This issue marks the end of the academic year and my final contribution as editor. I must say it has been a privilege to serve in this role and represent the vibrant and varied life of our school community.
My final issue is a celebration of what our school has achieved this term, showcasing recent events and successes across both academic and extracurricular life.
Some features of this issue include: musical insights, sporting endeavours, and dramatic pursuits. All of which display excellence across the school, and bring us closer together as a community.
To everyone that has contributed their time, thoughts, and talents to this issue, I thank you, as your voices have helped to make a meaningful and lasting representation of a remarkable term.
I would like to extend my thanks to the prefect team this year, whose leadership, dedication, and constant presence has made a significant impact on the entire school community. I wish the new prefect team the best of luck in their roles for the next academic year.
Sofia
The Breconian
SUMMER 2025
Prep School News
How time has flown! We can’t quite believe that we are in the final term of the academic year. However, there is no winding down in the Prep School and we have been as busy as ever!
This year, we celebrate 10 years of St Nicholas House at Christ College Brecon. To mark this special occasion, we asked our Student Council to think of a project that would represent and hold memory to this incredible past decade.
Our fantastic Student Council came up with the idea to create a mural that could be displayed at our school entrance. We decided we wanted the mural to be made out of clay, with St Nicks’ pupils contributing to the final piece.
The Student Council introduced a competition where the pupils had to design the final picture, we had so many wonderful entries but William in Year 3 took the winning spot. Well done William!
Congratulations to William for his winning design, our pupils have been working hard with Vicky to create tiles for the final piece!
We contacted a local ceramics expert to help us decide how we could incorporate Will’s design with the rest of the pupils’ ideas. Vicky from ‘Vicky Ware Ceramics’ took our idea and turned it into a truly remarkable piece of artwork that marks this special occasion perfectly.
All of the children have created their own clay tile that was fired and put together, with Will’s design glazed over the top.
A huge thank you to Vicky, the Student Council and all of the pupils in St Nicks who have worked so hard to make this project come to life!
YEARS of St Nicholas
Neel, Edward, Oliver and Evan
Huge thank you to Samson in Year 12, for pupils with
YEARS
Nicholas House share
Prep School News Continued...
Sport
Our attention changed to cricket and athletics for the summer term. Many thanks to our Director of Cricket, Mr Bradley, and the Sports Department for their efforts with the pupils during games sessions and fixtures.
There have been boys’ and girls’ cricket fixtures against schools such as Rougemont, Moor Park, Howells and Cathedral School, Llandaff.
Devon Cricket Tour, May 2025
On Thursday 15th May, Years 7 and 8 travelled to Tavistock, Devon for this year’s cricket tour.
In addition to some exciting cricket matches, highlights of the trip included swimming in Mount Kelly’s outdoor pool, enjoying traditional team teas with opponents and an exhilarating coasteering session along the Devon coastline —jumping into the sea, exploring caves, and making unforgettable memories.
Year 5 and 6 Residential
From Wednesday 4th June to Friday 6th June, Years 5 and 6 enjoyed an exciting and action-packed residential trip to TYF Adventure in Pembrokeshire.
Our pupils undertook a host of activities including a coastal walk, coasteering, surfing and kayaking.
A great time was had by all!
U13 boys’ cricket team
U13 girls’ cricket team
Prep School Sports Day
On Thursday 8th May, the first Prep School Sports Day took place. The event coincided with the 80th Anniversary of VE Day, so families were invited to join together for a picnic lunch prior to races.
As always, the pupils impressed with their sportsmanship, effort and determination. It was lovely to see them cheering, encouraging and applauding each other across the finish line.
Many congratulations to Team Wye who were this year’s champions!
A fantastic effort from all our pupils in their races! (Even when the staff move the finish line a few paces back! )
Star Warts: The Umpire Strikes Back!
On Thursday 22nd May, we held this year’s St Nicholas House production of ‘Star Warts: The Umpire Strikes Back’. We cannot be prouder of the pupils’ efforts to learn their lines for a show which was an impressive 1 hour 30 minutes long!
The intergalactic musical comedy reimagined the epic sci-fi saga and raised many laughs on the night!
Special thanks to parents for organising the amazing costumes, to Miss Fielding and Mrs Templeton-Brown for their outstanding directing skills, to our gap students for creating our stage props and our ever-fantastic technician, Mr David Grant.
A spectacular show of colour, comedy and songs from all our pupils in St Nicks!
to
Prize Giving 2025
This year saw the inaugural Prep School Prize Day and it was a celebration of the hard work, dedication and achievements of all pupils.
The event started with a service in the school Chapel and was followed by a prize-giving ceremony in the Neuadd.
Awards were presented across various categories, including Academic Excellence, Outstanding Effort, Sporting and Creative Arts Achievements.
Congratulations
this year’s champions, Team Wye!
