The April Week 2 2025 Education Roundup

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

Belmont, Mill Hill Prep Joins UK’s Pilot Young Entrepreneurs Academy

Belmont, Mill Hill Prep has been selected as one of the first UK schools to participate in the prestigious Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA) pilot programme. This groundbreaking initiative provides pupils aged 10-16 with a comprehensive 20-episode Basics of Business course developed in partnership with UCL School of Management.

Initially launched as an extracurricular activity in January 2025, the programme will be fully integrated into Belmont’s Future Skills curriculum from September 2025. The course fosters essential entrepreneurial capabilities, problem-solving techniques and business acumen in young minds.

Head Susannah Abbott, who has joined the YEA Advisory Board, commented: ‘In today’s rapidly changing world, qualities such as curiosity, analytical thinking and resilience are more important than ever. This outstanding programme not only cultivates these skills but has genuinely engaged our pupils.’

Year 8 students have enthusiastically embraced the opportunity, particularly valuing the UCL-accredited certificate for their future CVs and personal statements.

FHS Launches Athlete Mentoring with Olympian Becky Wilde

Francis Holland School has proudly launched its new Athlete Performance Mentoring Programme, designed to support sports scholars and elite athletes balancing competitive sport with academics. To mark the launch, the school welcomed Becky Wilde, Olympic bronze medallist in the double sculls at Paris 2024, for an inspiring visit. Becky worked closely with pupils on goal setting, mindset, and personal development, sharing insights from her own journey to Olympic success.

She spoke at assemblies for Years 7 to 11, reflecting on her training regime, the setbacks she overcame, and the determination it took to reach the podium. Her story deeply resonated with the students, who were eager to engage and ask questions.

FHS athletes left feeling motivated and uplifted by Becky’s visit and are excited to follow her progress as she trains towards LA 2028.

FHS Promise Week: Empowering Young Minds Through Educational Access

Francis Holland School also recently celebrated its inaugural Promise Week, uniting the community to support bursaries, the Promise Campaign, and the Hardship Fund. This week-long initiative embodied the school’s commitment to ensuring every pupil feels empowered to pursue her aspirations.

Activities included a sponsored Rowing and Cycling Challenge that raised £2,570 (with matched funding) and featured Olympic rower Becky Wilde. Pupils also crafted ‘Make a Promise’ bracelets, demonstrating their creative engagement.

The highlight was the Jazz Night which welcomed alumna Diana Virgovicova, now Xatoms CEO and Forbes 30 Under 30 honouree. Diana shared how her FHS Foundation Scholarship transformed her life, leading to groundbreaking work in water purification technology that will benefit millions worldwide.

St Swithun’s Pupil Leads Innovative Initiative to Combat Global Period Poverty

Lower-sixth student Miya G has inspired St Swithun’s School to join the fight against period poverty through The Pachamama Project. Every Wednesday, students from Years 9-13 gather in the textiles classroom to create reusable period pads for refugees across Ukraine, Uganda, Pakistan and beyond.

Each pad lasts up to five years, featuring anti-pill fleece funded through Miya’s successful £200 bake sale. With generous fabric donations from local businesses and community members, over 20 students have completed more than 30 pads for their first shipment.

‘It’s been brilliant to witness students throughout the school getting involved,’ says Miya, addressing a crisis affecting over 500 million young women globally.

Headmistress Jane Gandee praised the initiative as exemplifying St Swithun’s commitment to developing confident, resilient students who make meaningful contributions to society.

Bede’s Senior School Celebrates Tennis Success

Bede’s Senior School is celebrating unprecedented success in boys’ tennis with its exceptional U18 squad achieving remarkable distinctions at county, regional and national levels. The talented quartet—comprising Jack Ford (Year 12), Henry Hughes (Year 11), Pasha Hrytskiv (Year 10) and Harrison Clowe (Year 9)—currently hold all four top U18 ranking positions in Sussex, a particularly impressive feat considering three members are still eligible for U16 competition.

