Out of the Blue - Winter Edition 2020

CO AT

THE BL UE

22

17

BIRMING HA M

WINTER 2020

L OO CH

outof theblue

S

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

Into The Blue

Time Travellers

Pupils produce the first BCS Podcast!

Prep steps back in time for Humanities WOW day.

FRONT COVER

PAGES 8 & 9

From the study…

Within the COVID cloud, The Blue Coat School has found a silver lining concentrating on values that are as vital as vaccines.

The mark of a civilised and successful school can be partly gauged by the way members of the community treat one another. And this term, responding to our Chaplain’s stimuli, our emphasis has been firmly fixed on being kind to others.

Pursuing the more general theme, and in conjunction with national Anti-Bullying Week, Mr Hulbert and Year 5 produced a magnificent time lapse video on this very sensitive and important subject.

Important, too, is safeguarding the next generation.

Our Eco Committee’s achievement in gaining the prestigious Green Flag award for work on everything conservation-based was as significant as it was impressive.

Before signing off, I must welcome our new Chair of the Friends. The signs are that Elizabeth Lawson-Bennett will be leading with great dynamism and efficiency.

Happy Christmas one and all!

Noel Neeson, Headmaster

Term Round Up What a joy to welcome everyone back to School! After the disruption of the first Lockdown we were delighted to be reunited once again at Blue Coat. In Prep this meant an adaptation of the House system to create a new ‘home’ for each individual year group.

THE BL UE

22

17

BIRMING HA M

2

S L OO CH

CO AT

Table football, table tennis, games and decorations were installed and four new Prep ‘Bubbles’ were created across campus to safely welcome back the children. Coupled with the introduction of new House challenges and an online weekly assembly with House Heads, the new arrangement has ended up offering the best of both worlds. The children have relished spending quality time with their peers but have still been able to work as a House team with children in the rest of Prep. The addition of a weekly edible prize for the winning House has been a great motivator for earning House points too!

The BCS Activity Programme was relaunched in year groups and it was fantastic to see the children learning different skills and having fun again. Whether it was sharing an exciting story on Mrs Foley’s ‘Chatty Chair’, shaking some moves to Cabeza, Hombras, Rodillas y Dedos in Spanish club, somersaulting in gymnastics club or learning to checkmate in Chess, these and other activities were a much needed return to ‘normality’.

Mrs Newman has been delighted to see the children’s progress in French this term and a record number of pupils expressing interest in the Junior Language Challenge. With a past winner and finalists in this national competition, we are cheering on this year’s entrants and look forward to seeing how they fare in round one which is French!

Some of Year 5 have forged links with a school in Rennes in Brittany and were excited to receive letters from their new French pen pals.

In the Spotlight Pre-Prep Teaching Assistant, Mrs Hanson, is now one of the longest serving current members of staff and celebrated 25 years working at BCS this year.

We chatted to her about her time at the School.

Q. So you must have seen lots of change during your time at BCS? A. Yes, Blue Coat was so much smaller when I started way back in 1995 as Miss Scriven. It was two-form entry and Pre-Prep was housed just in the St. Martin’s building. The Pre-Prep gym was upstairs and there wasn’t a fantastic sports centre or pool, just an oversized greenhouse which leaked and got very steamed up!

BCS Sport has increased its Intra School matches in place of external fixtures. This has seen a healthy competition develop as pupils showed their allegiance to the teams of Thunder, Lightning, Hurricane and Storm. The new intra logos and kit have added to the profile of the Intra School Competition and Team Thunder were the proud winners of this term’s Intra School Cup. Several classes held their Harvest assemblies in Chapel and a bumper Harvest collection amassed a fantastic array of food and toiletries for St. Luke’s Foodbank. We thank the BCS family for its support.

Q. Have you always worked in Year 1?

A. During my time here I have worked in all the year groups in Pre-Prep as well as the Nursery, so I have been able to support lots of children.

Q. What is your favourite part of the day?

A. I love working with my small groups within the class, spending time with each child giving them one to one attention and support. I enjoy building a fun but hardworking relationship with them all.

