NOTES FROM Stonyhurst
From the Senior Deputy Head
Dear Stonyhurst Families
What an amazing half term it has been. The last coaches and taxis have just left and the galleries have gone quiet for a few weeks as everyone has a wellearned rest. It really could not have been a busier half term! Highlights have included yesterday's choral vespers, the whole school photograph, the trip to Liverpool Cathedral, the rowing competition, various decisive wins in rugby and hockey and the awards assembly where many of our pupils were recognised for outstanding achievements. There are really too many big moments this half term to name! However, we must also remember the small moments, the hush of pupils walking into Mass down the Silence Gallery, the friendly greetings each morning on the Lower Gallery, the rush for tuck when it becomes available on high days and holidays and the quiet busyness and industry each day as the real magic of learning takes place. We are so excited already about welcoming the pupils back in two weeks' time for all the excitement and hard work that the second half of the Christmas term brings.
Have a wonderful half term.
With all best wishes
Alice McNeill
Announcement of New Head
We are delighted to announce the appointment of Mr William Doherty as the next Head, joining us from Xavier College in Melbourne in May 2026.
With over 30 years of leadership in Jesuit education, Mr Doherty brings a deep understanding of Ignatian formation and the Jesuit principles of cura personalis (care for the individual) and magis (the pursuit of excellence).
“I am truly honoured to have been appointed the next Head of Stonyhurst” said Mr Doherty “I share the commitment to cura personalis and the Jesuit tenets of pursuing depth and human excellence, so that our children can truly be all they can be.”
Following an extensive international recruitment process, the Governors were particularly impressed by Mr Doherty’s passion for Jesuit education and his commitment to forming young people faith, character, and compassion.
We look forward to welcoming William and his wife Terina, as they join our global Stonyhurst family next year
Catholic Young Writers Award
We are proud to announce that Jack has been awarded first prize in the Catholic Young Writers Award 2025 for his essay on why Christians believe Jesus is more than just a moral teacher. Drawing on Scripture, the Catechism, papal reflections, and C.S. Lewis’s Mere Christianity, his work showcased exceptional insight and depth.
Congratulations to Jack on this outstanding achievement, reflecting both his academic dedication and his love of Theology at the College.
Lower Grammar Physics Project
Lower Grammar pupils began the year with an exciting Phsics project - designing, building, and launching their own motorised rockets.
A brilliant example of hands-on learning as part of our new STEAM curriculum.
Working in small teams, they explored the principles of streamlining and propulsion, developing creativity, teamwork, and problem-solving skills along the way.
Global Immersion for Future-Ready Teachers
Stonyhurst College is delighted to welcome participants of the Global Immersion for Future-Ready Teachers (GIFT) Programme 2025, delivered in partnership with the Ministry of Education Malaysia and Stonyhurst Penang.
Chosen by the Ministry as one of the UK host schools, Stonyhurst was selected in recognition of its commitment to academic excellence, innovation, and global collaboration.
This inspiring initiative enables award-winning Malaysian teachers to experience international school environments, share best practice, and engage in meaningful cross-cultural learning.
We’re honoured to host the visiting teachers this week and look forward to a rich programme of exchange and collaboration ahead.
World Mental Health Day
Last week we paused to celebrate the importance of caring for our mental well-being and appreciating the little moments that bring us joy and happiness. Our pupils engaged in different mindful activities throughout the day to nurture their minds and spirits.
Let’s all take a moment to breathe, reflect, and prioritise our mental health.
Puddings and Performance
Last Friday our Performing Arts programme got into full swing with our second annual Puddings and Performance event.
The evening featured a range of musical theatre performances from pupils across the college, from Aloysius House to Rhetoric. In addition, some OS who were familiar faces in Performing Arts during their time at Stonyhurst joined us to perform and provide technical support alongside our current pupils.
It truly was was an evening to remember.
Black History Month
Rhetoric students delivered an inspiring presentation on Black History Month, emphasising significant events and influential figures. They also discussed the importance of raising awareness, speaking up about issues, and engaging in open conversations to promote understanding and change.
Horse of the Year Show
We’re delighted to share that Stonyhurst pupil Darcie has won the HOYS 123cm Show Hunter Pony class riding her pony, Buddy.
This is an incredible accomplishment at one of the most prestigious equestrian events in the country - a true testament to Darcie’s talent, dedication, and hard work.
Congratulations to Darcie and her family on such a proud and unforgettable moment.
CCF Biennial Inspection
This week, Stonyhurst College proudly marked the 125th year of our Combined Cadet Force (CCF) with its biennial inspection, with Brigadier P. Hayhurst OS as the Inspecting Officer.
Our Cadets showcased their skills across a range of activities - including fieldcraft, drill, shooting, paintball & laser CQB, command tasks, and first aid. The day concluded with a final parade, where Brigadier Hayhurst addressed the Corps, commending their dedication, teamwork, and the proud legacy of 125 years of service and leadership at Stonyhurst.
Parent VOice
Every year, we send out a detailed annual survey to all parents, staff and pupils. The new survey will be coming out in January. Ahead of this, I want to feed back the headlines from last year’s survey.
