State school success stories to inspire academically average DS and his friends

[Dulwichmamma]

State school success stories to inspire academically average DS and his friends

DS is in Y8 at a large London comp in Southwark/Dulwich area. The school does lots to raise aspiration and push the pupils to realise their full potential. I have no complaints. There are considerable numbers of pupils from broken homes, exposure to drugs, mental health issues etc but many middle of the road families too. Quite a few kids go on to uni at the end of their time at the school.

DS has been put me on the spot, though, by asking me if any successful people had been to his school. I went to the alumni list on Wikipedia and found zero (exempting professional footballers!)
I would like to compile a list of 20 or so celebrities/successful people who attended local comprehensive schools, if only to go back to DS and his friends to inspire them.

I’m also considering contacting the school to see if they couldn’t reach out to any successful ex-pupils to go back to the school to give a talk to the youngsters. Is this something any other schools do?

(Strictly no grammar school pupils)

Current list

Lord Sugar – Entrepreneur, Brooke House Comprehensive, London
Matthew Wright – Journalist, talkshow host, John Fisher School, Surrey
John and William Seaward – Actors/’The InBetweeners’, John Fisher School, Surrey
Jude Law – Actor, Kidbrooke Comp, London
Stella McCartney – Fashion designer, Bexhill Comp, Sussex
Robbie Williams – Popstar, St Margarets Catholic School, Stoke-on-Trent
Andy McNab – ex-SAS, author, Kingsdale Comp, Dulwich
Hayley Atwell – Actress, London Oratory School
Safety Fire – Rock band, London Oratory School
Ed Milliband – Former Leader of HM Opposition, Haverstock Comp, London
Oona King – Labour Politician, Haverstock Comp, London
Dominic Cooper – Thomas Tallis School, Kidbrooke
Kate Tempest – Thomas Tallis School, Kidbrooke

Oh that’s weird? I thought the only selective schools near South London were to be found in Sutton?

Selective how? Selective anymore? Selective on the sly?

I’m having a laugh at the inclusion of Stella McCartney!!! Isn’t she the DD of the mega rich Paul? I guess she really struggled against the odds!!!

Many schools don’t have well known alumni. I went to a grammar and we don’t have any! However we do have some successful alumni. In their careers and they were all from ordinary backgrounds back then.

Danny Baker would be a great speaker. Footballers by and large don’t make great speakers but they are success stories through talent, dedication and hard work. That is admirable and if they play for Milwall they are hardly multi millionaires!

I would look at who can support the school and possibly mentor DCs from the local community. Busy celebrities won’t give you the time as they haven’t got it! I also think they are not always relatable to. They are so far removed from the day to day life of the children. Local business people, the football club and other professionals who live in the area would be better in my view.

Seems like the usual thing - successful comprehensive school pupils can't have gone to an "ordinary comprehensive"

Amy Winehouse went to Ashmole Academy in Southgate

Rob Brydon moved from private to a comp. He said he was worried it would be like Grange Hill but it was lovely. He took part in school drama productions there with Ruth Jones who was there at the same time

I love your idea.

I think Stella McCartney also went to King Alfreds in Golders Green? My friend says she was at school with her for a bit.

Camden School for Girls hasn’t always been a comprehensive-some would argue it still isn’t. I’d check that some of those older Camden Girls didn’t go when it was a grammar.

How do we know that Stella McCartney's success didn't have something to do with her school?

Unlike many other celebrity children she's not p**ssing about with her career, selling a few frocks to Daddy's friends from her Knitsbridge cubby hole and calling herself a designer. She's built up a pretty big Empire and you don't do that just trading off your name, although clearly that's giving you a great start.

Maybe having her education in a less privileged environment and mixing with a more diverse range of children actually gave her some of the skills needed to go as far as she has?

Helen Sharman - ex Mars employee, first British astronaut and first woman to go to the Mir space station. Went to a distinctly average state school. Also on the space theme, Sir Bernard Lovell and Colin Pillinger both went to state school, so did Tim Peake.

Though it's old, show him this:

www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/8818023/Millionaires-more-likely-to-have-gone-to-state-school.html

Jude Law attended Alleyns. Many celebs mentioned above had very influential parents who could afford extra tuition, music lessons, etc etc.

Victoria Beckham attended St. Mary's High School in Cheshunt, where she was embarrassed by her family's wealth and often begged her father not to drop her off outside the school in their Rolls Royce.[17] Eventually, she became a member of a band called Persuasion. (From Wikipedia)

Milliband also had a daddy who pulled a few strings to get him into Oxbridge and politics on the back of very average A levels.

And I would argue that quite a lot of footballers are privately educated nowadays; footballing prowess seems to be hereditary. People like Frank Lampard and Jamie Redknapp were educated privately. Also many clubs put their talented youngsters through private schools.

I think perhaps you should be focussing on scientists and engineers and professionals, rather than glamour, celebrity type jobs.

Keira Knightley - Born in London, England, on March 26, 1985, Keira Christina Knightley grew up in a show-business family. Her father is actor Will Knightley and her mother is playwright Sharman Macdonald. Don’t tell me she became famous by pure luck.

My DD. Went to a comp that's always been a comp. classes of 30+ in most subjects. Currently studying to be a doctor. One of her oldest friends from a single parent home where dad was an alcoholic gambler is now at Oxford. Alan Sugar springs to mind too 😁

Peter Jones went to The Windsor Boys School
(which despite it's posh sounding name is in fact local comp)

Benedict Cumberbatch and Rory Kinnear also came from acting families - that doesn't stop them being routinely used as examples of successful people who went to private school.

This is Ed Miliband on his education:

*I learned at my school about a lot more than how to pass exams. I learned how to get on with people from all backgrounds, whoever they were.

I wouldn’t be standing on this stage today without my comprehensive school education.*

Funny how when someone is successful from Eton, or Winchester, that's put down to "private school" even though they're hardly typical of the independent sector.

What sort of nin celebrity people would inspire him?

Tech types?
Doctors?

I just googled a UK company Skyscanner and at least two of the three founders went to comprehensives.

MY DH. Academically average, comp, Poly. Worked as a lab technician, then as applications chemist, then as salesman, then product manager, then set up on his own. Made a lot of money. Comfortably retired early fifties.

No leg ups, no family contacts, no particular academic brilliance. Just sheer hard work and putting the hours in.

DH is now a governor at his old primary in a deprived area.

JK Rowling?

Oh and Jonny Ive. Not heard of him ? He's the man who designed all things apple. Essex boy.

@HPFA, If you look at what made Stella successful, she had a huge leg up from being the daughter of Sir Paul. How many "normal" graduates of Central St Martin have Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell modelling at their show? She thought that was normal because they were her mates! Not even Alexander McQueen had that. Also, if she really thought that the comp made her who she was, why are all her children at private school, including some of the most selective private schools/public schools.

HPFA, it’s hardly a secret that despite only 7% attending private schools in UK most doctors come from private schools? It’s not just the school but also background that can help a child advance in life. Miliband comes from a very affluent background, he is a politician with agenda. What do you want him to say? He only says what you want to hear.

Jakes Caan (another Dragon) also a comp kid. Peter Jones is fab and does so much for state schools in the area

Jodie Whitaker seems to have done alright for herself. Quite enjoying thinking about successful 'poor' comp kids while in car driving back from seeing DD.

Not sure Oratory and John Fisher were exactly regular comps when those people attended...

Happy to stand corrected

I'm not convinced that it's sensible to focus on celebrities to be honest. Would be far better if the school had an outreach to ex alumni that are successful in their chosen careers - whether that's business, the arts, whatever. Success rather than fame or celebrity is surely more important?