“We can only see a short distance ahead, but we can see plenty there that needs to be done.” – Alan Turing
A group of GCSE and A level students recently visited Bletchley Park, the centre of cryptography during the Second World War. They had the opportunity to learn about the Engima codes, Alan Turing and the many people working to ensure that the scourge of Nazism was defeated. From soldiers and sailors on the front line who acquired the machines to the so-called boffins, the crossword solvers, quiz fanatics and mathematicians who processed the information that was gleaned. Ordinary people who had the opportunity to make sense from seeming randomness and confusion.
As life becomes ever more complicated our young people face the daunting prospect of having to negotiate a series of social situations each requiring a key to understanding. It is a complicated business growing up, and the ever-present pressure to be able to decipher what is or is not cool makes this task all the more challenging. This is also the week when students are called to interview by competitive entry universities and for high demand courses. Some are online others are in person. Questions are asked, paradoxes explored, and conundrums posed. From medical morality to mathematical complexity, our young people need the right knowledge and the appropriate skills to craft their responses. Another set of codes to decipher.
It is therefore refreshing to look forward to next week for it will be a week in which there is little that will be obscure, opaque or coded. The final week of the Autumn term is always rather special, a time when our young people have the opportunity to celebrate together. Next week will be filled with lessons of a slightly different type – perhaps a little less rigorous and with more intentional fun than normal. A range of annual activities, concerts, a lunch that looks more like a feast, and a talent show will all be enjoyed. The Senior School will celebrate the rich diversity of our community through International Day and next Friday we will all bring this most successful of terms to a close.
Whilst the world around us is both complicated and perhaps worrying for our young people, next week gives us the opportunity to join together as a community and to enjoy a celebration of all that has been achieved. In a similar vein, the magnificent Christmas Fair last week was a chance for us all to come together and enjoy this festive spirit. Huge thanks to all in the BSPCA who brought the event together for so many to enjoy. At this time of celebration and generosity the funds that they have raised will go to support and assist others and I can think of no better way to celebrate this most special time of year and that which has been achieved this term.
Nicholas Hammond
Headmaster
