David Clark, Headmaster of Battle Abbey School - Blog, 28th March 2014.

Dear Parents,

It has been another busy but memorable end of term at Battle Abbey School. The Senior School play proved a great hit with audiences marvelling at the standard of acting in what was a very challenging and complicated production of ‘A Country Wife’. Soon after that, the school musicians took centre stage and gave us all an uplifting experience at Evensong then a stunning evening of musical talent at the Spring Concert. Prep School students joined the Concert and it was very special to see performers ranging in age from year 3 to year 13. After so much success at the Hastings Musical Festival, this was a fitting way for us all to celebrate the very best of Battle Abbey music.

Sport has also played its part in the end of term activities. Mrs Carey hosted a fantastic Netball Master-class with former England player Tamsin Greenway which saw nearly 70 students joining different training sessions last Saturday. Added to that, I was lucky enough to pop over to Claremont to witness the U16 rugby team defeating their arch rivals in a thrilling and highly competitive encounter. I am proud to report that the boys have now done the double over Claremont – beating them at both football and rugby this season. Individual sporting success was equally notable with Louis Choron of year 7 who won a staggering 11 gold medals at the recent County Swimming Championships.

Our students, and particularly those in exam classes, are working hard at the moment and I am hugely grateful to the many teachers who are offering extra help and support outside of lessons and are also giving time to revision sessions in the school holidays. The Lower Sixth have made a good start towards their UCAS applications and the visit to the University of Surrey has really galvanised the process. The Science Faculty continues to make its mark nationally and Battle Abbey School is one of eight schools in the UK to win a prestigious partnership with CERN and the European Space Agency. Many congratulations to Dr D and all the Science teachers.

I have lost count of the many ways in which our students support the local and wider communities as well as raising money for a raft of good causes. Only last week, we were treated to a rather unique fund raising activity by St. Patrick’s entitled – ‘Water the Flower’ – which saw Mr Flower dressed accordingly and then drenched by eager students brandishing water pistols! I was equally impressed to see students running an appeal for the Bexhill Food Bank whilst also setting up the inaugural Battle Abbey Amnesty International Group.

Before I sign off, I would like to pay tribute to Ian Mercer, our Chair of

Governors who is stepping down as Chairman over the holidays – but will remain a fully committed member of the Full Court. I cannot thank him enough for all the help and advice that he has given to me personally and also for the way in which he supports the School and our students. I have never known a Chairman attend so many events and engage so fully with the whole school community. So I would like to extend our thanks to him and to his wife Vera for all that they have done for us over the last 10 years of his chairmanship.

Finally, I would like to wish the Duke of Edinburgh students all the best for their expedition and also to those taking part in the holiday ski trip.

Happy Easter to you all.

 

David Clark

 

David Clark, Headmaster of Battle Abbey School - Blog, 14th March 2014.

Dear Parents,

As you can imagine, Battle Abbey School must be one of the best places in the country for students to study history. There is, however, so much more than the Battle of Hasting and the medieval world for our students to learn about and to research. For instance, they were hugely fortunate these past two weeks to spend time in Ypres – a Belgian town strategically located on the western front during the First World War. Feedback from the students has been really positive and they were clearly all deeply moved by the level of sacrifice and hardship that was experienced by troops at the front line. To visit in 2014 and to be part of the centenary commemorations made the visit all the more memorable and thanks are due to Mr Carver and the History Department for organising the trip.

It has been an excellent week for Battle Abbey on the sporting front. Firstly, Hannah Duval was selected to take part in an England golfing weekend and Saskia Hunt has also been asked to play under 16 county netball this summer season for Wealden Netball Club. Added to that, the junior netball teams won 3 games at the Benenden tournament beating Claremont in the process and the boys have had a series of football wins against Eastbourne College. It is clear that our students respond well to good weather – so let’s hope for more sunshine during the last 2 weeks of term!
The school’s musical talent has also flourished recently with a string of impressive performances at the Hastings Musical Festival. Time and again, Battle Abbey students make their mark on this particular festival and Mrs Colman is to be applauded for all her efforts in making things happen. I do hope that many of you will come to witness that talent for yourselves at our Spring Concert in the final week of term and that you will also get tickets for the much anticipated Senior School Production next week The Country Wife.

