We were honoured to welcome Sir Damon Buffini on 24 March to deliver an inspiring lecture titled ‘The Next 50 Years – Making the Most of Global Opportunity’.

As one of the UK’s most prominent businessmen and a founding partner of private equity giant Permira, Sir Damon shared his remarkable journey—from a state school and council estate to Cambridge and Harvard Business School. His story is a powerful reminder that hard work, passion, and perseverance can open doors to extraordinary opportunities.

💬 “With my personal interest in economics and finance, meeting Sir Damon Buffini and attending a lecture given by him was an extreme privilege. His positive attitude on success in the face of a society where it is increasingly believed that if your parents aren’t rich you ‘won’t make it’, was admirable and very inspirational for me.” – Elis (DG/Year 12)

Thank you, Sir Damon, for motivating the next generation to dream big and believe in their potential.

Over the weekend of 21 to 23 March, 26 CH students travelled to Haileybury school for the UK’s largest school Model United Nations conference. Representing five different countries (Madagascar, Norway, Panama, Poland and Syria) they debated a range of global issues, including the questions of water security, eco-terrorism and the future of the United Nations itself. In three days, between them they made 50 speeches, asked 173 Points of Information and, most impressively, had four of their resolutions passed. Sienna (GR/Year 13) had an especially industrious and rewarding weekend, serving as one of the chairs on the Human Rights committee, and therefore playing a vital part in the running of the conference.

Everybody involved performed admirably, showing considerable skill and confidence in lobbying, speech writing and public speaking. As a school, we came away with several individual prizes, including a Highly Commended Delegate award for Kobie (GE/Year 11) at his first conference away from CH and Distinguished Delegate awards for George (GR/Year 13) and Javina (DG/Year 12). Particularly prestigious was the award to Daniel (GR/Year 13) for the best resolution submitted to the Special Political and Decolonisation committee. The students representing Syria – George (GR/Year 13) and Freya, David, Noah and Javina (all DG/Year 12) were deservedly recognised as one of the distinguished delegations at the conference.

Overall, this was once again an immensely enjoyable and successful event, and we look forward to returning to Haileybury in 2026.

On 17 March, the Careers’ Department ran a law skills workshop with barrister Tommy Seagull for any senior students interested in law or developing their communication and debating skills. The session focused on practising the skills needed to be a good lawyer, and students worked on plea mitigation, using genuine court case scenarios.

Student reactions:

‘I particularly liked the practical element of deducing a sentence for a complex case, then being given an opportunity to present to a judge as if it were a real case’.

Ruth (DG/Year 12)

‘Tommy’s passion for what he does was reflected throughout the entire workshop, which has inspired me to carry on pursuing and exploring the many paths that law offers.’

Javina (DG/Year 12)

‘This was an incredible experience and allowed me to become more confident in publicly speaking about law. It was engaging and interesting, and has opened my mind to sectors of law I may not have originally set out to study.’

Lola (DG/Year 12)

Tommy Seagull

At 16 Tommy Seagull won a full scholarship to Eton College. At 18, he became the English and British schools debating champion (ESU English and International Mace). He graduated in Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE) from St. Peter’s College, University of Oxford, and was called to the bar in 2018.

Esteemed journalist Marina Cantacuzino MBE, founder of the Forgiveness Project, captivated our GCSE Theology and Philosophy students, as well as budding journalists, during a recent enlightening session.

Marina delved into her experiences reporting on the Iraq war, highlighting how this led her to establish the groundbreaking Forgiveness Project. She shared stories of individuals who, despite enduring profound trauma and injustice, chose forgiveness over revenge.

In a thought-provoking discussion, Marina explored the nuances of forgiveness, sparking insightful questions from students on the complexities of the concept. Drawing upon wise words from figures like Desmond Tutu and Ben Okri, she emphasized the transformative power of stories in shaping our values and perceptions.

Student Reactions:

Students who attended the event were deeply impacted by Marina’s message. One student expressed, ‘I really enjoyed the event and found that it opened my eyes to what forgiveness is and that it’s possible to forgive no matter how large the crime, even if it’s very difficult.’ Another described the event as ‘powerful and thought-provoking’ and praised its ability to shed light on the courage displayed in forgiving profound hurt. A Year 12 student reflected on how the talk had fundamentally shifted their perspective on forgiveness, urging for such messages to be shared widely for all to benefit.

We were honoured to host Marina Cantacuzino and grateful for the invaluable insights she shared with our students, fostering a deeper understanding of forgiveness and empathy.

