Principal's Blog
Epsom Playhouse next Sunday 2pm
In assembly this morning I took up the theme of charity which Mr South and I wrote about in the last newsletter. I suggested to the boys that as they grow older they should identify two or three charities that they feel particularly strongly about, and focus their fund-raising on these causes.
As I wrote in the newsletter, I have become involved in work for The Children’s Trust, an excellent charity based in Tadworth, Surrey for children with acquired brain injuries. The Senior Choir and Recorder Ensemble are performing in a concert in aid of The Trust next Sunday (26th Feb) at 2pm in Epsom Playhouse. All parents and children are welcome and it promises to be a fun event – and not long I promise! I hope to see some of you there.
20th February 2012
The Wodehouse connection
We were honoured to welcome Dr Joe Spence, Master of Dulwich College, to Elmhurst on Friday.
I was introduced to Dr Spence at an event during the summer, and as soon as he discovered the connection between our two schools he was eager to come and visit – an offer we of course jumped at!
What is the connection? Well, the famous comic novelist P.G.Wodehouse is an alumnus (old boy) of ours, and he went on from Elmhurst to Dulwich College. P.G.Wodehouse, writer of the Jeeves and Wooster novels, adored his early years and held enormous affection for his schools. Dulwich College now has a very fine archive of his works, and indeed has a recreation of his study. Dr Spence has kindly invited boys from Year 6 to visit the archive later this year.
Whilst here, Dr Spence spoke to our assembly about Wodehouse’s life and his achievements, which he managed despite having to overcome many obstacles in his life. His talk was inspiring for us all and we will certainly be taking him up on his offer later in the year.
What ho? A motivating Friday.
30th January 2012
Do superheroes have courage?
An odd question, you might think.
I chose ‘courage’ as today’s assembly theme because it is one of the Paralympic values. We are examining all the Olympic and Paralympic values in school, now that we have achieved the status of ‘Olympic School 2012’.
So, we had two volunteers this morning: Reshe, who took the role of the ‘Immortal Superhero Mask Man’, with elemental powers(!); and Simon, who played himself – i.e. not immortal and no special powers at all. The task for these two volunteers: to rescue a damsel in distress from an imaginary fire. Mrs Buckland kindly rose to the challenge of this role!
Immortal Superhero Mask Man was of course able to swoop in on his special wings, put out the flames with his water-gush powers, and pluck Mrs B to safety. Simon, on the other hand, had to climb up the burning stairs, dash into the room and collect the fair damsel with nothing but his manly spirit to aid him.
The question: which one of these two characters showed courage? Was it the superhero or the normal boy? Of course, it was Simon, because in order to do the heroic act, he had to overcome obstacles and put himself at risk. The superhero was risking nothing – it was easy for him.
What relevance is this to Olympic values? Well, the athletes who take part in the Paralympics have in all cases had to overcome great personal obstacles in their desire to succeed. They show spirit and courage in all that they do, and they are an amazing example to us all.
The Ancient Greeks knew this – it’s all in Homer, would you believe. The mortals on earth are heroic, because they risk everything, and in that way they are greater than the gods.
We salute the Paralympians – and aim for courage in our own hearts.
16th January 2012
That First Impression…
Happy New Year to you all! As you can read on the school news page, we have been blessed by a new member of our family over Christmas – our daughter Sybella born on 22nd December. So we’ve not had a relaxing break exactly, but a very happy one!
If you ask your son how I looked as I walked into assembly this morning, he will say (I think) that I was scruffy. My shirt was untucked, my tie undone, laces loose and shirt cuffs link-less. Thankfully, the boys helped show me how to smarten up. (Though I was a little concerned at the boy who thought I still looked scruffy at the end…!)
My unkemptness was not related to our new baby, by the way! My point was - you never get a second chance to make a good first impression. And we have a number of boys in Year 6 in the next few weeks who will want to make a good first impression as they go for interview at their prospective secondary schools. Of course, it’s not just about clean shoes and brushed hair. It’s about boys having the chance to show who they really are, and convey their enthusiasm for whatever interests them. It’s nerve-wracking for the boys before they go in, but almost always, each boy comes away from an interview feeling that he has had the chance to make a really good impression.
I’m a big fan of the interview process, and I wish all our Year 6 boys good luck for their exams and assessments.
9th January 2012
Elmhurst joins IAPS
We are delighted that Elmhurst School for Boys has joined the Incorporated Association of Preparatory Schools. At the IAPS council meeting on November 29th 2011 Elmhurst was unanimously voted into membership of the oldest association of prep schools in the UK.
‘Elmhurst’s membership of IAPS recognises the fact that Elmhurst has become one of the elite prep schools in the country,’ commented Henry Wickham, Principal. ‘Our boys achieve extraordinary results in both their academic and their extra-curricular pursuits. We are extremely pleased to be joining an association which will help the boys develop their abilities and skills through greater training opportunities and through access to more nationwide competitions.’
Elmhurst will remain a member of the Independent Schools’ Association, a smaller body which covers schools of all age-ranges. Within the ISA Elmhurst has had huge success in sporting competitions, winning the football national finals, the cricket national finals and several national swimming medals, to name but a few achievements in recent years.
9th January 2012
Autumn Term 2011
A Merry Christmas to you all!
