From track to stage: house cross country and house singing
Though it may only be the first half term of the academic year, it certainly hasn’t been short on excitement and competition.
Rossall Sport kicked things off in style on 1st October with House Cross Country, the first of two major House competitions, setting the pace for what looks to be a year packed full of House spirit, rivalry, and determination.
Featuring a range of courses to suit different age groups, the afternoon began with a whole-school fun run, which was all about encouraging everyone to keep moving and challenge themselves to see how far they could go. This was followed by four scheduled competitive races where students competed to earn points for their houses, with team scores determined by the finishing positions of their scoring runners.
Well done to all of our winners for their fantastic achievements:
Y11-13 – Jemima Bradburn, Izzy Stockdale, and Teddy Rowe
Y9-10 – Emily Daniels and Pol Serrapiñana Ramon
Y7-8 – Dollie Barker and Alex Smith.
Mr Oliver Barnes, who expertly ran this year’s competition, said the event was “a fantastic opportunity to bring the school community together through sport and house spirit”. He added “Organising the event was a real team effort, and it was rewarding to see the whole school getting involved, challenging themselves and supporting their houses”, and that “the enthusiasm and house spirit was a real highlight of the afternoon”.
It was a brilliant reflection of the Rossall community as both students and staff embraced the challenge, demonstrated resilience, supported one another, and represented their Houses with pride.
The Houses then took to the stage in the annual House Singing competition on 13th October, one of the school’s most cherished contests that dates back over three decades.
This year’s theme was ABBA, selected jointly by the Music Department and the boarding community. After six weeks of hard work and preparation, each house arrived at the Sports Centre ready to showcase both its creativity, musicality and ensemble spirit.
From Wren’s sparkling tiaras to Spread Eagle’s opening guitar solo, staff and students alike enjoyed a spectacular celebration of music and witnessed an exceptional standard of performance.
A huge congratulations to Dragon House who earned 1st place with their confident and entertaining rendition of ‘Voulez Vous’, the first boys house taking the overall title for the first time in 13 years! Pelican House took a well-deserved 2nd, with Dolphin House following joyfully in 3rd.
Mr Michael Holdsworth, who co-hosted this year’s competition with Mr Nick Crombie, remarked “While we rightly celebrate those houses that placed, I think it is equally important to recognise the contribution of every student who stepped onto the stage. The girls’ houses delivered some outstanding performances, demonstrating real musicality, confidence and creativity throughout. It was particularly pleasing to see the boys' houses secure two of the top three positions [and] this is something worth celebrating beyond the competition itself. With Movember approaching, it feels pertinent to recognise the importance of challenging traditional perceptions of masculinity. Seeing young men embrace singing, movement and performance with such confidence and enthusiasm sends a powerful message to the wider school community. These boys should be immensely proud of themselves.”
This year’s competition joins the many successful House Singings Rossall has held, and like always, as Mr Michael Holdsworth remarks, it was a wonderful reminder of what makes the performing arts so valuable to life at school, “bringing people together, building confidence, celebrating individuality and creating a genuine sense of belonging”.
With a vast array of enthusiasm, talent and House pride already on display, we look forward to seeing what the next half term has in store for Rossall as we build toward Christmas!
