5 July 2023
July 5th marks the 75th birthday of the National Health Service; founded in 1948, the NHS was the first universal health system to be available to all, free at the point of delivery. As part of the birthday celebrations, we were delighted to welcome Amanda Pritchard, Chief Executive of NHS England, to the school in May. Amanda attended Durham Johnston Comprehensive School in the 1990s, and it was a pleasure to host her in collaboration with Speakers for Schools to speak to our students about her career and experiences since then.
Speaking to the Sixth Form, in a Q&A hosted by Head Students Sofia and Edmund, Amanda talked about the sheer scale of the NHS and what her job entails, as well as discussing her favourite subjects at school and reminiscing about teachers who had influenced her. She discussed the importance of public service, and how the emphasis placed on this at Durham Johnston had equipped and inspired her in her career choice. Students were surprised – and perhaps relieved! - to learn that she didn’t know what she wanted to be at their age, and were inspired by her three top tips for success: do something you’re passionate about; don’t be put off by failure; enjoy the opportunities you’re given.
We could tell her passion for her job was genuine and that she was happy to return to her educational roots by expressing her admiration for the teachers here before and happy memories from when she studied here. It was also touching that she shared her heart-warming story about her son and his battle with Meningitis at a dangerously young age; she described how the NHS aided him through the worrying illness to a full recovery.
Ava, Year 12
Amanda then spoke to a group of younger students who were all interested in future careers in the NHS, where she faced a range of somewhat more eclectic questions, ranging from her opinions on the ongoing strikes in the NHS, to whether she feels nervous before big speaking engagements and how she manages stress. We are very grateful to Amanda for her time and engagement with our students – and she in turn was extremely complimentary about their conduct and enquiring minds! To finish the day, we presented Amanda with a collection of items from our archive relating to her time at the school.
“I really enjoyed Amanda’s talk, she inspired me to keep on my track of choosing NHS as a career. She gave us good advice about studying hard, trying your best, focusing on what you’re doing and something will come in your future that will be great for you.”
Ayesha, Year 9
The fact that Amanda is willing to give her time is a really positive thing and a wonderful opportunity for the students. It’s great to have someone return to our school who has achieved such success in their life.
Mr O'Sullivan