Pippa’s Guardians young Football star represents Hong Kong at Asian Football Confederation Championship
The Asian Football Confederation is one of the six confederations that make up FIFA, and last winter, one of Pippa’s Guardians’ students, Ethan Yeung, represented Hong Kong and competed in the AFC U-19 Championship in Hanoi, Vietnam.
Ethan finished his IGCSEs in Hong Kong before moving the UK, where he has attended Bradfield College for his final two years of study. Looked after by Pippa’s Guardians MD, Ben Hughes, Ethan integrated seamlessly into life at Bradfield, particularly enjoying both the sport and social aspects of boarding school, alongside his favourite A Level; Sport Science.
Ethan began playing football recreationally at the age of eight, and at age ten he and his friends formed a district U-11 team for the summer. They subsequently won the summer tournament and lifted the Championship Trophy for the first time, further fuelling Ethan’s passion for the sport and spurring him on toward higher level competitions. He was invited to represent Hong Kong last year after becoming one of the overall top scorers in the Hong Kong U-15 Henderson league, whilst playing for the Kitchee S.C. U-15 team; Ethan was asked to trial with the Hong Kong Youth National Representative Team U-16, and was selected to the squad.
Ethan’s mother, Clara, had this to say about watching her son represent Hong Kong:
“We were extremely proud, happy and excited to watch Ethan play in international tournaments, especially at the U-16 and U-19 AFC Championship Qualifiers. I felt a truly heart-pounding, swell of emotion to see him walk onto the pitch behind the Hong Kong SAR flag and watching him stand shoulder to shoulder with his teammates during the playing of the HK Anthem. It was a culmination of all the time and effort on our behalf in supporting his commitment and hard work.”
Ethan said:
“I love being part of a team dynamic and the camaraderie of the players: the physicality and the physical demands of playing attacking football, and the rush of assisting and scoring goals.
I hope to continue to play competitive football whilst studying at University, and to turn my love of sport and fitness into a future career in Sport Science.”
Pippa’s Guardians would like to congratulate Ethan on his fantastic achievement and as he leaves Bradfield in the summer, wish him the best for his future and look forward to seeing where his talent takes him.
Young Pippa’s Guardians’ Singing Virtuoso achieves offers at three renowned Music Schools
A Level student Samuel Tang has not only received offers at five prestigious universities this year, but has crowned his achievements this winter by successfully auditioning for places at the UK’s highest ranking music schools; the Royal Northern College of Music; the Royal College of Music, London and the Royal Academy of Music, London.
Samuel studied at St. Paul’s College in Hong Kong for six years before moving to England to study at Wells Cathedral School, where he's been for the last eighteen months. In this time Samuel has raced through his singing grades, and passed
his grade 8 with distinction before applying to study Music. Both Samuel and his parents are filled with gratitude for the support provided by Wells Cathedral School, where Samuel received excellent teaching and was able to practice singing for two hours every evening in their practice house, as well as to Pippa’s Guardians and Area Manager Elaine Kitt, who accompanied Samuel to his auditions.
Samuel took the auditions in his stride, and had this to say about his preparation and his experience;
‘I practiced every night in Mullins for 2 hours, recording my practice and trying to find my mistakes and correct them. I didn’t really rehearse my interviews but I did some research on my repertoires about the context of the music and listened to professional recordings of my repertoires. My interviewers were all so friendly and they asked questions mainly on my interest in singing and my future career in music performance. In RAM, they even asked about how to put my audition repertoires in recital situations.’
Samuel hasn’t decided which college to attend yet, but said that he would like to sing in his chosen college’s opera or in the chamber choir, as he hopes to become a professional opera singer or chorester.
