Out of the Blue - Summer 2014

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out blue of the

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

French Trip to Rue

Upper School Production – Oliver!

Year 6 explore the sights of northern France

“Please, sir, I want some more.”

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Head First As the Summer Term draws to a close, and we say farewell to our leavers, it is a good moment to take stock of all that has been achieved. The major constituents of the term are recorded in some detail below: visits to a plethora of pleasing places; sporting successes; musical marvels; dramatic delights; artistic adventures; horticultural highlights; and – of course – academic accolades. But, whilst rightly remembering all these, we should also make special mention of the magnificent work of the Association of Friends. The Summer Fête – this year blessed with fine weather - saw the Blue Coat Family out in force, and raised over £6,000. This, combined with the funds already accumulated, will allow us to undertake two major projects over the course of the coming academic year: the creation of a Food Technology Centre, and the installation of an Outdoor Classroom. My thanks, and the thanks of us all, go to the immensely energetic members of the Friends’ Committee. Your endeavours are truly appreciated!

Alan Browning, Headmaster

Term Round-up The extremely busy and action-packed Summer Term has shone in every way, and the Prep’s Chapel theme of the term, “Shine Don’t Whine”, has undoubtedly been taken to heart by everyone at the school.

The majority of pupils in Year 6 journeyed to the continent during the first week of term for an excellent and fulfilling French Trip, while their peers who remained on home soil conjured up a splendid “Rags to Riches” Whole School Assembly. Those in Buttons and Transition continued their fund-raising activities with the annual Barnardo’s Toddle.

The traditional Summer Fête galvanized parents, pupils and staff alike, being wonderfully well organised by our industrious Association of Friends Committee. Further socialising was generated at the various Tea Parties, when parents and children gained the opportunity to meet their future teachers as they prepared to progress up the School ladder.

Prep boys attending the Founders’ Day Service in their ‘Best Blues’

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Sport featured prominently, with numerous swimming festivals and galas, including children from both Pre-Prep and Prep.

There were also the customary Sports Days, rapturously applauded by appreciative visitors of all ages. In addition the Prep boys enjoyed their cricket, whilst the girls showed off their expertise at rounders. Even the Old Scholars got in on the act with a fiercely-fought T20 cricket match against the staff that allowed the older generation to show the youngsters how it should be done!

Visits and visitors have dominated the term, with the Founders’ Day Service at St Philip’s Cathedral being especially memorable. Equally so, though for very different reasons, were Reception’s expedition to Twycross Zoo, Transition’s visit to Ash End House Farm, Year 1’s visit to Tamworth Castle, Year 2’s exploration of the Black Country Living Museum and Year 3’s visit from an impressively scary Viking. Indeed, Year 3 pupils also travelled to the Barber Institute, and crammed in some Geography fieldwork that involved forecasting the weather!

Unbelievably they still found time to get to the Thinktank.

In the Spotlight Mrs Manley is retiring after an amazing 25 years at the school. We wish her every happiness in her well-deserved retirement.

Q. How long have you taught at The Blue Coat School?

A. I started teaching at The Blue Coat School in September 1989. So I will have been here 25 years. I started teaching in the Nursery that used to be in the Buttons building before Buttons existed.

Q. How many children do you think you have taught?

A. I reckon I must have taught around 500 children.

Q. What have you enjoyed teaching most?

A. Most of all I have enjoyed teaching the children how to read using the Oxford Reading Tree, and visiting Letterland to meet all the characters and learn the sounds they make.

Q. What has been the most rewarding aspect of your job?

Year 4 ventured as far afield as Stratford-upon-Avon and then were royally entertained at the ‘Carnival of the Animals’ Schools’ Concert at Symphony Hall in Birmingham. Some extremely lucky members of Years 4 and 5 even made it to the Wimbledon Tennis Championships to witness some of the world’s greatest players in action. However, possibly the most nerve-wracking week was spent by Year 5, who conquered their fears and discovered untapped talents on the Outward Bound Trip to Aberdovey.

Music once again featured prominently, especially towards the end of term. Whilst the Leavers’ Disco might not have been the most harmonious occasion it was thoroughly enjoyed by Year 6 after their final House Parties. Far kinder on the ear were the multitude of recitals and concerts that featured a hugely talented selection of pupils from Pre-Prep and Prep. Some might say that the best was saved until last and, with applause still ringing in the air, the curtain closed on a spectacular production of the musical, ‘Oliver!’ that was a tremendous credit to all involved.

