Today marked a special and symbolic moment in the Windermere School calendar, as our Year 13 students gathered for one final Reflection before heading off on study leave.

In keeping with tradition, they took a moment to hand over the metaphorical baton to the year group behind them — a quiet yet powerful gesture that represents continuity, leadership, and the shared spirit of our school community.

These young people have grown into thoughtful, capable and compassionate individuals during their time at Windermere. Their contribution to school life — in the classroom, on the stage, on the sports field and beyond — has left a lasting impression on us all. They have led by example, supporting younger students, championing causes close to their hearts, and demonstrating the resilience and character that will serve them so well in the years to come.

As they now begin their study leave and prepare for the next chapter, we send our warmest wishes for the busy weeks ahead. We know they will face their exams with the same determination and focus they have shown throughout their time here.

Ollie Hamilton, a talented Year 13 student , finished the Reflection with these words:

This morning has been a Reflection for us, Year 13s, to look back on our time at school, particularly the last two years - so what we’ve talked about might not make a lot of sense to the younger students. So if I was to say anything to try and round off our time at Windermere, it would be this: You’ll notice that of all the experiences we’ve talked about, and all the videos you just watched, none of it was us sat in lessons. Education is really important, but what we’ve gained from Windermere school, and from each other, is that by taking on new challenges, overcoming obstacles, in the world around us, and the obstacles we create for ourselves, and taking opportunities to push ourselves in a new direction, we’ve all grown into different people. Since the start of Sixth Form, I’ve seen our year group go from a group of a bunch of 16-year-olds who basically wanted to be like everyone else, to a group of adults (or near-adults) who know who they are, and want to be themselves. So, in a few weeks we’ll leave Windermere with a few suits we probably won’t wear very much anymore, a few pieces of paper that say we did a few exams and a bit of coursework. But more importantly, in my opinion, we’ll leave having learned a huge amount from one other, so thank you Windermere School, and thank you Year 13 for teaching me so much.

Year 13 — we are proud of you, and we’ll be cheering you on every step of the way.