Bugsy Malone Year 6 wow audiences with their production PAGES 14 & 15 Big Birthday BCS Celebrates 300 years PAGES 26 & 27 B R M I HTMAHGN E BLUE COAT SCHOOL 2271 The Blue Coat School Founded by the Church of England in 1722 out blueof the SUMMER 2022
From the study… Well, it’s a wrap! The 300 years are almost up. In this magazine we review the wonderful gala concert and throw the spotlight on what was a glamorous tercentenary lunch featuring the remarkable Denise Lewis.
I would like to pay thanks to a lady who retires at the end of this academic year after 26 years of loyal and selfless service to BCS. A diamond that shines brightly, her name is synonymous with all things Blue Coat. Mrs Andrews, we will miss you and on behalf of all the children, parents and colleagues you have selflessly cared for we thank you from the bottom of our hearts. I hope you all had a wonderful summer.
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We now look forward to the rededication of the newly refurbished chapel in October; to getting our heads down again, and providing the best for our Beforechildren.that,I bid a fond farewell to the class of 2022. Without a doubt, for them especially, this has been a very special year, during which the glass ceiling has been well and truly cracked in all areas of the curriculum.
I must here thank the staff, children, parents and Governors for all of their support in a year like no other.
The Pre-Prep children enjoyed a magnificent range of enrichment activities. From a Circus Day to a safari adventure, to exploring old toys and immersing themselves in the history of the Great Fire of London, the pupils’ imaginations were illuminated with ideas and questions.
Yes, a milestone 12 months, but, happily, another year of significant pupil achievement: outstanding academic results, sporting success beyond belief and a wonderful production of Bugsy Malone.
Term Round Up
Noel Neeson, Headmaster
We were blessed with beautiful sunshine many times throughout the Trinity Term, and it was wonderful to see the staff and children making the most of our outside space.
Q. What are you looking forward to at BCS?
In this issue we are delighted to have the opportunity to get to know our new Director of Marketing and Admissions, Mrs April Franklin, who will be joining BCS in September.
Q. What is your favourite book?
Q. Where is your favourite place in the world to visit?
In the Spotlight
A. I am looking forward to working with children at the start of their academic journey. I’ve worked with students at university-level for most of my career and this change to the other end of the scale will be really exciting.
A. From the places I have visited so far, I would say Italy. The landscape is so varied across the country but the food is consistently incredible.
Q. Tell us about your career so far....
A. I started my career at Nottinghamshire YMCA and moved to the University of Birmingham in 2014. I have held various PR, communications and marketing roles within the Sport division. The highlight has to be leading the marketing strategy for the opening of the £55 million sports centre and turning this into the Hockey and Squash Centre for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games!
Q. What is your favourite food?
Q. Do you have any hobbies?
A. I am a huge netball fan. Playing it, coaching it and watching it! I also do a lot of walking with my Goldendoodle, Geoffrey.
A. Great Expectations by Charles Dickens.
A termly round up would not be complete without mentioning the residentials that Year 3-6 took part in. These are such valuable experiences for the children as we take them beyond the school gates and give them the opportunity to develop life, teamwork and practical skills which build their confidence. The staff were exceptionally proud of the motivation and resilience of the children, well done to them all. It was an action-packed term for the children, with lots of exciting events in school. Our 300th birthday celebrations culminated in a magnificent event with over 2000 people attending. It was hard to imagine a more perfect evening to celebrate this wonderful school. The children also enjoyed the Platinum Jubilee celebrations as well as a visit from Perry the Commonwealth Games mascot.
A. Cheese. There is very little which can’t be improved by adding cheese!
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Our Prep Children went back in time when Year 3 ventured to the Black Country Museum. Year 4 visited Cadbury World as part of their Aztecs project; needless to say, it was a tasty day for all! One of the highlights of the term was our Year 3 Sorting Ceremony and staff were delighted to share in this important event with all of the children who are moving into Prep next year. Year 6 enjoyed a day as Ancient Greeks and impressed judges with their posters and knowledge at their Science Fair. Year 4 produced an impressive array of displays when they presented their heroes and it was amazing to see the many different individuals who inspire them. Year 6 also presented an inspiring production of Bugsy Malone; the show was a delight to see, and the talent of our children was breath-taking.
A fantastic day at West Midland Safari Park for Reception started with a tour and the children were amazed by the range of animals and how close they got to the coach. They then explored the rest of the park on foot and had a wonderful time. Some of the highlights included birds landing on the children’s heads and arms, meeting the lemurs up close and seeing the enormous pythons. visiting the candlemaker and the barber out which shop the evidence was from.
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Pre-Prep Classroom Nursery Circus WOW Day
Year 1 visited Conkers and they enjoyed stepping aboard the Conkerchoo train, travelling to the Enchanted Forest and following a trail to discover teddy bears. The children were encouraged to identify willow, oak, and silver birch trees. At the bottom of each of the trees, the children discovered an object made from that specific type of timber. They completed a multi-sensory barefoot walk through 200 years of Conkers history, incorporating Victorian spas, coal mining, and the development of the National Forest. In the 4D cinema they followed the journey of an ant through a jungle.
Year 2 explored the Great Fire of London Children in Year 2 were transported back to 1666. Dressed in their Great Fire of London costumes, activities like making bread, writing a letter with a quill and ink, making nosegays to ward off bad smells, visiting the candlemaker and the barber surgeon kept them busy. They then became history detectives, sifting through the remains of a fire to work out which shop the evidence was from. Reception went on safari
The Nursery children enjoyed learning about the circus and took part in activities including making healthy-eating clown faces, developing their scissor skills and completing circus crafts. They were also visited by Circus Sensible who taught the children some new skills.
Year 1 had a splendid day at Conkers
Year 2 visited Weston Park Year 2 journeyed to Weston Park, taking part in creative activities such as tie-dying with natural colours, leaf printing, moulding clay creatures and cooking over a campfire. They also enjoyed bug hunting and pond dipping and experienced den construction, a mud kitchen and tyre swinging. The day ended with the burning of The Great Fire of London houses with flames being extinguished by a chain of children firefighters with water buckets.
