Headmistress' weekly letter - 22 January 2021

It is so motivational looking through the Godstowe News this week to see an overview of the varied, exciting, and inspiring activities that our pupils have been getting up to. Whether it is quiet study time with a beautiful view, or skateboarding in the grounds at dusk, I find it incredibly life-affirming and I really hope that you do too.

It was a real pleasure to host a virtual coffee morning with our Upper School Parents on Thursday morning. It was lovely to see so many familiar faces and to be able to discuss all the many facets of Godstowe that exist at the moment. I am looking forward to similar events that are coming up with Lower School and Lodge Parents over the next few weeks.

There is certainly a level of concern among parents and staff about screen time for pupils. We are working very hard to make sure there is a balance of having the opportunity to interact with teachers and friends on screen whilst learning, studying independently, and having valuable downtime both indoors and outside with screens of all sorts put to one side. We are encouraging all of our pupils to venture outside or at least away from their study spaces as often as possible, and we have two upcoming off-screen activity afternoons which I hope will help.

On another note, I am pleased to say that our Lateral Flow Test Centre is running well and we hope to have it operating at capacity in readiness for when School reopens. There has been quite a lot of controversy about these tests in the press this week, but if it is true that they help us to identify asymptomatic cases with heavy viral loads, then they do form a valuable part of our toolbox of measures to reduce risk.

As I am writing this the sun is shining and I hope that it continues over the weekend so that we can all enjoy some relaxing and well-deserved downtime.