The end of term Prize Giving Ceremonies celebrated the wide range of talent that exists in every corner of the School, and in the final Service of Thanksgiving and Dedication in Chapel we were able to give thanks for another eventful and successful year.

As you prepare to pack your suitcases for a well-deserved family holiday may we wish you all a relaxing and fulfilling summer break!

A. The most rewarding part of my job has been getting the children started and happily settled at school. They are like sponges, absorbing everything you teach them!

Q. What have you enjoyed about the Christmas productions?

A. Watching all the classes rehearsing their own sections and seeing it all coming together. The best part of all is seeing the pride and joy on all the parents’ faces when they see what their children can achieve.

Q. Where have you been to on school outings with the children?

A. We have been to two farms on school trips: Umberslade Farm and Ash End House Farm.

Q. What is your favourite animal?

A. When I was growing up my parents always had dogs.

I would love to have a dog but didn’t think it was fair to leave a dog at home while I came to work. I think I might get a dog when I retire.

Q. Do you have any grandchildren?

A. Yes, I have four grandchildren. Felix is 3 years old, Louis is 2, Elsa is 3 months old, and Florence has just been born!

Q. Do you have any hobbies?

A. Yes, I love gardening and reading. My garden certainly needs a lot more doing in it, and I hope to spend more time working in it when I retire.

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The Police visited Pre-Prep as part of their theme week all about ‘Safety’

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Classroom Connection Transition at the farm On Wednesday 21st May Transition went on their annual trip to Ash End House Farm.

The weather was really good to us, with plenty of sunshine, and the children enjoyed seeing all the different farm animals. We fed and stroked the goats and sheep and were able to hold chicks, ducks and guinea pigs.

The children then ate lunch in the barn and we were able to walk around the farm and see the animals again. We looked at the falconry section and went on the adventure playground. The children loved the hens and collected their own eggs to take home.

Thank you to all the staff for such an enjoyable day.

Reception at Twycross Zoo The Reception Trip to Twycross Zoo was greatly enhanced by some really lovely weather. The children were very excited indeed to meet the new baby elephant that had been born at the zoo in March. What a treat! A special lesson with one of the zookeepers included an introduction to ‘Winston’ the chinchilla and ‘Molly’ the bearded dragon.

We worked up quite an appetite looking at all the animals and so stopped off for our picnic near the lemurs who were also having their lunch! Thank you to Mrs Shaw and Mrs Arch for organising our trip to Twycross Zoo.

Year 1 at Tamworth Castle Year 1’s visit to Tamworth Castle was part of their History topic. The children had been really looking forward to seeing a ‘real castle’, so when the day finally arrived, there was excitement all round!

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On entering the castle, the children all gathered in the Great Hall – an impressive room used for greeting guests and hosting banquets.

They truly got a sense of stepping back in time, and experienced life as it might have been in a Medieval Castle. They were able to explore the Tudor and Stuart chambers, the grand Victorian reception rooms, and even the dungeons; a particular favourite!

Each class took part in a workshop that included storytelling and hands-on activities. They were able to help a servant with her duties, dress a knight for battle, and participate in a knight’s marching drill.

The children really gained an insight into castle life as they took part in a range of fun and engaging activities.

Year 2 at the Black Country Living Museum Year 2’s trip to the Black Country Living Museum was an exciting and really interesting visit for the children. Luckily the rain held off right until the end of the day, so our stimulating and informative visit was enjoyed to the full. The children were fascinated by the ‘gazunders’ and having to sleep six to a bed – head to toe; and they loved grating carbolic soap to make soap flakes.

We visited the School Room, Poor House, Chapel, Hardware Store, Bakery, Forge, Foundry, Chemist and Laundry! We had a really busy day and the children were complimented on their super behaviour and listening skills.

Year 3 Viking Day In June, Year 3 had a Viking Day. The Vikings were strong and tough.

My favourite bit was when we made a ship and got in it because it felt real, as we rowed across the sea using teamwork. Mrs Stockton was captured pretending to be a monk and then she escaped overboard!

We made butter from milk and ground flour when we were sitting in the longhouse; the weaving went well until we got into a big knot.

We went metal detecting and found a real pot of gold!

