Head Master's Weekly Notes - 6th February

There has been a lot of drama (in every sense of the word) this week, both in and out of the academic arena. President Putin’s controversial peace plans for the Ukraine which may split the West; England being accused of playing fast and loose with the rules on the eve of the Six Nations Rugby tournament; and the cast and crew of the school musical production having been practising and performing since the beginning of the week. I really didn't know what to expect and how the Drama and Music department would translate Frank Oz’s movie adaptation (which we grew up with) of Howard Ashman’s musical to the stage. But I was thoroughly impressed when I saw last night’s performance – the American rock musical sci-fi horror comedy (!) was outstanding. It was hilarious, witty, moving, dark in places, but full of energy, passion and verve – the quality of the performances and the presence these students commanded on the stage was second to none. I will not be surprised if in a few years’ time these students (too many to mention here) find themselves accepting little golden statuettes in Hollywood.  The talent here is stunning, both staff and students alike, and I am delighted that the school is able to nurture and channel this and provide such wonderful opportunities for the community to grow. The final performance takes place tonight and so please do book your tickets – I guarantee that you will not be disappointed!

And so the Six Nations starts today in the run up to the Rugby World Cup later on this year and we had our very own Six Nations Rugby curtain raiser last Saturday with Sexey’s taking on the might of Catholic University School, Dublin and losing in the closing seconds 19-20. This was followed by a block football fixture against Milton Abbey up on the football pitches where the weather was, shall we say, slightly chilly. Wonderful to watch the individual contests and the pride and passion our Sexeians played with. And this week we saw the netball teams take on the might of Millfield, Sherborne, King’s and Queen’s Taunton, Clifton College et al and we gave them a good run for their money – again playing out of one’s comfort zone will only build character and resilience, qualities essential in the world outside our school gates.

So the snow seems to have held off for now (we are still checking those forecasts, so please check the school’s website and social media for updates) which means the Equestrian Team will be able to compete in the dressage tomorrow at Millfield and we also wish our actors and musicians the very best for tonight as they tread the boards for the final time this week – break a leg (metaphorically speaking of course!)

Head Master's Weekly Notes - 30th January 2015

The School Performance Tables were published yesterday by the DfE and the results were very pleasing indeed. According to the tables we are the best performing state school in Somerset and Dorset and our results rival many of our competitor schools in the county (and country). I am very proud to be leading such an outstanding school, but there is still plenty of work to do. Although the league tables give us an indication of school standards, I feel that they do not paint the whole picture about a school, particularly a special one like ours. Don’t get me wrong, we certainly care about these results, and celebrate the success of our students, but not exclusively. I believe education is about more than just grades; the published data doesn’t tell us about the character and quality of our school. Nor do they give a true reflection of the ethos, values and culture of our school – from the wide range of extra-curricular activities on offer (art, music, drama and sport to name but a few) to growing up in a caring and safe community. Personally, we need to be careful when looking at league tables in judging whether a school is successful or not when in reality a whole range of factors need to be considered before a judgement can be made. We will continue to strive to get the best out of our pupils both in and out of the academic arena, but at the same time understand what is important about education and the intrinsic values that make up a successful community. During assembly this week, we talked about the values which define us and underpin everything we do at Sexey’s -Tolerance, Respect and Kindness - and we reminded the students to ‘Stay on TRaK’ in all that they do. It is all about values and the reflective courage to live them; it is what you do and how you act and react which ultimately defines us. The liberation of Auschwitz which commemorated its 70th anniversary this week teaches us that these values are core if we want the world to be a safer place for our children and their children, and education is the enemy of ignorance and bigotry. And bigotry is the enemy of humanity and the only way we are going to survive as a human race and learn to be tolerant and respect one another is through education.

And so the weekend beckons and with the weather being as settled as it can be for this time of the year, we look forward to more boarding interviews tomorrow morning, welcoming Catholic University School from Dublin who will be playing our U15s tomorrow morning (KO 10.00am), the block football fixture (home and away) vs Milton Abbey School tomorrow afternoon (KO 2.00pm); the Somerset Cross Country Championships and rehearsals for ‘The Little Shop of Horrors’ the latter of which takes place all weekend. There is certainly plenty going on here at Sexey’s as well as plenty of prep and assignments to complete, Governors reports to write and of course, Y11 reports. Thank goodness for small mercies.

