Oakhamians step into Christmas together

Oakhamians have been celebrating the festive season as a community with some time-honoured traditions, several new seasonal activities, and a continued focus on sustainability.

The whole School community came together in the final week of term for two Carol Services held in the magnificent setting of Peterborough Cathedral. Whilst the School holds a number of Carol Services each year in our own Chapel, we are honoured, as part of our connection with the Diocese of Peterborough, for our services to be hosted at Peterborough Cathedral every three years. Separate services were held for the Lower School and Middle and Upper School and featured lessons read with poise and confidence by the Heads of Houses, the Heads of School, and senior members of staff, as well as an address by School Chaplain Fr Tim Tregunno. The Lower School Choir and the Chapel Choir led their respective services and sang a wide range of carols both old and new, including new musical arrangements by Director of Music, Peter Davis.

Senior Deputy Head, Arthur Mayhew, said: “Holding our Carol Services in the historic location and wonderful atmosphere of Peterborough Cathedral is always a moving experience and it has been particularly special for the services to take place after Covid prevented this from happening last year.”

Closer to home, all areas of the School campus have been filled with sparkling Christmas lights and trees and Oakhamians in all 16 Houses have been enjoying their own Christmas traditions by decorating their Houses, wearing Christmas jumpers, sharing gifts, and donating items to the Rutland Foodbank. Pupils in Barrow House have also provided jigsaw puzzles for the Trent Vineyard Church in Nottingham, as part of their ‘Love Christmas’ charity appeal.

In our annual Art Scholars’ Christmas Card competition, winners Riya and Ella saw their designs of ‘The Queen Elizabeth Theatre – Winter Scene’ and ‘Festive Oakham’ respectively transformed into the official Oakham School Christmas cards for 2022.

Pupils have welcomed the return of joint Christmas parties and social activities and have participated in a vast array of festive events. Pupils in the Lower School enjoyed a hog roast, magician and games and the Boys’ and Girls’ Houses higher up the School celebrated with joint Christmas Dinners in the Barraclough, followed by skits and speeches in Houses. On the final night of term, Form 7 students in Round House and School House enjoyed a chilly but superb outdoor après-ski themed party with seasonal refreshments, carol singing in Chapel, plus a silent disco in the School House quad.

As part of their work in combatting climate change, Seventh Formers Will and Izzy led a Form 7 assembly on ways to celebrate Christmas sustainably. The Decem Prefects raised awareness of the amount of plastic wrapping, food, and decorations that are wasted each year via a multiple choice quiz that highlighted the sheer scale of waste created each year. They then led a discussion on ways for us all to be more sustainable at Christmas, such as using recyclable wrapping paper and decorations, sourcing gifts from local independent shops and buying a locally sourced real Christmas tree.