• Homepage
  • Admissions
  • Strategy 2022-2027
  • Stanfield Prep
    • A Word From Our Headmistress
    • About Our Wonderful School
    • An Excellent Education
    • Unrivalled Facilities
    • Pastoral Care – Merchants’ Mindset
    • Endless Opportunities
    • Out Of Hours Care
    • Learning Support
    • Key Information
  • Senior Boys
    • A Word From Our Headmaster
    • About Our School
    • Departments & Curriculum
    • Co-Curricular & Enrichment
    • Pastoral Care
    • Learning Support
    • Key Information
  • Senior Girls
    • About Our School
    • Departments & Curriculum
    • Co-Curricular & Enrichment
    • Pastoral Care
    • Learning Support
    • Key Information
  • Sixth Form
    • About Our Sixth Form
    • Boys’ Sixth Form
    • Girls’ Sixth Form
    • Academic Excellence
    • Leadership Opportunities
    • Co-Curricular & Enrichment
    • Extended Project Qualification
    • Pastoral Care
    • Careers
    • University Applications
  • Merchants+ Facility Hire and Children’s Activities
  • Calendar
  • Events
  • Latest News
  • Contact Us
  • Job Vacancies
  • Alumni & Development
  • SOCS Sports
  • Our Family
  • Stanfield Prep
  • Senior Boys
  • Menu Spacer ALWAYS KEEP IN MIDDLE
  • Senior Girls
  • Sixth Form
  • Admissions

MENU

Senior Boys’ Speech Day 2019

Meeting in the Philharmonic Hall, the School gathered to award prizes and celebrate the academic, personal and sporting successes of boys for the school year 2018/19.

Chair of Governors, Beverley Bell CBE, welcomed the school before handing over to Headmaster, David Wickes who introduced the School’s GCSE music cohort performing a medley from the Beatles’ Abbey Road. The medley took in a fiery ‘Come Together’, an orchestral ‘Golden Slumbers’, and an instrumentally arranged ‘Here Comes the Sun’ before finishing – fittingly – on ‘The End’.

This was followed by the presentation of prize for years 7 – 10 before the Headmaster returned to the podium to reflect on the School year. Mr Wickes’ address centred on the School’s new motto ‘ACE’: Ambition, Character, and Excellence – the core principles of a Merchant Taylors’ education. He then invited several members of the student body to reflect on these characteristics and how they impacted on school life over the past year.

Deputy Head of School Rananjay Singh opened by discussing ambition, and how the plethora of extra-curricular activities on offer at the school had helped to build his self-confidence and character during his time at MTS. He encouraged his fellow pupils to “be curious and ambitious. Say yes to every opportunity and strive for excellence”.

He was followed by Lower Sixth pupil Harrison Ellison, who discussed entering school midway through his GCSEs in an effort to achieve his full potential. Harrison also touched on ambition, but how this must be married to a strong work ethic and “a desire to achieve”. He thanked the teaching staff for supporting him in this transition and spoke of the school community as being integral in drawing the best from each pupil.

Harrison’s pointed were echoed by Deputy Head of School Christopher Stuttard, who focused on character and how the School didn’t exist to change who you are but “to give you the opportunities to develop into who you want to be”. He was followed by Year 8 pupil Ruben Reed who discussed the importance of humility and charity to character, concluding that “it is not funding that makes our School successful, but the character of the pupils and teachers within it”.

The Headmaster closed his address by thanking the boys for their words, before presenting prizes to Years 11 and the Sixth Form. The audience were then treated to excerpts from the current production of Hairspray, before the Head invited Mr Peter Moore to address the school as guest speaker.

Peter related his career experiences and offered advice to current pupils based upon this. Born in Liverpool, he explained how he has travelled the world building an incredible career in sports and technology. Starting out as a PE teacher, he later emigrated to America, becoming a commission-only shoe salesman, before being recruited to work at Reebok. He later became one of Silicon Valley’s most influential leaders guiding global brands such as Sega, Microsoft Xbox and EA Sports before returning to Liverpool in 2017 as CEO of Liverpool FC.

He reflected on the aspects of his character that had been vital to his success – confidence, ambition, a desire to succeed – and noted they were all key components of the ‘Scouse’ nature, and that there had been an abundance of them on show from all pupils that morning. He closed by reciting a quote from Theodore Roosevelt that it is “not the critic who counts… the credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena”, before challenging the boys to “be on the pitch… if you fail, you fail, but if you win, you win for everyone who’s ever supported you along the way”.

The ceremony closed with a vote of thanks and some reflections proposed by Head Boy Matthew Cheshire, who thanked Mr Moore and presented a gift from the School to the LFC Foundation.

Echoing Mr Moore, as well as his contemporaries, Matthew advised his fellow students to stretch themselves and that “life isn’t about getting everything right, it is about trying to get a little more right than you do wrong… the mistakes you will make do not define you, but your response and your reactions certainly will”. The morning’s celebrations then concluded with The School Song and the National Anthem.

