Alumni page
Interviews with 2024/2025 Leavers
In November 2025, we visited Strode College to catch up with some of our school leavers from 2024 and 2025. here are some extracts from the conversations:
EB
What are you studying at Strode College? I’m on a part-time timetable within the student learning centre.
What do like best? Meeting new people, making friends and being treated like an adult!
What are your goals this year? To become confident around the college and to get on to a drama / acting course.
Do you know what you would like to do after Strode? Acting!
How did THE Mendip School help you prepare for College? It helped with my independence and my confidence.
Did that help with how you felt about coming to college? Yes, definitely. Key adults supported me with the transition.
What are your travel arrangements for getting to college? I get dropped off by car.
What would you like to say or what advice do you have for the current Year 11 cohort? It’s perfectly normal to feel anxious but there are lots of people to help you – take it one step at a time.
Is there anything else we could do at The Mendip School to support Year 11’s getting to college? No.
TY
What are you studying at Strode College? Maths and English
What do like best? The freedom!
What are your goals this year? I’m not sure.
Do you know what you would like to do after Strode? Not yet.
How did THE Mendip School help you prepare for College? Staff helped me to get ready.
What would you like to say or what advice do you have for the current Year 11 cohort? Trust in yourself that you will do well.
ED
What are you studying at Strode College? A mixture of things.
What do like best? Personal projects.
Do you know what you would like to do after Strode? An artist / illuminator.
How did THE Mendip School help you prepare for College? Pre-visits were really useful.
Did that help with how you felt about coming to college? It made me less nervous.
What would you like to say or what advice do you have for the current Year 11 cohort? Do your best!
JH
What are you studying at Strode College? I’m on the step-up course
What do like best? Chatting to new friends.
What are your goals this year? I’m enjoying my personal project.
Do you know what you would like to do after Strode? Be a receptionist.
How did THE Mendip School help you prepare for College? Pre-visits each week with Jen and Phillipa [Post 16 Staff].
Did that help with how you felt about coming to college? It made me less anxious.
What would you like to say or what advice do you have for the current Year 11 cohort? Come and visit.
Is there anything else we could do at The Mendip School to support Year 11’s getting to college? No.
What’s college like after The Mendip School?
Two pupils came back to the Mendip School to talk about their experience of college and to offer advice to our current pupils about their next steps.
Jack Rolls recently won the Post-16 Young Person of the Year Award from the Somerset Education Business Partnership.
Please see the two videos below, with Jack talking about his experiences at Mendip.