On Saturday 3rd June, Runnymede College Senior School celebrated its annual Prize Giving & Speech Day. Always a special event in the school calendar, this year was especially lovely, with the sun shining as brightly as the prize-winners’ smiles.
The Headmaster’s speech to the assembled winners, their parents and teachers, sought to underline the school’s identity as a family-owned institution of learning with an eminent past and a gleaming future.
Mr Powell discussed the exciting new campus buildings, and the new Prep School which will be inaugurated in September under the aegis of Mr Duncan Bailey, currently the headmaster of the leading English prep school, Cothill House.
Mr Powell then introduced Hannah Matthews, the ceremony’s guest of honour. Hannah is an Old Runnymedian who studied Classics at Oxford before embarking on a hugely impressive career in the development sector. Hannah’s work with the International Committee of the Red Cross formed the foundation of her wonderful speech. She discussed her educational and professional choices, and encouraged the audience to ask themselves thought-provoking questions about what would really fulfil them in life. Hannah also offered a warmly nostalgic and grateful depiction of her own time at Runnymede, and it was touching that Mr Bennet, Runnymede’s iconic retired Head of Classics, had come to listen to his former pupil’s moving words.
After the Headmaster announced the academic prize winners, there was an excellent musical interlude by the Music department’s talented ensemble, who played two movements from Handel’s ‘Music for the Royal Fireworks’. Mr Crumpton then delivered a speech reflecting on the importance and growth of the beyond-the-classroom provision at Runnymede, before announcing the sporting and co-curricular prize winners.
Pupils, parents, teachers then enjoyed refreshments in the sunshine, relishing the atmosphere of thankfulness and conviviality. We would like to extend our congratulations to all prize winners, and offer our thanks once more to Hannah Matthews for delivering such an inspiring message to those present on Saturday.
