During Henry and Geraint’s excellent ‘tour of the school’ for last Friday’s BPS Quiz Night, those in attendance will remember that they paid a visit to Wendy Phillips’s 4Y classroom, where Wendy and her class spoke enthusiastically about their English work in relation to the author Joe Todd-Stanton. As special as it was to gain an insight into this and other classes on the tour, those particularly observant parents might have noticed something else, just as special. My wife Brigid noticed and came up to me at the interval. “I don’t know if you know, but on what I saw in that video, I think Wendy Phillips is pregnant.” Thanks for the intel and female intuition Brigid but fortunately I did know and can now formally announce the happy news that Wendy will be leaving us to go on maternity leave in June. Many congratulations to her – I am sure you agree that such a natural teacher and caring and compassionate person will make an equally excellent mother. Natalie Jones, fortunately returning to us from her own maternity leave after the May Half Term will take over her good friend Wendy’s class for the three remaining weeks of the academic year.
Having joined with me in September 2022, the Games Department and I will be very sorry to say goodbye to Pete Stansfield at the end of this term as he joins Wellesley House Prep School in Hampshire, closer to the home he shares with his partner at Downe House School. Pete has been a superb colleague and a calm yet competitive influence on the boys’ sporting progress. To replace him, we welcome Ed Barnett who joins us from Caldicott. Well versed in the prep school sporting circuit having also worked at Haberdashers’, Ed is excited to work with our school, having such a strong sporting pedigree, as well as his desire to progress the mental health and wellbeing of the boys. We needed a strong ‘transfer window’ having lost Pete and we couldn’t be happier to secure such a good appointment in Ed.
I wish you all a happy and enjoyable Half Term. Look after yourselves if hitting the slopes, send me a postcard and we look forward to seeing the boys back refreshed and raring to go for what promises to be a very busy second half of the year!
Have a great Half Term,
Nick Baker