Out of the Blue - Spring 2019

British Science Week Pre-Prep explore Materials topic in the DT room.

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The Blue Coat School Founded by the Church of England in 1722

Year 4 Heroes Major Tim Peake, my sister Zoe, who would you choose as your hero?

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From the study…

I hope parents have enjoyed the opportunity to come into School and spend time in the classroom. Our programme of in-school workshops is ongoing and is designed to help parents help their children at home. This term Years 3 and 4 had a Reading session and Years 1 and 2 and Early Years focused on Maths.

A group of 34 Prep children, now known as digital leaders, have developed leadership skills and have been a much-valued support to the teachers. Science Ambassadors too have grown in confidence, some visiting Pre-Prep to share their knowledge of plastic waste in our oceans.

The recent Year 6 Science Fair and Year 4 Heroes Night, were both fun events, and showcased the excellent standard of work in the School. The feedback from visiting judges and parents was extremely gratifying. As too was the musical talent on display at this year’s Young Musician Gala Concert.

After 12 years, sadly, it is time to say goodbye to Miss Barrett. We thank her for all she has done at Blue Coat and wish her happiness in her new role supporting orphaned and vulnerable children in Durban, South Africa. Good Luck!

I count my blessings – not the least of them my wonderfully committed staff here.

Noel Neeson, Headmaster

Term Round-Up We continue to develop our links with local schools and this term we welcomed Yardley Wood Primary and Harborne Primary School for a History Day on the topic of Richard III. St. Mary’s R.C. School joined us for a Creative Arts Experience and Welsh House Farm Community School participated with Year 1 and 2 pupils in a KS1 Gymnastics Festival. We hosted famous names including Dame Jacqueline Wilson at this year’s Bournville BookFest organised by the Busy Parents Network. This event was enjoyed by many Blue Coat families as well as over 2,000 visitors from across the city.

Carpe diem is an idiom certainly fulfilled at Blue Coat and an everbrimming calendar has seen the children engaged in enrichment days both at school and off-site. Year 6 gained an insight into the effects of WWI on the women of Britain through the eyes of Nurse Tilly, and a Music Hall artist, Dorothy Lawrence, who disguised herself as a man and fought on the front line. Meanwhile Year 3 were mastering

Roman battle formations, Year 4 were attending a Tudor banquet, and Pre-Prep were launching rockets and penning poetry.

Year 6 addressed a variety of scientific questions with creativity and often ingenuity in their quest to impress our judges from the University of Birmingham and four local schools. Congratulations to Isaac Evans for his winning investigation into the physics of forces and determining what makes the fastest fidget spinner! This was shortly followed by our inaugural Year 4 Heroes night which was a tremendous success. From Major Tim Peake and Sir David Attenborough to everyday heroes including Chaplain, grandparents and siblings, the children are to be congratulated on their articulate and thoughtful presentations.

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On the music front the standard of recitals and prelude concerts has once more been outstanding. The highlight of the term was undoubtedly the BCS Music Festival which saw the very best musicians perform for the title of Young Musician of the Year.

Thank you to our adjudicator Mrs Nadia Hinson and congratulations to this year’s deserving winner Karen Mao.

No rest for Mr Nicklin as his musical direction was required as our Lower School actors and actresses took to the stage to deliver a splendid production of Craig Hill’s ‘What a Knight!’ And “What a night it was!” A feast of comedy, acting, singing and dancing saw our Year 3 and 4 shine in their adaptation of a hilarious quest to rescue King Arthur’s daughters and recover Excalibur. Thank you to Mrs Jennings and all the staff who encouraged our children to excel. A special mention to our Year 6 crew who made sure props were in the right place and toiled away behind the scenes.

Entrance Test Day drew impressive numbers seeking admission to the School. They clearly have been reading about the opportunities at BCS! A brief encounter with George, a visitor of the canine variety, delighted the boys of St. George’s House. George, a German Shepherd, is a Guide Dog puppy in training. Angela, his walker, kindly brought him along and answered the children’s questions about the guide dog they had named after raising over £2500 last year.

