The Stonar Way 11.09.26

Welcome to a New Year at Stonar

What a wonderful first week it has been at Stonar! I would like to begin by thanking parents, pupils and colleagues for the extraordinarily warm welcome you have given me and my family. We have been struck by the friendliness, energy and genuine sense of community here, and I have been particularly impressed by the attitude of our pupils: enthusiastic, purposeful and ready to make the most of the year ahead.

I have had the privilege this week of addressing different groups of pupils about our Stonar values: Work Hard, Be Kind, Get Involved and Shape the World, alongside that wonderfully distinctive Stonar ambition to Achieve with joy.

While those values were common to each address, my message was deliberately different at each stage. For Year 7, just beginning their Senior School journey, I spoke about belonging, kindness and possibility: being willing to try, to say yes, and not to decide too quickly who they are or what they can become (read full address here). For Years 8–11, my focus was on growth and resilience - having the courage to get things wrong, “get back on” and understand that achievement is about the person we become along the way, not simply the result (read full address here). And to our Sixth Form, the message was one of independence, responsibility and leadership: they now have the opportunity to set the tone for others and actively shape the culture of their school (read full address here).

I even had the chance to speak to the Prep pupils just today and to remind them of their role in showing their pride in Stonar through their uniform and in doing their best each day.

All these themes seem particularly appropriate as we look ahead. We begin from a position of real strength, celebrating outstanding examination results, including our best A-level results in ten years. But achievement at Stonar is, and must be, broader than examination grades.

There is so much to look forward to: ambitious learning in our classrooms; riding and competing in our exceptional equestrian programme; representing Stonar on the sports field and watching our highly talented 1st XV and 1st XI with pride; performing in drama and music; creating art and designs; and embracing our incredible range of opportunities.

My hope is that every pupil will achieve highly this year, but also become more resilient kinder, more curious and more willing to contribute.

Thank you again for making my family and me feel so welcome. I am enormously excited about what we can achieve together - and determined that we will achieve it with joy.