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Alumni

Where Are They Now ?

The majority of our students go on to successful futures giving Havering Sixth Form the accolade of being the top College in East London for student progression to positive destinations – and we are in the top 10 per cent of all schools, sixth forms and colleges nationally.

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Archive

  • Rory Bidgood

    Published 28/02/19

    Rory is living in Hong Kong while working as an International Development Coach for Chelsea Football Club. He travels all over the world as part of his job, meeting famous players, officials and managers.

    The former Emerson Park School pupil attended Havering Sixth Form College from 2012 to 2014, achieving a Triple Distinction in the Sport BTEC Extended Diploma and also gaining the Community Sports Leadership Award.

    After leaving College, Rory was offered the role of Community Development Assistant at Chelsea FC, having worked part-time for them while studying for his BTEC Sport qualification.

    He was then made a Club Coach and subsequently Head Coach, and in 2017 as part of his role, he travelled to New York with former footballer and current TV pundit, Jamie Redknapp.

    As Head Coach, Rory worked for the Chelsea FC Foundation and Pre Academy Centre in Essex, delivering on various programmes.

    He worked at the Development Centres where the elite players in Essex would receive individual training in order for them to improve and then move into an Academy environment. Rory coached at the centres and he also had to oversee all the sessions that were being delivered.

    He also developed programmes to coach Under 6s and Under 7s at the Pre Academy Development Centre and was Head Coach for the Girls Development Programme where he was tasked with growing the female football game for Chelsea within the Essex region.

    He has also run Soccer Schools and has delivered PE sessions in various schools.

    In April 2018 Rory was made Chelsea FC's International Development Coach and soon after, moved to live and work in Hong Kong although he still returns to Hornchurch fairly regularly.

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  • Sara Pascoe

    Published 22/02/19

    Sara Pascoe, 37, is a multi award-winning stand-up comedian, actor and writer who has made numerous appearances on TV shows.

    A former Gaynes School pupil, Sara attended Havering Sixth Form College from 1997 to 1999 where her favourite subject was A Level Psychology. Although she was intelligent and capable, Sara admits she didn’t study as hard as she could have and left College with two Cs and an A. Her final grades meant that she was not able to take up the place at Cambridge University to study Philosophy that she had hoped for.

    She took a gap year, which became two years, moving to Nottingham and working as a backing singer and dancer for entertainer Pete Conway (Robbie Williams’ dad).

    From there she decided to go back to education and get a degree, studying English Literature at the University of Sussex. During her university days she became involved in drama groups and after graduating she worked as an actor, supplementing her income with temporary work, mostly charity fundraising for the RSPCA.

    She had never intended to be a comic or a stand-up and says she somehow fell into the career that was to eventually make her famous. She says: “I used to think comedy was for idiots. I was very sneering. I just didn’t get it and thought it was stupid. I didn’t know I wanted to be a comedian until I’d done it for about three months. I was trying to be an actor from the age of 18 to 27!”

    After university she began performing in theatre shows and at old people’s homes and went to open-mic nights with her guitar. But she struggled to make ends meet and eventually realised that there were far more opportunities in comedy than in theatre, so in 2007 she started asking comedians for gigs.

    The more stand-up she did, the better she became at it and got her big break when she was a runner-up in a Funny Woman Competition and was approached by her agent, who she now credits with ‘changing her life’.

    In August 2010, she performed her first show at the Edinburgh Festival - Sara Pascoe Vs Her Ego, which received very positive reviews.

    In 2012 she appeared on Live at the Apollo and then in 2013 she won an episode of the TV show QI with 28 points – clearly showing how smart she is. In 2014, she performed again at the Edinburgh Festival and toured the UK for the first time with her show Sara Pascoe Vs History.

    Since then her career has rocketed and she has appeared on TV panel shows such as Mock The Week, Have I Got News For You, 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown, Never Mind the Buzzcocks and Twenty Twelve.

    She has had acting roles in The Thick Of It and W1A, and she's written a book, Animal: The Autobiography of a Female Body, which was published in 2016. That same year she went on tour again with the show Animal and she is currently touring the UK with her show Lads Lads Lads as well as working on her second book.

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  • Leah Rawlins

    Published 12/02/19

    Leah works as a second year general management apprentice at Transport for London (TfL) and is studying for a BA (Hons) in Business Management as well as working in the busy Change, Design and Delivery team.

    A former Abbs Cross School pupil, she studied A Levels in Business, English Language and Geography while at College from 2015 to 2017 and was convinced she would be attending university after leaving.

