16th October 2026

 

I have been most impressed with the children, the staff and of course all the parents who have embraced the coming together of the two schools and the energy you have all brought to the school as we have done so. It has been wonderful to bring together the best of both schools and I look forward to us continuing to do so in the second half of term.

 

Future Schools

Following a Prep Heads' Meeting at Radley last week, this week I visited Sarah Rollings at St Helen & St Katharine and then Mike Windsor at Abingdon, where it was also very interesting to hear about their move to co-ed, which has begun with the first intake of girls at Year 7 and Year 12 this year. Thank you to those who came to meet Matthew Fogg from The Oratory at the first of our 'Meet the Head' coffee mornings of the academic year yesterday. Parents of children in any year group are welcome to attend such meetings. On 19th November we will be welcoming Pete Thomas, head of Reading Blue Coat, on 25^th November Tyrone Howe from Shiplake and on 9^th December Oli Knight from Pangbourne. Please click the following link if you would like to attend any of these informal meetings: Meet the Head Coffee Mornings 2026 – Fill out form

 

October Half Term Activity Camps

There are a few spaces left on the Discover Activity Camps this October Half Term. Children are provided for by a team of highly trained education professionals who know that busy parents sometimes need a little help during the school holiday.  And with a hot lunch included to fuel the fun, children are well catered for! 

Discover Activity Camps is part of Wishford Education and Discover Activity Camps are open to all children from both the school and local community so your child can invite their local friends and make memories in the beautiful grounds and wonderful facilities at Rupert House School. Book here: October Half Term – Rupert House - Discover Activity Camps

 

Harvest Donations – Thank You!

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who donated to our Harvest collection. The Year 6 children delivered over 50 bags and boxes of goods to the Henley Foodbank this morning. The team there was incredibly grateful, and your generosity will make a real difference to local families this winter.

 

Club Finish Times after Half Term

The following clubs will finish at 4.45pm after half term due to the clocks changing and the light fading early.

• Young Athletes on Monday for Years 3 and 4
• Rugby Club on Thursday for Years 3 and 4
• Tennis Club year on Thursday for Years 3 and 4  
• Tennis Club on Friday for Years 5 and 6

If you would like to pick them up at 4.45pm from the big blue door you are welcome to do so. Alternatively, your child can stay on until 5pm if that is more convenient.

 

Act of Remembrance

A reminder that we will be holding our annual Act of Remembrance on Wednesday 11th November at 10:45am on the Astroturf. This will include short readings from staff and pupils and will be officiated by Father Jeremy from St Mary’s Church. The traditional two-minute silence at 11am will be observed. Children should wear clean, smart uniform with their blazers please and should also have their winter coats in school. We will provide each child with a poppy that morning and a £1 donation will go on your child's bill. We would be delighted if parents would like to join us for the occasion and for for tea and coffee in the hall at 11:15am after the Act of Remembrance. For the purposes of catering, please can you RSVP via this form by Friday 6th November to indicate if you will be attending.

 

Children in Need Day – 13^th November 2026

Get ready for a fabulous day of dancing, sparkle and fun, inspired by Strictly Come Dancing! Children and staff are invited to dress up in their finest party gear, with plenty of sparkles, sequins, ruffles and feathers.

Running Club will take place as usual, so why not add a feather boa or a touch of glitter to your running kit? At 9am, the whole school will come together for a special assembly with John Johnny featuring a whole-school dance, which will be live-streamed for parents to enjoy.

We would also love to encourage the children to get creative and raise extra money by choreographing their own dances and finding sponsors. They can start planning their routines over Half Term (as well as finding sponsors!) and continue practising during the first week of next term, ready to perform their show-stopping dances at Thursday’s Celebration Assembly!

Throughout Children in Need day, teachers will incorporate dance into lessons wherever possible, bringing plenty of movement, music and laughter into the classroom. To finish the day in style, our Pre-Prep children will enjoy a special afternoon party in their fabulous party outfits.

It promises to be a truly dazzling day full of dancing, creativity, fundraising and Strictly-inspired fun!

We suggest a donation of £1, but any amount would be welcome for this important charity: Rupert House School is fundraising for BBC Children in Need

 

Parent Lunches

After Half Term, we will be hosting a couple of parent lunches, where you will have the opportunity to speak with myself and Julien, our executive chef, about our catering provision, as well as of course enjoying the lunch the children will be having that day. The two dates on which we will be hosting this are Tuesday 17^th and Thursday 26^th November. If you would like to join us, please do email Penny (penny.gibson@ruperthouse.co.uk) to book your place. 

 

Halloween

As Halloween approaches, we have been given some tips on keeping children safe while they enjoy the celebrations:

• Ensure costumes fit properly and are visible in the dark
• Use face paint instead of masks for better visibility
• Children should stay with an adult while trick-or-treating

For more tips on staying safe, visit the Child Accident Prevention Trust website: How to keep children safe this Halloween | 12 top tips

 

Safety Outside School

Please can we ask you to keep a close eye on your children and any younger siblings around pick-up times outside school, and particularly as it starts to get darker earlier. Children have been seen playing at a considerable distance from their parents at the other end of the green near the entrance to Bell Lane, and it would be terrible if there were to be an accident as a result of a lack of supervision. Many thanks for your help in keeping our children safe. 

 

Wishing You a Wonderful Half Term

We enjoyed the visit of Reverand Sam and Richard from Trinity Church on Monday and thank you to the children for the parts they played in making the Harvest church service so special this afternoon. Best of luck to all those taking part in the cross country on Saturday and Henley Half Marathon on Sunday - and I hope to see some of you there on the start line! We wish you all a safe, restful and enjoyable half term break.

 

Best wishes,

Nick Armitage