From the Second Master
Winchester College Football
I hope to see many of you on Saturday at XVs (full details below). In the following short film, this year's captains, Will M. (VIBk1, Kenny's, a Sixth Form entrant) for Commoners, and Caspar H. (VIBk1, Toye's) for OTH tell us how their teams have been preparing for the big match.
Weekend and Leave-out Arrangements for Boarders
Details for this weekend can be found here. Please access the Parent Portal via the link below to inform us of your child’s plans for this weekend by 23:00 on Thursday 2 February. Log in, select 'Interactive' and 'Weekend Sign-out' to complete the form.
In preparation for Leave-out on Friday 10 February, all parents of boarders should complete the Leave-out Arrangements form, which is accessed via the same route on the Parent Portal; under 'Leave-out arrangements'. Please complete the form by 13:00 on Friday 3 February so that Housemasters have the information prior to any pupil departures.
Winchester College Football
XVs
At 14:30 on Saturday 4 February, the school will gather to watch XVs - the biggest game of the Winchester College Football season - which sees Commoners and OTH battle to lift the 'Pearl Pot' trophy.
Watch the action
Families are welcome to come and cheer on from the sidelines. Coffee and tea will be available from 14:00, with match tea following the game. For those who cannot be there in person, the event will be livestreamed from 14:15, which you can access via the link below.
Our game
Winchester Football is called 'Our Game' by the pupils as it very much belongs to them. They are the guardians of the rules and conventions, which develop from one generation to the next. It is an inclusive game and a true test of character.
Dr Mark Romans, who organises our Winchester College Football programme, writes about the culture of the game in our latest website story (link below) and explains the terminology and rules. It is a must read for anyone new to the game.
Academic
Physics Olympiad
Last November, 41 Winchester pupils participated in round one of the British Physics Olympiad (BPhO). This is a challenging examination, primarily aimed at Upper Sixth, so it was encouraging to have many pupils from lower years also entering.
Chris L. (VIBk1, College), Justin A. (VIBk1, Trants) and Vinson P. (VIBk1, College) all achieved a top gold award, placing them amongst the best young physicists in the country.
Damian C. (VIBk1, Du Boulay’s), Douglas P. (VIBk2, College) and Alex P. (VIBk2, Turner’s) were awarded gold awards, with Winchester pupils securing an additional nine silvers and 25 bronzes.
2022
Annual Report
Our annual report to the Charities Commission for the year ended 31 August 2022 has now been published and is available on our website.
Societies
Successful UK Rocket Launch
Standing for Innovation, Design, Engineering and Applied Sciences, IDEAS Soc serves as a forum in which pupils can exchange ideas, collaborate on projects, and have fun tackling interesting and complex engineering challenges. Past projects include building a 1.6m tall working trebuchet and a human-sized geodesic dome. The society also acts as a bridge between Science School and the Design Technology department, based in Mill, promoting cross-curricular learning and teamwork.
This term the focus has been on building and launching model rockets, including competitive elements. To support this work, the society has hosted student-led discussions about rockets and orbital mechanics. This short video, by Adrian C. and Head of IDEAS Soc, Dominic De V. (both Cooks), captures their recent successful launch, including footage from the on-board camera of the College grounds at dusk.
Community
Classics Outreach
Last Tuesday and Thursday, our Classics department and the Treasury team welcomed over 60 Year 9 Latin students from local state schools, The Westgate School and Kings’ School, for Classics enrichment afternoons.
The students divided into groups for a carousel of three sessions: an introduction to the Treasury; a session devoted to handling Roman-era objects and trying on Roman clothing; and a Roman history workshop.
These activities are part of a wider collaboration between schools teaching Latin in the area, which includes a weekly club for Year 11 pupils devoted to Ancient Greek, which is also held at Winchester College.
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