The Headteacher's Blog Issue 1 2026-2027

Welcome Back: Taking the Next Step

Now that we are fully into the new academic year, I would like to extend a very warm welcome to all our families, particularly those joining the Burford community for the first time.

In my opening assemblies this September and at Open Evening last week, I spoke to students about confidence. Not confidence as being fearless or certain of success, but confidence as being willing to take the next step, even when the outcome is not guaranteed.

Most of us tend to think confident people are those who never doubt themselves. In reality, confidence often looks much more ordinary than that. It is answering a question when you are not entirely sure of the answer. It is turning up to a club for the first time. It is auditioning for a play, trying out for a team, introducing yourself to somebody new or having another go after a setback.

In short, confidence is not waiting until you feel completely ready. It is taking the next step anyway.

That was the challenge I set students this month: to “put themselves in the position”. Not because success is guaranteed, but because success is impossible if we never step forward in the first place.

It is a timely message because we have much to celebrate from the summer. Our A Level students achieved Burford’s best results in more than a decade, while our GCSE students secured another strong set of outcomes across a broad range of subjects. We are immensely proud of them and delighted by the opportunities now open to them.

Yet behind every grade lies a story that is far less dramatic than a results-day headline. It is the story of hundreds of small decisions to keep going, seek help, attend revision sessions, complete another practice paper, improve a piece of work or recover from disappointment.

Their success was built one step at a time.

That idea sits at the heart of our values.

Respect creates an environment where students feel safe to contribute, make mistakes and learn from them.

Participate encourages students to get involved in lessons and the wider life of the school, because confidence grows through experience.

Reach challenges students to move beyond what is comfortable and familiar. Growth rarely happens without challenge.

Together, these values remind us that confidence is not something we wait to feel before we begin. More often, confidence is something that grows because we begin.

As parents, you have a hugely important role to play. Young people develop confidence when the adults around them encourage them to have a go, support them through setbacks and remind them that one poor result, one awkward moment or one disappointment never defines who they are.

My hope for this year is that every student finds something that stretches them and makes them reach higher. For some, that might be taking on a leadership role, performing on stage or representing the school. For others, it may be joining a new activity, speaking up more often in lessons or simply approaching their learning with greater determination.

The next step will look different for every child.

What matters is that they keep taking it.

Thank you, as always, for the support you provide from home. The partnership between school and home is one of the most important factors in helping young people flourish. We look forward to working with you throughout the year as we help every student develop the confidence, resilience and character needed for whatever comes next.

Respect. Participate. Reach.

And above all, have the confidence to take the next step.