Your School Journey, In Your Own Words

I was terrified on the first day. I got lost three times, walked into the wrong classroom twice, and cried in the toilets at lunch. Then a girl called Maya came and sat with me and said 'it gets better.' She was right. She's still my best friend five years later.

Mr. Davies told me I should enter the science fair. I told him I wasn't smart enough. He said 'nonsense' and signed me up anyway. I won second place. That was the first time I thought: maybe I am good at something.

The school trip to Paris was the best week of my life. Twenty-eight of us in a hostel, nobody slept, we ate croissants until we felt sick, and I laughed more than I've ever laughed. If school gave me one thing, it's those people.

I didn't think I'd be sad. But when the bell rang for the last time and everyone was signing shirts and taking photos, I looked around and realised: this place made me who I am. Every classroom, every corridor, every terrible school lunch. I'm going to miss all of it.