Week in Pictures
From the Headmaster’s Study Dear Parents and Pupils,
It has been a busy and positive week, with our co -curricular programme now fully underway and pupils embracing the many opportunities available to them. I have particularly enjoyed launching my fiver challenge entrepreneurial group and the new fish tank club. Our Meet the Tutors Evening provided a valuable opportunity to connect and discuss the year ahead. One of the key messages was the importance of strong communication between home and school, ensuring that we work together to support every child's progress and wellbeing. Many thanks to those parents who were able to attend the Headmaster's Coffee Morning yesterday, and the Parents and Grandparents Breakfast this morning. We are delighted to receive further national recognition. Yesterday, we learned that we have made it to the finals of the Ind ependent School of the Year Awards in the category of Best School in the South of England. We will find out in a few weeks whether or not we will be crowned winners, so keep your fingers crossed! Earlier this week, pupils heard from Mr Jackson about the relaunch of the House system. Houses have always been a part of sch ool life, but a number of exciting changes will strengthen pupils' sense of belonging and engagement. We are delighted to introdu ce our new Heads of House: Mrs Hitchens (Waverley), Mr Moysey (Holmsley), Miss Hiscock ( Setthorns) and Mr Nish (Broadley). These Houses serve to create an additional community, bringing together pupils from different year groups through shared experience s, teamwork and friendly competition. New mascots, emblems, charities, competitions and House meetings will help pupils develop stronger connections with one another and pride in representing their House. The relaunched House system will also play an important role in our rewards programme, with House Points becoming a greater focus and exciting new rewards linked to collective achievement. We look forward to sharing updates in the weeks ahead. I wish you all a restful weekend and look forward to seeing some of you on our heritage tours tomorrow morning.
Best wishes, Mr Turner Headmaster
Independent Schools of the Year 2026 Finalist We are delighted to share that Ballard has been named a Finalist in the Regional Independent School of the Year (South) category of the Independent Schools of the Year 2026 Awards. This latest recognition means Ballard has now received four Independent Schools of the Year accolades in the past five years: Performing Arts finalist (2022), Sport finalist (2023), Co -Educational School of the Year winner (2024), and now Regional Independent School of the Year (South) finalist (2026).
Our entry celebrated some of the qualities that make Ballard distinctive: our exceptional location between the New Forest and the Solent; a curriculum that brings learning to life beyond the classroom; a strong culture of environmental stewardship; outstanding opportunities in sport, the arts and outdoor education; and, above all, pupils who are encouraged to engage with and contribute positively to the world around them. The submission highlighted how Ballard pupils develop confidence, curiosity and a genuine sense of responsibility through experiences that connect them to their environment, their community and each other. From environmental leadership and community service to creative, academic and sporting achievement, the judges saw first -hand what makes our school such a special place. We are incredibly proud of this recognition and grateful to the staff, pupils, parents and wider community who contribute so much to Ballard's success. You can read our full award entry here: Ballard - ISOTY regional award (South) 2025 -26 and our Supporting Evidence document here: Supporting Evidence for ISOTY Regional Awards .
New Ballard Blast Podcasts
We are delighted to share two new episodes of our Ballard Blast podcast series. In the first, Mr Turner chats with pupils from Years 3, 7 and 9 about their experiences of joining Ballard School, covering everything from open days and taster visits to friendships and school life – Listen here.
In the second, Mr Whalen speaks with former Head Boy Matthew Aldridge, fresh from winning an Olympic bronze medal at Paris 2024. Joined by his wife, fellow athlete Sofia, Matt discusses his journey from Ballard pupil to elite rower and reflects on the resilience, dedication and support required to compete on the world stage. Listen here.
