#schoolcaptains

If I’ve had a challenging situation at school or a day filled with meetings, one of the best ways to regain perspective is to spend time talking with our pupils. We are truly privileged to work with such a wonderful group of young people. The end-of-term activities are always a particular highlight, offering the chance to see first-hand the many impressive things our pupils can achieve.

A few weeks ago, I also had the privilege of appointing next year’s School Captains. I am confident that Amba and Luca will fulfil the role brilliantly, supported by Vice Captains Elliot and Ollie, alongside our Senior Prefects and Prefect Team.

Those of you who attended the recent Sixth Form EPQ Evening will have seen how, alongside extensive co-curricular and leadership opportunities, our students are deeply engaged with the wider world. They are developing the skills to investigate complex issues, interrogate evidence and communicate their ideas with confidence. Most Year 12 students complete a project and the breadth of topics on display was particularly impressive. These ranged from a project asking if dental healthcare systems in the UK are failing, one that considered whether musical theatre could be used as a tool for social change, one that looked at how the specific stages of the mergers and acquisitions process in the automotive industry shape the success or failure, and another on the role of women in the far-right movements during the 20th and 21st century.

For the remainder of this blog, I am delighted to share an account written by one of our Year 12 students, Sebastian, reflecting on his recent visit to the Royal Geographical Society. It is a wonderful example of a simple truth: if you want to be interesting, be interested.

Diving Deeper

I recently attended an ‘Innerview’ evening at the Royal Geographical Society, which was an inspiring experience that has reshaped how I think about the ocean. As someone hoping to study Marine Biology, hearing from oceanographers, explorers and wildlife presenters was exciting, but also thought-provoking in ways I hadn’t expected.

The event centred around a powerful idea. Many of us are familiar with the “Overview Effect”, which is the transformation astronauts describe when they see Earth from space and suddenly grasp its fragility and interconnectedness. The speakers suggested that the ocean can offer something similar, which they named the “Innerview”. Instead of observing from afar, this perspective shift comes from entering the ocean itself - experiencing it directly.

Oceanographer and physicist Dr Helen Czerski began by challenging how we visualise our planet. She introduced the Spilhaus projection, a world map that centres on the ocean rather than continents. Seeing Earth this way was striking; the familiar landmasses suddenly appeared as scattered islands within one vast, continuous body of water. This simple shift highlighted how connected and dominant our oceans really are. She described them as the “beating blue heart” of civilisation, shaping climate, history and even the materials we build with.

Explorer Victor Vescovo offered a contrasting perspective from deep beneath the surface, describing the stillness and wonder of the ocean’s darkest depths. Having climbed the highest peaks, travelled into space and descended to the deepest parts of all five oceans, his experiences are extraordinary.

Steve Backshall reinforced that extraordinary marine life is closer than we think, from sharks off British coasts to orcas in European waters. He also pointed to the exciting possibility that advances in technology may soon allow us to better understand whale and dolphin communication.

As I have consistently said, the thing that probably makes us most proud among the many positive aspects of Bablake is the development of our pupils in the time that they are with us and the young adults that they become as they move on to the next phase of their lives. On Thursday, Mr Burdett and I interviewed eight Lower Sixth students, all of whom aspired to be one of our two School Captains. In my feedback, I told them how difficult a decision it had been, such were their qualities. All are an absolute credit to the School, but so too is the entire year group and I know there was disappointment amongst other members of the year who were disappointed not to have made the short list, but we are equally proud of them.

Difficult though the decision was, I am delighted to announce the following appointments: 

School Captains -  Suwetha Bhavanandan and Michael Adeyemi Assistant School Captains - Maya Koria and Joe Guest

Many congratulations to all four of them.

The prolonged period of dry weather came to an abrupt end over the Bank Holiday. Good news for those whose gardens have been crying out for rain. But have you ever noticed that a Bank Holiday almost guarantees poor weather? However, it remains cold. So even though it is now May, please ensure that your son or daughter brings the right clothing for the ‘summer’ games programme. Sport this terms tend to involve activities that are a little less strenuous and I would not want any of our pupils to get cold.

One of the joys of working at Bablake is our surroundings and, in particular, the grounds on the main site. Over the years, the gardens have matured, but sometimes I take it for granted that in the spring the colour in the flowerbeds will reappear, weeds will be removed and so on. For the whole of my time at Bablake we have been so fortunate to have someone to ensure the School looks its best. Mr Peter Lucas or, as we otherwise know him, Peter the Gardener, is that person, so Peter, thank you.

Here, I continue with reflections of my time at Bablake...

In my career, I have worked for ten Headmasters (11 if I count myself, but that would be cheating, I think). They have all been different as there is no stereotypical type that rises to a Headship. Most that I have worked for have been good, some very good and some not so good (fortunately not at Bablake!). The very best Head that I have had to the privilege of working under was Dr Stuart Nuttall, who recruited me in 2003. Stuart oversaw one of the most successful periods in Bablake’s recent history. Pupil numbers almost went through the roof and at our peak, we had 894 pupils in the School.

I knew from the moment I met Stuart that he was a Head from whom I wanted to learn. His knowledge of the staff, pupils and parents was extraordinary. He had such a calm manner and a great sense of humour, but above all, he was wise. Stuart had the ability to assimilate new ideas but discard those that appeared to be the fashion of the moment rather than based on substance. He would return from HMC conferences confident that his school was working well, with its own clear identity, rather than questioning whether it could change to look like another school. The characteristics of the School and pupils we all so admire were at the core of Stuart’s principles; pupils should be confident, grounded, friendly and approachable. Arrogance and a superior attitude towards those less fortunate were simply not tolerated. This resulted in a very happy school with Upper Sixth leavers of whom we have always been very proud. His legacy has continued, with governors recruiting Heads whose natural instincts very much followed Stuart’s overarching vision. And personally, in terms of a school, I had found my spiritual homeland.