Of the three touchstone values that we champion at St Birinus School, Care, Courtesy and Commitment, it is commitment that I feel that I have focussed on so explicitly over these first few days as our community has returned. With all our hopes and optimism for the year ahead, it is easy to say that to achieve in learning, and life, simply requires a capacity and desire to work hard, but commitment is more than just graft and grind.

When you commit and when you commit fully, your ambition will demand sustained determination, concentration and resilience. This commitment requires a very conscious decision and, at points, a leap of faith. But what better time to make that leap than now?

The start of the new academic year, rich in energy and excitement, allows us all to reboot and refocus on what matters most in terms of achievement and accomplishment. There may be fleeting moments of hesitation, as within wholehearted commitment there lies the potential for failure but the beauty of that, is that the bumps in the road are inextricably linked to our eventual success and actualising our potential.