It has been Anti-Bullying Week this week and the boys have enjoyed a number of talks and assemblies about tackling bullying as a school community. We listened to an exciting talk which took place during our chapel service on Wednesday from Dr Alderson. Today, The Caffinites House also took part in the 'Odd Socks' campaign set up for our Anti-Bullying Week. This campaign allowed our pupils to wear odd socks to raise awareness and show support against bullying. With a wild selection of odd socks on display, the boys were tasked to ditch their usual school socks and wear something colourful. They certainly did not disappoint! 

House Music rehearsals have stepped up a gear over the past week, with the boys showing enthusiasm, confidence, and teamwork. The energy in the House has been fantastic, and their commitment is clear to see. Apologies in advance if Elton John lyrics have been echoing around your home as 'I'm still standing' will be our song for the unison song. 

I would also like to wish the very best of luck to Harry and Cuthbert W (Year 10), who are travelling to Latvia today to compete in the European Judo Championships over the weekend. This is an outstanding achievement, and the whole House is incredibly proud of them. We look forward to hearing how they get on. 

Dates for your calendar: 

On Wednesday, 17th December, the junior year groups (Years 7 – 10) will have their Christmas lunch followed by presentations and activities in the House. Once again, this will take place during the school day, so normal pick up time will apply. 

This will also be our annual Christmas jumper day. 

On Thursday, 18th December, the senior year groups (Years 11 – 13) will have their House suppers. The evening will start straight after school, but I will communicate specific timings in due course. The senior boys have decided to have a black-tie evening but with a twist! As usual, the twist being a red bow tie as opposed to a black one. Therefore, could I please ask that your son brings either a dinner or a plain black suit for the evening. Normal school uniform will be sufficient should there be any problems obtaining the above. In addition to this, school uniform will also be needed for academic lessons throughout the day.

As last year was such a hit, the theme for the evening will once again be "The Caffinites Nightclub". 

On Friday, 19th December, the school will hold its annual Christmas Carol Service. This is a compulsory event for all pupils and parents are more than welcome to attend. More details will be distributed in the weeks leading up to the end of the term. 

As mentioned previously, invitations have now been sent out for our Parents' Drinks Reception on Friday 21st November 2025. The evening is always a fantastic opportunity to meet the House staff in an informal setting and to put names to faces. It is also a great chance to get to know other parents. The event will begin at 7:30pm and should finish by around 9:30pm. If you would like to attend, please RSVP using the electronic form in the invitation or by emailing a.mcmillan@dcsf.org.uk.

Finally, could I please ask you to check that your son has all of their uniform, sports kit and bags as there are a number of items that remained unclaimed without any names attached. On that note, could I also ask that all items of clothing and bags are named appropriately so that we can easily return items that are handed in. 

Have a great weekend,