This Week at St Faith’s

In our assembly at the start of the week, Mr Davenport shared with us the story of Phillip Browne, the acclaimed West End actor and singer best known for his role as Mufasa in The Lion King.

Phillip’s journey to the stage was far from easy. As a child, he struggled with dyslexia and a stutter, obstacles that made school and communication difficult. Later in life, he faced another setback when he lost hearing in one ear. But rather than letting these challenges define him, Phillip chose to rise above them.

Before his big break, he worked as a London bus driver, earning the nickname ‘The Singing Bus Driver’ for serenading passengers with his deep, mellifluous voice. His passion for music and performance never wavered, and his determination eventually led him to star in over nine West End productions and perform alongside Sir Elton John. Phillip Browne’s experience exemplified to our pupils why perseverance and resilience are such valuable qualities and why it is so important never to give up, no matter what difficulties we might encounter along the way.

Trip to Wicken Fen

Mrs Clarke writes,

“On Tuesday, the sun came out and Year 2 got close to nature at Wicken Fen. We had a fantastic time exploring the great outdoors. The children took part in a variety of exciting activities that bought their recent learning to life, including Minibeast hunting in the meadows and wetlands, pond dipping to discover aquatic creatures up close and a guided nature walk using our senses learning about local wildlife and habitats. This hands-on experience helped the children develop a deeper appreciation for the environment while supporting their recent topic learning.”

Two children wearing bright orange safety vests and red hats stand outdoors in a grassy area. One child holds a square mirror while the other smiles and raises a hand, both enjoying the sunny day.

A young boy wearing an orange safety vest looks surprised, with his mouth open, while holding a large insect net outdoors in a grassy area. An adult’s hand and another child are partially visible.

Four children in outdoor clothes and safety vests hold butterfly nets and explore tall grass in a lush, green field, likely participating in a nature activity or field trip.

Three children wearing orange safety vests kneel by a pond, using nets and examining trays, while an adult stands nearby. Educational materials and nature surround the wooden dock.

A group of children wearing orange safety vests gathers around a table outdoors, observing water samples in containers. An adult points to one container with a stick, guiding the activity. Grass and plants are visible in the background.

Two young girls wearing orange safety vests kneel by a tray of pond water, examining samples and recording findings on a worksheet during an outdoor educational activity.

A group of children wearing orange safety vests and red hats listen to an adult near a thatched building in a grassy outdoor area under a partly cloudy sky.

A woman gestures while speaking to a group of children in orange vests and red hats, sitting near a historic wooden windmill under a blue sky with scattered clouds.

Two children wearing orange safety vests stand on green grass, each holding a large white net, possibly for catching insects, with tall grass and trees in the background.

Two children wearing red hats and orange reflective vests stand outdoors on grass, with one child’s arm around the other’s shoulders. Other children in similar outfits stand nearby.

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Music News

Mr Gorick writes,

Brass Ensembles Bring Music to Life

“With the Summer Concert fast approaching, excitement is building as pupils prepare for their performances. Last Friday afternoon, the school’s three Brass Ensembles delighted Years 3 and 4 with a special performance, sharing their enthusiasm and passion for music.

Led by Mr Sedgwick, who teaches all brass pupils, pupils from Years 3 to 8 took part in the event, demonstrating their progress and the joy of making music together. It was a wonderful opportunity for younger pupils to see what they could achieve with dedication and practice.

If your child is interested in learning a brass instrument, please contact the school office for more information—we would love to welcome more young musicians into our thriving ensembles!”

A group of children in red shirts and black shorts play brass instruments on stage, while a conductor stands in front guiding them. A piano is visible on the left, and the setting appears to be a school auditorium.

A group of students in uniform perform on stage with brass instruments, including a tuba, while an adult conductor faces them. Other students sit on the wooden floor watching in a spacious, well-lit hall.

A group of children in matching red shirts stand in a row on a stage, each holding a brass or woodwind instrument, inside a spacious hall with wooden floors and high ceilings.

