Latest news
A Moving Trip to Berlin for History Pupils
Fourth and Fifth Form History pupils visited Berlin for an illuminating and informative, albeit emotive, trip to Berlin. On arrival, pupils embarked on a walking tour of the historic centre of Berlin, including stops at the ... Read more
Chemistry Conference was Out of this World
The Oxfordshire Youth Chemistry Conference, held at Wychwood School, had the topical theme this year of ‘Out of this World – how chemistry contributes to space exploration’. The conference aims to inspire and showcase excellence in ... Read more
A Packed Concert for St Cecilia
It is just as well that Cokethorpe’s Dining Hall does not have rafters, with a programme and an audience that were packed well beyond where rafters might have been for the eagerly anticipated St Cecilia Concert. Sat amidst the ... Read more
Parents Give a Big Hand for Little Red Riding Hood
Years 3, 4 and 5 stepped into the enchanting world of Roald Dahl with a fresh take on the classic fairy tale, Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf. The pupils delivered an outstanding performance with a mixture of wit, humour and ... Read more
Enlightening Exhibition from Scholars
The annual Scholars’ Exhibition provides an invaluable opportunity for our Scholars to flex their cognitive muscles and showcase the fruits of their labour. Twenty-three Scholars from the First Form to the Lower Sixth presented their ... Read more
Prep Quiz was a Turn Up for the Books
It was pens at the ready and thinking caps on for our Prep School pupils as they were put through their paces in an inter-house Literature quiz. Teams of four, led by their House captains, along with pupils from each year group from ... Read more
Year 3 Fossil Hunters
Our Year 3 pupils rocked their role as palaeontologists on their recent visit to the Museum of Natural History in Oxford. As part of their studies on ‘Earth’ and ‘Rocks’ in their Science and Geography topics, our trainee fossil ... Read more
Fireworks Extravaganza
Over 1,500 visitors gathered around the Mansion House for an explosive night of fireworks organised by our wonderful CPFA. The roaring bonfire was quite the spectacle as it blazed away on the field. Visitors, young and old, embraced ... Read more
Pre-Prep Putting Out Fires
The Reception Class and Year 1 children were all fired up as they welcomed firefighters from Witney Fire Service into School to find out all about what they do. The highlight of the visit was seeing the fire truck, which was parked at ... Read more
Ava on par
Congratulations to Ava (Second Form, Vanbrugh) for her success in recent Golf competitions. Ava won both the Nicola Sparks Memorial Trophy 2023 and the Midlands South County Championship 2023. Read more
Creativity Inspired in Cornwall
A Level Fine Art and Textiles students visited Cornwall to gather visual research for the coursework theme of ‘Environment’. The first stop was The Eden Project, where the colourful plant life was the subject of their first sketches ... Read more
A Fight to the Finish Line
As the bell struck to mark the beginning of the annual Crawford Relay, there ensued an eruption of noise from the crowd and an explosion of speed from the competitors. Vanburgh flew out of the gates taking an early lead, with sisters, ... Read more
Gig Night Providing Music Therapy
Gig Night is always a popular event, offering our talented musicians and performers the chance to perform music of their choosing. The result is always a wonderful night of music showcasing an array of different styles and genres. The ... Read more
Pre-Prep Reap the Harvest
The Chapel was awash with lovely autumnal decorations, which set the scene beautifully for the Pre-Prep's fabulous celebration of Harvest. The festival began with the Reception Class singing Thank You God for the Harvest and Big Red ... Read more
A Masterclass in Masks
The entire First Form were lucky enough to enjoy a Drama workshop with the renowned and exciting Vamos Theatre company. Capitalising on the current term’s exploration of mime and physical expression, our pupils experienced a ... Read more
Lower Sixth Trip to Cardiff University
The whole of the Lower Sixth got their first taste of university life on a visit to Cardiff University. On arrival, they received a warm welcome from the student ambassadors who led them to what they called a ‘standard’ university ... Read more
A Taste of Sixth Form Life
Fifth Form pupils were given the opportunity to sample the Sixth Form experience at the Sixth Form Taster Day. Pupils attended four full-length Sixth Form taster lessons (which they had chosen in advance); for many, this was a chance ... Read more
The Last Resort
