Head’s Weekly Update

Academic rigour

Every week I make a promise to myself that I will keep my section brief and every week I fail miserably. It is very hard to write a pithy summary of a busy and active College as we march confidently to the future. 

There is a lot of work going on behind the scenes to maintain our academic trajectory and ensure all our students leave us with the currency they need to exchange for a happy and successful life. Mr Seccombe is busy working with our Heads of Department to launch our new pupil assessment system. This will allow much greater insight for teachers and parents and ensure we can focus our clinics and interventions on where the need is greatest. 

We are entering a stressful period for Year 11 and Upper Sixth as their first set of trial exams loom and whilst tense, I do enjoy the exam seasons. It is a chance to sharpen the mind and apply yourself fully to an endeavour. I am looking forward to seeing the data that comes from these exams and planning the forensic actions necessary to guarantee success. 

Adventure

As promised last week I wanted to give you a full round up on our sport fixtures so far this half term. The first week after half term saw us go straight back into a busy schedule of fixtures. It was pleasing to see the 1st XV win their 3rd round National Bowl fixture v Claire's Court in a very tight fixture. They will play the 4th round later this term v Embley. It's been great to see some Rugby success and the uplift this has given the College. 

We also hosted our annual Friday Night Lights hockey fixture v Lord Wandsworth College. These showcase matches are an important part of our annual sporting schedule as they give an opportunity to celebrate our strong community and also bring our true values and behaviours to the fore. They act as a point of aspiration for the younger pupils and as a chance for the older pupils to lead with distinction and purpose in a public and transparent setting. There was some fantastic hockey on show in the U15A curtain raiser fixture. They played with pace, accuracy, and high skill to win the game 6-0. 

Then came the 1st XI game, which can only be described as one of the most thrilling games of hockey I have ever seen. With Pangbourne under pressure for much of the game and not for some outstanding shooting and goalkeeping they kept within a score of LWC throughout the game. After going in half time at 2-2 they went a goal down soon after, and after absorbing huge amounts of pressure they broke quickly to make it 3-3. Soon after this again, they again sprung a counter attack to score and make it 4-3. With a tense 5 minutes remaining, Pangbourne held out to win the game. What an evening!

What was most pleasing about this game is the resilience on show, not only in the game, but in the weeks and months leading up to it. The 1st XI have had a tough season to date, and have had to work very hard on all aspects of their performance both on and off the field. The 1st XI currently consists of 4 Year 10s, 4 Year 11s, 3 Lower Sixth and 4 Upper Sixth and so has a good mix of players across all ages. This obviously bodes well for the future but it has been a tough term for the team. The team is a live demonstration of the 'try - fail - adapt' cycle I discussed in my start of half term letter and needs all the players to share in this process - not just one person or player to bear the responsibility. These sorts of occasions require pupils to step outside of their comfort zone and perform and support in the right way and are a hugely valuable part of College life. I look forward to the rugby night game later this term and the rowing fixture tomorrow. The Michaelmas Term can feel a little barren if you are a rower and so I am delighted we are hosting another mini-regatta on our stretch of water this Saturday. 

Community 

Building on the notice below on some of our immediate actions following the recent Parent Survey, I also wanted to give a quick update on our cycle of works to the student spaces. There is quite a lot going on and building work never runs to time. 

Our pupils are the centre of everything we do and drive all my decisions. One area we have been working hard on is effectively supporting the Sixth Form as they make the bumpy transition into adulthood. The Sixth Form Centre is looking great and I visit the study rooms every day to see how they are being used and to ensure we are all meeting the standards Ms Kaur has set. I am looking forward to Nicholas O’Carroll starting on Monday 24 November. Nick’s main role is to be a constant supportive (and chivvying) presence for the Sixth Form to help them make the most of their independent study slots and help them manage their time effectively. By the end of November the Sixth Form will have shelves for their folders to help them plan out their week and follow their bespoke timetable. This will also mean that their lockers can just be used for sports kit and we have bought a huge bundle of coat hangers to help remind the students that they should be hanging up their suits when in sports kit. 

