Following her brother Sams recent visit to the school, Becci Curwen has written to let us know what life has been like since leaving Downham Prep and the memories of her time with us.
My name is Becci Curwen and I attended Downham Prep School from 2005-2011. I really enjoyed my time at DPS, particularly the sports events, including the swimming competition as my house (yellow house) always won. I loved the animals, especially the cats and was so happy to be allowed to be a cat monitor. I also had fun in my lessons, especially history as it as my favourite subject, with my favourite teacher Mrs Sharpe. As I was very naughty I was sent to her class a lot but she was always understanding and could see it wasn’t always my fault, she was the one who suggested I get professionally assessed. Because of Mrs Sharpe, not taking my behaviour at face value, it was found I have autism and ADD and dyslexia. Without this diagnosis my life would have been very different and I would not have been as successful in life as I have been.
After leaving DPS I went to Millfield School (2011 – 2019) to pursue my swimming dreams. It was there that I discovered fencing. I signed up for it on the clubs list and loved it. I have now represented England at U15 level, Great Britain at age of 14, again at U17 and also the U20 level. I was a medal winner in the team event at the Cadet Commonwealth Games. Academically I got one A and 6 B’s at GCSE and grades BCE at A-level. I am now in my first year at the University of Bath studying Sports Performance. I am continuing my fencing success, both individually and by being selected for all five World Cups at university where our team is currently undefeated. I’m hoping to go to the 2024 Olympics and get a job as a performance analyst.
DPS instilled in me the belief that you can succeed in whatever field you love, whether that be academic, art or sport. The patience of the staff allows pupils that need a little extra time to understand something to thrive, rather than be left behind to struggle. Without a shadow of a doubt DPS is a special place for any child to attend and I will always remember my time there as being the first step in the right direction. I would like to thank all the staff for helping me succeed during my time particularly Mrs Sharpe and Mr Laffeaty.