Academic Enrichment: Black History Month

We welcomed back Old Greshamian, Soji Ajayi, as our Enrichment Speaker for Black History Month. Soji shared his inspiring journey with Year 13 pupils, reflecting on balancing culture and opportunity. 

Soji spoke about his Sixth Form studies, discovering his passion for rugby and skiing, and how these experiences shaped his perspective. He went on to pursue an Engineering degree but later transitioned into the world of Financial Services, where he built a successful career.

Soji gave a true reflection of his journey of perseverance, identity, and the pursuit of excellence—all delivered with a message of embracing positivity, understanding and being happy with your own identity.

Compelling lectures on History and Degree Apprenticeships

The past few weeks have brought a series of engaging Academic Enrichment lectures, covering a wide range of historical, political, and practical topics.

Last week, we were privileged to host Mr. Kinder, Head of History, who delivered an outstanding lecture on the 110-year history of the Middle Eastern conflict. This topic was specifically requested by our current Sixth Form pupils, eager to gain a deeper understanding of the historical context surrounding the conflict.

We extend our thanks to Mr. Kinder for his illuminating presentation.

This week, we had the pleasure of welcoming Romario Ellis, a 20-year-old entrepreneur, advocate for apprenticeships, and the Founder of Outer Circle, to share his journey with degree apprenticeships. Romario’s story highlighted his path from an apprentice to establishing a dedicated platform empowering young people to gain confidence, skills, and understanding to launch their careers through apprenticeships with supportive, influential employers.

Joining Romario was OG Isobel Reading (E 2020-22), an apprentice at JP Morgan in Global Finance and Business Management. Together, they delivered an insightful and authentic look into the very real and successful route of undertaking a degree apprenticeship.

Thank you, Romario and Izzy, for your encouraging, candid perspectives and for inspiring our pupils to consider the opportunities offered by degree apprenticeships.

OGs return to share university journey and career tips

On Monday 23 September, we were delighted to welcome back OGs Joe, Lucy, and Tilly for an inspiring enrichment talk with our current Year 13 pupils.

Each OG shared their unique university journeys, offering valuable insights and advice for those preparing for the next step in their education. Joe, now in his third year studying History at Durham University, stressed the importance of being proactive in pursuing personal goals. His dedication has certainly paid off, as he managed to secure a summer placement with the multinational accounting firm, Deloitte, and already has a job offer lined up with the company for September 2025.

Lucy, a Marketing and Events Management graduate from Oxford Brookes University, spoke about her experience switching degree courses and highlighted the excellent support available for students with dyslexia. Lucy helped reassure those with learning differences about the help they can expect at university.

Tilly, an English Literature graduate from Edinburgh University, shared her enriching experience, including a memorable Erasmus exchange in her third year at the University of Copenhagen.

So far this term, Monday’s academic enrichment talks have been filled with exciting and engaging speakers. We welcomed Major General Felix Gedney who delivered a thought-provoking lecture about the UK Armed Forces and Society, and Former MP and Old Greshamian, Duncan Baker, who gave an extremely engaging and knowledgeable talk that offered insights into the commitment of being an MP.

We look forward with anticipation to welcoming more exciting speakers throughout the rest of the term.

Ben Youngs Appointed Head of Performance Sport

Gresham’s School is delighted to announce the appointment of Ben Youngs as the new Head of Performance Sport. A former pupil and an international rugby icon, Ben returns to his alma mater with a wealth of experience and a passion for developing the next generation of athletes.

Ben Youngs, England’s most-capped men’s rugby player, has enjoyed a stellar career spanning over 15 years. With more than 100 appearances for the England national team and a legacy that includes participation in four Rugby World Cups, Youngs is widely recognised for his exceptional leadership, strategic prowess, and dedication to the sport.

A proud alumnus of Gresham’s, Ben’s journey from the school’s playing fields to the pinnacle of international rugby serves as a powerful testament to his talent and determination. His return marks a significant milestone for Gresham’s, as he brings not only his on-field expertise but also his deep understanding of the school’s unique ethos and values.