Finally – can I extend my personal thanks to all those who took part in our Open Morning last Saturday? We had a record number of visitors and our pupils, as ever, did us proud in showing off the school in its best light.

Best wishes
David Clark

David Clark, Headmaster of Battle Abbey School - Blog, 28th Feb 2014.

Dear Parents,

I hope that you all had a restful half-term and enjoyed some valuable family time together. There was a fair amount of activity here at school during the holiday with revision sessions taking place as well as students participating in Science competitions. Additionally, the Business and Languages departments organised a wonderfully successful trip to Madrid for a lucky group of 6th formers and, as ever, our students proved to be exemplary ambassadors for the school.

Before the half-term break I was hugely impressed with the efforts and stoicism of the Bronze Duke of Edinburgh participants. Despite the awful weather and very difficult conditions they succeeded in completing their practice expedition and survived the night under canvass. The Spring Disco was another great occasion and the transformation of the Abbot’s Hall is always a sight to behold.

All our students will become members of BAFPA (the former pupils association) once they leave the school. It is an organisation that keeps pupils connected with Battle Abbey and puts former pupils in touch with one another. They recently held a reunion in London and I was fortunate enough to attend. Nearly 50 people turned up and I was overwhelmed by the enthusiasm and affection that they all still hold for Battle Abbey School.

Since I last wrote to you, you will have noticed that we have completely re-vamped our school website. I am hugely indebted to both Mr Baldry (our IT manager) and to Mr Dennett (marketing manager) for putting the new site together. I think that it better reflects what our school is about and I find it far easier to navigate. If you have any suggestions as to how it could be improved, could I ask that you liaise directly with Mr Dennett to feedback your ideas.

I will be away from school from Monday to Wednesday next week as I will be attending the Society of Heads annual conference in Chester but will be back in time to see Year 9 parents at the consultation on Wednesday evening.

Best wishes

David Clark

 

 

 

David Clark, Headmaster of Battle Abbey School - Blog, 31st Jan 2014.

Dear Parents,

Despite the incessant rain, it has been a remarkably active and inspiring couple of weeks at BAS. Only last night, a full house at the PAC was treated to an evening of both curricular and extra-curricular dance. The audience gained a valuable insight into the thinking and ideas behind the performances and came to understand and appreciate the multifaceted nature of the subject. The energy, skill and creativity were captivating and the final dance, performed by the senior dance company, had us all entranced. It was a piece entitled Hourglass that they had performed to rave reviews at the recent Chelsea Dance Festival in Eastbourne. Well done to Miss Bryant and all those involved.

The Saturday before, Battle Abbey School hosted the regional meeting of the Open Discovery Space Project and combined it with a conference discussing how new technologies can help in schools. First up, speakers from the Prep and student speakers from the Senior School gave engaging and brilliantly researched presentations. The latter part of the afternoon focussed on the latest innovations in astronomy and participants got to ‘play’ with a stunning range of telescopes and learnt about the likes of ‘The Space Elevator’, ‘Extreme Astronomy’ and  ‘Target Asteroids’. Many thanks to Dr. D for all his hard work in, bringing Science to life once again in the historic surroundings of the Abbey.

I was delighted with the excellent turnout at our Careers Evening and I would like to thank both Mrs Morgan and Mrs Valentino for their efforts in staging such an informative occasion. Feedback from both students and parents was very positive and the intention is to continue holding such events in the future with talks from a wider range of different professions.

There are many more exciting events to look forward to in the coming weeks not least the Spring Disco and the next Evensong in the Abbotts Hall. In the meantime I would like to wish good luck to the students awaiting mock results and I look forward to catching up with Year 9 parents at the Options Evening next Wednesday.

Best wishes

David Clark

David Clark, Headmaster of Battle Abbey School - Blog, 17th Jan 2014.

Dear Parents,

I very much hope that you all spent a peaceful and enjoyable Christmas break and that 2014 proves to be a successful and fulfilling year.

The school term has resumed in earnest and the student body has readjusted to Abbey life in a typically positive and purposeful manner. Last Saturday, we hosted a very successful enrichment day and I would like to thank all the year 8 students for their help and support. Junior and Senior School play auditions have been in full flow too and we have been overwhelmed by the dramatic talent at the School. Equally, I would like to congratulate both James Slacke and Sultan Babaev who have been selected to represent England at the World Kickboxing Championships in Spain later this year – an exceptional honour for both of them.