Alway take to the stage in Oliver Jr
“Please Sir... can I have some more!”
Alway Shines in Preparation for Oliver!
Alway has been filled with excitement this term, as our pupils and the Drama department geared up for this year’s much-anticipated school production, the classic musical Oliver! With two talented casts taking to the stage, the performances were a real treat for both local primary schools, family, friends and the public.
Afternoon performances for primary schools took place on Thursday 26th and Friday 27th June, giving each cast the opportunity to perform once. Then, it was showtime for the public with two performances: Friday 27th June at 7:00 PM and a special Saturday matinee at 11:00 AM. Each cast had the opportunity to shine twice, once for schools and once for a wider audience.
Behind the scenes, pupils have been hard at work as part of our technical crew, helping to build the set and props. Their creativity and teamwork helped to bring Victorian London to life on stage. Production Week started on Monday 23rd June and all involved were off-timetable, fully focused on rehearsals, set-up, and final preparations.
To celebrate their hard work, Alway will had a mini afterparty immediately after the Saturday Matinee performance. Cast, crew and staff enjoyed a well-earned celebration with nibbles and music to mark the end of a fantastic production week and to honour everyone’s achievements.
With so much talent, teamwork, and dedication on display, Oliver! Jr was a show to remember. We hope you enjoyed it!
Meanwhile, Year 10 drama students are also looking forward to an exciting theatre trip to the Millennium Centre to see Romeo & Juliet. This trip will help them develop their skills as thoughtful and observant audience members, learning to reflect on performance, lighting, sound, costume, and set design.
We’re also thrilled to announce the appointment of Niamh, who will act as a pupil role model in her prefect position as Head of Drama, offering support and inspiration to drama students across the school. Niamh is already making a positive impact and is excited to help lead the way in Drama.
JUNIOR
“You’ve got to pick a pocket or two!”
Music
The summer is traditionally a quieter season on the musical performance front, largely due to the ever increasing calendar of public examinations and associated study leave, alongside other internal assessments and trips. Nonetheless, we have forged ahead as much as possible with a regular programme of (almost) weekly lunchtime concerts (including a special percussion focus in the final concert of the year), chapel services and congers, both for Prep School and Senior School gatherings.
Several pupils have been preparing for ABRSM and Trinity exams, taking place at the end of June. There have also been several notable ‘stand-alone’ musical events for the Music department this term, highlighted below.
On Thursday 8th May, we welcomed back Old Breconian James Davies (ORC 1999-2006) to perform for us in the third of our annual Old Breconian Recital Series events.
James is now a professional operatic baritone, currently working with Opera North, and he performed many of the songs learned whilst a pupil here, which inspired him to go into the profession. James was taught by the wonderful Lis Priday, a former singing teacher here at CCB. Needless to say, this was a most inspiring evening, with James accompanied at the piano by Sue Bird, a local professional pianist.
Our thanks go, as always, to Old Breconian W. Hugh Phillips JP, FCOptom, who does so much to support Creative Arts at Christ College. Without Hugh’s support, such events just would not be possible.
One week later, on Friday 16th May, the Chapel Choir were honoured to be invited to sing at the memorial service for Maj. Gen. (Retd), Rev R Morgan Llewellyn, CB, OBE, OStJ, DL (STAFF, 95-05). Brecon Cathedral received a full congregation, including many dignitaries, who came to pay respects to our former Chaplain. The choir represented CCB very well indeed.
As well as continuing to support the work of the Drama department in its production of Oliver! (Jnr) for the forthcoming Alway summer extravaganza, the Music department has also been busy preparing some special moments of musical reflection and celebration for
traditional end of year events. In the concert on Thursday 3rd July, we will hear from our departing Year 13 musicians as well as several talented Year 12 musicians, the Senior Chamber Ensemble and the Chamber Choir.
At each Prize Day for the Prep School and Senior School, both choirs will be leading some rousing singing at these significant services, as we mark the end of another busy year of music making.
CCB GIG 2025
This term we held our annual CCB Gig, this year raising money for the National Autistic Society. Now in its third year, The Gig was organised and produced by sixth form pupils Ethan and Edward.
Throughout the afternoon, various acts took to the stage, filling the auditorium with excitement and energy.
There were some familiar faces too, with videos sent in by last year’s organisers, Nick and James, who shared words of encouragement for this year’s performers.
It’s always wonderful to see the creativity and passion our pupils bring when given the chance to express themselves and do their own thing.
Edward ended the show with a fantastic solo performance!
A special highlight this year was the debut of both a male and a female choir made up of pupils and staff. The U6th girls performed ABBA’s ‘Slipping Through My Fingers’ alongside female members of staff, while the boys sang a traditional hymn, ‘Guide me O thou Great Redeemer’.
