Headmaster’s welcome

You don’t need me to say what a strange time we have all had in recent months! Last term was only the second time in the school’s history on this site that the pupil population was ‘removed’. Having read a number of articles about the first time (the evacuation to Churcher’s College in Petersfield, due to World War II), it is evident that despite the challenges and difficulties, this was also a time when the school community pulled together. The return to school in 1945 was marked with celebration and a renewed sense of appreciation.

The school’s return following the national lockdown in 2020 has also brought with it a sense of optimism. There is a real sense of pride in the incredible shared commitment to learning whilst away. During the summer term, every pupil was taught remotely while maintaining their individual timetables, with their teachers, form tutors and coaches ‘Zooming’ on their laptops and sharing resources on the virtual learning platform. I know from our assemblies this term and speaking with the pupils how much this remote learning system meant to them during the lockdown. I also know how appreciative the parents have been for this commitment to learning, whether on-site or online.

Beyond the classroom, sports, music and drama continued. Pupils and staff were involved in charitable initiatives and the ambitions of the school’s Battersea Rise Trust (our social mobility project) thrived. In this publication you will see how Emanuel helped others in the local area. The Trust has now supported 30 pupils on fullyfunded places at Emanuel and we are on track to achieve 43 by the time Emanuel turns 430 years old in 2024. The last time we were all back on site saw the one and only ‘closed, yet filmed’ showing of the school musical, Oliver!, as pictured on the front cover. I know that many pupils were disappointed not to see the production in person, but it was great to allow families to view it online. It also boosted everyone’s morale when the cast appeared in the Hampden Yard for ‘flash mob’ performances of scenes from the show at lunchtimes!

We are now back on site and adapting to the changes required due to the pandemic. I know that the Development Team have been delighted with the support offered by many OEs and we wish to thank you all for staying in touch and helping your school.

As you will discover in this magazine, we continue to thrive and our ambitions remain.

Robert Milne

Headmaster