Friday 17 October 2025
Head’s Weekly Update
Academic Rigour
Another week, another excellent webinar from Mr Seccombe. This time supported by two of our Lower Sixth who all achieved fantastic GCSE results. They talked through the key things they did and the strategies they deployed to secure such strong results. As I have said previously, the GCSE exams in particular are not a measure of intelligence but a measure of compliance. If students do what we say, they will do well. This webinar is a walk-through of the key strategies to use to do well in exams and is designed to help you at home support your child to fly through the summer exam season.
The Year 11 students last year followed this advice and secured a Value Added Score of +0.7. Significantly above the 5-year College average of +0.1 and the best on record.
It has been a very busy first half-term and so we have not set any additional work for Years 7-10 for the half-term break. Year 11 and Year 13 obviously have work to complete as they prepare for their first set of trial exams and Year 12 can take a view on how much work, if any, they feel would be beneficial to do over the break.
Adventure
We may only be half-way through the Michaelmas Term but Mr Poynter is already busy planning for the 2026/27 academic year. He is reviewing the current co-curricular model and progression map and looking at how we can enhance and improve the experiences for our students. There are some questions on this in the survey coming out this week so please do use that as the vehicle to feed into his thinking. There is also a question about adventurous events for parents, so please do answer that one as well.
At the start of the academic year I said that my intention this year was to apply the same forensic lens to sport that we applied to academics last year. A key part of that is using data to make better decisions. As such, it is very pleasing as we close this half-term to be able to report that we are currently tracking at just under 41% wins, which is 4% higher than last year's final position. Even more pleasing is the number of 'great games' we have had this term so far. A 'great game' is where a match/race outcome is in doubt until the final 10 mins (or 250m) and finishes within two scores or half a length. This term we have had 25% of our games fall within this category. This is the first year we have tracked this data so cannot give it too much context at this stage, however it suggests that 25% of our matches are close and well matched.
Although it is early days, this puts us on track to have one our most successful years in terms of outcomes ever, and the best in the last 10 years.
Community
You will have received the new half termly Pangbournian Community newsletter on Thursday, promoting the launch of Pangbournian Connect, the new community website, as well as introducing the Pangbournian Community Advisory Board (PCAB), the steering group for community initiatives.
This is the latest element of our strategic plan to align all community groups, events and activities under the College umbrella and ensure we are serving all students, parents and guardians, current and former, in the best possible way. It reflects our ambition to align our model with the most successful schools in the country and is a core part of our wider five-year strategy. With the support of the PCAB, this new model has been a labour of love from the Development & Community team (Lucinda Grafton, Sue Carpenter and Rachel Biggerstaff), and reflects our commitment to delivering the most effective alumni and development work.
I hope you enjoy reading the Pangbournian Magazine and seeing all of the wonderful things Pangbournians past and present have been up to.
Leadership
It is often said that Headteachers are dealers in hope. Always looking for the best in everything and keeping everyone moving in the same direction. As I sat in a Head’s Introduction to Pangbourne event for prospective families earlier this week, I listened to two of our brilliant Upper Sixth Chief Cadet Captains answer questions. I was struck by how composed and thoughtful they were and how unflustered they remained, despite being asked questions directly from unknown adults. If the job of the Head is to be hopeful, then I am full of hope for the future seeing how well rounded and articulate Pangbournians are and left the session full of optimism for the future of this country.
Best wishes,
Oliver Knight
Notices (Please click on the + sign to expand for full information)
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Pupils will be leaving at 16:35 today. School buses and minibus shuttle to the station will leave at 16:45. There will be no optional prep taking place. Please make sure all pupils are collected at 16:35 if they are not travelling on school transport.
REMINDER: All pupils must take all their belongings home before half term and ensure all items are remove from both the lockers and locker rooms. This must be completed so that the work in the locker rooms in the four Divisions during half term can be undertaken.
We wish you all a restful half term and look forward to welcoming boarders back Sunday 2 November 2025 from 19:00 and day pupils on Monday 3 November from 08:00.
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As mentioned in last week’s newsletter, now we are half a term into the new academic year, we would like to ask parents/guardians to kindly spend a few minutes completing the short survey here.