We were thrilled with the turnout, and it was wonderful to see pupils and staff singing along and enjoying the atmosphere together.
A huge thank you to Mrs McLean, Ethan, and Edward for all your hard work in organising the event, and to Mr Grant and Mr Howells for their invaluable support with lighting and the stage set.
What will next year’s Gig bring to the stage?
We can’t wait to find out!
CCB female voice choir singing ‘Slipping Through My Fingers’
CCB Male Voice Choir singing ‘Guide me O thou Great Redeemer’
Mason in the spotlight during his solo performance, after perfoming with Harrison earlier in the afternoon
Academic News
External Essay Competition Success
Many congratulations to Lower Sixth pupil Freddie on his prize-winning entry into this year's externally run 'Immerse Education Essay Competition. 'Freddie's essay entitled "Looking At Life Through A Kaleidoscope: Philosophical Biology", impressed the panel of external adjudicators and was awarded third place nationally.
Freddie's exploration of the interdisciplinary links between Biology and Philosophy underpin his ambitions to read Medicine as an undergraduate. Well done to Freddie for being so proactive in extending his academic horizons beyond the confines of his A Level courses.
The Summer Term has witnessed a number of other Sixth Form pupils enter demanding, external essay competitions to enhance their imminent UCAS applications and broader academic profiles. Well done to Sophie on her successful entry to this year’s prestigious Woolf Essay Prize sponsored by Newnham College, Cambridge exploring gender equality from both literary and historical perspectives.
As ever, the sheer range of super curricular engagement and opportunities on offer here at Christ College are a key feature of the pupil experience. Encouraging our pupils to find and explore their academic passions is a vital element of our provision and one which extends beyond examination results. Well done to all of our pupils who have pushed their academic horizons this term – we look forward to building on your efforts and achievements throughout the next academic year.
Junior Essay Society
Junior Essay Society resumed at the start of the Summer Term with two excellent papers delivered by Year 10 pupils Evan and Eric.
Evan explored the environmental impact of modern technology and analysed ethical, medical and scientific themes related to the topic. Eric presented a detailed thesis centred on the issue of artificial food, nutrition and the global rise in population.
We were delighted to welcome Year 9 pupils to the group as our current Year 11 remain fully in GCSE exam mode! The future of the society looks bright with plenty of thoughtful, considered discussion and engagement with two complex issues.
Well done all and we look forward to the Society continuing to flourish in Years 9-11 next year led by new chairs!
As ever, many thanks to Mrs Hope and Mr Pearson for their ongoing support for and commitment to the society at the end of another successful year for both our Senior and Junior societies.
Mr Pearson and Mr Mackridge met with Freddie to congratulate him on his prize-winning entry.
Year 10 pupils Evan and Eric delivered excellent papers in the first meeting back.
Senior Essay Society
The final Senior Essay Society paper of this academic year was superbly delivered by Freddie who explored the meaning of life from biological, philosophical and existential perspectives.
Freddie’s ideas sparked wide ranging, lively discussion covering themes such as AI, evolution, divine interpretations of the soul and more besides. It was excellent to see the Upper Sixth complete their time in the Society with such nuanced, mature discussion and we will miss their contributions as the Society resumes in September under new leadership.
Senior Essay Society continues to engage those pupils seeking to go beyond the confines of their specifications and provides tangible evidence of sincere intellectual curiosity!
Many congratulations to Freddie and Sophie on their recent appointments as Co-Chairs of the Senior Essay Society for 2025-26 – two stalwarts of the group who look set to contribute significantly to the ongoing success of the Society next year.
Thank you, in particular, to Elsie and Tadhg for your stellar leadership of the society this year – your perceptive questions and inclusive manner have been much appreciated by all at every stage and will undoubtedly set a platform for similar opportunities in your futures beyond Christ College.
“An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.” - Benjamin Franklin
Heads of School 2025-26
Many congratulations to Freddie and Hannah, who have been appointed as the Heads of School for the next academic year. Here’s what they had to say:
“We feel honoured to have been appointed Heads of School for the 2025/26 academic year. We’re excited to lead this student body, continue to be role models, and ensure everyone is happy at school.
We’ve loved our time at CCB, and after many years of being supported, we cannot wait to give back to this wonderful community through our leadership roles.”
Freddie pictured with Elsie and Tadhg following the delivery of his paper, exploring the meaning of life from biological, philosophical and existential perspectives.
Academic News Continued...
Year 9 Debating Competition
A Morning of Lively and Thought-Provoking Exchanges
On Saturday 7th June, Christ College’s Junior House debating competition brought together some of our brightest young minds for a morning of intense and challenging debate.
With only four weeks remaining until all the House points are finalised, our Year 9 pupils worked hard in pursuit of valuable points for their Houses.
This year’s competition adopted a format closely resembling the British Parliamentary style, familiar to our Sixth Formers who compete in the prestigious Oxford and Cambridge debating contests.
