On Monday 13th May, OI Felicity Crawford (nee Last OI 2001-09) visited the school to talk with pupils from middle school and sixth form about her journey to becoming a detective with the sexual assault team at Essex Police.

Felicity left the school 14 years ago, undertook her A-Levels and discovered she had a real interest in psychology. She then persued this line of education by studying for a psychology and sociology degree at Roehampton. Thinking that Law was her future career she took on a law conversation course but at the end of the course realised that it was not a pathway she wanted to continue down. A few years of working in the police non-emergency call centre exposed her to the inner workings of the Police, from which she applied and was successful in obtaining a place on the fast-track detective pathway. Fast forward to now and she is an established detective working throughout Essex.

After discussing her pathway, she talked about the differences between uniformed officers and detectives, with the idea that the former is a first responder, whereas the latter is more information gathering and investigative work. She then focused on her day-to-day life with her current department, focussing on rape-based sexual assault. She went through what her job entails, how they build a case, interviewing suspects, collecting evidence and then taking the case to court. 

Though Felicity loves the work she does and finds it incredibly rewarding, she also stressed the importance of being able to compartmentalise your work from your personal life, switching off and not focussing on the things you see and hear during your day to day work.

There are various pathways into the police force, from school leavers, apprenticeships, graduate schemes and the special constable route (that she is very much behind as a try before you buy idea of seeing if it's a career for you). Whichever route you take you have to undertake uniform work, 10 weeks if you are doing the detective pathway.

Meeting former pupils who have experience in the field they are considering is increidbly valuable. A huge thanks to Felicity for taking the time to come back to school and share her knowledge. 

Mr Andrew Calver

Deputy Head of Sixth Form