There was an archaeological dig and we carefully removed layers to reveal treasures and a skeleton. It was hard being a Viking; I would not want to be a real one because you have to raid other countries and get hurt in battle, but it was brilliant for a day!

Royal stamp of approval for Year 4 Workshops on ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ led by actors and directors from the Royal Shakespeare Company, listening to Tudor people explain some of their strange lunch choices, dancing around the maypole to the merry tunes played by the fiddler, watching the falconer in action, talking about toilets and wattle and daub with Tudor gentlemen, exploring Mary Arden’s house and making up Shakespearean insults - what more could you want for a perfect Year 4 trip to Stratford?

A royal seal of approval, of course! And that’s just what we got when we were lucky enough to meet Prince Charles outside the Royal Shakespeare Theatre. Prince Charles was very keen to talk to the Year 4 children and to find out all about our trip and our English and History studies.

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It was certainly a very exciting day and one that will be remembered for a very long time.

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Year 5 – Aberdovey Trip Monday 23 June saw the departure of the Year 5 Trip to Aberdovey. Upon arrival the children were introduced to their instructors and taken off to enjoy a happy afternoon on the beach. Activities included group challenges and games and an obligatory dip in the sea: all in glorious sunshine!

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Our first couple of days at the centre were full of action, with canoeing, raft-building and hiking among the activities. Churchill Group built and launched a splendid home-made raft and paddled it across the Dovey estuary. For Tullis Group, a hike along the beach and a day on the rocks at Tonfanau certainly placed the children out of their comfort zone. They soon discovered the benefits of working as a team to provide encouragement and safety for each other. Three other groups went hiking through the beautiful countryside, with one tackling a scramble along a high ridge; another making fires and enjoying delicious hot chocolate at a beautiful blue lake; and the third scrambling up to Llyn Cau, a splendid corrie on the slopes of Cader Idris.

The second half of the week saw an about turn, with groups that had already been on the water taking to the hills or the mines and vice versa. There were many more challenges ahead, and the children were asked, once again, to step out of their comfort zones and really stretch themselves. For some, the challenge was to conquer their fear of heights, while for others, it was their fear of the dark. Without doubt the real buzz for all of the children was the fact that they completed their individual goals, be they on the hills or on the estuary, in a boat or on the end of a harness.

On the final morning, four of our groups woke with some trepidation.

It was their turn for the height challenges; and, as tides and weather conditions were perfect for the jetty jump, they headed off to the wharf. Here, they donned their waterproofs and life jackets. With safety boats below they took up their positions lying on the edge of the jetty. Then, one by one they stood up and jumped off the edge of the jetty into the estuary. Exhilarating!

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We couldn’t have asked for better weather or a more beautiful setting in which to achieve so much.

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For some of the children the Dolgoch Falls, with their outstanding natural beauty, were a wonderful site at which to learn about the creation of a gorge. They tasted some wild sorrel, observed the water flow, scrambled over rocks in the riverbed and looked down into a man-made quarry. Whilst there, they kitted themselves out with helmets and torches and found their way into an old disused mine.

For some it was their first experience of true darkness. When the torches were turned off it was so dark you couldn’t see your hand in front of your face!

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Year 6 – French Trip As dawn broke the BCS Francophiles gathered excitedly to cross the channel and spend four nights in France. They were shepherded onto the waiting coaches by Mr Morris and headed towards Dover to catch the ferry. The party arrived at Château du Broutel in time for supper, and the great adventure was truly about to begin.

The visit to the Thiepval Memorial was a sombre experience, and walking through the actual trenches at Beaumont Hamel was both moving and fascinating. To end the day treats were dished out at the seaside town of Fort Mahon Plage. Mrs Blaze’s party was spotted dining out at a local brasserie where various crêpes, massive bowlfuls of frites and numerous scoops of ice cream were the order of the day.

Tuesday morning saw visits to a fabulous chocolatier and our favourite farm. At the latter we practised our language skills as Madame explained (in French!) how her magnificent goat’s cheese was made. Later our young adventurers experienced the thrills and spills of Bagatelle Theme Park in glorious sunshine. Mr Terry and Miss Keeber fulfilled their respective team roles as official older siblings by guiding their charges through numerous whiteknuckle rides as their older colleagues applauded from ground level.

Everyone then moved onto the beach where Miss Green’s group won the sandcastle competition that was expertly judged by Mrs Mian. The whole day was enthusiastically captured on camera by Messrs Hill and Isherwood, though they were nearly hoist by their own petard editing hundreds of snaps later.

