Last Friday we hosted our annual Prize Giving event, a wonderful evening dedicated to celebrating the achievements of our pupils. Well done to all of this year’s prize winners – your hard work, commitment and passion have truly shone through. Our new Year 7 pupils attended, affording them the opportunity to be inspired by the achievements of others, and take part in the traditional singing the Tommy’s Psalm; a special moment that added to the sense of pride and connection across generations of Richians.

We were delighted to welcome back Old Richian Major Richard Farrow, who left the School in 2009, as our special guest speaker. Richard’s journey since leaving has been nothing short of inspiring. After being awarded a scholarship to study International Politics and Military History at Aberystwyth University, he graduated with First Class Honours in 2012. He went on to join the Royal Marines Reserves, earning his first Green Beret, and then began working in the House of Parliament. Richard became the Parliamentary Assistant to Sir Alan Duncan MP, then Minister of State for International Development, while also undertaking a Master’s at the University of Exeter’s Strategic Studies Institute in Applied Strategic and Security Studies.

Richard’s career then saw him advising Rt Hon Michael Gove MP, Secretary of State for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), during the Brexit period. His work focused on emergency preparedness and food supply resilience, and his efforts were recognised with a personal letter of thanks from Michael Gove to the Secretary of State for Defence. We are incredibly proud of Richard’s accomplishments and grateful for the time he spent with us on Friday, sharing his experiences and inspiring the next generation of Richians.

Congratulations once again to all our prize winners, and thank you to everyone who helped make the event such a success.