5 December 2024
From the Deputy, Head of Preparatory Schools & ELC
I would like to take this opportunity to wish the Newington community a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful start to the new year. Enjoy the holiday period, and we look forward to welcoming everyone back in the new year.
End of Term Video
Join Deputy Headmaster/Head of Senior School Andy Quinane as he recounts an exciting final term for the College. From performances to exams, markets to award nights, this term has been a celebration of the talent and hard work of our students, staff and community. Click below to watch.
Wishing you all a safe and relaxing holiday season with family and friends.
Staff Profile
This week we are profiling Adrian Pollard, a Year 5 Teacher at Wyvern House.
Q. Why teaching? What is it you enjoy about teaching?
A. The most valuable thing to me is the relationships you develop with students and the people you work with. I love the experience of getting a new class that you may know very little about and then getting to know their strengths, weaknesses, passions, what challenges them and what makes them shine. At the end of the year, there’s an enormous amount of satisfaction in seeing the growth students have made academically and socially.
Q. What is something people don’t know about you?
A. My African name is Hulisani, which was given to me when I taught in a rural school in northern South Africa in a village called Nngwekhulu. I taught in a classroom with up to 60 students, where they would squeeze onto benches, and chickens would regularly wander in. I played football for the local team, but our captain was sent off after 20 minutes. We lost.
Q. What’s one piece of advice you’d give to students that you wish you had known when you were in school?
A. Don’t be afraid to fail. At times when I was at school, I would worry about getting things wrong, and this would hold me back. Take a risk, and you might just surprise yourself with what you are capable of.