Q. Can you share any of your memories of School Nativities?

A. Children can always be a little unpredictable when it comes to school plays and performing - trying to convince 3-year-old boys to wear tights for the first time and directing those little feet into what they see as ‘girls’ tights’ is always amusing and somewhat challenging!

Q. We’ve seen you in wonderful World Book Day costumes, Children in Need outfits and even odd socks, do you have a favourite event?

BIRMING HA M

THE BL UE

S L OO CH

CO AT

A. For everything to begin to return to normal! To be able to spend unrestricted time with friends, go on holidays and reunite families who have been forced apart.

22

Finally, The Friends gave the children a wonderful treat to bring the term to a close. Father Christmas took up residence in Forest School along with a live nativity. Each year group took it in turns to visit the Forest, share a Christmas story around the campfire, hang a handmade decoration on a Christmas tree and receive a gift from the man in red!

Q. And finally, what is on your ‘wish list’ for Father Christmas this year?

17

Remembrance Day was marked by a special online service. Though we were not able to gather in our usual numbers, this was a reflective and moving occasion. Chaplain took her online services to another level by filming the Christmas story with Year 6 travelling the length and breadth of the school site. This was shared as part of our Christmas service. Pre-Prep Nativities were also celebrated and shared. We thank Mr Hill and Mr Nicklin for their hard work this term with filming and editing. We are most fortunate to have their expertise and we are sure that parents appreciate the opportunity to see BCS life, even if at a distance. Mr Hill has also helped the children to record their first podcast.

A. I love it when the whole of the school joins together to fundraise for a special cause. Comic Relief and World Book Day are always great fun seeing everyone from Nursery to Year 6, teachers and support staff making the effort to dress up and raise money for local and national charities. I’m already planning my next outfit!

3

Pre-Prep Classroom PE WOW Day Wow! The youngest of our school community in Nursery had a fun-filled morning exploring lots of different gymnastic activities.

Bouncing, rolling, balancing, jumping, from beam and floor to rhythmic and vault, we had our own ‘little Olympians’ right here at Blue Coat. Thank you to the Sports staff for arranging this fun enrichment activity.

Diwali Celebrations Reception children enjoyed learning about the festival of Diwali.

They discussed what lights there are during Diwali and why they are special. Each child made their own Diya lamp out of clay and they decorated it with beads. This was particularly enjoyable as the children had been missing having fun with playdough. They were able use their fine motor skills to create a lovely memento.

They also experimented with making Rangoli patterns using sand.

The Sky’s The Limit Year 1 had so much fun making hot air balloons as they were introduced to their transport topic. They learnt about the history of hot air balloons and were amazed by how much material it takes to make one! The children set their BCS Blue targets for this half term and incorporated these in a wonderful display. They are certainly aiming high - well done Year 1!

A Taste Of The Caribbean

THE BL UE

22

17

BIRMING HA M

4

S L OO CH

CO AT

Year 2 had an exciting start to the term learning all about the island of St Lucia. They worked collaboratively to create a piece of Caribbean themed music inspired by the song Creepy Crawly Calypso and took it in turns to perform their compositions. The children created a St Lucian necklace using paper plates and decorated it using gems and buttons in the colours of the St Lucian flag. They also had a St Lucian food tasting and sampled fruits that grow on the island such as bananas, mangos and pineapples, as well as guava and passion fruit juice.

Prep Classroom BCS Bake Off Year 3 have learnt that at the end of the Stone Age humans began to settle in one place and start farming. Wheat was a key crop and bread became a staple food. No excuse needed then to bring their humanities topic to life with a visit to the school kitchen! Mr Moss led a bread masterclass and everybody got to knead and shape the dough to create their own bread roll. The end result might not have been worthy of a Paul Hollywood handshake but there were no complaints from the children who tucked in to their creations the next day.

TuneUp Tuesday On 24 November, the whole school joined in a national arts event organised by KEHS. TuneUp Tuesday was created to highlight the impact of the arts in the development and mental health of young people. Along with the rest of school, Year 4 made the most of this groundbreaking project.

