Head Master's Weekly Notes - 13th December

I have always defined the arrival of the end of the Michaelmas term by the completion of reports (and Christmas cards) and this year it has come early … then I remember that the majority of the world do not break up for a week yet, at least, and that I should pipe down a little - it is after all Friday the 13^th.

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 6th), and by the time the month is half over, I have attended three carol services, had the Christmas playlist on the iPod on repeat and 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 colleagues taking part in a superb Staff Christmas Revue - the cameo appearance of Captain Jack Black, aka Mr Trevor Oats - he didn't fluff his line; the dulcet tones of our very own 'Partridge in a Pear Tree', Mr Keith Partridge; Scrooge's wicked sister Debeneezer Holmes (Mrs Debs Holmes), the cast of Harry Potter; the exquisite reading of 'The Twelve Letters of Christmas by Emily to Edward' read with such aplomb by Mrs Wendy Kiddell and Mr Darryl Carpenter and the fairy tale antics of the PE department. And I take my Santa hat off to my staff - in the midst of report writing, marking, effort grades and delivering lessons they have managed to rehearse, write new songs, produce and direct various sketches to a very high standard - truly remarkable and I thank them for all their efforts this term and for the numerous opportunities they provide for our students. At yesterday's Revue, we also said farewell to six colleagues; Sam Armitage, our Aussie Gap; Miss Rachel Davies, Assistant Housemistress in Coombe; Kara Clarke, Assistant Housemistress in Macmillan; Miss Sarah Coombes from the MFL department; Mrs Caroline Cook from the Science department and Mrs Jean Hopegood, the Deputy Head. We wish them well on their onward journeys and hope they will have fond memories of Sexey's - the scarf at least should keep them warm! The Revue set the tone for last night's Feast Night celebrations, a Sexey's tradition, where the boarding community put on their best frocks, have a sumptuous meal and then celebrate the end of term together in the Main Hall with a dance. Some of the dance moves would even have had Len Goodman, one of the judges from Strictly Come Dancing reaching for his score cards!  It was a lovely occasion which further demonstrates how strong 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 Father Justin, the Sexey's Choir and our readers in particular for leading that. The PSA were in full force in the Main Hall afterwards (and incidentally at the Bruton High Street Eventon Wednesday evening) 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 paused for a moment as we reflected on the achievements of one Nelson Mandela. Formalities were ended by the School Song being sung with great gusto and passion - a real sense of pride could be felt around the Hall and I do encourage your sons and daughters to learn the song.  And speaking of songs, Acoustic Night on Tuesday showcased the talent that is so abundant in this school, and it was lovely to see a packed Sixth Form Centre with students and parents alike (standing room only) supporting their peers and Sorrell Vince (OS) returning to take to the stage.

Highlights of the term? There are far too many too list (and I have to dash shortly as Mrs Latif and I will be hosting the HM's Staff Christmas Reception at Walwin) – the Remembrance Service, the Ofsted Inspection (is that a highlight?), the Christmas Concert, Jack 'The King of Cool' Wingate and Rosie Perrett at Acoustic Night, Speech Day with Kate Allenby MBE, Sixth Form Assemblies, House Cross Country, The Andrew Marr Show, rugby and hockey fixtures galore, India Gill's hockey triumphs, the Equestrian team, Jemma Jones, badminton, Open Evenings, China, KDR lunches, Y7 HM Suppers, Movember, 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, 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 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 for me, the Scrooge begins to fade away.

Head Master's Weekly Notes - 6th December

It was with great sadness we learnt yesterday of the passing of President Nelson Mandela, one of the most influential and inspirational leaders of all time. He changed the course of South African history for the better and taught us the values of tolerance, kindness and respect in the face of adversity. The freedom and peace he bought to his country will remain his lasting legacy and I hope countries around the world currently in conflict will pause for a moment and reflect on the remarkable achievements and contributions of this truly great man.

Last weekend the weather was very kind to our Gold DofE Y12 students who were on a practice walking expedition on Dartmoor.  They were accompanied by one of our parents, Lt Col Rich Cantrill (father of Sophie in Y7) who taught the students important navigation skills. My thanks to Mrs Jenny Wilkinson and Mr Ed Southwood for taking the trip and I am sure Mr Cantrill will be joining the DofE team on their next expedition! The support we have from the parent community never ceases to amaze me and I am grateful for all that you do to support the School and the education of our Sexeians. It was hoped that the weather would be slightly more inclement to challenge our students - maybe they should go this weekend…

Sunday saw the First Day of Advent and it was fitting that I was joined by my elves who helped decorate the Main Hall and the School tree. I hasten to add that we took all the necessary health and safety precautions while putting up the decorations and my thanks to all those students, some of whom returned on Monday to further decorate the tree, for giving up their Sunday evening for this Sexey's tradition. A particular thank you to Hannah Petrovic without whom Christmas would not have been possible at Sexeys! Father Christmas also made an appearance at Sexey's this Wednesday at the 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 Hugh Sexey's Hospital and those who served the School. Hearing the old stories over a cup of tea 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 Rebecca Parham who played Ludovico Einaudi’s ‘I Giorni’ (which incidentally was played at mine and Mrs Latif's wedding) and Rosie Carroll's stunning rendition of Keane's ‘Somewhere Only We Know’. We were also given a taster of next year's Drama musical production; ‘The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee Company’ which looks very entertaining indeed - remember to bring along your dictionary!
On Thursday afternoon the Y11s received their Mock Examination Results, which are also available for you to download from our eLearning site, Moodle. Strategies will be discussed with the Y11s over the coming week when colleagues go through the exam scripts in class for the students to implement over the coming Christmas break. There is now only 6 months to go and it’s important that the Y11s make good use of their time to prepare effectively for their GCSEs.

I witnessed another Sexey's tradition this Friday when the Annual House Cross Country event took place. The school was awash with students (and a number of colleagues) in their colourful kit and fancy dress running for their Houses and charities such as the Bodies Hodges Foundation (Joe Stewart-Sendell and the Head of School, James Russ were in quite fetching numbers!). Thankfully the weather was kind to us today and the atmosphere by the Coombe was electric. The camaraderie and support shown by the students for each other, and for colleagues was truly humbling. 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, let alone their School. I am very privileged.

