It has been an absolute joy to welcome our senior school pupils back this week. As we begin a new academic year, there is a palpable sense of energy, anticipation, and possibility in the corridors.
On Thursday, I had the pleasure of leading my first assembly of the year, focused on a theme that resonates deeply both in school and beyond: high performance and non-negotiables. My assembly was inspired by a podcast I regularly listen to, called High Performance, which I find both fascinating and thought-provoking. Each episode features conversations with people at the top of their field, from athletes and artists to business leaders, exploring the choices, habits, and standards that drive their success. I wanted to share some of these ideas with the students because they illustrate in a very tangible way what it means to set personal standards that you will not compromise, and how these standards connect to ambition, resilience, and personal growth. Through examples from the podcast, we reflected on the importance of identifying our own non-negotiables, the personal habits and values that we commit to following every day, and thinking about how these choices shape the year ahead.

To read all of this week’s Senior High Notes, please click here.