Record-breaking Class of 2018 celebrate graduation with awards ceremony

The College’s Class of 2018 whose results ranked in the top 10% in the country celebrated their achievements by reuniting for a final time for their graduation and awards ceremony.

With many of the record-breaking students now heading off to universities and employment across the country this month, their final farewell to the College was marked with each student receiving a graduate’s scroll before subject awards were presented, along with a series of special accolades.

The Graduate's Scrolls

Students’ families gathered with them in the College’s Drama Studio and greeted each award winner with rapturous applause, having had the chance to watch an emotional video of just some of the Class of 2018’s best memories of the last two years moment before.

The wonderful work of the our Student Ambassadors was also highlighted, with the team having spent the last year representing the College at events both on and off site and helping new students settle in when they first arrived. Four of their number, Abbie Thomson, Abdou Jouma, Crina Pricop and Head Student Charlie Knowles were presented with awards for going above and beyond the call of duty and embodying the College’s core values of Positivity, Ambition, Resilience and Thoughtfulness.

Abbie Thomson celebrates her award for Positivity

The climax of the evening was the revealing of the winners of the three special awards: Team of the Year, Scholar of the Year and Student of the Year. All three awards celebrate very different traits in our students, and the Team of the Year title recognises dedication and teamwork in abundance. The Boys First XI football team scooped the award after their league-winning season. The team also made the Wirral Cup Final only to narrowly miss out on making it a league and cup double for the year.

Scholar of the Year is awarded to the student with the highest level of academic achievement. Traditionally exclusive to one winner, the judges’ were unable to split Rachel Choy and Lauren Leyland’s successes, so the award was shared between the two deserving recipients. Both students received three A* grades in their A Levels in what were two phenomenal academic performances, not only in their exams but across their two years with us.

The last and most poignant award of Student of the Year is about what a student has given to others in their time at the College, rather than their own personal achievements. Sponsored by the family and colleagues of long time College Governor and Wirral Councillor Denise Roberts, the award comes with a £100 cash prize.

A final list of four students was selected by teachers and tutors, with all having made a memorable and valuable impact during the last two years.

Charlotte Conlan eventually came out as the winner of the award after some tough deliberation, and the judges recognised the journey she had been on since joining the College and the resilience she had shown through challenging times in her personal life.

Charlotte Conlan was award Student of the Year

A very humble Charlotte said: “I’m speechless. I wasn’t expecting it at all. Seeing my name come up on the shortlist was such a shock. I can’t believe I won, especially considering the other people on the shortlist and how amazing they’ve been at College. I thought I had no chance.”

Charlotte is taking a gap year before going to university to study Law, and wants to spend the year in employment, preferably working with animals for which she has a passion.

Charlotte continued: “I thought they were joking when they told me about the money! I couldn’t believe it! I’ll put in my savings for uni, I think.”

When asked how she would be celebrating, Charlotte replied: “I’m going to go home see my nan. She wanted to be here but she isn’t well. I thought I was only getting the graduate’s scroll so I might joke with her and say that I didn’t even get that, then say – NOT REALLY! She’ll be so excited!”

 

Subject award winners: