Our school magazine, the Waddesdon Voice, is published termly. It showcases our students’ achievements and their contributions to the school community and beyond. As its name suggests, the Waddesdon Voice provides a mouthpiece for our students. Each edition offers you a rich range of articles, think-pieces and reflections on how our students make a positive impact on society.
Our curriculum statement is deliberately ambitious. It outlines our aim “to meet our students’ needs and to raise their aspirations so that they flourish socially and academically, during and beyond their time at Waddesdon.”
One aspect which has always delighted me about this statement, is the equal emphasis we place on life during and also beyond our students’ time at Waddesdon.
Surely, the purpose of education is to enable people to embrace life, to do things that they never imagined possible and to have a positive impact on the lives of others – now and in the future. Together with families, our job is to enable young people to develop a lifelong love of learning, to try new things and, ultimately, to lead a life of value.
Although the front cover shows the exciting development of the Jacob Rothschild Sixth Form Centre, due for completion in early Spring 2025, you may have noticed that the camera focus is actually on the athlete in the foreground as she clears the high jump. Just as that student is confidently facing her Sports Day challenge, so does the strapline ‘Building for the Future’ relate to the hurdles (or high jumps?) our young people will face, and overcome, as their lives unfold.
Throughout this edition of the Voice, you will see examples of the curriculum we provide at Waddesdon which is designed to enable our students to flourish socially and academically now and, I hope, into the future. Embracing and celebrating diversity, engaging with learning in a myriad ways, and delighting in music, sport and team-building, are at the heart of how we deliver our curriculum statement.
As the year draws to a close, I would particularly like to thank our school staff whose enthusiasm, passion and energy enable our students to thrive, think big and build for the future.
As our school’s Bible verse attests, life is a challenging mix of light and shade, but with the right foundations, self-belief and personal reflection, the promise of life in all its fullness is open to us all.