The senior students have taken their mocks this week and I have been generally impressed with the way in which they have approached these exams – and by how hard they have worked. Additionally, our Upper Sixth students returned in good heart – buoyed by a flurry of fantastic UCAS offers (including some rarely granted unconditional offers) that has given them added motivation to face the challenges of their last few months in School.

As many of you probably know, Mr Payton sadly announced his impending retirement last term after 17 years of outstanding service to the School. He will be sorely missed by the whole student body and by his colleagues as well as by countless former students and parents. His retirement however, has given me the opportunity to potentially restructure the senior management of the school and details of that restructure will become clear over the course of this term.

Like us, you have all no doubt endured some punishing weather conditions over recent weeks. Alas – the end is not in sight and I daresay we will soon experience the chaos that is Britain’s transport system under snow. Can I stress that due to the boarding students living at the Abbey, the school will never fully close and we will make every effort to offer some sort of programme to as many students as possible. Could I therefor ask that you follow the instructions in this newsletter which will outline the procedures we will follow if and when the snow comes?

Best wishes

David Clark

David Clark, Headmaster of Battle Abbey School - Blog, 13th Dec 2013.

Dear Parents,

We have made it to the end of a very busy and successful term and there has been so much crammed into the last two weeks. The production of ‘Into the Woods’ was probably the most impressive student musical I have ever seen and the cast and staff are to be applauded for their extraordinary efforts in staging such a difficult yet captivating piece of theatre.

The dust had hardly settled on the play when the school launched itself into a simply amazing week of Christmas celebrations. Proceedings started on Sunday in the evocative setting of the ruins for the Evensong service. The choir did us proud as ever and we all enjoyed a very moving, very special occasion together. Attention turned to the Prep School on Monday as we took part in a wonderfully entertaining ‘Carols at the Gate’ which saw a combination of singing, dramatic story telling and the odd killer joke. Next, the Senior School hosted Carols round the Fire on Tuesday which was much appreciated by a packed audience in the Abbots Hall. Wednesday, unsurprisingly, didn’t give the students a chance to breathe as the 6th Form vs staff football match kicked off in front of a sell-out and highly partisan crowd. Thursday was soon upon us as we came to the memorable tradition of the Christmas lunch which, this year, was preceded by the 6th Form panto.  The turkey and trimmings were accompanied by some hearty singing and the most astonishing (and wacky!) paper fight I have ever seen – ably ‘refereed’ by both Mr Malewicz and Mr Payton. We just about managed to digest our Christmas pud before we headed to the Prep School to watch their panto of Dick Whittington – which saw every student from year 3 upwards participating in one way or another. I don’t imagine that any other school in the land does Christmas quite like Battle Abbey – it has been a truly spectacular week*.

I hope that, like me, you enjoyed the recent Time Team Special on the controversy surrounding the site of the Battle of Hastings. It was fantastic to see our school featuring so prominently on mainstream television and seeing the aerial views just reinforced how lucky we are to be part of this internationally significant historical community.

Finally – can I take this opportunity to thank all our staff and students for their many contributions this term and to wish you all a restful holiday and a very happy Christmas?

David Clark 

*Video highlights of Christmas week will be available to view on the school website in the new year.

David Clark, Headmaster of Battle Abbey School - Blog, 29th Nov 2013.

Dear Parents,

I have just had a fascinating hour with a former pupil who was at Battle Abbey School from 1957 to 1963. She reminisced fondly about various aspects of school life (though not about the lack of heating!) and then told me about how wonderful it was to celebrate the build-up to Christmas at the Abbey. Not surprisingly, she loved seeing the Christmas tree in the Abbott’s Hall and she was delighted to hear that many of the Christmas traditions that she enjoyed many years ago, were still going strong today. Needless to say, the whole school community is looking forward, with anticipation, to the many wonderful Christmas events over the next two weeks.

I experienced my first ever Scholar’s Music Concert last week and was completely overwhelmed by the talent on show that evening. It was particularly encouraging to see so many younger students performing with such confidence and assurance – music at Battle Abbey School is certainly in safe hands for many years to come. On that note, I do hope that as many of you as possible can join us next week for the production of ‘Into the Woods’ and for our Evensong in the Ruins – both are occasions not to be missed.

