Weekly Newsletter – 9 October 2026

The Power of Keeping Going

Every child at Chorister School will, at some point this term, find something difficult. It might be a difficult spelling, a tricky passage in a piece of music, a maths problem that refuses to give way, or a friendship that has hit a bumpy patch. These moments are not signs that something has gone wrong. They are the moments when real learning happens, and how we respond to them matters far more than whether we get things right the first time. We discussed this at this morning’s assembly and then focussed on resilience.

Resilience is often described as bouncing back, but I prefer to think of it as two things working together: effort and attitude. Effort is the willingness to try again, to practise when it’s hard and to persevere when the easy option would be to stop. Attitude is how we talk to ourselves while we do it. A child who says “I can’t do this” has closed a door, while a child who says “I can’t do this yet” has left it wide open. We want every pupil to know that mistakes are not failures; they are information about what to try next.

This is where our MARK values come into their own. Ambition is not only about aiming high, but about being prepared to work through the difficult middle part on the way there. Responsibility means owning our efforts, including the days when we feel less like trying. Moral Integrity means doing our best even when no one is watching, and being honest with ourselves about what we can improve. And Kindness is what makes resilience possible: children take risks and keep trying when they know they are in a community that will encourage them rather than judge them, and when they learn to cheer on a friend who is struggling.

At school, we will continue to celebrate effort as much as achievement. In classrooms, on the sports field, in rehearsals and at break time, you will hear staff praising persistence, curiosity and the courage to have a go. At home, you can help by doing the same. When your child tells you something was hard, resist the urge to rescue them straight away. Ask instead, “What did you try? What could you try next?” Talk about your own setbacks too; children are often reassured to learn that the adults they admire have also had to keep going.

Confidence for life is not built from a childhood free of difficulty. It grows from learning, again and again, that we can face a challenge, wobble, and carry on. Thank you for all you do to support that journey with us. I hope you have a restful weekend, and I look forward to seeing the children’s perseverance and kindness on display again next week.

Mr Kevin Hannah, Head of Chorister School