Posted 26/08/2020

It’s time to put our cards on the table. Just over six years ago, a group of staff, boys and parents believed sufficiently in FBS to push against the odds to get it to open. It was a risk and hard work, with lots of ups and downs. Six years on, the school is oversubscribed; we delivered a cracking set of GCSE results last Thursday, we have a cabinet full of sports trophies, have been London debating champions, can boast of grade 8 LAMDA actors, are about to move to a state of the art building, have standards and an ethos described as ‘beyond exceptional’ and have the best male voice singing outside Wales. And yet, as we set up our Sixth Form, it almost seems like day one again. We were told that it would be difficult, ridiculously competitive in this part of West London, and would take about five years to establish a top class sixth form. ‘Don’t sell out and settle for less for short term gain’ we were told. ‘Be true to your vision and ethos’ they said. We won’t. And we will. But it is hard. Really hard. And the time has come to put our cards on the table and say, to make this work, we need you. But also, you need us.

Posted 17/07/2020

Living the Values through Covid-19 We and the boys repeatedly hear about the values of the FBS - Boys, Faith and Enterprise - and so we should as it helps to keep everyone focussed on them.    These values have been core to the school's response to the extraordinary challenge presented by Coivd-19.    •    FBS has remained open throughout while other schools closed  •    The physical school pivoted to become a virtual one providing lessons and learning online  •    The sports department set challenges to keep the boys active •    Contact with the boys was maintained through online form time and phone calls with the Heads of House •    Teachers and other school staff gave up their holidays •    Vouchers were provided to families to maintain the provision of free school meals  •    A foodbank was set up by FBS staff and support was provided to another foodbank in the area •    Enterprise week went online   Many students across London and beyond have not had it so lucky and many will have fallen badly behind as a result.    So I think it's fair to say that FBS practices the values it preaches - but what about the value we get from the school?   The school isn’t perfect, but we need to recognise that it is not a lavishly funded multinational corporation with the staff and resources to do everything perfectly, every time.