On It’s Way
“In July 2025, Ballard School and the charity Street Child set up a sub -charity called Schools for Sierra Leone. The purpose was to accumulate surplus educational items, stack them in a shipping container and send them off to a small town called Makeni in S ierra Leone. Once in Makeni, the Street Child in -country team will distribute the educational supplies amongst local schools and help support the learning of thousands of children over the coming years. The town of Makeni is where Street Child was started in 2008 and since then it has supported children in numerous countries a round the world. This is the first time they have ever moved an entire shipping container of humanitarian aid to support children a nywhere in the world. After a number of logistics and customs hoops had been resolved, the 20ft shipping container was eventually col lected on Tuesday night this week, which is a huge milestone. The container now sits at the docks in Southampton waiting to be loade d onto the next ship to West Africa. When collected, the weighing scales on the crane calculated 9.6 tonnes of equipment, which is incredible. This equipment cons ists of 10,000 books, hundreds of desks, hundreds of chairs, puzzles, games, sports equipment, old logo Ballard white school shirts, slides and Mr Robinson bought 65 footballs to be the first items unloaded. And yes, also a pump!
The funding for the purchase of the container and the shipping was raised through whole school activities and schemes. We saw the sponsored distance challenge where the pupils rowed, ran and cycled the entire distance from Southampton to Freetown in Sierr a Leone. We also held a whole school water fight with staff being doused by the pupils to raise funds. There were also money -makin g events where doughnuts and bracelets were sold, along with 3D -printed fidgets made by William. There were also funds raised by a Lower Prep cake sale, and winnings from the Curry & Quiz night all went into the pot. We had the Bush Tucker Trial where memb ers of staff were fed horrific items of food in a knockout competition, with Mr Kemp coming out victorious, much to the thrills a nd shrieks of the children watching chickens' feet being swallowed. Yuk... Help and muscle were also provided in stacking the co ntainer by William and Ryan, which went towards their DofE charity work, so big thanks to them. The container was then painted by pup ils from Art and DT during their clubs. The dull blue hire container is now a beacon of friendship ready to hit the high seas. It was wonderful to work with several other schools on this project. Other supporting organisations were ACOL, who have the contract for cleaning Ballard School. They offered to pay half of the cost of the shipping container as a charitable donation , which was immensely helpful. The container was purchased through SOS Containers, who provided a special discount for the unit and free delivery to school, which was greatly received. There will be regular updates of the container's progress and no doubt some logistical issues between the port of Freetown (t he Sierra Leone capital) and Makeni, which is 190km inland. The wet season is coming to an end, but the roads will no doubt be the only ones in the world with more potholes than the New Forest. Once in Makeni, the container will be left beside a school where it can be utilised as a building and provide support for years to come. The murals on the side will be a fitting reminder of the newly forged relationship between Ballard and children less fortunate than ourselves. If the container and contents are a success, then there is no reason why we cannot move forward with container number 2 this year. More schools will no doubt support us and we will need to find a way to make the Bush Tucker Trial more hideous... In all, this project has been a whole school effort, seeing everyone do their part, however small. It really is a true reflec tion of the community we are part of here at Ballard. We should all be proud.” Mr Robinson
Duke of Edinburgh Silver “Eighteen hardy souls packed their rucksacks and donned their hiking boots for three days and two nights of their D of E Silver Assessed Expedition. Accompanied by Mrs Wright and Mr Elliott, the pupils hiked and camped in the lovely surroundings of Cranborne Chase. Highlights included being chased by cows, a team cricket match and, on the last night, being serenaded by Jarvis Cocker, whose band Pulp were performing at a festival a mile or so away. The Duke of Edinburgh Award pushes participants out of their comfort zone, builds their resilience and gives them skills they then take onwards in their education and careers. Well done to the Silvers for succeeding over a fantastic weekend.” Mr Elliott (Lower Prep Teacher, DofE Coordinator).