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On Wednesday the party headed to the Somme to gain a first-hand understanding of the tragedy of WW1. Authentic weapons were handled at the intriguing museum in Albert, as the guides explained the slaughter of the Western Front. In the gift shop Mrs LambertGreen was enthralled by an item of trench art made from an original shell casing. So much so that it can now be seen in her Art Room.

Thursday was market day in Le Touquet. The children stocked up on a multitude of traditional tat, while certain staff scooped up supplies for a majestic lunch, having tired of repeated servings of cheese baguette. As the May Day Bank Holiday picnic began on the steps of the town post office a jazz duo opened up, to the delight of all concerned. Harborne suddenly seemed a very long way away.

Aqualud Water Park proved a hit as rain clouds gathered, and screams and slides went side by side. The evening saw Blue Coat’s finest strutting their funky stuff at the disco, having prepared by feeding on frogs’ legs and snails.

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Friday produced some final opportunities to splash the cash with a stop in Boulogne. The return journey was uneventful, and a happy but tired group of travellers arrived back at School to the delight of their parents. It had been a wonderful trip, and one that will rightly live in the memory banks of all involved for a long time to come.

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Art and Design Technology Gallery

Buttons Nursery

Buttons Nursery

Reception

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Felted wall hanging featuring work from each child in Year 3

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Year 6 Production – Oliver!

Charles Dickens’ most enduringly popular story, of the workhouse boy who suffers the many deprivations of Victorian poverty, before finding a loving home, was brought vividly to life at Blue Coat through the witty words and memorable music of Lionel Bart.

and found his way to London, where he encountered the selfconfessed “gent”, the Artful Dodger (George Roberts) who urged him to “consider himself at home” with Fagin and his gang. Pick-pocket master, Fagin (played with humour and poise by Jonathan Anderson), provided Oliver with his most welcoming home yet, introducing him to the skills required to “pick a pocket or two” and sending him out with his new friends to reap the riches of London’s unwary citizens.

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From the opening scene, where the workhouse orphans trudged rhythmically onto the stage before joyously celebrating “Food, Glorious Food”, the ensemble worked together energetically to tell this famous tale. Oliver (Georgia Hubbard) was pushed reluctantly forward by his peers to ask for more and faced the wrath of the unsympathetic Mr Bumble (pompously portrayed by William Barron!) and his soon-to-be-spouse (Alice Fenton). His impudence was swiftly punished, as he was sold into apprenticeship in the macabre surroundings of Sowerberry’s Undertakers. Lisa Gunn and Rohit Ramchandran, as his new employers, delivered the gloriously solemn “That’s Your Funeral” with subtle enjoyment of its black humour. As Oliver was left alone, to sleep amidst the coffins, the room was magically silent for the beautifully emotional rendition of “Where is Love?” from Georgia. Happily, Oliver was able to escape

Green Thumbs Gardening The Science Department at Blue Coat has been striving for a school garden for many, many years.

Now, it is finally a reality!

The Green Thumbs Options Group is already enjoying the area, and the first crop of potatoes is ready to be harvested.

The garden has brought together the Science, Grounds, Estate and Catering Departments in a joint effort. This is truly a Blue Coat Family project.

Act 2 opened with the crowd of Londoners enjoying some “Oompah-pah”, led by the engaging Nancy (Grace Rees); then the mood changed with the entrance of Bill Sykes (sung and acted with menace

by Teifion Payne). Oliver, it transpired, had been taken into the care of the wealthy Mr Brownlow (Pratyush Ghosh) and Fagin and Sykes feared that the Bow Street Runners might be on their trail. The street sellers’ cries intertwined to create the atmosphere of London in “Who Will Buy?” before Nancy helped Sykes to recapture Oliver. Later, after an impassioned plea to Fagin and Sykes to let him go, she conspired with Mr Brownlow to free Oliver. This unwittingly sealed her own fate and, in a dramatic final scene, Sykes murdered Nancy and was himself shot dead. Dodger and Fagin’s Gang were arrested, as Oliver was reunited with Mr Brownlow, his long-lost grandfather. Fagin, meanwhile, escaped the scene, presumably to begin again his climb from the gutter!

