BEAUDESERT PARK MAGAZINE Autumn 2021
S C H O O L N OT E S Headmaster’s Speech at Year 8 Prizegiving to thank Year 8 for their wonderful play. Year 8, the more I reflect in the days since, the more I realise what an incredible achievement it was. I also uttered the words: ‘I think it’s coming home…’ And then an hour later, 30 minutes into the game, head in my hands, I couldn’t help feel I had tempted fate. Was it going to be another year of hurt? Well, not yet. But who knows.
Ladies and gentlemen, Year 8, good morning and welcome to the final day, not only of this school year, but of your time with us at Beaudesert. This morning is an opportunity to celebrate all your achievements and to thank every one of you for the many things you have brought to Beaudesert Park School. Every one of you of has brought something special to Beaudesert during your time here, whether that has been for nine years, or during the last two years. You all leave memories which will remain as a positive mark on the lives of others. Let your abiding memories be of the stories you have told and those yet to be written, which will be all the richer for everything you have learnt, especially about yourselves, while at Beaudesert. I could take this opportunity to list your endless achievements during this past year, or the many years before, but they are far too many and one risks missing so many wonderful moments, whether in the classroom, on the stage, playing sport with
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your friends, or in the surf of Cornwall. It is far better to leave you to enjoy your memories together, sharing them with joy for years to come, especially as the stories become richer and more elaborate, the truth stretched in all the right ways, and the warmth of the memories nurtured with each retelling. As you look back on the rich tapestry of your experiences at Beaudesert, cherish every recollection, let them live within you, and allow them to continue to guide who you are and who you become. Instead of looking back today, I would like to pause for a moment and look forward. You may be feeling desperately sad to be leaving Beaudesert; you may be itching to go and spread your wings further. Either is okay, and both are completely as things should be. Your years here have been to prepare you, and now is the time to go forward with confidence. The last time I spoke to many of you, it was at about 7.30pm on Wednesday night, just before England’s semi-final, and you were eager for me to stop talking as quickly as possible. Hopefully you will be a little more patient with me today. On Wednesday, the first thing I did was
That line from the Three Lions song: ‘30 years of hurt, never stopped me dreaming’ is one that is belted out with unbridled passion whenever the song is sung. It represents the simple truth that, no amount of challenge, no amount of failure should ever temper our dreams. It is now 55 years. And still we dream. Children, you will not have to wait for 55 years for most of your dreams to come true. The most important thing is that you have dreams. Let them run wild. Don’t let anyone tell you not to dream. Eleanor Roosevelt said: “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams,” and let Walt Disney’s belief that “if you can dream it, you can do it” guide you in the years to come. The other words that make the song resonate so strongly is ‘home’. The sense of something collective. Together. Bigger than the self. The idea of home and place and belonging brings people together, in this case all for the silly pleasure, or otherwise, of watching a ball being kicked around. For you all, children and parents, Beaudesert has been a home in so many ways. It has been a rock of support, a blanket of comfort, and quite simply a part of your family. As we grow, it is natural that we move away from one home and make new homes afresh, but like all homes, Beaudesert will always remain here for you.