    However, after looking into degree apprenticeships she realised she could gain industry experience while also achieving a degree at the same time and felt this route would suit her better.

    She said: “It was a no-brainer choosing to do the apprenticeship. I love working at TfL and I have found my role as a general management apprentice is varied and exciting. Every day is different – from being a Station Supervisor at Liverpool Street Station to shadowing the Emergency Response Unit for buses – I am getting great opportunities to develop my skills.

    “As part of my Diversity & Inclusion project I helped to design a scheme that is now being utilised throughout the organisation and this is quite exciting.

    “When I’m studying for the degree, there are many times that I can relate my practical experience at TfL back to theories we are being taught about in seminars and lectures. It really helps to develop your understanding of the topic having some industry knowledge.”

    Leah aims to complete her degree apprenticeship with TfL and will then investigate any opportunities that come her way for permanent management positions.

    She said: “I can’t recommend degree apprenticeship schemes enough, but be prepared! There is a lot of work involved so you need to be committed if you want to be successful.”

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  • Joy Johnston

    Published 31/01/19

    Joy Johnston (formerly Joy Tottman) is a Havering Sixth Form College Governor, a Governance Manager at Sport England and has also been an Olympic Ice Hockey referee.

    Joy attended College from 1999 to 2001 and achieved straight A grades in Maths, English Language, History and Media A Levels. She then went on to study for a Politics, Philosophy and Economics degree at Oxford University.

    After graduating from Oxford, which she describes as a life-changing experience, Joy, a former Albany (now Hornchurch High) School pupil, took on a job as a researcher for a headhunting firm.

    Six years later she moved into the sports sector which is an industry she cares passionately about. She is now working as a Governance Manager at Sport England where her role is to ensure that the national governing bodies of sport who are funded by Sport England, are well governed and fit to receive public funds. 

    She said: “Beyond this I help to drive improvement in the way sports organisations are run, which means more people can benefit in a positive way from sport just as I have.  My experience of building organisational structures and getting strong leaders as a headhunter has allowed me to influence the way sports organisations appoint leaders and helped to make them more effective.”

    Joy’s love of ice hockey began at an early age. She started reffing when she was 14 after playing the sport for a few years. She soon gained her international licence and progressed to international tournaments and then the Winter Olympics. She stood down from her competitive referee role after her third Olympics – the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi, Russia, where she was the referee in the gold medal women's ice hockey final.

    Through her involvement with international ice hockey, Joy met her husband Scott Johnston, a player for the Canadian national team. She is still involved in the sport, being the Chief Referee and Director of Officiating for the Ice Hockey UK Referee Section.

    Joy still manages to find time to fulfil her voluntary role as a Governor at Havering Sixth Form College, saying it is important to her because it provides a chance for her to give back to an organisation that set her on a good path as a young person.

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  • Bobby Izzard

    Published 17/01/19

    Bobby Izzard, who attended Havering Sixth Form College from 2007 to 2009, has just set up a social media project in an effort to teach more people sign language.

    The former Albany (now Hornchurch High) School pupil launched Project BSLUK (British Sign Language UK) earlier this month on Facebook and Instagram. He now posts short daily videos to teach followers the basic hand gestures required to communicate with those people who have hearing problems.

    Bobby, who studied Accounts, English Language and Law while at College, has worked in hospitality for several years. Last year he was working as the floor manager at the Shepherd and Dog Restaurant in Harold Wood when he was unable to properly communicate with a group of deaf people who were ordering a meal.

    He told the Romford Recorder, who featured his project in their newspaper last week: “There was a group of deaf people who regularly came in and a few of us thought we’d start to make a bit of effort and learn how to say basic things like ‘please’, ‘thank you’, ‘would you like any water?’ in sign language, and it just went from there.

    “I realised how few people know British Sign Language and wanted to encourage more to learn.”

    He added: “There is a whole deaf community that often goes unseen in mainstream life which has a lot to do with people not knowing how to do sign language. The importance of it is one thing, but how handy it is as well - excuse the pun - and how it can enrich your life and those around you are other great reasons to start learning. I’m really proud of how it has gone so far.”

    Bobby already has more than 800 followers and is determined to try and make the skill accessible to everyone.

    Visit Project BSLUK on Facebook or @projectblsuk on Instagram.

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  • Mustafa Daud

    Published 11/01/19

    Mustafa Daud has just been offered a highly sought-after position at KPMG (part of the ‘Big Four’ financial services) in the City, starting this September on their Audit Graduate programme.

