The Ultimate February 2025 Education Roundup

All the latest UK news from schools in the past few weeks can be read below. Alternatively, find the best school for your child here.

In Fashion

Isabel, student at The Kingsley School in Leamington Spa, has received the coveted ‘Top in the World’ Outstanding Cambridge Learner Award after attaining the highest mark in the world in the Fashion and Textiles Cambridge O Level. Reflecting on her work and the inspiration behind it, Isabel commented: ‘For my project, I designed a bag and a corset. The bag featured decorative crochet panels and was constructed in the style of the Marc Jacobs Teddy Tote. The corset, which I created for a festival, was made with neon colours and included quilting, dying and patchwork techniques.’

Sydenham Celebrates The Silver Jubilee of International Mother Language Day

Sydenham High School GDST is a school that takes pride in its diversity, with over 30 languages spoken across the school community. Students was treated to an inspiring assembly by passionate Languages teacher, Mrs George, who shared her insights on the profound impact of language, and explored how language goes beyond words to create meaningful connections between people. The assembly was put on as part of the run up to International Mother Language Day, on 21st February.

Art Attack!

Sydenham High School played host to a vibrant celebration of art history, as students from Sydenham High, Alleyn’s, and Dulwich College gathered for the school’s annual ‘Picture This…’ competition. The idea is this: each student delivers a presentation on a piece of artwork of their choice, with the winner selected by renowned artist Kirsty Andrew and Chris Christophorou, Technical Manager of the Government Art Collection. In the end, the victor was Ceci from Alleyn’s School, for her compelling presentation on Damien Hirst’s controversial Away from the Flock (1994). Congratulations!

The Chelsea Nursery Announces Exciting New Premises to Open in April 2025 

The Chelsea Nursery, the early years provision for Cameron Vale School, is delighted to confirm the acquisition of new, purpose-designed premises at 1A Gertrude Street. The new site will open its doors in April 2025, providing enhanced facilities and more space for children aged 6 months to 4 years. The expansion reflects The Chelsea Nursery’s commitment to providing exceptional care and education in a nurturing environment.

Let Him Cook…

Twyford School proudly marked the official opening of the Twyford Cookery School on Saturday February 8. A significant milestone in Twyford’s commitment to culinary education, the ceremony was led by Tom Adams, Old Twyfordian and award-winning owner of Coombeshead Farm, who had the honour of raising the apron to inaugurate the new facility. Following the opening, Mr Adams conducted a masterclass with senior pupils, guiding them through the process of making a steamed marmalade pudding.

The event also saw the unveiling of the latest edition of The Twyfoodian, the school’s much-loved cookbook. This new edition features a collection of recipes that celebrate both classic and contemporary dishes, and all proceeds from its sales will directly support the Twyford partnerships programme, an initiative designed to benefit local communities.

Vroom Vroom

Charlie, a Year 12 student at Bolton School Boys’ Division, continues to develop his career in motorsport at the GT4 Winter Series, winning his first race in this ultra-competitive category. Charlie and his teammate Callum’s efforts culminated in a dominant victory, crossing the finish line with an 11-second lead—securing Charlie and Callum’s first GT4 win in the McLaren Artura GT4. The weekend in Portimão marked a significant milestone for Charlie, demonstrating his growing confidence and skill behind the wheel. With his first GT4 victory now under his belt, Charlie has firmly established himself as a driver to watch in the championship.

All The World’s A Stage

Highfield and Brookham School pupils have secured another superb set of LAMDA results. Hot on the heels of an impressive showing in the spring exams, in which 108 children secured an astonishing 94 distinctions between them, another 31 children performed and excelled in December, with 27 securing distinctions. In both sets of exams, children at Highfield and Brookham secured a remarkable 87% distinction success rate. Congratulations are in order!

