Headmaster’s Message:
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Contemporary Wykehamist pupils already consider
themselves global citizens, appreciative of and unfazed
by their diversity. Experiences at school strengthen this
awareness, and the sense of responsibility this brings.
The decision last September to make
entry to the Treasury free and increase its
accessibility by opening it daily has borne
out how quickly many local residents are
willing to embrace the opportunity to connect
with the school. The numbers of visitors has
quadrupled since we removed the entry charge,
and positive local press coverage of all the
school’s activities has also, and not entirely
unrelatedly, substantially increased.
Contemporary Wykehamist pupils already
consider themselves global citizens, appreciative
of and unfazed by their diversity. Experiences at
school strengthen this awareness, and the sense
of responsibility this brings. Boys from different
backgrounds, cultures and countries integrate
seamlessly across all the houses, sharing lessons
as well as creative and sporting experiences.
Topics covered over house lunch are testament
to the commonalities they quickly discover:
football, films, food and music, as well as serious
concerns over climate change, political divisions,
and their own future paths. The purposeful
nature of the trips abroad organised by the
school encourages this attitude.
8 The Wykeham Journal 2019
As an example, some dons, including
the Second Master, working in conjunction
with the Lotus Flower Trust, led an expedition
of boys over the summer to Ladakh in Northern
India to help with the construction of hostel
accommodation at a centre for disabled citizens.
Before departure, through many different
initiatives, the team raised £32,000 to pay for
the construction. A week of hard labour and
building work was followed by a six-day trek
through the Himalayas, involving long distances
and high altitude, but rewarded with amazing
scenery. Camping in these conditions, while
working hard as a team along with local charity
workers, is an altogether different experience.
Being part of something larger than ourselves,
a wider community, is rewarding, but also helps
us connect on the most necessary, human level.
As one of our youngest pupils remarked in his
comments for the website in September, he felt
homesick in the first two weeks but it has been
joining a team — in his case rowing — alongside
“amazing support from my Housemaster and
matron” that has helped him to settle and enjoy
Winchester life.
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