It's the final day of the school year. We all have very mixed emotions today: excitement and relief that we have reached the summer holidays, and sadness as we say goodbye to our lovely year 6 children, and those who leave us today, especially Mrs McCarthy. 

Yesterday, we all walked to Ladywell Convent, where we had a special liturgy for our Year 6 leavers in the chapel. It is four years since we had been able to have our leaver's celebration there, and it was wonderful to be back there together as a whole school family. We thought about each of the children, and they were presented with little prayer books, which, we hope will remind them of their time at St Edmund's. 

Our 'Award and Leavers assembly' is always a favourite with everyone. We can laugh and reminisce as we think about how much the children have grown and changed during their time with us. This morning we had great fun looking at the photos of our Year 6 children before they started school, aged four. We are very proud of them all, of the wonderful young people they have become and of all they have achieved. The children pictured above received awards for Outstanding Academic Achievement: Charlotte; Achievement in Sports: Sophia L, Milo and Lochie, the Governors Award for most improvement: Harry; the Ethos award: Catherine; and the McCarthy cup: Marcus. They were all very well deserved winners. 

We said goodbye to Mrs McCarthy too, there was hardly a dry eye in the hall as the children sang 'Love Shone Down' for her, one of her favourite Christmas carols; something special to St Edmund's. Mrs McCarthy has been a true inspiration to everyone at St Edmund's since 2001, filling hundreds of children with a passion for sport, a love of learning and the drive to do their best in life. She will always be a special part of our school family. We wish her a very happy retirement.

Have a wonderful summer holiday, 

Elizabeth