As we plan any refinements and next steps in the development plans for the College across a number of different aspects of College life, parental input is valuable.
If you could please complete the survey before Saturday 1 November it would be much appreciated. Please click here to complete the survey.
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Please can we remind all parents and pupils that morning registration takes place in Divisions between 08:00 and 08:20. Divisions open at 08:00 and the first academic lesson of the day starts at 08:25. We would strongly recommend that your child arrives at school at 08:00 to sort their belongings before Divisional Muster at 08:10 - 08:20. Sixth Formers are reminded that they need to be present in their Divisions between 08:00 - 08:20 (and not in the Sixth Form Centre).
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Further to the notice last week, I wanted to let you know that the second boys boarding house will be named Adelaide. Pupils and parents have been informed this week if they will be moving to the new house.
The new members of staff are Oliver Metcalfe, Head of House and Edward Williams, Deputy Head of House.
The email address to contact the new house team will be: adelaide@pangbourne.com (please note this email address will not be monitored until Sunday 2 November).
Mr Tom Cheney - Assistant Head Boarding
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When pupils return after half term and we move into the second half of the Michaelmas term, due to the glorious British weather and the fact that we are now all used to the rhythm of the year, there will be a need for pupils to change for sport. We do not want children sitting in lessons in wet and muddy sports kit and want to maximise the mindset benefit of wearing our Number 2 uniform with pride. We were deliberately lenient for the first half-term but now want to reinforce our uniform expectations. Staff will inform pupils of the schedule and location for changing. Needless to say there is a plethora of changing facilities and ample opportunity for changing.
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In the recent high winds the College Flag managed to wrap itself multiple times around the flag pole and become entangled in the rigging. It is currently stuck and cannot be lowered. This is a job for the half-term break to retrieve the flag so we can continue with the morning ceremonies.
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Following some parental feedback we are making a change to the internet security settings on machines procured through the Easy4U scheme. After the end of the school day, 18.00, less restrictive web filtering is applied. This will enable pupils to use streaming services and social media websites for example. They cannot install any apps and their internet use is still monitored. These changes also apply at weekends and ‘off-campus’ and is to reduce the need to have another device for recreational use. These changes are planned to be in place in time for half-term.
We are also pleased to introduce Securly Home. This service will enable you to monitor your children’s internet use on their Easy4U provided device whilst they are at home. You can also ban access to certain websites without college intervention. The default level of access is restored during school hours and when on campus. This will be an opt-in service, and you can register for it by completing this google form. You will also need to download the Securly Home app, which is available in both iOS and Android app stores.
Please note that we cannot offer this service to pupils who are not enrolled in the Easy4U scheme.
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Every child, and their family, automatically become Pangbournians for life and members of the Pangbournian Community from the day they join the College. The Pangbournian Community brings together the wider family of Pangbourne: current and former parents and staff, Old Pangbournians, partners and friends, from all over the world.
Pangbournian Connect is the new community website, designed to strengthen this global network, enabling the entire community to build greater connections with the College and each other, to build business networks, to access and provide career and mentoring opportunities, to sign up for events and reunions, to join clubs, to browse the digital archives, to shop the merchandise range, to support Transforming Futures - and much more!
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The 2025 magazine showcases College developments as well as news and achievements from across the Pangbournian Community. From Pioneering Pangbournians: Tomas Tokovyi (2017-19), Claire Morphy (1990-92) and Ben Tufnell (1999-2006) sharing their College and career stories to current pupil, Leo Robinson, making waves in motorsport, we hope you enjoy this year's edition of the magazine.
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The annual Hockey Night Game is always a really fun evening and we are thrilled to be able to host it this year.
Spectators are always welcome and there will be food and refreshments available throughout the evening. If your child will be staying on campus for the matches and will need supper, please book this in with your child’s Pastoral Divisional Lead by Monday 3 November at the latest.
Please see more information about the event here.
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The Remembrance Day College Service and Parade will be taking place on Sunday 9 November, please find information about the schedule for the morning here.
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Join us for what promises to be a very enjoyable evening in the company of Sir John Madejski.
