CASTLE COURT SCHOOL
AUTUMN TERM 2024
DOMINUS SAPIENTIAM DAT
A SUMMARY OF THE TERM
Trying to summarise in words the past 15 weeks is an incredibly difficult job. I know whatever I write will not do justice to the sense of pride I have felt watching the children blossom and grow, the joy they have given me throughout this term, and the overwhelming support I have experienced from colleagues and parents in my first Autumn Term as Head. Whilst this term has certainly had its challenges – challenges which unfortunately the whole Independent Sector will have to continue to contend with - I feel blessed to be Head of this wonderful school and so incredibly grateful for the trust you have placed in me and my team.
When I became Head, I made a promise that I would preserve and build on all that makes Castle Court so special. Therefore, this term the focus has been on returning to what lies at the heart of this school and ensuring that our purpose and aims are lived out in all that we do.
At Castle Court, we are building the leaders of the future who understand that to lead is to serve.
As a PSB school, we are committed to providing opportunities for all pupils to show leadership skills. To develop this further, this term we introduced a new leadership programme in Year 8 with all pupils having the opportunity to take on a leadership role as either school leaders, house leaders, media leaders or well-being leaders. It has been such a privilege watching pupils rise to the challenges of these roles and the additional responsibilities involved. Year 8 pupils have also enjoyed being mentors to our younger pupils, providing a helpful hand or listening ear to others and ensuring that the views of all pupils are heard within the school.
We want to ensure that each child is provided with a strong foundation and compass for life – prepared with the skills needed for future success in a global world.
Being educated at Castle Court is a privilege. We therefore want our pupils to use all that they learn and experience at Castle Court to not only enrich their own lives but also make a positive difference to others and the world around
them. In September, we launched our new Character and Values Education (CAVE) programme based on the triple wellbeing principles of self-care, people-care and earthcare. Through this new programme, pupils have developed essential life skills, such as learning to ride their bikes safely on the road, first aid, sign language and sailing skills. They have also had the opportunity to help others by visiting a local Nursing Home, learning about the important work of charities such as the Foodbank and Children on the Edge, as well as taking part in fundraising activities such as the PrePrep Sponsored Walk which raised funds for the school charities (see back cover). Thanks to the creation of our new outdoor learning classroom, pupils have also been able to take full advantage of our woodland estate and enjoy learning outside and exploring nature.
We believe that childhood should be treasured. We want to unlock the passions and potential of each child.
This term we have enhanced our after school and cocurricular provision through the introduction of additional activities such as skateboarding, cookery, coin collecting and photography. Next term this will be enhanced further with a Formula 1 club and textiles club. At the start of term, all pupils in Years 3-8 took part in adventure days which gave them the opportunity to collaborate with others in their section and also develop leadership skills. Pupils have also been inspired through visits from Guy de Beaujeu the Film Producer for ‘Private Peaceful’ and Vicki Slade MP, as well as taking part in numerous visits and trips including Russell Cotes Museum, Poole Lighthouse and Brownsea Island.
We are a family
One of the biggest strengths of the school is its warmth and genuine family-feel. It is so important to me that everyone in the Castle Court family feels valued and listened to. The school belongs to us all and therefore each one of us plays an essential role in its continued success. It was therefore fantastic to be able to re-establish the Castle Court tradition of a family Bonfire evening celebration. The evening was a wonderful success and showed what lies at the heart of this special school. This event not only brought the whole Castle Court family together, it also supported local businesses and raised £1000 for the Corfe Mullen Foodbank. I am excited to announce that we will be building on the success of this family event in 2025 with the introduction of a Summer Family Fun Day.
As this Autumn Term comes to an end, I look back at all that has been achieved with an immense sense of pride because it has been achieved by working together.
I hope looking through this booklet will give you a great deal of joy. It is our Christmas gift to you.
Katie Johnson Head
A major highlight was our ‘Awesome Autumn Day’, an amazing collaborative event with the whole of the Pre-Prep coming together outside in the wonderful grounds. Children worked together creating Andy Goldsworthy inspired Art (with natural materials) in teams ranging from ages 2 to 7 years old. The younger children were inspired by their older role models and it was impressive to see early signs of leadership from our Year 2 pupils. Other fun activities that day included marshmallows on the campfire!