The boarding community at Battle Abbey plays a very special part in the wider family of the School. We are privileged to have students with us from 14 different countries ranging from Nigeria to Spain, from Hong Kong to Germany. I hope that, like me, you come to really value the unique contribution that they make to our School and I would urge all of us to continue to be as welcoming and hospitable as possible to our overseas contingent. Thanks also are due to all the boarding staff, teachers and matrons, who offer so much support to the boarders every day of the week.

Could I finally applaud my hockey team for their wholehearted commitment to the cause yesterday and also wish good luck to the equestrian team who are competing at Golden Cross this Saturday?

Best wishes

David Clark

David Clark, Headmaster of Battle Abbey School - Blog, 15th Nov 2013.

Dear Parents

Many things about Battle Abbey School have impressed me this term, not least the selfless attitude of the staff and pupils towards charitable endeavours. It is wonderful to see students taking a lead in campaigning for and supporting a variety of worthwhile charities. The engagement with the ‘Love in a Box’ project was hugely encouraging as was the student body’s response to Remembrance Day and to Mr Carver’s excellent and moving Assembly.

Another special aspect of Battle Abbey School is the fact that we are effectively one school in three parts. On that note, I have particularly enjoyed visiting and hosting the Prep School and Nursery on several occasions this term. It is the best therapy imaginable popping down to the Bexhill site on a weekly basis and being greeted by a sea of smiling faces as well as a tsunami of energy and enthusiasm. Furthermore, I managed to spend time meeting each year 6 pupil individually this week and was impressed  by their talents and with the way in which they interacted with me in such an open, confident and positive manner – they are a real tribute to their School.

Half-term has come and gone so quickly but I would like to thank all the staff who worked so hard to organise the very well-attended Harold’s Night Disco and the Languages Department for their efforts in overseeing another very successful German Exchange. I was also delighted with the success of the equestrian team over the holidays and I would like to congratulate Ms Malewicz on winning two silver medals in the recent Kick-Boxing World Championships – another exceptional achievement.

I was pleased to meet a good number of parents at the recent 6th Form Consultation Evening and I look forward to meeting more of you in the coming weeks. Finally – I hope to welcome as many of you as possible to the Music Scholar’s Concert next Tuesday.

Best wishes

David Clark

David Clark, Headmaster of Battle Abbey School - Blog, 18th Oct 2013.

Dear Parents,

It seems like only yesterday that I was addressing the School for the first time in whole School Assembly and already we have reached half-term – time really does fly when there is so much going on. On that note, I would like to thank all the staff and students for their efforts in making such a positive and purposeful start to the year.

One of the highlights for me over the last few weeks was Founders’ Day in early October. It was a very special
occasion and so good to see current and former students
mingling together. Equally, I will long remember the chat I had with a lady who joined the school in 1936, telling me in
amazing detail about how life was for her in those early days. Yesterday’s Harold’s Night Disco was another unique Battle Abbey occasion and I can’t imagine any other school in the country hosting a function that sees Prep School pupils and 6th formers enthusiastically sharing the same dance floor – just magical.

This term has also seen much success for students in academic pursuits, in sport, in music and the performing arts and you will be able to see details of that success in the pages of this newsletter.  I would especially like to applaud the achievements of the martial arts students with many of them grading and some are doing so well in the sport that they are on the cusp of national recognition. Congratulations are also due to Ms Malewicz on her recent selection to join the England squad for the World Kickboxing Championships in Cyprus over
half-term – a tremendous achievement.

Finally, we were all very sad to hear about Mrs Adams, mother of former Battle Abbey pupils Liam, Sophie and Holly who tragically lost her battle with cancer this week. The whole
family were tremendous supporters of the school and they made a large number of friends amongst staff and pupils alike, and so our thoughts and prayers are very much with them at this difficult time. My predecessor Roger Clark will be
attending the funeral on behalf of the School.

Best wishes.

David Clark

David Clark, Headmaster of Battle Abbey School - Blog, 27th Sept 2013.

Dear Parents,

I have just made it to my desk after witnessing a very exciting afternoon of sport. The senior girls’ hockey squad played a 6-a-side match against Uplands – and over four quarters emerged with a 10-9 win. It was a fantastic effort and, as their coach, I was immensely proud of what they achieved especially as some of the girls hadn’t picked up a stick in nearly a year.

