On Wednesday mornings I do bus duty out on the front drive by the turning circle. It is a good opportunity to welcome the girls into the school as they walk past, have some cheery chats and maintain staff presence at the front of the school. It can also be a wonderful insight into our sparky, inquisitive and individualistic girls.
This Wednesday I hadn’t been on duty long before I couldn’t help but hear a most lively and animated conversation between two Sixth Formers about Greek Goddesses. For 8.15 in the morning there was a quite incredible intensity to the discussion, which was clearly wide ranging and fascinating, but all too soon our debating duo had passed by. However, they were replaced almost imme-diately by two younger girls who were equally loudly exchanging views about a mathematical problem. There was a real quality of delight about this conversation as they sharpened each other intellectually. Working with young people like this is a real privilege.
And so my bus duty went on...
A real classic was one girl, slightly pink in the face as she got off her bus, loudly exclaiming “But I beg to differ. I am sorry Katherine but I wholeheartedly disagree”. This tantalising snippet was cut short by my regular chat with a particularly friendly couple of Year 7s and so I didn’t learn what their point of contention was. Another pairing really made me smile. One said to the other in a tone of scientific interest “Look, it is Mr Roe”. They both then looked me up and down with deep curiosity as if viewing a rare species - their interest was such that they almost stopped walking completely before noticing that I was looking at them. They gave me a guilty smile before shooting off!
One Year 7 even asked if I knew how many steps and stairs there are in the school. She seemed mildly bemused and really quite disappointed when I said that I didn’t, but quickly shrugged it off when she involved her friend in a detailed estimation of how many steps there are. This all seemed to me purely an academic exercise until I noticed the huge bag on her back and the laden carrier bags in her hands. With that sort of burden I would imagine that every step is of real practical importance.
There aren’t many schools where there would be such an incredible diversity of conversations. On paper, Wednesday morning bus duty sounds dull but in reality it is a pageant of colourful characters and vibrant dispositions!
Very best wishes for a really good weekend.
Alan Roe
Headteacher
