Out of the Blue - Summer 2021

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

Amazon Survival

Science Fair

Investigating how to clean water and stay safe in the Amazon.

Pupils impress with scientific investigations.

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From the study…

Just recently, life has thrown up all manner of trials and tribulations. No matter what your age, change can represent almost as great a challenge as a pandemic.

Shakespeare told us how “All the world’s a stage, And all the men and women merely players; They have their exits and their entrances...”

Even as I look forward to the entrance of a new cohort of children, I must say a tender goodbye as the young, the less young, and the geographically adventurous make their exit, stage left. I pay tribute to all those who are heading for fresh challenges in September. Special mention here goes to Janine Lynn, who tackles the demands of retirement, and to Lucy Ward, who is moving to Africa. In combination, they have served the School for 32 years. Bless you both in your journeys.

Being no Shakespeare, I am lost for the words which express the gratitude that I have for all my staff, as they head off for some richly-deserved rest. With greater freedoms, we will, I trust, be returning to normality.

Thank you all for the exceptional support this year. Let us build on our experience when we come back in September - and bounce back ever stronger.

Noel Neeson, Headmaster

Term Round Up As memories of ‘this time one year ago’ popped up on our social media feed, we were reminded of a solitary ‘Thank you to the NHS’ flag billowing against a perfect blue sky as social distancing markers and one-way signs were being painted on the playground and sinks installed in the quad.

The glorious sunshine and all these ‘extras’ may still be present this year, but thankfully as we go to print, the School is at full complement and buzzing with children.

Despite the postponement of ‘Freedom Day’ we are all learning to live with COVID and cheerfully persevering.

In April, we were delighted to be shortlisted as The Times Prep School of the Year for the second year running, this time in recognition of going above and beyond in our COVID-19 response. We have also recently been awarded ‘Best Independent Day School and Nursery - West Midlands’ in the Private Education Awards of the lifestyle magazine LUXLife. Combined with the record-breaking results of this year’s Year 6 Leavers, BCS achievements are continuing to soar!

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On our return for the final academic term, we were straight into our first enrichment day. Year 2 studied the Great Fire of London. Dressed in their costumes they enjoyed learning all about the trades of the day and the origins of the fire in Pudding Lane. Nursery and Reception too, enjoyed animal-themed Fun Days. Nursery had lots of laughs with Flip the Clown whilst Reception met Eric the chameleon and a baby python brought by the Animal Man.

At last we were able to welcome back live music to Blue Coat!

Still within our bubbles but nevertheless, the chance for our young musicians to experience performance and the extra demands that this brings in being ‘concert ready’.

Swimming was another much missed experience that we eagerly welcomed back. Miss Mockler was overjoyed to be able to do what she does best as she took to the pool. The end of term House galas were a celebrated occasion, as were the return of cricket fixtures both home and away.

In the Spotlight This term we decided to put our wonderful Pre-Prep Secretary, Mrs Arch, under the Spotlight! She is truly a much loved member of the team and a fantastic point of contact for all our Pre-Prep parents.

Q. Have you always worked in Pre-Prep and in your current role?

A. Yes, I have actually been here for 12 years! I remember celebrating Pre-Prep’s 50th anniversary back in 2015 and I have seen lots of changes during my time here.

Q. What is the best bit about your job?

A. I love helping the children, staff and parents, it makes me feel very much part of the Blue Coat family.

Q. What do you like to do in your spare time?

A. Walking my 3 dogs, Deasel, Samson and Benji.

Q. Do you have any plans for the summer holidays?

Our School Leaders have been busy recording another Podcast and encouraging the rest of the school in ‘Walk to School Week’.

They joined Mr Neeson and Mrs Andrews on the school gates each morning to reward the children with stickers. As we upped our exercise, we also turned our focus on healthy eating. Mr Moss was very impressed with the food diaries made by many of the Prep children and the wonderful vegetable and fruit costumes worn by PrePrep on non-uniform day.

A. Well, we bought a place in Lanzarote back in 2019 but due to Covid we have not been able to visit and stay there yet.

This would have been the plan but in the meantime we will be staying in our caravan just outside Worcester.

Q. What would you say to others about The Blue Coat School?

A. I absolutely love working at BCS and with great colleagues.

The School has changed lots over the years but is always moving forward and opening up new opportunities for the children. It’s exciting to be a part of this.

Q. Finally, if we could grant you a superpower, what would it be and why?

A. I would wish to be able to fly as I cannot walk quickly enough round the School!

Normally at this time of year we are waving off coaches as the children head for residentials. With these off the agenda due to the Pandemic, the BCS staff were determined that the children shouldn’t miss out. Our very own Forest School became the base for three exciting Activity Days which saw the children lighting fires, learning how to whittle or use bow saws and using their team-building skills to cross shark-infested waters! Wide games on the front field and a BBQ tea were accompanied by impromptu dance-offs and the smiles on the children’s faces said it all. Thank you to Mr Isherwood and Mrs Walker who were instrumental in setting up these fabulous days.

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Class Assemblies, Golden Table, Founders’ Day, Heroes, Science Fair, Year 6 Production, a Whole School picnic, Sports Days and Prize Giving – we achieved many more special BCS moments during the term. Thank you everyone for your continued support in another challenging year. We continue to live out our Headmaster’s mantra - Individually Strong, Unbreakable As One.

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Pre-Prep Classroom Healthy Eating Week Nursery are always delighted to take part in activities with the bigger boys and girls. Healthy Eating Week was no exception and all the children enjoyed learning more about making healthy eating choices. At lunch time they were very adventurous and tried new foods including asparagus and fennel! They made a fruit face to eat and talked about healthy food and treats as well as cutting and sticking activities based around creating a healthy meal. Everyone really enjoyed Healthy Eating Week.

