Willington News

I hope you've all had a wonderful week. Here at Willington, it's been a bustling week brimming with activities and growth. A particular highlight was the St John's music-making day on Thursday, a favourite venue for many of our children. A huge thank you to the staff members who accompanied our children to Leatherhead, where I'm told they had an amazing time.

This week, during school assemblies, I had the pleasure of regaling our students with stories of our school's storied history. This journey down memory lane is an important part of the "The Big Willington Story," offering us a glimpse of our origins and evolution. The children were particularly amused – and a bit shocked – to hear about our second headmaster, Mr Grant. It seems Mr Grant had a rather unconventional method of maintaining discipline: if a pupil answered a question incorrectly, he would give them a punch in the chest! Understandably, there were quite a few boos when his name came up during Friday's assembly.

Despite this rather harsh disciplinary method, Mr Grant did introduce two very positive innovations to Willington in the 1910s. He was responsible for introducing both sports and a tuck shop to our school – additions that have clearly stood the test of time and enriched our school culture immensely, well at least sport has. Another notable piece of our history involves Mr Grant's daughter, Priscilla. She holds the distinction of being the first girl educated at Willington. Her education here began during the First World War, a time when her father had enlisted in the military. It's fascinating (and a relief!) to see how much has changed since then.

I'm curious how many of you are familiar with Dr Kathy Weston's resources, including her webinars on Tooled Up education. Recently, I watched an insightful webinar discussing smartphone usage and adolescent mental health. It did a great job of dispelling some common myths in the media about the seemingly causal link between these two factors. While the evidence doesn't suggest a direct causal relationship, it's worth exploring to form your own opinions. Equally, it is important to know the research before reading books such as the ‘Anxious Generation’. I also joined an online seminar on outdoor learning, where I discovered that children who spend more time outside in their early years tend to have a lower risk of developing high blood pressure as adults – fascinating! All these resources are available on the Tooled Up website.

This evening, I had the pleasure of meeting with local residents over a glass of wine to discuss school-related matters – thankfully, all very positive. Maintaining good relations with our neighbours is crucial, and any action we take to minimise our impact is greatly appreciated. I'm confident in our community's commitment to courteous interaction with our neighbours, and I thank you for your continued support in this endeavour.

As the days gradually lengthen, I can't help but feel that spring may be on the horizon (famous last words). The nights are getting slightly longer, and there's a warmer feeling in the air (ok ever so slightly).

Have a fantastic weekend. KB