‘The Last Resort’ Holiday Camp was the scene of this year’s annual CPFA Murder Mystery evening, as the audience tried to uncover the culprit in this hilarious ‘whodunnit’. The workers were tragic, forgotten performers of yester-year ... Read more
Harcourt Counting Stars at House Singing
The Senior School came together for the annual House Singing competition, and what an incredible occasion it was too. We were treated to six different performances spanning a range of musical styles, unified only by the dedication and ... Read more
Scholars Expand their Scientific Horizons
Scholars from across the Senior School ventured to London to the 'New Scientist Live' exhibition at the Excel Centre. From brain surgery to parachutes to the science behind headless chickens, nothing was off-limits! The Scholars ... Read more
Sailing Teamwork Makes The Dreamwork
The Sailing team raced against Warwick School in difficult conditions with winds of over 20 knots. With a variety of technical issues against them, including broken shrouds and tears in jib sheets, the team won one race and narrowly ... Read more
A top-secret mission to Bletchley Park
The First Form embarked on a top-secret mission to Bletchley Park as part of the array of activities on offer to pupils during STEM Week. The First Form had the opportunity to explore this fascinating park which was home to the ... Read more
Inclusivity, Engagement, Learning: STEM Week 2023
STEM Week is a stalwart of the Cokethorpe calendar, engaging pupils from the Prep School to Sixth Form in a week packed full of stimulating STEM-related activities, based around a different theme each year. This year the theme was ... Read more
Inspiring Young Authors
It was wonderful to welcome the author of October, October, Katya Balen, into School, in the month of October, to teach a writing workshop for pupils in Years 5 and 6 from Cokethorpe and from Combe Primary School (one of our ... Read more
Gold DofE Students Avoid Getting Bogged Down
An intrepid group of Sixth Formers embarked on their Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award qualifying expedition, having completed their training and practice expedition back in June. Armed with the equipment necessary to survive their ... Read more
A Classical Exploration of Antiquity
It was an exploration of antiquity for our Fifth Form and Lower Sixth Latin and Classics pupils as they spent the day at the British Museum in London. There was plenty of inspiration for our Classicists as they explored the statues, ... Read more
Microsoft Showcase School 2023- 2024
Cokethorpe School is delighted to have been recognised by Microsoft for a second year running as a Microsoft Showcase School. An accreditation bestowed for demonstrating a continued commitment to innovation in the use of technology to ... Read more
Learning About Life in the Wild
It was not long before our Year 1 children were off on their first school trip of the year, on an exciting and informative visit to Cotswold Wildlife Park. The children walked around the expansive grounds of the park, peeking into ... Read more
Enlightening Minds with Graffiti
Sixth Form students were delighted to attend their first in this year’s series of Enlightenment lectures from Dr Elizabeth Gemmill, a fellow of Kellogg College on ‘Cokethorpe Graffiti’. Oscar (Lower Sixth, Vanbrugh) said of the ... Read more
The inaugural Corinthian Challenge
The inaugural Corinthian Challenge took place on Wednesday 13 September with pupils running in pursuit of House glory. Amidst some excellent running, tight finishes and high excitement, Queen Anne finished third, Feilden in second, ... Read more
Levi Putting Down Roots at Cokethorpe
It was an honour to welcome back our Prize Giving speaker, the wonderful Levi Roots, to headline our inaugural ‘Gig on the Green’. Over 640 tickets were sold to the event which welcomed old, current and new families to the ... Read more
Forging Friendships
The annual Lower House Camp was, as always, a great success, as a mixture of Prep School leavers and pupils completely new to Cokethorpe came together as Lower House for the first time. The feisty First Form pupils spent the ... Read more
Geographers Draw Data from the Dunes
Whilst other Sixth Form students enjoyed the last remaining days of their holidays, fifteen intrepid Upper Sixth Geographers embarked on an enjoyable field trip to Studland Dunes on the UNESCO World Heritage Jurassic Coastline in ... Read more
Music to Spanish Ears
It was an epic 26-hour journey for our musicians as they headed to Spain over the summer holidays for their music tour, the first to consist of pupils from both the Prep and Senior Schools. On arrival at their destination, just ... Read more
A life-changing trip to Malawi