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A Musical Adventure at Rugby School

“On Tuesday, six Year 7 pupils and an Old Fidelian embarked on a memorable trip to Rugby School, immersing themselves in its rich history and vibrant musical community. The day began with an exciting tour of the historic campus, where pupils stepped into the oldest school classroom still in use today. A highlight of the tour was seeing graffiti left behind by former Prime Minister Sir Neville Chamberlain, offering a fascinating glimpse into the past.

Music then took centre stage, as pupils participated in dynamic string and brass workshops alongside Rugby School musicians. They also experienced the thrill of performing in a side-by-side Symphony Orchestra, playing William Walton’s Crown Imperial, Elgar’s Pomp and Circumstance and a Mahler Symphony. These sessions, led by the skilled and inspiring Rugby School Music Department staff, provided pupils with an enriching and collaborative learning experience.

Adding to the sense of tradition and camaraderie, pupils enjoyed lunch “in House,” sharing a meal with their student guides and gaining a firsthand look at senior school life. The visit also gave St Faith’s pupils a really valuable insight into the next stage of their musical and academic journey. Overall, it was a thoroughly enjoyable and inspiring day, filled with learning, lots of sightreading, and unforgettable musical moments.”

Seven schoolchildren in uniform stand in a row outside a historic stone building with a tall tower on a sunny day. Six wear red striped blazers; one in the center wears a navy sweater. Green trees and blue sky are in the background.

A group of students in school uniforms play string instruments in an orchestra rehearsal, led by a conductor in a wood-paneled room with portraits and plaques on the wall.

A young student in a red and black striped blazer smiles while holding a red book, seated in front of wooden paneling.

A smiling boy in a red and black striped blazer and shorts sits on a wooden bench, holding a red book, against a dark wooden paneled background.

A boy in school uniform sits by a piano, playing a large silver tuba. He is seated near a window with light streaming in, and theres a framed photo and a bust on the piano behind him.

Five students and one adult stand in front of a large, ornate brick building with a tall tower on a cloudy day. The students wear matching red and black uniforms, while the adult is in a suit.

A woman plays a large pipe organ in a church while four students in red and black striped blazers watch closely. Stained glass windows and ornate woodwork are visible in the background.

A group of musicians, mostly young women, play cellos in an ornate wood-paneled hall with sheet music on stands. Other musicians and instruments are visible in the background.

A woman conducts a group of students playing string instruments in a bright music classroom with large windows, wooden floors, and tiered seating in the background.

Five schoolchildren stand on grass outdoors, four in matching red and black striped blazers and one in a black sweater. They smile at the camera, with a white Kukri post and a historic building visible in the background.

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Green Goblins Celebration

This year represents 10 years since Engineering was introduced as an integral part of the curriculum at St Faith’s. The Green Goblin cars, designed and built each year by teams of Year 5 & 6 pupils, bring together the design and engineering skills developed through this important part of the curriculum. On Thursday evening, we enjoyed an end of year celebration with families when they watched the 4 cars being raced on our own home-grown track (the hard court area behind Pre Prep).

Five smiling children pose around a colorful homemade go-kart labeled with the number 16. One sits in the kart wearing a helmet; the others stand and kneel nearby outdoors on a sunny day. Orange cones mark an area in the background.

A boy in a blue shirt stands behind a homemade race car labeled Siemens, with a younger child in a helmet and yellow vest sitting inside. Other children walk and play in the background near trees and a wooden fence.

A girl in a red shirt stands behind a small electric race car with the number 15, smiling. A young driver wearing a helmet and green shirt sits in the car. Traffic cones and a Keep out sign are visible nearby.

Three children in colorful, small go-karts race around orange traffic cones on a paved outdoor track. Spectators and tents are visible in the background, with trees and houses surrounding the area.

A child in a decorated white soapbox car labeled “Whizzing Watermelons” sits next to a standing woman. In the background, people watch and another soapbox car is visible on a school playground.

A person with long hair in a yellow shirt and black pants pushes a small homemade electric car with a helmet on its seat across a grassy field. Trees and buildings are visible in the background.

