School News

Today was our annual House Music Competition and, as always, it exceeded expectations. The finalists put on great performances showing their exceptional musicianship and talent. Throughout this first half of term, there was a huge amount of auditioning taking place.  Auditions consisted of stunning performances of Tchaikovsky, Bach, Liszt, and many others. 

Just before half term, our Cathedral Choir travelled to Sweden for a Concert Tour. Our first stop was in Stockholm where the boys sang an afternoon concert at the Cathedral. Whist in Stockholm the boys enjoyed very much staying on a boat hotel, moored on a lake at the edge of the historic ‘old town’.

Earlier this year Forms 3 - 6 took part in the Science Oxford Big Science Event as part of British Science Week. In groups of three or four, boys were tasked with coming up with their own question to investigate, then planning, carrying out and presenting their findings on a poster.

CCCS Eco and Gardening Club is now in full swing and we are very busy weeding, digging, planting and watering.

During Michaelmas Term 2021, Christ Church Cathedral School took part in a nationwide challenge for Mathematics aimed at Primary Schools, called the Primary Mathematics Challenge (PMC). The challenge is undertaken every November by as many Year 5 and 6 pupils as possible in schools across the country. 

House Music Competition 2022 - We have so enjoyed hearing auditions for this year's Music Competition, which have - for the first time - spilled out into wonderous al fresco break-time performances. As well as auditioning with their 'serious' pieces, boys have been busy teaching each other different instruments, to win as many points as possible.

On Sunday 3rd April, five of our CCCS family, two Mums and three Cathedral Choristers, joined a group of professional and amateur musicians in a concert for Ukraine at St John the Evangelist in Oxford.

You can watch the performance here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1mvJCycelg

What a day it has been! It was colder in the morning at the end of term on April 1^st than it was when term began in early January. However, it quickly warmed up and by the time we had our Easter Party in the afternoon, the sun was shining brightly. 

An excited group of Reception and Form 1 boys set off straight after lunch for an afternoon of full immersion French! Our mini French trip didn’t take us too far away, as we only had to walk just around the corner, but, oh how lucky we are to have the Story Museum on our doorstep!

You may well ask why Form 2 had turned into Pizza Chefs during a French lesson on Tuesday? Firming up on vocabulary is often so much easier when doing something practical and what easier way to recap on toppings than when making one’s own pizza!

On Tuesday afternoon Forms 3 and 4 performed their annual concert, with wonderful two-part choral singing and plenty of individual performances too.

Forms 3 and 4 boys walked to Oxford Botanic Gardens this morning for an educational 'Rainforest Experience'.

On Wednesday, our U10 & U11 teams travelled to an incredibly wet Bruern Abbey for their annual football tournament. Both teams were placed in leagues of six schools with the opportunity to play against each of the other schools.

Congratulations to the boys of Pre-Prep, who gave a phenomenal concert in front of their families in the Walton Hall this Tuesday. The concert began with instrumental solos by boys in Form 2, and we cannot remember a more impressive spread of instruments in this year group: lots of terrific pianists, but we also heard cellos, recorders, flute, guitar, bassoon and even a double bass! 

Last Sunday’s Choral Evensong was a very special event for our Boarding Housemaster, John Robson and his husband, Harry. Having held a very small civil wedding in August 2021, our Sub Dean arranged for a celebratory Evensong and Prayers at the Cathedral, to further mark their marriage.

World Book Day 2022 brought the usual wonderful variety of costumes (a record number of Harry Potters – and indeed Muggles – this year, I think) and it was lovely to see how much time and effort had been put into making them by parents of boys both young and old.

OurCathedral Choristers returned early form their half term break to perform in an all Haydn program at the Sheldonian. The concert included a cello concerto performed by Steven Isserlis with the boys performing Missa in tempore belli (Mass in Time of War) following the interval.

On Sunday, Pembroke and Harris Manchester Choirs travelled to Coventry to sing for Eucharist and Evensong. Our boys were a credit to the School and enjoyed their amazing experience.

We were incredibly fortunate this year to have Dr Ralph Townsend as our adjudicator. Former Headmaster of Winchester College (and Oundle School... and Sydney Grammar School – just saying!) he was also, for several years earlier in his career, Head of English at Eton… so he “knew of what he spoke”!

Just before half term, we held our annual Theme Day, the theme this year being the countries of Australia and New Zealand. We enjoyed a variety of activities including learning about the history and geography of the two countries, their wildlife, indigenous literature, music and sports. 

Christ Church Cathedral School pupils and staff gathered on Christ Church Meadow to plant an oak and a beech tree in honour of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. The planting followed a service in the Cathedral led by the Revd Canon Richard Peers, Sub Dean of Christ Church, who said prayers over the trees as he sprinkled them with Holy Water.

Form 2 boys spent the most informative morning at the Oxford History of Science Museum.

A big thank you to Helen Pooley who led a workshop about space explorers, teaching the boys about various constellations, Galileo Galilei and the planets of our Solar System.

On Tuesday morning, school governor and prize-winning children’s author Griselda Heppel came and spoke to all of Year 6 about the wonderful world of story.

Each term we arrange something for parents which allows them access to some of the treasures which surround us and which are not normally open to the public.