Immediately after the celebrations that marked the end of the academic year, a group of 21 pupils from across the Fifth and Sixth Forms went on a life-changing trip to Malawi. The focus of the trip was to learn more about the way in ... Read more
GCSE Results Day 2023
Fifth Form pupils at Cokethorpe School have today received the results of their efforts after months and years of preparation. After 80% of Upper Sixth UCAS applicants were accepted to their first-choice universities, following the ... Read more
Results Day 2023
A Level and BTEC students at Cokethorpe School, Oxfordshire prepare for their next steps on results day. Like their peers across the country, Cokethorpe’s Upper Sixth students have today received their results, and, in so doing, ... Read more
Stepping Up: life in and after Sixth Form
The move to Sixth Form is commonly recognised as one of the more significant transitions in a child’s educational development. Head of Sixth Form, Mr Tolputt, discusses how the School supports and guides pupils as they take this ... Read more
Hollywood Glamour at the Peacock Ball
In the evening after our Senior School Prize Giving, students, parents and teachers gathered for an evening to remember: the Summer 2023 Peacock Ball. The students were at their gracious, exuberant best, and there was magic in the ... Read more
Senior School Prize Giving
Prize Givings are primarily opportunities for the community to come together in celebration of the successes, both individual and collective, of a school's pupils. Our Senior School Prize Giving this year proved to be something rather ... Read more
Fourth Form CEW Trip to Barcelona
A group of Fourth Form linguists visited Barcelona. The first day was packed with activities which included a visit to Port Vell, the newly renovated harbour, and a walk up the Ramblas. In the nearby Barri Gotic (Catalan for Gothic ... Read more
Second Form Curriculum Enrichment Week
Our intrepid Second Form pupils set off to the Reach Outdoors Centre in Devon. Throughout the week, pupils demonstrated a huge amount of support for one another and to staff, whether that was pulling on (really pulling on!) wetsuits ... Read more
The Wind in the Willows
Stories are a very special sort of magic with some so special that every child simply must know them; Kenneth Grahame’s The Wind in The Willows sits firmly within that category. So, we were delighted that our very own Mrs Luckett ... Read more
Prep School Prize Giving
Our Prep School Prize Giving was once again a joyous occasion, celebrating all that is great about our wonderful School. The Chamber Choir sang beautifully, and Mrs Black spoke about the importance of music in the curriculum. Our ... Read more
First Form Curriculum Enrichment Week
Curriculum Enrichment Week was a little different for our First Form pupils this year, who, in a change to their planned trip to Paris, instead embraced a week of adventures a little closer to home. The week began with our linguists ... Read more
Society Informal Lunch
We were delighted to welcome sixteen Old Cokethorpeans (OCs) and families as they gathered for a School tour and an informal lunch in the historic Corinthian Room of the Mansion House. They represented five decades of Society, and ... Read more
Fourth Form Curriculum Enrichment Week
There was another carousel of exciting activities in store for our Fourth Form on their week of adventures. First up, was a day of water sports. Due to the somewhat inclement weather, there was more apprehension than usual about ... Read more
Third Form Curriculum Enrichment Week
Pupils in the Third Form participated in a carousel of activities, which included a messy visit to Combat Splat in Gloucestershire for a competitive paintballing session. A trip to Farmoor Reservoir proved a test of endurance as they ... Read more
A Record Breaking Sports Day
The Senior School Sports Day was a fabulous display of healthy competition and great sportsmanship. The atmosphere was electric, as parents and pupils descended on the Ducklington Cricket Square to watch our athletes in action. The ... Read more
A Final Farewell to French Friends
We were delighted to welcome our French exchange partners back to England for their leg of the Fourth Form exchange. Their respective Cokethorpe families welcomed them with happiness and hoorays as friends were reunited. Weekends were ... Read more
Prep and Senior School Art Exhibitions
This year, the Prep School teamed up with the Senior Art Department to celebrate the artwork from both Schools in one evening. Parents from the Prep School were able to visit their children's work in the Senior Lower Library and then ... Read more
Climbing to New Heights
After a successful year of competitions, NICAS awards and day trips, our climbing team visited the heart of North Wales to make the most of what Snowdonia has to offer. Pupils began the trip by climbing on a steep limestone ... Read more