Your feedback is absolutely critical to our commitment to continuous improvement We are never complacent On the basis of the survey responses, we create an action plan in order to address any concerns and improve Stonyhurst for the better. The survey is a mix of Likert style questions where it is possible to rate level of agreement with statements in various categories, and also free response questions, where it is possible to comment at greater length. We greatly welcome criticism, as this is a gift and we are able to understand the concerns of our community and act upon these concerns. Having said this, it is also absolutely uplifting to receive positive comments and it gives us great confidence in the school we work so hard to build day in day out Respecting the confidentiality of everyone’s comments, I will not quote anyone, but suffice it to say, a huge thank you for each and every comment, positive and negative, each of them help us to shape the school going forward and ensure it is the best it can be for our wonderful pupils. We all share a deep commitment to our incredible school.
In our 2024/25 parent survey, 289 parents responded from Nursery through to Rhetoric 94% of parents said they were satisfied or above with Stonyhurst education. Under wellbeing, above 95% of parents were satisfied or above with all wellbeing measures. In Teaching and Learning, Stonyhurst achieved above 90% satisfied in all measures. The lowest measure was in terms of differentiation where 9% of parents were not satisfied that teaching and learning was tailored enough to the needs of their child. We have taken on board this feedback and are looking for ways to tailor teaching as much as possible.
Communication was our biggest area for development. Since the survey, we have reintroduced weekly newsletters which include the Week Ahead. We are moving to a new communications system called Involve. We have completely brought back in-person parents’ days. We have opened the Oscar Romero parents’ room. We have introduced online tutor meetings in between reports and parents’ conferences. We have strengthened the role of playroom leaders. I hope that all of these measures combined will lead to be a better communication score next year: 16% of parents did not think the school sufficiently valued the views of parents and 16% did not think the school’s response was satisfactory when feedback was given. Please do contact me directly should you wish to give feedback or raise a concern.
Activities and clubs provided unanimous acclaim with the range and provision being satisfactory or above in all playrooms. Subjects that were felt to be missing were Design and Technology and Textiles at GCSE and A level, and Phonics in Year 2 – all of these are now present. Outdoor Play was emphasised as something which was wanted for Hodder House – this is now in place in a designated area of woodland. We now have the Unicorn up and running and a very rich plan of boarding trips and events which make us one of the most exciting and competitive full boarding schools in the country. There were lots of other comments which we have responded to, such as the wish for more golf, better laptops, better wifi and more pastoral support with friendship concerns
Parents viewed the priorities of Stonyhurst as being building strong character, morals and values (52%), preparing pupils for the wider world (44%) and ensuring a genuine love of learning (39%) followed by securing places at good universities (24%). Given all of this feedback, we have put into place many changes related to communication, we have a renewed academic focus which bore the fruit of outstanding results in 2024/25, and asked parents to channel all concerns and issues to the Senior Deputy Head, so that they can be resolved at senior level or passed down to others as appropriate. We really do value our feedback and we are hopeful that the results of the 2025/26 will show an upwards trajectory and much progress made. Thank you for all the wonderful comments which are very encouraging, and also for the honest feedback. We will continue to build on the positives and do our best to minimise the negatives. Quant Je Puis!
Stonyhurst Chaplaincy
Chaplaincy has had a truly joyful start to the year, delighting in all the wonderful things pupils have been doing to contribute to and animate the spiritual life of the school.
Our Committee members for Chaplaincy have been working hard behind the scenes to record our weekly Examens, the latest of which can be found here. Thanks to Maggie and Bernice for leading it: https://youtu.be/DKd1RKcL3cc
Our Rudiments pupils doing their Faith in Action Adventure activity have begun work on a new prayer garden, burying a time capsule for the Church's Year of Hope, to officially begin this year-long project, which all Rudiments pupils will be taking part in.
Our introduction to Confirmation has taken place with pupils in Grammar and above who are considering being Confirmed later this year. Pupils have been enjoying the Sycamore Programme to open up big questions about our relationship to God and the world around us. You can get a flavour of these sessions here: https://youtu.be/P8neQnYNuoo
Chaplaincy Round-up
Thank you very much to our Eucharistic Ministers and Ushers who have shown a great commitment to giving selfless Service at our Masses.
Our Altar Server numbers have swelled over the last few weeks and it has been a wonderful witness to Faith to see so many pupils returning to the role, as well as new ones joining in. We are incredibly proud of our pupils' commitment to this role and the leadership of our Rhetoric pupils who guide our younger ones. Thank you, Phyllis, Sisi, Ludwig, Marie, Jaime and Alexander.
Thanks also to all our pupil readers at Mass, Playroom Prayers and Boarding Prayers over the past half term It is wonderful to see so many pupils take up this leadership role in Liturgy Please do encourage your child to read next half term if they would like to. They can do this by registering their interest to read with their Playroom Leader, House Parent or the Chaplaincy Team
Our Arrupe pupils have continued their joyful Service to their neighbour locally, nationally and internationally Our Social Enterprise group have now launched their Christmas cards and details to purchase these are being sent out Please do look out for the communication on this.
