Senior School newsletter – 13 March 2026
Issue 11/2025/26
Head’s welcome
It’s Friday, and I’ve just about started walking normally again after being dragged along the Cambridge Half Marathon course on Sunday by the sight of so much of our Kimbolton family being involved, running, cheering us on, or volunteering. I’m not a natural runner, and it was a huge delight to see so many familiar, friendly faces on the route, which kept me and my wife, Hannah, going. I’m especially proud of the pupils who ran: Millie, Alasdair, Camille and Sid, all in their first half-marathons, showed immense character and ran for causes dear to their hearts. Adult runners (parents, staff and OKs): you were mightily impressive, too. Supporters: we all found you were better than any energy gel! The four of us running for the Will Templeton Foundation for Young People’s Mental Health are lucky to have been sponsored so generously: we’ve now raised £3,476 (including Gift Aid). Peter Templeton was at the finish line for us all , and, coincidentally, it was Will’s birthday on the day of the race; he would have been 26. All of this made it a very special privilege to be running for his charity. Thank you all for your kindness. This wellspring of involvement on the race day has given me an idea for next year’s race: I would like to organise us all into one big purple team of Kimboltonian runners, supporters and volunteers, and take Cambridge and the day by storm. I will write again as the deadline for buying tickets approaches. Enjoy the pictures later on in this newsletter – One School, One Family!
It has been a notable fortnight for culture at school, and I hope you got to see some of it. Our GCSE and A-Level musicians have performed in two stunning concerts in the Saloon. Our actors and tech crew put on three half-hour plays in one day on Sunday, vying for a place in the All England Theatre Festival. The casts of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, DNA, and Angels in America gave excellent performances, praised heavily by the independent judge, who gave awards and then selected Angels in America to go forward to the next round. Miss Horry, Head of Art, submitted ten pieces of our artists’ work to the Huntingdonshire Young Artists’ Competition: six were winners and two were highly commended. I hope you enjoy a sample of some of the work later in the newsletter.
It was wonderful to see so many of you at the Careers and Higher Education Fair in the Sports Hall last Thursday. There was a huge range of universities, companies and organisations to see and consider, and I think it showed perfectly just how many compelling options there are now for young people when they leave school. It was exciting and inspiring, and I’m grateful to Mrs Southern for her great efforts in assembling it.
Finally, on and in the water! I am very proud of our senior girls’ swimming team, who won silver in the Bath & Otter Cup medley relay on Friday at the London 2012 Aquatics Centre and came 12th overall in this major national competition. Hats off again to Captain Tessa, Emily, Charlotte and Abi for their massive commitment to their training and the school. Meanwhile, our Devizes-Westminster marathon canoe team is beginning to hit its straps in time for the big race on the Easter Weekend, and we wish them much luck in Waterside D (Devizes-Newbury) on Sunday 22 March – their final ‘warm-up’ race.
I hope you and your families enjoy a slightly quieter and well-deserved non-match weekend.
Warm wishes,
Will Chuter
Headmaster
“The sight of so much of our Kimbolton family involved—running, cheering or volunteering—made the day something truly special.”
Will Chuter
Headmaster
Whole school updates
Home learning survey for parents
In conjunction with the Prep School, we are conducting a short survey to help us better understand families’ experiences with home learning at Kimbolton. At Kimbolton, Home Learning refers to any planned learning activity that pupils are expected to complete outside of timetabled lessons. This may include tasks such as practice exercises, retrieval activities, reading, preparation for upcoming lessons, extended projects, or independent study designed to consolidate, deepen, or extend classroom learning.
As part of our ongoing commitment to supporting both pupils’ academic progress and wellbeing, we need to gain an accurate picture of what is working well and where we can strengthen our approach. Your insights will play a valuable role in shaping future practice and ensuring that our home learning provision remains purposeful, balanced, and supportive.
If you have more than one child at the school, we kindly ask that you complete a separate form for each child, as experiences with home learning can vary between year groups.