The 2nd Ashes test started in earnest this week in Adelaide and I look forward to another set of sleepless nights...

Head Master's Weekly Notes - 29th November

Whilst England were doing everything they could to throw away the First Test, Government funding and the importance of state boarding schools were the topics of debate and discussion at last weekend’s SBSA Conference in Norfolk. Politicians, government officials and educationalists led a very useful conference which will I am sure help further shape the educational landscape as we see it. State boarding schools are the jewel in the state sector’s crown and the Secretary of State for Education, the Rt Hon Michael Gove mentioned Sexey’s on The Andrew Marr Show on the BBC on Sunday morning - in a positive way I hasten to add! You can watch the interview in full by clicking here (until tomorrow!) and read the story on the website. The story has obviously generated a lot of media interest but it’s important we keep our feet firmly on the ground and concentrate on what we do best and that’s to provide an excellent all-round education for our students. Do please keep an eye on the website for useful information and important updates and for those of you who are social media savvy, do follow us on Twitter (@SexeysSchool) - we hope the regular posts on Twitter and Facebook help to keep you up to date with the myriad of activities that occur in the School.

It is the most wonderful time of the year - with Christmas decorations nearly up, the Choir in fine form and staff practising in earnest for the Staff Review, the festive spirit has certainly arrived at Sexey’s - and it’s still only November! Thank you to all parents who have contributed gifts for the Senior Citizens Christmas Party next week (Weds 4 Dec) – Mrs Latif and her elves are busy wrapping up the presents in time for Father Christmas (our very own Mr Keith Partridge) to deliver them. That very evening, the Christmas Concert will be taking place at 7pm in the Main Hall and it would be lovely to see you all there to see in the festive season – it will prove to be a most wonderful occasion!

In preparation, I’ll be decking the hall with boughs of tinsel and the like, and thank you to those students who have volunteered to help. A sense of humour and a Santa hat are essential!

A reminder that we are holding an eSafety Evening for all parents next Thursday (5 Dec) at 7pm in the Humanities Building where Mr Ian Gover, an eLearning specialist from Somerset County Council, will be talking to parents on how to help their children be responsible and careful whilst on-line and provide necessary strategies in order to facilitate this. I do urge you to attend this very useful event which can only help support our students navigate safely while they are connected – please do let my PA, Mrs Sarah Stallion, know if you are attending so that we can make the necessary arrangements for the event. Staying on the technology theme, Y11 Trial (Mock) Examination results will be available for Y11 parents to download from next Thursday – full details on how to do this are below – my thanks to Mr Dan Bull for arranging this facility. A hard copy of the results will also be given to the Y11 students on Thursday morning too. I hope you find this new method of communication useful and the intention is that from the New Year you will be able to download all of your son’s/daughter’s reports. Again, if you know of any parents who do not have on-line access, please do ask them to get in touch so that we can make alternative arrangements for them.

This weekend will see our Mo Bros shave off their cultivated upper lips after growing and nurturing them for a month and I am proud to announce that the 6th Form together with staff have raised over £1000 for the Movember charity. Similarly, yesterday’s Second-hand Book Sale in the Library in aid of the Zambia Exchange raised £100 – thank you all for your continued support and efforts – it is very much appreciated by the school.

The boarders are off to Bristol for Christmas Shopping and by my reckoning, there are only 26 shopping days left to Christmas and only 5 days left to the Second Test in Adelaide…

Head Master's Weekly Notes - 22nd November

I woke up this morning and was reminded of two things as I looked outside onto the Somerset countryside – firstly, the freezing cold spell is here to stay and secondly, England’s remarkable talent of snatching defeat in the jaws of victory. The teams collapse (136 all out) in their first innings after their commanding performance in the field with Stuart Broad taking 6-81, is I hope not a taste of things to come over the bleak winter. The sledging will continue (as I am sure it will here when the snow eventually falls) and I hope Cook and his men can regroup and turn things around Down Under – it will be an exciting Ashes contest. Speaking of contests, the 1st XV put on a great display against Sherborne losing narrowly in the final kick of the game 14-15, whereas the U14s and U15s found considerable success winning convincingly against Sherborne. More details about the week’s sporting success from the Head of Sport, Mr Boyd, below. Also many congratulations to Jemma Jones (12 GLY HA) who is through to the U21 National Tetrathalon Finals and is also being considered to represent Great Britain in Australia next summer where she will be competing in the four disciplines of shooting, swimming, horse riding and running.
 
Our commitment to Charity continues to be strong, not only did we raise £580 for Children in Need, we also raised £2150 for Cancer Research UK through the Race for life event that took place last term. The school presented a cheque to Miss Lisa Sweeting from the charity on Tuesday and spoke to the 6th form (many of whom took part in the 5km race) during morning assembly. Next year we hoping to get the whole town involved, so expect to see a splash of pink around Bruton! Mr Stephen Baker from the Somerset Rural Youth Project also spoke to the 6th form about the work that they do in communities. The SRYP will be running the National Citizen Service programme in Somerset next year which offers opportunities for those in Year 11 and 12 to become involved in community projects and I am delighted to inform you that 10 of our Y12 students have signed up to this worthwhile project. With university offers coming in - Justine Taylor (13 KNI RH) has already picked up 5 offers to read History - our Y13s were given a lesson in financial management by Student Finance England during assembly. It will be the students responsibility to manage their money come next October – with student loans, tuition fees, accommodation and living costs to juggle as well as attending lectures, tutorials (and the odd disco) - careful budgeting must be one of their priorities. The 6th Form team are always on hand to provide advice and guidance in this important area of higher education; please do not hesitate to get in touch with them. Also, if your Y13 son or daughter has yet to submit their UCAS form in, please do hurry them along!
 
