The Berkhamstedian 2024-25

We are delighted to announce the release the 2024-25 edition of ‘The Berkhamstedian,’ our School’s annual magazine compiling standout moments from across the academic year. While it would be impossible to capture every defining moment, we have done our best to highlight the wide range of opportunities that make Berkhamsted such a special place to be.

It’s important to remember that the big achievements we celebrate are built on thousands of smaller moments: from tutors offering encouragement and giving pupils that extra push, to the moment that something finally clicks in class. We thank every teacher, staff member and most importantly, every pupil, who help bring Berkhamsted to life. We also hope that they enjoy reflecting on the year’s successes, and the many memories made along the way.

Highlights from 2024-25

Across our 16 Houses at Kings and Castle, House spirit remained high. Interhouse events, fundraisers and social occasions brought pupils across years together, but also drove charity, introspection and community. Look out this year for Adder’s charity swim, and a lacrosse-playing shark.

Berkhamsted embarked on a good amount of jet-setting this year, with inspiring trips to a wide range of countries and sites. Highlights include a History and Politics trip to Washington DC, a diving expedition in Egypt, and a breathtaking Geography trip to the glaciers of Iceland. These wonderful opportunities not only enrich learning and build character, but create lifelong friendships.

We continued to Aim High and Be Adventurous in our sport, helping our Physical Education programme to continue to thrive. With high participation numbers (94% of Year 7 and 8 represented Team Berko last year), we championed the health and happiness of our pupils, and gathered some big wins along the way. U13 and U15 lacrosse teams both claimed national titles, as did our U12 and U13 fives players and our Girls’ indoor skiing team. We also celebrated our first return of a Girls’ rugby team to the Rosslyn Park 7s this year: their ‘fair play’ award and adventurous spirit sum up Berkhamsted’s unique sporting culture.

Co-curricular opportunities continued to be plentiful. Outdoor Education not only supported hundreds of pupils through their DofE awards, but ran unforgettable trips and socials that built confidence, resilience and camaraderie. In the CCF, units attended training camps and took part in the ever-impressive Yates Drill Competition.

Pastorally, pupils were given the scaffolding to learn, develop and thrive. While care and communication are profoundly interwoven into everything written this year, the Rising Allies programme, Chaplaincy events and student mentoring schemes deserve a special mention.

Sixth’s big move into the new Zaha Hadid building marks just one key moment in their very busy year. Amongst Oracy workshops and visits from educational consultancies, students threw themselves into a range of opportunities designed to develop essential soft skills for life beyond School.

The year ended with record-breaking GCSE and A Level results. 75.5% of GCSE grades were between 7-9, and 9s themselves made up an incredible 26% of results. At A Level, 57.2% of students achieved A*-A grades, and 21.9% achieved A*, helping to send six students to Oxford and one in six students to a top five UK University.

Berkhamsted’s many successes are testament to the strength and joy of our community, and we hope that the Berkhamstedian 2024-25 reflects this. The magazine can be accessed via the Staff Hub, Parent Portal and Pupil Hub.