23rd March 2012 - Message from the Headmaster

Dear Parents

Another exceptionally busy term has come to an end. Different age groups in the school have had different imperatives and activities. The rich mixture has been recounted in the newsletters that many of you will have read.

Following the triumph that was “Merrily we roll along” last week, well over sixty senior school pupils performed in the first of two centenary concerts on Tuesday evening and I was delighted to have the opportunity to welcome the splendid Prep School choir to this special evening. The smiling and animated faces of the eight, nine and ten year old children were a very special memory of the evening, further enhanced by their excellent singing and movement. The concert gave the 60-strong senior choir a chance to display their extraordinary virtuosity. We were also dazzled by individual performances of grade 8 standard and above. Jasmine Munns, in her final year, sang two beautiful Schumann Lieder, with an impeccable German accent. Other stunning performances came from Amy and Mandy Chan, Leah Cave, Isobel Richardson and Olly Grainge, Helen Butcher, Rocky Bullin, Leon Fung, Lily Lindon, Charles Snelling-Colyer and Danielle Edmunds. The Chamber Choir, the Ladies Choir and the String Ensemble gave further stunning performances. The show stopper in some ways were the two excepts from Mozart’s ‘Requiem,’ which enjoyed its first outside broadcast performance transmitted by the BBC in St Mary’s church in 1932. It was performed by Battle Choral Society, conducted by the Battle Abbey School director of music and with participation by pupils at the school. History repeated itself.
 
Those doing examinations will be steeling themselves for a holiday full of revision but I hope some relaxation.

I hope you enjoy some quality time with your children this Easter break.
Best wishes,
Roger Clark

PS
Easter eggs. I have just watched 18 year old boys and girls (along with the rest of St. E’s) rushing around the Abbot’s Hall desperate to find a clue to lead them to an Easter egg. Seeing their excitement reminded me that, while we sometimes fear that our teenagers grow up too quickly, it does not take long to find the child again inside them and what a refreshing thing that is!

16th March 2012 - Message from the Headmaster

Dear Parents

One of the parents commented kindly that it was interesting to hear a little about what my life is like from the last newsletter. I was
enormously flattered but herewith promise not to talk about myself more than is absolutely necessary. Weeks are often busy. This is a frantic week.

I will have completed 64 hours at school in the last five days by the end of today and that is why my newsletter letter is being written at great haste, at the last minute but does reflect the pace of my working life this week. This is not a complaint, because I love my job, and this is not true of every week.

However, staff in our schools do work very long hours during term time and I am extremely grateful to all those who give up so much of their time to do extra for the pupils. The wealth of extracurricular
opportunities depends on this.

The reward for the adult community is to see your children blossom and push themselves very hard indeed.

I will write at much greater length next week.

Best wishes, as always,

Roger Clark
Headmaster

9th March 2012 - Message from the Headmaster

Dear Parents

This was the week of my annual conference. Each year the head teachers of the Society of Head Teachers of Independent Schools get together for seminars, opportunities to visit trade stands, opportunities to network and stand back from the detail of everyday life and get a wider perspective on our job. I always return refreshed and energised mentally as well as physically. This year as always there were inspirational speakers on subjects ranging from leadership to learning.

At 9am on Tuesday morning 90 head teachers were in hopeless fits of laughter, being addressed on the subject of making children think. The humour was not at the expense of the children but directed more at us as teachers!

The title of the conference was “Walking the tightrope – keeping your balance.” It was all good, relevant in-service training. There was inevitably a session on stress management, not just our own, but an insight into how we all deal with stress and how to cope, how to keep the balance.

At the final dinner, we were treated to an uplifting speech from the Revd Rose Hudson-Wilkin a Jamaican born priest from Montego Bay, who is now chaplain to the Queen and to the Speaker of the House of Commons, as well as having an Inner-London parish. She reminded us all that high standards and discipline are essential for our young people.   
So if you see me bouncing around the school, full of unexpected energy, remember the old maxim: “Beware of people who have been on courses”!

Best wishes, as always,

Roger Clark
Headmaster

2nd March 2012 - Message from the Headmaster

Dear Parents

 

My admiration for the achievements of our young people sometimes knows no bounds. (What are you doing this weekend?) As I write, 7 intrepid 16 year olds (five girls and two boys), are about to set off for an 80 kilometre hike over Dartmoor, watched remotely but essentially on their own, in unfamiliar territory. They will carry 50lb packs on their shoulders, camp out in whatever weather Dartmoor throws at them and then return to AS Chemistry practicals, performances in the Hastings Festival, participation in the last rehearsals of this term’s musical and much more. This major undertaking is merely the practice for the real thing – the Gold Duke of Edinburgh expedition. In preparation for the Bronze equivalent, last weekend another 19 Year 10 pupils were learning the skills of campcraft and navigation. They gave up the whole of their weekend and will have much more training yet, before they too will undertake their Bronze expedition in June.

 

I am extremely proud of all these youngsters and very grateful to the teachers, Aaron Eckhoff and Charlotte Bryant, who are facilitating this.

 

As I survey this short period of school history (2 weeks), there is evidence all around me of teachers giving many hours more than I could reasonably expect, of pupils driving themselves physically and mentally to perform beyond expectation and of a resultant sense of success, achievement and endeavour in which we all should take quiet pride. Whether it be our recent victorious rugby and hockey teams; the Year 10 Maths medallists; those who rehearse hours upon hours for their drama and music performances; the evidence in almost every corner of the school of high quality art and textiles; the determined hard work being put in daily by our exam candidates; the many staff who are laying on extra revision classes; the opportunities next week for pupils to go to see "Warhorse"; the 60 pupils who will be going to hear the Last Post at the Menin Gate on Friday – it all adds up to a very positive picture. To accompany all of this, there are the daily smiles and laughter that make up a largely happy and hardworking school community and I am very pleased that the inspection report captured at least some of this.

 

I would like to finish by sharing with you, somewhat immodestly, what one parent wrote to Mrs Maslin and I. He captured the essence of the report, in just the way that I would hope it would be interpreted:

 

" Whilst I don’t think I needed a formal Report to tell me what a good start BAS is giving my children, it’s nice to see the core strengths properly recorded and acknowledged. These reports are inadequate in many ways and one should be wary of straying from Kipling’s mantra (treating triumph and disaster just the same..); but I think you should both allow yourselves a congratulatory pat on the back – particularly in relation to the quality of your pupils’ personal development. When all is said and done and exam results long forgotten, such is the true measure and legacy of the learning experience you deliver. Outstanding!"

 

Best wishes

 
Roger Clark Headmaster