Friday 27 June 2025

Head’s Weekly Update

Best wishes 

Oliver Knight 


COLLEGE NEWS THIS WEEK

Pangbourne Proms

What a fantastic evening we had last Friday for our first ever Pangbourne Proms. The musical talent was truly incredible to see with performances varying from voice, drums and piano solos to ensemble groups. During the evening we also launched our brand new initiative, Transforming Futures - Pangbourne’s campaign to provide life-changing Sixth Form boarding bursaries for children from underserved communities. You can read more about this important campaign via our news page on our website. A huge thank you to everyone that was a part of this new event. We are looking forward to bringing it back next year where it will be bigger and better than ever!

Junior College Production of Wind in the Willows

Year 10 Flag Values Activities Day

Wye Valley Rock Climbing Trip

On Saturday a group of our keen rock climbers went on a day trip to Wye Valley to enjoy some outdoor rock climbing. Everyone got away promptly at 07:30 and the passengers made the most of the chance to catch up on some sleep as we crossed the Severn and made it to our meeting point near the Welsh border comfortably before our 10.00 start time.  After practising abseiling horizontally, we did the real thing vertically.  We then split into two teams of three and worked in our teams on a pair of climbs. Lunch came next while we ate and the instructor set up the next pair of climbs. He raised the bar with a more challenging second pair of climbs, saying that we were the best group that he had worked with - our experience meant that we coped well with the challenge with a few of us managing the hardest climb. The chance of one last climb was too much to resist and we attempted to climb up the route that we had originally abseiled down.

Even though the heat would have been draining back in Berkshire, the tree canopy above us protected us from the worst of the sunshine as well as the occasional heavy rain.

We arrived back at Pangbourne at 18:30 having had a memorable, stretching and enjoyable day.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Monday 30 June, 08:30 - Wednesday 2 July, 17:30
Year 11 DofE Silver Assessed Expeditions
Co-curricular, Trip

Monday 30 June, 18:30 - 21:00
Dunbar Boarders' Cosmo Trip
Boarding, Trip

Tuesday 1 July, 08:30 - 17:45
Divisional Drama
Pupils Only

Wednesday 2 July, 19:00 - 21:00
Dunbar Disco
Pupil

Wednesday 2 July, 19:00 - 21:00
Charlotte Drake Summer Formal
Old Library, Pupil

Thursday 3 July, 14:30 - 17:00
Divisional Athletics Competition
Sport, Pupils Only

Thursday 3 July, 17:30 - 21:30
Boarders Divisional BBQ
Pupils Only

Thursday 3 July, 20:30 - 22:30
Upper Sixth Evening Event
Pupils Only

Friday 4 July, 09:30 - 12:10
Divisional Swimming Competition
Sport, Pupils Only

Friday 4 July, 09:30 - 15:00
Dunbar Trip to Burghfield Water Park
Trip

Friday 4 July, 18:30
Upper Sixth Divisional Meals
Pupils Only

Friday 4 July - Sunday 6 July, All day
Rowing: Henley Royal Regatta
Sport

Saturday 5 July, 08:30 - 12:30
College Founders’ Day
Parade Ground, Community

Saturday 5 July, 19:00 - 23:30
Leavers’ Ball
Drake Hall, Community

NOTICES

  • On Wednesday 2 July, 19:00 - 21:00, we will be hosting our annual Charlotte Drake Summer Formal.

    This event is for any female students from Years 10-13 and will take place in the Old Library and weather permitting will also be on the terrace. We will be welcoming guest speakers to this event and there will be canapes and drinks throughout the evening.

    Any student that is interested in attending must complete the Google Form they have been sent via email from Mrs Hayward. They may bring a +1 female friend, family member or supporter.

  • Parents and guardians attending HRR on Thursday 3 July are invited to join the College at the Pangbourne College gazebo in Lions Meadow from 12:30 - 14:00.

  • Item description

  • Year 11 and Upper Sixth students are expected back in College by the following dates:

    • Monday 30 June 08:15 - Year 11 Silver Duke of Edinburgh's Award pupils

    • Wednesday 2 July 19:00 - Year 11 and Upper Sixth boarders to return

    • Thursday 3 July 08:15 - Year 11 and Upper Sixth day pupils to return

    Arrangements for the afternoon of Friday 4 July:

    • Prize winners' rehearsal will take place in Chapel at 16:00 - 17:50. All prize winners are expected to attend.

