Headmaster’s Blog 23.04.21

I was delighted to welcome the boys back to school on Tuesday for the start of the summer term. They were looking refreshed and well rested after the Easter holidays and ready for the busy term ahead. Although the news in the media remains positive and the country begins to gradually exit lockdown it is important that we continue to adhere to the guidelines and the boys maintain their bubbles, take care when moving around the school and continue to wear masks. The Department for Education has stressed the importance that boys continue to self-test at home using the LFD test kits and I am very grateful to you for your support in conducting these.

Our Lower Sixth boys returned to begin their scheduled examinations.  I have been impressed with the manner in which they have conducted themselves throughout the week, displaying both maturity and a sense of purpose. The importance of these exams should not be underestimated as the boys start thinking about the next stage in their education and planning their university applications in the autumn term. What has become evident during the pandemic over the last year is that consistent hard work is vital and this will stand the boys in good stead.

Our Upper Sixth boys continue to receive some fantastic university offers including Mathematics at Imperial, and History, Psychology and Mathematics at UCL. Boys applying to universities in the USA have also received some great offers from Georgetown, Northeastern, University College San Diego and Bucknell. It is gratifying to see the boys’ ability and potential recognised by prestigious universities both here and abroad.

Today sees the launch of the Marcos Burnett photography competition with this year’s theme of ‘Spring’.  The competition, which is always very popular and generates a high calibre of photographs, is in memory of our fondly remembered former pupil, Marcos, whose life was cut so tragically short by the Italian earthquake of 2016.  Marcos, a lovely boy and a real live wire, was passionate about photography and about nature and this competition honours his memory.

We also congratulate Mr Andre Astbury-Palmer, our Head of Maths, on winning the ISA remote teaching award in the STEM category. This showcased a video of one of his remote lessons from last term and demonstrated a high degree of interactivity and live feedback. Well done Mr Astbury-Palmer!

I hope you enjoy the weekend and the spring sunshine.