NEWS
Mr Ellis extends international coaching role with Fiji
Many of our rugby players may have noticed that Mr Ellis has been absent from school coaching duties this term. Thankfully, he has a very good reason. Over recent months, Mr Ellis has been working with the FIJI Water Flying Fijians, initially joining the national side as Interim…
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Sports day, stickers and the subtle lessons we teach
This week I was lucky enough to be able to attend my daughter’s first sports day. She is four years old, nearing the end of reception, and it was a largely traditional affair: an egg-and-spoon race, a dressing-up race, winners recognised. I am grateful for that. There is…
A cry of town criers? Reflections on tradition and saying yes
Questions you never think you’ll have occasion to ask… ‘What is the collective noun for town criers?’ According to the previous incumbent, the collective noun for mayors is a ‘magnificent’ or, more informally, a ‘chain gang.’ Yet none of the fifteen town criers assembled…
Outcomes, not outputs: why walking the miles still matters in an age of shortcuts
Society increasingly appears to have adopted a mechanistic understanding of education, one which casts schools as little more than industrial production lines. Raw materials are fed in at one end; standardised pedagogies are applied on the ‘shop floor’; before outputs are distributed to the adult world. These ‘factories’ are evaluated…
Photos, memory and being present
Like many of you, I used the Easter holiday as an opportunity to take a break. My family and I travelled to Quinta do Lago, Portugal, our first proper holiday together since the twins were born just over 18 months ago. I have a new camera, and I was keen…
Artificial Intelligence and the future of work: The revenge of the humanities?
In recent months, much actual and digital ink has been spilled about artificial intelligence and its disruptive influence on the world of work. Headlines oscillate wildly between the utopian and the apocalyptic: jobs transformed, jobs lost, productivity unleashed, creativity mechanised. It is little wonder that parents, pupils and teachers alike…
Asking the right questions: science, curiosity and responsibility
Curiosity is one of the values that form The Warwick Way. Curiosity is the desire not simply to learn what we are told, but to explore ideas, and to pursue knowledge and understanding beyond the obvious. It is what drives people to ask questions that others overlook. It pushes them…
Why humility matters more than volume
My daughter loves Matilda the Musical. Many of you will be familiar with the recent big-screen adaptation, even more of you will know the Roald Dahl novel on which it is based. It tells the story of Matilda Wormwood a precocious five -year-old with a love of books, a remarkable…
Words matter: freedom and responsibility
In recent months, debates about free speech have been a prominent feature of public life. Universities have restricted or cancelled speakers because of their views on the war in Gaza; protestors have been arrested under public order legislation for chants and placards deemed inflammatory; and social media platforms have suspended…
Thank you Noel
The start of term has been overshadowed by tragic news that Noel Tapper-Gray, our Head of Careers and Volunteering since April 2020, passed away unexpectedly over the holiday, just a few days short of what would have been his 64th birthday on Christmas Day. Noel was a deeply valued and…
A moment of joy and a lesson in service
People often ask me whether I enjoy my job. My standard reply is that being a Head Master is like most roles; there are parts I love, parts I enjoy, and parts I really don’t! Thankfully, the moments of joy far outweigh the more challenging ones. Last Friday evening was…