They learnt how to write poetry with two former pupils Scarlett Brunning and Jasmine Gardosi and created mini books with Birmingham-based artist Ben Sadler.

The Wake Up dance routine with Louise Lenihan was particularly popular and all the children enjoyed performing the routine to Can’t Stop The Feeling by Justin Timberlake with plenty of freestyle moves!

A BCS Nativity This Christmas, the whole of Year 6 performed in a Blue Coat nativity film! With the help of Chaplain, Mr Nicklin and Miss Akehurst and many of the staff, the story of Christmas was enacted across the school site. Forest School became the set for the stable; the wise men were found studying in the library, and shepherds were spotted in the school field! All the year group bubbles had their chance to come to Chapel to watch the movie as part of Chaplain’s Christmas service.

French Pen Pals

THE BL UE

22

BIRMING HA M

17

S L OO CH

CO AT

Members of Year 5 have forged links with pupils attending École Contour Saint Aubin, in the city of Rennes, Brittany.

They were very excited to receive their first letters back from France and surprised themselves with how much of the language they could understand.

In fact the hardest thing was deciphering the cursive handwriting which was very decorative.

The French school sent photographs of their school and our children were intrigued to see that the French pupils were not wearing a school uniform. We hope that this will be the beginning of a long international friendship.

5

Christmas Productions Nursery Nursery took to the stage in Chapel to perform their first Blue Coat production. The children were fantastic at acting out the Nativity Story and doing action rhymes and dances. Everyone had a part to play and joined in to create some much needed Christmas magic and provide a lovely start to the festive season. We are so proud of the children’s achievements and look forward to seeing them in many more performances during their time at BCS.

Reception

THE BL UE

22

17

BIRMING HA M

6

S L OO CH

CO AT

There was once a little Christmas angel who took some children back to Bethlehem to show them the real story of Christmas as it unfolded.

This was the story re-told by Reception this year. The children were amazing; they learnt their parts superbly, whether acting or speaking and they thoroughly enjoyed performing in the Chapel. Although the children didn’t have the usual large audience, they still managed to capture the magic of the Nativity Story and told it with confidence and sincerity. The Reception team were so proud of the way all the children performed and were very pleased to be able to give the children the opportunity to develop through performance. Well done!

Year 1 Year 1 joined together to retell the Nativity Story. Each of the four classes focused on a different part of the narrative. All of the children worked hard to learn their lines, delivering them with confidence and clarity in Chapel. Their expressive voices, excellent acting ability, graceful dancing and melodic instrument playing made the performance a delight to watch.

Well done Year 1, we are extremely proud of you!

Year 2

THE BL UE

22

BIRMING HA M

17

S L OO CH

CO AT

As they journeyed to Bethlehem, the Year 2 children told the Nativity Story through rhyme, narration and dance. Mary and Joseph meet a very busy innkeeper who has no room for them. Luckily they find a kind gentleman who leads them to the only available space; a draughty stable. Once baby Jesus is born, the visitors begin to arrive. The shocked shepherds have followed the bright star bringing their precious sheep as gifts. The wise men travel from far off lands in search of the new king and apart from a brief meeting with an angry King Herod, they have a safe journey and are delighted to meet the new baby king.

Year 2 have thoroughly enjoyed remembering the true meaning of Christmas whilst brilliantly performing their play. Well done children!

7

Time Travel at BCS! If you visited the School on 14 October you could have been forgiven for being a little puzzled. The Prep building had been taken over by a group of cave men and women, vicious Vikings and children dressed in regal Tudor attire!

On a day of time travel at The Blue Coat School, Years 3, 4 and 5 stepped back in history to enjoy a Humanities Enrichment Day. In the School Hall, Miss Anning challenged our Year 3 Stone Age children to try and complete a building task whilst relying only on hand gestures and grunting to communicate! They then joined Mrs Gridley to create a Stone Age piece of jewellery by creating animal

THE BL UE

22

17

BIRMING HA M

8

S L OO CH

CO AT

teeth and bones from clay, foraging for natural resources outside and also using some stone beads.

