Headmaster's Newsletter
Friday 15 May 2026
Dear Parents,
It’s exam season around the country, which means that the media is in overdrive giving people advice on how to revise. Which is nice. It’s always lovely to do something for a living then have a journalist instead tell everyone how to do it – and earn quite a lot more money per word in the process. Only, one media outlet recently eschewed the journalist and went straight to a successful exam-taker instead. Again, I note, bypassing the teachers, but that’s by the by. The exam-taker in question got six A*s or something in their A-Levels, so they had clearly sussed how the system works.
Here were the take-home pieces of advice. Highlighting notes and reading back over them was not enough. Breaking the revision down into discrete, manageable, chunks was vital – but so was doing active revision rather than passive re-reading. The exam-taker would also take breaks during revision, pottering about the house, having a drink or a fruit snack. For longer breaks they would play a computer game or watch TV or a film. They did papers under timed conditions; if there was a mark available for each minute of a paper, they only spent one minute on each available mark, then moved on. Even if the timings were more generous in the final exam, the exam-taker could luxuriate in the extra seconds, if they had prepared themselves for more restricted timings. Also, the exam-taker focused on areas for development, not areas that were already secure. Anything that was incorrect, the exam-taker would revisit later in the day, testing themselves, and marking themselves again. Then they would revisit that area once again a few days later, just to check it had gone in. If they got truly stuck, they would look at mark schemes again, or use online resources to find guidance.
They worked through at least sixty past papers, doing about four per day. This was beneficial because they could become familiar with the exam format and train themselves in exam-answer-speak, i.e. the kind of statements that exam-markers want to read, because they are not allowed to extrapolate meaning from what the student has (or hasn’t) written. Answers needed to conform tightly to the mark scheme. So it did not matter how much the exam-taker knew, or what they could do with that information, if it did not fit tightly to the rubric. Indeed, when preparing for the assessments the exam-taker only gave themselves marks for what was in the mark scheme. Even if the answer given was technically correct, they did not award themselves any credit unless it conformed to the mark scheme. If that is what exam-markers would be doing, then it did not make any sense to play a different game.
All of which hints strongly at the strengths and weaknesses of the UK exam system. There are certain benefits, of course, not least training people in acquiring and processing factual information, ideally analysing it along the way. But, at the same time, it is extremely difficult (probably impossible) to devise a standardised assessment system, with hundreds of different markers, that allows for subtlety or ‘going off piste’, or knowing something but not expressing it in precisely the way that the standardised system demands. Which is why exams are, in part, just one way of assessing intelligence and potential, and why they are, to a certain extent, a bit of a game. There is no point pretending otherwise, at least until someone comes up with a more sensitive way of assessing more nuanced intelligence. So exam preparation will continue to be part learning what we need to learn, and part learning how to write it down in a way that will earn marks. Not the most uplifting conclusion, alas, but a pragmatic and realistic one, for the moment at least. Which is why schools need to be so much more than exam preparation conveyor belts; otherwise education is reduced to a cynical game of ‘chase the mark scheme’.
Have a great weekend,
Matt Jenkinson
We had a lovely Open Morning this morning, welcoming many prospective families to see what we do day-to-day here at the end of Savile Road. The boys were, as ever, fantastic guides, and we are very grateful to members of the NCSPA committee who came along to chat to families over a cup of tea or coffee.
Congratulations to all those NCS pupils, teachers and parents who took part in the Town and Gown run last Sunday, and to all those members of the community who supported them along the way!
Congratulations, too, to the choristers who sang in a mega-evensong last Saturday alongside the choirs of Eton and Winchester, to mark this year's 'Amicabilis Concordia'.
On Tuesday Year 7 went to the River Thame in Dorchester to investigate river processes and study the surrounding wetlands and flood meadows. The boys measured the channel width, depth and velocity and had a lot of fun putting on giant waders and using oranges to see how fast the water was flowing. They loved the pond dipping after lunch and spent time examining the biodiversity in the backwaters of the river. We ended the day at the confluence of the Thame and Thames and the boys were able to spot several river landforms and processes throughout the day. The guides were very impressed by their fantastic behaviour, enthusiasm and knowledge.
During Trinity the Eco and Charity Committees work collaboratively, thinking about how our local environment can be enhanced through fundraising. Just outside of Oxfordshire, in Maidenhead, an incredible children’s charity called the Alexander Devine Hospice provides care and support for children with life-limiting conditions. They have a sensory garden which needs maintaining so the boys have decided this would be an appropriate project to support during our upcoming Charity Week (w/c 18 May). As ever there will be a cake competition (garden or eco themed) and we really appreciate your support. Please note, as ever, that NCS aims to be a nut-free school and all cakes brought in must have an ingredients list attached. Many thanks.
Former NCS pupil Xander Quinney is giving a French Horn recital at the Sheldonian in the pre-concert Young Artists series on Thursday 21 May at 18.00. Do go along to support this very talented young musician! https://oxfordphil.com/event/sibelius-symphony-no-2-2/
We are delighted to welcome back violinist Timon Bergmann, a former NCS pupil, to give this year’s Wykeham Day Recital. The recital will take place on Saturday 13 June at 11am in The New Space. Wykeham Day then continues at 13.00 with the school fete in the playground and sports hall (until 15.00). There is then a special evensong in chapel at 17.45, to which current and former NCS families are very warmly invited. There is then a dinner at 18.30, in the medieval College dining hall, which is sign-up only. You can sign up for the concert and dinner via https://www.newcollegeschool.org/wykeham-day-2026
We are delighted to share a superb set of results from the NCS pupils who competed at the IAPS National Judo Competition on Sunday. Charlie and Maani from Year 8 and Tassilo from Year 7 represented the school with great courage and determination, each competing in their respective weight and age categories against strong opposition from leading independent schools across the country. Their efforts were rewarded with the following results. Charlie was crowned National Champion, securing a gold medal and 1st place; Maani achieved an excellent 2nd place to take the silver medal; and Tassilo earned a well-deserved bronze medal with a 3rd place finish.
Upcoming Events
Saturday 16 May 2026 OCCO concert, Chapel Monday 18 May 2026 National Walk to School Week Charity week Years 3-4 form assessments start Pre-Prep QED Week begins 14.00 U13 Cricket House Matches (Yrs 7&8), Field 17.15 Senior Recital (Years 6-7 only), Auditorium Tuesday 19 May 2026 Year 6 Geography Field Trip 14.00 U9 Cricket House Matches (Yrs 3&4), Field Wednesday 20 May 2026 8.15 Eco-Committee Meeting, CLC 9.00 Chapel. Speaker: James Hodgson, NCS Governor and Headmaster of Bedford School 14.15 U11 A&B Cricket vs Bruern Abbey, Away 14.15 U13 A&B Cricket vs Bruern Abbey, Home 14.15 U13 A Tennis vs Bruern Abbey, Home 17.30 Governors' Meeting, McGregor Matthews Room Friday 22 May 2026 Orders in Years 3-8 issued Half term break begins at end of school day Monday 01 Jun 2026 Return from Half-Term Years 5-8 Assessment Week begins Tuesday 02 Jun 2026 14.00 U9 Cricket House Match Finals (Yrs 3&4), Field Wednesday 03 Jun 2026 9.00 Chapel (Pre-Prep and Years 3-4 & 8S only). Led by Pre-Prep 14.15 U11 A&B Cricket vs Oratory Prep, Away 14.15 U13 A&B Cricket vs Oratory Prep, Home Friday 05 Jun 2026 14.00 U11 Cricket House Match Finals (Yrs 5&6), Field 17.00 Leavers' Evening (ends c19.15)