Each House team, consisting of three pupils, was presented with a motion and given just 30 minutes to prepare their arguments — without the aid of any technology. This approach put the emphasis firmly on critical thinking, reasoning, and the ability to argue principles effectively.
Round one saw deWinton against School House debating the motion: Parents should be allowed to microchip their children to provide live location and health data.
deWinton made strong arguments about how such technology could enhance child safety and parental peace of mind, ultimately edging out School House in a closely fought round.
In round two, Orchard House took on Donaldson’s with the debate focussed on whether E-Sports should be considered a real sport. The boys of Orchard House argued passionately for E-Sports, highlighting the skill, strategy, and growing professionalism involved.
However, the judges were persuaded by Donaldson’s case, which emphasised the physical athleticism, health benefits, and deep-rooted traditions of conventional sports.
The final brought together deWinton and Donaldson’s to debate the complex and timely topic of the
dangers posed by Artificial Intelligence. Both teams explored sophisticated ideas relating to A.I’s potential effects on healthcare, the economy, and human relationships.
The judges — Mr Mackridge and Sixth Former Harrison, the new Head of the Debating Society — praised all the debaters for their poise and insight, offering valuable feedback on argument, structure and delivery.
Ultimately, deWinton emerged victorious, impressing the judges with their effective rebuttals and breadth of argument. Congratulations to all participants for their courage, quick thinking, and dedication.
The future of debating at Christ College looks exceptionally bright!
Our Year 9 debaters in Donalson’s and deWinton house with Dr Evans and our new Head of the Debating Society, Harrison.
School Prefects 2025-26
The early Summer Term saw the culmination of this year’s Senior Prefect selection process. Many congratulations to seventeen Lower Sixth pupils selected to be next year’s leadership group. The group possess a wide range of personal, academic, co-curricular and leadership skills and we are excited by their potential as Senior Prefects throughout the academic year 2025-26.
These pupils are genuine role models in and beyond the classroom and exemplify the values, philosophy and outlook of the wider Christ College community. A special assembly announcing specific roles across the school was held later in the Summer Term to confirm important positions of leadership and responsibility in boarding houses, the Second Curriculum, enrichment activities and beyond. With this team at the helm, we look forward to a successful and positive year from September and congratulations, once again, our new Senior Prefect team.
Signing The Prefect Ledger
Signing the Prefects Ledger is a tradition that dates back to 2017.
Our newly appointed prefects recently had the prestigious task of signing the book during their first weekly prefect meeting.
This book serves as an important record of those chosen to lead the school through their various roles.
We are confident that these pupils will continue the outstanding work of their predecessors, serving as role models to the other pupils in the school.
Development and Foundation
Following our successful Giving Days in 2023 and 2024, our third Christ College Giving Day will take place on Thursday 17th and Friday 18th October 2025.
Giving Day is the most important event in the year for fundraising for the Christ College Foundation, which exists entirely to support the school.
This year we will be raising money for four funds; the Foundation itself, Bursaries and Scholarships, the Chapel and Heritage Fund, and the Pupil Opportunity Fund. In the lead up to Giving Day 2025, look out for more details about the positive impact of donations and how you can help.
As part of the fundraising activity, we will be linking many of the campaigns and fundraising challenges to matched funding. For example, ‘If there are 50 donations to the Chapel and Heritage Fund, Mr X will donate £2,000’ or ‘If donations to the Foundation reach £5,000, Mrs Y will match it’ and so on.
It makes a real difference to the funds raised in support of our community when a donor pledges to match funds raised.
If you would like to offer your support by offering a pledge of your own choosing as a named individual or anonymously in advance of Giving Day, please contact our Development Director, Martyn via martyn.thomas@christcollegebrecon.com
Old Breconian Association
On Friday 4th July, we will hold our annual leavers service for our Upper Sixth leavers. The service will be followed by a reception for pupils and parents, and the OBA will provide all leavers with their Old Breconian tie as well as their year book. It is always an emotional evening, sharing fond memories of their time at Christ College.
The OBA is a vital tool for our pupils when they leave school, offering opportunities to connect with other OBs for work, travel and networking. The OBA has members all over the world and we hope that our leavers this year will keep in touch as they begin the next chapter of their lives.
If you would like to share your news with the OBA community, contact huw.richards@christcollegebrecon.com. You can keep up to date with news and upcoming events at www.ccbcommunity.co.uk
A Tale From The Archive
“Chairing Ross 1905”
Christ College Archive holds a remarkable collection of photographs taken by pupils in the early 20th century. The collection is especially valuable because each image captures a moment of school life seen from their unique perspective. Even more extraordinary, the same qualities of composition and immediacy are seen in photos captured on camera phones today.
