Head Master's Weekly Notes - 8th May

I have avoided talking about the General Election in my ruminations over the past couple of months as I am not one to speculate, unlike the expert opinion polls, and decided to comment only once the polling booths had closed. As I watched the outcome of the election unfold in the wee hours of the morning, it was becoming apparent that the UK will be waking up to a new Government; not a coalition but a single party majority - quite extraordinary when you consider that this was touted as the most unpredictable elections in recent times. This has been an election which will have more profound consequences than almost any in living memory. Even our own Mock Elections run by the Sixth Form Govt & Politics students produced results that mirrored the remarkable exit polls and reflected the views of modern Britain and a generation who will now engage in political discourse. Only time will tell if the new Government will be successful and I hope, for the sake of our students, that they will make the right decisions when it comes to the important question of education– decisions that will allow us to continue to provide a high quality, all-round holistic education and excellent pastoral care – we cannot afford to compromise on these. We have the Union Jack flying proudly on the front lawn of the school, not to celebrate the new Government, but to commemorate the 70th anniversary of VE Day, when Winston Churchill announced the end of World War Two and the History Department (they have been busy this week!) marked the occasion with a variety of activities at school. How the world has changed since 1945. We now face a decision about our future in Europe, with an EU referendum almost certain in two years' time and there will also be serious questions about the future of the United Kingdom. It means the future of the Union could yet again be on the political agenda. It is an election which has not just defied all the predictions of the pollsters and the pundits - but which may yet prompt the most fundamental shift of British politics for a generation. Interesting times.