The Beacon Bulletin - Autumn Term 2023

Bulletin

Beacon Life Highlights | Autumn Term 2023

Proud Performance

OUR BOYS EXCELLED IN ALL AREAS OF SCHOOL LIFE DURING THE AUTUMN TERM, FROM CHRISTMAS SHOWCASES AND ACADEMIC CHALLENGES TO SUCCESS ON THE SPORTS FIELD. A PROUD PERFORMANCE ALL ROUND.

WELCOME

Headmaster’s Welcome As we enter a New Year in 2024, the common tradition is to set resolutions and targets for the coming 12 months. We do this, of course, and the best schools are always ‘in development’ but we must never miss the opportunity to reflect and celebrate all that has gone before. The Beacon School in Autumn Term 2023 was a term to remember with a whole array of academic, sporting, musical, creative and dramatic endeavours, reaching new heights of success from our ever

enthusiastic and imaginative boys. I salute them all and encourage them to keep a copy of this ‘Bulletin’ for years to come, acting as a valuable reference point for those ‘Golden Years’ when they were at School; Autumn Term 2023 was the very best example of the breadth of opportunity and experience that The Beacon provides.

And my personal New Year’s Resolution for 2024 at The Beacon?

I have nothing specific but ‘better

never stops’ and together with our ever thoughtful, flexible, inventive, aspirational and humourous people, we have plenty of plans and ideas to make this year even more memorable than the last.

Enjoy the Spring Term, Nick Baker Headmaster

Mr Baker with the newly appointed Head Boy team, September 2023

"The Beacon School in Autumn Term 2023 was a term to remember with a whole array of academic, sporting, musical, creative and dramatic endeavours, reaching new heights of success from our ever enthusiastic and imaginative boys." - Nick Baker, Headmaster

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Contents

Issue 7 | Autumn 2023

Upfront 06 Christmas Festivities - Prep School Carol Services - Pre-Prep Performances - Singing at Chesham Bois Manor Care Home 08 Beacon Remembers A breathtaking installation and Service was held

06 Be Inspired

Be Kind

Be Creative

Be Challenged

12 Book Worms A host of renowned Authors visit The Beacon

20 The Beacon Cup of Kindness Winners of the Cup

14 Immersive Learning - WW2 Day - Ancient Egyptian Day - Roman Feast

22 Charities at The Beacon The whole School comes together to show support various Charities

26 Food Glorious Food - Craving Crumble - Exploring Plant-Based Proteins - Caribbean Lunch - Star Bakers

32 Sporting Success Rugby, Football, Swimming and CrossCountry highlights

16 Beacon Life: Be Inspired - Sensational Senses - Rise and Shine - Celebrating Diwali - Head Boy Team - The Beacon Podcast

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28 Beacon Life: Be Creative - Green Fingers - Painting Animals - Street Artist Inspiration - Bayeux Style Tapestry

34 Beacon Life: Be Challenged - Merchant Taylors' School Maths Challenge - Andrew Jobbings Senior Kangaroo 2023 - STEM - Seeing Cells - Portland House Win - Science Bubbles - Learning about Space

The Beacon Chesham Bois, Amersham, Buckinghamshire, HP6 5PF Registered Charity number: 309911

Upcoming Open Events Open Morning Friday 10 May 2024 (09:00 – 11:00)

Admissions admissions@beaconschool.co.uk 01494 432764

Private Visits and Tours To book a private tour please email admissions@beaconschool.co.uk

REGISTER NOW

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32 Be Confident

Be Adventurous

Be Prepared

Be Together

40 Taking to the Stage - Peter Pan - Harvest Festivals - Instrumental Groups Concert

48 Venturing Out of School - Blenheim Woods - Hazard Alley - Battlefields Trip - Outdoor Learning

52 Beacon Life: Be Prepared - Balancing Budgets - Discovering Languages - Senior Schools Information Event - Open Morning - Beacon X ISEB Course - Welcome Marie

56 Beacon Life: Be Together - School Council - School Council Boxes - Pre-Prep Reading Initiative - Developments at The Beacon - Beacon Parents' Society

