There is a reason, in fact there are many reasons why I have remained in post for so many years at Marlborough. The majority being my interactions with young people and the joy, pride and inspiration that come my way, every day, I really am blessed.

Our values are embedded thoroughly in all that we do and all that we aspire to do. Courage, Endeavour, Dignity, Compassion and Kindness underpin every decision, policy, procedure & system, they are instrumental in developing our ethos which can only be described as unique or as a year 7 student put it to me recently “just like another family”. Being a sanctuary for young people is important to me as is ensuring that all young people get opportunities every day to learn something new. I also, more importantly, feel inspired to develop that learning with a curiosity that they will take with them for the rest of their lives.

Our ethos and commitment to developing character was recognised and accredited last year (’23). We were also really pleased with our Ofsted report which described all four of our categories as Outstanding.

Behaviour was described as exemplary, our curriculum ambitious and leadership at all levels was given credit for helping to change the lives of many, and as Head, you couldn’t ask for more than that.

It’s not all about Ofsted though, it’s about providing an intellectually stimulating and nurturing learning environment. To do this you need fabulous staff and we are lucky at Marlborough to work with a team of people who understand the ethos, are passionate about their subjects/roles and above all understand that to motivate children, learning needs to have purpose, rigour, joy and relevance. The enrichment activities are endless but include trips to Greece, Pompei, Rome, Andalucia, Paris, the Somme…. I could go on.

I have seen the shyest of children come to life when given a role in the school production and watched with equal amounts of pride when our cadets are on parade or returning students come back to say “miss, you were right, I’ve just qualified as a teacher just like you said I would in year 8”.

As we continue to grow, it is important that we maintain our spirit and sense of family; we do this by forging positive relationships with our families operating within the boundaries of our home school partnership. Years of experience have taught me that if we are all giving our children that same message, we have a greater chance of launching happy, dignified and well qualified young people in an ever-changing world.

Children need rules and boundaries as much as they need kindness and care, without 100% sign up to this, school life can go wrong and that, for everyone, is a great shame.

Our work globally reflects real interest in our approach to learning and I couldn’t be prouder to be part of the Global Inclusive family - we must never stop learning or looking to the future as your children are prepared to take their place in society with the qualifications, emotional intelligence and thirst for discovery, making life, which can be tough at times, just that little bit easier.

I meet with year 7’s every week. This week a young person said they loved coming to school because it felt like family, they made a Roman road out of biscuits (and ate it!) and they were always safe…. What more could I ask for…

Welcome to Marlborough

Ms A Thomson, Headteacher