Year 1 explored toys from the past Year 1 were enthralled during their Old Toys curriculum enrichment day and had great fun understanding how toys have changed. They also discovered that the teddy bear was named after the American president, Teddy Roosevelt. Each child was given a bag of resources and had to carefully follow instructions to make their own toys.
Pupils look back in time
The Pre-Prep and Prep children have successfully achieved the Eco-Schools Green Flag award to improve the sustainability of BCS. The judging panel particularly liked the Switch off Fortnight and book swap initiatives which had been undertaken at BCS.
The Nursery children enjoyed creating artwork inspired by the artist, Kandinsky. The children used bottle tops and paint sticks to create circles.
BCS Goes Green
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Nursery children tried on old BCS uniforms as part of the 300th birthday programme and discussed differences between the styles. Year 1 loved writing to a baboon to invite him to our 300th Anniversary party, having to describe what was going to happen. Maths lessons were used to tally the different foods that would have been eaten when the school was founded. Year 2 English saw children making and writing with quills and pupils completed a range of challenges related to the number 300. Creative arts lessons considered what schools will be like in 300 years and how can we protect our planet for future generations. Each class created a hexagonal design on a specialcommemorateintowilltopicenvironmentalspecificandthesebemadeadisplaytothisyear.
Nursery Artists
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STEM Challenge
Prep Classroom
Year 6’s final STEM challenge of the year was to design, build, test and improve a fan driven model boat, a popular means of transportation in marshy or shallow areas where a submerged propeller would be impractical, most notably in the Florida Everglades. The day finished with a race to determine the Year 6 Fan Boat Engineering Team 2022. Through the activity they have developed their science, maths and design skills and a host of key life skills including collaboration, teamwork and problem solving.
House Sorting Ceremony
Our Year 2 children, including new joiners, were sorted into their Prep Houses and greeted by their House Heads, Mrs Redfern (St. Monica’s), Mrs Walker (St. Margaret’s), Mrs Stockton (St. Philip’s) and Mr Hill (St. George’s). Each child received a welcome note from their Head of House and enjoyed a special cookie to commemorate the occasion.
Year 3 visit the Victorian Era
Year 3 travelled to the Black Country Museum as part of the Victorians Humanities topic and each group followed in the footsteps of a Victorian child, visiting shops, the blacksmith, chapel and school. They also visited different homes to understand how Victorians from all sections of society lived, finding out about cockroach traps, Victorian medicines and watching the blacksmith forge a chain link. from their Head of House andA tasty day out for Year 4
As part of their Humanities topic about The Aztecs, Year 4 visited Cadbury World and learned more about how The Aztecs lived, about the Aztec Emperor Montezuma II and the invasion by the Spanish, led by Hernán Cortés, which ended the Aztec Empire.
Year 6 pupils excel at the Science Fair
Our 2022 Science Fair projects addressed a variety of fascinating questions spanning many diverse fields of science. The children were guided through the stages of the Scientific Method: Question, Research, Hypothesis, Method (including the ‘Fair Test’ principle), Results, Analysis and Conclusion. The final step was to produce the presentation board. Year 6 produced an incredible display for our esteemed judges to peruse and we could not be prouder of the informed young scientists they have become.
Katy Moran began the sessions with a warm-up exercise to empower pupils in their understanding of how to overcome the feeling of having a writer’s block, which included getting ideas down in free writing. Pupils then had the chance to write opening paragraphs from a choice of picture stimuli and the pupils were brilliantly behaved, conscientious, and demonstrated their drive and determination perfectly.
Several chess players from Blue Coat took part in the IAPS tournament at Twickenham Prep School. The team comprised of Siyuan and Siyao Ou, Kevin Ge, Toby Agadagba and Kingsley Chen. In the Championship section, Siyao, Siyuan and Kevin secured second place overall. In addition, Siyuan scored highest among all the girls and was awarded a trophy for IAPS Chess Championship Girls Winner. In the Under 10 section, Kingsley and Toby also obtained brilliant results, Toby coming second on Day 1. He went one better on Day 2, winning a gold medal. Kingsley came 3rd on Days 1 and 2, winning bronze medals.
A season of success for our Chess Team
Year 4 Heroes Project After a two-year, COVID-related hiatus, we welcomed parents to the launch of the Year 4 Heroes event. Pupils explained why they had chosen this person and answered questions confidently and articulately about their subject which ranged from medical professionals to explorers, athletes and authors. Stunning visual displays about the life story, achievements and successes of their chosen hero were featured around the hall.
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Year 5 Creative Writing Masterclass
Six chess players visited Nottingham High School for the semi-final of the National Primary Schools Chess Teams Competition. The Under 11 team was Siyuan and Siyao Ou, Kevin Ge, Toby Agadagba, Nihal Rai and Kingsley Chen. After a storming start of two straight wins, Round 3 saw a well-fought match against Hallfield end in defeat. The team then showed their character to bounce back with a win in Round 4, leaving everything to play for in the last round. In a tense Round 5 match, a magnificent 3.5-1.5 win was wrapped up, leaving the team in second place and qualifying for the final in July. Every team member played their part but special mention must go to Toby Agadagba playing on Board 4, who won all of his games to score 5/5, beating one of Hallfield’s top players on the way, along with several other strong opponents. The team then performed with grit and determination in the national final to conclude a wonderful season.
Year 6 took a trip to Ancient Greece Our toga wearing Ancient Greeks helped the Year 6 children begin their Trinity Term topic. They were transported back to the year 776BC to the city of Olympia, where the boys and girls were introduced to a range of ‘Athenians’ to explore important aspects of Ancient Greek life.
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Residentials
Day 3 started with packing and cleaning their rooms before being presented with certificates. The children were amazing and showed true BCS values throughout.
Day 2 included four activities and was enjoyed in glorious Shropshire sunshine with pupils showing great manners to the JCA Condover Hall instructors. Later, the pupils enjoyed songs, chants and dances by a campfire. It was a great bonding experience.