The children then used the remaining clay to make a lamp designed to burn animal fat with Mrs Walker. Perhaps one of the most enjoyable activities was the chance to get back to nature in the Forest School. The children used branches and foliage from the forest to construct hunting shelters with Mr Wood. The day ended with everyone making oatcakes and learning that by the end of the Stone Age Period the early humans were starting to live as farmers. The children really enjoyed this topic and went on to make some impressive Stone Age tools as part of their enrichment project.

BIRMING HA M

THE BL UE

S L OO CH

CO AT

Thank you to all the children and staff for embracing the day which was a great success. We thank parents for their help with the imaginative costumes which created a real buzz around the School.

22

Armed with the facts, the children then put this into practice by building their very own Viking Longship. Throughout the day, the children were able to look at a variety of Viking artefacts. They handled some Viking weaponry and felt how heavy the Viking armour used to be.

Fast forward to modern humans and we found Year 4 in the more refined Tudor era! The classrooms became Tudor halls where the children learnt and performed three Tudor dances - the Pavane, the Galliard and the Almain. They created their very own coats of arms and then proudly displayed their colourful decorated shields. The children also learnt all about the Spanish Armada and about medicine during the Tudor period. They discovered lots of interesting facts about Shakespeare’s life and his extensive contribution to the English language, as well as using quill pens to write beautiful letters sealed with wax.

17

Moving to the Early Middle Ages we found the Year 5 classrooms awash with Anglo-Saxons and Vikings. Thanks to the wonders of modern technology the children were able to speak to Rig the Viking via Zoom! He explained how the Vikings lived, where they came from and the Viking currency and ways of paying. Rig then spoke about how the Vikings travelled and looked at the differences between a ‘Sneaker’ and a ‘Drecker’. Both are types of ship that would have been used in battle but the former is smaller and translates as ‘Snake ship’ and the latter is bigger and means ‘Dragon ship’.

9

STEM Skills STEM education embraces teaching skills in a way that resembles real life; the application of the learning of the disciplines of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics to address world issues.

STEM enourages creators, thinkers, problem solvers and innovators – exactly what we want here at BCS! The children in Prep all experienced a STEM Enrichment in the final weeks of term. Year 3 began with the challenge of building a floating device with minimal resources and had to see if it would hold 25 pennies without sinking! They then learnt about flooding and the need in countries such as Bangladesh to build ‘floating gardens’. They created their own cress gardens using a bamboo frame and string.

Year 4 tackled the theme of air. The children made hoop gliders and planes and investigated what happened to the aerodynamics when variables are changed.

Looking at renewable energy, specifically wind power, they made wind turbines and researched the best features for an optimum design.

THE BL UE

22

17

BIRMING HA M

10

S L OO CH

CO AT

Year 5 addressed climate change and the impact of flooding. They investigated the properties of different materials and designed a flood-resistant building.

Finally Year 6 focused on natural disasters, thinking about skills needed during emergencies as well as constructing their own emergency shelters.

Four Houses, One School At the beginning of term, Year 3 had a lovely surprise as Mr Neeson popped in to deliver letters written by their Year 6 buddies. Whilst the children could not meet each other in person, the older children were able to send their best wishes and provide a friendly note of advice from one Bubble to another.

We may have lost the opportunity to gather in the Houses before and after school, but the introduction of a new house point reward system and more competitions leading to the award of the Headmaster’s Cup, has ensured that the children in Prep have experienced working as a team. We also appointed our Year 6 House Heads and Deputies.

All year groups have stayed in touch virtually and shared their news via an online House assembly every Friday. This follows the much-anticipated announcement of the House points totaliser by Mr Neeson and Mr Newman. As the winning House is revealed there are always shrieks of delight and much rejoicing because the winners are rewarded with some delicious home baked cookies!

THE BL UE

BIRMING HA M

22

S L OO CH

CO AT

Throughout the Michaelmas term the children in Prep have continued to compete for the Headmaster’s Cup by collecting BCS Values stickers, gaining merits and by being nominated for Star of the Week, Bubble Champion, a Deputy Head Award and the Headmaster’s Golden Table. St. Margaret’s were the winners at the end of the first half of term, but it was a combination of the aforementioned and the end of term Christmas card competition and House Mastermind that saw St. Monica’s crowned as the Michaelmas 2 winners with an impressive 12,561 house points. Well done girls!