Forest School Fun Reception were delighted to discover a fairy door in the hedge leading to Forest School! This was part of a fantastic upgrade including boundary fencing, new gates, gravel pathways and the beginnings of a new orchard ready to take delivery of 20 apple and pear trees.

The children got to work building towers, domino runs, creating Aliens (Ardebians, Arpedicons and Aremodarbs) from planet Receptia and (of course) getting creative in the Mud Kitchen. Thank you to Mr Isherwood and Mrs Walker and to the Estates team, whose collective efforts have further improved this little haven of nature for the children.

BCS Nature Walk Head Groundsman, Mr Allmark, introduced Year 1 to their new science topic of plants by taking the children on a nature walk.

He showed them a variety of trees and plants that are growing in the school grounds. Mr Allmark explained which would produce flowers or fruits and got the children to use their sense of smell to hunt out the lavender and rosemary bushes. Back in the classroom the children learnt about the different parts of a flower and then created and labelled their own flower using a wide range of materials. Excellent work Year 1!

The Great Fire

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Year 2 children had a fantastic day learning about The Great Fire of London, led virtually by Sir John Wilkins, an eyewitness to the Great Fire. The children were told about the key events that happened in September 1666 and learned several skills to help the people whose homes had burned down. They learned how to weave so that they could make new clothes; they made clay candlestick holders to help people to see in the dark, smoky streets; and they made scent bags to hide the horrible smells in London at that time. They also used their quill skills to write a thank you letter to King Charles!

Prep Classroom Roman Engineers Year 3 children were Roman Engineers with the challenge of designing and constructing an aqueduct. The children learnt that aqueducts use the force of gravity to move the water downwards and the key is to maintain a steady gradient or slope. If the slope is too steep, the water will splash out and flood the city. If the slope is too shallow the water will not make it into the city, and the residents will experience a drought.

Year 3 worked collaboratively in their engineering teams to design their aqueduct on paper. Then, using corrugated card ‘channels’ and ‘pillars’, the aqueducts were constructed and tested using ping pong balls.

Refinements and improvements were made before each construction was carried outside and it was time to bring on the water test!

Amazon Survival Year 4 children were striving to survive in the Amazon Rainforest on their STEM Day! Their activities included researching the plants and animals in the Amazon to find out whether they are safe for human consumption, constructing model shelters and designing a water filtration system. Investigating how to clean water, the children concluded that it was still not safe to drink; hence a lesson in fire lighting ensued in order to boil the water! In Creative Arts various colourful and intricate Amazon jewellery ‘souvenirs’ were created to remember their day.

Polar Exploration Year 5 became Polar Explorers selected to join an Antarctic expedition staying at the Halley VI research station. They first focused on what items to take on the expedition, keeping within a tight budget. Explorers in the Polar regions work hard, and it is very cold, so the body burns significant energy which must be replaced by the food consumed. It was a challenge to ensure the correct calorific content whilst keeping low the carrying-weight of the food.

Fan Boat Challenge Year 6’s final STEM challenge of the year was to design, build, test and improve a fan driven model boat. Fan boats are a popular means of transportation in marshy or shallow areas where a submerged propeller would be impractical, most notably in the Florida Everglades. In recent years, fan boats have proven indispensable for flood, shallow water and ice rescue operations.

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The children were reminded of how to construct electrical circuits safely and the forces associated with buoyancy. The aim was to construct the fan boat which travelled the length of the paddling pool in the shortest time. Considerable thought was employed in the designing of boats which would float, be stable and be fast!

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The children then studied the thermal insulation properties of various materials by observing the temperature change of water over time. A ‘Fair Test’ was performed by each group and a series of cooling curves produced. Moving on to examine the forces acting on a ship: gravity and upthrust, Year 5 investigated the effect of salt water on buoyancy using real eggs!

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Year 6 Production “We’re All Going on a Summer Holiday” Our senior production of “We’re All Going on a Summer Holiday” took us on an entertaining journey, from the formality of a Headmistress’ end-of-year assembly, to the colourful world of Poplin’s Holiday Camp (“where dreams become a reality”). Twins Lily and Josh are less-than-excited at their family’s plans for the summer - but, in turn, each member of the Summers family has something to learn about exploring new horizons and keeping an open mind.

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Poplins guests enjoy a flurry of activities, organised by the ever-cheerful ‘Poplins Pals’ camp hosts! They enjoy a plethora of exotic dishes at Steak Night, under the direction of celebrity chef Raymond Blah Blah; some learn to dance with charismatic professional dancers, Anton and Angelina; others attempt a Treasure Hunt across the campus (watch out for that bull!) or enter the Super Gran competition! Whatever the event, the camp announcer - and her tuneful sidekick - will ensure everyone is kept informed. And among the many guests at Poplins, is a suspicious couple, who begin to feel rather familiar to the twins...

To quote the final lines of the play:

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‘Life is an adventure! Don’t turn your back on the chance to try something new - you never know, it might just lead to all your dreams coming true.’

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We were delighted that the children were able to take to the stage once again and Year 6 brought some much-needed colour to a summer rather short on actual holidays! Congratulations to the children on their dedication to learning their lines and putting on two fantastic performances. Thank you to our Producer and Director, Mrs Redfern and to all the BCS team who worked hard behind the scenes to make the production so professional; from set design, costumes, make-up, sound, tech and lighting to ticketing, props and photography it was a fantastic team effort.

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Musical Notes The Music Department has had a challenging year navigating COVID-19 restrictions. Mr Nicklin, Mr Hill and Miss Akehurst’s skills in video and editing have proved invaluable!

