Welcome

From the Headmaster

It is a pleasure to welcome you, once again, to read this year’s edition of InFocus. It is a near impossible task to sum up the 2020-21 academic year with any degree of succinctness; suffice to say that if the end of the 2019-20 year was defined by ‘Zoom’, then ‘Social Distancing’, ‘Face Coverings’, Bubbles’ and ‘Teacher Assessed Grades (TAGs)’ were the watchwords of the last twelve months.

However, more important than all of these terms put together has been the sense of community, togetherness and basic grit that has got the whole School community, from Nursery through to Upper Sixth, through this year, and with considerable success. It has been a real privilege to work with such a dedicated staff team who have gone the extra mile in everything they have done; whether it be embracing new technology to deliver remote learning, virtual Open Days, Parents’ Evenings and live-streaming events, or regular phone calls home to support those students struggling academically and pastorally.

My thanks also to so many parents and Old Birkonians whose kind words to staff throughout these tumultuous times has provided uplifting encouragement at just the right times. It has, at once, been perhaps my hardest, but also my proudest year within almost a decade of Senior Leadership.

As a School, we continue to seek to inspire and lead both our students and the wider community. The year saw the launch of the ‘Be Inspired’ Programme, with Year 5 & 6 pupils from Primary Schools across Birkenhead enjoying an expansive programme of academic, sporting and creative enrichment on Saturdays during the Summer Term. I have no doubt that the programme will expand in the years to come as we look to broaden accessibility to the opportunities a Birkenhead School education affords.

Integral to this provision is our belief in the enjoyment and lifelong skills that arise from participation in a broad cocurricular programme. The pandemic brought widespread media concern about ‘knowledge gaps’ following months of remote education. Safe in the knowledge of Birkenhead School being able to deliver a strong ‘remote programme’ when required, one of our aims for the year was to maintain as much of our sporting, musical and creative programme that ‘bubbles’ would allow. We committed significant extra resources to ensure that the students continued to benefit from the physical rewards, enjoyment, teamwork and the development of resilience and inner confidence that such activities bring. I trust you will see this reflected within the pages that follow.

These attributes were perhaps best exemplified by the 54-strong cast and crew of Les Misérables, who, fifteen months after the curtain was first due to open in March 2020, undertook a run of nine unforgettable performances during June 2021. One of the overriding memories of my year will be the emotion shown by the seven Old Birkonians who returned to School to perform their lead roles, and thus bring a fitting closure to their school days. What this says about these young men and women, the bond they have with the School, and their values, was truly special to observe and share. Thank you.

Lastly, a message about this year’s Year 11 GCSE and departing Upper Sixth A Level candidates. These year groups have experienced perhaps the most significant disruption and anxiety to their education, yet have my utmost respect for how they went about their business of study, revision and sitting assessments which have led to this year’s TAGs. They have earnt their grades every bit as much as any cohort before or after them, and I congratulate them on their individual and collective resilience and good humour as they leave to continue their educational journey at a range of institutions, be it Oxbridge, Drama School or apprenticeships with leading global technology companies that reflect our belief on focusing on individual outcomes.

And this is perhaps an important note to end on. The new academic year will see core values placed at the very heart of everything we do, as these secure foundations allow us to be ambitious for our students, families and the wider Wirral community. We will look to balance some post-pandemic stability in teaching delivery during the 2021-22 academic year with progress on a number of the School’s capital projects, including refurbishment of the School Library and development of our sporting facilities, amenities that will benefit both current and future generations of students, alongside the local community also.

Thank you for the part you play in the success of the Birkenhead School community. I wish you an entertaining read and every success for the 2021-22 academic year.

Beati Mundo Corde.

Paul Vicars @Birkenhead_Head

From the Head of Prep

I am delighted to write a short introduction to this amazing issue of In Focus! I’m so proud of the children and staff in Prep and Early Years. They’ve not let the pandemic hold them back and have shown the most incredible resilience and determination.

I’m sure you’ll enjoy reading of the children’s wonderful experiences, and you’ll be amazed at the plethora of activities and opportunities provided. To whet your appetite, I’ll mention some of what’s in the pages ahead… you can enjoy articles on remote learning, musical performances, educational trips and Y6 responsibility posts; write-ups of World Book Day, the Y3 Roman Day and the Year 5 Travel Agents project; news of House Competitions and Sports Days; and reports on Road Safety, Mental Health Week and Science Clubs. And, would you believe me if I said I allowed a Gorilla to visit… and that I let Guinea Pigs take up residence as well?

Heartfelt thanks to everyone who has contributed to this year’s In Focus and congratulations to all the children for what they have achieved during this most challenging of years.

So, have a good read and my very best wishes for a healthy and happy year ahead.

Harry FitzHerbert, Head of Prep

Take a 360° Virtual Tour of the campus at:

www.birkenheadschool.co.uk/ admissions/360tour