STEM @ Ballard
Year 2 Science - Living Things “Year 2 has started their new Science topic, 'Living Things'. We investigated our outside areas and there was an abundance of wildlife in our Pre -Prep garden, from a beautiful orange butterfly to a sea of sunflowers, tomato plants and an elusive millipede.” Mrs Bellion (Pre -Prep Teacher)
Teeth “As part of Year 4’s intro to the teeth topic in Science, they looked at their own teeth with mirrors, looking at the different shapes and working out what each type of tooth is used for. They then tried to make a set of teeth with mini marshmallows and cocktail sticks.” Mrs Greaves (Prep School Science Teacher)
Year 9 Science: Seeing Cells Under the Microscope “Year 9 have been getting hands-on with microscopes as they begin exploring cell biology. Pupils prepared their own onion cell slides, carefully placing a thin layer of onion tissue onto a microscope slide before staining and viewing it under different magnifications. The practical gave pupils the opportunity to develop their microscopy and scientific drawing skills while seeing first hand the structures they have been learning about in class. It was fantastic to see pupills working carefully and confidently with the equipment, and there were plenty of excited reactions when they successfully brought their cells into focus! A great introduction to the world of microscopy and cells for Year 9.” Miss Rothwell
Arts @ Ballard
Year 8 People and Culture Project “Year 8 pupils are beginning an exciting new project, People and Culture, which will run throughout the year. This week, pupils started by exploring the basic proportions of the face, working from photographs to create their first portrait studies. Over the coming lessons, they will develop their observational drawing skills further through detailed studies of individual facial features. This project provides a strong foundation in portraiture while encouraging pupils to explore identity, culture and the people around them through art.” Mrs Hitchens (Head of Art)
The golden ticket has been found… We are thrilled to reveal that our Year 7 -9 production this year is Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Rehearsals are already underway, with Miss Ebun -Cole leading the dance numbers, and the cast is off to a fantastic start. There's plenty of hard work, creativity and fun ahead, and we can't wait to share more behind -the-scenes moments with you soon.
Hip Hop Club “Well done to all dancers who attended this week's Hip Hop Club! Your enthusiasm and passion translated powerfully on stage, as you expanded your movement vocabulary through this energising genre and displayed your unique personalities through your captivating facial expressions. This week, as a dance ensemble your strength was conveying emotion through your eyes as you danced in order to create a mesmerising connection with your audience; next week we'll work on how to create a connection with the other dancers on stage in order to covey the relationship/story you want to share powerfully. Bravo dancers! Brilliant start to the term!” Miss Ebun -Cole
Sport @ Ballard
Morning Training Clubs “Our new Wednesday morning 07:30 -08:15 training sessions for Year 9 -11 Boys' Rugby and Girls' Netball got off to a fantastic start this week, with 36 pupils attending the opening session. The commitment, energy and enthusiasm on display created a real buzz around the school and set a positive tone for the day ahead. It was also wonderful for our Lower Prep pupils to see our older pupils training as they arrived at school, providing excellent role models and showcasing the strong sporting culture that exists at Ballard. We would love to see even more pupils involved in Week 2. Whether you're looking to develop your skills, improve your fitness, prepare for fixtures or simply enjoy training with teammates, these sessions provide a fantastic opportunity to start the day positively. Let's see if we can build on an excellent first week and push attendance beyond 40 pupils next week!” Mr Wood (Director of Sport)
Life
Rosh Hashanah “Today is the start of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, which will be celebrated by Jews all around the world. This blessing is said at Rosh Hashanah before eating apples dipped in honey. It is said or sung in Hebrew. Barukh atah Adonai Eloheinu melekh ha'olam borei pri ha-eitz. Blessed are You, God, Ruler of the universe, who creates fruit of the tree. Yehi ratzon lifanecha, Adonai Eloheinu, v'Elohai avoteinu, she'te'hadeshaleinu shanah tovah u'metukah. May it be Your will, Adonai our God, to grant us a good and sweet year. Pupils listened to the shofar being blown. They enjoyed tasting the apples with honey; they were very sweet! Jews say shanah tovah at Rosh Hashanah to wish their friends a good year.” Miss Travis
Into the Woods Nursery enjoyed their first trip to Forest School this week.
Co -curricular Club of the Week: Allotment Club “Allotment Club has got off to a strong start thanks to Mr Robinson's enthusiasm and the addition of railway sleepers. We will be planting onions, garlic and broad beans soon. These will grow slowly over the winter, enabling a harvest in the summer term.” Mr Harrowven (Head of Geography)
Eco