Year 3 pupils travelled to Condover Hall, Shrewsbury, for their residential. This was the first time that most of the children had ever been on an overnight away from home. On the first day, the children organised their area and made their beds before moving into raft building, climbing, a rocket launch, orienteering, the laser maze, and archery. The group persevered despite the deteriorating weather, even those who slipped into the cold lake from the raft they had built. After drying off, the group played Giant Cluedo before lights out.
Year 3 – Condover Hall
Over the course of the two days the activities pushed many of the children out of their comfort zone, building resilience, developing problem solving, communication, teamwork and co-operation skills.
From the moment we arrived, it was non-stop with the first activities starting shortly after the pupils had unpacked. It was either orienteering or bushcraft shelter building before dinner and then more activities before the campfire, sharing stories and toasting marshmallows. It was lovely to see so many of the children enjoying themselves in a completely different environment.
Two more activities were held pre-lunch. Many children wanted to stay longer but some children fell asleep on the journey back. They were all suitably exhausted from having lots of fun! Job accomplished.
On Day 2, an obstacle challenge, raft building, nightline and climbing was on the agenda and raft building is always one of the favourites. The children worked together as a team and the whole group had to successfully paddle towards the other side of the lake. The groups worked co-operatively, demonstrating excellent team cohesion.
Tuesday evening ended with all groups taking part in a night walk in an area of outstanding natural beauty surrounded by scenic hills and woodland, brimming with wildlife and with views of Moel Famau.
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After breakfast the youngsters stripped beds and packed belongings.
Year 4 – Colomendy
For many, this was the first time the children had been away from home and it is amazing how well they all embraced the whole experience.
Dylan and Ed, the camp leaders, introduced the tribe leaders then it was off into the forest to find camp and explore.
After a safety briefing, the pupils gathered sticks to prepare a fire to cook lunch, burgers, fried potatoes and mixed vegetables. The tribes made flags and invented an original name for their group before getting to grips with their tents and laying out their bedding.
Year 5 & 6 – Bushcraft
The next day started early! The gong signalling a full English before the busy day began. Bushcraft first aid skills were practised. Then the children ‘found’ a light aircraft that had ‘crashed’ into a field carrying a number of Blue Coat teachers. The children worked as a team to ensure their patients were treated. Pupils then delved further into the woods to practise their hand-eye coordination at archery and tomahawk throwing.
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Residentials
Bushcraft at Boughton Woods was the destination for the residential for our Year 5 and Year 6 pupils. On arrival, we allocated the children to their tribes - groups the children spend the day activities in - and with their tent buddies.
Tribe’s Got Talent produced singing and dance whilst others demonstrated their gymnastic or make-up skills with clay mud from the woods. The trip home was quiet, many children taking the chance to catch sleep!
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Each child gained an array of life skills over the course of the four days, particularly learning how to brave the outdoors in a range of weather conditions.
Dinner consisted of ponassed salmon, a traditional way of cooking salmon over an open fire perfected by the native tribes of the North American plains. The salmon is de-boned, butterflied and cooked gently. Some volunteered for a Bushtucker trial and ate (or attempted to eat) a salmon eye. Crunchy and juicy were a few adjectives used!
The Year 6 pupils entertained packed houses with amazing performances of ‘Bugsy Malone’. We are always thrilled to see our children discover a love of acting and this year was no exception; a truly exceptional end for this brilliant cohort of children.
The weather was kind, the stage was set and what an evening it was. The Music Department team came together to make this evening perhaps the most memorable Blue Coat concert for many many years. At the heart of this were the children, without whom nothing would be possible. They worked hard in rehearsal and that hard work paid off with flawless playing and singing. Bravo one and all.
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Musical Notes
The Trinity Term 2022 was full of excitement and energy as preparations moved forward at speed for the 300th Birthday Celebration Concert. Along the way, never knowingly undersold to coin a phrase, our regular schedule of Morning Recitals and Prelude Concerts continued to provide performance platforms for our budding young musicians with more than a hundred children across Prep and Pre-Prep performing throughout the term.
The Chapel Choir travelled to Marlborough College to join forces with the College Chapel Choir to sing Choral Evensong. This revered service contains musical traditions established over many centuries. Some of our finest composers have written music for evensong and our choristers tackled music set by Charles Villiers Stanford with the anthem ‘Expctans Expectavi’ composed by Henry Wood. The standard of singing was superb and the very warm welcome from the pupils and staff at Marlborough College really encouraged the BCS pupils to give of their best - needless to say, they did not disappoint. The jewel in the crown of the term (and the year) had to be the culmination of the 300th Birthday celebrations - the Birthday Concert. This event had been years in the planning and was a truly whole school event. Our new album ‘Grow in Grace’ had been recorded in March and was released on the concert day (available on Spotify) to bring to a crescendo this very special occasion. Ambitious as ever, two songs had been commissioned for the album, featuring every child in the school, from the youngest to the oldest. We performed these songs live to a spectacularly huge audience, along with music taken from our new album played by the various ensembles and music groups in both Prep and Pre-Prep.
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Many pupils played multiple roles and everybody took responsibility for ensuring the action flowed with energy and panache. Sai and Jacob took the title role, each projecting Bugsy’s relaxed charm in style, ably surrounded by the spirited but sensitive Blousey (Susie and Erin), loveable gangster Fat Sam (Ethan and Vivek) and the iconically poised Tallulah (Riah and Beatrice). There were also outstanding solos from the aspiring dancer, Fizzy (Esmee and Mira) and boxing coach, Cagey Joe (James and Silas).
Audiences were entertained by Year 6’s performances of an action-packed ‘Bugsy Malone’. This year, the pupils performed in two casts, giving everyone in Year 6 the opportunity to shine: and they certainly did!
Year 6 Production Bugsy Malone
Everyone involved had an incredible experience, one which will live on in their memories for years to come. Bravi tutti!
The supporting cast members were all on lively form, entertaining their audiences with witty patter, rousing songs and immaculately slick dance routines. And above all…splurge guns! Throughout the play, the drama was punctuated by stylishly-clad mobsters waging gangland wars armed with custard pies and silly string! All-in-all, the performances represented an amazing level of teamwork and – as the final song says – ‘Good friends do tend to make you smile.’ I am sure both audiences would agree!
