The following essay was written by one of our year 10 pupils who has been in the school since joining in Reception. All our pupils are on a journey through their time with us, as they grow in their confidence, personal faith and understanding of their place in the world. The essay was written under exam conditions in an English mock exam 2025.

 

The question was: Write a story with the title ‘Discovery’.

 

There I was. I breathed in deeply and relaxed my body, moulding into the shape of the curved orange chair. My stick-like legs hung lifeless as my mind wandered. In front of me was the ticket to my future. 

 

In the next chair along from me sat a hummingbird, and in the next sat a lizard, all there for the same reason. As the hummingbird pecked at the pen on the desk, it was clear this was not designed for him. He was made for riding the morning breeze or singing like the world’s most relaxing alarmclock. How was the hummingbird going to do well in the future if he can’t pass the test? My head ached and my eyes strained as I looked around a hall sucked of colour and all joy. The high up windows reflected the solemn faces of many long nights. The room even smelt like fear, not the trembling kind but the lump in your throat kind. The one that keeps you up at night listening to your heart pound in your ears. 

 

A pen dropping on the floor broke the silence and the elephant looked up in shame. Her cheeks were flushed. She could not even sit on the chair; her items one by one rolled off her desk as she desperately tried to cling onto them. The elephant couldn’t take this test but she can crush a whole watermelon with her great tusks and fight off lions with her wapping trunk. She can reach food high up and stays standing to shelter her baby when they sleep at night. But this meant nothing to her because she couldn’t write like the monkey or swing effortlessly through tree-top canopies. In this hall, according to this paper, she had no talent.

 

I quickly doodled something on my page to create the sense I was engaged in the exam but then got caught in a cold breeze which made me shiver. I looked over to the window and saw the polar bear sat there unbothered and completely invested in writing this geography paper all about Antarctica. His fur relaxed down like a blanket of snow, he even stopped to sip his water, his silky wet black nose helped him turn the pages promptly. 

 

I looked away disheartened but then locked eyes with the invigilator. ‘Head down!’ echoed from the front. My eyes shot back onto my page. I read the first question and sunk my head into my hands. My eye lids tucked my eyes in and I began to think.

 

If God created all these different animals and tells them it is good that they are unique then why are only some of them seen as smart? A strict tap on my shoulder burst my thought and I looked up. Two eyes glared at me signalling me to continue. I scribbled down all the knowledge I had done my best to squeeze into my busy brain. 

 

I looked up from my page and it was as if I had woken up from a dream. ‘Time’s up, put your pens down.’ The humming bird was still trying to pick his up and the tortoise had just arrived, the shark was still trying to piece back together his shredded paper. Some looked relieved and others looked worse than when they came in. But still everyone left, some with their ticket and some without.

 

I lay in my bed that night listening to the owl hoot and wondered how well I had done. And what that would mean if I wanted to be a firefighter. My mum opened my old creaky door and kissed me gently on the head and stroked my hair. I asked her the same question I had asked myself earlier. If God created lots of people and tells us it is good that we are all unique, why are only some people seen as smart? 

 

My mother looked at me and smiled with grace. ‘My goodness that’s a good question!’ she chuckled slightly to reassure me. She goes on to explain that everyone has the opportunity to earn a ‘ticket’ by working hard or the test being well designed for certain people. But although it was available for all, for all it was not possible. But there is one ticket that is available for all and does not need earning because that ticket is freely given. I inquired as to what ticket that is. ‘One that suits all.’ And she told me that is a ticket to eternal relationship and guidance from your most holy Father. She told me that it is actually very good we are all unique because that is what makes us the body of Christ, and that it is how we can work together to achieve the greatest achievement of following him. 

 

Everything clicked. Thank God the elephant isn’t like the monkey. And thank God we don’t have to earn the ticket to our future.

 

I rolled over and held tightly onto my blanket. Wriggling into a comfortable position, I lay there and felt a true peace in knowing no matter what my results are I have secured the greatest ticket. And that was the most profound discovery I have ever made.