End of Year Letter
Folks,
Here we are again.
The final newsletter of the school year. The moment where we stand with one foot in what has been, and one foot in what comes next.
A threshold.
I’ve been thinking about thresholds a lot recently. Doorways. Gateways. Those ordinary little lines we cross every day without thinking — into classrooms, into church, into the playground, into a new school year, into a new chapter of life.
Most thresholds do not look dramatic at the time. They rarely come with trumpets, dry ice, a swelling orchestra, or me walking through smoke in a cape. More often, they arrive quietly: a child walking into Reception for the first time; a Year 6 pupil walking out of primary school for the last; a teacher preparing for a new challenge; a parent realising, with a slight ache, that their child has grown again when they weren’t quite looking.
Schools are full of thresholds.
Some are joyful. Some are tender. Some are exciting. Some feel a little uncertain. But all of them matter.
This year, St George’s has crossed many.
We have watched kids grow in confidence, resilience, humour, kindness and independence. We have seen nervous starters become settled members of the school family. We have seen friendships deepen, worries soften, talents emerge and kids discover they can do more than they first believed.
We have seen them sing, run, perform, read, calculate, worship, compete, forgive, apologise, try again, and occasionally tell me something so random that I have had to sit down and process it.
That, of course, is the joy of primary school.
It is not just about lessons. It is about formation. It is about the slow, patient shaping of character. It is about helping kids understand who they are, what they can become, and how they can carry themselves in the world.
To our staff, thank you. Truly.
You have given the kids your energy, your patience, your creativity and your care. Some weeks have been smooth. Others have required grit, humour, caffeine and the emotional resilience of a mountain goat. But through it all, you have kept showing up. You have taught, reassured, corrected, encouraged, listened, noticed and loved.
The best schools are not built by policies alone. They are built by people who care enough to do the small things well, again and again, even when nobody is watching.
To our PTFA, thank you for everything you have done this year. Your work is never taken for granted. The events, the fundraising, the colour, the community spirit — it all adds something special to school life. You help create memories. You help fund opportunities. You help make St George’s feel like more than a building.
To our governors, thank you for your wisdom, challenge and support. Good governance is often quiet work, but it matters deeply. It helps keep the school rooted, ambitious and accountable. We are blessed by people who care about the long-term health of this school and the kids within it.
This year has also carried sadness.
We have felt deeply the loss of Si Newell — governor, friend, supporter, and someone woven into the story of St George’s. There are people whose influence is not measured by noise or status, but by presence, kindness, loyalty and the steady way they make a community better simply by being part of it.
Si was one of those people.
His loss has left a gap, but his legacy remains in the warmth, humour and generosity he brought to our school family. We continue to hold Lisa, Freya and all who loved him in our thoughts and prayers.
A school year is never one thing.
It is joy and sadness.
Success and frustration.
Laughter and tiredness.
Plans that work beautifully and plans that require a deep breath and a second brew.
And somewhere in the middle of all that, community is formed.
To parents and carers, thank you for walking with us.
That phrase matters: with us.
The strongest schools are not places where everything is perfect. They are places where relationships are strong enough to manage imperfection well. This year, as always, we will have got some things right, and we will have got some things wrong. Where we have fallen short, thank you for your patience and forgiveness. Where we have made decisions you may not have fully agreed with, thank you for trusting that they were made with the kids’ best interests at heart.
Where you have encouraged us, challenged us constructively, supported us, turned up, paid up, helped out, cheered loudly, read emails, checked calendars and kept going — thank you.
It matters more than you realise.
This year has also reminded us that change is part of school life. People move on. New people arrive. Roles evolve. Kids change classes. Some doors close. Others open.
That can feel unsettling, because people rarely struggle with change itself. They struggle with the loss of certainty that often comes with it.
But change is not always a threat.
Sometimes it is growth in disguise.
Sometimes it is opportunity wearing the clothes of uncertainty.
Sometimes it is the doorway we did not know we needed to walk through.
As we look towards September, there are some staffing changes ahead.
