For the first time in our history, we held an award ceremony celebrating the attainment and progress of our learners and alumni. Learners, staff, directors and loved ones came together to enjoy a delicious three course meal provided by Juniper Catering and served by our helpful year 12 learners, while listening to speeches from senior leaders, directors and a performance from our resident poet.
Although the energy of the night cannot be replicated into words, here is a brief recap of the ceremony...
We kicked off the night with a virtual introduction from Jason Bradbury who spoke passionately about how far the college has come since its vision and conception. Jason was an integral part of founding the UTC and also acted as a governor. During his speech he shared one of the key values of our UTC: ‘Another thing that is extraordinary to me is the college’s close association with business. If anything is going to get you on that pathway to success as quickly as possible it’s close association with people who are working in the fields you are studying, and I don’t think you can find a better environment in which to make that happen.’
The first awards to be handed out were attainment awards, which celebrated the highest grades in the college at GCSE and A-level. These awards were given by our Assistant principal Victoria who recognised the pressure, for both staff and learners, of dealing with the first formal exams following the pandemic. Victoria celebrated the doors that have been opened to careers, universities and subject options, as a result of our award winners’ hard work and attainment.
| Winner for overall attainment Enkhjin, 'The event was great, I loved it! I was happy to see all my friends get awards and it was nice celebrating with them.' |
Following a delicious starter and main course, our Resident Poet performed a piece inspired by the college mantra: Don't look back on missed opportunities. It was a fitting poem for the occasion, as the hall was filled with award winners who have reaped the benefits of opportunities available at the college, some alumni who have moved onto the next stage of their career or education and others now in sixth from and still impacting the college culture for the better.
The progress award celebrated those who had made the most progress throughout their time at the college, surpassing expectations and target grades. These awards were given by our Vice Principal Gloria. Gloria recognised that our award-winning learners not only made progress academically, but also through personal growth.
| Reece, winner of GCSE Engineering Systems Control progress award shared, ‘It was a great awards evening with a three-course meal which I really enjoyed. To win an award was a real privilege!’ |
The final award of the evening was the well-being trophy, launched by Jeremy- our former Chair of the Board of Directors- who spoke passionately about the importance of wellbeing in education, in the world of work and how this translates into our personal lives. Jeremy spoke on the personal importance of Jesus’ two great commandments, ‘love the Lord thy God with all thy heart’ and ‘love thy neighbour as yourself.’ He shared how these words encourage him to live his life in service to others but also demand that he prioritise his own mental health and practise self-love in order to be able to fulfil that service. He then presented the trophy to our year 13 learner Ella and shared the reason why she is our Wellbeing Champion:
Thank you to everyone who made this an unforgettable night of celebration. Click here to watch a full recap of the night.