Upcoming Easter Eggstravaganza

Manor House School, Bookham, is delighted to announce a fun, Easter themed event for toddlers. Easter Eggstravaganza, will be on Friday 28 March at 9.00 am until 10.30 am. Prospective families from the local community and current families, with siblings aged between 18 months and 3 years, are invited to attend this free Toddler Event. With a range of Easter themed activities for the children, and refreshments provided for adults, be sure to follow the link here to register your attendance.

Tudor Day at Berkhamsted Prep

Homemade coins? Real swords? Impossible Tudor games? Year 5 had the chance to get involved with all these things – and more – during a Tudor workshop this week. Berkhamsted Prep welcomed representatives from ReachOut Educate to deliver an immersive experience where pupils could explore four different stations with a range of Tudor artefacts. One table sported a selection of ‘daily life’ artefacts which included jewellery, scroll holders, lyres and some surprisingly difficult hoop throwing games. At another station, pupils tried their hand at writing with quills and ink. Perhaps the most popular station, however, was the intriguing ‘danger table’. Under careful supervision, pupils could try on Tudor armour, hold guns, and handle swords. This was a thrilling opportunity for pupils to imagine themselves in some of the famous historical battles they have been learning about – although perhaps with slightly smaller helmets!

History Behind the Headlines

Berkhamsted School recently invited historian Michael Scott-Baumann to deliver a talk to Sixth Form students entitled ‘From the Balfour Declaration to Gaza’ – a comprehensive lecture on the history of the Palestine-Israel conflict. Historian, teacher and author of Palestinians and Israelis: A Short History of Conflict (2023), Michael is part of an organisation called ‘The Balfour Project’ which aims to develop students’ critical thinking skills and knowledge of 20th and 21st century Palestine and Israel.

The Balfour Project acknowledges Britain’s historic and continuing responsibility in the conflict and works through education and advocacy to advance equal rights for Palestinians and Israelis. In a climate of misinformation and fear of saying the wrong thing, the project encourages the formal teaching of the history of Palestine and Israel in schools.

By all accounts, the day was a great success. Eyewitness reports indicate that students asked perceptive questions about the history of the conflict and its continued effects today, America’s influence and the stability of the ceasefire. The school commented: ‘It was fantastic to see our students engage with this emotive and historically complex topic with curiosity and empathy’.

Taunton Prep Choir Goes From Strength To Strength

Singers from Taunton Prep School have qualified for the finals of the Barnardo’s National Choir of the Year competition for the second year running.  34 pupils in Years 6 and 7 impressed the judges with renditions of ‘J’Entends le Moulin’ and ‘O Holy Night’ to qualify for the finals, which are set to take place at the Birmingham Symphony Hall in March.

This is no small achievement. Barnardo’s National Choir of the Year competition is none other than the largest of its kind for school and community choirs in the UK. As you’d expect, the pupils are now busy preparing and rehearsing for their performances at the finals, where they hope to triumph against 15 other schools from across the UK and Ireland.

St Mary’s Calne Hosts Chloe’s Farm

Today, Chloe’s Farm, a mobile zoo, came to visit St Mary’s Calne, as part of Academic Enrichment Week. The students were excited to meet the animals – including ducks, donkeys, a Shetland pony, rabbits and guinea pigs – and get up close with them. Chloe shared with the students what it’s like to be a woman in the farming world, explaining some of the challenges she faces in a such a traditionally male-dominated industry. The students of Mary’s Calne left with not only an appreciation for the industriousness and determination needed to run a farm, but also feeling inspired by Chloe’s tale of success through tenacity, intellect and passion.

Full STEAM Ahead

St Nicholas’ School in Fleet recently hosted a thrilling STEAM Week, inspiring pupils across all age groups with a dynamic programme of activities celebrating Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics. This week was packed with hands-on workshops, exciting experiments, and engaging trips, offering pupils a unique opportunity to explore the wonders of STEAM subjects. Activities included a Lego Robotics workshop, an exciting code breaking activity and one even had students engineering their own air-powered cars.