Headmaster’s introduction

WELCOME TO WHINCHAT MAGAZINE 2021-2022

Welcome to the Whinchat 2021-22. It’s been a terrific year in many ways, and it has been particularly enjoyable to get back to doing many of the things we love and enjoy, and that we know are so good for the education of children.

Iwould like to start this year’s editorial, with a heartfelt thank you to all in our community, who work so well together to enable our boys to have such an outstanding education. This feels especially significant this year, as we continue to move away from the frustrations of the pandemic. So thank you to our parents, who entrust their sons to our school for their education; our Governors, a very talented group of people who give their time freely to steer the school’s long-term course, and in the recent past have so skilfully helped to steer us out of the pandemic; our teachers and support staff who work tirelessly to give the boys such an amazing experience; and, of course, our boys who are such fun to work with, and constantly impress and amaze with all the things they achieve in so many areas. Thank you, too, to our Whinchat editorial team who have gone above and beyond to produce this year’s edition. As ever, the magazine is a highlights reel, which captures the essentials, and inevitably misses out much which is nonetheless important in shaping our boys’ young lives.

As I said in my speech at Speech Day, it’s been a brilliant year, when viewed on its own terms, but even more so when weighed against the frustrations of last year, and even earlier this academic year. It is extraordinary to think that even as recently as the Autumn term we were still operating in bubbles (and one day I hope that the word bubbles will once again mean effervescence, soap and champagne as opposed to isolated groups of children). Last term we still had all assemblies and staff-meetings online.

The pandemic was tough, and in society at large we have seen perhaps inevitable gaps emerging in our children’s learning, in their independence and their socialisation. However, our teachers have quite dazzlingly gone above and beyond: during the pandemic to limit those gaps; and post-pandemic to strengthen these areas. And, positives have emerged, encouraging us to look at the world in a new light. How we treat each other is in the spotlight, with a greater focus on diversity and inclusion, and our own well-being and kindness, the last a value we always hold closest to our hearts and one we will continue to