First Scholars and Choirs concert kicks off the Michaelmas Term
News > First Scholars and Choirs concert kicks off the Michaelmas Term
The first Scholars & Choirs concert of the academic year took place in Chapel on the last Wednesday of September. The programme showcased a variety of musical genres with something to appeal to everyone, and featured soloists applying to conservatoire – a testament to the level of music at Gresham’s.
The largely new repertoire included Pie Jesu’s Requiem by Andrew Lloyd Webber, Mozart’s Deh Vieni non tarder – Le Nozze di Figaro and Gresham’s own George R-L’s single, ‘Wanna Feel’, recently released on Strathmore Records. The concert closed with Hubert Parry’s monumental anthem, Hear My Words Ye People.
Gresham’s Swim Team attend elite AP Race Ultimate Clinic
News > Gresham’s Swim Team attend elite AP Race Ultimate Clinic
On Sunday 28 September, nine members of the Gresham’s Swim Team attended The AP Race Ultimate Clinic. The clinic gave them the opportunity to learn how to overcome the pressures of performing, and to practice racing in the aquatics arena.
The tailored Race Clinic started with an exciting activation lead by Olympic Strength and Conditioning Coach, Rob Norman and Olympic Performance Psychologist, Tom Bates. Rob and Tom gave an insight into how the AP Race Team prepares to race on the world stage. They guided the swimmers through the pool station and performance psychology station.
In the pool, swimmers focused on the ‘race warm up’, where useful skills and strategies that the AP Race Athletes put into use at the highest level. Our swimmers also engaged in a Performance Psychology Experience aimed at refining their mental focus and optimising performance during competition.
The AP Race Athletes who ran these sessions, between them, hold a total of thirteen Olympic medals, multiple World Championship titles and numerous World Records.
Adam Peaty – Triple Olympic Champion Anna Hopkin – Olympic Champion Luke Greenbank – World Champion James Guy – Triple Olympic Champion Matt Richards – Double Olympic Champion Lauren Cox – World & European Medallist Alex Cohoon – European Champion & British Record Holder
After both groups had finished their pool and psychological preparation and were mentally ready, they moved on to their dry-land warm-up. This stage is a crucial component of a swimmer’s competition routine, with a focus on ‘priming’. During this phase, swimmers followed a dry land pre-race routine specifically designed to prepare their bodies to perform at the highest level.
The swimmers were introduced into the aquatics arena with a very special entrance and a chance to put into practice their newly learnt skills in front of our Olympic crowd. Swimmers raced a 50m time trial of their choice in one of the most iconic aquatic arenas in the world.
Friday 26 September was European Day of Languages. We celebrated at the Senior School with a wonderfully enlightening Chapel talk from prefect Cerys D, extolling the benefits of learning an additional language and the importance of being able to effectively communicate in a global society.
Tutor groups discussed unique words in various languages and won sweets for participating in a ‘Where am I?’ quiz which involved identifying European countries by deciphering linguistic clues in photographs. The quiz is still running, but so far, Pablo B-G is champion, with 19 out of 20!
The catering team also treated the school community to a delicious European feast featuring lunch. The dishes on offer were inspired by German, French, Italian, Greek, Austrian and British cuisine.
We are honoured to have been named Best Public School at the Tatler School Awards 2026.
Tatler’s Education Editor, Tori Cadogan, and her team visited schools across the UK, engaging with pupils, parents, and staff to uncover what makes each school special. Their rigorous process included thousands of questionnaire responses and in-depth research.
With nearly 14,000 votes cast this year, winning Best Public School reflects the extraordinary spirit and accomplishments of our pupils, the unwavering support of parents and alumni, as well as the commitment of our dedicated staff.
Gresham’s faced stiff competition from some of the nation’s most respected schools, including Eton College, Brighton College, Canford and Caterham, making this accomplishment all the more remarkable.
Year 9 pupil selected for Derbyshire Emerging Players Programme
News > Year 9 pupil selected for Derbyshire Emerging Players Programme
Year 9 pupil and rising cricket star, Finley S, has been selected to train with Derbyshire Emerging Players Programme for 2025-26.
In the 2025 season, Finley impressed the Derbyshire selectors with spectacular all-round performances, with 565 runs at an average of 33.24 and two hundreds and one fifty to his name, including a magnificent 150 not out.
His bowling has also been standout, with 22 wickets and a best of 4/42. Our congratulations go to Finley, who should be very proud of this immense achievement.
OGs return to share tips on navigating university challenges
News > OGs return to share tips on navigating university challenges
It was a pleasure to welcome back Old Greshamian’s Lucy Matthes and Andrew Kinder for an Enrichment Talk, where they shared thoughtful reflections on their individual university journeys. Both speakers offered valuable insights into the often complex process of higher education, beginning with the challenges of choosing – and, in some cases, changing – a degree course to better align with evolving interests and strengths.