With the Siberian weather upon us and icy pavements and footpaths the norm over the next couple of months, please do make sure that your son and/or daughter is wearing a suitably warm coat to protect them from the harsh chill – any colour so long as its black; gloves and a scarf (the School scarf, which is reminiscent of my old college scarf, is great value and is available in the school shop) and an umbrella would be useful kit travelling to and from school over the next few months. A good hot breakfast inside them too will keep away the dreaded cold and avoid them having to go to see Nursey in the Health Centre – prevention is much better than cure. Preparations are well under way for the Christmas Concert on Wednesday the 4th of December with the Senior Citizen party taking place in the Main Hall that afternoon – if you could donate a small gift for this party, both Mrs Latif and I would be most grateful –the students would really like to show the old people a good time at Sexey’s. A week later we have the School’s Christmas Carol Service at St Mary’s, Bruton and you are all cordially invited to attend. However, due to the limited capacity of the Church, if you could let my PA, Sarah Stallion know that you will indeed be attending we can then plan for the afternoon accordingly. After the service, the PSA will be organising mulled wine and mince pies in the warmth of the Main Hall – again you are welcome to this and it would be lovely to see you at the end of term. According to tradition, it is the Head Master’s duty to decorate the School’s Christmas Tree in the Main Hall – any help would be gratefully received! There are plenty of Christmas events in and around Bruton, to get the community into the festive spirit – whether it is Carol Singing on the High Street or doing a reading at St Mary’s, Bruton – I hope to see many of you around. It is easy to keep up to date on all the latest news by following us on Twitter (@SexeysSchool).

The Year 11s are now in the home straight with regards their Trial Examinations (Mocks), and having spoken to many of them over lunch and the like, they have found it a useful experience and I am sure they will do the school proud come next summer. They are sitting their English this afternoon and on Monday afternoon will be sitting Religion and Philosophy. On Monday morning, the Y11s will be given guidance on study skills and useful revision techniques by the Positively Mad team which will further consolidate the work they have done already and help them prepare for their GCSEs next year. Results for these Trials will be made available to the students on Thursday 5 December and will be available for you to download from Moodle – details on how to do this will be sent to you in due course. From the New Year we are looking to have all reports (progress and full) available on-line for you to view and download – if you do know of any parents who do not have on-line access please do ask them to get in touch and we will make alternative arrangements. We hope you will find this a more useful and effective way of keeping track of your child’s progress at school.

It’s been a busy few weeks to say the least and I wish you all a relaxing and peaceful exeat. I will be keeping up to date with Captain Cook’s exploits this weekend whilst at the State Boarding Schools’ Conference in sunny Norfolk…

Head Master's End of Week Notes - 15th November

The glorious weather last Sunday set the tone for a wonderful Remembrance Service at St Marys, Bruton. It was a proud moment for me leading the school through the town to the Church.  Sgt Major Hill ensured that proceedings were in order and the Head of School, James Russ laid down the wreath in memory of Sexeians who gave their lives defending our country in conflicts past and present. I was impressed by our students who were impeccably turned out and well behaved and were a real credit to the school and to the town. After the service, we were invited back to At the Chapel where Catherine Butler looked after us and it was a useful opportunity to meet the Mayor, Mr Alex Rubbo, and other Brutonites such as the Headmaster of King’s, Mr Ian Wilmshurst and Mrs Botterill the Headmistress of Bruton School for Girls. I look forward to working with them all on various initiatives in the future. The School had its own Service of Remembrance on Armistice Day on the Monday and I was equally impressed at how the students conducted themselves during the service and the respect that they showed which says a lot about the school. The silence was eerie and the Last Post, played by Faelan Sydenham (9 GJ CSN) moving. I would like to thank all staff, the Heads of School and the prefects for their help and support during the service.

As ever, we had a packed week of House events sporting fixtures and trips, with the Year 7s travelling to Cardiff Castle on Thursday, the Inter House Hockey and Rugby matches (full details below from the Head of Sport, Mr Boyd), House Writing Competition and of course all the other clubs and societies that take place at lunch times and after school. Some of our boarders are off to see England vs Chile tonight at Wembley! The Y11s will be sitting their Mock Exams next week and I am sure there will be lots of work done this weekend and the staff and I wish them the very best for the task ahead. Our commitment to Charity fund raising continues with Children in Need today and early calculations suggest that a considerable amount of money has already been raised for this worthy cause and of course, the School’s Charity Cross Country which takes place on Friday 6 December – from what I have heard, it will be a fabulous event and it would be great to see you there – don’t forget to bring your wellies! We are also mindful of the tragic events in the Philippines this week and our thoughts and prayers go out to all the families affected by Typhoon Haiyan during this testing and difficult time.

As you are aware, the school was recently inspected for its boarding provision and the Ofsted Report is now available for you to read on the website under Statutory Information (on the bottom left of the front page) – please do read it and I would welcome any comments that you may have on it.

I received an email from our Facilities Manager this week asking about Christmas trees for School and the Boarding Houses and it hit home that we are now just 4 weeks to the end of term and only 40 odd days to Christmas! Preparations are underway for the Senior Citizens’ Christmas Party and Christmas Concert on Wednesday 4 December, Acoustic Night on the Tuesday 10 December, the Christmas Shopping Evening on Bruton High Street on Wednesday 11 December, where the PSA will be in full force as well as our Carol Singers and the Christmas Carol Service on the last day of term, Friday 13 December at St Mary’s Bruton, which will round off the term and put everyone in the Christmas spirit. After the service, all parents and friends of the school are invited back for mince pies and a glass of mulled wine in the KDR – I look forward to seeing you at this very special school occasion.

Head Master's Weekly Notes - 8th November

Over the half term, I had a very successful trip to China - please do read my blog and the article on the website 'Made in China' - I look forward to working with our partner school in Yueyang over the coming years to provide valuable enrichment opportunities for our Sexeians.

The second half of this Michaelmas Term is well underway with rugby fixtures, badminton matches, hockey matches, the Movember Campaign, Children in Need (next Friday 15 Nov) and the Senior House Music Competition dominating this week.

It has been a privilege for me to be part of the 6th Form Interviews this week with our current Y11 students. To hear about their aspirations and their plans for the future shows a great deal of maturity and I hope they do well in their Trial Exams in a couple of weeks time. The Exams Officer and I will be giving an Exams Briefing to the Y11 students after assembly next Tuesday so that they understand the exam protocols and procedures - I wish them well in their endeavours.

