Headmaster’s Message
Tim Hands
Increased access to the highest standards
of education continues to enjoy keen press
coverage. It has become something of a
politico-moral prerequisite.
I
t is also central to our wonderful Wykehamical
traditions.
Access to the College remains a priority. The
Winchester Heritage Open Days brought thousands
of visitors in to the school over the course of one
weekend in September, with one guest declaring, on
hearing a Quirister rehearsal, that she could now ‘die
happy’. The Community Service programme, which
partners with more than 30 external organisations
in the City of Winchester and Southern Hampshire,
continues its wonderful work, too often unsung,
despite the eclectic range of songs and individual
solo performances executed by boys at local nursing
homes each week.
The best partnerships are two way, and
accessibility deservedly continues to attract attention.
Recently a number of headmasters, including those
from Westminster, St Paul’s and Wellington,
announced that they would drop common entrance
tests at age 13 in favour of a pre-test at age 10 or 11.
This, they argued, would give schools the time for
education, rather than spending months on exam
preparation. Indirectly their message also implied
that the new system would level the playing field
for applicants from the maintained sector.
This initiative was announced in the same
week as several other head teachers criticised
universities for making unconditional offers –
and unhappy Prep school heads relished the
inconsistency. We need to keep our eyes on the
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The Wykeham Journal 2018