Children are lined up in decorated go-karts on a playground track, preparing for a race. One boy in a blue shirt is holding a box near a kart, while others watch or sit in their karts, surrounded by cones and greenery.

Children in colorful, decorated go-karts are lined up at a race start line, each being pushed by an adult. One child waves while wearing a helmet. Several onlookers stand nearby, and traffic cones mark the area.

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2025 Familiarisation Visits

Throughout this week, we have enjoyed welcoming our new families, whose children will be joining our Reception classes in September. We look forward to the final ‘Meet the Class’ event on Friday, 27th June.

Old Fidelian v Parents Tennis

On Tuesday evening this week, the Old Fidelians vs Parents tennis matches took place at Latham Road. This is a very friendly, but nonetheless keenly contested, annual fixture on the OF calendar and I am most grateful to Mr Nichols for organising this event.

A group of fifteen adults, dressed in sportswear, pose together with tennis rackets on an outdoor tennis court on a sunny day. Trees and blue sky are visible in the background.

A person in blue and white sportswear serves a tennis ball on an outdoor court while another player prepares to return the serve. Trees, houses, and clear blue sky are visible in the background.

A woman in sportswear stands on a tennis court holding a racket, preparing to play. Other players are visible in the background on the sunny outdoor court, surrounded by trees and houses.

People play tennis on an outdoor court surrounded by trees under a clear blue sky. The players are actively engaged in doubles matches, with rackets ready and a net in the center.

Four people are playing doubles tennis on an outdoor green court under a clear blue sky, surrounded by trees and a fence. One woman in a white outfit is ready to return a shot.

Five people stand on an outdoor tennis court, each holding a racket. The group is casually dressed in sportswear and appears to be listening or preparing to play, with trees and a clear sky in the background.

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Athletics

Mr Mageean writes,

U12-U14 East Area Athletics Championships
“On Friday 6th June, a strong field of 53 of our pupils represented St Faith’s at the U12-U14 East Area Athletics Championships at Bedford International Stadium. Heavy rain, beaming sunshine, black clouds, blue skies and blustery winds were a few of the varying weather conditions that were encountered during the day.

With the event attended by 51 different schools from the East of England, it was the largest sporting event that many of our pupils have ever attended. They rose to the occasion to compete to the very best of their ability and they were true ambassadors for St Faith’s throughout the day. A special mention goes to the four Year 8 Prefects who helped the results officials on the day too. The event organiser was very complimentary about their hard work, which helped the event run smoothly behind the scenes.

A huge thank you to Mrs Fordham, Mr Johnson, Mr McGregor and Mrs North, who all helped with the logistics of a busy day of sport, getting all our pupils to events on time and encouraging and fine-tuning technical details. It was also great to see so many parents. and grandparents, who managed to attend to cheer on all our athletes – which was very much appreciated.

By the time the final event finished, we had achieved a fantastic haul of 18 medals! Seven individual athletes finished in the top two, thereby claiming their spot to be invited to compete at the National Finals. Joining them are four of our Relay Teams which is wonderful to see after all the hard work that they have put in to the recent baton change practices this term. So, with 19 of our pupils heading to the National Prep School Finals in Birmingham in July, we wish them all the very best. They are so lucky to be competing in the same stadium that hosted the 2022 Commonwealth Games and where the 2026 European Athletics Championships will take place next summer. We look forward to this inspiring them in their quest for further athletic success and new pb’s…good luck athletes!”

Four girls in school sports uniforms stand indoors, smiling and posing with medals around their necks. Each girl is holding a medal to her mouth as if biting it, celebrating their achievement.

Two boys smiling and posing together indoors, both wearing medals on red, white, and blue ribbons. One boy is in a white sports shirt, and the other in a red jacket. They look happy and are standing with arms around each other.

Four young girls in red St. Faith’s athletic tops and black shorts, wearing race bibs numbered 40, stand smiling together near a running track on a cloudy day.