The Christmas season has got off to a wonderful start this year. We have had the Reception and Year 1 Christmas play, the Year 2 carols round the tree, and then on Thursday it was the Carol Concert. Sadly I was unable to make the EFA Christmas Fayre, but I gather it was outstanding. Rarely have I enjoyed the build-up so much!
This morning in assembly we did some enthusiastic singing to get us going – then I posed the million-dollar question: what is the all-time greatest Christmas movie? Unsurprisingly, the boys went mainly for recent films (although Home Alone was a big favourite). Mr South and Mrs Buckland were all for It’s a Wonderful Life. But for my money the out and out greatest is A Muppet Christmas Carol. Good music, good plot, Miss Piggy – what’s not to like?
Moving to a less frivolous theme, I asked who had written the original ‘Christmas Carol’ plot – lots of hands up with the correct answer: Charles Dickens. We’re going to hear a lot about Dickens this coming year because 2012 sees the bicentenary of his birth. Not only was he an amazing writer but his social conscience helped to improve the lives of thousands of children and adults in poverty in Victorian times. His Christmas short story, which is now known the world over, tells the tale of someone who is forced to learn from his mistakes and become a better person. No wonder we all take it so much to heart.
I wish you all a fantastic Christmas break. However you celebrate the holiday, I hope you are able to share happy times with friends and family. In our household we will be welcoming (God willing) a new addition to our family around Christmas, so we are looking forward to a very special time.
With best wishes to you all.
12th December 2011
The Olympic spirit starts breathing
The Olympics may still be 8 months away, but at Elmhurst we have already started breathing in the Olympic spirit!
At assembly today the School Council unveiled their playground rules for this year for both Lower and Upper School playgrounds. These have been rooted firmly in the Olympic values which are espoused as part of the 2012 Games schools' initiative.
We have also applied to be an Olympic School, which has involved considerable effort by Mr Kelly and Miss Boniferro, and we are all (boys and staff alike) excited to hear whether our bid has been successful. More to come on this...
Meanwhile, the thought of the Summer Olympics may help to get us through this very cold patch!
28th November 2011
Raising voices together…
UPDATE
Congratulations to all the boys on a superb performance at Thursday's concert! An evening to remember.
25th November 2011
I’m delighted to be taking the Senior Choir to sing with Whitgift School in their annual Autumn Collection concert on Thursday at the Fairfield Halls.
The connection between Whitgift and Elmhurst has lasted for well over 100 years, as far as our records show Hugh Burnand was the first boy to join Whitgift in 1879. One of the earliest photographs from the Elmhurst archive shows Elmhurst boys playing on the Old Whitgiftian pitches before the turn of the 20th Century. Very many of our boys have gone on to Whitgift and we are very proud of them – as we are of all our boys, who have gone on to a whole series of senior schools in this area and further afield.
I’m looking forward to a great evening on Thursday. Tickets are still available from the box office and I know it will be a good event.
And we’re even now working on carols for the various Christmas events! Busy busy…
22nd November 2011
Do as you would be done by
This week is National Anti-Bullying Week – a crucial week for all of us in schools. There is nothing so emotive a subject as bullying and nothing so important to stamp out.
As you know, all schools are required by law to have anti-bullying policies, and robust procedures to deal with any bullying which takes place. But it’s at the chalk face that it really matters. How can we help boys to speak up if they feel victimised? How can we ensure that other boys will tell an adult if they see it happen? How can we stop a bully wanting to bully?
Throughout this week, formteachers will be discussing bullying and how to deal with it with their classes. I hope that we have a school atmosphere and ethos which is open and trusting enough to allow boys to come forward if bullying behaviour is happening. That is certainly our dearest desire.
In assembly today I reinforced the positive side of the message. I’ve always preferred to encourage good behaviour rather than just to prohibit bad behaviour. So alongside ‘Anti-bullying week’, we are going to call this ‘Do as you would be done by’ week. Treat others as you would like them to treat you. If we all acted like this, there would be no bullying at all. That’s our target, after all.
14th November 2011
The Sunday Times school league tables
As I wrote on 8th July this year (see below), Elmhurst does not appear in this Sunday’s prep school league tables. It is important you understand why this is the case, so I am reposting my blog from July here:
“A little advance notice that we will not be appearing in next term’s Sunday Times Prep Schools league table. We were of course delighted to have performed so well in the 2010 table, so why will we be absent this year?
The reason is that we took a decision this year to revise radically our curriculum for Year 6 after their entrance exams. We want the Year 6 boys to have the chance to study a broad range of subjects in the Spring and Summer terms - so we have introduced Latin, Current Affairs, Debating and a real cross-section of subjects. As a result, the boys have not been working towards KS2 SATs, on which the league table is based. We do set these papers and mark them internally, but the results are not allowed to be published or collated, so they can’t go into the league table analysis.
I always say to parents when they look round any school, be it Elmhurst or a senior school, not to be swayed too much by league table placings. What matters is the ethos of the school and whether you think your son will thrive in that environment.
The Elmhurst boys constantly make us proud of their achievements, and we in turn are committed whole-heartedly to giving them the best education we can. If there’s a league table for achieving that, I hope we would be right at the top!
8th July 2011”
Remember Remember
I was impressed today in assembly by the boys’ knowledge of the history of Guy Fawkes. I guess the fact that his gruesome end appears in various Horrible Histories books will have helped! He and his fellow conspirators are as big a symbol as one can imagine of a disastrous attempt to produce a simple solution to huge problems.