The location of the featured photograph is much more familiar to the current school community than is obvious. The angle from which it is taken suggests the photographer was standing on the low wall on the Quad, some of which is still visible today.
The view along the west wall of the Chapel leads towards the pitches beyond. The doorway covered in ivy is the entrance into Chapel Yard. The girls dressed in white in the background are standing in front of the parking bays for the school buses. The remnants of the much longer low wall in the photograph can still be seen on the Quad, and in front of de Winton and School House. The very last cobbles were removed as recently as 2013.
The straw boaters tell us that the photograph was taken in the Summer Term. Unusually, though, we know the exact date of the photograph.
The caption on the original photograph, “Chairing Ross in Billy Morris’s barrow 1905”, demands explanation for the modern viewer. “Ross” is H S Ross (School House 1900-1905), who played for the First XV and captained the First Cricket XI.
In 1905 he led the team to win nine of the season’s thirteen matches, including against Llandovery on 3rdJuly.
Traditionally, the captain of a side that conquered Llandovery was loaded into a “barrow” (a handcart) ‘borrowed’ from “Billy Morris”, the tobacconist and grocer whose shop was directly opposite the school entrance.
The ceremony, known as “chairing”, took place at the end of the match and was followed by a noisy procession around the school, and often through Brecon as well.
A closer look at the photograph reveals the genuine euphoria of the procession as it celebrates the 1905 home win against ‘the old enemy’. Watched by bemused onlookers and urged on by excited pupils, the players - still in their whites - haul the chaired captain in victory.
Personal photographs are an invaluable resource in any archive
because they are laden with history. We are fortunate indeed to hold such a precisely captioned image that allows us to glimpse a moment of school life on a specific date and witness the jubilance of the cheering crowd.
120 years later, we can feel their elation as much as we can sense the discomfort of the team captain being bumped across those cobbles. And if you look really closely, you might even hear chants of triumph echoing across the Quad and across the centuries.
Follow us on social media to see similar photographs in our monthly Throwback Thursday posts.
Keep in touch with the Archive pages by visiting the Community Hub.
This term, cricket at Christ College has taken advantage of the early summer sun!
At the time of writing, sixty cricket matches have been played so far this season, with the remaining four weeks of the Summer Term fixtures to be played.
We have fielded twelve boys and girl's teams across all age groups, with St Nick's now also playing hardball as well as softball Cricket matches. The players are improving and we have won more matches already this season, than we did in the whole of last year.
There have been some excellent team performances from the 1st XI Girls. They won against Llandaff Cathedral with captain, Eve scoring 93 not out and next year's captain also scoring 46.
The 1st team boys team had the honour of playing the annual cricket match against Llandovery College at the home of Glamorgan CC, Sofia Gardens, on 9th May. Although the result did not go our way, all the boys enjoyed playing in a test arena.
The 1st XI boys have also had some notable individual performances, with AJ scoring 102 not out against Abergavenny CC. The 1st team captain had an average of 308 at one stage during the early season, with three consecutive half centuries.
Other players across the year groups (Jack, Seniru, Beth and Ted) have also scored half centuries this season so far.
Jack has also been selected for the Glamorgan U18 squad and Beth has also been awarded her Glamorgan County cap at U13.
We also had the honour of hosting a professional womnen’s match, Glamorgan v Lancashire Thunder in a first class game on Saturday 19th May. It was a glorious occasion for the whole school community.
Eve, who is the first Christ College pupil to be selected to play for Glamorgan Women, took the wicket of England opening bat Emma Lamb during her bowling spell.
In half term we hosted a Cricket Wales U14 festival and we are hosting two more festivals in the summer holidays as well as our own Cricket Camp.
A new six lane all weather cricket provision has also been installed this summer, thanks to the cricket pavilion donors. The nets have been named after former teacher and Director of Cricket, Colin Kleiser.
A new all weather wicket was also installed at the end of May thanks to some generous OBs, who kindly prepared all the ground works and laid the foundations for the new surface. The school can now host three home matches on the fields and junior games on the Astro turf.
We are now looking forward to the Christ College annual Cricket festival from the 23rd to 27th June and our senior cricket tour to Jersey from 5th to 11th July.
1st XI cricket team at Sophia Gardens v Llandovery College
Glamorgan Women v Lancashire Thunder at Christ College
1st XI girls cricket team
Welcoming Glamorgan Women out on to the pitch with Eve leading the way.
Holiday Activity
Clubs
Cricket Residential Camp August 2025
The Christ College Residential Cricket Camps are designed for both boys and girls aged (10 to 16).
These exciting camps provide a focused and supportive environment where young players can develop their cricketing skills.
Key areas of the programme include batting, bowling, fielding, and overall gameplay, helping participants improve their technique, understanding, and confidence on the field.
