From the Head’s desk:

I am writing this on the final day of the Christmas Term and, as usual, it has been a very busy time.  If you cast your eye over the term’s printed calendar, you will note the traditional events which occur every year - the Lower School Play, the Fireworks Display, the Christmas Dinners, the Sixth Form Pantomime and the Service of Lessons and Carols in the Priory to mention just a few.  However, the term has seen a number of changes as the school adapts and adjusts as it always has done through its long history to meet the educational aspirations of its pupils and their parents.
The day now runs from 8.20am to 5.00pm (instead of 5.30pm), which allows those with long commutes to arrive home at a slightly earlier time and enjoy a family meal before settling down to their prep. The senior management team has a new deputy head, Mr. Dan Evans, who joins us from being Head of Science at Oundle School, to be the single deputy head of the school. Also joining the SMT, we have a new Director of Marketing and Development, Mrs Helen Gascoyne, who previously worked in the Human Resources Department at Sellafield. 
The refurbishment of the swimming pool has been completed, a Pool Manager appointed, and the pool is again open for use by the local community at times when not required by the school.  School House is now watertight following the repairs to, and renewal of, various parts of the roof, guttering and windows. Following the purchase of No. 8 Lonsdale Terrace by the St. Beghians Society, all the terrace houses from No. 1 to No. 11 are now being used by the school as boarding accommodation.  The additional space thus created on the terrace has been utilised by relocating the junior boarding boys from Abbots Court to a joined Nos. 7 and 8.  This means that we now have the junior girls, as before, on Bega on one side of the junior boarding House Parents and the junior boarding boys on the other side. 
Finally the Preparatory Department, now in its second year of existence, has been divided into two Key Stage 2 classes and has moved out of the second CCF hut.  The department with its two staff now occupies part of the ground floor of School House, where it has its own toilet facilities and entrance which leads out of School House opposite the Whitelaw Building.
 The Marketing Department has been working on a new website to be launched in January on our usual web address of www.st-bees-school.org. We are taking advantage of all the new technology which has evolved since the previous site was constructed and there will be regularly up-dated pages of news, photographs and information plus the opportunity to view a short video clip with views on the school from staff, pupils and parents. Please do visit it.
I wish you all a happy and prosperous New Year.