“Carry out a random act of kindness, with no expectation of reward, safe in the knowledge that one day someone might do the same for you.” - Princess Diana

Happy New Year!

It has been fantastic to welcome the boys back on site this week. Although the emergence of the Omicron variant has meant the last-minute introduction of some additional mitigations, things could be significantly worse - after all, last year began with an announcement that schools would be closed! Although it’s not the start to 2022 which we had all been hoping for, if these measures help to keep your sons in school then they are the lesser of two evils.

COP26, the climate conference that took place in Glasgow between 31^st October and 12^th November, at which countries revisited climate pledges made under the 2015 Paris Agreement and reached a new global agreement – the Glasgow Climate Pact – has placed the environment on the front pages this month.  Although not legally binding, the pact will set the global agenda on climate change for the next decade and aims to reduce its worst impacts. However, many leaders and campaigners argue that it does not go far enough. 

Last Sunday, 10 October, was World Mental Health Day. The cusp of half term and a much-needed chance to rest and revitalise seems like the ideal time to talk about well-being, which is often a victim of the pace of our daily lives.

Men’s mental health is often surrounded by a negative stigma which discourages discussion. 1 in 10 young people, approximately three in every classroom, will experience a mental health problem. Research suggests that nearly 70% of young people who have experienced a mental health problem have also experienced a negative reaction to those problems from family, friends and teachers. Experiencing a mental health problem is hard enough; fear of judgment, shame and isolation make it that much harder.

This term begins with a real sense of optimism as the lifting of Covid restrictions and the vaccination programme promise the start of a long and eagerly awaited return to normal. Standing in front of Warwick Hall on Monday morning, I witnessed smili