Remembrance Assembly

On Tuesday 11th November, we held our annual Remembrance Assembly. As a History teacher who has been fortunate enough to visit First World War battlefield sites in Belgium and France, this act of remembrance holds particular significance for me. I was immensely proud of the way our students embodied our CARES value of Respect throughout the event.

The assembly was delivered to Year 7 in the hall and streamed live to the rest of the school, allowing every student to take part in this important moment of reflection. We encouraged students to remember the 155 former HGS students who lost their lives in the two world wars, the often-overlooked soldiers of Commonwealth countries, and all those affected by conflict around the world today. Our Head Prefects, Daniyal Mehmood and Khadijah Anjum, read In Flanders Fields and Anthem for Doomed Youth. We were also delighted to hear a powerful original poem by Anania Fikru (8H), written for our Forgotten Armies competition.

We were honoured to welcome back former student Mr Nick Tipper, who has served in the army and delivered the address. He spoke thoughtfully about the importance of Remembrance Day and shared some fond memories of his time at HGS.

Members of our Senior Prefect Team laid three wreaths beside the war memorials in the school hall—on behalf of the staff and students, the School Governing Body, and the Bridge Trust.

The assembly concluded with a two-minute silence, marked by a poignant performance of the Last Post and Reveille by Sebastian Fernando (9W).

I would like to extend my sincere thanks to all the students involved in the assembly and to every member of our school community for their respectful and thoughtful participation.

Tim Johnson