25th September 2026

In my Monday assembly I spoke about resilience, or 'stickability' as I called it! I gave examples of successful people who had to work incredibly hard and persevere in the face of challenge in order to succeed. I said to the children that it is good to face challenges so that we can practise our own 'stickability'. It was wonderful to award the Kindness Cup and Sporting Star for the first time at Rupert House, with Frey and Martha worthy winners, respectively!

On Wednesday, Year 6 enjoyed a team-building event at the outdoor classroom, taking part in a range of challenges designed to help them get to know one another better, build confidence and step outside their usual friendship groups. It was fantastic to see the children encouraging and supporting one another, trying new things and working collaboratively. Their enthusiasm and willingness to step outside their comfort zones made the day a real success and these challenges are great experiences for them as they often form part of senior school assessment days.

We were also treated to a drumming demonstration in assembly this week by one of our drum teachers, Neill Ettridge, which the children thoroughly enjoyed. If your child is interested in joining one of his drum clubs, please contact arlette.halfhead@ruperthouse.co.uk. Also, a reminder that if your child would like to try instrumental or music lessons, please contact Mrs Light at anne.light@ruperthouse.co.uk. We have immediate availability for new starters in some instruments. We currently offer piano, drums, guitar, flute, saxophone, recorder, cello, trumpet and singing lessons and are happy to consider other instruments if your child may be keen to learn one that is not currently taught in school.

 

National Teaching Assistants' Day

Today, we celebrated National Teaching Assistants' Day by showing our appreciation for the incredible hard work and dedication of our Teaching Assistants. Each received a small thank-you gift from the school as a token of our gratitude. We were also delighted to present them with Pavilion vouchers kindly provided by the Friends of Rupert House - thank you for your generosity and support!

 

School pick up

If you are waiting outside school, please ensure that your children are supervised at all times. We ask that children do not run around the grassed area or climb the trees, as this can cause disruption for our neighbours. The area is also close to the road, so for their safety, it is important that children remain with you and away from passing traffic.

 

Meet the Head Coffee Mornings

I am pleased to share the details of the first three Heads who will be visiting Rupert House as part of our series of Meet the Head Coffee Mornings which happen over the course of the year. Matthew Fogg from The Oratory (15th Oct), Pete Thomas from Reading Blue Coat School (19th Nov) and Tyrone Howe from Shiplake College (25th Nov) will be coming this term. As the name suggests, these are informal opportunities for you to meet the Heads of some of the schools we feed in an informal context. All parents are welcome to attend these occasions, irrespective of the age of your child, and I would encourage you to come and join us, wherever you are in your child's educational journey.  If you would like to attend any of these meetings, please can you fill in the form here: Meet the Head Coffee Mornings 2026 – Fill out form

 

I hope that you all have a wonderful weekend!

Best wishes,

Nick Armitage