We had to mark the departure of our wonderful Year 13 cohort with a bang and so a special assembly, awards, speeches and a meal were put in place to acknowledge their great contribution to our school.
The Year 13 Leavers’ Assembly saw lots of reminiscing, a fair bit of embarrassment (the Year 7 photos never fail to raise a smile), a whole host of awards both serious and non-serious, the final ever Friary School Kahoot (guess the teacher from the embarrassing story) and of course, some really heartfelt messaging from staff.
We also invited Djemillah Mourade Peerbux from Pathways to attend so we could hand over all the money that the Sixth Form has raised over the last twelve months. The students have run numerous events including sweet sales, quizzes and the now annual Sixth Form charity football match. In total they raised a staggering £3551.50 which was the largest sum ever raised by the Sixth Form.
That evening we held our Y13 leavers’ meal at The George Hotel in Lichfield. This is the third year we have run the event in this way, and it really is the most wonderful way to say final goodbyes to students. The mix of a formal meal and speeches, combined with the opportunity to mingle and share a celebratory drink with the students seems a really grown-up and befitting way to mark the end of their time at school. As has become tradition, our Head Boy and Head Girl each gave rousing speeches, that hit just the right spot in terms of laughter, gratitude and imparting wisdom.
Helen Barratt, Assistant Headteacher said “Every year we say how special the year group is, and this year is no exception. The assembly is a lovely way to look back, laugh and express our gratitude and appreciation for the students one last time. It was also so a lovely touch to have Djemillah join us. The appreciation from Pathways for all the students’ efforts and the knowledge that what they have raised is going to make so much difference was utterly heartwarming.”
She added: “The celebratory meal was also a wonderful occasion. The students all looked absolutely fantastic and have conducted themselves with such maturity. It really does make me feel so proud of the young adults they have become. Special mention really must go to Emma and Felix, our Head Girl and Head Boy, their speeches were brilliantly written and executed. It is so lovely to hear how much they have enjoyed their time at the Friary, their pride in the school, their gratitude for their teachers but also, how much they are looking forward to and feel prepared for their next steps.”