Head Master's Weekly Notes - 23rd January 2015

January seems to be galloping away from us and the first exeat is already here. The Y7 boarders came round last night for their regular supper with myself and my family and it was lovely to see them and to see how well they have settled into boarding life, including those new students who started with us this January. They seem very confident (not arrogant), polite and articulate – they are enjoying all that the school has to offer and I hope they continue to grow in confidence while they are with us seizing every opportunity that is on offer – music, art, sport and drama. This is education – providing all our students with varied opportunities to engage with and to develop creatively, physically, spiritually and mentally. The St Mary’s Church service last Sunday in Bruton was wonderful and the students again were a credit to both you and the school – impeccable behaviour and turned out in their Sunday best. The choir too sang beautifully (many are Sexey’s students) and I look forward to further developing our relationship with Father Justin and the parish - the Campanology Society is also in full swing…

And the dull weather (thankfully its hasn’t snowed here yet) seems to be with us for the next week at least but that hasn’t dampened the spirits here. With fine performances against a strong Sherborne side in yesterday’s block football fixture (the 1st XI lost 4-2 having been up 2-1at half time) and the netball teams going from strength to strength with strong performances against Sherborne (3-3) and in the Inter House competitions, the weather can continue as it is! As I conducted my Learning Walks this week, in the rain, I was privileged to see students and colleagues in action – from understanding the five precepts of Buddhism in Theology & Philosophy, the Treaty of Versailles in History, Browning’s ‘My Last Duchess’ in English Lit, building cantilever bridges in DT and cytokinesis and gene diversity in Biology. Judging the Y7 History projects – Motte & Bailey castle –was also a privilege and the quality of the models was exceptional. Rehearsals for the School musical next month were also taking place (the set is stunning!) and I do urge to get your tickets. The Sexeian spirit of endeavour, ambition and drive are certainly evident in and around school – long may it continue and the non-arctic weather…

Head Master's Weekly Notes Notes - 16th January 2015

This week’s assembly was a solemn occasion where we took time to reflect on the atrocities that occurred in Paris last week – an attack on the values that we strongly believe in – tolerance, respect and kindness – and an opportunity to think about our place in the world and the importance of democracy and free speech. It was interesting speaking to a group of students after the assembly who questioned the actions and debated whether free speech is actually free. I was impressed at how they articulated their responses and it was encouraging to see young people developing their own opinions – something I am very keen for them to do here at Sexey’s. Do discuss with your children what’s going on in the world,  and current affairs, encourage them to read the newspaper, listen to the radio (Radio 4 is a family favourite), take an interest in current affairs and the political debate – those conversations around the dining table are vital in developing their intellectual curiosity and helping them to engage with what is going on beyond the safety of our school gates. We also talked about how we should be keeping those New Year resolutions that we made with all the best intentions at the start of the year. Making the resolutions is easy, but keeping them is the challenge.  I’m glad to say that I haven’t broken any of my resolutions (yet!) and it has been tough – the food served in the KDR is second to none…

Head Master's New Year Notes - 9th January 2015

So Yeovil Town, unlike last year failed to make it through to the 4th round of the FA Cup at the hands of the mighty Manchester Utd. This side of Somerset for the beginning of this year at least was a sea of green and white where we all hoped for a cup upset. Unfortunately it didn’t happen but the Glovers, and their supporters,  I am sure enjoyed the ride while it lasted. There is no shame in losing only 2-0 to a very strong Manchester Utd side and it is testimony to teams like Yeovil (and AFC Wimbledon earlier this week against Liverpool) who continue to fight and don’t give up – something we can all learn from. However, it wasn’t all doom and gloom over the Christmas holiday – the School was delighted to learn that it has been included in this year’s Tatler’s Best State School Guide – an accolade which we are very proud of (only 22 state schools made the list) and although this further raises the School’s profile and highlights the outstanding work that colleagues are doing at Sexey’s, our feet are firmly on the ground and we will continue to strive for excellence in all areas of school life. Nevertheless, it is a great way to start the New Year knowing that the fine work we are doing here is being acknowledged nationally.

