Three alumnae talking together on a stage

Alumnae - 16/01/2026

Into the Sixth – Alumnae talk

Wimbledon High alumnae came back to school to be quizzed by Y10 students about Sixth Form at WHS, A level and degree choices and life at university

To kick off our Into the Sixth transition programme for Year 10 students, last week we held a ‘Taste of the Sixth’ panel event with three alumnae who left school in 2024 and are currently in the second year of their degree courses:

Antonia studies Medicine at University College London (UCL).
(Biology, Chemistry, Latin A Levels)
Phoebe studies Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic at Cambridge University
(English, History, Latin A Levels)
Ellie studies Geography at Durham University
(English, Geography, History A Levels)

It was a treat to catch up with the trio, who spoke with authenticity and passion about their experiences at Wimbledon High, shared their experiences with the Year 10s of life at university so far, and offered advice on their next steps, urging them to pursue the things they love. They answered a wide range of questions candidly – from how they chose their A levels and degree courses and the twists and turns along the way, to the value of doing an EPQ, choosing three A levels, to how life in Sixth Form differs from Y10 and the opportunities it presented for enjoyment of extra curricular activities, to development of leadership and practical skills. And with a couple of years of life ‘beyond WHS’ under their belts, they were able to reflect on the impact their time at school had on shaping who they are and where they want to be.

Antonia studies Medicine at University College London (UCL):

"Wimbledon has a fantastic academic offering when it comes to medicine because it's a degree where you need to do a lot of interviews and a lot of entrance exams. And throughout all of that, we had amazing guidance and access to lots of resources, which I don't think I would have had elsewhere. Academically, Wimbledon really prepared me well to go to university. I think some people say that the jump from A levels to university is bigger than the jump from GCSEs to A levels but I found that Wimbledon does really push you during your A level course. It meant that now I feel really confident talking in a tutorial even if it's a concept I'm not really sure about because I had so much practice talking in class, learning how to shape my thoughts and learn in that environment. And I think that's something that's invaluable – it equips you with extra skills that can really help once you're at university in a more student-led environment."

Phoebe studies Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic at Cambridge University:

"In Sixth Form you get to be a more active participant in this community, in which you've been incubating for however many years beforehand. I found that really gratifying and really rewarding - my roles in the Student Leadership Team gave me a lot of flexibility and a feeling that I could make an impact up and down the school. I was Student Head of Music, so I got to run lots of music, which was great, like organising concerts and running Friday Jamming. Music is still a big part of my life at Cambridge - I really cherish the skills and experiences I got from that and they really aid me in my life now - how to operate a spreadsheet properly, do budgeting, liaise with agencies. I know how to do these things because I got practice doing them at school."

Ellie studies Geography at Durham University:

"Wimbledon offers a lot of experiences that you don't necessarily get anywhere else. Wimbledon's music programme is exceptional and a big thing for me was the partnerships programme. My time at Wimbledon was really significant as it taught me that confidence doesn't have to look one particular way - and to know that making an impact wasn't just about how loudly you spoke. It's easy to think that there's a particular kind of person you need to be to be confident, but actually I think Wimbledon really valued you using your voice in whatever way that looked like for you. And as someone who didn't feel like they fitted the stereotypical model of confidence that was really important to me. I think that is so important when you step into the wider world - at university you are surrounded by people with so many ideas who are often so much louder than you - and it's really helpful kind knowing what you think and how you express that."