Issuu

Pre-Nursery

Ducklings 2020-21

OVERVIEW

We started the year learning all about ourselves and the children launched with enthusiasm into their new school environment, the joys of seeing them on the hammocks for the first time and making their acorn necklaces created some treasured memories. The winter season brought with it the excitement of a Christmas disco and games, as well as a snowy but very quiet school to explore in January. In the classroom we enjoyed learning all about pets; the vets roleplay area and the animal party were a great success. Following this we learnt all about transport and the visit from the big red bus cemented this as their favourite topic of the year. Children immersed themselves in everything our school garden had to offer in the summer term, including planting and growing their own produce, alongside lots of digging for worms. Finally, the teddies joined us for a special celebration picnic to end the year.

'some treasured memories' POND LIFE IN PRE-NURSERY Alongside three hungry resident ducks, the PreNursery spotted the first signs of frogspawn in the school pond during the spring term. The Pre-Nursery children helped Mrs Watson rescue some frogspawn to care for which proved more challenging than anticipated after learning that tadpoles need feeding just like fish and the water needed changing regularly. Finally after two months the children's patience was rewarded when the first few froglets began to appear. Thankfully by this time the ducks had moved on, so the frogs were released back into the pond. It was very exciting watching them sit on a lily pad before heading off into open water.

'released back into the pond' “I like giving out snacks.” Sofia

“I like playing outside.” - Scarlett

“I like playing with the cars.” - Monty

Rabbits 2020-21

Nursery

Squirrels 2020-21

OVERVIEW

What an eventful year it has been! We started off the academic year with our topic ‘homes and habitats’ which was a great introduction to getting to know the children and opened up some lovely conversations about their homes and families. Our topic on outer space really caught the children’s attention and based on our key text ‘whatever next’, we used green screen technology to show the children going on their very own space adventures. We concluded this topic with a moon party to celebrate! Despite a national lockdown, it was so positive that the children could continue to attend Nursery throughout. They have matured over the year in all aspects of their learning and development and have produced some brilliant story maps for our key texts. We are so proud of all that they have achieved.

“I like building with the marble run. I build it really tall and the marbles go so fast!” - Callum

'some lovely conversations'

“I like learning about all the sounds so we can learn how to read.” - Charlie

SPRING TERM FUN Nursery children enthusiastically took part in lots of spring time activities, learning all about creepy crawlies and the concept of growth. Inspired by the story Jasper’s Beanstalk, classes planted their own broad beans and waited patiently for a real life classroom butterfly to emerge from its cocoon! Of course, no spring term would be complete without exploring the school grounds in search of hidden Easter eggs amongst the daffodils!

'a real life classroom butterfly' 4

"I like playing in the jungle role-play area because there are lots of animals. My favourite is the tiger.” - Olivia

Badgers 2020-21

Hedgehogs 2020-21

Reception OVERVIEW

Among the children’s favourite memories this year was the Diwali workshop wherein the children painted clay diva candle holders and learnt Bollywood dances to celebrate the festival of lights. The children have been fortunate to join Mrs Watson for weekly forest school sessions where they have enjoyed growing vegetables, building dens, pond dipping and spotting birds from the new bird hide. In an academic year where birthday parties were rare, the children thoroughly enjoyed celebrating the Reception class pets birthdays with party games, disco dancing and birthday cake. To end the year on a high, we celebrated our summer term topic with a pirate, mermaid and sea creature themed dress-up day. Throughout exceptional circumstances it’s been a wonderful year together as the children learned through play and created memories of Reception to cherish forever.

'end the year on a high' "I loved swimming with Mr Storr. I got to go under water and blow bubbles. I can put my whole face under water." Raviru

CLASS DUCKLINGS

"I loved decorating cupcakes and making them into tasty octopuses. We had a picnic after." - Jemima

In the spring term each year, Reception classes receive a very special delivery of incubated duckling eggs and the experience never disappoints! Before the ducklings hatched the children learnt all about the life cycle of a duck and how to care for the ducklings. Watched by eager eyes, it wasn’t long before the first ducklings began to hatch from their eggs and it was amazing to see how quickly they gained the strength to stand, drink water and eat grain. All of the children had the opportunity to hold a duckling and watch them swim for the very first time.

"I loved taking care of the little ducklings. I got to stroke them and they were all fluffy." - Carly

'first ducklings began to hatch' 5

Year 1

Robins 2020-21

Starlings 2020-21

OVERVIEW

It has been a busy year for the children in Year 1; a year that has been full of happiness, curiosity and learning. It began with an exploration of the wonderful world of weather and a chance to become weather watchers, measuring and monitoring temperature, rainfall and wind direction around the Pre-Prep. During the spring term, despite the challenges of doing their school work at home, the children continued to demonstrate their enthusiasm for learning. They were inspired by the work of Greta Thunberg and became passionate eco-warriors, writing persuasive letters to Greenpeace, taking their family out on litter collection walks and encouraging others to make our world a better place. We were delighted to welcome them back to school in March and to see them learn, succeed and create memories during the remainder of the school year.

