Speech Day 2022

Speech Day was held at Friends’ School on Friday 9 September, when certificates were presented to those who had completed AS and A-level examinations in 2022. The Guest of Honour was Old Scholar Siobhan Haire, Deputy Recording Clerk at Quakers in Britain.

The Chair of the Board of Governors, Philip McDonagh, opened proceedings by congratulating pupils on their achievements, saying that they had coped magnificently with the disruption of the past two years and that, even though they had lost out on experiences they might have expected to enjoy, they had learned new skills in the process. He also thanked staff for their hard work and for maintaining as much normality as possible over the course of the pandemic.

Siobhan Haire received a warm reception and gave an inspirational speech to those in attendance. She added her congratulations to those in attendance and began by sharing some of the responses she had received to a questionnaire she had sent out to Leavers and Year 14 pupils, which included advice they would pass on to those coming after them.

She said that pupils shouldn’t worry about changing direction, or if they didn’t end up doing what they had originally planned. She talked of her journey since leaving Friends’, which had included teaching, further study and work as a lawyer before she moved into the charitable sector and subsequently to her current post at Quakers in Britain. She said that she was motivated by the opportunity her current role gave her to campaign on issues such as climate change:

“Chasing the money and the prestige isn’t the be all and end all. It would be naive to suggest that income isn’t important – the need to feed, house, clothe and heat yourselves and your families is important, and is a requirement for basic human dignity. But living every day with purpose, and doing work which contributes to a better world, is also important for your soul. I hope that you will all be able to find a way forward which helps your soul to thrive.”

Siobhan Haire concluded her address by returning to the responses she had received to her questionnaire. While many had mentioned the challenges of change and uncertainty, she assured them that they had the wisdom and ability to manage the next steps along the road, and encouraged them above all to live lives of purpose and kindness.

Stephen Moore, Principal, welcomed new members of staff and thanked those who had moved on, including Hannah McKnight, who had taken up the post of Head of Physics at Wellington College; Claire Kingston, who had moved closer to home to a post in the Royal School Armagh; Rodney McCrea who had retired from the Technology Department after 17 years; Heather Scott, who had retired from the Languages Department after 20 years; Paula McPoland who had retired from the Art Department after 30 years; Vivien Black, who had also served for 30 years at Friends’, most recently as Head of English; and Norman Gamble, who had retired as Head of Physics after a remarkable 41 years in school.

The Principal went on to highlight pupils’ achievements in public examinations which had taken place for the first time since 2019. He recalled how, in March 2020, he had broken the news to the Leavers present that their GCSEs would be cancelled, adding that it was hard to appreciate from our current vantage point the magnitude of that decision. He expressed his gratitude that they had, at last, had the opportunity to demonstrate just how well they could do in examinations and commended them all for their efforts. He said that, despite the fact that awarding bodies had announced that grades would be down across the system from 2021, standards at GCSE, AS and A2 at Friends’ compared very well with the previous year.

Mr Moore congratulated the 137 pupils who had sat AS level exams this year:

“63% of entries were at grade A, which was actually up from 61% last year and the 40% recorded in 2019; and 96% of all entries were at grades A-C. 63 pupils achieved 3 or more As, with a remarkable 25 awarded 4 A grades.

“Although there is much work to be done over the course of the next year, especially with 60% of the marks still at stake, our Year 14s have set themselves up well and can be confident that, with continued application, they can go on to excel again next year.”

Mr Moore went on to offer congratulations to those who had completed their A-level courses:

“Results at A2 were also excellent, with 92% of the 136 pupils who sat exams achieving 3 or more grades at A*-C. 29% of entries were at A*, which was very similar to last year, and up from the 18% recorded in 2019. 88% of entries were at A*-B, with 97% at A*-C. 66 pupils achieved three or more grades at A or above. Sophie Anderson, Lois Au, Carrie Barbour, Malachy Bayston, Dylan Briggs, Clare Grieve, Daniel Lavery, Alice Martin, Ben McCleary, Bronagh Close, Isla McIntyre, Rebecca McKimm, Ben Moore, Yolly Poon, Naomi Trimble and Olivia White all achieved 3 A*s; Caleb Alexander, Eddie Doogan, Mia Luke, Aidan Maclean and Xiwen Zhang each achieved 4 A*s; William Rong gained 4A*s and one A; and Patrick Bates achieved a fantastic 5A*s.