World-Class Circuit Training
We were delighted to welcome Team GB athlete James Vogel to the Prep School to speak to pupils about his career and put them through their paces in a sponsored fitness circuit. James is a Team GB rower based at The Leander Club in ... Read more
A Sporting Dash to the Finish Line
Sports Day is always an important and eagerly anticipated event in the Prep School calendar for pupils, parents, and teachers alike, and this year was no different. The day began with our Pre-Prep taking centre stage as they ran, ... Read more
Captivating Performances in Devised Drama
Fourth Form GCSE Drama candidates presented their devised work in The Shed in front of a live audience as part of their assessments. The pupils selected and researched a range of challenging subject material before devising their ... Read more
Second Form Present Independent Research
Congratulations to our Second Form pupils who confidently presented their Independent Research Projects to their teachers and peers. They have been working on these for the past year and, back in September, each pupil came up with a ... Read more
Jolly Jaunt on the Jurassic Coast
Our plucky Year 5 pupils set off on an unforgettable camping residential trip to the Jurassic Coast in the tented village at Cumulus Outdoors, Swanage, Dorset. Guided by highly qualified and knowledgeable instructors, there was no ... Read more
A Fine Finish to the Fifth Form
After weeks of examinations and preparations for them, it was finally time for the Fifth Form to relax and attend their formal Dinner. The dinner offered pupils the well-deserved opportunity to celebrate their achievements and ... Read more
Simply Messing About in Boats
It was a trip down the River Thames this term for the whole of the Prep School (with the exception of Year 5 who were off on their residential) on their visit to the River and Rowing Museum in Henley-on Thames. All pupils in the ... Read more
Meandering Down the River Cole
Second Form Geographers have been studying river processes this year and enjoyed a sunny field trip to the River Cole on the Oxfordshire/Wiltshire border to put their classroom learning into practice. Kitted out with wellies, ... Read more
Putting Linguistic Skills to the Test
Second and Third Form pupils had the opportunity to put their Spanish skills to the test as they watched a performance of Mi Personalidad from the Onatti Theatre Company, all in Spanish. Whilst the language used was authentic and ... Read more
Down on the Farm
The Pre-Prep visited Churchills Farm in Northmoor where they saw Ruby Red cows and a one-week-old calf have his ears tagged, he was very brave! They were also all weighed together to see if they were as heavy as a bull but the 23 ... Read more
GCSE Geographers Get Lay of the Land
Fourth Form Geographers spent a fantastic weekend at Nettlecombe in Somerset as part of their GCSE course requirement. Friday afternoon involved wellies, measuring tapes and impellors to investigate flow rates, depth, width and ... Read more
Devizes to Westminster
Congratulations to our marathon kayakers who completed the Devizes to Westminster International Canoe Race over the Easter holidays. Unforgiving rain across the weeks preceding the race resulted in high water, fast flows and dangerous ... Read more
Paddles Put Pupils Through Their Paces
The Second Form took to the water at Hardwick Park as they embarked on an exciting trip to test the canoe paddles they had crafted over the last few weeks in their DT lessons. Despite the chilly morning, intermittent rays of sun ... Read more
Coasts, Canoeing and Castles in Kilvrough
It was the turn of our intrepid Year 6 pupils to embark on their adventure to the Kilvrough Manor Centre in Swansea for their three-night residential trip. The group were certainly not short of activities to keep them entertained ... Read more
Scholars’ Dinner Celebrates Success
It was a wonderful celebration of the success of our Scholars, as 130 pupils, parents and teachers gathered in the Dining Hall for the annual Scholars' Dinner. They were treated to a delicious three-course meal, courtesy of the ... Read more
Year 4 Rock First Residential
It was quite an adventure for our Year 4 pupils as they embarked on, what was for many, their first experience of staying away from home. The air of nervousness on the morning of departure quickly dissipated on arrival as pupils got ... Read more
Rockets and Rovers with Science Oxford
The Year 5 visit from Science Oxford took off as pupils experienced two spectacular workshops linked to space that encouraged both creativity and scientific thinking. The first activity was out of this world! Pupils were tasked ... Read more
Lights, Camera, Action!