Four young girls in red and black St. Faith’s athletic uniforms stand arm-in-arm on a track field, wearing race bibs with the number 40, smiling at the camera under a cloudy sky.

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U10 and U11 East Area Athletics Championships
“At the U10 and U11 East Area Athletics Championships on Tuesday 10th June, we took 26 athletes, from Years 4 and 5, to compete at Wilberforce Road against 28 independent schools from the Eastern Region.

With so many schools competing at the event, pupils taking part in the sprints, hurdles and relays had to qualify from Heats earlier in the afternoon to claim a place in the Finals at the end of the day. A group of school-aged children wearing sports uniforms and numbered bibs pose together on a brick path at an outdoor athletics track on a sunny day.

The day started brightly, with the Under 11 Boys 4x100m Relay team smashing a School Record of 58.9secs that has stood for 15 years whilst qualifying for the final. A series of school outstanding individual performances then followed – including a pupil equalling the school record for the U11 Girls High Jump, and an outstanding performance in the Girls 600m that came very close to breaking the school record (only being 4 tenths of a second away!). Following a very exciting U11 Girls Hurdles race, a St Faith’s pupil dipped on the line to win and by a whisker to be crowned Area Champion!

Our team acquitted themselves superbly with many personal bests being set, and a pleasing number of our athletes qualifying for the finals in the sprint events. It was especially encouraging as for many of our athletes it was their first time competing in such a competitive championship.”

‘S’ Club Gymnastics

Mrs North writes,

“The annual ‘S’ Club Gymnastics Competition took place on Sunday 8th June. This is a friendly competition, started by Mr North, when the Sports Hall was completed in 2011. Its rather unusual title refers to the fact that all schools participating must have names that begin with ‘S’. Our guests this year were Stamford, Stormont and St Mary’s Hampstead. In addition to the U9, U10 and U11 sections, we included U8 Girls against St Mary’s and U8 Boys versus Stamford. Despite having no opposition our U7 Girls also had an opportunity to perform their newly created voluntary floors and to compete against one other.

The atmosphere was relaxed and happy – with parent helpers kindly supporting the competition by being on parking duty and serving teas and coffees. Our judges included our very own ‘Mrs Hutton’, plus three judges who regularly judge gymnasts at ISGA National events. Their support and expertise were very much welcomed.

Congratulations to Year 2 who performed with confidence and flair and well done to our gold medal winner on this occasion.

Great work too for the U8 Boys who are all members of Year 2 bar one. The team narrowly missed out on gold medals but there were individual honours for 3 of our pupils.

The U8 Girls won with one of our pupils taking gold, followed by two pupils in joint 3rd.

The U9 team included a pupil who would also qualify to compete at U8 level but who has competed in the U9 team throughout the school year. In a very strong field she took a bronze medal.

Our U10 team stormed to victory with a clear margin of points and 4 members of the team gaining medals. Well done to our pupils placed 6th, 3rd, 2nd and 1st.

The final category of the day was the U11s. The field was incredibly strong and the skills from all schools were advanced and impressive. Although we finished 4th it was wonderful to watch our confident assured performers who looked comfortable and well prepared for the event.

A huge thank you to Mrs Oxborough, our scorer, to Miss Butler for her coaching skills and her magic and to Mr North and Miss Butler for setting up the Sports Hall on Friday after school.”

Five young boys wearing matching gymnastics uniforms stand side by side with their arms around each other, smiling, in an indoor gym with beige brick walls and wooden floors.

A group of children in sports uniforms proudly display medals and certificates while posing on gym equipment in an indoor sports hall. They are smiling and celebrating their achievements.

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IAPS National Swimming Finals

Mrs Critchley writes,

“Last Saturday, 10 of our pupils went to the Aquatics Centre in London to compete in the National Swimming Finals after their successful qualification last term. The wonderful news is that of the eight events in which our pupils qualified, their national ranking improved in six of them: two relays and four individuals – what an excellent achievement! The U12 Boys also set a new school record in the 4 x 25m medley relay and finished 8th overall. Congratulations to all involved, it was a wonderful day of swimming.”

