Headmaster's letter: 'Students still achieving wonderful things'

Dear parents and guardians,

Welcome to February's edition of RGS News. This edition highlights the fact that many of our students are not letting lockdown dampen their spirits too much and are still able to achieve some wonderful things!

I do hope, as we head towards half term, that all our students continue to engage well with the remote learning programme. We all know the dangers of excessive screen time need to be balanced with a structure to the working day and hope that the mix of live lessons and set work is about right. We continue to reflect on this experience and thank you for your recent response to the online learning survey which gave some positive feedback.

Of course, we are all keen for the return of students to school as quickly as possible and can take some encouragement from the Prime Minister's words that this might be as early as March 8. We will wait and see and hope.

One thing is clear - that there is no substitute for school when it comes to the social and emotional benefits we all get from interacting and learning together. This applies, I am sure, as much for staff as it does for students. We all miss being be able to read on our students' faces those expressions of joy and confusion, enlightenment and frustration, grumpiness and happiness; in essence, all the things that make us human.

With best wishes,

Jonathan Webb