After another wonderfully full week at Pennthorpe, one of the highlights of my week was our Whole School break time on Wednesday. Each week, following our Whole School Wellbeing session, the children spend 30 minutes simply playing with whoever they choose and doing whatever brings them joy. It is a truly special time and captures the spirit of Pennthorpe perfectly.
In just that half an hour this week, I was shown an alien egg that a Pre-Prep child had discovered buried in the mud; I had the privilege to watch a rap performed by two of our Year 6 boys; I was gifted a vase sculpted from clay and mud; I was invited to see the Secret Fairy Garden; and I was informed, with great confidence, that “Mr Marler” sounds suspiciously like “Miss Banana”(say it aloud, it really does!). I cannot quite believe it has taken me 17 years of teaching for someone to point this out – but I absolutely love it!
Pennthorpe is always a joyful place full of community, care and kindness. But if you could see the children between 10.00 and 10.30 on a Wednesday morning, you would understand just how deeply those values are lived here.
On Thursday, I spent two thoroughly enjoyable hours facilitating The Great Balloon Debate 2026! This was the second year we have run the event as part of our Academic Prodigy programme, where pupils adopt a historical figure, they believe deserves to be saved from a balloon doomed for the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean.
This year’s line-up included Malala Yousafzai, Virginia Apgar and Maurice Hilleman among others. If any of you are unfamiliar, I would highly recommend a quick Google – each is an extraordinary and inspiring individual and each was selected entirely independently by the children at the start of the session.
Listening to pupils from Years 5–8 debate so passionately, articulately and knowledgeably was a real privilege. It served as a wonderful reminder not only of the calibre of our children, but also of how much we, as adults, can learn from them. I suspect I learnt more in those two hours than I might from any documentary or biography. A curious mind is one of the greatest tools a child can possess, and at Pennthorpe, we truly do nurture and celebrate that curiosity.
This morning, I also attended the Year 6–8 swimming gala and came away with three key takeaways:
1. Pennthorpe pupils give everything for their House
2. Pennthorpe staff care deeply about their House – even during a ‘just for fun’ raft race!
3. Swimming pools are incredibly warm places!
It was a fantastic event that combined true inclusivity with some exceptionally talented individual performances – exactly what Pennthorpe is all about.
In recruitment news, we are only days away from being able to announce our new Reception TA for the Summer term. I had hoped to confirm this today, but we are not quite there yet. I am hopeful that I will be writing to Reception parents on Wednesday of next week, with a wider school announcement in next Friday’s comms. Thank you once again to our Reception parents for your patience and trust.
I am also delighted to update you that the Forest and Farm Project continue to gather momentum. This week I met with the Friends of Pennthorpe to finalise quotes, with the Estates Team to determine whether my timeline for the project is ‘impossible’ or ‘unrealistic’ or simply ‘ambitious’, and with Mrs Tso to map out exactly how we will bring a working school farm to life at Pennthorpe.
All meetings were extremely positive, and we are now optimistic that the farm, redesigned forest area and the outdoor classroom could be in place within the next two months! It is incredible what can be achieved when a team shares a vision, and brings equal measures of optimism, passion and energy.
This morning saw our first ever Mother’s Day Breakfast, and it was a huge success. Thank you to everyone who attended and enjoyed breakfast with their children. It was a wonderful way to start the day and another lovely celebration of the close-knit, remarkable community we have here. Watching the families; sat together, laughing, sharing stories and simply being part of something so Pennthorpe was truly special, and once again highlighted how strongly we protect childhood and embrace family. We will certainly be hosting this again next year.
Mr Jon Marler
Head of School
