Friday 25 September 2026
Head’s Update
Best wishes,
Oliver Knight
Notices (Please click on the + sign to expand for full information)
All Pupils & Parents: Years 7- Upper Sixth
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Mrs Lucinda Grafton, Director of Development & Community
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Our whole School Open Morning is taking place next Saturday 26 September 2026.
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. You and your child will receive an email by the end of the day on Monday which details 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. Pupils should go to the Divisions in the West Building (Illawarra & Hesperus) as the East Building (Macquarie & Harbinger) will not be open to pupils. There will be no access to the Parade ground after 09:30. The Open Morning will be running from 09:30 - 13:00.Thank you in advance for your support of this event.
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The Divisional Music Competition is fast approaching and will take place on Friday 2 October. This year we are thrilled to welcome Dunbar (Years 7 & 8) to the competition. While the Solo Voice, Solo Instrumental and Ensemble categories will remain open to students in Years 9 - Lower Sixth, Dunbar students will have the opportunity to participate in the Divisional Song event.
We are pleased to share that Dunbar will have its own music competition next year, allowing them to showcase their musical talents in a smaller-scale event.
All pupils are expected to attend and will be in rehearsals from 16:00. Dinner will be provided to all pupils before the competition. The event will start at 19.00 and is due to finish at 21:00. This is advance notice that arrangements will need to be made for your child to be picked up at the end of the event.
This will be a ticketed event for any parents who wish to attend, so please do look out for the link to book your ticket in the newsletter next week on Friday 25 September. Due to capacity in the Chapel, tickets will be issued on a first come, first served basis.
Ms Nichola Graham - Director of Music
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Pangbourne College will be running six cricket sessions on Tuesday evenings starting on Tuesday 3 November. These sessions will be run by ECB Level 4 Cricket coach, Chris Ellison and will be aimed at all pupils interested in cricket. This will take place from 17:30 - 19:00.
If you’re interested, the booking deadline is Wednesday 30 September. Please see more information on the flyer here and via this link.
If you have any questions feel free to email the following contact: jeremy@performance-sports.org.uk
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Mr Joe Mills - Director of Sport
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Aviation Society
Led by Mr Hammond, the Aviation Society gives students a real behind-the-scenes look at how planes work. Sessions cover everything from the basics of aerodynamics to the systems and technology that keep an aircraft in the air. This term's highlight so far has been a close-up look inside a real cockpit, where Mr Hammond talked us through the instruments, controls and what each person's role in the aircraft is. He also shared his enthusiasm for his favourite aircraft, the Boeing 747, explaining the engineering that makes it such an iconic plane. (George Hale Yr 12 Q)
Economics Society
to follow...
Bridge Society
To follow...
Chess Society
To follow...
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We would appreciate it if you could please read the following document here to understand the rules and guidelines around visiting the College site and using our public footpaths that go through our College grounds. Thank you.
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The College’s official photographer, Gillman and Soame are pleased to announce that portrait photographs are now available to order from their parent portal. If you are already registered, you should have been notified already. For new parents or those not yet registered, please look out for the portal registration email on Monday 21 September.
Martin Palfrey, Network, Systems and Data Manager
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Visit our Pangbournian Benefits page for more details.
Mrs Lucinda Grafton, Director of Development and Community
All Parents:
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For the first two weeks of term, Year 7 and Year 8 pupils have been receiving prep for the core subjects only. This is to help new pupils become used to the way in which prep is set using Google Classroom and recognise that especially in these first few weeks, the days can be tiring. From next week, Year 7 and Year 8 pupils will receive prep across their subjects. However, we stagger this carefully to ensure not too much is set on a single day.
We are trialling a communication system in Class Charts for Year 7 parents that allows them to contact key staff. This allows you to contact either the Tutor, the Head of Section or the Head of House (Dr Hart). Once you have logged into Class Charts, you will see a 'speech bubble' icon that allows you to do this.
May I also remind parents of the Welcome Webinar taking place for parents of Year 7, new joiners in Year 8 and indeed any Year 8 parent that would like a refresher! It takes place on Wednesday 30 September 18:00 - 18:45. The link will be in next week’s newsletter.