17

The term began with a House Cross-Country competition after which it was time for the children’s creative juices to get flowing. The Creativity Bag competition was launched, and each child was given a calico bag to decorate. House Heads were delighted to see a range of skills employed such as tie dyeing, flower pounding, embroidery, appliqué, french knitting, fine artwork, painting, ribbon work, beading and collage.

11

Sports Round-Up With physical activity levels dropping during lockdown, it has been more important than ever for BCS to harness the power of play, sport and physical activity to rebuild a sense of belonging and happiness. And so, with the exception of swimming, it has been wonderful to see the children enjoying BCS Sport again.

We welcomed Mrs Fletcher and Mr Gregory to the Sports department. Nursery and Reception experienced a super Early Years WOW morning in the Sports Hall and the children had a fun filled time exploring lots of different gymnastic activities.

the winning House. Well done to St. Margaret’s who won the Harrison Mile (Years 3 and 4) and St. Philip’s who were winners of the Scotsman Run (Years 5 and 6). Congratulations also to the winning girl and boy in each year group: Year Group and Distance

Girls

Boys

Year 3 = 0.9km

Enaya Aftab 4:07

Loic Granger 3:42

Year 4 = 1.2km

Sophie Longworth 5:03

William Almond 4:57

Year 5 = 1.6km

Anusha Singh 7:31

James Longworth 6:24

Year 6 = 1.6km

Kenza Kachloul 7:51

Seb Stendall 6:47

Rugby For the boys, the season has been slightly different due to the current conditions placed upon us by COVID-19. But it has been impressive to witness the boys’ perseverance, attitude and determination to make this term the best it can be. The lack of contact has brought a new focus and dimension to the game, allowing pupils to really focus on support play and handling skills.

Year 1 and 2 have been improving their gymnastic skills from balancing on points and patches, to rolling and jumping. Their speed, agility and quickness (SAQ) has also been a focus this term, with lots of fitness activities being accomplished. In Games, Year 1 have been developing their ball skills and hand eye coordination and Year 2 have started hockey and football, enjoying playing on the Astro.

Year 3 adapted quickly to the strange sport in which you run forward but pass sideways and backwards! The boys demonstrated huge progress, showing the ability to put their new skills into the game. For Year 4 it was meant to be the first year of contact. Unperturbed, the boys showed that touch rugby can be fast, dynamic and just as exciting!

With the introduction of a two-touch game the use of a pass has been the focus rather than repeatedly presenting the ball on the floor.

For Prep, the term began with the House Cross Country. On a beautiful sunny September day the children assembled on the playing fields in their colourful house t-shirts. House mascots Lenny, Digby, Sunshine and Peggy along with Mr Neeson were out in support. Mr Gregory clocked up several miles running out first as ‘the hare’ for most of the boys’ races!

Year 5 House matches were an emotionally charged affair. More than ever, the game utilised the whole width of the pitch as pupils effectively passed the ball before contact. As a result, we even saw the introduction of some loops and switches. Year 6 displayed an impressive level of maturity and sportsmanship. Both teams showed strength in their ability to run hard whilst remaining composed to find support.

Hockey

THE BL UE

22

17

BIRMING HA M

12

S L OO CH

CO AT

Ranging from 0.9 km in Year 3 to 1.6 km in Year 6, each race was hotly contended with some excellent sprint finishes. The individual times were then added together to determine

Thanks to their introduction to Hockey in Pre-Prep, Year 3 have coped well with adapting to a different sized ball and a larger space to work in. Their ability to dribble and keep the ball under control with their stick has been pleasing. The girls have been particularly excited to play in their first House matches and this has led to some exhilarating games.