Samuel’s parents, Richard and Dappy, wanted to express their appreciation of Wells Cathedral School, Pippa’s Guardians’ work and in particular, Samuel’s Host Family and Area Manager;
‘We feel excited and amazing that Samuel has received these offers. We think Samuelˊs musical talent comes from God's gift. Moreover, his talent has been further fostered by his teachers in St Paulˊs College in HK as well as Wells Cathedral School. We hope that Samuel will extend his studying in music happily and will apply his learning to make people feel happy when they listen to his singing! We would like to give special thanks to the host family, Liz; as well as Elaine, for their taking good care of Samuel in attending the auditions at the music colleges. Indeed, without their company and support, Samuel will not have the chance to attain these achievements.’
A huge congratulations to Samuel and we are excited so see (and hear) where this wonderful musical path takes you.
Pippa’s Guardians celebrate at Christmas Party and festive Workshops in snow-topped Malvern Hills
This December Ben Hughes, MD, invited his entire staff to the beautiful Cotford Hotel for their Christmas Party, where they enjoyed exclusive use of the boutique hotel and a wonderful three course Christmas dinner in the Cotford’s award-winning restaurant, L’amuse-Bouche. Ben took the opportunity to thank his Area Managers and his office staff for all their hard work this year and gave a special thank you to previous Area Manager Tessa Foulds who was in attendance, as well as his wife Louise and his mother Pippa Hughes, founder of Pippa’s Guardians. After the fantastic meal the celebrations continued in the charming Piano Lounge, where Area Manager Mary Watford presented all the office staff with gifts in appreciation of everything they do as the bedrock of Pippa’s Guardians with particular thanks to Imogen Trevethan, for her boundless energy and as organiser of the whole event.
But the festivities didn’t end there, as the following morning the team all wore Christmas jumpers as part of Free Radio’s new charity Cash for Kids, raising money for thousands of underprivileged children across the West Midlands, and together raised £100! Reindeers and baubles abound, the staff divided into three groups for a series of training workshops in small groups at the Abbey Hotel. Regional Manager Helen Edginton’s sessions were an informative and practical update on Pippa’s Guardians online database, while Evie Kitt and Struan Hellier introduced the new Academic Mentoring service, detailing their new roles within the company with examples of their academic support successes this term. Founder of Crescent Tuition, Henry Pike, briefed Area Managers about Pippa’s Guardians partnership with his premium tuition company, and Yuan Layland, Chinese Liaison Officer, spoke in depth in her cultural workshop about China. Covering everything from geography and history to life and education in China, Yuan included ways to help our Chinese students celebrate Chinese New Year this February, as well as exploring other celebrations and the mechanics of Chinese names.
The hour-long sessions were followed by a full Christmas lunch at the Abbey Hotel and the snow, which had been falling all morning, was the icing on the Christmas cake; a huge thank you to Ben for his generosity and for hosting such a fabulous event. Merry Christmas!
Pippa’s Guardians star student Sunil Caraballo selected to play football for Gloucestershire
This autumn Pippa’s Guardians congratulate seventeen-year-old Sunil Caraballo, who attends Wycliffe College and is looked after by guardian Susie Sedgwick; Sunil has been chosen to represent his county after being scouted at trials where young footballers competed for a place on the team from across Gloucestershire.
Sunil moved to the UK two years ago from sun-soaked Canary island Gran Canaria and has played football since the age of three. He has played consistently since his move here under the direction of his Wycliffe coaches, alongside taking his BTEC in Travel and Tourism and A Level Business, and says that his love of football comes from both the ‘priceless’ feeling when playing a great game and the relationships and bonds the sport creates. This autumn, schools across Gloucester had to choose two of their best players to attend the county trials, and Sunil and his best friend were both selected to represent Wycliffe.
Sunil said this about the trials:
‘At the trial there where about 30 people trying to get into the team. It was quite hard at first as most of those players where bigger and stronger off and on the ball. I struggled through the first couple of minutes in the trial due to English football being very different to football back home; however after a few minutes played I started getting more and more comfortable, and throughout the game in the trial I started creating chances and making the most of my opportunities. Everyone who attended the trial played really good football and it was really hard for the scouters to select a team.’
