2nd May 2025

From what I heard and saw, it was full of energy and great fun! Events like these take a huge amount of planning behind the scenes, and your efforts are truly appreciated by both the children and their families.

With the beautiful sunshine we have had this week, we have been making the most of the outdoors. The children have been busy preparing for Sports Day and honing their cricket skills. It has been a week full of activity, including several fixtures – most notably our first-ever Year 5 and 6 hardball cricket match, which took place away at Reddam House on Wednesday. Alongside sport, the children have also enjoyed outdoor learning sessions. Year 1 had a lovely walk down to the river, where they created some wonderful sketches as part of their Explorers topic.

I have also been out and about this week, attending firstly the NOMAD Advisory Board meeting on Monday evening, where the team asked me to thank you all for your generous contribution of almost 150 Easter Eggs to the food bank. On Wednesday, I joined a fascinating meeting all about AI in education hosted by The Abbey on Wednesday, before attending the launch of Greener Henley's latest strategy at the River and Rowing Museum that evening. We started the week in assembly by hearing from the Chiltern Centre all about the amazing work they do in support of young people with learning needs and Autism in particular.

 

Portrait of a Loved One Art Competition 

A final reminder that the deadline for entries to the ‘Portrait of a Loved One’ art competition has been extended to Tuesday 6th May so there’s still time for your child to take part! We’ve already received some wonderful portraits, and we’d love to see even more. Please encourage your child to create a portrait of someone who is very special to them. Artworks should be A4 size and can be created in any medium. All entries will be exhibited at the Amber Gallery, and the winning portraits will be displayed at the Henley Festival. There are also exciting art prizes to be won! More details are available below.

 

Cross country events

Well done to all the Rupert House parents and pupils who took part in the Nettlebed Stinger on Sunday! Everyone did brilliantly, and it was especially lovely to see that the winner of the children’s 2km race was former Rupert House pupil, Poppy, who left last year to attend Queen Anne’s.

While we’re on the subject of running, don’t forget to sign up for The Great School Run, taking place at Stonor Park on Sunday 18th May. This fun, free cross-country event is open to children aged 3 and up, and we’d love to see as many Rupert House families as possible taking part. Parents are encouraged to join in too! The Mayor of Henley will be presenting a trophy to the school with the most registered participants, so it’s important to register in advance for your entry to count. This year, the event is supporting NOMAD, a fantastic local charity helping young people and families. While entry is completely free, voluntary donations are welcome. There’s also reduced entry to Tumblestone Hollow for those who’d like to visit after the run. We’re especially excited to welcome a very special guest – Jess Gibbon, the current British Cross Country Champion (and sister to our very own Miss Gibbon!). Jess represented Great Britain at the European Cross Country Championships last year, and it’s a real privilege to have her inspiring young runners at this year’s event.

For more information and to register, please visit: The Great School Run Henley website

 

Education Henley

For those who may not be aware, we are founding members of Education Henley — a partnership between all the local schools and colleges, aimed at creating more opportunities for children and supporting the wider community. Both the Portrait of a Loved One art competition and The Great School Run are initiatives from Education Henley, with many more exciting events and projects in the pipeline. If you would like to stay updated on opportunities for children in and around the Henley area, please follow the new Instagram account: @education_henley.

 

We are looking forward to welcoming the Year 4 pupils back from their PGL trip later today and then it is Year 5’s turn to head off to Cuffley Camp on Tuesday next week.

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend – please don’t forget that it is a Bank Holiday and there is no school on Monday!

Best wishes,

Nick Armitage