Our School Values – Encouragement
11 December 2025 - Academic
Encouragement: the act of giving someone support, confidence, or hope. The art of bringing out the best in others.
Now entering my 16th year at Wycombe Abbey it has been easy to sit and reflect on what a vital part encouragement has to play in building our school community. It can be seen in both the big moments and those that feel more ordinary. There are moments of magic that arise when those who live and work in a community that has encouragement at its core. It creates individuals who know that someone always has their back, that the team around them are their biggest supporters and provides a safety net to catch them when they give something a go and might not quite succeed in the way that they hoped. The LAC stage is a very special place for me at Wycombe Abbey, so I thought that I would share with you three times that I have seen encouragement come to life on this special place during the first term of the academic year.
- The UIV House Dance competition.
The School comes together one night each year to watch the hard work that the UIV have put into their House’s entry to the inter-house Dance competition. The House Daughters make encouraging banners for their House Mothers and wave them enthusiastically in the air the moment they see them step onto stage. The older girls take a break from their studies to cheer on their great granddaughters. The Boarding House staff and Tutors turn up on mass, decked out in House colours after endless hours of watching their rehearsals throughout the past few weeks. I believe that nothing brings out our community spirit and shows the encouragement that our community gives to one another more than on nights like this. The UIV girls work hard to do the best job that they can for their House, the older girls who have been there and done it before are seen sharing their pearls of wisdom and the younger girls are looking up to those older with eager anticipation that it will be their turn soon. Without the safety net of support that is clear to see it would simply be too scary to dance and perform in front of your peers in this way.
- The plucky UIII magician.
One of my favourite nights this term has been the visit from Drummond Money-Coutts, a world-class magician, who came to perform to our younger girls. However, the real magic for me was watching a brave UIII raise her hand to ask if she could come onto stage to perform a card trick for him. The girls got to their feet and roared with applause as she came down to the stage, composed herself and completed her trick, correctly, on the second attempt. Drummond mentioned to staff at the end of the night that in all his years of performing across some of the most renowned stages and venues across the World, that no adult or child has ever asked to come up and perform something for him. It talks to the grit and resilience of that one girl. However, it also talks to her feeling safe to make a mistake, encouraged to give something a go and to be brave in front of a community she knows is on her side. Magic.
- The Secret Staff Pantomime for the girls.
As I sit and write this I have 40 minutes until I have to head over to the Wycombe Abbey theatre to perform in a secret project that the staff have been working on for the girls for the past half of this term: Mary Poppins, a secret staff pantomime. Hours have gone into rehearsals and our wonderful writer and director Miss Hoyle, Housemistress of Rubens, has gone above and beyond to help staff feel confident, to be funny and provide a wonderful memory for the girls who will shortly be taking their seats to watch the final product. The huge number of staff involved in this project are doing so to make this a wonderful moment for the girls, because we know they will enjoy it but to more importantly show them that it is OK to push yourself out of your comfort zone and to make a mistake and mess up a line or two. The staff will thrive as they hear the cheers of encouragement come from the girls as they realise that they are not off to the Swan Theatre in High Wycombe to watch Jack and the Beanstalk but instead come to the realisation that they have staff who will put hours into ensuring that they fun and care about each and every one of them very deeply. A memory we hope that they will hold close to them for a very long time.
I think it is safe to say that Encouragement is at the very heart of the Wycombe Abbey community and can easily be found.
May I take this opportunity to wish you a joyful Christmas holiday with your daughters and a very happy and healthy 2026!
Mrs Sophie Blunt
Director of Safeguarding and Pupil Welfare