BCS Sport continues to raise its profile and the children have been enthusiastic in their participation in several national competitions with the very best independent schools for sport in the country.

Read more on pages 10 and 11. We hosted the IAPS Championship Swimming Qualifiers and the new pool timing system, courtesy of The Friends, was put to good use.

The Friends have been busy organising socials for parents and children alike. Parents and staff came dressed for a Back to School Quiz with the T-Birds and Pink Ladies being victorious in both their general knowledge and costume choice. It was then turn for the children to bop the night away at the school discos. Next term will see the introduction of a new activity weekend at Beaudesert Park and plans are being made for a Masquerade Ball on Saturday 6 July.

Tickets on sale shortly.

Easter services were presided over by our newly commissioned School Chaplain, Mrs Becky Drake. Mrs Drake is already getting to know the children and is very excited about her new role at Blue Coat.

In the Spotlight Welcome to Mrs Becky Drake our new School Chaplain! Becky grew up in Lincolnshire before meeting her husband Nick at Durham University, where they formed a rock band called Coastal Dune. A Mum of four, Becky became a Blue Coat parent in 2015 when the family moved up from London. We met up to ask her a few questions: Q. How do you feel about your new role?

A. I really loved getting to know Ruth when she was Chaplain, and as a Mum at the school I was so grateful for her strong faith and warmth which she shared with the children. It is a great honour to be following in her footsteps!

Q. Have you always had a strong faith?

A. I’ve been a Christian my whole life and God was such a reality to me as a child - in fact I can’t imagine life without Him! So, I’m excited to be able to share my passion for God, and His love with the children at School.

Q. Music is clearly something you hold dear?

A. As a songwriter myself, I have always seen music as such a key way for people to express their faith. I’m also really looking forward to working with the Music department in continuing to grow the worship life of the School.

Q. Do you have any Easter holiday plans?

A. Yes! I’m going to be running a family worship venue at the Christian conference ‘Spring Harvest’ for a week.

The whole family are heading to Butlins in Skegness (much to the children’s delight!) with a team of musicians and lots of silly props! We’re even going to be interviewed for Songs of Praise so look out for us!

Q. If we were to cast you away, what would be your desert island disc, book and luxury item?

A. 1. The Joshua Tree by U2. Bono was my teenage idol - I will never tire of those songs!

2. The Complete Works of Shakespeare. My dream was always to be a Shakespearean actress - I could spend my time pretending to be one heroine followed by another!

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Buoyed by an ebullient House Shout we can look back with pride on a fun-packed Lent term as we head off to rest and renew our energies.

When we return, the challenge of a Guinness World Record attempt, amongst other delights lie in store – happy holidays everyone!

3. A Coffee Machine and a lifetime supply of coffee pods. After a decade of small children and sleepless nights this has become more of an essential than a luxury item!

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Pre-Prep Classroom A Bear and Gruffalo Hunt Buttons children have been reading Michael Rosen’s We’re Going on a Bear Hunt and The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson. It was then off into the forest school to hunt for the Buttons Bear and the Gruffalo. There were squeals of delight as they were discovered in their secret hiding place!

Out of the Egg Transition had an unexpected visitor to their playground. As they followed the strange footprints, it led them to a giant golden egg in their sandpit! The big egg and accompanying multicoloured mini eggs had been left by Roary the dinosaur. Following her instructions, the children carefully retrieved the eggs and looked after them until they hatched into lots of baby dinosaurs!

A fruitful lesson Reception Mummies and Daddies were welcomed to a Maths Workshop. The children demonstrated how they had been working collaboratively with a partner to learn about pictograms. They were able to illustrate the favourite fruit of each child in the class on a chart, and also knew how data can be represented using pictures accompanied by tally marks and numerals.

What if Science didn’t exist?

This question was explored by Year 2 as part of British Science Week. The 2F genies tried to magic away Science for the day but quickly realised that science is everywhere. Whether it be materials, electricity, weather, plants and much, much more; science is pivotal to our lives.

