The test of any good school, in my opinion, is the nature of the relationships that play out within it:  how students interact with their teachers, how they interact with one another and how, as a community, we demonstrate the values that we say we espouse.

By this measure, I believe the Hall is a very good school. We have little bumps in the road sometimes, because we are human and no one is perfect; but how we deal with those moments is what matters, ensuring that we do not undermine confidence or set someone’s self-worth back a few steps.

I have been very pleased therefore to be able to recognise when our students embody our values. From time to time, colleagues notify me that a member of their class has demonstrated one of our core values. I handwrite a card for them, celebrating how their actions have encapsulated our school values and this card is displayed in a cabinet outside my office, along with other cards all addressed to individual students. This display is so heartening to read and I encourage parents to see it when you are next in!

The values our students (and staff!) are embodying are best envisaged as a pyramid, with Health & Self-Worth underpinning everything we do and aspire to be. Get the fundamentals in place, and everything else should follow, is our mantra. We never assume, we regularly check and double-check the efficacy of our culture and values, and the impact they have on our students’ academic and personal development.

Our values are:

I look forward to celebrating how your children are demonstrating these values as they continue to embrace our culture and curriculum.

I hope you enjoy a pleasant weekend in the sunshine.

Yours,