My name is Mr Atkinson and I am delighted to be the Head of Hawking house. Our house is named after the famous physicist Stephen Hawking; Stephen Hawking was born on 9th January 1942 in Oxford. Hawking has worked on the basic laws which govern the universe. With Roger Penrose, he showed that Einstein’s Theory of Relativity implied space and time would have a beginning, in the Big Bang, and an end, in black holes. He now has twelve honorary degrees.

Shortly after his 21st birthday, Hawking was diagnosed with ALS, a form of Motor Neurone Disease (MND). Despite being wheelchair bound and dependent on a computerised voice system for communication, Hawking continues to combine family life, his research into theoretical physics and extensive programme of travel and public lectures. He still hopes to make it into space. I think we can all agree that he has overcome a multitude of obstacles and, in turn, has become one of the most successful British scientists the world have ever seen.
It cannot be denied that Hawking is a determined, inspirational and strong-willed individual unwilling to ever give up. Pupils belonging to Hawking House are encouraged to embody the same qualities as Stephen Hawking in order to succeed in all that they do.
I would very much like you all to get involved in as many competitions as possible and proudly represent Hawking House this year. So far we have made a good start in winning the mini-Olympics – a first for Hawking House! I believe that Hawking House is capable of great things and we still have much more to give.

“Look up at the stars, not down at your feet” – Stephen Hawking