They have enabled us to continue to share the fantastic musical talent of our pupils with parents and the extended school community.

We congratulate 8 pupils in Year 6 who were awarded music scholarships to senior school: Jai Lewis, Anya Stewart, Rebecca Sun, Georgina Byrne, Toby Mantle, Connie Zhang, Daniel Du and Sebastian Stendall. We look forward to welcoming our 7+ Music Scholars Joshua Cotterill, Samuel Du, Karunya Rao and Anna Sun to Prep in September.

pupils achieving as high as Grade 6 and 7; incredible when you think they are just 10 years old. Well done to all the children for continuing to practise and pursue their music-making.

The Summer Concert in July was shared online and showcased our talented year group ensembles. Chamber music (music in small groups) gives pupils the opportunity to hone and develop their musicianship in exciting and dynamic ways. As many of you will have seen from the Summer Concert video, our young musicians rose to the challenge and produced music of great quality and vitality.

Outside of School, we continue to celebrate successes in festivals and selection for local and national choirs and orchestras. Congratulations to Li in Year 5 who attended the Leamington Spa Competitive Music Festival and won first place and the Violin Cup in the age 9-11 class.

Music continues to thrive down in Pre-Prep and the Trinity term has been no exception. Year 2 children started the term with African drumming and enjoyed exploring call and response form. In Trinity 2 they studied the life and music of Mozart. Year 1 children have been listening to Peter and the Wolf, and they have expanded their understanding of orchestral instruments. In Reception the children have been listening to Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition and Nursery children have explored classroom percussion instruments.

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An impressive number of Pre-Prep children are taking instrumental lessons with our Visiting Music Teachers. Following a demonstration of the instruments taught in Prep, we are hoping that several of our current Year 2 children will be inspired to try a new one as they move up the school! We applaud our VMTs for their continued enthusiasm and resilience. They have had to overcome the vagaries of Zoom in order to continue providing great lessons, and our public music examination results bear testament to their hard work and dedication and deserve our thanks and appreciation. At the top end we have

Finally, as we look forward to life returning to a new normal, the Music Department at BCS will be in the vanguard of the Tercentenary celebrations. Mr Nicklin looks forward to welcoming parents and friends to our concerts and recitals in the new academic year.

Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music Examination Results 2020 – 2021 Pass Merit Merit Merit Pass Merit Distinction Distinction Merit Pass Distinction Distinction Merit Merit Pass Pass Pass Pass Distinction Pass Merit Merit Merit Merit Pass Pass Pass Merit Pass Pass Merit Distinction Pass Pass Merit Distinction Distinction Pass Pass Merit Merit Distinction Merit Merit Merit Pass Merit Distinction Merit Pass Distinction Distinction Merit Distinction Pass Pass Pass

Instrument

Aditi Mohanty Anika Moholkar Neil Nair Yousef Najib Anna Newman Jonathan Nganwa Susannah Nicholas William Nicolson Tamara Porter Esmee Raghavan Esmee Raghavan Amadora Ramos-Liu Vivek Ratti Aaria Ratti Jacob Romano Silas Saha Beatrice Salvi Mia Sargeant Keya Sharma Aaryan Sharma Patel Anusha Singh Karam Singh Gill Daniel Southall Anya Stewart Mei-Li Taylor Chloe Tian Susanna Tomlinson Raene Torane Sabreena Townsend Sabreena Townsend Daniel Tyler James Tyler Tarini Vemuri Matthias von Malaisé Li Wan Li Wan Lara Willcox Eleanor Wongso Isabella Wyndham Olivia Zhang Yichen Zhu

Violin 1 Violin 3 Piano 1 Singing 1 Piano 2 Piano 2 Singing 1 Piano 1 Piano Initial Cello 6 Piano 7 Piano 4 Guitar 1 Piano 1 Trombone 2 Violin 3 Cello 3 Clarinet 2 Flute 1 Piano 1 Singing 2 Singing 2 Singing 3 Singing 4 Piano 3 Piano 1 Trumpet 3 Alto Saxophone 2 Cello 1 Singing 1 Piano 2 Piano 1 Theory 3 Piano 4 Singing 2 Violin 5 Cello 5 Piano 5 Violin 1 Cello 4 Piano 1

Grade Result

Merit Distinction Merit Merit Pass Pass Pass Merit Merit Distinction Distinction Pass Merit Merit Merit Distinction Merit Merit Distinction Pass Pass Merit Merit Distinction Pass Pass Merit Pass Merit Pass Distinction Pass Merit Pass Merit Distinction Pass Pass Merit Distinction Pass

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Grade Result

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Piano 1 Singing 3 Guitar 1 Violin 1 Piano 3 Piano 3 Trombone 5 Flute 1 Guitar 1 Piano Initial Piano 1 Piano 4 Singing 1 Piano 3 Alto Saxophone 2 Piano 1 Singing 3 Guitar 3 Piano 3 Piano 1 Guitar 1 Alto Saxophone 6 Flute 3 Singing 4 Singing 3 Bassoon 4 Singing 2 Guitar 1 Flute 4 Piano 2 Horn 2 Violin 3 Singing 3 Trumpet 1 Guitar 1 Flute 5 Singing 4 Alto Saxophone 2 Drum Kit 3 Guitar 1 Guitar 1 Guitar 1 Piano 1 Piano 1 Viola 1 Piano 1 Cello 1 Piano 2 Piano 1 Singing 3 Piano 6 Violin 7 Violin 3 Piano 1 Saxophone 3 Singing 3 Piano 2

