Claires Court School

Claires Court is immensely proud of former pupil Ellie Rayer, who recently earned her 150th combined international cap for England and Great Britain. A highly respected figure in international hockey, Ellie continues to excel at the highest level.

Her outstanding speed, athleticism, and relentless work rate make her a constant challenge for defenders across the world, and we look forward to following her continued success.

Yesterday, our amazing squad of 32 athletes travelled to Birmingham for the ISA National Athletics Championships. Following their incredible performance at the regionals, our pupils took on the best in the ISA arena and brought home a spectacular haul of medals.

Juniors
🥇 Chloe S – 60m Gold
🥇🥇 Tori W – 150m Gold & Long Jump Gold
🥉 Year 5 Relay Team (Beatrice T, Makeleta P, Alexa D and Tori W) – Bronze

Senior Girls
🥇 Olivia D – Long Jump Gold
🥇 Olivia R – High Jump Gold
🥉 Tabby S– Javelin Bronze
🥉 Charlotte B– 1500m Bronze

Senior Boys
🥇 Beau C – Discus Gold
🥈 Louis C– Shot Put Silver
🥈 Trent R – 400m Silver
🥉 Sam C– Long Jump Bronze
🥉 Will W– Javelin Bronze

Congratulations to every single one of our competitors who represented Claires Court and the ISA London West region with such pride, determination, and sportsmanship.

On Saturday, Claires Court Head Librarian, Mrs Cavaciuti was invited to the Children's Book Award Ceremony in Birmingham along with four Claires Court pupils, Sophie (Y7), Beatrice(Y5), Arthur (Y5) and Dylan (Y5).They met several shortlisted authors, got their books signed and enjoyed an amazing cooked lunch before being the first to find out this year's winning books.

Our students were also chosen to present two portfolios made up of children's work inspired by the books. Sophie & Beatrice presented the portfolio to Katie Cottle (author of 'The Tortosaurus') on the stage. Dylan and Arthur were chosen to do the same for Michelle Harrison, author of 'There's a Shark in my Pants'.

The event was an amazing opportunity for the students to mingle and chat with famous authors and have the pleasure of sharing lunch with them. We all had a thoroughly enjoyable day.

The Children's Book Award is organised by the Federation of Children's Book Groups. The books are voted for solely by children.

Today, Thursday 11th June, marks the official Empathy Day across the UK. Organised nationally by Empathy Lab UK, this special day aims to inspire children and young people to develop crucial empathy skills and put them into action to create a kinder world.

The theme for 2026 is "JUMP INTO SOMEONE ELSE'S STORY". Our Year 7 and Year 8 students have been taking part in powerful empathy activities, putting themselves directly into the shoes of Nate, the main character from The Final Year. It’s been a great way to practise perspective-taking and understand different life experiences

To earn an extra commendation AND a sweet treat, students can choose and read a book from the official 2026 'Read for Empathy' Collection—a fantastic guide of 65 books curated to help us understand others' feelings.

Thank you to author and publisher . The Final Year has been the perfect tool to help our pupils experience empathy through powerful storytelling.

Yesterday, our Year 7 students headed off to Whipsnade Zoo for a day of inspiration, exploration, and some very lucky timing.

This half term in Art, they have been diving into the element of pattern, with a special focus on traditional, brightly patterned Oaxacan animal sculptures. To help plan their own upcoming sculpture projects, students were tasked with finding and sketching unique patterns found in nature.

Despite the weather putting a slight dampener on their outdoor sketching time, the students had a brilliant day out, especially as a few lucky students caught a glimpse of a brand-new baby elephant, born just that morning!

We can’t wait to see how they translate these real-world animal textures and patterns into their own vibrant Oaxacan masterpieces back in the studio!

How far can your curiosity take you?

At Claires Court, we love watching our students find their passions and aim high. That’s why we are pleased to launch our new Oxbridge Pathway—a supportive, four-year journey designed to inspire and guide our students from Year 10 all the way through to Sixth Form as they set their sights on Oxford, Cambridge, and other world-class universities.

We know that getting into a top-tier university takes more than just impressive exam results. It takes independent thinking, deep curiosity, and the confidence to express your ideas. Our pathway supports our students every step of the way:

Years 10 & 11: Igniting a love for higher learning with guest speakers, university visits, and early guidance
Year 12: Diving into enrichment societies, public speaking, and one-on-one mentoring for UCAS applications
Year 13: Building interview confidence and mastering admissions tests with the help of subject experts
Whether our students are exploring the sciences, the arts, or the humanities, we are here to ensure they have the wings to fly.

If your child is highly ambitious and loves to look beyond the textbook, this pathway is built just for them.

To find out more about how Claires Court supports academic ambition through the Oxbridge Pathway, or to book a place at our next Open Morning, please visit www.clairescourt.com or contact our admissions team.

At Claires Court, our staff demonstrate excellence beyond the classroom. Massive congratulations to Ms. Hankin, Deputy Head of Early Years and Lower Juniors, who traded her school lanyard for an England jersey this past weekend.

Representing the Women's England Masters Over 40s team at the 4 Nations tournament at Southgate Hockey Club, Ms. Hankin and her squad dominated the pitch:

Friday: Beat Wales 4-3
Saturday: Beat Scotland 3-1
Sunday: Drew 0-0 with Ireland

Thanks to their unbeaten run, they finished in the ultimate top spot!

But the journey doesn’t stop here. From July 22nd to August 1st, Ms. Hankin is heading to Schiedam, the Netherlands, to compete against 18 other countries in the Hockey World Cup!

We wish Ms. Hankin the best of luck on the world stage this summer!

Meet Clarence, our bright and colorful baby elephant!
We are thrilled to share that Claires Court Juniors and Nursery pupils have taken part in 'Trunks Across the Thames', a fantastic community art project in partnership with the Maidenhead Rotary Club.

As part of their incredible Centenary celebrations (1926–2026), the Rotary Club has donated £1,300 to Thames Valley Hospice through this fundraising event. We were honoured to be invited to decorate this special sculpture.

Our pupils worked collaboratively to decorate Clarence using their own thumbprints, featuring our school uniform and house colors: Winton (Yellow), Astor (Blue), Grenfell (Green), and Spencer (Red).

His jhul (blanket) was beautifully crafted from recycled school uniforms, adding a meaningful, eco-friendly touch. We named him Clarence, inspired by Claires Court and meaning bright and clear.

You can visit Clarence and check out the brilliant work of our pupils at the Maidenhead Library from 4-11 June. He will be on public display as part of an exhibition celebrating 100 years of community service by the Maidenhead Rotary Club.

Congratulations to all the children involved for representing our school and community so beautifully!

We would like to congratulate Natalya on an exceptional weekend of gymnastics, representing England for the first time at the Home Nations competition.

Selected as one of just four girls for the national squad, Natalya performed with outstanding composure to secure excellent results:

Team England: 1st Place

Synchro Event: 1st Place (Highest score across all age groups, 11–21)

Individual Event: 3rd Place

The following morning, she competed in the English Qualifier 2 against the country's top athletes, achieving personal best scores on both routines to finish in a commendable 4th place.

To balance a national debut, multiple podium finishes, and personal bests the very next day is a remarkable achievement. We are incredibly proud of Natalya’s dedication and hard work.

Welcome back to all Claires Court students and staff.

We hope the half-term break provided a good opportunity to rest, recharge, and spend time with loved ones. As we head into the second half of the term, we look forward to seeing everyone settle back into their routines and focus on the weeks ahead.

Have a steady and productive first week back, everyone.