Latest News

Oakham’s annual Careers Week has gone online this year with pupils able to view a series of online videos made by industry experts designed to provide them with an insight into different careers and some top tips for their future job applications. 

Form 6 Critical and Contextual Studies pupils have welcomed some wonderful guest speakers recently including the artist Ann-Marie James, who gave a talk about her career from leaving School to being a successful exhibiting artist. 

OO Dr Navin Leanage (07), junior registrar (ST3) in emergency medicine, recently joined Oakham’s Doc Soc meeting online to give his perspective on the A&E ward during the current pandemic to pupils in Forms 6.

Oakham School’s Spanish Department is excited to announce the launch of their new Business Spanish course – Global Business Communication Spanish.

At the end of the first half of the Spring Term, third formers and Form 6 IB Diploma Ab Initio students of Spanish were in their kitchens making Spanish tortilla (Spanish omelette).

During the last week of term Lower School pupils enjoyed taking part in another Middle Years Programme (MYP) Community Day event, continuing their work from the first Community Day that took place in October

The Form 6 Critical and Contextual Studies group were lucky to have a wonderful guest speaker on Teams to talk to them about working within arts organisations.

Oakham’s Lower School pupils will take a dramatic voyage this term, as they have begun their virtual rehearsals of The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.

Form 2 pupils have been exploring algorithms ‘unplugged’ this half-term using game design as inspiration.

Form 6 Critical and Contextual Studies (CCS) pupils recently welcomed guest speaker Andrew Gillespie, artist, curator and lecturer, who also runs a project space called ‘Recent Activity’ in Birmingham.

As Oakham School Sports Department begins the recruitment process for the next intake of Sports Graduate Fellow roles starting in September 2021, we talk to current and former Sports Graduates about the experience they have gained at the School. 

The Matthews Society welcomed its second guest speaker of the term on Friday, this time Gwyneth Cook (OO 17), who explored the topic of ‘The Male Gaze’ in Art.

Form 6 pupils met virtually for the first time to discuss fundraising for a Nepalese School in Pokara as part of their International Baccalaureate Creativity, Activity and Service (CAS) project.

This term Oakhamians have been enjoying taking part in an astonishing range of over 150 activities, as part of the School’s Distance Learning provision. 

Congratulations to the three Oakhamians and one Old Oakhamian who have received offers this week to study at Oxbridge.  

The Oakham School community joined together on Wednesday to commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day, which this year marked the 75^th anniversary of the liberation of the concentration camps at Auschwitz-Birkenau.

The girls of Gunthorpe House have successfully taken part in a new weekend challenge – to prepare and serve brunch or afternoon tea for their family – encouraging everyone to do something for others.  

The Matthews Society moved online this month with a talk from OO Ella Norgaard Morton (16), former Matthews Society President and now a medical student at the University of Manchester.

Alicia Kearns, MP for Rutland and Melton, used her first parliamentary speech of 2021 as an opportunity to thank and give recognition to the many members of her constituency who have provided significant help and support to the local community during 2020. 

The sports pitches may be quiet at Oakham School, but the Sports Department are still incredibly busy during lockdown – today having launched the School’s new ‘Sport and Wellbeing Course’ for the Spring Term.

Although our community may now be apart due to the new lockdown, Oakham School restarted the term today, Monday 11 January.

The countdown to this year’s BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year Awards, which features Old Oakhamian Stuart Broad, is now on! 

It’s been a busy, successful year for OO Claire Bodanis (nee Windsor, ’92), and her husband, David, with both publishing books to great acclaim.

The 1584 Society met for its second online event of the year - an online ‘Winter Wine Tasting’. Members from across the UK, as well as the USA and Australia, joined for an evening of wine and good cheer. Peter Lawson, the 1584 Society President, hosted the evening, welcoming the guests and giving an update on the Society and the Foundation to the donors.

