Anish Vara’s visit was an amazing experience for both the students he presented to, and to the others he didn’t, as he created a conversation during lunchtime.

Being a former student to Robert Clack School and not being much older than me, it really opened my eyes to how life can change with the right choices. 


Anish spent extra time during lunchtime to catch up with individuals he knew when he was in school. This brought together students across the current Year 13 to catch up with how things have been for him alongside discussing nostalgic moments that took place at the lower site years ago. 

 

I was lucky enough to be on the receiving end of his presentation where he gave a detailed explanation on his own experience at Robert Clack School discussing both his high and low points. Additionally, Anish spoke about how he went from a student on the brink of failing to pulling himself back and getting distinctions in his Double ICT course. A course that I too am studying. Anish's journey in life also opened my eyes to all of the preparation he did to be where he is now, plus the fact that he is always stretching himself to achieve in a variety of areas.


Anish went on to explain a degree apprenticeship, specifically the apprenticeship that he has currently taken on at Ernst & Young. He then briefly explained his position at Ernst & Young as an FAAS (Financial Accounting Advisor Server). Anish had the room roaring with surprise and excitement when he opened the eyes of almost each student once he explained his job role and what he does and the potential pay/career options across the years, with salaries ranging from at 20K up to 150K+, when taking on the role of a director or others. 

 

Anish ended his presentation by talking about the benefits you may receive while on the job where you can have invitations to festivals, parties or just being gifted on a regular basis. Anish’s visit had a positive impact on many students, including me. Hearing that Anish wasn’t in the best position to complete his coursework but was still able to bring himself back up inspired me to do the same. I personally have always been afraid to take on the role of an apprentice due to the lack of knowledge I have. However, his detailed explanation on how an apprenticeship works has made me consider taking on the role of an apprentice as an alternative to University with a clearer mind. Overall, the experience was outstanding and I would love for other students to have the opportunity I had in order to either take away a better understanding of what an apprenticeship offers or the message that there is still a possibility of succeeding even when the odds are against you.


H Thomas Year Y13

Annual Teacher vs Student Debate 2026

By npower • March 13, 2026
Our debate club recently hosted an engaging Teacher vs Student debate on the motion: “This house would allow all mobile phones to be used in school for research.” This was a relevant topic as the use of mobile phones in schools is a current news story! Both teams delivered thoughtful arguments, lively rebuttals, and demonstrated excellent public speaking skills. Overall, the winners were the teachers!

British Science Week - Marble Run

By npower • March 12, 2026
The British Science Week marble run activity took place on Wednesday after school. It was a real fun activity and pupils immersed themselves fully in a competitive manner. Sami and Labibul were the winners but the others did incredibly well. Well done to all the students who took part - Sara, Hanna, Sami, Labibul, Gabrieele, Illarion and Arthur

Year 9 Students Inspired by Medical Career Talk by former pupil

By npower • March 7, 2026
Dr Lara Akinnawonu (class of 2017) joined a group of our Year 9 Lymington Fields students today via Teams students to share her experiences of working in medicine. During the session, she gave students an insight into a “day in the life of a doctor”, explaining that the role is varied, fast-paced, and filled with constant learning. She also spoke about the key skills that make a good doctor, highlighting the importance of strong communication, empathy, and a commitment to continually developing knowledge and understanding. Thank you to Dr Lara for taking the time to inspire our students and give them a valuable glimpse into a career in healthcare.

Essex 7s - Year 8

By npower • March 7, 2026
Yesterday, the Year 8 boys competed in the annual Essex 7s tournament hosted by New Hall School.  Robert Clack faced three tough fixtures in the main Cup competition, beating Brentwood and Westcliff, drawing against King John, and narrowly losing to Campion. This performance saw the Year 8s progress to the Cup semi-final against a strong Woodlands side. Robert Clack delivered an outstanding performance, securing a 20–10 victory. The boys then advanced to the final against a strong Campion team. It was a highly competitive game throughout, with the score 5–5 at half-time and 10–10 at full-time. A golden try was needed to decide the winner. Unfortunately, Campion scored first, meaning they were crowned overall champions, with Robert Clack finishing as worthy runners-up. Well done to the boys on a well-earned achievement. Compared to last year, when they did not win a single group game, this represents excellent progress. Outstanding work!