Well done to our Y10/Y11 (KS4) girls’ Badminton team who on Tuesday became the South Somerset County Badminton Champions and are now through to the County Finals and to our Y10/11 (KS4) boys’ team who came 3rd in this national competition. On Wednesday the Y8/9 (KS3) girls’ team came 2nd while the Y7/8/9 boys’ (KS3) team came 3rd – a tremendous effort by all involved.

Mrs Stallion and I will be at the Independent Schools Show in London flying the flag for Sexey's and I will be back up on Sunday morning for the Remembrance Service at St Mary's, Bruton. Please do try and join us if you can on Sunday as we process down the High Street to the Pack Horse Bridge. It will be a sombre and moving occasion. The School laid down poppies this morning in the Millennium Garden in front of the Music School and will have its Service of Remembrance on Monday morning with Faelan Sydenham playing The Last Post.

Half term seems like such a long time ago!

Made in China

We think we know China. The world's most venerable and self-confident civilisation, home to the largest unified race of people on the planet, China manufactures the objects that fill our lives, from the humble iPod to the cars on our roads. We see a country peopled by docile and determined factory workers, domineering 'Tiger Mothers' obsessed with education and achievement, and a society that has put the accumulation of wealth above political freedom. Above all, we see a superpower on the rise, destined to overtake the West and to dominate the 21st century.

My recent visit to China took me rapidly through my preconceptions; dismantled them, challenged, confirmed and left me wanting to learn more about the people, its rich culture and chequered history.

I was fortunate to be invited by the Somerset-Yueyangpartnership to visit China with a group of SomersetHeadteachers to experience first-hand this misunderstood place – I had never travelled to either Hong Kong or Chinabefore (only as far as India and Nepal) and I only had my preconceptions about the place to guide me. I was truly surprised by China – its astonishing growth, the hospitality and generosity of its people and its vision. Mr Osborne, who visited China only a week before we did, is right – we either watch China usurp the West or be a part of it.

Having arrived in Changsha in Hunan Province from Hong Kong we had a two hour coach trip to Yueyang. The trip through the Chinese countryside gave me the opportunity to witness just how much development is going on in this vast country. There was hardly a kilometre that went by that there was not a new building going up or an engineering construction project underway. Thousands of coal trucks up and down the motorway were transporting energy all over the country. When we finally arrived at Yueyang the story was unchanged. This may be a “small” city in the depths of south China, living in the shadows of Beijing and Shanghai but it was also a beautiful and modern city with all the trappings of a Western one with a population of 800,000 - the whole of Somerset only has a population of 920,000! The tall skyscrapers, vast shopping malls, theatres, libraries and hotelssuggest a city that is going places.

Our plush hotel by Lake Nanhu which was a hotel primarily for state officials provided us with the comforts of home overthe next week and we were greeted with a huge sign welcoming us. We immediately felt at home and following avery short rest to shower and change we attended the meeting with the local Education Bureau who hosted a presentation by both Yueyang and Somerset about their hopes for the partnership work at school level. It was also an opportunity for us to experience Chinese culture through a range of musical performances by teachers and students from variousschools, including the university, in the district. Theenthusiasm, skill and confidence exhibited by the childrenwas simply breath taking and the range of activities was impressive - from traditional Chinese music played on thegaohu to Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No 5. The talent on display was inspiring and it was evident that the children were enjoying themselves and were really proud to be representing their schools. After the formalities of the opening Ceremony and meeting the various dignitaries of the Education Bureau we were then treated to a Chinese banquet in a private dining room in one of Yueyang’s top seafood restaurants – the Chinese certainly know how to cook and to entertain.Delicacies such as crab, turtle and eel were on offer as were other more traditional dishes such as prawn, sea bass and lobster. The evening was also an opportunity to meet theHeadteachers of our partner schools and it was a real pleasureto finally meet Mr Cheng Hao who spoke very highly of Ray McGovern and Sexey’s School. He had visited the school last October and was overwhelmed by our kindness and generosity – I have a lot to live up to! The evening ended with numerous toasts being made in honour of the schoolpartnerships, with fortified Chinese wine – 47% abc!

The next day I visited Yueyang Middle School for the first time and really didn’t know what to expect. I was given a warm reception by the staff and I was asked if I could give an assembly to 2000 children! So some quick thinking needed to take place – I did find that you were thinking quite a lot on your feet in China and this was both exciting and quitedaunting! I managed to deliver my assembly (some of it inMandarin!) and once I was finished I was mobbed by the students – I now know what Justin Bieber must feel like – it was very surreal and the staff had to hold the children back while I walked through the playground for my next engagement. Once lessons had started, I was given a tour of the school and its facilities. The students conducting the tour were dressed in school uniform which was a two tone track suit (blue and white) with a special red sash (instead of our prefect tie) which signified that the student is the student leader for that particular year group and was selected to hostthe visitor. Each of the students took turns to show me one significant and interesting aspect of their school – the history room, the laboratories, library, ICT suite, Dining Hall etc and did so in very good English – I was impressed with both their fluency and vocabulary. Like Sexey's students they wereimmensely proud of their school and keen to impress and they were excellent ambassadors for their school.

Throughout the course of the week I observed lessons (up to 17 other teachers would observe another colleagues’ lesson – talk about pressure!) in art, music, mandarin, history, English and chemistry; gave an impromptu Chemistry lesson on water and the elements to 65 students; was asked to prepare an English lesson to 75 children (class sizes are on average 65!)but was then told with 5 minutes to go that it would be 150 – quick thinking on one’s feet again; ate with the children in their KDR – the food was delicious and they were impressed that I could use chopsticks (the operation of feeding 2000 children in an hour was slick and very impressive indeed) andI was guest of honour at their Sports Day – which quite frankly resembled the Olympic Games – organising 2000children is no mean feat and I was taken aback by the quality of the opening ceremony and the games that followed – truly remarkable. It’s no wonder they do so well at the Olympics – sport is a major aspect of a child’s education in China and a lot of investment has been made to realise this. And yes, I was asked to speak again at the ceremony, but this time in Mandarin….