This bodes really well for the season ahead and I am looking forward to taking them to more matches in the coming months. Congratulations must also be extended to Mr Mercer and his football teams who have made excellent starts to the term – with a win / loss ratio of 4:1 in our favour so far.

Also on the sporting front – I hugely enjoyed my visit to the Prep School for the charity ‘Race for Life’ in aid of Cancer Research. It was a lovely family occasion and dozens of children were faced with the daunting challenge of running round as many laps of the Prep fields as possible within the hour. I was there with my 2 year old son Henry and was hugely impressed when he managed to complete 7 laps unaided – 3 more than me!

The FOBAS Cheese and Wine Evening was an equally special occasion and I was grateful to have been able to meet with a good number of new parents. I am greatly indebted to FOBAS for their wholehearted support of the school and for their efforts in bringing parents, staff and pupils together.

Finally, I hope that you managed to receive a copy of the 2013 Battle Abbey School magazine and I would like to take this opportunity to thank both James Dennett and Jo Simpson for producing such a fantastic publication that gives a real insight into the many aspects of the school and its very talented students.

Best wishes

David Clark

David Clark, Headmaster of Battle Abbey School - Blog, 13th Sept 2013.

Dear Parents,

I would like to take this opportunity to extend a warm welcome to you all as we return to School for the academic year 2013-14. It seems like only yesterday that I went through the interview process for the headship of BAS – and yet here we are, already two weeks into the Autumn term and so much that is good has already taken place.

We have been joined by a very impressive group of new pupils from a range of different schools and countries and I would like to wish them well as they settle into the very special rhythms and routines of life at Battle Abbey. Equally, I would like to salute the achievements of our existing students and particularly, to commend those who did so well in their public examinations last Summer.  Furthermore,  several talented new teachers have made their marks already in different aspects of School life and more information about them will be included in future newsletters.

We have experienced a very positive and purposeful start at the School and the student body seems refreshed by its Summer break and ready to take on the challenges ahead. This was evident only last Friday when we held the Activities Fair and there was a fantastic buzz in the Abbot’s Hall and Library as a host of sporting, dramatic, musical and cultural clubs and societies enticed the students to join their ranks. The extra-curricular life of the School is a great strength of BAS and we are working hard to widen the opportunities that are open to students. For example, we are keen to resurrect the Archery Club and some promising tentative steps have been made on that front – watch this space for a progress report.

I am so pleased to have been able to make contact with a large number of parents so soon into my tenure at the school. The new pupil’s tea party was a huge success and I very much appreciated the efforts that parents made to come along to the ‘Meet the Head’ sessions in the Library. If I haven’t been able to meet you yet, please rest assured that I will make every effort to do so in the coming weeks – be that at the front of School for drop off or pick up or at future Parent Consultation Evenings.

Finally, I would like to express my thanks to all those – staff, parents and pupils – who have made my first few weeks so enjoyable and who have offered so much help and support as I get to grips with this exciting challenge.

Best wishes

David Clark

5th July 2013 - Message from the Headmaster

Dear Parents

I was presented with a copy of “The Four Quartets” by my English teacher on the day I left school and I have always loved this great work by T S Eliot. There are several references to beginnings and ends.

“In my end is my beginning” and so here I am about to finish but also about to begin again. The next chapter is not retirement but a new life, at the moment full of uncertainty, but one which I am determined I will fill with productive activity. My memories of Battle Abbey are etched deep within me and I will miss it very much but it is time to go.

I have been privileged to work with some wonderfully talented children and adults and some very supportive parents.  I thank them all.

As I come to leave, the school is in good financial health and we have some stunning pupils who will allow us to shine in the future and some dedicated teachers and an able and energetic new Headmaster. Our very talented Governors, led by Ian Mercer, who knows the school inside out, have some exciting plans which have been hatched with David Clark, the Bursar and I.

I look forward to hearing of the future successes of the school.

And so with a tear drop over my shoulder, it is time to sign off.

Wishing you all every future health and happiness.

