Past student runs into a an exciting life

Andrew Leak, once a student at Bramfield House wrote to us earlier in the year to tell us about his time at the school, the lessons he learned and the successes in his life on leaving the school.

"I attended Bramfield House between 1983 and 1985. The week I started at Bramfield House, breakfast TV was launched. Margaret Thatcher was Prime Minister and Ronald Reagan President of USA. I was always getting into trouble for the things I used to call those two, and yet in later years, I actually, stood for the Tories in several local elections and played a senior role in the election campaign,

When I was at Bramfield, there used to be a points system. Everybody started the day with 10 points and you had to earn everybody’s vote to gain the attitude point. Anyone who had a weekly score of less than 65 was placed on what was called the SUB. This meant, basically no privileges. A score of 77 was average, and earned you a plate of chips on the Friday night. At the end of term, depending where you were in the points table depended which bedroom you were in. Bedrooms were colour-coded from lilac at the bottom; to cream at the top. I use to run the points system for the staff.

I admit I was a little brat at the time, but soon settled down after six months or so. It was discovered in later years that I had a condition, neurofibromatosis, which is known to cause behavioural problems and learning difficulties. Whether this played a part, we will never know.
There was much talk about whether I had been failed by the system but my life has turned out fine. I have 5 A-Levels, a degree in geology, a well paid job as a Project Manager, and I am hoping to work for the Environment Agency shortly in flood risk engineering.

I have also travelled the world going to places such as Sri Lanka, Kenya, Egypt and the US. So all in all, I would say that I have done reasonably okay.

Bramfield House has had a major impact on my life, because it was as a result of going there, which started me running. The Headteacher often used to tell us in the Monday morning meetings how well he had done in his half marathon over the weekend and his office was plastered all over with certificates. I once said to him that one day I will prove that you are not the only one around here that can do that. In August 1984 when I was only 15, I ran my first half marathon in St.Neots. After that I wanted to do another one, to prove it was not a flash in the pan. It soon became clear to the headteacher that I wanted to have a go at the London Marathon. He said I had to be 18 to run, but I entered in 1986 when I was 17and I still finished! I am still running today, 24 years after it all started. I have done seven London Marathons and this November, will run my second New York Marathon.

If anyone would have told me then, that this is what I would have achieved by the time I got to 40, I would have laughed at them.

The morale of the story that Bramfield taught me was; you never know, anything is possible if you put your mind to it".