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Animal Magic Meeting some animal friends and learning about their habitats. PAGE 6

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WINTER 2018

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outof theblue

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

Christmas Productions Pre-Prep take to the stage!

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From the study…

We look back with great pride at our achievements this term. Pupil numbers are at an alltime high, and this is largely due to the hard work of the staff in all their various departments. ‘Individually strong: unbeatable as one’ - this statement typifies the spirit here at BCS. This term has seen the School thrive in music, sport and of course the Pre-Prep Nativities. The standard that our children have reached in all these disciplines has been outstanding. Perhaps we tend to take for granted the pupils’ qualities of determination and resilience, but fun is an underrated factor. I have been especially gratified to see the enjoyment in all that they have undertaken and achieved. And now, in a period of gentle evolution, we are looking beyond the confines of the site. The School has developed an outreach programme, which has encouraged greater links with the community. Coupled with our state-of-the-art facilities, this programme has been a considerable benefit both to the teachers and to the learning of our children. I want to pay a warm tribute to our Year 6 cohort. I have been extremely proud of their work ethic. When we celebrated with hot chocolate at the end of term, I told them that whichever Senior School they go to, they will be lucky to have them. It is time to say goodbye to Chaplain, a stalwart of the School who will be much missed. We wish Ruth and her husband Alex a happy retirement. I am sure that Mrs Becky Drake will build on the great foundations that her predecessor has laid down when she joins us after Easter. May I wish you all a happy and peaceful Christmas holiday. Noel Neeson, Headmaster

Term Round-Up Returning to School in September, our eldest pupils were welcomed with a new home. ‘The Hub’ with its bright, new classrooms and common room-style seating was an instant hit. The Sports Centre had been significantly refurbished also, with two brand new multi-use studios, dry changing rooms and a new floor in the sports hall. These new facilities and much more were on show at a busy Open Morning at the end of September. Explorer, Alex Hibbert, introduced this year’s BCS Lecture Series and we were delighted that so many children were able to attend with their parents to hear a fascinating talk on his polar adventures, including training huskies and living amongst the Inuit people. Caitlin Liew, Lydia Chen, Henry de Bono, Boyi Li and Priyamvada Agarwal competed in the Junior Language Challenge semi-finals at Fairfield Prep. Having qualified in the first round of Spanish in the spring, the children had been learning Khmer (the official language of Cambodia) over the summer. Caitlin made it through to the finals in November, where she was tested in Kinyarwanda (the official language of Rwanda). Competing against the best linguists in the country, she finished 14th overall which was a great achievement in a competition which involves some 3,000 children - well done Caitlin! With the aid of the Prep staff pantomime team, Chaplain launched this year’s Operation Christmas Child Appeal. ‘Love in a Box’ was brought to life and Christmas came early at Blue Coat, with shoeboxes flooding in for our Harvest celebrations. Pre-Prep also collected donations for Quinton and Oldbury Food Bank.

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This term we celebrated some firsts. We welcomed Chad Vale School and Quinton Primary School for the first of our BCS Experience Days, a programme to share our teaching and facilities with local schools.

In the Spotlight We caught up with Mr Fogarty, Class Teacher of 2F, who joined Pre-Prep this term. Q. What is your favourite memory from this term? A. Genuinely all of it so far. I think particular highlights include the Harvest Festival and when Year 2 were visited by the Animal Man, complete with a very chatty parrot perching on my shoulder! Q. What was your favourite subject at school?

The first House Charity Day of the new academic year was organised by St. Monica’s girls in aid of Children in Need. The girls ran activities at break and lunchtime to encourage pupils to spend their pocket money and have fun for this worthy cause. Mr Nicklin took 34 children to the UK Choir Festival at Monmouth School to work with some of the best choir trainers and leaders in the country. Our children represented the School admirably at this prestigious event and caught the attention of one of the trainers, Ben Sawyer, who turned out to be a former pupil! Ben is a countertenor, conductor and founder member of the award winning male voice A-Cappella group, ‘The Songmen’. Blue Coat Old Scholars were in our minds again as we unveiled a centenary copper poppy installation in Chapel and displayed the BCS Roll of Honour from the Great War. Mrs Lambert-Green and Mrs Lynn led the whole school community in a commemorative project which is reported in more detail on pages 8 and 9. It was a moving preamble to Remembrance Day, and a truly special way to remember The Fallen.

