Thoughts, comments, ideas and pause for thought from members of our school and extended community.
Belonging is one of the quiet human needs - rarely announced, often disguised, but deeply formative. For children especially, it is not an abstract idea but a daily emotional reality.
At Pilgrims’ School, the safety, wellbeing and emotional health of our children are always at the heart of what we do
Parents of prep school pupils often find themselves in what can best be described as the middle.
In yesterday’s Lower/Middle Prep assembly, boys were encouraged to reflect on the idea of the heart, both as a vital physical organ and as a useful way of thinking about emotional and moral wellbeing.
The calendar flips. The fireworks fade. And for a brief moment, the year feels open - unwritten. January has a way of inviting reflection while pretending to offer a clean slate. We make resolutions, set goals, promise ourselves that this will be the year we focus.
As the evenings draw in and the familiar glow of Christmas begins to settle across the school, we are reminded that this season has long brought out the very best in people.
At Pilgrims’, the development of each boy’s character and wellbeing sits alongside his academic learning. Our PSHEe programme, supported by the SCARF curriculum, provides a guiding framework that helps pupils grow in confidence, empathy and resilience as they move through the school.
Comparison is something we all do, often without realising it. Children notice who runs the fastest, who answers quickly, who colours neatly; adults do much the same, only in subtler ways.
At our school, the safety and wellbeing of every boy is at the heart of all we do.
Next week is Anti-Bullying Week, and it’s a lovely chance for us all - parents, teachers, and boys - to pause and think about what it really means to be kind, brave, and part of a community.
I love being on the beach early in the morning before anyone else has been out. Seeing the waves ripple in like long, successive lines of corduroy reminds me of the timelessness of nature, and I get a kick out of being the first person to plant my footprints near the water’s edge, as if I’ve somehow been chosen to be the first human to enjoy the place.
I’ve recently contacted a few old friends to find out how they are, and to catch up on some news. I’ve not seen some of them in a number of years, and much has taken place during that time for each of us. What struck me though, is that all of us remarked on how busy life has become, and how little time there appears to be for meaningful rest.
