King’s College, Taunton is delighted to announce that former pupil Sian Dennett (Meynell 2019) has secured a place at Balliol College, Oxford to read mathematics.
Having joined King’s as a Sixth Form pupil from Bucker’s Mead Academy in Yeovil, Sian made a fantastic start, always hoping that one day she might secure a place at Oxford.
Former houseparent, Lisa Cashmore remembers: “From the moment Sian walked in to Meynell I knew that she would thrive at King’s and achieve great success at whatever she wanted to do. She was a fantastic role model for the younger girls. Often her room would have a queue of girls outside waiting for help with their maths or physics prep, which she happily gave up her own time to do. Sian’s maturity and organisation made her an excellent vice-House Captain and School Prefect, whilst her sense of fun and willingness to throw herself in to any activity made her popular with all the girls in the house.”
Sian took both maths and further maths at A level, achieving A* grades in both, alongside A grades in physics and philosophy. She took part in various academic events and made excellent use of the school library, reading around her subjects and attending a support programme aimed at those pupils looking to sit the Oxford MAT entrance exam. Sian applied herself wholeheartedly and is fondly remembered by staff.
Head of maths, Andrew Perrins said: “It was a privilege to teach Sian during her two years at King’s. She excelled on both the maths and further maths courses from an early stage, and was a keen student of the subject beyond the A level curriculum. As a regular attendee of the Sixth Form maths society, The Jacobians, Sian was exposed to a variety of degree-level topics during her time, and I was delighted when she decided to apply to read maths at university. She thoroughly deserves her place at Oxford University, and we wish her all the very best for what will no doubt be a very bright future.”
Headmaster, Richard Biggs, added: “Right from the start threw herself into the life of this school with gusto. She was a wonderful addition to our academic scene, showing an unfeigned delight in learning, and leading the way in her commitment to scholastic excellence. Her academic interest was wide-ranging, from philosophy to physics to maths: she is a true Renaissance Woman! I am absolutely delighted, but not at all surprised, that she has secured a place at Oxford, and will follow her progress there with enormous pride.”
Sian now plans to travel for the remainder of her gap year, visiting the Far East where she will meet up with former friends from King’s, before taking up her place at Oxford in September.