A message from the Rector

By Richard Hall | Posted: Tuesday September 19, 2023

As we put the clocks forward this weekend, we are reminded of the changing seasons and that everything has a season. Coming out of winter, into spring and fingers crossed for a good summer, is what everyone is looking forward to.

As we go into the break, I think there is something that I would like you to reflect on - letting your boy fail. Failure is often not final and not nearly as often as people think, in a school context at least, fatal. We have had two or three hard years post covid, where the social fabric that kept us together was shaken, and we are still in schools experiencing some of that. In this group of post Covid students, I am seeing more and more that they are not as connected to the basics as they once might have been. Poor decisions being made, and a lack of honesty and accountability from some of the boys has been a sad feature of the last two weeks of this term.

As we lead into the last term, there is an opportunity to squeeze a little more out of each of us, through not focusing on the others, more focusing on ourselves. Please if you can, get back to basics with your child - eat together, do the dishes, drive, whatever, but ask him reflective questions. Do not let him off the hook and push him to give you more than a superficial answer. Also, do not let him go straight to blame on something or someone else - that is too easy, more connection is made through taking responsibility for his actions.

I know that every one of you who reads this, is connected to this school - simply because you have read this, so I know I have the right ears to make this last term the best one of the year.

Enjoy having your son around for two weeks. I will look forward to seeing him again soon.