Out of the Blue - Winter 2015

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out blue of the

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

Operation Christmas Child A BCS Record!

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Awesome Aztecs Discovering an ancient civilization PAGE 5

Head First Welcome to this Christmas edition of Out of the Blue! In it you will find news of an action-packed Autumn Term and of the special events that have taken place recently in celebration of Christmas.

Our noble Productive Gardeners have been busy getting the garden ready for winter and ensuring that the local wildlife is well looked after. They have made bird food mixture to hang in the trees as well as some “Bug Hotels”! All this activity followed the Grand Opening of our new greenhouse and its accompanying ‘Bunting Competition’, which drew a host of fabulous entries.

This edition references the children’s increasing use of technology, and I am very pleased to make mention of the new Blue Coat App. Do make use of it: it is a very handy portal to up-to-the-minute information about the school, and an easy way to report school absences and suchlike.

I cannot let the moment pass without mentioning four special members of staff who are leaving at the end of term: Mr Hopper and Mrs Hall from the Finance Office, Mrs Mian and Mrs Nordan. In their different spheres of operation they have all made significant contributions to the lives of generations of Blue Coat children, and we thank them for everything they have given to school life.

Alan Browning, Headmaster

Term Round-up Perhaps, on occasions, rather than Grow in Grace the School motto might be Expect the Unexpected. This was certainly the case during the first fortnight of term.

Year 6 descended upon the wilds of Dorset and experienced the great outdoors, both on land and at sea. They returned happy, though a tad smokey, from their Bushcraft week with tales of daring and adventure.

Equally unusual was the small aircraft that was parked outside the Chapel for several days in order to raise awareness of the Mission Aviation Fellowship, while Children in Need Day generated an abundance of zaniness including a splendid assembly delivered by staff and children plus a cast of hundreds Doing The Strictly in the Hall at break.

Of course for the older pupils it is not all fun, fun, fun: exams feature prominently until the early weeks of the New Year. However, it’s certainly possible both to achieve academic success and to enjoy yourself, as the Year 6 team demonstrated by winning the inaugural Prep Schools’ Maths Challenge at KES. On the same day in October a Blue Coat team travelled to London to take part in the finals of the nationwide Junior Language Challenge. Amazingly they all finished in the final eighteen out of a total of 1,100 children who took part – an incredible achievement!

There have certainly been activities a-plenty for every age group in both Pre-Prep and Prep. Year 1 got to grips with ‘History off the Page’ and revelled in their Toy Day, whilst further up the school Years 3 and 4 discovered that ancient life differed considerably from their own. This was especially true if you were a soldier or a wealthy citizen living at the height of the Roman Empire (Year 3), or a mysterious Aztec (Year 4). As well as learning about distant cultures in the Hall, Year 4 travelled to Umberslade Farm as part of their Geography field work, and their younger peers thoroughly enjoyed the time spent at the Barber Institute studying paintings and sculptures. Year 5 have benefitted from working with an artist-in-residence to produce their own sculptures, and those in Year 6 were delighted on a tour of Birmingham to learn even more about the new thriving heart of our wonderful city. Budding thespians had much to soak up in Years 4 and 6, with the younger pupils visiting The Rep to be enthralled by The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe while the senior pupils got to grips with the Young Shakespeare Company’s version of Romeo & Juliet.

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Blue Coat life has never been half-hearted, especially when it comes to The Friends, and the Firework Extravaganza definitely went with a bang…along with plenty of oohs and aahs! The Friends’ Christmas Fayre signalled the start of the festive season, with mulled wine and carols warming the hearts of the chilliest participants at a splendid occasion. Indeed the Chapel Choir were only just getting into gear for a hectic period that, for many, peaked at the traditional Prep Carol Service in a marvellous celebration of the true meaning of Christmas.

A Fond Farewell As the Autumn Term draws to a close it is time to say a fond farewell to a much loved member of staff who has worked at Blue Coat for nigh on 30 years. Mrs Jo Nordan is retiring from her current position as Head of Girls’ Games, and will be greatly missed.

