As with all schools, we have a system of rewards and sanctions – carrots and sticks! We felt strongly, that on the occasions when sanctions are needed, teachers should act as consistently as possible – we talked through all sorts of scenarios and discussed what would be appropriate in terms of sanction – and we continue to value the approach in which sanctions are always accompanied by a time of reflection and discussion, in order that pupils understand where they have gone wrong and how they might avoid such actions again. In terms of rewards, we wish to retain our system of having both merits for good work and other achievements, and pluses for helpfulness, thoughtfulness and good manners. Furthermore, we have ordered three containers into which boys will put coloured tokens (yellow red or blue, for each House). As pupils achieve merits and pluses, they will be able to collect, from the teacher who awarded them a merit or plus, tokens of their House colour and add them to the appropriate container, thereby seeing the effect upon the House total of their individual contribution. As a result of these discussions, we will update our Pupil Behaviour Policy accordingly and share it with you. Of course, the application of rewards and sanctions is a powerful tool in ensuring that the school is a healthy society in which pupils thrive and achieve, and that the good manners and tolerance for which we are well - known continue to permeate the School.

A Duolingo foreign language learning challenge has been launched and a large number of pupils have signed up to take part in the competition. For those of you who are not presently obsessed with Duolingo, or who have never encountered it, it is a language learning site which sets you tasks in a foreign language and at which, depending upon how well you do and how much time you spend on it, will earn you points. Mme Loyer has set up a Duolingo site, which means that everyone can see how many ‘XP’ points people have amassed. The competition is fierce. I spotted a senior pupil walking along Brewer Street yesterday, swaying from side to side at 8.00 in the morning. You can imagine that I was rather perturbed. As he lurched closer, I realised that he was concentrating on his phone, desperately trying to get in a few more last minute seconds on Duolingo before he had to hand in his mobile phone to the office for the day. This year I have joined the site and have, at a Morning Assembly, challenged all the pupils – telling them that they need to “BE AFRAID!” or in the Italian that I am so busy learning: “Dovete avere paura di me!” One pupil has even designed me an avatar with all too recognisable characteristics. One of my lunch companions asked me how many points I had – “38”, I told him grinning with pride. He shook his head “YOU need to be afraid – I have 2466 points! My plan to lull everyone into a false sense of security and then to rush to victory from behind at the last minute is clearly well on track!

I am very grateful to Michael Crooks, father of Adam in Form 6, and Chair of the PA. I attended a breakfast meeting of the PA on Tuesday and MIchael is overseeing a wonderfully energetic and committed body of parents who have the best interests of the school at heart. A wonderful light show with exciting stalls is being planned for the end of term and we are working on arranging our termly visit to Christ Church, details to follow. The project that the PA will be helping to fund this year is the new library, which we will be able to start work on when the equipment currently occupying the space can be moved to the new pavilion... Do get in touch with Mr Crooks if you would like to be more involved with the Association or wish to know more.

As you know, prefects and senior boys always join me at the gate on Brewer Street in the morning to help welcome the younger boys and girls. Yesterday morning one of the boys arrived characteristically early. “You’re early!” I observed. With an air of mature authority, he responded: “An early prefect catches the gate!” Clearly proverbial wisdom is not dead at CCCS!