Paul Murphy, the original Leroy Smith, was impressed with what he saw, and thoroughly enjoyed talking to the children beforehand.
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Sports Round Up
The U11 boys and girls had the busiest fixture calendar and both teams were involved in the IAPS tournament. The girls finished a creditable third but our boys won their regional event. What’s more, the boys Under 11 team won the Midlands competition and progress to the Nationals to represent the region, an amazing achievement.
Fixtures and Sports Days don’t have to be about being the best, strongest or quickest. They are a celebration of bringing us together and competing for our school or Houses. They are also about learning key skills including communication, empathy, teamwork and resilience.
They have also been working hard at developing their bowling technique and most now have the ability to include a run-up. Accuracy and maintaining a good line and length is the current concentration. Hitting into space and learning to communicate and run hard between the wickets is the focus now for batters.
Under 9s
Football This season felt as if it was never going to end. Our Under 11 boys were involved in the Harborne District Cup and it continued well into the cricket season.
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Cricket The term was short yet busy, with both our girls and boys competing well. It is clear that they have made huge improvements with the bat and ball and, thankfully, a number of fixtures were played in sunshine.
Swimming
In total, within the Trinity Term, the boys and girls played just under 100 fixtures. Under 8s They have worked extremely hard on their batting, learning how to stand and strike the ball, and most pupils can now hit a moving ball. Some are hitting the ball into space with real power. We have also introduced over-arm instead of under-arm bowling. Pupils are working hard to keep a straight arm and finish pointing at the target.
The boys showed real perseverance and managed the two sports extremely well. So much so, in fact, that the Under 11 side successfully won the Harborne District Cup, beating Our Lady of Fatima in a thrilling match. Under 10s Pupils are working at moving their feet to allow them to hit the ball into space. We have been impressed with the development of their bowling, with speed and accuracy being achieved. Some pupils are applying spin to the ball. Under 11s They are perfecting their bowling technique, increasing their speed and length whilst maintaining accuracy. They are also working hard to develop their knowledge of the game and are starting to think about fielding positions, backing-up and walking in.
This year has also been a real celebration of togetherness and has underlined the fact that every pupil has a role to play in the success of our school.
Perseverance can often be difficult to find at 7am on a cold, dark winter morning and it is only at this point in the year that they can reflect on their hard work. Now they realise that great things happen here at BCS. From House Galas to IAPS and ESSA Finals we have had a tremendous year in the pool. Even our competitors have begun asking what they put in the water here at Blue Coat!
This has been the most successful 12 months for BCS sport and it has come as we celebrate our 300th year.
The boys came 7th in the ESCA National finals held at Oakham School to round off a terrific season.
Many say that to achieve in swimming you have to work hard in silence and allow your success to make the noise. I feel this resonates with the performances of our swimmers in Prep this year.
Hosting the IAPS qualifiers last term was a highlight for many pupils, with a commendable nine swimmers qualifying for the national finals in their respective events.
The role of honour was: Under 11 boys medley team: ninth in the country (a new personal best) Under 11 boys freestyle team: 13th in the country (a new personal best) Under 10 girls medley team: 13th in the country (a new personal best) Under 10 girls freestyle team: 19th (a new personal best)
Twelve athletes from BCS gained qualifying times or distances to reach the Mercia Regional Athletics Meet and that is an achievement with the standards set being so high. Five athletes qualifying for the Nationals Athletics Prep School Finals helped us achieve our most successful year ever. This is an exceptional achievement particularly for James Longworth who was third in the 800m, Jack Soundy, a creditable fourth in the 200m and Remy Granger who was fifth in the long jump. Additionally, Anna Newman was ninth in the 800m and Sophie Longworth fourteenth in the 1500m.
Competing at the London Olympic Aquatic Centre for the national finals was a memorable experience that the pupils will treasure for years to come.
Undoubtedly, the final competition of the year held both anxiousness and excitement for the Under 11 boys team of Remy, Vivek, Ethan and Arjun.
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Out of thousands of competitors across the country, the children have excelled in their performances across the IAPS and ESSA finals and should be proud of their achievements which are a true accolade of their consistency, effort and determination in the pool. Well done on a phenomenal year.
School records were broken across the two National Final events including Vivek Ratti for the 25m freestyle and 50m butterfly and Remy Granger in the 25m and 50m backstroke.
National Prep School Athletics
They were racing for BCS for the last time at the English Schools’ National Finals in Sheffield. The boys enjoyed brilliant qualifiers, placing first in the West Midlands in both the freestyle and medley relays. After some gruelling heats, the boys returned home with a fourth and second place finish in the finals.
Vivek Ratti was 12th in the country for his individual 50m butterfly and Remy Granger was 15th in the country in the individual 50m backstroke.
A very special Founders’ Day 300 years ago, the foundation stone was laid down for The Blue Coat School. We came together to celebrate the founding of our school and give thanks to God for his goodness and blessing on our school over these last 300 years. On a beautifully sunny day, the children in Years 5 and 6, smartly dressed in their ‘Best Blue’, were joined in St Philip’s Cathedral by parents, Old Scholars, current and former staff members (including 2 former Headmasters, Mr Bissell and Mr Browning) and Governors. The service of thanks was led by the Very Reverend Matt Thompson, Dean of Birmingham and one of our School Governors.
Whole School Events
Perry the mascot visited BCS
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The whole school gathered in the Sports Hall for a special assembly with Perry the Bull, the official mascot for the 2022 Commonwealth Games. The children saw glimpses of where the Queen’s Baton has already been on its 294-day journey across the Commonwealth and heard how it contains a special message from her Majesty, which will be read at the Opening Ceremony.
The Cathedral, affectionately known as the ‘original Blue Coat Chapel’ thanks to its location right next to the very first school buildings, was brought alive by drama and music. Senior Choir gave a moving rendition of Melody of Love by Jim Papoulis and the Chapel Choir sang the impressive Sortie from An Easter Sequence by Kenneth Leighton, accompanied by a trumpet and the cathedral organ.