A. English was an area I always enjoyed due to my love of reading, but Music was also a favourite. I play the guitar and was a one-time aspiring singer-songwriter before teaching came calling! Q. Do you have any funny anecdotes of things the children have said to you? A. I always remember a child when I taught in Reception telling his Mum adamantly that I was, in fact, the man who wrote the lyrics to Santa Claus is coming to town! I also had quite a streetwise 5-year-old I taught say “Ed Sheeran’s good, but he isn’t a patch on you, Mr F!”I think perhaps she was looking for opportunities to move up the zone board with that comment! Q. What do you like doing in your spare time? A. My daughter, Rose, turned two on December 3rd and, honestly, is the most fun and entertaining person I know, so I love spending time with her (and my wife!) I am a huge Birmingham City fan, which perhaps isn’t always enjoyable, but I like to watch them when I can. I love to read and I am also a bit of a self-confessed film buff. Q. What is your favourite Christmas movie and why? A. As a child, I loved Santa Claus The Movie with Dudley Moore, but you can’t go wrong with The Muppet Christmas Carol; and Nativity arguably sums up what it feels like to be a primary school teacher during the run up to Christmas!

In sport, the children have excelled and made the most of every opportunity. We hosted our first inter-school festivals in hockey and rugby which were a great success, and welcomed Wasps Rugby coaches to inspire our Year 5 with new skills to bring to the field. The England v Japan match at Twickenham also proved to be exciting and inspirational to our young spectators.

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Regrettably, strong winds and rain warranted the cancellation of The Friends’ Fireworks in spite of a sold-out event; however the team soon bounced back with enthusiasm and energy to organise a magical ‘Once Upon a Christmas’ Fayre and a much enjoyed Carols and Fizz Night. Thank you, as always, to our parents and volunteers for all that they give to the BCS family. The preparation behind these events is monumental and would not be possible without The Friends.

Languages Week Languages Week was embraced by the whole school who got to grips with a number of different languages one week in September. In a celebration of sharing, our Year 6 visited the Pre-Prep children and became their language teachers for the day, teaching them some simple French phrases and reading them a French story.

Beyond the classroom, pupils enjoyed taking part in a ‘European Flag Hunt’, and there was much discussion over lunch about the different foods eaten in our neighbouring countries as we enjoyed a themed menu across the week. Registration was taken in different languages, and many of the children who speak a language other than English were able to teach their teachers and classmates some phrases.

On Day 2 we opened up The Hub to a group of twenty Year 5 children from Chad Vale Primary School for our first BCS Experience Day. The children from Chad Vale were invited to be Language Detectives for the day, and they spent the morning practising and exploring the skills that they would need, so that in the afternoon they could intercept messages to stop a crime from taking place. The children were using several different European languages to undertake these tasks, and the focus of the day was on language learning skills. The week continued with a group of Year 5 children visiting Solihull School and learning Japanese. Initially they felt that beyond sushi and Pokemon their knowledge was limited but this soon changed as the children swiftly learned about the three different Japanese alphabets – hiragana (true Japanese), katakana (words of Western origin) and kanji (characters borrowed from Chinese). The children discovered that the Japanese write from top to bottom and right to left and found out that various English sounds don’t exist in Japanese! They had a go at writing their names in Japanese, tackled the art of calligraphy and tasted some Japanese snacks.

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Year 4 were taught to ‘danser comme les africains’ in a French African Dance Workshop with Louis, a French speaker from Cameroon. Year 4 had recently been learning about Francophone countries around the world and enjoyed trying on some traditional dress and make up.

The week ended with Les trois petits cochons, a Year 3 French storytelling workshop featuring Mr Nicklin’s guest appearance as Le Grand Méchant Loup (The Big Bad Wolf). What a rich, diverse, and rewarding experience - many thanks to all the staff and children for their enthusiasm and especially Mrs Newman for organising such a memorable and enjoyable week.

