Southend, Basildon, Canvey and Benfleet schools say farewell to Class of 2020

Headteachers and school staff have been saying their goodbyes to their students that they have become so fond of.

ROBERT DRAKE PRIMARY SCHOOL 

ALL of us at Robert Drake are exceptionally proud of our Year 6 Leavers, who have been working diligently at home and in school throughout this lockdown period. They have shown admirable determination to keep in touch and continue their studies. Since arriving at this school many years ago, they have grown and matured tremendously and after making many happy memories their time at our school is nearly at an end. Unfortunately, 2020 has not gone the way we anticipated or any of us wanted. They leave our school in unique circumstances but know that they will never be forgotten and will remain in our thoughts – our Lockdown Leavers of 2020! All the staff at Robert Drake wish them every success as they take the next step in their academic journey.

GLEBE PRIMARY, RAYLEIGH

WHAT a year this has been! Despite the challenging times that you have found yourselves in, you have never ceased to amaze us with your resilience, dedication and determination to strive to be your very best. As the year has progressed, you have shown increased independence within your learning, showed care and empathy for your family and friends and remained positive about the next stage of your educational, emotional and social journey. We could not be more proud of your achievements and the way that you have continued to conduct yourself during this historical event. We wish you all the very best. You will, forever, be part of our Glebe memories

RIVERSIDE PRIMARY SCHOOL, HULLBRIDGE

IT has been a huge privilege to work with you all and we know that you have worked hard, played hard; grown and developed, both academically and personally. Hold your heads high and remember to be the best you can be. Everyone matters and every day counts. The Riverside Team

HOLT FARM JUNIOR SCHOOL

TO all of our fabulous year 6 leavers; What a whirlwind of a year it has been! I have enjoyed every moment spent with you and seeing you all learn and grow into young adults. I have been very impressed with how mature you have been in light of the school closure this year – I know it’s been strange for everyone involved. Treasure all of your memories and friends that you have made while at Holt Farm as these memories will make you smile when older. For many of you, this is both an exciting and also nervous time as you begin to think about the next stage of your education at secondary school. Rest assured that you have all shown great personality and maturity this year and Holt Farm Junior School will make lots of new, exciting and lasting friends as you move on as well as being able to treasure the current friendships that you have made at Holt Farm. Thank you all for a great year – it is definitely a year we will all remember for the rest of our lives. All the best.

HEYCROFT PRIMAY SCHOOL 

TO our wonderful Year 6 – thank you for the very positive contribution you have all made to the Heycroft Primary School community. It has been a privilege to see you grow into the fine young people you WE are very proud of all our Year 6 children who are leaving Holy Family this summer. They are a group of children with many gifts and talents. They have worked hard and never given up even during this difficult year due to Covid-19. We wish them happiness for the future and ask that God will help them to build good relationships and stay true to the faith and values their parents, teachers and friends have taught them. Good luck Year 6. We will miss you! Heycroft Primary School Holy Family Catholic Primary School have become over the last 7 years with us. You have faced the recent challenges head on and showed great resilience making us all very proud. We hope you will look back on many happy memories of your time with us and we wish you every success and happiness in your new schools – you will be amazing. Respect – Excellence – Determination - Purple Power. Best wishes from Mr Palmer and the staff of Heycroft Primary School

HOLY FAMILY CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL 

WE are very proud of all our Year 6 children who are leaving Holy Family this summer. They are a group of children with many gifts and talents. They have worked hard and never given up even during this difficult year due to Covid-19. We wish them happiness for the future and ask that God will help them to build good relationships and stay true to the faith and values their parents, teachers and friends have taught them. Good luck Year 6. We will miss you!

HINGUAR PRIMARY SCHOOL

TO our wonderful Avocet Class of 2020; We have known and taught you since you were little and now we have to say goodbye. We are so very proud of your accomplishments and the attitudes you have demonstrated to your schooling, especially in the last three (very strange) months. You have become resilient, thoughtful and determined throughout your time at Hinguar and you will be remembered for years to come. Good luck as you continue your educational journeys and please keep in touch! Warmest wishes, All the staff at Hinguar

JOTMANS HALL PRIMARY SCHOOL

AFTER a truly unique year, the Year 6 pupils continue their learning journey going to secondary school. Although the year was short, the memories will last a long time. Instead of thinking about what didn’t happen, think about what did. More time with loved ones, baking, learning new skills, clapping and zooming! Take the kindness and community spirit and let that shape you as young adults. During this time, we have been impressed by your resilience and positive attitude. These are attributes that will take you far. Embrace the next chapter and every opportunity that is presented to you. Keep us updated on your progress, both academically and as young adults. All of the staff at Jotmans Hall are proud to have been part of your primary education. Be brave, be kind, be brilliant!

