The Old Diocesan Issue 10 - Magazine - Page 9
PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE
The class of 2023,
shot by drone,
courtesy of David
Rogers (1981G).
obtaining more than 80%. The
economics and accounting results
were also top in the country in
terms of the ratio of distinctions;
it is remarkable that 81% of the
group of 89 boys who wrote
economics obtained a distinction.
While much has been written
about the performance of schools
in maths and science, our art,
languages and other humanities
subjects also performed superbly,
with drama and music averaging
over 90%. It is critical to the
success of our school that we
continue to promote a balanced
approach to learning and living,
and these academic results prove
that a holistic approach does not
come at the expense of academic
excellence – in all our subjects.
Added to the results in the
National Senior Certificate were
the results of our first cohort of
Cambridge pupils who completed
an impressive AS and IGCSE first
year. This is the second year of this
project; we hope it will continue to
benefit our boys.
Our extramural programme
offered a wide variety of activities,
and the boys excelled in both
sports and cultural endeavours.
It was a pleasure to acknowledge
their efforts in our weekly
assemblies, fortnightly newsletters
and via our growing social media
presence. I encourage everyone
to follow Bishops on Instagram
and Facebook, as most of our
boys’ achievements are well
documented and reported
on these platforms. It is truly
impressive to see what they can
do, be it on the sports fields, while
making music and performing,
or when taking part in clubs and
societies. We began negotiations
with a sponsor for six of our main
sports for 2023, and are delighted
to have 10X on board for three
years, starting in 2024, as our
sport sponsor, with the funds
going towards the development
and improvement of coaching.
On the staffing front, we bid
farewell to our deputy principal,
Peter Westwood, after 32 years
of stellar service, and welcomed
Trevor van Niekerk as the new
deputy at the start of 2024. An
addition to our executive team at
the College after the restructuring
of responsibilities was also made,
with Joc Wrensch being appointed
as the deputy head of our Pastoral
and Discipline portfolio.
Much of 2023 was spent preparing
for Bishops’ 175th year of existence
and influence this year. Plans were
laid; projects were discussed and
organised – now we look forward
to 2024 as a particularly special
year in the life of the school.
My thanks go to all who make
Bishops such a special place, with
extraordinary levels of achievement
and significant influence on our
boys, staff and parents. This
would not be possible without
a dedicated team of staff who
work tirelessly to support the
boys; a committed group of boys
who strive for excellence in all they
do; and a supportive community
of parents and ODs. Thank you
all for a very successful 2023.
THE OLD DIOCESAN | 7