We were also caught cold by the Snow Day in November where all the children wrapped up warmly, went outside and had a play in the snow before returning to class for some warmth and a hot chocolate!
Christmas is a time for Nativities and the children within PrePrep came together to produce two stunning performances where they all had their moment to shine on stage. Wise men, cheeky camels, street sellers, talking stars and all the usual Nativity characters sang, danced and acted their hearts out. We were so pleased for all the children, as were their proud parents!
This Autumn in Badgers and Badger Cubs we have been exploring all of the wonders that our fabulous school site brings us. We have seen the seasons change and even had the best Snow Day ever! Badgers have been utilising our outdoor classroom and incorporating that into our woodland walks. We also enjoyed raising £102.27 for Children in Need by the children making items to sell. Both Badger Cubs and Badgers have been developing their skills in Dance lessons and Sports lessons. This was showcased in our Christmas Nativity.
Reception visited Moors Valley Country Park in October. Heavy downpours of rain didn’t stop our fun and the children enjoyed exploring the woodland play trail and climbing on the adventure playgrounds, with the highlight being the ride on a steam train! We always enjoy inviting parents to share learning opportunities with the children. Our parents came
in to help us launch our topic, ‘All About Me!’ Together we made collage faces of the children to display in the classroom. They also joined us for a sewing workshop. The children made some beautiful hedgehogs using needle and thread and memories were made. This year we were blessed with an unexpected day of snow! The children absolutely loved playing in the school grounds and enjoyed hot chocolate and marshmallows to help warm them up afterwards.
Year 1 thoroughly enjoyed our trip to Travellers’ Rest Farm in September. Being outside and seeing the working farm in action was very exciting! We were lucky to enjoy a picnic in the sunshine before the heavens opened too! In the classroom we have focused on a variety of books and created our own story maps, made up actions and have been improving our sentence writing. We have also spent lots of time learning how to add and subtract using counting manipulatives and number lines. It has been a busy term but we committed to working hard to the end and were excited by our visit from The Gingerbread Man, who encouraged curiosity and creativity in the classroom.
Year 2 enjoyed a memorable trip to Brownsea Island in September. It was an exciting boat trip prior to finding out more about the life of Baden-Powell and where he set up the first ever Scout camp. Some of us managed to catch a quick glimpse of the famous red squirrels that reside there. We have loved learning about famous people and Isambard Kingdom Brunel was a real favourite. The children were challenged to work in a team where they were designers who planned and constructed their own bridge, boat or train. Fables were a focus area in Literacy and a popular one was the ‘Hare and the Tortoise’ where the children learnt the moral ‘Slow and Steady wins the race’.
Autumn certainly has been AWESOME in Pre-Prep!
Graham Antell Section Leader Pre-Prep
FOOD FEST
FRIDAY 6TH SEPTEMBER
SUMMARY OF THE TERM: YEAR 3 AND YEAR 4
September arrived once again and with it the school doors were opened to welcome the children to a new school year. The first day was exciting as everyone settled into their new classes, got to know their form tutors and were reunited with their friends. Our newcomers settled in quickly thanks to the Buddy System and within no time it seemed as if they had always been here.
The following week the children headed out to Burnbake Camp in the Purbecks to be greeted by the staff from Campfire Wildfire and the Years 7 and 8 pupils. They spent a great morning being led by the older children as they undertook several challenges. This gave them the opportunity to develop many PSB skills and undertake many of our Castle Court 7Cs.
Our fixtures have resumed this year, with Year 3 taking part in their first ever school football, rugby and hockey fixtures. Year 4 continued building on their fantastic work from last year. Students have embodied the 7Cs across home and away fixtures, by being excellent hosts when other schools visit our grounds as well as representing the school with great enthusiasm on our travels to other schools.Years 3 and 4 have made huge leaps in their sporting abilities and teamwork skills and we look forward to seeing what the new term brings!
New for this year, our CAVE (Character and Values Education) sessions on a Thursday afternoon have been a huge success. One of the highlights of these afternoons must be our Diwali themed activities as we learnt about global cultures and religions. A great afternoon was enjoyed by the children as they learnt to play Indian games, made lanterns, drew Rangoli pattens and practice their dance moves. The culmination of the afternoon was the dance performance in the hall, which was very much enjoyed by Mrs Johnson! As the sun set, the children gathered around the patterns they had created and marvelled at each other’s creations illuminated by flickering candles.