Bounce, balance, tumble Together with visiting pupils from Welsh House Farm Community School, Years 1 and 2 had the opportunity to participate in a KSI Gymnastics Festival earlier this term. The air track proved an instant hit as the children jumped along and reached new heights! The beam seemed quite high but fears were conquered and some wonderful balancing took place. Elsewhere on the vault and with floor work, the children worked on their mount and dismount as well as tumbling.

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Thank you to Miss Shotton for organising the day with Positive PE and also to Year 6 pupils, Matilda, Lily, Storm and Serena, who were on hand to demonstrate and help with each activity.

With the help of Hands on Science, Year 2 and the rest of Pre-Prep participated in a super rocket themed workshop, connecting to the British Science Week theme of ‘Journeys’.

They made their own rockets out of paper and straw and had lots of fun conducting test flights.

Earlier in the term Year 2 also visited the DT and Art rooms to have a go at felting and clay work, which linked in brilliantly with their Science topic ‘Materials’. In the felting session, the children learnt about woollen fibres and how if agitated, the fibres would cling together and shrink. The children looked at texture by pressing various objects into clay. After their initial explorations, they then marked a square tile with their own final abstract or pictorial design.

Prep Classroom Tudor Experience

What am I? What a treat for Year 3 to receive a visit from the wonderful and published poet James Carter. James and his melodica, named Steve, entertained the children with an interactive poetry writing workshop. The children were given the opportunity to perform and respond to poetry; embellish poems and to write kennings.

Kenning poems include two words per line with an ‘er’ sound on the final line. Can you guess what mammal is being referred to in the following written by Emma He? What am I? Meat-lover Jungle-dweller Life-taker Mischief-maker Fine-pouncer Erie-assassinator Deafening-dozer Vile-fella Of all the mammals I’m the best. I’m a shhh…

Have you guessed?

Year 4 were invited into Lord North’s manor (the school hall) and were summoned to carry out many duties. These included everyday tasks such as ink making and writing, scent bag making (to keep the plague away), embroidery, leather working and candlestick making.

Some children were even left without some limbs after visiting the Barber’s surgery!

Whilst the children carried out their activities, rumours were rife about Anne Boleyn and it was announced that she had committed treason and was to be sentenced to death! To celebrate her death, Lord North invited all his workers to an afternoon feast of bread, cheese and biscuits. Whilst sipping from goblets Lord North and his guests enjoyed a variety of entertainment including jugglers and jesters, singing, dancing and acting. Thank you to History off the Page for bringing our Humanities studies alive.

Answer: a tiger

Visit to Singers Hill A visit to Singers Hill Synagogue in the centre of Birmingham was a fantastic enrichment for Year 5 as part of their studies of Judaism in Religious Education lessons. Experienced guide, Geoff, gave a very informative talk as he showed the children around both the Main synagogue and the Children’s synagogue. He answered the many questions the children had about Jewish customs and traditions and allowed them to try on prayer shawls, view the beautiful Torah scrolls and colourful stained glass windows.

STEM Studies Year 6 have embraced a new addition to their curriculum this term.

STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) are all areas of learning that children need to be comfortable with to excel in the future.

The children began with studying some of the issues facing the world through a study of the text ‘If the World Were a Village’. They then progressed to looking at the problems facing survivors following natural disasters and discussed some of the ways in which engineers can help. How many people might be offered emergency shelter in the Sports Hall following a serious flood? What would you pack from your house if you had only 5 minutes?

Future lessons saw the children constructing model shelters, investigating methods to clean water, designing and constructing kites (in the main with aerodynamic properties!) and learning about renewable and non-renewable energy.

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STEM lessons have buzzed with enthusiasm, curiosity, perseverance, creativity, critical thinking and teamwork – well done Year 6!

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Lower School Production What a Knight!

Can Alice, Watt and Dusty thwart the Black Knight’s plan to become the White King, or will the Black Knight be able to pull the sword from the “scone”?

