Dear OFS Community,
It’s at this point in the year that I become very aware of how numbered our days are as a community. On Sunday night I realised that our Yr6&8 leavers only have 20 school days remaining with 5 being away on Expedition Week and then they are off on their next steps at 20 different senior schools!
My theme for Monday came from 2 very recent but unconnected events. The first was our Orlumni reunion last Friday, where last year’s leavers returned to share experiences and adventures from the past year. It was lovely to see that many clearly keep in touch but equally, there were some good reconnections. The second event was my father’s 80th birthday on Sunday. I put the following photos up and invited the school to link the events...
...yes, two photos contain young people, and 2 photos contain older people, but my linking theme was friendship!
“Don’t walk behind me; I may not lead. Don’t walk in front of me; I may not follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend”
Albert Camus
We then contemplated and shared thoughts on the following questions:
- In one word, what do you value in a friend?
- Is it ever right to end a friendship and if so…when?
- What is the best thing that a friend has done for you?
- What makes friendships stronger?
- Does technology help us make and keep friendships?
On the final question, which sounds so easy to answer with a ‘yes’, I think we ought to pause and dig a little deeper. Whilst mobile phones give us a plethora of Apps that promise ‘connection’, the least used App on any mobile phone is the phone! Research suggests that we are feeling less connected and lonelier than ever before; trends also show that we are making less meaningful and lasting connections than ever before. The final statistic that I added from latest studies is that when polled, 44% of adults cite school as the last setting in which they developed meaningful connections. A good deal to ponder...
Bugsy Malone
I’m writing this backstage on Thursday night as we will have our final night after this reflection is posted – I think it’s only fair for parents to understand the full commitment that our cast of 79 actors and crew make and to share a little of the backstage story. It’s touching 31 degrees in the Art room, actors have makeup on and are in costumes, some of them fully suited and booted wearing winter coats! Mrs Gascoigne, quite rightly, wants parents to experience the magic of theatre and therefore we call silence as we hear parents walking into the Quad. These are the hard yards that create the magic!
After the January auditions, 37 rehearsals took us to our Dress Rehearsal this morning, in which Grange Primary joined us to offer a first run through with an audience. The heat of the day only increased before our parents and families joined us for our first night. Yr8 pupils act as crew and quietly cue the actors, marshalling them, checking microphone packs and props. In the wings there is palpable excitement as they silently mouth the lines that lead them onto stage. I’m not sure what the West End is like backstage, but I’m not sure it’s any more professional. I sat typing this article, never having to call for silence. Your children are exceptional!
There have been exams, galas, debates, trips and so much more, and yet the cast learned their lines, entrances, exits and choreography behind the dances. I know that tonight will contain mixed feelings as they perform for the last time, however, this is the magic of live drama!
Thank you to Mr Birdi for staying late to plot 81 lighting cues; thank you to Mr Richards and Marcella for designing and painting a stunning set; thank you to Mr Ford for preparing our singers and thank you to Mrs Gascoigne for producing a stunning production, and for setting the bar so high and inspiring everyone to reach for the stars! However, my final thanks go to the cast who took that risk all those months ago to audition – and here’s to the final night!
Pre-Prep hit the track & field events!
What a fantastic event, I want to start by thanking Miss Hehir, as I know that she met with a number of members of the OFA to work on a programme that would bring parents closer to the action and to add a carnival / festival spirit. I have to say that parents continue to embrace House events with such spirit – more on this in a minute.
However, the stars of the day were our athletes. It might have been the hottest day of the year, but everyone gave their best. I loved watching friends congratulating each other on races, having gritted their teeth and run for their lives. When I look at the photos, you can see competitive spirit but there are so many smiles too!
Controversially, the parent race, which had clear instructions regarding the egg and the spoon, saw a blurring of the lines. Certain Houses chose to value winning at all costs...whilst only one House followed the rules – I wasn’t expecting this and after a steward's enquiry, it was felt that Hopkins House followed the spirit of the race and were declared winners! We then brought our 200 athletes together to count the real points from the morning! Would you believe it, Hopkins House won the day...I’m not going to suggest that honesty pays but could Hollywood have written a better ending!