Only nineteen of the thirty students competing were selected to make the team, and Pippa’s Guardians and Sunil’s guardian Susie Sedgwick would like to offer huge congratulations to Sunil for being amongst those chosen to represent their county.
Sunil is looking forward to representing his county and to playing alongside future premier league players, and gave this advice to anyone else his age hoping to do the same:
‘My motto for football is play to have fun and to make you happy, not just only to win – although winning is really important too.’
Well done Sunil and we wish him luck in his upcoming county fixtures!
Pippa’s Guardians welcomes new Cheltenham Area Manager Caroline Heath
Pippa’s Guardians are delighted to welcome Caroline Heath, joining us as an Area Manager looking after our students at Cheltenham Ladies College.
Caroline lives near to Cheltenham with husband Andrew and their three children, Leah, Isabelle and Elliot, all three of whom have been in attendance at local schools, and while eldest daughter Lea is soon to graduate from Oxford Brookes University, youngest son Elliot is about to sit his A Levels.
Caroline graduated from the Queen Elizabeth School of Physiotherapy in Birmingham and begun her career working at Heartlands before moving to the City General Hospital in Stoke-on-Trent. After travelling in Australia and New Zealand, Caroline and her husband settled in Cheltenham where Caroline’s career in Paediatric Physiotherapy led her to specialise in neurology and neonatology – including medical care of newborn infants. Caroline worked in the community for Worcester Health and Care NHS Trust for twenty-two years before joining Pippa’s Guardians, with her experience working with every age group of children and their families translating superbly into the Area Manager role. Caroline understands the value of communication and keeping parents updated and involved, and her home life has also given her insight into the various opportunities and challenges that international students experience through raising her three children; she had this to say on looking after her new students:
‘I have always been heavily involved in my own children’s lives, particularly in extracurricular activities from helping with coaching at their swimming club to daily music practice. These wider activities are so important in developing a rounded and well-balanced child and I will certainly encourage your child to make the most of all the opportunities available to them at school and taking up new interests and developing new friendships. All of this will help your child to reach their full potential whilst balancing their academic demands in the classroom.’
Ben Hughes, Pippa’s Guardians MD, said: ‘Caroline understands that transitioning into a new school can be a daunting as well as exciting time, and her presence in your child’s life will be one of reassurance and encouragement, supporting your child through whatever challenges they might face; Caroline’s experience makes her a wonderful asset to the Pippa’s Guardians team and we’re looking forward to working alongside her.’
Pippa’s Guardians student Elizabeth Yan awarded the Honorary Academic King's Scholarship
After studying at St Edward’s School in Oxford for two years, looked after by Oxfordshire’s Area Manager Ceri Thomson, Elizabeth Yan achieved a fantastic ten A*s and one A in her GCSEs; and this set of impressive results was just the beginning of her success this summer.
Elizabeth has now to moved to King’s Canterbury and has been awarded an Honorary Academic King’s Scholarship in recognition of her excellent results. King's Scholarships were originally established in 1541 by Henry VIII, under the Statutes of Canterbury Cathedral, and only twenty Academic Scholarships are awarded each year to those with outstanding GCSE and A Level results. All King's Scholars become members of the Canterbury Cathedral Foundation, and so Elizabeth joins the ranks of the canons and choristers that make up the 1420 year-old World Heritage Site’s chapter, under current dean Robert Willis.
On Sunday 10th September, Elizabeth was accepted into the Foundation along with the other scholars at a service at Canterbury Cathedral, followed by a reception in Headmaster Peter Roberts’ garden, where they were joined by their parents and guardians. Elizabeth’s new guardian, Nicky Lee-Browne, was delighted to attend, and took photographs to send to Elizabeth’s parents.
