In the latest installment of our semi-regular series of alumni profiles, we hear from Alice Brown, currently studying Film Production at the University of Salford. She had contacted Mrs Weston, one of her media studies teachers at Richmond, telling her about a short film she had written and directed, and recently filmed in Teesdale. We were very keen to find out more, and Alice was kind enough to spend some time looking back and telling us about her time at Richmond, what she’s been doing since she left. Read on! 

Describe your time at and your memories of school/college 

I started at Richmond School in 2016 and stayed until the end of Sixth Form. Throughout my time there, I felt a distinct gap between what I liked and what I didn’t. I was rubbish at maths and science and retrospectively apologise for making it everyone else’s problem! But I loved the creative subjects - English, drama, media and art. For as long as I can remember, I’ve loved writing and creating stories, and I was really thankful that certain teachers at Richmond School saw some potential in me and helped me explore it. Specifically, during my GCSEs, I spent a lot of time in the drama studio with Mr Birdsall, where I loved every lesson and did as much extracurricular drama as I could. This is where I got my first chance to co-direct something, working with the younger students to put on a play, and that’s when I realised I loved it so much. Then, in Sixth Form, media was my absolute favourite subject. Ms Dunwoodie and Mrs Weston were amazing teachers and made every lesson simultaneously interesting, helpful and hilarious. 

I made a music video for my A-level, which was the first production I did singlehandedly and cemented my love for filmmaking. Film as a medium has been everything to me since I was a kid, but it wasn’t until I did my media A-level that I realised it could actually be a real possibility. In college, I also made an EPQ about cinema politics, which ended up being a twenty-minute film retrospective and still, to this day, one of the things I’m most proud of making. I also remember winning the headteacher's value award for my EPQ, which was the first time my film work was properly rewarded. Although it was just something small, it gave me a great confidence boost. Although I have many amazing memories of school, I also struggled quite a lot with my mental health and question whether I would’ve ended up on the path I am today without the tireless help of people like Mrs Macey, who were always there for me to make me smile, even when I didn’t realise I needed help myself!  

What did you do straight after Sixth Form College? 

Right after college, I was meant to go to university to study film production, but I decided, a week before move-in date, that I wasn’t ready to go. So, I spent a year working in a cafe and quietly developing my skill and love for filmmaking, ready to go again the next year. I am incredibly glad that I made this decision because when I did get to university, I was much more self-assured and happy in my life. Moving away from home into the big city felt less of a leap of faith.  

I am currently studying film production at the University of Salford, a university that I am very proud to have been accepted into. Salford University is a standout for creative courses in the country, specifically film and television, and their film production course is one of the most sought-after courses in the UK. Most of my lessons are in MediaCity, in the same building where the BBC and ITV film, so it is very interesting to see how the industry really works. We get to use equipment that I never even dreamed of getting my hands on - film cameras that are worth upwards of £100k and high-industry technology - and we’re given the freedom to create whatever we want with it. So far, I have written and directed three films, edited one and worked on others.  

My current project, and the one I am most proud of, is a short film I have written and directed called ‘Among the Trees’. It follows the story of a grieving man who lives isolated and alone and descends into madness when he starts to believe that a tree in his garden is his late wife reincarnated. I wrote the story as a love letter to nature and its cathartic power, as well as a love letter to home. Somehow, I managed to convince my crew of ten filmmakers from all over the country to travel up north to Teesdale, not far from Richmond, to film there for a week. We brought all our expensive and fragile equipment to a stunning location near Barnard Castle and slept over in a nearby village hall for five nights. Without a doubt, it was some of the most fun I’ve ever had, even though we had hundreds of schedule changes due to the ever-tumultuous English weather. It was a pleasure to direct such a lovely and dedicated crew, as well as our fabulous actor, Jasper, who I actually found from the Richmond Amateur Dramatics Society. Among the Trees is my favourite film I have worked on, and I am very proud of myself and my team. We are going to submit it to national and international film festivals, including the Tees Valley International Film Festival, over the next two years and will, hopefully, win some awards and get to travel on the festival circuit. The film has its own Instagram account and will be available to the public soon. So far, we’ve received high praise from our supervisors and our peers, and it is extremely rewarding for a creative endeavour of mine to be so well-received. As the university gives us no funding to make our films, we are still short of cash on the project, but we have a GoFundMe link for any kind donations, and we’ve been tirelessly fundraising at the university with bake and craft sales. Though the film hasn’t been the cheapest to make, I think the end product is worth all of the expense and hard work we’ve put into it.  

