The QM Family Celebrates

Speech Day is a day of celebration and reflection for the QM Family. This year, we gathered to honour our girls' many achievements from the past year and bid a fond farewell to our UVI leavers.

The day began with a moving Chapel service led by Chaplain Robert Owen and readings from the UVI Prefect team, supported by a wonderful performance from the QM Chamber Choir with tenors and basses from Durham Cathedral.

The occasion was filled with a full range of positive emotions, from joyous laughter and celebratory tears, to reflective moments of thanks to those who make QM such a special place.

Afterwards, the Prize Giving Ceremony took place in the garden marquee. The QM Wind Band provided a fun set of music to welcome the guests, before speeches from Chairman of Governors Terry Burt and Head Sue Baillie. The Guest of Honour was Vidisha Joshi, a sector-versatile executive director and qualified lawyer with over two decades of experience. She shared inspirational words of advice about her career with the UVI girls, who are about to embark on careers and higher education themselves.

Prizes were awarded to girls from all years for their improvement, achievement, and goodwill.

Head Girl Megan gave a moving speech, focusing on "fun, friendship, and family", where she thanked her friends, QM staff, and especially her parents for their unending support during her seven years at Queen Margaret's.

After the formal Prize Giving ceremony, families made the most of the sunshine on the lawn for photos. Girls from Years I - LVI then gathered for picnics, with drinks hosted by our house staff - pitching up in the marquee in true British fashion, to soldier on despite the mixed showers.

Meanwhile, our Catering Team served a wonderful formal lunch for our Upper Sixth Leavers and their families to enjoy under the protection of the marquee on the Cloisters Lawn.

After lunch, guests were encouraged to take a look at the girls' hard work from the last year with an Academic Trail which weaved its way through the school, culminating in the ever-popular Art Exhibition.

Click here to see more from the Art Exhibition Preview Evening, the night before Speech Day.

The day came to a musical close with a very emotional Leavers' Concert.

Summer Ball

It didn't take long before the Garden Marquee was transformed into a masked-ball-themed party venue for the magnificent Summer Ball. The Summer Ball is a Sixth Form event which sees our senior girls, their families and guests come together for an evening of glitz and glamour.

Share your content

Please use the hashtag #QMSD23 to share any photographs and videos you have from Speech Day.

Watch Again

If you missed the live event you can still watch the recordings of the Service of Praise and Thanksgiving, the Prize Giving Ceremony, and the Leavers' Concert below.