News & Diary
Winchester Weekly – 11th November 2025
WEEKEND ARRANGEMENTS FOR BOARDERS
Details for this weekend can be found below. Please access the Parent Portal via the link below to inform us of your child’s plans for this weekend by 23:00 on Thursday 13th November. Log in, select ‘Interactive Forms’ and ‘Weekend Sign-Out’ to complete the form.
Futures Fair on Saturday 15th November
Pupils will have the opportunity to meet with over thirty OWs and parents at the Futures Fair on Saturday at 19:00 in New Hall.
The event is targeted at VI Book 2 (Year 12) pupils, but VI Book 1 (Year 13) and V Book (Year 11) pupils are encouraged to attend.
School Concert Rehearsals on Sunday in New Hall
If your child is involved in the School Concert on Sunday please note the rehearsal times listed below:
1400-1530 Symphony Orchestra
1600-1645 Chamber Orchestra
1645-1730 Jazz Orchestra
Pupils should be ready 10 minutes before their rehearsal time.
The concert starts at 19:00 in and all are welcome to attend. No tickets are needed.
EXEAT ARRANGEMENTS FOR BOARDERS
In preparation for Exeat, all parents of boarders should complete the Exeat Arrangements form, which is also accessed via the same route on the Parent Portal; under ‘Exeat Arrangements’. Please complete the form by 13:00 on Friday 14th November. Thank you for your continued support. Your efforts to ensure that we have the correct and necessary details are much appreciated.
Exeat will begin at 13:05 on Friday 21nd November and end at 21:15 on Sunday 23rd November. Pupils may return to the boarding houses from 18:00 on Sunday.
To access these events, please ensure that you are a registered user of the Winchester College Society website and are logged in.
Futures Fair – 15th November 2025: The Futures Fair will be held on the evening of Saturday 15th November, from 18:00 – 20:00. We would love to hear from any parents or Old Wykehamists who are happy to talk about their own careers or the sectors they work in to VI Book pupils. We are looking for expertise from all sectors, but if you have experience in Humanities, Languages, Geography, Psychology, Art, Scientific Research or are an Entrepreneur, we’d love to hear from you. If you are also able to borrow any marketing materials from your employer that would add to the sense of occasion.
Advent Service – 30th November 2025: Winchester College Society warmly invites you to The Advent Service in Winchester College Chapel on 30th November. Drinks will be served in New Hall at 6.00pm, before the service begins at 7.00. Space is limited and registration is essential for this event. It is open to parents of VI Book 1 pupils, parents of Quiristers and Wykeham Patrons only. Current pupils are not able to attend the service. Places are limited to 2 adult tickets per family and, with apologies, younger siblings are not able to attend.
Parents Drinks in London – 12th February 2026: Parents are invited by Winchester College Society to join us for drinks at the Cavalry and Guards Club, London on Thursday 12th February.
Parents Quiz – 27th February 2026: Our Parents Quiz returns for 2026 on Friday 27th February. Gather your teams and get ready to buy your tickets for an evening that promises to test your general knowledge. Yuriy Evdokimov, a current parent is back by popular demand and will host the evening. The tickets are sold by table, which seat 10 people each and the cost includes your food and drink for the evening. If you would like to buy a table but don’t know all your guests’ names at this stage, please just enter TBC when asked for details.
Parents are very welcome to join us for College events. Upcoming events, including the Autumn Lecture Series (link below) are highlighted in the Winchester Weekly newsletter.
The next lecture is the Cameron Bespolka Memorial Wildlife Talk with Dr Campbell Murn FRSB FLS from the Hawk Conservancy Trust. Dr Murn will share the highs and lows of devoting his life’s work to the research and conservation of birds of prey.
Below, you can find links to our lecture series and music diary for the upcoming term.
What a fantastic Community Weekend!
Saturday began with the usual school schedule before the campus transformed for the evening festivities of hot chocolate, a roaring bonfire, an energetic performance from the pupil rock band and fireworks, before the night finished with some CalSoc reeling!
After a relaxed, later start on Sunday morning followed by the Remembrance Day Service, the late morning was packed with activities, including everything from baking and chess to Warhammer, climbing, cricket, and mindfulness!
As part of Community Weekend, the wider College community came together for a Remembrance Service on Sunday morning.
Always a special moment in the College calendar, we gathered to honour the Wykehamists and all those who gave their lives in the World Wars and in other conflicts.
Not all the fireworks were outside on Friday: Recitā lit up School with some outstanding performances.
In the lower school competition, Theo (E) won with an unexpected and captivating choice: the lyrics to Money Game III by Ren. Judge Dr Hannah Copley praised his storytelling, rhythm, and powerful use of silence. Sid (F) placed second with a thoughtful, personal reading of Dylan Thomas’s Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night, and George (D) came third for his compelling delivery of Martin Luther King’s I Have a Dream speech.
The upper-school competition was equally strong. Oliver (X) won the King’s Silver Medal with a striking recital of Ocean Vuong’s Aubade with a Burning City. Kirin (K) took second for a confident and intimate performance of Speaking American by Bill Hicok, while Toby (H) was third for his measured and haunting reading of Eliot’s The Hollow Men.
Congratulations to all!
On a bright November day, Winchester travelled to Goodwood GC for the Regional Semi-Final of the ISGA Knockout Competition, fully aware of the challenge posed by a strong Seaford side.
Harry (I), playing first, stormed to a 5-up lead before his scratch-playing opponent fought back. Despite a flare-up of a recent back injury, Harry held his nerve to secure a 2&1 win.
Seb (G) faced the same county player as last year and found himself 3 down after 8 holes. He responded brilliantly, winning seven holes in a row for a 4&3 victory.
Sander (A), battled hard and wore down his opponent to claim another 4&3 win.
A superb team performance gives Winchester a place in the Regional Final and a shot at the National Finals once again.
Congratulations to Hopper’s, this year’s champions, who soared to victory with an incredible 150-point lead!
Teams from across College took on the challenge of delivering a fragile payload safely down a zipline onto a target, a true test of precision, creativity, and engineering skill.
A huge thank-you to all houses who took part and made the afternoon such a brilliant showcase of ingenuity and teamwork.
In October, 15 of our VBk students took part in a memorable exchange visit to Bad Reichenhall, continuing our nearly 40-year partnership with the Karlsgymnasium. The group received a warm welcome from their host families and enjoyed an authentic experience of German life, attending school lessons and exploring the beautiful Bavarian region.
Highlights of the week included a breath taking boat trip on the Königssee, an exciting visit to the salt mine in Berchtesgaden and a day discovering the sights of Munich, Bavaria’s vibrant capital. The students returned with new friendships, lasting memories and a deeper appreciation of German culture.
Our first Model UN (MUN) conference with St Swithun’s this year was enjoyable to all of those involved.
The topic of the conference was: “The Question of Ukraine’s Prospective Membership in NATO”, with the aim of introducing newer members to MUN.
Particular mention should go to Andy (D) as Italy, Zach (also D) as Ukraine, and John (X) as Russia, who contributed greatly despite this being their first MUN conference with the College.