44 Beacon Life: Be Confident - Balloon Debate - Street Dance Workshop - Hello Mr Baker

58 All Merry and Bright - Christmas Celebrations - Elfie Activities 60 Alumni News News from our Beacon Alumni Community

Acknowledgments The Beacon Bulletin would like to thank: Kerry Inch, Marketing Manager Laura Marshall, Senior Marketing Assistant Ellie Geddes, Marketing & Social Media Assistant Charlotte Buswell, Head of Development Kathryn Grudgings, PA to Headmaster The Beacon Bulletin, Autumn Term 2023.

All rights reserved.

Old Beaconians Please send all your news and Old Beaconian queries to: alumni@beaconschool.co.uk 01494 736172

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Look out for the flame icon for further information on our website, beaconschool.co.uk

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UPFRONT

Christmas Festivities The final few weeks of the Autumn Term were filled with performances and festivities; our Beacon Community was certainly in the Christmas spirit!

Prep School Carol Services We were delighted to host our annual Carol Service at King's Church in Amersham as a celebration with our Beacon Community to end the Autumn Term. The afternoon began with the Lower School Service followed by a joint Middle School and Upper School Service.

Read the full story and view images.

Above: Upper & Middle School Carol Service Left: Lower School Carol Service

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UPFRONT Nursery perform their Christmas Showcase

Above: Some of our Reception Narrators ready for their Nativity.

Right: Year 2 Christmas Showcase

Pre-Prep Performances Our Little Beacons showcased their talent by charmingly singing various Christmas songs, whilst wearing some fantastic animal costumes. The Reception Nativity was equally as heartwarming, with all the boys delivering the performance with confidence and enthusiasm. Our Year 1 Nativity performance brought to Year 1 Nativity in full flow

life the story of baby Jesus with all the boys reciting their lines well and singing beautifully. Lastly, the Year 2 Christmas showcase was a true spectacle, with all boys displaying their inner musician and wonderful stage presence. All our Beacon boys enjoyed spreading plenty of festive joy to their families in the audience.

SINGING AT CHESHAM BOIS MANOR CARE HOME Our Upper School Beacon Voices were excited to spread some festive joy at a special visit to Chesham Bois Manor Care Home. Accompanied by a Peri Music Teacher playing the organ, the boys sang several traditional Christmas carols and songs, all of which the residents enjoyed singing along to.

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UPFRONT

Beacon Remembers

Our Beacon Community came together to commemorate Remembrance Day with our annual Remembrance Service led by Mr Baker, Year 8 boys and our Heads of Houses.

As a community, The Beacon also crafted and installed a stunning poppy display of over 3,000 individual poppies, handmade by our staff, teachers and pupils which was draped over School House for the duration of a week.

In the classroom, our younger Beacon boys learnt about Remembrance Day. They were reminded of the importance of wearing red poppies and got creative with unique poppymaking techniques, from paper plate paintings to stained glass window designs, and even decorating biscuits to resemble poppies.

View our reel.

Read the full story and view images.

The Beacon School House

Front Left to Right: Teachers help to make poppies in the Staff Room; Headmaster Nick Baker gets involved; The Beacon Remembrance Service

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Book Worms The Beacon have been proud to welcome many well renowned authors, sparking a love of books, creativity and learning for the boys.

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Jack Meggitt-Phillips

Karl Nova

Sam Copeland

Years 3 to 6 discovered the secrets of imaginative storytelling with author Jack Meggitt-Phillips in his 'Writing With Beasts' workshop. We were delighted to welcome such a talented writer to the school; there certainly were plenty of laughs coming from the Spinney Theatre!

Years 3 to 8 were treated to an author visit in celebration of National Poetry Day. Karl Nova is an extremely talented man who captivated every boy with his story about his journey in life.

Our boys in Early Years had an exciting visit from the renowned Author, Sam Copeland. The boys sat enthralled as he shared his new book. They took part in various engaging activities and watched a step-by-step tutorial on how to draw the bear in the book.

Read the full story and view images.

