The focus of the day was on fun, participation and the celebration of the magic of singing, led by conductor and choir director Dominic Ellis Peckham. One of the joys of our ISA membership (513 independent schools spread across the country) are the opportunities the association makes available for its member schools.

Year 11 and Sixth Form are now working well on their public examinations, taking place in the sports hall and adjacent rooms. This week has also seen Years 7, 8 and 9 take their internal Common Task 3 examinations; if any have missed examinations, we will identify those and plan their sitting carefully through next week instead. Once CT3 examinations have been marked and returned to each pupil, we ask your son to bring the exam home so that you can see his performance and understand what went well, and as appropriate, what could have been improved.

At the time of writing my 'words' this week, I am attending the ISA Headteacher’s Conference in Eastbourne, spending time with many of the heads and professional companies with whom we work. Education is the most complex of human enterprises, and the conference permits me to engage with the important issues in our industry.