Meet the New Student Senior Team...
10 Nov 2023
This year's student senior team has outlined its priorities for the year ahead.
The team is made up of Head Students Nathanael Larkum and Katie Menham, supported by Deputy Head Students Jonny Anderson and Parysa Rasoul.
Here, the four outline explain more about their aims and what they like to get up to:
Long distance runner Nathaneal Larkum is no stranger to a challenge! He has already completed two half marathons and, as Head Student, is looking forward to the challenges of representing his fellow Sixth Form students.
Nathaneal, who studies maths, physics and computer science, said: "My biggest aim is to bring the Sixth Form closer as a community. I want to create a safe space and, as a senior team, I think we all believe in providing more opportunities for students to interact, gain experience, and volunteer at school events. This approach would allow for a more inclusive environment across both Year 13 and Year 12 alike."
Nathaneal's other ambitious include pursuing a career in cyber security after a computer science degree - and completing a full marathon. He is also excited for what the next year holds.
"Being a part of the senior team has been an aspiration of mine since I joined Ashby Sixth Form in 2022. Joining the senior team allows me to not only implement my own ideas but also represent the students that I study with, which is an amazing opportunity."
Arts student Katie Menham is passionate about helping students to feel more involved in school life.
Katie, who studies drama and theatre, film and media, describes herself as well-organised and hard-working, and said: "The senior team is important for the school because it gives students a chance to be heard both by staff and by other students and helps them to feel more involved in what goes on at school. It's not just about a teacher and student relationship all the time; it can be more of a student and student relationship as a collective.
"One of my main aims in the role is to help students feel more involved during their time at the school, making them feel more heard and therefore making the school an even better environment to be in."
Katie is currently rehearsing for one of the lead roles in the school's forthcoming musical and has appeared in previous school performances including music concerts and the last school musical, 'Return to the Forbidden Planet'.
One of our proudest achievements outside of school is attending a red carpet event for a screenplay she wrote for a film festival.
Katie has a part-time job as a barista and hopes to move on to either drama school or university to do a degree in filmmaking or an area of the performing arts. She's still deciding!
Keen sportsman Jonny Anderson is looking forward to using his role in the senior team to reinforce the sense of community in the Sixth Form.
Jonny, who studies maths, physics and geography at A level, said: "I am excited to be a part of the senior team; it's a great opportunity to further my leadership, teamwork and creativity skills and to work alongside my fellow students to try and make Ashby Sixth Form a better place.
"I also hope we can support the senior staff by providing some input from students to ensure that what they’re doing appeals to students. My main aim is to create a strong sense of community and to bring people together."
In his spare time, Jonny plays football for Glenfield United and has previously played for Gresley Rovers, Tamworth FC and Marlborough Rovers as well as winning the Leicestershire County Cup with his previous school. He also plays drums, guitar and piano, after teaching himself all three instruments over lockdown.
He has a part time job as a distributor with Ashby Life magazine and plans to go to university after Sixth Form.
Aspiring nurse Parysa Rasoul wants to use her role in the senior team to help students feel comfortable about raising issues and to know their views are being acknowledged.
Parysa studies psychology, business studies and philosophy and ethics, and hopes to train as a mental health nurse.
She said: "I wanted to become a member of the senior team because I wanted to help make changes and provide different ways for students to feel comfortable about expressing their views.
"Being a member of the senior team will help me to gain confidence in speaking publicly while showing to others who may not be as confident that there are many ways to speak out. It will also help me to gain experience of working as a team just like I would as a mental health nurse. My main aim is for everyone to feel they have been heard and that we are acknowledging their issues."
Parysa works as an ice rink assistant in her spare time when she's not volunteering as a St John's Ambulance cadet, as well as supporting her mum in her difficult job providing end-of-life care. She also visits the gym regularly to stay physically active and support a positive mindset.
As a group, the senior team members are united in their aim to provide more opportunities for students to build relationships with each other and enjoy their time at Ashby Sixth Form.
Jonny added: "We are very aware of how tough A levels can be, especially in Year 13, so we are focused on ensuring that people can have a positive experience while they are at Sixth Form.
"We're planning to host a Christmas quiz which will be exciting and a great way for students to interact with each other."
The senior team works closely with the Student Council which is led by Alice Dodd and supported by other Sixth Formers.
Read more about the Student Council here.