Read the full story and view images.

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Adam Kay

Julia Jarman

Mr Owen's Pocketbook

Years 3 to 8 had an unforgettable afternoon with a visit from BAFTAwinning, multimillion-bestselling author, TV writer, and performer, Adam Kay and his Illustrator, Henry Paker.

Julia Jarman spoke to the Year 7 boys currently studying her book 'Hangman'. The discussion ranged from her childhood identification with the character of writer Jo March in the children's classic 'Little Women' to her own process as a writer. They were particularly fascinated to hear the story of the 'real' Danny in 'Hangman' and how Julia blended fact with fiction to create her hard-hitting novel about the effects of bullying in school.

Year 8 experienced a captivating performance taking them on an educational journey through profound WW1 poetry and the messages behind the literature, some of which they studied in English throughout the term.

The duo shared some hilarious fun facts and showcased some incredible illustrations that had everyone giggling.

Read the full story and view images.

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Immersive Learning

WW2 Day Year 5 embarked on an incredible journey back in time for a hands-on and immersive World War 2 Day! The corridors and classrooms were transformed into a living history museum as our young historians delved into the era, showcasing their creativity and enthusiasm.

Read the full news story and view images

Year 5 boys in full WW2 attire making badges and ID cards.

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Ancient Egyptian Day Year 3 enjoyed taking part in an Ancient Egyptian Day by getting into costume for an immersive day at school. The Spinney Theatre was transformed into the tomb of an Egyptian pharaoh and the boys were treated to an interactive performance, followed by two workshops that further enriched their learning.

Read the full story and view images.

Above: Year 3 Egyptians.

Far Left: Proudly showing his personally designed scroll.

Left: Immersive workshop.

"The Spinney Theatre was transformed into the tomb of an Egyptian pharaoh and the boys were treated to an interactive performance."

Roman Feast Our Year 4 boys went on a culinary adventure back in time, diving into the fascinating Roman culture and sampling the authentic food they ate, including feta, olives, grapes, fish and vegetables. The boys also enjoyed making their very own paper wreaths.

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Be Inspired

Beacon Life Sensational Senses Nursery and Reception classes engaged in a diverse range of activities centred around the exploration of the five senses.

Starting with the sense of sight, our boys in Reception learnt about the human skeleton, painted self-portraits and collaborated on creating a 'Beacon Boy' for display. The following weeks, all boys delved into the senses of hearing and touch, involving activities such as listening walks, animal sound guessing games, and exploring various textures.

Top: Reception explore the sense of smell Above: Nursery boys paint fruit Left: A Nursery boy proudly holds his creative skeleton

Rise and Shine Our Beacon grounds are so picturesque and they particularly shone one November morning when they were lit up by a beautiful sunrise.

Credit: Thanks to Mrs Vale for capturing the scene.

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Celebrating Diwali The Beacon celebrated Diwali, the Hindu Festival of Light, with creative colouring, interesting displays and delicious Indian-inspired food. Years 5 and 6 were fortunate to listen to a fascinating Assembly led by Mrs Mehta and various boys who celebrated Diwali at home.

Nursery and Reception boys embraced the festivities of Diwali, learning that it spans for five days. They had a special visitor, Miss Patel, a teacher from Dr Challoner's High School, who shared the story of Rama and Sita and the significance of Diya lamps. The boys engaged in drumming and had the opportunity to wear colourful bindis.

Head Boy Team

THE BEACON PODCAST

It was fantastic to welcome our new Head Boy Team for the new academic year. Congratulations to Dino J (Head Boy), Sam K (Deputy Head Boy) and Shaan S (Deputy Head Boy) on being appointed this academic year.

The Head Boy Team play a crucial role in representing the school and serving as role models to the other boys here at The Beacon.

Together, they will work with Mr Baker to make positive outcomes for the school community.

Read the full news story and view images.

Beaconverse is the school podcast that endeavours to inspire listeners with educational topics as well as giving insight into Beacon Life.

During the Autumn Term, episodes 15 and 16 were released: Episode 15: The Head Boy Team & Mr Baker Episode 16: The BeaconX, a newly launched educational platform for online courses.

