From the Principal

It was so wonderful that we could come together yesterday to celebrate the Primary School achievements for 2021 at the Primary Presentation Morning. In my welcome, I asked the question – ‘who likes watching Shaun the Sheep?’ 

Shaun the Sheep has something for the young and young at heart, the misguided farming adventures, crazy inventions to solve outrageous problems, the clever stop-motion animation where a whole story is told without a single word and the real ‘have a go’ attitude where you celebrate success and learn from mistakes are featured in every episode. One of my favourite parts of Shaun the Sheep is whenever they head into town, whether it be to buy pizza, simply catch the bus, rescue animals from the pound, head to the hospital, or eat out at a restaurant. 

Whilst they always don a crazy disguise, pay in buttons, and form a sheep tower character, what I love about these episodes is the way these sheep from Mossy Bottom Farm unite as a team to solve a problem, confront their antagonists, and help their friends. But more than this, it reminds me that as a member of a team, it shows that we all have a role to play and something unique to offer, whether it is Shirley ‘the consuming machine’ who often needs to be pushed, pulled or slingshot out of trouble or Timmy’s mum who may at times be a bit careless about her maternal duties. They all have a job, whether it be at the bottom of the sheep pyramid or being shot out a cannon, they work together, reinforcing the importance of belonging to a team by being present and showing that you care.

Whether Shaun and the gang are hiding aliens, visiting the farmer in hospital, or holding a dance party in the barn, they always seem to have fun, which is only limited by their own creativity. They are focused on working together to develop inventive solutions to conquer the chaos they seem to create and, in the spirit of all good stop-motion animations, end each episode as friends. The look of glee, ensuring you do not take yourself too seriously, and developing creative solutions to what may initially seem like an insurmountable obstacle is a reminder that within each of us, there is an inner child who is curious to seek answers, see how things work and understand the world around us. Their chaotic adventures embody the ingredients at the heart of an outstanding Primary School education – belonging, imagination and enjoyment. 

These ingredients do not however come together by chance. In the same way that Shaun and Bitzer are often the glue that holds the team together and guides them through their entertaining adventures, we are so blessed at Clayfield to have an incredible team of staff who are the engine room of our amazing Primary School who create an environment of belonging, imagination, and laughter for our children. 

Thank you to the entire team, in particular the Deputy Principal - Head of Primary Mrs. Audrey Fellowes and Assistant Head of Primary Mrs. Vivienne Corness; we are so fortunate as a College to have such a team of dedicated and talented staff leading our curriculum and co-curricular programs which foster curiosity and embrace kindness. 

I also thank the parents for your support; we appreciate that it has been another challenging year with intermittent lockdowns and homeschooling and feel so honoured that you have entrusted us with your child's education. 

And lastly, but most importantly, I thank and acknowledge our amazing students who have used 2021 as an opportunity to live in the present, imagine what is possible and enable our Primary School to shine during 2021.