In the Spotlight Head of PSHEE and Year 3 Tutor, Miss Lucy Ward, talks about her teacher training experiences in Malawi and her love of sport.

Jo was first appointed in January 1986 by the then Headmaster, Mr Brian Bissell, to teach girls’ games on a part-time basis. She joined at a time when the school was predominantly populated by boys. Girls were taught sewing, and attendance at the School’s Brownie pack was favoured over sport on a Wednesday afternoon.

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

In the early 90s, the new Home Economics Room presented the opportunity for a role teaching the subject part-time, in addition to teaching afternoon games. Many of our long-serving members of staff will remember Jo introducing the Year 8 dinner parties, which saw teachers vying against each other for an invitation!

A. Birmingham’s Church of England Diocese has been twinned with Malawi for fifty years. As part of this, we have recently been running residential teacher training courses to support the Malawian Anglican schools. I first visited in 2011 and I am now the co-leader of the project.

A. This is my fourth year teaching at Blue Coat.

Q. You recently talked to the children about your trips to Malawi.

Can you tell us a little more about them?

This summer we trained 70 headteachers and teachers who came together from across the whole of Malawi.

Q. What did you find most rewarding about the experience?

A. This year we were able to visit a school to show our trainees examples of best practice, with a Head who is a great friend of mine and a real visionary. I love to see a teacher’s reaction to our training. One teacher said to me, “Because of the skills-share I am changed. I feel valued, and I have learnt things I never knew before.”

It makes it all worthwhile.

Q. We hear that you have a sporty background; is that true?

A. Not as much as I would like. I mainly keep up with swimming and a bit of running, but teaching takes up most of my time! I have done a few marathons.

Q. Have you ever run the London Marathon?

Did you dress up in a costume?

A. I ’ve run the London Marathon three times in total. Bizarrely the last time I was dressed as a banana, to support my brother, who was trying to break a world record as an apple!

(It’s a long story…)

Q. Do you have any other hobbies?

A. I play the flute.

Q. And finally, what would you like to ask Father Christmas for this year?

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A. I would really like a new camera, as I am going on a family holiday to Iceland and the scenery will be amazing.

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As well as gym trips abroad, Jo played a huge part in organising ski and Outward Bound trips. She remembers the family ski trips to Lapland with particular fondness. Though she is looking forward to grandparent duties and taking the opportunity to do more travelling, Jo told us that she will miss her sense of belonging and being part of the Blue Coat community. Likewise, we will miss a dedicated teacher, a caring colleague and a good friend.

Q. Wow! So you do you still train?

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In 2005, Jo became the Acting Director of Sport, and for the last five years she has been Head of Girls’ Games. Blue Coat’s gymnastic prowess is undoubtedly a legacy that she will leave behind. Her two daughters, both national gymnasts as children, sparked an interest in the sport amongst their school friends and Jo took on the running of the After School Gym Club for 18 years, with success at the MISGA (Midland Championships) and also several National IAPS and GISGA Championships.

A. I used to do a lot of running and someone suggested I should try triathlon when I was at university. I really enjoyed it and was lucky enough to represent Great Britain at two World Championships.

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Classroom Connection Life in Early Years Ms Harris and her team can report that our youngest Blue Coat members have settled in well during their first term at school. Our existing Buttons children were joined by 22 new starters over the month of September.

Some of the most enjoyable weekly activities have been their visits to the Pre-Prep Gym, where the children have enjoyed swinging on the ropes, balancing along a beam, climbing ladders and developing their catching and throwing skills.

Meanwhile last year’s Buttons children have made a seamless move up to Pre-Prep and look very smart in their new uniform! The

the Giant Picnic they heard about a little boy who shared his packed lunch of five loaves and two fishes with Jesus. A miracle happened - there was enough for the five thousand hungry people gathered there.

Being thankful and sharing with others can work miracles!

Transition Harvest Festival was a welcome opportunity to invite parents to join us for a rainbow of colour! The children had fun matching the colour of our gifts to the different colours of the rainbow. They sang songs about a farmer, the sun and the rain and a field full of crops. In the story of

Recycle, Reuse, Reduce!

