23rd September 22
It has been such a significant week for the country. The Queen’s funeral was such a sombre occasion and a time for reflection, but within all that had happened, there was hope, dignity and great beauty. We wish our new King, Charles III, all the best as he steps out of his mother’s shadows and lives a life of service and duty to his country and the noble statesman we expect him to be on the world stage.
School is back to normal, as is Westminster, after the last couple of weeks, and it’s great to see a hive of activity around the school. From the numerous co-curricular activities (some 50 of these happen during the week) to serious preparation for the next week’s milestone tests. I have been impressed at how our students have settled into life at DLD so quickly and have taken recent events in their stride. This certainly bodes well for the future as I see a mature and focused group of students. The Chair of HMC (the Headmasters and Headmistresses Conference), Mr Melvyn Roffe, visited DLD this week and was taken aback by our innovative academic and wellbeing provision and modern approach to learning. We have always been at the vanguard, and it is our team of outstanding teachers who go over and beyond to ensure that our students have the best possible experience. Our vision is to ‘create unique learning opportunities’, and our staff do just that, from exciting trips in boarding to activities in and out of the classroom.
It has been great to see the students in lessons, participating in experiments, presenting to their peers and connecting with each other over the past few days. It is clear that the learning process is developed from their teachers but also from the diverse community that we have in school. Our new teachers have also settled into life at DLD and are seizing every opportunity available.
It’s been an interesting start to the new academic year, and I feel the coming year, with all its opportunities, could be our crowning glory.
Irfan H Latif
Principal