THE LUDGROVIAN
SPRING 2025
‘Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with all thy might’ Ecclesiastes IX v.10
Contents
• Easter Term Highlights
• ‘Dream On’
• Best for Boarding Award
• Magical Musical Moments
• Cross-country Success
• Charlie is On Top of The World
• OL News
Welcome from the Headmaster
The Easter Term 2025 has been packed full of ambition, achievement and fun... a whopper well done to the boys and staff - it is tremendous just how much has gone on.
On the academic front, we believe knowledge as well as skills are
fundamental to a first class education and it was brilliant to witness on the last two nights of term, the Inter-Set General Knowledge quiz, each Set (House) with a team of four battling it out, and then our Mastermind Final where six boys who had made it through the qualifying rounds, answered a round of questions on their chosen subject followed by the general knowledge round.
Both events celebrated the importance of reading and being interested in learning, something that underpins a happy, successful school. Also on the academic front we were delighted to celebrate Academic Scholarships to Harrow and Radley, testament to intelligence, hard work and good teaching.
Elsewhere boys have been awarded Art Scholarships to Marlborough and
Radley and a Drama Exhibition and Scholarship to Radley. These awards inspire the boys in the younger years to ‘reach for the stars’ and congratulations to all those who sat for such awards.
Music has been thriving too and the pinnacle of this term’s music was the Charity Concert on the last Sunday where we enjoyed incredible soloists’ performances followed by the School Choir boosted by parents and friends singing Vivaldi’s ‘Gloria’.
As ever sport plays a major role in Ludgrove life and the raft of rugby, hockey, cross-country, fives, squash and swimming matches has enabled a lot of boys to have a lot of fun.
We strive to nurture our boys to be the best they can, to know how to look after others and to be thirsty to learn. After a busy and successful term, I wish one and all happy Easter holidays with the chance to recharge for a busy Summer term ahead.
Simon Barber, Headmaster
A selection of Easter Term highlights
The boys at Ludgrove didn’t waste a minute of the Easter term, packing it full of activities and opportunities to represent the School. Whether academic or sport, creative, musical or social, the boys did themselves, and Ludgrove, proud. Here is a snapshot of the fun we have had over the last three months.
A great rugby season
Chinese New Year Is’ social with St Mary’s Ascot
Prep Schools Cross-country Relays
Prep School Monologue Grand Slam
Sets’ Cup Winners - Nelson Lunchtime Recitals Staff lifesaving training Safer Internet Day Handwriting Competition
Elevate study skills sessions Food Committee
French Verb Conjugation Comp
Squash at Wellington College
Edward wins the Mastermind Cup (second year in a row!)
Wellington Choral Day
Antonio won the Speeches Competition
Boys v Staff Hockey
Sets’ General Knowledge winnersNelson
Narnia party for Read-a-thon winners
‘Barber Bistro’ nights for three groups of Top Year boys
Sunday Funday!
‘Dream On’ - the IIIs’ play is a triumph
Songs, laughter and tears… the IIIs’ play, ‘Dream On’, had it all. The adaptation of Shakespeare’s ‘Midsummer Night’s Dream’ was laugh-out-loud funny, with toe tapping songs and choreography as the IIIs took its audience on the winding path of the Bard’s classic romantic comedy. No matter how big their role, the boys gave it their all. A real team effort whose hard work resulted
During two magical shows there were too many outstanding performances to single out individual stars. It’s evident this talented bunch can turn their hand to anything - comedy, tragedy, singing and dancing.
Thanks to everyone who made it possible, with special mention to Directors Mr French and Mrs Gore and Mr Bellingham, Musical Director.
Read all about it!
World Book Day fever took over the corridors and classrooms on 6th March with the team appearing as an amazing array of book characters. The boys enjoyed lessons with Sherlock Holmes (Mr Barber), Fantastic Mr Fox (Mr Wilson), Peter Rabbit (Ms Evans), two Where’s Wallys (Mr Hawkins and Mrs Turner) and Percy Jackson (Miss Bidgood). Elsewhere, Snow White and the Seven Dwarves (Housekeeping), Harry Potter (Miss Hooper) and the Tiger Who Came to Little Tea (Miss Bridge) kept everything in order.
The fun packed day also included two Drop Everything And Read sessions when everybody, boys and staff, pulled out a book and immersed themselves for 15 minutes of reading. As Mr Barber always says… “clever boys read”!
Best for boarding
Ludgrove is thrilled to be named ‘Best for Boarding’ in The Week Independent Schools Guide’s annual guide to the UK’s top prep schools!
It reports in the Spring/Summer edition: “Bedtime stories, cosy hot chocolate nights with Houseparents’ dogs, dorm cricket, camping on the golf course and crazy golf on the Top Lawn in pyjamas, make Ludgrove stand out as a top boarding school.”
With one of the country’s best known children’s authors, Chris Bradford visiting earlier in the week to bring the world of ninjas and bodyguards to life, and the on-going Read-a-thon with prizes up for grabs, there is no doubt this was our best World Book Day ever! Thank you to the English department for bringing to life the wonderful world of books for the boys.
