June 6th 2026
Today has been one of my favourite days of the school year: Move Up Day.
Across the school, children have spent the day meeting new teachers, exploring new classrooms and beginning to picture themselves here in September. There is always a noticeable sense of excitement, but also a few nerves and that is entirely natural. Any worthwhile journey usually begins with a degree of uncertainty.
In assembly this week, I shared the story of the London Underground map. Whilst it is incredibly useful, it is also a simplified version of reality. Distances are distorted, details are removed and complexity is reduced to coloured lines and station names. It struck me that we sometimes do something similar with people.
We naturally place labels on one another. A child might be described as sporty, musical, academic, artistic or shy. These labels are often well intentioned and sometimes contain an element of truth but rarely tell the whole story. The more time we spend with people, the more we discover that they are far more interesting and complex than any simple description can capture.
Move Up Day provides an opportunity for children to see one another afresh. New classes create new friendships, new working partnerships and new opportunities to discover qualities in others that have previously gone unnoticed. The child who is known for their sporting achievements may also be a talented musician. The quiet child may be a thoughtful leader. The friend we think we know may well surprise us entirely.
As staff we approach this day with the same mindset. Whilst a great deal of thought goes into class formation, we are always conscious that children continue to grow, develop and surprise us. One of the great privileges of working in a school is watching young people reveal new strengths and interests as they mature.
As I walked around the school today, I was reminded of the importance of approaching others with curiosity, kindness and an open mind. We all have a tendency to make assumptions but schools are at their best when children are given the opportunity to move beyond labels and discover more about themselves and each other.
The final weeks of term remain busy and exciting but today offered a wonderful glimpse of the year ahead. I hope that all of our children leave for the summer looking forward to September and the opportunities it will bring.