St. Monica’s House Charity Day for Children in Need St. Monica’s girls excelled themselves as they spent an industrious week making beautifully decorated Pudsey biscuits, bracelets, keyrings and other goodies to sell on their charity stalls for Children in Need. At half-term the girls also took on a “doing a good deed for Children in Need challenge” and earned sponsorship for household chores and other good deeds. beary-puns, we groaned and laughed at the light-hearted moments which saw our Year 6 bears attempt to eat a honey sandwich as fast as possible from the end of a string, but of course the serious side, and the reason for all the fundraising, was clearly articulated. At break and lunchtime, the School Hall and Quad were a hive of activity, from speed bounces, to pin the patch on Pudsey’s eye, to digging for treasure or guessing the number of sweets in a jar and balloons in a car. Lunchtime even saw the additional attraction of Nicksey the Guide Dog – the competition to guess his weight was a little overshadowed by the competition to stroke him! A number of parents joined us, to offer a range of games, and stylish hair colours were sported for the afternoon… all in all, there was much to tempt the parting of pennies for this worthy cause!

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At the end of the day the Boardroom was fragrant with the sweet smell of sugar, as the crowds arrived for a charity cake sale. Everyone went home with a smile on their faces and eager to follow the Appeal on the BBC that night. Thank you to everyone for supporting St Monica’s Charity Day which raised a fantastic £3,055.04.

Sunshine yellow and spots galore signalled the first House Charity Day was underway as the Blue Coat gates were entered by furry and spotty onesie-clad children! Gathering in the School Hall, our Prep children listened to the girls of St. Monica’s as they took us through a special assembly on the Children in Need Appeal. With plenty of

Classroom Connection The Great Outdoors Transition took advantage of the good weather and enjoyed plenty of outdoor learning including sound and listening walks, looking for shapes in the environment, playing on bikes and scooters to practise their gross motor skills, as well as finding conkers and leaves to use for craft and exploration. Meanwhile Reception have been developing their curiosity, imagination and creativity during their first Forest School sessions with Mr Isherwood.

Early Beginnings of The Blue Coat School This term Year 1 have been learning about the history of The Blue Coat School. They tried on some old uniform and found it was much heavier and more constricting than the uniform of today but the consensus was that it looked very smart!

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The children learned that the school first opened on Colmore Row next to St Philip’s Cathedral and was founded as a Charity School for the poor of Birmingham. The School was supported by ‘Subscribers’ who sponsored children, often orphans, to receive an education. In the early days, pupils attended from 9 to 14 years. The boys would be placed out as apprentices from the age of 12 years onwards and the majority of girls would go on to work as domestic servants. One of the most notable subscribers was George Fentham. He supported a large number of pupils who were identified with green coats as opposed to the blue coats.

After learning the Forest School rules, they enjoyed searching for straight and curvy sticks then using them to make wavy lines, shapes and letters. They also had to hunt for four different coloured worms, make necklaces out of natural materials, and build homes for the wildlife. A special treat was to have a hot chocolate around the fire pit! At the end of term Buttons spent time in Forest School visiting the Live Nativity.

Animal Magic Year 2 children enjoyed a wonderful visit from Steve, the Animal Man. The children overcame their fears and held huge snakes, got up close to meerkats and skunks and even had the chance to kiss a huge frog! They learned a lot about the different habitats the animals lived in and where in the world they would be found. It was an experience that the children will no doubt remember for a long time!

When Year 3 Met Two Cavemen One morning in October, Year 3 began their day in the strangest of fashions. Upon walking into the hall, they were greeted by two very friendly Stone Age cavemen! Communication was a little hard at first as our ancestors spoke in their mother tongue of grunts but luckily enough Oliver and Daniel soon became accustomed to our English language. They explained what it would have been like to live in the different periods of the Stone Age, from the Neolithic civilization (those who first discovered that placing food on a fire would allow it to cook properly) to the Mesolithic era (the people who lived through the disastrous Ice Age). The children had the opportunity to dress like a Stone Age civilian and discovered how difficult it would have been to be wrapped head to toe in a boiling hot animal skin! In making their own replica of a Stone Age fat lamp which would have been used to ward off wild animals, the children began to develop a real sense of empathy for those who had lived during this era of no electricity, ovens or safe places to sleep at night.