What are your plans for the future - near and more distant? 

I am going into my third year of university now and already have a crew picked out and ready to make our final film, for which I have already started writing the story. It’s going to be the biggest thing we’ve all ever made and will take more hard work and determination, but remarkably, I am extremely excited for it and can’t wait to dive right in. As well as working on that main project, I have signed up to direct a different short film over the summer and to work on some music videos. Also, in my spare time, I post editing projects on my film Instagram account ‘@alpalproductions’, which has recently been doing very well and getting millions of views around the world. From this account, I’ve been contacted by a director in Texas and have been creating promotional material for his film. In the distant future, my dream is to become a full-time screenwriter working for a production company and do as much of my own editing and directing on the side as I can. Though I love directing, I think that writing is my main passion - this summer, I am hoping to get a book that I have written over the last two years ready to be published. Filmmaking and writing for film will always be my dream job, and has been since I was a child. It’s definitely something that I have learnt to love through college and university and even English lessons in school, and something that I would like to pursue for as long as I can.  

Looking back, what advice would you have for our current students?  

My advice to current students would be to keep pursuing what makes you happy and learn as much as you can about it, because then opportunities will find you one day, regardless of how small the world feels when you are still in school! Additionally, growing up it felt like the creative subjects were constantly being put on a back-burner and regarded as much less important than others - if I had believed that they were less important, than I wouldn’t have realised that there was an entire world of creative people, places and opportunities out there for me to explore, so I think that if you are creatively predisposed, you mustn’t convince yourself to change for anyone else. 

Year 11 and Year 13 students at Richmond are in the process of finalising their plans for next year. This could be staying at Richmond Sixth Form College to study A Levels or their equivalent, or to move to a local college to do the same. It could involve progression to university for Year 13 students, an apprenticeship, or directly into employment. 

This year, three of our GCSE and A Level dance students are realising their ambitions by progressing onto dance and performing arts courses at three different centres. These courses are highly competitive, with a large number of potential students going through what can be a grueling interview and audition process, competing for a limited number of places. 

We caught up with the three students: Amelie Harte and Lillyanna Navuso, Year 13, and Esmée Campbell-Watt, Year 11, to find out a bit more – read on! 

First, we talked to Amelie and Lillyanna: 

RS: According to the information I received from Mrs Fox, you have a place on the Contemporary Dance Performance course at the London Contemporary Dance School, Lillyanna. She said that this was ‘HUGE!’ - one of the most influential dance education spaces in Europe, and she doesn’t think a Richmond student has been successful getting onto the course in over 15 years – congratulations! 

LN: Thank you! 

RS: And Amelie, you have a place on the BA Musical Theatre course at The Performers College, a specialist performing arts institution – also congratulations! 

AH: Thank you! 

RS: This is the end of the application process – can you take us back to the beginning? 

LN: You have to apply to some dance conservatoires directly via their websites rather than through UCAS, so that’s how I applied for the London Contemporary Dance School, the Northern School of Contemporary Dance and Rambert. I also applied to Trinity Laban via UCAS Conservatoires. 

RS: Ok, thank you. And Amelie? 

AH: I applied for Italia Conti, Addict Academy, Performers College, Dance Box Academy and Bird College. I was offered a place at Performers and Dance Box, and I’m still waiting to hear from Bird. Bird is my first choice, but I spent the day at Performers yesterday, and it was really good, so that’s now definitely my second – it's going to be a tricky choice! 

RS: Lillyanna – tell us about your audition at the London Contemporary Dance School. 