Miss Zhang, who was at Sexey’s last year teaching Mandarin to our students, was my translator for the week and I was given a driver, Mr Peng, who took me around Yueyangvisiting colleagues and taking in the impressive sites. Driving in China for a foreigner must be a scary experience as is being the poor passenger – wearing a seat belt is essential! There is a kind of ordered chaos on the roads, with considerably more chaos than order, with horns appearing to be the preferred means of communication. The cars on the roads are all very modern and I am astonished not to see more with damaged front wings or rear ends. At junctions which we would consider to be major junctions, traffic management appears to be based on the assumption that you simply squeeze through regardless of how big the vehicle next to you might be. I'm sure there is a system but I couldn’t quite work it out. The car industry is booming here and a million cars are produced eachmonth which will use up precious fuel and produce greenhouse gases that will effect the entire plant. The future of the Chinese car market could be one of the most important issues facing the world. And Mr Peng still manages to miss that pedestrian and coal truck while driving on the wrong side of the road and answering his iPhone 5.

Capitalism, rampant consumerism and incredible wealth is something I didn’t expect to see on my visit – the orange Lamborghini outside the Sheraton Hotel in Changsha; £8 for a cup of coffee and the lavish banquets we were treated to spoke volumes about the place. Every single person I spoke to from the current generation to those who grew up under the Maoist regime have said that their lives have got better. Despite the greatest economic boom in history, China is still a developing country and it is home to a fifth of the planet’s population. Remarkably, it is poorer by person than countries like Costa Rica and Bulgaria. But it is a country that has developed rapidly, under the economic reforms implemented by Premier Wei Jengbao, raising millions out of poverty, but which faces important challenges: a lack of healthcare and support for the vulnerable, heavy pollution, and growing inequality. There is a lot more change to come. I do hope that both Yueyang Middle School and Sexey’s learn from one another over the coming years to help strengthen this very special and important relationship and that we both strive to provide valuable educational opportunities for our students which will enrich their international perspective and provide a cultural dimension to their learning.

I look forward to welcoming Mr Cheng Hao and his students to Sexey’s in due course and me returning to Yueyang with a group of Sexeians to experience what live is actually like in the Far East.

I H Latif
Head Master
November 2013

Head Master's Notes - 18th October

The seventh week of this Michaelmas (Autumn) term saw us take a deep breath as we took on the might of Millfield in our first Saturday fixture, home and away. At home our U14s played with great determination with fine performances from Daniel Diaylou (9 Hobhouse CC) and Ryan Hilborne (9 Knight SW). Although we lost 37-14, we put in the effort needed against a well drilled team. My abiding memory of that game was after Daniel had made a crunching tackle on his opponent, he stopped to help him back up on his feet ? true sportsmanship. A Millfield parent commented on our boys’ spirit and the ‘maturity and work ethic of our captain, Sam Wilson (9 Knight SW), high praise indeed. We have an outstanding group of players here who will develop into a fine team over the years. Watch this space! The U15s played a cracking game and beat Millfield (a school renowned for its strength and depth) 60-5. The boys, led admirably by captain Henry Smart (10 Hobhouse KP) played a high-risk, fast and expansive game with excellent performances from Jack Coville-Wright (10 Glynn-Jones KM) who was named Man of the Match, Joel Oke (10 Hobhouse KP) who scored a hat trick, Charlie Johns’ (10 Glynn-Jones RBG) safe hands at the back and the reliable boot of Tom Parnell (10 Hobhouse CC).  At Millfield, our 1st XV played out of their skins and put in a respectable performance losing only 35-5 - the match went to completion this time unlike last year when it was stopped mid-way, demonstrating just how far we have come. There were also mid-week rugby fixtures for the U12s, U13s, U14s, U15s (again!) and the U16s against Queen’s College, Taunton, Dauntsey’s and a strong King’s Bruton, the latter of which taught our 1st and 2nd XVs a thing or two about rugby; we have a bench mark we can work towards which will help develop our rugby further at the school.

Not to be out done, on a wet and windy Sunday afternoon our Equestrian Team competed in the Inter Schools Show Jumping Competition at Kings Sedgemoor and they too put in strong performances, especially Gwen Patch (10 Golledge DB) on Paddy completing a faultless round in a very competitive time.  Lottie Pottow (10 Knight ACA), Evie Pearce (8 Hobhouse LF) and Tamsin Doar (13 Golledge RH), together with their horses, did the school very proud indeed and should be congratulated for their resilience and fine riding. My thanks to Mr Boyd, Mr Smith and Mr Armitage for their time and commitment on Saturday and to Mrs Croot and Mrs Asbury for guiding and encouraging our team (and the girls’ horses) on Sunday. Parents too are important and without their support and dedication the school will not be able to compete at such levels. So much so, that there is talk that the parents would like to help sponsor a Sexey’s Show Jumping event next year ? I can’t wait! The PSA also put on a fabulous show on Friday night when we had a record turnout for the PSA Quiz (Cranium Cruncher) in the Main Hall which was expertly compered by our very own Mr Partridge and was won by a team called The Management….had they been to the Neuroscience lectures at the University of Bristol with Dr Beeching and a group of our A-level Biologists and Psychologists? Our group of Historians returned from Berlin on Tuesday (full report on the website) and our A-level Business Studies students attended the Entrepreneur Live 2013 event at Cribbs Causeway in Bristol. Plenty of enrichment opportunities for our students to engage with and again my thanks to the staff who make this all possible.

As we hurtle towards the end of this busy term we stop and pause for reflection at our annual Speech Day which took place this afternoon where we welcomed our Guest of Honour, Ms Kate Allenby MBE and celebrated the success of Sexeians past and present. I was thoroughly impressed with the slick organisation, the conduct and maturity of our students, the calm composure of the Wind band, the assured delivery by the Heads of School and the quality of our guest speaker, Kate. A truly memorable occasion which highlights all that is outstanding about this fine school.

A reminder that Y11 have their Trial (Mock) Exams after the half term holiday (w/c Monday 18th) and it would be wise for them to use the holiday productively to prepare for these important examinations. Whilst the students are revising, I will be in China with the Yueyang-Somerset partnership and the British Council to gain an understanding of the Chinese education system and its intriguing culture. I hope to further develop our relationship with our partner school (Yueyang No 2 Middle School) and to learn some Mandarin. Keep up to date with my exploits in the Far East on Twitter @SexeysSchool and I look forward to seeing you on my return.

