Focus on Education September 2021 No.1

Focus on Education September 2021

We have been delighted to see so many happy faces over the last two days, as students new and old begin the Autumn Term. We are meeting for Year group assemblies virtually during the period of the delayed Year 10 and Year 12 Finals in Big School and thereafter look forward to meeting together in person for our assemblies.

We have all enjoyed some inspirational highlights of Tokyo 2020 – both Olympics and Paralympics – over the past months and we would all do well to embrace the theme of ‘Being the best we can be – together’. We can see how Team GB, from languishing in 36^th place in the medals table in 1996, have risen so dramatically to 3^rd place in London, 2^nd in Rio and 4^th in Tokyo; matched by 3^rd, 2^nd and 2^nd in the Paralympics. Funding, marginal gains and a focus on the psychological as well as physiological aspects of preparation have all contributed to this incredible success, where winning is now an expectation rather than just a hope.

Many of you will know that the Olympic motto this year has changed from ‘Citius, altius, fortius’ (‘Faster, higher, stronger’) to ‘Citius, altius, fortius – communiter’ or ‘Faster, higher, stronger – together’. This has been accompanied by the #Strongertogether campaign, which has emphasised our need to pull together globally to overcome the pandemic: ‘The world only moves forward when we move together’.

“I never lose. I either win or I learn.”

(Nelson Mandela)

“I didn’t set out to beat the world; I just set out to do my absolute best.” (Al Oerter, four-time American Olympic discus champion)

“The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not winning but taking part; the essential thing in life is not conquering but fighting well.” (Pierre de Coubertin, founder of modern Olympic Games)

I encourage our students to think like winners and to stand together with others in our school community and beyond, so as to be the best they can be and to make our school and our world a better place. Be a Force for Good.

A good starting point is our HGS Cares Character and Values system which we have launched this term during Form time and assemblies. These values are linked to our House system and are part of a well rounded HGS education which prepares our students for their future careers and next steps of their education be that University, College, Apprenticeship or the world of work.

Stay well and safe.

Be kind to yourself and others. Best wishes,

Dr Bird