Chocolate, Chewing Gum and other Delights Ask any of our Year 4 whether they would have liked to have been a child in Aztec times and we are sure their response will be negative – children who were naughty in Aztec schools had their heads shaved so that everyone knew! The Aztecs certainly had some ‘interesting’ ways to discipline their children, but we can forgive them as they also gave us chocolate, chewing gum, avocado, pineapple and turkey to name just a few. Thank you to Mexicolore who provided Year 4 with a comprehensive insight into the lives and times of the Aztec people and Aztec daily life including their gods, their love of music, their weapons and games.

Professor McGinty’s Time Travelling Machine It was not only Year 3 who were travelling back in time this term. Year 6 went back to 492 BCE with the help of Professor McGinty’s Time Travelling Machine. This was a whirlwind adventure through Ancient Greece involving much humour and laughter, along with a wealth of information and fascinating facts about daily life, education, Gods, temples and battles. It was a valuable opportunity for pupils to handle artefacts, dress up and experience writing on wax tablets with a stylus.

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Absolutely amazing. Funny, mind-blowing and of course, a great experience. We learnt so much about Greek Gods, clothing and traditions. A really good day!

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The rain lashed down, the wind howled, the owls hooted, and our Year 5 were transported to the wilds of the Scottish moors, Great Birnam Wood and High Dunsinane Hill. Greeted by those weird sisters and the crazy content of their cauldron, the children sat mesmerised as they enjoyed a performance of Macbeth by The Young Shakespeare Company. In an enchanting and engaging workshop, the actors encouraged many of our children to take on roles and participate with lines and actions. Over the course of the afternoon, Macbeth’s ill-fated journey from a brave and loyal soldier to ambitious, murderous King was revealed. Who would have thought such a dark tale could be so captivating? This classic tale of greed, ego, ambition and morality gave our Year 5 children much to think about as they embarked on an exciting study of the play.

Zuhair

“Double, Double Toil and Trouble…”

We Will Remember Them The whole school community has been involved in a very special Copper Poppy Centenary Project to mark 100 years since the end of World War One. The project was the brainchild of Mrs Lambert-Green and Mrs Lynn, who, together with Artist-in-Residence, Stephen Whitehead, created a commemorative installation of 2018 copper poppies. Back in September, Mr and Mrs Neeson were the first to don goggles and ear defenders before taking up the hammer to strike at the copper form and produce the first limited edition poppy. This demonstration was followed by several industrious weeks, recording progress on a giant Poppy-o-meter. Amongst WWI memorabilia, the children were shown a Roll of Honour from the Blue Coat Archives which lists 109 pupils that served in the first half of the Great War. Amongst them we remember two fallen soliders. Private George William Kite, 9235, 2nd Battalion, King’s Shropshire Light Infantry died on 08 January 1915, age 26. George was a Blue Coat pupil from 1875 to 1879 and is remembered at Menin Gate Memorial, Ypres. Also remembered with honour at the Arras Memorial is Sergeant Arthur Bath, 32512, 12th Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment who died on 08 May 1917, age 32. Arthur was a pupil from 1896 to 1899.

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Pre-Prep decorated their poppies with red glitter, felt and paper whilst Prep ‘bashed’ their poppy petals to add texture and shape. At the heart of each poppy is a Blue Coat button and each is stamped with a unique number to accompany a certificate of authentication. Pupils, Old Scholars, parents and staff have been involved and each took home a poppy, whilst many additional poppies were sold to raise money for the Royal British Legion. We were delighted to welcome Staff Sergeant Alan Woodland, Royal Military Police, and Katrina Hutton, Deputy Poppy Appeal Officer to view our installation and to talk to some of the children about the work of the Legion, as well as Alan’s memories of serving in the Falklands War.

