Brandon, a British student who lives near Beckenham, was enrolled in a local state school before joining us at Kings London to study for A-levels in Maths, Geography and Physics. Here, he shares his thoughts on being in a new kind of learning environment, and tells us about his hopes for the future.
Hi Brandon. Why did you choose to study here at Kings London?
I chose Kings for several reasons. First of all, because it offers all the subjects that I want to do. Secondly, because of the small class sizes which means that it’s a much closer environment and the teachers’ time is distributed between fewer people.
"In my old school, there were 30 students and only one teacher, so the attention was split between too many people. Even if you raise your hand, the teacher wouldn’t come to you, but here you are always going to get answered and the teachers are a lot more supportive and hands-on."
A third reason why I chose this school was because of the international environment — I like mixing with people from other cultures as I find their cultures interesting and I’m willing to learn more about them. I’m very open.
How are you finding your experience at Kings so far?
I think that learning-wise, it’s still a huge leap from GCSEs to A-level. It’s challenging, as all A-levels are, especially Physics and Maths! I feel as if things are going in the right direction.
"On the topic of making friends, I’ve been able to make friends very easily because it’s a much more friendly environment, and people are, generally speaking, more open to being friends and having conversations."
In my old school, you couldn’t really make friends outside of Year 7 or 8 as by that point, friendship bubbles are often formed.
Have you joined any clubs or activities?
Yes I’ve just joined the Debating Club, and I’ve been playing football too. They’re good fun and I’m learning how to debate. I need to improve my debating skills as I stutter a lot, and I’d like to be able to make a clear and convincing argument.
Are you planning to go to university in the future? Which subjects or universities do you have in mind?
I definitely plan to go to university.
"I’m looking to study either Aeronautical Engineering (because I like planes, flying and aviation — it’s a passion of mine), or Environmental Science because I care about the environment a lot."
I want to make things more environmentally friendly and try and help to reverse the damage that humans have done to the environment since the Industrial Revolution.
Have you adapted well to school life with the new COVID guidelines in place? Do you feel safe?
It’s definitely not normal, but I think I’ve been able to adapt to it even though it’s very annoying, frustrating and counterintuitive! The whole idea of wearing face masks in class is kind of annoying. I have no problem with wearing a face mask, but with social distancing and all the guidelines that have been introduced with this virus it’s been difficult to see friends and socialise all year.
Would you recommend Kings London to other students?
Absolutely. It’s a very friendly environment.
