Speech Day 2022

We were delighted to once again welcome parents to Sedbergh School, as we celebrated our academic year with Speech Day and Prizegiving.

After a fantastic makeover in the Hirst Centre, we hosted 1000 people, made up of staff, pupils and parents, on the last day of term at the start of July. Our audience were treated to Performing Arts performances by our Chapel Choir, a dance routine from our summer term production the Wyrd Sisters and a breath-taking rendition of Christine McVie’s ‘Songbird’ by Upper Sixth pupil, Rosie.

As well as hearing from our Chairman of Governors, Mr Richard Gledhill, and our Headmaster, Mr Dan Harrison, our guest speaker for the day was Mrs Sara Hirst – former Senior Mistress and Headmistress of Sedbergh Junior School. Sara Hirst talked about her time at Sedbergh and the story behind our School becoming co-educational, as this year we celebrated 20 years of girls at Sedbergh School.

As well as a number of prizes throughout all years in the School, there are a small number of special prizes which are awarded at the end of our prizegiving ceremony, which was led by our Deputy Head, Mr Colin Gunning. For his record-breaking Wilson Run time back in March, Fraser Sproul was awarded the Hirst Award for exceptional sporting achievement.

The David Tait Memorial Cup is awarded to a pupil or pupils who have joined our Sixth Form and demonstrated the most Sedberghian of values in their two years at the School. This year’s winners were Harriet Robson and Tom Douglas.

Our final award of the ceremony is the John Angus Leybourne Cup. J.A. Leybourne (SH 1933-38) was described by his Headmaster, J.H. Bruce Lockhart, as “pure gold”. The cup was presented by John Leybourne’s widow to be awarded annually, at the Headmaster’s discretion, ‘to a very special Sedberghian’. It was first awarded in 2005 when the winner was James Hogg (P) for an exceptional contribution to the School, from CCF Band to the Ten Mile Course and the rugby field. This year’s winners were Sarah and Sam.