Peaceful Poppies Peaceful Poppies grow and grow In the fields, row by row; Lives given to set us free, War is gone for eternity. 100 years, since the war ended, After that, the poppies ascended, The soldiers descended And the relationship was mended.

In a poignant week of commemoration leading up to our Remembrance Service led by Reverend Dr Nick Tucker, the children visited the Chapel to view the installation and were inspired to put their thoughts down in a memory book as well as to write some most moving poetry.

This year we look to raise the bar higher We made some poppies for all to admire, To reflect on the war behind us: Now to live in peace is a must. By Lemuel Adjei and Adam Bashir

The Heroes of World War One You are the heroes of World War One. Because of you war has gone, Because of you peace has won. You are the heroes of World War One. You left your loved ones behind, So you could fight for all mankind. We are full of endless gratitude, As you fought with fearless attitude. You sacrificed everything for me, So that I could live here peacefully. Because of you war has gone. You are the heroes of World War One. Our future you did protect, For this we shall never forget. Because of you peace has won. You are the heroes of World War One. I am grateful to the brave men and women who worked together to change our world forever.

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Ishani Shah

Christmas Productions Transition and Reception – ‘Prickly Hay’ The six Transition and Reception classes worked extremely hard learning songs, actions, dances and speaking parts for their Christmas production, ‘Prickly Hay’. The story begins with Sam and Sally the hardworking stable hands, trying to keep the stable clean and the hay fresh for all the animals in the stable – a very smelly job! However, as crowds gather in Bethlehem for the census and the inns fill up, some very special visitors are shown to the stable. Gradually, as the miraculous events of the night unfold, Sam starts to realise his worth – with a little help from his friend Sally. The performance ended with a rousing song called Christmas Is For You which was enthusiastically performed by all the children. Many thanks to our wonderful actors and all the staff involved for their huge effort in producing such a marvellous Nativity.

Year 1 – ‘Santa’s Setbacks’ It’s the most wonderful time of the year…and Year 1 have most certainly embraced the seasonal spirit! They have busied themselves singing, dancing and avidly rehearsing in preparation for their Christmas performance of ‘Santa’s Setbacks’. The play begins outside the workshop. Unfortunately, the seat of Santa’s sleigh is broken and with Christmas fast approaching, the elves are worried whether or not they will be able to fix it in time for him to deliver the presents to all the boys and girls. Meanwhile, poor old Rudolph is suffering with a really bad cold and can’t stop sneezing. Fortunately, the nurse is trying her best to ensure that he will be well enough to lead Santa’s sleigh. On top of all that excitement, a blizzard begins to rage… will Santa manage to brave his way through all of the obstacles facing him?

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The audience were treated to dancing elves, snowflakes and snow people and the children spoke with expression, clarity and confidence. Well done, Year 1, and thank you for your relentless enthusiasm and determination!

Year 2 – ‘Love Has Come’ ‘Love Has Come’ is a Nativity play featuring the classic elements we all know and love, but with some slight additions, ranging from the sunglasses-wearing Wise Men (with one who thinks he is a bit too wise!) to a particularly forceful King Herod!

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The story of Mary and Joseph’s journey to the stable on the first Christmas day is told following a child asking their two particularly stressed out parents “Why exactly do we celebrate Christmas?” The play was full of Christmas cheer and the children rightfully deserved the rapturous applause and plaudits they received. Well done, Year 2!

Sports Round Up Cross Country The early morning training sessions in the cold and dark are back in action and the pupils’ hard work and dedication has certainly paid off with some fantastic individual and team performances this term. The UIIs competed at Abberley Hall for the first time over a stunning two kilometre course with a few nasty hills to challenge our pupils. Both teams did extremely well with Will Smallwood and Bea Neeson finishing first and Phoebe Jones close behind in second. This set the girls up well and strong performances by all our runners saw the girls finish comfortably in first place.

