Berkhamsted Royal Memorial Booklet 2022

Remembrance of Our Patron, Her Majesty The Queen 1926 - 2022

Principal’s Message

The governors, staff, pupils, and parents of the Berkhamsted Schools Group were deeply saddened to hear the news of the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. We send our condolences to her family, and those who worked with her. We recognise that her death leaves a gap in our national life, but we feel first for those who have lost a mother, grandmother, or family member. We join those in the UK and across the world who will want to pay tribute to Her Majesty’s extraordinary life.

In 2016, we were fortunate to receive a visit from Her Majesty, in her role as Patron of the School. All those involved were struck at her evident interest in those around her, her lively sense of humour and her care for the thriving and wellbeing of young people. Both during the visit and from her public life, we saw Her Majesty the Queen live out a life which was entirely in line with our values – to aim high with integrity, be adventurous and serve others. The

entire school community can count itself fortunate to have been ruled and served by a monarch whose example of courage, integrity, service, and kindness was evident to all.

Our schools will mark the passing of Her Majesty with assemblies dedicated to reminding the pupils of her long life, her outstanding example, and her leadership. In our Chapel services in the coming week, we will pray for Her Majesty, for her family, her households, and her friends, recognising the Christian faith which marked her Christmas addresses. We will mark her life with the planting of an English Oak within our grounds, which we trust will stand for centuries as a reminder of her life, her contribution to our country, and her example as a human being.

Mr Richard Backhouse Principal

HM the Queen’s Royal Visit to Berkhamsted School 2016

In 2016 we were fortunate enough to receive a visit from Her Late Majesty in her role as Patron of the School. Her Late Majesty inspected a Guard of Honour formed by the Combined Cadet Force before watching displays celebrating various aspects of school life, including choral performances by the School’s Chamber Choir and St Peter’s Church Choir. Following this, Her Late Majesty attended a reception and lunch with members of the local community, including the heads of nearby schools and charities. The day’s celebrations were concluded with Her Late Majesty unveiling a plaque to commemorate the visit.

Henry S (Year 12) was in Year 5 when Her Late Majesty visited, and was one of three Prep School pupils selected to meet the monarch in the Principal’s garden. Henry recalls:

“My impression of Queen Elizabeth was that she seemed very down-to-earth and kind. I remember her listening to everyone very carefully and she came across as extremely humble. When I spoke to her I felt like there was no need to be nervous because of her warm presence.”

Humility, kindness, warmth – these were qualities which were evident in Her Late Majesty to all who met her during the day of her visit. Her lively sense of humour and sense of care for the young people she met was on clear display. It was a highly significant day for the school and local community and a moment of real honour in the school’s history. She set a true example to the pupils at Berkhamsted School, and we were fortunate to have as our patron someone who so evidently lived by our values of aiming high with integrity, being adventurous and serving others.

HM

the Queen’s Royal Visit to Berkhamsted School 2016

Past Royal Visits

We were privileged to receive a visit from Her Late Majesty the Queen, our Patron, in May 2016.

This was the most recent of a number of Royal visits to Berkhamsted over the years, with the then Prince of Wales – and later King Edward VIII – visiting in June 1935 to open the Gym at the Boys School.

The South Wing at the Girls School and the Newcroft block in the Boys School were both opened by Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, who visited in June 1958.

Meanwhile the Knox-Johnston Sports Centre was opened by the Duke of Edinburgh in 2004. The school has been immensely fortunate to receive these Royal visits, each day being an event that lived and will live long in the memory of all those involved.

HRH Prince of Wales’ visit to Berkhamsted, 1935

HM the Queen Mother’s visit to Berkhamsted, 1958

HM the Queen Mother’s visit to Berkhamsted, 1958

Duke of Edinburgh’s visit to Berkhamsted, 2004

Platinum Jubilee at Berkhamsted

In June, each of the schools in our community came together to mark the Platinum Jubilee and commemorate Her Late Majesty’s remarkable achievement.

Each event was a special day in its own right, but the celebrations have now taken on an extra poignancy and significance.

The following pages show a summary of the different celebrations that took place in each school.

