8 October 2026
As part of our Whole School Assembly, and to recognise World Space Week, School Captain Declan delivered a thought-provoking speech to the KGS community, drawing on the vastness and complexity of space to reflect on learning, resilience, kindness and the part each of us plays in our world.
Declan encouraged us to look beyond the enormity of the universe and consider what it means to be one individual on our own small planet - and yet part of something much bigger.
His message was one of shared purpose and possibility.
Reflecting on the many different ideas and perspectives that exist within our community, Declan reminded us that we can have our own thoughts, ideas and opinions, provided we are working towards the same outcome.
“Every idea or theory ever formed by a human being still leads to the same path. We don’t all have to think the same as long as everyone is heading for the same destination.”
Presenting an image of a tiny dot amidst the vast solar system, Declan said: "The pale blue dot. That’s here. That’s home. That’s us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you have ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives - on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam. There is perhaps no better demonstration of the folly of human conceits than this distant image of our tiny world. To me, it underscores our responsibility to deal more kindly with one another, and to preserve and cherish the pale blue dot, the only home we've ever known.”
He went on to reflect on the generations of pupils who have passed through the doors of Kirkham Grammar School, each contributing to the School’s story in their own way. Declan’s words also captured the importance of ambition - of being willing to set our sights on goals that may initially appear impossible, and having the resilience to pursue them.
Perhaps most powerfully, he brought together Kirkham Grammar School’s proud history with the opportunities that lie ahead.
“Every person that has ever walked through the doors of Kirkham Grammar School. Every person has ever been ready to teach, learn or explore. Every person that has been willing to aim for things so high that at first it seemed impossible. Everyone in one space, at one time. We are growing in a space of rich history but also growing in a space of pure potential.”
A fitting message for World Space Week: while our place in the universe may be tiny, our capacity to learn, explore, dream, support one another and make a difference is anything but.
Thank you, Declan, for reminding us to look up - and to think big.