The reason for my delight was that these accolades recognised selfless generosity and a commitment to improving the lives of others. Today is a non-uniform day, and I am always grateful to the Charity Committee for choosing charities and for running fundraising events for such good causes. However, it’s relatively easy for our pupils to spare some cash in return for the privilege of wearing their own clothes. This is in contrast to community service or charitable fundraising which requires the giver to contribute their imagination, energy, expertise and time, without any expectation of return.

I spoke to our Y13 leavers last Friday before they departed for study leave, and we shared some happy and amusing memories of their time at LGS. I also left them with a thought from Winston Churchill:

We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.

We actually know that the giver is richly rewarded too. Our pupils doing Duke of Edinburgh understand this through their service section. Our Sixth Formers often lead the way with initiatives to support the well-being of pupils lower down the school – and they learn skills for life. Our Y12 students, having finished their Aspire short courses, have been going on Monday mornings to placements in care homes, primary schools and local charities. This has often required them to adapt to new experiences. As one parent put it to me: “He was nervous about visiting a care home. At the end of the school day, he told us how much he enjoyed chatting (or shouting, as the fellow was wearing hearing aids!) to a man about his life and his time in the army.”

Our pupils are very fortunate (thanks to you) to benefit from a privileged education and, as they grow to appreciate what it means to be both human and humane, I hope they will increasingly enjoy being givers and not just getters in life.

Best wishes,

John Watson
Headmaster and Principal