Junior Reflections 13 March 2026

Dear parents, 

There has been a sprinkling of fairies running around the junior school these past couple of weeks, and I am very much looking forward to watching the two Upper One performances this afternoon. I know how much hard work goes into putting on plays so to put two on is no mean feat; thank you, Ms Cox and all the staff who helped, and of course well done to all the pupils for learning their lines so beautifully.

In Monday’s assembly, Louisa and Stephanie treated us to a wonderful rendition of Storm by Daniel Turk. The pupils always relish the opportunity to perform, but just as importantly, the rest of the school enjoys seeing their peers share their talents. Following the performance, I spoke to the pupils about International Women’s Day and the importance of following their dreams. Our children are at an age where the world is full of possibility, and I encouraged them to embrace every opportunity, reminding them that it doesn’t matter whether they are a boy or a girl; what matters is having the courage to give things a try.

Tuesday saw a great deal of excitement in the junior school playground as we hosted the first of our Virgin Money classes selling their wares. My word, the creativity of the groups never ceases to amaze me. One group had such a long queue that, when I asked a pupil what they were waiting for, they had absolutely no idea—they had simply joined in the fun! Mr Cunningham was particularly pleased with the level of innovation on display.

To give a little more context, our Virgin Money groups are taking part in the national Make £5 Grow enterprise programme, a scheme designed to help children aged 9–11 develop financial confidence and entrepreneurial skills. The programme offers pupils the opportunity to create a mini business starting with a £5 loan, encouraging them to plan, design, budget and ultimately sell a product or service, much like real world entrepreneurs. It supports key areas of the curriculum, including maths, English and PSHE, while nurturing teamwork, creativity and problem solving. Given what we saw this week, the ingenuity of the products, the enthusiasm of the teams, and the sheer buzz around the stalls, it’s clear that our pupils are already well on their way to becoming budding entrepreneurs.

You may already have seen on My School Portal that we have Lisa McCullagh from Southwest Autism leading the next parental forum session on Tuesday 24 March. If this is of interest to you, please complete the form on MSP to indicate your attendance.

Thank you for the well wishes for my marathon run; training is sort of on track, with my longest run of 24km having taken place last weekend. It wasn’t pleasant, I didn’t really enjoy it, but I did it and that is all that matters and I can still walk!! 6 weeks to go!

Have a lovely weekend, and Happy Mother’s Day to you all.