As part of our Earth Care and People Care the children brought in toys, books and games they no longer use and
sold them to the younger children. The dining rooms were a hive of activity with buying and selling and lots of happy PrePrep children walking back to class with smiling faces, happy with what they had bought. Money was raised for our school charities and the children had the opportunity to think about the value of letting others reuse items rather than throwing them away.
Many of the children took up the opportunity of the Bikeabilty Course. Under the expert guidance of Rob, the instructor, they learnt how to stay safe when cycling and practised a number of important skills. It has been lovely to see how the cycling confidence of so many of the children has increased during the sessions.
Meanwhile Year 4 have been on two trips in connection with their history topic on Victorian Britain. Firstly, to Kingston Lacy where we were greeted by some friendly and knowledgeable guides, who rose well to the challenge of answering the children’s questions about life in a Victorian country house or items in the grand rooms. It was lovely to see the children dressed in Victorian costume as we visited The Russell Cotes Museum in Bournemouth to learn about Christmas traditions from the past. The lovely decorations they created are adorning our classroom Christmas trees.
Year 3 have enjoyed lots of collaborative humanities projects. One of their highlights was making paint the same way Stone Age people did and using it to create authentic designs. They also designed their Stone Age village and enjoyed presenting them to our new Head of History, Mrs Rule. They are very much looking forward to visiting The Ancient Technology Centre later in the year to enjoy a living history day.
Another great term in the Junior Section of Castle Court, with lots to look forward to next term and throughout the rest of the year.
Andy Laidler Section Leader
Year 3 and Year 4
BONFIRE PARTY
FRIDAY 8TH NOVEMBER
Around the Classrooms
The Autumn Term started off with a team building adventure day in Studland. It was a beautiful day and our Year 5 and 6 pupils hiked along the heathland from the chain ferry to the Bankes Arms. We played a few team games and even paddled in the sea! Some of our children were busy preparing for the Grammar School tests at the beginning of term and the ISEB pre-tests for Canford. The Primary Maths Challenge was another academic achievement for many of our children in Years 5 and 6 with some children achieving gold, silver and bronze certificates
As a PSB school, we are always striving to develop a creative and skills-based curriculum which grows inherent character traits in our pupils. Our new weekly Character and Values Education (CAVE) sessions in each year group has meant we have been able to focus particularly on ‘Self-care’ and ‘Life skills’, alongside important British values of tolerance for other cultures and democracy at work. During these sessions, Year 5s have been out on the roads of Corfe Mullen, undertaking their Bikeability Level 2 training. Year 6 will get the opportunity to do this in January!
Through our CAVE programme, we have also celebrated global cultures. The European Day of Languages was an opportunity for our amazing kitchen team to prepare treats for us to sample from different European countries. As many of our staff are fluent in a range of languages, they were all on hand to share a few words in French, Spanish, German, Portuguese or Italian. We celebrated Black History Month with assemblies on Rosa Parks and by researching significant black individuals in history - creating our own presentations and presenting them to the class. For India Week, we had a visit from the charity ‘Children on the Edge’ who shared with us their work with street children in Indian Cities (a partnership we would like to continue in the future). As a celebration of ‘light’, pupils also got creative with Diwali inspired art and craft.
For UK Parliament Week in November, Year 5 were visited by local MP Vicki Slade who shared details of the work she has been carrying out. Our children thought of some very topical issues which she could take to parliament to discuss such as ‘Why is the cost of childcare so expensive?’ and ‘What can we do to tackle climate change?’ – very appropriate during a term where we have encountered snow and floods! Year 6 pupils learnt about how parliament works and undertook a virtual tour of Westminster. Our Year 5s also created their own political parties during Parliament Week, voting using their own ballot boxes - later in Year 8 they will get the chance to go to London to visit our actual Parliament.
In the Performing Arts Department, we have seen great talent both musically and on the stage. We enjoyed a mini performance of Cinderella from our Drama Club which was amazing! The Year 6s gave some outstanding performances during the after school music festival with pieces from Abba and The Little Mermaid. During our Performing Arts Evening, we were wowed with dance performances and monologues along with group renditions. Most recently, Year 5 were treated to an outstanding performance of ‘Guys and Dolls’ at Bryanston – always a pleasure to see some of our old Castellans performing at their senior school.
