At the close of a busy term, when concerts, rehearsals and celebrations seem to tumble into one another, there is a natural longing for pause. The festive period offers that welcome stillness; a moment to return to the places and people who help us reset, regroup and feel anchored once more. At this time of year, it is unsurprising that our thoughts turn to the idea of Home.
Last Friday’s Restart Lives Sleep Out prompted powerful reflection. For one night, members of our community experienced the sharp cold of wet pavements, the stiffness of sleeping outside and the exhaustion of facing the next day unrested. What they underwent was only a small window into the reality of homelessness, and yet even that single night illuminated truths that are uncomfortable to confront. The inability to dry off, the fractured sleep, the simple, basic longing to go back indoors, all reminded us how effortless comfort is for so many of us.
What our pupils did not endure, of course, was insecurity. They did not face the fear of theft, or aggression, or the worry of being moved on. The area was supervised and safe. For those genuinely without a home, that security is fragile at best. There are the daily humiliations: the people who rush past without looking, those who mutter that they have no change, the cafés and supermarkets where they are unwelcome; the ache of boredom when there is nowhere to go and nothing to do. The physical toll of malnutrition, the brisk ageing that hardship imprints, and the uncertainty about where each night will be spent all weigh heavily.
There are also those who experience homelessness in ways that are less visible. Families living in temporary accommodation, children without steady routines, parents carrying the guilt of instability when all they long to give their children is safety and consistency. Not having a quiet place for homework, sharing beds or sofas, wondering how long they can stay before kindness wears thin. This too is homelessness, and its strain is profound.
I am proud that our students have so far raised over £4,500 for the charity Restart Lives. This is the second year we have partnered with them and it’s also a charity supported by Thomas Franks, our Caterers. This term and next term some of our students will be involved in packing meals for the homeless through their Feeding Communities project. Please do consider supporting Restart Lives and thank you so much to those of you who have already done so.
More broadly, I asked students in my final assembly today what we mean when we say “home”? Is it a specific place, a town, a childhood bedroom? Or is it something closer to a feeling of belonging rather than geography?
For some, home is located in familiar surroundings that hold memory and family history. Others, by contrast, may not feel especially linked to a particular place. Yet the moment they step through their own front door, they recognise that they are somewhere deeply theirs. Home can be walls and floors, or it can simply be what those walls contain.
Perhaps home is more truthfully a feeling rather than a set of coordinates. It is the space where we do not have to perform a version of ourselves, where we are known, imperfect, loved and understood. It is where belonging is rooted in kinship rather than circumstances.
Antoine de Saint Exupéry captures this insight beautifully in The Little Prince. When the prince discovers that his cherished rose is not the only rose in the universe, he is devastated. Yet he learns that it is unique precisely because it is his rose. Our families and our friendships are similar. They may irritate us, challenge us or require patience and effort. But they are ours. Through every flaw and every joy, those relationships become the ties that make us feel that we truly have a place in the world.
As we move towards Christmas, my hope is that our students cherish the relationship that give them their sense of stability, belonging, love and companionship. No matter how much you may choose to put in their Revolut accounts this holiday!
To those of you celebrating Hannukah and Christmas, I wish you happy celebrations.
Merry Christmas and all good wishes for 2026.