Years 3 and 4 delighted us just before half-term with their adaptation of Craig Hawes’ What a Knight! The craziest quest in Camelot, saw knights, princesses and a rather outspoken dragon pitted against the Black Knight and his two henchmen, to find the missing Excalibur and save Camelot from certain doom.

The play opens in the Year 531, King Arthur is on the throne and preparations are underway in the castle of Camelot to celebrate the King’s birthday. Squires will be chosen to become knights, princesses will receive their royal pendants and joy will reign throughout the land. But soon Camelot Castle descends into mayhem. The princesses have been kidnapped, the brave knights have been turned into chickens and Merlin has lost Excalibur!

It falls to Watt Cobblers and Princess Alice, with the help of Dusty the friendly dragon, to pull off the biggest quest of their lives and defeat the evil Black Knight.

The energy and sparkle that the children brought to the stage was simply outstanding with witty one-liners delivered with superb comic timing. We must remember that these are seven- and eight-year olds, committing themselves to producing a performance of such high standards in just six weeks of rehearsals.

The set looked amazing and was complimented by a colourful array of medieval costumes. The children excelled themselves in their acting, dancing and singing and should be very proud of their performance.

Thank you to our all the staff and Year 6 crew who worked tirelessly behind the scenes; this production would not have been possible without them.

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Well done Lower School on another successful production!

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Musical Notes Music continues to thrive at Blue Coat. Looking back over this busy term is an enjoyable prospect. The children continue to delight us with their wonderful singing and playing. It definitely feels as though Spring has sprung!

Transition and Reception were space explorers, thinking carefully about how to respond to different genres of space music. They listened carefully to the tempo, dynamics and use of instruments to support their learning. Meanwhile Year 2 were creating space compositions using the ‘2Sequence’ app on the Chromebook. We have some budding film composers in the making!

Year 1 explored Scottish folk music which linked nicely with their studies of Katie Morag. They sang with great enthusiasm and skill and put on a delightful Mothering Sunday Assembly which we are sure made all our Blue Coat Mums very proud.

Year 1 and 2 enjoyed an enrichment day learning all about African drumming. Judging by the volume coming from the Hall the children had a fantastic day!

delighted to welcome Mrs Nadia Hinson to be our adjudicator this year. Mrs Hinson is a nationally renowned Music Festival adjudicator and an international examiner for the ABRSM. Skilfully aided by our very own Mrs Burns, Mrs Hinson had the unenviable task of selecting Karen as our winner. 151 pupils took part in the Music Festival, even more than last year. It is a testament to their commitment and hard work that the children were so supportive and encouraging of one another. The culmination of this music festival produced a Gala Concert to rival many a senior school. Mr Nicklin, who had the pleasure of hearing all the children’s auditions in the Heats, was indeed a very proud Director of Music.

As the term drew to a close, ABRSM exams were upon us. Thanks go to our Visiting Music Teachers who prepare the children for these examinations and bravo to the children on their sheer dedication to practice - you continue to amaze us! We are very lucky to have the support of our VMTs who lead various ensembles and music groups and support our concerts and recitals thoughout the term. A special mention must go to Mr Elliott for accompanying many of our 151 soloists in the BCS Young Musician Heats.

In this term’s Pre-Prep concert, we were entertained by soloists and ensembles. We heard the wonderful music played by Fiddlesticks, Suzuki groups, recorders, Music Makers and the Year 2 choir. Their skill and enthusiasm were a total joy to experience. Well done, Pre-Prep!

In Prep, ‘What a Knight!’ was the highlight of the first half of the term. Brilliant singing and dazzling acting took this fun-packed adventure through the mists of time, with King Arthur, Merlin and our very own dragon to boot!

The Chapel Choir visited Leeds Minster to sing choral evensong in January and were thrilled to meet Dr Lindley, one of BCS’s favourite composers of choir music. At a Spring Concert in March, ably supported by the BCS Choral Society (parents and friends of the School) and an orchestra of professional musicians, the Chapel Choir performed Josef Haydn’s ‘Nelson Mass’. An appreciative audience was in attendance, and the choirs performed beautifully together.