Intra League In the Intra School League, the teams of Thunder, Lightning, Storm and Hurricane were sporting new logos and branded team tops which added to the sense of competition. The Intra league has been integral to the Games afternoon for each year group and often the topic of discussion on the playground. An amazing 80 matches were played and just over 40 points separated the four teams. However, with 142 points the winning team for the Michaelmas term was THUNDER! As always, well done to every pupil who contributed to their team’s success.

On a larger pitch and with no goalkeepers the Year 4 matches were a goal fest! With the pace of the game getting faster, pupils are having to make quick decisions on whether to drive, pass or shoot. As a result the girls are developing their decision making skills to gain the upper hand.

Year 5 has shown skill, strength and competitiveness. They are developing their teamwork skills as well as learning that it is OK to tackle hard, run fast and shoot with strength and force.

BCS Intra School Competition Team

Played

Won

Drawn

Loss

Points

Lightning

82

31

18

33

111

Thunder

82

41

19

22

142

Storm

82

26

21

35

99

Hurricane

82

28

18

33

102

Year 6 made their final House hockey match a colossal event. Literally blood, sweat and tears were seen in this competition as both houses went to battle. It was fantastic to see their talent and hunger to put everything on the line for their House.

THE BL UE

22

BIRMING HA M

17

S L OO CH

CO AT

Congratulations to our Michaelmas term House winners - St. Philip’s and St. Margaret’s!

13

Musical Notes Whilst the opportunity for live performance has eluded us the Music Department has been as busy as ever. Following the latest Government guidelines, adjustments were made to individual music lessons, ensembles were streamlined into year groups and video cameras were set to record!

We acknowledge the tremendous resilience of our VMTs who have seen their livelihoods come under immense pressure and have had to adapt to offering lessons on Zoom, wearing face coverings and the continuous sanitising of the music rooms. It is a credit to them that we were able to enter 50 children for the ABRSM examinations towards the end of term with another crop of excellent results.

We were delighted to welcome Mrs Creaton to teach our PrePrep children. Pre-Prep have been developing their rhythmic understanding and their knowledge of notation. As there is no singing this Christmas, Years 1 and 2 have been learning to play Christmas songs on tuned percussion instruments. The sound of Jingle Bells, Away in a Manger and Little Donkey can often be heard in the Annexe! Meanwhile the children in Nursery and Reception have been using sounds to tell stories. Making their own sounds to the story We’re going on a bear hunt was a particular favourite. They also had lots of fun in the after school Music Makers clubs playing different percussion instruments and learning how to keep the beat.

Ellie, Esther, Olivia and Jayden joined Prep as our new Year 3 Music Scholars. They played alongside our existing scholars in a virtual concert in September. Year 6 Music Scholar Jai Lewis is to be congratulated on his selection by the National Youth String Orchestra. The NYSO provides world class training for string players up to the age of 21, and is one of the UK’s most prestigious musical groups for young people. All current Year 2 children working towards Grade 2 or equivalent are invited to apply for a Music Scholarship and auditions will be held in February. An application form can be obtained from Mrs Arch or Mrs Kearney.

Year 6 enjoyed a workshop from the BBC Symphony Orchestra’s Alex Neale. Alex is Co-Principal Percussionist with the BBCSO and gave the pupils an energising and exciting 60-minute workshop based around the music of John Adams. Adams’ Short Ride in a Fast Machine is a dynamic and thrilling work, and we saw Alex performing the piece in a 2014 Prom with the BBCSO which featured the full might of the percussion section.

Whilst we have sadly missed inviting parents to watch our usual Morning Recitals, Prelude Concerts and the customary festive jollity of the BCS Christmas Concert, we are proud that the children have still had the opportunity to continue learning their instruments. Many have played in year group and House assemblies every week and we have created new, smaller music groups resulting in more children than ever being involved in Chamber music. Our Year 6 Quintet performed beautifully as part of our Remembrance Service.

THE BL UE

22

17

BIRMING HA M

14

S L OO CH

CO AT

It is the first time since the Second World War that the Chapel Choir has not been able to gather. Not joining the Cathedral Choir for the Advent Processional in Birmingham Cathedral or singing in our own Carol Service this year has been a huge disappointment. We pray that the approval of a COVID vaccine will lead to the resumption of singing at some stage in the New Year. We also look forward to the return of the BCS Music Festival in the Lent Term.