Listen to Beaconverse.

Also available on Spotify, Google Podcasts and Amazon Music.

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Be Kind

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The Beacon Cup of Kindness Beacon boys strive towards being awarded the Kindness Cup which is presented by Mr Baker each week in Assembly.

Beacon boys strive towards being awarded the Kindness Cup, an accolade that Mr Baker introduced on starting his role as Headmaster at The Beacon.

The Beacon Cup of Kindness continues to be sought after each week. Teachers and boys nominate pupils who have shown exceptional kindness to their peers or to someone in The Beacon Community. Mr Baker then selects a boy from the nominations each week, announcing them in Assembly and awarding the cup filled with sweet treats.

Congratulations to the following boys who were awarded The Beacon Cup of Kindness over the Autumn Term: Week 2 – Brandon S (Year 3) Week 3 – Alex T (Year 8) Week 4 – Edward G (Year 7) Week 5 – Thomas L (Year 4) Week 6 – Dhruv P (Year 6) Week 7 – Hugo C (Year 6) Week 9 – Austin B (Year 3) Week 10 – Aarav S (Year 7) Week 11 – Alex T and Sam K (Year 8) Week 12 – Hanish P and Zaid M (Year 5)

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Boys during the NSPCC visit on 'Keeping Yourself Safe Day'

Charities at The Beacon The Beacon strives to support different charities and recognise significant national days.

Keeping Yourself Safe Day

Anti-Bullying Week

Boys from Reception to Year 8 took part in various activities to learn all about keeping safe. Visitors from the NSPCC gave Year 5 a fun and interesting talk, outlining key safety tips. They also held classroom workshops with our Year 2 boys.

There was an exciting visit from Amersham Fire Station and the Thames Valley Police.

Over the Autumn Term, The Beacon Community recognised Anti-Bullying Week. Our boys took part in 'Odd Socks Week' to symbolise that we are all different, celebrating uniqueness and diversity. We also welcomed Open View Education to hold workshops with various year groups. The interactive sessions gave our boys the opportunity to learn more about the effects of bullying, how to prevent it and ways to help their peers.

View our reel.

Read the full story and view images.

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London Bridge Walk

Chiltern Challenge

Macmillan Cancer Support

On Sunday 24 September, a few of our Pre-Prep staff members created a team to take part in the London Bridges Wellness Walk. 'The Beacon Belles' walked 10 miles over twelve of London's most iconic bridges, to raise money for Diabetes UK.

Three of our Beacon staff members Kim, Laura, and Anita, took part in the 25km Chiltern Challenge Event. £400 was raised for Dementia UK.

To fundraise for the Macmillan Cancer Support Charity, a group of Beacon staff members initiated a Coffee Morning on Friday 29 September. The staff room was filled with delicious cakes and treats for people to purchase to support the vital work the charity does.

Money raised: £456.61

Chiltern Foodbank

Poppy Appeal

Read for Refugees

Thank you to everyone within The Beacon Community who donated to the Chiltern Foodbank during the harvest season. Collectively, we donated 568.9kgs of items!

Poppies were sold at The Beacon to commemorate Remembrance Day. Find out more about our Remembrance Day activities within this Bulletin.

Money raised: £305.52

Over the summer break, many Beacon boys participated in the School Library Association’s Read for Refugees 2023 campaign. This was a nationwide sponsored read organised by librarians across the UK to raise money for the United Nations Refugee Agency (UK for UNHCR).

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Food Glorious Food

Food is an important part of Beacon life, teaching the boys about nutrition and sustainability, as well as learning to make good food all starts from their first day in Nursery.

Craving Crumble In Cooking and Nutrition, our Year 4 boys learned how to make crumble!

They picked home-grown rhubarb from The Beacon Kitchen Garden, chopped it up, then added some sliced apple and mixed berries.

Mrs Rowland taught the boys the rubbing-in method, which resulted in everyone making fantastic crumble toppings. Well done, boys!

