Hugo Orpin’s (’23) Gap Year

Hugo Orpin’s (’23) Gap Year

Introduction

Initially, the thought of undertaking a Gap Year in the UK was a daunting prospect, with the thought of leaving the comforts of home, family and friends. Nonetheless, I flew over in January to take up the position as a gap student or ‘gappie’ as commonly known at Sutton Valence School (SVS) in Kent. I have thoroughly enjoyed my year thus far and would highly recommend it to any Shore boy seeking the opportunity for a year away before starting university or other endeavours.

My Role/ Work Experience

Being a gap student at a school in the United Kingdom can mean an array of things due to the diverse nature of the role. At Sutton Valence, there is both a Preparatory and Secondary school within close proximity, employing four Australian and two English gap students working at both. Personally, this year, I was employed to perform a teaching assistant role in the Prep school, aiding teachers in the classroom in a variety of subjects. Being primarily involved with a Year 4 class has been an incredibly rewarding experience, offering me the opportunity to contribute to the academic and moral growth of younger students, helping shape both their learning and character. Meanwhile, Cal Forster, who also graduated from Shore in 2023, has been positioned mainly within the Secondary school’s sports department, assisting with PE lessons and various activities. This highlights the diversity and breadth of roles available, demonstrating how adaptable and wide-ranging the responsibilities can be.

An average day’s work

Travel Opportunities

Australia’s isolation from much of the world became particularly evident to me during my gap year, as being based in the United Kingdom opened up an array of travel opportunities that would have been otherwise difficult to access. This year, I’ve explored Europe extensively, an experience that has broadened my horizons and introduced me to a diverse range of cultures and perspectives that I may not have encountered at the age of 18. My travels have taken me to various countries, including Ireland, Italy, France, Malta, Croatia, Greece, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, and Germany. Additionally, I have planned upcoming trips to the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. These journeys with both new and existing mates have been extremely enjoyable and have categorically been the highlight for most gappies.

This extensive list of destinations has been made possible by the structure of the English school year, which differs from Shore’s system. Schools in the UK operate on a three-term schedule, with each term featuring a ‘half-term’ break in the middle. This means that after roughly five weeks of work, there is a 2-3 week holiday to enjoy, allowing for frequent travel opportunities and a continuous sense of anticipation for upcoming trips. Additionally, the long summer holiday, which spans two months, has been the highlight of my year, offering an extended period to travel Europe.

Relationships Formed

Arguably, the most rewarding aspect of the entire gap year experience has been the extensive friendships I’ve formed with people I would likely have never encountered otherwise. Flying from Sydney Airport with three close mates from Shore, I never expected to meet such an array of interesting people through work, travel, and socialising. Many of these relationships have also come from joining a local rugby club, which has allowed me to not only continue developing as a rugby player but also to socialise and connect with a new group of people who share similar interests.

Westminster Abbey ANZAC service
Northern Lights from Sutton Valence School

Living arrangements

Similar to the diverse array of roles ‘gappies’ perform at different schools, so too do the living arrangements. At Sutton Valence we have been housed in a school owned building on the Senior campus known as the “gap flat”. This arrangement can best be described as resembling university halls, where each gappie has an individual room while sharing a kitchen and communal living areas. This has been an extremely enjoyable experience, helping create strong friendships, endless fun, and, often, a lack of sleep. Being provided with this accommodation as well as excellent meals and food every day means that our monthly income can be solely spent on weekend activities and travelling. In addition to this, after work clocks off, we commonly find ourselves making use of the school’s facilities such as the gym, sports hall, fields, swimming pool, and tennis courts.

Hardest Part of the Year/ School Duties

Although there are endless highs this year, there are definitely some challenging aspects that come with living abroad. The first would have to be stepping off the plane at Heathrow Airport, checking the phone and finding that it is 3 degrees and already dark at 4:30pm. Although this change of climate can be hard at first, I did find myself adapting to the change quite quickly, learning to enjoy nights playing cards and darts in the flat or drinking squash at the local pub after work. Secondly, the distance from home can feel overwhelming at the start of the year, with time zones making it somewhat difficult to connect with mates and family back home. Ultimately, the gappies that you live with are all adjusting and experiencing similar emotions, so living in this style of accommodation meant that we could always hang out and take our mind off things if needed, helping forge strong friendships from the beginning.

Tips for Applying

Whilst there are various agencies that charge fees for school placements, I found that applying directly with a personal statement and resume made it straightforward to secure multiple offers. Once you have spent time crafting a personal statement and resume, I recommend referring and applying to every school that Shore suggests. Additionally, I recommend undertaking your own research and reaching out to as many more schools as possible through the email addresses listed on their websites to broaden your options. Finally, I advise starting this process as soon as possible, even if you’re not entirely certain about accepting a position if offered, as it will provide you with a wider range of opportunities. For reference, I applied to over 15-20 schools in early November 2022 and received the offer from Sutton Valence in January 2023, with a commencement date of January 7, 2024.

Highlights From This Year

  • First half term in February: The notorious ‘Paddywagon Tour’ of Ireland exploring: Dublin, Cork, Galway, and Belfast over the course of a week with a bus filled with 50 Australian gappies.
  • Going to France on a school trip with the graduated Year 6 class.
  • Being sent as representatives of SVS to attend an ANZAC service at Westminster Abbey.
  • Weekending in London with friends for an array of events: Six Nations rugby games, concerts and many more.
  • Getting to travel the Greek islands with my family over the summer.
  • Seeing the Northern lights from my doorstep in country England.
  • Finishing work and playing golf and tennis until the last light at 10.00pm in the summer term.
  • Playing senior men’s rugby for Cranbrook Rugby Club.
  • Attending a Shore OBU lunch in London with Old Boys ranging in age 18 years to 90s.
Shore OBU Lunch in London

I hope that my experiences this year can help you gain further insight into what life is like as a gappie in the UK, and further push for more Shore boys to take up this experience.

Mr Hugo Orpin (’23)