Roger

28th June 2013 - Message from the Headmaster

Dear Parents,

My tears nearly flowed yesterday afternoon at the Prep School. It is hard some days to remember that I am leaving, because life is extremely busy just at the moment, but I was in Bexhill for my weekly formal meeting with Maria Maslin when I was suddenly confronted by all the staff and children of the Prep and Nursery, waiting for me in the Assembly Hall. “Surprise, surprise” – I was quite overwhelmed and then they sat me at the front with balloons on my seat and they sang and acted and danced and recited just for me and slowly I became more and more aware of what I would be leaving behind and I started to feel very emotional. Each form or Key Stage had something for me. Year 6 had composed a poem in my honour and as usual the children performed their pieces with great discipline but aboundant smiles. Much of the performance was orchestrated by Faye Neave, the very talented music teacher at the Prep School but who was also a pupil in the Lower Sixth at the school in my first year as Head, 15 years ago and we talked afterwards about those early days at the school. “Do you remember when…..?”

Maria Maslin has to take much of the blame for this extravagant deception but I have of course forgiven her! At the end I was presented with an apple tree, an Egremont Russett, and it was such a brilliant present. Firstly because when I left the headship of my last school I was presented with a flowering cherry tree which has grown strongly in the Headmaster’s garden here in Battle and will be bequeathed to my successor – so I need a tree to remind me of BAS. Secondly, the intention for my new garden is that it should be productive as well as ornamental so a fruit bearing tree is particularly appropriate. It will be a very special reminder to me of my many, many happy visits to the Prep School and of all the wonderful work that has been carried out there over the last 15 years.

Best wishes

Roger Clark

21st June 2013 - Message from the Headmaster

Dear Parents

“Exciting, talented, enthusiastic, dynamic, committed” – not adjectives that I am anticipating to describe my performance in the Dads v Lads match this Sunday but those I would use to describe the performance of “Joseph” last night. There was a cast of 31 Year 9 and below – many of whom are new to the school this year. Jessica Condon, also brand new this year, directed with great skill, ably abetted by Judith Colman in her first full-time year in the school as Choral Director. They in turn were supported by John Langridge and Tony Payton with the music and by Linda Hopkins.

A major production requires hours and hours of rehearsal and massive input from all sorts of people. Thus the team was supported by costume makers and drama technicians and make-up ladies and set designers, by the office staff and by the many parents who supported the weekend rehearsals and provided the parental taxi service to enable their children to participate.

BUT IT WAS ALL WORTHWHILE. It was wonderful to be there.

I spent a delightful hour yesterday showing my 13 month old grandson the school. I suspect my memory of that event will be deeper than his. William seemed  much more interested in his rice cake than in what I was telling him about the history of the Abbott’s Hall!  

Everything at the moment seems to be a series of lasts. Tonight will be the last school production and I have had my last FOBAS meeting, my last Full Court meeting, my last parents’ evening and many more. Two weeks and a day until Speech Day and many farewells and lots and lots of thanks to all the wonderful people I have been privileged to know and work with. Fortunately there is so much going on that I will have precious little time to reflect on the meaning of it all.

Best wishes
Roger Clark

14th June 2013 - Message from the Headmaster

Dear Parents

What’s the old adage: “Dance like nobody’s watching”? Well, nobody’s watching when I dance and, if they are and they are kind people, they tend to feel instantly sorry for me. This was not so last night when Charlotte Bryant and Jane Coleman staged a truly magnificent Dance Show. Such improvement in one year is a massive tribute to Charlotte’s leadership and the dedication of the pupils. Like everything else in life high standards are rarely achieved without hours of hard work underlying them. It also lead me to appreciate once again the ephemeral quality of performance. If you were not there last night the moment has passed for ever and all the training and work was celebrated in an hour and a half of unrestrained enthusiasm, of energetic but disciplined, graceful, passionate performance. I was “blown away”! The variety and extensive repertoire were so impressive. Thanks to Jane Coleman the costumes were beautiful and there was a particularly enchanting interpretation of the “Nutcracker” when ballet pupils of all ages combined to stage a very convincing dance/drama. The Prep School dancers were not least among those who deserve mention.  I have praise for all the dancers and in particular for Bethany Hill, the Dance Captain, who has given so much of herself to promote Dance at BAS. She certainly led from the front and showed how it should be done.

Dance, Drama and Music are not like Art where it is much easier to record and display your work. Performance is in the here and now and without video recording it is simply a memory, while talking about Art you are all invited to view the A Level Art and Textiles exhibition above and behind Costa in the High Street for the next seven days during opening hours. If you missed the Dance Show, be amazed by the creative force of our Fine Artists. Some of the work on display is equal to the very best Art and Textiles coming out of our schools nationally.