LN: The London Contemporary Dance School has several audition centres around the UK, so I attended my audition at a centre in Newcastle. They called it an ‘Admissions Workshop’, I guess to make it a bit more chill than the traditional high-pressure audition process. When I went to Rambert It was a bit different – a proper audition. People sat behind tables taking notes as they watched you – no interaction - quite hostile, actually! Anyway, at Newcastle they went through what it’s like to be on the course, then we did workshops focusing on different styles of dance – ballet, contemporary, then at the end, Afro fusion. 

RS: Ok, but how did they judge your skills in this workshop context? 

LN: They watched us as we danced and asked us to go across the floor one-by-one. They also had us do small group work to see how we worked in a team. They were really looking to see how versatile we were as dancers. 

RS: What was a highlight for you during the day, something that you think made you stand out? 

LN: It was the workshop at the end. I hadn’t really done Afro fusion before, but I felt as though I picked it up quite quickly and understood how the dancing worked – that was definitely a high point for me. 

RS: So, after the day they offered you a place. Did you get offers from anywhere else? 

LN: Yes, the Northern School of Contemporary Dance. 

RS: So, an easy choice between London and the Northern? 

LN: No, not at all! I really like the city of Leeds and it’s quite close to home. I also felt like I knew the place, having been to an audition there – I hadn’t visited London, so I didn’t know it. I really like the course in London, though, so that swayed me towards them. 

RS: So, Amelie. Tell us about your audition at Performers. 

AH: It was more of a traditional audition – quite intense! It was good to be called down to Essex, though, because the others asked for self-tapes where you had to film yourself doing solos or set motifs. For example, for Italia Conti you had to do a ballet and a jazz class online. They watched the videos and assessed whether you were good enough to get through to the next round. It was good to be there in person at Performers! 

RS: I guess it’s all part of their filtering process. What did you have to do at Performers? 

AH: I had two singing solos, two monologues, and a dance solo. Then there was a commercial class, a ballet class, and two jazz classes – it was a long day! 

RS: And a highlight? 

AH: I felt that the jazz and commercial classes were my strongest. They asked us to do some improv, which I quite enjoy, so that was probably my highlight. There was also an interview at the end that I thought went well. 

RS: And did anything not go so well? 

AH: The dance solo could have gone better, I think. All the other candidates were watching as you performed, so it was quite hard – especially as I was first up! 

RS: And Lillyanna – something that didn’t go so well for you? 

LN: That was at Rambert – having to work on the dance solo for the week leading up to the audition was really stressful. Going over it again and again and having to showcase all your abilities in just one minute. 

AH: We also had mock exams for the whole of the week we were both preparing for auditions! 

RS: Certainly sounds quite stressful! Ok – so what’s next? 

LN: I’ve been looking at accommodation and student finance – hopefully halls in the first year then a house with friends after that. 

AH: I’m still waiting for an offer from Bird, so I’m not quite in the position to be thinking about accommodation yet. It’s a bit harder at Performers because they don’t have halls, so I will definitely have to start doing some research soon. 

RS: And finally, what about the future beyond your A Levels and these brilliant courses – have you looked that far ahead? 

LN: I’ve definitely got the performing arts industry in mind, but I just want to see what happens in these three years. I’ll take opportunities as they arise and take it from there! 

AH: Similar to Lillyanna – take opportunities as they come up. Make connections and gain experience – on stage, cruise ships and maybe teaching, eventually! 

RS: There’ll always be a demand for good dance teachers! 

Thank you both for giving us an insight into the application and audition process. All the best for your upcoming exams and for your future in the performing arts.  

A little while later we caught up with Esmée.  

RS: Most Year 11 students are continuing their academic studies with A Levels at college next year, or going into an apprenticeship or employment, but you’re doing something slightly different. Talk us through your decision-making process. 

ECW: It’s always been obvious to me that dance is something I want to do for my whole life, so I looked at my options. Dance college with a 3 A Level equivalent qualification

Thank you to Mr Maddocks for the following report:  

“Richmond started off the first half as the better team. Lots of high pressing of the ball, great fluid football being played, and chances being created. Unfortunately, due to an uneven surface, Richmond conceded the first goal from a pass back to the goalkeeper gone awry. Admirably, goalie Charlie Davies was unphased by this error and went on to make numerous fantastic saves which kept us in the game.  