Mr Anthony Hammond - Head of KS3
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Next week, our Year 9 pupils go on their 3-day residential to Dorset. We completed our trip briefing this week and you should have received an email from Mr Unsworth about the logistical details and kit lists.
May I also remind Year 9 parents of the upcoming Welcome Webinar taking place on Wednesday 30 September 19:00 - 19:45. The link will be in next week’s newsletter.
Mr Anthony Hammond - Head of KS3
Year 7 - 9
Year 10 - 11
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Please do remember to join us for the ‘Welcome to Year 10’ webinar which is happening next Wednesday 23 September at 18:00. Please use the link here to access the meeting. Mrs Hayward will be talking about the brilliant VESPA programme and I shall be going through the mighty two year plan with you.
Please do also sign your child up for the 'Of Mice and Men' production on Saturday 3 October. This can be done via the notice below. This will be a brilliant support to their learning of this text which they are examined on for GCSE. It will really help cement the story in their minds.
Mrs Abbie Stephenson - Head of KS4
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It was wonderful to have so many of you at the ‘Welcome to Year 11’ webinar on Wednesday evening. Thank you for taking the time to learn about this critical year. A link to the recording is here for those of you who were unable to attend. The passcode is 8waO^!yT. I feel really positive that there was such a parent presence - it bodes well for a really successful year ahead. Thank you!
Please do also sign your child up for the 'Of Mice and Men' production on Saturday 3 October. This will be a brilliant support to their learning of this text which they are examined on for GCSE. It will really help cement the story in their minds.
Mrs Abbie Stephenson - Head of KS4
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We are delighted to have arranged for Makin Projects’ touring production of Of Mice and Men to visit Pangbourne College on Saturday 3 October. The performance will begin at 14:30, following the morning’s sports fixtures. Lunch will be available for pupils beforehand at an additional cost.
John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men is the principal prose text studied for the Pearson Edexcel International GCSE English Literature examination. Watching the novel performed will deepen pupils’ understanding of its characters, relationships and central themes, while allowing them to experience the emotional power of Steinbeck’s story beyond the classroom.
I had the pleasure of seeing this production in 2025 and was particularly impressed by the way it brings the characters and their world vividly to life. It is a powerful, engaging and highly relevant interpretation of the novel.
We hope all Year 10 and Year 11 pupils will attend. We anticipate that tickets will cost approximately £10 per pupil, although the final price will depend on the number of pupils attending.
Please complete the form here by Monday 28 September to confirm your son/daughter’s attendance.
Mrs Sarah Kiernan Webb - Head of English
Sixth Form
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Please use the link here to access the ‘Welcome to Lower Sixth’ webinar which is being held on Wednesday 23 September at 19:00.
Ms Indy Kaur - Head of Sixth Form
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Please see the recording of the Welcome to Upper Sixth webinar that took place on Wednesday 16 September here. The passcode is pBF#4W*8
Ms Indy Kaur - Head of Sixth Form
Saturday 19 September, 09:00 - 12:00
College Parade
Parade Ground, Community
Monday 21 September, All Day
Three Rivers Challenge - River Thames Canoe Expedition
Sixth Form, Co-Curricular
Monday 21 September, 19:00 - 19:30
Rescheduled Rowing Zoom Meeting
Parents, Co-Curricular
Wednesday 23 September, 08:30 - Friday 25 September, 17:10
Year 9 Adventure Residential - Dorset
Swanage, Year 9, Trip
Wednesday 23 September, 18:00 - 18:45
Webinar Wednesday: Welcome to Year 10
Year 10, Parents, Academic
Wednesday 23 September, 19:00 - 19:45
Webinar Wednesday: Welcome to Lower Sixth
Lower Sixth, Parents, Academic
Saturday 26 September, 09:30 - 13:00
Open Morning
Whole School, Admissions
UPCOMING EVENTS
COLLEGE NEWS THIS WEEK
Three Rivers Challenge Canoe Expedition
The weather could hardly have been kinder for the canoe based element of the Three Rivers Challenge. A barmy 24°C and water like glass were the order of the day. The only downside to a summer of fine weather was barely any flow in the river at all. Beautiful conditions for a paddle, perhaps, but not particularly helpful for anyone hoping that the river might do some of the work over the seventeen kilometre route.
