Headmaster's Blog

What I won’t miss from the lockdown – Room 101
Room 101 is a place introduced in the novel Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell. It is a torture chamber in the Ministry of Love in which the Party attempts to subject...

The Beauty of Books (Part one)
From an early age I have always read a lot. Encouraged by two parents with a huge love of literature, myself and my brother learned to love words at an...

Exercise and its benefits
March was a bad exercise month for me. Apart from walking around the campus at School, I did very little. I used the excuse of increased Covid-19 meetings and limited...

Reasons to be cheerful
These must be unprecedented times! I have never been persuaded to write a blog before. But I suppose the world has changed, and I must change with it. I was...

CROSSING GENERATIONS AND CONTINENTS
A recent email from an Old Sedberghian after our reunion dinner in the House of Commons prompts me to reflect on the shared Sedbergh experience which crosses generations. He wrote,...

THE VALUE OF VALUE ADDED
The purpose of schooling is to change children. It’s a simple proposition but perhaps contentious because there are two schools of thought on the role of a school. The first...

PUTTING MYSELF ON THE LINE
Every week Sedberghians put their talents and reputation on the line. Our sportsmen and women test their teamwork, skills and fitness against the best in the country, our musicians perform...

THE SEDBERGH VIEW ON LEAGUE TABLES
I am occasionally asked about the value of League Tables and where Sedbergh features. The answer to the latter question is more straight-forward than to the former. Do League Tables...

HEADMASTER’S SPEECH, PRIZE GIVING 2016
Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen, Sedberghians, Friends and Visitors Welcome to Prize-Giving. This is the cornerstone of the School year when we celebrate our collective achievements, acknowledge those who have made...

AN INSTINCT FOR INFLUENCE
An article in Tuesday’s Independent asks ‘Where are the leaders who can cast a spell?’ Steve Richards, points to the momentum, conviction and unity the big election winners of the...