Year 4 show off their impressive home grown rhubarb

Exploring Plant-Based Proteins Year 7 boys completed a two-week project in Cooking and Nutrition, which explored different types of plant-based proteins for our ‘Sustainability Unit’. Using tofu, tempeh, and jackfruit, they created recipes using the plant-based alternatives. In the second week, the boys cooked their recipes and shared them in a food-tasting with their class and tutors.

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Caribbean Lunch Dino, our Head Chef, and his team continuously impress The Beacon Community with their fantastic range of cuisine each week. A highlight of the Autumn Term was the theme of Caribbean food, offering a choice of curries, marinated chicken, rice, soup and vegetable dishes accompanied with a coconut and fruit punch - our boys were spoilt for choice. It was great to see many Beacon boys in the Dining Hall exploring new flavours and food.

"Head Chef Dino and his team continuously impress The Beacon Community with their fantastic range of cuisine each week."

Nursery boy kneading bread

Star Bakers Our Little Beacons were delighted to visit Head Chef Dino on several occasions throughout the term.

Highlights included biscuit making, where they had the opportunity to use cutters or to mould their own designs to make unique shapes.

They also enjoyed a bread-making cookery session. Each child kneaded their own roll, and some even added their own creative touches, such as a smiley face!

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Be Creative

Beacon Life Green fingers

Nursery boys ready to plant bulbs ahead of winter

Before winter set in, our Little Beacons had the opportunity to plant bulbs in their garden. They prepared the garden beds, carefully planted bulbs and are now looking forward to seeing them bloom in the spring!

Painting Animals Our Year 4 boys chose an animal and brought a picture of it into school. In their English lessons, they have been working hard to write poems about their chosen animal, which the boys then got to paint.

There was plenty of creativity and many different choices of animals.

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Year 4 boys painting with watercolours

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Street Artist Inspiration Year 7 had a lesson drawing using ink.

They used line to create wonderful tonal variety artwork inspired by a street artist called Phlegm.

Bayeux Style Tapestry Our Year 7 boys have been unleashing their creativity through their own Bayeux style tapestry creations, depicting the story from Harold Godwinson’s point of view.

Year 7 boy with handpainted artwork.

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Sporting Success Beacon boys take part in a multitude of sports and over the Autumn Term all our boys worked hard on their personal achievements as well as coming together as a team.

Rugby

Football

Colts, Under 11 at StoneX Stadium

IAPS Under 11A

The Colts A squad went to the StoneX Stadium (where Saracens play their rugby in the English Premiership) to take part in a small tournament run by Haileybury School.

The effort the boys showed throughout the evening was commendable.

Our U11A football team took part in the IAPS national finals at Millfield School and came runners up which is an unbelievable achievement. They should all be incredibly proud.

Read the full story and view images.

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Read the full story and view images.

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Swimming Early Years Our boys in Nursery and Reception went from strength to strength throughout the Autumn Term with their weekly swimming lessons. From their first day where many entered the water timidly, they progressed in both confidence and ability.

Cross-Country Hervines Park Our budding athletes from Years 3-6 turned out for the cross-country team on what was a very heavy and muddy course around Hervines Park. Across the board, all four Year Groups finished 1st in the team competition, which was fantastic. The effort put in by all the boys was outstanding in trying conditions.

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Be Challenged

Beacon Life Merchant Taylors' School Maths Challenge A group of Year 6 Beacon mathematicians visited Merchant Taylors' Senior School to take part in their annual Prep Schools' Maths afternoon.

The boys had the opportunity to try some challenges before going head-to-head against the other 10 visiting schools in a quiz. Having won in 2022, expectation was high as Shay N took the stage. The support from his team was palpable as he triumphed solving 14 of the 15 questions correctly, entering into a tie-break with MTS Prep, winning with his speed of calculation.

Andrew Jobbings Senior Kangaroo 2023 Kevin Z, Shay N, Dino J & Alex T entered this fiendishly difficult national challenge organised by the UK Maths Trust. Students from Year 13 (A-Level) and below were allowed to enter, so this was a tall order for our boys - the youngest of which was in Year 6.

