It is fabulous to see all the boys back in school and to welcome our newcomers, whether the new Reception boys or those joining us at other points along the Rokeby school journey. Everything is up and running and all is well!

I enjoyed giving my first assembly this week to the whole of Years 3-8 (something that restrictions made impossible for quite a long time). Our theme for the term is Diversity and Inclusion. I was immediately struck by how aware the boys are already on the issues, during our Q&A.

One thing that visitors have commented on, when seeing Rokeby in action, is that the boys are kind to each other and they note that this is also in the school maxim. Naturally, we do have incidents where boys are not kind for various reasons, and we accept that they are learning, even if we do take these seriously when they happen and come to our notice. I often tell prospective parents that the school has a culture of kindness and this has developed over the years.

Having a culture of kindness, just as in wider society developing a culture of equality and opportunity for all, takes time, diligence and effort. It can be a very fragile thing in a world where competition pushes us back to a ‘me first’ survival approach. Ultimately, being kind to ourselves enables us to be kind to others and so that in itself is a win-win; whereas setting ourselves against others fails to achieve such a beneficial experience for all.

So I would invite all parents to join us in promoting the values of kindness and acceptance as we embrace the new school year.

J. R. Peck – Headmaster