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Instrument

Faiz Ahmad Mira Amlani James Armstrong Eva-Nicole Asanga Adam Bharmal Kanav Biswas Moritz Bongs Lydia Braham Hugo Brinkman Ellis Chan Bertie Charles Sophia Chen Dezhen Chen Karrie Chiu Khaleel Choudhury Stefan Claridge Stefan Claridge Alexandros Constantinou Madalen Cotterill Eliza Coughlan Vidur Doger Daniel Du Lucie Evans Lucie Evans Harry Forty Isabella Gabriel Isabella Gabriel Remy Granger Poppy Griffin Rosa Gurney Greg Hackett Erin Hickebottom Ria Hiwarkar Otis Hodge Max Horwitch-Smith Jolin Hu Sarika Hulait Gurtej Hunjan Noah Jones Noah Jordan Ihra Karkhanis Dhruv Karkhanis Rajveer Kejriwal Aiza Khan Unayzah Khan Jasmin Khazaei Carlino Kumar Carlino Kumar Lia Kumar Nandini Kumar Jai Lewis Jai Lewis Joshua Li Jayden Liu Lucia Maio Abhav Massey Robert Miller

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KS1 Enrichment Days Years 1 and 2 have had lots of fun during their Trinity Enrichment Days.

To celebrate their topic of toys, Year 1 took part in a live Zoom lesson from a real historian who took them through the ages and showed a variety of toys that were around at that particular time. They got to see how dolls have changed over the years from the first porcelain and fabric dolls to the modern-day Barbie doll. They saw the first Lego piece that was originally made of wood because plastic had not yet been invented. They also learnt that the teddy bear was named after the American president, Teddy Roosevelt.

The children then had an opportunity to make their own toys. They carefully followed the instructions and made a wooden spinning top, a magnetic fishing game, a paper teddy bear, a football game, a thaumatrope and a peg doll.

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At lunchtime the children were accompanied by their favourite soft toy for a teddy bears’ picnic. Despite the rain pouring down outside spirits were not dampened and the gym proved to be the perfect alternative picnic spot!

Year 2 had an amazing WOW day on the theme of animals. They visited the Blue Coat kitchen and learnt how to make bread with Mr Moss. He taught them how to knead and shape the dough to make mini hedgehogs. The children returned to the classroom and followed instructions on how to make their own clay owl, with some wonderful results.

Perhaps one of the most exciting activities was a visit to Forest School to hunt mini beasts. After checking off their discoveries against a list they set about making homes for the mini beasts they had discovered under rocks and hiding in the leaves and grass. It was a lot of fun!

Steve the Animal Man brought a menagerie of animals with him: a Pygmy hedgehog, a kookaburra and a very big snake were certainly highlights of the day! Finally, it was time for some animal cricket games with the PE teachers before heading home to share their animal experience!

The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art Speech Awards The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art Speech Awards (LAMDA) lessons have continued apace despite the current restrictions and disruption. The children have shown triumph over adversity, honouring the long held tradition of The Blue Coat School by cheerfully trying hard. Mrs Foley would like to thank them all for their resilience, energy and for keeping her thoroughly entertained on a daily basis. A real tonic after such a difficult year.

Exams this year were at first postponed and then cancelled due to LAMDA administration issues. The opportunity for the children to take their exams in alternative venues was still, however, an option and so parents and carers have been ferrying children around the country in order for them to have the opportunity to share their work. Mrs Foley would like to reiterate her thanks to all.

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Hopefully, LAMDA will function normally next year and we will hold the exams in School. For now, though, we wish the children every success as they embark on their current exams in the summer.

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Prep Activity Days In place of residentials, the children in Years 3 to 5 have had the opportunity to enjoy their own Activity Days organised by the Blue Coat staff. Without the need to board a bus and spend time on the road, the children were immediately immersed in their activities as the BCS Forest welcomed them. There was plenty to do and after a quick briefing each group set about its task.

A massive thank you to all of the Form Tutors, support staff and catering team for a great team effort over the three consecutive days. The success and happiness of the children was very much, as always, at the heart of the Blue Coat family.

A mixture of forest skills, team games and creative activities were devised planned and resourced along with an evening BBQ, courtesy of Mr Moss and his team, with even an impromptu outdoor disco to finish each day! It was heart-warming to see and hear the sounds of the children encouraging each other and making memories, displaying all of their Blue Coat Values. We hope that the children will look back fondly in years to come on their Forest School activity days.

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“It was great fun and I hope that we can do it every year! My best memory will be ‘The Bridge Too Far’ because it was exciting and we got the fastest time.” - Ila

“Activity days are epic! I always count down the days until they happen!” - Zoe

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“It was really fun completing lots of exciting activities and really showed how great BCS is!”

- Anya K

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Year 6 Enrichment Week As Dr Seuss famously said, “ Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.” In their final week at The Blue Coat School, our Year 6 pupils certainly found plenty of opportunities for smiling, laughter and joy whilst enjoying learning beyond the normal classroom environment.

The week began with a workshop provided by the Young Film Academy where the children explored the history of film, beginning with a scene from the first ever Blockbuster Jaws which was released in 1975 (including the infamous mechanical shark). Following this, the children mastered fight choreography; something that definitely livened up the room. Before the children could film their ten shot movie, they explored the different types of shots that they would need to include: wide, close up and medium. To finish off their masterpiece, each group needed to edit, add filters and music to create the desired atmosphere. At the end of the session came the eagerly anticipated ‘Oscars’. With such a range of brilliant and unique films, it was a truly difficult decision to make. However, the winning film The Witches Next Door pipped the other groups to claim the highly acclaimed award. It was evident that there were many budding filmmakers amongst the year group!