BCS took part in Walk to School Week
BCS took part in Walk to School Week and we encouraged all children to either walk, cycle or scooter their way into or home from school. Walking has so many benefits from physical to mental wellbeing; aiding concentration and creativity and creating safer, less polluted and more welcoming streets. All that makes for a happy, healthy child set up for success in and out of the classroom
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Platinum Jubilee Celebrations
Throughout the week, our Nursery children used this exciting time of celebration to carry out some fantastic art activities, designing and making their very own crowns using a variety of media and materials.
Year 6 children enacted the story of The Reverend William Higgs whose idea it was to build a school for the poorest children in Birmingham; Reverend Banner whose job it was to gain permission to use a small piece of land next to Saint Philip’s churchyard; Riland Vaughton, a well-known and wealthy businessman of the city who used his influence to establish the school building fund; and Samuel Grubb who sculpted the Blue Coat boy and girl statues which now stand in our school Reception area.
Meanwhile in Reception, the children created flags for the jubilee and then worked in groups to create castles for the queen using different construction materials.
The whole school community – dressed in the patriotic red, white and blue – came together today in the sunshine to enjoy a delicious celebratory lunch, complete with a visit from the ice cream van! This will be a once in a lifetime event for us all, and the children will no doubt look back on this celebration in the years to come.
On Sunday August 4th 1724, the school opened to 52 children: 32 boys and 20 girls. What an incredible journey it has been on to the present day, when we now welcome 624 children from diverse communities all across Birmingham.
During special Jubilee Chapel Services for Prep and Pre-Prep, The Heads of School ably assisted Mr Neeson in outlining the many and varied achievements of Her Royal Highness Queen Elizabeth II during her incredible life. The Chapel Choir beautifully sang a specially chosen anthem, In Our Service by Tom Hewitt Jones, the lyrics of which are inspired by speeches given by Her Majesty the Queen.
Anna
1.07.49 James
Senior
OVERALL JUNIOR GIRL ATHLETE Lana
800m
Sports Days
Pre-Prep participated in their very own Sports Day. The children had been building up to the day with lots of practising taking place in their PE lessons. We saw some super performances from Nursery right through to Year 2. Whether they were running, jumping, balancing or skipping, the children fulfilled the BCS value; ‘cheerfully tried hard’. It was lovely to see them cheering each other on and they were delighted with their colourful sports day sticker for their efforts. Saha
James
The House system continues to thrive at BCS and Sports Days play a huge role. Mr Neeson told the children at the end of the event that Sports Day can only be a success when all competitors give 100 per cent. Well done to all of the children at BCS who gave it everything, they should be proud of themselves. Records were broken in two events, Arya Madhaven achieving 1.03m in the high jump and Arya Bhala 14.14m in the javelin. Records Newman Girls 54.41 Soundy Boys 200m 30.05s Longworth Boys 400m Longworth Boys 2.33.34 Bharmal Boys Javelin 21.16m Solanki Boys Ball 43.05m
throw
Junior
Aditya
OVERALL JUNIOR BOY ATHLETE Umar Ayub/Freddie Wood OVERALL SENIOR GIRL ATHLETE Serena Wadhwa OVERALL SENIOR BOY ATHLETE Remy Granger
Jack
Adam
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The sun shone at The Blue Coat School for our Year 3 and Year 4 Sports Days. Sadly, it was not the same for our senior event the next day. All of the children have worked incredibly hard over the course of Lent 2 and Trinity 1 to understand the intricacies of the field events. They also discovered whether they are most suited to the sprint or middle distance running events.
300m
21B R MHTMAHGN E BLUE COAT SCHOOL 2271 The Blue Coat School House Sports Cup House competitions are a fantastic way to end each term and it was definitely a highlight to note a sea of House tops on the front and back field. The sun shone too. Playing for your House is always a demonstration of great courage and commitment. Pupils proved once again that sportsmanship is embedded into every performance, always encouraging and being supportive of your fellow housemates. St Margaret’s St Monica’s St George’s St Philips’s Year 3 2nd 1st 3rd 4th Year 4 1st 4th 2nd 3rd Year 5 1st 4th 2nd 3rd Year 6 2nd 1st 3rd 4th pointsTotal 34 26 24 16 WinnerOverall 1st 2nd 3rd 4th St Margaret’s St Monica’s St George’s St Philips’s Netball 25 22 Hockey 29 21 Rugby 25 27 Football 20 28 Cricket 20 28 18 30 CountryCross 10 10 17 13 Swimming 25 30 18 27 DaySports 34 26 24 16 pointsTotal 143 134 122 141 WinnerOverall 1st 3rd 4th 2nd Sports Day Results
Anya Kapil Edgbaston High School for Girls Academic Scholarship
Kanav
Congratulations Year 6!