Getting to grips with technology!

The children in Reception love having the opportunity to use ICT in the classroom.

They have access to a range of technology, which helps develop general skills and extends their specific knowledge. So far this term they have used the Interactive Whiteboard to make firework pictures, selecting a night-sky background, and they have used pencils of different colours and sizes to create their designs.

Some of the children have enjoyed using the digital camera to take photographs

and videos and are learning how to direct the programmable ‘Bee-Bot’ to various places on a map. In the role play area the children have also used such technology as the digital microwave and telephone.

Year 2 have had great fun learning about recycling, reusing and reducing. They surveyed their families to see how environmentally friendly they were, and pleasingly they discovered that they were actually pretty good at recycling!

Toy Day As an introduction to their History topic “Toys”, Year 1 took part in a special Toy Day in September. Craig from ‘History off the Page’ captivated the children with his stories, which were interspersed with hands-on activities as the children got to investigate and play with a huge variety of toys from the past. The children looked at how the toys worked and considered what materials they were made from. They even became archaeologists as they carefully dug up several different toys and other objects from trays of soil and tried to sort them out into groups.

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The afternoon was spent being toy makers, and the children had a wonderful time creating their own toys to take home.

There were lots of ‘uurgh’ moments whilst investigating which materials rot. The children then explored how materials that do not rot can be reused to make some fantastic products for a secondary use. The children participated eagerly in some interesting discussions about how our wonderful world is changing due to the amount of rubbish and pollution around us. They were sensitive and aware of such issues and were horrified to see the affects of litter on our environment.

Hopefully, they will hold on to these values as they get older.

Life in Roman Times

Artist in Residence Blue Coat was delighted to welcome back environmental artist Stephen Whitehead to work with our Year 5 pupils. The children learnt how light can transform, enhance and become sculpture.

Stephen explained how an artist will make a maquette or small preliminary model prior to a commission. The children spent two fantastic days learning, designing and then creating their own light sculpture using solar-powered LED lights. They had to think about using a variety of materials of different textures and with differing degrees of opacity, such as tights, perspex and coloured tissue.

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It was then time to split into two armies and learn how to create an impregnable battle formation. Ensuring that no gaps were left open as they stood side by side interlocking their large shields, the children attempted the most famous of Roman formations, known as the tortoise or testudo. The ‘soldiers’ on the back lines had to hold their shields overhead for protection against falling arrows.

“I learnt that being an artist, you have to constantly try and try again. The workshop had great materials and all you need is your imagination.”

Aztec Adventure

Just before half term, Year 3 were visited by a Roman centurion resplendent in a bronze helmet, red tunica and goat-skin top, complete with chainmail armour. The children learnt about the protection this offered against the enemy, as well as the all-important weapons that every aspiring Roman soldier needed, such as the pilum, dagger and gladius.

Our visitor held the children’s attention with an entertaining presentation and a frightening-looking sword! Pupils were able to touch and try on parts of the armour, feeling its heavy weight and gaining an appreciation of how it would feel to go into battle.

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Abdullah

Year 4 pupils and staff were taken on an amazing Aztec adventure earlier on this term. As they entered the School Hall they were greeted by the sound of rhythmic music and the sight of a wonderful display of Mexican artefacts.

Over the next few hours they were to be transported across thousands of miles and back in time, hundreds of years, to a civilization very different from our own. The children experienced many of the traditions and ceremonies that were a part of the daily lives of the Aztecs. Some of the pupils had the opportunity to play on a range of musical instruments, whilst others dressed up in brightly-coloured cloaks and feather headdresses.

Meanwhile, back in Trinity, a wealthy Roman citizen was regaling the children with tales of ancient life. His listeners learnt about the indulgent lifestyles of the rich, which contrasted markedly with the daily chores that were carried out by their slaves. Naturally enough, one of the highlights of the day turned out to be a discussion on communal Roman toilets!

Lights, Camera, Action!

