Class of 2021, we salute you
The last 18 months have proved very challenging for many people, and students in this year’s cohort have suffered more disruption to their education than any other since the Second World War. We have been very impressed by their resilience, their adaptability and their determination to make the most of their opportunities and abilities, despite their varying experiences of the pandemic.
We are therefore very proud of the outcomes that Leicester Grammar students have achieved through a rigorous system of assessment devised by the Government to gauge candidates’ learning and understanding in the absence of traditional examinations. Seven from our Year 13 will be heading for Cambridge, three will be studying in the USA, and others have won places at prestigious universities of their choosing or on much-coveted apprenticeship schemes in a year of increased competition.
Our six-strong student leadership team of Head Girl, Head Boy and their Deputies achieved 20 A* grades between them and share a wide array of co-curricular commitments and accolades, in sport, music, drama, charity, community service, mentoring, debating and enterprise. 29 students have gained three or more A* grades, but worthy of equal approbation are those who have had to contend with Covid-related illness, absence or hardship yet have nevertheless met or surpassed expectations and can now embark confidently on the next stage of their lives.
Headmaster John Watson said:
“Our teachers have worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic to do their best for the students in their care – whether in school or at home. Not only have they provided a high quality of creative teaching, both online and in person, but they have shown the greatest concern for the well-being of their charges. There will be mixed emotions across the country today at the culmination of a very demanding period faced jointly by students, teachers and parents, but there is much for which we can be thankful. Our young people have been rewarded for sustaining both effort and motivation, and their unique experience means that they emerge as more generous, caring individuals, thinking deeply about their world and ready to make a difference to the communities in which they live. We wish them all every happiness and success.”