In the world today there are national and international problems which it would be lovely to be able to solve with a ‘simple solution’. And on a more down-to-earth level, there are problems that all of us face which we would dearly love to be able to throw away and start again. The boys know how easy it is to say ’I’m going to scrunch up that homework and start again’ – but they also know that it’s not a good solution. It may be harder, but it’s better to take the time to think and plan and make things better in a constructive way.
I said I was impressed by the boys’ knowledge of Guy Fawkes. I was also impressed by Hamzah’s bold attempt to solve a Rubik’s Cube during my talk. No simple solution there either, I’m afraid!
7th November 2011
Happy Anniversary!
This evening we will be celebrating 75 years of Elmhurst at ‘Roseneath’ – that is, our main building on South Park Hill Rd. As you can read in our history section, Elmhurst moved in 1936 from St Peter’s Road (where PG Wodehouse had been a pupil) to our current site, overseen by Elmhurst’s first titan headmaster, George Hardie Scott.
One interesting fact that I was amazed to discover is that due to the peculiar arrangements that took place during the Second World War, all of the school’s early Headmasters taught at Roseneath at the same time: Gerald Peachell as Proprietor/Head, Leslie Squire as schoolmaster and latterly Head, and Scott as ex-Head who was recalled to help during war adversity. Perhaps the current boys in Peachell, Scott and Squire houses should abandon competition and work together in the same way…. I don’t think so!
It is a source of great sadness that Barry and Liz Dighton will not be here celebrating Elmhurst’s history tonight. It was Barry Dighton himself who discovered that the school is ten years older than previously thought – 1869 is its earliest root. We will remember Barry and Liz tonight and will be making an important announcement about the Dighton Memorial Fund.
To all boys, parents and staff I wish you a happy half term holiday.
21st October 2011
With One Voice
I decided to get the week going with some communal singing. In ten minutes the whole school learned ‘Amazing Grace’ and let rip on the wonderful tune. It’s amazing how you can raise the roof even first thing on a Monday morning – and it’s amazing to hear a school-full of voices belting out a song with all their heart. A great start to the week!
3rd October 2011
Postscript
In light of the reports in today's Times, someone has kindly pointed out that they've never seen a group of venture capitalists getting a school to sing joyfully together...!
3rd October 2011
A Time for Science
This morning I set the boys a simple task… to crack the secret of time travel!
The stories coming out of CERN (the European particle research facility in Switzerland) about its latest discovery are incredible. Neutrinos (tiny sub-atomic particles) have apparently been accelerated to beyond the speed of light. According to Einstein’s theories, that should be impossible. If it were to be correct (and most scientists believe these findings are indeed not correct), then theoretically it would possible for matter to travel in time.
Wow! Not the sort of discovery one makes every day nor one to accept unchallenged!
Whatever the accuracy of this ‘discovery’ (which I attempted to illustrate using a football bouncing in the playground – a slightly lower-tech facility than CERN), I would say that it is a fantastically exciting time to be interested in Science, and to want to become a scientist. There are never enough scientists – and our world is the greater for their work.
Whether Elmhurst will be able to boast the next Stephen Hawking as an old boy remains to be seen. What I’m sure of is that the future will be shaped by some of the talented and enthusiastic boys sitting in our hall this morning.
26th September 2011
A Distinguished Young Old Boy
Last Thursday Maddy and I attended a dinner for Prep School heads at Westminster School. It was a wonderful occasion, with an impressive speech by the Head Master Dr Spurr as well as superb trombone playing by a young new music scholar.
I had the pleasure of sitting next to a charming, articulate and very bright young man called Kshitij Sabnis, who clearly has Oxbridge in his sights and is a credit to his school – indeed he is the equivalent of a Head Boy, being Captain of the Queen’s Scholars. It was only then that he revealed to me he is an old boy of Elmhurst.
Although I personally had no involvement in Elmhurst during the time this young man had been here, I felt a great sense of pride that he – and indeed generations of Elmhurst alumni – has gone on to such success. It is an encouraging thought not just for us staff of course but also for the boys – in particular those boys sitting 11+ entrance exams at the moment. We wish them all the very best of luck.
19th September 2011
Past, Present & Future
Yesterday was a day of great remembrance. None of the current Elmhurst pupils would be able to remember September 11th 2001 and the events of that terrible day, but there can scarcely be any adult who doesn’t recall where they were when they heard the news that day.
This morning we talked about memorials and remembrance. There are many ways that individuals are remembered – in the memories of their loved ones, in the inspiration they have provided, in permanent memorials set up in their honour, even in songs. I have a favourite song which celebrates a sailor called Tom Bowling. You can hear it sung by a great English singer called Robert Tear by clicking here. I sang a verse of it for the boys (poor comparison with Robert Tear I’m afraid!) – it’s a beautiful tune and tells the tale of an inspiring sailor of the late 18th Century.
There are a number of boys at Elmhurst who even at their tender age are an inspiration to the boys around them. There are many others who will clearly make a big impact in their later lives. And all the boys have the potential to be extraordinary. It’s an exciting future for all of them.
12th September 2011
A Good Start
Welcome back to all boys and parents for the new term. If you have bumped into Mr South or myself – or indeed any member of staff – you will have seen our excitement for the new academic year. A huge amount of work has taken place over the summer and the only element that has been missing has been the boys. So, welcome back!
In our first assembly of term today I talked to the boys about making a good start. Everyone was aware of the disappointment of Usain Bolt when he was disqualified in the 100m last week. Even the best of us needs to make a good start! It was really inspiring to see all the cheery, expectant faces of the boys ready for a new term.
