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Ladies
and gentlemen, honoured guests and, most importantly, students,
I am delighted to stand here and present my 6th Prize Giving
speech which I first began in December 2000.
The
year 2004-05 was one of incredibly high level of success
for the school and our students. It is this success we are
here to celebrate tonight: individual achievements in examinations,
sport, music, drama; awards for contributions to team success
and active participation in the wider community.
Every
student here is to be congratulated for their contribution
and achievement.
The
year was not without tragedy. A school of this size will,
at times have to face loss, but I feel we endured almost
more than we could bear this year. In my reference to both
Stephen Sherwood and Matthew Beddard I want to highlight
their individual bravery and that of their families in bearing
their loss. Stephen's parents and sister are here tonight
but Matt's folks are unable to make it although they did
join us for Year 9 SATs award in the summer and have remained
in close contact with the school.
Stephen
Sherwood who was a student here from 1992-97, fulfilled
his ambition of joining the army. And it was whilst serving
in the forces that he made the greatest sacrifice of a soldier.
He was killed on active duty in the Northern Afghanistan
city of Mazar-e-Sharif in October His loss was felt deeply
in this community, in his own regiment Royal Gloucestershire,
Berkshire and Wiltshire Light Infantry. General Sir Peter
de la Billier, the school patron, paid tribute to Stephen
here when he opened the sixth form centre jut after the
Armistice Service he had attended in London where the nation
pays its own tribute to fallen servicemen and women. Stephen
had left the school before I joined but in speaking to people
who knew him I get the picture of a pleasant, personable,
popular young man who was a very keen sportsman. His is
a great loss to all of us.
Matthew
Beddard was a student I knew very well in his time here
from Year 7 to Year 9. We all saw Matthew show remarkable
bravery in his fight against an illness which attacked his
brain and nervous system. Throughout it all he fought back
bravely and won many victories until the final defeat in
February of this year when he died peacefully at home aged
14. Matthew always wanted to maintain a normal life. He
attended school until the end. Many of us attended his moving
funeral and his loss continues to be felt very deeply here.
The
school has to move on from these losses but Stephen and
Matthew and their families join us on this journey in our
thoughts and prayers.
Our
honoured guest ,Dame Janet Trotter, has the pleasure of
awarding all of our prizes tonight but I hope she will allow
me to award one special prize. I have to select the winner
of the Headteacher's prize and this year gave it not a moment's
thought in deciding to award it to Alaina Sonn.
Alaina
joined us in Year 7 and is now at the end of her first term
in Year 9. Alaina has cerebral palsy and is the first student
with a wheelchair in the school. Because Alaina was joining
us we had lots of money to build lifts and improve wheelchair
access which will benefit future students and visitors to
the school.
In
addition to receiving my award tonight Alaina, and she doesn't
know this yet, has become the second John Kyrle student
to receive the prestigious Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial
Award for Young People. Alain receives a medal and a certificate
which reads - in recognition of your qualities which have
made a real difference to your school.
Alaina,
your happy smiling face is an inspiration to us all. When
we began to plan your joining the school we wondered how
we'd cope with you - now I wonder how we'd cope without
you. Please accept your award from me and the Princess of
Wales Memorial Trust - in recognition of your qualities
which have made a real difference to our school.
We
have continued to share our successes with the local press
who are very supportive of us. Indeed Mr. Vinall and I are
becoming the Ant and Dec of the local media - very popular
and in absolutely everything!
Headlines
involving students and staff here tonight have included:
·
- Duncan
Alston, top performing science student in the UK.
- U15
county cricket champions, Outstanding Ofsted report.
- £750
000 Sixth Form centre opened.
- British
School Council Award recognizing International Links,
including Uganda.
- Record
examination results at all levels, with value added figures
placing us well into the top 20% of school nationally.
- Victory
in UK Maths Challenge Award.
- Huge
numbers gaining success in Duke of Edinburgh Award.
- Standing
ovations for Guys and Dolls musical.
- International
sporting honours in fencing for Daniel Robinson and Amy
Yates in Karate.
Our
students are our greatest assets. I want to give them one
piece of advice: ·
In
the future I don't want you to aim for success. You've achieved
success with us. Now your words and actions should make
a difference and you should aim and strive for significance.
In the words of Theodore Roosevelt, a former American President:
… "Imagine mighty things, even though there is a risk of
failure, rather than be amongst those grey souls who know
neither victory nor defeat."
You
will agree that we have had a great deal to celebrate this
year and that is down to the endeavour, dedication and team
work of students, staff, governors and parents. I would
also like to commend the local community, many of whom are
represented here tonight, for their support: Herefordshire
Council, the Local Authority, the Learning and Skills Council,
church groups, primary school partners, volunteer groups
and those from local businesses.
In
2000 I was very proud to have gained the headship of this
school. Five years on I am even more proud to be associated
with the school community both as its Headteacher and now
as a parent of a student at John Kyrle.
I
look forward to hearing of the continued high achievements
of the students here tonight and I commend them to you.
Nigel
Griffiths
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