Friday 3 October 2025
Head’s Weekly Update
Academic Rigour
We have now delivered the majority of our initial Wednesday Webinar sessions. The purpose of these sessions has been to outline the year ahead for each year group and set the tone for the academic work they will engage with. Part of our drive this year is to enhance the rigour of our classrooms and the demands of our curriculum. A grounding in the academic disciplines prevents our young people from drifting like flotsam and jetsam, tossed about by current events and fashionable opinions. It helps them develop the habits of critical enquiry and the ability to judge claims and debate positions. The ability to debate appears to have been lost from much of the current discourse and part of our job as educators is to welcome our students into the disciplinary conversation of humankind and to help them avoid dogma and misinformation.
At home, what we would love is for parents to engage with the Pangbourne Canon and encourage a wide range of reading and discussion. The Canon has been curated to take students on a journey through the human experience and to learn to see the world through multiple lenses. INSERT LINK TO CANON HERE.
Adventure
It has been great to welcome David Mathews as our new SSI (Staff School Instructor) for the CCF to build on the great work of Mr Radford. Mr Mathews is also our Head of Adventure, working with Mr Poynter to really bring this pillar of Pangbourne to life. The CCF is a core thread of our adventure programme and is one of the best tools we have for making our values tangible and ensuring our students are ready for life after Pangbourne. There is a significant body of research that supports the role of the CCF in developing notions of Service, Leadership and Resilience. I am excited to see the development of our cadet offer and the growth of the students through the unique experiences it provides.
Community
Thank you to all students and parents who helped out on our Open Morning. I am writing this in advance of the day so hopefully it all went to plan. We are expecting over 300 visitors onsite which is fantastic and testament to the high regard the College is held in.
Leadership
One of Mr Cheney’s big ticket items for this academic year is to review and enhance our student leadership programme. We want to really push this forwards and build on our longstanding history and ethos in this space. We are uniquely placed as a school to achieve this given our facilities and staffing. We want to provide a multitude of ways that older students can lead and take responsibility; from mentoring younger students through friendship issues through to understanding algebra to successfully completing the assault course. This will help them build strong habits they can take with them into adult life.
Best wishes,
Oliver Knight
Notices
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Just a reminder that our Whole School Open Morning is taking place tomorrow, Saturday 4 October 2025.
It is really important to have the support of our students at the Open Morning to showcase the breadth of what Pangbourne has to offer to prospective families. Your child has been advised what job they will be doing or which department their help is needed in.
Please note, students are required to arrive on site between 09:15 and 09:30 to avoid congestion with our visitors. There will be no access to the Parade ground after 09:30. The Open Morning will be running from 09:30 - 13:00.
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There will be Rugby, Hockey, and Rowing training after Open Morning next weekend which will run from 13:45 until 15:30. Those that are involved in Open Morning activities/touring will be given lunch before training.
Changing facilities:
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These coffee mornings will provide an opportunity to meet the Pastoral Divisional Leads as well as other parents in your child's division and will take place from 09:15 - 10:30 on the first floor of East Building. Please park on parade ground and sign in at Devitt Reception first.
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The College Choir, Choristers, Chief Cadets and Division Chiefs, along with a select representative of the Guard, will be representing the College at this national service in St Paul’s Cathedral, London on Wednesday 8 October.
The Pangbourne Choir will join with pupils from the Royal Hospital School to provide the music for the service, with the congregation consisting of representatives from every naval and nautical organisation in the UK. This year is Pangbourne's turn to choose and lead the music and so Mr Gillthorpe will be conducting the joint choirs. -
The second College Service and Parade will be taking place on Sunday 12 October, please find information about the timing of the morning below:
08:30 Divisions open and pupils to arrive from this time
09:00 College Choir and Chamber Choir in Chapel
09:00 Refreshments available to be purchased in the Café between 09:00 – 10:45 (but these must not be taken into Chapel please)
09:15 Pupils in Divisions for briefing with Division Chiefs
Please note:
Pupils should arrive at College already dressed in their No. 1 uniform.
Year 9 pupils will participate in this Parade which will be their first one of this academic year.
09:45 All pupils from Years 9 to Upper Sixth to be seated in Chapel
10:00 Service in Chapel - please be seated in good time
Pupils in Years 7 & 8 are welcome but not required to attend. All parents are very welcome to attend.
10:45 Service ends and refreshments available in Mess Hall
11:15 Parade begins
11:45-12:00: Parade ends
A polite reminder: please make sure that your child has eaten a good, filling breakfast before coming to the Service and Parade.
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Term will finish on Friday 12 December at 12:30 straight after the Carol Service. Buses will also depart at this earlier time.
Boarders will return on Monday 5 January from 19:00 and day pupils on Tuesday 6 January from 08:00.
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We are delighted to announce our Pangbourne Poetry Competition for October.
