The Cambrian Learning Trust’s Platinum Primary Character and Citizenship Awards Presentation Evening
11 June 2026
The Beacon, Wantage
This evening I had the immense pleasure of attending The Cambrian Learning Trust’s Platinum Primary Character and Citizenship Awards Presentation Evening at The Beacon in Wantage.
I was there in my role as a Deputy Lieutenant of Oxfordshire, which meant that, in a very real sense, I was there representing His Majesty The King. That is both a privilege and a responsibility, and there are few better ways to fulfil it than by celebrating young people who are already showing the qualities our communities need most.
The evening brought together Year 6 pupils from across the Cambrian Learning Trust’s primary schools. One by one, the children came forward to receive their awards, each recognised not simply for what they had achieved, but for the kind of person they are becoming.
That distinction matters.
These awards are not just about attainment. They are about character. They are about citizenship. They are about courage, responsibility, kindness, curiosity and service. They recognise the children who keep going when things are difficult, who help others, who try something new, who take responsibility, and who understand that being part of a community means playing your part in making it stronger.
In my remarks, I said to the children that their character will matter more than their job title, and that being a good person will always matter more than being a famous one. That feels a message worth repeating.
So much of childhood is spent preparing for the next step – the next class, the next test, the next school. For Year 6 pupils, the move to secondary school is now very close. It is exciting, of course, but it can also feel daunting. What was so heartening this evening was the sense that these children are not leaving primary school empty-handed. They are taking with them courage, kindness, responsibility, confidence and a growing sense of what is right.
Those things will serve them well.
The Cambrian Learning Trust has created something rather special through these awards. They are thoughtful, inclusive and full of purpose. They remind us that education is not only about knowledge, important though that is. It is also about helping young people to become citizens who care about others and understand their place in the wider world.
As a Deputy Lieutenant, I spoke about The King’s lifelong commitment to service. His Majesty has spent decades encouraging people to use their gifts well, to care for others, and to contribute to the communities around them. That spirit of service was very much alive in the room this evening.
It was there in the pride of the children.
It was there in the faces of families and carers.
It was there in the care taken by teachers and school leaders.
And it was there in the quiet but powerful message at the heart of the evening: what you do matters, and who you are becoming matters too.
I told the children that I hoped they would leave the hall feeling just a little bit taller than when they came in. Not because they had grown in the last hour, though at their age that is always possible, but because they knew that their efforts had been seen, valued and celebrated.
My thanks to everyone across The Cambrian Learning Trust who made the evening possible, and my warmest congratulations to every Year 6 pupil who received an award.
You should feel very proud.
And I hope, as you move on to secondary school, that you keep being curious, keep being kind, keep being brave and keep being responsible.
Oxfordshire needs young people like you.
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