Private School News

St Edmund’s College welcomes His Most Eminent Highness Fra’ Matthew Festing, to their Senior Prize Giving

St Edmund’s College, England’s oldest Catholic School, held its Senior Prize Giving evening on Thursday 29 April 2010, where the Guest of Honour was His Most Eminent Highness Fra’ Matthew Festing, The Prince and Grand Master, Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes, and of Malta.

The evening began with an address by the Chairman of Governors, Mr Jeremy Gillham, followed by a wonderful music recital by the College’s Music School. Chris Long, Headmaster then gave his Report, in which he outlined some of the numerous achievements made by the students over the past year and despite the difficult economic and political climate, he shared his optimistic vision for the year ahead.

It was then onto the serious business of presenting over 150 prizes to students from Syntax to Rhetoric (Years 10-13), for Academic, Music and Sporting achievements. These included the coveted ‘Headmaster‘s Cup for Progress’ which was awarded to Dominic Muncaster; the ‘Governors Plate for Academic Endeavour’ which went to Kittinun Phatpanichot the ‘Royal Society of St George Award’, which was awarded to Charlotte Watts (for personal achievement) and to Marta Wesierska (for overcoming adversity); the ‘Patrick Cullinan Salver for Contribution to Sport’ which was awarded to Aliabbas Azim-Naqvi; and the’ DJK Walters International Prize’ that went to Marta Wesierska.

Chris Long, Headmaster commented: “It was a wonderful, positive and uplifting evening for both our students and parents and we were extremely privileged to have Fra’ Matthew Festing as our Guest of Honour. Our students were extremely interested to hear about The Order of St John of Jerusalem – the oldest charitable institution of Western and Christian civilisation and its commitment to serving the poor and the sick across the world.“