Both the U9s and U11s were in action at the RGS meet involving over 12 schools. Again Blue Coat ran extremely well and all our teams finished in the top three, with the U11 girls victorious again! Notable individual performances: Oliver Smith (1st), as well as Will Smallwood (3rd) and James Longworth (6th), both competing a year above their age group. For the girls it was another strong performance from Bea Neeson (2nd) and Phoebe Jones (4th) backed up by Indira Singh and Storm Henshaw both finishing in the top 12. Safia Mughal also came an impressive 11th, again competing a year up.

Swimming Blue Coat swimmers have participated in five inter-school galas and one invitational meet this term. We have fielded U8, U9, U10 and U11 A and B swimming teams, testament to the strength and depth we now possess as a school. The highlight of the term was our performance for the second consecutive year at the King Henry’s Invitational. Joined by Warwick, Solihull, Eversfield, King Henry’s and Balsall Common schools, we were swimming against the best teams across the West Midlands.

The U10 and U11 Boys won in their age groups and consequently were overall boys’ champions! Our U10 and U11 Girls also competed well to finish second overall. A special mention goes to Samuel Tan who broke the Blue Coat Junior record for 25m Breaststroke and 25m Butterfly, with the latter being held since 2008. Also, to Harry Forty for breaking the 25m Backstroke Junior School record this term.

Rugby The term comprised of some traditional fixtures and entries to new and exciting tournaments. The U8s had a superb run up to Christmas against King Henry VIII and Warwick, whilst the U11s have remained consistent and played competitively every week. It took time for the U11s to come up to the physical speed of the game; the robustness in the tackle and direct running shell shocked them, however they improved significantly winning all four games at a mini tournament at Wolverhampton Grammar Junior School, winning away against Bromsgrove Bs, and under tricky, cold conditions at Warwick School Rugby Festival. We have seen Michael Ogunlola and Ashley Jindu really carry the ball to the opposition; their strength has created space for the likes of Oliver Smith and William Brett to open up and attack.

The U10s show enormous promise. Many play outside of school and this shows with their teamwork and understanding of the game. Fixtures have become increasingly tougher, with Bromsgrove and Solihull inflicting the only defeats of the season. At the Moseley Festival on a Sunday they won every game. Freddie Trevis has developed into an all rounder with game knowledge and leadership, whilst Will Smallwood utilises his speed to attack space with some fantastic line breaks, and John Meering has become our rock defender. Participation in a national tournament at Winchester House, Brackley provided further experience for the boys. The U9s have really enjoyed the additional contact element of rugby. Samuel Hodges and Jai Lewis have shone in getting physical and making crunching tackles and our two fantastic A and B teams are to be commended. There were some tough challenges against Eversfield and King Henry VIII, but most pleasing were away victories against Wolverhampton Grammar and closely fought games with Winterfold A, B and C teams. The season ended with an away festival at King’s St Alban’s and hosting our own BCS Rugby Festival.

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The U8s are now ready to compete against other schools after training together in small groups. For some, the challenge has been to get used to the tag belt and understand the rules of when to tackle and the direction of the pass. However, with some of our pupils playing club rugby, and demonstrating top athleticism, our Year 3 cohort offer much promise.

Hockey

Football

Our U8 Girls all participated in a festival held at BCS whilst two teams played in a tournament at RGS The Grange. In the spirit of a festival, no official scoring was recorded, but our girls did not lose a match and one team did not even concede a goal. A special mention to Susie Tomlinson and Daisy Whitehouse for being the stand-out players.

The U11 boys showed true character and grit to come back from a shaky start to reach the final of the Aston Villa Regional Football Tournament held at school on 16th October. The first game against Hallfield was a great lesson in how to be resilient; they were leading 1-0 with four minutes to go but they then conceded a goal which led to a team meltdown and a chastening 5-1 defeat. However, the team regained their composure and won all their other group games with William Brett scoring a couple of fantastic goals. Ashley Jindu was excellent at the back snuffing out any threat on goal. They managed to reach the semi-final where a solitary goal saw us beat West House in a tight encounter.

The U9s have had lots of opportunities to play with more matches and festivals being played than in previous years. In a mixed season the As lost only two matches and great strength and ball control were shown by Alexandra Souter and Anoushka Hart. The Bs conceded only one game and the Cs were unbeaten.

