I would firstly like to extend a warm welcome back to all of our students and parents. I hope you all had an enjoyable and restful winter break. It is important to remember that children need breaks from the many demands of school life. Over the past few days, Britannica Secondary teachers have been busy planning ways in which we can further support our students in finding a healthy balance between school, work, and family.

In the senior year groups, there has been a lot to celebrate. University offers have continued to roll in with the University of Bristol, University of Manchester and Sheffield University amongst the academic institutes offering places to our students. Our Year 12 students have also started the process of planning their initial personal statements and prospective university applications.

Years 8 and 10 had the opportunity to visit the Aftermath Exhibition presented Gao Weigang and Michael Joo. Students were treated to a tour of the gallery and the opportunity to explore a wide range of media, including painting, sculpture and installation work. Challenging students to re-assess their preconceptions about art and develop a greater familiarity with the wider art world are skills which will add value to their academic experiences across many subject areas.

The Shanghai round of the World Scholars Cup has been confirmed and will be held on the weekend of 22nd and 23rd February, here at Britannica Shanghai’s school campus. This is the second year in which we have the pleasure of hosting the event and we look forward to inviting students from many international schools in Shanghai and beyond to compete with our students.

Looking ahead, Miss Latham has recently written home regarding this terms sports teams and I would like to encourage Secondary students to participate in these competitive activities. Miss Ortiz Zurita has also written home with details of the approaching World Languages day. This will be an exciting and enriching day for all students and I would welcome and appreciate parent involvement to further enhance our students’ experience.

Paul Farrell
Head of Secondary and Vice Principal