The first Year 8 class at Francis Patton Primary School was presented with a set of leadership pins on Monday as they head for a new educational frontier.

Diallo Rabain, the Minister of Education, called the class of 15 students, who will be transitioning to signature schools next year, “the leaders of the entire public education system”.

The school in Hamilton Parish and Purvis Primary in Warwick are Bermuda’s first two parish primary schools in a new two-tier system.

The new system will see 11 primary schools on the island: one in each parish except Pembroke and St George’s, which will have two.

Principal Todd Fox said students should be “proud of what they have accomplished thus far and everything you are going to accomplish”.

Mr Fox urged the class to “lead by example, embodying collaboration, responsibility and excellence”.

A post on social media said the ceremony aligned with the school’s theme for this year, “Leadership through Collaboration”, as well as itsLeader in Me programme, which equips students with tools for success.