ROSSALL NEWS
Dates for your Diary
Events
Building Learning Power: Growth Mindset and an Ethic of Excellence
From Scotland to the World’s Stage: Mr Hall Heads to UCI Gravel Cycling World Championships
Sixth Form Celebrate Superb IB, A Level and BTEC Results
Outstanding GCSE Examination Results
Student Success: London Piano Recital
Rossall’s CCF Royal Navy Section Host Mess Dinner
Year 7's First Practical Lesson in Rossall Kitchen
Boarders Enjoy a Wonderful First Weekend
Ways to be Well at Rossall
Da Vinci Academy Dates
Saturday Broadway Academy
With Love from Chapel
IN THIS ISSUE
PRE-PREP & PREP SCHOOL NEWSLETTER
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
Friday 5th September - Rossall Rose Society ‘Back to School Celebration’, please confirm your attendance via this form >
Tuesday 23rd September - Year 7 Parent Lunch, please confirm your attendance via this form >
Thursday 25th September - Year 8 & 9 Parent Lunch, please confirm your attendance via this form >
Tuesday 30th September - Year 10 & 11, please confirm your attendance via this form >
Thursday 2nd October - Year 12 & 13, please confirm your attendance via this form >
Saturday 4th October - Whole School Open Day. This event is open to both current and prospective families. If you would like to share the event with friends or family that may be interested in Rossall, please do so. Sign up for the event via this form >
Thursday 9th October - Sixth Form Options Open Evening. This event is open to both current and prospective families. If you would like to share the event with friends or family that may be interested in Rossall, please do so. Sign up for the event via this form >
OPEN DAY - Saturday 4th OCTOBER 2025
Choosing a school is a significant family decision and we want to give all prospective pupils and their families an opportunity to experience all that Rossall has to offer.
We want you to know that this is the right school for you and your child.
An Open Day at Rossall provides an insight into the vibrant and varied life of our wonderful community.
You will be able to visit any departments or specialist programmes your child is interested in and talk directly with both staff and students who will be there to answer any questions.
Building Learning Power: Growth Mindset and an Ethic of Excellence
Rossall’s Director of Professional Development, Mr David Clarke, explores the importance of resilience in education... and elsewhere!
Resilience has become one of the most valuable attributes that schools can nurture in young people. In a world characterised by rapid change, uncertainty, and challenge, the ability to recover from setbacks, embrace feedback, and persevere is central to success both within and beyond the classroom.
At Rossall, our ethos of shaping lives and inspiring excellence is underpinned by…..
From Scotland to the World Stage: Mr Hall Heads to UCI Gravel Cycling World Championships!
We’re thrilled to share some exciting news from our school community, Mr Matt Hall has qualified for the UCI Gravel Cycling World Championships in the Netherlands this October!
After a strong performance in The Gralloch race in southwest Scotland back in May, Mr Hall secured a place in the world championships by finishing among the top riders in his age group. The confirmation email came a week later but was still a bit of a surprise: "I was just recovering from the race and hardly believed I had made the cut; honestly I was a bit dumbfounded when I read it!" he said.
The world championship race will take place on 10–11 October in the rolling hills northeast of Maastricht. It's a grueling 100-mile route, mostly off-road on gravel tracks and paths, certainly for the faint-hearted.
Training through the summer has had its challenges, especially with the holidays disrupting any sense of routine. Still, Mr Hall is pushing through and gearing up for what promises to be an unforgettable experience representing their country and community on a global stage.
We’ll be cheering them on every mile of the way! We’re so proud of your determination, skill and resilience Mr Hall.
STUDENT SUCCESS: LONDON PIANO RECITAL
A huge congratulations to Richard on his London debut recital at the iconic St James’s Church Piccadilly!
This special performance was awarded to him as first prize in this year’s Beethoven Piano Society of Europe Junior Intercollegiate Competition, where he placed top amongst young pianists from the UK’s specialist music schools and junior conservatoires.
Richard captivated a packed audience with a commanding programme of Bach, Scriabin, Schumann, and Beethoven, receiving a standing ovation for his remarkable artistry. What an incredible milestone — bravo, Richard!
ROSSALL’s CCF Royal Navy Section Host Mess Dinner
In a shining example of naval tradition and esprit de corps, Rossall School’s CCF Royal Navy Section proudly hosted its first Mess Dinner on Thursday 19th June. An evening that celebrated the cadets for their year dedicated to the customs, discipline, and fellowship at the heart of the Senior Service.
The evening presided over by Mess President CPOC Johnny L, whose steady hand and unwavering dedication helped guide proceedings with characteristic poise. The event was overseen by Section Commander Lieutenant Rebecca Heath, whose leadership and dedication continues to shape and inspire the RN Section. The dinner also welcomed honoured guests………
Year 7's First Practical Lesson in Rossall Kitchen
This week, our students step into Rossall Kitchen for their very first practical lesson. Aprons are tied, chopping boards are set, and the atmosphere is full of excitement as they learn one of the most important foundations of safe cookery: the bridge and claw knife techniques. These essential skills help them chop with confidence and precision, and it’s wonderful to see so many focused faces as they put them into practice for the first time.