The Lent term is packed (I wouldn’t have it any other way!) with plenty of activities in and around school – from sport, drama, music, art, charity fund raising and visiting lecturers. The music and drama department are busy rehearsing for the School musical production ‘The Little Shop of Horrors’ which takes place on the evenings of Wednesday 4th to Friday 6th February (we were given a sneak preview at the Christmas Concert and it looks incredibly entertaining) – do please come along and support the students’ efforts. For a list of this season’s sporting fixtures (Football, Netball and Rugby 7s) please do check the schoolsports.com website which is easily accessed through the school’s website. Fixtures start in earnest next week against the likes of Sherborne and Chilton Cantelo  and if you can come down for the Home matches it would be wonderful to see you on the side line. The football season kicked off yesterday with an appropriate curtain-raiser as the school continues its WWI commemorations with a re-enactment of the Truce football match between Britain and Germany which took place on Christmas Day in No Man’s Land back in December 1914. It was a poignant occasion where the Head of History, Mrs Bazen, gave a pre-match talk about the significance of the Truce match in this centenary year and the Old Sexeians (OS) who gave up their lives during the Great War. We also welcomed back Old Sexeians who once again donned the school football jersey and played in this historic match. Although Germany won 1-0, the match was not about the result but about the values that we stand for as a community and a family - tolerance, respect and kindness. And those very values have been attacked this week, by the atrocities that have occurred at the offices of Charlie Hebdo in Paris, France. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims and their families and to the people of France.

The new term is already in full swing and it proves to be a very exciting one – I look forward to seeing many of you at the numerous events that will be happening at School over the coming weeks and months. Thank you in advance for your continued support and loyalty and I wish you a very successful and prosperous 2015.

Head Master's End of Term Notes - 12th December 2014

And so another Michaelmas term comes hurtling to an end and I have always defined the arrival of the end of this term by the completion of reports (and Christmas cards) and this year it has certainly come early … then I remember that the majority of the world does not break up for a week yet, at least, and that I should pipe down a little - it is after all Friday the 12th.

It is always an oddity of schools like ours that the Christmas tree goes up at the end of November, the Christmas lunch occurs in the first week of December (this year the 5th), and by the time the month is half over, I will have attended four carol services, attended three nativities, had the Christmas playlist on the iPod on repeat, eaten innumerable mince pies and drunk a fair amount of mulled wine. My 'bah humbug' traits can rise to the surface, just as much as they do as Christmas advertising hits our screens almost as soon as the previous year stopped (or so it seems). But the festive spirit eventually holds sway: fuelled by images for example of the Annual Cross Country, Christmas Lunch, Christmas Concert, Secret Santa and of course, Feast Night - a Sexey's tradition, where the boarding community put on their best bib and tucker, have a sumptuous meal and then celebrate the end of term in their houses with a disco, bucking reindeers and lashings of ice cream! I had the honour of attending Coombe’s Feast night yesterday and it was a lovely occasion which further demonstrates how strong (and fun) the boarding community is at Sexey’s.

A true diehard Scrooge would have been hard pressed to avoid a sense of festive occasion at quite a superb Carol Service this afternoon at St Mary's the Virgin in Bruton and my thanks go to Mr Richard Kelley (our very own Professor Brian Cox), the Sexey's Choral Society (Leanne Baker’s solo was stunning as was Gaudete) and our readers in particular for leading that. The Parent Staff Association (PSA) were in full force in the Main Hall afterwards (and incidentally at the Bruton High Street Event on Wednesday evening – do they ever stop?) with their fetching aprons bringing festive cheer (and more mince pies) to what has been, in my opinion, a wonderful term. The achievements of our students were celebrated in Tuesday's Achievement Assembly with over 150 students being awarded various accolades for triumphs both in and out of the academic arena - it was a proud occasion for myself and my colleagues and we also welcomed Paralympian Kate Grey, who is part of the Sky Sports, Living For Sport project, who gave an inspiring talk on how she struggled through adversity and achieved at the highest level. We look forward to welcoming her back to Sexey’s in the New Year. As always the School Song was sung with great gusto and passion - a real sense of pride could be felt around the Hobhouse and I would like to take this opportunity to thank my staff (and Governors) for all their commitment, hard work and dedication in ensuring that Sexey’s remains at the top of its game, both pastorally and academically (the Raiseonline figures released this week are testimony to that with the school being placed in the top 10% nationally for Value Added with English results in the top 1% at GCSE; and of course our exceptional examination results this summer) -  I am indebted to their professionalism and work ethic; a fine common room on all accounts.