WESTERINGS PRIMARY ACADEMY

This year has been a year like no other. It has been a far bigger test than any that our children had planned for. However, throughout these times of uncertainty, our children have demonstrated resilience, determination and maturity throughout. We are incredibly lucky to have such a wonderful cohort of children. Our Year 6 children are truly remarkable and have made us all incredibly proud. We wish them the very best of luck for secondary school, where I am sure they will continue to shine. Remember to persevere with your goals and ambitions and strive to succeed. Good luck and goodbye Year 6. Please do remember to come back and visit us in the future though, as we would love to hear all about your achievements and accomplishments.

BELFAIRS ACADEMY

WE would like to take this opportunity to say how incredibly proud we are at Belfairs of each and every one of you. Your resolve, optimism and commitment to developing your future opportunities has been truly inspiring and humbling for us to watch. We know that everything has been done to ensure that the next step of your life’s journey will be unaffected by the events of 2020, and whether you’re re - turning to Belfairs for Post 16 or leaving us for other adventures, let’s keep our fingers crossed that all your hard effort will pay off in August. In the future, when you remi - nisce over your time at Belfairs Academy, I’m sure you’ll look back with fond memories of friends made, great times en - joyed and with fondness for some fantastic teachers that in - spired and motivated you. From everyone at Belfairs, we wish you every success in your future endeavours and look for - ward to celebrating with you on results day. Mr Evans, Head of Year 11

KING JOHN SCHOOL

IT has been a privilege to share this time with our Year 11s. We will all have such fond memories of their time here. The Duke of Edinburgh accomplishments, the well-deserved Jack Petchey successes, the performing arts achievements, the excellent memories of school trips and school events, and of course, the adulation many of you received through your sporting successes. The Rainbow Class of 2020 will have some definite candidates to be our future leaders and inspirations in many walks of life. We would like to thank every one of our leavers for what they have been doing during such unprecedented times! Aspects of our daily lives have been changed in ways we could never imagine, and the mature reaction and continued focus on their studies has been a credit to them in these difficult circumstances. Whatever they do next, all the staff wish our leavers the very best.

SACRED HEART CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL

YOU have learnt so many things during your time with us! You have made good academic progress that will act as a solid foundation as you move on to secondary school. Academic success is important of course but you have also learnt many more equally valuable things, including how to be a good friend (following our Heart of Sacred Heart) and how to always do your best. Soon, we will say goodbye – our parting wish for each and every one of you is that you continue to try your hardest in everything else you do! From your Sacred Heart School family.

JAMES HORNSBY SCHOOL 

IT has certainly been a different ending to the time at school for our current Year 11’s and the teachers and staff here at James Hornsby have greatly missed seeing them during their final months with us. We would like to wish all of our Year 11 students the very best of luck for their future. We ask them to remember that everything is achievable if they put their minds to it and are determined to succeed. We look forward to a time when we can invite our students back to cel - ebrate properly their time at James Hornsby and until that moment comes, we ask them to keep well and safe. Mr Steel – Headteacher

WHITMORE PRIMARY

DEAR Year 6s. There are so many memories that we have created throughout the year and we will cherish them forever. From our trip to The Isle of Wight where you all got stuck in with the activities and bonded so much as a year group, to trips to the cinema, fun lessons, crazy golf, WW1 workshops and plenty more. We could not be more proud of you and the effort that you have put in this year during lessons and extra-curricular activities. Some of you gave up your afternoons and weekends giving everything your all to get the results that all of you would have deserved. The way you have handled the current situation shows how mature, determined and positive you all are. We are really sad we will not be able to spend more time with you all and hope that once everything goes back to normal you come to Whitmore to see us and tell us how amazingly you are doing. We wish you the best for the future and know that each one of you will succeed.