Camp 1
Tuesday 5th and Wednesday 6th August 2025
Ages 10-13 (boys and girls)
Camp 2
Thursday 7th and Friday 8th August 2025
Ages 14-16 (boys and girls)
For more information and to book a place, please visit our website:
Senior Sports Day 2025 delivered once again, with glorious sunshine setting the perfect scene for a memorable day of athletics, teamwork, and house spirit.
A huge thank you to the Estates Team for their excellent work preparing the fields and to the Society of Friends for keeping everyone refreshed and energised throughout the day.
From sprints to throws, the day showcased remarkable effort and talent. One of the standout moments was Anna B’s record-breaking performance in the 300m, setting a new school benchmark and drawing cheers from the crowd.
This year’s event featured a slightly different format, as Alway House had already enjoyed their own Prep School Sports Day earlier in the week. Nevertheless, they came out in full voice, supporting the Senior School with enthusiasm and energy.
Throughout the day, the overall standings ebbed and flowed, with the lead switching hands multiple times. It all came down to the final relays –and it was School House who clinched the overall victory, capping off a brilliant day of competition.
Hockey
The U14 Boys’ Hockey team have written a remarkable chapter in the school’s sporting history, emerging as National Champions after an unforgettable campaign that saw them go unbeaten through both the Regional Qualifiers and the National Finals.
Their journey to glory began in Swansea, where the team competed in the Regional Qualifying Tournament. Facing tough opposition from across the region, the boys displayed early signs of the form and focus that would define their season. With sharp attacking play, disciplined defending, and superb teamwork, they swept through the tournament unbeaten, booking their place at the National Finals with confidence and momentum.
Building on this success, the team maintained their high standards throughout the Lent Term, training with intensity and showing unrelenting commitment. Every session reflected a squad driven by collective goals and a desire to push each other forward. Their preparation paid off in full at the National Championships, where they once again were unbeaten,
showing composure under pressure and the ability to rise to every challenge.
The support of the school community played a vital role in this achievement. A heartfelt thank you goes to Year 5 and 6 pupils, whose energy, cheering, and unbridled enthusiasm on the sidelines lifted the team and created an unforgettable atmosphere during the finals. Their joy in the celebrations was a true reflection of the unity and pride shared across the school.
Special recognition is also due to the U13 boys, who stepped up when called upon with exceptional maturity and composure. Their calm heads and reliable performances proved invaluable, underlining the strength and depth of the hockey program.
As we celebrate this extraordinary success, we look to the future of boys’ hockey at the school with great hope. With such talent, dedication, and support throughout the age groups, this is just the beginning of an exciting journey.
Mountain Biking
We are delighted to share the news that we are WINNERS in the ‘Inventive Extra-curricular Programme’ category at this year’s Muddy Stiletto Best Schools Awards!
Girls Rugby
Last term, our U18 girls made history not only as the school’s first ever girls team, but also the first Christ College girl’s team to compete at Rosslyn Park!
We just missed the opportunity to feature the girls in last terms issue, and wanted to make sure that this fantastic acheivement was recorded this year! Well done girls!
Photo credit: Dylan Bradley
Sports Awards 2024-25
This years Sports Awards provided a wonderful evening of celebration and reflection on what has been another outstanding year of sport at CCB. Set against a backdrop of achievement, community spirit and shared values, the evening shone a spotlight on the breadth and depth of sporting success enjoyed by our pupils over the past year.
Throughout the evening, we were reminded of our ongoing commitment to CCB’s Sports Vision – to be renowned for the quality of our competitive sporting environment, the rich co-curricular opportunities offered to all pupils, and our positive contribution to the school community. It is clear that we are continuing to make strong progress towards achieving this vision, thanks to the dedication of our staff, the enthusiasm of our pupils, and a sporting culture underpinned by our core values of Confidence, Commitment, Belief.
This year, our sports teachers and coaches have once again created an outstanding environment in which every pupil is encouraged to improve, push their limits, and grow not just as athletes, but as individuals. In response, our pupils have risen to the challenge with dedication and pride, representing the CCB with passion, resilience, and sportsmanship.
We were delighted to welcome two guests of honour, Will Smale and Beth Gammon from Glamorgan Cricket, who delivered inspiring and honest accounts of their journeys from school sport into the professional game. Their reflections on setbacks, self-regulation, resilience and the joy of playing as part of a team resonated strongly with pupils and staff alike.
As the evening drew to a close, there was a real sense of pride in all that has been achieved but also growing excitement for what lies ahead. We are already looking forward to another fantastic school year, with a packed calendar of fixtures, tournaments, and competitions ready to challenge and inspire our pupils once more.
