Tuesday, 18 November 2025

HT Blog – Tuesday 18 November 2025

 Firstly, I would like to extend a huge thank you to the staff and students of College House for organising Friday’s charity day in aid of BBC Children in Need. Despite the persistent wet weather, spirits remained wonderfully high and the atmosphere across the school was filled with enthusiasm. The delicious cakes were enjoyed by many, and the main attraction of the day – the Staff vs. Student Football Match – drew an impressive crowd. Thank you, Mr Musendo, for scoring the equalising goal to leave the final score 1-1.  I am delighted to share that College House raised £2278, bringing a welcome burst of cheer to the whole school community. Thank you to everyone who contributed, participated, and supported the event.

I would also like to thank the staff and students who accompanied me on Saturday’s first Everest Base Camp Practice Walk. Our route began and ended at Cobtree Manor Park, with a challenging 21km trek between the two points. The rain that had soaked us on Friday provided slippery and muddy conditions on the walk, but I was reminded of my mother’s wise words: there’s never really bad weather, only inappropriate clothing! The resilience and positivity shown by the group were fantastic, and it was a pleasure to spend the day with such determined young people.

This week, our Year 11 mock examinations continue and draw to a close. The bulk of the hard work is now behind the students; aside from a couple of whole-year examinations, the remaining papers are the smaller, subject-specific ones. Keep going, boys - your effort and focus will pay off.

Parents and carers of Years 9 and 12 will be logging onto our School Cloud platform this week for their respective parents’ evenings. These year groups represent the starting points of the GCSE and A-level journeys, making these evenings an invaluable opportunity to gain insight into how students are settling in, progressing, and preparing for the important years ahead.

In addition, Year 10 parents and carers are warmly invited to an evening of music and drama as our talented GCSE performers take to the stage for the Year 10 Music and Drama Presentation Evening. This event is always an enjoyable one as well as being a wonderful celebration of the creativity and confidence of our students.

In sports news, congratulations to the U15 Rugby Squad, who continue their exceptional season with a 46–0 victory in the National Cup, securing their place in the next round. Well done, boys, and thank you to Mr Cooper for your dedication and support. Looking ahead, our senior rugby players face the Duke of York School on Wednesday in their next national competition fixture. A win would see them progress to the quarterfinals, and we wish them the very best of luck.

Oh, and finally, good luck to the students who are talking part in GCSE Latin and Ancient World Olympiad on Friday.