The children’s voices added brightness and crystal clarity to the adult singers throughout the piece. What an excellent opportunity to sing great music with outstanding musicians; we are fortunate indeed to have the chance to make music to such a high standard.

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We crowned our BCS Young Musician of the Year this term. Karen Mao (Y6) performed Kabalevsky’s Piano Sonatina with absolute technique, assured poise and real finesse to wow our judges. We were

As the Easter Holiday beckoned, there was just time for one more musical highlight. The House Shout, was a hotly contested competition indeed. This year’s theme was ‘Hello’, and we had fun listening to well-rehearsed singing and choreography. Each year the bar is raised and each year the passion and enthusiasm, not to mention the competitive element, makes this another notable event in the musical calendar.

Coming soon:

BCS Music Summer School 29-31 July 2019 For pupils aged 7-13 years. Grade 2 standard and above.

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Sports Round Up The Blue Coat Sport Department doesn’t do things by halves, and it was full steam ahead from the start of term! Read on for a round up of an extremely busy and successful term:

Football Prior to stepping out onto the football pitch, the U8A and B teams had one final opportunity to play rugby at the start of term and passed the test of a fixture against Hallfield with flying colours. On the football pitch, they showed athleticism, understanding of the game as well as technical ability. A well-balanced team, consisting of a strong defence in Oliver Whitehouse and James Longworth, coupled with genuine all-rounders in Jackson Bennett and Arjun Gill has seen the A team shine.

Although a tough start to the season, the U9s have transitioned to 7-a-side football, and the end of the season brought a great achievement in winning the U9 Harborne District Tournament.

Jai Lewis has been central to the team’s success with his impressive footwork and skill. Two strong goalkeepers have emerged in Dylan Ram and Samuel Hodges, whilst Theo Vieten-Kay has improved greatly, with power and an eye for goal. Samuel Tan and Konark Basu have contributed well to an attacking threat in a high scoring season.

The strength of the U10 cohort has meant a constant 12 players pushing for an A team place throughout the course of the season.

Oliver Almond has provided good energy and width through midfield, whilst Richard Mahlberg Schilling has set the example for work rate and defensive skills on the move. Adam Bashir, Freddie Trevis and Filippos Pyschogios have all made invaluable contributions in a successful season.

Whilst some Year 6 pupils have represented Blue Coat at KES and Malvern College in hockey matches, others have continually set high standards in the U11A football team. ISFA is always the pinnacle for a Prep school with a strong reputation for its football and reaching the final was our most successful achievement for over a decade. William Brett showed his future prowess as a player with box to box work rate and execution of skills under pressure. Luke Dolan led with a calm demeanour and an accurate passing range. Following on from this, the boys proudly brought home the biggest of trophies after a special win at King’s Hawford. This now sits proudly in the School Reception. A special mention to Mr Protherough who has worked tirelessly with this group to offer them higher level coaching. Well done boys, hard work and progression pays off!

Netball At U8 level, we have some significantly talented sportswomen who have proven themselves in fixtures against Hallfield and in an intraschool fixture against the U9s. There is a great commitment to sport from these girls, and Anusha Singh, Susie Tomlinson and Daisy Whitehouse are to be especially commended for their play.

The U9 season has been one of strong progress and pupils have been developing their skills and game awareness as the term has gone on. Players such as Lucie Evans, Alex Souter and Caitlin Liew are thriving, and we are looking forward to seeing them make even greater strides next year. In the U10s, Delina Elias has shown promise, and after losing to Hallfield at the start of term, the girls were very pleased to gain a victory in the return fixture.

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All pupils in Year 6 have not only represented the School in inter-school matches but they have also had the opportunity to participate in tournaments at various levels. Notably, we have won every netball league match this term, and the U11As have lost only one game all season. We came second in the Girls’ School Association Netball Tournament and just lost out in the semi-final of the IAPS Plate competition.