Eight crews from the four Divisions had been selected and trained for the race. Unfortunately, Macquarie suffered an injury between the training day and the start, leaving them a man down before they got on the water. Commiserations to Barney R.
The race itself unfolded over more than six hours, with the crews gradually making their way downstream from Wallingford to Pangbourne. A conservative first half gave way below Goring Lock to a furious and decisive final six kilometres. Round Cow Corner, through the Railway Bridge, over the Main Straight and down to the Pangbourne College Boat Club the paddles went down hard for a good thirty minutes.
Charlie G and Alex G made the early running, establishing the initial lead, with James P and Sam B in hot pursuit. Around three kilometres into the final section, Will Peters and Ralf Tompkins pushed through into second place. Shortly afterwards, Eva S and Finn M moved up to replace a tiring James and Sam.
This left both Illawarra boats occupying second and third place, a particularly useful tactical position given that the prize would go to the first complete division to cross the line. With the result dependent on the combined performance of the crews rather than simply the first boat home, the race became as much about tactics as outright speed.
James and Sam, however, were not quite ready to surrender. A late resurgence saw them closing the gap, although some tactical steering may have helped the leading crews keep their route, and their advantage, under control. With every paddle stroke counting, the final kilometres provided a suitably tense conclusion.
Further back, Denny W and Harry P put in a strong performance to finish fourth. Harvey D and Sienna R were fighting their own battle, with the formidable, three person Macquarie Juggernaut of George W, Tiara P and Grace W. Continuously leapfrogging each other they continued to battle gamely on. Sadly, despite their considerable determination, the Macquarie boat were unable to prevail and eventually fell off the rear of the fleet to finish in last place.
The individual honours went to Alex G and Charlie G, whose spectacular display of stamina and grit saw them take the individual victory. Huge congratulations to both for an outstanding performance.
The Division competition produced a closely fought result. Illawarra took the overall team victory, represented by Will P, Ralf T, Eva S and Finn M. Hesperus finished in second place, followed by Harbinger in third and Macquarie in fourth.
A huge well done to everyone who took part.
The next event will be the River Pang Yomp - We will call for teams early in the spring term to represent their Divisions in a long distance route march. Can Illawarra hold the lead?
Mr Tom Poynter - Assistant Head Co-Curricular
First College Parade of the Academic Year
SPORT
Golf Fixture vs Old Pangbournians
Hockey
Girls’ Hockey 1st XI vs Bradfield College
Mr William Main - Hockey Coach
Girls’ Hockey U15A vs Downe House
Another fantastic performance from the U15A team, who showed resilience, quality and determination throughout a well-deserved 4–1 win.
We began the match with only 10 players, but that didn’t stop us making the perfect start. Within the opening minute, Amelia fired home a brilliant finish to give us an early lead. Despite being a player short, Pangbourne produced some excellent attacking hockey while remaining incredibly solid defensively. Switching to a back three (due to a lack of numbers) worked brilliantly, with Thea outstanding in her first game of the season as she tirelessly tracked their quickest attacker, making several crucial tackles and interceptions. Chloe was equally impressive at right-back, holding her position well and playing some lovely passes into attack.
Just before the end of the first third, Arya arrived and came straight onto the pitch, finally bringing us up to 11 players. She settled in immediately, making strong tackles and showing great composure by dribbling confidently through the opposition press when required. In midfield, Eva adapted brilliantly to playing in the centre, breaking up play and distributing the ball intelligently, while Darcey found good attacking positions and consistently looked to move the ball forward with purpose.
Our only setback came from a brief lapse in concentration at the back, allowing the opposition their first real chance of the game, which they converted to make it 1–1.
The final third belonged to our attack. Genny restored the lead with a well-taken goal before combining beautifully from a short corner, sliding the ball to Amelia, who finished with a reverse hit for her second goal of the match. Bea then completed the scoring, arriving at the back post to convert another excellent pass from Genny and seal a convincing 4–1 victory. It was a lovely first goal of the season, slapping the ball past their keeper.
A special mention goes to Bea and Molly, who responded brilliantly to the constant reminders to stay higher and wider in attack. Their movement created space and stretched the opposition, making a huge contribution to our attacking play. Molly also deserves credit for showing great resilience by playing for so long despite feeling unwell.
