Final Collect | Spring Term 2025

As the Spring term drew to a close, the entire Leighton Park community gathered for its Final Collect, a celebration of achievement, values, character and community. This occasion provides the whole School with a chance to pause and celebrate the many accomplishments of the term before a well-deserved period of rest and reflection. Throughout the term, students have demonstrated exceptional talent across a wide variety of disciplines, from public speaking to sports, maths, drama, and more. The Final Collect offers an opportunity to acknowledge these collective and individual accomplishments and look forward to future challenges with renewed energy.

Public Speaking Success: Seven members of the Co-Curricular team were awarded for their participation in the ISA Public Speaking competition, which attracts hundreds of entrants from schools across the country. Among them, Antigoni’s (Lower Sixth) performance stood out as she advanced to the senior final. Her thought-provoking speech on ‘why we should learn to enjoy chilli’, using the spicy dish as a metaphor for overcoming challenges and finding enjoyment in the moment of solving problems.

Celebrating Maths Achievements: Many of our mathematicians shone in various competitions and the department planned many initiatives this term. A trip to Bletchley Park, Pi Day celebrations, and the Maths Inspiration Lecture at the Hexagon were all part of term. The Year 9 Maths Team made their mark by finishing 8th out of 22 schools in the Maths Team Challenge. Additionally, students excelled in the UKMT Intermediate Challenge, with four Gold Awards being presented. The Royal Institute of Maths Masterclasses, where 16 students led structured maths lessons for primary school pupils, were also raised up as an example of giving back to the local community.

STEAM Excellence: The School’s commitment to STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) was also celebrated, with students acknowledged for their involvement in British Science Week and trips to the Science Museum. Year 7 and 8 students took part in the innovative Shoebox Challenge, where each student received a Crest Award for their contributions. Special thanks were also given to the STEAM Scholars who led co-curricular initiatives such as Fossils Rock and STEMinists, inspiring our younger year groups.

Debating Triumphs: Leighton Park’s debating teams had another successful term entering three major competitions. Notably, students Leander and Anis were selected to progress to international round of the European Youth Parliament, representing the UK in Sweden. The School also took home a trophy from the ISA Debating Championship, where the Key Stage 3 team, Devan, Lars and Larry, triumphed. The LP Model United Nations event on 23^rd June promises to be another exciting milestone in the School’s debating calendar.

Drama and Performing Arts: The Drama department received well-deserved recognition for both senior and junior productions, with certificates awarded for the fantastic performances of students. Notably, three members of the Leighton Park community, Holly, Charlie, and India, performed in both the senior and junior productions, showcasing their versatility and commitment to the performing arts.

Sports Highlights: Over the term, there has been impressive array of dedication and talent across a wide range of sports, with over 100 fixtures, including 60 netball games. Among the highlights were the Madrid football tour, the GCSE PE and CTECH moderations, and a thrilling Staff vs Student hockey match. In the House competitions, the following winners were celebrated:

House Swim Gala: Tubman

House Football: Bentsi-Enchill

Rugby: Bentsi-Enchill

Netball: Cadbury

Merit Awards and House Achievements: Merit certificates were awarded to students who had demonstrated exceptional dedication and achievement, with special recognition given to those who accumulated the most merits. Five students earned Gold Merit Certificates for achieving over 75 merits, while Emma (Year 7) received a Platinum Certificate for reaching over 100 merits!

Tubman House emerged as the big winner this term, claiming the Dunston Award for accumulating the most Community merits, the Sissons Cup for House and Co-Curricular engagement, the Castle Trophy for academic merits, and the overall Merit Cup. The Mark Simmons House Shield was awarded to those who showed extreme commitment to their House, with Zeb (Tubman), Marcus (Cadbury), Gus (Fox), and Calder and Sterling (Bentsi-Enchill) all recognised for their contributions.

As the term ends, the current House standings are:

4^th: Cadbury

3rd: Bentsi-Enchill

2nd: Fox

1st: Tubman

Exciting House competitions, such as girls’ football, the spelling bee, pickleball, badminton, and table tennis, are already on the horizon in the Summer term, promising more opportunities for students to engage and compete in House spirit.

Head’s Reflection: The Final Collect was closed with an address from Head, Matthew LS Judd. He congratulated all students for their involvement within the School community, noting how rewarding it had been to pause and reflect on the term’s achievements. Special thanks were given to the Upper Sixth Senior Prefects for their outstanding dedication and service to the School, acknowledging their vital role in supporting and leading the School community throughout the year.

As the School looks ahead to a period of rest, the achievements celebrated during the Final Collect remind everyone at Leighton Park of the strength of community, the importance of hard work, and the value of embracing challenges with enthusiasm and character. Congratulations to the entire community for their achievements and contributions. See more photos from Final Collect here.