Cross Country The Abberley Hall meet in the Michaelmas Term highlighted our superb potential, and this continued in the events at Hallfield and Malvern College during the Lent Term. At Hallfield, we won both U11 team events and the Boys’ U9 team event too. James Longworth won the U9 boys, competing up a year, and still had the energy to go again in the U11 race and finish 9th! To cap his season, at the National Prep Schools’ Cross Country Finals, running four years young, he finished 150th in the 260 strong field. All others who ran at Malvern performed admirably. Next year, we have role models in Indira Singh and William Smallwood who move up to the seniors.

Well done to all of our runners for a great season.

Swimming This term comprised 14 swimming events, including inter-school fixtures, invitational meets and House Galas. In our inter-school fixtures, all age groups have remained unbeaten!

We were delighted to host the English Schools’ Swimming Association (ESSA) Regional Qualifiers and also the Independent Association of Preparatory Schools (IAPS) Regional Qualifiers for the first time.

At the ESSA Qualifiers, our U11 Boys’ and Girls’ teams competed in both the Medley and Freestyle relay and recorded some fast times.

Congratulations to the U11 Boys - Filippos Psychogios, Freddie Trevis, Kieran O’Reilly and Milo Dowling, who have successfully qualified for the National Finals which will be held at Ponds Forge, Sheffield in June.

Netball Year 3 - St. Monica’s win Year 4 - St. Margaret’s win Year 5 - St. Monica’s win Year 6 - St. Margaret’s win

Football Year 3 - St. Philip’s win Year 4 - St. George’s win Year 5 - Draw Year 6 - St. Philip’s win

Swimming Year 5 - St Philip’s and St George’s joint first

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Year 6 - St Margaret’s win

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The girls confidently executed their set floor routines, which included a cartwheel and shoulder stand, remembering to point their toes, stretch their arms and most importantly, smile at the judges. They displayed solid skills on the vault, remembering to hold their landing before presenting to the judges. Although we did not come away with any medals this was a great experience for all our participants.

House Results

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After qualifying as district winners for the Sport Birmingham Key Stage 2 Gymnastics Final back in January, six excited Year 3 and 4 girls headed off to GMAC (Gymnastics and Martial Arts Centre) at Alexander Stadium to compete against 10 other Birmingham schools in March.

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Gymnastics

At the IAPS Qualifiers, we were joined by Warwick, Bromsgrove, RGS The Grange and WGJS for a masterclass of swimming with excellent performances all round. Results will be out in May and we eagerly wait to see who has qualified. The Sport Department would like to thank the Sports Centre staff, Estates Team and all of the Admin Team in assisting with the running of both these events.

Other schools commented very positively on the efforts that were made to make these events so special.

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BCS Young Scientist “Science is a way of thinking much more than it is a body of knowledge.” Carl Sagan The Year 6 Science Fair was launched at the beginning of the Lent Term with a presentation to parents and children describing our rationale for running the projects and detailing what a ‘good project’ would involve. Perhaps the most challenging part of the entire process for the children was to determine the topic, and specifically, the key scientific question, to be investigated.

The children worked through all the steps of the Scientific Method: Question, Research, Hypothesis, Method (including the ‘Fair Test’ principle), Results, Analysis, Conclusion. The projects addressed a variety of fascinating questions such as: Which glue stick is the strongest? Can we ‘trust pink’ to remove stains the first time? Can colour influence taste? Are electric toothbrushes better than manual?

It was then time to welcome our five judges: Dr Maria Pavlidou – School Liaison Officer in the School of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Birmingham, Mark Davies – Teacher of Science at Solihull School, Roxanne Irani – Teacher of Biology at King Edward’s School, Birmingham, Mel Hopkinson – KEHS Outreach and Sandra Jamieson – Harborne Academy Science Department.

Each child talked to a judge for approximately ten minutes about their project. The judges were looking for creativity, scientific thought, thoroughness, skill and clarity. In their deliberations they revisited a number of projects but came to a unanimous decision.