Huge praise must also go to Jessica, who stepped up to make her U15 debut. Facing very few shots, she remained calm and confident whenever called upon, showing tremendous character by volunteering to play up a year. I will also take responsibility for the goal conceded, as I gave her some new kickers which prevented her from being able to move without falling over – apologies for this! Ruby H also made a fantastic impact after a busy morning. She arrived expecting to play for the U14s but was dragged into action, making her debut for the U15s as we had no subs and were starting to tire. Coming on for the final 15 minutes, she looked completely at home, beating players with confidence and linking up brilliantly with Genny and Amelia.
Finally, my Player of the Match was Izzy P. She was exceptional at the heart of the defence, making countless recovery tackles, distributing the ball superbly and organising those around her with constant communication. A truly outstanding performance and a brilliant team effort from everyone involved.
Mr Otis Williams - Hockey Coach
Rugby
Boys’ Rugby U14A vs Hereford Cathedral School
Last Saturday, the U14A team played against Hereford Cathedral School. It was obvious from the start that the opposition had played together more and were better organised in attack, which meant that Pangbourne spent some time under their own posts. It was, however, great to see the fighting spirit and positive approach that the boys showed. During the second half of the match, Pangbourne came close to scoring tries twice due to hard work and strong running.
Players worth mentioning were Woody M and Charlie O, who never gave up and put in some big tackles. I look forward to the next match, which will give the U14s another opportunity to improve and learn.
Mr Werner Nel - Rugby Coach
Boys’ Rugby U15A vs Hereford Cathedral School
A really good afternoon of rugby for the U15A team, coming away with a 26-7 win against Hereford School in what was a seriously competitive game.
There was a bit of extra motivation going into this game after losing to Hereford last year; the boys were determined to put that right. From the first whistle, it was clear this was going to be a real battle, with both teams putting in a huge amount of work in defence and attacking play.
The tackling from both sides was outstanding, there were plenty of big hits and try-saving moments throughout the game, with neither team prepared to give anything away. Our boys defended really well, which was probably the difference in the end.
A few players really stood out. Otto T was excellent, making two absolutely crucial try-saving tackles when Hereford looked certain to score. Bear C was a constant threat with ball in hand, breaking the line time and time again and causing Hereford plenty of problems. Percy W was also superb, with his line speed putting Hereford under pressure all afternoon and helping us win the battle in defence.
We showed some really good attacking rugby and managed to put 26 points on the board however, it was the defensive effort that really impressed me. The boys worked incredibly hard for each other and showed plenty of character when Hereford came back at us.
A great result against a strong Hereford side and more importantly, a really good team performance. The boys can be proud of that one, especially after last year's result.
Mr Frankie Rogan - Rugby Coach
Boys’ Rugby U18B vs Hereford Cathedral School
Last Saturday, our U18B team produced a strong display against a good Hereford Cathedral School at Cheltenham Tigers.
After a strong start to the game, we were able to covert our dominance and went 7-0 up which was thoroughly deserved. Hereford responded well and reduced the deficit to 7-5 before we added another try and led 12-5 going into the break.
We started the second half in strong fashion and unfortunately couldn't convert two key moments within their 22. Hereford scored to reduce the deficit to 12-10 which set up a mouthwatering final 20 minutes. We defended resolutely but unfortunately conceded with just 4 minutes remaining to fall 15-12 behind and this remained the score for the remainder of the game.
A disappointing result but a strong team performance with some fantistic individual displays sets us up for an exciting season ahead. Well done to everyone involved.
Mr James Purdue - Rugby Coach
Divisional Updates
The next Divisional update will be on Friday 25 September.
Heads of Divisions and Email Addresses:
Harbinger: Mrs Candice Greenly - harbinger@pangbourne.com
Hesperus: Mrs Laura Besley-Piggott - hesperus@pangbourne.com
Illawarra: Mrs Dona Poitrat Rachmaninoff - illawarra@pangbourne.com
Macquarie: Mrs Steph Kingsland - macquarie@pangbourne.com
Dunbar: Dr Ian Hart dunbar@pangbourne.com
Boarding Updates
Adelaide
A somewhat belated welcome back to all our returning boarders, and a very warm welcome to the new pupils joining our boarding community this year. We hope everyone has had a fantastic summer, a restful break and is ready for an exciting term ahead. It’s a long one, but the plus side; we are already at the end of Week 3. The summer break saw a start to the process of removing the last remaining female touches left over from when the House was previously utilised by girls. Gone are the pink hearts on the cabin doors to be replaced by name plates, lots of new pictures, a magnetic world map, foliage and more of a games room element to the Common Room downstairs, so as to allow the ‘Bubble’ on the first floor to be our room for Muster meetings, general chilling out and movie nights with the new 65” TV. The Bubble continues to be a work in progress, but along with the Galley we should see further changes over Half Term. Around this planning, it has been wonderful to see the House coming back to life, with pupils quickly settling into routines, reconnecting with friends and making new ones.