Computing lessons in Year 6 have been great fun this term, and have enabled the children to get creative with their writing skills, digital photography, green-screen video recording and editing, all to promote a day out at Warwick Castle. Some of the early lessons involved the children writing and editing their scripts and getting to grips with manipulating digital photos. They then recorded their scripts standing in front of a green screen and finally edited their two-minute promo using iMovie.

They learnt the tongue-twisting names of the many gods that were worshipped, how bloodthirsty sacrifices were carried out and the importance placed upon respecting the balance of nature.

It was a thrilling workshop, which really brought the lives of these fascinating people to life.

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Sign-up to the BCS App!

The possibility for the pupils to place themselves in front of the photos, as if they were actually delivering their scripts in the grounds of Warwick Castle, has been a constant fascination for the children – and provided much entertainment! They have had plenty of fun in post-production, where the editing tools in iMovie have certainly been used to their full potential.

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Prep-Prep Christmas Productions Reception and Transition Production – “Busy, Busy Bethlehem” The Reception and Transition classes performed a brilliant Christmas production called “Busy, Busy Bethlehem”. All the staff and children worked extremely hard to learn their songs, dances and lines, telling us the Christmas story from the point of view of four very busy Roman soldiers. The soldiers were extremely busy counting and organising crowds of people in Bethlehem. This was making them very cross and bossy until some special visitors – Mary and Joseph – arrived. Amazing events in a stable in Bethlehem made the soldiers think twice about what was important in life.

The children from the Transition classes made their Blue Coat stage debuts performing dances portraying busy townspeople, marching soldiers and twinkling stars. The Reception children took to the stage as market sellers, Bethlehem crowds and the Nativity characters, as well as providing sparkly musicians. We are very proud of the efforts of the children and thank all the staff involved for their hard work.

Year 2 Production – The Christmas Story The Year 2 Nativity, The Christmas Story, was a resounding success this year. Parents were thrilled as the children exuded confidence and enthusiasm on stage. The dancing, singing and acting were truly exceptional this year - and the children clearly enjoyed every moment!

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The Christmas Nativity is one of the highlights for staff, children and parents alike. This year it certainly surpassed expectations: congratulations go to all the Year 2 children on a most accomplished performance.

Year 1 Production – “Santa’s Lost His Hat!” Year 1 have worked with dedication in preparing for their Christmas play. In the midst of much excitement Santa is preparing to set off to deliver his presents to children across the world. Unfortunately, his hat is nowhere to be found! The elves set about searching for it, but the snowmen only have their own hats and the sleepy hedgehogs haven’t seen it either. Eventually Santa decides that he will have to set off without it, only to discover that he has been sitting on his hat all the time!

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Our audience were in for a festive treat as the children delighted with their clear delivery of lines and their enthusiastic acting and dancing. Songs were sung beautifully and the whole show certainly left everyone feeling full of Christmas spirit!

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Bushcraft After lots of hard work in preparation for the 11+ examinations at the beginning of term, our Year 6 Bushcraft trip was a welcome excuse to turn attentions to another type of mental challenge! The adventure took place in Dorset, along the spectacular Jurassic Coast. The fiveday residential saw children building their own safari-style woodland camp and relishing the opportunity to go back to nature, cooking over open fires and putting their bushcraft skills to good use. With strong links to the National Curriculum the week was jam-packed with exciting activities, encouraging the children to work as a team, as well as to challenge themselves individually.

Mustering up the confidence to launch themselves into the sea from a rocky outcrop known as ‘The Man of War’, an activity known as Coasteering, proved a challenge that had the children literally leaping out of their comfort zone. Initial trepidation conquered, a great sense of achievement was felt by all, and it proved one of the week’s most memorable experiences.

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An upward challenge was next on the agenda as the children set off for the ancient rock formations of Dancing Ledge, one of the country’s premier coastal climbing locations. Pupils were kitted out with climbing gear, and after a safety briefing they began the steep ascent, which reached some 15 metres at its highest point.

