Below is my first Prizegiving Speech, delivered at yesterday's Senior School event.
Prizegiving Speech 2015
Chairman, governors, invited Guests, colleagues, parents, and most importantly, pupils and former pupils. It is with great pleasure that we welcome you to Hamilton College for our annual celebration of Prizegiving. Today is a special day, when we recognise achievement and congratulate those who have won prizes, but this year, it is also a day of firsts. For me, this is my first Prizegiving at Hamilton College. It is also the first time we have had a Senior School specific event. Importantly, it is the first occasion when we have congratulated the whole of our departing year group, welcoming them into the new Former Pupil community of Hamilton College: the HCFPs. I am delighted to see so many returning S6 and so many parents here today to share with us in this ceremony.
Since I arrived at Hamilton College in January, I have been impressed, not only by the superb facilities in the school, but by the tangible kindness and dedication of the Hamilton College community. This is a place where pupils hold doors open for one another, where a thoughtful ‘Good morning’ or ‘Good Afternoon’ greeting is normal, where teachers give amply of their time to support pupils academically, pastorally, and outside of the classroom This is a place where it has been made abundantly clear to me that the sense of community, family and homeliness are incredibly strong. Coming from a boarding background myself, this last point has made me feel very much at home, and it gives a sense of real promise for the future: in my experience, pupils who are happy, safe, and comfortable are often the most successful. The pastoral feeds the academic, and the academic feeds the pastoral.
I have enjoyed getting to know our parents, and to receive opinions on various aspects of our school through Friends of Hamilton College meetings and through helpful and regular meetings with small groups of parents. Parents bringing their boys and girls to Hamilton College have made a bold decision to invest their hard-earned money in the future of their children’s education. This is no small decision, and it is because they want the best for their sons and daughters that they choose something different from the norm.
There are four basic standards of independent education, and I could talk about these at length. I could stand here today and address you on the topic of academic excellence, but I’m not going to do that. I could expound the benefits of smaller class sizes than local authority schools, but I’m not going to do that. I could talk about our broad-ranging extra-curricular activities programme, but I’m not going to do that. I could talk about our top quality pastoral care, but I’m not going to do that. It is true that we have all of these standard elements of independent education. That is not to say that all four of them are perfect in every way – there will always be things to improve - but the grounding is firm and secure.
Is this significantly different from other independent schools? I would hope not. The four basics of independent education; academic excellence, top quality pastoral care, smaller class sizes, and a broad extra-curricular programme, are not in themselves distinctive features of a good independent school. Rather, Hamilton College is distinctive, as the only 3-18 independent Christian school in Scotland, and this comes down to our ethos; an ethos based on the values of Christianity, the teachings of Jesus Christ, and the Word given to us in the Bible.
The whole school community – pupils, staff, parents and governors – have identified what it means for us to be a Christian School, and this identification centres around strong values. These are ideals based on Christian principles, and I would argue that they are ideals which are appropriate for people of all backgrounds, from all faiths and none. These values are not new to the school. They are already in place, and they affect everything we do, whether it is in the classroom, on the sports field, in the orchestra, around the corridors, playground, or indeed, in meetings. It means we do not only teach subjects and pupils, but we teach people; individuals who are connected by our common values.
‘Grace’ is a regularly misunderstood word. A dancer may show ‘grace’. You can ‘grace’ someone with your presence. However, the Christian meaning of Grace is to give willingly without expecting anything in return. This is the promise of God, and the gift he gives, and in trying to be like God, this is a fundamental part of what we should be trying to do as human beings.
While we were identifying these values, it was the pupils who made very clear to me – more than any other aspect of Our Ethos in fact – that ‘Confidence’ is something pupils gain from being here at Hamilton College. By expecting people always to give of their best, by having high expectations, we can be confident that we have done all we can with the Lord’s blessing, and that we will succeed in what we are trying to achieve. Education often emphasises the acquisition of facts, and it is true that knowledge creates the experts of the future. However, knowing what do to with those facts is far more valuable. Making responsible decisions based on sound knowledge, considered understanding, and informed evaluation is how we demonstrate the ‘Wisdom’ our Chairman referred to earlier. It isn’t confined to older people, or Disney owls!
Hamilton College leads in many areas of the Scottish independent sector, whether it is with changes to the use of our data systems or the high quality of teaching our pupils receive throughout the school. If ever there was someone who asked difficult questions and urged people to think differently, to innovate, it was Jesus of Nazareth, and it is because he was a true Innovator, and because we aspire to be like Him, that we should continue to do the same.
Innovation creates connections between people and organisations, and this is one of the reasons we have applied to join the Society of Heads, a national and international group of medium-sized independent schools, with a similarly caring ethos. I am delighted to announce that we received confirmation this week that our application to join Society of Heads was successful, making us only the second school in Scotland to achieve this status.
Back to our values. We are a caring Christian community: this truth was clarified when we had the unfortunate flood through our Junior School and Kitchens. We did not, as one member of staff suggested, exit the building two by two. However, we were inundated by many offers of assistance from the whole school community, from Infants to Governors, and this is striking. Christianity is more than just a fuzzy ‘caring’. It is about understanding other points of view, empathising, and showing compassion for others.
Finally, self-awareness is required for success. Reflection is about considering where we are and who we are, what our strengths are, and how we can constantly improve. To have self-knowledge is to be one step along the road towards outstanding achievements.
Grace, confidence, wisdom, innovation, compassion and reflection. These are the things we stand for, and these are the things we aim for.
Let me speak to those pupils receiving prizes today. Boys and girls, many congratulations on your outstanding achievements. I may have only been here five and a bit months, but celebrating your achievements today makes me very proud. This is a major celebration of your hard-work, your impressive skills, your determination, stamina, and focus. And to those of you who are not receiving prizes today, I know that there are many other accomplishments amongst you which come with extraordinary skills and abilities. I know this, because I see it daily around the school. There is so much potential, so much promise in this room today.
The future of our school is very exciting indeed.
I now want to address our outgoing S6. This is a special and memorable moment for you all, and as you take the bold step out of the safe haven of Hamilton College and into the big bad world, as young adults you may not want to admit it, but the unknown can be a bit scary. As the verses in Proverbs 3 advise us; ‘Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.’ Some of you have been with us since Nursery, and some, like me, have been here much a much shorter period of time. I have not had the pleasure of getting to know you for very long, but I want to thank you for your kind welcome and your warmth. It is clear that the school has supported you exceedingly well, and we all have my new colleagues, and my predecessor, Miss Clarke, to thank for all they have done in helping you to develop into the fine young men and women you are today. (Applause)
The experiences and friendships you have built in your time in this school will last you a lifetime. As you go off to university in various destinations throughout Scotland and further afield, or whether you are taking a gap year or entering the world of work, it is these experiences which will prepare you for your future. Continue to be ambitious. Continue to be full of these values. I have already alarmed you, former sixth years, by explaining my desire that when you leave Hamilton College, I do not want you to leave Hamilton College. Rather, since Hamilton College is now a part of you, you will continue to be part of Hamilton College as you transform yourselves into becoming a former pupil, and a member of the wider HCFP Community. It is for this reason we are marking this occasion by issuing you with a Leavers pin; a small token of our good will, but one I hope you will treasure for the rest of your days.
What we do at Hamilton extends far beyond the academic curriculum. There is no point in trying to be like other schools. We don’t need to be. Rather, with God’s grace, we have the values, the skills, the abilities, and the familial community to be ourselves. To proudly be Hamilton College, and nothing else.
Thank you.