As we prepare for Field Day on Monday, the intrinsic value of education outside the classroom is always brought sharply into focus. It is all too easy to consider our School Values and Learning Habits as the domain of academic lessons, and yet it is undoubtedly students’ all-round experiences which nourish and nurture their character and development. Field Day provides a practical and hands-on way of putting into practice engagement and perseverance, organisation and collaboration, reflection and respect, courage and inclusivity.
Just one of the elements of our Field Day provision is the opportunity for our Third Form to complete their Bronze Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme Qualifying Expedition. The late Prince Philip believed passionately in giving young people the best possible start: confidence, resilience and teamwork being just some of the values which he held dearly. He wanted to transform young people's lives, irrespective of background, culture and ability. It is notable that so much of his messaging chimes closely with our own passionately-held beliefs. Indeed, this inclusivity and ambition also remain at the very heart of our ethos as a school to this day which is why we include the opportunity to complete the Bronze Award as part of the Third Form EXAD programme and Silver and Gold as an option in the Fifth and Sixth Forms.
The Duke first considered the idea of a national programme to support young people’s development in the autumn of 1954 at the request of his inspiring former headmaster, Kurt Hahn. During his lifetime, Hahn summarised his beliefs about the younger generation at the time into six points, collectively known as the Six Declines of Modern Youth:
1. Decline of Fitness due to modern methods of locomotion;
2. Decline of Initiative and Enterprise due to the widespread disease of spectatoritis (i.e. "excessive indulgence in forms of amusement in which one is a passive spectator rather than an active participant");
3. Decline of Memory and Imagination due to the confused restlessness of modern life;
4. Decline of Skill and Care due to the weakened tradition of craftsmanship;
5. Decline of Self-discipline due to the ever-present availability of stimulants;
6. Decline of Compassion due to the unseemly haste with which modern life is conducted.
…students’ all-round experiences which nourish and nurture their character and development. “ ”
It highlights how little things change as these could easily be read as commonplace criticism of young people in the twenty-first century! In response to these concerns, the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme was launched in February 1956. The programme had four sections: rescue and public service, expeditions, pursuits and projects, and fitness. The aim was that young people should make the best use of their free time, nurture appropriate interests and acquire selfconfidence and a sense of purpose that would support them into their future and help them to become well-rounded citizens.
Clearly ahead of his time, the values which the DofE Award served to instill and the selfless sense of service and compassion resonated closely, and continue to do so, with schools and institutions across the land, and indeed across the globe, as now over 130 countries deliver the award. Sore feet and blisters remain testament to the physical challenges which the Award still demands!
It is, however, not just the DofE Award which has remained a lasting legacy. Prince Philip devoted the majority of his life to putting those interests of others before himself. In the light of his death, the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, commented on his ethic of service; religious leaders of all faiths remarked upon his extraordinary life of dedicated service; and at his funeral tributes were paid to his kindness, to his deep and genuine sense of service and humility, and the way in which his life was a blessing to others. In the twenty-first century we want our students to be successful, to be ambitious, to be driven; however, as we continue to find ourselves in a rapidly-changing, uncertain world dominated by challenges and difficulties, it is those characteristics of collaboration and cooperation, kindness and compassion, altruism and service, creativity and problem-solving which will ensure our students truly make a difference as tomorrow’s members of society and leaders.
So, as we look forward to Field Day on Monday, I hope all our students – irrespective of which activity they are doing (and whatever the weather) – enjoy the opportunity to push themselves, challenge themselves, broaden their horizons, even if they pick up a few blisters on the way!
Our Strategic Priorities
Integrate our pastoral and wellbeing offer, and tailor this to meet the needs of a modern-day student community.
Enhance our academic strength, in terms of exam results, developing minds and preparing students for higher education.
Develop a more focused co-curricular offer, organised around a character development framework based on our school values.
Maintain a healthy pipeline and transition effectively to co-education, ensuring a positive experience for all students (current and future).
NOTICES
Sports Fixtures
We very much welcome parental support this term at weekend sports fixtures including cricket at Bradstone Brook. May we politely remind you that dogs are, regrettably, strictly not allowed. To support the School’s sustainability drive, please also bring your own re-usable mugs for coffee etc. Thank you for your co-operation in this matter.
May we also remind you that with unpredictable weather forecast for this weekend, it is all the more important to check our sports cancellation policy and social media platforms prior to leaving home to ensure there have been no cancellations or changes to the published arrangements.
Forthcoming events
Monday 18 May
Field day 4.
Wednesday 20 May
Lower Sixth Form Parents’ Evening in Great Hall and the Main Building.
Thursday 21 May Monday Timetable.
Monday 25 May Half Term starts.
Monday 1 June Staff Development Day.
Tuesday 2 June The second half of the Trinity Term starts.
Wednesday 3 June
Monday Timetable.