Entries must be submitted by 15 October
This is open to all students
Poems can be in any form: free verse, sonnet or Haiku are good places to start!
Poems must be:
On the theme of Adventure
Original
College appropriate
Poems can be:
rhyming or free verse
Submit your entries to your English teacher or antoinette.keane@pangbourne.com
Year 7 - 8 (Dunbar)
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This will take place on 17 October. Booking details will be in the newsletter next week.
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If you were unable to join the webinar on Wednesday 1 October at 18:30-19:00, please use the link here to watch on demand.
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Year 11 pupils will be taking part in a Sixth Form Taster Day on Friday 10 October. This will take place within the normal College day and all pupils are expected to attend. The aim of the Taster Day is to give students the opportunity to experience a range of A Level or BTEC style subject lessons and to give students a real sense of what life is like in Sixth Form at Pangbourne.
Pupils will be sent an email on Wednesday 1 October which contains a link to an online form to indicate which subject lessons they would like to attend. The form needs to be completed by Monday 6 October at 10:00.
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This webinar is for Year 10 and Year 11 parents and will be taking place on 15 October. The link to join the recording will be in next weeks newsletter.
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Year 11 will begin writing their Macbeth coursework in lessons on Monday. They will have 4 lessons to complete their essays in class, completing their first draft by Monday 13th October.
Please see information shared with students here.
Final drafts will be marked and Moderated by 11th December and leased to students on Google Classroom.
Year 9 - 11
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If you missed the ‘Welcome to Lower Sixth’ webinar on Wednesday 1 October at 19:10 - 19:40 you can watch it on demand here.
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A reminder that the internal deadline for UCAS applications is Friday 7 November. Please see here for the UCAS Parent Guide 2026 Cycle.
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Please see here for an updated list of open days for Lower Sixth and Upper Sixth students to book and attend.
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There will be an informative session for those students interested in applying for Russell Group universities taking place on Tuesday 30 September, Wednesday 1 October and Thursday 2 October. The webinars will cover topics such as personal statements and researching universities.
Sign up is required which also gives access to recordings of the webinars. Please sign up here.
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With six ‘school’ weeks until trials please do help us by supporting your son/daughter with their revision at home.
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Offering a range of apprenticeship options for post 18 school leavers. Applications open this autumn. Please see the link here.
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Applications are now open for PWCs three day online experience. This is open to Lower Sixth students. Please see the link here.
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Meet leading firms online and attend workshops. Please click the link here to sign up.
Sixth Form
Saturday 4 October, 09:30 - 13:00
Whole College Open Morning
Community
Tuesday 7 October, 09:15 - 10:30
Divisional Coffee Morning for Parents: Harbinger
Parents, 1st Floor East Building
Wednesday 8 October, 10:00 - 21:00
Annual National Service for Seafarers
St Paul’s Cathedral, Music
Wednesday 8 October, 13:00 - 17:00
OUTREACH: Prep School Hockey Tournament
Astro, Outreach
Thursday 9 October,09:30 - 15:15
Year 6 Taster Day
Dunbar, Prospective Parents
Friday 10 October, 08:00 - 18:00
Sixth Form Taster Day
Sixth Form
Friday 10 October, 19:00 - 23:00
Dunbar Divisional Dinner for Parents
Goring & Streatley Golf Club
Sunday 12 October, 09:00 - 12:00
College Parade
Chapel & Parade Ground, Community
UPCOMING EVENTS
COLLEGE NEWS THIS WEEK
90th Annual Divisional Music Competition 2025
Last Thursday, 25 September, the College gathered in the Chapel for one of the most anticipated events of the year: the 90th Annual Divisional Music Competition. This special evening is always a highlight of the calendar, bringing the whole community together to celebrate music, Divisional spirit, and healthy competition. Our adjudicator, Mr Oliver Tarney (Assistant Director of Music at Tiffin School), enjoyed a vibrant programme that featured Division songs, solo singers, and solo instrumentalists.
Particular congratulations go to all the soloists for their courage and talent in performing before their peers, and to the Chiefs for leading their Divisions so confidently. It was a wonderfully entertaining evening of music and community, and our congratulations go to Hesperus for their overall win.
Results:
Solo Song: 1st Camilla C. (I), 2nd Tegan O. (S), 3rd Clara K. (H), 4th Immie G. (Q)
Solo Instrumental: 1st Leo R., Piano (S), 2nd Maisie S., Harp (I), 3rd Vita P., Flute (Q), 4th Isaac H., Piano (H)
Division Song: 1st Hesperus, 2nd Illawarra, 3rd Harbinger, 4th Macquarie
Overall: 1st Hesperus, 2nd Illawarra, 3rd Harbinger, 4th Macquarie
A recording of the event remains available on the College’s YouTube channel for families who wish to relive the performances.
