STUDENTS came together for one last time to celebrate their achievements at high school.

The youngsters from St Augustine’s RC High, Billington, were joined by parents to celebrate this GCSE results.

They were welcomed by head Anthony McNamara at the awards ceremony last night.

Before the school leavers were handed their prizes they were given a speech by guest speaker Kevin Quigley, director of education at Salford Diocese.

Mr McNamara told the former pupils: “A special welcome to all our leavers who have come back to us to get their hard-earned certificates and prizes and meet up with each other again.”

“This must feel a bit different for you all.

“For although you’re back on familiar turf, sitting in our hall, as you have done for assemblies, plays, concerts and school Masses since you were “yay high” as the expression goes. You’ve now all moved on and flown the Billington nest.”

“We hope that being here together again feels like coming home, and we are always delighted to meet up with former pupils, even if it’s after some years have passed.

“Who knows, perhaps the next time you’ll be sitting here might be as a prospective parent at one of our open evenings.

“A nice thought but one which I’m sure your folks would agree is one for the somewhat distant future.

Mr McNamara added: “Above all I want to thank you, our students, with whom we have been privileged to share the past five years.”

Special prizes

Portfolio award for art Thomas Bourke Philip Morris prize for history Mweetwa Sikabbubba St Augustine’s prize for biology Fraser Whigham St Augustine’s prize for chemistry Thomas hughes-Gooding Prize for child development Chemaine Brankin Cope award Samuel Hodgson Cup for drama Joseph Heys St Augustine’s award for electronics Rebecca Cockshott St Augustine’s award for engineering Christopher Wright Merit cup for English Isobel Austin Margaret Ainsworth memorial silver salver for literature and drama Joseph Heys St Augustine’s award for food Stephanie Duxbury Prize for geography Prize for health and social care Florence Parkinson The springhill care group business communications award Beth Cavill MFL award for outstanding effort in languages Hannah Romasanta Rey Bulman award for modern languages Claudia Ditri The lambert love of languages award Beth Cavill St Augustine’s award for mathematics Joseph N Scott Heyhurst cup for music Thomas Hughes-Gooding Prizes for media studies Melissa Mancini Peter Rose cup for musical endeavour Sarah Basquill St Augustine’s prize for physics Isobel Austin Prize for religious studies Jack Owen Sandra Coulter trophy for contribution to sports Stephen Moore GCSE dance Stephanie Duxbury Grogan trophy for GCSE PE Andrew Ramsden St Augustine’s prize for science Stephanie Moore Prize for Btech science Holly Wilson Prize for additional maths George Barrowclough Prize for AS general studies Damian Metcalfe Contribution to pre-teaching scheme Chemaine Brankin Cup for contribution to young enterprise Jonathan Leybourne Simone Martin trophy for effort and determination Dylan Croasdale-Carver PTFA award for endeavour and achievement James Roscoe, Samuel Hodgson Wardrobe trophy for work ethos Isobel Austin, Hannah Romasanta, Liam Clark, Stephen Moore Richard Sykes trophy for dedication and achievement Laura Coupland Alan Fish progress award Rebecca Cockshott Jean Bell memorial prize for progress Liam Baker Bob Ainsworth memorial prize for further education Beth Cavill St Augustine’s silver Salver for runner up to best KS4 results Isobel Austin, Jessica Birch Monsignore Guerin Rosebowl for best KS4 results Catherine Parkinson, Thomas Bourke, Joseph N Scott, Thomas Hughes-Gooding Zen Ciezarek award for overall contribution to the extra curricular life of the school Laura Simm Whalley Lions shield for service to the school community Jessica Knowles Osbaldeston trophy for service to the school community Claudia Ditri Patrick Roberts award for contribution to year 11 Sarah Basquill Peter Webster memorial prize for overall contribution to upper school deputy head girls and deputy head boys Katie Jacques, Catherine Parkinson, Andrew Ramsden, Liam Clark Lawrenson trophy for head boy and head girl Thomas Hughes-Gooding, Isobel Thomas .