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
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