In fact we learnt a great deal from the service. I have always associated Harvest with ploughed fields and vast rosy harvest moons but, following the Pre-Prep’s final song, I have now learnt to associate harvest with a Brazilian dance as we listened to “The Harvest Samba” . We also learnt that it was Mr Robards’ favourite harvest song, something that became evident as he sung lustily alongside the assembled choir.

My final lesson occurred during Revd Kerr’s speech during the service. Earlier in the day when I had visited the Pre-Prep assembly, I had seen a rather delicious looking flat white coffee sitting on the side. At the end of the assembly Mr Berry presented it to me as a harvest gift. Imagine my delight then when at the end of his sermon The Revd Kerr handed Mr Berry part of his Kit Kat as a symbol of the importance of sharing. Mr Berry’s earlier generosity to me had been repaid. As the modern idiom puts it: “What goes around comes around. ” A good harvest message, though I rather suspect that a flat white from the independent café is a rather more desirable gift than a Kit Kat!

We then relocated to the Chapter House. For those of you who do not know it, it is a beautiful refurbished mediaeval room of exquisitely decorated gothic construction. It was built to house the meetings of the monks who occupied the Augustinian Monastery of St Frideswide. As we watched the children of Pre-Prep, now fuelled by the delicious seasonal cakes and biscuits provided, careering round under the gaze of the beautifully carved mediaeval faces, one of the parents remarked: “ I don’t believe that the original builders of this room had such a gathering in mind!” That is almost certainly true - but to both of us - it seemed like a wonderfully appropriate use of the place!

A number of boys in Form 7 are taking their Abingdon entrance tests this weekend, the first of the entrance tests to occur this year – may I wish them all the very best. They have received help with taking the tests from Mrs Fairhurst for the past few years when they have had lessons focussing specifically upon the taking of senior school entrance tests specifically upon the reasoning element. If they are offered interviews, they will also receive a mock interview with me before they go. I have written personal references for all the boys, relying upon my own knowledge of them both from seeing them around the school and from teaching them. I also consult my colleagues for their views. One of the central purposes of a prep school is to prepare pupils for their senior school. We take that process very seriously and each pupil and family will receive individual support. This is, of course, on top of the outstanding teaching which the pupils receive day in, day out and the wider experiences gained from being at the School.

As I have said before, I love the conversations I have at lunch with pupils. Subjects covered this week included: the historic counties of England including the relative merits of abolishing the county of Rutland (one pupil observing that the county was merely a lake ….. ) (he had better not go to Oakham this weekend), different types of mummification, the nature of Anfield Football Stadium and the benefits of the clocks going back in late October, while the knowledge about and consideration given to the Gaza situation on the part of the pupils revealed during the assemblies this week is truly impressive. I love working in a place where ideas and knowledge are viewed with such enthusiasm. If one is ever tempted to descend into world-weariness, come and have lunch at CCCS!