Headmaster's Newsletter Friday 26 September 2025
Dear Parents,
Regular readers of this newsletter will know that I have a complicated relationship with the Italian language: a love of it, a desire to know it, but a stuttering history when it comes to learning it. As this week marked the International Day of Languages, I thought you might appreciate an update. You may remember that, last year, about the only phrase I could remember from Duolingo involved sharks being dangerous. I have since been able to make use of the second part of that sentence, shaking my head disapprovingly at bad driving in Italy and tutting ‘pericoloso’ to any passers-by who might be listening. Sharks haven’t come up quite so much. My vocabulary has not increased notably, or indeed at all, over the past twelve months. But I have come up with a wheeze that makes it sound like I know what I’m talking about, and that is to say ‘Si, certo’ with varying tones in different settings. The great joy of these two short words is that they can be used in multiple scenarios, with just the slightest of inflection changes rendering it useful in each one.
There is the indignant ‘Si, certo’, which I was able to use on a school trip when the boys were eating a packed lunch at an historic site. The guardian or janitor of the setting came to tell me/us in very fast local dialect that, if we were going to eat near the ruins, then it was very important that all rubbish was picked up and placed in the nearby bins, with different materials separated for recycling. A furrowed brow, and an indignant ‘Si, certo’ later, I was able to make it clear that I was wounded at the suggestion that I would allow the pupils to do anything but what had been requested. ‘How did you know what he was saying?’, one of the boys asked me. ‘Because there aren’t that many things he can be saying to a bunch of English schoolkids eating sandwiches next to a temple’, I replied.
Then there is the apologetic ‘Si, certo’, which came in very handy when trying to book a table for eight at a restaurant in central Rome with five minutes’ notice. Rather than being pleased about the extra income, the restaurateur made noises to suggest that we were being something of an inconvenience, and the only table they could offer was next to the toilets. ‘Si, certo’, I muttered, looking down, agreeing that I had been a very naughty boy for not planning ahead. Then there is the slightly bemused ‘Si, certo’, which can be wheeled out on many different occasions, like after being asked whether we would like another glass of Nero D’Avola, or whether we have a valid tram ticket. Or the exclamatory positive ‘Si, certo!’, which can be used when asked if the food you are eating is tasty, or whether the view is to your liking.
However, I came unstuck in Rome a few months ago when, at a tram stop, a local began asking me detailed questions about the destination and/or stops and/or timings of the next tram. That’s what I deduced anyway. Torn between feeling flattered at being considered a Roman and terrified that I had to reply to a question that I hadn’t really understood in a language I couldn’t really speak, I kind of muttered something about not ... really ... comprehending. It is quite possible that the words for ‘shark’, ‘dangerous’ and ‘yes, of course’ flashed through my mind, but none of them were going to be much use. Unless, that is, I wished to warn the lady of an imminent squaloid danger on the tramline, but that would have caused even further confusion. In the event, she looked at me with a mix of contempt and pity, and got on the tram anyway.
All of which is to say, that there are clearly many benefits to learning languages thoroughly and properly at a young age, and that is why we keep extolling those benefits to boys at NCS. The alternative is a future in which they walk around other countries saying ‘Yes, of course’ in answer to various different questions, and that could open up all manner of other problems.
Have a great weekend, (‘Si, certo!’),
Matt Jenkinson
The choristers popped over to our sister foundation, Winchester College, on Tuesday to sing in a service known as the Founder’s Obit. Bringing together representatives from William of Wykeham’s institutions, the service gave thanks for his generosity and foresight in providing for a decent education over several centuries. Some advance notice about a couple of New College Choir concerts coming up after half term, in case you would like to order your tickets in advance: ‘Triomphe et Mort des Rois’ in the Chapel Royal at Versailles, on 5 November (www.operaroyal-versailles.fr/event/triomphe-et-mort-des-rois/), and ‘Royal Farewells and Triumphs’ at Smith Square Hall in London on 8 November (www.sinfoniasmithsq.org.uk/event/royal-farewells-and-triumphs/).
Monday evening saw the AGM of the NCS Parents’ Association, members of which volunteer and do a huge amount to organise and run headline events for the boys. Such events like the Christmas Fair, Summer Fete, Curry and Quiz Night, and inter-school socials for our older pupils, only happen because of the generosity and dedication of these parent volunteers who make them work. The events are, of course, enormous fun and highlights of the boys’ childhoods, but they don’t just happen. They require planning and on-the-ground administration. They also raise funds which the NCSPA can then kindly donate to buy little (or sometimes not-so-little) extras for the boys each year. At the core of all this activity is the importance of community, of civic involvement, and I would like to publicly thank all those who give their time and energies so generously, and I warmly invite any other parents who would like to get involved to join the fun (www.newcollegeschool.org/getting-involved).
