Alastair Wyllie finished his A Levels at Norwich School in July and has gone on to begin studying Aerospace Engineering at Bristol University. He tells us here about his enjoyment of ceramics during his time at Norwich School:

"I have hugely enjoyed art at Norwich School ever since I started in L4, but on joining the school's pottery club I have been able to find one of the most rewarding skills you can learn: throwing. As I developed and became more confident, through long evenings in the pottery studio, I was able to use this skill as part of my Fine Art GCSE and explore more abstract ideas through the medium of a pot. 

It was a great loss to have to put down art at A-level, as I wanted to pursue another great passion: aerospace engineering, at university. However, the pottery club then enabled me not only to continue being creative and throwing pots, but also to develop my skills through practice and teaching. On holidays I soon found myself seeing local potters, and learning new techniques, including how to produce 'double-walled' pots on the wheel, and during a summer I went to throwing classes with a friend which were greatly enjoyable.

When it came to choosing a university, high on my list of priorities was facilities for ceramics, and so I was delighted to learn Bristol had not only an excellent Aerospace Engineering course, but also an extremely popular pottery club. I look forward to many years of potting and am excited by the unique challenges of expression brought on by the medium. I owe a huge debt of gratitude to Norwich School and the Art department, and particularly Dr and Mrs Slade, for helping teach and cultivate this skill!"