ASPIRE in Action: Endeavour – Abigail Harper
At King’s Leadership Academy Bolton, our ASPIRE values are about more than school life. They are the habits, attitudes and qualities we hope stay with our pupils long after they leave us.
Former pupil Abigail Harper is a brilliant example of our value of Endeavour.
Abigail is currently preparing to begin the next stage of her journey at the University of Leeds, where she will study Sociology. She leaves college having achieved three A Levels as well as an A* in her Extended Project Qualification.
For Abigail, Endeavour is not simply about academic results. It is about the effort, resilience, organisation and determination that sit behind them.
She reflects that King’s helped her to develop confidence, structure and good timekeeping, while also teaching her the importance of working hard and putting in consistent effort in order to see progress and reward.
Abigail’s journey shows that success is built over time through effort, persistence and a willingness to keep improving.
She particularly credits the teachers at King’s for making her school experience so positive:
“The teachers really did make the experience. They give so much to the students and genuinely care. They make you want to succeed because of the work they put in for you.”
Abigail also feels that the structure of life at King’s helped prepare her well for the transition to college, including the longer days and the expectations around punctuality, organisation and responsibility.
Looking back, she says that the ASPIRE values have stayed with her:
“Those ASPIRE values have stuck with me no matter how much I thought they were annoying at the time. Some of those life lessons will stay with me forever.”
Her advice to current pupils is simple: work hard, enjoy your time at school and build positive relationships with your teachers.
“Obviously work hard, but enjoy yourself. Your results aren’t everything – you just need to try your best.”
Abigail’s story is a great example of Endeavour in action: continuing to put the effort in, making the most of opportunities and recognising that progress comes from consistency, resilience and hard work.
We are incredibly proud of everything Abigail has achieved and wish her every success as she begins her Sociology degree at the University of Leeds.
Endeavour means giving your best, even when progress takes time.