The Class of 2025: our new alumni

There was laughter and tears as head of sixth form Terry Fell bade our Class of 2025 an emotional and heartfelt farewell at their celebration evening: 'Never forget - you are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem and smarter than you think,' he said. We hope you enjoy our photo gallery

PARENTS, staff and friends gathered to celebrate our Class of 2025 as head of sixth form Terry Fell bade students an emotional and heartfelt farewell. 

"I truly hope that, as you look back upon your time here, no matter how long it's been, your memories are golden and happy and you feel you've become the kind of person you want to be and you leave us knowing you have given back to your community in equal measure - which we think you have - knowing that you will be heavily missed, knowing that you will always have a welcome here and we will always be here to hear your views and to celebrate your successes, and they will be many.

"As an English teacher, it would be wrong not to finish with a couple of quotes of my own so I'm going to go back to two of my favourites - so from Grace Nichols I urge you to ‘go to your wide futures’ and from A A Milne ‘Don’t ever forget. You are braver than you believe; stronger than you seem and smarter than you think’.”

From embarking on a wide range of university courses to far-flung travel during a gap year or taking professional qualifications, he wished the happiest of summers, urging them to enjoy the adventures and experiences that lie ahead.

"Be aware of all the almost infinite possibilities and options that lie ahead for you. We are rooting for your success and happiness."

Head boy Oliver Kitson said: " 'This is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning', a quote from Winston Churchill.

"Every day at RGS, I have been inspired. I’ve been inspired by my subjects. I’ve been inspired by learning about our world. I’ve been inspired by the relentless pursuit of knowledge and intellect that flows in the fibres of these grounds.

"You only had to have been in our farewell assembly to see it, as Mr Fell listed, for at least five minutes straight, the medley of different courses and paths that we will all be undertaking next year.

"This is what each of us represents as we stride past our exams and into the next chapters of our lives. So, I hope you feel as fortunate and proud as I do and never forget that this is where you come from."

Head girl Amélie Chaduc added: "What we’ll remember most won’t be what happened in classrooms — it’ll be everything outside them. In form rooms, music rehearsals, freezing sports fields, and squeezed into SF1 at break. That’s where the real education happened."

She highlighted three lessons students learned outside the curriculum which they will carry with them:

Lesson 1: cherish time with friends and have 'no regrets'.

Lesson 2: kindness and a good sense of humour matter more than you think.

Lesson 3: embrace change.

"To our teachers, thank you for your endless patience, immense kindness and a continuous belief in our abilities (even when our belief wavered). To our friends, thank you for making the hard days bearable and the good ones unforgettable.

"And so good luck with the future. Keep cherishing the small moments, keep choosing kindness and don’t be afraid of change," she said.