Over the past two weeks, Grace M-G and George Shave delivered their Heads of School Speeches in the Head’s Assembly. Both can be read in full below.

George S:

Good afternoon, school,

I want to start this speech by congratulating Grace on being awarded the position of Head of School, and I thank the head of the senior school and the headmaster for this opportunity. As well as my parents, who tolerated me all these years. I would also like to thank Angus and Tess, from whom we are taking over these roles from last term.

Over the summer, I have been racking my brain on what this speech is going to be about and if I should just give up and write something repeating that we should be about taking every opportunity at Sutton Valence. While this is a good theme. And I have taken lots of them here myself, it occurred to me that it is not just opportunities that shape you. Lots of people say clubs and teams make them better people. But did all these opportunities make them who they are? What makes you or me who we are? So, I looked into my past and thought about what my defining moments are?

I thought about the friends that I made throughout my school career. And I concluded that a big part of Sutton Valence life is the friends we make, I know that is cliché but connect is one of our 5 ways to wellbeing. Whenever I have failed at something, my friends have always been there – to advise me, to help me, or just make me laugh. Our friendships that we have do make school more enjoyable. And while I think it makes people better, no friendship ever made a person who they are.

Looking further back, to primary school I was made to give a talk on climate change. Picture a shy kid mumbling at the front of a sports hall – and that was me. When I ended my climate change talk in year 6, I felt an overwhelming sense of accomplishment afterwards, which motivated me to continue doing public speaking here. Plus, if it is an ambassador talk, you will probably get an positive isams out of it. It could be the courage to speak in front of people that moulds them, but this still does not define a person.

It could be the hardships people have gone through. For me, it was on DofE dragging myself up hills, powered only by my friends – and a packet of fruit pastilles. I had to muster every ounce of strength just to push myself up the next hill. Or it could be on CCF trips, scrounging in the cold rain, building a floor diagram for an ambush in the mud. These things make us more resilient, as well as forcing us to learn how to improve. And while I recommend putting yourself through tough challenges like on DofE and CCF, I do not think that is what has completely made me, me.

I have been talking to you about how none of these things on their own specifically defines you as a person, so what does? I think it is our mindset, but I am not talking about failing being the first attempt in learning. While all these things I have been through are important, our mindset is what sets us apart from others. It has taken me a long time to realise this. But I think it lies at the heart of everything I have spoken about.

My mindset at each of those events has not always been the same. The first time I did DofE Gold, I felt like I was going to press that SOS button at any second, but the second time, the qualifying was anything but that. And even though the hills were harder and the cliffs steeper, the whole experience was positive, largely due to my changed outlook. I feel that my mindset is ever-changing just as I, as a person, am ever-changing.

So how do you change that mindset? How do you change how you respond to something? When I first joined this school lot of things worried me: making friends, getting good grades and just trying to fit in. And whenever something went wrong or something did not go my way, I used to break down and give up. I know now you cannot go through life living that way. I was once told that life is 20% what happens to you and 80% how you react to it, and I could not agree with that more. Ironically, despite trying to avoid talking about it, the best way to change that mindset might actually be to take every opportunity. Not because a club or a team automatically makes you a better person, but because it makes you face hardships and challenges. It helps you find friends like you. And it makes you fail. Those hardships, friends and failures are what can build a great mindset.

As tradition, I will end with a quote by Anthony Brandt: “The key to success is often the ability to adapt.”

Thank you for listening, and I hope you all have a great term ahead

Grace M-G:

Good Afternoon School,

I hope you have all had a good start to term and you are looking forward to the year ahead.

Firstly, I would like to thank Mr Sansom, Mr Thomas and the Senior Management Team for giving me the responsibility of being Head of School and the chance to give something back to the school community.

I would also like to congratulate George; I know he is more than deserving and will be amazing in his role; and Tess and Angus, thank you for everything you did last term.