I will see many of you tomorrow at the hog roast counter, which is just one of many attractions of the Family Day.

Best wishes

Roger Clark

7th June 2013 - Message from the Headmaster

Dear Parents

It must be nearly 30 years ago that I gave up playing regular cricket and I have probably played no more than five times in the intervening years and only once in the early part of this century. Thus it was with trepidation that I approached the Dads v Lads net practice last evening and found myself wearing a protective helmet for the first time in my life when I was batting. This morning having exercised unfamiliar muscles in bowling I ache in places I had forgotten that I had places. David Young has captained the Dads v Lads team for several years now and has kindly allowed me to play in the “big match” in a few weeks’ time. So more net practice next week and onwards and upwards!

This week I attended my last ever FOBAS meeting and I wanted to write in praise of the excellent work that FOBAS do on behalf of the school. As a committee, there is hardly room for the 16 members to crowd around my big office table and these wonderful parents have never been more active in giving up hours and hours of time to help run events and raise money for the school. Without FOBAS the school would be very much a lesser place and their contribution has always been significant during my 15 years here. The Summer Ball is of course one of the major events of the FOBAS year and this has involved so many parents over a long time and again I would really like to express my public gratitude to all those parents who have supported the school and continue to do so.

Finally, I find myself removed from the front page so that we can draw attention to the FAMILY DAY, next Saturday. Yes there is such a thing as a free lunch, so bring your family and enjoy a sumptuous lunch and some fun post prandial activities all at no cost. This is the day in the year when the family of the school comes together. I hope to see you there.

Best wishes

Roger Clark

24th May 2013 - Message from the Headmaster

Dear Parents,

I meet with the Bronzes every week and look forward to sharing 20 minutes of their excellent company. Year after year, I am able to say how proud I am of the leaders in the school and this year is no exception. Do you know, however, and as so often, above all they are really “nice” young people, caring, compassionate and high achievers. The leavers gave me a Leavers Hoodie this Wednesday and I will wear it with pride. They also paid me a most wonderful compliment, which I will remember with some pride, when they met separately with the “new” Mr Clark.

The deepest pleasures and satisfactions of this job are all about your children.

David Clark has been at school this week and has really enjoyed meeting more of the teachers at the Abbey and has been really impressed with their massive enthusiasm and commitment to the job that they do. Although children are the most important people in a school, no school can be good without good teachers and it is the teachers who determine the success of the school.

I will be spending much of half term with 30 Yr9 pupils, accompanying their trip to Germany. I will enjoy their company thoroughly. I imagine there could be some impromptu rehearsals for “Joseph”, which most of them will be performing shortly after the return to school on 20th and 21st June. Have you got your tickets yet?

Best wishes for half term,
Roger Clark

PS
David Clark will be visiting on four more days next half term and then there will be at least three occasions at the start of the new term in September for you to meet the new Head.

17th May 2013 - Message from the Headmaster

Dear Parents

I went on a very stimulating course in London this week. Eight retiring heads were being advised on the skills needed to mentor newly appointed heads. It reminded me of the first course on headship that I attended 25 years ago in Oxford. Two bits of advice have stayed with me and there is an element of truth to both of them. The first was rather depressing and has only occasionally seemed true in real life. We were told that: “There will soon be so many alligators snapping at your heels that you will forget why you decided to drain the swamp.” Well at Battle Abbey, there has been little sign of a swamp, (although of course we have a “bloody” lake on the battlefield), and there have been very few alligators. The vast majority of people with whom I have had the privilege to work have been genuinely concerned to do the very best for the children or in the children’s case the very best for themselves and the school. But the odd alligator keeps you on your toes!

The second piece of advice was: “let the corridors of your school ring with love and laughter.” What great advice that was and  I have tried my hardest to follow it. It doesn’t always work of course but without ideals we would be nowhere. This idea of encouraging “love and laughter” has been an internal driver for me throughout my career and I hope some of it is reflected in our corridors, along with much else.

