ASSEMBLYSPRING 2012 From the Headmaster
I
don’t think it is widely known but this is my third spell at Arnold House. Most recently, of course, I have had the privilege of being the School’s sixth Head since it was founded by Miss Hanson in 1905 and named after the great educationalist Dr. Thomas Arnold of Rugby School. Between 1997 and 2001 I was Head of Maths, teaching in what is now 3J’s Form room, and given Deputy Head responsibilities along the way by my predecessor Nicholas Allen. I first set foot in Arnold House, however, in the summer term of 1987, when the then Head Johnny Clegg employed me as a cover teacher for a term shortly before I joined the staff at UCS Senior School. When, the other day, I was reminded of my association with Arnold House spanning nearly 25 years I began to reflect on how
much the School had changed over the years. After a while, however, I became more interested in what had not changed because Arnold House has been a highly sought-after and popular prep school destination for London families for a very long time. Its special strength, I believe, lies in the fact that people who have an association with the School, be it in 2012, 1987 or previous to that, share the same values – and these values have stood the test of time. When this happens in an institution one is in the healthy position of being able to create strong and effective teams made up of individuals who enjoy
Wine Man’s Bluff
O
n Tuesday 13th March, the School in association with the Board of Friends, hosted an exciting evening in St James’s. Attended by current parents and past supporters of the Bursary Fund, the evening started with a “Wine Man’s Bluff” led by Arnold House old boy and world famous wine writer Hugh Johnson OBE. Hugh was joined on the panel by Robert Atkin, fellow AH old boy and vineyard owner, and the Headmaster, Vivian Thomas. All the panel members thoroughly entertained
the audience with stories (some quite far-fetched!) about the wine they were tasting making it a difficult task to work out who was indeed telling the truth. The game was followed by a delicious two course meal and an update on the Bursary Fund and the ongoing successes of Arnold House bursary boys to date. We were then joined by Sotheby’s Auctioneer, Adrian Biddell, who conducted a highly entertaining auction. The evening raised close to £20,000 for the Bursary Fund, a figure that far exceeded our expectations. We would like to thank everyone for their support of this event, the many generous donations on the evening together with those we receive throughout the school year. Stephanie Miller Director of Development
ASSEMBLY
each others company and look forward to working together. At Arnold House in 2012 I rely on all sorts of teams to enable the School to function to its optimum; teaching, management, administration, governing body, Board of Friends, Parents’ Association, ’42 Club, catering, maintenance, Canons Park, development; and I never fail to be struck by how much people care about Arnold House, what it stands for as a School, and how it continues to shape young boys in the right way. Viv Thomas Headmaster