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On Tuesday, amid the busy and exciting schedule of enrichment week, Year 6 took a quiet hour out to visit Chaplain. They had a time of spiritual reflection, which focused on shining like stars in the sky. The children reflected on the things that help them to shine, and what they should do when they feel they are losing their sparkle. They wrote prayers on wooden stars and hung them up in Chapel as a Thanksgiving for their time at the School.

For the rest of the day, the children took part in a carousel of activities, including presenting their Science Fair Projects to a panel of judges and a session with the British Military Martial Arts focusing on self-defence and non-violent conflict avoidance. The children were also visited by Hannah Irvine from Holroyd Howe to learn about how the food we eat at School is sustainably sourced and how we can ensure we are eating healthy and safe food. Finally, the children enjoyed a fun swim session in the pool.

Wednesday and Thursday combined teamwork, communication and risk taking as the children enjoyed adventure-filled days at Aztec Adventure and Forest School. At Aztec Adventure, the children took part in a range of land and water based activities including bell boating, kayaking and taking on the dizzying heights of the climbing wall and mast. It was a race to the finish in the climbing activities to see whether the boys or the girls would reach the top of the mast first.

In the forest, the pupils split into teams to build a rainproof settlement and an aqueduct using pipes to ensure the villagers could enjoy fresh water. The first two groups experienced a natural test as the heavens opened on day one, whilst on the much sunnier second day, Mrs Walker needed to provide an ‘unexpected’ rainfall to really test whether their shelter would protect in a downpour!

The week culminated in the House Parties and Year 6 Leavers’ Disco where the children celebrated their friendships at The Blue Coat School. Farewell Class of 2021, we wish you well!

BCS Science Fair Albert Einstein: “The important thing is to never stop questioning.”

This year’s projects addressed a variety of fascinating questions spanning many diverse fields of science.

Unsurprisingly, we had several projects related to hand washing and antibacterial products, as well as the wearing of face coverings.

Carl Sagan: “Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known.”

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Alexandros clearly explained what a barometer is, what it measures and how meteorologists employ barometers to predict the weather.

He decided to make two types of homemade barometer: an air barometer and a liquid barometer. First, Alexandros explained how each type of barometer works and then he made two of each type, to determine if the type of container made a significant difference to the air barometer and if the volume of water made a difference to the liquid barometer. Alexandros also studied two commercial barometers: aneroid and digital. He identified all variables: controlled, independent and responding, taking particular care to ensure a ‘Fair Test’. He collected a substantial amount of data and produced a series of comparative graphs. The data was thoroughly analysed and then Alexandros drew logical conclusions before summarising and evaluating his investigation.

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According to the judges, the winner, Alexandros Constantinou, spoke with ‘notable enthusiasm and clarity, demonstrating a complete understanding of all of the scientific principles involved’. His project studied the use of barometers in predicting the weather, and specifically the key question: Can homemade barometers be used to make reliable weather predictions and do commercial barometers used in the home give reliable readings compared to the Met Office weather data?

Without doubt Year 6 have built upon their understanding of science and the investigative process. They showed endeavour, application, creativity, problem solving and scientific thoroughness. Mrs Simmons is incredibly proud of each and every child and their commitment to science throughout the year.

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The judges were overwhelmingly complimentary regarding the high standard of the projects and the effective communication of scientific learning and understanding demonstrated by the children. They initially identified three outstanding projects before narrowing it down to one winner.

Our two runners-up were Anya Stewart and Siyena Begh. Anya investigated: Which type of mask is most effective in preventing spit molecules from being passed from person to person? She performed two separate tests, clearly identified the variables and ensured a Fair Test. Her presentation board was particularly eye-catching. Siyena chose to investigate an especially apt and timely question: Which method keeps your glasses from steaming up when wearing a mask?

Siyena was also careful to identify the variables and perform a Fair Test.

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We welcomed five judges: Miss Fallon - Subject Leader of Biology at King Edward VI Five Ways, Miss Fones - Head of Chemistry at Edgbaston High School, Mr Hopkinson - Outreach (Biology) at King Edward VI High School for Girls, Mrs Matthews - Head of Biology at Edgbaston High School and Dr McGuire - Teacher of Chemistry at Solihull School. Each child talked to a judge for approximately ten minutes about their project. The judges scored the projects according to criteria shared with children and parents at the beginning of the projects covering: Creativity, Scientific Thought, Thoroughness, Skill and Clarity.

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Sports Round-Up In Pre-Prep, athletics has been the focus for this term, with pupils gearing up to Sports Day in the penultimate week of term. The children have had lots of fun exploring different ways of jumping, running and throwing and Mrs Fletcher has been delighted with their progress.

Years 1 and 2 have also loved their introduction to cricket. Online lessons before Easter have helped the children to maintain their hand/ eye coordination and provided a great foundation to build upon. The children thoroughly enjoyed working on improving their striking and fielding skills. They often surprised themselves when they finally hit the ball or made a great catch!

Girls’ Cricket It has been amazing to see how well the girls took to this competitive game! Not an easy sport, but the girls gave their all week after week, practising the tricky skills of batting and in particular bowling.

With limited fixtures, there was time to develop skills and the girls have all made excellent progress. So many girls who were not able to bowl with a straight arm at the beginning of the term are now able to bowl at speed!

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Keeping the element of competition alive in School, there were several Intra and House fixtures in which the girls’ abilities were showcased.

Their development was further highlighted when we welcomed RGS for our first match against another school in a long time. The teachers were as excited as the pupils that week! Together, enthusiasm and improvement shone through and it was a victorious week for the girls.

Congratulations to St. Margaret’s who won the Girls’ House Cricket.

