Latest news
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
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Academic
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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.
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