Over the summer, I was thinking about the message of my speech by reflecting on the most memorable parts of my journey at school. As a student at SV, I have grown both academically and as a person, from going to the Prep School Kindergarten from the age of three to now standing up here in Upper Sixth; I cannot believe how fast time has gone. Although it sounds cliché, one of the things I have learnt is the importance of having the courage to try everything out and to move out of our comfort zones. When writing my speech, I started thinking about some of the challenges I have faced, and some of the fears I have had. Everyone is scared of something, whether it be heights, exams or public speaking. According to an article on the BBC website, approximately 70% of people are anxious about speaking in public, which is about 3 out of 4 of you sitting here today. I definitely count myself amongst this percentage and yet here I am. This got me thinking about how fear can prevent us all from doing so many things in life.

To be honest, I was also guilty of this in the past. When I was at the Prep School, I was often too scared to put myself forward for a large part in the school play, or to play a solo in an informal concert. Over the years, and most importantly, with the encouragement of my teachers, I have gradually learned to deal with the nerves. At the Senior School, I have realised that fear is not something you can get rid of, but it is important to learn how to deal with it.

I am definitely not the bravest person at school. However, there have been times in my life when even I have realised the importance of being confident and having the courage to do things that seem unfamiliar and uncomfortable. Those who know me can say that I am definitely not the most sporty person, especially when it comes to athletics, so it is safe to say running the 200 metre race on Sports Day last year was not exactly my first choice. However, I like to think that my small contribution helped Lambe’s to win Sports Day, for the first time in 14 years.

Many of my other fondest memories at school have been in the music school. From Mr Horley’s annual countdowns to the Carol Services and Christmas, to Mr Holmes’ string group, music has always been a highlight for me. But as much as I have loved the familiarity and encouragement of the music department, it was important for me to remember to step out of my comfort zone with challenges like playing in concerts and completing music exams.

But courage does not always have to be the big things like performing a solo or running in a sports competition. Instead, it could just be trying something new. Last year when I joined Young Enterprise, I was pushed out of my comfort zone by giving presentations and selling to the public. For me, it is also been the courage in creativity, something that the Art Department has helped me with over the years. I am also thankful for the support and guidance I have received from the English Department, in particular, Mr Lee-Browne and Mrs Westlake, who have always helped me to explore new ideas.

Over the summer, I went up to the Lake District for Gold DofE, something which I vowed to myself I would never do after Silver, but here I am still standing after the qualifying expedition. Despite the horrific moment when I realised I had left my walking boots back at home, or the times when it felt like my rucksack weighed more than me, DofE has given me some of my most memorable moments over my school years. Even though I was apprehensive about Gold, after completing the expedition, I have realised that fear is not a reason not to do something, but instead it usually means it is worth doing. This led me to think how important it is to throw yourself into everything, even if you think it will not suit you. By pushing myself to do something unfamiliar, I managed to walk away from the Lake District not only with sore limbs from six nights of camping but with a sense of accomplishment.

When thinking about all these different areas of school life that have shaped my journey, I kept returning to the same theme of having the courage to leave your comfort zone.

Looking back at my time at Sutton Valence, the memories that I cherish most are not only ones where I felt safe, but ones where I felt pushed to grow. If you would have told ten-year-old me who was in bottom sets at the prep school that one day I would be an academic scholar, I would not have believed you.

So, with the new school year, naturally, change is inevitable. If you are new to the school, or if you have got a daunting year of exams ahead of you, it is important to remember that nerves are a natural emotion and just show you care. I have learnt it is better to have the courage to try something new even if you find it is not for you, than be left with the regret of not trying.

Entering my last school year is surreal, and I am sure leaving will be bittersweet with so many fond memories of my time here, but with many exciting things to come. During my fourteen years at school, I can say that time has gone extraordinarily quickly, so make the most of everything while you can.

As it is tradition, I will end with a quote, by Nelson Mandela:

‘Courage is not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it.’

Thank you and I hope everyone has a lovely Exeat weekend.