Sea legs established earlier on in the week, the children returned to the waters on board a small fishing boat to enjoy a mackerel fishing experience on day four. The mackerel proved elusive all morning, but as the day wore on the catch started to come in. Ruby was the most successful, catching three fish all at once and adding to a haul of 30 fresh mackerel destined for the BBQ! Other activities included canoeing along the River Wareham and crab fishing along the shore.

After four nights under canvas both the children and staff were ready to head home to creature comforts – but not before the opportunity for a 5km walk out to Studland Bay. Reaching the golden sand dunes of Knoll Bay across spectacular woodland and over heather-tufted heathland, our group arrived to the welcome sight of the Bushcraft team. After a hearty BBQ lunch and beach games, the coaches arrived and it was time to head back to Harborne. Well done to all the children who met many personal challenges along the way and tackled all the activities with such enthusiasm. A big thank you to our group leaders Mr Harrison, Mr Nicklin, Mrs Nordan, Mrs Barrowclift, Mrs Roberts and Mrs Mian.

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All the views were amazing! Fishing was fun to learn and exciting.

Edward

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My most memorable moment was when I reached the top of the rocks I climbed and jumped off the boulders into the sea.

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Sahana

Musical Notes “Loud organs His glory forth tell in deep tone” – a line from the great hymn ‘O Praise ye the Lord’. Our school organ underwent a significant overhaul and rebuild during the summer vacation, much to the excitement of Mr Browning, Mr Hardie, our School Organist and, of course, Mr Nicklin, our Director of Music. Over the past few years the poor organ has been sounding tired and quite wheezy. It was built in 1908, and last refurbished in 1982, so we felt it was time to give it some ‘TLC’. We are delighted with the results, and it was very exciting, shortly before half term, to welcome Mr David Dunnett, Organist and Master of the Music at Norwich Cathedral, to give the organ a run through its paces. Our Chapel organ is a fine instrument, and it will continue to help lead the singing in our Chapel services for many years to come.

Many of our pupils make music at a very high level both in and out of school. Several of our Chapel Choristers also sing as members of Birmingham Cathedral Choir. Others are members of the CBSO Children’s Choir, the National Children’s Choir and St Chad’s Cathedral Girls’ Choir.

Looking back over the calendar it is astonishing to see that we have enjoyed fifteen concerts, recitals or performances across Prep and Pre-Prep since September. Our choirs and instrumentalists have played to very enthusiastic and supportive audiences this term: long may this continue.

Our young musicians continue to make excellent progress. Lydia Jin, our Year 6 Music Scholar, recently passed her Grade 8 Violin exam achieving a Distinction. This is indeed an extraordinary achievement for a pupil of any age, and for a Year 6 pupil she is to be heartily congratulated. Lydia, along with a number of our other Scholars, has auditioned to be a member of the National Children’s Orchestra of Great Britain. At the time of going to print we are waiting anxiously to find out who has secured a place in this most prestigious orchestra.

Over the past few years our ‘Endangered Species’ Project has been flourishing. There is a national shortage of young bassoonists, oboists and French horn players, and so we have been doing our bit to encourage some brave souls to take up the mantle. Imagine therefore our excitement when, in the most recent Year 5 Morning Recital, we had three bassoonists performing on stage together. One bassoon is a rare sight, but three...!

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Music is in a healthy place at Blue Coat. It is without doubt that music enriches the mind and stimulates the soul. However, we are not resting on our laurels. As we strive to maintain the very highest of expectations and standards, we are very encouraged by the efficacy of our Music Scholarship programme. With scholarships available to pupils entering the school at 7+ and worth up to 25% of fees, the Scholars not only demonstrate the benefits of learning an instrument, but also reflect the Blue Coat School Values – courageously persevering when things are challenging, and respecting and appreciating each others’ hard work and dedication when playing or performing.

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Sports Round-Up Rugby The rugby season has proved a transitional time for both staff and pupils, as we have trialled, for the first time, the New Rules of Play for the U9 – U11 age groups before their mandatory implementation in September 2016.

