BIRMINGHAMTHEBLUECOATSCHOOL1722

There are weeks in the life of a school when its whole character stands revealed, and this has been such a week. A community is not measured by the elegance of its prospectus but by the breadth of its sympathies, the rigour of its scholarship and the constancy of its remembrance. By each of those measures, I can report that The Blue Coat School stands strong, advances steadily and thrives.

It was our great privilege to welcome Dalitso Mhura and her family from Playdor School in Malawi, with which, together with a neighbouring government school, we are proud to share a partnership. A partnership may too easily remain an abstraction, a line in a document or a sum in a ledger. Dalitso dispelled any such danger. In attending our assemblies and speaking in Chapel, she made that bond a living thing, giving it a voice, a face and a warmth that our children will not soon forget. We shall carry this work forward, and we pledge our continued support to Project Malawi in the months and years ahead, for friendship across continents is among the noblest lessons any school can teach.

That African theme echoed through our classrooms and Singleton Hall as Year 3 and Year 5 took part in an African dance workshop in support of their topics. Teachers and children alike declared it tremendous fun, yet beneath the joy lay something more enduring: an understanding of another culture and of what dance signifies to those who hold it dear. Learning of this kind enlarges the imagination and, in so doing, enlarges the child.

Nor has the life of the intellect been neglected. A number of our Year 3 pupils entered the Primary Maths Challenge and achieved great results, answering questions far beyond their years and revealing the remarkable depth of their mathematical competence and understanding. Year 5, meanwhile, gave themselves over to the Norsemen in a Viking WOW day. Splendidly attired, they lifted their learning from the page and explored the many facets of Viking life, gaining a more substantial grasp of a distant age and of the people who inhabited it. Year 4, for their part, were held spellbound by our very own historian, Mr Newman, whose talk on the Armada formed part of their Tudor topic. His command of the subject was captivating; the children were engrossed in his tales, and we are fortunate indeed to count such erudition within our teaching body.

Music, that cornerstone of our success, has once again sounded its clear and confident note. Ian, Ryan, Jesse, Harry, Bowen, Yitong, Olivia, Sophia, Alice, Mia and Hannah were invited to a Steinway workshop at Solihull School, where they had an amazing time learning the keys of those instruments renowned throughout the world. We are delighted that our children should enjoy such a brilliant opportunity. Music is not merely surviving at Blue Coat; it is thriving, and long may it do so.

Yet amid all this achievement, we paused. On Wednesday at eleven o’clock, as in every school across the land, we fell silent. We remembered those who laid down their lives for the freedom we enjoy today, and we remembered in particular those Blue Coat pupils who went forth to fight in the First and Second World Wars. We remembered also, with pride and with gratitude, those among our parents who serve in the armed forces. Beside the flagpole outside the Viney building, the crosses designed by our children bore silent and eloquent testimony to the importance they place upon what was sacrificed for them. My sincere thanks go to Mrs Price and Mr Ramsell for supporting the children in creating such a fitting memorial. A debt of such magnitude can never be repaid, but it can be honoured, and it can be taught. We shall remember them.

As the weekend approaches, the examination season for Year 6 is drawing to its close. Our pupils have met this challenge with resolve, and I do hope that many of you will now be able to relax and enjoy a weekend of rest and family time. It is well earned.

Thank you, as ever, for your unfailing support of this most supportive of schools. Great Schools are not sustained by their leaders alone, but by the shared conviction of all who believe in them. With you beside us, we go forward together, confident in our purpose and undaunted by whatever lies ahead.

With warmest wishes for a restful weekend.