An Inspection Calls!
It is always difficult to spend time away from Saint Felix, not least because so much happens in any single day across the academic, pastoral and co-curricular elements of the school, but as a Team Inspector for ISI, I am expected to carry out two inspections every academic year. I have been doing this now for about eight years and it is an incredibly useful role to fulfil as it provides vital professional development not only on a personal level, but more importantly for the school. Not only do I get to see some wonderful examples of best practice in other schools, it also provides an ongoing and invaluable insight into the nature of these inspections and any developing trends. With Saint Felix expecting our next inspection in January or February, I hope that this insight will enable us to have a successful and positive week when our turn arrives.
Back at Saint Felix, it has been a busy and fruitful week where the Badminton Squads continue to shine and perform at a high level. It really is highly impressive to see how a smaller school can punch above its weight in the sporting arena when the pupils and staff are committed to excellence. At the back end of last week, a combination of Year 5, 6 and 7 students travelled to Hellesdon High School in Norwich to take on a Year 7 team in a friendly match; despite facing older opponents in the case of five of our squad, fantastic effort and teamwork came to the fore with an incredible 16-0 victory. This week, both our Under 14 and Under 12 Girls teams went to Sir John Leman High School to compete in the Under 14 Area Cup Badminton tournament which featured nine teams; the Under 14 team delivered an outstanding performance throughout the afternoon both going unbeaten and not dropping a single game. Their consistency, teamwork, and determination secured them the overall tournament victory and a well-deserved place in the Suffolk County Finals where they will join the Under 16 Boys and Girls who have already qualified. Our Under 12 Girls secured the Bronze Medal and 3rd place competing against those two years older boding very well for the future! We now look forward to Tuesday where our Under 14 Boys attempt to secure their own place in the County Finals; good luck to them and well done to everyone who has represented the school at Badminton so admirably.
Our athletes are all now benefiting from the Veo Camera that effectively enables video analysis of our recent matches in order to improve performance and understanding of tactics. As we look to prepare for County Cup matches in the new year, this will make a real difference and help to form a real sense of team. Our next venture will be to invest in some GPS vests to further aid our athlete development. With a busy week ahead across Badminton, Foot-ball and Netball, it is wonderful to see so many students not only participating but also improving their skills and attributes in the physical realm.
It is always important for our pupils to hear different voices across the academic sphere particularly as they are looking to develop their expertise and mastery. We are very grateful to Andrew Hunt who came to speak to our Year 13 Economists last week where he explored the current US macroeconomic landscape and the complex flows of money within the economy. His insights offered
the pupils a valuable real-world context whilst also deepening their understanding of aggregate demand, bringing to life many of the concepts that they have studied in class. Andrew is a leading global economist (as well as being a Saint Felix parent) and regularly informs institutions such as JP Morgan and the US Treasury; his expertise certainly gave our students an inspiring learning opportunity!
And what an achievement by Jude H who has just found out that he has gained a place with the National Youth Choir. Having auditioned during the recent half term break, Jude has done incredibly well to have this success in what is a highly competitive field. We are all absolutely thrilled for him as he has worked so hard to achieve this honour; what an experience he will have. This shows what can be achieved when you follow your passions which we encourage all of our students to do; you never know where it will lead.
Being a parent isn’t always easy and that is why we take our role in supporting your child’s mental health and wellbeing so seriously; it is an absolute priority for us. We are delighted to be able to continue to offer our parental community free access to The Wellbeing Hub from Teen Tips. This offers trusted resources to help you navigate anything and everything from friendships and Online Safety to self-esteem and emotional health. The online platform provides a wealth of information on a vast array of topics including expert advice on behaviour, mental health and teen development, weekly live webinars with specialists, careers advice, courses on developing resilience and so much more. Please do use this link to access the wealth of information that is available in multiple different forms
I hope that everyone has an enjoyable and restful weekend.
Yours sincerely,
Matthew Oakman
Head