ROSSALL NEWS

Rossall Shines at the 37th AJIS Cross Country

Congratulations to Rossall Prep School on celebrating 25 years of hosting the AJIS Cross Country.

This special milestone was marked not only by a fantastic event, but also by some outstanding performances. The school proudly secured team silverware in both the U10 Boys and U10 Girls competitions, with a standout individual achievement from Ralph, who earned an impressive bronze medal in the U11 Boys race.

Well done to all pupils, staff, and supporters for making the day such a memorable celebration of sport and teamwork.

Afro-Caribbean Society Shares a Powerful Message

I am always struck by the deluge of micro aggressions many Black people have to face, often on a daily basis. On a train, for example, you’ll be the last person a white traveller will sit next to as they assess where to sit. In London you’ll need on average two or three vacant black cabs for one to stop. In shops and in stores the body language of the service provider readily tells you’re not welcome. These unspoken and at times spoken narratives at work and beyond are designed to make you feel less than others.

These are the words of Sir Simon Woolley, the Principal of Homerton College, University of Cambridge…..

Student Success Stories

We are delighted to celebrate Jess’s fantastic sporting achievements in netball. After successfully trialling, Jess has been selected for both the Cheshire County Netball U13 Squad and the Manchester Thunder Pathway U13 Black performance squad, an incredible accomplishment that reflects her talent, hard work, and dedication to the sport.

Alongside these representative honours, Jess is also a proud and committed member of Kingsway Power Netball Club, based in Cheadle, Manchester, where she continues to train and develop her skills. We are extremely proud of Jess’s success and look forward to following her journey as she continues to excel on and off the court.

Last Friday, our Headmasters Girls XI Football Team welcomed Wath Academy to our grounds and played their first league match of the season. The crowd of loyal Rossallian supporters lining the touch line gave the match an absolutely electric feel with every play being returned with an uproar of cheers. It was an incredibly close game with an abundance of chances being exchanged from both sides, but by the time the final whistle blew, both teams had to settle for a 2-2 draw. A great effort from our girls and a special well done to Jess Lord who got her brace and put two goals past the Wath goalkeeper, what a way to start the season! Well done to all of our players and we look forward to the next match!

- Adeiteoluwa, Year 13 Student

Oxford University’s Open Day visit

Last week, a group of twelve year eleven students and two teachers, including myself, made the journey down to Oxford to attend the University’s Open Day. It was an unforgettable experience for everyone involved, and is something that I would highly recommend to anyone who may be interested in attending the university in the future.

On the day we traveled down to Oxford, we were greeted warmly by staff and student helpers. As a school we were lucky enough to have been invited to stay on site in Christ Church College. In my opinion, this gave us great insight into what a night as a student at university would feel like. We ate together in the Christ Church dining hall (which, as an avid Harry Potter fan as a child, I was very excited about) and were treated to an amazing dinner. There were also activities for prospective students to take part in—we decided to head to the first year common room, where we were able to enjoy many activities such as table football, pool, and darts. As well as this, we were also able to meet some other students from across the country, and it was a great opportunity to make some new friends. 

The next day after breakfast, we split off into different groups and attended various lectures and introductions to courses across the vast campus. Personally, I attended two course introductions; Classics and English Literature. In both introductions, a brief overview of the different courses were given, A level and IB results were clarified, the application process spoken through and there was time for any questions at the end. For me, I specifically enjoyed the Classics introduction, as someone who enjoys ancient history, and it showed me many different choices of courses I could take without necessarily having an ancient language at A level. This is helpful for me, as my passion for classics isn’t primarily rooted in learning the language. However the English Literature course also sparked some interest, and very clearly showed what would be studied in each year of the course, and the different pathways that former English students have taken. The lectures also gave insight to how a tutorial session would work, which is something exclusive to Oxford and Cambridge. 

After our lectures, the students were given some free time to explore the city. I would wholeheartedly recommend visiting Oxford, even if there is not an open day happening, as the city in itself is truly beautiful. We took this opportunity to look around various colleges, find something to eat and enjoy the warm weather. Each of us were also given a short book as part of the trip, which gave us each a brief overview of our chosen subject. I have already read some of the book that I was given, and it has been very interesting so far. 

Overall, the trip was both enjoyable and educational. It was an amazing two days to experience with friends, and I would highly recommend that if the opportunity arose again that everyone who could even possibly be interested in Oxford University to attend another one of their open days.