This month we said farewell to our Upper Sixth as they departed to begin their study leave for their final A Level examinations. It was a wonderful morning, celebrated with form breakfasts, a final assembly and shirt signing on the quad.

Miss Jones, Head of U6, had some very special words for the Class of 2024:

"Good morning everyone. Welcome to your Leavers’ Assembly.

We are here this morning to commemorate and celebrate your time at the school. I’m going to kick things off, Mr Berwick is then going to say a few words, and we will then hand over to your school captain team for the final time.

A huge congratulations. You have completed your schooling forever.

This is a genuinely big milestone in your life.

Whatever you feel about the upcoming exams or what you have decided to do next year – regardless of all that – today you have achieved something important.

Not just surviving seven years of school, but creating the current version of you.

When I became your HOY two years ago, Mrs Bowen came to see me – over the previous summer, she’d cleared out one of the DT rooms and found a box with some letters. I don’t know whether you remember this, but when you were in Year 6, you were asked to write a letter to your form tutor entitled ‘All about me’.

Unfortunately I think most of these have been lost to the sands of time, but in those that remain there is insight to be gained into your characters –

Jake N began by reassuring his form tutor that “I don’t cause trouble or purposefully try to irritate people.”

William D had big ambitions, planning by the age of 30 “to have donated at least one hundred pounds to charity, to have passed my piano grade 8, to have moved out, and to have invented a new piece of cutlery.”

Lasha started well, writing that “When I am older I would like to become a surgeon because I feel I need to help people so I can make a big difference,” which is lovely, but things then took a slightly sinister turn – “as well as because of my peculiar fascination for blood.”

For almost all of you, your interests and ambitions have evolved over time – in 2016 James E was all about astronomy, Daanyaal building computers, Joe Y dreamt of being an architect, Ed B an engineer (or England cricketer), and Max S wanted to be a cyclist. Not just any cyclist – very specifically a Team Sky cyclist.

Aaron – your letter was one of my favourites. You wrote enthusiastically about your love for cooking, walking, reading, painting, drawing, maths and learning about history, saying at the end that “the only subject I don’t really love is biology.” Aaron has chosen to study biomedical sciences. Time can change everything.

What I liked most, however, is that all of you, without exception, were so clearly looking forward to everything that lay ahead.

My biggest hope for you now is that you get to enjoy what you do. Not in the sense that you’re happy all the time. No one can be happy all of the time. But in the sense that you feel invested and interested in whatever it is you’re working on in that moment. In the sense that you get to learn new stuff and challenge yourself. In the sense that you get to be a part of a team or community. In the sense that you get to like the people you work with.

On that note, I would just like to take a moment to thank all of the teachers and in particular the Year 13 form tutors and 6th form support staff and rest of the pastoral team, who have all worked incredibly hard to support me and you for the past two years.

All those good things I’ve just mentioned – on a personal level, that’s what you have done for me these past two years. From the dark days of UCAS applications to the lighter days of everything that isn’t UCAS applications, it has been an absolute privilege to be your Head of Year.

Good luck – with exams and with the rest of life. Throw yourself into it. Thank you."

The school echoes Miss Jones' message. We wish you all the best with your exams and we look forward to seeing you again at your Leavers' Event on 28th June and Speech Day next year.

You are officially 'Old Veseyan's and we welcome you to the Old Veseyan Alumni.