I hope that you all found time to celebrate Chinese New Year yesterday and that the Year of the Rabbit enables us to listen to those members of our community who perhaps have quieter voices, but whose opinions are still valid and valuable.
‘Listening’ has been a theme of this last week for me, as I learn more about the Edge Grove community. I hope, like Janus, we will all learn lessons from the past in making plans for the future and I have been impressed by the Growth Mindset that I have encountered here so far in identifying child-centred, child-empowering future developments. To this end, Mr Stanley and I have been working closely to identify and define the scope of the School’s pastoral remit, ensuring that all pupils are able to voice their opinions and to reach out for support, and that all staff listen and focus on pastoral interventions which will support every child in our community. We have achieved much already in developing our Catering provision and I am grateful to the Bursar, our new Holroyd Howe Area Manager, Janine, and our interim Catering Manager, Stuart, with whom I have worked previously, for their swift developments.
It is always lovely to receive such excellent 11+ and 13+ assessment feedback from the wide range of senior schools that we prepare children for; it is very clear that senior schools are very keen to have Edge Grove pupils join their schools and that they see them as children of integrity, and who possess the right kind of confidence and independence and who inspire them with their ten core skills.
‘Wow! That was really interesting’ - not my words, but the words of an Upper School pupil after hearing Mr Stanley’s outstanding Apartheid talk last Wednesday, in which he related his first-hand experience of living through Apartheid in South Africa, whilst at the same time nudging us to define our own values and those that underpin all aspects of an Edge Grove education. It proposed a celebration of diversity and difference, a cherishing of individuality and a steadfastness to stand up for what is good, true and right. Coupled to this, on Friday, Judith Hayman, from Generation2Generation, visited Edge Grove to speak to Year 6-8 pupils about her own mother’s experience of escaping persecution in Nazi-occupied Austria, again providing pupils with the chance to look back and recognise their roles in contributing to both School and broader society.
It was lovely to celebrate Esmé's success in the National Non-Fiction November 2022 competition. Congratulations to her for her success in this national competition and well done to all of those brave souls who have auditioned for Edge Grove’s Got Talent (EGGT!); I literally can’t wait to see the finals and hopefully will be given the chance to be one of the judges! Hint Hint! Good luck also to our Year 3 Egyptians on Wednesday and good luck Years 3-8 with the Cross Country on Friday!
The energy of this place through an iron-cold January has been amazing and your children have been inspiring!
Please keep spreading the word to family and friends about Edge Grove and thank you to those of you who have been able to support the various events this week. I look forward to seeing you at the Friends of Edge Grove Cheese and Wine event on Wednesday 1st February. Further details are in this newsletter here.
With best wishes,
Yours,
Ed BalfourHead