The final was again a tense affair where Hallfield could have been 2 or 3 up but for the brilliance of Kieran O’Reilly in goal. This time though the team held its nerve and got back on level terms just before half time. Both teams had chances to win it in the second half but a draw was probably a fair result. Penalties, whilst being very exciting, is a cruel way to end football matches for children of this age and so it proved for us this time. Happily however, in coming second, BCS have qualified for the Final to be played in January.

Many of our U10s now play outside of school and this has contributed to an ever improving squad. Again every girl in the year group has played in a competitive match against another school as well as participating in inter-school matches. The As enjoyed significant wins over Solihull and Eversfield with Indira Singh and Emily Whitehouse playing beyond their years. The Bs have also only lost one match this term and this was against an U10 A side. The C and D teams have had mixed results but they are all pushing each other for places so the drive to succeed and improve is very much evident. The U11 girls are growing in their knowledge and game play with significant wins over Bromsgrove, King’s St Alban’s and RGS The Grange. The U11 As have not lost an inter-school match all term and came third at the Prep Schools’ Tournament. Kate Stockton and Bea Neeson have proven to be the most valued members of the team this term.

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Boys’ Hockey is now up and running and this term every boy has played during their PE lessons. Twenty boys played at KES against U12 Boys. Looking ahead, they will play fixtures against Foremarke Hall, KES and Hallfield in the Lent term.

Musical Notes Pre-Prep pupils began the academic year exploring different musical genres including hip-hop and jazz. Harvest songs then became their main focus, culminating in a wonderful Harvest service. We still hear the children humming Cabbages Fluffy through the corridor, despite the advent of the festive season! The children worked incredibly hard to develop their singing and performing skills and their Christmas productions were not only to a fantastic standard, but also, most importantly, showed the children’s buzzing enthusiasm and enjoyment. Well done, Pre-Prep! Prep musicians have also had an extremely busy few months. A group of singers from the Senior and Chapel Choirs enjoyed singing workshops from some of the finest choral leaders at the UK Choirs’ Festival in Monmouth in October.

Our Music Scholars performed to a packed house in a new addition to our recital programme. Without a doubt, this recital was superb and showcased a standard of musicianship of the highest order. Playing in front of the whole of Prep, the children demonstrated a very professional stage presence and communicated real emotion through their music. The children performed again in the evening in front of friends and family; breath-taking! Senior Choir continues to go from strength to strength under the expert direction of Mrs Happ. The Choir sang carols to welcome Pre-Prep parents to their Nativity performances, and thrilled the crowds at the Christmas Fayre, carolling in full voice (wearing their Santa hats of course!) Our Junior Choirs are making a wonderful sound too; this bodes well for the up-coming Lower School Production of ‘What a Knight!’

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Chapel Choir, with its Year 5 probationers now fully-fledged members, sang carols to staff and patients at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital early in December, an event which was even live-streamed on Facebook by the hospital! The Christmas Concert was such fun too. As ever, our ensembles wowed the audience with well-rehearsed and very musical performances. Thank you to the Visiting Music Teachers (VMTs) who work their magic every week to attain excellent standards. We also welcome Miss Rita Schindler, our new Harp teacher. Miss Schindler is Head of Harp Studies at The Royal Birmingham Conservatoire; what a treat for our young harpists!

With the support of the VMTs more than 130 pupils have performed in our Prelude Concert and Morning Recitals’ programme this term. These platforms provide an invaluable opportunity not only to ‘concert-harden’ a piece of music one might be learning, but they also provide the chance to share our music with a friendly and encouraging audience.

As we go to print, the last notes of the Prep Carol Service are still echoing in our ears. For our illustrious Chapel Choir, this year it was tinged with sadness as they sang for the last time for Chaplain. We wish Mrs Elphinston every blessing in her retirement. Also, after four years, we say farewell to Mr David Hardie, our School Organist. Mr Hardie has been appointed as Director of Music at Birmingham Cathedral, and his support to the Chapel Choir and Choral Society has been greatly appreciated. Mr Ashley Wagner will join us in January as our new Organist.

