THE WYKEHAM JOURNAL 2020
BURSAR ’ S REPORT
PARESH THAKRAR
ow are you ?’ These three small words
‘ Htook on added meaning for us as individuals , families and colleagues in 2020 . Any one of COVID , Brexit , the US election , George Floyd and the Australian and Californian Bushfires alone would have made for a landmark year . Each of those events has in some way made us more thoughtful about how we relate to each other and those beyond our immediate sphere ; and we have all at some point in the year reflected on our need for empathy and for personal connection . That power of connection was impossible to miss in the mutual support extended by students , parents and staff alike , as well as by the community beyond the walls . Our staff prepared and delivered 3,000 meals for vulnerable city residents in partnership with the Salvation Army and local charity , Trinity Winchester . Members of the Science , D & T and Catering departments worked to create and / or distribute 2500 gloves , 100 pairs of safety spectacles and 100 disposable aprons to NHS facilities in Hampshire . Our Maths department supported 30 primary school pupils through a four-week online programme during lockdown . You can read about these initiatives in the Community Report .
Following a Cloister Time of remote learning , the College set about the challenge of reopening . The priorities of the school remained primarily the safety of our community and secondly the continuity of education . The overwhelming majority of students returned at the start of Short Half in September . Those who could not had largely logistical reasons , and they were able to participate fully in school life through the new hybrid teaching tools — systems that enabled a class to take place with some students located in the classroom and others at home . The purchase of a COVID screening tool — SAMBA II , essentially a laboratory the size of a coffee machine — proved a gamechanger in a full boarding environment . The availability of a reliable on-site two-hour test was critical in allowing us to ensure continuity , avoiding unwarranted isolations and catching potential infections early enough to avoid contagion . We were also able to share this capability with neighbouring schools and with staff and their families .
COVID aside for a moment , the school invested heavily in both the new and the ancient . Technology consumes £ 1m of our annual spend , with progress visible both in teaching and in our communications channels . At the same time the Kingsgate Park Sports Centre rises inexorably
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