HM the Queen’s Royal Visit in 2016

Pre-Prep

Jubilee Picnic

The children at Berkhamsted Pre-Prep were excited to come together as a whole school community for a picnic to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

The day consisted of fun Jubilee themed activities and a grand Jubilee Parade where the pupils got to walk round and show off their newly created paper crowns.

The day was finished with the children collaborating to build their own Union Flag to celebrate. It was a fantastic moment for all when it was completed.

Jubilee Orchard

The Pre-Prep planted their Jubilee Orchard as part of the Green Canopy Initiative – a unique tree planting initiative created to mark Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee. The trees in the orchard were the result of a kind donation by a parent.

Nine trees have been planted, and include a mix of different varieties of apples and pears, as well as a fig tree. A quince tree was also donated by a Pre-Prep family and will be added to the original nine, with the hope that additional trees and fruits can be added in the future. A polytunnel awaits construction, with the hope that another can be purchased. These will allow more fruit to be grown, as well as vegetables. Along with the trees in the Jubilee Orchard, they should allow Pre-Prep children to pick fresh produce and gain a better understanding of where food comes from and what is needed to produce it.

HM the Queen’s Royal Visit in 2016

Jubilee Fair

Berkhamsted Prep celebrated the Platinum Jubilee in style with a Jubilee Fair. It included a wide range of inventive activities including ‘Pin the Tail on the Corgi’, ‘Hook the Duck’ and ‘Higher or Lower?’. Other activities included the opportunity to get some Jubilee face paint and glitter tattoos.

The day also saw a Jubilee themed quiz take place, with the children tested on their knowledge about the Royal Family and

enjoying the opportunity to learn some new things.

A tasty lunch was made by our fantastic catering team from Chartwells, consisting of a BBQ picnic lunch and red, white, and blue iced cupcakes.

Overall, the day was a fantastic celebration of Her Late Majesty’s achievement. Many fond memories were created, not only for the children involved but the staff too.

Delicious Treats

Year 5 and 6 bakers put their best whisks forward and created some culinary masterpieces, many of which took on a Jubilee theme.

The pupils showed off their decorating skills and creative designs, and over 45 cakes and bakes were submitted. The cakes were then judged by a panel of teachers, who were spoilt for choice.

Along with all the delicious cakes, a Chaucer House cookie sale also took place. The cookies were decorated with icing, fondant and sweets to create wonderful Jubilee themed designs.

HM the Queen’s Royal Visit in 2016

Busking in the Quad

On Friday 27th May, pupils from all years at Berkhamsted Girls came together to sing and play in the Grass Quad. The girls put on an amazing performance, entertaining the large crowd and bringing a festival atmosphere to celebrate and mark the Queen’s Jubilee.

Chartwells provided a traditional picnic lunch to celebrate the Queen’s Jubilee –sandwiches, quiches, chicken drumsticks, sausage rolls, Scotch eggs, salads followed by trifle and scones with jam and clotted cream. Thanks to the fantastic sunny weather, the girls were able to sit outside in the Grass Quad on our picnic tables to eat.

House Jubilee Cake Competition

Pupils from across Berkhamsted Girls and Boys were invited to submit cakes for a Jubilee Competition. There were some brilliant cakes reflecting real creativity and skill.

Prizes were awarded for:

• Overall visual impact

• Originality and creativity of design

• Best tasting cake

• Skill and execution of technique

• Best novelty cake

• Most creative cake

• Best filling

1950s Military Style

PE Lesson

Meanwhile, Year 9 Boys and Girls took part in a 1950’s ‘military’ style PE lesson on the Grass Quad, mirroring the very same type of PE lesson that pupils at Berkhamsted might have experienced in the year Queen Elizabeth II came to the throne.

Pupils were taught the routine in advance and positioned on the quad in a grid formation prior to the performance starting.

The performance lasted for 12 minutes, and pupils repeated a series of 10 exercises, in time to music. It was a very different style of lesson to the norm, and a brilliant opportunity to reflect on the shift in delivery of PE, Sport and Exercise within schools over the last 70 years.

Clock Installation at Berkhamsted Boys

To mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, a commemorative clock has been placed on the wall above Bartrum House. Donated by the Friends of Berkhamsted, the clock will be accompanied by a plaque to mark the significance of this historic event.