On Monday 14 December at 6pm, a guest list of over 100 OOs from the classes of 1960 – 2016, all got together to celebrate Christmas in a very different way. In true 2020 style, the Christmas Drinks took place on Zoom and it was wonderful to see the OO Community come alive online, sharing memories and enhancing the festive spirit together, despite the current restrictions.

A Year in the News like No Other

It was great to catch up with our OO President, David Gilman (89), to discuss his role at Sky News. Sky, like many other organisations, have had to find new ways of working to adapt to the recent COVID time. Having recently directed the U.S. Election, David explains how directing the news in 2020 has been an experience like no other.

Huge congratulations to Form 4 music scholar, Eddie, who has achieved a distinction in his ATCL drum kit diploma.

Pupils and staff have participated in a variety of different charity giving initiatives this term, with a particular focus on helping those who are less fortunate this Christmas.

Pupils have enjoyed reuniting with their friends within their House bubbles this term, taking part safely in a vast array of House activities and interhouse competitions.

Oakham’s Lower School pupils have helped to donate over 300 gifts for the Trent Vineyard Church, in partnership with Nottingham City Housing Association, who currently support over 300 families in temporary hostel accommodation.

Oakham’s singers have been hard at work in recent weeks, recording a range of music for a specially-filmed sequence of Carols & Readings for Christmas 2020.

Festive fun may have taken a slightly different, socially safe form this year – but the Oakham community has continued and adapted, proving the Grinch is right, that "Christmas will always be as long as we stand heart to heart and hand in hand." 

Oakhamians of all ages have been enjoying virtual experiences this term from a variety of experts in their field.

Old Oakhamians continue to make national news, particularly our sports stars - with Stuart Broad being nominated for BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2020 and Lyndon James securing a new two-year deal with Nottinghamshire CCC.

The Winter Term has been a busy one for all of Oakham's boarders - who have enjoyed an array of activities both in House, and when it could be organised safely, out and about enjoying all that Rutland and the surrounding area has to offer!

We are delighted to announce the publication of our new look Oakhamian and Old Oakhamian magazines.

Our Winter Term Music at Lunchtime series was brought to a close this week with a beautiful piano recital by Samantha, a Form 5 music exhibitioner

We were delighted to hold our inaugural Oakham School Carol Composition Competition for our pupils this November. We were impressed with the creativity shown by the entrants and we look forward to showcasing recordings of the compositions in due course.

Mr Trefon Vandoros, Assistant Director of Sport (Boys) and Director of Athletics, recently joined forces with The John Fisher School in Purley, where he previously taught for 10 years to support the Teenage Cancer Trust.

Nine years since his last visit to Oakham, international award-winning author Marcus Sedgwick, paid a virtual visit to all Lower Schools pupils.

Whilst our original billing went into self-isolation, we were delighted to welcome performances from four pupils, due to undergo ABRSM music examinations in a week’s time...

Congratulations to Old Oakhamian Stuart Broad who has been nominated for BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2020!  

Meghan Goodeve, curator and educator, who works for Yorkshire Sculpture International, gave an engaging virtual talk about her work to Form 6 pupils of Critical and Contextual Studies.

Tim Weston, Head of Design and Technology at Oakham School, has teamed up with black+blum to launch a NEW national product design competition for children aged 11–14.

We were delighted to host our inaugural Oakham School Carol Composition Competition for Prep Schools this November...

Congratulations to winner Riya (Form 3) and runner up Yat (Form 5) whose Christmas card designs were chosen for this year’s School Christmas cards!

Oakham’s four Lower School Houses have joined together to create a giant Advent Calendar that will retell the story of the Nativity over the final 12 days of term.

Live theatre returns to Oakham School this week, with the Scholars’ production of Decky Does a Bronco by Douglas Maxwell.

Congratulations to Wharflands House, who swept the board at the annual interhouse Steeplechase for the second year running, winning the Junior, Inter and the Senior races.

For this week's lunchtime concert, we were treated to a sensational singing recital by Form 3, Evie. Evie performed a complex programme of music by Ivor Gurney and Roger Quilter...