Kevin Z, Shay N, Dino J & Alex T with their certificates

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STEM During a Year 7 STEM lesson, our boys investigated non-Newtonian fluids.

They found out answers to questions including: Can you stand on them?

Run on them? Can you protect an egg dropped from a 4-metre height?

The boys discovered that you could dip your hands into a bowl of nonNewtonian fluid but if you punch it, it goes hard suddenly and is more like a solid than anything else. NonNewtonian fluids range from ketchup to being used in bullet proof vests!

Seeing Cells How can we see cells? Year 6 answered this question in their Science lessons by preparing and then viewing animal and plant cells at magnification up to x400!

Year 6 looking at plant cells

Portland House Win At the end of the Autumn Term, House Masters and Mistresses announced Portland as the winning House. Their excellent House point total, along with them winning the House Speaking Competition played a big role in this win. Eddystone were a very close second after winning the House Rugby Tournament. The boys in Year 3 and above from Portland, along with the highest House Point earner from each form, were taken to The Rex Cinema in Berkhamsted to watch ‘Home Alone’ as a treat and all the boys had a great time.

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Beacon Life

Science Bubbles Our Year 3 boys investigated whether all bubbles are the same shape and colour by making new shapes to blow bubbles out of using pipe cleaners. They had great fun testing them out in the Quad and soon realised that all bubbles would be spherical in shape!

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Learning about Space Year 5 made a scale model of the Solar System as part of their topic; Earth & Space. They went to Willsfield and used different-sized balls to represent the planets and measured out the relative distances they were apart.

They also attempted to orbit the Sun and made observations about the different orbit times of each of the planets and what this means in real terms.

Viewing planets in a virtual reality session

Virtual Reality

Year 5 were also treated to an immersive virtual reality workshop where they got to view various planets in detail and got a sense of feeling that they really were up in space! The boys enjoyed learning visually and trying something new.

"The boys got to view various planets in detail and got a sense of feeling that they really were up in space! The boys enjoyed learning visually and trying something new."

A scale model of the Solar System in progress on Willsfield

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Taking to the Stage From Instrumental Group Concerts to Harvest Festivals and showstopping performances of Peter Pan, our boys have truly wowed on stage this term.

Peter Pan Year 6 worked extremely hard over the Autumn Term to perfect their spectacular show of Peter Pan. The theatre was bustling with our Beacon Community and the acting and singing was fantastic. Huge praise goes to our Performing Arts team who worked around the clock to bring the four shows to fruition and to such an outstanding standard.

Read the full story and view more images.

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Reception boys show their Harvest creations

Harvest Festivals Boys in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 took part in Harvest Festival celebrations. They impressed the audience with sign language alongside some great singing. Our boys also showcased their wonderful autumnal artwork.

View our reel.

Year 2

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Reception boys show their Harvest creations

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Instrumental Groups Concert The Spinney Theatre hosted our Instrumental Groups Concert which included boys from Lower, Middle and Upper School. We heard some fantastic pieces from our training orchestra, brass band, junior guitar ensemble, senior guitar ensemble, main orchestra and rock band.

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Be Confident

Beacon Life

Balloon Debate Our Year 6 boys took part in a fantastic Balloon Debate. They picked a famous icon throughout History, then gave a speech persuading others that they should not be thrown out of the balloon.

Read the full story and view images.

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Street Dance Workshop Year 3 had a blast participating in street dance workshops with the brilliant dance company 'Urban Strides'. They learnt some hip-hop techniques as well as a breakdance move! They danced with energy and expression, putting their own creative stamp on their moves!

"They danced with energy and expression, putting their own creative stamp on their moves!

Hello Mr Baker During their first weeks at school, our Little Beacons eagerly embarked upon a visit to meet the Headmaster, Mr Baker. They explored his room and quizzed him with a barrage of questions! An exciting day for our youngest boys.

Above: Mr Baker showing boys a flower made from lego Left: Nursery boys admire the Lego Lighthouse

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Venturing Out of School Our boys have enjoyed enhancing their learning out of the classroom this term

Blenheim Woods

Hazard Alley

Year 7 boys had a jam-packed couple of days at Blenheim Woods on their residential trip. They took part in various team-building skills and enjoyed the thrills of the outdoors.

