The annual Founder's Day Service

The annual Founder’s Day service took place to pay tribute to the life and work of the School’s Founder, Archbishop John Whitgift.

This year saw the revival of an old tradition whereby members of the Sixth Form, along with all staff, were given a white flower to wear. The day started with a service at Whitgift Chapel, led by the Chaplain Reverend Alan Bayes. Members of the Lower Sixth Form and staff then joined the annual Founder’s Day service at Croydon Minster. Together with pupils from other Foundation Schools and staff from across the John Whitgift Foundation, they were greeted by a very special assembly of the Whitgift’s Corps of Drums.

For the first time ever, the School’s Corps of Drums invited the Old Whitgiftian Association Corps of Drums to join them in the parade. The School paraded in their traditional scarlets, now badged to the Fusiliers, whilst the OWs wore their traditional Queen’s Regiment blazers with their old school Corps of Drums ties. Some of these had been worn for over 50 years!

This event marks the importance of the legacy left by John Whitgift and we are continually grateful to those who help build upon this today.