Pranav Rebbapragada King Edward’s School Academic Scholarship
Siyuan Ou King Edward’s VI High School for Girls Academic Scholarship
Moritz
22 B R MHTMAHGN E BLUE COAT SCHOOL 2271 The Blue Coat School Senior School Scholarship, Awards and Examination Success The Class of 2022 received an impressive 204 offers to Independent Senior Schools as well as an outstanding 82 offers for Grammar Schools. In addition, 69 children were awarded 79 scholarships to independent schools both within the region and beyond. Scholarships for academic achievement were in abundance and there were also numerous awards recognising the talents of BCS pupils in sport, music and the performing arts. Congratulations! 2022 Scholars Haoyang Sun King Edward’s School Academic scholarship Esmee Raghavan King Edward’s VI High School for Girls Maths and Music Scholarship Vivek Ratti King Edward’s School Academic scholarship Kevin Ge King Edward’s School Academic and Music Scholarship Chloe Tian Edgbaston High School for Girls Academic Scholarship
Li Wan
Greg Hackett King Edward’s School Academic Scholarship Iqbal St George’s School Academic Scholarship
Luca Irvine Priory School Academic and Music Scholarship
Lois Hughes King Edward’s VI High School for Girls Academic Scholarship
Isabella Gabriel RGS Worcester Academic and Music Scholarship Bongs Wells Cathedral School Specialist Music Scholarship
Erin Hickebottom King Edward’s VI High School for Girls Academic Scholarship
Siyao King Edward’s VI High School for Girls Academic Scholarship
Abhav Massey King Edward’s School Academic Scholarship
Susie Tomlinson Edgbaston High School for Girls Academic Scholarship
Ou
James Longworth King Edward’s School Academic Scholarship King Edward’s High School for Girls Academic Scholarship Biswas King Edward’s School Academic Scholarship
Armaan
Evangeline Ernest King Edward’s VI High School for Girls
Adam Bharmal King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Boys
Lucius Procter King Edward’s School
Jaskiran Rai Edgbaston High School for Girls
Hari Irvine Solihull School
Guravani Rai Solihull School
Sai Chauhan Solihull School
Silas Goel Saha King Edward’s School
Zara Salim Wolverhampton Girls’ High School
Beatrice Salvi King Edward’s VI High School for Girls
Avni Samra King Edward’s VI High School for Girls
Esmee Raghavan King Edward’s VI High School for Girls
Tia Sharma King Edward’s VI High School for Girls
Milo Todd Hagley RC High School
Wilfred Crow-Marcetic King Edward’s School
Mohammed Ismail King Edward’s School
Xingshu
Ethan Graves King Edward’s School
Sam
Keya Sidhu King Edward VI Handsworth School for Girls
Lailaa Suleman King Edward VI Handsworth School for Girls
Haoyang Sun King Edward’s School
Aarya Yallappa King Edward’s School
Arjun Desai King Edward’s School
Mira Amlani King Edward’s VI High School for Girls
Isabella Wyndham Ipswich School
Moritz Bongs Wells Cathedral School
Vuyiswa Garikayi Queen Mary’s Grammar School
Riyadh Rahman King Edward’s School
Louis Thornewell King’s Norton Boys’ School
Elaine Nguyen Sutton Coldfield Grammar School
Krish Choudhary King Edward’s School
Blake Bushell King Edward’s School
Jack Soundy Old Swinford Hospital School
Greg Hackett King Edward’s School
Yizhou Zhu King Edward’s School
Robert Miller King Edward’s School
Kevin Ge King Edward’s School
Aadya Agarwal Solihull School
Remy Granger King Edward’s School
Chloe Tian Edgbaston High School for Girls
Ria Upadhyay King Edward’s VI High School for Girls
Jacob Romano King Edward’s School
Harry Stockton King Edward’s School
Nihal Rai King Edward’s School
Isabella Gabriel RGS Worcester
Anusha Singh King Edward’s VI High School for Girls
Siyao Ou King Edward’s VI High School for Girls
Maya Laroiya King Edward’s VI High School for Girls Lawton RGS Worcester Lester Edgbaston High School for Girls King Edward’s VI High School for Girls Li King Edward’s School
Ruoxi Ma King Edward’s VI High School for Girls
Bikram Kang King Edward’s School
Riah Bailey Bromsgrove School
King Edward’s School
Shawn Sen King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Boys
Vivek Ratti King Edward’s School
Erin Hickebottom King Edward’s VI High School for Girls
Jack Robinson King Edward VI Five Ways School
Zayn Ahmed St George’s School
Lois Hughes King Edward’s VI High School for Girls
Jonty Scurlock Solihull School
Dev Wangi Bishop Vesey’s Grammar School
Siyuan Ou King Edward’s VI High School for Girls
Safiya Mughal King Edward’s VI High School for Girls
23B R MHTMAHGN E BLUE COAT SCHOOL 2271 The Blue Coat School
Leavers’
Li Wan King Edward’s VI High School for Girls
Rayan Anderson Shireland Collegiate Academy
Rosa
Harry Fraser King Edward’s School
James Longworth King Edward’s School
Pranav Rebbapragada King Edward’s School
Susie Tomlinson Edgbaston High School for Girls
Destinations
Karam Gill King Edward’s School
Bavanjot Kaur Hunjan King Edward’s VI High School for Girls
Jia Yi Wu King Edward’s School
Faiz Ahmad King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Boys
Aalisya Bhatti King Edward VI Handsworth School for Girls
Raheena Nadeem King Edward’s VI High School for Girls
Kanav Biswas King Edward’s School
Armaan Iqbal St George’s School
Xavier Jabbar King Edward VI Aston School
Jodh Singh Old Swinford Hospital School
Yixian Li
Ashal Ahmed King Edward’s School
Pranav Uday King Edward VI Five Ways School
Stefan Claridge Solihull School
Liang Zi Zhao King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Girls
Arjun Gill King Edward’s School
Emma He King Edward’s VI High School for Girls
Sofia Mahmood King Edward’s VI High School for Girls
