Dear Parents,

It seems a very long time since the early weeks of the Michaelmas term when the sun shone, the school successfully completed its 20 mile sponsored walk and one or two upgrades saw the outgoing 6.2 break the 90% A/B barrier at A level, a notable first for Radley. Still, even the gloom and damping of early December cannot dim the highlights of what has been a very productive and successful term.

The term's calendar reflects just how busy we have become; a typical week sees lunchtime coffee concerts, evening academic year group societies, theatre visits, minor games and a big rugby fixture of up to 22 matches, play and ensemble rehearsals and guest speakers, all on top of the daily regimen of lessons and preps. Part of the art in planning future terms is to hold all these activities in balance, but the very busyness of Radley is clearly an attraction. We have organised over 300 visits for prospective parents at Radley this term alone and your sons have overwhelmingly been excellent ambassadors, conveying their pride in their school.

But amidst much that has been very good, some things stand out as having been memorable. The new Shells achieved a uniformly high standard of entertainment in the playlets they performed in October's Haddon Cup won, for the record, by C Social. Later in the term a dramatic production rightfully occupied centre stage at Radley when West Side Story, so long in the gestation and so exemplary in its teamwork – Rob Lowe's direction, Stephen Clarke's music, Matt Hawksworth's choreography and Matt Barker's technical accomplishment – invigorated all who saw it. There were many strong individual performances, but most striking of all was the ensemble work, the freshness and precision of the dance (a wonder to see Radleians so lithe and gymnastic in an unfamiliar medium), and the sheer attack of the singing. Many to whom I spoke found it hard to credit that this was a school production.

The Precentor has indeed been busy this term. Four years or so ago he started the Choristership scheme which has now built up to a treble line of 19 young boys drawn from Oxfordshire. They have recently performed a Sunday Sung Eucharist service on their own, and they have been a key part in the emergence of a strong Chapel Choir, who sang beautifully at both Confirmation and Remembrance Sunday on successive weekends and, who in their turn, were the core of the Choral Society, which gave a powerful and professional performance of the Mozart Requiem in Chapel on November 11th. Those of you who heard it were, I know, very impressed and Max Horsey's DVD of the event faithfully reflects its dramatic impact. Nor were these the only musical moments of the term: the Ferguson Singing Competition was a really enjoyable event of high standard and considerable variety, and the senior prize deservedly went to Theo Whitworth; later in the term the Hudson String Competition culminated in victory for Greg Williams. As I write the Choir is rehearsing for the 3 carol services which traditionally mark the end of the Michaelmas Term.

The CCF hosted a Biennial Inspection in October. It was extremely well organised and the inspecting officers were much impressed by the enthusiasm and turn out of the boys and the energy of the CCF Officers. This was a fitting last Inspection for Richard Pollard who has commanded the contingent for 23 years. He started out as an officer here in 1971. John Wylie who also retires this year started in 1970. Both have given great service to Radley's CCF.

6.2 has been fortunate to have heard some distinguished, and thought-provoking, visiting speakers. It has been good, too, to have parents, like George Bailey and Rory Tapner, and other ORs like Charlie Mayfield of John Lewis, involved in the Lecture programme. The 6.2 Conference was a real success, focusing this year on 'The Challenge of China' and educating the boys, and their female counterparts from St Helen's, in the language, culture, recent history and economy of China, in a day-long event. Throughout the term the boys have been a thoughtful audience, prepared to engage with the speakers, never more so than on the subject of Tony Blair, when Anthony Seldon, his biographer, visited Radley.

This 6.2 has much academic potential but by no means all are – as yet – working as hard as they need to do to meet their offers. Many of them labour under the misapprehension that their dons can do it all for them but, they in the end have to develop their understanding for themselves and do the hard graft of learning the basics. There is much to be done to avoid a disappointing August next year and I would ask parents to support them in the tasks they have been set before and after the Christmas period itself – it is a terrifying truth that once we are back in the Lent Term there is precious little time to secure knowledge and understanding before the Mocks begin in February. Meanwhile a number of them are engaged in the Oxbridge campaign. It seems to get more competitive by the year, as individual subjects develop assessments designed to test potential – Law, History, English, PPE and so on – and as the two universities (with their Russell Group allies) suffer intense and continuing scrutiny from government and media about the fairness of admission procedures. We wish our candidates very good luck.

One aspect of academic work which concerns us is the impact of access to, and use of, chat rooms, dating/social and messaging sites, on the internet. It has become clear that wireless networking in Socials has led to considerable use by your sons in prep time, and so, in common with other boarding schools, we will from next term control access to these sites in prep and lesson time.

