Dear parents,
It has been one of those weeks when the school begins to feel unmistakably like spring. The sunshine has been a little warmer, the days are noticeably longer and the grounds are brightened. Inside too, classrooms and offices currently include a wonderful display of daffodils with special thanks to Mrs Daldorph for helping to bring such colour to the campus.
Our Upper Sixth pupils have completed their trial examinations and return to lessons today. I look forward to hearing more about their progress over the coming weeks and hope to see many Upper Sixth parents at next Thursday’s parents’ meeting.
As ever, it has been a varied and energetic week across the school. On Monday evening we enjoyed a series of wonderfully creative, challenging and thought-provoking GCSE Drama Component 2 performances. The range of talent on display, both on stage and behind the scenes with lighting and sound was most impressive. It was a great evening; the pupils were amazing. Congratulations to all who performed so brilliantly, and my thanks to Mr Brough and the drama team for guiding them so expertly.
Several of our cadets made the most of a welcome window of opportunity on Tuesday to go flying at MOD St Athan in Wales. Despite traffic difficulties on the M5 on the return journey, they had a tremendous experience in the air. My thanks to Mr Jones for making this possible.
Also on Tuesday, our Lower Sixth pupils took part in our annual Futures Conference. It was a valuable opportunity for them to meet and speak with professionals from a wide range of fields, opening minds and, in some cases, shifting perspectives about possible future pathways. We are very grateful to all who contributed; parents, alumni and friends of the school alike, and to Mrs Szender for leading the event. This Saturday I will be in London for our annual alumni reception at the House of Commons, where over 150 former pupils are expected to attend. It is always a pleasure to reconnect with former pupils and to see them flourishing in their varied fields and building networks with one another.
Wednesday saw music take centre stage. During the day we hosted a Celebration of Singing partnership event, bringing together young voices in a joyful shared performance. Later, after school, we enjoyed a wonderfully expressive informal percussion and drums concert featuring music by Coldplay, Blur, The Beatles, Radiohead and others. It was a fantastic showcase of rhythm, volume, energy and enthusiasm.
On Thursday an Oompa Loompa, a mad hatter and Lucious Malfoy were seen in the dining hall. This is either, the start of a very funny joke, or it’s that time of year again as World Book Day brought exceptional colour and creativity to the junior and pre-prep schools. The costumes from both staff and pupils were nothing short of spectacular and we look forward to sharing photographs very soon (keep an eye out for staff going above and beyond!). We were also delighted to welcome visiting author Tanya Landman, who spent time with pupils in the junior school and with Fourth Form (Year 8). My thanks to everyone involved in organising the visit, particularly Mr Halpin, who will also be judging our Book Bento competition, as seen on socials – closing date for entries has been extended to Monday 9 March. If you haven’t already done so, make sure to submit your entry over the weekend.
Our Middle Fifth (Year 10) geographers have been out in Bristol this week completing their fieldwork. Experiences such as this are a vital part of geographical learning, allowing pupils to apply their classroom knowledge to real environments, and I am grateful to Mr Munday and the team for providing this important opportunity.
Across the week there has also been a great deal happening in sport, with numerous fixtures, competitions and finals for both girls and boys. Pupils continue to perform with growing confidence and experience. Particular congratulations go to our U14 boys: in hockey they finished third in the West finals last Friday, and in rugby they secured a thrilling 19–18 victory in the County Cup semi-final and now progress to the final. Our swimmers have also been doing the school proud, with several competing this week in a major event at the London Olympic Pool.
Meanwhile, in the digital arena, our Upper Two (Year 6) esports team, Legend of Exelda, continues to go from strength to strength. They recorded a convincing win in the IAPS Minecraft Capture the Flag competition this week and now head into the final match of the season hoping to secure a strong final league position. My thanks to Mrs Morgan for her drive and inspiration in developing this area of school life.
Behind the scenes, Mr Fennemore and other colleagues continue to work hard preparing for the Shape of the Week changes that will be introduced from September. We have begun discussing these developments with pupils in more detail, and you may notice a number of teaching vacancies being advertised as part of the associated curriculum review.
I am sharing our senior school half-termly safeguarding and health bulletin. If you have any concerns, please contact your child’s form tutor in the first instance.
Finally, tonight sees one of the more unusual events in the school calendar; our Third Form (Year 7) library murder mystery sleepover. By tomorrow morning, I hope the mystery will have been solved… though perhaps not without a few twists and turns along the way.
I wish you all a very enjoyable weekend.