'full of happiness, curiosity and learning'

LONDON'S BURNING, LONDON'S BURNING During our humanities lessons the children have been looking at life in 17th century London, learning about The Great Fire of London during this time. Freshwater theatre workshops brought the subject alive for the children by travelling back in time to 1666. Year 1 acted out scenes where they baked bread in Pudding Lane, climbed ladders and attempted to put out fires, before being transformed into scurrying rats and singing songs from the time.

'travelling back in time' "My favourite thing was when we made tie-dye t-shirts. I made a red and blue t-shirt and it was really fun." - Tommy

"I liked making fire pictures using paint and on the iPads, when we were learning about the Great Fire of London." - Layla 6

"I have really liked learning to add big numbers together and using Numicon to figure out problems." - Rafferty

Year 2 OVERVIEW

Kestrels 2020-21

Owls 2020-21

Year 2 children have had a busy and eventful final year in the Pre-Prep. During the first two terms, they enjoyed time travelling to the eras of Guy Fawkes and Florence Nightingale where we enjoyed a range of cross-curricular learning activities. These included drama workshops and Big Write tasks in the roles of these significant historical people. With another period of home learning during our spring term the children were remarkable and their resilience, tenacity and enthusiasm for learning shone through. When we returned to school in the summer term, the children were absorbed in our explorer’s topic and enjoyed learning about space exploration and creating space themed abstract art. It has been a pleasure watching the children grow and succeed.

“I love maths particularly because I like multiplication, division, addition and subtraction especially when it’s 'resilience, tenacity and enthusiasm' very tricky!” - Lara

“I love school because I have great friends and we get to learn new and exciting things about space exploration.” - Alberto

“I love school because the teachers are extremely kind. I also love art because we learn about different artists and get to be creative in our artwork.” - Sofia YEAR 2 GRADUATION ASSEMBLY It was with great excitement that Year 2 sat before proud parents under the summer term sunshine behind the mansion to celebrate their graduation from the Pre-Prep and Nursery School. It was a time to reflect on each child’s progression throughout the year and a chance to recognise each individual child’s achievements and character strengths with a certificate presentation followed by a mortar board hat throw! We wish Year 2 all the very best as they transition into Year 3.

'time to reflect' 7

Year 3 OVERVIEW

In September, Year 3 transitioned seamlessly into the Prep School. They showed wonderful maturity and understanding of the expectations, particularly given the tricky circumstances we found ourselves in. Throughout the year they have been respectful, responsible and reliable; approaching their learning with inquisitiveness and enthusiasm. They maintained their impressive attitude when learning remotely where their determination and dedication were evident. The children have demonstrated an ability to work independently and collaboratively, embracing the challenges they have faced and approaching their learning with a can-do attitude. In line with the school’s ethos, Year 3 have exemplified the school’s character qualities throughout the year, permeating all that they do. They should be extremely proud of their success and achievements this year.

'embracing the challenges'

ROMAN DAY During the spring term, Year 3 pupils dressed up and participated in an action packed Roman Day workshop organised expertly by the Drama Hut. Despite the virtual set up, pupils were thoroughly engaged in the activities which included making their own shields, learning new Latin words and learning all about Roman Gods through acting improvisations. It was fantastic to see the pupils so enthusiastic, enjoying the workshop and asking lots of excellent questions. 8

'thoroughly engaged in the activities'

Year 4 OVERVIEW

Year 4 began the school year with huge smiles on their faces, a bucket load of enthusiasm and an excellent attitude towards their learning. The most impressive part however, was that this remained the case throughout the school year - despite the challenges being thrown our way. The children were determined, focused and respectful during their time remote learning, maintaining high standards of work throughout. Returning to school was a highlight for all and the children quickly found their feet, working, playing and laughing together once again. Our day trip to Ufton Court was a particular highlight, alongside our Tudor performance. The children should be proud of their dedication and all they have achieved over the course of the year.

'excellent attitude towards their learning'

UFTON COURT Year 4 pupils enjoyed a day trip to Ufton Court during the summer term where they participated in a range of activities. These included bow making, life on the farm, the re-enactment of a raid and attending a traditional Tudor banquet dressed in full Tudor costumes. The children had a wonderful day and the trip enhanced their understanding of the Tudor period.

