On Saturday, we were pleased to welcome hundreds of students, staff, parents, Elders and friends to Cobham Hall in celebration of this year’s Festival Day.
Under wonderful sunshine and against the fine backdrop of our historic building, smiles and excitement were the order of the morning. We were delighted to welcome Mr Antony Spencer, CEO of the Mill Hill Education Group, to open proceedings. Mrs Barrett’s address followed, her words reminding us of the incredible achievements of our students, not only over the past year but throughout their entire School journey, as well as looking ahead to the exciting next stage in Cobham Hall’s future as we move towards becoming fully co-educational.
It was with huge pleasure that we then welcomed Cobham Hall Elder and Guest Speaker Mrs Follie Johnson-Olaniyan to the lectern. Follie, who left Cobham in 1984, is now a Senior Supplier Relationship Management Lead at the Home Office; she is also a school governor, a trained mentor, and runs a charity which helps young people with their career options. She spoke of fond memories of her time at Cobham Hall and of the important life-long friendships she made while here: ‘your network is your net worth’, she told our students. She closed her address by inspiring us all to ‘climb the tree of life, not the ladder’. Our current Guardian, Nattakarn, gave thanks to our guest on behalf of the School, presenting her with a gift.
Prizegiving followed, with awards, cups and certificates presented in recognition of a multitude of achievements. Our outgoing Guardian, Alyssa, drew speeches to a close, exhorting all present never to forget ‘there is more in you than you think’. Students took to the stage to thrill us with some outstanding Music and Drama performances before we said a final, emotional goodbye to our Class of 2024.
The rest of the afternoon was celebrated with a barbecue in Lady Darnley’s Garden, where guests were treated to a fine array of food and drinks. Musical entertainment was provided by our now traditional jazz trio, while our Artist in Residence 2023-2024, Miss Marye Toxopeus, not only displayed a range of her work in an art exhibition, but even painted portraits on-the-spot to guests’ request.
Many congratulations to our prize winners, farewell and good luck to our leavers, and huge thanks to our guests, speakers and performers, to our catering and maintenance teams and everyone who helped make this such a wonderful event.