“There are many more individual achievements I can’t mention, but I am delighted that almost all of our young people have moved on to their chosen destination. Many will be starting very competitive courses at top universities, and the wide variety of these courses reflects the diversity of interests and talents amongst our Leavers. As well as more traditional pathways, our young people will be taking degrees in subjects such as Games Design, Screen Production, Infection and Immunity and Ceramics. I very much look forward to following their progress in the future.”

The Principal said that although the young people in the hall had worked exceptionally hard, the last twelve months had not been all about academic study, adding that he was full of admiration at what Sixth Formers and Leavers had accomplished alongside their work:

“One example of this is in the creative arts, which play an important part in life here, as you will have seen from the fantastic performance of our Jazz Band. Following a year of cancelled events and online recordings, it was wonderful to be able to resume concerts in person last year. With the restrictions in place last December, the resourcefulness of the Music Department was put to the test, but to their enormous credit, they staged our Christmas concert outdoors on what proved to be a magical and memorable evening, at which over £600 was raised for Quaker Service. Our return to the Ulster Hall for our Spring Concert was a special moment after the challenges of the previous two years, and once again we had a night to remember, with a wide range of technically accomplished performances from almost 250 pupils, whose enjoyment and exuberance was there for all to see. We were particularly pleased that our Leavers had the opportunity to savour this event, and it was heartening to see them lingering on the stage at the end, talking to their teachers and tutors, something which shows just how much their involvement in music has enriched their time here.”

The Principal also said how pleased he was that competitions and other activities had resumed, and that this had allowed Friends’ pupils to demonstrate just how good they are at regional and national level. It had been pleasing also to see a resumption of sporting activities, with pupils taking part in school teams and enjoying success at representative level across a range of sports.

He also commended those who had served on committees, including a new advocacy group, Voice for Change, the Eco Committee, the Mental Health and Wellbeing group, the Politics in Action group and the Charity Committee which had helped raise money for Children in Need, Save the Children, the annual Christmas Hamper appeal in aid of Quaker Cottage and for our sister school, Brummana High School in Beirut.

The Principal finished by talking about how the school’s values had shaped the lives of so many pupils, and said that at the beginning of the new term, staff and pupils had taken inspiration from some words from Quaker Faith and Practice: ‘Live adventurously. When choices arise, do you take the way that offers the fullest opportunity for the use of your gifts in the service of God and the community?’

Reflecting on this, he concluded:

“Living adventurously is a state of mind, an attitude to life that is worth embracing. There is enormous talent and potential in the room here today, and I would encourage each one of you to make the most of the opportunities that come your way, so that you can flourish as individuals and make a difference in the lives of others. In its Latin origins, the word adventure suggests a going forth, a venturing out towards an outcome that is not certain – a willingness to take risks, to take the path less travelled, and to be prepared for the unexpected.

“I hope that, despite all the disruption of the past few years, your time at school has been something you will cherish, and that you will all come back and tell us about where life has taken you. We’ll be celebrating our 250^th anniversary in 2 years’ time, and we would love you all to be a part of that important milestone in the life of the school. And until then, the only advice I can give you is this: live adventurously.”

Head Girl, Natasha Whiteside and Head Boy, Finlay Crawford thanked Siobhan Haire for taking the time to come to Friends’ and, on behalf of the pupils, staff, parents and guests, expressed their appreciation for what she had said. Following the ceremony, pupils, parents and guests gathered in the Dining Hall for afternoon tea.

Head Boy and Head Girl

Last year’s Head Boy Patrick Bates and Head Girl Tilly Martin were presented with commemorative plaques in recognition of the immense contribution they made to school life.