On Tuesday 15 July 2025, Start-Rite Schools held its Early Years graduation ceremony, marking a significant milestone for its youngest learners. Under the theme Little Hearts, Big Dreamers, the event captured more than the close of a school year. It reflected the quiet transformation of children who had once arrived in tears and were now stepping forward with confidence and clarity. It was a reminder of what consistent care, structure, and early education can achieve.
Many of the children who stood proudly before their families that day had entered the school three years earlier in tears. Some were carried through the gates. Others clung to parents, unsure and overwhelmed. For many, it was their first experience away from home. For their parents, it was an emotional adjustment of a different kind.
Over time, those uncertain first days gave way to routine, familiarity, and trust. In the classrooms, hesitant glances turned into confident smiles. Children who once needed constant reassurance began to lead songs, tell stories, and help their peers. Every step forward was earned, and every small change reflected the care and patience of the adults guiding them.
At the graduation ceremony, that progress was made visible. The children presented poems, dramatic pieces, and cultural dances. They stood without fear, spoke clearly, and moved with confidence. The audience, made up of parents, staff, and guests, responded with applause and quiet emotion. Many had seen firsthand how far each child had come.
Among the invited guests were Distinguished Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba OFR, CON, LL.D., SAN, Chairman of the Advisory Board, and Mrs Ibrahim, a long-serving board member. Their presence brought weight to the occasion, but the focus remained firmly on the children. The performances were not about display, but about growth. They reflected the children’s journey from uncertainty to self-assurance.
As the pupils now move on to Year One, they do so with more than academic readiness. They leave the Early Years with a sense of belonging, an understanding of routine, and the ability to express themselves with a good level of clarity. These are not small achievements. They are the foundation for everything that comes next.
For parents and teachers alike, the graduation was more than a ceremony. It was a moment of reflection. The years had passed quickly. The changes had come gradually. But the result was unmistakable. The children were ready. The work had been done. And the journey had truly begun.
Start-Rite Schools remains committed to sustaining a learning environment where children are nurtured with intention, challenged with care, and guided to grow into individuals who think clearly, act kindly, and dream without limits. The Early Years graduation is not simply the end of a phase, but a reflection of the school’s broader promise to sustain a culture of care, structure, and purposeful learning that prepares children not only for the next class, but for a lifetime of curiosity, confidence, and responsible action.
Co-Written by the Early Years Section & Media/Comms Unit of Start-Rite Schools