A special mention should be made of our Catering Manager, Mark Gladwin, who, together with our catering company Palmer & Howells, has provided support, advice and the brand new blue coveralls that the children wear for this activity. Our garden will develop over the next few years and the children will indeed be able to ‘Grow In Grace’!

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Year 6 provided us with two memorable performances, full of witty characterisations, exuberant singing and energetic choreography: congratulations to the whole ensemble!

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Sport Report Prep Sports Day The sun shone on Years 3, 4, 5 and 6 for their Sports Days. All the pupils competed hard, supported and cheered on by a large number of parents and friends. The field events took place in the morning and the track heats took place after lunch. The day culminated with track finals and relays. A large number of pupils improved personal performances and several field and track event records were set.

Congratulations to all the children who took part, with a large number earning points for their House. The long road to Sports Day 2015 has now begun!

Pre-Prep Sports Day The sun dawned bright and early for the Pre-Prep Sports Day, with brilliant blue skies and perfect conditions, and the children arrived at school with even more enthusiasm than usual.

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The events opened with the baton relay race, which warmed the children up for the races to come. The obstacle race actually caused very few problems and the

races which followed were run, jumped and walked with true sportsmanship from everyone.

After the final race each class paraded their class banner around the field before returning to their classroom. This was certainly a spectacular event, and the support of parents and staff was greatly appreciated by the children.

Cricket Although the weather washed out several U11 matches, it has been a season where the sun has shone much more than in previous seasons, and a number of games have been completed.

Year 3 have learnt to catch, bowl, bat and field whilst also developing their teamwork skills, and have been unbeaten this season. The Year 4s have put themselves into winning positions in all of their matches but have given away too many cheap wickets when batting so haven’t managed to win all of their games. Like the Year 4s the Year 5s have also struggled with the bat but have greatly improved as a bowling unit.

Pentathlon GB Modern Biathlon Series The 2013/14 Modern Biathlon series was a resounding success, with 4,000 children and adults taking part in one or more of the many qualifying competitions or time trials that were organised. Of those athletes, 840 went on to compete in the British Modern Biathlon Championships, held over two days in Solihull, and 1546 went on to compete in the British Schools’ Modern Biathlon Championships, held over two days at The Aquatics Centre, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London.

Sadly the U11s haven’t been able to demonstrate their full potential due to the loss of several fixtures.

The British Schools’ Modern Biathlon Championships provided young athletes with the opportunity to swim in the 2012 Olympic pool and run on a course around Olympic Park.

Rounders

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It has been a busy and successful season for the majority of the girls teams in the school. All teams have played some fantastic matches, with some excellent team performances and results.

The girls have not only been a credit to themselves but also to the school: they are fantastic fun to be with, and deserve our congratulations.

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It has certainly been the best year yet for the Blue Coat swimmers.

Both the boys’ and girls’ teams qualified for the 20th ESSA Primary Schools’ Swimming Championships held at Ponds Forge, Sheffield.

The event, held on Saturday 21st June 2014, featured the top 24 swim teams from all over the country who were competing for the top 8 places. The boys made the reserves for the B final in both the Medley and Freestyle relays and the girls achieved a 17th and 20th place.

New Blue Coat relay records were set by both teams and, most importantly, all the swimmers benefited from the thrill and excitement of a major national sporting event.

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English Schools’ National Swimming Championships 2014

There was also the chance to meet Olympians Mhairi Spence, Nick Woodbridge, and Katy Livingstone. Many of the athletes were inspired by importance and history of the venue, with the comment, ‘I can’t believe I’m swimming in the same pool as Michael Phelps and Rebecca Adlington’ being heard many times!

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Musical Notes There are many musical highlights to report on, with our young musicians delighting us with their high-quality music-making throughout the year. Our links with choirs and ensembles outside Blue Coat continue to grow.

With four choristers in Birmingham Cathedral Choir and a number of children members of the National Children’s Orchestra, the CBSO Junior Chorus, and the Central Birmingham Schools’ Orchestras we continue to spread our enthusiasm and talent across the city.

The Summer Concert drew together the School’s musical ensembles for an eclectic demonstration of a wonderful range of music-making!

There were 96 performers in the concert, representing every facet of instrumental playing – from bassoons to bass drums, trumpets to triangles.

For a number of years we have recorded our concerts and recitals, building an archive of performances as a record not only of our pupils’ achievements, but of great music-making as well. It is very easy to take the standard of musical performance for granted in a school, but these impressive achievements are the result of considerable dedication and hard work, long hours of practice and lots of rehearsal.

