Pangbourne College welcomed pupils, parents, families, governors, staff and Old Pangbournians to a sun-drenched Founders' Day as the College came together to celebrate another outstanding year of achievement and bid farewell to the Upper Sixth.

One of the most important dates in the College calendar, Founders' Day honours Pangbourne's rich heritage while recognising the academic, sporting, creative and leadership accomplishments of pupils across the year. The annual Prize Giving ceremony was followed by the traditional Parade and Beat Retreat on the Parade Square, with hundreds gathering to celebrate the occasion and enjoy the spectacular display.

This year's celebrations were particularly significant, as the College recognised the contribution of the departing Upper Sixth. In his address, Head, Mr Oli Knight, reflected on the rapidly changing world the pupils are preparing to enter and encouraged them to embrace adaptability as the defining skill for the future.

"Success in the decades ahead will not belong to the cleverest," he told pupils. "It will belong to the adaptable."

He praised the year group for navigating significant change during their time at Pangbourne, including the introduction of the College's new Divisional structure, describing their resilience as "the single most important rehearsal" for life beyond school.

Mr Knight also challenged pupils to prioritise genuine belonging and teamwork, cultivate knowledge and independent thinking, and embrace risk rather than fear failure. Drawing on the College's four pillars of Academic Rigour, Adventure, Leadership and Community, he reminded pupils that a Pangbourne education is about far more than examination success.

"The purpose of a Pangbourne education has never been to keep you safe in a bubble," he said. "It has been to put you, deliberately and repeatedly, into situations where you discover you are capable of more than you imagined."

The ceremony also marked the launch of The Pangbourne Standard, a new seven-year personal development framework that will enable every pupil to work towards milestones across the College's four pillars, helping them develop the resilience, independence and adaptability needed to thrive in an ever-changing world.

As part of the celebrations, Dr Claire Whitehead was invited as Inspecting Officer and prize giver.  She was one of the first girls to join Pangbourne College in 1990. As the College concludes its 30th anniversary year of full co-education, her participation provided a fitting tribute to the vision and courage that helped shape the modern College.

Closing his speech, Mr Knight paid tribute to the outgoing Upper Sixth and, in particular, Chief Cadets Faith and Ed, thanking them for the leadership, compassion and integrity they have shown throughout the year. They were also both awarded the King’s Gold Medal, the highest individual honor awarded at Pangbourne College. 

With families and Old Pangbournians gathering afterwards to enjoy the sunshine and watch Beat Retreat, Founders' Day once again demonstrated the enduring traditions, strong sense of community and forward-looking spirit that continue to define Pangbourne College.