham-fisted way of saying that not all state schools in London are equal op. I doubt this is news to most users of Mumsnet.

I'm well aware that the schools I've listed are quite good.

In fact, my DS and DD (who both attend IND 6th forms in Croydon), said that they play sports against most of the school's listed.

However, I told them that the students I will be talking to shouldn't be hung up on this, after all, they are state schoolers, too. That is my core message.

I want these kids to know that they can be whatever they want to be.

A simple message for them to process and take away from the talk.

lol

So you'll be telling them that the wealthy and well connected can achieve, so why can't they?

Actors, band members and rap artists are hardly going to inspire them to work hard at their studies, which is the important thing for them. Education is the key to lifting them out of a life of crime and drugs, not pipe dreams of being discovered on X factor.

Their role models should be people who go to uni, or who work hard at apprenticeships, not the son of a former PM.

The experience of state schools varies so much that your chosen examples should be reconsidered. Blair certainly needs to go! Both myself and DH went to state schools. However, our experiences and expectations at that age varied so much it would have been pointless going into his school with examples from mine.

OP do you really think you've thought hard enough about what you are being asked to do?

You have to start from a position of empathy towards the students you'll be speaking to. They want to hear about people who started out in the same sort of school/college as the one they attend; faced the same barriers, overcame the same hardships - and have now found success. Not people whose life circumstances as children would make almost anyone green with envy.

You can't just pick random rich people from impossible to get into state schools that just happen to be in South London.

(It may be that you're very busy with your own career and have little time to devote to this?)

To be frank, having read your second post I'm not sure you're being entirely serious.

You need to find people from their background who have made it. However, it will be hard work finding them because it's so much harder to do it with their background..... Hence why so many feel like they do!

But there must be some.

Our state school call back alumni - many if them have actually done well from C grade profiles but with that sparky, cheekiness that gets you places and a natural entrepreneurial spirit.

But they will be hung up on this, can't you see that?

These are not run of the mill schools. They are incredibly hard to get into, selective (or whatever) and the outcomes do not even vaguely reflect those for children who go to the school you're speaking at, unfortunately. You may as well be comparing kids from Eton.

Is this a joke? It is a joke isn't it...

Are they paying you for this???

If they are, they shouldn't be.

"I'm well aware that the schools I've listed are quite good."

snort

'However, I told them that the students I will be talking to shouldn't be hung up on this, after all, they are state schoolers, too. That is my core message.'

Your core message is that they should be blind to reality.

Yesssss.... that would be really useful.

If you want to make this work you are going to have to make your address less of a fairy tale and also consider that a speech such as yours no matter how great is going to be a drop in the ocean.

Focusing on people who have made it, even those with no connections, is a huge cliche. What you could do is ask the students ahead of time to ponder and write about what they see as the elements that hold them back vs keys to success and make a pastiche of their views. A person I know who addressed his old school in a disadvantaged area (he is a doctor now) did something like that, and felt it went down better than anything along 100% Eleanor Roosevelt lines, which was his initial thought.

Come on OP - it's been a tough old week in MNland. We need a break from the fun and games now ...

I'm originally from Croydon, but have since moved away. Firstly I think you need to use a few bog standard comprehensive schools as examples, otherwise your presentation will be irrelevant and meaningless. Also, I think you need to use schools that aren't necessarily in the London area.

I realise that your presentation will take place in South London, but students need to understand that life exists outside of London so using a couple of examples of schools in other parts of the UK would be a good idea.

For example why not use someone like Jessica Ennis, a well known footballer, an actor or a well known author.

Your audience will switch off with your examples unless you choose people that they can identify with.

Agreed, unless you really get into the mindset of the kids you're talking to, you may as well not bother.

From your OP, your message seems to be that unless you're rich, well connected and go to a top state school, you may as well forget it.

Not really what I would want to hear the students I teach being told.

As is, I'd expect you to lose the audience completely in the first three minutes and have an uphill struggle from then on keeping them engaged. It'll be hideous for you. Honestly.

A piss take if ever I saw one.

What about Ed Miliband, Zadie Smith, Robert Peston, Daniel Craig, Kate Moss, Sir Alan Sugar....?

On the contrary, I expect to keep the students fully engaged throughout.

I am not typical of the kind of speakers they normally bring to the school. By telling them that the world is, quite literally, their oyster, and that I would consider their CVs (provided they get decent grades) as equal to any of the schools mentioned, this will demonstrate to them that it really doesn't matter.

Now, rather than get bogged down in the school types, I simply wish to remain focused on that core message.

'These are state schoolers, your seniors by approx. 30 years, and they 'made it'.

I really wish to drive this home. Admittedly, a few more example of children from regular - what you snobbishly call bog standard comps - would be most ideal.