From Mrs Hall:

We began with an assembly focused on Excellence and what this can look like for the boys in their everyday lives. We talked about how excellence isn’t about being perfect, but about trying our best, showing pride in our work, and keeping going even when something feels tricky.

To support this message, we enjoyed listening to the story of Zog and reflected on how he showed true excellence by never giving up, even when things didn’t go to plan. The boys were full of thoughtful ideas and were able to make brilliant links to their own learning and play.

It has been lovely to see this mindset carry through the week, with many boys' showing perseverance, resilience, and a real willingness to challenge themselves. We are looking forward to our final week of this half term, and to finishing with lots of exciting learning. Please do join us for our Winter Warmer evening on Thursday and Celebration Assembly next Friday – we would love to see you there!

(Invitation email to parents with Reply form for numbers for the Winter Warmer evening is in the school mailing tonight.)

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Shell awards:

Year 2: to Edward – for showing great effort and determination in your learning. Well done!

Year 1: to William for making excellent choices this week, a great attitude to doing classroom jobs and always trying his best. Well done, William!

Year R: to Vladimir for showing 'excellence' with handwriting and writing skills.  

 

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Save the Dates !

Thursday 12 February	1800		Pre-Prep Winter Warming evening
Friday 13 February	1500 1540		Pre-Prep Celebration Assembly Break for half-term
Monday 23 February	0830 all week		Return to school Pre-Prep Nursery Rhyme and Poetry Competition
Thursday 26 February	morning		St Swithun's join Year 2 Forest School session
Friday 27 February	0830-0900 1000-1100		PPA Coffee by the river Little Shells for pre-schoolers
Monday 2 March (Please note change of day from Tuesday)	All day		Year 2 trip to the Hawk Conservancy (details to follow)
Tuesday 3 March	All day		Year 1 trip to Portchester Castle (Details sent to parents: Friday 6 February, 6.30 mailing)
Thursday 5 March			World Book Day
Friday 6 March	All day 1500 1800-1900		PPA Book Sale Reception trip to Weald and Downland Museum  (details to follow) Pre-Prep Cathedral Assembly, all Welcome Year 1 and Year 2 Stargazing evening (details already mailed to parents via SchoolPost)
Monday 9 March	1600-1800		Year 2 Parents' Evening (Details of booking will follow)
Tuesday 10 March	1500-1700		Year R and Year 1 Parents' Evening
Wednesday 11 March	1500-1600		Christ Church visits the Pre-Prep
Thursday 12 March	am		Mother's Day in the Woods (Invitation and details to follow)
Monday 16 March	0815-0845		Open Classrooms, all welcome
Tuesday 17 March	0815-0845		Open Classrooms, all welcome
Friday 20 March	1500		Red Nose Day Pre-Prep Celebration Assembly and term ends for Pre-Prep (Prep School term ends for Y4-8 Saturday 21 March)
Monday 20 April	0830		First day of Summer term

Notices

Menus are available here on My School Portal. 
^{Reminder: no food is to be brought into the school and/or given to boys at any time, especially at sign-out.}

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Upcoming Events

FOR ALL OPEN DAY ENQUIRIES CLICK HERE

For the Fleury Fundraising Concert, please book your tickets at: www.winchester-cathedral.org.uk

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Commoner News

 

Year 1

1066 and the Battle of Hastings
What an exciting week of history we had in Year 1! We stepped back nearly a thousand years to discover what happened in 1066, when the King of England died and four different men all wanted to be king. Who deserved to wear the crown?

Through stories, pictures and drama, the boys were introduced to the four contenders for the throne. They learnt about Harold Godwinson, who was crowned king in England, William of Normandy, who crossed the sea from France, Harald Hardrada, the fierce Viking, and Edgar the Atheling, who was very young. The boys loved debating their thoughts on who should be king. The class was unanimous that they did not want a mean and cruel man to rule the country, but they did not believe he had to be English by birth. This led to a thoughtful discussion about fairness and kindness, and how, in today’s world, just as in 1066, where someone is born should not matter as much as the values they live by.

We then discovered how the story ended, with William winning the Battle of Hastings and becoming King of England, earning the title William the Conqueror. The boys were fascinated by the tales of battles being won and lost, how castles originally arrived in England with the Normans and showed brilliant enthusiasm and curiosity. It was wonderful to see them asking questions, joining in discussions, and retelling parts of the story in their own free play.

English – Our knights who wouldn’t fight

 

And this week, the boys started to write their story, which they were very excited by. As real authors, we have each chosen what we would like our book to look like and the paper we would like to write on. Each day, we have written another section of the story. They are getting rather exciting! Our characters are currently left trying to resolve an altercation with a mythical beast who wants to fight. How are the stories going to end, I wonder?