I heartily concur with the inspection report (of which you will receive a copy next week) which describes the pupils’ personal qualities as excellent. We are all looking forward to an excellent year.
7th September 2011
“You’re all brilliant and you’ve all won prizes…”
Thank you to all the parents who have sent positive comments into school about the Prizegiving this year. We were so pleased to be able to use Whitgift Hall and are very grateful to Dr Barnett for presenting the prizes. The boys were on excellent form, with Year 6 giving a stirring musical performance.
You may not believe it, but many schools have stopped awarding prizes. The reasoning is that to reward success can be to demonise lack of success as ‘failure’. Everyone is equally worthy and there should be prizes for everyone or for no-one, goes the argument.
It’s more of a valid argument than you may think. If non-prizewinners feel like failures then a school’s ethos is at fault. But what I feel is that motivation and inspiration are the most important factors in a school’s success – and giving prizes is a great way to motivate pupils.
The crucial bit is that prizewinners accept their awards with modesty and that boys are inspired by success – and that’s our job.
Keeping one’s head when all around are losing theirs…this was my assembly theme in this final week of term. We looked at the nation’s favourite poem, If by Rudyard Kipling, and found lots to inspire us.
This will be my last blog of this academic year. Well done to all your sons (and to you!) on a great year, and have a wonderful summer.
11th July 2011
League Tables
A little advance notice that we will not be appearing in next term’s Sunday Times Prep Schools league table. We were of course delighted to have performed so well in the 2010 table, so why will we be absent this year?
The reason is that we took a decision this year to revise radically our curriculum for Year 6 after their entrance exams. We want the Year 6 boys to have the chance to study a broad range of subjects in the Spring and Summer terms - so we have introduced Latin, Current Affairs, Debating and a real cross-section of subjects. As a result, the boys have not been working towards KS2 SATs, on which the league table is based. We do set these papers and mark them internally, but the results are not allowed to be published or collated, so they can’t go into the league table analysis.
I always say to parents when they look round any school, be it Elmhurst or a senior school, not to be swayed too much by league table placings. What matters is the ethos of the school and whether you think your son will thrive in that environment.
The Elmhurst boys constantly make us proud of their achievements, and we in turn are committed whole-heartedly to giving them the best education we can. If there’s a league table for achieving that, I hope we would be right at the top!
8th July 2011
My garden is yours, little children
I had a wonderful afternoon yesterday at Hever Castle. We went as a family to the Castle and Gardens, which are beautiful – although the adventure playground and café were the highlights for the children. Rex was also keen to leave a dental imprint on the priceless Tudor artefacts inside!
There are the most amazing enclosed gardens in the grounds. They remind me very much of the garden described in the Oscar Wilde story “The Selfish Giant”. In this story, a giant has a beautiful garden, but he doesn’t want the children to play in it. As a result, the sun refuses to shine there any more and the snow and frost take over. The Selfish Giant has to learn his lesson.
You can read the story here. The Year 6 boys will be singing a musical version of the story at Prizegiving on Friday and it would be great if as many boys as possible know the story in advance. As far as the music goes, the boys have learnt it really well and I hope you will enjoy the result. Meanwhile, have a good week.
4th July 2011
Mens Sana in something or other
‘As long as you’ve got your health’ – that seems to be the mantra nowadays. We all seem to be living longer, so we need to be keeping ourselves in good health for a longer life.
Being healthy is on our minds at Elmhurst because we have just received our plaque for being accredited a ‘Healthy School’. The criteria for this award are based not just on the food we serve and the exercise we provide, but also the happiness of pupils and staff – so obviously we’re very proud! Most important of all, it is the boys themselves who show themselves aware of health issues and wanting to become and remain healthy and happy.
In assembly today we looked at things that are healthy and those that are unhealthy, but I also discussed with them the fact that ‘moderation in all things’ is a very appropriate message for healthy living.
So for those of you with an interest in Classics out there, the relevant mottos are: ‘Mens Sana in Corpore Sano’ (‘a healthy mind in a healthy body’); and ‘Meden Agan’ (from the wall of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi – ‘nothing in excess’).
What a very erudite start to the week!
20th June 2011
Rhyme and Reason
I have just finished reading for the umpteenth time one of my all-time favourite books: The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster. I’ve been reading it to my five-year-old son Oscar and, if you know the book, you’ll know that much of the clever wit and wisdom goes above his head. But it’s a wonderful book nonetheless.
The story is about a boy Milo who is bored at school and sees no pleasure in anything. He comes home one day to find a package containing a little car and a tollbooth. He gets into the car, drives through the tollbooth and ends up in a fantastical adventure where words and people are never what they seem.
You have to read it – nothing I can write will really give you the flavour of this inspiring story, but if you’d like to read some excerpts, click here.
As we go into exam week, and indeed head towards the end of term, I think constantly of the passage close to the end of the book where Milo despairs of all the mistakes he has made and asks why we need to learn things that are hard. He is told: “Remember…that many places you would like to see are just off the map and many things you want to know are just out of sight or a little beyond your reach. But someday you'll reach them all, for what you learn today, for no reason at all, will help you discover all the wonderful secrets of tomorrow."
An inspiring thought for the week ahead.
