2026 Prize Day

Prize Day continues to be one of the most special days in the school calendar as pupils, parents, staff and guests come together as a community to recognise the achievements of our pupils during the past academic year.

Prize day 2026 began with the familiar walk up to the Cathedral for the end of year service. Our thanks to Rich Wootten our Chaplain for leading the Service, to The Bishop of Swansea and Brecon for his welcome and his blessing, and to all the pupils who spoke with clarity and confidence during the uplifting service. 

Later, the school community gathered in the Sports Hall for the annual Prize Giving. Introduced to the stage for the first time was the new Chair of Governors, Mr Kevan Thornber, who spoke of the work undertaken by the Governors during the year and of his connections with the school as a parent of Old Breconians.

After a first, came a last as Gareth Pearson took to the stage for his final Prize Day as Head of Christ College. Thanking Bishop John for his address and his kind Blessing and Jonathan Ling, Jonathan Cooper and the choral and chamber choirs for making the morning's service so special, he continued by thanking the support staff for their important work, the Friends of Christ College for their incredible support, the team of teaching staff and fellow senior leaders for their eagerness to connect with pupils, and the Chair and Governors who give so much of their time to the school. Most especially he thanked parents for their support and trust. 

Reflecting on his time at Christ College, the Head offered final thanks to the pupils. 

Another great year’s work by you all.  We set the highest of expectations of you each and every day and, with only the odd lump in the road, you meet them.

Special thanks to those in the U6th form for their leadership and support. Prefects, you have been terrific. We have thoroughly enjoyed working with you, but I would also like to acknowledge all the others that chose to serve, to lead, to encourage those that needed it without necessarily having the title. That always impresses me the most.

To those who will win a prize today, many congratulations. To those that haven’t, I want to recognise how much you have achieved, how far you have come and how hard you have worked. And remember, many of those that go on to the greatest achievements were not necessarily those that won academic prizes on days like this.

Before introducing the year's guest speaker, the Head offered a message to the Leavers by asking, 'How might you live life in a way that would make CCB most proud?'

It will be the manner with which you pass you through life not necessarily your final destination.  The way you treat the people you meet along the way.  Christ College produces men and women who are humble and kind. They are people who are there for their friends in good times and bad; they are people who bring sunshine, not rain; who lift people up, not squash them down.

If you pass through life striving to do your best, acting with integrity,  putting the needs of others ahead of your own. This is what should make you most proud and CCB will reflect that pride gladly.

With words of introduction from the Head, the audience gave a warm welcome to Old Breconian Rusiru Kodithuwakku (School House 2015-22) who distributed the prizes, after which the winners of the House Challenge Competition were announced: Alison Hembrow Cup - de Winton; Bernard Tillyard Cup - School House; Simon  Spencer House Plate - School House. 

With celebrations of a School House victory still ringing through the sports hall, our guest speaker concluded the afternoon's proceedings. Like the Head, he also reflected on the importance of connection and integrity, encouraging the Upper Sixth leavers to let "kindness be their superpower" as they begin the next chapter of their lives. You can read Rusiru's words in full in the accompanying post. 

With final thanks from the Heads of School in their striking OB blazers, it was suddenly the end of term for all but those who were looking forward to the evening's Summer Ball. And so, another successful school year drew to a close. 

Find out more about the prizes, the prize winners, our new named scholars and more in the Prize Day 2026 programme available on Issuu. Or download it from our Publications page.