They spoke candidly about the realities of university study, highlighting both the rewards and the unexpected demands of academic life. Lucy and Andrew also addressed the importance of coping strategies in the face of learning differences such as dyslexia, emphasising the value of self-advocacy and the support networks available to students.
Reflecting on their studies, both agreed that university provided more than subject-specific knowledge; it fostered independence, critical thinking, and the confidence to navigate uncertainty. They concluded that degree study equips graduates not only with academic expertise but also with confidence, knowledge and transferable skills essential for success in today’s employment sector.
Gresham’s celebrates a trio of national award Nominations
News > Gresham’s celebrates a trio of national award Nominations
Gresham’s Senior School has enjoyed an exciting start to the academic year, earning national recognition across three prestigious education awards.
We are delighted to announce that Gresham’s has been shortlisted for Best Public School by Tatler Schools Guide 2026. This places us alongside some of the country’s most respected schools, including Eton College, Brighton College, Canford and Caterham.
Tatler’s Education Editor, Tori Cadogan, and her team visited schools across the UK, engaging with pupils, parents, and staff to uncover what makes each school special. Their rigorous process includes thousands of questionnaire responses and in-depth research, culminating in the selection of just 250 schools for the 2026 guide, from hundreds across the country. With nearly 14,000 votes cast this year, being shortlisted for Best Public School is an extraordinary honour. The winner will be announced at a special ceremony later this month.
In a separate celebration, Gresham’s has been named Winner of the Performing and Creative Arts category in the Talk Education Innovation in Education Awards. The judges praised the school’s commitment to creativity and inclusivity across the arts:
“We are really impressed by the strength and output of your performing and creative arts departments – from the full-scale, professional-standard drama productions to the fully-inclusive house music competitions, as well as the creative opportunities spanning everything from directing to songwriting. We are thrilled to be able to help you celebrate this.”
Finally, Gresham’s has been selected as a Finalist for Regional Independent School of the Year: Central in the Independent School of the Year Awards. The Independent School Awards aim to highlight excellence, innovation, and impact across a diverse range of independent schools. The judging panel is typically made up of highly experienced educators, heads of schools, sector leaders, and education journalists. Achieving finalist status in the central category highlights the standout location of Gresham’s School, and its position to put forward a broad offering of activities and opportunities to enhance the overall pupil experience.
History Society returns with talk on Gresham’s influential historians
News > History Society returns with talk on Gresham’s influential historians
The History Society met for the first time this academic year on Tuesday evening. Mr Kinder, Head of History, gave a presentation on four influential historians who attended Gresham’s as pupils: John Saltmarsh, Norman Cohn, Antony Copley and David Green.
The presentation shared research of their times at Gresham’s and reflected on the importance of their academic work in their various fields of specialism. David Green will be addressing the History Society in person in November.
Enrichment talk: the humanitarian impact of the Ukraine–Russia war
News > Enrichment talk: the humanitarian impact of the Ukraine–Russia war
Year 13 pupils were privileged to hear from Ukrainian lawyer Maria Pryzyhlei, who delivered a powerful enrichment talk on the humanitarian consequences of the Ukraine–Russia conflict.
Drawing on her expertise and lived perspective, Maria spoke with knowledge, passion, and honesty about the reality of daily life for ordinary people caught in the war. She illustrated the scale of the crisis through a compelling presentation, showing:
The advancement of Russian forces into Ukraine
The size of Ukraine, and how it compares to regions across Europe and the UK
The profound human impact — from displacement and loss to the resilience of communities.
The session challenged pupils to engage and think about the impact of invasion and war with issues of everyday life, education, social interaction and food supplies being disrupted. Our pupils showed great empathy and understanding to those affected.
This talk is part of our ongoing Sixth Form Enrichment Programme, designed to bring global issues into the classroom, broaden perspectives, and deepen the academic and human context of our pupils’ learning.
IB pupils investigate plastic waste in Collaborative Sciences Project
Last week, pupils in Year 12 studying for the IB completed their Collaborative Sciences Project. This project involved researching a theme that had a local, national and international context, as well as designing and carrying out an experiment related to that theme. After 10 hours of planning, research and preparation, each group then delivered a presentation to their peers and other academic staff.
This year, the theme was plastics. We had experiments that investigated a range of factors, including how far different plastics travelled in moving water, how UV light affected plastic breakdown, whether different solvents could help with plastic degradation and whether recycled/biodegradable plastics were significantly weaker than others. They also made bio-friendly plastic from corn starch.
The ideas were varied and the research detailed. Not only was this excellently done by all involved, but the projects gave everyone a sense of conviction about how we can solve the scale of the problems caused by plastic waste. As one group asked in their presentation: “To what extent does knowledge about the harms of plastic create an obligation to act?”