We are thrilled to announce that Deputy Grecian (Year 12 student) Michael has been selected for the Sussex U17 rugby squad!

Michael discovered his love for rugby at Christ’s Hospital, where his talent has been nurtured and encouraged. Perhaps he will follow in the footsteps of Old Blues Joe Launchbury and Lennox Anyanwu, who are both English Rugby Union players?

Congratulations to Michael for this exciting achievement; we look forward to supporting his progress and wish him all the best as he represents our school and county on the rugby field.

On 6 March, the CH chess team travelled to the Guildhall in London to participate in the sixth annual City of London Schools’ Chess Tournament.

A total of 109 players, representing nine schools and spanning various age groups from Year 3 through Year 12, competed in this prestigious event. CH students received a morning of lessons and coaching delivered by Chess in Schools and Communities tutors, before playing six rounds of a Swiss tournament in the afternoon. Despite the tough competition, the team performed well, earning a respectable third place in the team competition. The individual results were good too, with Kuife (LE/Year 9) earning joint bronze and a UF (Year 10) student joint silver.

All team members demonstrated excellent sportsmanship, sharp tactical skills, and high spirits in both victory and defeat, representing Christ’s Hospital in an exemplary manner.

As part of our World Book Day celebrations, Christ’s Hospital hosted the brilliant novelist, poet, literary critic and lecturer of creative writing, Dr. Ashley Hickson-Lovence on 12 March.

Dr. Ashley spoke to students from Third Form (Year 8) on the subject of his engaging novel-in-verse Wild East, which is about an East London boy with a dream of becoming a rapper as he navigates his new life in a new city. The students really enjoyed Dr Ashley’s talk, during which they explored important themes about belonging, identity and finding your voice.

On 6 March, four members of the RAF section had the amazing opportunity to fly a powered aircraft during a flying day at RAF Benson.

The cadets were introduced to the world of flight in a Grob Tutor, whose simple design and gentle handling make it the perfect platform for young aviators to get a feel for the skies. Under the guidance of experienced RAF pilots, the cadets had the opportunity to take the controls of the aircraft themselves, flying over the picturesque Oxfordshire countryside. For many, this was their first experience behind the controls of an aircraft, and it proved to be an unforgettable moment in their cadet careers.

Before the flights, cadets participated in comprehensive briefings where they learned about the aircraft’s operation, safety protocols, including parachute drills, and the importance of teamwork in aviation.

Once airborne, the cadets were able to experience basic flying manoeuvres, such as turns, climbs, and descents, while observing the beauty of the English countryside from above. The fantastic weather meant that the cadets were also fortunate enough to undertake aerobatic manoeuvres including barrel rolls and stall turns. The thrill of taking control of an aircraft and seeing the world from a completely new perspective left the cadets feeling inspired and motivated to continue pursuing their interest in aviation.

Our Careers Department has again this year offered DG (Year 12) students the opportunity to apply for a fully funded law summer school placement with Debate Chamber. Congratulations to this year’s successful candidates: Freya, Jonathan-David, Carys, Edinam, Kiya, Oluwatoni, Noah, Lola, Kiitan, Leotie, Beatrice, Javina and Sasha.

The course will include introductions to key areas of the law, seminars on some tricky and controversial legal questions, lively debates, and advocacy practice exercises. Students will engage in in-depth discussions with expert tutors, tackle complex legal problems alongside ambitious peers, and experience what studying law at university is really like.

Daniel Lett was a former pupil of Christ’s Hospital (Old Blue) who left a bequest to CH with which to set up a fund. The purpose of the fund is to provide grants to former pupils of Christ’s Hospital wishing to pursue a career in law, specifically as a barrister and who would otherwise be unable to afford it. The fund may also support places in the sixth form at Christ’s Hospital for pupils who demonstrate a strong interest in studying and training to become a barrister.

For more information, go to:

Our whole-school steeplechase was a great success again this year. The atmosphere was fantastic, and the standard of runners was particularly high, with several records broken.

More specifically:

The top three finishers in the Intermediate Boys race all broke the previous record.

The top two finishers in the Senior Girls A race all broke the previous record.

The top five finishers in the Senior Boys A race all broke the previous record.

The Senior Boys B record was broken.

The overall girls’ house winner was Leigh Hunt.

The overall boys’ house winner was Peele.

The Grecians’ house winner was Grecians East.

Well done to everyone for an excellent display of sportsmanship!