United Against Bullying BCS has been an active supporter of Anti-Bullying Week again this year. Throughout the week, the children were encouraged to take part in a variety of activities including Odd Socks Day which celebrates the fact that we are all unique.

TH E B L UE

22

BIRMING HA M

17

S L OO CH

CO AT

Class assemblies took place across the school and Prep and Pre-Prep decided to come together to create a special message. Each child produced their own square with a picture of themselves and the message ‘United Against Bullying’. These squares were then skilfully put together by members of Year 5 and shared as a time lapse video.

Scan to view time lapse

By focusing on being truthful, patient and kind, cheerfully persevering, and showing respect, Blue Coat pupils are constantly reminded of their role in ensuring our community remains one in which we can all thrive and be happy – Anti-Bullying Week reminded us of our collective responsibility in achieving this.

The Friends of The Blue Coat School

In a sign of the times, The Friends used the popular video conferencing platform Zoom to hold their AGM this year.

This proved to be a great success with several new parent attendees – perhaps this is the way forward?

The Friends kicked off the Christmas festivities with a family friendly online Christmas Quiz – congratulations to the Jordan family who lifted the coveted Quiz Trophy this year. Forest School was transformed into a magical Christmas Grotto, with live Nativity animals and a certain man in a red suit! And this year’s Panto went virtual – such a relief that Rudolph and co. recovered from the deadly virus, Snowvid-19, just in time for Christmas.

With many of The Friends’ events having to be cancelled this year, the big hope is that we will see the return of the much loved Summer Fayre in 2021. We’re hoping to welcome back this fab, fun, family event as a big celebration of a return to normality – fingers and toes crossed. Until then, let’s celebrate our resilience and firm commitment to keeping calm and carrying on! Happy Christmas everyone!

THE BL UE

BIRMING HA M

22

S L OO CH

CO AT

Elizabeth Lawson-Bennett, Chair of the Friends

17

Despite the restrictions connected with the pandemic, The Friends have persevered. Our Secondhand Uniform Sales have been a huge success amongst parents needing spare or replacement items. So far this year we have raised a phenomenal £1700 which will help fund those ‘Cherry on Top’ experiences for our children. Thank you to the parent community for the generous donations of pre-loved uniform.

15

Charity Check Postcards of Hope Pre-Prep gave the patients and staff at the Birmingham Children’s Hospital a wonderful Christmas surprise. They wanted to cheer up the patients who due to COVID-19 are not able to receive as many visits from their loved ones, and to say ‘Thank you’ to the ward staff who are working under difficult circumstances. Each year group decorated a beautiful postcard using brightly coloured Christmas and rainbow inspired designs. We also donated the proceeds of our recent non-school uniform day and Christmas card purchases totalling £1,570.

Pudsey is back!

As always, the children enjoyed donning their Pudsey ears, onesies and spotty clothes to support BBC Children in Need. A special furry visitor was also spotted around campus and we thank a certain Headmaster for going above and beyond! There were class assemblies to mark the work of the Charity and Rayyan in Year 4 was inspired to complete a sponsored 22km bicycle ride raising an amazing £2,008 all by himself! Well done Rayyan!

NICE Mrs Lynn took Aashni and Emily to visit the National Institute of Conductive Education.

St. Margaret’s had supported the Charity earlier in the year when their elder sisters had been the House Officers. They were delighted to present a cheque for £3,118.19 which will be used to buy wide-angle camera lenses and items related to improving virtual learning for the users of the charity.

Key Dates for Lent Term 2021 Term begins Tuesday 5 January

Half-Term Holiday begins Monday 15 February

7+ Prep Entrance Test Saturday 6 February Application deadline 22 January

Term resumes Monday 22 February

7+ Interviews and Music Scholarship Auditions Thursday 11 February

Term ends Friday 26 March

THE BL UE

22

BIRMING HA M

17

L OO CH

CO AT

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

Follow us on: @bcsbirmingham @bluecoatbirmingham @bcsbirmingham