Senior School

From the Head of Senior School

I have a portrait of me, in all likelihood the only one there ever will be. Although I look a bit cross eyed and have a bent nose, it doesn’t matter because it was painted by a Year Ten student at a previous school. It is entitled Bonnin’s Law, and states “Whatever you don’t learn, that will be in the exam”.

This is some light-hearted advice I have given to students for many years. The backstory is that when I was at university I scored 48% for an exam, and was allowed to resit it. I came up with a brilliant strategy – I learned everything other than what had been in the exam. Imagine my horror, then, when I turned over the paper and saw that it was exactly the same exam! And, inevitably of course, I got 48% again, because I didn’t know anything more the second time than I did the first. A terrible strategy, based on cutting corners, which rebounded badly on me.

We have been saying ‘Good Luck’ to our students this week as they sit Year Ten exams, and to the Year Eleven students last week. We say ‘Good Luck’ to our sporting teams before a game. Of course luck is only a tiny factor in these things. It comes down to preparation. Better prepared people tend to be ‘luckier’ – they are in a better position to capitalise on the opportunities that arise. If they then add the confidence and courage to back themselves they will be successful. I encourage all our students to approach their lives with commitment and wholehearted engagement – and then Bonnin’s Law will never affect them!

Mr Mark Bonnin | Head of Senior School