This is just the beginning of their culinary journey. Throughout the term, students will build on these basics, learning how to the oven, hob, and grill, as well as exploring safe food storage. Already, they are beginning to apply their classroom knowledge of food allergies and intolerances, showing real awareness of the needs of others as they prepare food.
The Rossall Kitchen is designed to help students grow step by step. By Year 11, pupils will graduate to advanced skills such as filleting a whole fish and portioning a chicken, a remarkable transformation from these first knife cuts in Year 7. Cooking is more than just a life skill; studies show that……
Our Boarders enjoy a wonderful first weekend
The boarders have settled into their new homes with great enthusiasm, quickly making their bedrooms their own and beginning to create a warm sense of belonging. They have enjoyed spending time with their housemates, forming new friendships and sharing stories as they settle into daily routines. At the same time, they have also embraced the opportunity to connect with students from other houses, particularly during the lively and energetic Chaos Games, an interhouse competition filled with fun challenges and plenty of laughter. The games offered a perfect chance for everyone to come together, show their house spirit, and support one another, all while building the bonds that make the boarding community so special.
Huge congratulations to…..
It is hard to believe that we have reached the end of our first week back at school. It has been really wonderful to see the community together again, and to be surrounded by such positivity. With that being said, we are also conscious that the start of the school year may lead to anxiety for some children - whether it is the transition from Year 6 to Year 7, GCSE exams becoming ever closer, or being away from home more, Young Minds has an article about supporting children at home with this anxiety. What To Do If Your Child Is Anxious About School | YoungMinds.
Another important part of returning to school is maintaining healthy routines. Students this week have been introduced to Sleeptember - a national campaign aimed at healthier sleep habits and better rest. We are encouraging students in boarding to track their sleep and to try introducing concrete wind-down routines. The Sleep Hub offers excellent resources for parents and young people, so that we can all benefit from a good night’s rest. The quick guide below from the National College is a great starting place for introducing new sleep routines at home.
- Mrs Jennifer Moore, Director of Wellbeing
WAYS TO BE WELL AT ROSSALL
“You only stay true to yourself if you embrace change!”
A slightly loose translation of a line in a, by now, quite old German song, written by Wolf Biermann, who became famous for his outspoken criticism of the East German government during the Cold War.
“You can only stay true to yourself if you embrace change” is also a good motto for the start of a new school year: for many of our students a year far away from home or a fresh start into new academic endeavours - for others just another step in the process of growing up.
It is important to know that God is with us in these changes and that He supports us in our strife to do the right thing. In chapel today, we read the story of Zacheus, a tax-collector come do-gooder, who was so desperate to see and hear Jesus that he climbed on a tree to make sure he does not miss out on his chance.
And Jesus does not shun him, even though there are many more listeners who might have been considered less sinful than Zacheus. Instead, Jesus seeks him out and Zacheus’ life changes forever. He gives away half of his wealth and reimburses those he had betrayed many times over.
Now, drastic changes like that are scary, and I imagine it is equally scary for our students (and us) to start afresh with new resolutions and with the aim of becoming a better person.
God supports us in these changes, but he invites us to join Him even before we have made them. There is always space at His table for those of us who want to find Him.
With that in mind, I would love to invite you to our weekly prayer meeting for parents and friends, every Thursday Week B at 8:30am (we meet at the Sports Centre Reception). It is a wonderful opportunity to remind ourselves that God is there with us while we support our school community - as well as a chance to have a lovely chat and a nice cup of tea.
- Mrs Kerstin Dixon, Chaplin
with love from chapel
We are delighted to be working on the next edition of The Rossallian, our school newspaper that has become an integral part of Rossall School. This publication serves as a wonderful showcase of the exciting range of activities, events, and opportunities our pupils enjoy across both the senior and preparatory school. We are excited to continue sharing our community’s experiences and achievements with you.
Once again, The Rossallian will be available in both print and digital formats, reaching alumni, parents, staff, and friends of Rossall, as well as prospective families at open days and visits.
To support this initiative at no cost to the school, we are once again partnered with Timesed Ltd to invite a selection of high-quality local and regional businesses to advertise in our newspaper. We are grateful to those who have already participated and helped to make this publication possible.
As valued members of our school community, we want to ensure you have the first opportunity to take part. If you would like to learn more about advertising options within The Rossallian, please contact Carl Huyton directly at carl.huyton@times-ed.co.uk. Carl will also be reaching out to other local businesses in the coming weeks.
Thank you for your continued support in making The Rossallian a valuable and engaging publication for the Rossall community.