Felix Powell The Fulham Boys School
Wahid Abdurrahman Queen Mary’s Grammar School
Eisah Ali University of Birmingham
Ramneek Kaur Chatha Aldridge school
Anya Kapil Edgbaston High School for Girls King Edward’s VI High School for Girls
Nandini Kumar
Tom Cowley Solihull School
Adam Abdul Galeel
Luca Irvine Priory School
Maysahm Hamilton King Edward VI Handsworth School for Girls
Yashna Maghizh Solihull School
Abhav Massey King Edward’s School
24 B R MHTMAHGN E BLUE COAT SCHOOL 2271 The Blue Coat School The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art Speech Awards Grade Result Year 1 Savaiya Dosanjh Solo Introductory Stage 1 Distinction Sophia Ghani Solo Introductory Stage 1 Distinction Aniyah Muhammad Solo Introductory Stage 1 Distinction Angela Wood Solo Introductory Stage 1 Distinction Avaani Gill-Najran Solo Introductory Stage 1 Distinction Eva Pattni Solo Introductory Stage 1 Distinction Jaskiran Kaur Nandra Solo Introductory Stage 1 Distinction Ethan Zhang Solo Introductory Stage 1 Distinction Noah Hussain Solo Introductory Stage 1 Distinction Henry Shasti-Wharf Solo Introductory Stage 1 Merit Khadija Syed Solo Introductory Stage 1 Distinction Idrees Wahid Solo Introductory Stage 1 Distinction Year 2 Arthur Boutinot Solo Introductory Stage 2 Distinction Sebastian Herring Solo Introductory Stage 2 Distinction Kellie Liu Solo Introductory Stage 2 Distinction Amelia Xu Solo Introductory Stage 2 Merit Sebastian Charles Solo Introductory Stage 2 Distinction Mahrus Ibrahim Solo Introductory Stage 2 Distinction Sophia Su-Fu Solo Introductory Stage 2 Merit Sienna Chandarana Solo Introductory Stage 2 Distinction Maliha HiridjeeFatemahHassan Solo Introductory Stage 2 Distinction Katrina Bathla Solo Introductory Stage 2 Distinction Arnav Hundal Solo Introductory Stage 2 Distinction Grace Chen Solo Introductory Stage 2 Merit Anai Bajwa Solo Introductory Stage 2 Distinction Abigail Oguzie Solo Introductory Stage 2 Distinction Chloe Wang Solo Introductory Stage 2 Distinction Zachary Asanga Solo Introductory Stage 2 Distinction Garrick Chiu Solo Introductory Stage 2 Distinction Lana Kalia Solo Introductory Stage 2 Distinction Sophia Chen Solo Introductory Stage 2 Distinction Nina McCluskie Solo Introductory Stage 2 Distinction Alana Nafri Solo Introductory Stage 2 Distinction Amber Rashid Solo Introductory Stage 2 Distinction Chester Woodward Solo Introductory Stage 2 Distinction Year 3 Emmanuel Oguzie Solo Introductory Stage 3 Distinction Aarav Gautnam Solo Introductory Stage 3 Distinction Hannah Chipwete Solo Introductory Stage 3 Distinction Shivesh Nischal Solo Introductory Stage 3 Merit Aiza Amir Solo Introductory Stage 3 Distinction Caterina Gore Solo Introductory Stage 3 Distinction Raj Tripathi Solo Introductory Stage 3 Distinction Lana Saha Solo Introductory Stage 3 Distinction George Garner Solo Introductory Stage 3 Merit Reha Najran Solo Introductory Stage 3 Distinction Samson Isola Solo Introductory Stage 3 Distinction Azariah Gabriel Solo Introductory Stage 3 Distinction Yousef Najib Solo Introductory Stage 3 Distinction Stephanie Airhumwunde Solo Introductory Stage 3 Distinction Elizabeth Nganwa Solo Introductory Stage 3 Distinction Elena Earnest Solo Introductory Stage 3 Distinction Freya White Solo Introductory Stage 3 Distinction Maryum Zaman Solo Introductory Stage 3 Merit Grade Result Year 4 Maliha Muhammed Speaking Verse and Prose Entry Level Distinction Charissa Lam Speaking Verse and Prose Entry Level Merit Brandon Lim Speaking Verse and Prose Entry Level Distinction Idris Douis Speaking Verse and Prose Entry Level Distinction Elissa Yeung Speaking Verse and Prose Entry Level Distinction Anika Molokhar Speaking Verse and Prose Entry Level Distinction Malika Zahra Speaking Verse and Prose Hiridjee Hassan Entry Level Distinction Edith Pemble Speaking Verse and Prose Entry Level Distinction Alayna Latif Speaking Verse and Prose Entry Level Distinction Amadora Ramos Liu Speaking Verse and Prose Entry Level Distinction Jaiya Suthi Speaking Verse and Prose Entry Level Merit Siyona Rao Speaking Verse and Prose Entry Level Distinction Kyra Sandhu Speaking Verse and Prose Entry Level Distinction Aadya Gulati Speaking Verse and Prose Entry Level Distinction Tamara Porter Speaking Verse and Prose Entry Level Distinction Arya Pahuja Speaking Verse and Prose Entry Level Distinction Year 5 Eva Nicole Asanga Speaking Verse and Prose Grade 1 Distinction Daniel Tyler Speaking Verse and Prose Grade 1 Distinction Shreya Raja Speaking Verse and Prose Grade 1 Distinction Taran Bahia Speaking Verse and Prose Grade 1 Distinction Shaan Samra Speaking Verse and Prose Grade 1 Distinction Neve D’Naute Speaking Verse and Prose Grade 1 Distinction Rohan Sharu Speaking Verse and Prose Grade 1 Distinction Palakh Sharma Speaking Verse and Prose Grade 1 Distinction Priscilla Stojek Speaking Verse and Prose Grade 1 Distinction Bertie Charles Speaking Verse and Prose Grade 1 Distinction Year 6 Shawn Sen Speaking in Public Grade 1 Distinction Ethan Graves Speaking in Public Grade 1 Distinction Yashna Maghizh Speaking in Public Grade 1 Distinction Bavenjot Hunjan Speaking in Public Grade 1 Distinction Rayan Anderson Speaking in Public Grade 1 Distinction Pranav Rebbapragda Speaking in Public Grade 1 Distinction Aadya Argrwal Speaking in Public Grade 1 Distinction Evangeline Earnest Speaking in Public Grade 1 Distinction Sai Chauhan Speaking in Public Grade 1 Distinction Riah Bailey Speaking in Public Grade 1 Distinction
