As a member of the marketing team at St Peter’s, it sometimes feels like we have a “ringside seat” to view the goings-on at the school; a viewpoint that those in the midst of school life don’t necessarily get a chance to enjoy. We can take an objective view of the school, seeing the big picture of how things really are…
As such, our task in showing the school in its best light is made easy by the tireless efforts of the staff, the warm involvement of St Peter’s families and the boundless enthusiasm of its children. We just have to be honest – the hard work is already being done.
This morning whilst checking my email from the isolation of my home office, I was struck by how the school as a whole has pulled itself together into a different shape – one which will meet the challenge of this strange, new and somewhat scary world in which we find ourselves. More importantly, the efforts that our teachers are going to, both inside and outside the school to extend the superlative education our parents have come to expect are nothing short of miraculous.
Our teachers talk of the enthusiasm offered by their classes from their home classrooms, the bright conversation from their pupils and above all, the way in which everyone (with thanks to parents and carers) is embracing such a dramatic change in learning. Meanwhile, in its capacity as a physical school, the children of key workers are looked after by a number of staff going above and beyond to ensure that the people who will get us through this crisis are able to do so without enduring the worry of uncertain childcare.
The important thing to do is to reach beyond that which is placed before us: uncertainty. The Coronavirus is a challenge unlike anything that we have faced before and whether we like it or not, it will probably affect the shape of our lives from this point forward. But the signs are that no matter how long it takes, we will get through it, and I can think of no-one better prepared to rise above the difficulties ahead of us than the St Peter’s family.
Simon Brett – Marketing Assistant, St Peter’s Preparatory School
