This was made possible by the fact that older students are deep into exam season and work experience. With the room to ourselves, it felt like the right moment to talk about something close to home: being a teenager.

The assembly explored the fascinating tension at the heart of adolescence – the desire to be an individual, and the very human need to belong. From school uniform to water bottles, from Longchamp bags to speech patterns borrowed from friends rather than family, we looked at how easy it is to express our individuality in ways that turn out to be… remarkably similar to everyone else’s.

But the message wasn’t one of judgement, quite the opposite. There is nothing wrong with following trends or feeling the pull of a peer group. That instinct is normal, healthy, and actually prepares young people for adult life. The real question we left students with was a more searching one: would you still choose it if nobody else did?

We also drew an important distinction between two ideas that sound similar but aren’t: belonging, being accepted for who you are, and blending in, changing who you are to be accepted. One builds confidence. The other slowly erodes it.

It was a rich conversation, and I hope it gives students, and perhaps their families too, something to reflect on.

Darren Payne, Head
Kate Millichamp, Head of Juniors and Whole School Deputy Head