final assembly

What a year it has been! It has been a delight to see our students achieve so much and participate in such a wide-ranging programme of events, trips, visits (in the UK and overseas), initiatives and local and wider community events and endeavours; and to welcome so many guest visitors and speakers to school to inspire our students.

We are also incredibly proud to have achieved our status as the top GCSE-performing co-educational school, not just in Trafford, but in the whole of the Northwest!

As we finish for the summer, we are, of course, saying goodbye to our inspirational Head Mrs Wall as she retires; and Mrs Wall speaks for us all when she says that she could not be more delighted or proud that our wonderful Co-Head Mr Kennedy Fowler (pictured below this morning in assembly with Mrs Wall) will take up the appointment as our new Head from September; and will continue to lead and progress our school, with our SLT and staff, with the same values, ambition and integrity that have always been at its foundation.

During our final assembly of the year, after a welcome from Mrs Wall, in which she spoke movingly about her immense pride in our students and in our UGS community and the collective efforts that make our school so very special:

There was an excellent performance by our talented Performing Arts students.

Presentations of farewell cards and thanks to Mrs Wall from student representatives from each of our year groups.

And a presentation in suitably large form of the overwhelming generous retirement collection for Mrs Wall from our fantastic community of parents and carers:

Our Head Boy Zane and Head Girl Rahmat presented Mrs Wall with a framed copy of our most recent whole school photograph.

And our PTA were delighted to showcase the honorary trophy in Mrs Walls's honour that will now be presented to students at our annual rewards ceremony.

Mr Kennedy-Fowler then paid homage to Mrs Wall's career, sharing memories and reflecting on all that she achieved and contributed to UGS during her tenure.

The grand finale was a screening of the glorious farewell video that, headed up by Head of Sixth Form Miss Lingwood and Assistant Head of 6th Form Mr Neale, we have been secretly working on to gift to Mrs Wall on this, her last day.

It was a touching tribute and goodbye from each of our forms, our staff, governors, former colleagues, and individual students, and a lasting testimony to the high regard in which Mrs Wall is held, and the overwhelmingly positive impact that she has had not only on UGS, but on each and everyone of us.

A truly lovely ending to the year and to Mrs Wall's UGS journey, that it has been a privilege for us all to be part of.