Learning to play an instrument from an early age is fun at first, but what follows is, for many, a real struggle. Courageously persevering (a Blue Coat value) is what matters.

The Choral Society and Chapel Choir joined forces in March to perform Vivaldi’s ‘Gloria’, complete with an eighteen-piece orchestra of professional musicians. This was a truly wonderful concert, full of energy and excitement contrasted with some very delicate and beautiful singing. Working with a professional orchestra is always exciting for the choirs – and for the Director of Music too!

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In mid-June Year 4 once again attended the KS2 Schools’ Concert at Symphony Hall. They thoroughly enjoyed their excursion into Birmingham to hear Saint-Saëns’ ‘Carnival of the Animals’. The children were transfixed by the CBSO playing at their spectacular best, and a great deal of exciting follow-up work has been created as a result of the visit.

A sincere thank you to all of the Blue Coat musicians for providing us with so many performances of a high standard throughout the year.

Learning to play an instrument or to sing is a life-long learning path and we wish the children at Blue Coat to have the best start possible!

Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music Examinations

Instrument

Aditi Ajithkumar Shivanii Arun Shivanii Arun Saran Bahia Saran Bahia Aran Bansal Amelia Bradley Harriet Bradley Grace Bromfield Grace Bromfield Amelia Brunning Jacob Carr-Simms Ruby Couzens Aaminah Dar

Aaminah Dar Savannah Dass Savannah Dass Savannah Dass Sofia David Paola Dietrich De Pablo Lazara Do Carys Evans Carys Evans Charlotte Gabriel Charlotte Gabriel Turan Gardiner Cody George Ania Gissen Lisa Gunn Rebecca Haddon Rishit Harsh Jessica Hutchinson Aahana Jain Sahana Jain Monique James-Thomas Maddy Kane Jennifer Keh Jennifer Keh Beatrice Kendall Ismah Khan

Piano Singing Music Theory Clarinet Music Theory Bassoon Clarinet Piano Piano Music Theory Singing Piano Flute Music Theory Violin Singing Singing Clarinet Violin Piano Piano Music Theory Piano Singing Clarinet Trumpet Singing Alto Saxophone Flute Flute Alto Saxophone Clarinet Piano Piano Violin Clarinet Violin Piano Singing Singing

Grade Result

2 3 5 2 2 1 3 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 4 1 1 1 2 2 1 3 3 2 4 1 3 3 1 1 2 3 4 4 1 2

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

Instrument

Ismah Khan Piano Sanika Kharwadkar Piano Arjun Kumar

Piano Billy Laight Clarinet Bronagh Lee Singing Bronagh Lee Violin Aurelio Lencioni Piano Thomas Macalino Violin Amreece Mangat Music Theory Shyan Marrie Piano Alisha Narendran Violin Alisha Narendran Piano Arjun Narendran Piano Arjun Narendran Music Theory Tiger-Lily Newbould Singing Melanie Page Singing Melanie Page Music Theory Ishani Patel Cello Ishani Patel Music Theory Jahnvi Patel Cello Naina Reddy Piano Thomas Redfern Flute Thomas Roberts Singing Archie Ryland Horn Nikita Saini Guitar Jessica Scurlock Flute Bhavesh Sharma Singing Bhavesh Sharma Alto Saxophone Bhavesh Sharma Piano Bhavesh Sharma Music Theory Aryan Sudeshkumar Music Theory Rosabella Sung

Violin Dhiren Tandon Violin Panayotis Tsakonas Piano Panayotis Tsakonas Music Theory Arnav Tyagi Music Theory Angelo Xydias Trumpet Zoe Yap Piano Zoe Yap Violin Christopher Yu Piano

Grade Result

1 4 3 1 5 7 1 4 2 1 5 3 5 5 1 1 1 3 1 2 3 2 2 1 1 1 3 1 2 1 2 3 2 2 1 2 1 6 7 4

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

Associated Board examination results for the Summer Term 2014 were unavailable at the time of going to press.

Rockschool Examinations Merit Merit Merit Pass

Instrument

Grade Result

Aryan Sudeshkumar Cameron Tuck Aaryan Tyagi

Drum kit Drum kit Drum kit

Debut 1 Debut

Merit Merit Merit

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Kyran Johal Muwahhid Khan Kieran O’Hara Archie Ryland

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Chapel Life Summer Term Chapel life has been as colourful inside as it is outside!

