The Salopian - Winter 2021

SCHOOL NEWS 5
The process of growing up is about developing one’s sense
of individuality and aligning this with a range of obligations
and responsibilities to the world around us. Each individual
draws from, and contributes to, the community of which
they are a valued part. This School, in particular, champions
the individual; we encourage originality and initiative; we
want to see creativity and critical thinking. Equally, we value
community and participation, belonging and service to others.
We want our pupils to be properly ready for life when they
wander off through the Moss Gates in 15 terms’ time.
One my favourite poems about parenthood is a beautiful,
short piece of verse by Robin Robertson.
TO MY DAUGHTERS, ASLEEP
Surrounded by trees I cannot name
that fill with birds I cannot tell apart
I see my children growing away from me;
the hinges of the heart are broken.
Is it too late to start, too late to learn
all the words for love before they wake?
All parents know the feelings that come with checking on
your sleeping child. Particularly when they are babies. You
creep in and listen to their breathing. In the silence, you
imagine the private worlds of their dreaming safe in their
beds, protected from all the possibilities that lie ahead of
them. Robertson’s poem is unashamedly sentimental - it tells
us the gradual necessity of our children’s independence.
They are meant to grow away from us. This is not an act of
disobedience, of course – it is an act of self-possession. And
the result of a job well done.
This slow and gentle unhinging of the parental heart is, of
course, the whole point, indeed the aim of parenthood -
and the endpoint of childhood. In the end, we want them
to wander off like that. But not too soon; not too quickly;
and not before they’re ready. Love – in all its many worded
forms – is what powers parenting; and it is love that powers
schools too. We act in loco parentis. It is our job to help fill
your children with confidence; to fire them up with love
of learning, with the skills and aptitudes to lead happy and
successful lives. As Yeats so memorably put it: “Education is
not the filling of buckets but the lighting of fires”.
Let’s take a look at the image below. An aerial shot of the
start of the Third Form run at the end of their first week at
Shrewsbury. I find it rather moving.
We can see a burst of colour; an explosion of forwardmoving
energy as they all set off together. Fancy racing off
like that? You might be able to spot a figure in red lumbering
along on the left-hand side. What a privilege it is to run
alongside your children for the next five years; to be outrun
by them – to see them find their stride.
This photo is not just a record; it is a metaphor. The sense of
a journey begun. Yes, it’s a race, but most importantly it was
something we all did together. Each child ran for themselves; but
also for their House. You can glimpse the crowd support on the
side-lines. That’s us grown-ups – parents, family and staff.
There will be challenging moments along the way. We will
work in partnership to help them; to find their balance when
they wobble; to keep them moving. But the race is not
ultimately about placings; it is about personal bests. It is a
race with oneself.
The Third Form have made a wonderful start this first
fortnight. We’ll make sure they are busy, cared for, challenged
and inspired. And we’ll keep them from wandering off before
they’re ready.