Spring bulbs!
With spring so nearly on the horizon, Wednesday Lunchtime Potting Club is able to commence again. Boys from both Years 1 and 2 have been busy over the past two weeks planting spring bulbs to brighten up our classrooms. The daffodils that we planted last week have got taller each day this week! Next week shall be rather exciting as we may discover what flowers will appear out of the spring bulbs that we salvaged from some old planters in the school. We are hugely grateful to the Street family for their extremely kind donation of many small terracotta pots that have made our spring bulbs look even better.

 

 

Mrs Victoria Ford
Year 1 Teacher

Year 2

In English, we have been enjoying our class text Anna Hibiscus by Atinuke, which has linked beautifully with our topic on Africa.

The boys have loved exploring Anna’s family life, setting and adventures, and this has led to some thoughtful discussions about similarities and differences between life in Africa and their own experiences. We have been developing our comprehension skills by answering questions about the story, predicting what might happen next, and exploring new vocabulary. 

In Maths, we have continued our work on multiplication and division. The boys have been using concrete apparatus such as cubes, counters and sharing hoops to help them clearly see equal groups and understand how numbers can be shared evenly. This hands-on approach has supported the boys in developing a deeper understanding of these concepts, and they have shown growing confidence when explaining their mathematical thinking.

Our topic work on Africa has been very creative. The boys designed and created their own African flags, learning about colour, pattern and symbolism along the way. We have also been working on Tinga Tinga art, inspired by the bright colours and bold animal designs of this traditional African art style. These vibrant pieces are nearly complete and are already looking fantastic – we can’t wait to display them!

It has been wonderful to welcome four monitors into the classroom to listen to the boys read. Their support has been greatly appreciated, and the boys have really enjoyed sharing their reading with them.

Mrs Maxine Kent
Year 2 Teacher

 

Reception

This week in Reception, we have been revisiting and building on our previous learning about weight and measuring. The boys enjoyed exploring a range of objects using balance scales to compare how heavy or light different items are.

Working collaboratively, the boys partnered up to select objects and compare their weights. They demonstrated fantastic teamwork and communication skills while using mathematical language accurately, including heavier, lighter, heaviest, and lightest. It has been wonderful to see the boys’ confidence grow when discussing and explaining their mathematical findings.

Following this, we extended our learning by introducing non-standard units of measure. The boys used small counting bears, multilink cubes and a few other non-standard units to measure how many of these were needed to match the weight of different objects. This hands-on activity helped the boys to deepen their understanding of measuring and comparing weight in a practical and engaging way.

You can support your son’s learning at home by exploring weight using everyday household items. Try giving your son two objects (for example, a spoon and an apple) and ask him to predict which will be heavier or lighter. If you have kitchen scales, allow him to test his predictions. Alternatively, your son could use small toys, coins, or building blocks as non-standard units to compare the weight of different objects. Encourage him to use the language heavier, lighter, heaviest, and lightest when talking about his discoveries.

Aside from weighing, but also using some maths skills, the boys began their next practical learning activity at our class woodwork bench. They were very excited to have another go and, this time, to learn how to brace two pieces of wood together using cork, hammers, and nails. They listened carefully to safety instructions, watched a demonstration and demonstrated excellent craftsmanship, showing real enthusiasm for using real tools. It was fantastic to see the boys’ perseverance, focus, and pride in their finished work. Next time we will explore hand drills!

A busy yet fun week!  

Mrs Sarah Huntley
Reception Teacher

 

Forest School

This week, I gave the boys a magical ice orb that was full of natural surprises. After chatting about the freezing process, the boys carefully unwrapped their globes to discover what natural treasures were hidden inside. We watched the globes slowly change during the lesson, and some of the boys enjoyed playing with them during free exploration time.

The Year 1 session linked in with National Storytelling Week, and we recalled the very popular story ‘The Three Little Pigs’, which they heard last term. Building on their ideas from last term, we chatted about the three homes the little pigs built. The boys were challenged with the task of building an example of one of the homes the pigs built or, using their imagination, designing a new home that would withstand a visit from the ‘Big Bad Wolf’! There was a lot of excitement when the ‘Big Bad Wolf’ visited!

The boys in Year 2 were very excited to reveal their ice art from last week. The artwork was carefully removed from the containers and hung in the trees. As it captured the light, the hidden treasures sparkled among the branches. We also had fun using sticks creatively to make artwork based around their initials. Can you spot whose initials they are?

Mrs Fiona Walker
Forest School and LAMDA Teacher

 

Winchester College