It's wonderful hearing the echo of young voices in our halls again

The sound of young voices echoing in our corridors once more has been a great pleasure to hear this week. It feels as though there is a good deal to feel gratitude for at the moment. Whilst undoubtedly the gradual opening up of more freedoms in the coming months will not be without bumps and redirections, there are many reasons to feel increasingly optimistic.

Whilst we never imagined a year ago that I would be asking my receptionists, caretakers, and technicians (and willing parents!) to conduct nearly 1500 lateral flow tests - that is being achieved with efficiency and good humour. The students themselves, have taken this in their stride and are overcoming fears and supporting each other – recognising the importance of undergoing some discomfort or inconvenience in order to support a return to school. For Year 9 who have had a small setback in their return to school, I particularly want to thank them for their patience and forbearance. The sacrifice they are making in learning from home next week will mean we have hopefully limited a potential spread of infection that could quickly have affected many year groups and caused even greater disruption. There is no doubt, until the vaccine is rolled out to the adult population, we will have to keep tolerating disruptions and re-directions, but we will do it together and in the knowledge that we are heading towards a brighter and freer place.

With clubs restarting next week at seniors, I am looking forward to hearing the sounds of music and the excited chatter of students heading to the sports field from outside my office. Please keep encouraging your daughters to stay active, in whatever way they enjoy, at weekends. With current lockdown restrictions, its something they can still safely do and we know how important time spent outside, ideally exercising, is for our health and ability to take on the rest of the week’s challenges. Have a wonderful weekend!