The Second Form tested their skills both in front of and behind the camera, in an exciting 'Film in a Day' workshop. They learned how to produce and direct films using state-of-the-art technology and how to use a variety of different ... Read more
Visiting Author Inspires Pre-Prep
The Pre-Prep and Year 3 were very excited to have a visit from Camille Goodman, author of Mister Finch and the Queen, a quirky rhyming story about an old man who is invited to visit the Queen in London. Camille first read the story, ... Read more
Exploring Knossos at Ashmolean
Fourth Form pupils studying Greek and Latin were transported to the palace of Knossos in Crete, as they explored the wondrous artefacts on display at the Ashmolean Museum. The new exhibition, ‘Labyrinth: Knossos, Myth and Reality’ was ... Read more
Music to Our Ears as Gig Night Returns
It was a delight for all to welcome back the ever-popular Gig Night. The event provides a wonderful opportunity to share their talents, as all are welcome to participate and perform music of their choosing. This Gig Night was ... Read more
Romeo and Juliet
When Shakespeare wrote Romeo and Juliet it is unlikely that he ever imagined a cast of 55 children aged nine, ten, and eleven enacting his sixteen-part play so professionally. In the Prep School, however, challenge is to be embraced, ... Read more
An Armada of Team Building
This term, it was the turn of our Second Form pupils to rise to the challenges set for them at the Royal Navy Day. Their skills were certainly put to the test as they were building a communications tower using STEM kits they were ... Read more
Silence Speaks Louder Than Words
On Thursday 30 March, pupils and staff ate in the Dining Hall in complete silence, raising funds for The Lion’s Barber Collective, a charity that champions the importance of men's mental health, by introducing alternate routes to ... Read more
Tea, Tuck and Trinkets
The Dining Hall was awash with delicious cakes, fabulous artwork and craft stalls at the CPFA Easter Tea Party, all thanks to the incredible efforts of our fabulous Prep School pupils. Pupils worked incredibly hard to deliver this ... Read more
Rock Maths Like Tom
Pupils from the Third Form and Lower Sixth had the opportunity to ‘rock’ maths when we welcomed Dr Tom Crawford, a Mathematics tutor at the University of Oxford, to Cokethorpe. Dr Crawford runs the award-winning website ... Read more
Animal Farm
The Lent Term productions have become legendary here at Cokethorpe for their vast scale, vibrant design, and their ambitious scope. This year’s performance of Animal Farm continued this legacy with a fiery and captivating performance. ... Read more
A Bon Voyage
The Modern Foreign Languages Department were delighted to welcome back the French exchange programme, allowing a group of nineteen Fourth Form pupils to travel to the idyllic Marignane, in the South East of France. Pupils were able to ... Read more
Bikeability
Year 5 and 6 got back in the saddle as they undertook their ‘bikeability’ training course held here at Cokethorpe. Bikeability is the national standard for cycling in the UK, and the programme was delivered by qualified instructors ... Read more
Music Springs to Life
The atmosphere was electric at this year’s Spring Concert, which marked two firsts in the history of Cokethorpe’s Music Department: it was the first concert ever to take place in the Dining Hall, where the performers could take full ... Read more
Unmasking Theatrics
Fresh from their highly successful recent performance of ‘Dracula’, all of Second Form took part in a fantastic workshop with Vamos Theatre company. Learning the wonderful skills of mask work and physical expression, the pupils were ... Read more
It’s all Greek to me
Congratulations to Amelia (Feilden) and Ellie (Swift), members of the Third Form Greek AOB, for their success in the Latin and Greek Reading Competition held at the University of Oxford. The event brought together almost one ... Read more
Second Form delve into the shadows
Second Form Dramatists delved in to the shadows this term with their thrilling production of ‘Dracula’. The entire year group performed, taking responsibility for communicating a section of the story. With the use of minimal props and ... Read more
Grimm Tales told by First Form
Our First Form dramatic talent exploded onto the stage in a riot of colour, humour and physicality in the production of The Fairy Tales Grimm. Every class took responsibility for a different fairy tale, adapted from the unnerving ... Read more
Scholarly Pride
Our Heads of Scholars, Dr Harrison (SH) and Dr Oldham (CO), discuss the Scholars’ Programme and their plans for its future. How long have you headed Cokethorpe’s Scholars’ programme? I took on co-responsibility for the programme ... Read more
A Virtuosic Young Musician’s Final
‘A most joyous day’, ‘pure pleasure’ and ‘an absolute privilege’ were just some of the tributes, congratulations and never-ending praise that guest adjudicator, Mr David Gibbs, bestowed on our marvellous musicians who took part in the ... Read more
