LIFESTYLE
LOSING Friends, GAIN W
atching the close bonds between my primary school peers, I felt envious – would
I ever have the same opportunities to create lasting friendships and lasting memories? Would I always have to say goodbye and move on?
As a child, I attended quite a number of primary schools – an unavoidable side effect of being part of a service family. The relatively frequent postings to different RAF bases around the country were, for the most part, quite exciting; they brought with them new places, new homes, and new clubs. Watching the close bonds between my primary school peers, though I felt envious.
It was while I was living in Aberdeenshire,
aged eight, that I first discovered a solution to this problem: Queen Victoria School (QVS). Some neighbouring children attended the school. With my usual determination and strong-mindedness I researched it on a prehistoric computer, informed my long- suffering parents of my decision, waited until I was finally the correct age to apply, and – thankfully – was offered a place.
Located in extensive grounds in the heart of Scotland, QVS caters for children aged 11-18 with an active or retired parent serving in the Armed Forces in Scotland. As a boarding school, it offers its pupils an opportunity they may never have had before: an opportunity to stay in one place, in one school, with one continuous academic programme and, what’s more, many lifelong friends. These are the things I finally found at QVS.
Being away from home as a young teen is, of course, rarely without its difficulties. Homesickness, uncomfortable pillows, and a longing for mum’s hugs can all strike unexpectedly. But QVS, with its comprehensive pastoral care, can easily remedy these woes. I spent my teenage years living in boarding houses with some of my best friends, caring staff and, at one point, some communal goldfish.
When life in the boarding house wasn’t keeping me busy I was trying my hand at hobbies ranging from swimming to art, and badminton to Duke of Edinburgh. Soon, life away from home became normal, and was enjoyable from the very beginning (no Mum nagging me to make my bed – sorry, Mum!). I loved life at boarding school.
There is a more serious side to the school too, of course. Queen Victoria School maintains strong military traditions, with its own world- renowned pipe band and Highland dancing team, and regular parades in which the whole school is required to participate. As a Highland dancer I was privileged enough to earn some truly unique experiences, dancing in the Basel Tattoo, the Edinburgh Military Tattoo, and many a show here and there. Years of hard work and contribution led to my being Principal Dancer of the team in my final year. I am truly grateful to have had such experiences and I have carried my love of dancing with me through the years since I have left QVS.
And where have I ended up since leaving the school in 2010? It has been eventful, certainly. The school’s well-rounded approach to personal and academic development led to my achieving excellent results in school- level examinations, preparing me perfectly for whichever career path I chose. Because of my passion for learning and education I decided to attend university – I am currently just a few months away from graduating with an honours degree in social anthropology from a prestigious Scottish university. In many ways I have QVS to thank for my success and now my younger sisters, Lisa and Rachel, are making the most of the school’s opportunities, too.
Lisa, 17, says: “I chose to apply to Queen Victoria School 44 Envoy Summer 2014
www.raf-ff.org.uk
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