We heard a powerful and inspirational presentation from former Sixth Former Oli this week which demonstrated the value of networking and the exciting opportunities just waiting to be snapped up.  Oli completed his A Level studies at Claires Court three years ago and went on to graduate in marine biology at the University of Plymouth. His love of scuba diving and fascination with marine life, along with his capacity to connect with others, readily led to an opportunity to participate in shark cage diving, a formative experience, off the coast of Sri Lanka. Oli, also a keen film maker and technology buff has now found a way to combine his four greatest passions and has started work as a freelance runner for the production company, Plimsoll. His powerful and inspirational presentation to our students this week demonstrated the value of networking and the exciting opportunities just waiting to be snapped up.

I am privileged to say I know Oli well as our Sixth Form was, and continues to remain, around 150 students. In a 1993 study, Robin Dunbar, a British anthropologist, theorised that humans could have no more than about 150 meaningful relationships, (Dunbar's number) He suggested there is a cognitive limit to the number of people with whom any individual can maintain stable social relationships, relationships in which they know who each person is and how each person relates to everyone else. This is a part of our philosophy and ensures our community thrives and that individual achievements are recognised and celebrated.

Oli can be found on LinkedIn, a great resource for ‘building that network of luck’ . This week, Mr Hope shared a LinkedIn Masterclass invitation for Monday 22 November with all students which they can apply for over the weekend.