BEAUCHAMPS HIGH SCHOOL 

WE would like to wish all of our outgoing Year 11 students the absolute best of luck for the future. It has been disappointing for all of us that we have not thus far been able to celebrate their end of schooling, and that they have not had the opportunity to prove themselves through the exams that they had all been working so hard towards, but we have confidence that these fine young people are ready to go out into the world to become something wonderful and to do great things. We now look forward to welcoming many of them back into our 6th Form this September, and to being a part of their journey even further! They have been a wonderful year group, and the maturity and the grace which they demonstrated in the last few days here before they left is a testament to their spirit and their resilience. We are very proud of you all. The Beauchamps staff

DOWNHAM CofE PRIMARY 

Now the end of this crazy year is through, Here’s a quick message from us to you, We may not have had the year that we thought, With so many things that have yet to be taught, But, my, how you’ve shone in the darkest of days, And grown so much more in so many ways, You’ve learnt new skills and the power of cuddles, Playing with friends and the joy of puddles, You’ve danced, sung, laughed and leapt, And throughout it all; a smile you’ve kept, As your teachers, we’re all so incredibly proud, And feel the need to shout it out loud, We know you’ll do great things; take the world by storm, For in the Class of 2020 true legends were born, Goodbye and good luck for your exciting new start, And know that you’ll always have a place in our heart! We will miss you – The Year 6 Team.

SOUTHEND HIGH SCHOOL FOR GIRLS

IT has been an absolute pleasure to see the growth of every single Year 11 student over the course of this academic year. You have all had such positive moments whether they were linked to academics, extracurricular, friendships and beyond. I have been exceptionally proud to lead a year group which has been so highly regarded by the staff body. The resilience and determination of the whole year group has been shown through the response to the closure of school and cancellation of examinations. Whilst frustrating, I am absolutely certain that this situation will have given you space and time to reflect on your future and build you as mature young adults. I look forward to seeing you in September; rested, happy, healthy and raring to get back to school life. Miss Killi, Head of Year 11

THE FITZWIMARC SCHOOL

CLASS of 2020 or should I say Class of Covid 2020? What a journey it has been over the last 5 years and one I am proud to have shared with you all! I am sure when you all started FitzWimarc nearly five years ago, none of you would have predicted it to end like it has which I know has brought out a range of emotions with each and every one of you. However, I know the last five years and especially the last four months has taught you a lot about what is really important in life. Don’t get caught up on the things you cannot change, don’t get caught up on the past and don’t live a life with regrets but always live life to the fullest, take any opportunity that comes your way, put the past behind you and become whatever you want to be as the only thing that is stopping you are the barriers you put up yourself ! Look after yourselves, each other and remember you only get to make this journey on a road called life once! I wish you all nothing but the very best, Mr Glyn

CASTLE VIEW SCHOOL 

OUR Year 11 have continued to make us proud and smile although we have been apart for some time and have parted too soon. Although we were not able to say goodbye, we definitely want to say good luck! Smile and look back on all the good memories, as well as the friends you have made and stay connected to each other and us. Mr Durkin, Headteacher

THORPE HALL SCHOOL

YEAR 6 visited Kentwell Hall back in the Autumn Term. All pupils dressed up as servants from the Tudor times and fully immersed themselves into this period. It was a brilliant way of bringing learning to life and all agreed was better than being stuck in the classroom! It was a fabulous day which became quite poignant as it turned out to be one of the last trips of their primary school education before lockdown. Unfortunately their planned residential to France, visit to London to watch the Lion King as well as their leaving prom and leavers assembly all had to be cancelled. However, Year 6 returned to school on 8 June and we have had a lovely month of both educational and fun activities including making a ‘Year 6 Leavers’ assembly’ video before finally finishing on 10 July. All staff and pupils but especially their Year 6 teachers, Mrs Galbraith and Mrs Newton, wish them all the best at their new schools and look forward to hearing of future successes.

RAYLEIGH PRIMARY 

WE have absolutely loved seeing you grow through your years at Rayleigh Primary School, and we will miss every single one of you. From your very first moments in Nursery and Reception, we knew that you were a special year group, and you proved us right, time and time again, from hunting dragons in Year 3, to your campaign to stop plastic straws being used in Rayleigh in Year 4, to fabulous productions - like Matilda in Year 5 - to handling the school closure and home learning LIKE A BOSS in Year 6! We are all so very proud of the young adults you have become, and we cannot wait to hear about all of your achievements in the future. Stand tall, be positive, and keep working hard to do good in the world. Enjoy your summer! From Miss Cole, Miss Park and everyone at RPS.

ST KATHERINE'S CofE PRIMARY

WE would like to wish our wonderful Year 6 leavers the very best as you all move on to the next exciting chapter of your lives. You will always have a special place in our hearts and will always be welcome back at our door to let us know how you are getting on. Enjoy the summer break and make the very most of the opportunities that await you! With love from all of the staff at St Katherine’s C of E Primary School

NOAK BRIDGE PRIMARY SCHOOL

THE staff at Noak Bridge Primary School would like to wish our Year 6 leavers all the best as they embark on their new journey to secondary school. You have had a great seven years here and made some fantastic memories – you will all be sorely missed!