13th June 2011
There's no 'I' in 'team'
I'm a big fan of 'The Apprentice'. Not that I can imagine what it would be like to work for Lord Sugar... Not a great fit for me, or him, I'd have thought!
But what intrigues me most in the show is the dynamics of the various groups as they set off on their tasks. They have a tough job: to show themselves part of a successful team, but also to shine as individuals.
In assembly on Monday, as we returned from half term, I was impressed by how articulate many boys were on what they considered to be a good 'teamplayer'. Passing in football, supporting teammates in cricket, listening carefully in a music group - all these were quickly identified. Elmhurst boys have a great sense of teamwork.
We then heard from some of the Year 6 boys who were on the Liddington residential trip the week before half term. They had had some amazing experiences of working in teams and relying on each other to complete group tasks. It was amazing to see how much some of those boys had grown up in the week - and gratifying to hear how much they had enjoyed this 'season finale' to their years at Elmhurst.
The school will be hearing more from the Year 6ers about their experiences, and you can read about them in the 'News' section of the website and in the forthcoming newsletter.
I can't help but finish with David Brent's immortal line from 'The Office': "Yes, there's no I in team - but there's 'me' if you look carefully enough..."
8th June 2011
Even Better If…
With part 1 of our ISI inspection starting on Tuesday (part 2 is in June), you will imagine that the minds of many staff are on this week’s guests! I hope as many parents as possible (and boys in Years 5 and 6) have completed the online questionnaire – we even managed a little reminder during the delightful and outstanding Elmhurst EFA Ball on Saturday.
I have always felt that it is important for everyone, pupils most of all, to understand the parameters of a school inspection, so in assembly today I gathered my own little 5-man army troupe and subjected them to a military-style inspection. The sergeant-major gave the new recruits the third degree: shoes to be shined, socks to be pulled up… and that was just Mr South!
I then convened my 5-man football team. We were at an imaginary half time, with the team 2-nil down. The football manager looked at the way the team were playing and pointed out the good things – and then suggested some improvements for the second half. The focus of this ‘inspection’ was what went well, and what could be better.
It’s the second type of inspection that usually happens when schools are inspected – we certainly hope so ourselves! We are always wanting to do the best job we possibly can, so ‘even better if’ suggestions and constructive criticisms are always welcome.
And it’s the approach we should use with ourselves of course – being reflective and thinking about how we can make better choices in everything we do. It’s difficult to be much of a reflective learner at the age of 4(!), but we hope by the time boys leave us in Year 6, they are able to reflect on their work and their actions and to consider making the best choices for the future.
As I write this, of course, someone has just brought a beautiful cake into the study – not quite so easy to make the best choices when temptation is on a plate in front of you…!
23rd May 2011
HOW old…?
As you will know, children find it almost impossible to understand the age of things – and people. If you tell a 7 year old boy that you are 30 (OK, I’m way older than that!), you might as well be telling them that you are 110. You’re just old. The same thing applies to history in general: an event 50 years ago might as well be 350 years ago.
But that should not stop us helping to give children perspective on the importance of when things happened – and also the importance of our historical heritage.
Which is a long-winded way of saying that I spoke to the boys today about a specific piece of the nation’s heritage, Hampton Court Palace. I visited the palace yesterady and was struck yet again by what an amazing building this is, and how closely connected to such important events in England’s past. The Year 5 boys were familiar from their play last term with the central characters: Henry VIII and Cardinal Wolsey. All the boys could certainly appreciate how inspiring this palace can be (and, by the way, how cheap to get into!).
I know that we as parents are our country’s real national treasures(!), but if you fancy showing your son another, Hampton Court is as good a place as any to start.
By the way, the boys listened today to my favourite piano piece in the whole world: Les Baricades Misterieuses by Couperin. Have a listen…
16th May 2011
In Praise of (Elmhurst) Friends
This term sees a plethora of events organised by the EFA – the Elmhurst Friends Association. The Spring Ball, the Summer Fayre and many other occasions complete an exciting year of events for Elmhurst parents to have fun whilst supporting the work of the School.
I cannot overemphasise how grateful we all are for the work of the EFA. This year you have donated £4500 to the School, which is used exclusively for providing school trips for the boys. This means that outings and visits for all year groups can take place without additional charge, enhancing the curriculum – and making the boys’ learning even more fun!
I know lots of hard work goes into every EFA event – please be assured of our heartfelt thanks for all you do.
…And the next event, sign up for the Spring Ball next weekend!
13th May 2011
Good At Sport / A Good Sport
We have been lucky enough to have achieved some good sporting victories recently, notably winning the Croydon Cup (see the ‘News’ section on the website), so it seems an appropriate time to discuss what it is to be a ‘Good Sport’.
At assembly today I asked the boys what they thought it means to be a good sport, and they gave very creditable answers: being a good loser, not jeering the other team when you’ve won, generally behaving well on the touchline. What surprised the boys was to hear that in the days of the Ancient Olympics, being a good sport was a long way from anyone’s mind. If you won, your city would feed you for free for life. If you lost, even if you came second, you were humiliated and shamed by your fellow citizens. Thank goodness it’s not like that nowadays!
It’s great to be good at sport – but even better to behave in a sportsmanlike way. Another trait for our paradigm ‘Elmhurst boy…’
9th May 2011
Earth has not anything to show more fair…
Welcome back to the new term, coming on the back of the most amazing April weather for years. The air of excitement and anticipation at school is palpable. The boys are all fired up for cricket, for house competitions under their new housemaster/mistresses, and for summer fun. As the construction of the new lodges nears completion we are all very excited for the future of Elmhurst.