Our next Open Morning is on Saturday 4 October at 10.00-12.00. If any boys from Years 3-8 would like to be guides on that morning, please could their parents email office@newcollegeschool.org. Please note that all pupils attending school that morning (including OCCO pupils) should wear full school uniform. Prospective parents are asked to register at https://www.newcollegeschool.org/open-day-booking -- do please pass on this link if you know of any families who would be interested in joining our wonderful community. You should also have received, via your son's schoolbag, a poster and a leaflet advertising the event. Although the morning is primarily for prospective parents, current parents, especially those from the Pre-Prep, are most welcome to get a further insight into the upper part of the school. We would really appreciate it if you could display the poster in a prominent place such as on notice boards at: nurseries and girls' schools (so as not to offend other local boys’ schools); Oxford colleges, Brookes University and other educational institutions; hospitals and health centres; churches, local shops and community centres; your car or house window. Please pass the smaller leaflet onto any friends who may be interested. Please also feel free to share/retweet the schools social media posts about the open morning:
https://www.instagram.com/newcollegeschool/
https://www.facebook.com/newcollegeschool
This Harvest Festival, NCS will again be supporting the Community Emergency Fund (CEF). The CEF is an independent charity that aims to help people in Oxford or the surrounding area who are suffering from financial hardship and finding it difficult to provide food for themselves, their family or dependants. If pupils and families would like to support this worthy cause, they can do so by donating at our Harvest Festival. The service will be held in Chapel on Wednesday 1 October at 9.00. Pupils can bring in non-perishable food items (canned or dried) along with toiletries, which will be collected and donated to the CEF. We thank the NCS community for their support of this worthy cause.
The New College School ‘Welcome to the Foundation Service’ will be on Wednesday 15 October in New College Chapel. The service will begin at 9.00 and will take a little longer than our usual Chapel. This is the occasion when all new members of the school, boys and staff, are formally welcomed to the New College Foundation by the Headmaster and the Warden of New College, the school’s chair of governors. We would like to encourage all families of new boys to attend this important occasion if you can. Parents of new boys will be directed to seats at the altar end of the chapel, so they get a good view of the ceremony!
The theme for our annual SHTEAM Festival next Hilary will be ‘Our Green Planet’. We will be exploring this theme from many different angles across all our subjects, running talks and workshops, as well as incorporating the theme in our day-to-day lessons. If there are any parents, taking into account their specialist knowledge, who would like to offer a talk or workshop to the boys on an aspect of ‘Our Green Planet’, do please contact emma.krebs@newcollegeschool.org.
Pre-prep are looking to add to their stock of jigsaw puzzles. If you are looking to clear out your cupboards and have any jigsaws in good condition with all pieces present that would be appropriate for ages 4-7 – or indeed any Duplo or Lego – please do drop them in to the office. Many thanks.
NCS Year of Reading: Louise Brown would like to recommend We are All Made of Molecules by Susie Nielsen to Years 5 and 6. This book, which celebrated its tenth anniversary earlier this year, is a heartfelt and humorous read that is very difficult to put down. It addresses some complex issues (such as the loss of a parent, adapting to blended families, and difficult relationships at new schools), but with a happy ending. Copies are available to borrow from school.
Upcoming Events
Wednesday, October 01, 2025
8.15 Eco-Committee meeting, CLC
8.15 Charity Committee meeting, Geography Room
9.00 Chapel (Harvest Festival). Speaker: Revd Kate Harford, Chaplain, Oxford Brookes
14.15 U11 A-D/E Football vs Abingdon Prep, home
14.15 U13 A-D Football vs Abingdon Prep, away
18.00 Year 7 Parents' Evening, Sports Hall
Saturday, October 04, 2025
10.00 Open Morning
Monday, October 06, 2025
NCS Road Awareness Week
12.3 U11 A IAPS Football @ Summer Fields, away
Tuesday, October 07, 2025
TBC U13 A IAPS Football @ Summer Fields, away
14.15 U8 A&B, U9 A&B football vs Abingdon Prep, home
Wednesday, October 08, 2025
9.00 Chapel. Speaker: Ms Naomi Gardom, Assistant Curate, University Church
14.15 U11 A-D Football vs Cothill & Bruern Abbey, home
14.15 U13 A-D Football vs Cothill, away
Thursday, October 09, 2025
14.00 U8&9 Football house matches, home