Highlights of the term? There are far too many too list, but I’ll give it a go – the Remembrance Service, the Christmas Concert, Acoustic Night, Sexey’s Choir, the Muddy Choir, Sixth Form Assemblies, House Cross Country, Tatler visit, PSA Quiz Night, Eton College, rugby and hockey fixtures galore, the Equestrian team, table tennis, Senior Citizens’ Christmas Party, Open Evenings, St Mary’s Sunday Services, Hauser & Wirth, Michael Morpurgo, Bath Literature Festival, China, Ypres and the Somme, Zambia, Ski Trip to Italy (best of luck to our skiers who have already departed), KDR lunches, Christmas Lunch, Feast Night, Y7 HM Suppers, Movember, Macmillan Coffee Morning, Charities committee….and I've only just scratched the surface!

After all, in the midst of all that goes on in this fine institution of ours (and I hope my ruminations have kept you up to date with all that goes on at Sexey’s throughout this term), it is the community spirit that really matters and the willingness of students and staff to put themselves out on behalf of others, both within and beyond Sexey’s. In a year that has seen real challenges, those values of tolerance, respect and kindness which underpins all that we do, have remained paramount and we have seen them in abundance again this term. At this time of year, as we celebrate the Christian festival that sees the sacrifice of God being ‘pleased as man with man to dwell', it seems a good place to pause, and wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Even the Scrooge in me begins to fade away.

Head Master's Weekly Notes - 5th December 2014

So the Christmas spirit has finally arrived at Sexey’s this week and it certainly feels likes Christmas now, with the Main Hall decorated to the rafters, the Christmas tree looking splendid and carols playing in school. After all it is December and all we need now is some snow…Father Christmas made a timely appearance at Sexey's this week at the traditional Senior Citizens' Christmas Party - it was a splendid occasion and it was a real pleasure to meet so many friends of the School - Old Sexeians who fondly remembered their time here; residents of Sexey's Hospital and those who served the School. Hearing the old stories over a cup of tea and a mince pie was inspiring and I look forward to welcoming back our friends next year. Our 6th formers were outstanding in looking after our guests and were in fine voice when we sang carols together along with the Choir and the Wind Band. The festive season is well and truly here! The Christmas Concert that very evening saw fine performances by the Wind Band, the newly formed Folk Band and some individual performances, namely Carmen Reynolds who belted out Frozen’s ‘Let it Go’ and Rosie Carroll's stunning rendition of A Great Big World’s ‘Say Something’. We were also given a taster of next year's Drama musical production; ‘The Little Shop of Horrors’ which looks very entertaining indeed – and the evening was compered by the genius that is Will ‘Harry Potter’ Annetts-Burke. Book your tickets now.

We have just been treated to an absolutely sumptuous Christmas Lunch by Mr Matt Briatore and his team in the KDR which was preceded by another Sexey's Christmas tradition - the Annual House Cross Country. The school was awash with students (and a number of colleagues) in their colourful kit and fancy dress running for their Houses and our school partner charity, Macmillan – from the Wizard of Oz team, Jon Poole running as Elsa from Disney’s Frozen to Harriet Perkins and the Head of School, Annabel Buckland riding the cross country on ‘horses’! Thankfully the weather was kind to us today (though it was perishing) but the atmosphere was very warm (as was the hot chocolate) and at times, electric. The camaraderie and support shown by the students for each other, and for colleagues was truly humbling - the Year 7and 8s singing the School Song set the tone for the morning. Again, it never ceases to amaze me the sheer talent that is in such abundance here and the fervent pride the students have for their Houses (house hockey and rugby matches have also been fiercely contested this week), let alone their School. I am sure this passion will continue long into the weekend, when we play our Saturday block fixture – hockey and rugby- against Warminster School. Come along and see for yourself. We are very privileged to be part of this spirited and warm community.