The Heads of School Speech Day 2022

I’m not usually lost for words. Anyone who knows me can attest to the fact that it is normally having too much to say that is my greatest problem and Oundle has done so much for me. Yet when I sat down, determined to begin writing this speech, I was at a loss as to where I should start.

Perhaps at the beginning, at four years old in a red-striped pinafore, sitting cross-legged on an alphabet rug, being introduced to those who would become my classmates and my friends for the next fourteen years. Perhaps in the middle, at eleven years old in these pinstripe culottes, two inches too long, face planting by day three and sitting wide-eyed in a Cloisters classroom, experiencing my first ever Latin lesson. Or perhaps right now, at eighteen years old and at the end of my School journey, standing on this historic stage which has guided so many Oundelians from one side of their education to the other, watched closely and supported fervently by their teachers, prefects, families and friends.

It would appear however, that regardless of where I start, the moral of the story remains the same. Oundle brings out the very best in us. It encourages us to strive, to be independent, adaptable, confident, conscientious, caring – to welcome change and to revel in it. To that end, it was Socrates who once theorised that ‘the secret of change is to focus all of your energy not on fighting the old, but on building the new.’

Today of all days we are embracing change. We embrace that another School year has gone, and we cannot change it. Our choices, our performances, our achievements are sealed and they have passed. But we embrace what lies ahead, whether that be a new School year, a gap year or, for many of us, the start of university. These are things that we can change. Our choices, our performances, our achievements, these are all to be decided, to be carried out, to be won. Change, surrounded by everything Oundle has to offer, ultimately lies within us.

While Socrates may have been found guilty of corrupting the young and sentenced to a bitter execution of suicide by hemlock, conversely today we find him guilty of being the visionary for the young, leading us to understand ourselves and our place in the world more fully.

It has been my privilege to be Head of School this year and it has taught me many things, not least how to manage my time when there are simply no hours left in the day. I have learnt what is truly necessary, always to put my best foot forward, to apply myself, to advocate for myself, and more importantly, to advocate for others.

Even if I was given an hour to address you this morning, I still doubt I would manage to thank everyone who has helped me along Oundle’s odyssey. My inspirational teachers, my fantastic tutor and my wonderful parents for always pushing me to aspire to the highest level. There is, however, one person who, above all others, deserves my greatest gratitude and who, amongst all the chaos this year, has made this job not just manageable but exceedingly rewarding and enjoyable. Matt, they told me that being Head of School would be a challenge, but you have made it a pleasure.

I wish you all the very best of luck in the future and would beg of you to remember, if nothing else, the age-old wisdom of Socrates. It is time for us all to appreciate this year’s finished novel, the words already written, but to focus our energy on next year’s sequel, the words we are yet to write.

Thank you.

Izzy Horrocks-Taylor (L 22) Head of School

I stand nervously before you today, at a crossroads.

As I pause at this juncture, no longer a naive Third Former but not quite yet an adult, l look ahead to a whole new challenge ahead of me, seeing a road full of excitement, opportunity and uncertainty.

I am immensely grateful for the opportunity I have been given as one of the Heads of School alongside Izzy, for whom I can’t quite express my full gratitude.

If I am honest with myself, my time at Oundle has not been the plain-sailing experience I had initially thought it would be. I want to share some of my experiences with you all today in case there are those amongst us currently struggling to reconcile a journey of expectations against reality.

Personally, I think I could have approached my own struggles far better in my early years at Oundle. A long way from home and without the support network I was used to, I found myself withdrawing, restricting the time I spent with others for fear of being left out or judged for not feeling ok. The feeling of being alone is enough to amplify even the smallest discomfort and, while we will all go on different journeys through school and face our own challenges, no one should feel that facing struggles alone is a characteristic of our community.

If there is one thing I have learnt from spending five years surrounded by some of the most conscientious, caring and compassionate people I’ll ever meet, both inside and outside Grafton, it is that sharing these struggles can be immeasurably beneficial. I cannot thank my peers enough for being there for me, and each other, in such a supportive manner. I can now understand that I have always had a brilliant support network at my fingertips – I just couldn’t always see it.

For me, the most rewarding aspect of being an Oundelian is being surrounded by a range of incredible people, many of whom are sitting here today, who have made my experience at the School one which I will remember for life.

These people have created many of my fondest memories, from trekking across the seemingly endless Yorkshire dales during Gold DofE, to stumbling down a runway during a charity fashion show. Every member of staff I have interacted with has guided me to develop into the person I am today, but I would like to particularly thank Mr Gough and Mr Charters for their unrelenting support throughout my progression as an individual.

All this has reinforced my understanding that reaching out to those around you will help you overcome any challenges you may be facing. Being scared to do so initially was a missed opportunity on my part.

I hope, therefore, to leave you with two lessons:

Firstly, that any of you struggling know that it’s ok to reach out and talk to someone. This School is not just full of brilliantly successful people but also brilliantly compassionate and caring individuals.

Secondly, to those who are not struggling, please do share a thought or a moment of kindness for those around you who may be.

I would like to end by sharing the words of the American writer David J Schwartz: ‘When you help others feel important, you help yourself feel important too.’

Oundle isn’t just a school, it is a true community and it is the care and understanding of each and every pupil which makes it so.

Thank you.

Matt Brayshaw (G 22) Head of School

Objective 1

To Deliver a Distinctive and Outstanding Preparation for Life

There was a large degree of trepidation nationally ahead of the 2022 summer examination season, with exam boards aiming to re-establish standards and grades following the pandemic. For these Upper Sixth pupils, there had been no ‘normal’ School year since Fourth Form and this was their first experience of public examinations. It is credit to both their determination and maturity as a cohort that the results achieved were excellent, with a high proportion of pupils taking up their university places on the same day.

The Life of Learning programme continues to stimulate intellectual curiosity outside the curriculum, with new offerings this year including a response from the Imperial College Fellow to the specific policy recommendations of the COP26 climate change summit and an incitement to innovate and demonstrate entrepreneurial ability post-Oundle from a colleague with experience in Silicon Valley. For the first time, Lower Sixth Scholars have benefitted from a division of STEM and Liberal Arts, with distinct programmes enabling both greater and earlier specialisation and genuine intellectual depth in the sessions.

Nine pupils were awarded Arts Exhibitions for their contributions to the intellectual and cultural life of the School, demonstrating leadership in acting, backstage work, charity events, co-curating a community art exhibition, debating, graphic design, journalism, music, digital material, photography, public speaking, radio plays and radio presenting.

While Covid still fettered overseas travel, the Languages department were the first to brave a trip. 21 Oundelians spent February Half Term in Spain, with the introduction of work placements bringing a different dimension to the experience. As travel opportunities resume fully across the board for academic, cultural and sporting enrichment, careful thought is being given to making these as environmentally sustainable as possible.

Academic Results