Rugby training began in earnest in September with the boys refreshing key skills of handling, passing and tackling. A large number of pupils have enjoyed the freedom to run, pass and score tries. Some have relished the opportunity to tackle, but a number of boys still need to work on gaining confidence to tackle more consistently.

All the teams have acquitted themselves well in matches. The additional team practices after school have helped improve the standard of play and made our teams increasingly competitive on our sporting circuit.

The U11A rugby squad had the fantastic opportunity to take part in a Rugby Development Day at Warwick School. The school was also hosting the Japanese World Cup Squad and the boys got to meet some of them during the day.

for independent schools. Their success is thoroughly deserved, as both squads are skilful, determined and composed. Like their older compatriots, they are excellent role models for the U8s, who are learning the core skills of the game and have enjoyed playing in their House Matches and a fixture against Winterfold.

Swimming

After a morning of coaching delivered by Worcester Warriors and Warwick School, the afternoon was a festival played in groups. Our first game was a 7-0 win over Milverton House School, the second a thrillingly close match against Sibford where we converted a score line of a 2-0 loss to an eventual 3-3 draw, and the final game a defeat at the hands of a strong team from St. John’s Priory.

The U9, U10 and U11 swim teams have competed in two galas this term. The first was away at Bromsgrove School and was the chance for our U8s to make their debut performance. Despite some nerves they swam well and showed excellent sportsmanship. The girls displayed some stylish swimming to win most of their races, but tough competition from the Bromsgrove boys meant a loss overall.

Hockey

The second gala was on home ground, and both our A and B teams were a formidable force against Eversfield School. The As won 23 out of 27 races to finish in first place, with the Bs battling hard with the Eversfield A Team, finishing in third place. Congratulations to all our swimmers on their contributions this term!

With a full and extensive fixtures’ programme we have started to see the impact of extra squad practices. The U11 girls have put out four seven-a-side teams throughout a very busy and action-packed season.

They enjoyed victories over RGS The Grange, Hallfield and King’s Hawford, and a draw against Bromsgrove. The U11As played well in the IAPS Tournament, but unfortunately the exceptionally high standard of the other teams in our draw caught us by surprise, their defending and counter-attacking causing us to make an early exit!

The U11 A, B and C teams have all been equally impressive in their attitude and match play, and it has been good to see the fusion of the girls on the hockey pitch. They have worked well as teams, supporting each other in their development from match to match. Bravo!

The U10s and U9s have had a successful term, with both teams winning against King’s Hawford, Winterfold and Hallfield and the U10s reaching the semi-final in the RGS Worcester Tournament

In lesson time not only have the children been improving their strokes but we have also had an emphasis on fitness. ‘Swim Fit’ sessions have enabled children of all abilities to swim together to cover as many lengths of the pool as possible in a given time. The children have been amazed that when totalled up they have collectively swum in excess of a mile in 25 minutes and in some cases our more able groups have come closer to 150 lengths! It has given them both a sense of personal achievement and also the opportunity to see what can be achieved when working as a team.

Pupil Focus – Martial Arts Champions Ten-year-old Fintan has been invited to take part in the Junior World Jiu-Jitsu Championships in California! This is following a victory in the final of the European Championships on 21 November.

A fantastic achievement – congratulations, Fintan!

In another martial arts discipline, 7 year old Charlie recently won Silver at the British Taekwondo Championships and is another one to watch for the future!

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Don’t forget to share your successes with us – email dredgerjs@thebluecoatschool.com.

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The Friends of The Blue Coat School

We are delighted that The Friends continue to do a sterling job, organising a number of very enjoyable events throughout the academic year and fundraising for some much needed new equipment.

This year has been no exception, and in the calendar year to date they have already successfully raised in excess of £10,000 – a staggering achievement! With the help of these funds, we have been able to purchase a new minibus (which looks very smart in the School blue), ready for the start of the academic year. In September the newlyelected school officials climbed on board to head off to their training day at Kingham Hill School in Oxfordshire, and since then it has been used to transport teams to numerous away fixtures, as well as choir and other school outings.