Midway through the first half, our powerful attacking play resulted in a number of corners, brilliantly delivered by Oscar Anderson. Jake Kirkbright managed to get on the end of one delivery and loop a header into the far top corner, an excellent goal to bring Richmond level. Towards the end of the first half, Archie Porter delivered a free kick into an extremely dangerous area. Our pressure on the goalkeeper caused him to spill the ball, with Kirkbright once again following up and firing it into the back of the net for his, and Richmond's second.   

In the second half, Richmond had to weather some pressure from Northallerton's tricky and pacey forwards. With Owen Mundell leading the back line, Richmond stood strong. Great attacking play led to Max Read picking up the ball on the edge of the Northallerton box and guiding it expertly in their bottom corner. 3-1 Richmond. We decided, with little time to go, to try and see out the rest of the game and switched to a more defensive formation. This seemed to work; however, a controversial decision from the referee meant Northallerton managed to claim a goal back. Thankfully, this was late in the game, and Richmond won the game 3-2. This was a brilliant effort from the whole team working together and working hard, never giving up until the final whistle. Well done lads, and onto the final!”  

Pictured from left to right: 

Back row: Harry Adams, Jake Kirkbright, Archie Porter, Noah Atkinson, Tom Pickles, Owen Mundell, Max Read 

Front row: Rhys Vinton, Jaxon Tarrant, George McKevitt, Charlie Davies, Oscar Anderson, Harry Cowperthwaite 

Callum was nominated by Miss Tucker who said: “Callum is always a very polite and hardworking student who strives to be the best he can be in everything he does. In Textiles this year, he has built up an impressive repertoire of practical skills, resulting in an excellently made cape inspired by his favourite character. For each technique required to make his cape, we provided a short demonstration, gave Callum a chance to practise, and then he completed the skill independently on his final piece. This included pattern cutting, hemming, machine‑sewing seams and buttonholes, and hand‑sewing buttons. 

The number of skills he executed to an excellent standard went above and beyond what many other students managed within the time. Callum demonstrated strong creativity in his design ideas and worked very independently throughout the project to bring his design to life.” 

We recently heard that Jack Ford, currently a Year 11 student at Richmond School, but also a part time apprentice at James Ford construction, has been making excellent progress in his training and qualifications with construction and farming machinery.  

The James Ford Construction Facebook page celebrated his recent achievements by saying: “Well Done, Jack! A huge congratulations to Jack, one of our apprentices, who has recently achieved some fantastic milestones in his training. 

Jack has successfully passed his 360 Excavator, Dumper, and Tractor tickets, and is continuing his progress by completing his Telehandler and Abrasive Wheels training as well. 

It’s great to see the hard work and commitment he’s putting into developing his skills, and we’re proud to support him as he continues to grow within the business. 

We look forward to sharing more of Jack’s successes in the future.” 

Jack also gave us a bit of background information to put these recent achievements in context: He’s grown up around farms, farming and construction work – it runs in the family. He’s been driving a tractor since he was 13! James Ford Construction is the family-run business, established in 2009. Jack is currently on a work placement at James Ford Construction and with a local farmer two days a week, as well as working effectively full-time around school. He gets up early to feed the cattle at 6:30am, then in the evening carries out general farm and grounds work. The cattle he helps look after are high quality Angus beef cattle – they raise them on the farm from four months to a year old, then supply the beef to Waitrose. His ambition is to join James Ford Construction as a full-time apprentice after his GCSEs. 

Well done to Jack for these recent achievements, and we wish him all the best for the future. 

Thanks to Mrs Southgate for this report about the recent ‘Girls Football Activators’ programme: 

“We’re incredibly proud of a group of our Year 9 girls who have planned and led football taster sessions at local primary schools as part of the Barclays Game On – Go Lead programme. 

After completing sports leadership training with a football focus and qualifying as Girls’ Football Activators, the girls chose to plan and deliver fun, inclusive football sessions for Richmond‑based primary schools. Along the way, they developed key skills in communication, organisation and teamwork, putting these into practice with some very enthusiastic Year 3 and Year 4 girls. 