Our Faith That Does Justice group is working hard on plans for Red Wednesday next half term, where our school community will stand up for those who are persecuted for their Faith by raising money through a home clothes day, learning more about the work of the charity, Aid to the Church in Need, and holding a Prayer Vigil for those around the world who are unable to pray freely in their own countries
Our half term ends with Vespers and Benediction, giving our community the opportunity to praise God through singing and adore him through Eucharistic Adoration. If you were unable to attend, you can watch the recording here: https://youtube.com/live/qk0NqpJ3KTc?feature=share
Stonyhurst Sport
Match Report Hockey
On Saturday afternoon, there was a fantastic afternoon of hockey for our girls with a block fixture against Sedbergh At home, we hosted the U14A and U15A teams, while away at Sedbergh our Senior 1st, Senior 2nd, U15B and U14B teams were in action.
It was a real mix of results across the board, but the highlight of the day was seeing over 100 girls out playing hockey in the sunshine, a brilliant achievement and a testament to their enthusiasm and commitment
A special mention to our 1st team who carved out a 2-2 draw and our U15A team who drew 4-4 after being 2-1 down – a great come back!
Well done to everyone involved and a huge thank you to the staff who work tirelessly for the girls to make all these fixtures happen
A superb performance also from our U16 girls this week saw them claim a convincing 9-0 victory against AKS. The team’s hard work, teamwork and determination shone through securing their place in Round 3 of the National Cup. Well done girls!
Match Report Rugby
On Tuesday, October 7th we took three sides to St Ambrose College This was a great opportunity for our U15As, U14As and U14Bs to play against well drilled and organised St Ambrose sides with the U15As putting up another brave performance losing 52-15 and the U14B playing their best game yet, losing 34-24. Our U14A came away with a 19-10 win.
On Wednesday our 1st XV travelled to Kirkham Grammar School in the national cup After a long week of preparation Kirkham proved too much with the final result in favour of Kirkham.
Thursday saw Aloysius House travel to St Ambrose College all struggling failing to bring back a win
Saturday brought round our fixture block against Scarisbrick Hall. Our 1st XV travelled with the U16As and U12As. The 1st XV had a point to prove after a tough midweek fixture and came out with a 43-21 win The U16As once again showed their resilience but failed to add the finishing touch losing 29-12 Our U12As had their best game of the season so far drawing 2525.
Match Report Golf
On Thursday, four of our Senior Golf squad members headed to the stunning Pleasington Golf Club to compete in the North West Forty Club Schools Championship.
Facing tough competition from schools including Rossall and Bolton, it was never going to be easy – but our team rose to the occasion and brought home the silverware!
Huge congratulations to our golfers on a great performance and a well-deserved win!
Match Report Basketball
Our 1st team Basketball took on Ashton sixth form college on Wednesday in there first league game of this season. The result did not go our way but it was a great experience and coach Barham saw much improvement once again from our young side, especially in attack. A great effort from all against an experienced opponent. Next game is Oldham (A) this coming Wednesday.
Match Report Badminton
Our 1st team Badminton side continued their unbeaten start to the season with a 10-0 win for the A team and a 8-2 win for the B team. Once again this exciting young Badminton team continues to show development in their game play and skill set and is looking forward to games v Giggleswick and Ampleforth in the first week back after half term.
Match Report Cross Country
This was an extremely busy week for cross country. On Thursday 30 of our runners from across 5 different age groups took to the district round of the national schools cross country I am pleased to say that we had a number of students finish in the top 8 of their respected races in order to qualify to represent Ribble valley and Hyndburn in the County round of this competition in January; Harry (Figures), Sophia and William (Lower Grammar), Isaac (Grammar) and Cormac reserve (Syntax). Well done to all that took part.
In addition to this we also took part in the English Schools Athletics Association Cross Country Cup at Rossall on Friday. This event also saw us take over 30 Runners to represent the school. We were represented well on a extremely fast course by runners from Figures up to Rhetoric A huge congratulations to our Intermediate boys team (Lower Grammer and Grammar) who finished 2nd in this team event to qualify for the regional round to be hosted by Sedbergh on the 5th of November. Well done all and QJP.
Upcoming Fixtures
Date | Wednesday 10 December th Time | 7pm
Venue | Stonyhurst College
Monday 15 December - Wednesday 17 December th th
Week Ahead Calendar
The below does not include the sporting fixtures for this week. Please see the Upcoming Fixtures pages for this information
Pupil Only Events:
Key Dates this term
Half Term - Saturday 18 October to Monday 3 November th rd
Slow Down Saturday - Saturday 15 November th
Red Wednesday - Wednesday 19 November th
Campion Day - Monday 1 December st
Fireworks Evening - Wednesday 5 November th
Stonyhurst Family Events:
Lower Grammar Parents’ Weekend - Friday 21 November to Saturday 22 November st nd
Figures Parents’ Weekend - Friday 5 December to Saturday 6 December th th
Farm St Carol Concert - Tuesday 9 December th
Carol Service - Wednesday 10 December th
Winter Ball (Parents Only) - Wednesday 10 December th
