It is a real pleasure to stand before you this morning as we begin a new academic year together. For some of you, this is the start of another year at Harrow Shanghai; for others, it is your first day as part of our Upper School. And for me, it is my first opportunity to address you as your Head Master.
So, before anything else, I want to say this: I am very pleased to be here, and I am very much looking forward to getting to know you.
A new school year is always an opportunity. It is a chance to start again, to set yourself some goals, to challenge yourself and, perhaps most importantly, to decide what sort of person you want to be this year.
At Harrow, we have a very clear set of values which help us answer that question.
We speak about courage, honour, humility and fellowship. These are not simply words that belong on a school website or in a handbook. They are qualities that should be visible in the way we behave every day.
Courage means being prepared to have a go, even when something is difficult. It means having the confidence to ask a question when you do not understand, to try something new, and sometimes to stand up for what you know is right.
Honour means doing the right thing when nobody is watching. It means being truthful, taking responsibility for your actions and, above all, having personal integrity.
Humility reminds us that however talented we may be, there is always more to learn. We should be proud of our achievements, but never arrogant about them.
Fellowship means recognising that we are part of something bigger than ourselves. We look after one another. We include people. We celebrate the success of others rather than being threatened by it.
These values matter because your time at school is about much more than examination results.
Of course, academic ambition matters enormously. I want every one of you to aim high. I want you to work hard, to take pride in your learning and to discover what you are capable of achieving.
But success is not simply about the grades written on a piece of paper.
It is also about whether you are the person who holds a door open for someone else.
Whether you say thank you.
Whether you notice when someone is sitting alone.
Whether you listen when another person is speaking.
Whether you encourage a teammate who is struggling.
Whether you can accept losing with grace and winning with humility.
Whether you have the resilience to get back up when something has not gone your way.
Those things matter.
And I want you to begin this year with the right attitude.
Do not wait until you are told to work hard.
Do not wait until someone tells you to show leadership.
Do not wait until a teacher reminds you to be considerate.
Take responsibility for yourself.
Set yourself high standards.
Be ambitious — but understand that ambition requires effort.
You will have moments this year when things go brilliantly. You will also have moments when you get something wrong, when you are disappointed, or simply have a day when everything seems difficult.
That is part of growing up.
Resilience is not never experiencing failure. Resilience is deciding what you are going to do next.
And I want you to think about teamwork and leadership too.
Some of you will hold formal positions of responsibility this year. You may become prefects, captains, representatives or leaders of different groups and activities.
But leadership is not restricted to those with a title.
You can lead from the classroom.
You can lead on the sports field.
You can lead in a rehearsal.
You can lead by being the person who brings people together.
And sometimes the strongest leadership is simply setting a good example when nobody has asked you to.
One of the things I am particularly looking forward to this year is seeing how each of you develops as an individual.
I want to know what you are good at.
I want to know what you find difficult.
I want to know what you are ambitious about.
I want to know where you want to improve.
And I want to see you flourish — academically, personally, socially and beyond the classroom.
As your Head Master, I will take a personal interest in that.
I will not know all of you immediately, of course. But I intend to change that. I want to meet you, to hear your ideas, to see you involved in school life and to understand the people behind the names on the register.
And I will hold you to high standards — because I believe you are capable of meeting them.
So, as we begin this year, I would ask each of you to make three commitments to yourself.
First: be ambitious.
Aim higher than you think you can. Do not be afraid of challenge.
Second: be kind and considerate.
Treat people well. Show good manners. Look beyond yourself.
And third: have integrity.
Be the same person when the teacher is in the room as when they are not. Do what is right, not simply what is easy.
If you do those things, if you work hard, support one another, show courage when things are difficult and remain true to our Harrow values, then I believe we can have a remarkable year together.
You have an important role to play in making this a great school.
So let us begin positively.
Let us begin with energy.
Let us begin with ambition.
Let us begin with respect for one another.
And let us begin with the determination to become not just better students, but better people.
I am delighted to be here. I am looking forward to meeting every one of you, and I cannot wait to see what you achieve this year.
Have a wonderful year — and make it count.
Thank you.