Learning outdoors is a fantastic way for all pupils to grow in selfconfidence and develop independence, and many of our Year 5 and 6 pupils regularly joined in the weekly sailing sessions at Spinnaker Lakes. This is such a fantastic sport for children to partake in, and we were thrilled that so many of them ‘caught’ the sailing bug and were happily messing around in boats, confidently dancing the macarena whilst tacking and joyously capsizing just for the fun of it!
The Autumn term has been action-packed on the sports field, with pupils diving into football, hockey and rugby during a busy 15-week schedule.Year 5 pupils have truly shone, achieving several Wednesday victories in fixtures. However, their standout quality has been their dedication to hard work and their receptiveness to coaching.Their overall improvement has been remarkable, and the year group displays significant potential. As they prepare for IAPS, ISFA, and In2Hockey county and regional tournaments next term, some have already stepped up to play alongside older peers—a promising sign of their talent.
Year 6 pupils have also excelled, with the boys claiming victory in both the Sherborne and Moyles Court tournaments and securing third place in the ISFA Southwest qualifiers. Their resilience was on full display at the Canford PrepFest rugby tournament, where they finished as runners-up despite fielding just six players (out of the nine allowed) in the final match due to injuries. Meanwhile, the girls’ hockey team has made incredible strides, highlighted by reaching the bowl final at the IAPS qualifiers at Wellington School and narrowly missing a qualifying spot by a single point at the Dorset County Hockey Tournament, where they finished third despite beating the eventual winners.
We eagerly anticipate watching the boys take to the astro next term and the girls dominate the netball court. Stay tuned for more sporting triumphs in 2025!
Louise Munns Section Leader
Year 5 and Year 6
SPORTING ROUND UP
The Autumn term has seen an action-packed 15-week sporting schedule with pupils excelling across football, hockey, rugby, biathlon and winter cricket nets.
In football, the teams achieved great success, with the U13 squad crowned champions at the Bryanston Tournament, while the U11 teams triumphed in both the Sherborne and Moyles Court Tournaments. The U11s also secured an impressive third place at the ISFA Regionals. Individual highlights include Myles M progressing to the final trial for the ISFA South-West Regional Squad. Additionally, Josh G, Myles M, and Eloise L-T continue to impress at Bournemouth Academy, with Arthur L showcasing his talent at the Southampton Academy.
Hockey also saw outstanding performances, with the U13 girls reaching the county semi-finals and being unbeaten throughout the group stage, and the U11 girls making it to the IAPS Bowl Final, as well as securing third place at the county finals, beating the eventual winners. Individual successes include Hattie P and Seb C, who were both selected for the Dorset U13 squads, highlighting the depth of talent within the teams.
Rugby was another highlight of the term, with the U11 boys showing incredible determination to finish as runners-up at the Canford PrepFest Rugby Tournament. Their resilience was evident, particularly in the final match, where injuries left them with only six players on the field out of a possible nine!
Winter Cricket has also seen significant achievements, with Rupert B, Jack FD, Seb C, Finn M, and Henry R
all being selected for Dorset County squads. These accolades reflect the high level of skill and potential within the group, and we look forward to the pupils starting their winter net preparations in January.
Pupils participating in the biathlon regional qualifiers shone either at Leweston or at Millfield. Pippa and Cordelia both claimed first place in their individual categories, while Hugo, Arlo, and Oliver secured first place as a team. Other notable performances included Arthur K in third place, Hugo in fourth, Arlo in fifth, Luan in sixth, Dilletta in eighth, Oliver D in ninth, and Seb M in 27th. These results showcase the exceptional dedication and athleticism of the biathlon team.
Years 3, 4 & 5 have been particularly impressive this term, not just in their match victories, but in their dedication to hard work and their responsiveness to coaching. Their overall improvement has been a pleasure to witness. Year 5 are already showing great promise as they prepare to compete in IAPS, ISFA, and In2Hockey tournaments next year, with some pupils even stepping up to play alongside older peers this term.
We eagerly anticipate the next stage of all of our pupils’ sporting journeys, with the boys returning to the astro for hockey next term and the girls taking to the netball court. We hope a restful and relaxing Christmas break will recharge the batteries ready for a fresh sporting start in 2025.
