Reading in any form is proven to have huge benefits on academic attainment across all disciplines, not only English Literature, and of course it also has a huge impact on positive mental health and well-being. It is gratifying that this has now been acknowledged at the highest level, and when the National Year of Reading was announced for 2026, the government pledged to give funding to every secondary school in the country to spend purely on reading for pleasure.

We have therefore been able to buy a large quantity of books for the school library. All pupils in the school, from Year 7 to Sixth Form, have been given the opportunity to put in requests for the books they would like to see purchased, and we have new titles on diverse topics - crochet to football, Greek Myth to farm machinery, Star Wars to fishing, and much much more! We have also been able to purchase plenty of fiction, including manga and graphic novels that have been requested over time.

Pupils are thoroughly enjoying seeing these books begin to come into circulation in the school library, and lots of the books already have long waiting lists. The even better news is that the funding is not yet all spent, so if any pupils have any further requests, they only have to ask!

Purbeck’s Year 7 football team enjoyed an excellent afternoon of football as they progressed to the second round of the Dorset County Cup with an impressive victory over Sir John Colfox School of Bridport.

The fixture marked this teams first appearance in the County cup together,following their first friendly fixture just last week. Despite their limited experience together, the team produced an outstanding all-round performance, demonstrating plenty of quality, determination and a real willingness to put into practice the principles they have been working on.

From the outset, Purbeck showed exactly what they are capable of when they stick to two simple instructions: work exceptionally hard out of possession and, when on the ball, keep things simple by moving it quickly and efficiently. The players embraced both challenges, pressing with energy and purpose while also showing some excellent passages of passing football.

Purbeck made the perfect start, taking an early lead through a quite outstanding free kick from Theo Spetch. It was a strike of the highest quality, bending beautifully into the net and one that David Beckham himself would have been proud of!

Colfox responded well and soon drew level, capitalising on some indecisive defending that allowed their right winger to sneak in at the back post for a simple finish. However, Purbeck did not take long to restore their advantage. Tyler Green collected the ball on the left-hand side before unleashing an outstanding strike that flew into the far top corner, giving the goalkeeper little chance.

The remainder of the first half saw Purbeck continue to create opportunities, playing some excellent football and causing Colfox plenty of problems. The only frustration was that they failed to convert several further chances that could have put the game beyond reach before the interval. As a result, the score remained 2–1 at half-time, leaving the contest delicately poised and the next goal potentially decisive.

Thankfully, that goal went Purbeck’s way early in the second half. Theo Spetch’s delivery from set pieces had been a constant threat throughout the afternoon, and another dangerous corner caused problems in the Colfox penalty area. When the goalkeeper fumbled the ball, Freddie Rideout reacted quickest to pounce on the loose ball and finish from close range, extending Purbeck’s lead to 3–1.

From that point onwards, Purbeck really took control of the game. The team continued to move the ball well, work hard for one another and create a succession of chances. Tyler Green added his second goal of the afternoon following a lovely team move, finished off after a well-worked ball across the penalty area from Rueben Jackson.

Freddie Rideout then rounded off an excellent afternoon of his own by completing his hat-trick with two more classic poacher’s finishes, showing great awareness to be in the right place at the right time and calmly turn home from close range on both occasions.

It was a thoroughly deserved victory and a hugely pleasing performance from a group of players who are only just beginning their journey together as a school team. The quality of the goals was particularly impressive, but just as encouraging was the team’s work rate, discipline and willingness to keep the game simple and play for one another. With their first friendly only last week, there are plenty of positives to take forward, and this performance provides an excellent platform on which to build.

Final score: Purbeck 6–1 Sir John Colfox School

A second-place finish for the Year 7 and 8 boys and third place for the Year 9 and 10 team

The Purbeck School enjoyed an excellent afternoon of cross-country running at the Poole and East Dorset District Cross Country event, held at Ferndown Upper School on Thursday 8 October. With hundreds of students from schools across the district in attendance, the event provided a fantastic opportunity for our students to test themselves against some of the strongest runners in the area.

Twelve Purbeck students competed in the Year 7 and 8 boys’ race, producing a series of impressive individual performances and securing an outstanding second-place finish in the overall team competition.

Leading the way was Alex Belviso, who crossed the finish line in an excellent eighth place, closely followed by Zachai Burnett, who finished twelfth. There were further strong performances from Ben Smith, who came 25th, and Alfred Docherty, who finished 26th. These results, alongside the efforts of the rest of the team, ensured Purbeck secured a well-deserved second place overall.

In the Year 7 girls’ race, Purbeck were unable to field a full four-runner team on this occasion. However, Megan Titley produced a particularly encouraging performance, finishing in 21st place against a strong field of competitors. Well done to Megan for representing the school so positively.

The success continued in the Year 9 and 10 boys’ race, where Purbeck secured an impressive third place in the overall team competition. Jacob Warren led the team home in ninth place, with Alfie Fooks finishing twelfth. Milo Jubber followed in 16th place, while Ethan Rolls completed the scoring quartet with an excellent 24th-place finish.

