Over the course of three days in mid-July at Chester Cathedral, five Leavers' Services took place, each a celebration for the children who have come to the end of their time at a Church of England primary school and are about to embark on a whole new chapter of their lives.
The services are a way of giving thanks to God, teachers, school staff, and all who have helped them to navigate their early years in education. A sense of drama and theatre accompanied the services, as they were held in the same space as the Chester Mystery Plays with all of the scenery and backdrops still in place.
A total of 1867 Year Six children attended the services, along with 183 adults. A total of 44 schools were represented from across the diocese from 8 Local Authorities.
The theme for each service was 'Hope and Aspiration' a direct reference to the journey of the pupils as they move from their current school to their high school.
Services were led by Chris Penn (Director of Education), Sam Corley (Bishop of Stockport), Tim Stafford (Dean of Chester Cathedral) and Jane Brooke (Vice Dean of Chester Cathedral).
Children representing a number of schools gave the readings and wrote and read prayers.
Bishop Sam said: "It was a huge privilege to speak at the Leavers' Services in the Cathedral, as hundreds of children came to mark the end of their time at primary school and to reflect on their hopes and aspirations for secondary school and beyond. We thought about all the ways in which the children have grown, including developing the skills and capacities they will need to navigate change and transition. And we reminded one another how, through it all, God is always walking towards us and inviting us to journey into the future with him."