Easter bunnies help deliver charity cheer
Ludgrove’s Easter Bunnies helped make an early delivery of Easter eggs to The Cowshed charity in Wokingham to help bring a little chocolatey cheer to local families facing hardship. Thank you for helping boys and well done for not eating any of the chocolate!
Author Chris Bradford signs books
A glorious afternoon at the Charity Concert
Ludgrove was flooded with the most glorious music when the Easter Charity Concert threw open its doors to the School community.
The boys were joined by their families to appreciate our talented soloists, Senior Strings quartet and choir, all in aid of the School’s chosen charity, Child Bereavement UK.
The afternoon was brought to a crescendo with parents and friends joining the Chapel Choir to
sing Vivaldi’s ‘Gloria’ - simply stunning! An amazing feat, having had only a handful of full rehearsals this term. Thank you to the Music Department and everyone involved in putting on a magical afternoon of musical excellence and we hope this worthwhile charity will benefit from our generous community.
If you would like to donate to this very worthy cause please go to www.child bereavementuk.org/donate/donate
Success of local schools’ support is music to our ears
Ludgrove loves its music and so we are thrilled to see pupils at a local junior school be inspired to become young musicians as a result of our community partnership.
The youngsters at Westende Junior School have been enjoying clarinet and ukulele lessons as a part of our long standing support of a local cluster of primary and secondary schools.
Each year Ludgrove provides financial and practical help to five primary schools and one secondary school in Wokingham. In addition to the music project, the School has provided the funds for sport, drama, languages and emotional support projects. A good number of Ludgrove staff also hold Governors’ roles in these schools.
We are proud of the positive impact this public benefit work has had for these schools and their pupils, and we are excited to see how our partnership will continue to grow.
Ludgrove is recognised as a leading prep school
Ludgrove was highlighted as one of only 20 UK prep schools included in the Spear’s Schools Index 2025 identifying the 100 Leading Private Schools in the World.
Spear’s explains: “These schools offer challenging and well-rounded programmes where students are encouraged to excel academically while seeking out co-curricular activities such as sports, arts, music and drama.”
Ludgrove was also named as one of the Top 10 British Prep and Pre Prep Schools by Carfax Education’s Schools Index.
Look who’s talkingthe boys meet the experts
During the Easter term the boys enjoyed a series of enrichment lectures delivered by inspirational speakers, some of whom had close Ludgrove connections.
First in the Theatre’s hot seat was Mr Anwar from Bean Oak Dental who spoke to the boys about dental health.
Journalism was the next topic to have the spotlight shone on it. Parent Mrs Staats gave an insightful talk to the School, including mock interviews
when willing ‘volunteers’ were invited on to the stage to try out their investigative skills.
Claire Mackenzie, film producer, discussed her award winning film, ‘Six Inches of Soil’, and answered the boys’ questions.
Finally, Old Ludgrovian Major General Cowley talked about his time at Ludgrove and his life in the Army. He explained how a simple routine of sleep, nutrition and exercise sets you up for success.
Ready... set... tour!
It’s always a proud moment when the players pull on their tour caps and this year the occasion was taken up a level when they received their kit from Uzi Qureshi, Cricket Pro at Marlborough College.
Mr Qureshi spent the afternoon with the boys in the nets and took time to talk to them individually and offer advice about how to fine tune their skills.
At the end of the session Mr Qureshi ‘did the honours’ and handed out the kit for the Ludgrove Pre Season Cricket Tour to Desert Springs in Spain - wear it with pride boys!
On your marks... set... go!
The sun shone, the crowds cheered and every boy supported the next to do their best in the annual Inter Set Cross-country at Ludgrove.
Regardless of PBs, times or places in the field, every single boy was celebrated for giving it their all and completing the course.
Although every runner was a winner in our eyes, there were two boys who made it through the red finish tape first for their age group - Nico for the Juniors (VIs, IVs and IIIs) and Arlo for the Seniors (IIs and Top Year).
Congratulations everyone and well done to Kitchener for being the overall Set winner.
A team went to Malvern College for the National Prep Schools Cross-country Championships… and did themselves and Ludgrove proud.
Highlights included Nico coming 12th in the U11s and Arlo coming 23rd in the U13s. What makes their results more impressive is that both boys were competing in a year group above their age.
Fantastically well done to the U11 team who came 20th overall and the U13s who were placed 24th.
Junior winners
Senior winners
Senior school awards
Ludgrove is proud to announce the success of six Top Year (Year 8) boys who have received awards from their future senior schools.
Edward, Radley Drama Scholarship: “He was a very strong candidate indeed and his passion for all things theatre absolutely shone through on the day.”
Monty, Radley Drama Exhibition: “There was a lovely sense of play in his approach which led to creative choices, and he was able to listen to others as well as take the lead.”
Sean, Radley Art Scholarship: “He has clearly explored working with various materials, and we particularly liked his excellent drawing and mixed media piece inspired by reading Frankenstein.”
