2nd October 2026

I talked about the British Men's Eight at the Sydney Olympics and the way that they came together to win Gold, against all the odds, because they proved to be the strongest team. I showed pictures of the Year 6 Team building day in Forest School last Wednesday and talked about the ways in which they had needed to work together in order to succeed in the challenges they were faced with, just as we all do at times. Annabel W and Gabi F were worthy winners of the Kindness Cup and Sports Star awards respectively this week. 

Also this week, after I had spoken with them about this important life skill and an aspect of entrance for many senior schools, our Year 6 pupils took part in individual interview practice sessions with James Womersley, a former colleague of mine and headmaster with considerable experience of helping to prepare children for senior schools. It was a fantastic opportunity for the children to experience a taste of the senior school interview process, build their confidence and pick up some valuable tips for a successful interview. We hope they found the experience both useful and enjoyable!

 

New house names revealed

We had a very exciting addition to our Celebration Assembly this Thursday, with a Harry Potter-style sorting hat experience! With the help of our three Heads of School, and the use of Mrs Clough's sombrero, and Miss B's Australian and Take That groupie hats (!), we revealed the new house names that will be assigned to our existing house colours and the core school value which each will focus on for this term. Earlier in the week, the House names were agreed by the School Council, and we have chosen an idea that feels particularly meaningful as we begin this new chapter for our school. As St Mary’s and Rupert House come together, we felt it was fitting to name our four Houses after tributaries that flow into the Thames upstream, before joining the river and flowing together through Henley as one. This felt like a wonderful way to represent our two schools coming together as one community - each with its own identity, as each house has, but ultimately united and flowing together in the same direction. We assigned each house with one of our values to focus on in House assemblies and to prepare an assembly on to the rest of the school. I am delighted to announce that our new Houses are:

🔴 Red – Cherwell – Resilience

🟢 Green – Kennett – Collaboration

🟡 Yellow – Thame – Respect

🔵 Blue - Windrush – Courage

 

Birthday Tea

Today we launched a lovely tradition which originated from St Mary’s - Birthday Tea with the Head. Our thirteen October birthday children gathered in my office to enjoy a delicious slice of cake, some birthday chatter and, of course, a very important birthday song. I look forward to a year filled with monthly cake eating (what a wonderful tradition!) and I hope everyone with an October birthday enjoys their special day.

 

Cake Sale

On Friday, the FoRH held our first bake sale of the school year, raising money for our newly appointed charity, Friends of Townlands Hospital. A huge thank you to the Year 4 parents for baking such a fantastic array of delicious treats, and to everyone who came along to support the sale. We are delighted to have raised an amazing £345 - a fantastic start to what we hope will be a wonderful year of fundraising!

 

Harvest

With only 2 weeks to go until Half Term, it is time to start thinking about Harvest. As in previous years, we will be collecting donations of food and household items which will be given to Henley Food Bank, via ‘Nomad’. The list of items they are looking for can be found here. Please bring the donations to school (in bags or boxes) between Monday 5^th and Thursday 15th October. They can be left in the front entrance hall or on the collection table at Courtney’s.

 

Buggies in Pre-Prep

Please may I remind you that the main entrance to the Pre-Prep building is now via the library. Due to the volume of people going into the building in the mornings, we respectfully ask that buggies are left outside if at all possible, please. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

 

Morning arrival time 8.15-8.25am

Please can we ask that you do not arrive at school before 8.15am, unless of course your child is joining Breakfast Club. We are conscious of the impact we have on our neighbours and particularly those by the Courtneys entrance. If a number of children are arriving early the noise can be considerable which understandably can be upsetting for those living nearby. Many thanks for your support in this area. 

 

Weekly Sport Reports

Mr Vigano is bringing you a weekly roundup of all the latest sporting action in the newsletter, including match reports written by our very own Sports Captains. Be sure to have a read to find out who we’ve been playing, catch up on the results and hear all about the teams’ performances from those who were there! Read the newsletter here.

 

Meet the Head Coffee Mornings

I would like to remind you about a number of 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) Tyrone Howe from Shiplake College (25th Nov) and Oli Knight from Pangbourne College (9th Dec) will be coming this term. 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