Overall Winner: Isaac Evans Isaac’s project involved a variety of experiments on bearings and lubricants to learn more about them and determine what makes the fastest fidget spinner! The Science involved was the Physics of Forces and specifically Friction. Isaac constructed a board holding a perspex tube, with an electromagnet above and a fidget spinner positioned below. When the switch was turned off, the electromagnet released the bearing which dropped through the tube and hit the fidget spinner with an identical force each time. Isaac used a tachometer to determine the revolutions per minute (RPM) and the length of time the fidget spinner continued to spin. He repeated his tests three times, each with a different type of lubricant, and then determined the mean RPM and length of spin for each lubricant. Isaac finished with logical conclusions, linking back to the Science involved. He also explained the difficulties he encountered during the project and how he resolved them. Isaac was presented with the cup by last year’s winner May Hadley.

All of the children have worked extremely diligently and produced 76 creative projects covering a diverse range of topics. Along their journey their learning, and, at times, their ingenuity, has been most impressive. Well done!

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Highly Commended: Amelie Black, William Cowley, Phoebe Hughes, Danae Karaiosifidi, Chloe Liew, Karen Mao, Gracie Roberts and Luca Romano, some of whom are pictured above.

Year 4 are heroes!

This term we launched our inaugural BCS Heroes Event for Year 4 children. When this new initiative was first introduced, the intention was that it would be a judged event, similar to the Year 6 Science Fair. However, on hearing the children talk about their heroes as they worked on their displays in School, it quickly became apparent that this event should definitely not be judged. After all, how can you judge someone’s hero?

Amy Tinkler, President Obama, Sir David Attenborough, Major Tim Peake, J K Rowling, Louis Armstrong, Emily Pankhurst and Mother Theresa. The staff were bursting with pride as the displays started arriving in the marquee, and this was further heightened as the children changed into their costumes ready to stand by their work and talk about their hero. Seeing the children speak about their displays and engage with staff, governors and families, really was the icing on the cake! It was an opportunity not only to learn more about the different heroic people and characters but also at times to be introduced to new ones for the first time! Congratulations Year 4, and thank you to the parents for your support in helping to make this inaugural event such a success.

The effort, interest and enthusiasm that the children have shown since its introduction before half term, has been wonderful. In the lead up to the event, the girls and boys in Year 4 spoke with such passion and conviction, and they were genuinely keen to share information and thoughts about their chosen hero with their peers and teachers. It was an impossible task to say one child’s reasons for choosing their hero was better than another child’s reasoning. And so, it was decided that the Year 4 Heroes event would be a communal celebration of all the chosen heroic people and characters - historical and modern, real and fictional, living and no longer with us.

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On 29th March, the atmosphere in the marquee certainly had a celebratory feel about it, and the pride the children had in their hero and display was evident. Heroes included those closer to home such as grandparents and siblings ranging to the likes of Roger Federer,

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World Book Day 2019 Following on from a fantastic whole school celebration in 2018, this year’s outfits did not disappoint. Thank you to all our Blue Coat families for joining in and a big thank you to staff for also entering into the spirit and dressing as a fictional character. It was all worth it just to see the children’s gasps of delight as they saw their teachers transformed into Mary Poppins, the BFG, wizards from Hogwarts and much more! Sporting a rather warm and furry guise for the day, Mr Neeson, aka the Big Bad Wolf, left the three little piggies and joined Reception for their story-time.

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Thank you to 3RS for beginning the day with a wonderful World Book Day Assembly in which they tested the teachers’ fictional knowledge as they acted out scenes from famous novels. Favourite stories and characters were shared, bookmarks made and book jackets designed, as Prep and Pre-Prep came together in a celebration of authors, illustrators, books and reading. Our youngest in Buttons also took part and made it on to the playground for a whole school photograph.

Charity Check This term St. Philip’s and St. George’s held their House Charity Days.