    A former student from 2013 to 2015, Mustafa achieved an A* and three Bs in A Level Business Studies, Accounts, Maths and AS French and then progressed to The Cass Business School which is based at City University, London.

    He is currently in his final year there studying BSc (Hons) in Accounting and Finance and is hoping to graduate with First Class Honours.

    While at City, Mustafa has been the Captain and Vice-President of the university's American Football team - City Wolfpack - and has edited the university’s newspaper, The Cass Exposure.

    He has recently returned from a study year abroad programme in the US at the Ross School of Business, University of Michigan, where he says the main highlight of his visit was working on a consulting project for a FTSE 250 client that resulted in the project being successfully implemented by their senior management.

    He also developed a strong interest in Financial Analysis, Company Valuation and Taxation which he hopes to be able to further explore during his career.

    He said: “Beginning my professional career in the City with KPMG places me in the best position to equip myself with numerous valuable skills, develop commercial knowledge as well as being able to work with a diverse portfolio of clients.

    “I plan on working and travelling globally in the long-term, so I hope KPMG will be the company that provides me with the platform to achieve my dreams.”

    Mustafa, a former Forest Gate Community School pupil, often returns to Havering Sixth Form College to motivate and inspire current students. He recently spoke to prospective parents and students during the Principal’s Presentation at the College Open Day.

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  • Keenan Munn-Francis

    Published 14/12/18

    Keenan Munn-Francis is an actor and singer who has starred in Thriller Live and The Lion King and was singled out for praise by The Guardian newspaper reviewer for his performance as a young Marvin Gaye in the show, SOUL.

    While he was at Havering Sixth Form College, Keenan studied BTEC Creative Media Production (Audio Visual) and BTEC Music Technology, along with a Maths qualification. He left in 2014 to take up a major role in The Scottsboro Boys’ production in the West End.

    He said at the time: “It’s brilliant performing in the West End. I love it. I’d like to do film and television in the future but I’d love to be in the West End for as long as possible.”

    He sung and tap-danced in the show but when it came to an end, he moved on to play Simon in The Lord of the Flies at the Birmingham REP.  He was then cast as a young Marvin Gaye in SOUL at the Hackney Empire and then at the Royal and Derngate Theatre, Northampton.

    He received rave reviews for his acting and singing - the Telegraph newspaper stating, ‘the highlight of the night is the smooth-voiced Keenan Munn-Francis, who plays Gaye’s younger self, raising the roof early on with a brace of gospel and doo-wop numbers’. And the Guardian reviewer wrote, ‘Keenan Munn-Francis is deeply touching as the young Marvin’.

    After SOUL he went on in 2017 to play Titus in Filthy Business at the Hampstead Theatre and was cast soon after in the smash-hit musical Five Guys Named Moe at the Marble Arch Theatre, playing Little Moe.

    He is currently in rehearsals for the UK premiere production of Our Lady of Kibeho which takes to the Royal stage in Northampton on January 12th 2019. The play is set in 1981 in Rwanda and presents a haunting insight into the horrors and the true events that captured the world's attention.

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  • Sam Wilkins

    Published 14/12/18

    Sam Wilkins is working as a Roto Prep Artist at the London studio of Industrial Light & Magic – a company that specialises in visual effects, imagery and animation for blockbuster films.

    A student at College from 2011 to 2014, Sam, formerly of Albany School, achieved A* and A grades in Graphics, Moving Image Arts, and the Creative & Media BTEC Diploma. He then stayed on to study the Art & Design Foundation Diploma, gaining a Distinction.

    He progressed to study Visual Effects for Film & TV at the University of Hertfordshire and when he graduated, he started as a 2D trainee, quickly moving on to be a Roto Prep Artist at Double Negative Visual Effects. He then became a Junior Compositor at the same company before landing his current job at world-renowned film specialists Industrial Light & Magic (ILM).

    ILM have offices in San Francisco, Singapore, Vancouver and London and have produced visual effects for movies such as Jurassic World, Star Wars, Marvel Avengers and The Mummy.

    The studio collaborates with filmmakers on projects from initial concepts through final shot production and delivery and Sam’s role as a Roto Prep Artist contributes to the studio’s work in turning out awe-inspiring imagery.

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  • Hayley Anderson

    Published 06/12/18

    Hayley Anderson is a News Reporter on the local weekly newspaper the Romford Recorder.

    A former Bower Park School pupil, Hayley achieved A Levels in English Literature, Philosophy, History and Extended Project before leaving College in 2013.