Boys’ Cricket If there was ever a sport suited to a pandemic which involved social distancing and remaining in fresh air, cricket would be it! Apart from the occasional hand sanitiser and ball wash, this term’s sport has thankfully remained largely unaffected. Additionally, the weather has played its part too. It has been amazing to see the uptake of cricket, not only within Games lessons but also at any potential moment in the day, such as lunch and break times. Whether it has been using the amazing cricket squares on the front field or using a bottle for a bat and a blazer for a wicket the attitude toward getting involved has been inspiring. As a result, the progress made over the past 11 weeks has been tremendous.

The Boys’ House competition was particularly tight with only two points separating the year groups overall. Congratulations to St. Philip’s who were the eventual winners. The resumption of inter school fixtures against West House as we created our own ‘School Bubble’, was an added bonus. This allowed for all pupils to put their newly refined skills into practice. Well done to all the boys for showing commitment and resilience to the challenges of this year.

Swimming Trinity term saw our first opportunity to get back in the pool.

Having joined BCS in January, Miss Mockler had been eagerly awaiting the green light to recommence BCS swimming lessons.

Following Government guidelines and with the necessary school risk assessments completed, a successful term ensued. We are delighted that, despite the 18 month pause on swimming, our Year 6 swimmers will all be leaving the School having achieved 100% of the national curriculum requirements in swimming.

The House galas were a showcase of both swimming excellence and commendable sportsmanship. A phenomenal performance gave St. George’s 1st place, with St. Margaret’s hot on their heels in 2nd! Joint 3rd were St. Philip’s and St. Monica’s.

Alongside our gala preparations, the Prep Swim Squads have continued with weekly practice sessions enabling them to fine tune starts and turns, including grab and track diving and the development of tumble turns. These will be used in our planned fixtures from September onwards. The children have worked tremendously hard in rebuilding their speed and stamina in the water and we look forward to seeing what the new year will bring.

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Across the curriculum we have incorporated water safety skills. This has been a huge hit with our younger swimmers. We were thrilled to see all children in Reception, Year 1 and 2 growing in confidence week by week in the pool. Pre-Prep have received additional support with assistance in the water, improving technical skills including floating and buoyancy and an introduction to diving.

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Sports Days We have been delighted to be able to run a live programme for all years from Nursery to Year 6. Although not following the same format as most years, the pupils still embraced the opportunity and produced some outstanding performances.

Huge appreciation goes to the Sports Department for putting on an individual event for each of our 8 year groups and to the Estates team and extended staff who all played their part.

The individual House winners were: St. George’s: Arjun Najran, Loic Granger, Noah Olatayo-Moses, Remy Granger and Sebastian Stendall.

St. Margaret’s: Amadora Ramos-Liu, Anna Newman, Evangeline Ernest, Li Wan and Imogen Brinkman St. Monica’s: Arya Madhavan, Priscilla Stojek, Susie Tomlinson and Zuva Mumbengegwi-Redmond.

St. Philip’s: Umar Ayub, William Almond, James Longworth, Silas Saha and Samuel Tan. In Pre Prep, all the children were in high spirits, displaying some beautiful class banners as they walked onto the field. They thoroughly enjoyed participating in the different activities, cheering each other on and displaying our Blue Coat Values. From keeping in the lines with Nursery to some slick relay changes from Year 2 in the Key Stage 1 class relay event, which took place on ‘practice day’, there were some fantastic races and the children were awarded with a special Sports Day sticker for their efforts.

Junior House Winner Boys - St. George’s Girls - St. Margaret’s Senior House Winner Boys - St. George’s Girls - St. Monica’s Overall Winner - St. George’s (Boys) and St. Margaret’s (Girls)

In Years 3-6, all the Houses took part in running (sprinting or distance events), javelin or ball throw and long jump or high jump competing against their own age group for overall 1st, 2nd and 3rd positions.

The House Sports Cup which is the result of all the competitive matches played throughout the year, was also awarded to St. George’s and St. Margaret’s.

As the programme of sports progressed, so did the tension. The stakes were high and the desire to win was palpable. There was laughter, there were tears, and there was a lot of running, but, in the end, Sports Day 2021 will be remembered as a year of tense competition, exemplary sporting endeavours and glorious weather.

Junior Records

House Results Collecting the most points, the Sports Day Junior Winners were Freddie Wood and Esther Sun. The Senior House Winners were Jai Lewis and Alexandra Souter.

Anna Newman

Girls’ Ball Throw

22.83m

Anna Newman

Girls’ 300m

56.38s

Hugo Brinkman

Boys’ Long Jump

3.12m

Sophie Longworth

Girls’ 600m

2m 9.36s

Aditya Solanki

Boys’ Ball Throw

38.76m

Priscilla Stojek

Girls’ Long Jump

2.90m

Priscilla Stojek

Girls’ 100m

15.97s

Tarini Vermuri

Girls’ High Jump

1.00m

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Senior Records James Longworth

Boys’ 300m

49.87s

James Longworth

Boys’ 600m

1m 51.14s

Zuva Mumbengegwi-Redmond

Girls’ 200m

31.20sec.

Heroes What does the word ‘hero’ mean to you?

What kinds of things do heroes do?

How do we recognise heroes?

Do you need to be physically strong to be a hero?

Who is a hero to you?

These were questions posed to Year 4 in preparation for the children to decide on a hero for the Year 4 Heroes Event on Wednesday 7th July. The children were asked to develop a visual display about the life story, achievements and successes of their chosen hero and to explain why they are a hero to them. Many children also chose to dress in character, giving us a hint of who their hero might be!

There was an excited buzz in the Sports Hall as the Year 4 children began arriving with their work. From family members to staff at school, musicians, actors, authors, sports men and women, scientists and many more; it was so interesting to spend time reading the displays to see the many and varied people chosen as the children’s heroes.

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It was evident from walking around the presentations and discussing the children’s heroes with them, how much thought, time and care had gone into the projects. The Year 4 teachers, who were very impressed by the standard of the children’s work, would like to say a huge thank you to the children for their wonderful work and to the parents for their unwavering support. Well done Year 4, you are all heroes in our eyes!

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Creative Arts Gallery This year has seen a fantastic makeover of the Creative Arts department; the new Art and DT studio is bursting with colour and the children have been inspired to produce some wonderful #madeatBCS creations.

Nursery have produced some super artwork linked to their minibeast and all about me topics. Reception read the story That’s Not my Lion and then the children made their own lions using clay and wooden sticks and eyes. They also made ladybirds using wood from Forest School. Year 1 really enjoyed learning about pointillism and they looked at the work of a range of artists before creating their own pictures using dots. The first half of the term was focused on sketching. The children investigated different forms of mark making and were introduced to the five basic elements of shape. They learnt how to create texture and understand how smudging can be effective.

Meanwhile Year 2 were inspired by Peter Thorpe and had a go at recreating his colourful rocket and space art. They also designed and evaluated their own aliens, using various materials and joining techniques to complete them.

In the Lent term, Prep used lockdown as an exciting opportunity to learn about a different artist every week and the pupils created some superb pieces of artwork in response. As soon as they came back to School the children immersed themselves in Design Technology projects, making felted animal cushions, iPad covers, winter hats and slippers. They have enjoyed modelling them too!

Nursery – My Pet

Nursery – Minibeast creations using paint software on Purple Mash.

Reception – Clay Lion

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Year 3 – Keith Haring prints

Year 4 – Mexican Aljebres

Reception – Ladybird

Happy Retirement Mrs Lynn!

We bid a fond farewell to Mrs Lynn who has been teaching in the Creative Arts Department for 15 of her 22 years at Blue Coat.

She has led the School in several whole school projects and many will remember the stunning 2018 copper poppy installation in Chapel. We were delighted that her former colleague Mrs Lambert-Green was able to surprise Mrs Lynn at Thanksgiving and help to give her a special send-off.

Year 1 – Pointillism Fish

Year 1 – Toy

Year 2 – Alien Invasion

Year 2 – Space Art

Year 6 – Portrait

Year 6 – Slippers

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Year 5 – Hats

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Senior School Scholarship, Awards and Examination Success Congratulations to our Class of 2021. An incredible set of results after a challenging year of lockdown. We are so proud of their achievements 165 independent school offers and 52 grammar school offers, including a record 68 Scholarships for academic, music and sporting talent.

2021 Scholars

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Alveena Ahmed Alveena Ahmed Ateeb Al-Hasan Konark Basu Siyena Begh Matilda Brown Georgina Byrne Zhi Yan Chen John Cibelli Charli Clements Anuva Doger Joel Drake Daniel Du Lucie Evans Yiling Gao Poppy Griffin Rosa Gurney Ria Hiwarkar Samuel Hodges Sarika Hulait Gurtej Hunjan Noah Jones Kenza Kachloul Khadija Kamran Jodhay Kaur Karman Khatkar Karman Khatkar Aiza Khan Jai Lewis Anya Machado Tobias Mantle Maya McCracken Elena Mirza Imogen Mudie Zuva Mumbengegwi-Redmond Antonella Ottengo Hriday Parekh Hriday Parekh Harris Rahman Dylan Ram Aneesha Sandhu Aneesha Sandhu Joshvir Sandhu Joshvir Sandhu Charlie Serban Charlie Serban Keya Sharma Keya Sharma Emily Smallwood Amelia Smith Sebastian Stendall Sebastian Stendall Anya Stewart Rebecca Sun Rebecca Sun Samuel Tan Raena Torane Aiden Verma Lara Willcox Joshua Wood Kelvin Zeng Kelvin Zeng Ziyue Connie Zhang Xuancheng Tony Zhou

Edgbaston High School for Girls King Edward VI High School for Girls St. George’s School Priory School Edgbaston High School for Girls Edgbaston High School for Girls Highclare School Edgbaston High School for Girls Priory School Edgbaston High School for Girls Edgbaston High School for Girls King Edward’s School Solihull School Edgbaston High School for Girls Edgbaston High School for Girls Edgbaston High School for Girls Edgbaston High School for Girls Edgbaston High School for Girls King Edward’s School Edgbaston High School for Girls Priory School Priory School Edgbaston High School for Girls Edgbaston High School for Girls Priory School Edgbaston High School for Girls Priory School Edgbaston High School for Girls King Edward’s School Edgbaston High School for Girls Priory School Edgbaston High School for Girls Edgbaston High School for Girls Edgbaston High School for Girls Solihull School Edgbaston High School for Girls Priory School St. George’s School Priory School Priory School Edgbaston High School for Girls Priory School Priory School St. George’s School Edgbaston High School for Girls King Edward VI High School for Girls Edgbaston High School for Girls King Edward VI High School for Girls Edgbaston High School for Girls Edgbaston High School for Girls Priory School Solihull School Hydesville Tower School Edgbaston High School for Girls King Edward VI High School for Girls Solihull School Edgbaston High School for Girls Solihull School Edgbaston High School for Girls Priory School Priory School St. George’s School King Edward VI High School for Girls King Edward’s School

