Dear Parents,
Autumnal colours as you drive along Amersham Road, and autumnal music and generosity emanating from the Spinney yesterday with our Year 1 and Year 2 Harvest Festivals. The artwork, music and poetry recitals were charming of course – there is always something deeply heartwarming and emotive about the sound of young people singing – but what always impresses me about these Beacon performances is the ability of our 5 and 6 year olds to sit so dutifully and follow, at times quite complex, instruction. Anyone, myself included, who has attempted to manage and structure a children’s party at this age group will no doubt sympathise with what I’m saying here. The teaching and classroom management of the very youngest children is a niche, highly defined skill, only effectively mastered by the most talented of educationalists. I continue to be humbled by the abundance of such colleagues teaching our young boys at The Beacon.
It’s rugby season but with the IAPS calendar, we still enter the football tournaments this term and with the U13 having already qualified for the Nationals, I was awaiting news expectantly, yet nervously, last Sunday with our U11 boys at the qualifiers in Millfield. I needn’t have worried though as Mr Miles duly texted me that having reached the Final, we were through to the Nationals and will compete with the very best at both age groups later this term. Great news and great commitment from those staff, boys and of course their parents, making the long drive down to the West Country to represent their school so admirably. This is a Monday to Friday school but we do ask of you at the weekends on occasion, and the community always delivers. As indeed they will tomorrow, when over 200 of you descend on the school for our ‘Festival of Lights’ in celebration of Diwali. Another BPS extravaganza, only effectively mastered by the most talented of parents!
Have a good weekend,
Nick Baker