From All Quarters 2021

From All Quarters is a yearly publication with updates from Alumni across the world. We have split up each of the updates in the ‘News’ section of the website, and this article has the Headmaster’s foreword and the Editor’s introduction.

All the articles and intros are in this PDF, should that be a preferred way to view: download here

Foreword form the Headmaster

It is hard to sum up what the last 12 months has been like in the life of the school. The usual milestones of exam results, competition success, exciting trips and other achievements have simply not occurred or have been very different in their nature, but the School has ploughed on with its core mission of providing high quality education for the students. We have placed wellbeing at the top of our agenda and the community has come together in support of all.

We were presented with the unenviable task last spring of developing systems for awarding students their GCSE and A-level grades. Things weren’t helped by a national trend towards last minute ‘U-turns’, but I was proud of the professionalism shown by the staff in establishing the grades and of the students for their achievements. Our sixth formers left us to take up the usual exciting range of university and other opportunities.

We saw some ‘normality’ in school the autumn term, albeit with staggered starts/ finishes, year group bubbles and lots of new rules. Staff and students adapted incredibly well to new styles of teaching, even if certain year groups had no access to the science labs or workshops for their studies. Sport, music and other activities continued, but there were no fixtures and year groups couldn’t mix for practices or ensembles.

We welcomed our first 180-strong cohort of Year 7 students in September, including 30% from disadvantaged backgrounds, many of whom came from across Walsall. The local primary outreach work had to be curtailed in the spring of 2020, but we are looking at digital solutions and are committed to continuing to provide opportunities for disadvantaged young people from the town.

The substantive closure of schools in January, through to March of 2021, meant a shift back to remote education. I have been so impressed with the innovation shown by the staff and with the engagement of the students over this time period. The feedback has been universally positive and I’m sure that everyone has developed new skills and expertise.

We welcomed back the school in mid-March, and undertook the huge task of 4 providing asymptomatic lateral flow tests for all as they returned. This was carried out in typical QM style, with the operational skills of the CCF officers coming to the fore!

I hope that the summer term, into the autumn, offers a return to normality and we are considering how to re-launch the QM experience. The staff and students are chomping at the bit to re-explore international shores, be back at Farchynys, re-engage in CCF activities, represent the school at sport and play in music concerts.

Despite the national restrictions, we have continued in our development of the campus. The hall extension is complete and the additional classroom block (which will form an extension to the humanities provision) will be completed in June. Both are part of the successful Selective Schools Expansion Fund. We have also completed work on the Student Welfare Hub, which brings together our SEND and SEMH teams and enhances our pastoral provision. The delayed outdoor cricket nets (built with money raised by parents as part of the QMA) were completed in the autumn and have already seen extensive use. We were named in the top 100 English schools for cricket by the Cricketer magazine for the third year in succession and I hope that the new facility enables us to continue our success.

Former students Dr Ben Spencer MP and Rob Denton joined us for a series of very engaging Speech Day events in October 2020. All took place online, but embodied the ethos of this tradition. A wide range of alumni have also supported the school through a series of online careers events and I am very grateful for this.

I continue to enjoy my interaction with Marians of all generations and look forward to continuing to do so. Sadly, we have decided that we will not be able to run our usual Wreath Laying trip in July, but I am very much hoping to show off the new hall extension at the QMC dinner in September.

Finally, thank you to everyone who has supported the school over this, most challenging, year. Your contact and humour is uplifting and part of what makes QM great.

Floreat Reginae Schola Mariae

Editor’s Introduction

I have been fortunate during my long association with QM to have worked alongside some agreeable, highly intelligent and talented individuals - both staff and pupils.

I am sure that many of you will remember Tom Perrett who was my colleague in the History Department for 20 years. Tom was one of the intellectual giants of the Common Room and could be relied upon to bring commonsense and perspective to any problem. His teaching was inspirational and his contributions to the Governing Body’s discussions were wise and considered. He was popular and his sense of humour was legendary.

Tom had joined the teaching profession in his 40s after a career with Banks’s Brewery. He was a talented manager and an inventive and considerate Head of Department. However, by his own admission, he was not a great administrator, but he countered criticism of his filing systems with the retort that he had successfully organised “the booze ups” in the brewery during his time there.

In 1970s QM there were no computers. There were few televisions, no photocopiers or calculators. There were hardly any telephones, certainly no whiteboards – only blackboard and chalk. I recall Tom proudly demonstrating our first video player: not of course, a DVD, nor a video cassette, but reel to reel tape. Tom pressed “Play” and the machine disgorged yards of tape onto the floor to the general entertainment of the audience. I wonder what he would have thought of the role ICT has played over the last twelve months. Actually, I have no doubt; he would have come to terms with it quickly with his customary pragmatism.

Pragmatism has certainly been our watchword in recent times. In adapting to changed circumstances, not only has teaching been delivered on line, so have meetings, interviews, parents’ evenings, CCF parades and even Speech Day.

QMC committee meetings have taken place on Zoom and there has been a gratifying response to Judy McCoy’s efforts to expand our Linked In network. Dozens of Old Marians of all generations have been in touch – with many offers of help and support to the School and the Club. This is very encouraging and greatly appreciated.

However, we are all looking forward to face to face meetings and I hope that summer will bring better times.

With best wishes

Tim Lawrence