Inspiring speakers spark thought and imagination
Senior School and Sixth Form pupils have the opportunity to listen to a wide range of inspiring speakers – and the past few weeks have been a perfect example of this.
Tomi Komoly, a Hungarian Jew who experienced the occupation of Hungary under the Nazis and then under the Soviet regime in the late 1940s and 1950s, visited SGS to speak to Fourth Year historians and answer their questions.
During the event, which was to commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day, Toni talked about how he and his family escaped and started a new life in Britain. His stories of how his family and other Jews were persecuted was both saddening and fascinating.
Former Rugby League international Dan Sarginson addressed our Sixth Form as part of our Shaa Lecture series.
In his talk, ‘The Importance of Self-understanding’, Dan shared the wisdom of his lived experience to help pupils navigate difficult times that they may experience. He focussed on wellbeing, the importance of human connection and the need for self-understanding in achieving this.
Ultra-marathon runner Alex Welch delivered an awe-inspiring ‘Spotlight On…’ presentation.
The Wilmslow native talked about his incredible sporting achievements, including running 200km across 3,000m high mountains in Kyrgyzstan, and 250km across the desert in Namibia.
Pupils and staff were fascinated to hear how Alex prepared for and motivated himself, with the help of others, to succeed in such incredibly challenging conditions, prompting many questions. He also talked about transferable skills which we can all apply to achieve our goals and the value of giving back to others.
Maths Teacher Mr David Shingler shared his knowledge of and enthusiasm for comics and graphic novels at a ‘Spotlight On’ talk. He talked through the different characters, writers, genres and publishers and provided helpful recommendations to get people started on a journey of graphic novel discovery.
The Library are keen to encourage pupils to explore different reading pathways during this National Year of Reading 2026 and Mr Shingler finished his talk by encouraging pupils to sign up to participate in the Excelsior Award, a nationwide award for graphic novels and manga.
The latest ‘Spotlight On…’ talk saw Fourth Year Marco Burns deliver an extremely interesting and thought-provoking presentation entitled ‘Why Capitalism Is A Flawed System’.
Marco’s passion for the subject clearly shone through and he responded to questions in a considered and thoughtful manner.
Visit the Talks and Presentations page for more information about upcoming speaker visits and opportunities.
