Prestigious Speech Night returns to Blue Coat School

L to R Councillor Shaid Mushtaq - Mayor's Consort, Luke Pennystan - Head Boy, Councillor Jenny Harrison - Mayor of Oldham, Hannah Diamond - Head Girl, Mr Robert Higgins - Headteacher

The annual 'Speech Night' at Blue Coat School has returned following a break due to the Covid pandemic.

Speech Night celebrates the outstanding achievements that students have attained and offers awards and prizes to lucky students. 

Awards cover a range of subjects and are awarded to students who have achieved exceptional academic and social accomplishments. Subjects for special awards include dedication in a sporting field, showing compassion and consideration to others, services to the community, and academic awards such as achieving outstanding results at GCSE and obtaining the highest achievement at A Level.

A total of 54 special awards were handed out with six music prizes awarded. A brand new award was also presented for the first time - the Rhian Evans Award for Academic Resilience. This prize was donated by the Rhian Evans, the director of EVR Consulting who has been recently working with Blue Coat Sixth Form students.

Over 1000 visitors attended the awards ceremony at the Queen Elizabeth Hall,  including the Mayor of Oldham, Jenny Harrison as well as Consort Councillor Shaid Mushtaq. Guest speaker and ex-student Jonathan Bielby, registrar at the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust, was also present to give an entertaining speech to the students and parents.

The event also featured performances from the school brass band, a speech from the headteacher Robert Higgins regarding the difficulties faced by the school in the past year, as well as rewarding returning Year 13 students with their A Level certificates.

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