Academic review of the year
Sevenoaks School versus the world
No one saw this coming . Overnight , we had to reimagine the whole school . It ’ s as if we were flying a plane which had to be taken apart , redesigned , and rebuilt while in flight .
That we remained flying does credit to all of us . Every student , teacher , and family has played a part , though the individual who has done the most to maintain , direct , and support is , of course , Theresa Homewood , the Head for this academic year ; Arabella Stuart spoke for all of us in her heartfelt tribute ( see pages 6-7 ).
It has been a dark time . No family has been untouched by tragedy , disruption , and uncertainty . The entire staff worked harder than ever to support , guide , and manage students , families and colleagues .
This time has also brought the best out of all of us . Students have shown huge reserves of resilience , dedication , and independence . Some of the projects undertaken have been extraordinary .
There have been other benefits to distance learning . Lessons always start on time – as students can get from class to class in an instant . No one has missed the commute , and it ’ s been easy to stay dry on a rainy day .
There have been lighter moments too . Family pets are regular fixtures in lessons . Lockdown haircuts are pretty funny . Lots of students – and teachers – get through the day in tracksuits , and cups of tea and slices of cake in lessons are a civilised addition .
At the time of writing , as the academic year draws to a close , we have still got a long way to go , but we know we will get there . We all want to be back on our beautiful campus , with our friends , able to chat without Teams , Zoom , or Houseparty . We want the Dining Hall back , the art studios back . We want music , drama , and sport . We want the High Street ’ s coffee shops . We want Mr P ’ s .
Until we get there , we continue to do as we ’ ve always done : to put the welfare of the individual student first , and work everything else out from that starting point .
Tim Jones , Deputy Head Academic
4 ACADEMIC REVIEW