All four players represent Sussex County whilst maintaining rigorous individual tournament schedules. Recent highlights include quarter-final appearances at regional tournaments for Pasha and Harrison, with Pasha also securing impressive victories in European competitions. Henry and Harrison are set to compete in the prestigious Under 16 Nationals in Nottingham during Easter break.

Their excellence was further recognised at the Tennis Sussex Awards, where Pasha received the Most Improved Junior Player honour and Jack was presented with the esteemed Brian Edwards award for exemplary sportsmanship.

Edge Grove Pupils Secure Top Scholarships and Senior School Places

Edge Grove School is celebrating the success of its Year 6 and 8 pupils, who have been awarded 26 scholarships and multiple offers from leading independent and academically selective schools.

Pupils earned awards in a variety of fields including academics, sport, drama, music, STEM, and design & technology, showcasing the breadth of talent at the school. Headmaster Richard Stanley praised the pupils’ resilience, calling their achievements ‘a testament to their dedication, composure, and maturity.’ Offers came from top schools such as St Albans School, Haberdashers’ Girls’, NLCS, MTS, and Queenswood. Mr Stanley added, ‘Our pupils leave us as ambitious, well-rounded individuals, ready to thrive in diverse school environments.’

Beacon School Skiers Shine at IAPS Championships in Pila

Beacon School pupils demonstrated exceptional skill at the IAPS Ski Championships 2025 held in Pila, Italy this March. The team of Year 8 boys competed across multiple challenging events with impressive results.

Dylan J delivered a standout performance, recording the third fastest time in the entire Championship race with a remarkable 36-second run. The Beacon B team, comprising Henry D-H, Sebbi T and Nikolay A, secured bronze medals in the Plate race, whilst the second plate team finished fourth overall.

In a significant milestone, Beacon’s first-ever Championship team placed sixth, showcasing the school’s growing prowess in competitive skiing. The parallel slalom team also impressed with strong performances against formidable opponents.

Beyond the competitions, pupils enjoyed Italian cuisine and sunset skiing on Pila’s picturesque slopes during their five-day alpine adventure.

New Hall School Connects Generations Through Silver Stories Reading Programme

New Hall School in Chelmsford has embraced the Silver Stories initiative, fostering meaningful connections between pupils and elderly community members through weekly telephone reading sessions.

The programme pairs young readers with elderly Silver Listeners, helping combat loneliness amongst older people whilst developing pupils’ reading confidence and communication skills. Year 5 participants recently celebrated achieving their ‘Silver Stories Achievement 10’ certificates, marking ten successful reading sessions.

‘Silver Stories is a special time in my week,’ shared Judith, one of the dedicated Silver Listeners benefiting from these intergenerational exchanges. Andrew Fardell, Deputy Principal at New Hall School, noted: ‘The initiative embodies the values we instil in our pupils—kindness, empathy and community spirit—whilst allowing them to make a genuine difference in others’ lives.’

The programme complements New Hall’s established tradition of community service through the award-winning New Hall Voluntary Service (NHVS), which has supported vulnerable local residents for over 45 years. Building on Silver Stories‘ success, the school will launch an afternoon club next term, connecting pupils with NHVS guests who will become Silver Listeners.

Taunton Pupils Raise Over £4,000 in Inspiring Charity Day

Pupils at Taunton Prep and Pre-Prep Schools raised over £4,000 during a full-day fundraising event, Operation Exceptional, held on Monday 24th March 2025. The initiative was led by Year 8 pupil Ava, who organised the event to support two military charities: Scotty’s Little Soldiers and Rock 2 Recovery.

Children from Reception to Year 8 took part in activities ranging from swimming and assault courses to science experiments and choir singing. With support from the Royal Marines and the School’s Combined Cadet Force, the day embodied teamwork and generosity.

The students also recorded the time spent on each activity and later translated each minute into a mile with the hope of getting all around the world. This resulted in a total of 67,273 miles which equates to 2.7 times around the world. Celebrities including Sean Bean and Jason Fox also sent messages of support throughout the day.

Donations are still open via GoFundMe.