Dear Parents and Carers
I hope you all had a pleasant half term and enjoyed the jubilee weekend. I have to say that the this was something that I enjoyed far more than I expected to and speaking to many students here, they did too. Lots of street parties attended, some garage parties due to the rain and many other events with one or two students recounting their tales of being in London for the celebrations. Some time ago, we were approached by a journalist with the Sunday Times to help with an article on how relevant the monarchy is to students. She had interviewed students in several schools around the West Midlands so we were keen to take part. We found a group of highly articulate Year 12 students who had a fantastic debate with the journalist for an hour or so expressing a real balance of views. Unfortunately, when the article was printed, only one quote from the hour’s debate was used which fitted the narrative that the monarchy is completely irrelevant to our fairly hard left, highly republican youth. I’m not sure that is fair, it certainly wasn’t the view of most of the students she spoke to and whilst there is a wide range of views around the place, I wouldn’t say it was particularly weighted to the anti-monarchy side. Personally, I just enjoy the debate among students and the respect they showed for opposing views, a respect which is increasingly (and depressingly) lacking in society and something we constantly push here.
As for the jubilee, maybe it was the oasis of non-political calm which fell over the country as it focused on this event and the Queen. Whatever it was, it seems to have been something relished and enjoyed by many of our kids and a success nationwide – and everybody likes a 4-day weekend. And it seems that among the students here, we have quite a few royalists despite the views expressed in the Sunday Times article.
With best wishes
Andy Perry – Head Teacher
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