Former Student Shares Secret to Success

We had the pleasure of welcoming back one of our former students who joined St Augustine’s in 1998 as as year 7 student from our primary school. Ms Auckburally, who is an Oracy Champion and Paws b Teacher at Mount Pleasant Junior School in Southhampton, addressed our students to recall her time as a St Augustine’s student and inspire them to work hard and aim high to achieve their dream job, never mind any obstacles or failure they may face in their life.

The message was well received by our students who enjoyed listening to our guest and discussing her career journey.

‘It was an absolute pleasure to return to my former secondary school and speak to current students. I was incredibly impressed with the engagement and participation of the Year 8 students during the assembly. The theme of the assembly was ‘Becoming’ as often there can be a belief that once you achieve a goal that is it. I wanted to encourage students to see potential setbacks as opportunities to learn. I remember at that age not always being sure how to respond to challenges, so it was important for me to share my experience with current students in the hope that they will embrace obstacles as positives in developing a growth mindset.

It was wonderful to see the improvements made to the school. It has been renovated to inspire children’s creativity with a sports centre, dance studio and a communal area in the heart of the school. I very much look forward to hearing about the achievements of St Augustine’s students and wish them all the best for the future!’ Charmaine Auckburally

‘It is always a pleasure to have our ex. students visit us as we are keen and still interested in knowing about their career journey. They are important allies to the school and the best at motivating our students and inspiring them to aim high and to value and make the most of the range of learning opportunities available to them in school. I really appreciated the spirited talk by Ms Auckburally which focused on mindfulness and growth mindset, and I am glad to say she is willing to be a regular visitor ’ A Ydri (Careers Lead)