Charlotte Drake and Andrew Simpson Society First Meetings of the Term
Both societies had a brilliant evening hearing from inspiring speakers from our very own Pangbourne Community. The Andrew Simpson society welcomed Harry Brightmore to speak all about his inspirational journey to becoming an Olympic champion. The Charlotte Drake Society welcomed current parents, Caroline Skidmore, Brilly Knight and Pippa Aslet who all have careers in the medical field and spoke about their career pathways.
SPORT
Independent Schools Golf Association Matchplay Tournament
Well done to Rory, Alex and Finn, on their 3-0 victory over The Oratory on Wednesday in the Independent Schools Golf Association Matchplay Tournament. All three of them beat lower-handicap golfers in a scratch competition, with Finn winning 8&7. This is the first round Pangbourne has ever won in the main tournament. Onto Round 2 against Claires Court next.
Berkshire Schools Hockey Tournament Success!
Our U16 Girls’ Hockey team came runners up in the Berkshire Schools’ Hockey tournament on Wednesday at Bradfield College. They were unbeaten in their pool games and made it to a very exciting final. They have now qualified for the South-Central Schools tournament. Well done girls.
Anna’s Fantastic Shooting Achievement
Anna won the Colts with 73 in her first Skeet competition.
DIVISIONAL UPDATES
Divisional Coffee Mornings
All parents are warmly invited to attend a coffee morning for parents in your child’s division on the following dates:
Harbinger - Tuesday 7 October
Hesperus - Tuesday 14 October
Illawarra - Thursday 16 October
Macquarie - Monday 13 October
These will provide an opportunity to meet the Pastoral Divisional Leads as well as other parents and will take place from 09:15 - 10:30.
Just as a reminder, you can contact your child’s Divisional teams on the following email addresses:
Harbinger - Jehan Dyer and Stephen Hennah
07706 313998
Hesperus - Laura Besley-Piggott and Alex Unsworth
07706 314005
Illawarra - Donatienne Poitrat and Werner Nel
07706 313999
Macquarie - Steph Kingsland and Tom Walford
07706 314001
BOARDING UPDATES
St George
We are delighted to share that the girls have settled in wonderfully during the first few weeks of term and are truly enjoying each other's company. There’s always a buzz in the gunroom after prep, filled with an array of activities—be it Wii competitions, dancing, karaoke, arts and crafts, or our regular games of Bingo! It’s lovely to see the girls socialise beyond their friendship groups and year groups.
Our weekends have been very relaxed; the girls have enjoyed shopping trips, bowling, making their very own pizzas and homemade chips, and baking cakes for all to share.
Jackie and I love engaging with you all, so please do not hesitate to stop us for a chat when you see us around at school events. If you're attending the U6 parents' evening this Friday, do pop into the house to say hello if you have a moment. We hope all our boarders have a restful weekend, and we look forward to seeing them on Sunday evening!
Best wishes,
Shannon Flynn
St George House Contact Numbers:
Shannon Flynn 07887 473891
Jackie Turner 07860 953538
Boarding house office 01189 766755
Port Jackson
The early weeks in boarding right at the start of the academic year are critical in establishing clear expectations, embedding routines, and fostering a strong sense of community. It has been brilliant to see that the boys have responded positively and have already begun to demonstrate maturity, responsibility, and resilience. From punctual wake-up calls and regular mealtimes to supervised prep and evening wind-downs, the boys have been getting into the routine of organisation and time management particularly in preparing for the school day and managing personal belongings.
Personal conduct has been another key area of focus for the boys and they are learning to share spaces respectfully, keep their rooms and bathrooms in order, and show courtesy to peers and staff alike. Alongside the emphasis on structure and discipline, the social life of the house has begun to flourish. Shared experiences - whether through sports fixtures, communal meals, or informal recreation - have allowed bonds of trust and friendship to form quickly. The boys have supported one another in managing any homesickness, adapting to new expectations, and overcoming the challenges of boarding life. A positive house spirit is already emerging, with older pupils in particular offering guidance to the younger members. These friendships, rooted in mutual respect and shared responsibility, will undoubtedly be a cornerstone of the year ahead.
In summary, the first two weeks have laid a solid foundation for the term. The boys are adapting well to routines and taking greater ownership of their actions. Strong friendships are already developing, contributing to a positive and supportive house culture. The house is moving forward with a sense of purpose, unity, and optimism for the term ahead. We look forward to welcoming the boys back after the overnight leave weekend.
‘For the strength of the Pack is the Wolf, and the strength of the Wolf is the Pack’
‘The Law of the Jungle’ 1894 Rudyard Kipling
Best wishes,
Paul Radford
Port Jackson House Contact Numbers:
Paul Radford 07711 593470
Maddie White 07706 314002
Boarding house office 01189 767458