A Special Moment: The Start of the School Year at Our Partner Schools

At British boarding schools, the beginning of term is about more than returning to the classroom – it is about returning to the community. Many schools mark this moment with traditions that foster togetherness and set the tone for the year ahead. Two examples:

At Bradfield College, the handshaking ritual has been an integral part of the start of term since 1850. Back then, the Headmaster would shake the hands of eleven pupils – today it is more than 800. Over the years, this has amounted to around 115,000 handshakes. This year, once again, the whole school gathered in Bradfield’s open-air Greek theatre, affectionately known as the “Greeker”, for the opening service and the traditional handshake: 140 members of staff shook hands with 820 pupils – a powerful sign that everyone belongs.

Headmaster Jeremy Quartermain summed it up: “It is difficult to explain just how well this serves to bring us together as a community, but it is a ceremony which beautifully captures the kindness, sincerity and egalitarian nature of this very special community.”

At Merchiston School in Edinburgh, the new school year began with an inaugural address from the new Headmaster, Mr. Huw Jones. Drawing on the ideas of author Eckhart Tolle (The Power of Now), he reminded pupils how quickly life passes by when our thoughts are elsewhere. His message at the start of term: be present, notice the moment – and stay curious about what lies ahead.

Mr. Jones’s full speech can be heard here in the video (from minute 27:09).