This week, our Year 12 pupils had the exciting opportunity to partake in a special filmmaking workshop run by the One Day Film School.

In a whirlwind day of Hollywood-style action, pupils dived headfirst into the world of moviemaking.

In the morning, they learned the essentials: 

• Film History: from the early days of film to the latest in special effects
• Fight Choreography: analysing classic fight scenes then filming their own roundhouse punch
• Camera: learning to film like a pro, and tips and tricks to avoid common mistakes
• Screenwriting: learning the 3 things every good script need, how to create memorable characters (and make us care)

In the afternoon, it was time for the 10 Shot Challenge: pupils worked in groups to create silent (with music) films of up to 2 minutes based on a classic narrative.

The cinematic adventure culminated in a glamorous Oscars Night, where pupils dressed to impress and walked the red carpet to celebrate their hard work. The winners were as follows:

2025 Gresham’s School Oscars:

Best Motion Picture: “A Million Times”

Best Performance: “Aid”

Best Technical Achievement: “Chaplain Wars”

A huge well done to all our talented pupils for their creativity, teamwork and cinematic flair.

This term our Year 9 pupils went on the annual trip to the Ypres Battlefields in Belgium.

Their first stop was a family pilgrimage for Albert N to visit the grave of his relative, Captain Robert John Charles ‘Jack’ Otter. Captain Otter was a professional soldier and member of the British Expeditionary Force sent to Belgium in 1914, who was laid to rest at Dranouter in February 1915.

Day two was packed with historic visits. The morning began at Bard Cottage Cemetery where the pupils visited the grave of John Wright, an Old School House (OSH) and Farfield boy. Later, they toured Talbot House in Poperinge, which was once a morale-boosting rest house for soldiers during the war. The preservation of Talbot House is closely linked to Gresham’s School history, thanks to Paul Slessor, father of former pupil Hugh Slessor, who attended the school in the 1920s. Pupils Izzy, Cameron, and Ed laid a wreath on behalf of the school at the Menin Gate Last Post Ceremony, while Cleo K discovered her great-great uncle, Lance Sergeant Charles Evans of the 19th Lancers, among the war stories shared.

On the final day, the group paid their respects at St George’s Memorial Church in Ypres, stopping by the Gresham’s School Memorial. The trip concluded at Tyne Cot Cemetery, the largest Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery in the world, where they honoured the memory of 113 pupils and 3 staff from the school who lost their lives during the war. Here, they also found the name of Jacob G’s ancestor, Victoria Cross recipient William Charles Clamp, who has no known grave.

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. 

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.

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.

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.