It is always a pleasure at around 4pm each day when lessons have finished and the school is less busy to get a feel for what is going on with the extra-curricular life of the school. Wednesday afternoon was no exception as I walked around the school and listened to the Bigg Band practising in the Hall – following their excellent performances at last week’s Open Evening – and I then walked down to the school field and astro-turf where hockey and rugby matches against other schools were taking place with sticks clicking, shouting and cheering and quite a lot of mud.
Music and sport are just part of the extra-curricular offer at Wallingford School but levels of participation are very high and that is to be celebrated. It is all about teamwork, having and knowing your role and being part of something. As adults when we look back on our school days it is these things that we particularly remember and it is a pleasure on a wet Wednesday in October to see our students developing, supporting each other and – sometimes! – winning. Very well done to everyone who has played a fixture, rehearsed or practiced this week.
Thursday was World Mental Health Day and we have marked this in school with our Mental Health and Wellbeing team leading assemblies this week. The assemblies have been really interesting and, as ever, I won’t give too much away but please do ask about them at home.
Finally, I have to say another “well done” to our Year 7 students who continue to make a fantastic impression after five weeks in school. I have been into a lot of their lessons during this week and their manners, focus and sheer enthusiasm for life at secondary school are nothing short of brilliant.