Play-based Learning in Cokethorpe Pre-Prep
Reception Class Teacher, Mrs Brash, explains the benefits of play-based learning in the Early Years Foundation Stage, followed in Cokethorpe Pre-Prep. What is play-based learning? The main thing that differentiates play-based ... Read more
Formal Celebration for Sixth Form Scholars
Sixth Form Academic Scholars enjoyed a fabulous evening of fine dining and wine tasting at the Sixth Form Scholars' Formal. This black-tie event provided the students with a highly enjoyable opportunity to familiarise themselves with ... Read more
Cokethorpe Ski Trip
After an absence of two seasons the Cokethorpe ski trip was back! On Friday 16 December, the largest group of Cokethorpe skiers in the School’s history assembled and headed to Sestriere in the Italian Alps. 107 students and pupils ... Read more
Model Students Show United Front
This year, the Sixth Form revived the Cokethorpe Model United Nations Team, which had been in abeyance since before the pandemic. Students, Joe (Upper Sixth, Queen Anne), Rachael (Lower Sixth, Feilden), Iman (Upper Sixth, Queen Anne), ... Read more
Treasure Island
The Senior School Michaelmas Term production of Treasure Island was yet another outstanding performance from our talented pupils. From its romping sea shanties to its dark brooding atmosphere of menace, this show was packed with ... Read more
Scholars’ and Christmas Art Exhibition
Scholars from the First Form to Fourth Form and Lower Sixth exhibited the wide-ranging independent research they have been conducting since September during the eagerly-anticipated Scholars' Exhibition Evening. Their investigations ... Read more
St Cecilia Concert
Over 100 Senior School pupils gathered in The Shed on Thursday 17 November for the first large-scale concert since the pandemic. The concert began with an energetic and lively performance by the orchestra, playing some of Hans ... Read more
Baarmy Bethlehem
Expectations are always high for the Pre-Prep Nativity, and when it comes to setting a mood of reverence or exuberance, this year’s Pre-Prep performance, Baarmy Bethlehem, unapologetically opted for the latter. A trio of party ... Read more
Talking Themselves into the Second Round
On Monday 5th December the Cokethorpe Public Speaking AOB entered two Teams into the first round of the ESU Public Speaking competition. Emily (Fifth Form, Gascoigne) began proceedings for Team A with a speech exploring a feminist ... Read more
A passion for English
As part of their work on Dicken’s A Christmas Carol, pupils have been writing their own descriptions of imagined mean characters and the weather. To develop their descriptive writing, some second form pupils took a trip to the Woods ... Read more
An Evening with James Haskell
On Thursday 24 November, our third annual Sports Dinner was held in the Dining Hall. Over 100 guests attended to listen to guest speaker James Haskell and take part in a fun rugby themed event and auction. Guests were treated to a ... Read more
Colour Run and 24-hours of Sport
The School was transformed into a rainbow of colour as pupils from First Form to Sixth Form ran a 5km route around the School grounds raising money for the Charity ‘Sport in Mind’. Staff took much delight in throwing different ... Read more
A Taste of Life in the Sixth Form
The Sixth Form Taster Day is always an exciting and eagerly anticipated event for our Fifth Form pupils, as they are given the opportunity to sample the Sixth Form experience. Pupils choose four full-length Sixth Form taster lessons ... Read more
Little Red Hen
Year 1 dressed as farmers, started their performance of The Little Red Hen chatting about gathering the harvest with the children offering to help. They then retold the much-loved tale assisted by Year 2 narrators. The hard-working ... Read more
Autumnal Elegance at the Six Five Dinner
At the start of term, the Six Five Dinner Challenge was introduced to students in the Lower Sixth. The idea is simple: in pairs of Houses they are to plan, organise, budget and host an early evening dinner (plus entertainment) for ... Read more
Puzzle Challenge Day
The Happy Puzzle Company certainly put a smile on the faces of Prep School pupils as they were welcomed to Cokethorpe as part of STEM week. During the Puzzle Challenge Day, pupils from Reception Class to Year 6 took part in tailored ... Read more
Hockey Heroes
Huge congratulations to our First XI Hockey team following their incredible victory at the U18 County Hockey Tournament. The squad travelled to Oxford Hawks Field Hockey Club in North Oxford to compete against the best teams in ... Read more
A Race to Rescue in STEM Week
STEM Week made its periodical return to the equation this month with a theme of ‘Race to Rescue’. There were many elements to the activities this year, which included: the Tutor Group Challenge, creating a balloon-powered racing car; ... Read more
A Rather Unconventional Wedding