With only a few weeks in between, it was on to the next event – the Christmas Fayre. A hugely popular pantomime-themed Santa’s Grotto attracted a long queue along the Viney Building corridor, and the children also enjoyed face painting, a coconut shy, Splat the Rat and much more. As the downpour continued our brave carollers, accompanied by Mr Browning, sheltered under the dripping awnings and got everyone into the Christmas spirit as they sang their medley of songs and carols. The Carols and Fizz Evening then provided a fitting end to a busy term and a chance to reflect on the fun and success of events so far. Thank you to all the parents and staff who have volunteered and worked tirelessly to support The Friends this term.

Another welcome addition has been the new tables and benches in the playground and a selection of outdoor games. The introduction of our new ‘Buddy Stop’ has offered a meeting place for members of Pre-Prep and is proving popular, as pictured by some of our School Council below.

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As we look forward to the New Year, The Friends would like to extend a warm welcome to any parents who would like to join the committee in 2016. Please email thefriends@thebluecoatschool.com if you would like to find out more.

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With plenty more projects in the pipeline, the term continued to be a busy one for The Friends. Though the inclement weather was a constant threat, in true Blue Coat spirit everyone kept calm and carried on! As the parents set up for the Firework Extravaganza, all fingers were crossed that it would be the rain that fizzled out and not the evening’s entertainment. Prayers were answered and a wonderful night was had by all, at a hugely successful evening, complete with Globot.

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Charity Check A BCS Record!

The Operation Christmas Child appeal was launched this year with an entertaining pantomime featuring Ernie the Enormous Christmas box, Erica the beautiful Christmas box and Elsie the plain cardboard box. Thanks go to our talented leads, Mr Harrison, Miss Patel and Mr Wurr! Their message was that a gift of love to someone who needs it is of greater value than size or expense. This clearly spurred our children on to filling their shoeboxes with some thoughtful and useful gifts. Not only were the shoeboxes assembled with care but the number of boxes donated this year broke a new school record!

At the final count we had surpassed the 400 mark and our Chapel Monitors took great pleasure in delivering 402 shoeboxes to the OCC warehouse on 27 November. Thank you to everyone for their support.

Children in Need On Friday 13 November, onesies galore and superheroes from galaxies far away could be seen around The Blue Coat School. It was not just an ordinary day – it was Children in Need Day! First off, the Prep children and staff assembled in the Sports Centre for an Inter-House Superhero Sporting Sensation.

Teachers and House Captains battled against each other over an obstacle course that included space hoppers, dodging sumo wrestlers, an acrobatic leap onto crash mats and shooting netball hoops. The second challenge was a Pudsey Bear drawing contest but using non-writing hands. When the final whistle blew Miss Crews announced a shared victory with every House a winner!

After morning lessons there was still another treat in store. As the clock struck 11.20am the School Hall started to fill; da da da, da da da dah … the theme tune to Strictly Come Dancing began to play; and everyone

took their positions. Lights, camera, action – yes, our very own film crew, Mr Nicklin, Mr Hill and Mr Isherwood, were on hand to capture the moment on film as ‘Blue Coat did Strictly’. Dancing over, the judges assembled on stage and the dancers waited with anticipation. The first paddle went up, then the second, third and fourth. It was tens all round from our judges and a maximum 40 points scored! Thank you to Mrs Redfern and Mrs Lynn for bringing the glitter ball to Blue Coat; great fun was had by all.

At the end of the day the girls of St Margaret’s and St Monica’s joined forces to host their own mini-market and cake decorating. Stalls included Bits and Bobs, Arts and Crafts, Sweets, Stationery, Guess the Sweets, Books and tea and biscuits for parents.

An incredible £560 was raised.

Well done girls!

Key Dates for Spring Term 2016 Term begins Wednesday 6 January at 8.30am Open Morning Saturday 23 January 10.00am to 12.30pm (Registration at 10am and 11am)

Prep Entrance & Music Scholarship Tests Thursday 4 February (Application deadline 28 January)

Half-Term Holiday (school closed) 15 - 20 February Term ends Thursday 24 March

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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 thebluecoatschool.com

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