It feels as though we have entered a new reality; on Government orders the School shut its doors two weeks prior to the Easter break and we have steadily been adjusting to a virtual Mill Hill. Whereas in wartime we achieved continuity of educational provision by evacuating to St Bees School in Cumbria, we have now done it by migrating to cyberspace.
The teaching and support staff and the Senior Leadership Team have continued to keep the wheels turning, as we accustom ourselves to video-conferencing, working from home, online learning and increasingly natural-looking hair styles! The School and our magnificent grounds have an eerie feel to them, despite the spring-time flowers and blossom; fitting in my 10,000 steps per day is not easy as I commute from The Grove just across the road, so I have taken to striding round the fields and paths – missing the smiling faces to which I was accustomed.

Life is full of paradoxes, and somehow in this age of social distancing the Mill Hill School community, along with the other Foundation Schools, has never felt more close-knit; looking after each other but also keeping an eye on what we can do for the national cause and our local community. Whether sending PPE in the form of gloves, goggles and aprons to local hospitals and care homes; supporting a charity providing hospital meals across North London; pupils posting friendly letters to elderly neighbours; or simply standing in our streets to applaud the heroic efforts of the NHS at the appointed time, we remain united – together apart. Equally, we do not underestimate the stresses and strains which these new circumstances bring, financial and emotional, and our thoughts, prayers and condolences go out, in particular, to those who have lost loved ones before their time.