Headmaster's Newsletter Friday 29 November 2024
Dear Parents,
It’s difficult, and quite often inappropriate, to generalise about mental health – and especially so when it comes to comparing different groups. There are some statistics that are so noticeable, though, that even if the precise numbers change somewhat over time, the general trends and takeaways are worth discussing. Girls and women in their late teens and early twenties are more likely to experience and report common mental health issues (self-harm, eating disorders, PTSD, anxiety and depression) than boys and men of the same age. By later adulthood men are more likely than women to go missing, sleep rough, engage in substance abuse, be sectioned, or go to prison. On a not totally unrelated note, boys and men are less likely to talk about their feelings and problems, either informally or clinically, than girls and women. Noticing this trend and its likely ramifications, the Priory launched a study of why men are less inclined to talk about their mental health. 14% of respondents said that they had no one to talk to; 16% did not wish to appear weak; 17% did not want to admit needing support; 20% were worried about there being negative stigma around mental health and talking about it; 29% said they were too embarrassed; 36% did not want to burden anyone; while 40% said they had just learnt how to deal with their problems themselves.
One of the really sad things about these responses is that talking helps. The NHS regularly releases data about access to, and results of, its talking therapies. Looking at its most available online data (from July 2024), we can see that just over 150,000 referrals were made to NHS talking therapies that month; about 109,000 of those referrals accessed the therapy; just over 60,000 completed a course of treatment; around half of referrals moved to recovery; and around two-thirds of referrals finished a course showing reliable improvement. To get to this stage, though, it is clear that many people (including many boys and men) have to get over significant hurdles of thinking they can deal with everything on their own, that they don’t want to be a burden, that they don’t want to look weak, be embarrassed or stigmatised, or that there’s no one out there to whom they can talk. One way we can overcome these burdens in schools is to start at the very beginning, when the children are very young, to normalise and destigmatise the idea of talking about worries, concerns and emotions. Most people will not require a clinical referral, but everyone will encounter difficulties in their lives.
In Tuesday’s assembly, then, Victoria Hayter and Year 3 – with a bespoke video message from Samuel Joslin aka Jonathan Brown from Paddington – spoke to the boys about one of the most important prompts in our wellbeing grid: ‘I know to whom I can talk if I am worried’. By talking about this a lot, we can work against the issues listed above, and direct the boys to the wide network of people – informal or formal – to whom they can speak in school: their form tutors, assistant form tutors, teaching assistants, teachers, school counsellor, our Inclusion team, each other, Deputy Head Pastoral and Designated Safeguarding Lead – or, indeed, anyone on the SLT. In fact, there is no one to whom they can’t speak. So knowing who is around is Stage 1; Stage 2 is destigmatising opening up about emotional issues and worries. This is relatively easy to do in a school that eschews a macho culture, but we still need to be sensitive to the fact that some children may find it difficult to take the first step. For the long-term health and wellbeing of our children, and for them to enter their teenage years and adulthood well-armed to face the challenges and sadnesses they will inevitably face, the importance of talking will always remain on our agenda.
Have a great talkative weekend,
Matt Jenkinson
Many congratulations to the dozens of senior boys who took part in our Senior Recitals on Monday evening. Facing an unprecedented demand from those wishing to play, we ended up having two parallel recitals: one for Year 8 in the CLC and one for Years 6 and 7 in the auditorium. The standard of the performances was fantastic and it was great for the boys to be able to play in such supportive environments. Many thanks to Tom Neal and Izzy Rose for organising the recitals, to the boys for their excellent performances, and to all colleagues and families who have supported them in their music making.
Year 8 were delighted to welcome Rene Bobe and Susana Carvalho, along with Alejandra Pascual-Garrido, who came in on Tuesday to talk about human evolution. Alejandra spoke about the research she does on tool use in chimpanzees in Tanzania, and Rene and Susana spoke about their work on primate research in Mozambique. It was a fascinating insight into how different species are related and how we can study their evolution through looking at their behaviour. The boys enjoyed looking at various specimens including skulls and tools used by chimpanzees and other African great apes.
Six players from the U13 Tennis team were invited to attend a trip to Wimbledon earlier this week. The boys were given a tour of the museum, and had a behind-the-scenes look at the players' area and Centre Court. They were also treated to a coaching session with Dan Bloxham, Head Coach of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. While some might have been intimidated by Jamie Murray training on the next court, the NCS boys impressed with their skills during their own session. They were then treated to a 'recovery' afternoon tea in The Club. The boys in attendance were excellent ambassadors for NCS and returned inspired to continue their tennis journey. This trip was most generously supported by an NCS parent, and the boys were extremely grateful for this unique opportunity.
Our younger prep boys have been out and about town this week — a reminder of one of the many benefits of being a stone's throw from the centre of Oxford. On Monday, Year 3 visited the Ashmolean to support their work in Great Civilisations ('Greats' or 'Baby Greats') on Ancient Sumer. Then, today, they popped back into the city centre, along with Year 4, to see the pantomime at the Oxford Playhouse. My thanks to Victoria Hayter for organising the trips, and to all my colleagues who supported her in looking after the boys.
We have been lucky enough to gain some quail chicks in the science lab this week. The Lawrence family keep quail in their garden and kindly provided us with some eggs to incubate. The boys have enjoyed watching the eggs starting to hatch this week and seeing the tiny chicks emerge. We will have the chicks for a couple of weeks before they head back home.
Please note that there will be no chapel service next Wednesday (4 December). We will, instead, be in chapel that afternoon to rehearse for our carol services. Please pass on this message to any friends or family members who like to attend chapel, but who might not habitually read the Headmaster’s newsletter!
