Sporting fixtures also resumed in the Summer term , with teams competing in 239 events . I will never forget the first I attended , which was a cricket match . The highlight was Nick Chaplin ( Upper Sixth ) in the 1st XI hitting a century and the final four rolling to a stop near my feet on the boundary .
All these moments were made more poignant and powerful mid-pandemic .
We coped with rapid change over the year : monitoring infection rates , buying PCR testing machines for school use , rolling out mass testing and adapting to the latest travel requirements for the many different nationalities represented in our community .
All staff have worked so hard , and at each stage prioritised the safety and welfare of the students and staff onsite , whilst also ensuring that we continued to educate . Thank you to parents , Old Sennockians and Governors for your encouragement and support , as well as your patience . Schools will be remembered for how they responded to the pandemic , and I will always be proud to have been part of the Sevenoaks response .
As ever , this year we say goodbye to a number of colleagues who are departing Sevenoaks , and their valete are included in the following pages . I want to highlight two long-standing servants of the school whose duties concluded in July .
Theresa Homewood , Senior Deputy Head , retired in July after 41 years of service to the school . She taught in the Geography department , was Deputy Head Pastoral and nobly led the school through the outbreak of the pandemic as Acting Head before my arrival , in the most challenging and unexpected circumstances .
On a personal note , I would like to thank Theresa for staying on one more academic year to help me settle in before her retirement . I met with her every day , downloaded her knowledge of the school and benefited from her wisdom and insight . I wish Theresa a happy and fulfilling retirement , and she will always be warmly welcomed at Sevenoaks School . Please do read more about her career and contributions in our farewell article to this dedicated and valued member of the school community .
I would also like to thank Robert Sackville-West , who retires after a decade as Chairman of the Sevenoaks School Foundation and 15 years on the school ’ s governing body , including six years as Chairman . He has played a pivotal role in the development of the school over that quarter of a century . It is worth noting that when Robert started serving as a governor , neither The Sennocke Centre nor The Space existed .
Robert and I share the vision of William Sevenoke , our Founder , that Sevenoaks is a school of opportunity for all young people who would benefit from our education , regardless of their family ’ s ability to pay . Robert has helped us to double the number of free and assisted places we offer over the past decade , and I will seek to build on this in the years ahead . On behalf of our community , I give sincere thanks to Robert for his dedication and service to the school .
In the course of the academic year 2021-22 , we will launch a new vision for Sevenoaks and our strategy for the next decade . As well as widening access and aiming to become a carbon-neutral school , we will look to form partnerships with other leading IB schools , creating opportunities for our students and staff to run exchanges and enrich our global outlook .
We also look forward to enlarging our boarding community with the opening of a new house for girls , which we have begun building on the site of Lambardes .
I also want to ensure that the daily experience of every student here is the best that it can be academically , pastorally and across co-curricular activities . Looking after the wellbeing of students is a priority , particularly as we emerge from this pandemic .
Please do enjoy reading the Sennockian and learning more about all that our community achieved in such extraordinary circumstances . My sincere thanks to everyone who has contributed to this important record of such a remarkable year .
SEVENOAKS SCHOOL 2020-2021 3