WELCOME// HEADMASTERS FAREWELL
HEADMASTER - FAREWELL
TO A SPECIAL SCHOOL
When I leave Pocklington School at the end of this term, I
will do so with many cherished memories of my time here.
I’ve watched pupils grow into accomplished young adults
and shared teachers’ satisfaction in seeing hard work and
dedication pay off.
Thank you to parents present and past for the trust you place
in Pocklington School in educating your children and helping
them to become young men and women of whom society will
be proud.
I am indebted to colleagues who work consistently hard to
ensure it continues to run smoothly and remains an exciting
and supportive place to learn. Thanks, too, to the governors
for contributing so much of your time and being a source of
advice and challenge.
The School itself has evolved considerably over the last decade,
with the addition of buildings and facilities which have helped
make it the comfortable, safe and stimulating environment in
which pupils thrive. The OP community have been remarkable
in their support, donating generously to our fundraising for
the Annand VC Centre, our floodlights on the Astro pitches
and, more recently, the Art and Design Technology Centre.
So, too, have our wider School community of parents past and
present who have shared in our vision of providing excellent
all-round facilities.
A successful school never stands still and I believe a creative,
forward-thinking environment is the best setting for children
to learn. Many of our staff have outside interests and areas of
study which feed in to the classroom, to the benefit of pupils.
The Chatta learning app, which we championed and used
from its earliest days, was recently named as one of the most
inspiring education innovations in the world. It has benefitted
the language skills of our early learners and non-native speakers,
and is now being used in schools across the UK and globally.
essential part of their role and the School has rightly become
a beacon for its mental health and wellbeing provision. This
term we became the first boarding school in the country to
receive the Carnegie Centre of Excellence for Mental Health
in Schools’ Boarding School Mental Health Award – many
thanks to all involved.
“The School itself has evolved
considerably over the last
decade, with the addition
of buildings and facilities
which have helped make it
the comfortable, safe and
stimulating environment in
which pupils thrive”.
Our support staff regularly go above and beyond to ensure
pupils have a secure and pleasant environment. When a burst
water main cut our School water supply several years ago,
domestic staff swung into action to ensure the school remained
open; even ferrying buckets of water from the swimming pool
to keep our toilets in working order. When the “Beast from the
East” descended in March, our support staff struggled in to
school through the snow and ice to clear pathways, spread grit,
keep corridors clean and feed us. The School simply couldn’t
function without their dedication and attention to detail.
The new Careers and Business Network is already enabling
the whole school community to share advice and new
opportunities; thanks to OP speakers who have generously
shared their experiences. Older pupils are finding it a
particularly useful insight into the world of work and I have no
doubt it will go from strength to strength.
The School’s excellent pastoral care is a huge source of pride.
Our committed staff regard safeguarding pupil wellbeing as an
THE POCKLINGTONIAN
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