As you can see from the many stories listed below, it has been a very busy couple of weeks in the life of the School. The production of ‘Grease – the Musical’ in The Athenaeum was outstanding and I am very grateful to the many parents who have contacted us to pass on their congratulations. What struck me, apart from the sheer talent of those on the stage, was the number of pupils involved and the evident enjoyment they had in performing and in sharing the experience with one another. It was also lovely to see the pupils performing to packed houses each night, and to see the audience so enthused as well.

Last week, many of us were privileged to be in the Thomas Arnold Hall to hear a talk by a man called Chris Lubbe. It is rare to listen to such an inspiring, moving and powerful presentation and it was quite clear that everyone in attendance was spellbound. Chris is a South African, designated as ‘coloured’ under the Apartheid laws, who became an ANC activist and colleague of both Desmond Tutu and Nelson Mandela; he was the latter’s bodyguard during his time as President. The story of his life that Chris recounted was astonishing: from a shanty town outside Durban to a state banquet at Buckingham Palace. While he told many entertaining stories about his time with Mandela (Princess Diana, the Spice Girls and Michael Jackson all got a mention), it was his account of the brutality of life as a non-white under Apartheid that was so enthralling. I have never seen pupils so engaged by a visiting speaker; he asked each of them to make a point of thanking their parents for the educational opportunities they have at Warminster and reminded them that millions of children in the world would do anything to have a similar experience. Chris brought his talk to a close by quoting his friend, Nelson Mandela:

“What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead.”

He urged all of us never to turn a blind eye to injustice, prejudice or intolerance but to serve others and to stand up for what we know to be right. He also emphasised the importance of seizing opportunities, resilience, determination and persistence – all qualities that have shaped his life. I hope that Chris will return annually to speak to the pupils here.

Please also read about the School’s PSHE programme (Personal, Social, Health Education). It’s an area of school life that is becoming ever-more important. You can also read below about the TeachMeet that we hosted last week: it was lovely to welcome teachers to the School from state and independent, primary and senior schools to spend some time chatting about teaching and learning. I was also delighted to see sixth form pupils involved in the event. We shall certainly hold another one.

There are two weeks until the end of term and, as usual, they are busy. The WSPA Christmas Fayre tomorrow morning, the Candlelit Christmas (what was Carols by Candlelight) next Wednesday, the Prep Nativity Play, the WSPA Christmas Dinner & Dance, the Prep Carol Service, Curriculum Enrichment Day, Year 11 Michaelmas Dinner….the list goes on. I look forward to seeing many of you at one or more of these events.

Mark Mortimer
@markd_mortimer