Prize Winners
Rising Star
Rugby Girls’ Hockey
U16 Player of the Year
2nd XV Players’ Player
1st XV Players’ Player
2nd XV Player of the Year
7s Player of the Year
1st XV Player of the Year
OBA Cup
Ioan E
Archie L
Campbell C
Tom L
Harri O
AJ M
James T
James T
Rising Star
U16 Player of the Year
2nd XI Players’ Player
1st XI Players’ Player
2nd XI Player of the Year
1st XI Player of the Year
OBA Cup
Sam H
Sally J
Lara P
Ella L
Beth H
Stella T
Frankie T
Tilly C
Darcy D
Boys’ Hockey
Rising Star
U16 Player of the Year
1st XI Players’ Player
1st XI Player of the Year
Huw M
Sam D
Seniru K
Jason L
Ben McL
Netball Cricket Achievements
Rising Star Maddie L
U16 Player of the Year
2nd VII Players’ Player
1st VII Players’ Player
2nd VII Player of the Year
1st VII Player of the Year
Flo B
Frankie T
Darcey T
Sophie P
Tia A
Rising Star
U16 Player of the Year
1st XI Player of the Season
OBA Cricket Cups
Batting Cup
Bowling Cup
Olivia P
Ioan S
Lara P
Evan C
Eve J
Toby P
Eve J
Toby P
AJ M
Oliver D
Girls’ Rugby Players’ Player
Girls’ Rugby Player of the Season
Football Cup
Contribution to CCB Sport
Victrix Ludorum
Victor Ludorum
Team Achievement
Tia A
Beth H
Sam S
Molly P
James G
Hannah O’B
Oliver J
Girls’ Rugby Sports Day Cup
School House
Combined Cadet Force
Gaza Platoon (Year 9) have now almost completed their first year in the CCF and have spent much of this term preparing for Exercise First Dragon. It is a packed few days that gives them a chance to put into practice the skills they have acquired such as building and sleeping under a basha and cooking ration packs in the field.
The second day saw the cadets undertaking a number of activities; a first aid stand led by Lt Howells , honing their patrolling skills under the watchful eye of Maj Owen, overcoming the challenges of the obstacle course with Lt Goodrich, and the ever-popular laser clay shooting, which was staffed by Lt George of the 160 Brigade Cadet Training Team.
Rorkes Drift Platoon (Year 10) has been very busy preparing for a number of key events taking place. The majority of the platoon have enrolled onto the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme and at the beginning of May, during a spell of unseasonably fine weather, undertook their Bronze Award expedition.
This saw them navigating themselves on a route that took them from school towards the foot of Pen y Fan before heading east and following first the Afon Cynrig and then the canal towards Pencelli, where they camped overnight. The Sunday morning saw an early start as the cadets returned to Brecon via Llanfrynach and the River Usk.
The focus of the second part of the term has been getting the cadets through their weapons handling tests in preparation for a day’s live firing, which will be taking place at the Infantry Battle School at Dering Lines towards the end of term.
The RAF section has also had a busy time this term. Eight new cadets have joined the section in Year 9, and have started working their way through the aviation syllabus, learning about the history of flight and of the RAF in particular.
Recently, two lucky cadets were chosen to join four pupils from Year 10 to attend No. 1 Air Experience Flight at MOD St Athan. After watching the safety videos and receiving a briefing from one of the pilots, the cadets were able to experience for themselves the thrill of taking to the skies in a light aircraft, with the more adventurous of them opting to try out some acrobatic manoeuvres over the Bristol Channel, including looping and a stall turn.
At the end of the term the Year 10 cadets will be spending a day visiting RAF Cosford where they will be spending the morning as guests of No.1 Radio School, as well visiting the famous RAF Museum, where they will have the chance to view such iconic aircraft as the Spitfire, the Hurricane and the Lancaster, as one of the Vulcan bombers used in the famous raid on Stanley airfield during the Falklands Conflict.
Congratulations Mr Cooper!
It was the headmaster’s pleasure to present Squadron Leader (Sqn Ldr) Jonathan Cooper (RAF Air Cadets) with his King’s Coronation Medal during a recent CCF parade.
This special medal has been awarded to all service personnel who took part in one of the pan-national ceremonial events, marking His Majesty’s accession to the throne.
Sqn Ldr Cooper led a group of CCB cadets who lined the route, the King took, when visiting Cardiff Castle in September 2022.
CCB Adventure
The Summer Term started with the Alway House Climbing Cup. Again this year, there was some real talent on show along with outstanding displays of effort by the young climbers.
Twelve excited and nervous Alway pupils, participated in a multi discipline climbing competition which comprised of three bouldering problems and two climbing routes on the auto belay wall.
Due to some last minute pupil changes due to injury etc., it was encouraging to see how the ‘replacement’ climbers took to climbing so readily and in one particular case, so professionally!
Competition was fierce, with some real talent on display, particularly Naoyuki, who as mentioned stepped in at the eleventh hour and was a climbing revelation – narrowly missing out as top boy climber to Carson in a ‘Boulder Off – Head to Head’!
