I hope that you and your child(ren) had a pleasant and relaxing Half Term break.

It has been a joy to welcome our students back to the College this week and I am pleased to share details of highlights from before, during and following the break below.

Prospective students ‘try’ out rugby programme

Our Director of Rugby, Max Dominy, has worked incredibly hard to build what I believe to be one of the strongest student rugby programmes in the region that rivals those found in independent schools. Students benefit from professional coaching, regular competitive fixtures and video analysis, while continuing to develop a robust International Baccalaureate (IB) academic education.

Prospective students looking to enrol in our Rugby Scholarship from September were invited to join us during the Half Term break to take part in a training day. The experience provided the opportunity for students to learn more about life at the College, meet their new teammates, and take part in some drills and training exercises. Despite the less than perfect weather, the day was incredibly positive and we have a record number of applicants looking to join us in September.

Ski trip captures a ‘piste’ of our hearts

During the Half Term break, a cohort of students jetted off to Bardonecchia in Italy for a week for skiing and activities. Bardonecchia was the host town of the 2006 Olympic snowboarding events and is renowned for being a top location for winter sports. The students had a fantastic time refining their skiing skills under the guidance of professional instructors, and I have enjoyed hearing about their experiences now that they have returned to the College.

Do keep an eye on the College Instagram page for photo highlights from the trip.

O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?

Earlier this month, our Year 9 English students enjoyed an enriching visit to Theatre Royal in Bury St Edmunds to watch a performance of Shakespeare’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’. The students will soon be studying the romantic tragedy as part of their IB Middle Years Programme (MYP) studies, and the theatre visit provided a fantastic introduction to the play. I look forward to witnessing the impact of the visit in their future studies.

Year 7 Progress Evening – thanks for joining us

I am a huge advocate of building and maintaining strong parent/teacher relationships as they benefit our students’ development significantly. On Wednesday, I enjoyed welcoming parents of our current Year 7 students to the College for their Progress Evening. The evening gave us the opportunity to discuss your child(ren)s progress with teachers and ask any questions you or your child may have about studies and life at the College in general. Thank you for joining us.

Preparing our Performance School students to shine

Our Sixth Form Performance School students are able to combine regular live performances and coaching with the academic rigour of the IB. While naturally, a large number of our students go on to perform on the West End, the programme also supports them to succeed in whichever career pathway they choose to pursue. It’s no secret that impressing at auditions is key to securing places in top shows and universities and later today, our students will take part in an audition workshop to support this process. Our Performance School truly ensures that our students are ready for the global stage and I know this will help them to feel prepared and relaxed about any future auditions they take part in.

Dancing into the Half Term break

Finally, our Year 7 students closed out the first half of the Spring Term dancing the evening away at their College Disco. Building strong friendship groups is a key part of life as a Year 7 student and the event provided the opportunity for students to relax and spend time together outside of College day. The Disco was well attended, with over 130 students joining us for dancing and snacks and importantly, it helped to raise money to fund a trip to Borneo to support a turtle conservation project.