Guests arrived at The Shed in their fascinators and finery for a rather unconventional wedding! The nuptials of the blushing bride, Chardonnay, and her betrothed, Jason, formed the backdrop of this year’s CPFA Murder Mystery Evening. ... Read more
Enlightenment Lecture Programme
Mr Elkin-Jones, coordinator of the Enlightenment Lectures, explores its raison d’être, and what the future holds for this intellectually invigorating programme. What is the series and how did it come about? The series has a long ... Read more
From the Romans to the Rosetta Stone
A visit to the British Museum provided inspiration for our Fifth Form Latin GCSE pupils as they explored statues, monuments and artefacts from ancient Greece and Rome. The morning was spent in the Roman rooms, examining the portraits ... Read more
Dressing for Success
The CPFA would like to thank our Prep School parents for their generous donations of old School uniform. The uniform was donated to the Mwangala Mwenda Foundation, which primarily provides practical, educational and financial support ... Read more
Space to Learn and Roam
There was an added buzz of excitement on the first day of term, as the children in Reception Class and Year 1 saw their new classrooms for the first time. This wonderful, new dedicated space for our youngest pupils boasts a host of ... Read more
Senior School Prize Giving
This year’s Senior School Prize Giving returned to its rightful place as the concluding act of the School year. It is in the act of awarding prizes that we join in celebration of the purposeful and fruitful endeavours of our pupils ... Read more
Pan in Neverland
Across the Prep School our theme for the term was ‘Onward Bound’ which enabled teachers to design learning linked to the moving-on and growing-up transitions that occur in School at year end. In designing a fitting Performing Arts ... Read more
Prep School Prize Giving
It was wonderful to be able to come together again in the marquee for the Prep School Prize Giving. We were treated to two songs from the Prep School Choir, accompanied by Dr Winkley. For the traditional Scottish lullaby, Baloo ... Read more
Senior School Summer Games
The Cokethorpe Summer Games 2022 was an eagerly anticipated event, after the success of the previous year. With a return to normality across the sporting world, we were delighted to welcome back individual running races, javelin, shot ... Read more
Approaches to Learning in a Digital Age
Mr Uglow, Director of Studies, discusses the symbiotic relationship between traditional approaches to teaching and the burgeoning opportunities for integration of technology into the modern classroom. There is, and I suspect there ... Read more
Year 6 Residential
On Monday 27 June, Year 6 travelled to Swanage, Dorset, for their end of year residential trip, run by Cumulus Outdoors. Accompanying them were Mr Gaertner, Mrs Arbuckle, and Mrs Mersh on her last outing with the Prep School. The ... Read more
International Week
Cokethorpe pupils were given the opportunity to explore what being a global citizen means as they celebrated International Week. Over this five-day period, many departments explored social, political, and environmental issues around ... Read more
The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Walk
Under a royal blue sky, The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Walk took place on the final day before Summer half term. The whole of the Prep School, with many pupils and staff wearing Jubilee-themed colours and outfits, joined in the ... Read more
Prep School Concert
Prep Arts were delighted to host a second Prep School music concert in the beautiful Corinthian Room, once again showcasing the talents of instrumentalists from Years 3 to 6. Parents enjoyed a truly diverse selection of pieces ... Read more
Build-a-Bike Launch
On 14 June, the Build-a-Bike AOB culminated in the launch of their restoration project, the Cokethorpe BSA Bantam motorcycle. Resplendent in bright ‘Post Office’ red, this glorious little machine from the 1960s has taken three years ... Read more
Foundations for Learning
Deputy Head of Prep School, Joanna James, discusses the importance of strong foundations for learning in the Prep School, and the benefits of the through school model. What do we mean by the Creative Curriculum? It is a way of ... Read more
Society of Heads’ Champions 2022
Huge congratulations to our U16 and U18 football teams on their success in the Society of Heads' football tournament. The teams competed in back-to-back finals in the national tournament which was held at Loughborough University. ... Read more
A Muddy AOB Run
As many of us were enjoying the Bank Holiday weekend from the comforts of our own homes, a brave group of Fifth Form pupils travelled to the edge of Shropshire to crawl, slide, leap and run their way through the obstacles of the Dent ... Read more
Little Shop of Horrors
The Lent Term production of Little Shop of Horrors was an explosively entertaining event, with outstanding characterisation, fantastic music, vibrant costumes, accomplished choreography and brilliant puppetry. Set in the run-down back ... Read more