The take home message that I want our children to have hardwired into their lives is the importance of looking after our bodies, learning to enjoy living in them, and to build a love of exercise in whatever form that takes. Health is something that we learn to value too late in life...let’s get this generation wanting to keep days like this in their lives!
A QUEST for deepest learning!
Orley Farm is not an exam factory – we believe in all the best that comes from the creative curriculum, our Edge Programme, our Meadow School and specialist teachers across the school. However, I am very aware that at the back of Yr5 and start of Yr6, our pupils work so hard as they prepare to take various entrance exams – and I’m so proud of them! So many parents try to find ways to avoid this path and provided that we are supportive, I believe that this sets our pupils up for success. Life is full of tests, let’s hardwire our pupils to seek the hard paths!
However, to balance the books, Mrs Harrison introduced a fantastic initiative called ‘Quest’. The aim is post 11+, we remind our pupils that exams are the smallest part of a learning journey; research, critical thinking and analysis come from leading our own projects and therefore the 10-week Quest project is unique and invaluable. Thank you to our Yr6 parents who joined us for the final presentation of projects – it was a buzzing room!
Orley Farm Annual Debate Final 2025
Today we hosted the grand finale of the annual Orley Farm Debate Competition, with this year’s motion:
This House believes the environment should be at the center of all decisions."
Our finalists – Hopkins for the Proposition and Hastings for the Opposition – delivered a passionate and thought-provoking debate that captivated the audience from start to finish.
There were standout performances from Leon Macdonald (Hopkins) and Dylan Jethwa (Hastings), who challenged us to reflect deeply on our responsibility toward the environment and society as a whole. Leon’s compelling closing speech argued that while environmental concerns should not override social and economic priorities, they must form the foundation of all decision-making.
Dylan impressed with articulate, well-reasoned arguments, notably making the case that while environmental responsibility is vital, it must sometimes take a back seat in times of national or global crisis - such as economic collapse or humanitarian emergencies - when immediate human needs must take precedence. His dynamic exchanges and sharp rebuttals added considerable strength to the Opposition’s case.
The debate was further enriched by a series of sharp and engaging Points of Information (POIs), showcasing both teams’ confidence, preparation, and quick thinking.
A special thank you goes to our Head Judge, Mrs Leacock, for her thoughtful adjudication and continued support of the debating programme. After a close and exciting contest, Hopkins was crowned the winner of this year’s competition - congratulations to all involved on a memorable and high-calibre final!
I would like to thank Mr Knapper for coming up with such engaging topics but also for offering such exceptional preparation to each team ensuring that we enjoyed thought-provoking and sometimes fiery exchanges!
U11 Ten10 OFS Tournament
Orley Farm Ten10 Cricket Tournaments are rarely dull affairs and always seems to throw up some sensational cricket and Saturday’s U11 tournament was no different! The scheduled date last Saturday 7th June had to be postponed due to the weather and, with St. Martin's unable to attend today due to other school commitments, it left us with a triangular event involving St. John's and Westminster Under School.
It had been several years, too long, since our Colts A had won the tournament and they were keen to emulate the success of our 1st XI who had won our U13 edition earlier in the term.
It proved to be an enthralling day of cricket, played in glorious sunshine for the most part, as 298 runs were scored and 28 wickets tumbled! However, we are so proud of our U11 Team who managed to win the day, making this a very special year with Orley holding both trophies aloft in the 2025 season.
Building for future Ten10 Stars!
Talking of cricket, we hosted a beautiful afternoon with Manor Lodge joining us as every pupil in Yr3 took to the field with girls and boys playing a range of formats. This is the perfect event to highlight the importance of teamwork, collaborations and encouraging peers, regardless of results!
Headmaster's Commendation
Congratulations to Zaki, Kaian-Vir, Tanav, Dhyan, Samuel, Arjun, Arya, Shai, Yogesh, Joseph, Dhruv and Aryan who were all awarded a Headmaster’s Commendation this week for a lovely superhero project that they completed in textiles. Not only were the characters beautifully designed and stitched, but they were also used in a ‘giving’ project in which pupils in Pre-Prep created stories about the characters – a great story!
As I look back over the messages and events from this past week, I hope that our imminent leavers hold onto precious memories that will form the glue that binds lifelong friendships and connections. I fear that many of us more experienced parents start to look back at these years and realise that we chased the wrong achievements for our children!
Tim Calvey