We are extremely proud of our students’ superb results in IGCSE and A Level examinations, but these results are only a small part of what we want our students to achieve. What matters more to us as a school is sending out students who will continue to thrive both at university and in their later careers, and who will make a positive contribution to the societies in which they live. This means encouraging students to think for themselves and work independently. We aim to inspire a passion for learning that will stay with our students throughout their lives, and to teach the skills that will enable them to succeed in whatever they choose to do in the future.

We are delighted, therefore, that two of our former students, Tom Collins and Shezzy Kerner, were awarded First Class degrees this summer, at Oxford and Cambridge respectively. They join another former student, Shazana Shahjahan, who also recently gained a First from Cambridge and has since returned to the school to teach History.

Shezzy Kerner won a place at Cambridge to study Education with English and Drama, having had her whole education at the school. She graduated with a First and won a Shuard Prize for her outstanding results in her Finals. Shezzy is now about to start a law conversion course before doing her professional training to become a barrister. Having been involved in the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaign against illegal Israeli settlement while at university, she plans to specialise in Human Rights Law. Looking back on her time in school, Shezzy says: ‘I was expecting to find the gap from school to University level work very large and very daunting but I have to say, being at Moir equipped me well – the rigorous way we were taught at school bridged that gap significantly and as a result I found the transition a little easier than expected. I’m really grateful to the school for that.’

Tom Collins joined Elizabeth Moir School in Junior 5 and spent six years here, before his family returned to the UK, where he completed his A Levels. He gained 9 A grades in his O Level examinations and these provided the platform for him to gain a place at Oxford to read Economics and Management. He earned a university scholarship after gaining the highest mark in his year in Financial Management in his Prelims and went on to gain a First in his Finals. Having done internships at the Bank of England and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office while at university, he has now accepted a job at McKinsey & Company, the world’s leading management consultancy firm. After receiving his First, Tom wrote to the school saying: ‘I genuinely believe the education I received in Sri Lanka played a huge part in the successful time that I had at university, even more than the two years I subsequently spent in the UK.’ He added: ‘There are two main things I can remember about Elizabeth Moir School: the wide range of extra-curricular activities and the excellent support provided by the teachers. There always seemed to be something going on after the official school day ended, whilst I still have clear recollections of the one-on-one meeting with Mrs Moir that first led me to consider applying to Oxford.’

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