The Future is being shaped in St Leonards and Hastings
DOMINIC O’REGAN
Principal, Mulberry West St Leonards Primary
History is often something children read about in textbooks: distant, untouchable and confined to the past. But at Mulberry West St Leonards Primary, we believe education must transcend the four walls of a classroom. We believe in placing our children directly into the narrative of our world. This past week, our pupils did not merely study history; they stood shoulder to shoulder with the figures shaping it today.
Principal Dominic O’Regan and pupils with Helena Dollimore at the British Museum
As the Headteacher of our vibrant school on Harley Shute Road, I have always held a fiercely ambitious vision for our children: no room is too grand for them, and no stage is too large. This belief was brought vividly to life this week when our students were invited to the British Museum for a momentous occasion: the unveiling of the Bayeux Tapestry, temporarily loaned to the UK.
Our first visit on Wednesday is now permanently woven into the fabric of our school’s 148-year legacy. Imagine the profound impact on a young mind, standing mere metres away as His Majesty The King, Her Majesty The Queen, French President Emmanuel Macron, and the Prime Minister unveiled an eleventh century masterpiece deeply connected to our 1066 Country. The room was a living tapestry of modern global leadership, with former Prime Ministers and our local MP, Helena Dollimore, who was instrumental in ensuring Hastings pupils were present, also in attendance for this exhibition of a generation.
Yet, amidst these global leaders, it was our pupils who shone brightest. Standing with quiet dignity and an unmistakable sense of belonging, they realised the message we impart every day: your voice matters, and your place is alongside the decision makers of our time. It reinforced that the character and confidence, instilled through our POW (Pride of West St Leonards) values, enables them to be change makers. The children spoke with remarkable respect and confidence to both royalty and world leaders. Her Majesty The Queen was particularly generous with her time, sharing a lovely connection with our Sussex pupils as she grew up in the county.
Our extraordinary week did not end with the Royal premiere. The following morning, our children returned to the British Museum for an exclusive, private tour. Stripped of the bustling press and grand pageantry, the children were granted the rare privilege of intimately examining the intricate, 950-year-old stitches that depict the very origins of our local heritage.
The pinnacle of this second visit came when three of our pupils were invited to speak live to the nation on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme alongside Nick Robinson, Chairman of the British Museum George Osborne, Poet Laureate Simon Armitage, and distinguished experts. Interviewed about seeing the Battle of Hastings brought to life, they articulated their thoughts with breathtaking confidence, eloquence and profound insight. They didn’t just represent our school; they represented the limitless potential of every child in Hastings and St Leonards. Listening to them speak brilliantly on national radio filled me with immense pride.
This is the standard of opportunity we strive for. We do not settle for the ordinary; we are fiercely committed to broadening horizons and providing a genuinely transformational education.
The legacy for our school community will be creating an embroidery in the style of the Bayeux Tapestry, involving every pupil, parent, and the wider community. Culminating in the Summer of 2028 to mark our 150-year anniversary, it will be unveiled at our fifth summer festival, WestFest 5. We will undoubtedly take inspiration from the 1966 Hastings Embroidery currently on display in the Town Hall. Looking ahead, my next great ambition is to take our children across the Channel to Bayeux when the tapestry returns; if there is a benefactor who shares our bold vision and would like to help make this dream a reality, I would be delighted to hear from you.
Our week in London was a declaration of our school’s ambition. We are shaping confident, articulate, deeply inspired young people ready to take on the world. History was on display at the British Museum, but looking at our remarkable pupils, I am certain the future is being shaped right here in St Leonards and Hastings in 2026. As His Majesty The King said on Wednesday: “These seventy metres of memory and artistry remind us, therefore, that our two Nations have been bound together for almost a millennium.”
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