Welcome Back!
It was such a pleasure to welcome everyone back to school yesterday after the long summer break. The students all looked smart and resplendent whilst the teaching staff were energised and ready to go after three days of INSET and preparation. Until the students are back in the school, it feels like a building that is incomplete and hearing lessons start, sport being played and the excitement of them reconnecting with their friends has been a real joy.
So much has happened over the summer break in terms of projects to improve the campus and facilities. The Technology, Music and Photography corridor have all been updated to present a more modern feel in the classroom. The new grass pitch by the old equestrian centre is nearly ready for action whilst the one to the back of the school is just beginning to germinate. Work on the Prep Department is now almost complete with the Music Hall having been completed. The staff all now have their Microsoft devices and screens have been installed in every classroom to ensure a more interactive and digital form of teaching. In addition, the school hosted a Chinese summer camp as well as a Jewish faith retreat over the summer break. The works and maintenance team alongside Grounds and Gardens have been simply fantastic!
The new mentoring programme has begun in the Senior Department which will ensure that the students have an allocated staff member to guide them through their educational journey providing support and guidance in a safe environment. All the evidence suggests that a strong mentoring programme can be transformative in terms of outcomes, wellbeing, motivation, aspiration, behaviour, and self-esteem. The aim will be to encourage and empower the students in their personal development as well as helping them to make the right academic choices that will lead to successful outcomes linked to potential career goals. In addition, the Saint Felix Diploma is underway where students from Years 5-13 will broaden their horizons across all four faculty areas in an array of competitions, awards, certificates coupled with invaluable lessons for life that will serve them beyond their time at the school. The new co-curricular programme launches in its entirety next week providing more opportunities for students to extend their areas of passion and interest outside of the main curriculum areas of study as well as embarking on service learning. It is an exciting time for the school as it looks to ensure that all of our students have an educational experience that is exciting, modern, and relevant.
The Olympics and Paralympics provide the most amazing spectacle every four years and having been fortunate enough to take this in myself over the summer, I was able to use the ideals and values shown in my beginning of term assembly to the whole school. The endeavour and commitment shown by all of the athletes is an inspiration; it has therefore been wonderful to see the great success that Will Ellard (Old Felician) has had in the Paralympics. With two Gold Medals and one Silver Medal in the S14 Category for Swimming, so far, he has achieved something that is truly quite remarkable, and we are all very proud of him. I was also delighted to hear that Herbie S-C won the George Willard Trophy at the Gorleston G.C annual competition; having only been playing for five months, he has already reduced his handicap from 36 to 21! As we begin our partnership with Southwold Golf Club in the coming weeks, I hope that Saint Felix will become a home for this great game.
I look forward to seeing you all again over the coming weeks as various events, shows, recitals and information evenings begin to take place.
Yours sincerely,
Matthew Oakman
Head