To benefit all Year 9-11 pupils, we have been working hard behind the scenes in the West Building to ensure that we can open up a comfy cross-divisional social space as a place to relax and catch-up and a cross-divisional new Games Room with table football, table tennis, pool etc. These will be places where friends across Divisions have fun as the weather turns and more students want to socialise inside during break and lunch. 

Alongside this we are busy converting part of East Building into a quiet zone. As well as supporting neuro-diverse pupils this is engineered to enable down time to be had in a calm, quiet and supportive environment for any student that desires it. We are also looking at opening this space up for some students to eat in, as the Mess Hall can be a busy space. 

By December, senior students will have a multitude of different spaces to work, socialise and relax in equal measure. Some of these spaces are cross-Divisional and some are Divisional-specific. I still take great delight every lunchtime in seeing the majority of students outside, kicking a ball or just chatting casually, and hope a few brave souls will continue this over the winter months! The hustle and bustle of students having fun outside my office window is a great reminder of the mission. 

Leadership

As we continue to see a sector in flux, we need to continue our evolutionary tilt. I was on a call last week with a management consultant along with the Heads of lots of large and traditional independent schools. The messaging was very clear; schools that fail to adapt, evolve and change will simply fall out the bottom of the market. 37 independent schools have already closed so far this year and many of them would have felt that their history alone was enough to protect them. 

A slavish adherence to tradition for tradition’s sake will almost certainly guarantee tricky times ahead for any institution. As such we are constantly looking to expand, enhance and elevate our model and so I am delighted that we are now in a position to start the process of recruiting Parent Ambassadors. We will also be looking for leaders for the committees for the Christmas Market 2026 and the Community Ball in 2027. If you would like to be considered please email questions@pangbourne.com.

Parent Ambassadors will report to the Pangbourne Community Advisory Board (PCAB) and create greater scope for parental involvement in the wider life of the College, including with alumni and past parents. The PPA was established in 2008 and, in line with their constitution, has done great work raising essential funds for the College, as well as for local charities. As we continue our journey into the future, I want to personally thank all those parents who have been part of the PPA for their hard work and commitment and at the same time welcome this next stage of our evolution. 

In the newsletter last week I wrote about these important roles and how they have had great success at Rugby School; a school with a very long and proud history but one that is constantly evolving and modernising. I am excited to see these roles emerge over the coming term. Please email questions@pangbourne.com with expressions of interest. The College will ensure representation across all year groups and Divisions and there will be additional opportunities to support key Community events. 

Leadership at Pangbourne means so much more than having a title or a symbol of power. It means using your position to drive the College forward and ensure that you serve the community with compassion and integrity. 

I therefore took great delight in knowing that Faith and Ed (CCCCs) had called the entire College together and, along with the CCCs, given them a robust re-framing of the expectations. The CCCCs have set clear expectations to all pupils about the respect to be shown to our unique and important traditions. The CCCs led their Divisions into this meeting and it was an entirely student-led affair, with no staff involvement. This is real leadership in action and will align the entire community around the Chief’s expectations and provide all the CCCs with meaningful leadership experiences. We would be flawed to view life as a constantly upward trajectory and so enabling the students to lead, reflect, reframe and move forward is one of the most pleasing things to happen so far this year. 

Everything we do at the College is for the students and each experience is engineered to provide opportunities for growth and reflection. This necessarily means that sometimes standards slip and mistakes are made. As a school, we would be failing in our mission if we as adults took the lead; the growth does not belong to us. 

Building on this, I am delighted to announce the latest round of student promotions. As I have said previously, putting your head above the parapet and applying for a role takes bravery and we don’t always get what we want. Well done to all the students that applied. 

Please click here to see a list of our CCs and COs promotions.

Best wishes,

Oliver Knight