Play – One Year On
Head of Juniors Claire Boyd discusses PLAY, a year on from our initiative to put playfulness at the heart of learning at Wimbledon High. A year has passed since we welcomed teachers and school leaders from all over the country … Continued
A New Year’s Affirmation
Over the blissful calm of the Christmas break, I had some time to think, and one of the things I was thinking about was New Year’s resolutions. Because I’m not actually a big believer in New Year’s resolutions, or endless … Continued
‘Uneasy lies the Head that wears a crown…’
There are two tomes currently taking pride of place on my desk: a collection of the second of the historical tetralogies by William Shakespeare, and The New Art of Headship 2023 by RS Academics. Not common bed-fellows, I’d warrant, though it’s easy enough … Continued
The Year of Lightness
2023: The Year of Lightness This blog is adapted from the Head’s opening assembly of the academic year I’d like to transport you, if I may, to a wheatfield, on a small island in the Baltic Sea, just off the … Continued
Marking the Coronation
Good morning and welcome to this, our special Coronation assembly. And this really is a special assembly. First and foremost, no one in this room has experienced a coronation in this country in their lifetime. Queen Elizabeth II was coronated … Continued
Heading into public exam season
Exam Season: that most challenging of times in any household, and heaven forfend should you have more than one child taking on that challenge at once! Understandably, many parents have asked me over the years how best to support their … Continued
Taking a different perspective
It’s hard to pick out highlights from this term because I will inevitably make people feel disgruntled if I don’t mention them – an absolute nightmare when you consider how much happens day to day in this crazy and wonderful school. … Continued
Don’t tell me girls’ schools are no longer relevant
Blogging weekly as a Head is a resolution I almost always fail to adhere to. Other things – known as The Job/life – get in the way and before you know it weeks have gone past. And yet here I … Continued
Calling out misogyny & reactionary ‘lessons’ in the classroom adding fuel to the fire…
Over the Christmas holidays, the twitter takedown of Andrew Tate by Greta Thunberg caused a social media storm, not to mention a high-profile arrest of Tate and his brother. If you hadn’t heard of Andrew Tate before that, you certainly … Continued
Letting our reach exceed our grasp
As you know I had a bit of an unusual Christmas this year as I headed off to Texas, including some beautiful big skies and amazing cacti in the Chihuahuan desert. Now apart from doing lots of hiking through the … Continued