It’s been wonderful to see their confidence grow week by week as they delivered the sessions. They used their creativity to adapt their sessions when they identified areas for improvement, demonstrating fantastic independence. Feedback from the schools has been overwhelmingly positive, with lots of pupils saying how much they enjoyed getting involved and having fun. 

A huge thank you to Trinity Academy Richmond and Richmond Methodist School for hosting our leaders, and to their fantastic Year 3 and 4 girls for getting stuck in and giving it a go!” 

Thanks to Emmy Raggett, Year 12 student at Richmond, as well as coach and manager of the U13 girls football team, for this report:  

“Last week, the U13 girls football team faced Easingwold in the final of the Area Plate.   

The girls started eagerly and played some brilliant football, displaying what they’ve learnt over the past season. Crucially, we gained a few early goals, scored by Charlee Stead who proceeded to secure herself five in total! 

The second half arrived, and the girls comfortably set themselves back up.  

An extremely quick Easingwold striker and some lovely link-up plays meant the opposition regained a few goals, putting pressure on Richmond. The girls remained calm, worked together and produced some great attacks which were finished with fantastic strikes from Kezia Rodway, Phoebe Percival, Phoebe Willis and a penalty from Orla Noone, meaning when the final whistle blew the game ended with a score of 9-4 to Richmond - Area Plate Winners! A brilliant end to a successful season for the U13s”  

Mrs Southgate, joint Lead Teacher of PE, added: “The girls and I would like to say a huge thank you to Emmy who has devoted so much time this season to planning and leading fantastic coaching sessions for the U13 girls and expertly managing and refereeing their fixtures. Her dedication to supporting each individual player's development has been amazing, and we are so grateful for her expertise and commitment. She is a fantastic role model for our younger students. Thank you, Emmy!” 

Last week, one of the most significant milestones in Richmond School and Sixth Form College’s calendar was reached – the Spring Leavers’ Concert. This concert is designed to showcase the hard work and talents of our Year 13 musicians, some of whom have been at Richmond for seven years, as well as wishing them all the best for their futures. It also provides a chance to hear our brilliant music ensembles in full voice, as they work their way through a varied and challenging repertoire. 

The concert was compered by Miss Abbey and supported by Mr McCormack and Mrs Howard. All three took turns conducting and playing with the various ensembles – true multi-tasking! Mr Harris provided technical and guitar support and Mr Harbuckle accompanied a number of performances on the piano. 

Miss Abbey said: “"The Spring Leavers’ Concert was a truly memorable celebration of the exceptional musical talent at Richmond School and Sixth Form College. Our Year 13 students delivered outstanding and wonderfully diverse solo performances, each reflecting their individuality, creativity and passion for music. It was an inspiring evening that our audience wholeheartedly enjoyed, capturing the enthusiasm, dedication and commitment of our young musicians." 

Five Year 13 students are leaving us this year, and Miss Abbey duly celebrated their contribution to music at Richmond in the now time honoured way – by presenting them each with a coveted mug! 

The five Year 13 students are: Sam Pickles, Edwin Carr, Grace Baker, Grace Barker and Jessica Miller.   

These photos are only a selection. An album containing many more can be found at this link: 

https://photos.app.goo.gl/BkdDFKfLDbnjKR6W6 

Thomas was nominated by Mrs Wardle who said: “

Richmond School recently hosted a successful Cricket Skills Festival, bringing together pupils from across the local area in Years 2 and 3 to take part in a fun, inclusive and engaging introduction to cricket. The festival created a positive environment for young people to develop core skills while experiencing the enjoyment of the game. 

Many thanks to the following schools for supporting the event; 

Pupils rotated around a variety of cricket-based activity stations designed to develop fundamental skills. These included: 

The stations were led by Year 8 Sports Leaders from Richmond School who have a passion for cricket. 

The festival placed a strong emphasis on participation and enjoyment, encouraging pupils to engage positively with physical activity. Alongside skill development, there was a clear focus on building key personal characteristics, including determination, teamwork and confidence. The event provided pupils with a valuable introduction to cricket in a non-competitive setting, helping to build enthusiasm for the sport and increase confidence in fundamental movement skills. Teachers and staff also gained ideas for delivering cricket activities within curriculum and extracurricular settings.