Alicja  "inspired to go for it"

Before I came to Tallis 6th Form I was a bit of a blaggard. I got away with doing a minimum of work despite a natural interest in music, art, dance, literature and language. The teaching ethos in my secondary school wasn’t the most inspiring and I was keen to change schools for Sixth Form.

I heard about Tallis through a friend and went for an interview. Immediately I liked the atmosphere and felt that it was a real place with its students’ interests at heart, so my choice was made, Tallis it is.

I took English, French, Art and Philosophy for A-Level. I was surprised at how much my teachers encouraged and pushed me to do my best. Although I was still doing a fair bit of blagging I was couldn’t deny that I was getting a lot of intellectual stimulation in my classes, developing skills in essay writing, structure of arguments, oil painting and languages, and overall enjoying my classes thanks to the teachers’ commitment. I joined an after-school Conga group where I discovered the power of community music, Afro-style.

Both academically and socially life at Tallis was cool, teachers were on a level and the vibe was open, friendly and real.

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When I finished Year 12 with mixed results I decided it was time to get down to some proper work and to give back the time and effort the teachers were putting in.

So in Year 13 I worked hard and “played” hard. I focused on my studies and joined the Samba group and started regularly playing gigs locally and at well-known events such as Notting Hill Carnival and the London Mayor’s Thames Festival. I loved the vibe of playing in a samba group and the music balanced out my studies. I finished Tallis with 4 A’s and many positive experiences and memories.

I went on to study English and Philosophy at Leeds University. While in Leeds I found Honeydrum World Music, a group specialising in African, Cuban and Brazilian rhythm, song and dance. We performed regularly and I started to teach lessons with Honeydrum while still at university.

I finished my degree with a high 2:1, and was able to pursue music and dance full-time. With my partner in Honeydrum we lead workshops, classes and performances in Leeds and the UK. We now have a 10 month old daughter and so have begun a new journey of family together.

Looking back on my time at Tallis I reflect that going to Tallis led me to where I am now.  My teachers inspired me to go for it, their passion for teaching and supporting their students’ development is unique and I am very grateful to them for it.