FROM: THE HEADMISTRESS
Friday 1st August 2025
Dear Parents and Guardians
When writing this newsletter, I have been reflecting on the newsletter I wrote at this time last year. I started
by saying, “a term like this makes me delight in being in education, although it has been long, it has been
inspiring.” And I find myself in the same position at the end of this term.
Amongst all the other 70th anniversary celebrations, I had the joy of sitting and watching our young (and
old) thespians and musicians take the stage in a magical time-travelling performance. Celebrating the
performing arts at Peterhouse dating back to the 1950s, our students and Petreans took the audience on a
journey of all the musicals that had been performed on our stages over the decades, and it was nothing short
of spectacular!
I woke up the morning after the play, with tunes by Andrew Lloyd Webber running through my head, as I
was able to witness our hockey girls work together in a marvellous show of teamwork to beat the Falcon
Girls’ first team. This year our first team hockey is a very young and inexperienced team in comparison to
the Falcon girls who have been deemed the team to beat. However, they showed incredible maturity and
sportsmanship on Saturday, a theme I have seen repeatedly this term, and the evidence was in the final score!
Congratulations girls!
The term wraps up this weekend as we host, for the first time, the Golden Girls tournament, and I look
forward to seeing how our girls fare. Whatever the outcome, I am increasingly proud of our team, and every
other sporting and cultural team across the board; it has been a term of great sport and culture!
Following the mock examinations this term, our exam classes begin their final preparations for arguably the
most critical exams of their lives. I encourage the girls to stay strong and focused. While it’s natural to feel
apprehensive, I believe the groundwork has been well laid, and with continued effort, they will excel. My
gratitude also goes to our dedicated staff who consistently go above and beyond, and to our parents, whose
unwavering support is invaluable.
As we head into the holiday break, I wish you all a restful and rejuvenating time with your loved ones. May
your travels be safe, and may you return refreshed and ready for the challenges ahead.
Finally, this time last year, I drew attention to our school motto, Conditur in Petra (established on the Rock).
This term I would like to draw similar recognition to our school symbol of the crown. Often, during school
war cries, the crown is drawn upon as a symbol of royalty and higher class. However, I believe it is worthy
to note that the Peterhouse crown was in fact chosen as a crown of service and humility. As a school,
established upon the Rock of salvation, it is important to look towards our King, Jesus, “who, though he was
in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, by taking
the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” Philippians 2:6-8
While we enjoy an exceptional school in many ways, what I love the most about Peterhouse is the
combination of gratitude and humility that our children portray as they build their lives on the Rock.
Kind Regards
Mrs Claire Hough
Headmistress