I am back at the Prep after another rain spoilt day at Lord’s. What a difference a few weeks can make to the fortunes of the English cricket team. Early in the holidays I went to the first day of the test against South Africa. We had the best of that day and the next. We clearly had a good team. Sadly things went downhill to a series defeat, the resignation of our captain and general press diatribes. One test and four one day internationals later and we are the third best one day team in the world. Crowds cheer and our team are heroes! For how long I wonder?!

 

This holidays has seen the Bursar and his team very busily involved in transforming several areas of the school to make life easier for boys and staff. The biggest project has been the completion of the second phase of the Annexe refurbishment. When senior staff walked through last Friday, Mrs Wilkins said that she was barring the Lower School staff from visiting because they would be jealous of the facilities in place. The new and refurbished formrooms and work areas are magnificent and I would like to thank all the boys, who were in the Annexe last year, and their parents for their tolerance of the building work last term. The outcome really is worthwhile.

 

In the Upper School we have created a fourth Science Laboratory in S4 which was an English room last term. The English room has moved to the Betws Building and is in the old Drama Room on the English floor. The raised seating and lights for the drama studio are now installed in the New Hall, much to the delight of Miss Chamberlain. It will be possible to see your sons perform in their form and year plays much more easily in future. If you are observant when you visit the Music School, you will see a new doorway into the Hall from the school side. This will help when we have large concerts and also make a much more effective fire exit should one be needed.

 

Apart from a fair amount of new paint that has been applied, the last project I want to mention links a new room to the reorganisation of our administration in the Lower School. For far too long the Heads of the Lower School have had too little secretarial support. We have appointed a Lower School Secretary, Mrs Gleave, and she has an office opposite that of the Head of Lower School. The aim is to free Mrs Wilkins up to be able to spend more time doing what she loves doing best; working with her staff and the boys.

 

There are further important changes taking place this term with staff moving to new roles. David Adkins, who has run our sport with distinction is moving to a new role of Director of Communications. He has already produced a new website which will go live in September. His next major task is to provide staff with an online profile of every boy so we can track boys’ progress even better as they move through a year, and from year to year. Dennis Spammer, who was Head of Year Five last year is taking over as Head of Sport. Philip Topham is moving from Head of Year Six to being Housemaster at Brightlands. He already has ten full time weekly boarders and I am sure that this number will grow, so please contact him if you want to book a place for your son in the house. Ed Bowden is taking over as Head of Year Five whilst Catherine Solomon, who is new this term, is Head of Year Six. She is joining us from the Dragon School where she was Head of Middle School. She will also be teaching Science.