Senior Prize Giving

We were lucky enough to have former LHS pupil, Dr Alexy Karenowska, now Director of Technology at the Institute of Digital Archaeology and Research Fellow, Department of Physics, University of Oxford to present the prizes and certificates and speak to our students, parents and guests.

The ceremony began with the processional and was accompanied beautifully on piano by year 12, Emma, playing ‘Prelude and Fugue in A minor, BWV 889’, by JS Bach.

Among our other distinguished guests was Colonel Murray Colville TD DL, Her Majesty’s Vice Lord-Lieutenant of Leicestershire, Mrs Pam Posnett, the Chairman of Leicestershire County Council, the Mayor of Charnwood, Councillor Brenda Seaton, the GSA President Miss Sue Hincks and representatives from the Loughborough Lions Club. We also welcomed prize donors, members of our Board of Governors and many former staff who had taught Alexy and were keen to hear her talk about her life and achievements since leaving LHS.

Deputy Chair of the Loughborough School Foundation Governors, Mr Tony Jones opened the evening’s ceremony with congratulations to the students on the outstanding exam results they had achieved in their GCSEs and A Levels this year, then gave an overview of what is happening at LHS and within the Foundation. Dr Fiona Miles, the Head of the High School, followed with a reflection of the year at school, thanking the school community for all their hard work and making special mentions of the staff that retired in the summer. She offered words of advice, comparing striving for excellence being preferable to perfection

The exam results were exceptional and Alexy made time to congratulate every recipient of a certificate or prize when they arrived on the platform to receive them.

Throughout the presentations, alongside their academic certificates, many students received their music diplomas and certificates of grade 6 and above. Eight students in year 10 received either an Academic or Merit Prize for their work during the year.

Whilst all year 11 students received their GCSE certificates, twenty-four prizes, trophies and cups were also awarded to individual students who had excelled in a subject including the Pearce Prize for all round ability in the Arts, Science and Sport to Jesse and the he Jean Mary Garratt Memorial Prize for Progress in Modern Languages to Anais. A further thirty-two Academic and Merit prizes were awarded with GCSEs and fifteen students were bestowed the TH Simpson Trophy for Excellent Work in year 11. Five students received the GCSE Award for Exceptional Academic Performance, having achieved at least 10 A* or grade 9 in their exams.

Not all of our leavers from Year 13 could be with us due to having already commenced their university courses, gap years and work placements, but most were and we celebrated their excellent A Level results. Twenty-five subject prizes or cups were awarded, two merit prizes and seventeen Deane Prizes. Several special awards were given for individual contributions to subjects or the life of the school. these included The Joanna Dyer Award to Chota, The Senior Omnia Cum Studio Prize to Megan, The Russell Trophy for Dedication and Commitment to Team Sports in the senior school to Ella and the Waghorn Prize for contribution to the Extra-curricular life of the school to Georgia. Individual prizes for service to the school were awarded to the outgoing Deputy Head Girls and Head Girl, Le, Shalayna and Hannah. Two special prizes announced at the ceremony were the Marian Roberts Prize for Endeavour, awarded to Lucy and The 2012 Prize for Olympic Endeavour was awarded to Lydia.

Before Alexy addressed the audience, we heard Ailsa, one of this year’s leavers, give the most incredible violin solo, ‘Czardas’ by V Monti.

Alexy left Loughborough High School in 2003 to read for a degree in Engineering Science at Magdalen College at the University of Oxford. After graduating with first class honours, she went on to study for a DPhil in experimental Condensed Matter Physics, followed by a Fellowship by Examination at her undergraduate college. In 2013 she was awarded an Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council Early Career Fellowship which provided support to develop an independent laboratory in Oxford dedicated to the study of the quantum physics of microwave magnetic systems at millikelvin temperatures. She also teaches Engineering Science and Physics to undergraduate students at Magdalen College where she is a Fellow by Special Election with special responsibility in connection with the College’s commitment to widening participation in higher education.

In parallel, Alexy is Director of Technology at the Institute for Digital Archaeology, a small private not-for-profit research and social action organisation based between the UK and the United States. The IDA works on the development of technology-driven approaches to the preservation, restoration, and celebration of tangible and intangible cultural heritage. Alexy’s passion for the projects was clear as she talked about directing the Triumphal Arch project, the IDA’s flagship project which involved a 3D milled replica of a Roman Triumphal arch from the Palmyra archaeological site in Syria which was destroyed by the group calling themselves Islamic State in 2015. After it’s completion, the arch, made of 13 tonnes of Egyptian marble was first unveiled to the public in April 2016 on London’s Trafalgar Square. It has since travelled to New York, Dubai, Florence, Arona, Italy, Washington, Geneva, and, most recently, in Bern in collaboration with the Swiss National Commission for UNESCO and the City of Bern as part of celebrations surrounding the 70^thanniversary of Switzerland’s UNESCO membership. The structure has been visited by more than 5 million people and has reached in excess of 1 billion through print and digital media coverage. In 2016, the New York Times named the structure as the “most talked about public art installation of the year” jointly with Christo, Jean-Claude, and JR.

Alexy’s involvement and commitments to so many projects have given her a wealth of knowledge and opportunities since she left LHS and she advised the students that as life progresses, to count the experiences you have and not just the years.

Our current Head Girl, Sarah gave a vote of thanks to Alexy, after which all staff, students and guests stood for the School hymn.

Students, families and staff were invited to a buffet supper afterwards, giving them the opportunity to meet the speaker and our guests. For some it was the time to say goodbye to LHS before their imminent journey to University and other chosen career paths.

We wish every success to our leavers in whatever their chosen paths are, post Loughborough High School and also to the year 11s who have become our new sixth form as they progress through the final two years at LHS.