What a pleasure, on the bright but distinctly September days we have had this week, to have welcomed our new Upper III pupils and Lower VI students for their induction days and finally on Thursday to have the new academic year underway with an assembly for the whole community focusing our thoughts on caring for each other and for our world. It won’t be long before shirt collars are less uncomfortably crisp, before timetables are learned and lived and new relationships forged both in and beyond the classroom.

Of course it isn’t just the changing seasons we are aware of at this time of the year: the adjustment to a new class, new teachers, new school is one which we hope all our children will manage easily and happily. But it takes a little time, and whether it’s their first week at secondary school or they’re settling into a new year group it’s helpful if we keep the signals positive, delight in their independence (and avoid letting them see our understandable anxieties): ‘You’re handling this really well. I’m impressed by how you managed the bus journey / change of course by yourself. Don’t panic if you haven’t remembered your planner / decided which subjects are best for you / found the people you want to spend lunchtime with yet; you’ll get the hang of it.’

We are here to support and we look forward to working with you and your daughters this year.

Wishing you a happy weekend

Jan Cresswell