Public Speaking Showcase
Public Speaking is generally characterised as being only for people who are quick-witted and confident. In fact, our Public Speaking AOB welcomes anyone willing to try new things and, in the process, boosts their confidence to a new ... Read more
An Evening of Verse
Poetry can sometimes be overlooked, often considered ‘old-fashioned’ or indeed ‘difficult,’ and yet poems can and do engage both young and old in a way no other form of literature perhaps can. Second World War poetry is often studied ... Read more
The AOB Programme
Mr Sheer, Director of Co-Curricular, discusses the AOB Programme. What is the AOB programme and how does it work? Perhaps the trickiest element of defining the AOB programme is that it serves so many functions and, with over 160 ... Read more
London Society Drinks Reception
We were delighted to welcome almost 100 Old Cokethorpeans to this year’s Cokethorpe Society Drinks Reception. Held on the Terrace of the House of Commons, guests enjoyed both the splendour of walking through the historic Westminster ... Read more
Fundraising for Ukraine
In response to the terrible humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, Cokethorpe responded in two ways. First, goods requested by The Red Cross were collected over a two-week period filling a trailer that was then delivered to a collection ... Read more
Young Musician of the Year
This year, the Young Musician of the Year Competition began with a week of tough and competitive heats. A range of instruments, clarinets and violins to electric guitars and singers, competed for their place in the coveted final. ... Read more
Inter-House Countdown
The spirit of Inter-House competition was kept alive once again during a period of lockdown. Those competitions took many forms, some, such as the Trek to Tokyo, tested the Houses in a physical capacity, whilst others warmed the ... Read more
Tutor Partnering – Pupil Perspectives
Jamie Minns (OC 2022, Vanbrugh) discusses the Tutor Partnering programme. Tell us about the Tutor Partnering system in House. Members of the Upper Sixth in Houses – and later in the year, the Lower Sixth, will join the afternoon ... Read more
Global Citizens – Keeping Cokethorpe Connected
‘No man is an island, Entire of itself; Every man is a piece of the continent, A part of the main.’ John Donne We spoke to Teacher of English Ms Jackson about her role as the Head of International Affairs and the importance of ... Read more
Holocaust Memorial Day
On Thursday 27 January, to commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day, the School was privileged once again to welcome Kenneth Appel into School via Teams to give a talk about his life. Kenneth was born into a Jewish family in Germany in the ... Read more
The Threepenny Opera
After a two-year hiatus we were delighted to be able to bring live theatrical performance back to The Shed with Bertolt Brecht’s The Threepenny Opera in front of a live (albeit restricted and socially distanced) audience. Tom (Upper ... Read more
Scholars’ Exhibition Evening
On Monday 22 November, 34 Academic Scholars from First Form to Lower Sixth took part in the Scholars’ Exhibition Evening. Attended by pupils, parents and teachers, the event was held in the Dining Hall where the Scholars each ... Read more
The EPQ Programme
What are the benefits of the EPQ programme? Mr Waldron, EPQ Coordinator explains. The Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) is an optional programme involving the exploration of a topic chosen by the student and leading to a ... Read more
Crossing Borders Week
Crossing Borders has been the subject of a recent week-long focus at Cokethorpe where, through a series of opportunities and activities, pupils and staff were encouraged to consider what it means to step out of our comfort zone and ... Read more
Show Jumping
The annual show jumping competition returned this year, with determined riding from all eighteen competitors. Pupils from the Prep School and across the Senior School came out in force to cheer on their peers at this popular event. ... Read more
The Peacock Ball
On the evening of Friday 17 September, students, parents and teachers gathered on the Mansion lawn for an evening to remember: the Summer 2021 Peacock Ball. Much like the Chelsea Flower Show, Summer came late this year; and yet it was ... Read more
Or follow us on:
Where next?
Academic
Our liberal educational model, coupled with modern pedagogical approaches, ensures pupils learn in a vibrant, engaging and intellectually stimulating environment.
The Co-Curricular Programme
Our Co-Curricular Programme covers the performing and creative arts, sport and outdoor education, the Duke of Edinburgh Awards, and our extensive range of clubs and societies.
Upcoming Events
Find out about and book for the upcoming events at the School, from Open Mornings to concerts and drama productions across the Prep and Senior Schools.
Book your tour today
Come and visit Cokethorpe, whether for an Open Morning or a personal Tour, and Discover Your Cokethorpe.