我希望您有一个宁静和轻松的假期

Head Master's Notes - 11th October

As Shakespeare once said, ‘If music be the food of love, play on’. And that is exactly what we experienced last night at the excellent Joints Schools’ Concert where Sexey’s played host to the three other Bruton schools, Bruton School for Girls, King’s School, Bruton and Bruton Primary. It was a wonderful occasion with many fine performances from the schools and it was clearly evident that so much work and effort had gone into this collaborative concert. The hair on the back of the neck moment was the three schools coming together to perform In Paradisum, the final movement of Gabriel Faure’s Requiem. A real treat if I say so myself. Bruton has a rich tapestry of music and the arts and it is this healthy partnership between the schools which can only help benefit the children of this community by helping to improve the provision and quality of music and the opportunities on offer. My thanks to the three schools and their Headteachers for their cooperation and to Miss Jenna Middleton, our Director of Music, and her team for putting on such a brilliant show. Dates for your musical diary - The Senior House Music Competition takes place on Thursday 7 November, the Christmas Concert on Wednesday 4 December, the Christmas Acoustic Night on Tuesday 10 December and to round off the term our Carol Concert at St Mary’s, Bruton on Friday 13 December.

And the opportunities are certainly in abundance at the school – last weekend 27 of our intrepid explorers gained their DoE Silver qualifying expedition on Exmoor and the assessor, Mr Tim Olivey, was so impressed with our students’ attitude that he felt it was necessary that he write to me! Testimony again of how our students and staff conduct themselves which embodies the values of the school. The full story is Here. Hockey and rugby matches continue to dominate the Elm and Daisy Fields this week – the U16 Girls’ Hockey, led by the charismatic Emily Dudley (Y11 Hobhouse) comprehensively beat Crispin School 4-0 on Thursday in the County State Cup, with Mia Blake (Y11 Glynn-Jones) scoring twice and Captain Dudley scoring a stunner from the edge of the D. The U12A Girls’ are now finding their form, and quickly at that, and beat King Arthur’s in a league match winning 2-0 while the U12Bs drew a friendly game with them. On Tuesday alone the U14 and U12 Boys’ Rugby teams played Beechen Cliff ; the U12 Girls’ Hockey played The Park School, the U16 Girls against Preston School, whilst on Thursday, the 1st XV played Chew Valley School in the Natwest Schools Cup whilst the U15s played away at Dauntsey’s School, winning 25-7. Approximately 200 students were involved in sport in some shape or form on the Tuesday afternoon around the school estate – matches, swimming, hockey practices, table tennis etc. The standard of provision is certainly high and it makes a huge difference, both culturally and physically to our school community. This weekend sees the first Saturday block rugby fixture against Millfield and on Sunday we compete in the King’s Bruton/Hazlegrove Inter-Schools Show Jumping Competition at Kings Sedgemoor Equestrian Centre, near Greylake in Somerset. Next Friday is Speech Day, which is an important event in the Sexey’s Calendar, and we welcome Kate Allenby MBE as our Guest of Honour and Speaker. Miss Allenby is a World Champion GB pentathlete and Olympic medallist who won bronze in Sydney and competed in Athens. It proves to be an inspirational occasion. Please do come along and support the school and our students in their various endeavours – you are always welcome.

On Tuesday we had our 6th Form Open Evening for prospective students and their parents and over 150 families were in attendance. We have an outstanding 6th Form (the results at A-level speak for themselves) and a dedicated team who go over and beyond the call of duty. If any of our Y11 parents didn’t get a chance to come in on the evening or would like to visit again, then please do get in touch with Mrs Sam Brownlow, the Admissions Officer who will be only too happy to organise a private visit for you. Speaking of the 6th form, our Y12 Artists met with the Director of Hauser & Wirth, Mrs Alice Workman at Durslade Farm and the school will be working closely with Mrs Workman to bring further cultural opportunities to our students. Read the Eleanor Nurse’s (Y12 PH) full story of their meeting on the website here. Exciting times at Sexey’s and Bruton! Also, a reminder that the Lower 6th (Year 12) ‘Meet the Tutor’ event takes place next Monday, 14th October at 4pm in the Sixth Form Centre.

Yesterday we bid ‘auf wiedersehen’ to our Y10 and Y11 Historians who are on their way to Berlin, to learn more about its history and influence on the world stage and to take in the cultural sights and sounds. I hear the ferry crossing over the Channel was rather choppy, but they have arrived safely in the German capital! Keep up to date with regular tweets direct from Berlin @SexeysSchool. As you know I am very keen to further develop the all-round education that we provide at Sexey’s and none of these extra-curricular activities, which ultimately teach our students about resilience, team work and leadership would be possible without the sheer dedication and commitment of the staff who give up their time willingly, for which I and the students are very grateful.

The planned industrial action by the National Union of Teachers (NUT) and National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT) takes place next Thursday, the 17th of October and I can confirm that the school will remain open and fully operational.

I look forward to seeing you at the many school events organised over the coming months and at tonight’s PSA Quiz (Cranium Cruncher) – let the cerebral battle commence!

Regards


Irfan H Latif JP

Head Master's Weekly Notes 4th October

Last Sunday, a group of Sexeians and colleagues attended the Bath Children’s Literature Festival for an audience with Robert Muchamore, the celebrated author of the bestselling "Cherub" series  as well as the Henderson Boys’ sagas. The packed event, which was sponsored by Sexey’s, took place at the Guildhall and the audience were treated to a selection of traditional folk Music played by our Sexey’s musicians who were organised by Miss Jenna Middleton. The welcome address was given by our very own Mrs Deborah Holmes who spoke very eloquently and is a big Muchamore fan. The Q & A session which followed the interview with Mr Muchamore was entertaining and informative and my thanks go to the Head Girl, Ella Hutchinson and Will Stanton, the Head Boy, for their excellent stewardship. As ever, our Sexeians behaved impeccably and were a credit to both you and the School – I am very proud of them. I have been meeting a number of students who have been awarded commendations for excellent work in my study for the Headmaster’s Reception and it’s been wonderful getting to know them and celebrating their success over a cup of tea.