Year 4 went on a day trip to Hazard Alley. The boys were split into groups and given tour guides to take them around the centre. They gained useful information on how to keep themselves safe at home and whilst they are out and about.

Read the full story and view images.

Battlefields Trip

Outdoor Learning

Our Year 8 boys embarked on an eye-opening trip to the Battlefields on the Western Front of France and Belgium. This trip provided the boys with the opportunity to witness first-hand the sites that inspired the poignant verses of poems they have been studying in English.

During an Outdoor Learning session, Year 4 boys focussed on map reading. The boys worked on their teamwork skills, staying together to find the different locations.

Read the full story and view images.

Mr Porter and Mr Davies took our Year 3 boys on a walk through the woods, explaining the range of trees around them. They were then set the task of finding the different leaves that they could see on an information sheet.

Nursery enjoyed weekly welly walks, visiting their private Outdoor Learning area, finding out more about nature and seasons.

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Beacon Life Balancing Budgets Year 6 engaged in a comprehensive module on budgeting and managing everyday finances. The aim of this program was to give our boys an opportunity to explore their own attitudes towards money, while also gaining key financial skills.

Read the full story and view images.

Discovering Languages A note written by Kishan P and Thor K in Year 7 about their lesson: Bonjour! In Year 7 we have been Linguistic Lizards and exploring languages around the world that relate to our peers. We have had many languages including Hindi, Mauri, Afrikaans, Mandarin, Russian, Malaysian and many more. We explored the phrase 'my name is' and added other simple phrases for others to explore like 'how are you?'

We put a map up on a display board and added our phrases. We connected them to our language and connected the languages to other dialects with the same origins e.g. Indian and Sri Lankan languages. We hope it will inspire people to discover languages they never knew of.

Au Revoir!

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ISEB COURSE

Following the success of The BeaconX Summer Intensive Course, a new course was launched in the Autumn Term, which was designed to prepare boys and girls in Year 6 for ISEB Pre-Tests. The BeaconX ‘ISEB Intensive Online Course’ was a study programme comprising of Maths, English, Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning.

Senior Schools Information Event Our Sports Hall was filled with a range of senior schools for an informative evening open to both parents and boys who are keen to explore options for their next steps on their academic journey.

Check out our upcoming courses on beaconx.co.uk.

WELCOMING MARIE!

The start of the Autumn Term welcomed our new Registrar, Marie Papa; the friendly face behind The Beacon admissions!

For any queries about The Beacon, do not hesitate to contact Marie on admissions@beaconschool.co.uk

Open Morning On Saturday 30 September, The Beacon gates were opened and we welcomed families to see the school in action. From hockey, rugby, Cooking and Nutrition, Art and DT classes, visitors gained a real insight into our fantastic facilities. Well done to our Year 7 and 8 tour guides, the event was a great success!

View our reel.

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Be Together

Beacon Life School Council At the start of term, we were delighted to announce the 2023-2024 representatives for School Council: 3B – Oscar F 3G – Barney K 3R – Austin B 3Y – Hendrix K 4B – Thomas L 4G – Isaac K 4R – Kit R 4Y – Sritan C 5B – Kian C 5G – Jamie B 5R – Henry S 5Y – Nicholas B 6H – Alex S 6J – David I 6KC – Sebastian G 6L – Rocco G 6P – Archie K-G 6R – James L 6MW – Henry McC 7AW – Philip A 7E – Lithum A 7S – Tag L 7SW – Elliot R 8ET – Shaan S 8H – Cassius J 8P – Alex T

Meet our School Council

Headmaster Nick Baker judging the competition

School Council Boxes Our newly appointed School Council representatives came together to showcase the classroom boxes they made. The purpose of the boxes is to allow Beacon boys to put ideas into it, which our School Council can subsequently review. Mr Baker visited to judge the competition and was very impressed with everyone's creativity and effort.

