As the school year draws to a close this is an opportune moment to acknowledge what has been a challenging but exceptionally rewarding one for our school.

The year was marked by our continued communal despair at what became Israel’s longest war, with its unprecedented hostage crisis and a shocking impact on Israelis and Palestinians. We have seen a terrifying increase in domestic antisemitism and have never felt so misunderstood.

At the end of the year, we are cautiously relieved at the pause in fighting. We held our breaths through hostage returns and we can, once again, dare to hope that a lasting peace can be achieved.

In the confines of our beautiful school community and wider Jewish community this last three years have challenged us in so many ways but I am so proud that we have created a protective bubble of positivity around our school and have continued to facilitate enriching Jewish and holistic learning and fostering the tight knit community that we are so well regarded for.

At the opening of the school year, in sessions with staff, parents and students, I recounted the remarkable story of English table tennis champion, Matthew Syed.

Matthew grew up in Silverwater Road in Reading and attended Aldryngton Primary School.

From the late 1980s to the mid 1990s, more than 50% of the Great Britain table tennis squad resided not just in Reading but in Silverwater Road. Of an approximate population of 57 million it is extraordinary to see such a proliferation of talent, isolated to one locale.

Syed explained why. He said that this was the result of the fact that most of them had gone to the local Aldryngton Primary School.

At Aldryngton there was a particular teacher called Peter Charters who was an elite table tennis coach.

Charters created a culture at the school where the students that everyone looked up to played table tennis. He also converted an old wooden shed around the corner from the school and put a table tennis table in there and created a place for those who were interested to play after school and at weekends.

I used this story as a means of demonstrating the power an individual, and particularly a teacher, has to positively inspire those within their vicinity.

As the year concludes, I am so proud of the wonderful contributions our teachers have made to our students’ lives. They might not have spurred a generation of table tennis stars but they have given their all to engage their students’ passions and to inspire them to strive to overcome their challenges and to trial new things.

There is certainly a unique proliferation of mensches at our School and this is thanks to the shared endeavours of our staff and families.

Together with our supportive and involved parent body, we are co-creators of the culture and environment which we wish for our students to grow up in.

I take this opportunity to thank all of our staff, our parents and our wonderful students for sharing in this mission in 2025.

I wish everyone in our community a safe, restful and meaningful break.

Shabbat Shalom,
Marc Light