Head’s Blog 22.01.21

Dear Parents,

I am pleased to hear from staff that the remote learning continues to go well.  We have once again settled into a routine and the boys are responding well.  Staff are giving a large number of gold notes with lots of praise for the boys’ efforts   I am very pleased that they are continuing to approach it so proactively and I am very grateful to the staff for working so hard to engage them.  My advice, perhaps even I would go so far as my plea, this weekend is that everyone, staff and pupils, get away from the screen.  I know it is cold but the weather has brightened today and I hope you will all take the opportunity to get out of your work rooms tomorrow before the rain and sleet return.

That said, I know that a lot of boys have been getting out to take part in the Thames Challenge and we had our winner with two days to spare.  Congratulations to Walbrook who completed the 346km. Well done to all who took part – I hope you will get involved in the next challenge and are also making use of the videos that the PE and Games Department are posting online.  This afternoon the boys will be in their Tribs for their online assembly, a perfect opportunity to celebrate this success, and also for the boys from different year groups to come together, something that has been very hard in our bubbled existence of late.

This week has been about choices: the Year 9 are making their choices for their GCSES in the coming weeks and Year 12 are starting to whittle down their options for higher education over the course of this year. For both year groups, it is an exciting point in their education: for those in Year 9 it is the first time they will make choices which allow them to define how their education will look for the next few years; for the Sixth Form they are making a decision on an area of specialisation (hopefully it is the thing that really fires them), a style of university to go to and also where they are going to be living for at least three years of their life.  In both cases there will be difficult decisions to be made and there will need to be self-reflection about the subjects or universities that are right for them. The School is always here to make sure your sons, and you, feel confident about the decisions they are making.

With best wishes, Seth