Boarding pupils at St Peter’s gathered for their annual Christmas House Dinners this week to celebrate the end of term.
Pupils from St Peter’s four senior Boarding Houses joined together in the Dining Hall in their House bubbles, with each House celebrating on a different day of the week. These formal dinners are a chance for pupils to dress up and enjoy a delicious evening meal.
The menu included smoked salmon, homemade soup, roast sirloin of beef and an indulgent homemade Christmas chocolate log. The dinners were cooked and served by the St Peter’s School catering team who will have served 165 meals for the Boarding House dinners by the end of the week.
Pupils from Wentworth House, St Peter’s School’s junior boarding house for children in years 7 and 8, will continue the festivities next week when they enjoy their Christmas Dinner in House on the last day of term.
Mr Chris Hall, Head of Boarding, said: “It has been wonderful to see our boarding communities joining together to celebrate Christmas with such enthusiasm. Despite having spent much of the year apart, our boarding communities are stronger than ever and we are grateful that we have been able to welcome our boarders back to St Peter’s this term.”
Boarders travelled home at the end of March when the first lockdown was announced and only returned to St Peter’s for the start of the Christmas term in September. All pupils at St Peter’s enjoyed a full programme of remote teaching and learning during lockdown, and boarders stayed in touch with weekly House Zoom meetings.
Since returning to school, the boarders have been able to take advantage of the all-round education offered by St Peter’s. The school’s co-curricular programme has continued with over 140 activities taking place each week, although boarders have been restricted to their House and year group bubbles.
Mr Jeremy Walker, Head Master, said: "It is wonderful to see Christmas festivities and celebrations beginning and particularly well deserved this year. Our catering department are always fantastic and it is great to see how they have pulled out the stops for the boarders and day pupils with Christmas dinners and lunches as we celebrate the end of a busy and successful term."