From Mrs Hall

One of the highlights of this week was our successful Mother’s Day in the Woods event. The special people in our lives joined us for a Forest School session, where we created a range of beautiful craft pieces, including clay hearts, cheerio bird feeders, and wooden picture frames. It was a joyous occasion filled with creativity and appreciation, and we are so grateful to everyone who took part. A huge thank you to both Mrs Walker and all the Pre-Prep team for their hard work and dedication.

Our last day of term saw knights, dragons, ducks, spring flowers, African animals, and safari rangers all join the Pre-Prep for a day of fun and excitement. This culminated in our final celebration assembly, where the boys were able to share with you all of their achievements.

Next term, we are delighted to be welcoming new members into our Pre-Prep community. Three new boys will be joining Year 2, and we will also be welcoming two new boys into Reception. We look forward to helping them settle in and become part of our school family.

Additionally, we are thrilled to welcome Katie Jackson, who will be joining the Year 1 class as their new Teaching Assistant. We are excited to have Katie on board and look forward to seeing her in Year 1, supporting and inspiring our boys. We would like to take this opportunity to express our sincere gratitude to Sophie Anderson and Paul Jennings for all their hard work and dedication over the past two terms. Their commitment and support have been invaluable, and we truly appreciate all they have done for the boys and the wider Pre-Prep community.

Finally, may I wish you and your families a peaceful and happy Easter break. We look forward to welcoming everyone back for the start of the summer term on Thursday 24 April, refreshed and ready for more exciting adventures ahead.

Happy Easter!

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Save the Dates !

Musical Shells and Little Shells for Toddlers and Babies
A new 6-week course begins on 1 May for our musical preschool group: Musical Shells. Space is limited, so sign up soon if you'd like to join in!
Little Shells play sessions take place on 2 May and 6 June.
We encourage you to spread the word to friends and family - all are welcome! (See flyers at the bottom of this newsletter).

Thursday 24 April

08:30

Summer Term begins

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Notices

Menus will resume at the beginning of the Summer term.
^{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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Reception

To end our Lent theme 'Spring has Sprung', the Reception boys enjoyed a fabulous trip to Manor Farm. What a brilliant day we all had.  

We travelled by minibus, which was indeed a treat in itself as this was the first time for the boys to experience a trip away from school travelling by minibus.  We arrived and were greeted by Farmer Ali where we found our learning base for the day, the beautiful cabin (just to ourselves) and an enclosed outside area.  Farmer Ali taught us more about life cycles, and we played a game identifying which animals lay eggs and which do not.  This was interesting as there were a few tricks along the way.

After a game and snack, Ali gave us a tour of the farm where the boys were able to feed, stroke, admire, listen and comment on the animals, birds, machinery and workings of the farm. One clear highlight for the boys were the ten piglets snuggling up to their Mummy pig.  'Ahhh, they are so cute,' one boy commented!  We were very lucky to be able to sit outside for a picnic lunch, provided by our catering team, thank you team, and a well-earned rest after a busy morning. 

The afternoon led us to the Victorian Farmhouse where the boys were able to see first-hand how different this home was to their own. They were shown the diary, the pantry, the living area, bedrooms for nine children and the lack of an inside toilet!

The day ended with learning where food comes from and how it is farmed, to planting a sunflower of their own. What a super day we all had and what a pleasure it was to take the boys out of school for their first school trip. Manor Farm is a great day out for the whole family.  You may like to visit over the Easter break! Thank you for all of your support this term.  I wish you all a very happy Easter whatever you may be doing. 

Mrs Sarah Huntley
Reception Teacher
 

Year 1

The highlight of this week must certainly be our biscuit making on Tuesday afternoon. We investigated a set of instructions in the form of a recipe for Easter biscuits to find all the different features that we would expect to see from this type of non-fiction writing. Once we were happy that we were definitely looking at a set of instructions, we were able to follow them in small groups to make our biscuits.

The boys worked brilliantly as a team to make sure each step was carried out sensibly and effectively. The greatest challenge when rubbing the butter into the flour and sugar was keeping it all in the bowl! Once all the ingredients were combined, each boy had an amount of dough to roll out and cut into their choice of biscuit shapes. Mini eggs were then pressed into each biscuit. The biscuits were then delivered to the kitchen to be baked. We were very lucky to welcome Miss Jackson, who from April will be our new TA in Year 1, into the classroom for the afternoon to share this special activity with us.

As part of our spring appreciation, the boys have been introduced to the Japanese festival Hanami which means “viewing flowers”, an appreciation of the arrival of blossom. The Japanese like to host picnics and viewing parties under the blossom trees during the season, which is exactly what we did on Wednesday afternoon in the spring sunshine. Mrs Leslie joined us for a spring story and our Easter biscuits certainly tasted even better outside, watching the blossom in the breeze and the hundreds of very busy honey bees!

Mrs Victoria Ford
Year 1 Teacher
 

Year 2

As another busy week comes to an end, so too does a fantastic term filled with exciting learning experiences. Our Amazing Africa topic has taken us on a journey of discovery, with two standout highlights—our unforgettable trip to the Hawk Conservancy Trust and Mr Buck’s thrilling safari adventure!

At the Hawk Conservancy, we were amazed by the power and speed of birds of prey, learning fascinating facts along the way—did you know that a peregrine falcon can dive at speeds of over 240 mph? Or that vultures play a crucial role in the ecosystem by cleaning up carcasses and preventing disease?

Mr Buck’s safari stories brought Africa to life, giving us a glimpse into the incredible wildlife and landscapes of this vast and diverse continent. Along the way, we’ve explored many facts and figures, from the mighty Nile River to the extraordinary animals that call Africa home.

To celebrate all we’ve learned, we hope you enjoyed seeing our African masks. Each one is unique, showcasing the boys' creativity and hard work, on display during today’s celebration assembly along with our African music,  "Hakuna Matata." 

As we head into the break, we wish you all a wonderful Easter holiday—a chance to relax, recharge, and make lasting memories. Happy Easter!

Mrs Maxine Kent
Year 2 Teacher

 

Forest School was Mother's Day in the Woods this week. Here is a selection of photos for you to enjoy:

 

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Pre-Prep for preschoolers