Amongst all this feverish activity, it is worth pausing to take stock. So for the first assembly of term today I read the boys Wordsworth’s wonderful poem ‘Upon Westminster Bridge’. His evocation of the beauty of London seems a perfect reflection of the joy of the city – and an antidote to the traffic nightmare of South Park Hill Rd today!
With best wishes for a great summer term.
27th April 2011
Happy Easter to you all!
As we head into a well-deserved break, we can reflect on a hectic but very enjoyable term at Elmhurst. Some notable successes of the term have been crowned by our U11 team reaching the final of the Croydon Cup for the first time in living memory. Put that together with 3rd place in the Nationals and first place in the League and we have a very successful set of Under 11 footballers indeed.
Let’s not forget this term’s music: superb performances by the choirs at the Coulsdon and Purley Festival, and we wish them luck for the Croydon Festival this weekend. For further achievements of the term, please see the latest newsletter, out today and shortly available on the website.
The newsletter also contains some very exciting news on Elmhurst developments for next term and next year, so please take a look.
In the meantime, have a wonderful Easter break. And don’t forget to ask your sons about the April Fool in the final assembly.
1st April 2011
The Ayes to my Right
Wednesday sees the first ever Elmhurst Inter-House Debating Competition. Three boys from each house will take part in two debates: “This House believes that video games have done more harm than good”; and “This House thinks that unhealthy food should be banned.”
Since I started working with the Year 6 boys on debating this term, I have been amazed at how quickly they have picked up some of the techniques – speaking to engage the audience; use of humour to convey a point; the importance of conviction. What the boys now need to learn is how to construct a slightly longer speech and to convince an audience wider than their own class. It will be an interesting morning.
It cannot be over-emphasised how important it is to be able to stand up and speak confidently in public. We live in a presentational world, something that seems bizarrely to have increased rather than decreased with the introduction of new technology. My hope would be that all Elmhurst boys leave Year 6 able to talk a roomful of adults or boys.
I wish all the competitors luck tomorrow.
29th March 2011
Talent’s Got Elmhurst Buzzing
Tension is mounting. Singers, dancers, comedians, jugglers – all are putting last-minute touches to their acts.
And now Ladies and Gentlemen, I can reveal…the judges have entered the building.
1pm 25th March 2011
Family Values
Today is J S Bach’s birthday. Born in 1685, he was an extraordinary composer whose works still sound amazing. He also had a huge family (10 children, many of them composers too) – so the theme of this week’s assembly was what makes a happy family.
In an Elmhurst version of Family Fortunes, four boys were asked to match a sample survey’s replies on what makes a happy family. I was struck by how quickly the boys arrived at quite pertinent answers: togetherness, respect, care, and above all love. We also agreed that pizza had a small role to play…
Lots of schools describe themselves as being a ‘family school’, but at Elmhurst I believe it’s true. At assembly on a Monday morning there is a wonderful feeling of being part of a big family. It’s a great feeling to have as we head towards Mothering Sunday in a couple of weeks’ time.
21st March 2011
1066 and All That
I have just finished listening to a fascinating and thrilling defence of the study of History by Niall Ferguson, author of the Channel 4 series 'Civilization'.
The talk was the keynote address at the ISC conference in Westminster, and will no doubt receive some press attention in the papers tomorrow.
Niall Ferguson rubbished the way senior schools have been forced to teach History, but most of all emphasised the importance of learning from the past. History teaches us to learn from our mistakes and to try to make the world a better place.
I don't know of a more valuable message in the world's current troubled climate.
16th March 2011
Watch this space…
We have just made some decisions regarding exciting developments for next term. More to follow soon!
15th March 2011
COD and GTA – if you know what I mean
I went to a slightly disturbing talk last night about growing up and the pressures on children today. One of the issues discussed was the current neurological research which shows that if children have poor influences when they grow up, they often make poor choices of behaviour in later life. I don’t suppose that will surprise you very much.
However, there is a trend which is particularly worrying, and that is modern video games.
I have spoken to a lot of the boys about which games they play, and one or two games constantly come up: Call of Duty Black Ops and Grand Theft Auto. In case you don’t know, these games are rated 18. I do appreciate the peer pressure amongst boys! But I would urge any of you who do let your sons play these games to sit down with them and actually see the games through. There are quite disturbing scenes, use of bad language, but most of all there is a lack of moral context: nothing is right or wrong. The violence is meaningless and gratuitous. This is not how any of us hope to bring up our children I am sure.
I know that many parents will have differing views from mine – even so, I hope you will excuse me sharing my feelings about this issue with you.
9th March 2011
Not under a bushel!
Lent starts today, it being Ash Wednesday, but it’s not Lent but Talent I’ve got on my mind.
Of all the New Testament parables, the one which has always spoken to me most is the one about the talents. In the story, a master gives each of three servants a ‘talent’ (an amount of money). He tells them they must make the most of this money, and give him back the talent with profit in due course. One of the servants manages through good business acumen to turn his talent into 10 talents. The second makes 5. But the third does nothing with his, just hides it away and makes no use of it at all. When the reckoning comes, the master is pleased with the first two servants but angry with the third for squandering what he has been given.
The message about what we do with the abilities and gifts we have been given is one we can all learn from. Don’t hide your talent, make the most of the opportunities which are given to you, have the courage to do your best.
