BIRMINGHAMTHEBLUECOATSCHOOL1722

As we approach the final bend in the Trinity term, the penultimate week has brought with it both a searing heat wave and a blaze of activity. Birmingham may have sweltered under unrelenting sunshine, but the spirit of our pupils has remained characteristically unflustered. At The Blue Coat School, the heat did little to wilt either the energy or excellence of our pupils, who continued to meet challenges with joy and flourish.

Our Year 6 pupils, now at the cusp of their BCS farewell, enjoyed a sun-soaked visit to Aztec Adventure. There is something poignant about this final off site visit. The Year 6s, buoyed by the knowledge that they stand on the threshold of change, threw themselves into watersports and outdoor pursuits with admirable gusto. One might have thought the heat would sap their energy, but it was the staff who returned a little weary while pupils bounced back to School visibly uplifted. “Experience,” as T. S. Eliot once wrote, “is the name everyone gives to their mistakes,” but at BCS, we believe experience is also the crucible in which character is shaped. The camaraderie, courage, and care that the pupils displayed bore testimony to this.

Elsewhere, academic rigour was celebrated on the national stage. The Primary Spelling Bee, hosted at the hallowed grounds of Cambridge University, once again saw BCS pupils distinguishing themselves with poise and precision. I have received glowing feedback not only about the pupils’ orthographic skills but also their presence and manners, qualities which, in the words of Lord Bragg, “speak volumes about the cultivation of a good education.” A special thank you to Mrs Newman and Mrs Hope for their steadfast support of this event and of the pupils who represented us so well.

Back home, our annual Moving Up Day and Year 3 House Sorting proved as transformative as ever. These calendar favourites serve not only a logistical function but a deeply emotional one too. Meeting new teachers, discovering future classmates, and embracing a new chapter, these are threshold moments. The Sorting Ceremony, with its echoes of both tradition and excitement, left some of our youngest pupils wide-eyed and awe-struck. The House to which a pupil is assigned has no arbitrary label. It is the beginning of a narrative, a sense of belonging, of legacy, of shared endeavour. As C.S. Lewis observed, “The task of the modern educator is not to cut down jungles, but to irrigate deserts.” Sorting Day is such irrigation, nourishing anticipation and fostering identity.

On Thursday evening, St John’s Church Harborne, was filled not only with music but with magic. The Summer Concert, conducted with elegance and enthusiasm by Mrs O’Malley and her team, was a triumph. The musical range, from Bach to Jerusalem, was as rich as it was ambitious. Our young musicians, aged from 5 to 11, performed with discipline, courage, and joy. “Without music,” Nietzsche mused, “life would be a mistake.” Judging by Thursday night, life at BCS is not only free from such errors but positively radiant with harmony.

And so to sport, which, despite the heat, burned brightly with energy and competitive spirit. The organisation, good humour, and collegiality on display at our Sports Days were a credit to all involved. Our Sports Department deserves enormous thanks for making it such a memorable occasion. The blend of spirited rivalry and gracious sportsmanship exemplified all we stand for. I must particularly commend our U11 cricket team, who will travel to Oakham School for the national finals on Thursday 10 July, our third consecutive year at this prestigious tournament. An extraordinary achievement, and one that affirms our belief that BCS is a School like no other.

As this exceptional week draws to a close, I find myself reflecting on how much has been achieved, not just in the past five days, but over the course of the year. The weather may have pushed thermometers to their limits, but our pupils have soared to heights that no barometer could measure. They have kept their cool, met the moment, and shone with the quiet confidence of a community that learns and grows together.

Thank you, as ever, for your unyielding support. I wish you a restful weekend.