The Friends of The Blue Coat School

It was the grown-ups turn to enjoy a Christmas event as the Carols and Fizz evening signalled the end of term was near. As we set our sights on the new year, The Friends look forward to sharing their plans for a new Camping and Activity Weekend at Cannock Chase as well as the return of the ever popular Friends’ Quiz Night, Coffee and Conversation mornings and children’s discos.

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The children in Pre-Prep and Prep have benefited from new resources thanks to funding from The Friends. The adventure trail was an instant hit and the new Outdoor Classroom situated next to the Blue Coat garden will be a great space for the outdoor learning curriculum headed up by Mr Isherwood. Classroom II is already under construction next to Forest School. A lacrosse kit has been purchased for Years 5 and 6’s TED sessions next term and proceeds from a Uniform Sale held in October were used for the Prep Christmas Panto. Thanks to The Friends, Year 2 enjoyed a visit from the Animal Man with the Pre-Prep Gym becoming a temporary home to a baby python, meerkats, a hedgehog, a kingsize frog, a skunk and much more, as the children overcame their fears and got up close and personal with the animals!

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In addition to arranging social events for the BCS family and raising money for school projects, The Friends have chosen to support Open Door Counselling as their nominated charity for this year. This local charity offers a free and confidential counselling service to young people in Birmingham. Proceeds from the raffle at Carols and Fizz will be donated, along with other fundraising throughout the remainder of the academic year.

To much chagrin, the first major event of the term was cancelled due to the inclement weather. This was extremely frustrating and disappointing as all the Fireworks’ tickets had sold out and the evening was eagerly anticipated on the children’s return from halfterm. Not to be deterred, our trusty team of Friends threw themselves into Christmas preparations with renewed enthusiasm and energy. The result was a very successful Christmas Fayre on Saturday 1 December. The new appointment system for Santa meant that the children could spend more time enjoying the entertainment and also visiting the new Secret Shop to buy a present for Mummy or Daddy, or both. The ‘Once Upon a Christmas’ grotto was spectacular and created a magical setting for our young visitors. Thank you to all our parents and staff for helping to wrap presents, dress trees, man stalls, set up and tidy up, and generally make the event such a success.

We welcomed Andrew Hodge as the new Chair of The Friends. Andrew Andrew Hodge, has been a member of the committee Chair of The Friends for several years and has stepped up to lead the team in place of our outgoing Chair, Corinna Gregory. Corinna’s daughter Flora has now moved on to senior school but we hope to see them both back at future events - this time as participants rather than the organisers! A huge appreciation goes to Corinna for all her dedication and commitment during her time at Blue Coat.

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Charity Check Operation Christmas Child It was only September but the children of Blue Coat were humming Christmas tunes and getting into the festive spirit. Why so early you ask? Answer: It was time to launch this year’s Operation Christmas Child Appeal! Chaplain worked her magic with her willing band of Prep staff, who as always were not ones to shy away from a little dressing-up! Our very own pantomime team brought to life the story of the Good Samaritan and we were reminded how our ‘Love in a Box’ can bring joy to many children who would otherwise go without. We were delighted to send 445 shoeboxes away this year. The Chapel Monitors helped to load up the collection van, along with some assistance from Mr Neeson and the Chair of Governors. They also enjoyed a visit to the sorting depot to help the volunteers check the shoeboxes before they were sent overseas.

Key Dates for Lent Term 2019 Term begins Tuesday 8 January Open Morning Saturday 26 January 9.30 am to 12.00 noon (Registration at 9.30 am and 10.30 am)

7+ and 8+ Entrance Test External Music Scholarship Auditions Tuesday 5 February Application deadline 28 January Music Scholarship Auditions for current pupils Wednesday 6 February Application deadline 28 January

Half-Term holiday begins Monday 18 February Term resumes Monday 25 February Term ends Friday 5 April

THE BL UE

BIRMING HA M

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The Blue Coat School, Somerset Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham B17 0HR S

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

Telephone 0121 410 6800 Email info@thebluecoatschool.com Website thebluecoatschool.com

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