Elizabeth had this to say about the service:
'I was expecting myself to be very nervous but that wasn’t the case during the swearing-in service. But it was amazing to be to sworn in in the cathedral with the entire school: I had to be really careful to kneel down without falling over on the dean!'
And both her advice on achieving outstanding results, and her appreciation of both her Guardians, were equally enthusiastic;
'Don’t stress and just do what you should do! That way you don’t have to cram before the exams! [Ceri Thomson and Nicky-Lee Browne] have been fantastic. I remember when I was really ill last year, Ceri arranged me to go to her house to spend the night until my mum flew in. She also visited me and chatted to me about how I’m getting on with school. It’s great to have someone like that, who’s outside of school and can act as an intermediary between me and the teachers. If I feel like I’ve been given too much work, she would reflect that to my HM or Tutor, which is super helpful.'
Huge congratulations to Elizabeth and Pippa's Guardians looks forward to continuing to support you as you begin your next adventure at King's Canterbury!
Pippa's Guardians Welcomes Tazaki Scholars
It isn't easy to get a Tazaki Scholarship. Of the many hundreds of Japanese students who apply, only the five most academically excellent are granted the Scholarship; and the lucky five are gifted a British education in its entirety, with their tuition fee, dormitory fee, and living expenses to attend both UK public school and their undergraduate degree all funded by the Tazaki Foundation.
The Foundation was established with the aim of supporting Japanese students' study abroad in UK schools, which boast a long tradition and history. The UK's academic and educational prowess continues to fuel international competition for such places.
For the five chosen students, it's a life-changing opportunity that Founder and Chairman of the Tazaki Foundation, Tadasaki Tasaki, believes will benefit the future development of Japan. As a so called 'global talent', Mr Tazaki feels that allowing Japanese students to 'interact with people around the world and experience different cultures' lets Japan further 'contribute to society worldwide.' The scholarship also funds full English Language training in Japan.
All five students have been welcomed this September by Pippa's Guardians and have begun their education in the UK; three at Christ's Hospital in West Sussex and two at Kingswood in Bath, where Mr Tazaki himself attended - but before they flew out, the five had the opportunity to meet Prime Minister Theresa May at the British Embassy during her visit to Japan. Academic Scholar Rin Watanabe, beginning her education at Kingswood, had this to say about her new school, her new host family, and meeting Mrs May.
'I really loved the school. Especially, I love the green. And all the buildings were very lovely. My only concern is that it is so huge that I get lost in the middle of the school between lessons, but I'm sure I'll be with my buddy until I'm settled in. And I feel that I'm really lucky to be hosted at Doris and Richard's place. I love when we go shopping in the city. It's just a 5-minute-walk to the city centre! I love Doris's cooking too! And Richard helps me with my English and we three talk a lot about many things, which I like very much.'
'I visited the British embassy the day before I flew to LHR. I had a short talk with PM, she asked me something like "what are you going to study in the UK?" and a few more things, which I don't remember maybe because I was very nervous.'
And on her hopes for the future;
'I'm going to study Maths, Further Maths, Chemistry and Physics at A Levels. After that, I haven't decided yet, but I'd like to study economics and management in the university. In the following two years, I want to improve my ability to deal with non-Japanese people. The ways they express their opinions are very different from those of Japanese. And I think that all those differences are related to the cultural differences. These things are what I won't be able to learn in Japan, so I'm very looking forward to have a lot of conversation and discussions with my colleagues and learn why those differences are made.'
Mr Tazaki, pictured here with Scholars Rin Watanabe and An Nabeshima, had this to say about the scholarship;
'Through the Tazaki Scholarship we deepen our understanding of tradition and culture of our country, coexist with people who are based on different cultures and history than ourselves...(we are) expecting students who are willing to work in international society. People who have the opportunity to learn in a privileged environment have their pride and awareness and will return their achievements to society.'
We are delighted to have the Tazaki Scholars join Pippa's Guardians and look forward to supporting them as they begin their exciting adventure here.
