1 September: a new term, fresh start for us all…..and a particularly warm welcome to the new Year 7 who had a chance to meet their teachers and each other, and to look round their new school today. First impressions? ‘It’s big!’ ‘Nice food’. ‘The teachers are really friendly.’ ‘There’s so much you can do here.’

Never a truer word - and not just in term-time! JAGS has been humming with musical activity all holiday – 200 children from 7 local primary schools at our first Primary Schools’ Singing Festival in July loved learning from UK composer and conductor Alexander L’Estrange. Their enthusiastic singing of his composition in four part harmony filled the Holst Hall at a beautiful afternoon concert for parents. Thanks to the Music department here, to JAGS helpers and to the children’s own school teachers for a very successful collaboration. Orchestral players from all over South London made the most of an intensive 4 day course here in late August which launched the South London Youth Orchestra. Instrumental tutors coached the 2nd and 3rd orchestras and the impressive concerts that followed reflected all the inspiration, ambition, hard work and talent that had shone through the week.  A brilliant first!  If jazz was more your thing, the JASSPA Big Band course produced cool sounds all week; and Once Upon a Story set creative juices flowing on the JASSPA Drama course. Finally, JAGS theatre was the place to be on Bank Holiday Sunday for a remarkable production of the musical ‘Thoroughly Modern Millie’ – from page to stage in less than a week! The directors of  JASSPA Youth Theatre inspired excellent character performances and ensemble work from the 40-strong cast. Its freshness and humorous interpretation delighted the audience; great to see the boys having fun too.

We’ve been pond-dipping here with children from Bessemer Grange Primary School and Turney Special School. Sixth formers have been superb classroom assistants for two weeks at Turney School  and in Romania on a very rewarding residential project. Both are long established partnerships. We’ve been involved in the unique Community Action project in Romania for ten years.

A world away, by chance you might have seen alumna Elizabeth Coker captaining her team from Newnham College, Cambridge to a convincing win against Southampton University in University Challenge.  Congratulations! Also flashing past in impressive time was Katie Snowden, whose amazing summer included winning two gold medals for England. The excellent GCSE and A level results at JAGS speak for themselves. And they say it’s the silly season for news! Not here!

Have a good term everyone.