Five boys in white team shirts stand side by side with their arms around each other, smiling in front of a large indoor swimming pool with stadium seating and a curved glass wall in the background.

Five swimmers in white team shirts stand side by side in front of an indoor pool with a large blue-lit window wall and a seated audience in the background.

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U13 Boys’ and Girls’ County Cricket Festivals

Mr Clayton-Smith and Mrs Fordham write,

“On Wednesday the U13 Boys Cricket team ventured to Abington Playing Fields to take part in the County Cricket Festival. With strong opposition from around the county it was the perfect platform to test our progress throughout the year. The boys played well to their ability, demonstrating improved running between the wickets, the ability to manipulate the strike and challenge bowlers, bowling to a field and setting a field to a variety of batters and how to adapt to specific situations. I can safely say that this team has made significant improvements since the start of the term and I couldn’t be prouder to have been their coach.

One of our pupils was awarded Player of the Tournament having made excellent improvements with both bat and bowl – and getting some kudos from ex England International Alex Tudor!

The U13A Girls’ Cricket team took part in the U13 County Cricket Festival, held at King’s Ely School on Wednesday. This was a round-robin tournament and our results from these matches can be found in the sidebar. Having won all our matches, the girls were the overall winners! A fantastic achievement and very well deserved after some excellent team and personal performances.”

A group of eleven boys in red and black striped blazers, white pants, and red caps pose for a photo with cricket bats on grass, with a scoreboard and trees in the background.

A girls cricket team poses on a green field, wearing white uniforms and red-and-black striped blazers. Eleven team members are smiling, and one holds a cricket ball. Trees and a blue sky are visible in the background.

A girls’ cricket team in white uniforms sits together on a bench in a shaded area by a field, smiling at the camera, with cricket bags and gear placed in front of them.

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Mixed U13A Rowing Regatta vs St John’s College School

On Wednesday our Mixed U13A rowing team took part in an exciting regatta hosted by St John’s College School at their picturesque boathouse on the River Cam. The event featured a series of competitive and spirited races, with our crews showing excellent technique, teamwork, and resilience on the water. It was a fantastic afternoon of rowing, with all participants gaining valuable race experience and representing St Faith’s with pride. Congratulations to everyone involved!

A rowing team of four people in a white boat glides under a bridge on a calm river, surrounded by trees and grassy banks. A single yellow kayak is visible near the riverbank in the background.

An overhead view of a rowing team of eight people in a narrow boat gliding down a calm, plant-filled river, each holding an oar and rowing in unison.

A team of five people row a long, narrow boat on a calm river beside a stone embankment, with greenery and trees in the background.

A young person wearing a red cap and white rowing uniform smiles while rowing a single scull boat on a calm river, with sunlight reflecting on the water.

Four people row a boat on a river near a boathouse with red doors. Another person sits on the dock, and a white van is parked nearby. The scene is bright and sunny with greenery in the foreground.

A person wearing a red cap rows a single scull boat on a body of water with patches of green aquatic plants visible below the surface.

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Sport this weekend

As you have read in this week’s newsletter, the breadth of sports on offer is a key strength of a St Faith’s education. We are among a minority of schools able to offer Trampolining during PE lessons and also on courses during the holidays. As a result, St Faith’s pupils are able to compete at the national level. On Saturday, we wish our Years 4 – 8 Boys’ and Girls’ teams the very best of luck for the National IAPS Trampolining Finals, hosted by Royal Russell School.

And Finally…

As I write, there is keen anticipation among the pupils in Years 3 to 8 for Sports Day which will take place at the University Athletics facility on Wilberforce Road. Meanwhile, the Pre Prep will enjoy having St Faith’s all to themselves for their ‘Fun Day’. With a Summer Concert taking place on Monday, between the two school occasions, may I wish you a restorative weekend, and not forgetting our trampolinists in competition tomorrow, reaching new heights we hope!

With all best wishes,

Crispin Hyde-Dunn

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