Best wishes

Roger Clark

10th May 2013 - Message from the Headmaster

Dear Parents

“School food” – two little words but with huge resonance.  Despite many of us, who have fond and nostalgic memories of the highly calorific chocolate pudding dripping with chocolate sauce, served when we were at school, other memories are less positive. We, as a nation, are much more conscious  today of what we eat and what we feed our children, than was the case forty years ago and in many schools the catering has stepped up to the mark.  At the Abbey we are proud of the food that we offer our children. Until recently we have had three first class and widely experienced chefs. Aaron Pawson is in charge of the catering and is assisted by Jim Thompson. Aaron trained in London and worked in a Michelin starred restaurant and in the top restaurant in the Houses of Parliament and Jim was trained to provide food on board ships for hungry sailors for many years, working on the Royal Yacht Britannia and on HMS Invincible, which sailed up the Thames yesterday. Aaron and Jim both watch “Master Chef” and are always looking to change and improve what your children are offered each day.

Our third weekend chef, Michael Little, has just left us but lives locally. Michael is studying for an MA in anthropology and has a particular interest in soil and food. He is chairman of the south east branch of “Slow Food”. In 1986 an Italian called Carlo Petrini came to prominence for campaigning against the fast food chain Macdonald’s, who were seeking to open a store near the Spanish Steps in Rome. He invented the Slow Food movement, which has spread throughout the world and has many objectives. It is in favour of good quality, locally produced food and seeks to harmonise gastronomy and agriculture in an eco-friendly way. One of the movement’s objectives is to teach gardening skills to young people.

Without embracing the movement, I have offered Michael the opportunity to start not a “gardening” club but a “growing food” club at school and we hope to launch with immediate effect to catch the planting season. There is a little known patch of land which belongs to the school on the other side of the ruins and Michael will teach any pupil, who is interested, how to start a garden. He will tend it during the summer holidays and pupils can return to the garden in September.

If any one of you is interested in this project, do you have a spade, folk, trowel or rake unused and un-needed gathering dust in your potting shed? If so and if you would like to donate it to the new club, we should be able to set up with almost no cost. (Just pop them into the office!)

Have a good weekend!

Best wishes

Roger Clark

3rd May 2013 - Message from the Headmaster

Dear Parents

Has the spring/summer come at last? Whisper it not in Battle, proclaim it not in the streets of Hastings but there are reasons for cautious optimism and I hope the weather will be clement for the annual school photograph at 9am on Tuesday morning at the end of what, I hope, will be a very happy weekend for you all.

I am inevitably spending some part of this term looking back as I come towards my retirement after 41 years of teaching but I will try not to pontificate too often (or not more than usual!) and I hope that I will avoid sounding like Mr Chips. Indeed of the four members of staff retiring this summer, I am the one who has served the least time, with only 15 years at Battle Abbey School.

Next least senior in years of service is Kevin Anderson who will have completed 18 years at Battle. Kevin writes: ““I will complete 40 years’ teaching in July, and with the joints creaking just a little more these days, it seemed a quite appropriate time to make the decision.  I am very lucky to have been involved in so many years of the School’s growth and success.” Kevin is having a sabbatical term as Head of KS3 and will be concentrating his many creative talents into the performing arts. Kevin was briefly Head of Music, when he first joined the school. Angela Valentino and I will pick up the few KS3 problems that occur. I have particularly enjoyed working more closely with Yr9 and Yr7 in the last two years and it reminds me of my 9 very happy years as a Prep School Head before I came to Battle. 

Next comes Lyndall Davey who will complete 21 years with the school this summer. She has brought a stability and quality to the English department, which surely accounts for much of its long term success. There are many former pupils who will recognise that their examination success largely depended on the kind, patient, extra support given by Lyndall.

Finally and not least among us is Julia Hinde, who has served the school since February 1985, thus completing over 28 years with the school. Few people in any job can claim that length of loyal service. I have had the privilege of working very closely with Julia for all of my time at the school in her role as Headmaster’s secretary and she has been a wonderful supporter and ally. It has been particularly special for her that recent health problems that have beset her and her husband are now in abeyance.

It is not time to go yet but we are all looking forward to having more time to “smell the roses” and in my case there are three grandsons, recently arrived, to get to know.

However, I am not “demob happy”. The term is far from over and there is much still to do. I am delighted to say that David Clark will be coming to the school for 6 full days this term and I am sharing much of the planning of next year with him already. There are many new excitements round the corner for the school, as it gears up for the next phase of its journey.

And for me, a little later today, I look forward to my favourite moment of every week, spending a double lesson teaching English to the delightful Year 7s. They remind me of why I went into teaching in the first place.

Best wishes

Roger Clark