As we turned off our screens last Friday to complete the 3,500 hours of weekly remote learning being delivered across the School during lockdown, we were able to reflect this week upon the spirit of unity, adaptability and achievements shown by pupils, staff and parents, but also a renewed sense of closeness and community.

We now look to spring; a season synonymous with growth, and the evidence of those fresh shoots of life around us, notably those young shoots who finally flung themselves through our doors this week; an emotional sight to behold as we welcomed your children back to their classrooms.

We now also look to the future. As we attracted a significant audience for our virtual Open Day today, how reassuring it was to hear of the reasons why Prince’s Mead is firmly their number one choice for an outstanding education; a number of whom recognising our agility in rapidly evolving our educational offering where and when required. A recent study by the World Economic Forum concluded that 65% of children of prep school age today will work in jobs that do not yet exist. In such a rapidly evolving landscape, disrupted further by the global pandemic, many also believe that we are on the cusp of a fourth industrial revolution. Our ability at Prince’s Mead to anticipate and prepare for future skills requirements and rapid technological advancement is crucial to ensure that our children can seize the opportunities presented by these trends. There is much to celebrate with our skills focus on communication, collaboration, creativity, critical-thinking, digital literacy and civic responsibility but we always strive for more. This will come into even sharper focus this weekend as the Board of Governors and the Senior Leadership Team gather to stimulate even deeper thinking on our 21st century education and to ensure we continue to build and celebrate the critical foundations that we lay down for our children; ones that we cherish all the more with their welcome return this week.

As we look to the weekend, we wish all our mothers a very special day on Sunday; you most certainly deserve it!

Mr Peter Thacker