On Monday we said farewell to Mr Martin Searle after 11 years of sterling service to the school as Head of Modern Foreign Languages. Always the consummate professional, he leaves the department in good shape and in the very capable hands of Mrs Denise Magill and Mrs Armina Harris-Urwin – their European Day of Languages is a taste of things to come. We wish Mr and Mrs Searle the very best in their retirement and I am sure they’ll be crossing the English Channel before too long! Congratulations to Mr Pete Prescott, the School’s Facilities Manager on reaching a significant birthday (his 60^th) this week and to Mrs Claire Nevitt (nee Woolley) our SEN Coordinator, who tied the knot last Thursday.

After school on Monday, we had the Sports Photographs and it was an opportunity to invite our sponsors and to say a thank you for all their support and financial assistance in helping the school realise its sporting vision and philosophy – the school is very grateful to them in providing opportunities for all our students and I look forward to working with them, and you, in the future – I do have a rather long shopping list!

On Tuesday, Laurie McMahon performed to the whole school at the beginning of Assembly and I was really impressed with the high standard of singing – he will certainly give Ed Sheeran a run for his money! The students then sang that well known Welsh hymn ‘Guide Me O Thou Great Redeemer’ and we look forward to developing their hymn repertoire and singing on these formal occasions. The theme of the Assembly was on Temptation and I thank Atlanta Severn and Charlie Bygrave for carrying out their assembly duties with such aplomb. This week we also interviewed a number of candidates for the post of Deputy Head and after a gruelling round of interviews, which included two presentations, a number of panel interviews, in-tray exercises and meetings with various colleagues, I am delighted to announce the appointment of Mr Paul Reddick MA to the post of Deputy Head – Teaching & Learning at Sexey’s School from January 2014. Mr Reddick takes over from Mrs Hopegood who will be taking up the Headship at Selwood Academy in Frome after Christmas and he has some big shoes to fill. He is currently Deputy Headteacher at St Dunstan’s School and was previously Assistant Headteacher and Head of History at Sexey’s. He was educated in Worthing and Sheffield University where he read Modern History and Politics gaining a First Class Honours degree and then at Warwick University where he gained an MA in British Politics. He has also completed an MA in Education from the Open University and has successfully completed the Leadership Pathways and the National Professional Qualification for Headship (NPQH) at the National College of School Leadership. We look forward to welcoming Mr Reddick and his family (Mrs Reddick is currently our Head of Art) to the school and to them joining the school community again over the coming months. I am sure you will all make them feel very welcome.

Rugby and Hockey fixtures continued, despite the poor weather and the U12 Girl’s Hockey secured a resounding victory beating a strong Stanchester 5-0, a convincing win which has instilled confidence and self-belief amongst the girls. Well done to Louise Mayes for captaining the side this week. Similarly the boys battled heroically in the mud against The Gryphon, Kings of Wessex and Ansford – full match reports are below and are available here.

The DoE Silver Qualifying Expedition to Exmoor left this morning and I wish Mrs Jenny Wilkinson and Mr Ed Southwood god speed as they and our intrepid Sexeians tackle the unforgiving hills and weather this weekend. For those not taking part, there are plenty of other activities to keep them occupied from Mountain Biking, Climbing in the Vallis Vale, a trip to the Moor Valley Country Park in Bournemouth and a Yr7 and 8 Disco at Sherborne School to name just a few.

With changes a foot at Senior Leadership which will continue to help move the School forward, we are looking for a Parent Governor to join the Governing Body next February and I would invite applications from those of you who are interested  – it’s a great opportunity to join the Governors and myself at this exciting time to help shape the School’s future and to support its aim and aspirations. Please see the attached details from the Clerk of Governors, Mrs Helen Gadsden and I look forward to hearing from you.

We have our Sixth Form Open Evening next Tuesday (8^th October) and if any you or any your friends are considering sending their children to Sexey’s for Sixth Form, then please let them know. Full details are available on the website and you can also follow us on Twitter (@SexeysSchool) for all the latest news and goings on at the school.

Next Friday sees the annual Parent Staff Association (PSA) Quiz taking place in the Main Hall and I recommend that you organise a team for Cranium Cruncher (registration closes next Monday (7/10) at 4pm) as soon as possible.  I hear that it is fiendishly ruthless and that the competition is stiff. The Headmaster’s Team will be there, which may well include the new Deputy Head…

Regards

Irfan H Latif JP

Head Master

Head Master's Weekly Notes - 27th September

Hola! GutenTag et Bienvenue!

Thursday saw The European Day of Languages being celebrated at the school and the MFL department put on a variety of activities which engaged and enthused not only the students, but the staff too – from a French breakfast in the KDR to quizzes and competitions. Acquiring the skills to speak and understand another language is so important as it not only helps communication but also develops a deep cultural understanding which nurtures the values of tolerance and respect – the very values we as a school promote as part of our ethos – studying languages can only be a good thing.

Not only am I proud of our students achievements in a variety of sporting and cultural pursuits, but also those of our staff on their personal achievements – firstly Mrs Jill Byrne who came 33/132 competitors in the Ping’s Women 4 Ball National Golf competition and to Mrs Nicky Young who graduated from Plymouth University with a PGCE. I would like to congratulate them both on their success and I look forward to golf lessons with Mrs Byrne! And speaking of success, our U12 Boys’ rugby team had their first match on Thursday against Wells Cathedral School (normally they would play after half term) and they put up a tremendous performance only narrowly losing to a strong Wells side.  We learn a lot from such experiences and you can gauge the measure of a person at how well they come back from defeat – and I believe our students grow stronger and wiser as a result. We look forward to welcoming Wells on the return fixture. The U13 Girls’ hockey team played Ansford yesterday and, although they lost marginally, they were magnanimous in defeat and clearly enjoyed the game by the enthusiastic response I got from them when I asked them about the fixture. Our philosophy is to inspire a lifelong interest in sport, promoting fitness, well-being,  team work and most of all, enjoyment and I hope our Sexeians enjoy the opportunities on offer to them.