These ideas are ones we should be instilling in our sons and daughters at every turn, and we will certainly always do our best to provide as many opportunities for your boys at Elmhurst.
On a related (but perhaps more light-hearted!) note, I am sending out letters today about the inaugural ‘Elmhurst’s Got Talent’ competition on Friday 25th March at 6.30pm. Please encourage your sons to take part. This will be a fun and supportive occasion which I hope boys and parents alike will enjoy.
9th March 2011
Viva Musica!
Good luck to the Infant, Junior and Senior Choirs who are all competing in the Coulsdon and Purley Music Festival tomorrow. Each choir gave a dress rehearsal performance in today’s assembly and were superb.
And tomorrow night there is a Musical Evening in aid of the Dighton Memorial Fund, at which various staff, parents and boys are performing.
Many congratulations in advance to all performers and thanks to everyone who has helped organise the events. Best of luck to all.
We’re looking forward, then, to a very cultured weekend…!
4th March 2011
Starting Over
Ever heard of Jean-Baptiste Lully? I didn’t think so. Or at least if you have, it is probably from one of those Horrible Histories books which will have told you about his ‘interesting’ demise. He was a 17th Century composer and he used to conduct his music using a heavy cane or stick, which he banged on the floor in time to the beat. On one occasion he got so carried away that he banged his foot and seriously injured his toe. Refusing to have it treated, he eventually got gangrene in his leg and died.
Anyway, where’s all this coming from? Yesterday I played to the boys the short opening piece to Lully’s opera ‘Atys’, which has special significance for me because I was involved in a production of it over a large number of performances in the 1990s. It is also a staggeringly beautiful piece of music. In my first performance of the opera, I was all over the shop, with words and moves wrong – thankfully I had only a very small role to play! But over the many performances I was able to improve and at least eventually to give a passable performance. And every time I heard that opening music, I used to think, “Tonight I’m going to do it better, get right the things I’ve got wrong - and improve.”
I feel that at schools we are lucky, that when we come back from half term or school holidays we have the chance to make a fresh start, to get things right and to set new goals for ourselves. This applies to us adults just as much as to the boys.
Welcome back to a new half of term and to an exciting new start at Elmhurst.
1st March 2011
Good luck to you all!
The Year 6 boys are anxiously awaiting their senior school offer letters this week. It is a particularly sensitive and stressful time for the boys – and for their parents. We wish all the boys the very best of luck and we are keeping our fingers crossed. They are outstanding individuals and, whatever the result, we are proud of them.
16th February 2011
And the greatest of these is…
Valentine’s Day does not present a huge amount to interest a group of 4 to 11 year old boys on a cold Monday morning. Squirms of embarrassment from Year 6 boys are about as close as you get to engagement… I wonder how Heads of girls’ prep schools get on?
Perhaps we should try a practical project in flower bouquet selection as a curriculum-widening exercise?
But there’s one passage about ‘Love’ that most people know, because it’s used in so many weddings: the chapter from Corinthians in the Bible about what love is like. And the interesting thing about that is that in the early English versions of this, the word used is not ‘love’ but ‘charity’. Yes, it’s love that is being talked about, but there is an undoubted link between love and charity. Charity and love are about caring for others, putting their needs first, behaving unselfishly and humbly. And to the Elmhurst boys, the word ’charity’ at the moment conjures up the phenomenal fundraising for the NSPCC which they have just achieved: over £4500!
Over this term, I have looked with the boys at Faith and Hope, and now at Charity, the three qualities from that Bible passage.
I wish you all a happy St Valentine’s Day.
14th February 2011
Free to Trade?
I was visited yesterday by a deputation from the School Council to ask whether we could introduce (reintroduce?) trading cards at Elmhurst. I must declare a perhaps heightened awareness of this issue, because my second and third sons are avid Yu-gi-oh and Pokemon players. I know there are plenty more trading card games out there…
I have every sympathy with the boys. These games may seem a little (ahem) unintellectual, but they can be great fun, they aren’t violent or nasty, and boys can go mad with excitement at the prospect of a game. In my day (pre-jurassic era) it was marbles, and I’m sure we can all list a series of crazes we’ve known in our youth.
So why don’t we allow trading card games?
The trouble is, in every school I’ve known which has allowed them, within a few days the cards have been banned. Why? Because almost immediately cards go missing. Not necessarily theft, but boys drop them, or leave them around, and within days there is a hotbed of accusation and counter-accusation: “You stole my cards, you never had Bonzai Red Dragon with super-zapper powers!” ‘Yes, I did, but you never had Super-blammer-whammer-nasher with extra pole vault attack” etc. etc.
And the other problem is that older boys can prevail on younger to do trades which are blatantly unfair – confident in the knowledge that no adult will ever understand the complexities of the trading system.
So, sadly, trading card games will have to stay at home for now, boys. You’ll just have to pretend to be Super-dooper-dragon-warrior instead!
10th February 2011
Hopefully…
I have always believed it extremely important that young children have an awareness of Greek myths. These wonderful stories attempt to explain so many aspects of life, and they speak powerful truths to us.
One of my particular favourites is the story of Pandora’s box. You can see an animated version of it here. The story ends with Pandora letting Hope out into the world – the spirit which gives mortals the ability to endure so many difficulties and troubles in life and to live happily.
