The Barney Way - Trinity 2023

BARNEY

WAY

Another packed term rich in educational experiences with highlights including our Summer Football Fun Day, our Celebration of Work events and of course our various enrichment experiences for the children. Prep School prides itself on achieving high academic standards, high expectations and superb levels of pastoral care in an environment where every child can reach their potential.

One look at The Barney Way clearly shows how our children have been successful in learning respect, responsibility, resilience, confidence, skills of teamwork and motivation to all feel good about themselves and, most importantly of all, to be happy.

From Sport to Music, Drama to School trips, there is always a huge amount on offer at Prep School, which helps us to develop such well-rounded and talented young people. The photographs and reports on the pages to follow, capture the excitement and exhilaration of these many activities and opportunities over this last term. The possibilities are endless for our Preppies!

The true measure of a successful year can be made by counting the doors children have opened, the knowledge that they have gained, and the friendships forged along the way. I hope you enjoy looking back at some of our Trinity Term highlights and it will inspire you to look forward to what is yet to come.

Please do use the QR codes to relive the experience with us.

Meet our Trinity Term Head Boy and Girl, Heads of Houses, Monitors and Year 6 Councillors!

Welcome to Prep School, Cookie and Crumble!

Meet our newest Preppies, Cookie and Crumble, who are welcome additions to our wonderful School!

They have spent the Trinity Term making themselves comfortable in their new surroundings and have made plenty of friends, as our pupils love spending time with them and looking after them during playtimes and outside of term at their homes.

We are excited for when next year's new starters begin their Prep School journeys so they too can enjoy their company and become friends!

Barney achieves highest 'Excellent' rating!

Barnard Castle School is delighted to announce that it has achieved the highest ‘Excellent’ rating awarded by our sector’s regulator, the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI), following a rigorous and comprehensive inspection.

In April 2023, we welcomed inspectors from across the UK for a focused compliance inspection combined with an inspection of educational quality over a three-day period, which included lesson observations and staff and pupil interviews.

Following the rigorous inspection process, the ISI concluded that Barnard Castle School is fully compliant and meets all the standards in the schedule to the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014, the National Minimum Standards for Boarding Schools 2022 and associated requirements. The team of inspectors also gave high praise about the quality of our students’ academic achievements and personal development, awarding ‘Excellent’ in both categories.

Barney’s overarching purpose, vision and aims shone through the ISI’s report, with the

Inspectorate attributing students’ excellent personal development as ‘a direct result of the values and ethos of the school. This is driven by the senior leadership team through the innovative use of assembly and tutorial time, which is endorsed by the governing body, thus fulfilling the school’s aim to develop young adults with character’.

Tony Jackson, Headmaster of Barnard Castle School, said: “This was a rigorous and comprehensive inspection and we are unbelievably proud of the outcome, which is validation of everything we endeavour to do. Our children are preparing for a rapidly changing world and are having to contend with adversity on a local and global level. Throw into this mix the volatile and ubiquitous nature of social media and technology and it is clear that we need to evolve constantly to meet their learning needs as we prepare them for work in the 2060s and 2070s. The seamless implementation of our bespoke ‘Barney Education’ curriculum ensures we remain at the forefront of technological advances in education, which has already had a positive impact throughout our entire School community.”

God Save The King!

The entire Barney community came together to wish their Majesties all the very best as we joined the millions around the world celebrating the Coronation of The King and The Queen Consort in May.

Ahead of the Coronation Weekend, Prep School was suitably transformed into a sea of red, white and blue as Preppies dressed for the occasion! In their year groups, the children showed togetherness and teamwork as they designed and built thrones over the course of a fun-filled day, leaving Mrs Turner with the impossible task of judging their projects and selecting an overall winner!

Around the World in 80 Minutes!

Year 6 transformed the Atkinson Hall into their very own Thomas Cook as they all sought to extol the virtues of their chosen countries, as part of their group projects in the final week of term.

From cheese and croissants on the French stall to trying to outjump a baby Kangaroo in Australia, there was so much to see, do (and taste!).

Every table was outstanding, and our special guest Mr Corke certainly had his work cut out judging!

It was wonderful to hear so many positive comments from parents and visitors, many of whom had first-hand experience of the countries, the confidence of the children, their knowledge and the way they engaged their 'customers' was outstanding and something we are very proud of.

After much deliberation, and Boba tea, China were crowned worthy winners – well done to everyone for all of their hard work!

Double success for our Eco Warriors!

We were delighted to receive the news that Barney was awarded an Eco Schools Green Flag for the second consecutive year!

Many congratulations to our dedicated Eco Warriors for their collective eco-friendly efforts, including regular litter picks and schemes to combat food waste.

Going Wild!