The survey should only take a few minutes to complete, and all responses will be treated confidentially. When you submit the form, it will not automatically collect personal information such as your name or email address unless you choose to provide it.
Thank you in advance for taking the time to share your perspective. Your feedback is greatly appreciated and will directly inform how we continue to refine and improve our home learning approach.
Cambridge Half Marathon
It was wonderful to see so many members of the Kimbolton community taking part in the Cambridge Half Marathon, with parents, pupils, staff and Old Kimboltonians running, volunteering and cheering along the route.
Thank you to everyone who shared their photos from the day, and to everyone who donated to any of our Kimbolton runners! You can view all the photographs we received in our online gallery – with a few highlights below.
Multi Sports Camps – Easter & May Half Term
We are delighted to offer Multi Sports Camps this spring, run by Chris Hope alongside senior and prep staff, for pupils from Year 3 to Year 10.
The camps will take place on:
- Easter Camp: Tuesday 14 – Thursday 16 April
- May Half Term Camp: Tuesday 26 – Thursday 28 May
Each day will include fun games, drills and coaching across cricket, tennis, netball and football, with pupils able to try a range of sports or focus on their favourites.
The camps run from 10:00 – 3:30pm (arrival from 9:30am) and cost £40 per day.
Knights, Queens & Time Machines
Kimbolton Castle
Sunday 3 May & Monday 4 May
History comes alive at Kimbolton Castle on Sunday May 3 and Monday May 4. Travel through two thousand years of history, a time when heroes joust, jesters play and legends
come to life, an epic day of Fun and Fact for the whole family.
Join over 200 historical reenactors in the magnificent grounds of Kimbolton Castle in a spectacular
journey through the ages!
Kimbolton Castle is embedded in history, with its heritage as the last home of Katherine of Aragon-
through to its part in World War 2.
Enjoy our living history exhibits featuring swords, pikes, muskets, rifles, potion making, weaving, axe
throwing, cooking and cannon, and lots more.
Parent talk – supporting pupils through exam season
Parents of 5th Form and Upper Sixth pupils are invited to an online Parent Talk on Wednesday 25 March, 6:00–7:00pm, focused on supporting students during the exam period.
Led by our Mental Health Lead, Head of Sixth Form and academic colleagues, the session will cover revision strategies, managing expectations, supporting emotional wellbeing, and maintaining a healthy balance during exams.
There will also be an opportunity for questions and discussion at the end of the presentation.
World Book Day 2026 – a celebration of reading
World Book Day was celebrated in true Kimbolton style this year, with a wonderful mix of
activities that brought our whole school community together in the joy of reading. One of
the highlights was Drop Everything and Read, where staff from across the school, along with pupils from First Form all the way to Sixth Form paused their day to enjoy a quiet moment with a book. It was a simple but powerful reminder that reading is good for the soul.
Although the English teachers resisted the temptation to dress up this year, they made
absolutely sure that no one forgot it was World Book Day—spreading enthusiasm, book chat, and a fair bit of encouragement to pick up something new to read. Mr Pithers and Miss Day also visited the Prep School, leading lively debating sessions that encouraged younger pupils to think critically, speak confidently, and see stories from fresh perspectives.
The centrepiece of the day was our spectacular World Book Day–themed menu, with the
Catering Team transforming the Dining Hall through a series of book-inspired dishes.
Highlights included The Gatsby Oyster Rockefeller, Rat-Free Ratatouille, Aladdin’s
Arabian Salads, Hunger Games Cherry and Apple Pie, and Gruffalo Oat Yoghurt
Pots—as imaginative as they were delicious.
To round off the celebrations, our brilliant librarians ran a series of competitions, sparking
creativity, curiosity, and plenty of friendly rivalry. It was a fantastic celebration of the magic of reading—one that truly captured the spirit of World Book Day.
Current vacancies
Castle Ball – save the date!
The KSPA are excited to announce that the Summer Ball will be held on the 4 July 2026
It will take place during the evening of our Speech Day, and we hope to see many of you there!
