World class series of guests set to inspire students at independent Harrogate school

The impressive line-up of guest speakers at Ashville College will engage with, and inform, the Harrogate school’s sixth form pupils about the realities of life beyond the classroom.

Leanne Norton, Ashville’s Head of Sixth Form at the independent school, said: “Building on the success of last term’s speaker programme, which included Julian Sturdy MP, former England international footballer Michael Dawson, and investment manager Vanessa Eve, we are proud to confirm the list of remarkable speakers visiting the school this term.

“The programme enables pupils to benefit from the experiences of speakers from a variety of backgrounds.

"The talks confirmed for this term will touch on many different topics – some will be thought-provoking, others inspiring - but all the speakers will be engaging and informative."

The first of seven speakers this term at Ashville College will be Sue O Leary tomorrow, Friday, January 20, who will be speaking on the challenging subject of rape culture, hate speech and why words matter.

Her talk will encourage pupils to ‘call it out’ when they witness inappropriate behaviour.

The following week, Friday, January 27, it’s the turn of ultra-marathon runner Ben Smith, who will give an insight into his life and experiences.

Beginning in 2015, Ben set out to run 401 marathons in 401 days to raise £250,000 for two anti-bullying charities, having been bullied himself at school.

Later in the term, Ashville will welcome sports journalist and presenter Tanya Arnold, who was one of the first female sports presenters and has worked at the BBC for 20 years.

On Friday, February 3, Tanya will deliver an entertaining and engaging speech about her career, where she has covered events including the recent Rugby League World Cup.

The following week, Friday, February 10, elite-level British swimmer Ed Baxter will recall his experiences as an athlete at the top of his sport, which has enabled him to become good friends of three-time Olympic gold-medallist Adam Peaty, as well as business partners.

From a swimming star to a polar explorer: the following month, on Friday, March 3, Fiona Thornewill is set to take to the stage.

Fiona’s record-breaking feat of reaching the South Pole unaided in a record 42 days will make for a superb talk.

Her achievement is all the more impressive given that her satellite navigation system failed ten days into the expedition.

Friday, March 10, sees film director Kit Monkman visit Ashville.

Kit directed a ground-breaking film-adaptation of Shakespeare’s tragedy Macbeth back in 2018, relying completely on ‘green screens’ for his settings.

Many pupils may have studied the play in their English lessons and will be excited to hear from the director of such a distinctive version.

Capping off the school’s speaker programme on Friday, March 17, Steve Philips will deliver a thought-provoking and important presentation on the topic of suicide awareness and prevention.

Steve’s son, Jordan, took his own life in 2019, which led the bereaved father to establish the Jordan Legacy, which aims to prevent lives being lost to suicide.

The Sixth Form speaker series is part of Ashville College’s ‘Future Ready’ programme offering qualifications to support skills development, university applications and preparedness for the world of work.