The initiative of sending our internal computerised reports as e-mail attachments to Shell parents has been a great success. We intend to extend this next term to Removes, and thereafter to 5th and 6.1. It all hinges, of course, on our having accurate e-mail addresses from you, and if you have made recent changes, or if by the start of February Remove parents have not received their first e-mailed report, then please let Ian Yorston know on isy@radley.org.uk.

Much good rugby has been played, and about 70% of matches have been won. The 1st XV was stricken by injury – indeed, at times the ante-Chapel seemed full of boys on crutches after particularly competitive block fixtures. Still, they achieved some good results, and a high point was the last gasp, 50 metre penalty by Tom Atkinson to snatch victory at Harrow. The 3rd and 5th XVs had excellent seasons, and there is much promise for the future in the performances of Colts 1st XV, Junior Colts 1st XV and Midgets 1st, 2nd and 3rd XVs. These younger teams played spirited and attractive rugby throughout the term. Perhaps the most impressive thing of all is the depth of Radley's rugby; against Tonbridge in mid-November 22 teams were put in the field. 7 Midgets teams travelled to Tonbridge – with reserves, 112 boys out of a year group of 135 represented Radley. (The same involvement characterises our fixture against Harrow and unquestionably there is a sense of collective purpose in the school on such days.) And whilst on the subject of Rugby, it was a real pleasure to see 2 Radleians win their Blues for Cambridge in the Varsity match, Chris Lewis (2000-2005) and James Lumby (1998-2003). For the first time we have organised the Steeplechase, the inter-social cross country event, in November. Archie Vey won the Senior in a record time; Oscar Richards won the Inter, and Theo Bromfield the Junior Races, and B Social took the cup as overall winners.

You will not fail to have observed the rapid advancement of the two new socials on the drive up through the College. They will unquestionably be impressive, and will set new standards of boarding accommodation. The Sub Warden will be writing separately to those of you who have expressed an interest – on your son's behalf – in J or K Socials. Suffice to say that the process has been more attenuated than we had expected and recruitment will certainly not be completed by January. Up to now we have done little to encourage current Shells to consider a move, wanting to let them settle happily to their current socials. However, Shell parents might like at least to discuss the idea with those of their sons who might be intrigued by the notion of being pioneer Removes in J or K in September 2008. Any who are interested should write to the Sub Warden in the New Year.

Next February Radley has its ISI Inspection. Eight inspectors will spend 4 days with us, observe lessons and activities, interview key staff, and scrutinise our policies, record keeping and paperwork to ensure we fulfil all regulatory requirements. You will have received questionnaires already from the Reporting Inspector Adrian Underwood, and several of you will meet the inspectors during the inspection itself. We hope that in an inevitably concentrated spell they can get a true reflection of the quality of Radley's education and are able to articulate that in the final report. As part of our preparation for Inspection and the years ahead, in consultation with Council, I have produced the enclosed ‘Radley 2007-8 and beyond’ document. It summarises what we want to achieve in the coming years and also stresses the things we believe are vital to retain in a Radley education. If this extra reading is not sufficient to light up those long December evenings, I enclose, as in previous years, a copy of our Summary Accounts. I think it is important for parents to know how the money here is spent and hope you find it of interest.

It is unusual to say farewell to people during the course of the year, so we wish good luck to Luke Bartlett, chemist and resident sub-tutor in B Social, who is leaving Radley to run the Chemistry Department at Uppingham. His musicianship here will also be greatly missed, but Uppingham Parish Church will benefit from his choir training and organ playing. His replacement is Dr Ed. Brooke who comes to us from the commercial world after gaining a first and DPhil from Oxford. We also say a sad farewell to Lizzie Honeycombe, a wonderful Pastoral Housemistress in B Social, and Sandie and Alan Davies who have run the Shop at Radley for 18 years; Shop is a central part of Radleians' lives and the Davieses cheerfulness, warmth and enthusiasm has been an important ingredient. Gordon and Jan Calland will succeed them in January and Mel Devlin becomes PHM in B Social.

I finish with two important administrative notices:

Warden’s Reports Lent Term
As Easter falls straight after the end of next term I am not going to be able to start writing reports until 25th March. All boys will receive subject and Tutor reports, but realistically I will only be able to write reports for the Fifth and 6.2 years who will have just completed mock exams. Normal service will be resumed in the summer!

Term dates
As you know we try to set term dates well in advance, but since publishing the dates for the Leave Away in the Lent Term 2009 a number of schools have indicated that they will be on half term a week later. It therefore makes sense to try to stay in line with as many schools as possible and we have decided to move Leave Away 2009 to Friday 13th – Sunday 22 February.

Liz joins me in wishing you a very happy Christmas and New Year.