Several friends and one family member are organising funerals this week. None of these deaths are Covid related, nonetheless, this virus has touched each family as a result of the strict regulations placed now on ceremonies such as funerals and weddings. Everything has been stripped back to keep us safe.

As quite a few girls and staff this week shared their struggles with online learning we have also stripped back to basics, to what really matters. For all the amazing things we can do with technology and all the clever ways we can engage students in our subjects when we are unhappy, none of this matters.

Equally striking this week has been the deluge of support from colleagues, rallying to help others. It is in times of hardship that humanity counts: the kind word; the time to call and speak; the gesture of support. With a week that started with an unexpected Zoom reunion with a large number of my school friends and the realisation that it was not what we learnt at school that mattered as much as how teachers made us feel, the end of the week has reminded me this is as true now as it was then.

If stripping everything back to basics reminds us of the power of kindness and the importance of simplicity then that is another good thing to come from these challenging times.