'traditional Tudor banquet' 9

Year 5 OVERVIEW

The children made a positive start to the school year in September with several new pupils joining the year group. They quickly settled in, thanks to the warm welcome offered by existing pupils who relished the opportunity to form new friendships. Although the pandemic restricted opportunities to fully integrate, the children were delighted to reach the point at which all four classes could enjoy outdoor break times together. Through the winter months of remote learning, dedication and commitment to learning continued, with online form time activities such as ‘bring your pet’ serving to keep up spirits. Following the return to school, Year 5 worked with determination to prepare for their Senior School entrance tests, towards which they showed a positive attitude. The summer term brought added enjoyment in the form of an African drumming workshop and two outdoor education days.

'dedication and commitment to learning' OUTWARD BOUND DAYS With the pandemic preventing residential trips this year, Year 5 were given the opportunity to make the most of our wonderful school grounds as they took part in a series of outward bound adventure days. Working in teams led by qualified instructors, they participated in a variety of adventurous activities including orienteering, den building and creative collaging following a nature scavenger hunt. A particular highlight for many pupils was toasting marshmallows in the woods as part of the fire lighting activity. The children impressively demonstrated the school’s character qualities of cooperation, environmental awareness and creativity throughout each day. Whatever the weather, they embraced every activity with great enthusiasm.

'variety of adventurous activities' 10

Year 6

OVERVIEW

Year 6 is a memorable year for any child. It’s a year that you leave the Preparatory School behind and embark on a new journey, closing one chapter and beginning another. We have been incredibly privileged to have worked with such a wonderful group of children through yet another unsettled year. Although the year was again disrupted, Year 6 were still able to enjoy so much. They have dressed as a Victorian school child, exploded volcanoes, undertaken an external ESB exam, performed on an outdoor stage and even ridden around a velodrome! They have remained positive, and have approached everything we have done with wonderful smiles. We will miss them but will look forward to watching them continue to flourish in the Senior School.

'closing one chapter and beginning another'

VICTORIAN DAY Year 6 pupils were transported back in time to the Victorian era during the autumn term. Wearing typical costume from the period, the children immersed themselves in the highly disciplined Victorian schooling system with teachers taking on especially strict teaching styles! In support of their classwork, the experience was brought to life with the use of chalk boards and dunce hats in the classrooms as well as traditional playground games and themed activities. The day was enjoyed by all and a fantastic insight into Victorian education.

'experience was brought to life' 11

Academic POETRY READING COMPETITION

Covid restrictions did not deter the Prep School from holding their annual poetry competition this year – it simply took place online rather than in the Great Room. Pupils were tasked with finding and preparing a poem about school to recite in front of their class teachers. From there, a class finalist was chosen and each finalist performed for the judges, Mrs HuttonAttenborough and Mrs McChesney. Congratulations to our winners!

'recite in front of their class' YEAR 3 GEOGRAPHY PROJECT The summer term saw Year 3 studying maps and mapping. In their geography lessons the children learnt all about types of maps, symbols, compass points, longitude, latitude and co-ordinates. Linked to this, in art, they went on to create their own 3D maps. These were then combined to make a whole class landscape. The children enjoyed answering coordinate based questions and creating questions of their own for a partner to answer.

'create their own 3D maps' WORLD BOOK DAY CELEBRATIONS Both the Prep and Pre-Prep experienced world book day from home this year, but they were just as enthused about the activities on offer. In the Prep School pupils wrote and illustrated their own stories inspired by popular authors such as JK Rowling, David Walliams and Jill Murphy - a great excuse for fancy dress too! The Pre-Prep and Nursery School participated in a weird and wonderful reading challenge whereby children read their books in unusual locations such as inside kitchen cupboards, on trampolines, up trees and on walks. A page turner competition also encouraged the children to read an impressive 10,500 pages in one week!

'weird and wonderful reading challenge' 12

YEAR 2 ROALD DAHL DAY Year 2 thoroughly enjoyed Roald Dahl Day, complete with “fizz popping” costumes! The children brought the story of The Twits to life through Perform for School’s drama workshop after reading the book in class which included rapping, freeze framing and singing. The children also made glittery dream jars in the style of The BFG and the day was complete with a fantastic exhibition of the children’s projects. Teachers were blown away by the variety of posters, models and powerpoints which were all so wellresearched and beautifully presented.

'brought the story to life' PROSE READING FINAL The prose reading final took place on Wednesday 30 June behind the steps of the mansion. This was a very poignant event as it marked the first whole school gathering since the easing of restrictions. The last prose final had been held on world book day in March 2020, just a couple of weeks before the first lock down and Boris Johnson announced the closure of all schools in England. All the finalists gave excellent performances and delivered their prose with confidence and conviction. Indeed, they made the judges job very difficult for them!

'confidence and conviction' A WELCOME BACK TO CLASS IN MARCH It was absolutely wonderful to welcome the whole school back following the ease in COVID restrictions in March and a long period of national lockdown. Once again, the school grounds were abuzz with the happy sounds of laughter and play as pupils reunited with friends, caught up with their teachers and returned to their classrooms for lessons. Pupils were able to dive straight back in to a varied timetable, safe within their year group bubbles, including co-curricular clubs and activities which enabled us to finish the spring term on high!