We thoroughly enjoyed hosting our annual end of term Year 3 Wild Camp, with the children brimming with joy and excitement throughout!

They had great fun playing team games in the sunshine, which involved getting very wet during a bucket and pipe challenge, and a blindfolded obstacle run.

For supper, everyone made their own pizzas with a rather strange combination of toppings on some! Miss Strachan read a bedtime story and then everyone retired to their tents for the evening. By just after midnight, all was quiet and most managed a reasonable amount of sleep…

It was a wonderful evening and, for many, a first night away from home which is a huge step in their childhood and development - the perfect way to conclude their time as Year 3 Preppies.

Robinwood 2023!

What a weekend! For the first time ever, we welcomed Year 4 pupils to Dobroyd Castle and they threw themselves into challenges and activities with every bit as much enthusiasm as the rest. 75 pupils departed Prep School on Friday morning, but little did we know we would be joined by four others for the weekend – Feelix, Bebe, Shara and Margo! Whether it was donning the Cape of Courage for the infamous Piranha pool or putting on our Masks of Leadership at the front of the Nightline, we embodied every aspect of our Barney superheroes!

The legendary Giant Swing yet again proved especially popular, be it the first activity or the last. The children noticeably changed session by session, becoming more and more self-assured and confident, those who were reluctant to try the first session openly bounded into the latter sessions, racing up walls and off ledges, having conquered their fears and their doubts.

At times the weather was every bit as challenging as the obstacles but in true Prep School fashion, we worked together to overcome whatever was in our way. It was wonderful to see so many groups racing through problems and working together to overcome obstacles – so many course records were broken this weekend! Having the confidence to lead a team during the Dragon’s Quest, or supporting a friend in the Trapeeze room and everything in between, is what makes Robinwood such an enriching and unforgettable experience.

Celebration of Work

Preppies thoroughly enjoyed welcoming their families into School for our series of Celebration of Work events at the end of an enriching Trinity Term.

It was wonderful for the children to share their favourite Prep School experiences with loved ones, including what they have been learning about as part of our ‘Best of British’ curriculum theme.

Robin and the Sherwood Hoodies!

Year 5 & 6 raised the curtain and brought the house down with their spectacular performance of ‘Robin and the Sherwood Hoodies’!

Catchy songs, dastardly villains, gold plated bonkers, this show had it all and was brought to life by amazing performances from every single child. They sang, they danced, they wore smashing tights!

Retelling the classic tale of Robin Hood, Year 5 & 6 invited us to Sherwood where England’s finest troupe of wandering entertainers (The Merry Men) took on the villainous Sherriff of Nottingham, his Frenchmen (sorry, Henchmen!) and ‘King’ John. We were blown away by their costumes, songs and how they brought their characters to life, they really were amazing!

Bravo, Preppies!

Music at Prep School has continued to thrive, buoyed by the emergence of the Music department's wonderful Teatime Concerts.

Introduced at the start of the year, we had the pleasure of hosting three concerts over the course of the Trinity Term, as our Preppies dazzled on the big stage.

The purpose of these events is to offer children the opportunity to perform in front of a crowd, whether they are skilled musicians or if it is their first time, providing them with vital experience.

Well done to all musicians throughout the term for their incredible performances and for displaying such bravery to perform in front of a crowd, which included several Pre-Prep pupils making their musical debuts.

GlastonBarney 2023!

In spite of heavy downpours, nothing could dampen our Year 6 leavers’ spirits as they celebrated Prep School’s fourth annual GlastonBarney festival, closing out their Preppie journeys in spectacular fashion!

From inflatables and games to cotton candy and live music, everyone enjoyed plenty of fun from start to finish!

Teddy Bears' Picnic

Pre-Prep enjoyed a wonderful time at their annual Teddy Bears' Picnic!

They enjoyed games, a delicious indoor picnic (owing to the delightful British weather!) and rounded off their fun-filled day with a hilarious visit from 'Little Joe', as part of his magic ventriloquist show.

Summer Magic

Not even the weather could dampen Preppies’ spirits, as we hosted our annual Prep School Summer Magic event. Despite heavy downpours, we were able to arrange a plethora of activities for pupils, from inflatables and games to a freestyle football workshop!

It certainly was a memorable day for all concerned and the perfect way to celebrate the final week of the School year.

Sports Day

Barney's annual spectacle did not disappoint, in spite of intermittent weather conditions, as we enjoyed an eventful Sports Day on the final day of term.

Well done to all competitors!

Once a Preppie, always a Preppie

Beautifully concluding their Prep School journeys, we observed a lovely Valedictory Service for Year 6 on the penultimate evening of term.

Those in attendance heard wonderful readings and a superb, poignant song about Year 6's time at Prep School.

We wish our outgoing Year 6 all the very best and a smooth transition as they move on to Senior School in September.