In this week's 'A Conversation With...', we chat to Shiplake's Exams Officer, Mrs Nikki Rickard. From sales and journalism to teaching, and from Kuwait to here at Shiplake, Mrs Rickard has certainly been on a journey! Read more about how her role is more than just filling out spreadsheets, as well as what her small pleasures are here at Shiplake.
What is your role at Shiplake and how long have you been here?
I joined Shiplake in August 2022 as Exams Officer; a role I have held before while working in the Middle East. This is a much more complex and interesting role though – one which has offered lots of challenges in terms of understanding each exam board and how it operates, yet has also been extremely rewarding and fulfilling.
What are your favourite things about the College?
I know that this is said a lot, but it really is a community here, one where you are part of a team that looks out for one another. The location is of course fabulous, and I never tire of looking out at our surroundings or listening to the beautiful wooden stairs creak with every step in Skipwith. Having a small tutor group, getting to know the boys in Welsh House during my evening duty and generally seeing pupils around the exam rooms and on gym duty, have all played an invaluable part in getting to know a lot of them more; they aren’t just faces on a candidate card when they enter the exam rooms.
I have wanted a dog for as long as I can remember, and watching staff out and about with theirs has encouraged me to take the plunge - hopefully in the near future!
What were you doing before Shiplake?
I worked in various sales roles early on, and then spent many years working in local newspapers. At first, I had aspirations to be a journalist but then found my place in advertising sales and then managing centres, until I was offered an opportunity to have a complete change of career in Kuwait. That move led me into teaching English, originally as a Second Language and then First Language which, as a keen writer, I found myself loving. Inspiring a love of English in students who originally had no interest in it, and being a small part of their journey, is something I treasure.
What inspired you to pursue a career in education?
I got into education simply by being in the right place at the right time. It wasn’t something I had ever considered but when the opportunity came along, I found myself on a plane with a suitcase and giving it a go! It was both terrifying and exciting, and I really love a challenge. I had no idea at the time that it would be the start of a career that I love. The addition of the Exams Officer role gave me an understanding of how the two jobs are intertwined, how each relies on the other, and it is why I searched for a similar role when I returned to the UK. I can’t imagine doing anything else but work in education now.
What is a day in the life like for an Exams Officer?
My day starts at 6.00am with a visit to the on-site gym with my gym buddy and general motivator, Maria (HR Manager). It is mostly exercise, although interspersed with general giggles and a great deal of puffing! Each and every day is then different, depending on the time of year. I am currently organising the mock exams which start in late February. That involves piecing together an accurate, workable schedule for two year groups that offers the best environment and timings to make sure that their experience in the exam room is a positive reinforcement of their hard work. There are also very strict guidelines that have to be followed to ensure that all exams, whether internal or external, are conducted fairly and with integrity. I have a great team of external invigilators who I rely on to then conduct the exams under my supervision.
According to my eldest grandson - who is currently studying for his A-levels so should know better - I ‘simply fill out a few spreadsheets’.
You've previously worked in Kuwait - what were you doing and how did you find the experience of living and working abroad?
I loved every day of the 15 years I spent in Kuwait. It is not for everyone, and the culture (and heat) are something you have to embrace. It is a long way from home, and there are challenging aspects of living in a country with very differing views on employment and life in general. I found the whole experience both fascinating and rewarding, and I am grateful to have had this life-changing opportunity.
I met some amazing people over the years from all over the world, and got to travel to places I never thought I’d have the chance to. It also led me wanting to stay in education when I returned to the UK in June last year.
What does the future hold for you?
I love living and working at Shiplake and hope that it is my home for a few years to come. After that, I plan to divide my time between the UK and Sicily, where I bought a little house a few years ago. I will then spend my days walking my dog, going on some more adventures, lying on beaches and enjoying my (rather well-earned in my opinion!) retirement. You never know, I might finally write the book I’ve been promising myself I would!
