From the Headmaster

As I write my final notes as Interim Headmaster, I find myself reflecting on what has been an extraordinary year for St Bees School.

When I stood before our students, parents, staff and guests at Speech Day earlier this month, I spoke about success and progress. Success is something we naturally celebrate, but progress is something every young person can achieve. Whether a student leaves us with a place at a world-leading university, greater confidence than when they arrived, or simply a stronger sense of who they are, each journey deserves recognition.

That philosophy has underpinned everything we have sought to achieve this year.

St Bees has always been about far more than examination results. Our purpose is to develop young people who combine academic ambition with kindness, resilience and integrity. Those qualities can be seen every day across the school: in the classroom, in the boarding house, on the sports field, during outdoor education and in the countless acts of friendship and support that often go unnoticed.

This year we have continued to strengthen that sense of community. Our students now come from an increasingly diverse range of countries and cultures, yet the atmosphere around the school remains unmistakably St Bees. One of the greatest privileges of leading this school has been seeing young people from across the world learn not only alongside one another, but from one another. They leave with qualifications, certainly, but also with broader perspectives, lifelong friendships and a genuine appreciation of different cultures.

Academically, there has been much to celebrate. Our leavers have secured places at an outstanding range of universities across the UK and Europe, studying subjects as diverse as Engineering, Data Science, Social Sciences, History and Sustainable Development. Just as pleasing has been the progress made by students across every year group, supported by dedicated staff who consistently go above and beyond to help every pupil fulfil their potential.

Beyond the classroom, the school has continued to flourish. Sport, music, drama, Duke of Edinburgh's Award, outdoor education, leadership opportunities and an ever-growing enrichment programme ensure that a St Bees education remains broad, balanced and character-building. These experiences often provide the memories that last longest.

This year also marked ten years since my initial phone call to discuss the possibility of reopening St Bees School. Looking back, it is extraordinary to see how far the school has come. We continue to build on strong foundations while preparing confidently for the future, supported by our growing international partnerships and the continued loyalty of the wider St Beghian community.

As my own time as Interim Headmaster draws to a close, I remain enormously proud to have been the first Old St Beghian to lead the school. Having spent seven years here as a pupil, returning to serve the community that helped shape my own life has been a genuine privilege.

I would like to thank the Old St Beghian community for everything you do for the school. It has been fantastic to spend time with you at the Cumbria Dinner and the London Dinner, and it was wonderful to see so many at OSB Day from across the generations and from around the country and beyond.

St Bees has always been a school that looks forwards while remaining proud of its history. Although my period as Interim Headmaster is coming to an end, I look forward to continuing as part of the Senior Leadership Team, supporting the school's growth and helping to take St Bees from strength to strength. I remain excited about what lies ahead and confident that the very best chapters of our story are still to be written.

With my very best regards,

Laurence Gribble,
Headmaster.

 

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The St Beghian Society    
St Bees School,    St Bees,    Cumbria,    CA27 0DS.

         Tel: (01946) 828093      Email: osb@stbeesschool.co.uk      Web: www.st-beghian-society.co.uk