Today we had a fantastic “last day” with our Year 11 Class of 2025. This was particularly important for a group of young people who saw the end of their primary school education disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and joined Churchill Academy & Sixth Form in a world of lateral flow testing, bubbles and isolation protocols. They have come through with flying colours and we did our best to give them a proper send-off!

The sun shone, and – once the small matter of an English Language GCSE exam was out of the way – shirts were signed, photos were taken, and smiles were plastered across faces. I gave my traditional leavers’ assembly with its combination of memories, laughs, awards and – hopefully – a few words of wisdom.

The class of 2025 is full of wonderful students – it’s been a privilege to be part of their journey.