SHARE:

Previous Post All News Next Post

Latest News

  • Acclaimed Musicians Lead Inspiring Music Masterclasses at Merchant Taylors’ School
  • Introducing Our New Pupil Leadership Team
  • Merchant Taylors’ Pupils Champion Student Wellbeing at London Conference
  • Merchant Taylors’ Pupils Shine at Alderley Edge Festival
  • Seven Pupils Offered Coveted Places with National Youth Theatre
View All News

Upcoming Events

  • Year 5 Activity Day on June 20, 2025 9:00 am
  • Summer Holiday Club 2025 on July 3, 2025 8:30 am
  • Summer Holiday Club 2025 on July 4, 2025 8:30 am
  • Summer Holiday Club 2025 on July 7, 2025 8:30 am
  • Summer Holiday Club 2025 on July 8, 2025 8:30 am
View All Events

Join our family

admissions information sign up to our newsletter

SHARE:

Back to top

Instagram Feed

After a brilliant morning with our Infants, the fu After a brilliant morning with our Infants, the fun continued yesterday afternoon with our Junior Sports Day! 🏃‍♂️🎉

Well done to all our Year 3 to Year 6 pupils for showing such determination, enthusiasm and team spirit in every event 💪👏

A big thank you to all the families who came along to support and cheer from the sidelines and to the parents who joined in the races, keeping the energy high right to the end!
What a fantastic morning at our Infant Sports Day! What a fantastic morning at our Infant Sports Day! 🏅

Well done to all our Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 pupils who gave it their all with smiles, teamwork and brilliant energy throughout every race and activity.

A huge thank you to our wonderful parents for coming along to cheer everyone on, especially to those who took part in the parents’ race! 👏

And not forgetting our amazing staff who joined in the fun with the staff race, thank you for helping make the day such a memorable one.
Yesterday, our Lower Sixth pupils enjoyed a brilli Yesterday, our Lower Sixth pupils enjoyed a brilliant day at the Concordia Connects Conference, featuring a range of expert guest speakers, including some of our inspiring alumni.

From exploring purpose and squiggly careers to mastering presentation skills, workplace behaviours, and digital networking, the day was packed with practical advice and meaningful conversations.

Concordia Connects is our alumni mentoring programme, run by the Old Boys’ and Old Girls’ Associations, supporting pupils and alumni alike - whether it’s internships, mock interviews, life coaching or career advice.

A huge thank you to all our mentors who gave their time to support the next generation yesterday. Your guidance is invaluable. 👏
Earlier today, our Year 1 pupils visited the Harri Earlier today, our Year 1 pupils visited the Harrison Site for a fascinating introduction to the history of Merchant Taylors’.

As part of their learning, the children explored key areas around the school site, discovering how it has changed over time and the role it has played in our community for over 400 years. 

A particular highlight was the chance to study our newly installed school timeline, which helped bring the story of Merchant Taylors’ to life through important dates, events and figures from the past.

To round off the visit, pupils even got to try on some old school blazers from the archives, a fun and memorable way to step back in time!
Yesterday, our Year 2 and Year 3 pupils enjoyed so Yesterday, our Year 2 and Year 3 pupils enjoyed some extra playtime together as part of Year 2’s transition into the Juniors.

It was lovely to see new friendships forming and plenty of smiles as they played, explored and got to know each other better. 

A small step that makes a big difference in helping our younger pupils feel confident and excited about the move up! 😊👏
We’re not saying the queue was long for ‘Spong We’re not saying the queue was long for ‘Sponge the Teacher’… but let’s just say some pupils came back more than once! 🧽💦

Huge thanks to Mr O’Brien, Mrs Wynne, Mr Gill, Mr Roberts and Mr Houghton for being such great sports at the Summer Fair, you definitely took one (or several!) for the team! 😅
A perfect summer evening full of fun, smiles and f A perfect summer evening full of fun, smiles and fantastic community spirit! 😊☀️

Yesterday’s Summer Fair was a huge success – thank you to our amazing PA for organising such a fantastic event, and to everyone who came along and helped us raise over £2,000! 💛

Special thanks to @nannyagency1 and @bakesbynelly for bringing their brilliant stalls and being part of the fun.
Earlier this week, our talented musicians had the Earlier this week, our talented musicians had the incredible opportunity to take part in a piano masterclass with Martin Roscoe, one of the UK’s most distinguished concert pianists 🎹✨

Each performer received personalised feedback and expert guidance, gaining valuable insight into technique, expression and musical interpretation. A truly inspiring session and a real highlight for our musicians!

These professional masterclasses are just one part of our wider programme of creative enrichment at Merchant Taylors’, helping pupils develop both their technical skills and love of performance.
Merchant Taylors' image

ADDITIONAL INFO
Disclaimer
Privacy
Cookie Usage
Terms & Conditions
Website Credits

LINKS
Intranet
iSAMS – Staff Portal
iSAMS – Student Portal
iSAMS – Parent Portal
SOCS Login
SOCS Calendar
Library

 
Contact
Join Our Team
Policies
Events
Governance

Admissions: 0151 949 9366
Primary School: 0151 924 1506
Senior Girls: 0151 924 3140
Senior Boys: 0151 928 3308
Sports Centre: 0151 949 9355

The Merchant Taylors’ School
Liverpool Road
Crosby
Liverpool
L23 0QP

Our social links

© The Merchant Taylors’ Schools, Crosby
Company No: 6654276
Registered Charity No: 1125485

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
Cookie SettingsAccept All
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT