Beauty and The Beast Disney fairytale delights family and friends PAGES 14 & 15
CO AT
THE BL UE
22
17
BIRMING HA M
SUMMER 2016
L OO CH
outof theblue
S
The Blue Coat School Founded by the Church of England in 1722
Sports Day Five school records broken! PAGE 16
Head First This, my final term at Blue Coat, has been full of dynamism and has shown the school at its best. It’s always good to have an excuse for a celebration - and celebrations there have been a-plenty! The Festival Concert, the Founders’ Day Service, the French Trip, the Thanksgiving Services, the Frolicsome Whole School Assembly and Picnic, the Fabulous Fantasy in the form of Beauty and the Beast, and the Final Prize Givings - all have been joyous occasions, bespeaking the School’s desire to offer the children rich opportunities whilst ‘training them up in the way they should go’. After 34 years at Blue Coat, and 18 at the helm, I shall certainly miss the chirpiness of the children, the staggering commitment of the staff and Governors, and the friendship and support of so many parents. But it’s time for a new chapter, and I wish everyone continued success and happiness under my successor, Noel Neeson. Meanwhile, read on, to see what we’ve been up to this term! Alan Browning, Headmaster
Term Round-up For the children of Year 6 the action started barely one week into term with an early departure at 6:15am for their trip to France. More will be said of their adventures later but we must record our thanks to Mr Hill and Mr Isherwood for keeping us updated during the trip itself with a marvellous blog and gallery of photos. As our senior pupils began to look to their future beyond Blue Coat, the Summer Term has seen the start of transitions lower down the School, from Buttons into Transition and the House Welcomes for Year 2. We were joined by our incoming Headmaster, Mr Noel Neeson, and his wife Jules on a sunny afternoon in May, to meet with current parents ‘At Home’, and then to greet future Blue Coat families at a busy May Open Morning. Venturing off site, two very important events took place, the first being a spectacular Festival Concert at the Adrian Boult Hall, followed closely by an equally memorable Founders’ Day Service. It gave us the chance to remember with gratitude those who, almost 300 years ago, had the vision and foresight to found The Blue Coat School; as well as to pay tribute to Mr Browning for his enormous contribution to school life throughout his 18 years of headship.
Early in the term we welcomed the Wives’ Fellowship to the Chapel for their Centenary Service. With quite a few members having connections with the School going back some 50 years or more, we were delighted that the Chapel Choir were able to sing at their special service of re-dedication. Meanwhile, Bishop Fanuel Magangani, Bishop of Northern Malawi, was a guest speaker at one of our Wednesday Services - and he enjoyed seeing the children at work as he toured the classrooms following Chapel.
THE BL UE
22
17
BIRMING HA M
2
S L OO CH
CO AT
Back from the half-term break, it was time to assemble for the first-ever whole school photograph, with children from Buttons Nursery right up to Year 6. Thankfully the weather was kind to us, and the historic shot was taken with surprising ease! Then, as Euro2016 kicked off and the Rio Olympics began to loom closer, it was Carnival Time at Blue Coat. An Olympic-themed Summer Fête, superbly organised by our enthusiastic Friends, was a huge success. Carnival stilt walkers, samba drumming, an Olympic village, Splat the Chinchilla and Beat the Brazilian Goalie were some of the treats in store for our visitors. Special guest, The Big Hoot Owl, generously donated by Mrs Dyke, was paraded for all to see, raising over £200
In the Spotlight We put questions to Mr Neeson, our incoming Headmaster from September 2016, so that we could get to know him better and find out what makes him tick! Q. How long have you been a Headmaster? A. Ten years, the last seven at St Peter’s Prep School in Lympstone, Devon Q. What are you most looking forward to in your move to Blue Coat? A. Getting to know all the children, parents and staff.
A. I played football to a fairly high standard. Now, my main love is rugby. I am an avid Exeter Chiefs fan (as are Mrs Neeson, Bea and Jasper). Q. If you were stranded on a desert island, what three things would you want with you and why (not people!)? A. A solar-powered radio to listen to my favourite music; Legacy - the James Kerr book that inspires me; and, to keep me occupied physically, a rugby ball or a football. Q. If you had a superpower for a day what would it be and why? A. It would be the ability to travel into the future to find the cure for illnesses such as cancer, and then, if time allowed, to come back to the present day and help rid the world of them. Q. And finally, if you hadn’t become a teacher, what other profession would you have chosen? A. I would like to have become a solicitor. Having gained a place at Edinburgh, I ended up going to Glasgow University to study for a Bachelor of Education Degree. Having said that, now that I am a teacher, I consider that I have the best job in the world!
S L OO CH
CO AT
And so, before we knew it, the summer holidays were upon us and it was time to wish Mr and Mrs Browning a very happy retirement. Knowing our Headmaster as we do, we can be sure that his days will not be idle: perhaps a new composition or two might find their way into a future Blue Coat Concert?…
Q. What is your favourite sport and do you support a particular team?
BIRMING HA M
THE BL UE
With June turning out to be one of the wettest on record, our Sports Staff were kept busy rearranging Sports Days - but all took place eventually, with cheering crowds and new records broken. Thanksgiving Assemblies complete, it was time to cast our eyes to the stage for a Disney classic. Beauty and the Beast entertained us with stellar performances from our leading boys and girls, ranging from the humorous, to the dramatic, to stunning vocals. Thanks go to Mrs Redfern and all the staff who worked behind the scenes to put on this wonderful production.
A. No. I lived in Stratford and Warwick when I first arrived in England from across Hadrian’s Wall.
22
Back to the Eurozone and the ground-shifting referendum that was just too close to call. Not so for Blue Coat’s own electorate, who voted a resounding ‘Yes’ in the Pre-Prep referendum to make a plan of the campus for Mr Neeson, and in Prep a favourable outcome for the introduction of Enrichment Homework for Years 3 and 4.
Q. Is this your first time living in the Midlands?
17
for Edward’s Trust as the children entered names in a hat to christen our latest fledgling. The winning name, Mowat, was chosen by Philip Angelopoulos, who was able to add the name artistically to our owl. And where will Mowat live? Somewhere magical on the campus, but first a short sojourn in each of the different parts of the school community, to be admired by all those who so carefully created his beautiful new plumage.
3
Classroom Connection Up close and personal with the animals! Buttons Nursery enjoyed a picnic with furry friends as they assembled in Chapel for a Teddy Bears’ Picnic. They sang songs and heard the story of Jesus, who shared a little boy’s picnic of five loaves and two fishes between 5,000 people.
Transition children enjoyed a fantastic day out at Ash End House Children’s Farm. All the animals were very friendly, and the children particularly enjoyed stroking young chicks in a basket, feeding leaves to the goats and giving a lamb a drink of milk from a bottle. Each child was able to collect and take home their very own egg from the barn as a memento of the day. Reception children were fascinated to watch the antics of various animals, including a range of primates, elephants, zebras, parrots, giant tortoises, giraffes, penguins and flamingos at Twycross Zoo. Highlights included seeing a baby elephant squirting water while playing, watching zebras
Perfect Poetry
Theme Week
As part of our continual desire to promote reading, foster an appreciation of a wide range of literature and encourage writing, we were delighted to welcome one of the country’s leading poets, Mr Brian Moses, to Blue Coat at the beginning of term. Mr Moses spent time with both Prep and Pre-Prep children, performing poetry and delivering a writing workshop. The whole of Year 2 assembled in Mrs Powell’s classroom after lunch and got creative! They were encouraged to use their imagination to create poems to express their thoughts and feelings.
I am scared of a nightmare Like An Orca is scared of a Megladon Like Earth is afraid of a meteor Like A fish is frightened of a whale.
THE BL UE
22
17
BIRMING HA M
4
L OO CH
CO AT
By Evan Tomlinson, Class 2M
S
roll around on their backs in the dust and observing various monkey species swinging around – all very entertaining! Each class also experienced a classroom session where they were able to meet and touch Dinky the tortoise and Alan, the Madagascan hissing cockroach!
Year 1 children have thoroughly enjoyed their Literacy Theme Week this term. Mrs Fletcher-Jones’ and Mrs Treanor’s classes have been studying some of Jill Murphy’s works. 1S focused on the story of Claire who meets an enormous dragon, a hungry crocodile, a big fat snake, a witch and many other characters On the way home. The children had fun re-writing their own version of the story, as well as using their knowledge of coordinates to plot the different characters on a grid map. 1T read and enjoyed Jill Murphy’s Large Family stories, completing artwork and comprehension work, before voting for their favourite title in the series. Meanwhile 1N read Flat Stanley by Jeff Brown, the story of a boy who is flattened during the night when a notice board falls on top of him. In his subsequent flat form, he goes on several adventures, including flying like a kite and squeezing through a drain hole to retrieve a lost ring! The children made Stanley kites and re-visited their earlier work on the artist Mondrian, in order to create a disguise for Flat Stanley. In Chapter 4 of the book, Stanley helps to catch some art thieves by hiding in a painting!
A Traffic Island with a difference!
Our Year 5 pupils are amongst the first to try out a new virtual learning environment, a 24/7 web-based learning platform that allows teachers and pupils to see everything in one place, at anytime, anywhere. As a Google Apps for Education school we are excited that Google Classroom serves as a central hub for online communication between teachers and pupils. It allows the teacher to post announcements and assignments in a variety of formats. Pupils can hand work in directly through Google
“
”
I really like Google Classroom because it teaches me things in a fun way.
The workshop was well timed as the children were busy with their Young Enterprise projects, and with the aid of a professional they were able to translate his tips and advice into the creation of their own special logos, which were then printed out on to product labels in time for the Summer Fête. Some imaginative and eye-catching designs were produced by Year 6 several of them clearly graphic designers in the making!
Emily Bongs
Classroom and teachers can give feedback all through the same system. It is already proving a useful medium for encouraging innovative responses to Enrichment, media and music tasks, which can be submitted in the such forms as iMovie or Google Slides. We have certainly arrived at the point where our pupils are using cloud computing and working collaboratively on shared projects. The digital natives are leading the way!
“
It’s like a social media for school and I think it is very useful.
”
Kibria Awais
S L OO CH
CO AT
Martin Donnelly, Visiting Tutor at BCU, spent two days with Year 6 discussing Logo Design and the Power and Psychology of Marketing, focusing on using typography and logo to convey the product design, as well as exploring innovative ways of illustrating graphics with colour, texture, and movement.
A new kind of classroom
BIRMING HA M
THE BL UE
Graphic Design Masterclass
With great enthusiasm, the children began a carousel of three activities, working with cold plastics and hot plastics, and weaving. They constructed an arch made of recyclable materials and decorated their island with fused plastics and milk bottle characters. Great fun was had by all, and Eccles was impressed by the ingenuity and creativity of the children, especially when joining materials without using glue.
22
The Year 3 Viking Day proved to be as popular as ever. The children travelled back in time to witness the raid on Lindisfarne and experience life on a longship. There was treasure for the taking and teachers to be chained up! Then there were the serious tasks of making butter, grinding corn and making jewellery, before learning how to barter and finding out about the Viking legal system. Finally, there were battles with shields - and a victorious Year 3 earned their freedom once more!
17
Viking Day
On 16 May Year 4 spent the day working with Eccles Sze, Senior Tutor in Landscape Architecture at Birmingham City University. He talked to the children and got them thinking about how to develop the areas around the built environment, such as parks, shopping precincts, pedestrian areas and playgrounds. They then moved to the practical element of the day, working on a design brief to transform the traffic island outside the school exit into a setting for a sculptural installation.
5
French Trip 2016
THE BL UE
22
17
BIRMING HA M
6
S L OO CH
CO AT
All of the recent visits to France by past Year 6 groups have been wonderfully memorable, but this April’s adventure in the Picardy region and beyond was something special. Of course the best-laid plans can sometimes go astray, and despite extracting the children from the arms of anxious parents at the appointed hour, Coach A failed to make its Channel Tunnel crossing on time, due to the interest of Her Majesty’s Customs attending to their duties – and not, as was unfairly suggested by some staff, the lack of similarity between Mr Morris’ passport photograph and his current facial appearance! There were no such problems for the leader of Coach B, Miss Green, and her merry band of travellers. Fortunately, both groups managed to undertake a splendidly Gallic visit to a Snail and Wheat Farm respectively, before settling contentedly in their new home, Le Château du Broutel.
The following day the party departed for the Somme area of the Western Front, which witnessed much of the most horrendous carnage of the First World War a hundred years ago. The museum in Albert built extensively on the children’s knowledge, whilst the memorial at Theipval, dedicated to the memory of 70,000 Allied missing, proved a catalyst for much thoughtful reflection. As the elements swung between moments of sunshine and winter storms, Mrs Lambert-Green put her language skills to good use, gaining access to the popular Tommy’s Cafe and Museum. The adults took the opportunity to indulge in a warming hot chocolate, while the children curiously seemed far keener on ice creams! As the weather cleared time was made for a quick visit to the Lochnagar Crater, which produced yet more thought on the destructiveness of war. Then, before returning to base, a walk through the trenches at Beaumont Hamel brought home the grim reality of trench warfare.
For many the highlights of their time away were the midweek exploits at Parc Astérix. For some the thrills of the world-renowned roller coasters could (literally) not come fast enough. For others a more sedate pace was the order of the day. Miss Crews and Miss Keeber led the line when it came to the insanely scary rides, while Mr Hill captured the excitement via a long lens. The penultimate day saw everyone descend on Le Touquet’s famous market. The French was almost fluent as bargains galore were haggled over. Afterwards the party enjoyed a splendid picnic on the steps of the post office before departing to another picturesque seaside town, Fort-Mahon-Plage. Mrs Boothroyd devised a marvellous language activity that concluded with the purchase of eye-watering amounts of glaces and crêpes.
THE BL UE
22
BIRMING HA M
17
S L OO CH
CO AT
Before heading homeward both coaches returned to one of the farms, so that no one remained ignorant of the plight of local snails or the possibilities of a straw of wheat. During the final part of the drive back there was a mass fun sing-along to the “Mama Mia” DVD, which exemplified the spirit of the trip. To quote Abba, “C’est voulez vous”.
7
The Blue Coat Referendum 28 June 2016 was a life-changing day for the country, and whilst we were keen for pupils to understand the implications of Brexit, the children were invited to vote on two other matters of school importance. Pre-Prep were deciding whether or not to make a campus plan for Mr Neeson, so that he would be able to find out the location of each child in school. They dutifully queued up and showed their polling cards to the polling officers before marking their box of choice with an X. Members of the School Council joined Mrs Andrews to open the sealed polling boxes and excitedly counted up the votes. In the end, after a few abstentions and ‘No’ votes, the resounding majority had agreed that a plan was indeed a good idea – phew! Meanwhile Prep children were deciding whether Enrichment Homework should be introduced into Years 3 and 4, in addition to the current Years 5 and 6. The result was a close call in Years 3 and 5 but the overall majority were in favour, with the YES voters winning 62% to 38% (173 votes to 106). Discussions will now proceed to take this idea forward.
Junior Language Challenge Mrs Boothroyd is delighted that once again lots of Blue Coat children have been keen to enter the annual Junior Language Challenge, a national competition for children in Year 5 and below, which concentrates on aural and memory skills, combined with ICT skills. The competition looks at a wide range of languages and not just those that are traditionally taught in the classroom. This year’s qualifying round tested the children in Romanian, and we were thrilled that 10 Blue Coat pupils made it through to the semi-finals. Six-year-old Joel is the youngest participant yet to take part for the School, and we wish him and our other semifinalists the best of luck as they start to master their knowledge of Korean, in preparation for the qualifying round, which will take place in the Autumn Term.
Barnardo’s Big Toddle
THE BL UE
22
17
BIRMING HA M
8
S L OO CH
CO AT
The Buttons and Transition children were out in force for their annual Barnardo’s Toddle - and this year it was a beautiful sunny day! Dressed as animals of all varieties they toddled around the sports field, cheered on by Pre-Prep children and staff. Mr Browning also popped out to join in the fun! A wonderful £1,258.70 was raised.
Young Enterprise
THE BL UE
22
BIRMING HA M
17
S L OO CH
CO AT
Year 6 has been buzzing with entrepreneurial spark this term as the children have sourced recyclable materials and created a product to sell at the Summer Fête. From clocks decorated with tiny pieces of pop cans, to mini safes disguised within old books, photo holders, notice boards, door signs, desk tidies and much more, the children used their talents to come up with projects that were worthy of any of Sir Alan’s Apprentice challenges! In all a splendid £800 was raised for 16 charities including Birmingham Children’s Hospital, Marie Curie Nurses, the RSPCA and the British Heart Foundation, all chosen by the pupils.
9
Art and Design Technology Gallery The Blue Coat Owl The Big Hoot Art Event in Birmingham has been an inspiration for lots of owl-themed artwork this year, culminating in the decoration and naming of Blue Coat’s very own Owl: Mowat. Children in Prep worked on individual designs and everyone selected a small piece to donate to the school owl. All the children in Pre-Prep contributed class pieces using pattern for this exciting project. There were even two group pieces from the youngest children in Buttons. These larger pieces of artwork were shrunk down and incorporated in the design on Mowat’s back and head. Thank you again to Mrs Dyke for giving us this wonderful opportunity and purchasing the owl for School. Take a look at the process:
Small pieces of artwork were used to make Mowat’s wings
Food is Fun!
THE BL UE
22
17
BIRMING HA M
10
S L OO CH
CO AT
Our Food is Fun art project has created some stunning pieces for the BCS gallery this year. Pupils in Prep got messy in the Dining Room constructing pictures out of cut vegetables and fruit. Photographs of their work were then turned into jigsaw puzzles that were a lovely present for Pre-Prep. A lot of teamwork went into the large-scale Van Gogh and Mondrian-inspired pieces made of salt dough and pasta. Who knew such simple ingredients could turn out to be masterpieces!
Philip ready to add Mowat’s name to the final piece
Reception - Incy Winsy Spider (Mixed media)
Year 5 - Moving Toys (Cam mechanism)
Year 4 - Gaudi-inspired ceramic light S L OO CH
CO AT
Transition - Bird
BIRMING HA M
THE BL UE
Year 6 - Slipper project
Year 6 - Shell (Watercolour)
22
Year 3 - Felted cushions
Year 1 - Picasso Portrait (Felt pens)
17
Year 6 - Tree (Water Soluble Oils)
Year 2 - Stormy Seas (Paint)
11
Mr Browning’s final term at Blue Coat has been filled with many fitting tributes to his long tenure, and Mrs Elphinston has penned a little tribute to remember these highlights. You might recognise this one…
So long, farewell… “There’s a sad sort of clanging from the clock in the hall and the bell in the Chapel too…” A delicious farewell buffet lunch was held in the Board Room for all those Chapel speakers who have befriended Mr Browning over their years of visiting our Wednesday Chapel Services.
“So long, farewell, I hate to go and miss this pretty sight.” The School Hall and Quad were certainly a pretty sight – helium balloons and bunting welcomed back our Old Scholars, who relished the opportunity of a final trip down memory lane with Mr Browning… Our guests were in no hurry to go! “Au revoir, Auf wiedersehen, I’d like to taste my first champagne!” Our Festival Concert held at the Adrian Boult Hall was indeed “A champagne moment!” - a fitting tribute to the musical inspiration Mr Browning has brought during his 34 years at the school. Pupils, parents, Governors, family and friends, past and present, played and sang together. The final climax of glitter cannons and flag waving had to be seen to be believed!
“And up in the Nursery an absurd little bird is popping out to say, “Coo-coo!” Mr Browning received a rather noisy farewell from the Buttons children. There were plenty of animal songs and sounds, especially sheep, as we thanked Mr Browning for looking after the Blue Coat flock. He in turn gave everyone a going-home present - a farm animal balloon!
“I leave, and heave a sigh, and say goodbye.”
THE BL UE
22
17
BIRMING HA M
12
S L OO CH
CO AT
The Cathedral Founders’ Day Service, led by Bishop David Urquhart, was a moving occasion during which we thanked God for the years of love and dedicated service that Mr and Mrs Browning have given to our school family. The singing of our speciallycommissioned anthem, “Let Nothing Disturb Thee” by Alexander L’Estrange, and the dancing of Psalm 23, were a superb musical expression of Mr Browning’s personal faith in God.
“I’m glad to go, I cannot tell a lie. I flit, I float, I fleetly flee, I fly.” There was plenty of flying backwards and forwards to Chapel as the Pre-Prep classes presented their humorous, thoughtful and creative “Goodbye Mr Browning” assemblies. Pyjamas and Twiglets (a favourite Browning snack) were presented in anticipation of some lazy days ahead!
“So long, farewell, Auf wiedersehen, goodbye.” We gathered in our School Garden to plant a number of beautiful bushes that will blossom each year and remind us of the growth of our school under Mr Browning’s leadership.
“The sun has gone to bed and so must I.” Our final Whole School Assembly had the colours of a magnificent sunset! House Songs, Staff items, a Year 1 Movie and a quick look at Mr Browning through the ages were all highly entertaining. Our Headmaster, at last, received his FULL Blue Coat Music Colours, a Diamond Merit Certificate (RARELY GIVEN) and his very own Pre-Prep Blue Coat Bear. The presenting of a Memory Book and a beautifully-framed rag rug rainbow (onto which messages from the whole school have been sublimated) brought the Assembly to a close. As on royal occasions a fabulous Blue Coat School Picnic, complete with celebration cake, followed.
GOODBYE
THE BL UE
22
BIRMING HA M
17
S L OO CH
CO AT
At the end of a rather special Staff BBQ, a new Apple Mac, complete with Sibelius music software and a bespoke picture of the school were handed over in the certain knowledge that many new Browning compositions will emerge in the days ahead!
13
Beauty and The Beast This year’s senior production was a classic fairy story: a prince is transformed into a hideous Beast, and, to break the spell, the Beast must find love! Belle, (the ‘beautiful and intelligent’ Lotti Gabriel), lives with her eccentric father Maurice (Louis Brook) in a village where everyone is focused on the trivia of daily life. The Villagers set the scene, with a flurry of poised solos, amidst the bustling ensemble. Belle is the target of attention from Gaston, a brawny but brainless young man (humorously played by Aaryan Tyagi), whom all the local girls adore. He is astonished when Belle rejects his proposal...but not as surprised as his weeping train of ‘Silly Girl’ followers (Libby Whitehouse, Chloe Graham-Major, Mia Dolan, Savannah Dass, Daya Gill and Ruby Couzens) or his faithful sidekick Lefou (Sean Russell).
THE BL UE
22
17
BIRMING HA M
14
S L OO CH
CO AT
Belle’s father is attacked by terrifying wolves, and has to seek shelter in the castle owned by the menacing Beast (dramatically portrayed by Naarain Sharma). Belle follows him there and offers to take her father’s place: the Beast agrees. As Belle reflects on her despair in the haunting ‘Home’, tissues a-plenty were needed around the auditorium!
Belle meets the enchanted servants - all of whom see her as their master’s one hope of happiness. Crusty Cogsworth (Charlie Hubbard), loquacious Lumiere (Tom Roberts) and patient Mrs Potts (Simran Dhinsa) - ably supported by Madame (Abigail Tomlinson), Babette (Jessica Whitlock) and Chip (Phoenix Murphy) - try to bring the couple closer together. Lumiere’s flourishing invitation to ‘Be Our Guest’ was assisted by spectacular choreography from the most polished Cutlery in Birmingham! Very gradually, Belle and the Beast start to form an unlikely friendship; they shared the moving duet ‘Something There’ before the beautiful title song was exquisitely sung by Simran.
The ‘happy ending’ seems set to be torn apart as an angry mob, led by Gaston and the sinister Monsieur d’Arque (Philip Angelopoulos), storms the castle. However, as in any true fairy tale, love is finally triumphant!
THE BL UE
22
BIRMING HA M
17
S L OO CH
CO AT
Year 6 are to be congratulated on a memorable retelling of this magical modern classic – which will leave everyone humming the tunes for weeks to come!
15
Sports Round Up Sports Day Though practices took place in blistering sunshine, our actual Sports Days were menacingly threatened by dark clouds overhead - and in the cases of Pre-Prep and Years 3 and 4, they had to be re-scheduled. Nevertheless, spirits undiminished, the children participated with plentiful energy and determination to produce some splendidly competitive performances. Even our little ones from Buttons Nursery enjoyed their own event and made it to the finish line amidst smiles and cheers.
Then it was the turn of Prep, with a Senior and Junior Sports Day. Each pupil participated in four events out of the high jump, long jump, ball throw, javelin, speed bounce, standing long jump and various track distances ranging from 50m to 800m depending on age. New records were broken in the Seniors by Ruby Couzens (55.77s) in the 300m and Fintan Dowling (2.07m) in the standing long jump; and in the Juniors by Isabella Piggott-Kwofie in the javelin (12.52m), Alex Bryans (54.71s) in the 300m and Willow McKenzie (8.07s) in the 50m.
The Pre-Prep Sports Day began with a child from each class running and passing the baton onto the next class and eventually into the hands of Mrs Andrews. The Transition and Reception children thoroughly enjoyed participating in the various activities including the obstacle race and the scoop and ball race, whilst the children in Year 1 and Year 2 competed in some traditional races such as the egg and spoon race - no longer potatoes or mis-matched spoons! The children participated happily and cheered each other on, showing good sportsmanship and demonstrating our British Values. The morning finished with a traditional walking lap of the field, where the children could show off their class banners and wave to their families. Everybody had the chance to compete at the highest level that they could achieve and to gain points for their House. In all, over 80 medals were awarded.
THE BL UE
22
17
BIRMING HA M
16
S L OO CH
CO AT
Many thanks to all the staff, the estates team, the catering team and the parents for supporting and making this year’s Sports Days a huge success.
Cricket
Rounders
What a wet cricket season it has been! A full fixture list was decimated by the inclement weather, and sadly all our year groups have had their match time curtailed.
The U11 girls have put in a superb effort this term: there have been some superb catches from Aahana Jain at backstop, Ruby Couzens has shone as bowler, and Lotti Gabriel in the field has thrown strong, accurate balls to 4th post under pressure. A notable addition to the U10 calendar was the Mixed Rounders Tournament at Hodge Hill School, where the girls did themselves proud, beating Percy Shumer, Sommerville and Small Heath Schools in the league stages to finish second overall. The players’ performances throughout the whole afternoon were outstanding, and they should be very proud of achieving second place against Year 6 pupils.
The U11s were beaten by King’s Hawford in their opening game of the season, but bowled and fielded superbly well against Eversfield School - especially at the end of the match - to secure a narrow victory. The U10s have won three out of their four games this term, with the season beginning in a thrilling fashion with a penultimate ball victory against Hallfield. More convincing wins against West House and King’s Hawford have followed. Rohan Narayan-Hull and Krishan Patel have been the stand out performers, playing an important part in keeping the number of runs up, whilst the team have bowled and fielded well. The U9s have had a very successful season, winning four and losing one, showing a lot of promise for the future. There has been a huge improvement within the bowling department and we continue to work on our fielding, backing up and running between the wickets. The U8s have been focusing on learning to bat, bowl and field properly. St George’s were the winners of the one House match played, the remaining results being determined by a cricket skills’ test. Well done boys!
The U9 girls have had an excellent season. The girls’ consistent performance in bat has been crucial in every game, and to have a number of strong batters in the team has certainly given us the edge! Perseverance and hard work have seen the girls develop as players. Poppy Couzens and Lily Falahee grew in tenacity and scored some memorable rounders, helping to secure wins. The crowning glory of a successful run of wins came in the A Team’s tournament victory at King’s Hawford. The girls supported each other throughout the competition: Skye Henshaw’s accurate bowling and Sareena Sharma’s sensible decision-making on back stop ensured the field was controlled and showed tactical awareness. Congratulations!
Meanwhile the U8s have worked hard and shown much improvement in their understanding of the game and of working as a team. They showed great promise in the House Matches and in the Inter-School Competition against Winterfold House.
CO AT
S L OO CH BIRMING HA M
THE BL UE
Both boys and girls have had a successful season, with well over 70% of the team achieving personal best times. The Swim Fest once again proved to be an exciting event. Every pupil from Year 3 to Year 6 took part in the Festival and House Gala, and some very exciting races resulted.
Throughout the academic year the Houses have competed competitively against each other in the main Games activities: Hockey, Netball, Rounders and Swimming for the Girls, and Rugby, Football, Cricket and Swimming for the Boys. Every pupil from Year 3 to 6 has participated in a match appropriate to his or her ability. These have been strongly contested with differing outcomes across the year groups. The total scores have now been tallied up and the overall House Cup Winners are Girls: St Monica’s House and Boys: St Philip’s House. Congratulations and thank you to everyone for trying their best for their House!
22
Around 70 boys and girls have swum for the school this year, with wins over local Prep Schools in Galas at all age groups and the U11 boys progressing through to the National Championships. A great achievement – well done!
House Results
17
Swimming
17
Musical Notes It is said that practice makes perfect, and that perfect practice makes perfection. You will probably have read this somewhere, too. It is not often that we see that aphorism fully borne out, however… Our Festival Concert in the Adrian Boult Hall in May was indeed perfection. The hours of practice and preparation invested had ensured that the concert was of the highest order. It was a pure delight to have nearly every Prep pupil on stage, either singing, playing or doing both! Old Scholars were invited to come back and join in the fun, and we thank them for their support and encouragement. The standard of music-making from all involved was simply breath-taking, and we are sure that Mr Browning (in whose honour the concert was given) had a wonderful evening.
The School commissioned one of the country’s finest composers, Alexander L’Estrange, to write a choral piece of music for our Founders’ Day Service. Mr Browning chose a quite beautiful text,
a short prayer by St Teresa of Avila, called ‘Let Nothing Disturb Thee’. Alexander’s setting of the words was simply stunning – beautiful in its simplicity, with a melody which, once heard, is hard to forget. The Chapel Choir and Year 6 Choir performed the piece with such tenderness and clarity of tone that it was indeed a moment to be cherished. This term has required of the children dedicated hard work and attention to detail in their many and varied performances. Space allows the luxury to mention but two: our Morning Recitals and Prelude Concerts continue to give our young musicians the platform to hone their public performance skills. And our Music Examination results continue to reflect the excellent standard that is developed by the Visiting Music Teachers. Each and every pupil is to be commended for their effort and enthusiasm for all things musical this year. You see, practice does make perfect!
Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music Examination Results – 2015 – 2016 Instrument
Priyamvada Agarwal Priyamvada Agarwal Ali Ahmad Ayesha Ahmad Arooj Ahmed Arooj Ahmed Arooj Ahmed Hasan Ahmed Mahshami Ahmed Maya Ahmed Shalu Arun Roshan Bahia Roshan Bahia Ritisha Baidyaray Katie Baker Indira Basu Sofia Begh Aravind Binuraj
Violin Music Theory Ukulele Piano Singing Violin Piano Bassoon Violin Singing Singing Horn Piano Violin Clarinet Piano Violin Guitar
THE BL UE
22
17
BIRMING HA M
18
S L OO CH
CO AT
Grade Result
2 1 1 1 2 4 5 1 1 1 2 3 3 2 5 3 2 1
Distinction Distinction Distinction Pass Distinction Merit Merit Merit Merit Distinction Pass Merit Merit Merit Merit Merit Pass Pass
Instrument
Joanne Bobin Hannah Boumenjel Jayden Briah Imogen Brinkman Louis Brook Rebecca Broome Rebecca Broome Rebecca Broome Alexander Bryans Max Chen Isabelle Clarkson Evie Crow-Marcetic Emma Daniel Karishma Dar Aashay Deole Aashay Deole Simran Dhinsa Helena Dietrich de Pablo
Piano Piano Piano Violin Guitar Piano Music Theory Violin Singing Violin Flute Singing Piano Violin Music Theory Piano Singing Singing
Grade Result
1 1 1 1 1 3 3 4 2 1 1 2 1 4 1 1 3 3
Pass Merit Pass Merit Merit Merit Merit Merit Pass Merit Merit Pass Merit Merit Distinction Pass Merit Merit
Instrument
Paola Dietrich de Pablo Paola Dietrich de Pablo Lazara Do Lazara Do William Do Fintan Dowling Lotti Gabriel Lotti Gabriel Ria Gokul Maysoon Haroon Ines Iliff Aahana Jain Sahana Jain Monique James-Thomas Amrita Kang Amrita Kang Easher Kang Amanpreet Kaur Arpita Kaur Bryneet Kaur Bryneet Kaur Anne-Laure Kavanagh Nivid Kharwadkar Nivid Kharwadkar Billy Laight Victoria Lawson-Bennett Aurelio Lencioni Caitlin Liew Chloe Liew Amulya Maganty Amulya Maganty Amulya Maganty Afia Malik Ruby Manhota Rishul Marrie Shyan Marrie Shyan Marrie Aryan Massey Arora Aryan Massey Arora Lily Mobasher Lily Mobasher Maya Narayan-Hull Rohan Narayan-Hull Pranoy Nishanth Maia Noonan Melanie Page Melanie Page Benito Pagliuca
Singing Piano Singing Piano Violin Bassoon Clarinet Singing Singing Violin Music Theory Piano Piano Violin Singing Violin Piano Violin Violin Singing Music Theory Flute Guitar Music Theory Trumpet Piano Violin Piano Piano Trombone Music Theory Violin Violin Music Theory Violin Music Theory Piano Singing Music Theory Singing Flute Music Theory Music Theory Violin Violin Music Theory Singing Piano
Grade Result
1 2 2 5 1 1 3 4 2 2 1 5 5 4 1 3 2 1 2 2 2 1 1 1 2 2 4 1 3 1 2 3 1 1 1 2 3 1 2 1 1 3 2 2 1 2 3 1
Merit Merit Merit Merit Distinction Pass Merit Distinction Pass Distinction Pass Merit Pass Merit Merit Pass Merit Distinction Merit Merit Merit Pass Merit Merit Distinction Merit Merit Distinction Merit Distinction Distinction Merit Pass Merit Distinction Distinction Distinction Pass Merit Distinction Merit Pass Pass Merit Distinction Distinction Merit Merit
Instrument
Benito Pagliuca Prisyn Pagliuca Gargi Paneesha Jahnvi Patel Shayan Patel Sofia Phillips Isabella Piggott-Kwofie Daleep Rai Tara Ramachandran Karolina Rarko Karolina Rarko Sophie Reason Sophie Reason Sophie Reason Tilly Richardson Tom Roberts Tom Roberts Sascha Sami Aleena Saud Jessica Scurlock Jessica Scurlock Naarain Sharma Kairav Singh Aryan Sudeshkumar Gloriosa Sung Rosabella Sung Abigail Tomlinson Abigail Tomlinson Peter Tomlinson Henry Trevis Simi Uppal Ishana Vinay Edward Whitehead Libby Whitehouse Jessica Whitlock Elizabeth Wigg Elizabeth Wigg Amy Wilson Amy Wilson Tristan Wong Ben Woodward Ben Woodward Ben Woodward Daphne Xuan Daphne Xuan Kelvin Yau Theresa Zygmunt
Singing Singing Violin Cello Music Theory Violin Music Theory Music Theory Piano Music Theory Piano Piano Singing Violin Singing Trumpet Singing Piano Piano Piano Flute Singing Violin Violin Violin Violin Oboe Singing Horn Guitar Music Theory Violin Trombone Singing Singing Piano Singing Clarinet Singing Violin Music Theory Bassoon Piano Music Theory Piano Music Theory Piano
Grade Result
3 2 2 3 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 4 1 3 5 1 2 2 3 2 1 5 2 5 2 3 1 2 1 1 3 3 2 1 2 1 1 5 2 3 3 1 2 2 1
Distinction Merit Merit Pass Merit Pass Distinction Distinction Merit Merit Pass Merit Merit Distinction Distinction Distinction Distinction Merit Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Merit Merit Distinction Merit Distinction Pass Pass Pass Merit Distinction Pass Pass Distinction Distinction Merit Pass Distinction Merit Merit Merit
Rockschool Examinations Instrument
Mudiwa Mtemererwa Kieran O’Hara Joseph Southall Aaryan Sudeshkumar Aaryan Tyagi
Drums Drums Drums Drums Drums
Pass Merit Merit Pass Merit
Grade Result
2 3 1 3 3
Merit Merit Pass Merit Merit S L OO CH
CO AT
2 2 Debut Debut Debut
BIRMING HA M
THE BL UE
Grade Result
Drums Vocals Drums Drums Drums
22
Instrument
Shalu Arun Deyuan Chen Raghav Deb Freddie Geoghegan Aled James
17
19
CO AT
L OO CH
17
22
BIRMING HA M
TH E B L UE
S
The Friends of The Blue Coat School
The Summer Term is a frantically busy one for The Friends as it plays host to the biggest event in the School Social Calendar - the Summer Fête! This year, come Fête day, we once again waited with bated breath to see what the weather would do. Having been washed out last year and having endured seemingly never-ending torrential rain in the run-up to this year’s event, The Friends started set-up with a great deal of trepidation. However, in the end they needn’t have worried - the sun shone (eventually), the crowds came, and a wonderful carnival atmosphere pervaded the whole event. It was so lovely to see the entire school come together to enjoy a truly fabulous day!
THE BL UE
22
17
BIRMING HA M
20
S L OO CH
CO AT
Live Samba music, delicious food, homemade cakes, merry-go-round, bouncy castles, teacher soaking, mini-Olympics, owl-naming and a whole host of other stalls and activities were all there to be enjoyed - and at 4pm there was still an awful lot of enjoying going on! On behalf of The Friends a huge thank you goes out to all those who helped to make it such a success. These events could not take place without the support of the entire Blue Coat community. Thanks to your generosity, £1,500, the proceeds of this year’s raffle and ‘Soak the teacher’, has been sent to Midlands Air Ambulance Charity and The National Institute of Conductive Education (NICE), who are working to improve the lives of children and adults with neurological movement disorders through Conductive Education.
This term has also been busy on the funding front, and parents may have noticed a few new objects appearing around the school as a result of such events as the Fête. The Prep Houses have all recently received new table football and air hockey tables, whilst Pre-Prep and Buttons have been the grateful recipients of new play equipment. The Friends have also added to the number of outdoor picnic tables and benches around school - some of which were already being put to good use at the Fête!
It’s been another productive year for The Friends and very rewarding to see the children starting to see the benefit of this success too! On a final note, Mrs Anita Poole would like to extend a welcome as Chair to all parents interested in becoming new committee members. If you would like to get more involved with The Friends, please do not hesitate to get in touch via email: thefriends@thebluecoatschool.com
The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art Speech Awards Pre-Prep Grade Result
Anjali Ajayaghosh Rayyan Ali Priyamvada Argawal Rohil Awasthi Simran Bansal Poppy Brigham Yusuf Douis Maysoon Haroon Zunaira Imam Humnah Khan Rishul Marrie Nayan Najran Dexter Noble James Padley Archie Pemble Keerat Rai Rohan Tandon Frederick Trevis Emily Whitehouse Holly Wilson
Solo Introductory Stage 2 Solo Introductory Stage 2 Solo Introductory Stage 2 Solo Introductory Stage 2 Solo Introductory Stage 2 Solo Introductory Stage 2 Solo Introductory Stage 2 Solo Introductory Stage 2 Solo Introductory Stage 2 Solo Introductory Stage 2 Solo Introductory Stage 2 Solo Introductory Stage 2 Solo Introductory Stage 2 Solo Introductory Stage 2 Solo Introductory Stage 2 Solo Introductory Stage 2 Solo Introductory Stage 2 Solo Introductory Stage 2 Solo Introductory Stage 2 Solo Introductory Stage 2
Distinction Distinction Distinction Distinction Distinction Distinction Distinction Distinction Distinction Distinction Distinction Distinction Distinction Distinction Distinction Distinction Distinction Distinction Merit Distinction
Prep Grade Result
BIRMING HA M
THE BL UE
S L OO CH
CO AT
Merit Distinction Distinction Distinction Distinction Merit Distinction Distinction Merit Merit Merit Distinction Distinction Distinction Merit Merit Distinction Merit Distinction Merit Distinction Merit Merit Merit Distinction
22
Solo Introductory Stage 3 Solo Introductory Stage 3 Solo Introductory Stage 3 Solo Introductory Stage 3 Speaking Verse and Prose Speaking Verse and Prose Speaking Verse and Prose Solo Introductory Stage 3 Speaking Verse and Prose Speaking Verse and Prose Speaking Verse and Prose Solo Introductory Stage 3 Solo Introductory Stage 3 Speaking Verse and Prose Solo Introductory Stage 3 Solo Introductory Stage 2 Speaking Verse and Prose Solo Introductory Stage 3 Reading for Performance Speaking Verse and Prose Solo Introductory Stage 3 Speaking Verse and Prose Solo Introductory Stage 3 Reading for Performance Speaking Verse and Prose
17
Joanne Bobin Deyuan Chen Emma Daniel Hamoodi Fakir Ria Gokul May Hadley Cicely Hodge Phoebe Jones Easher Kang Saru Karanam Amanpreet Kaur Sayuri Knox Angela Luo Amulya Maganty Kavya Maganty Karen Mao Shyan Marrie Natasha Page Melanie Page Elias Papaioannou Matilda Richardson Sareena Sharma Ishani Shetty Abigail Tomlinson Theresa Zygmunt
21
Scholarship Awards and Examinations Success to Senior Schools Year 6 pupils were awarded 44 Grammar School places and 124 offers to Independent Senior Schools, including 35 Scholarships and 2 Music Awards. Congratulations to all children on their notable achievements.
2016 Scholars Priory School
Academic Scholarship
Philip Angelopoulos
Bromsgrove School
Academic Scholarship
Solihull School
Academic Scholarship
Ruby Couzens
Edgbaston High School
Academic Scholarship
Helena Dietrich de Pablo
Priory School
Academic Scholarship
Thomas Evans
Solihull School
Academic Scholarship
Lotti Gabriel
Edgbaston High School
Music Award
Daya Gill
Priory School
Academic Scholarship
Chloe Graham-Major
King Edward VI High School for Girls
Academic Scholarship
Charles Hubbard
Solihull School
Academic Scholarship
Lydia Jin
Edgbaston High School
Academic Scholarship and Music Award
King Edward VI High School for Girls
Academic Scholarship and Music Scholarship
Rahul Kanda
Priory School
Academic Scholarship
Aurelio Lencioni
King Edward’s School
Academic Scholarship
Solihull School
Academic Scholarship
Gabriel Lins
Priory School
Academic Scholarship
Praan Moodley
King Edward’s School
Academic Scholarship
Rugby School
Academic Scholarship
Phoenix Murphy
Priory School
Academic Scholarship
Melanie Page
Edgbaston High School
Academic Scholarship
King Edward VI High School for Girls
Academic Scholarship
Samuel Reason
King Edward’s School
Music Scholarship
Solihull School
Music Scholarship
Tom Roberts
Solihull School
Music Scholarship
Sean Russell
King Edward’s School
Academic Scholarship
Solihull School
Academic Scholarship
Jessica Scurlock
Priory School
Performing Arts Scholarship
Joseph Southall
Priory School
Academic Scholarship
Aryan Sudeshkumar
King Edward’s School
Academic Scholarship
Dhiren Tandon
Priory School
Academic Scholarship
Abigail Tomlinson
Edgbaston High School
Academic Scholarship
Cameron Tuck
Priory School
Sports Scholarship
Miriam Tucker
Priory School
Academic Scholarship
Jessica Whitlock
Edgbaston High School
Academic Scholarship
Milly Zaman
Priory School
Academic Scholarship
THE BL UE
22
17
BIRMING HA M
22
S L OO CH
CO AT
Zayd Ahmad
Leavers’ Destinations Yusuf Aftab
King Edward’s School
Harian Khera
King Edward’s School
Fahad Ahmad
Bishop Vesey’s Grammar School
Aurelio Lencioni
King Edward’s School
Zainab Ahmad
King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Girls
Gabriel Lins
King Edward’s School
Zayd Ahmad
King Edward’s School
Shyan Marrie
King Edward VI Five Ways School
Zaki Almallah
King Edward’s School
Praan Moodley
Rugby School
Philip Angelopoulos
King Edward’s School
Alex Murdoch
King Edward’s School
Aravind Binuraj
King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Boys
Phoenix Murphy
Old Swinford Hospital School
Louis Brook
King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Boys
Kieran O’Hara
King Edward’s School
Nathan Chatha Queen Mary’s Grammar School
Melanie Page
King Edward VI High School for Girls
Julian Chen
King Edward’s School
Jahnvi Patel
Edgbaston High School for Girls
Henry Coombes
Kingham Hill School
Samuel Reason
King Edward’s School
Ruby Couzens
King Edward VI High School for Girls
Zahra Riaz
King Edward VI High School for Girls
Humzah Dar
Solihull School
Tom Roberts
King Edward’s School
Savannah Dass
Edgbaston High School for Girls
Sean Russell
King Edward’s School
Dileep Dhanda
King Edward’s School
Fahad Saeed
King Edward’s School
Gian Dhillon
King Edward’s School
Jessica Scurlock
Edgbaston High School for Girls
Simran Dhinsa
King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Girls
King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Boys
Ronav Singh
King Edward VI Five Ways School
Mia Dolan
King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Girls
Diya Sohal
Edgbaston High School for Girls
Thomas Evans
King Edward’s School
Joseph Southall
King Edward’s School
Lotti Gabriel
King Edward VI High School for Girls
Aryan Sudeshkumar
King Edward’s School
Harman Garcha
King Edward VI Handsworth School
Dhiren Tandon
King Edward’s School
Daya Gill
Edgbaston High School for Girls
Simran Thandi
Wolverhampton Girls’ High School
Chloe Graham-Major
King Edward VI High School for Girls
Abigail Tomlinson
Edgbaston High School for Girls
Cicely Hodge
Edgbaston High School for Girls
Cameron Tuck
Highclare School
Charles Hubbard
Bishop Vesey’s Grammar School
Miriam Tucker
St George’s School
Muhammad Ibraaheem King Edward’s School
Aaryan Tyagi
King Edward’s School
Aahana Jain
King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Girls
Simi Uppal
King Edward VI Handsworth School
Sahana Jain
King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Girls
Mohammed Uraijah
King Edward’s School
Lydia Jin
King Edward VI High School for Girls
Edward Whitehead
King Edward’s School
Rahul Kanda
Harborne Academy
Libby Whitehouse
Edgbaston High School for Girls
Amanpreet Kaur
King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Girls
Jessica Whitlock
Bromsgrove School
Arpita Kaur
Edgbaston High School for Girls
Kelvin Yau
King Edward VI Five Ways School
Marie-Eve Kavanagh
Edgbaston High School for Girls
Milly Zaman
Saint Martin’s School
THE BL UE
22
BIRMING HA M
17
S L OO CH
CO AT
Naarain Sharma
Helena Dietrich de Pablo King Edward VI High School for Girls
23
Blue Coat in Bloom The Blue Coat Garden, which was established in 2014, has quite literally grown and grown since its beginning! The start of this academic year saw the opening of the greenhouse kindly donated by Hartley Botanics. This has been used to grow vegetables and plants over the winter months, allowing the children to prepare seedlings ready for Spring planting. The children have tended the beds, planted new seedlings, learnt about caring for wildlife over the winter, seen how to plant bulbs, and learnt to distinguish weeds from plants. They now understand the work that needs to go into looking after a garden, and have also been able to talk about composting, thanks to the thoughtful donation of a composter from Gibson’s family.
Since September, the Blue Coat Garden has seen changes to its layout. The old path was taken up and the slabs were re-used to make a stone wall around the wild garden. There is now a brick path running through the wild garden for the children to walk along and a shed to house tools. Thank you to Mrs Robinson and The Woodland Trust for a generous donation of trees, which the children have enjoyed planting. Children, past and present, have all worked extremely hard to create this extraordinary space, reinventing what was once just a piece of grass into a functional, growing environment that has seen the garden literally burst into life.
Bluey comes to visit
Before the transformation
Pre-Prep were delighted when the Blue Coat sponsored guide dog Bluey came for a visit. He was also accompanied by another canine friend, Benson, who enjoyed a return trip to School after visiting earlier in the year to receive a donation by Pre-Prep on behalf of the Guide Dogs for the Blind.
Key Dates for Autumn Term 2016 Term begins Wednesday 7 September
Half-Term holiday begins Thursday 20 October Term resumes Monday 31 October
Open Morning Saturday 12 November 9.30am to 12.00noon (Registration at 9.30am and 10.30am) Term ends Wednesday 14 December
THE BL UE
22
BIRMING HA M
17
L OO CH
CO AT
The Blue Coat School, Somerset Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham B17 0HR S
The Blue Coat School Founded by the Church of England in 1722
Telephone 0121 410 6800 @bcsbirmingham
Email info@thebluecoatschool.com Website thebluecoatschool.com
The Blue Coat School Birmingham Limited is registered in England, Registration No. 8502615 and is a Registered Charity No. 1152244