Monkton Principal tears up script to give another surprise performance at Prize Giving

The Principal of Monkton Combe School, who hit the headlines last year when he broke into song during his annual speech to pupils, has stunned parents and students by literally tearing up his script as he rushed off the stage at this year’s event. However it was all part of a secret plan to celebrate the school’s 150th anniversary.

As Chris Wheeler raced off the stage at the Prize Giving Ceremony on Saturday 30th June, a pre-recorded film appeared on screens dotted around the marquee showing the Principal rushing around the school, meeting pupils taking part in lessons and interviewing them to discover their highlights of the year.

The film saw Mr Wheeler joining a rugby scrum, appearing on stage during a drama rehearsal and even pushing the school’s Director of Sport into Midford Brook in order to interview pupils about their Rowing activities. The secretly recorded film was this year’s big surprise for pupils and parents after he had staged a flash mob of teachers singing during the event the previous year.

Guests at the Prize Giving Ceremony were treated to scenes of the school’s Bursar being locked in the historic village jail, re-enacting a famous event from the school’s history 100 years ago, and Mr Wheeler joining a girl’s hockey match.

Principal of Monkton Combe School Chris Wheeler said, “In a special year, I wanted to put pupils front and centre in what we were doing; no one really wants to listen to the Head droning on so hearing a snapshot from the children themselves seemed like a good alternative.”

Mr Wheeler added, “I think prize giving needs to be a celebration of the achievements of pupils and in order to do that it has to be a little bit exciting and unpredictable. Monkton’s commitment to do things differently needs to be lived out in all we do if we really mean it.”

https://youtu.be/8qXWw0p0pjM

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