FROM SCHOOL THENEWS HEAD
THE PERSE EXPLORATION SOCIETY IS BACK! YEAR 8 AND 9 PUPILS ENJOYED A SAFE OUTDOOR ADVENTURE AT LITTLE ABINGTON IN OCTOBER, FOLLOWING ALL THE LATEST COVID-19 REGULATIONS.
From the Head
P
erspective is an essential human quality
meaning a pupil tested in period 1 can be back
that comes with life experience and as such
for period 3 assuming a negative result! Covid-19 has thrown us all challenges, and I am
can be lacking in the young. This coupled
with hormones and changes in the adolescent
delighted by The Perse response. Pupils and staff
brain explains why some teenagers can be prone
have adjusted their daily routines, our cleaners are
to over-reactions.
doing a wonderful job to keep us safe, and our caterers are producing excellent lunches in difficult
But if the youthful inexperience of students means they can lack perspective, the age of the school can
circumstances. We continue to deliver public benefit,
compensate by providing examples that put present-
albeit remotely, with staff and students producing
day challenges in their place. David Jones’s article
online learning material for the 23 primary and
on page 12 examines the occasions when in over
secondary schools in our outreach programme. And
400 years The Perse has closed. It is a short article
the generosity of Old Perseans has helped us fund
because there haven’t been many such times, but
emergency hardship bursaries so that families hit hard
bubonic plague in 1666 and the Luftwaffe in 1941 did
by the health and economic effects of the pandemic
force previous Heads to close the school.
can keep their children at The Perse. When life falls apart around children, the continuity and stability of
In 2020 The Perse never completely shut, and
their education are essential.
throughout the lockdown we were open to the
Despite the headwinds and the turbulence, The
children of key workers – many of whose parents
Perse continues to do what it has always
were busy on the neighbouring Addenbroke's hospital
done and focus on the academic, pastoral
site. We are now delighted to be fully re-open and enjoying the benefits of face-to-face (if socially
and the extra-curricular development
distant) teaching, ultra-clean classrooms (pupils
of pupils. We are well placed to survive and thrive, and if The Perse can see off
disinfect desks before and after use), and fresh air (classroom windows are wide open whatever
bubonic plague in 1666 it can overcome
the weather).
Covid-19 in 2020.
Alongside these traditional infection
With best wishes, Ed Elliott
control measures, we have acquired our own Samba II PCR testing machine with Covid-19 results in less than 90 minutes – 3