Academic Scholarship Academic Scholarship Academic Scholarship Academic and Music Scholarships Academic Scholarship Academic Scholarship Music Scholarship Academic Scholarship Academic Scholarship Academic Scholarship Academic Scholarship Academic Scholarship Music Scholarship Academic Scholarship Academic Scholarship Academic Scholarship Academic Scholarship Academic Scholarship Academic Scholarship Academic Scholarship Academic Scholarship Academic Scholarship Academic Scholarship Academic Scholarship Academic Scholarship Academic Scholarship Academic Scholarship Academic Scholarship Music Scholarship Academic Scholarship Academic and Music Scholarships Academic Scholarship Academic Scholarship Academic Scholarship Academic Scholarship Academic Scholarship Academic Scholarship Academic Scholarship Academic Scholarship Academic and Sport Scholarships Academic Scholarship Academic Scholarship Academic Scholarship Academic Scholarship Academic Scholarship Academic Scholarship Academic Scholarship Academic Scholarship Academic Scholarship Academic Scholarship Academic and Music Scholarships Music Scholarship Music Scholarship Academic Scholarship Music Scholarship Academic Scholarship Academic Scholarship Academic Scholarship Academic Scholarship Academic Scholarship Academic Scholarship Academic Scholarship Academic and Music Scholarship Academic Scholarship

Leavers’ Destinations Edgbaston High School for Girls King Edward VI High School for Girls Solihull School King Edward’s School King Edward VI High School for Girls King Edward VI Five Ways School Bromsgrove School King Edward VI High School for Girls Bromsgrove School King Edward VI High School for Girls Old Swinford Hospital King Edward VI Five Ways School King Edward VI High School for Girls Bromsgrove School King Edward’s School King Edward’s School King Edward VI High School for Girls King Edward’s School King Edward’s School King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Boys King Edward VI High School for Girls King Edward’s School King Edward VI High School for Girls King Edward VI High School for Girls Edgbaston High School for Girls King Edward VI High School for Girls Edgbaston High School for Girls King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Boys King Edward VI High School for Girls King Edward’s School King Edward VI High School for Girls King Edward’s School Bromsgrove School King Edward’s School King Edward VI High School for Girls King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Girls Edgbaston High School for Girls King Edward VI High School for Girls King Edward VI High School for Girls King Edward’s School King Edward VI High School for Girls King Edward VI Five Ways School King Edward’s School Solihull School Lordswood Girls’ School King Edward VI Handsworth School for Girls King Edward VI High School for Girls Old Swinford Hospital

Imogen Mudie King Edward VI High School for Girls Zuva Mumbengegwi-Redmond Solihull School Neil Nair King Edward VI Five Ways School Antonella Ottengo King Edward VI Five Ways School Hriday Parekh King Edward VI Five Ways School George Qin King Edward’s School Harris Rahman Solihull School Dylan Ram Priory School Kush Rupal King Edward’s School Aneesha Sandhu King Edward VI High School for Girls Joshvir Sandhu King Edward’s School Charlie Serban King Edward VI High School for Girls Aryan Sharma King Edward’s School Keya Sharma King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Girls Emily Smallwood King Edward VI High School for Girls Amelia Smith King Edward VI High School for Girls Marissa Smith Edgbaston High School for Girls Oliver Smoldon King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Boys Toby Smoldon Solihull School Alexandra Souter Solihull School Daniel Southall King Edward’s School Sebastian Stendall King Edward’s School Anya Stewart Old Swinford Hospital Rebecca Sun King Edward VI High School for Girls Samuel Tan King Edward’s School Raena Torane King Edward VI Five Ways School Aiden Verma King Edward’s School Jack Whiting St. George’s School Marcus Wigg Bromsgrove School Lara Willcox Edgbaston High School for Girls Joshua Wood Priory School Kelvin Zeng King Edward’s School Ziyue Connie Zhang King Edward VI High School for Girls Xuancheng Tony Zhou King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Boys

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Congratulations Year 6!

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Aleyah Ahmed Alveena Ahmed Ateeb Al-Hasan Konark Basu Siyena Begh Kiran Bhatt Imogen Brinkman Matilda Brown Georgina Byrne Zhi Yan Chen Khaleel Choudhury John Cibelli Charli Clements Alexandros Constantinou Henry Coughlan Govind Dhillon Anuva Doger Joel Drake Daniel Du Yasin Elashry Lucie Evans Harry Forty Yiling Gao Raaye Ghosh Harleena Grewal Poppy Griffin Rosa Gurney Arish Hassan Ria Hiwarkar Samuel Hodges Sarika Hulait Gurtej Hunjan Lola Jones Noah Jones Kenza Kachloul Khadija Kamran Jodhay Kaur Aiza Khan Karman Khatkar Jai Lewis Anya Machado Lucia Maio Rohun Manarkattu Tobias Mantle Elisavet Matopoulou Maya McCracken Elena Mirza Nathan Molsom

2021 Scholars

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Charity Check Little Feet Make Big Strides On Wednesday 12 May, Nursery and Reception children set off on their Big Walk being enthusiastically clapped and supported by Mr Neeson and Years 1, 2 and 6. The children were really excited to walk and run laps of the field in some lovely sunshine to support Birmingham Children’s Hospital. Reception children walked (and sometimes ran!) a mile and Nursery children half a mile. Thank you to parents and friends for your kind donations and sponsorship to support the vital work of this Charity which is close to many of our hearts; a fantastic grand total of £3,691.49 was raised!

Key Dates for Michaelmas Term 2021 Staff Inset & Training Thursday 2 September to Monday 6 September Term begins Tuesday 7 September Open Morning Saturday 2 October (Tours at 9.30am and 10.30am)

Half-Term holiday begins Monday 18 October Term resumes Monday 1 November Term ends Wednesday 15 December (Aftercare and Bubbles open until 5.00pm)

Shortlisted

Prep school of the year

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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 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