Si Ball leaves us at the end of the year to take up a role at Moor Nook. Si has wanted a new challenge, and this is a good one for him. It certainly will not be the last we see of him, and we send him with our thanks, affection and very best wishes.
Rob Horne will also be seconded to Moor Nook for part of the week, helping strengthen leadership and teaching as that school begins its next chapter. Rob remains very much part of our wider family of schools, and his work in teacher training continues too.
Rachel Fell will be taking on a carefully planned secondment at Moor Nook, supporting teaching in Key Stage 1. Rachel has given a huge amount to St George’s and remains very much part of our wider school family. This opportunity gives her the chance to use her strengths in a different context, while also supporting another school at an important point in its journey.
We are grateful for everything Rachel continues to bring to St George’s — her warmth, skill, care and professionalism — and we know she will make a real difference at Moor Nook too. This is a temporary secondment, and we will keep families updated as plans develop.
Change, yes.
Panic, no.
The important thing is this: St George’s remains strong. Very strong. People may move, roles may evolve, and new opportunities may appear, but the feel, culture and quality of this school remain exactly where they should be.
Strong.
Familiar.
Ambitious.
Kind.
And full of good people.
The Bible says in Isaiah 43:19, “See, I am doing a new thing.”
I love that verse, because it does not pretend that new things are always easy. It simply asks us to notice them. To look up. To pay attention. To believe that something good can be forming, even when the shape of it is not fully clear yet.
Ted Lasso, in his own less biblical but still oddly profound way, puts it like this: “Taking on a challenge is a lot like riding a horse. If you’re comfortable while you’re doing it, you’re probably doing it wrong.”
There’s truth in that.
Good things stretch us. New things unsettle us. Growth asks something of us.
But if we approach change with curiosity rather than anxiety, confidence rather than speculation, and optimism rather than fear, our kids are far more likely to do the same.
And that is our job as adults.
To steady the room.
To set the tone.
To remind children that change is not something to fear, but something to walk through with courage.
To our new Reception families, thank you for choosing us. That first threshold into school is a big one. We know that. We do not take your trust lightly. Your children will be cared for, known, encouraged and gently helped to find their feet.
And to our Year 6 kids.
Well.
This is your threshold now.
You are ready.
You may not always feel ready, but you are. You are more capable than you think, stronger than you know, and more loved than you probably realise.
Secondary school will feel big at first. That is normal. New corridors. New routines. New teachers. New expectations. But do not shrink. Do not forget who you are. Do not let one difficult day convince you that you cannot do it.
You can.
When things feel hard, ask yourself the question we have spoken about before:
Can I cope with this?
You may not like it. You may not have chosen it. But can you cope with it?
Yes.
You have power within you. Use it well. Be kind. Be brave. Be curious. Be the person who includes others. Be the person who says sorry properly. Be the person who tries again. Be the person who remembers where they came from, not with sadness, but with gratitude.
And remember this: leaving St George’s does not mean you stop belonging to St George’s.
You simply cross the threshold into the next part of your story.
Our school vision comes from Deuteronomy 31:6:
“Be strong and courageous… for the Lord your God goes with you.”
That verse does not promise that every path will be easy. It does not say there will be no nerves, no change, no uncertainty, no wobbles.
It promises presence.
God with us.
Courage available.
Strength enough for the next step.
That feels like a good message for all of us.
So as we step into summer, may we do so with gratitude for what has been, hope for what comes next, and enough wisdom to notice the beautiful ordinary moments that make up a school year.
The smile at the gate.
The muddy shoes.
The lost jumper.
The certificate clutched proudly.
The song sung loudly.
The friend forgiven.
The teacher who noticed.
The parent who kept going.
The child who crossed another threshold and grew.
Thank you for another year of trust, partnership and shared purpose.
St George’s is not perfect.
No school is.
But it is strong. It is loved. It is full of good people. And it remains, in every sense, a place worth championing.
Have a wonderful summer. Rest properly. Make memories. Let the kids be a bit bored occasionally — it’s good for them. Read something. Walk somewhere. Laugh often. Come back ready.
Because in September, another doorway opens.
And through it, we go again.
All the very best,
Andy
