A Big BSKL Welcome from our Head Students

Our student leadership structures help with this as they enhance the ability for students to advocate for themselves and others. The Head Student team are an integral part of leading this system, and we welcome them into their roles this year. Each of them will be responsible for a strand (or focus) within the school and will coordinate activities within their strand and lead peer-to-peer leadership workshops with younger students. Please find messages from them below.

Shumala Jayakrishna

Hello, my name is Shumala Jayakrishna, and this is my sixth year at BSKL. I am honoured to be the Head Student of the Be Creative strand for this year. As a passionate student of Maths, Biology, Physics, and Chemistry, and the first Art Ambassador, I am thrilled to bring fresh perspectives to the creative areas of the school. This year, we’ll be exploring exciting opportunities within the Be Creative strand, including the MIT STEAM Challenges, Art exhibitions, and the upcoming Secondary production. I am looking forward to working with all of you to foster a culture of curiosity, creativity, and innovation within the BSKL community.  


Idries Gilani Bin Ferhad

Hi, my name is Idries, and I currently serve as the Head Student of the Be Active strand. One of my proudest achievements has been my personal growth over the years. When I first joined in Year 6, I was quite timid and shy, especially as a newcomer from a French school. My English skills were limited, which made subjects like English and Math particularly challenging. I was never at the top of my class, but through perseverance and the unwavering support of my teachers, I managed to improve significantly. For my GCSEs, I secured an A in English and an A* in Math. The same progression was evident in sports. I initially played in the C or B teams for football and basketball, but as I advanced to secondary school, I received the MVP award in basketball and, most recently in Year 11, won the Overall U18 Athlete of the Year award. These achievements are testament to the experiences and resilience I have developed both within and outside of school and I look forward to supporting your growth, too.  


Matthew Oswald

Writing a paragraph of introduction in a newsletter is a touch intimidating, so do forgive me for any peculiarities of word. My name is Matthew Oswald, and I hope to be a familiar face to you around the school. Student voice has always been very important to me, and I want to know your opinions. On a personal level, I have a love for mathematics and am taking Double Maths for A Level (coupled with Physics and Economics) and spending too much time obsessing over game stats. A few of you may know me from climbing competitions and I'm sure many of you share my (perhaps too strong) appreciation for video games. I will be your Ambitious Head Student (apologies, bad pun I know) for the coming school year and I'm really excited to be working with you all. Learning is an essential part of school (who'd have guessed?) and is a personal and individual journey, extending far beyond and around the curriculum. I can't wait to share some of the things we have planned, and I hope you all have a wonderful upcoming year.