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Reflection: Celebration

Before I start properly, we need to have a moment of recognition for a specific group of people in this room.  I want to celebrate the commitment of those of you who were, like me, up at 1.00 in the morning to watch England play Mexico live (and still made it to assembly this morning)….

Reflection: Sportsmanship

The day is Tuesday the 19th of May, or as Southampton Football Club knew it, Doomsday.  On that day, Southampton were expelled from the EFL Championship play-off final and handed a 4-point deduction for the following season.  For two weeks prior, Southampton had spied Middlesborough’s training sessions prior to the play-off semi-final.  This cost Southampton…

Reflection: Volunteering

Volunteering, most commonly understood, refers to giving unpaid help to groups or clubs out of your own volition.  I have no doubt that this sort of volunteering is important to building a community and maintaining a society.  In fact, volunteers are necessary for maintaining a society; a study done by London Economics found that UK volunteers annually…

Reflection: Teamwork

“Houston, we have a problem!”  Five words that, 56 years ago, signalled one of the most dangerous moments in the history of space exploration, and one of the greatest examples of teamwork the world has ever seen.  When the oxygen tank on the Apollo 13 module exploded, the crew had no choice but to retreat…

Reflection: Mental Health

Why are we afraid to say the word Mental Health? Why is it that as intelligent, confident young men we’ll passionately debate topics of politics, discrimination, and even war, yet we are so easily silenced by mentions of depression, self harm, or suicide? I think it’s because the problem seems far more real – far…

Reflection: Courage

It is very easy to have an opinion, to create your own ideals and beliefs about something: be it about a show you’ve watched recently or a person you just met or on politics.  However, bridging the gap between having an opinion and doing something about it is extremely daunting, especially when, on the surface,…

Independent Research Impresses at the Junior Independent Learning Assignment Celebration Evening

The Junior Independent Learning Assignment (ILA) Celebration Evening, provided a fitting and inspiring conclusion to this year’s Junior ILA programme. The event celebrated the hard work, curiosity and academic ambition of students across the Third and Fourth Forms, highlighting the impressive range and quality of independent research undertaken throughout the year. In total, 33 students…

Reflection: Community

When we hear the word community, we sometimes think of something vague – a place, a group, or a building we happen to belong to.  But in reality, community isn’t something distant or abstract.  It starts much closer to home.  It starts with you. Being part of a community isn’t just about where you are.  It’s about how you act.  It’s…