The boys in red were up first raising funds for Zoe’s Place. Set up in 1995, the charity provides much-needed palliative and respite care for babies and children from birth to 5 years. The services they provide are free to the families who use them, but Zoe’s Place relies entirely on fundraising efforts and contributions to keep their three hospices running. The boys spoke warmly of the work of the charity, and gave a heart-warming rendition of One Republic’s ‘I Lived’ to inspire the school community to contribute to this fantastic cause.

One of the most frequent journeys that the ambulances make is from Birmingham Women’s Hospital to Birmingham Children’s Hospital, a distance of approximately 4 miles. With this in mind the ‘Virtual Velo Challenge’ was launched and members of the House cycled together to clock up the miles on a virtual journey.

A great deal of preparation and hard work resulted in an incredible £8,011.05 raised for these two worthy charities. Congratulations boys and thank you to everyone for their generous support.

On 15 March, Heads of School James, Tara, Zuhair and Caitlin took charge of Comic Relief at Blue Coat. The foursome wrote home to parents and then took it upon themselves to organise the fundraising, counting of donations, as well as documenting and photographing the children in their red nose day clothes ready for a report in Update.

A fantastic £636.49 was raised - thank you!

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St. George’s chose to support the Birmingham Children’s Hospital’s ‘Critical Journeys Appeal’. The Appeal aims to raise £2 million to equip a fleet of four Critical Care Ambulances with the latest life-saving medical equipment. This will enable the team to respond faster and more effectively, helping vulnerable patients and their families get to the right place, at the right time, for the right treatment.

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The Friends of The Blue Coat School

From Pink Ladies and T Birds to Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley, throw in a Golden Table or two and a few grown-ups in Blue Coat uniform, and you get The Friends’ ‘Back to School’ Quiz!

At this Lent Term highlight, Messrs Pemble and Williams kept order as they took charge and fired questions at our quiz teams: Special Measures, We’re Crackers, The Backdrops, Clueless, The Quizards of Oz, Quizen Gamot, The Phileas Foggs, Goldenballs, The Year 5 Les Miserables, Non-School Uniform Day and Grease Lightning.

Congratulations to our Rydell High pink ladies and T birds who were this year’s winners and also voted best-dressed team. At a fantastic evening for the Blue Coat family, parents, staff and friends raised £450 for School. In addition, raffle proceeds were donated in memory of the much-loved Pauline Rilley.

A highlight for the children and a chance to let loose on the dance floor came as the School Hall opened its doors for the Pre-Prep and Prep Discos. Thank you to The Friends for running these muchloved events and to all our staff and parent volunteers for making these possible.

We hope parents have enjoyed the opportunity for coffee and conversation in the new Pavilion and also bagged a few bargains at The Friends’ Uniform Sale. As always, the School would like to record its appreciation for the tireless efforts of The Friends. This term in particular, we have seen the swimming time system put to good use as the School hosted the IAPS Championship Qualifiers and as we go to print the establishment of a second Outdoor Classroom funded by The Friends, is taking shape next to The Forest School.

Next term many families will take part in a new Activity Weekend during Half-Term and we look forward to the Summer Fayre on Saturday 15th June.

A new date for the diary is Saturday 6th July The Friends’ Masquerade Ball. Planning for the latter two events will begin in earnest shortly and all volunteers are welcome.

E: thefriends@thebluecoatschool.com

Key Dates for Lent Term 2019 Term begins Tuesday 30 April at 8.30am

Half Term Holiday 27 May to 31 May (school closed)

Term ends on Friday 12 July at 11.45am

Bank Holiday Monday 6 May

Term resumes Monday 3 June

(No After-Care available)

Moving Up Day and House Welcome Wednesday 3 July

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The Blue Coat School, Somerset Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham B17 0HR S

The Blue Coat School Founded by the Church of England in 1722

Telephone 0121 410 6800 Email info@thebluecoatschool.com Website thebluecoatschool.com

Follow us on: @bcsbirmingham @bluecoatbirmingham

The Blue Coat School Birmingham Limited is registered in England, Registration No. 8502615 and is a Registered Charity No. 1152244