From the Headmaster's Desk

Isn’t it amazing that we are all made in God’s image, and yet there is so much diversity among his people? Wise words from a wise man, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and an excellent point that inspired my assembly on Monday… about how to make a cup of tea.

When I unveiled a jug of water, some tea bags, milk and sugar there were a few sceptical looks from the audience, but as the ingredients were added, a difficult question was discussed: which is the most important part of a cup of tea? Is it the water, tea, milk or sugar? Of course, there is no right answer, although some might consider some answers more correct than others, with the point being that a good cup of tea cannot be achieved without very different elements coming together and working as one.

At Lyonsdown, we respect and celebrate our differences, a point recognised in our recent ISI report. In diversity there is beauty and there is strength, and it was wonderful to get the children thinking about cultural events that may not directly affect them, but enrich our community as a whole. With wonderful timing, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Diwali, Black History Month, Harvest Festival and the birth of Mahatma Gandhi are all celebrated in October.

Talking of things to celebrate, I am delighted to announce that Lyonsdown has now been awarded gold status for its School Travel Plan. My thanks to Miss Doyle for a feat that was achieved in the week of London’s Car Free Day. On that note, your support is appreciated in further improving the parking situation at the beginning and end of the school day, but some parents have still been observed putting our children at risk by parking illegally and irresponsibly on double yellow lines and across local residents’ driveways. We will always ask parents’ to move on, but are aware that Barnet are taking a keen interest in the area.

Exam preparation is well underway with Year 6, and I have the privilege of running mock interviews with some of the girls. Along with the usual questions about likes and dislikes, the general conversation veers into unusually interesting territory on a regular basis. This week, I have been told fascinating facts about clocks, discovered that we don’t need phones and learnt that Little Mix are best friends. As with many things in life (and cups of tea), there is no right answer, beyond having a well-informed opinion. If your daughter is in Year 6 and has a forthcoming interview, please let us know, so that a practice session can be arranged with Mrs Windsor or myself.

In the later part of the week, I had the privilege of attending the IAPS Annual Conference. This is always a fantastic event, as Heads from across the UK come together to share best practice, listen to expert speakers and come away with ideas to implement in their schools. The venue was Westminster, making the event even more interesting than usual… if there were a time to get children into the habit of engaging with current affairs (compulsory for all Lyonsdown children), this is it.

All the best for a relaxing weekend.

Mr Hammond

*It is not sugar and I should point out that it was virtually impossible to find sugar in School.