Jack Cooper inspires Year 9 with his Degree Apprenticeship Journey

By npower • February 26, 2026
We were proud to welcome back former student Jack Cooper to speak with our Year 9 cohort about his journey into the construction industry via Teams. After leaving Sixth Form in 2025, Jack secured a degree apprenticeship with The Hill Group, where he now works as a Technical Coordinator. He shared valuable insight into the apprenticeship route, highlighting how subject choices, extracurricular involvement, and developing transferable skills such as teamwork, leadership, communication and resilience helped prepare him for the workplace. Students were particularly interested in hearing about his day-to-day role — from reviewing plans and liaising with teams to solving on-site challenges — as well as how he balances university study alongside hands-on industry experience as part of his degree apprenticeship. Jack also spoke about the impact of our partnerships with organisations such as Construction Youth Trust, which provide mentoring and support for students pursuing careers in construction. His journey is a fantastic example of the diverse and rewarding pathways available after school. We are incredibly grateful to Jack for returning to inspire the next generation — and we look forward to seeing many more students follow in his footsteps.

Senior Debate Squad Leads Show Debate

By npower • February 26, 2026
This half term, the Robert Clack Senior Debate Squad had the opportunity to visit the local primary school, Grafton, to participate in a Q&A session and deliver a showcase debate. The motion considered whether primary or secondary school provides a better environment for children’s development. The teams were mixed, allowing the older students to mentor the younger pupils.  Well done to all Grafton and Robert Clack students who took part. We look forward to visiting again in the future.

Entrepreneur Academy Final

By npower • February 22, 2026
On Thursday 13 th February we held the final presentations of our Sixth Form Entrepreneur Academy — Dragon’s Den style — and our students absolutely delivered. The brief: Create a product or service for 16–21 year olds that could be used by college or university students. It could be an invention or an innovation, tailored to a specific audience, with full cost research and a clear business case. The results? Innovative ideas. Professional presentations. Exceptional teamwork. 🏆 Winners: Imperium – an inventive mobile banking app designed specifically for the student market. A genuinely original concept, clearly aligned to the needs of their target audience. 🥈 Runners-up: Magniglasses – a smart glasses concept with a more affordable, accessible design. A brilliant example of innovation with commercial awareness. Every team impressed our judges with: • The quality of their ideas • Confident, professional pitching • Strong market research and costings • Clear marketing strategies It was fantastic to see many teams applying insights from our guest speakers — and even incorporating Out of Home advertising into their marketing plans following their visit to Bauer Media Group . A huge thank you to our volunteers and judges who generously gave up their time to support and challenge our students. The future of entrepreneurship is in very safe hands.

Alumni Power In Action

By npower • February 22, 2026
It’s always fantastic to see our students thinking ambitiously about their futures. Recently, Year 12 student MP shared her aspiration to become a Social Worker and asked whether Mrs Monk could connect her with a former student working in the field. Mrs Monk immediately reached out to Nanah Kamara who was more than happy to help. Nanah left Robert Clack in 2019 and, after completing her undergraduate degree, is now a fully qualified Social Worker. A meeting was set up via Teams on Wednesday 11th February, and MP came exceptionally well prepared — asking thoughtful, probing questions about relevant work experience, degree structure, and the training involved in qualifying as a Social Worker. A huge thank you to Nanah for giving up her time to support the next generation and for being such a positive role model for our students. Moments like this truly show the power of our alumni network.

UKMT Intermediate Maths Challenge

By npower • February 10, 2026
On January the 28th, 340 of our most able Mathematicians took part in the UKMT Intermediate challenge. The challenge is a national competition where our students get to compete with the best Mathematicians in the country. The challenge has students utilise their mathematical reasoning and fluency in using the basic mathematical techniques learned from school to solve unique and interesting questions and challenges on the paper. The problems on the Intermediate Mathematical Challenge promote critical thinking skills, often making pupils apply their knowledge in unfamiliar ways in order to solve a problem. Our results have just come in and we had 82 Bronze awards, 36 Silver awards and an amazing 9 Gold awards. To put this into context, only 11% of entrants achieve the Gold awards nationally. A special mention to Abisman Rajakumar for achieving the highest in the school and David Karpovych for the highest in Year 9. They, along with 5 others, will have the opportunity to go into the follow-on Kangaroo round for the elite Mathematicians in the country.  Mr Rahman, Ms Hibbit & Ms Tahir

Essex Number 1

By npower • February 9, 2026
This season George in year 11 has been the starting Goalkeeper in the county under 16 schools football team.  The Essex team are enjoying a particularly successful season, they are currently awaiting their national cup quarter final away in Devon which is due to take place this month. Georges involvement is no surprise to the PE department, he is an outstanding all round sports man who is not only our goalkeeper, but also a key part of the Athletics, Cricket and Rugby team. Well done George and good luck in the next round.