Heatherton

HM the Queen’s Royal Visit in 2016

Jubilee Afternoon Tea

Everyone at Heatherton had a very special day celebrating Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee with an afternoon tea and fair.

Rooms were fully decorated with flags, bunting, Union Flag, napkins and cups, and pupils wore their newly created paper crowns.

At assembly, the children sang the National Anthem and following lunch, got to enjoy time together outside with a series of Queen-themed activities. The girls also got to take photographs in the Jubilee themed photo booth.

The Heatherton girls were privileged to meet Her Late Majesty, our Patron, in May 2016 when she visited Berkhamsted School.

To say thank you to Her Late Majesty on such an outstanding achievement and for 70 years of service, Heatherton produced a book full of artwork and sent it to Her Late Majesty.

View the digital version by clicking the button below:

Heatherton

Artwork for Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee

The Queen’s Green Canopy

Heatherton also commemorated the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee by planting a cherry tree for the ‘Queen’s Green Canopy’. The whole school gathered for the event and helped Headteacher, Mrs Nicoll, and Deputy Headteacher, Mr McKenzie, plant the tree.

The Queen’s Green Canopy is aimed at encouraging everyone to learn more about planting trees so that they flourish for years to come. Heatherton look forward to watching their cherry tree grow and bloom in the future.

Artwork Tributes

Heatherton pupils from Year 2 to 6 produced a display to both celebrate and commemorate Her Late Majesty, the Queen. The portrait features the flags of the Commonwealth, of which King Charles III is now Head.

At our Prep School, class 6P created a tonal drawing by using an image of the photograph ‘Equanimity’ (3D Lenticular) Portrait by Chris Levine. The pupils were given their own sections to draw and collaborated to produce the final portrait of Her Majesty, the Queen.

This piece echoes previous artistic tributes to the Queen, the last of which marked her visit to the school as patron in 2016. On that occasion, 131 pupils from Year 7 came together to produce a collage, comprising A4 tiles of Her Majesty.

Memories of Her Majesty, The Queen

The School has marked the memory of Her Late Majesty in a number of ways.

On the 9th September our Principal, Richard Backhouse, broadcast a message to the whole school community on the subject of Her Late Majesty’s life and example. Throughout the following week, assemblies and chapels focused on the issues of change, mourning and grief.

Pupils and staff were encouraged to wear black ties or armbands to show their own grief or participation in the national period of mourning. In addition, all teams that took part in fixtures on Saturday 10th September conducted a minute’s silence

before the matches got underway. Teams were also offered the chance to wear black armbands over their school sports kit as a way to publicly show their support for the Royal Family’s loss. Both gestures served to express mourning in common with the opposition.

Heatherton took the Form and Vice-Form Captains to Windsor Castle on the 14th September. There, the girls laid small bouquets and a wreath. These contained flowers and plants linked to Her Late Majesty, such as Scottish Thistle and English Ivy.

Planting an English Oak Tree

In order to create a lasting memorial to Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, the school has planted an English oak tree in Tompkins Meadow.

The tree’s presence will serve not only as a reminder of Her Late Majesty, but of the strength, longevity and stability that underpinned her reign; qualities symbolised by oak and which make it an especially fitting choice as a memorial tree. The tree is locally sourced, and placing it in Tompkins Meadow, near Berkhamsted Girls Kings Campus, means it will be easily accessible to both the school and the local communities for all to use as a focal point for commemorating our Patron, Queen Elizabeth II. The Reverend Stuart Owen of St Peter’s Church, Berkhamsted, commented:

“At this time of national mourning, much of our attention has been on what has been lost to us following the death of Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. However, this is also a fitting time to give thanks for Her Majesty’s legacy, for what has been left to us. Part of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations this year have involved the planting of trees across the United Kingdom; an initiative which continues the Royal Family’s long concern for the environment. I’m delighted that Berkhamsted School has planted an oak tree in Tompkins Meadow; giving thanks for seventy years of service, through an act that will serve generations to come in both the school and local communities.”

We trust that the tree will stand for many years, as a reminder of all that Her Late Majesty represented and achieved throughout her long reign.