Pippa’s Guardians Annual Conference Celebrates Company Growth
Debbie Lennard and Mary Watford’s informative sessions on travel plans and parent/student meetings respectively were followed by an open forum for area managers, and the first day finished with a wonderful dinner in the Abbey Hotel’s Garden room, attended by none other than Pippa Hughes, founder of Pippa’s Guardians; an opportunity for Pippa to see how her legacy continues to evolve and flourish through the hard work of current area managers and office staff.
Pippa's Guardians Welcomes Academic Mentors Struan Hellier and Evelyn Kitt
Pippa's Guardians is delighted to welcome two new faces to the team; Evelyn and Struan, who are working to develop Pippa's Guardians Academic Mentoring service.
Academic Mentoring is an expansion of Pippa's Guardians that provides support to the academic progress of our students. By working closely with students alongside Area Managers, parents, house and teaching staff, Evelyn and Struan can monitor our students' learning progress and tailor specific programmes for them to help them achieve their potential and flourish academically.
Struan has been a Head of Faculty, Housemaster and most recently Head of Sixth Form at Shrewsbury School, one of the great traditional Public Schools in England. He has significant experience in guiding overseas students and a very close understanding of the UCAS system for entrance into UK universities and through working with students aspiring to some of the top Universities in the United States and Europe. Since April 2016, Struan has worked as Academic and Pastoral Director for Pair Education Ltd, offering strategic advice to independent schools, furthering his understanding of international families with extensive travel abroad and representing the best of UK education.
Evelyn is a graduate of the Queen’s College, Oxford University, and has worked at several of the most outstanding independent schools in the South West, including Downside School in Somerset and QEH in Bristol. She is trained in Independent Learning, Study Skills, and Preparation for Higher Education, and has worked with children from ages 7 – 19, including those with Special Educational Needs, English as an Additional Language, and Gifted and Talented students.
Evelyn has provided extra tuition in academic areas ranging from Literacy and Numeracy in primary education, through to personal statement, UCAS and portfolio development with A Level students, and has successfully guided students in how to maximise their exam performance throughout primary and secondary education.
We look forward to working with Struan and Evelyn and are excited to see our students' benefit from their expertise and support.
Pippa’s Guardians say fond farewell to visiting Japanese student, Ben Miyano
Ben Miyano attends Keio school near Tokyo, a prestigious co-educational feeder school to Keio University - known as the ‘oldest institute of modern higher education in Japan.’ Keio Shonan-Fujisawa Junior & Senior High School - or simply, Keio, recently began a one-way exchange program to encourage their young students to study at traditional boarding schools - one of whom, this year, was Ben, who has just returned to Japan on completion of his year abroad, where he studied at Winchester College.
Winchester College is a far cry from the stark white structures of Keio, which was founded in 1992 and is attended by some 1500 students. Winchester College is, by contrast, the oldest public school in England; founded in 1382 by great architectural patron William of Wykehamone and the inspiration for Eton and Kings College Cambridge, it currently holds just shy of 700 students in its stone-walled, vaulted-ceilinged medieval buildings.
But Ben was quick to find his feet in his new environment, enjoying the change of scenery and of educational style, stating that he ‘thoroughly enjoyed the lessons at Winchester, especially the numerous experiments in chemistry and stimulating lessons in economics,’ and that he appreciated the student to teacher ratio, saying that the small size of classes helped him to better understand the material.
Ben also found that his time at Winchester greatly improved his English, both in his speaking and his writing, and benefited greatly from both Winchester College’s and his host families’ support.
He had this to say on his experience;
‘There were a variety of students around me; some were very hard working and ambitious. Throughout the year, I got a lot of practice with my English speaking and writing. The host family I stayed with were very kind, taking me around places of interest. My plan for the near future is to attend a Japanese university, but it is completely possible for me to come back to the UK for graduate school.’
We certainly hope so, Ben!'