Dear Parents and Guardians,
RE: FROM THE RECTOR’S DESK
It has, since my last letter, been a relatively quiet phase of term. As always, the examination season gives us a real chance to assess the first half of the year’s academic progress. With the actual examinations now over pupils will have started to receive their results. For our public examination classes, these results will provide an excellent benchmark as to where they find themselves in respect to their progress towards the final examination cycle starting in October. While in many cases the syllabus is still to be completed, there will be time, in the Michaelmas term, for a comprehensive revision programme. The August school holiday will be an important time for consolidation and revision for the IGCSE, AS, and A Level classes.
Whilst on examinations, both PHG and PHB hosted the ATS Common Entrance Assessment last weekend. The tough part of the admission process for 2025 begins now as we make the final decisions on our 2025 intake. Both schools entertained a very large number of candidates for last week’s examination and the final selection process will be both tough and complex. Admissions for 2025 will be made public on 19 July. Alongside these examinations we have also hosted the mid-year London College of Music Examinations. These, from all accounts, have gone well. A good number of our musicians were entered into examinations and we look forward to receiving their results. A second round of music examinations takes place in November. For Music, the week closed with the Boys School interhouse music competition. Once again, it would appear there is a lot of hidden musical talent in the school given the quality of the performances on the night. The set choir piece was won by Paget, whilst the individual house arrangement was won by Ellis. The overall winners for this year’s House Music went to Founders.
Still on the cultural front, the NIAA Speech and Drama Competition came to a conclusion this week. As always, we had a good number of entries and these will be highlighted in an evening of poetry and prose on Monday 15 July. This year’s School drama production, “The Murder was Staged”, will take place in the Fieldsend Hall on the 1st August (see attached flier)
Outside the classroom, there has been less sporting activity because of the examinations. Nevertheless, on the Astro, the 1st XI girls continue to excel, and they will be eying the defence of their 2023 Golden Girls’ success with much anticipation. On the boys’ school front, our soccer players enjoyed success at the recent CHISZ completion at Watershe, losing narrowly to Eaglesvale in the final. Rugby, last weekend, saw our return fixture against Hellenic in Harare.
Alongside the AMG 7’s competition, the school hosted a Petrean “Golden Oldies” function for Old Boys who had attended Peterhouse in the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s. It was a wonderful occasion in which many colourful stories were shared of journeys and escapades that took place in the pre-digital era. It was these men who, in their years at Peterhouse, established and reinforced many of the great traditions we enjoy today. Perhaps a highlight was to have Jamie Lamb as part of this group of Petreans. Jamie is a Peterhouse “original” in that he was part of that first intake of boys into Ellis in 1955. With our upcoming 70th Jubilee celebrations in 2025, we look forward to hosting and entertaining Petreans of every generation at functions to acknowledge the richness of our traditions and history. For Petreans overseas, please look out for information and detail of a function to be hosted in Oxford, England at the end of August 2025.
In closing, an item for your diary. The annual Music, Food, and Art Festival in aid of Gosho Park will be held on the Springvale House main field next term on Sunday 15 September 2024. Please support this function as, on the back of the drought, we are having to increase our levels of supplementary feeding.
We now enter the last quarter of the term with a very full programme of school activities. Please check the weekly updated calendar for all our sporting and cultural activities. We have much to celebrate and acknowledge as we conclude the term.
With regards,
Jon Trafford
Rector