We welcomed Ofsted on Tuesday (a baptism of fire to say the least!) who spent the last three days assessing the quality of our boarding provision and I would like to thank all the staff and students for their cooperation and support during the inspection. The official report will be published in a few weeks’ time and I will notify you in due course of the outcome. During Ofsted we also had our Open Evening and welcomed many prospective parents and their children to the school. Thank you for promoting the event amongst your friends and our next Open Evening, which will be for Sixth Form, is on Tuesday the 8th of October.

The Macmillam Coffee Morning’s is now a national institution and we hosted one today at Walwin House – Douglas Macmillan, the founder of the Macmillan Cancer charity was an Old Sexeian (1894-97) and Macmillan House is named in his honour. Thank you to the Catering team for supporting the event and over £250 was raised this morning.

There are plenty of activities going on this weekend, from a trip to London to visit the London Dungeons and the world class Westfield Shopping Centre, a visit to Bath Guildhall to hear the author Robert Muchamore speak at the Bath Literary Festival to surfing at Woolacombe in Devon. Follow us on Twitter @SexeysSchool. Now where is my wet suit…

The exeat seems like such a long time ago!

Regards,

Irfan H Latif
Head Master

Head Master's Weekly Notes - 20th September

The week began with the Harvest Festival Sunday service at St Mary’s Church, Bruton attended by our boys and girls - it was wonderful to be part of this special congregation and to see our students in their Sunday best. Many also sang as part of the St Mary’s Church Choir where a former Housemaster at Sexey’s, Mr Harry Mills, is the Choir Master -  I would urge more of our boys and girls to get involved with this fine choir. Father Justin’s entertaining sermon also gave many of us plenty of food for thought…

We welcomed our new Y7s and their parents to the Meet the Tutor evening on Monday and were treated to some glorious cheese and wine afterwards with the ever gregarious Parent Staff Association (PSA) in Reception. The PSA works hard for the school and I am grateful for their time and effort – please do contact them if you would like to support their excellent work. The PSA Quiz Night ‘Cranium Cruncher’ takes place on Friday 11^th October in the Main Hall and its worth getting a table organised now – it is quite a competitive event from what I can recall! We also welcomed our new L6 and their parents and I hope both year groups are settling into life at Sexey’s.

After the opening of the 1^st XV pitch last week (is it only last week?!) we played three competitive fixtures (U14, U15 and U16) against King’s Bruton on Tuesday afternoon and the boys did the school very proud by only narrowly losing to them. Similarly, our girls’ hockey teams (U12 and U13) took on Bruton School for Girls and again played a hard fought contest displaying dedication, passion and a great understanding of the game. Although they too narrowly lost, it shows that the gap is closing and that sport at Sexey’s is getting stronger.

Both Mrs Latif and I hosted the Year 7 Boarders at Walwin House last night and treated them to pizza, chips and ice cream – there was salad too I hasten to add – courtesy of Mr Briatore and the Catering Team. It was an opportunity for the boys and girls to get to know us as a family and for us to find out more about them. I was given a quick lesson in playing a Sexey’s tradition, Squares by the boys and girls and I fear I will need a lot of practise! I also met with a number of students from Glynn Jones, Knight, Hobhouse and Gollege who had received commendations this week for their sterling efforts both in and out of the classroom - well done to them all.

We have our Lower School Open Evening next Tuesday (24^th September) and if any of your friends are considering sending their children to Sexey’s then please let them know. Full details are available on the website and you can also follow us on Twitter (@SexeysSchool) for all the latest news and goings on at the school.The exeat is a time for rest and reflection (especially for our boarding community) and I look forward to seeing everyone next week, recharged and refreshed.

Regards,

Irfan H Latif JP

Head Master's Notes - 13th September

So we have completed our first full ‘week’ of the two week timetable this term and I trust that your sons and daughters are now getting used to the rhythms and routines of the school. This week saw the opening of the new 1st XV pitch on the Elm Field and proved to be a wonderful occasion for the school and I was impressed at how the boys and girls conducted themselves on the day – they were a real credit to both the school and to you their parents. My thanks to all staff and friends of the school who made this event such a success - it makes me very proud to be the Headmaster of such a fine school.

We have our Year 7 Meet the Tutor event and Lower 6th Parents’ Induction Evening next Monday (further details can be found below) and I look forward to meeting parents then either over a cup of tea or a glass of wine. If you do wish to meet me to discuss any aspect of school life, then please do not hesitate to contact my PA, Mrs Stallion who will be only too happy to arrange a suitable time for us to meet.

Please do continue to support the many events that go on in school and I would like to wish Mrs Wilkinson, Mr Southwood and the DoE Silver expedition the very best this weekend as they tackle the glorious Quantocks.

Regards,

Irfan H Latif JP
Head Master

Head Master's Weekly Notes - 6th September

From the Headmaster

The first week is over and I hope that our boys and girls have settled back quickly into normal school routines and that our new members to the school are beginning to understand how we work and operate. It is a delight to see our new Year 7 boys and girls enjoying all that Sexey’s has to offer and I hope their energy and enthusiasm continues long into the term. It’s a busy week as you can imagine for our boys and girls – the Head Boy and Head Girl reading at the Main School assembly on Tuesday; Leadership Training for our Sixth Form, meeting new boys and girls as well as new staff, girls’ hockey practices, rugby practice, various clubs and societies at lunchtime and after school, singing practices, learning how to play Squares, doing and handing in prep, the 1^st XV playing away to Wellington on Wednesday and of course lessons! There is so much going on.

Please do take a moment to look at the website which will provide you with plenty of information and do try and support as many of the events that you can – from concerts to plays, from sporting fixtures to exhibitions. Please book the dates in your diaries and join us when you can. You are all very welcome to these. If there is anything you are not sure about, then please do not hesitate to get in touch with us at School or with your son’s or daughter’s tutor. We are always here to help.

I am sure I will meet you all in due course, but for now I wish you and the children a pleasant and peaceful weekend.

Regards,

Irfan H Latif JP FRSC

Head Master