It was great to hear from one of our Perkonians - Sarah Cauldfield, who now has her daughter at SWPS. Here is her story:

I started at SWPS in the first year (year 7) in 1984 and stayed until the end of sixth form in 1991. I had no intention of staying in the south-east, but am now living not so far away and my daughter is at SWPS!

I have great memories of SWPS, including: the Pyrcroft picnic, jumping the stream, the orchestra, DofE (silver and gold expeditions in those days were in the Lake District, and especially gold leadership and volunteering at White Lodge), the Bocholt exchange, and the A-level biology field trip to Betws-y-Coed. All these years later, I am still in touch with several good friends from school.

I took biology, German and history at A-level. I didn’t take a gap year, and went to Bristol University to study Law and German, with a year living in Germany whilst studying German law at the university in Gottingen, and travelling around and getting to know both German students and those on similar exchanges from other European countries.

After I graduated, I spent a year at the College of Law in Chester. Then I started work as a trainee solicitor in a firm in the City of London. The training contract was 2 years I stayed there for just over a year after I qualified as a solicitor, working in what would now be called dispute resolution. I wasn’t actively looking to leave. But an advert for lawyers in what is now the Government Legal Department caught my eye. I had always been interested in the interplay between law, politics and how government works, and so I jumped at the chance to apply. I have been a lawyer in central Government ever since, moving part time whilst my daughter and then son were little, and then back up to full time. The work is varied, often fast paced, challenging, and absolutely fascinating. I can honestly say I have never once been bored. Like any job, it can be stressful, but it’s a really great place to work.

To see more of what Sarah is involved with on a day to day basis please see this YouTube video: