Lusimus THE RADLEY BROADSHEET
www.radley.org.uk
Issue 30, February 2015
A great foundation to build on
more than that. So, as I reflect on the whirlwind that was my first term at Radley, I am keen to identify what underpins it, what makes it all worthwhile. And I pick out just a few moments to highlight.
boys moved from respectful good behaviour to genuine appreciation of the sacrifices made and the importance – the collective and moving importance – of the moment and what it represented.
A Monday afternoon in November, shortly after the clocks went back: a French lesson in the dark with a lower ability Remove set . . . the graveyard slot. And yet a vibrant, fun, successful lesson that I am sure would have carried on for another half an hour without the boys complaining.
An afternoon in the Coffee Shop: standing room only as boys gathered – voluntarily – to listen to a talk about the threat of ISIL. Organised by a member of 6.2. The overwhelming support to collect clothes for refugees in Northern Iraq. Organised by a don.
The Midgets’ 3 Rugby match v Tonbridge. Not the greatest rugby spectacle (with respect to them), but a fierce determination to win very much in evidence. Ahead with minutes to go, behind with seconds to go, level with the last play of the game. A towering – and much celebrated – conversion to win.
A visit to a Social followed by an invitation to play chess. As I did so (victoriously, I hasten to add), some boys watched. Others made cheese toasties with a don. Others sat around chatting. Seniors and Juniors alike: nothing contrived.
The standing ovation at the Saturday performance of The Producers. Not some polite, slightly patronising, recognition of a good school production but a stunned acknowledgement of the work, talent and ambition that went into a memorable show. The service to lay up the Colours of the Grenadiers in the College Chapel: an imperceptible but very real shift as the
A snapshot. There were myriad such moments in the term; I could easily have identified others. It will, I trust, ever be thus. A school where there is a love of learning, a will to succeed, the very highest of expectations; a respect for what has gone before and an interest in the world beyond our gates; and all the above in the context of a happy community . . . such a school has a real purpose. As we are already well into another term, and we are busy again, it is good to know. And as we look to the future, it is a great foundation to build on.
John Moule, the Warden reflects on his first term: One’s feet rarely touch the ground in any new job for the first few months. That is to be expected, but I have a sneaking suspicion that it is a permanent feature of life at Radley: it is an extraordinarily busy place. My only irritation with that is that I simply cannot get to everything I want to, though I try. As I followed some Shells around in the first few days of the academic year, as they were exposed to the plethora of opportunities for the first time, my overwhelming feeling was one of jealousy: cliché though it is, they are extraordinarily lucky. But as they are, so am I; it genuinely is a privilege to be able to go to all the talks, events, matches, concerts, productions . . . and call it work. Being busy in and of itself, however, is not enough. There has to be a purpose to what is being done; it is emphatically not just about filling time, collecting experiences and ensuring that the right hoops are gone through to get to the next stage. We are about much
Foundation – pages 3-5
The Producers
The Silver Ball – pages 6-7
Desborough – pages 8-9
Christopher Kaye – page 18
Sport – page 20