Dear Parents
I was delighted to see many of the Lower Sixth pupils and parents at our second Preparing for University Evening on Thursday. There are all kinds of markers along the road when young people are growing up. Last night saw a roomful of our pupils concentrating their thoughts on leaving school, a few short months after taking their GCSE examinations. There will be at least three other whole days devoted to helping the Lower Sixth choose the right course at the right University. Later this term they will be spending a day at a Universities Fair in Surrey and after completing their AS levels there will be days devoted to the writing of personal statements, an introduction to which took place last night.
I would like to take the opportunity to thank Zofia Malewicz our Head of Sixth Form for all that she does to help prepare our young people for the next stage of their education.
Our top five Year 10 Mathematicians all achieved awards this year in the National Maths Challenge with Sophie Adams and Jean-Jacques Choron achieving gold awards. Jean -Jacques will now also proceed to the European leg of the competition, bizarrely called “The Pink Kangaroo” well done to Mr Roberts and the Maths Department for all they do to encourage excellence in their subject.
I do hope that many of you will take the opportunity to come and see ‘Merrily We Roll Along’ on March 14th to 16th and also to attend our first Centenary Concert which this year will take place at The Memorial Hall in Battle on Tuesday, 20th March.
Best wishes
Roger Clark
Friday, 24 February 2012
Friday, 10 February 2012
10th Feb 2012 - Message from the Headmaster
Dear Parents
If you have never been to a whole school disco and seen the House Masters and Mistresses dancing at 08.45, you have missed a treat. As we enter half-term, it is “Mufti-Day”. Inspired by the request of one pupil in Year 13, Oliver Rowlatt, we have all been asked to come to school in casual clothes, wear something yellow and donate £2 to St Michael’s Hospice. Cakes will be sold at break and prefects will clean pupils’ shoes. On top of organising this special fund raising day, Oliver Rowlatt, Sam Bunday and Tom Collins are all going to
attempt the arduous “3 Peaks Challenge” in April. These young men will attempt to climb the three highest peaks in England, Scotland and Wales (Scafell Pike 978 metres, Ben Nevis 1344 metres and Snowden 1085) in a 24 hour period. The money they raise by doing this will go to help support the vitally important work that St Michael’s Hospice do within our community. One of their staff will be speaking to the school in the second half of term.
After all the excitement of the final day, half-term offers our
examination candidates an opportunity to revise and consolidate. Parents of pupils in year 11 – 13, please help your children keep focussed on their academic work. There are just 8 teaching weeks left till the public exams start and 5 weeks available for revision.
Have a good break!
Best wishes
Roger Clark
Headmaster
If you have never been to a whole school disco and seen the House Masters and Mistresses dancing at 08.45, you have missed a treat. As we enter half-term, it is “Mufti-Day”. Inspired by the request of one pupil in Year 13, Oliver Rowlatt, we have all been asked to come to school in casual clothes, wear something yellow and donate £2 to St Michael’s Hospice. Cakes will be sold at break and prefects will clean pupils’ shoes. On top of organising this special fund raising day, Oliver Rowlatt, Sam Bunday and Tom Collins are all going to
attempt the arduous “3 Peaks Challenge” in April. These young men will attempt to climb the three highest peaks in England, Scotland and Wales (Scafell Pike 978 metres, Ben Nevis 1344 metres and Snowden 1085) in a 24 hour period. The money they raise by doing this will go to help support the vitally important work that St Michael’s Hospice do within our community. One of their staff will be speaking to the school in the second half of term.
After all the excitement of the final day, half-term offers our
examination candidates an opportunity to revise and consolidate. Parents of pupils in year 11 – 13, please help your children keep focussed on their academic work. There are just 8 teaching weeks left till the public exams start and 5 weeks available for revision.
Have a good break!
Best wishes
Roger Clark
Headmaster
Friday, 3 February 2012
3rd February 2012 - Message from the Headmaster
Dear Parents
You will appreciate, I am sure, that part of achieving the excellent things your children do achieve here involves self discipline and training and I thought this week I would emphasise that the school cares greatly about your children’s behaviour and the way that they respond to the rules of the school. I was delighted to congratulate the school this morning on how smart they were all looking. Many, many children automatically have their top button done up all day long, their tie straight, their shirts tucked in and those who push to flex their teenage muscles are constantly reminded by staff here of the need to take pride in their appearance. We remind them, as I am sure you do, that when they are in Battle High Street or on public transport, wearing their school uniform, people make judgements about their appearance.
Going back to my school days I remember being taught the maxim “judgements of great importance are often based on very superficial evidence”, which ties in with the other rather trite saying: “you only have one chance to make a first impression.” On a very regular basis as prospective parents walk round the school for the first time they comment on the good manners of our children, the welcome afforded to them by the teachers and the friendly atmosphere that they perceive exists within the community. This apparently lucky balance of relaxed, good behaviour is achieved as a result of
constant effort. The rigid discipline, commonly associated with military life, is not something I have ever wanted to be associated with a school, that I have been in charge of. I believe in high standards of behaviour, I believe in good discipline but in the ideal world these are achieved as a result of mutual respect which actually lies deeper than the threat of punishment or reprimand and is more difficult to achieve.
So we will continue, just as you do, to remind your children about their behaviour and we will pull them up if they break the school rules but, as I have just said, the easy charm and natural good
manners that so many of our pupils and your children have in abundance, comes, I believe, because they care about each other and we care about them in the family of the school.
Best wishes
Roger Clark
Headmaster
You will appreciate, I am sure, that part of achieving the excellent things your children do achieve here involves self discipline and training and I thought this week I would emphasise that the school cares greatly about your children’s behaviour and the way that they respond to the rules of the school. I was delighted to congratulate the school this morning on how smart they were all looking. Many, many children automatically have their top button done up all day long, their tie straight, their shirts tucked in and those who push to flex their teenage muscles are constantly reminded by staff here of the need to take pride in their appearance. We remind them, as I am sure you do, that when they are in Battle High Street or on public transport, wearing their school uniform, people make judgements about their appearance.
Going back to my school days I remember being taught the maxim “judgements of great importance are often based on very superficial evidence”, which ties in with the other rather trite saying: “you only have one chance to make a first impression.” On a very regular basis as prospective parents walk round the school for the first time they comment on the good manners of our children, the welcome afforded to them by the teachers and the friendly atmosphere that they perceive exists within the community. This apparently lucky balance of relaxed, good behaviour is achieved as a result of
constant effort. The rigid discipline, commonly associated with military life, is not something I have ever wanted to be associated with a school, that I have been in charge of. I believe in high standards of behaviour, I believe in good discipline but in the ideal world these are achieved as a result of mutual respect which actually lies deeper than the threat of punishment or reprimand and is more difficult to achieve.
So we will continue, just as you do, to remind your children about their behaviour and we will pull them up if they break the school rules but, as I have just said, the easy charm and natural good
manners that so many of our pupils and your children have in abundance, comes, I believe, because they care about each other and we care about them in the family of the school.
Best wishes
Roger Clark
Headmaster
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