Senior Head's Blog: So Much Happening

Of course, there is always a great deal going on at Felsted, but the last week has seemed to be particularly busy.  It is hard not to start with an incredible weekend of sport, which began with the boys' Hockey 1st XI winning a Friday night game against Framlingham (in the pouring rain), continuing through to success for the Rugby team at Aylesbury in a very tense semi final against Durham.  On Sunday, the girls' Hockey 1st XI played in the curtain raiser for the Varsity match, and while writing this, the boys Hockey 1st XI are heading off to Oundle to play in a regional semi final.  Next week, we have the golf team in action at Aldeburgh, while the Rugby final takes place on Thursday at Twickenham.  A huge amount to celebrate and I would particularly like to thank those who represented Felsted in our fixtures on Saturday against Framlingham and The Perse, meaning that they were not able to join the supporters in Aylesbury.

Also tonight, we have Swing Into Spring which promises to be another great event for Felsted's many musicians.  The final rehearsals are taking place as I write, and I am sure that this evening will be a lot of fun, and will showcase a huge amount of ability across the year groups.  

Last week, we were able to enjoy some brilliant LAMDA performances, as students from across the year groups performed their exam pieces for a live audience, before taking their exams this week.  We also had the GCSE group performing their assessed piece for the examiner.

Speaking of examiners, this week has been a busy one for Year 10, who are preparing for next week's assessments.  As well as being an important chance to show where they are with their GCSE studies, it is also an important preparation for next year when they will be taking on their GCSEs in just over twelve months time.  Meanwhile, Year 11 and Year 13 are getting themselves ready for the real thing, with the summer exam season starting in just under two months time.

Amidst all of this, we were privileged to host a really good team for the Lent Address Week last week.  Led by OF Tim Dossor (formally of Elwyn's), the team posed the question 'Where is Love' looking back to the fabulous production of Oliver before Christmas.  With support from Cambridge University scientists, we were able to question the way in which Science and Religion interact, as well as asking big questions about faith in an increasingly secular world, such as 'Where is God's love in an unjust world?' and 'What does it mean to live life to the full?'

These are not easy questions to ask at any stage, but particularly not during one's teenage years, but it is crucial that we have a culture in which these questions can be asked, and those for whom faith is central, can feel confident and supported in expressing that faith.  Within such a busy school, moments of calm and reflection are precious, and whether it is asking questions of this sort, or just taking time for quiet, I would urge us all to try to find moments when we can enjoy a moment or two of calm this weekend.

Chris Townsend,
Head, Felsted School