News

Welfare

Another fantastic week has flown by here at Founders House! Week four has seen our students continue to grow in confidence, both with their English speaking skills and with the friendships they're building. We had a lot of emotional farewells at the end of the week which is telling of the strong friendships built this summer! 

On Saturday students showed off their cooking skills with cultural dishes from home during house time, giving everyone a taste of different cuisines from around the world!

Students also learnt fun facts about London during the walking tour this week, discovering hidden gems and history along the way. There was plenty of sport too, with football games and badminton keeping everyone active. It's also been great to see students being so helpful and proactive around the boarding house, lending a hand wherever needed!

Academic 

Week four at Whitgift Summer School exemplified another masterclass in academic distinction as our international learners and an outstanding teaching faculty seamlessly sustained our exceptional momentum. Following rigorous morning sessions centred on advanced linguistic progression, our afternoon task-based initiatives ventured into intellectually stimulating and highly participatory territories.

Our senior students orchestrated sophisticated presidential campaigns, precisely targeting advanced oral proficiency with an emphasis on rhetorical delivery and vocal cadence, while the junior cohorts engineered complex, interactive board games accompanied by meticulously drafted rule books. As Director of Studies, witnessing these global pupils transition so assuredly into persuasive public orators and methodical game strategists served as the definitive highlight of an exceptionally good week.

Activities 

Our Multi-Activity students got properly stuck in this week, trying their hand at practical survival skills, cooking up a storm in cookery classes, and battling it out on the volleyball court. Over in the specialist Academies, students worked with expert coaches and teachers in Fencing, Basketball, Design & Technology, Horse Riding, and Street Dance. It was brilliant seeing everyone try something completely new or sharpen up their existing skills, all while making firm friends with our international students and Student Ambassadors.

The evening entertainment started with high energy during Find the Activity Leader, a campus-wide treasure hunt with a twist. Later in the week, our students turned bin bags and art room odds-and-ends into high fashion, putting on a runway show that could give Harrods a run for its money! Speaking of Harrods, we actually visited the iconic store over the weekend alongside a London walking tour and a trip to the Natural History Museum. Earlier in the week, everyone got to channel their inner James Bond with an immersive trip to SPYSCAPE in Covent Garden.

The competition for the Krispy Kreme Cup hit a whole new gear. A multi-sport afternoon of Rounders, Ultimate Frisbee, and Capture the Flag saw impressive displays from Houses Austen and Dickens. But Thursday’s Laser Tag tournament shifted everything, with House Pankhurst showing incredible strategy under pressure. Austen fought hard to hang onto the title, but House Pankhurst just edged ahead at the finish line to claim their first trophy win of 2026, huge congratulations to them.

As we wrap up Week 4, we are preparing for a busy weekend of change. We send a huge, warm welcome to all of our new students joining us, while bidding a fond farewell to those departing. We wish our leaving students every success in their next steps and hope to welcome you all back to Whitgift again soon!