The Chapel Choir have continued to lift our spirits each Wednesday with a repertoire of beautiful anthems. Their singing of the John Rutter anthem, “All things bright and beautiful” and a sung blessing, “Go forth into the world” were particularly appreciated and enjoyed by those who attended the Wives’ Fellowship Service in May. Our Chapel theme for the term, “Shine don’t Whine!” has been presented in a variety of excellent Year 6 and Year 3 Class Assemblies.

Drama, poems, music and video clips all encouraged us to develop those Star Qualities of Faithfulness, Thankfulness and Appreciation of Others.

“If you go down to the Chapel today, you’re sure of a big surprise!”

The Chapel was overrun with Buttons children, staff and their Teddies. No Teddy Bears’ Picnic is complete without games, food and a jolly good story. We had all three! Even the Teddies sat quietly as we heard how one little boy gave his picnic of five loaves and two fishes to Jesus. Jesus blessed the food and shared it with everyone… all five thousand of them!

Pre-Prep Assemblies have been very exciting too.

Pre-Prep Class Assemblies Performing in Class Assemblies and School Plays is an important and enjoyable part of every child’s development. On 5 June it was the turn of 1T under the direction of Mrs Treanor. Preparation had started weeks earlier when lines were sent home for learning.

Class 1T were wonderful. They spoke up, remembered everything and, more importantly, loved every minute. Parents and teachers couldn’t have been more proud and as always it was very special to perform in the Chapel.

Scholarship Awards and Examinations Success to Senior Schools Academic Scholarships In total, 40 awards were offered to Blue Coat School children, reflecting their high performance, but 28 were declined in favour of alternative offers.

King Edward’s School*

Carola Kirchhof

King Edward VI High School for Girls*

Shivanii Arun

King Edward VI High School for Girls*

Amreece Mangat

Edgbaston High School for Girls*

Solomon Brown

Priory School*

Arjun Narendran

King Edward’s School**

Brandon Chao

King Edward’s School**

Rohit Ramachandran

King Edward’s School*

Sofia David

King Edward VI High School for Girls*

Grace Rees

King Edward VI High School for Girls*

Pratyush Ghosh

King Edward’s School*

Harris Hussain

Priory School*

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* denotes award of an academic scholarship ** denotes award of a music scholarship

Scholarship Awards and Examinations Success to Senior Schools Leavers’ Destinations King Edward’s School

