We have just concluded our annual festival that is Strong Body, Strong Mind (SBSM) – a two-week programme of activities designed to enrich both the body and the mind through physical activity, reading, discussion, creativity, reflection and community events. This year’s theme was ‘Depth over Noise’ as Senior Deputy Head Ben Turner explains:
“The world our young people are growing up in is fast moving, intensely connected and often unsettled. SBSM has always been about balance. It is little surprise that many feel both highly connected and quietly overwhelmed. Choosing depth does not mean rejecting modern life. It means helping young people recognise when something nourishes them and when it depletes them, and giving them the confidence to make thoughtful choices in a noisy world.”
With 2026 being the National Year of Reading it was an excellent opportunity to encourage sustained, immersive reading at the heart of the ‘Strong Mind’ strand:
“In a culture that rewards speed, reaction and surface level engagement, reading asks something more permanent. It asks us to slow down, to stay, and to think.”
Our reading focus has included student-led initiatives such as the Book Swap and a ‘reading in the most unusual place’ competition, in addition to regular initiatives such as the Celebration of Reading book club for sixth form students and staff and the Vertical Book Group for Years 11 and 12, led by our librarian Sarah Sharp.
The Senior school has been a whirlwind of activity, interspersed with oases of calm – from Australian-inspired line-dancing to Nutbush City Limits and Community Yoga, to puberty and periods education sessions and tutor-led sessions with tools to help develop practical strategies for maintaining good mental health.
Thank you to those parents who attended the SBSM talk on ‘navigating the adolescent years’ in Senior Hall – it was an informative session.
And of course, the school favourites – Sixth Form Bake Off (congratulations 13LHG!) and House University Challenge – Students vs Staff.
The fortnight was rounded off by a celebratory and uplifting SBSM Community Fun Run on Wimbledon Common.