Hope was our theme in today’s assembly. I talked to the boys about how hope helps people to achieve great things. To take an example: I have been lucky enough to be involved with The Children’s Trust, a charity which works with brain-damaged children. At an event yesterday I heard a talk by a boy called James, who had been involved in a terrible coach crash which left him in a coma for 22 days. At The Trust, over the course of two years he came back from a helpless situation to being an outstanding young man with a positive future ahead of him. And what had got him through, and had fuelled his determination? The power of hope – the hope that he would be able to walk again and lead a normal life. It’s an inspiring story.
We’ve talked a lot at school about what makes an ‘Elmhurst Boy’. And I believe a heart full of hope is one thing we should all prize.
I ended by quoting to the boys something I heard on the radio this morning, regarding NASA’s plans for a future mission to Mars. The first person to walk on Mars will be about 8 to 10 years old at the moment, apparently. There’s one seed of hope to plant in the heart…
7th February 2011
Hail Councillors!
As you will see from the latest newsletter, the School Council has been busy consulting on new rules for playtime. Two new blackboard signs have been put up in the playgrounds, and the boys have thus made their own rules.
It’s amazing how sensible prep school children can be when they are given responsibility. Or perhaps not amazing at all! The boys were determined to make their playground play as fair as possible and they made sure the rules were what they wanted. Of course, I’m sure given the chance there would have been some anomalies (“Extra puddings for Year 5s!”), and we did have to encourage more ‘do’ rules than ‘don’ts’. But it’s part of the process which we now call ‘the Pupil Voice’, and it is very effective.
It may surprise you to hear that in some schools, the School Council helps to appoint teachers. I can hear staff and parents rapidly drawing breath! But in the schools where this happens, the pupil interviews are considered to be a very successful part of appointing staff. (Though hand on heart I can say I’m glad I’ve never had to go through the process myself…)
We like to encourage Elmhurst boys to be responsible, kind and fair – I’m proud of how well they have shown these traits through this term’s School Council.
1st February 2011
Bumping Along
Today is the anniversary of the death of Franz Schubert, and we acknowledged the occasion by playing a section of Schubert’s ‘Trout’ Quintet in assembly this morning.
We also remembered another great achiever whose anniversary falls in January – and I introduced him by putting young Hugo from Year 3 in a blindfold…and giving him a box of paracetamol. Hugo had no idea what was in the box (which he didn’t open, I hasten to point out!), but he could feel that on the outside was a series of bumps, and could guess that these were intended to help identify the contents.
Louis Braille was the same age as many of our Elmhurst boys when he lost his sight through an accident at his father’s leather workshop. His determination and inner ‘sight’ helped him to conceive and develop the now universal system of writing for the blind known as ‘Braille’. Many of the boys had noticed Braille writing on signs or packaging, but didn’t know the history or significance of the invention.
From a terrible accident arose a great invention, which is our thought for the week ahead.
31st January 2011
Keeping the Faith
Recently I had a long conversation with a teacher who told me proudly she worked in a Faith School. She clearly thought that any school not named a ‘Faith School’ had no faith at all.
In assembly today I discussed with the boys what faith means, and why I think Elmhurst is absolutely a ‘faith school’, albeit not in the technical DfE terminology.
Elmhurst is a school made up of boys from a wide variety of religious backgrounds, all of whom have a faith. But we are also a school which understands and appreciates that faith means belief and trust, and that as well as having faith in our various religions, we have belief and trust in each other, our friends, teachers and parents.
I also reminded the boys that one part of having faith is appreciating what is amazing in the world, and that there are miracles in every aspect of life. I finished by reading to them part of the poem ‘Miracles’ by Walt Whitman, which can be found here: http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/miracles
An inspiring text for the week ahead.
24th January 2011
Martin Luther King Day
In assembly today I talked to the boys about Martin Luther King, whose anniversary is a public holiday in the States. What an extraordinary man! Reading up about him again over the weekend, and watching footage of his speeches, I was struck by the mountain he had to climb, and the amazing things he achieved.
The boys in assembly could not believe the stories of the southern states in the 1950s and 1960s - blacks and whites having to study at different universities and not even being able to sit together on a bus. What a different picture we have here in South Croydon, and in Elmhurst Hall!
The message that we should be courageous, compassionate and should fight for what is right was one that resonated deeply with many boys, as they showed when they talked to me later in the day. I am really pleased that so many boys talk about being proud to be Elmhurst Boys, and what that means to them.
And they are, of course, a credit to their parents.
18th January 2011
ISA Heads' Conference
I will be away at the end of this week at a compulsory 'induction conference' for heads new to ISA. I must confess I find this an interesting event, given that I attended a similar one four years ago when I joined IAPS! I do see the advantages of a proper induction for new heads, but I'm not sure each organisation of independent schools needs to have its own induction course... You would be forgiven for wondering what all these organisations do!
At Elmhurst we are members of the Independent Schools' Association. There is also the Incorporated Association of Preparatory Schools (IAPS), which is the oldest association, and for senior schools there is the Headmasters' Conference (HMC) and the Girls' Schools' Association (GSA). Not to mention the Boarding Schools' Association. And all of these organisations form the Independent Schools' Council (ISC) which is an umbrella group representing the sector to government.
Anyway, enough of all those groups. The important thing is that each of these organisations provides useful training and support for all schools like Elmhurst, and in this way we are able to give your sons the best education we can.
But believe me, the conference food is nothing like as good as we serve here...!
12th January 2011
11th January 2011