This photo is  very special for me; on the 6th of March HRH The Princess Royal, warden of Gordonstoun, came to re-dedicate the school’s chapel for its 50th anniversary. As Head Boy, I had the honour of welcoming her and leading her into the procession inside the chapel. If I hadn’t joined Windlesham, and if I hadn’t loved my experience in Sussex, I would have never moved to Scotland and would never have the opportunity to live such an amazing experience.

My name is Pietro Piazzi and I am a former pupil of Windlesham School. My stay in Windlesham was a short one, as I joined the school only for the summer term of 2011, the experience I had proved to be pivotal for my life.

After Windlesham l returned to Milan, my hometown, and pursued my studies in a “Liceo Classico”, a high school focused on classical studies. However, eager to relive the emotions of boarding school, in September 2015 I decided to enroll in Gordonstoun School, northern Scotland, for another one-term stay. Having thoroughly enjoyed my time there, that in many aspects reminded me of the one I had in Windlesham, I was fortunate enough to extend my stay in Scotland, and took on A Levels in Latin, Classical Greek and History. 

At this moment I am finishing Year 13, ready to complete my final months in school; at university I intend to read Classics, and currently have offers from UCL in London and the University of Edinburgh. I had the brilliant opportunity to be shortlisted for an interview in Trinity College, Oxford, but unfortunately the competition at the interview stage was very high, and I was unsuccessful in securing an offer. My experience in Gordonstoun was so successful that I have been appointed as Head Boy of the school, or “Guardian” as we call it here, for the Spring Term of 2017. 

In the last few months I welcomed and hosted in school different guests: in particular I would like to mention Mr. Henry Kinght, Headmaster of Belhaven Prep School, whom I believe is an acquaintance of yours, and reminded me of you. But most especially a pupil from Windlesham, Henry Gadeke, a current year 7, in whom I saw myself a few years ago and reminded me of the great time I had in Windlesham. It was a great pleasure to tour his mother and him around school. 

This email is to thank personally both you, and more widely the Windlesham Community, for the amazing experience and memories I had during my short, but important stay. When I look back at my time in Windlesham I always remember it as one of the happiest moments of my life. Windlesham has given me a solid bedrock education I built upon to become the person I am now. Thanks to Windlesham I enabled a set of skills that have helped overcome challenges so far in my life, and which I believe will always come into my aid also in later stages of my life. I am very proud of being part of the OWL community, and one day I will be looking forward to returning to Sussex, a place which will always be very dear to me.