Mayor praises LVS Ascot excellence at prestigious President's Day celebrations

The Mayor of Bracknell Forest, Alvin Finch, was guest of honour at LVS Ascot school’s prestigious end of year awards ceremony on Thursday 5th July, and praised the school for its all-round excellence.

Mr Finch, who joined the Platform Party on stage in front of around 1000 senior and sixth form students and parents for the awards, said: ‘It was a marvellous celebration of excellence and everything that is good about the school. You can see how aspects such as academia, sport, art and other activities contribute to the all-round excellence that you see here.’

You can watch a video clip of the Mayor’s interview at LVS Ascot, and other footage from the day including emotional leaving speeches, in a short highlights reel here: http://bit.ly/LVSAscotPresidents18

An introductory welcome from Anita Adams, Chair of the LVS Ascot Education Committee, recapped a fantastic year of inspiring education at LVS Ascot and how, as a result, 13 schools and colleges in Bracknell Forest, including Wellington and Heathfield, LVS Ascot topped the table for student progress at A level in 2017. This puts the school well inside the top 15% in the country for A levels progress. She added: ‘This exceptional year has shown that our non-selective education is exceeding expectations.’

An emotional atmosphere with Year 13 leavers saying goodbye to the school was enhanced by poignant speeches from outgoing Head Boy Oliver Bonnett, Head Girl Ella Desmond and Head of Boarding Ana Vasylyk. They spoke of their experiences, development and friendships gained during their time at LVS Ascot, conveying the special sense of community at the school alongside the academic and all-round educational improvement they have felt.

The prizegiving aspect of the ceremony has always been an integral part of President’s Day, and rewarding effort and achievement in each year group and all subjects allows those who excel in specific areas to be recognised for their work. Scholarships were also presented, along with the new Heads of School, including Head Girl Megan Du Toit, Head Boy Darshan Solanki and Head of Boarding Ojas Limbu.

David Yu, father of Year 7 academic achievement winner Angelina Yu, said: ‘We are very proud. She’s done so well since she came to LVS Ascot and has thrived. We can see she is doing really well in the senior school – she is so confident and takes part in all the drama productions and sports too. I like the all-round character-building aspect of the school.’

Principal Mrs Cunniffe summed up the day and the year: ‘We have enjoyed a variety of events here at LVS Ascot this year: a visit from Clare Balding, hosting a national girls’ football tournament, the LVS Ascot Festival of Music, through school productions and our Routes To The World of Work events to give our students a head start when seeking employment, to name just a few. The school is so vibrant with so many things going on to inspire students that it is no surprise to see them excel, and today is a great opportunity to reward that.’