The Headmaster reflects on the Easter Term 2021

The Easter Term started in January with quarantine plans with Mill on the Brue sadly cut short due to lockdown, and ends with quarantine plans with Mill on the Brue for April thrown into confusion by the UK red list possibly increasing. Uncertainty, and the flexibility to react nimbly to this uncertainty, remains important.

Remote teaching and learning continued as successfully as it had throughout the first lockdown and, again, no pupil is academically behind where we would expect them to be at this stage of their education. However, the second lockdown proved harder for many of us than the first lockdown, with colder weather and a sense of déjà vu affecting us, but the pupils and staff worked well together to make the very best of the situation. The King’s Spirit proved a huge success right across the King’s community and was particularly welcomed by many Old Brutonians. The Virtual Inter-House Music Competition was a great success, expertly judged by our previous Senior Warden, and many pupils were active with various virtual sporting challenges.

It has been very good to welcome most of the pupils and staff back to school on March 8^th. School has resumed very much as normal, apart from increased use of face coverings, and both on-site and home testing. I have been very impressed with the mature way that the pupils have adapted to these new restrictions. There has been lots of music, extra-curricular activities and sport, keeping everyone busy and active. We are planning carefully as to how we will support all pupils in our exam years, to ensure that they achieve the GCSE, BTEC and A-Level grades that they deserve. It will be a busy Easter holiday with planning for assessments, quarantine and the restructure of the boarding houses. Wellesley has been expanded with the purchase of 1 Wellesley Green, while increased boy capacity in Lyon will be created from within the Lyon resident tutor flat.

Pupil numbers for September look very encouraging, but the immediate priority is for everyone to have a safe and relaxing holiday, and then to welcome as many of the pupils as possible back for a normal summer term.

Ian Wilmshurst - Headmaster

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