In the inaugural assembly of the Winter Term, the Headmaster welcomed pupils back to Oakham wishing them a wonderful, memorable and productive term ahead.
As part of the School’s new safety-focused timetable, the Headmaster’s assembly took place on MS Teams and was listened to by all pupils in their Boarding and Day Houses across the School, as well as being accessed by those pupils who are quarantining before safely returning to life at Oakham.
Mr Price described how Oakham had felt empty without pupils and staff for 25 weeks and how delighted he was to now see the rejuvenation of School life. “It’s great to be back, lovely to see you all, and to see the School jumping again.” He outlined how “in the next few weeks, at least, the School will run slightly differently. Normally I’d advise pupils to be their own remarkable and different people. However, just for a while, we all need to be adhering to the new rules and rhythms. We also need to show even more kindness and courtesy to ourselves and each other during this time – to think carefully about working together as a community.” He specifically encouraged Oakhamians to remember when they themselves were new to the School, and to “reach out with the hand of friendship and reassurance, to help all of our new pupils to navigate their way around Oakham.”
Whilst it is impossible to capture all of the good news after an extraordinary few weeks, the Headmaster highlighted and celebrated just some of the good news stories from across the summer. As well as pupils achieving great results in their A-level, IB Diploma and BTEC studies, and their GCSEs, he mentioned successes across all areas of School life. This included eight LAMDA students successfully continuing their studies virtually, four pupils excelling in the Cambridge Chemistry Challenge, two of Oakham’s athletes securing the highest rankings in the UK for their age in their sport, and Musicians achieving a range of awards, including those at the highest level of Grade 8 with distinction in Piano and in Musical Theatre.
The Headmaster concluded his assembly by encouraging pupils to enjoy being back at School. “Enjoy the fun and the laughter, enjoy the work and what goes on in the classroom.
Lockdown has made us think about what we have missed, and what we have taken for granted. Grasp the opportunities available to you with both hands – take advantage of all that is on offer at Oakham – right from the start, from today.”