Alex Fermor-Dunman Director of Sport
PERFORMING ARTS HIGHLIGHTS
Where do we start with performing arts? Once again this has been an exceptionally busy term with activity across the year groups and the broader Castle Court community. Here are just a few of the highlights
l Community choir for parents and staff to sing at key events
l Senior choir of 23 pupils with lunchtime rehear sal
l Har vest Festival – singing by pre-prep, school and senior & community choir
l 3 x Friday afternoon informal concerts involving some 40 pupils
l ABRSM & Rockschool exam 100% success
l A Performing Arts Presentation, involving 48 pupils in total from Years 5 to 8 – performing LAMDA monologues and duologues, dance solos/duets and group dances performed by both the Year 5 and 6 dance club and the Year 7 and 8 dance club. The senior drama club also performed two improvised scenes incorporating the use of ‘Trestle Theatre’ masks.
l 2 Christmas nativity plays , involving all pre-prep pupils from Nursery to Year 2 in acting, singing and dancing
l An end of term ‘mini pantomime’ performed by the Year 5 and 6 drama club to an audience of pupils from Years 3 to 6
l Senior & community choirs came together to go carol singing to Wimborne
l Whole School Carol Service with all pupils from Reception to Year 8 involved in some way
l Two theatre trips have taken place this term: a Year 8 trip to see ‘Frankenstein’ at the Lighthouse Theatre and a Year 5 trip to see ‘Guys and Dolls’ at Bryanston’s Coade Hall Theatre
l LAMDA numbers continue to grow with 34 pupils currently taking lessons
l Dance clubs continue to flourish with 32 pupils involved in senior dance clubs and 30 pupils involved in additional pre-prep dance clubs
James Smith Head of Performing Arts
SUMMARY OF THE TERM: YEAR 7 AND YEAR 8
As the Autumn term began, we had an exciting start for both our Year 7 and 8 pupils. With the launch of our new Character and Values Education programme (CAVE), we headed off to the Purbecks to work on their skills of collaboration and leadership, as well as forming strong bonds within the senior section. With some fun activities, a night walk and a competitive game of stalk the lantern, our seniors learned the value of friendship, warmth and strategy! Welcoming the Year 3 and 4 pupils the following day was a highlight as they put their developing skills into practice. These experiences are invaluable in cementing the values of Castle Court, and it was such a wonderful start to our new school year.
As the term progressed, both the Year 7 and 8 pupils were able to stretch themselves in different ways. Our 8s really started to come into their own as they took up their leadership roles within the school. It has been amazing to watch them show such independence and ingenuity as they have come up with ideas and run with them in the school context. We also launched our Year 8 mentor programme which sees the Year 8s work in a particular class, three mornings a week which both the 8s and the younger years have enjoyed. The Year 7s took the lead with our Pre-Prep walk and provided great assistance on this day as they chatted and engaged with the younger years and their parents. Our Year 8s also got to try their hand at the Canford Model United Nations held at Castle Court with both Canford and the Bourne Academy. These experiences truly shape and grow our pupils, and we were so proud of how our pupils welcomed and were such ambassadors of our school.
On the sporting front both year groups have really enjoyed the competitive spirit that comes with being a part of a team. As the Sports Department always affirm, while winning is wonderful, it is ultimately about how they learn, grow and develop as a team, and this section has excelled on this front. Many of our pupils have excelled externally, and we all look forward to our celebration assemblies where they are acknowledged for these amazing achievements.
Recently, it was a treat watching many of our Year 7 and 8 pupils in the Performing Arts presentation to showcase their drama and dance from this term. Their confidence and skill held the audience captive and seeing these pupils embrace all that Castle Court has to offer is what this school is all about.
As John F Kennedy said, “Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other,” and it is in this spirit that we continue to shape and adapt our Year 7 and 8 programme, providing opportunities and experiences that give our pupils the space to grow and develop themselves across the board.
Miss T
Section Leader Year 7 and Year 8
END OF TERM MINSTER SERVICE
£4521.37
This is the total raised by the Castle Court Community this term and distributed to the following charities : Children in Need, Corfe Mullen Food Bank, Listening Ear, Macmillan Cancer, Royal British Legion, Waggy Tails, #WillDoes
The Knoll House, Knoll Lane, Corfe Mullen, Wimborne, Dorset BH21 3RF t: 01202 694438 e: office@castlecourt.com w: www.castlecourt.com