Amongst the other competitors there was so much potential being shown but equally as important it was great to see pupils coaching, encouraging and supporting each other through the really tough challenges set by the Llangorse team.
Taff House were crowned champions with Marianna and Carson taking the individual honours.
Next on the Adventure calendar was the Bronze Dof E expedition. A weekend of navigating the surrounding hills and a pleasant evening camping at Plas Pencelli.
Our participants crossed the finish line, exhausted but delighted at having achieved a Pass for this element of their award – now to forge on and get the rest of the sections completed!
After almost a year of volunteering in the community and working on their chosen skills, the latest Gold Duke of Edinburgh participants faced arguably their toughest challenge yet – the practice expedition: a two and a half day, fully self-sufficient trek across challenging terrain.
Starting in ‘waterfall country’, day one saw them test their navigational skills to the limit in negotiating the peaks of Fforest Fawr, on the way to a picturesque but wild camping spot just outside Libanus.
Day two brought further challenges, with Met Office weather warnings and a great deal of rain. Despite remaining lower than planned because of lightning risk on the peaks, the mileage and elevation remained arduous.
They were rewarded with evening sunshine at the final camp in Upper Cantref, allowing for some drying of kit before the morning’s walk back to CCB.
A great sense of achievement was felt by all and the confidence is soaring for the assessed expedition which will take place in September.
Congratulations to Mariannna and Carson for taking the individual honours.
Cadets practising their first aid, carrying a fellow cadet in a stretcher to safety.
Congratulations to pupils in Taff house!
Our cadets undertaking the challenges of the obstacle course.
Weapons handling tests in preparation for a day’s live firing.
Mountain Challenge 2025
On Saturday 24th May, the school hosted its annual Mountain Challenge, raising money for both the Brecon Mountain Rescue Team and The Christ College Brecon Foundation.
It was an early start for those tackling the 26-mile route. After checking in, they headed out across the school pitches to begin their epic expedition across the countryside. A number of experienced fell runners even opted to run the entire distance!
Next up were the 13-mile challengers – the most popular route with over 100 on the start line. The atmosphere at the start line was full of excitement as people gathered together, eager to begin.
Finally, those taking on the 10-mile walk checked in and set off on a scenic route around the local area. This was a less challenging route but still an enjoyable day out for all the family.
Congratulations to everyone who took part in this year’s challenge! We were fortunate to have mostly dry weather, albeit with poor visibility in the mountains which presented some tricky moments.
A huge thank you to the incredible Mountain Rescue Team – for not only their organisation and support of the event, but for the vital work they do all year round to keep us all safe outdoors.
As always, we look forward to hosting this fantastic event next year. Will you be able to beat your time? Or perhaps try a longer distance? There’s only one way to find out!
See you next year!
Boarding News
Saturday Night Hosting
Every Saturday night, one of our boarding houses hosts a games night, a movie night, a themed cooking night and much more! Each house takes it in turns to host and it is lovely to see all of our boarders enjoying each others company.
CHRISTONBURY!
In the fabulous sunshine, our Prep school pupils and boarders enjoyed their very own Glastonbury style food festival at CCB.
They enjoyed a range of foodie treats from Korean bao buns to jerk chicken and chocolate scones, all freshly prepared by The Rolling Scones, Bao Fighters and Jerk Marley!
Thank you to our amazing catering team Holroyd Howe for a great afternoon!
Alway Has A New Mural!
During the May half term, we asked a member of our Estates team, Karl, who is also a talented cartoonist, to paint a mural over the walls in the boys’ dormitory in Alway.
Karl agreed and quickly began thinking of ideas and drawing sketches that he thought would be a good fit for the space that needed to be painted.
He did a fantastic job and we were delighted to show our boarders in Alway the new feature when they returned after half term.
Take a look at part of the incredible final design, thank you Karl!
Believe to Achieve
Holistic education for boys and girls age 4-18. Boarding from age 10.
Open Morning
Saturday 4th October 2025
With small class sizes, teachers know our pupils well and help them to thrive in a kind and caring environment.
If you are interested in joining the school, come along for the morning, have a tour and meet our friendly staff.
We look forward to welcoming you to Christ College Brecon!
The Society of Friends have been busy this term, supporting the school at various events such as the Prep and Senior Sports Day, the cricket match between Glamorgan women and Lancashire Thunder, and our school productions.
Our new Pimms tent was a hit at the senior sports day! Thank you to all who came along to see us during the day.
We were pleased to provide refreshments for the St Nicks and Alway productions, we were so impressed with the talent on show!
This term, we were also delighted to purchase a new xylophone for the music department, we hope that pupils will enjoy learning this instrument for many years to come!
Keep up to date with all the upcoming events and how you can get involved on our Instagram page!
