Head's Blog: Family

Dear Parents,

I really enjoyed the recent FHXP Drinks Party last Saturday and I was so pleased that we had a good turnout of parents. It was convivial and fun, and I would like to thank Mrs Ward, Mr McGavock and the FHXP team for making the event so warm and friendly. What resonated from the evening was the importance of ‘family’ within Handcross Park. There is so much pressure for parents outside Handcross Park, with Brexit uncertainty, a very busy working life, the challenges that the Independent Sector faces in relation to the Labour Party’s ‘Abolish Eton' agenda; the list is endless, but we face those challenges head on and with a positive attitude to find solutions.

However, it means that we, as a community, need to ensure that Handcross Park continues to be a haven that we can all enjoy, where we can work together for the benefit for the children.

On another note, I know that our pastoral teams have been working hard with the introduction of iSpace and iWonder, and it is slowly becoming part of the language of the staff and pupils, focusing on their wellbeing and their ability to discuss their feelings more openly.

I received a lovely email from a parent the other day which highlighted a moment of kindness within the school, and I would like to share her words:

I was waiting in the reception area for my taxi when 3 pupils just casually laid on the rug and started looking at a magazine/book of some sort. I know this is just ordinary daily life at Handcross, but what really totally amazed me was just the genuine kindness and compassion the kids had for one another. Their mannerisms towards each other and staff was quite simply beautiful to witness. One pupil, a girl, actually got up and opened the door for Ms Bithell as well as another member of staff. She was just being herself, obviously a child who has been raised very well with great manners.
Every time I visit Handcross whether it be just to pick my daughter up I'm just always impressed by something. I'm not sure of the pupils names but they are a great asset to the school and I'm so pleased that I followed my intuition in trusting that Handcross is the right school for my daughter.

I feel that the term has started well and the new pupils are now more settled – please remember that my staff are always available if you have any questions.

Richard Brown

Headmaster