We are delighted to congratulate George W on his selection for the 1st Rugby XV. This is a fantastic achievement and reflects George’s hard work, commitment and contribution. We wish him every success for the season ahead. Unfortunately George’s first game was abandoned in the first half due to an injury, so the big rugby story was with the Under 15A side, which had a convincing win with both Ben and Arki key cogs within the engine room of that side. I look forward to getting out on Saturday to watch the boys play their first home games.
Congratulations also go to Alex O, who this week has been awarded the position of 2nd in Command of the Guard (2IC) by Mr Radford. Alex will be quickly into action in his new role on Saturday Morning.
Finally, a huge well done to Leo R following his excellent motor racing success at the weekend. Many of you will know of Leo’s passion for the sport and the level at which he is racing. This last weekend Leo was at Silverstone racing in Round 5 of the Michelin Le Mans Cup. Leo’s achievement is a testament to his dedication, skill and enthusiasm for the sport. We are very proud of him not just in Adelaide but throughout the College. Let’s hope it's a name for the future and Leo does not forget his House staff when dishing out the free tickets!
Our opening motivation statements for the first two weeks of term have been:
“Start as you mean to go on”
and
“You don’t need to see the whole stairs, just take the first step"
Off the back of this, it is encouraging to see pupils applying themselves with focus and determination. That is all we ask: we give the best we can and be the best versions of ourselves. We wish all our boarders a happy, successful and enjoyable journey as we head into the first Parade of the year tomorrow and onwards into the next couple of weeks.
I look forward to seeing many of you at Parade on Saturday morning or on the touchline in the afternoon
Mr Ed Williams, Head of Adelaide
Port Jackson
It has been fantastic to welcome all the boys back to Port Jackson, along with some exciting new additions to the PJ family. It has been a very busy first few weeks but the boys have settled in brilliantly and it has been great to see the House already feeling so lively and connected.
The boys enjoyed a fantastic trip to go paintballing on Sunday, which was a great opportunity to get out, have some fun and build relationships across the House.
We are now looking forward to our first College Parade this Saturday, followed by the PJ House trip on Sunday. It promises to be another busy and exciting weekend, and we are looking forward to continuing what has been a fantastic start to the term.
Mr Paul Radford, Head of Port Jackson
St George
A new start for St George this September with myself, Ms Wang (Deputy) and Gosia (House Manager) working together to get the Boarding House ready for the girls to return after their summer break.
It was great to welcome the girls, a lot of them already familiar with St George and what a fabulous group of young people they all are. We have full, weekly and adhoc boarders across the years from Year 9 to Upper Sixth. They have been bonding over music, baking, sport on the Astro, ping pong and are really supporting one another as a busy term has started. Our visiting tutors (VT) are Ms Young and Ms Symons – a great asset to the House on a Tuesday and Thursday evening respectively and we are looking at what activities to host as a House when they are here. Ms Young is very keen for an Inter House quiz! The girls were asked on their first Musters how they wanted the House to feel and what activities they would like to do. This week, two of the girls have their 16th birthdays and next week we have our first 18th birthday – cake baking and decorating, singing happy birthday in Muster… a lot of fun!
One thing we ask of the girls (apart from always clearing up after themselves) is that every morning they make their beds – that is going well so far! Thank you girls for your great start to the term.
Mrs Debbie Atkins, Head of St George
Heads of Boarding Houses and Email Addresses:
St George - Mrs Debbie Atkins - stgeorge@pangbourne.com
Port Jackson (boys) - Mr Paul Radford - portjackson@pangbourne.com
Adelaide (boys) - Mr Ed Williams - adelaide@pangbourne.com