The results reflect the commitment, determination and hard work of the students involved. Cross-country running requires considerable physical resilience, particularly when competing against such large fields, and all our runners deserve enormous credit for their efforts.

A huge well done to everyone who competed and represented Purbeck School so well. Whether finishing near the front of the field or working hard to achieve a personal goal, every runner played an important part in another positive afternoon for the school.

This was the second Poole and East Dorset District Cross Country event of the season, and there is plenty to look forward to as the competition continues. We hope to build on these excellent team results when we return for the third event in the coming weeks.

Milton Abbey School 2–8 The Purbeck School

Tuesday 29th September | First Round | Dorset County Cup

The Year 10 boys from The Purbeck School made an excellent start to their Dorset County Cup campaign on Tuesday, producing an impressive 8–2 victory away at Milton Abbey School.

Played on an outstanding playing surface at Milton Abbey, the match provided the perfect setting for an entertaining afternoon of school football. From the opening whistle, Purbeck looked determined to take control of the contest and made a blistering start, racing into a 3–0 lead inside the opening ten minutes.

The early goals gave Purbeck confidence and, importantly, allowed the boys to settle into their style of play. Throughout the game, they showed excellent composure in possession, moving the ball intelligently and making good use of the space available to them. There were some excellent passages of football, with the team demonstrating a real willingness to play through the thirds rather than simply relying on direct football.

One of the major highlights of the match came with Purbeck's third goal. It was a superb team move which began with the goalkeeper playing calmly through the lines. The ball was worked down the right-hand side before a dangerous cross was delivered into the box. Alfie Hunt then produced a moment of real individual quality, finishing the move with an acrobatic scissor/bicycle kick that flew into the net.

It was the sort of goal that summed up the confidence and quality Purbeck were showing, combining patient build-up play with an excellent final product.

Purbeck continued to control large periods of the match and created numerous opportunities through their movement and passing. The boys were excellent in possession, constantly looking to support the player on the ball and move the opposition around the pitch.

Although Milton Abbey managed to score twice, Purbeck remained focused and continued to play their football. The final score of 8–2 reflected an excellent attacking performance, but perhaps more importantly, the match demonstrated the team's ability to work together, move the ball effectively and maintain their standards throughout the game.

There were plenty of positives to take from the fixture, not only from the result but from the manner in which it was achieved. The boys showed confidence, creativity and a real desire to play attractive football.

With the victory, Purbeck progress through to the second round of the Dorset County Cup, where they will face either Ferndown School or Avonbourne.

Final score: Milton Abbey 2–8 The Purbeck School

Purbeck goals: Alfie Smith, Alfie Hunt (2), Fabio Streams, Ollie Connor, Kellan Roberts, Szymon Nowosad, and Tom Barstow.

The Purbeck School Wednesday 23rd September | Dorset School League

The Purbeck School's new Sixth Form football team made their first appearance in the Dorset School League on Wednesday, travelling to face a strong Budmouth School side in what proved to be a highly competitive and entertaining game of football.

As a newly formed team, it was always going to take the boys a little time to settle into playing with one another. The opening stages were a valuable learning experience as the players began to understand each other's movements, build their relationships on the pitch and find their rhythm as a team. Budmouth took advantage of a couple of opportunities in the first half, taking a 2–0 lead into the interval. The first came following a defensive error, while the second was the result of an excellent corner that was very well taken.

Despite finding themselves behind, Purbeck showed encouraging signs as the half progressed. The team began to grow into the game, moving the ball with greater confidence and creating a number of chances towards the end of the first half. There was a growing belief that, with a little more composure in the final third, there was certainly a way back into the contest.

Early in the second half, however, Budmouth extended their advantage to 3–0 with an opportunistic long-range effort. At that point, it would have been very easy for a new team to lose confidence and allow the game to drift away from them.

Instead, Purbeck responded brilliantly. The reaction to going three goals behind was arguably the most pleasing aspect of the afternoon. The boys immediately lifted their performance, showed excellent character and began to dominate possession and territory.

They got themselves back into the game almost straight away through Mikey Andrews, following an excellent long ball from Aiden Macey into the right-hand channel. Mikey showed great composure to latch onto the pass before producing an excellent finish, lifting the ball over the advancing goalkeeper and into the net.

The goal sparked an excellent spell of pressure from Purbeck. For the remaining half an hour, the visitors completely dominated the game, moving the ball well and creating several further opportunities. The boys showed much greater confidence in possession and began to look increasingly comfortable playing together.

Despite their efforts, a second goal proved elusive. However, Purbeck continued to push forward right until the final whistle, and on the balance of the second half, they could feel extremely unfortunate not to have taken more from the game.

While the result ultimately went in Budmouth's favour, there were plenty of positives for Purbeck to take from their first outing as a new Sixth Form team.  The team can take great encouragement from their first competitive fixture and will now look ahead to the remaining Dorset School League games, where they will have further opportunities to develop as a team and hopefully turn their strong performances into positive results.

Final score: Budmouth School 3–1 The Purbeck School

Purbeck goals: Mikey Andrews
Assist: Aiden Macey