News & Info > Milton Abbey Speech Day 2017 Milton Abbey Speech Day 2017 Parents, pupils, staff, guests and governors of Milton Abbey School gathered on 30th June to celebrate the end of the school year, look back on the many achievements of the past twelve months and say goodbye to the Middle Sixth pupils who are leaving and embarking on the next stage of their lives. Parents, pupils, staff, guests and governors of Milton Abbey School gathered on 30th June to celebrate the end of the school year, look back on the many achievements of the past twelve months and say goodbye to the Middle Sixth pupils who are leaving and embarking on the next stage of their lives. The day started with an end of term service in the Abbey during which the Headmaster, Magnus Bashaarat, 'farewelled' each Middle Sixth pupil individually presenting them with leaving gifts. Speeches and prize giving then took place in a marquee on the Abbey lawn. Magnus began by welcoming everyone and went to speak about the past year, thanking those staff who were moving on to new challenges and talking about the importance of young people developing resilience in order for them to cope, contribute and make a difference to society in a fast changing world. It was an opportunity also to thank Patrick McGrath, our interim Chair of Governors, for his work during the past year. Patrick said, "During the past year I have really enjoyed my time as Chair. I am delighted to say that under Magnus's leadership the school has had a fantastic year on all fronts. The pupils have excelled across a broad range of fronts as we continue to diversify the offering at Milton Abbey towards an all round education that is designed for the pupils rather than to please the league tables! Our numbers continue to rise and the school is clearly prospering." "I stood in as Chair when James Barnes had to stand down for personal reasons. My term was always going to be temporary and I am delighted to announce that Ian Bromilow who lives nearby in Hilton is taking over from me. Ian has had a very successful career in Shell and has the time, energy and financial acumen to chair the Governing Body. You are not getting rid of me though, I will be staying on as a Governor. Milton Abbey has been a part of my life for over 40 years; I care passionately about the school and will continue to do my best to support it." The keynote speaker this year was Patrick's old schoolmate, another Old Miltonian, Anthony Geffen. Anthony has had an extraordinarily successful career by any standards - a film producer and director with three Emmys and two BAFTAs he heads up Atlantic Productions. His speech was inspirational, fascinating and funny in equal measure - with tales of eating pizza in the White House with President Obama and his amazing Everest expedition stories he held everyone spellbound. He impressed on the pupils that there are no barriers in life if you decide to ignore them and carry on regardless in pursuit of your goals. The sun came out briefly for picnics on trestle tables by the Abbey with a cricket match in the background; an art exhibition and music concert provided additional entertainment. The Leavers and their parents returned in the evening for a beautiful final service in the Abbey where the singing nearly took the roof off, followed by the Leavers' Ball. It was a joyous evening with a wonderful atmosphere as pupils, parents and staff celebrated the end of this year's Middle Sixth school career.