A hallmark of a successful person is that they persist in the face of obstacle, and often, these obstacles are blessings in disguise.
Carol S. Dweck
The start of a new school year is always a time of great excitement. New pencils, new school uniform, new friends, and new experiences. For thirteen pupils it is their first taste of school-based education, and what a week they will have had. Welcome to our Nursery class. For others it is a different story, they are approaching the end of their school careers and a new future beckons, with university study the most likely target. Good luck Year 13. Alongside this there are the entirely understandable first day nerves, a few concerns about being in the right place at the right time, wondering what teachers will be like, and how much homework will be set.
As we come to the end of busy first week, I am sure there will be some tired young people who have worked hard to understand new routines or simply getting used to being out of bed before midday! In my wanderings around both of our campuses I’m pleased to have seen lots of smiles and ever more confident pupils who appear genuinely happy to be in school. This is how it should be. But the first week is a little different than others. By the end of the term the nights will be longer, people will be more tired and until that final joyful week of the term there is a good deal of work to get through. We continue to promote the idea to our young people that they need to sleep in the right quantities, regulate screen time, engage with a wide and balanced range of activities and ensure that they make the most of the activities that are on offer here at the BSP. We pride ourselves on being a welcoming and friendly school, it is also important that we ensure that our young people know how to ensure their wellbeing – finding the right balance is everything as we start out on the school year. Resilience and a capacity to look positively is similarly vital.
In all these respects I think that our redoubtable founder Mrs. Cosyn would recognise the BSP today as sharing the same values as the institution she founded seventy years ago. Striving for excellence in a supportive environment that allows for some fun along the way is a tried and tested formula. There may well be new pressures and different challenges, but the aim remains the same. There are certainly more opportunities, and our alumni network grows ever wider. We intend to celebrate our heritage at our upcoming event, I do hope you will come and join us. Here in Croissy we are proud of our past, but our focus is on the future. We can celebrate both.
Nicholas Hammond
Headmaster
