Careers in Sport event at Gtech Community Stadium, Brentford, for selected 6th Form pupils
A recurring theme of these newsletters has been our Girls' 1st XI hockey team, and their superb run through the T2 National Hockey Cup. After their nail-biting victory against Latymer Upper School in the semi-final back in February, and a month-long wait, the big day finally arrived on Tuesday this week, with the National Final at the Olympic Park in London. Manchester High School for Girls were the opposition, and with a number of international players in their ranks they certainly posed stiff opposition. Yet the match was very even, with chances for both teams, and while we ultimately came away on the wrong end of the 3-1 scoreline, had the bounce of the ball gone differently on a couple of occasions the game could easily have gone our way. I hope, though, that the girls will reflect on this season with real pride: not just for their performance in the final itself, but for the whole cup run, in which they displayed incredible grit, resilience and skill to overcome some of the strongest schools in the country.
It was also wonderful that the game was played in front of a large King's crowd: not just the coach-load of supporters we brought up to London, but a great many parents, friends and Old Brutonians, including some who had flown from overseas for the occasion. The King's crowd created a fantastic atmosphere for the match, something that even the organisers at England Hockey commented on favourably afterwards. It was an occasion on which we showed King's at its very best. Yes the high-level successes of our pupils, but also how we can come together as a community to support each other, and to show our collective pride in all that our pupils achieve together.
I am writing this newsletter from a 23rd floor hotel room in Tokyo. The view over the city's towering skyline certainly makes a change from my normal view of Somerset's rolling hills and the Dovecote! I am here to attend a Japanese education fair over the weekend, as well as meet with educational agents and some of our current and prospective families. On the way back I am stopping in Hong Kong, to meet with more educational agents, as well as host an event for current and prospective families, as well as Old Brutonians, on Tuesday evening. I have written before of how much we value our international pupils, and our community of Old Brutonians, and of how much they bring to the school. I won't repeat myself by saying it again.
It is strange, though, to be away from school for an extended period. On one level that is because I have missed a great deal, including a 3rd Form Dinner, our BTEC Enterprise pupils running their pop-up 'Splash and Dash' car wash, Greg James cycling through Bruton and, of course, Lyon House's much-anticipated 'Farm Olympics' on Thursday evening! Yet there is something more fundamental than this, I think. Physically being present in school means that you absorb the energy and enjoyment of all that happens, and of the little interactions that take place thousands of times a day, and which give the school its soul. Overseas trips will always be an important aspect of any boarding school's operations, but whenever I am away it is always coming back that I look forward to the most. Something I have picked up from our parents is that you, too, would like more opportunities to come into school, and to spend time with members of the school community, and with each other. This is something we are actively working on, and I hope that in the months ahead you will see that we are creating more events and opportunities with the aim of providing just that.
Headmaster