    She had an offer from Royal Holloway University to study English Literature but chose instead to take up an Apprenticeship as a Trainee Reporter at the company Archant, which publishes the Romford Recorder.

    During the two-year Apprenticeship she worked four days a week on the newspaper and studied for the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ) Level 3 Diploma in Journalism qualification on the other day at Lambeth College.

    She achieved the Gold Standard and became officially qualified as a Reporter three years ago. Hayley has been covering news stories and writing features in the local area for the Recorder since then and says she absolutely loves her job.

    She said: “It’s incredibly busy, it’s a fast-paced industry and you’re under quite a bit of pressure at deadline, but I really enjoy it. I get a buzz when a big news story is breaking, but my favourite part of the job is writing the human interest feature stories.”

    Hayley has just been put in sole charge of a new project launched by Archant called Enjoy Brentwood More. This is a small magazine which circulates in Brentwood containing news stories, interesting features, information about the area and a guide to events that are taking place. There is also an Enjoy Brentwood More website and Facebook page.

    She hopes in future to progress to possibly work on a national glossy magazine to write more in-depth features, but for the time being, she is getting a great all-round introduction to journalism in her role at the Recorder.

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  • Ola Sagbola

    Published 30/11/18

    Ola Sagbola is a qualified Barrister and is currently working as a Legal & Governance Paralegal for the Financial Reporting Council.

    A former pupil at Gaynes School, she was a student at Havering Sixth Form College from 2006 to 2008, studying A Levels in English Literature, Government & Politics and Biology. Ola progressed to the University of Essex and as part of her Law degree, spent a year studying at a New York Law School.

    From 2013 to 2105 she attended the University of Law where she completed the Bar Professional Training Course and qualified as a Barrister.

    She then worked for four years at the Financial Ombudsman Service as an Adjudicator where she prepared cases for final decisions for Ombudsmen and delivered training on new processes to colleagues.

    With a background in regulatory and public law, particularly for GDPR readiness, Ola has been working in house at the Financial Reporting Council for over a year.

    She often returns to College to give talks on what it is like to study law and what working in the legal profession involves, to current students.

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  • Charlotte Smalley

    Published 30/11/18

    Charlotte Smalley always knew she wanted a career within the Financial industry and so chose to study A Levels in Maths, Accounting and Sociology while at Havering Sixth Form College from 2015 to 2017.

    She now works as an Audit Associate on an EY (Ernst & Young) Apprenticeship.

    A former Emerson Park School student, Charlotte made an early decision while at College that she probably would not go to University as she preferred ‘on the job learning’ and so set about applying for Business-type apprenticeships.

    She visited the College’s CUBE (Careers, University, Business and Employment) for advice and was encouraged to apply for the EY Apprenticeship, based in Canary Wharf.

    It was a tough selection process – first the online application, then a difficult two-stage strengths assessment, including numerical and verbal tests; next a telephone interview; then she moved on to a written assessment and team exercise at an EY office and then finally a face-to-face interview with a partner.

    She was overjoyed when she found out she had been offered a place on the scheme.

    Charlotte said: “An Apprenticeship at EY seemed the best option for me as I prefer on the job learning and earning money at the same time, rather than studying full-time. I have passed all my exams so far and I look forward to achieving the ACA qualification.

    “I am thoroughly enjoying my job and would definitely recommend the Apprenticeship route to others.”

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  • Dr Sam Divall

    Published 30/11/18

    Dr Sam Divall has been a Lecturer in Geotechnical Engineering at City, University of London since 2015.

    He attended Havering Sixth Form College from 2003 to 2005, studying A Levels in Maths, ICT and Design Technology.

    He progressed to City, University of London and after four years of study, graduated from the MEng Civil Engineering course in 2009.

    After graduating, the former King’s Wood School student (now Drapers’ Academy) decided to remain at City within the internationally recognised Geotechnical Engineering Research Centre to undertake his PhD in Geotechnical Engineering, which he completed in 2012.

    He then undertook several years of post-doctoral research, becoming a Research Fellow in Geotechnical Engineering from 2013 to 2015 working with The Leverhulme Trust on research into the construction of shafts in congested subsurface urban environments.

    He has won several awards for his work, including the Civil Engineering Teaching Award; The ICE QUEST Travel Award; The ISSMGE Foundation Award; Winning presentation at the BGA's 12th Young Geotechnical Engineers’ Symposium in Leeds; National Finalist for the Corus Steel Student Awards; and Shortlisted for City University London WSP Civil Engineering Paper Prize.

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