Year 6 pupil Ellie had a fantastic day in London on Sunday at the Sprint with the Stars event, where she had the opportunity to compete against other 11 year olds for a place in the Final, with the chance to swim against two times Olympian Champion Abbie Wood.
Congratulations to Year 5 pupil Arthur C who enjoyed a weekend of sporting success at the Marlborough Club Championship Quad event last weekend.
We are delighted to confirm the appointment of Mrs Karen Austin as our new Headteacher at St Francis School, who will take up the post in September 2026.
At St Francis, we are always proud to celebrate the individual achievements of our pupils — whether in the classroom, on the stage, or, as in this case, on the international sporting stage. One of our Senior pupils, Noah, recently travelled to Glasgow to represent his club at the Taekwondo International World Championships.
We are proud to share the results of our latest Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) inspection, carried out in February 2025, which confirms that all regulatory Standards are met — from quality of education to safeguarding, leadership and early years.
.jpg)
On Sunday our fantastic U11 boys’ team competed at the National Prep Schools' Cross-Country Championships. Our young runners proudly represented St Francis School, displaying remarkable determination, athleticism, and sportsmanship in what is an event that attracts schools from all over the country.
We are delighted to announce that all 11 of our pupils who sat the Dauntsey’s School entrance exam this year have passed and been offered places for September. This marks a remarkable hat-trick—the third consecutive year in which every one of our candidates has been successful.
Last week, Year 5 pupils had fun with their Science investigation - an exciting hands-on activity—dissecting a lily to examine its key structures. Working in small groups, they carefully took apart the flowers, identifying and labelling the different parts, from the petals and stamens to the pistil and ovary.
We are thrilled to share the fantastic news that our Senior Pupil, Nell, has been named a finalist in the prestigious RI Coronation Award, an annual competition run by the Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours. This nationwide competition celebrates the best of young artistic talent aged 11–18, and Nell’s exceptional watercolour work has secured her a place among the country’s most promising young artists.
We are delighted to share the wonderful news that Emilia, one of our talented Year 6 pupils, has achieved an incredible score of 384 out of 420 in her 11+ exams for South Wilts Grammar School! Emilia’s achievement is made all the more impressive by her perfect 100% score in Maths—a truly remarkable accomplishment.
We’re thrilled to announce that Year 6 pupils Zara and Tom, along with Senior pupil Priya, have been selected to join the Wiltshire County Cricket teams, representing U11 and U13 levels respectively. Their hard work and dedication have earned them a place among the county’s best young cricketers—a fantastic achievement that reflects their passion and talent for the game.
Bonfire Night saw the best of our year four to eight readers light their own vocal fireworks to dazzle the assembled families, friends and staff in Haybrook Hall this November 5th. The 2024 Reading Aloud Finals was perhaps the best competition in my memory. Each pupil brought their passion for reading and the text alive as they performed pieces that ranged from the dramatic bleakness of Ted Hughes’s ‘November’ poem to the everlasting comedic appeal of Roald Dahl’s ‘Matilda’.