From the Head

The final assembly, still reverberating in my ears, was a fantastic way to round off this term, which started with the death of Her Majesty the

Queen and was quickly followed by a Focused Compliance Inspection before the true business of the term got underway. There is nothing better than a Beechwood build-up to Christmas; it is magical time of year for our pupils and I am hugely grateful to our staff for the fun that they have put into the celebrations. I have marvelled at Woodlands, Reception, Years 1 and 2 pupils perform so confidently in their Christmas Shows and was blown away by the performance skills of Years 3 and 4 in their glittering Christmas variety show, all of which demonstrate how much confidence our pupils develop as they progress through the School.

Congratulations to our many pupils who have performed so successfully in admissions assessments this term and on the plethora of scholarships and awards that they have achieved. Thanks also to the Bursar and her Estates team for making our complex site safe after the recent snow, to Queen Emily and her catering team for the delicious Christmas meals, and, as ever, to the Senior Leadership Team for coordinating the final frenetic days of term. At the end of term, we bid farewell to Mrs Lane who, after 17 years at Beechwood, is heading off skiing in her beloved Austria for the winter, Mrs Mann, who has been an excellent Year 3 teacher since January 2017, Mr Ip, who is moving with his family to Cambridge and to Mr Orme with thanks for his term’s cover as Head of Geography. I wish Mrs Doyle (Year 3 Teacher), Miss Bailey (Year 4 Teacher), Mrs Routledge (Head of Year 4) and Ms Harris (Head of Boarding and Geography) every happiness in their new roles at Beechwood from January. I also wish Maureen Cussans (Interim Head) every happiness as she steers the Beechwood tiller next term; she is hugely experienced in prep school leadership and Beechwood will continue to thrive under her leadership, I am certain. And so, in my final newsletter to you all, I fall back on the genius of John Donne; Our two souls therefore, which are one, Though I must go, endure not yet A breach, but an expansion, Like gold to airy thinness beat.

Thank you for entrusting your wonderful children to Beechwood, thank you for your outstanding parental support and I wish you all a very happy New Year and future. May the road rise to meet you all…

Ed Balfour