Saturday was the last official day of term - Founder's Day. This is something we all look forward to and I don't mean for the strawberries, cream and sparking wine you get at the end either.
It is the day we get to celebrate our boys' achievements throughout the year, hear the Headmaster's end of year review speech and listen to a visiting VIP make the keynote address. This year it was David Moran, the new Ambassador to the Republic of Kazakhstan and Non-Resident Ambassador to the Kyrgyz Republic, whose talk included the notion that these years the boys spend at More House School will help them forge their characters that they will take with them through their lives.
There is a prize giving, where the boys are awarded certificates for particular areas of excellence and this is all the more touching because many are given in subjects where the boys have faced real challenges. Each boy returning to his seat with his certificates was beaming with pride; a feeling that we parents marvel at, knowing only too well how difficult their journeys have been so far. For our own two boys, we laminate their certificates and put them on the wall of their rooms so they can be reminded every day that hard work gets results.
But the highlights of the day were the speeches given by the outgoing School Captains. The two sixth-formers, smartly dressed in suits, came to the podium to give accounts of their time at More House. The first opened by saying that when he arrived at the school he was a dyslexic. Now, upon leaving, he is a dyslexic with attitude and confidence. He has a place at university and thanks to the education he has received has a great chance at a successful life.
The second young man opened his remarks by noting his diagnosis of Dyslexia and ADHD. When he arrived at the school he said, he was unable to sit still long enough to learn anything, but at MHS he was never excluded from any event or activity (as I presume had been the case at a previous school). He had received a good education both academically and socially and he stood before us a fine young man and School Captain, a son to be proud of as I am sure his parents are.
Both young men took the time to thank the school's Headmaster, Barry Huggett, who is held in the highest esteem by all the boys and their parents. Mr Huggett is an inspirational figure and he leads the school with dedication, dignity and passion. He announced that the latest GCSE results showed an 83% A-C pass rate, which considering the number and range of difficulties experienced by the boys when they arrived, is outstanding.
Several things became crystal clear for me yesterday. The first is that the dedicated sixth-former I have seen at many events is, in fact, the Music teacher, Mr Place, which just shows me how old I'm getting. The second is that, contrary to government inclusion doctrine, the kind of school you go to is absolutely key to your future life. Had the School Captain gone to a normal mainstream secondary, he may well have left at sixteen with no qualifications and little chance of a bright future. Now he has university to look forward to and a real shot at success.
Some of the boys get support in exams such as extra time or scribes to help them show their true potential. Mr Huggett aims to cut the number by half, and then within a few years, to eliminate the need for special help in exams altogether. This is a lofty goal but one that, knowing Mr Huggett and his staff, I can see being achieved.
To all the staff at More House School, have a wonderful summer - you've earned it.
Tania is an experienced broadcast and print journalist & author. She also runs a PR, web & social media consultancy, SocialOro Media.
Tania is a rare disease & chronic pain patient advocate with Ehlers Danlos syndrome.
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