Quick thinking by staff ensured the Year 11 students at Richmond School and Sixth Form College were able to enjoy the traditional shirt-signing. It was a bitter-sweet moment for the students as their end of year was suddenly brought forward by several weeks.
It is customary for Year 11 students to sign each other’s shirts on the last day of school, ahead of exam leave for their GCSEs in May. Arrangements were quickly made for students to have the opportunity to experience this important moment in their school life before the school closed unexpectedly today.
The Year 13s also followed tradition, with the A-level students marking their final day in college by wearing their old school uniforms.
It was an emotional time for staff and students. Jenna Potter, Headteacher, commented: “Our hearts go out to all our students at this challenging time, but in particular to our Year 11 and Year 13 students who are not able to sit their GCSE and A-levels. They are an incredible group of individuals who all the staff are immensely proud of. They have developed into the most fantastic young people and we all feel privileged to have been a part of that. We will miss them all and urge them to be good, stay safe, continue to work hard and look after each other.”