Congratulations to David I (Year 6) who won, and to all the boys involved.

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ROUNDERS

Pre-Prep Reading Initiative Our Pre-Prep reading initiative spun over the course of several weeks. The boys had some wonderful stories told to them from various people across the

school. This new initiative introduced our younger boys to different members of the Beacon Community whom they may interact with as they move up the school.

Green Screen Technology

The Beacon Pathway

Three teams came together to play their best games of rounders! It was great to have new joiners and

CHRISTMAS FAIR

New flooring in the Dining Hall

Brand new IT Suite

In December, our Beacon Community came together to celebrate the festive season at our annual Christmas Fair, organised and executed by The Beacon Parents’ Society. There was something for everyone to enjoy, from activities, a silent disco, table tennis, a Zorb zone, plenty of stalls and of course some delicious food!

Developments at The Beacon Over the summer break, there were some remarkable transformations at The Beacon that have enhanced the learning and recreational experiences for our boys. From a state-of-the-art IT Suite, a brand-new AstroTurf, new flooring in the Dining Hall and a beautiful Beacon brick pathway.

Read the full story and view more images.

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All Merry and Bright Everyone was in high spirits throughout the Christmas period. Boys enjoyed the festivities and watching Elfie's adventures around the school!

Christmas Celebrations Our Beacon boys put on their very best festive jumpers and enjoyed a delicious Christmas lunch.

Beacon Boys in high spirits enjoying their Christmas lunch whilst wearing festive jumpers

The Dining Hall was filled with Christmas spirit and plenty of smiles.

Elfie Activities Elfie made his first appearance and had an elf-tastic time at The Beacon this festive season!

He experienced life as a Beacon boy, taking part in numerous lessons and activities, including making a s-elfie with our 3D printer, learning from our AR sandbox, relaxing in the swimming pool and even a training for the ski team! What a lucky elf.

We hope to see Elfie next year…

View our Elfie reel.

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Alumni News Heartiest congratulations to Fitz Harding (OB 2006-12) who was selected as club captain of the Bristol Bears for the 2023/24 season. Fitz, who signed to the club immediately after graduating from Durham University in 2020, is the second youngest Premiership captain in the club’s history.

Henry Jeffreys (OB 1984-90), Fortnum & Mason’s Drink Writer of 2022, has published Vines In A Cold Climate. The late writer and restaurateur Russell Norman described it as ‘Captivating, impeccably researched and endlessly entertaining’...and ‘the best book on wine I have read.’

Warmest congratulations to Teddie Casterton (OB 2003-09) and his wife Hannah who married at Missenden Abbey on 22nd December.

Congratulations also to Harry Coë (OB 2008-10) and his wife Snow who married in Melbourne on 27 December. We wish both couples every happiness for the future.

Mark Watson-Gandy

Watson-Gandy CStJ KSG (OB 197579) who was appointed an OBE in the King’s New Year Honours list for his public and voluntary services. We were delighted to welcome Mark back to The Beacon last year when he came to speak to our boys about the KidsMBA programme that he founded, which equips young people with skills needed to succeed in business and which has been described by Forbes Magazine as one of the leading global programmes supporting the next generation of entrepreneurs.

Philip Franks (OB 1963-69) is directing Murder in the Dark, a new thriller by Torben Betts, which is on tour in the UK until the 30 March 2024.

Jonty Sale (OB 1976-81) has had some of his work featured in From Word to Wonder, an exhibition of artwork inspired by books, at The Slade Centre, Gillingham.

Follow our alumni social channels:

Congratulations to Professor Mark Ted Casterton

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Harry Coe

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“Excellent” IN ALL AREAS

ISI INSPECTION 2022

Independent Prep School Boys Aged 3-13

OPEN MORNING FRIDAY 10 MAY

To book visit beaconschool.co.uk PRIVATE TOURS AVAILABLE ON ALTERNATIVE DATES

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The Beacon | Chesham Bois | Amersham | Buckinghamshire | HP6 5PF

01494 432764 | admissions@beaconschool.co.uk | beaconschool.co.uk