Year 13 Leavers' Celebration

News - Jul 16

At the beginning of July we held the Class of 2026 Leavers Celebration event at Sandy Park. It was the year group that gave us so much during their time at school including the brilliant Sound of Music. So, it was ‘so long, farewell. Au’voir, auf wiedersehen’ to an amazing group of students.

Thank you for everything you have contributed to this school, from the great sporting successes, including finals and semi-finals in netball, football, hockey, and in the world of athletics, to the amazing performances in the Sound of Music and Witness for the Prosecution. From the wonderful art created in the brilliant art department to the beautiful music of the many concerts and performance. This year group also had the most incredible participants in the ten tors event including an incredibly rapid 55-mile team.

The academic success of the group is highly impressive, with a school record number, 25% of the cohort, holding Oxbridge offers (35 offers), and record numbers in the year group holding offers from the most selective UK universities. Two students from the Class of 2026 have places at very prestigious universities in the USA. Arabella R has a place to study at the Rhode Island School of Design, and Billy S has a place at Harvard University. Additionally, Olly M, from the Class of 2025, will also be travelling across the Atlantic as he has been awarded a highly competitive Athletics scholarship to Augusta University, Georgia.

he guest speaker was Dr Riordan Deehan Jackson. Dr Jackson is a former Colyton Grammar School student and is a current medical doctor, and award-winning stand-up comedian.

He left CGS in 2014 and went on to study Medicine at the University of Bristol. While at university he performed stand-up comedy for many years, winning the Chortle Student Comedy Award, taking multiple shows up to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Now fully focussing on Medicine, he has worked as a surgical and orthopaedic doctor in both the UK and Australia, and is now a radiology registrar in Devon. His speech perfectly illustrated the schools core values of scholarship, humility and service as he explained his top tips for a successful life – all delivered with the humour of an award-winning comedian.

Speeches, prizes and music were to be found at the event, but perhaps the best aspect was the time spent chatting, laughing and reflecting on memories made and lifelong friendships developed at school, over a drink and dinner.

A memorable evening! Congratulations, Year 13. Thank you for your years with us. We are immensely proud of you, and we cannot wait to see the world you help create.