BIRMINGHAMTHEBLUECOATSCHOOL1722

Never in the history of The Blue Coat School has so much been accomplished, by so many, in so short a week. It is fitting, therefore, to pause and consider not merely what our children have achieved, but what those achievements reveal about the character of a Blue Coat education.

We began on the stage. The selection of the BCS Players required Miss Hall to exercise the most exacting judgement, weighing talent against talent with a care that, I am reliably informed, demanded a restorative cup of tea thereafter. To those whose names did not appear, I would offer the reassurance that the curtain has not fallen; it has merely descended for the interval. The annals of the theatre are replete with performers whose early disappointments proved to be the foundation of later distinction.

Upon the field of play, our girls have secured selection for the county cricket side, an accomplishment of genuine merit, and we await with keen anticipation the outcome for our boys. Equally deserving of recognition are all who presented themselves for trial, since no batsman has ever struck a six without first walking out to the crease. At Winterfold, meanwhile, our cross-country runners demonstrated that sustained and disciplined training yields its due reward, making great strides in both the literal and the figurative sense, notwithstanding the customary abundance of mud.

On Thursday evening, Year 6 exchanged blazer for broomstick at Harry Potter evening, an occasion of spells, rhymes and no small measure of mischief. That no child was transformed into a toad is, I trust, a testament to the professionalism of Miss Stacey and her accomplished company of witches and wizards, to whom I extend my warmest thanks.

What unites these disparate endeavours is a single disposition: the willingness to attempt. Not every child came first, yet every child who participated emerged braver than before. Educational research has long affirmed that resilience is cultivated not through the avoidance of setbacks but through its constructive navigation. It was Sir Winston Churchill who, addressing the boys of Harrow School in 1941, urged them to “never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never, in nothing, great or small, large or petty, never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense.” It is precisely this conviction that we seek to instil in every Blue Coat pupil.

Winter uniform may now be worn. Those reluctant to relinquish summer may retain it until the end of next week, at which point the season shall be considered formally concluded.

May I remind you that my information and drinks evenings are filling up quickly. I would encourage you to book soon to avoid disappointment.

I also warmly invite you to join us in Chapel next Friday, 16th October, when we shall celebrate Harvest in support of the Birmingham City Mission. In this “season of mists and mellow fruitfulness”, as Keats so memorably described it, we give thanks for our abundance and remember those in our city who are in need. Do come along and celebrate with us the end of a very positive half term. This is not the end, nor even the beginning of the end; it is, however, the conclusion of a most distinguished first half term.

Enjoy the weekend!