Head's Blog: Back to School

Dear Parents, It was been an extremely positive start to the term and I have been most impressed with the way the new pupils (and parents) have navigated their first working week at Handcross Park. I have also been so pleased that the new staff seem settled and happy; inspirational and passionate teachers are what makes a school a success – we are very lucky with the Handcross staff! I had a lovely conversation with some Year 6 girls over lunch on Tuesday that centred around ‘what is your favourite chocolate bar’- a conversation with endless possibilities! I also enjoyed reading to the two Reception classes; they were extremely well behaved and seemed to enjoy my silly voices – phew! On Tuesday, I attended the exclusive Tatler Good Schools event in London and although we didn’t win an award, we were definitely in the mix and it was fun to catch up with other prep and senior school heads and share best practice and ideas. I am pleased to mention that our Governors (profiles available on the website) are keen to visit Handcross Park this term and we are in the process of organising ‘learning walks’, observing lessons and meetings with the pupils and staff over the coming weeks. We are so lucky to have such a supportive Governing body who are always willing to give up their time to help the school. We had our first ‘informal’ surgery for Year 3 parents this week. These meetings are a chance to share ideas, raise concerns and ask questions in a relaxed manner in my study; please check the calendar for dates for the other year groups. We have also arranged pastoral surgeries with Ms Lyle (Deputy Head Pastoral) over the term as well. Finally, I am really looking forward to our inaugural new parents’ drinks party tonight; it will be lovely to welcome them all to the Handcross Park family. I wish you all the best in the coming weeks – lots of exciting events to look forward to! Richard Brown Headmaster