In his new role, Ben will focus on nurturing high-performance athletes across a range of disciplines. His appointment underscores Gresham’s commitment to ensuring that students receive world-class guidance and support in their sporting endeavours.

Ben Youngs expressed his enthusiasm about the appointment, stating, “I am thrilled to return to Gresham’s, a place that has played such a significant role in my life. I look forward to working with the talented pupils and staff to build on the school’s proud sporting tradition and help our athletes achieve their full potential.”

James Knight, Director of Sport at Gresham’s, added, “We are incredibly excited to welcome Ben back to Gresham’s in this important role. His achievements in rugby are an inspiration to our pupils, and his experience and passion will be invaluable as we continue to strengthen our sport.”

Ben Youngs’ appointment is a momentous occasion for Gresham’s, as the school continues to foster a culture of excellence, discipline, and sportsmanship. Under his leadership, Gresham’s aims to set new standards in performance sport, providing its students with unparalleled opportunities to excel.

Read more about Sports Scholarship opportunities here.

Our First XI football team won a competitive match against the OG XI team

On a blustery day, the Lent term football season kicked off as the long-awaited fixture against the OGs finally arrived. Having been postponed from September, the OG side (consisting of former pupils who left in 2021 and 2022) arrived with many beards and slightly longer hair, but in good shape and ready to play!

The game kicked off and was even, with both sides having good possession of the ball, but 10 minutes in Gresham’s took the lead, with a goal kick from Jakub N being flicked on by Jude P into the path of Albert W, who scored his first of the game with a confident finish. The score shortly became 2-0, as Jude P finished after a run at the defence, firing low inside the post and the first team were on top. The lead would have been extended, except from some excellent defending by OG Nick Morgan and some outstanding saves by OG keeper Harry Short.

The OGs did not give up and a good passage of play led to their first goal, with a ball over the top being latched onto by Joel P, who scored to reduce the deficit whilst the home team debated the lack of an offside decision! Half time and the score was 2-1 and it was still anyone’s game.

The OG’s gave Gresham’s a fright after the break, with a clearance from a corner being volleyed home in spectacular fashion by Bobby Rash, restoring parity and bringing the score to 2-2. This galvanised both sides, as they both pushed for the decisive goal that could win the game. However, in the final 15 minutes of the match the Gresham’s first team took charge, with another three goals from Albert W (the second of which was a sublime curling shot) and a header from a corner by George B ending the contest.

The final result was 6-2 to Gresham’s first team. This was a competitive game played in an excellent spirit and it was fantastic to welcome back some former pupils to the school. Many thanks to all who took part and for the many spectators who came along to watch.

A significant donation – US scholarships at Gresham’s

Earlier in the year the Gresham’s Foundation received a remarkable donation from a most generous Old Greshamian (OG). £1 million was donated to endow a scholarship programme that will give US pupils the chance to come and study at Gresham’s.

The donation will ensure the scholarship programme will be in place in perpetuity. It will restart the influential English-Speaking Union programme (ESU) at Gresham’s – a programme that a great number of OGs were a part of when they came to the School from the US between 1960 and 1998. The donor wishes to remain anonymous.

Douglas Robb, the Headmaster, said: “We are thrilled to be in receipt of such a generous donation, and most grateful to the OG for having revived and endowed a scholarship programme that was in place at Gresham’s for many years and which had a lasting impact on the School community. Their support will ensure there will always be a US scholar at the School, giving them the chance to expand their horizons and benefit from a Gresham’s education before they embark on the next stages of their educational and professional journey. The scholars will enrich our community, and the programme will also enable us to strengthen our ties with leading US institutions. We look forward to welcoming our first scholar next year.”

The programme will see one student per year from one of the ESU’s US partner schools come to Gresham’s upon completion of their studies at high school. Each scholar will stay at Gresham’s for one academic year, with the first scholar joining the School in September 2023.

Separate to the endowed scholarship, there will also be an opportunity every year for current Gresham’s pupils to apply to study at a US high school for a year. Although the ESU offers a smaller number of fully funded scholarships for UK students to go to the US, the School’s hope is that a number of pupils over the coming years will be successful in applying for a scholarship and thereby get to experience the final year of high school in a prestigious US institution.