    • Any other pupils (excluding prize winners) may leave College at 16:00.

    • Buses will depart at the usual time 18:00.

    • Any pupils who are unable to leave at 16:00 will be supervised in College until buses depart.

    • Upper Sixth Final Service will be taking place in the Chapel at 18:00. Parents are warmly invited to attend. Students are expected to wear suits or No. 2s uniform.

  • Year 9 Bronze DofE Assessed Expedition will depart on Friday 27 June.

    Year 11 Silver DofE Assessed Expedition will depart on Monday 30 June.

    Year 12 Gold Assessed Expedition will depart on Sunday 6 July.

  • Please see the rugby and hockey pre- season training dates in the letter here.

  • On Wednesday 3 September, 08:15 - 08:45, we will be hosting an Open House event with light refreshments for our current Year 11 and 12 parents (who will be Year 12 and 13 in September respectively) to visit the new Sixth Form centre.

    If you would like to attend please complete the google form here.

  • Unfortunately due to unforeseen circumstances the Trail Run Challenge is going to have to be postponed until further notice.

    Please look out for updates in the parent newsletter at the start of the Michaelmas Term.

Years 7-8

Years 9 -11

  • Year 11 pupils who are involved in the DofE Silver Expedition must be in school at 08.15 on Monday 30 June in order to head off. Anyone else in Year 11 not doing DofE is expected to be in school at 08.15 on the morning of Thursday 3 July (Boarders may return from 19:00 Wednesday 2 July). They will then be in school until the end of term culminating with Founders' Day on Saturday 5th July.

SIXTH FORM

  • As the Lower Sixth have now created their online UCAS accounts, they are encouraged to:

    • Do research on university courses

    • Do online MOOCs, virtual webinars and work experience

    • Do wider reading around their interests

    This will help them when drafting their personal statement.
    Information on a number of virtual work experience/insights days have been shared with students on their Google Classroom.

SPORT

EVE SELECTED FOR TEAM GB ROWING TEAM

Eve has been invited to the final J18 GB trials which will take place over the summer holidays. We wish her the best of luck in these and will be cheering her on every step of the way! 

DIVISIONAL UPDATES

  • The final few days of term are always a very busy time in Dunbar, and there are a number of events to flag up.

    By the time you receive this newsletter the Year 8 Dinner would have come and gone and I am sure it would have been a fitting finale for our outgoing Year 8 pupils.

    On Monday evening we have our final Boarders’ trip to Cosmo in Reading. The permission form for this will be sent separately to our Boarders’ parents, and I am looking forward to what has become a termly tradition for Dunbar.

    On Wednesday 2 July we have the Dunbar Summer Disco. This will take place from 19:00 - 21:00 on the final Wednesday evening, and all Dunbar pupils are welcome to attend, although the event is entirely optional. There is no permission form to fill out for this event, and there will be no charge to attend. Note that Day Pupils who wish to join us should go home as usual on a Wednesday, before returning for 19:00, and the dress-code is casual, ‘summer festival’.

    On the final Friday of term we will be taking all Dunbar pupils on a trip to the Andrew Simpson Water Sports Centre near Theale, for paddleboarding and kayaking. We will leave after a final Tutor Period from 08:30-09:30, and we will be back in time for the Head’s Final Assembly at 15:00, after which all Dunbar pupils will be free to leave for the summer. The permission form for this trip is attached here .

    As always all the pupils' personal belongings must be taken home by the end of term so that the House can be thoroughly cleaned. With the exception of Prize winners and the six Dunbar Head Boys and Head Girls, there is no expectation that Dunbar pupils or parents attend Founders’ Day, but you are all most welcome, and we usually have a contingent of Dunbar families down on White’s.

    The end of term this year marks a significant change for Dunbar in that from September all of our Boarders in Years 7 & 8 will now board in either Port Jackson or St. George, our Boys’ and Girls’ Boarding Houses. It has been a privilege to have seen 8 years of pupils board in Dunbar, and I am sure they will thrive in their new Houses and Divisions.

    Ian Hart

  • Andy Sumner

  • Tom Cheney

  • Rosie Jewell

  • David Metcalfe

  • Steve Thompson


  • Jenny Jones