A reminder that the recording of Year 7 and 8’s performance of The Tempest is now available in the video gallery on the NCS website: https://www.newcollegeschool.org/video-gallery
Next Generation Soccer Schools will be running Christmas sessions at NCS, running from Monday 16 December to Friday 20 December. Sessions will run from 9.30 to 16.00 and are open to pupils of NCS in Years 3-8 and their siblings. With places limited, don’t miss your chance to secure a spot for just £45 per day. Led by Stephen Potts, along with other FA/UEFA-qualified coaches, the children will enjoy top-notch training, skill development, and plenty of holiday cheer. To register or for more information, please use the link below. You are also able to pay via the gov.uk tax free childcare accounts or childcare vouchers. https://campscui.active.com/orgs/NextGenerationSoccerSchool?season=3559242. Please note that Next General Soccer School uses NCS facilities but is an independent company run entirely separately from the school’s operations.
Sports round-up: The return leg of the U13 Summer Fields fixture again saw the 1st XI win and continue their unbeaten run into November. The U9 and U11 teams played host to St Michael's, and eight amazing games of football were played out over the course of two afternoons. This meant 160 children were playing football on the NCS sports ground! The results were spread, with both schools enjoying some victories, some draws, and some defeats. No matter the results, the children from both schools enjoyed the event and were a credit to their respective schools. During the weather-enforced break from football, we enjoyed some very competitive House cross-country running events in the University Parks. The U9s raced over 2km, and the races were extremely hard-fought, with Spooner emerging as champions. Spooner also won the U13 event, with Wykeham taking the crown in the U11 race. The overall results went to Spooner as cross-country champions this year.
Back on the football pitches, the U13s hosted d'Overbroeck’s, and we played three great games of football that ebbed and flowed throughout. Just as one team got the upper hand, the other came back with goals of their own. Unfortunately, on this occasion, the results did not go our way, but heads were held high after such thrilling games. After these matches, the snow, frost, and yet more rain blighted our efforts, and we had to wait until the last round of fixtures this week before we played again. The U8s played away at Chandlings, and Steve Potts was very proud of their efforts on a very cold afternoon. Once again, a mixed bag of results with one win, one draw, and one defeat, but the boys came away feeling very happy with their afternoon’s work.
Closer to home, the U9s, U11s, and U13s played Christ Church in a total of eleven fixtures over two days. CCCS were very helpful in hosting these games, as once again the NCS sports ground had succumbed to the River Cherwell, as had most of Oxford by now! In these games, the NCS teams recorded eight wins, one draw, and just two defeats, making this one of our most memorable encounters in this fixture over the past few years. There were standout performances from many players and teams, but special mentions must go to the amazing U9 B team, with goals raining in from all angles; the U11 A team, who managed a 3-1 win thanks to brilliant teamwork and sublime passing skills; and the U13 B team, who, despite being 2-1 down with only four minutes left on the clock, managed to turn things around and win 3-2. Finally, though the 1st XI drew 1-1 in a game dominated mainly by physicality and uncompromising challenges, we secured the draw, and, if truth be told, we were frustrated with this, as the second half was all NCS. Nevertheless, it was a fine result among many for the NCS teams to cap off a brilliant football season. So much progress was made throughout the teams, and so much potential was discovered and nurtured in the lower age groups by my brilliant colleagues. Football here at NCS is in very good order, and we look forward to next season with eager anticipation. As the term ends, we turn our attention to the hockey season after the Christmas break. We are very much looking forward to getting on the pitches and testing ourselves once again. I urge you all to keep active over the vacation, and to enjoy it. Well done, boys!
Upcoming Events
Monday, 2 December 2024
14.00 U13 ALL Pre-season Hockey, St Edward's
17.30 Drama Club Christmas Panto
Tuesday, 3 December 2024
8.15 Chamber Choir rehearsal, CLC
8.50-10.10 Carol service readers' rehearsal (chapel)
14.15 U8 A-C Football vs Ashfold, Away
14.30 U9 A-C Football vs Ashfold, Home
Wednesday, 4 December 2024
All boys no Games
9.00 Form period (no chapel)
14.00 Carol service practice
16.00 Rehearals for masterclass (The New Space, Gradel Quad)
18.00 Music Scholars' masterclass with William Howard (The New Space, Gradel Quad)
Thursday, 5 December 2024
14.30 Pre-Prep Winter Concert
Friday, 6 December 2024
All day Provisional date for ABRSM exams
Saturday, 7 December 2024
University Term ends
10.30 OCCO concert, Sports Hall
Monday, 9 December 2024
14.00 U13 ALL Pre-season Hockey, St Edward's
Tuesday, 10 December 2024
Final VMT music lessons of term
Final after-school Enrichment Activities of term (pre-prep and prep)
8.15 Chamber Choir rehearsal, CLC
14.00 Pre-Prep Dress Rehearsal
Wednesday, 11 December 2024
End-of-term reports issued
9.00 Carol Service A in chapel
14.30 U11 U11 A-D Football vs Chandlings, Away
14.00 U13 ALL Pre-season Hockey, St Edward's
Christmas Lunch
Thursday, 12 December 2024
Christmas Jumper Day (£2 donation to Save the Children)
14.00 Pre-Prep Nativity Play
14.00 NCSPA Christmas Fair, Sports Hall
Friday, 13 December 2024
8.30 End of term assembly
10.30 Carol Service B in Chapel
12.00 End of Term 12.00 noon
Sunday, 15 December 2024
13.00 Rehearsal (Chamber Choir, Choral Society, IT&T, soloists), Chapel
18.00 Chamber Choir and Choral Society concert, Chapel