Welcome to the second half term of the year. This term is a really busy one, especially for our final year students who have a lot on their plates around this time; hopefully they have found time to rest and recover from the intensity of the the first seven weeks but have also been productive and kept on top of their studies and learning. Similarly for our first year A level students, although their start to the academic year is more gradual, they will be coming back into a period that includes more regular testing and their first set of A level-standard off-timetable assessments in the middle of the half term. So, we hope each of them is feeling rested and ready for the next phase of their A level journey!
Among various family and other commitments this half-term I managed to indulge one of my favourite hobbies which is to read biographies and inspiring material from people I admire in sports and other fields. One such biography is the recently released book ‘Unbroken’ by Olympic Heptathlete Katarina Johnson-Thompson. It is a sporting memoir, but much more than that, KJT paints a beautiful picture of an ‘ordinary’ young girl who grew up in Liverpool and through discipline, hard-work and dedication managed to achieve athletic success beyond her wildest expectations as a child. The part that resonated most with me was the section during which she describes her sustaining and subsequent recovery from a career threatening injury to compete at the Olympic Games in Tokyo. I thought it might resonate with our one-year A level students in particular.
Without giving too much away (because you should definitely read the book yourself!), she ruptures an Achilles tendon in 2020 and is told by the doctor treating her, that recovery will take between 8 and 16 months. It is one of the lowest lows of her career, because the rescheduled Olympic Games are coming up in 2021, however rather than give up and accept the defeat, she calculates that the Olympic Heptathlon is due to begin in 8 months and 7 days and decides that this is time enough. Her commitment and dedication toward doing everything she needs to do to be ready for that date, less than a year away, is an inspiration to me and anyone else who has suffered a set-back. Thank you Kat for an inspiring holiday read!
It has been another busy and inspirational month at Brampton with highlights including a full-day art workshop and a half-term-ending fun trip to Thorpe Park’s ever popular ‘Fright Night.’ Not my idea of a good time, but clearly a lot of fun for those who attended!
Best wishes for the half term.
John
