Well, we made it! This is the final bulletin of 2020 and I think we can all agree that it will be good to see the back of this year and look forward to the rest of the roaring 20s. 

When I was talking to a group of our Year 10 pupils today, I began with how difficult the year had been but I was immediately corrected by one pupil who told me that it had been fine and to look at the positives. She said she felt so lucky to be able to come into school every day since September, she felt she was ahead in her courses because of how much both she and her teachers had done during lockdown and everyone she knew was healthy and well. She went on to tell me how even when her friends had to isolate here, they still logged into their lessons in real time and did not miss out. I know this is not the case for all of us, but this little conversation served as an important reminder for me. We are in a privileged position here and seeing in a new year is as much about celebrating and appreciating the present as it is looking forward to the future.

A phrase that has always stuck with me is E+R=O: events + your reaction = the outcome. As the brave new world continues to throw new challenges our way, it is our reaction to these challenges that determines the outcome for us. Our pupils have been exceptionally resilient, our staff incredibly adaptable and our parent community constantly supportive. 

This week we have had a focus on remembrance. Mrs Bullough treated us to a fantastic assembly on the needless waste of life through the entirety of the First World War but particularly in the final days. She turned on her Radio 4 prose for us and set a perfect tone for the week. We then remembered the fallen with our two minute silence on the field that is quickly becoming a tradition at school. Our Head Girl, Sophie Carter read the names of the ex pupils of Maidenhead college who fell during the conflict and Mr Gravett played the last post. On such a still autumnal morning, both the sound of the trumpet and the sound of silence that followed echoed through campus. It was a truly moving moment that highlighted the importance of stopping to remember those who sacrificed so much so we could live the lives we live today. Senior Girls also raised £200 for the poppy appeal that will help the Royal British Legion with their great work in supporting the armed forces community. 

We all know that we have the best pupils and the best parents of any school but we also have great staff.  My 9 year old boy taught me a new phrase in the young person gaming vernacular recently - OP - meaning ‘OverPowered’.  I understood this verb to mean ‘overwhelm, defeat or overcome’ but when I asked him what context I should use this phrase, he described an adjective; ‘when something is beyond awesome’. Well, I wanted to use this week’s bulletin to highlight how ‘OP’ our staff have been throughout all of this (verb and adjective). 

We are running into the ‘grind weeks’ of the academic year; the nights are drawing in and it is more important than ever that we go at each day with the right attitude; focusing on Ren, believing in ourselves and making the most of all the opportunities that come our way. 

As Covid precautions begin to tighten up in communities up and down the country and we learn that even the President of the USA is not immune (!), I think the thing I miss most are those opportunities to get together with friends and family. For me this was often sport, music, the arts and events. It is such a privilege to work in a school where these are valued so highly. I was so proud of our Head Girl team of Sophie and Scarlett when they spoke so well to prospective parents last week about how their confidence has grown so much because of the opportunities in these areas.