Sir John is known for his work in property, media, hotels, publishing and as Chairman of Reading Football Club from 1990 to 2012. He transformed the club, leading it to the Premier League and overseeing the development of the Madejski Stadium, home of Reading FC.
A committed philanthropist, Sir John has made significant contributions to education and the arts.
Honored with an OBE in 2000 and knighted in 2009 for his charitable services, Sir John continues to inspire through his legacy of innovation, community service, and philanthropy.
Date: Thursday 13 November 2025
Time: 19:00 - 21:00
Location: The Falkland Islands Memorial Chapel, Pangbourne College
Book your place here.
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The Pangbourne Parents’ Association would like to warmly invite you to their annual Christmas Market.
This will be taking place on Saturday 15 November from 10:00 - 14:30.
There will be a large variety of craft, gift and food stalls. There will also be refreshments, a tombola and a wine wheelbarrow.
It is free entry & free parking, everyone is welcome!
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The MFL department at Pangbourne College is organising a day trip to France in order to visit the Christmas Market in the beautiful city of Lille. In 2024, it was voted the third best in the country and in the top 10 in Europe.
We will be going on Sunday 7 December 2025 and the departure time will be early in the morning at 04:00 while we plan to be back in Pangbourne College at 22:30. As usual with international travel, there will always be the possibility of a delay but we will let you know as we are travelling.
Please see more information and how to book your child’s place here.
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The Christmas Carol Service will also be taking place on Friday 12 December at 11:15 - 12:30 and term will finish straight afterwards at 12:30 and buses will leave at 12:40.
All students are expected to attend the Carol Service in the Chapel and the remaining 150 spaces in the Chapel will be available to be booked by parents.
The booking link to book the tickets will be in the first newsletter after half term on Friday 7 November. We kindly ask that parents only book tickets if they know they are able to attend to avoid disappointment for other parents. The service will also be available to view live on YouTube for any parents unable to attend.
Year 7 - 8 (Dunbar)
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Please see here for more information about the flamenco workshop for Year 7 & 8 which will take place on Friday 28 November.
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This webinar will be led by Ms Indy Kaur (Head of Sixth Form) and Mrs Abbie Stephenson (Head of KS4). They will outline the key steps and consideration for Year 11 pupils as they consider their subject choices for Sixth Form.
This webinar will be taking place on Wednesday 5 November, 18:30-19:15. The link to join the webinar is here.
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Study guides have arrived and will be handed out after half term. I hope all Year 10 can have a good rest over half term and come back refreshed for the six week push to the Christmas holidays. There is no additional prep set for them over half term (other than preps set this week which need to be completed as usual), but if they have a spare moment, time spent making flashcards from notes/booklets this term would be invaluable.
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Well done to those in Year 11 who were successful on their DofE walk yesterday. It sounds like some groups definitely need a bit more map reading practice!
Study/revision guides have now been handed out to all students and teachers will have talked in class about how they can be useful. Hopefully you found the revision webinar helpful in knowing how to support your child at home. It can be a challenge to get motivation going in some cases, but the message should be that if the students put effort and hard work in they will feel successful and better about themselves. Please build some time in for rest and recuperation as well as revision!
Finally, Mr Yuille has sent out an initial subject choice form to all students in Year 11. This is due for completion by Friday 7 November. Hopefully this along with the taster day last week will prompt some good conversations about future pathways at home.
During Trials week, Ms Kaur and I will aim to chat with as many Year 11s as possible about their Sixth Form subject choices.
Nothing is binding at this stage at all - the form is simply an indication of what they might like to do and a prompt for our discussions.
Wishing everyone a lovely half term.
Thank you
Mrs Stephenson
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The timetable for Trials 1 has now been shared with Year 11. Please view the timetable here.
Please see this sheet which has been shared with students this week, which breaks down exactly what they should expect for Trials in each subject. The final column contains revision 'best bets' which are the teachers' suggested starting points and key topics on which to focus their revision. GCSE Trials' information
Year 9 - 11
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Since 2015, Pangbourne College has partnered with the Nabugabo Community Primary School, an NGO situated in a poor and rural area in south-west Uganda. The school is supported by The HUGE Partnership, a small UK registered charity established in 2013 to provide financial and resource support to the primary school and the community.