25B R MHTMAHGN E BLUE COAT SCHOOL 2271 The Blue Coat School Instrument Grade Result Michaelmas Term 2021 Peter Coleman Singing 1 Pass Lia Kumar Violin 1 Merit Lana Saha Violin 2 Merit Elizabeth Nganwa Cello Initial Merit Carlino Kumar Cello 2 Merit Jayden Liu Piano 3 Distinction Annabel Miller Violin 1 Pass Jonathan Nganwa Piano 3 Pass Toby Agadagba Guitar 3 Merit Eva-Nicole Asanga Violin 2 Pass Eliza Coughlan Piano 2 Pass Yang He Violin 7 Distinction Yang He Piano 6 Distinction Sabreena Townsend Cello 2 Pass Oliver Trethewey Violin 2 Pass Mira Amlani Singing 4 Pass Rayan Anderson Flute 1 Pass Aalisya Bhatti Piano 1 Pass Wilf Crow-Marcetic Singing 4 Pass Isabella Gabriel Singing 3 Pass Anya Kapil Flute 1 Pass Joshua Li Violin 5 Merit Jacob Romano Trombone 3 Distinction Karam Singh Gill Singing 3 Pass Devavrath Wangi Flute 2 Pass Lent Term 2022 Nina McLuskie Piano 1 Distinction Riyan Pabari Cello Initial Merit Carla Chan Piano 2 Pass Amelia Li Piano 4 Pass Oli Cowley Clarinet 1 Pass Shruti Sivaraman Singing 2 Merit Mia Zeng Piano 1 Pass Olivia Zhang Cello 5 Merit Nirvan Agrawal Piano 2 Pass Otis Hodge Trumpet 2 Pass Jasmin Khazaei Piano 2 Merit Daniel Tyler Piano 3 Pass Krish Choudhary Alto saxophone 1 Pass Gregory Hackett French horn 3 Pass Bavanjot Hunjan Piano 1 Pass Jonty Scurlock Piano 2 Pass Susanna Tomlinson Trumpet 5 Pass Li Wan Violin 7 Distinction Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music Examination Results 2021 – 2022 Instrument Grade Result Trinity Term 2022 Lyndsey Cao Violin Initial Distinction Omi Akhibi Violin 1 Distinction Henry Barwell Singing Prep Test Sophia Su-Fu Violin 1 Distinction Kavidh Biswas Piano 1 Merit Jacob Cronin Violin 3 Pass Frances Li Oboe 1 Merit Elizabeth Nganwa Cello 1 Merit Esme Shiu Violin 2 Merit James Tyler Piano 2 Pass Elle Browne Flute 1 Merit Jayden Gupta Viola 1 Distinction Lucas Gurney Guitar 1 Merit Florence Horwitch-Smith Singing 1 Distinction Judah Hughes Flute 1 Distinction Noah Jordan Guitar 2 Pass Dhruv Karkhanis Guitar 2 Merit Ihra Karkhanis Guitar 2 Pass Carlino Kumar Cello 3 Merit Jayden Liang Flute 1 Merit Jayden Liang Piano 5 Pass Arya Madhavan Piano 1 Pass Edith Pemble Flute 1 Merit Jessica Zhang Cello 1 Distinction James Armstrong Guitar 2 Pass Bertie Charles Piano 2 Merit Madalen Cotterill Piano 5 Pass Vidur Doger Guitar 2 Merit Yang He Piano 7 Merit Thomas Hodges Piano 3 Pass Max Horwitch-Smith Guitar 2 Pass Sabreena Townsend Cello 3 Pass Kanav Biswas Piano 4 Pass Armaan Iqbal Guitar 1 Pass Esmee Raghavan Singing 5 Merit Vivek Ratti Guitar 2 Pass Silas Saha Violin 4 Pass Anusha Singh Singing 3 Distinction Haoyang Sun Piano 7 Distinction Chloe Tian Piano 2 Pass
The Blue Coat School
The whole school community enjoyed a fantastic weekend of celebrations to mark the 300th anniversary of The Blue Coat School. Complete with musical entertainment, all the fun of the fair, a spectacular fireworks display and a delicious lunch with special guest, Denise Lewis, it was certainly a weekend to remember. We welcomed guests old and new, from the youngest members of our current school community to recent ‘Old Scholars’, right through to notso-recent former pupils and members of staff who have kept in touch through the years.
Our thanks also go to The Friends who supported the event, joined by a number of volunteers from the parent body, and of course our Catering and Estates teams who worked tirelessly to set up the events – and restored the site to normal ready for the final week of term.
300th Birthday Celebrations
The Music Department did such a wonderful job in preparing the children and giving them the confidence to perform in the way they did – there were many very proud parents and it is something that the children in Pre-Prep and Prep will always remember.
26 B R MHTMAHGN E BLUE COAT SCHOOL 2271
27B R MHTMAHGN E BLUE COAT SCHOOL 2271 The Blue Coat School
in Birmingham. The money will help to fund summer holiday schemes, including a camping trip to Malvern. Term ends Wednesday 14
Pre-Prep’s little feet made a big difference when they strolled around the school field in support of one of our 300th charities, Edward’s Trust. This charity has supported a number of Blue Coat families with bereavements over the years and we are delighted to have raised £2,000 for such a worthwhile cause. The children all appeared to have boundless energy as they walked, jogged and even ran around the field! There were lots of smiles and clear determination to walk as much as they could.
Pre-Prep:
who
Reverend Allcock the boys of St Philip’s and St George’s Houses raised over £15,000 towards the St Martin’s Youth Centre December 3.30 pm (After Care available until 5.00 pm) Prep: 4.05 pm (Houses open until 5.00 pm) fundraises for local hospital charity Elijah in Year 1 raised a whopping £1,123 for Birmingham Children’s Hospital, well done! Many thanks to the staff and parents who helped him exceed his fundraising target.
Pupil
B R MHTMAHGN E BLUE COAT SCHOOL 2271 The Blue Coat School Founded by the Church of England in 1722 The Blue Coat School, Somerset Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham B17 0HR Telephone 0121 410 6800 Email Websiteinfo@thebluecoatschool.comthebluecoatschool.com Follow us @bluecoatbirmingham@bcsbirminghamon:@bcsbirmingham Key Dates for Michaelmas Term 2022 Term begins Tuesday 6 September Open Morning Saturday 24 September Tours at 9.30am and 10.30am Half-Term Holiday begins Monday 17 October Term resumes Monday 31 October The Blue Coat School Birmingham Limited is registered in England, Registration No. 8502615 and is a Registered Charity No. 1152244 Charity Check An amazing total for the Boys’ House Charity Day
praised
Pre-Prep Sponsored Walk
