distinctly Connected

distinctly

CONNECTED

Connection and relationship is essential to our humanity,which is why solitary confinement is such a severe punishment; I cannot imagine how painful and disorientating such a punishment would be. One of the most debilitating aspects of the Covid pandemic was the temporary loss of connections between friends,family members and colleagues;all those interactions,from the casual exchange of family news to deeper explorations of politics,faith and meaning with other people,that were interrupted by the requirement to stay at home,socially distanced and communicating only via screens.

Just as the firing of synapses in the human brain keeps the brain healthy and creative,so it is with the Dean Close community;our interactions make us richer,stronger and more innovative,and it has been wonderful to have those connections back in good order as the pandemic has ceased to keep us apart. Our partnerships with other schools,from Cheltenham to Uganda to Chengdu,keep us reflective about great teaching and open to new ideas and collaborative opportunities. It has been great to reconnect with Old Decanians,former staff,parents and friends of Dean Close this year, culminating in a full range of Speech Day and Prize Giving events to celebrate the achievements of our pupils across the schools,allowing these young people to experience the important rites of passage which were sadly missed by their immediate predecessors.The vital lessons learned through playing sport together,being part of the cast in a play, collaborating on a project,singing together in Chapel;these activities which are so important to the breadth and richness of a Dean Close education are back in earnest,and we feel like ourselves again.

The Dean Close Foundation is built on the principle that we are better together,not just within schools but between schools;that we benefit from sharing great ideas and practice with one another and that the whole Foundation is greater than the sum of its parts.I hope this Annual Report is a fitting celebration of the return of these connections in all their vibrancy and reflects the confidence and positivity with which we are moving forward together.

EmmaTaylor

Warden