The partnership is not about one-off visits but about developing relationships and experiences for Nabugabo and Pangbourne pupils alike. We have sent a team each year since the start of the partnership and in that time students have been engaged with community initiatives, building projects and primary age teaching alongside a wider activities programme including safari and white water rafting on and around Lake Victoria.
A briefing will be held for interested students in Lower Sixth and their parents on Friday 17 October at 16:40 (half-term pick up time) in the Chapel (please note change of venue).
The trip leader is Mr James Capel, Head of Geography, he can be contacted at James.Capel@pangbourne.com.
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Please see here for the Upper Sixth Trials information. This document includes subject recommended revision guides, the Trials timetable and areas to revise per subject.
Sixth Form
Friday 17 October, 16:30 - 19:30
Year 7 & 8 Parents’ & Guardians’ Meeting - In Person
Drake Hall
Friday 17 October, 16:35
Half Term
Pupil, Staff
Sunday 2 November, 19:00
Boarders Return
Pupil
Monday 3 November, 08:00
All Pupils Return
Pupil, Staff
Tuesday 4 November, All Day
Art Trip to Kew Gardens
Year 9, Trips
Wednesday 5 November, 09:00 - 16:00
Sixth Form Biology Fieldwork - Rushall Farm
Trip, Academic
Wednesday 5 November, 18:30 - 19:15
Webinar Wednesday - Making Sixth Form Subject Choices (for Year 11)
Year 11, Academic, Parent
Thursday 6 November, 08:50 - 10:45
Head’s Introduction to Pangbourne
Prospective Parents, Old Library
Thursday 6 November, 10:00 - 19:00
Sixth Form Theatre Trip - Othello
London Haymarket Theatre, Trips
Thursday 6 November, 18:00 - 21:00
Future Pathways: Sports Careers Networking Event
Devitt Dining Room, Community, Year 11, Sixth Form
Sunday 9 November, 08:30 - 11:30
Remembrance Sunday Service & Parade
Community
UPCOMING EVENTS
COLLEGE NEWS THIS WEEK
Media Trip to Elstree Studios
On Thursday evening we were invited to take 35 Sixth Form Media students to a live recording of the final of WinWin with People's Postcode Lottery, an ITV game show with a million pound jackpot, apparently the largest sum ever given away, and hosted by Mel and Sue. It was being filmed at Elstree Studios, famously the studios used for the original Star Wars trilogy and the Indiana Jones films and students were able to see a fully equipped George Lucas studio in action with remarkable cameras, sound recording and lighting setups. Students were the studio audience for the duration of the evening's recording and left buzzing after the event and sworn to secrecy before the episode airs.
Year 10 CCF Overnight Exercise
Our Year 10 CCF students have been on exercise for the last 24 hours practising their military skills such as movement in the field, hand signals as well as camouflage and concealment. They built their own camp in the woods within the Pangbourne campus, lived on MOD ration packs for 24 hours, cooked for themselves in the field and also slept over last night. They have all been brilliant on the exercise and showed great resilience and determination.
SPORT
Congratulations to Pip on her outstanding results at the SANESA National Championships in South Africa
Pip had a fantastic competition, placing 3rd individually in Show Jumping (80cm) — with less than a second separating the top three riders! She also achieved 6th in Equitation and 8th in Prix Caprilli Novice, narrowly missing the individual placings after an unfortunate pole down in her Speed Show Jumping round.
Her strong performances contributed significantly to her teams’ overall success. Representing the Gauteng Province A Team for Competition and Speed Show Jumping as well as Equitation, Pip’s team impressively finished 1st in all three events. She also rode for the Gauteng C Team in Prix Caprilli, helping them secure 2nd place.
Well done, Pip — a fantastic achievement on the national stage!
DIVISIONAL UPDATES
Thank you to all the parents who attended the recent Divisional coffee mornings – it was lovely for the Pastoral Divisional Leads to meet parents and have the chance to answer any questions. They are already looking forward to the next ones which will be arranged in the Lent term. It’s been a very busy half term, with lots of new things to get used to, but the students have been on great form – helping to shape their new Division and inputting invaluably into the ethos of each one. We hope everyone has a restful half term break and comes back refreshed for the run-up to Christmas.