Kantaro, Radley Academic Scholarship: Following several rounds of assessment earlier in the term,
Kantaro received the following commendation from Radley: “He impressed us all - particularly in the Maths, Physics and Geography papers and he should be very proud of his achievements.”
Daniel, Marlborough Art Scholarship: Mrs Evans, Ludgrove’s Head of Art, said: “Daniel is a super talented boy. He is meticulous with his work and loves pencil sketching, as can be seen in his portfolio, but is also keen to explore other media.
Allen, Harrow Academic Scholarship: A naturally gifted student, we look forward to watching Allen thrive at Harrow.
Congratulations to the boys and well done to the staff who helped them reach their
Welcome Gappers 2025
At the start of term Ludgrove welcomed its new cohort of Gappers. Messrs Beaman, Osborn and Chapman and Misses White and Toepfer bravely swapped the sunny Australian summer for the cold British winter.
To compensate for the weather, the boys gave our newbies a warm welcome to Ludgrove life. In the blink of an eye the ‘fantastic five’ have settled into looking after the boys in the Dorms, classrooms and on the pitches.
New addition to the family
School Nurse, Mrs Evans, has sent us a gorgeous photo of her daughter, Addison, who was born in March. Congratulations from everyone at School and we can’t wait to meet the newest member of the Ludgrove family.
On top of the world!
What an absolute Ludgrove Legend! Charlie, our intrepid explorer from the IIs, was on top of the world during February half term when he climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa.
Having trekked and camped for a gruelling six days, Charlie proudly flew the Ludgrove flag at 5,895m above sea level - higher than Everest Base Camp. His achievement is particularly meaningful as he took on the challenge to raise money for Larchfield Kids in Tanzania.
Emotional help is at hand
Congratulations to Ms Whitley who has completed her ELSA (emotional literacy support assistant) training. As a Top Year Matron, she knows all the boys incredibly well and this means she has a wealth of experience and empathy to help them understand their emotions, cope with life’s challenges and feel happy and secure.
Say hello... wave goodbye
The Common Room welcomed a new member of staff this term... and said goodbye to another. Mrs Warner (left), School Nurse, is providing maternity cover for Mrs Evans. And sadly, Mr Smyth is hanging up his lab goggles at Ludgrove to move to Heathermount School as Head of Science. Good luck Sir!
He explained: “In March 2023 my family and I went on holiday to Zanzibar, which was my favourite holiday ever, and we spent a lot of time playing with the children there.
“What I did not realise at first was that these children were always available to play with me because they were unable to go to school. Whilst the schooling is free there, children cannot go to school without uniform and many cannot afford the uniform, so, sadly, they just don’t go to school.”
To date he has raised over £13,000 to help provide a happy, safe and secure home for these Tanzanian children who have been abandoned by their families.
OL Sets’ Football comes home
What a privilege to welcome back Old Ludgrovians for the first game of OL Sets’ Football to be played on the hallowed turf of the first team pitch!
The ‘old boys’ were as excited to play the game as they were to take a look around their prep school and catch up with staff and friends. They were happy to see that all their favourite things had remained the same - Dining Hall boards, team photos in the Games Room, Dorm 28 and their Matron Miss Bridge - but loved the new additions like the Exploration Centre.
Contact us:
For enquiries regarding registrations for OL events, to update your contact details, or to send us news, please visit the OL section on the website or use the email below
Telephone: 0118 978 9881
Email: development@ ludgroveschool.co.uk
Website: www.ludgrove.net
Address: Ludgrove, Wokingham, Berks, RG40 3AB
Join us on: Instagram - Ludgrove_School X - @Ludgrove
The game ended with a win to the Blues (Drake, Jellicoe and Nelson Sets) with the Whites (Haig, Kitchener and Wellington) pushing them all the way.
It was wonderful to see these OLs and very special to watch them sharing their school day adventures with the current boys. As Mr Barber always says: “Once a Ludgrovian, always a Ludgrovian!”
It is hoped that the annual Sets’ Football game will be played at Burton Court in the Autumn. Keep an eye out for details and sign up arrangements. Save the date!
An important date for your diary - please make a note of Thursday 22nd May for the annual Parents’ Drinks Party at The Bluebird, Chelsea. Invitations are on their way!
Update details
We love keeping in touch with Old Ludgrovians through the pages of this newsletter to keep them abreast of developments at their prep school and news of events throughout the year. This is only possible, however, if address and email details are up-to-date. If you have moved in recent years or have changed email address, please email development@ludgroveschool.co.uk.
1 3 2
It is always a pleasure to see Leavers thriving at their senior schools and the 2023 cohort has been particularly successful recently.
1. Arjan was a part of the Radley rugby team that won the JC1 National Schools U15 Plate.
2. Henry was a part of the UK Harrow swimming team that was victorious in both the Bath Cup and John NalsonTrophy.
3. Will competed in the Inter-House Singing competition at Stowe.