Even though the end of term is coming into view there is definitely no “wind-down” in school at this point in the academic year. A busy week has seen lots of fixtures, a number of trips and visits and some significant progress on the school site. It has also seen one of the highlights of the school year, the Spring Concert. As ever, the talent of our students shone through during a wonderful concert and it was a delight to welcome Trustees of the Walter Bigg Foundation to share in the evening and also to acknowledge the Foundation’s very significant support for Wallingford School.

It was a pleasure on Tuesday morning to present the certificates and see the trophies won by our Magistrates Mock Trial team who took part in the Oxford heat on Saturday morning. They performed very well indeed and the trophies secured were for two excellent performances as “best witnesses”. Very well done to all.

I have to also say “well done” to our Year 10 students who are now fully into their mock examination period. Their approach so far has been absolutely first-class and this bodes well for next summer.

It has been great this week to see the units for our new modular art and design block arriving on site and it is now really starting to take shape. Completion is expected by the end of May and we very much look forward to our students and staff enjoying these new facilities.

Finally, as I have written in recent weeks it is always a joy to wander down after school at this time of year to see football and netball fixtures and there have been some really entertaining matches over the past few weeks which have all been played in a great spirit. House matches in both sports will take place either side of the Easter break and the sense of competition will be fuelled by next week’s House assemblies. In other House news, the popular Easter egg decorating will return next week and there is a plan to do with fluffy chicks for next week that is apparently similar to the now-legendary “duck hunt” which took place earlier in the year – this is likely to be equally exciting.