Arnold Foundation ambassadors Evelyn Buckley (B 21-23) and Rhiannon Mansfield (Tu 21-23) are dedicating their gap year to serving as Teaching Assistants at Rugby School Thailand, and are thoroughly enjoying their roles.

Despite initial resistance to following in her family's teaching footsteps, Rhiannon, sought guidance from her House Mistress and was told that she has a natural aptitude for teaching. She is enjoying her teaching role in Thailand so much that she suspects that this is the career path that she will follow. She currently has a place to read Philosophy at Nottingham University.

Evelyn, initially set to study Law at Newcastle University, is also contemplating a shift towards teaching after her highly successful experience at Rugby School Thailand.

In a recent interview with Sheila Thompson, Evelyn and Rhiannon shared their reflections on their time as Arnold Foundation Students below:

Rhiannon

‘I was at a school in Wales that did not have a Sixth Form so did not teach beyond GCSEs. I would probably have had to go to a school in Cardiff (necessitating hours of travel each day) had I not been encouraged to apply to Rugby School for an Arnold Foundation place. My first thought was ‘Why would I want to go to a rugby football academy?’ but I was soon put right.

‘When my mum and I visited the School, it was in lockdown so we were alone with Miss O’Mahoney, and the scale of the place seemed even more exaggerated. I was not fazed by going to a boarding school – it seemed a really cool opportunity.

‘I had no idea what subjects I wanted to do before I went to Rugby. I decided to take the IB to keep as many options open as possible. I was one of the first IB cohort and the only Arnold Foundation student. The first few weeks were a bit chaotic with students switching subjects, dropping out or joining up. I dropped Biology and started studying Philosophy and grew to love it and realised that I would like to study it at uni.

‘The IB workload was massive but I played netball and did weight-lifting; worked at local primary schools for my Rugby 360; attended one meeting of the debating society (definitely not for me!) but went to as many meetings of the Philosophy society as I could.

‘A lot of the students at Rugby came from families more privileged than mine in terms of money. But I knew that in terms of upbringing and love I never went without and that coming from a different background did not remove any value from the way I was living. I hope I managed to convince the younger Arnold Foundation students that the fact that some of the students went on exotic holidays was unimportant.

‘Being Welsh made me feel different too. In Wales we talk to everyone but the English keep themselves to themselves, don’t they?’

Evelyn

‘I was at a girls’ school in Liverpool and after I had done my GCSEs I knew I wanted to do History and Politics at A level but Politics was not an option, and no other subject on offer was of interest to me. I knew I had to find another school. I was the third girl from my school to gain an Arnold Foundation place at Rugby.

‘My parents drove me to Rugby for the first visit and I remember my dad saying to me as we arrived, “You’ll have to remember your broom” – it was so like Hogwarts. No one in my family had ever had an opportunity like this and everyone was so proud and happy until we all realised it meant me moving away from home aged 16. But within an hour of arriving at Bradley I met a girl who became my best friend.

‘I chose Economics, History and Politics for my A level subjects. I took studying very seriously and had been top of the class at my old school. Sometimes I felt I wasn’t doing as well as I should at Rugby but the teaching staff and my tutor were so helpful and encouraging that I felt very supported. Even after I had got over a problem, I would receive emails from teachers checking in to see how I was.

‘I’m not very sporty but I played netball which was a laugh. As part of my Rugby 360 I taught French to local primary school students, and I also worked in the local charity shops which I loved. I became head of the School’s Law Society because I had decided on law as a career.

‘The most explicit cultural difference I experienced was reaction to my Liverpool accent and the stereotypical perception of a Liverpudlian. I learned to laugh this off – mostly - and not feel undermined. I knew I had earned my place at Rugby School and was pleased to be nominated for the post of Head of School.’