September 7th 2018
The transition from the holidays to term time has been remarkably smooth, and your boys were very swiftly back into the routine of school life. It is great to have a week of work under our belts already.
The beginning of an academic year is a very exciting time for boys, as they graduate to a new year group which brings with it new adventures, opportunities and expectations. This is particularly the case with a new Year 8, who have finally reached the top of the school. When I spoke with all our top year boys on Monday, I stressed the great responsibility that this position brings. As the eldest boys at Moulsford, they are role models for all other boys in the school, and they set the tone for the Moulsford community. We are extremely keen that all Year 8 boys step up to the mark and lead from the front.
Closely connected with this are the historical posts of Head Boy, Deputy Head Boy and Prefects. Our recent Year 8 experiences suggest that all boys thrive on serving the school, and that for a strong and cohesive year group, the Prefect system can be of limited value. Realistically we could only appoint a finite number of Prefects, and this has the potential to divide the year group and leave a number of outstanding boys disillusioned. Such an outcome should be avoided for all children (and adults) but particularly for 12 & 13 year old boys.
For this year, we are enhancing all the Year 8 positions of responsibility, so that all boys have a meaningful role and can take real ownership of it. To recognise their position in the school and the service they are giving, the boys have been presented with a Year 8 tie. This is the second year we have “awarded” this striped tie, and credit goes to Old Mole Archie Friend who came up with the idea on leaving in July 2015. The school reserves the right to withdraw the tie if a boy is not acting in a way we believe a Year 8 should. That was my idea!
This year we will be appointing a Head Boy and Deputy Head Boy for each of the Autumn, Spring and Summer terms. Once boys have completed their post they will return to the “ranks” with their fellow Year 8s. In making these appointments, we will consult boys in Year 4 and above, but the final decisions will be taken by the staff. The first appointment will be made towards the end of this month, and Year 8 boys (and others) will be told clearly the criteria we are looking for in this role. We will not be appointing Prefects. All the above has been clearly explained to Year 8.
Moulsford is very proud to learn that two Old Moles, Toby Hargrove and Toby Maclachlan have been appointed Head Boys of Marlborough and St.Edward’s Oxford respectively for this academic year.
On a separate note, please click here for Moulsford’s write up in this year’s Tatler Schools Guide, published recently. I have spent a good deal of this week on the zebra crossing, so this seems a fitting piece!
#MPSHeadsBlog
