News & Diary
Winchester Weekly – 27th January 2026
WEEKEND ARRANGEMENTS FOR BOARDERS (31st January & 1st February 2026)
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 by 23:00 on Thursday 29th January. Log in, select ‘Interactive’ and ‘Weekend Sign-out’ to complete the form.
Please note: On Sunday, V Book pupils should be back UTH in time for tea, prior to their Parents’ Evening.
WEEKEND ARRANGEMENTS (7th & 8th February 2026)
The school will hold its second community weekend of the year during the weekend of the 7-8th February. This is for JP and MP pupils only, with other year groups broadly following their normal schedules.
Weekend activities
– All pupils will be up to books as normal on Saturday before gathering to cheer on the respective Win:Co:Fo: sides in XVs that afternoon.
– JP and MP pupils will continue with a programme of activities from 16:00 on Saturday to include laser tag, inflatables, circus skills and a film with popcorn and snacks.
– Chapel will follow a slightly modified pattern and details will be circulated shortly.
– Jun VIs for JP and MP will run from 10:30 to 13:30 on Sunday.
– The school’s 24-Hour Charity Music Event starts at 16:00 on Saturday 7 February.
Weekend leave arrangements
– JP & MP pupils may not take their Flexi over this weekend but may be signed out from 14:00 on Sunday.
– Pupils in other year groups may follow the usual protocols for seeing parents.
– On Sunday, VI Book 1 pupils must be back UTH in time for tea, prior to their Parents’ Evening.
LEAVE-OUT ARRANGEMENTS FOR BOARDERS (13th-22nd February 2026)
In preparation for the end of term, all parents of boarders should complete the Leave-out Arrangements form, which is accessed via the Parent Portal; under ‘Leave-out Arrangements’. Please complete the form by Friday 6th February.
It is generally not possible to authorise early leave for Leave-out, which will begin at 13:05 on Friday 13th February and end at 21:15 on Sunday 22nd February. Pupils may return to the boarding houses from 16:00 on Sunday 22nd February.
To access some of these events, you may need to be a registered user of the Winchester College Society website and logged in.
Parents Drinks in London – 12th February: Join the Headmaster and Winchester College Society for drinks at the Cavalry and Guards Club, London.
Past Parents’ Dinner – 6th March: We would love to welcome back parents of OWs for dinner in College Hall. Tickets are now on sale.
More information and registration
Bobber’s Boys: a talk about A Noble Company, a book by Shaun Hullis – 18 March 2026
Join us for a discussion about A Noble Company, a book about Hopperites during the Second World War.
Hong Kong Gala Dinner, Monday 23 March, 18:30-22:00, The Aberdeen Marina Club
Please join The Hong Kong Friends of Winchester College and the OW Hong Kong Guild at a Gala Dinner. The Headmaster, Ms Elizabeth Stone will be the guest of honour.
Parents are very welcome to join us for College events. Upcoming events, including the Spring Lecture Series (link below) are highlighted in the newsletter.
The Founder’s Obit photograph of Junior Part is still online and available to order with delivery direct to your home address.
Please use the below link, and your email address when prompted, to view and order on the Gillman & Soame website.
If you have any queries, please feel free to contact Gillman & Soame directly at [email protected] or on 01869 328200.
On Wednesday 21st January, the Winchester Philharmonic Choir, joined by singers from the Winchester College Choral Society and Chapel Choir, and supported by local choirs, came together at Winchester Cathedral for a memorable performance of Bach’s magnificent Mass in B Minor.
Conducted by the College’s Director of Music, Mrs Sarah Baldock, the concert was a powerful and uplifting celebration of one of Bach’s most revered works.
Rarely has Winchester College welcomed a Cardinal, perhaps only twice in over 600 years, but this Thursday, 29th January, Cardinal Timothy Radcliffe will give a brief talk followed by an open Q&A session.
Cardinal Timothy was global Master of the Order of Preachers (Dominicans) from 1992 until 2001 in which role he travelled to every continent (bar Antarctica), founded Dominican Volunteers International and played a key role in helping to establish the Franciscan-Dominican representative offices at the United Nations.
A well-known preacher and speaker, and former Master of the Order of Preacher, he was created Cardinal by Pope Francis in December 2024.
As part of Community Weekend, the Charities Committee will be hosting a 24-hour Music Concert in support of Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity (GOSH), running from 16:00 on Saturday 7th February, to 16:00 on Sunday. The event will feature continuous livestreamed performances from over 100 pupils and staff. The link to the livestream will be sent out next week.
Parents are very welcome to join in person for selected concerts, including the Concerto Competition, Candlelight Compline and the JP Music Award Holders’ Concert, or to watch via the YouTube livestream (the link will be shared closer to the concert).
All money raised will go directly to GOSH, helping to support seriously ill children and their families through vital care, as well as purchasing equipment and funding research. Donations are warmly appreciated, as the Committee works towards a fundraising target of £7,200, just £5 for every minute of music.
Last week, Winchester enjoyed a competitive and engaging rackets fixture against Cheltenham College, with several closely fought matches across the board.
The 1st pair of Amar and Oscar (both I) produced a strong 3–1 victory, built on assured serving and consistent rally play. Due to his usual partners being out of action, Jamie (G) teamed up with Theo (E) and the pair showed great adaptability and resilience in a spirited contest, producing some excellent rallies despite a 3–1 defeat.
Erica (A) and Fergus (B) delivered one of the matches of the day, pushing Cheltenham all the way to a tense deciding game after a tenacious comeback, eventually losing narrowly.
Sam (A) and Felix (E) rounded out the day, contesting a tightly balanced five-game match, with Cheltenham edging the final game 15–10.
Overall, it was a determined and commendable set of performances, well done all!
On Sunday 18th January, the Chess A and B teams travelled to Eton to take part in the ECF Schools Rapidplay Championship, a prestigious tournament bringing together many of the country’s leading chess schools.
Demonstrating the impressive depth of chess at Winchester, both teams competed in the Open section, which has no maximum rating limit. Winchester B faced a tough challenge in their opening round against tournament a top team in Dulwich A, but responded with determination and resilience, finishing a very respectable 19th out of 57 teams.
Winchester A enjoyed a particularly strong tournament, leading the field after four rounds. In the final round they met the highest-rated team, Magdalen College School A, in an exciting and closely fought match. Thanks to an excellent team effort, including two fine wins from Ethan (X) and Rex (G), the teams finished level on points.
Although Magdalen College School took the title on tie-break, Winchester A secured an outstanding second-place finish, a wonderful achievement for such a young team, with only one player in the VIth Book.
Well done all!
