The summer term always seems to disappear in a flash of productions, sports days, residentials and sunny afternoons with this year being no exception as we saw record temperatures for June leading to some wonderful core memories involving sprinklers, paddling pools and lessons in the staffroom! Throughout the ‘busy-ness’ of this term it is easy to get caught up in the moment and continually look forward to the next event; this week at the Junior School we had the opportunity to stop and reflect.
A highlight for so many of our Junior School families and staff, myself included, is our annual Celebration Afternoon. An opportunity to come together as a community and reflect on the past year, celebrating all the achievements of our students from Nursery at their Little Knellies Graduation to the Lower IIIs at their Leavers’ Celebration and everyone in between. At Little Knellies Graduation, complete with gowns and mortar boards, each girl shared their aspirations for the future ranging from mechanics to mermaids and doctors to the tooth fairy! Moving into the wider Junior School, students were able to choose the work they were most proud of, reflecting on the journey they had been on and what their personal successes were over the year. For some students it was a treasured piece of artwork, for others it was extended writing which had been a journey from planning to writing to editing. Sharing these achievements with their families gave the students a sense of pride and many commented on how much they had grown and changed during the year.

Back in March, I wrote an article about the power of music and that was clear to see as we joined together in the sunshine to finish in song. Hearing the school come together as one voice was an emotional moment and one which summed up the Abbey values of: Confidence, Purpose and Joy.

Into the late afternoon and it was Lower III’s turn to reflect on their Abbey journeys; for some this was a year whilst for others it was seven years since they made their first steps through the door of Knell House. We were lucky enough to welcome back Abbey alumna Katie Clamp who delivered a powerful message on the importance of recognising that it is totally normal to not know what you want to do next or to know what is going to happen next – just imagine knowing the ending of a book before you had got past the first chapter!
As we approach the end of the summer term it is important to remember that an academic year is a finite block of time, but the version of yourself that walks out of it is entirely new. Take a moment to appreciate how hard you worked, how much you adapted, and how far you’ve come. The next chapter is waiting, and you are uniquely equipped to write it.

Helen Bond, Assistant Head