Kyran Johal

King Edward’s School

Nika Aghabeigi

King Edward VI High School for Girls

Kieran Joshi

King Edward’s School

Sam Aghabeigi

Solihull School

Maddy Kane

King Edward VI Camp Hill for Girls

Ibrahim Ahmad

King Edward VI Camp Hill for Boys

Premjeet Kang

King Edward VI High School for Girls

Jonathan Anderson

King Edward VI Camp Hill for Boys

Muwahhid Khan

King Edward’s School

Iris Anthony

King Edward VI High School for Girls

Sanika Kharwadkar

King Edward VI High School for Girls

Shivanii Arun

King Edward VI High School for Girls

Remae Khera

Edgbaston High School for Girls

Zmarik Awais

King Edward VI Camp Hill for Boys

Carola Kirchhof

King Edward VI High School for Girls

Ambikaa Bajwa

King Edward VI Camp Hill for Girls

Amaan Lambert

King Edward’s School

William Barron

King Edward’s School

Sheida Malaki

King Edward VI High School for Girls

Beatrice Beardmore

King Edward VI High School for Girls

Louis Man

King Edward’s School

Olivia Benussi

Edgbaston High School for Girls

Amreece Mangat

Edgbaston High School for Girls

Davina Binji

King Edward VI Five Ways

Kodie Murphy

Old Swinford Hospital School

Solomon Brown

Priory School

Arjun Narendran

King Edward’s School

Isabelle Bryans

Sutton Coldfield Grammar School for Girls

Ayotunde Ogunremi

King Edward’s School

Brandon Chao

King Edward’s School

Benedict O’Hara

King Edward’s School

Jasmin Chatha

Sutton Coldfield Grammar School for Girls

William Patterson

King Edward’s School

Aaminah Dar

King Edward VI Handsworth School for Girls

Teifion Payne

Old Swinford Hospital School

Sofia David

King Edward VI High School for Girls

Charlotte Poole

King Edward VI High School for Girls

Stella Davis

King Edward VI High School for Girls

Madeleine Poole

Lordswood Girls’ School

Ruben Dhinju

Queen Mary’s Grammar School

Hamza Rahman

Bishop Vesey’s Grammar School

Rory Elliott

King Edward’s School

Zain Rahman

King Edward’s School

Jennifer Ellis

Dame Elizabeth Cadbury School

Rohit Ramachandran

King Edward’s School

Emily Falahee

King Edward VI High School for Girls

Dylan Rees

King Edward VI Camp Hill for Boys

Alice Fenton

King Edward VI High School for Girls

Grace Rees

King Edward VI High School for Girls

Darcey Gee-Nahal

King Edward VI High School for Girls

George Roberts

King Edward’s School

Pratyush Ghosh

King Edward’s School

Archie Ryland

King Edward’s School

Paarus Gill

Bromsgrove School

Natalie Shah

King Edward VI High School for Girls

Ania Gissen

Edgbaston High School for Girls

Dominic Smallman

Kings Norton Boys’ School

Maya Graves

King Edward VI High School for Girls

Aris Thomas

King Edward’s School

Lisa Gunn

King Edward VI High School for Girls

Tallulah Travis

Edgbaston High School for Girls

Rebecca Haddon

King Edward VI High School for Girls

Panayotis Tsakonas

King Edward’s School

Rishit Harsh

King Edward’s School

Simran Tung

Priory School

Alexander Holland

Old Swinford Hospital School

Arnav Tyagi

King Edward’s School

Georgia Hubbard

King Edward VI Five Ways

Henry Whitehead

King Edward’s School

Harris Hussain

Priory School

Isabella Wood-Toun

King Edward VI High School for Girls

Jessica Hutchinson

Sutton Coldfield Grammar School for Girls

Jemima Wyatt

King Edward VI High School for Girls

Mahathir Ibrahim

King Edward’s School

Zoe Yap

King Edward VI High School for Girls

Yuvraj Jhanjee

King Edward’s School

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Charity Report The whole school community has once again been giving generously in many different ways to support our various charities.

Our Rag Bag Collection has been overflowing on a number of occasions with bags and bags of donated clothes. An amazing £700 has been raised so far this year. Our Year 6 Panto, “Rags to Riches”, inspired us to keep going. Turning our rags to riches can help to educate girls in Zimbabwe!

The Pre-Prep children are to be congratulated on moving nearer to their target of sponsoring a guide dog for the blind. We are delighted to report that they have raised £543.13. Well done, Pre-Prep – and keep going! It seems that no one is too young to help in fund raising.

The Transition and Buttons children were transformed into stars, astronauts, Buzz Lightyears and all things “Space-like” as they completed their “Barnardo’s Big Toddle” around the school running track. They have raised an astonishing £2,500 – simply unbelievable!

And this is just the Summer Term! Our heartfelt thanks to everyone – children, staff and parents – for your enthusiastic and generous giving this term and throughout the academic year.

We are grateful to the Association of Friends for their generous donation towards Logos High School through the Summer Fête raffle.

This has swelled the funds collected through our Non-uniform Day. Our Wednesday Chapel collections this term have enabled us to give Christian Aid a gift of £100. During the Easter holidays, a great variety of activities took place for “Bob-a-Job” week. The Children’s Hospital and Cat Protection League are just some of the charities that were supported. Congratulations, “Bob-a-Jobbers”!

Duct tape and newspaper footballs, and chocolate candles in mugs, are just two of the items our Year 6 Young Enterprise groups have made to give support to their chosen charities: Cancer Research, Water Aid, Teenage Cancer Trust, Help for Heroes and RSPCA. They raised an amazing £850.

Key Dates for Autumn Term 2014 Term begins Wednesday 3 September

Half-Term holiday begins Thursday 23 October

Open Morning Saturday 11 October 10-12.30pm – Please arrive by 11.45am

Term resumes Monday 3 November

Term ends Friday 12 December

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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

Fax 0121 454 7757

Email info@thebluecoatschool.com Website www.thebluecoatschool.com The Blue Coat School Birmingham Limited is registered in England, Registration No. 8502615, and is a Registered Charity No. 1152244