'dive straight back in to a varied timetable'

Performing arts GRATITUDE FESTIVAL

The school was a hive of activity as a result of our inaugural gratitude festival, so named because June is the month where the school explored the character quality of gratitude, and emerging from a challenging academic year, the very act of coming together and sharing the work of our pupils is a cause for celebration. Over the course of a two-week period in the run up to the end of term, we saw a vibrant and eclectic range of activities and events taking place throughout the school. From endeavour on the sports field to courage and confidence performing on stage, each event offered its own unique glimpse into the joy which we see at Claremont every day. Each and every pupil can be proud of their achievements this academic year and it has been a real privilege to be able to run these events.

'a cause for celebration'

GOOD MORNING NAZARETH VIRTUAL CHRISTMAS NATIVITY We were unable to offer a live performance of the nativity this year so we did the next best thing: Nativity, the Movie! Every pupil in the Pre-Prep and Nursery featured in the cast, as our live reporters in the studio and on the ground, retelling the tale of Jesus’ birth. There was some wonderful acting and the Year 2 children in particular had lots of lines to learn. A great achievement all round!

'some wonderful acting'

SURREY IAPS DRAMA FESTIVAL Over the period of remote learning, children in Year 4 – Year 6 were selected to take part in the Surrey IAPS Drama Festival. From the 21 brilliant entrants, 6 finalists were then selected. We are delighted to share that all the finalists who were put forward placed in the top three in their category, with two overall winners. Well done to all who entered, we hope all the children enjoyed the opportunity and congratulations to our finalists!

AFRICAN DRUMMING At the beginning of the summer term, Year 5 enjoyed an African drumming workshop and Year 4 took part in an Indonesian gamelan workshop. Year 5 learnt some traditional African rhythms on djembe drums and developed these rhythms in class. Year 4 learnt all about the gamelan and by the end of the workshop were able to play several complex melodies on the gamelan instruments – including gongs! It was so lovely to see the children playing music together again for the first time in many, many months!

'traditional African rhythms'

'top three in their category' 15

Lockdown learning

“We would like to say well done to the teachers for coming up with the remote learning so neatly which we find makes a lot of sense and easy to follow. We also appreciate the provision of maths club which I think is really something extra under the current circumstances.”

"As a team Claremont have put together an interactive, thoughtful and fun programme for the kids that is easy for parents to follow, at such short notice. It is so impressive and shows such dedication to the children’s learning."

"Proud to be a part of this awesome school community. I experienced first hand the commitment of my son’s teachers in Nursery during home schooling and throughout the year." 16

"The commitment and support we feel from the teachers via the communications and class meets has been crucial and so appreciated. Our children are very lucky.”

“Thank you for the work and the dedication with getting things up and running in our new virtual environment. I must admit that after the initial shock of being housebound... I am so impressed with our daughter’s progress!”

“Claremont have done an amazing job providing an engaging and caring approach to supporting the children during unprecedented challenges.”

"We are highly impressed with the level of communication the school is providing and for the thought and care put behind each activity being set up.” 17

Science and technology GREENSCREEN IN SPACE Our Nursery pupils were very busy during their Space topic, where they carried out essential maintenance on the International Space Station, launched a few satellites and picnicked on the moon. Once back on earth the teachers used these experiences to engage the children in their innovated retelling of the classic children’s book, Whatever Next?, By Jill Murphy. Unsurprisingly, they had lots to say!

'picnicked on the moon'

PLANT LIFE This summer children from Pre-Nursery to Year 2 were active participants in bringing science to life, as they discovered their green fingers and observation skills by planting a variety of seeds and monitoring how these tiny objects grow into flowers and vegetables. Their investigations included testing to see what seeds need to grow well by planting them in different conditions, growing bean seeds in clear bags to observe the process of germination, and seeing the fruits of their labour as the plants they carefully tended to grew and flourished.

'observation skills' SCIENCE QUESTION OF THE MONTH During lockdown it was lovely to see children of all year groups taking part in the Pre-Prep and Nursery monthly science experiments from home. Tasks included the study of floatation, water resistance and measuring how far a homemade balloon rocket could travel. All of these activities were completed with materials found at home and valuable house points were earned in the process!

'materials found at home'

YEAR 6 VOLCANOES Volcanic eruptions are one of the most powerful natural forces on our planet. Year 6 found out that making their own miniature erupting volcano is a great and safe way to learn about these incredible geological features. After making their volcano structure out of card and painting them, they made their way outside to form their own Pacific Ring of Fire. They mixed baking soda (a base) with red paint and then added the vinegar (an acid) into the top of their volcanoes and when these mix, they form a gas called carbon dioxide which created an awesome chemical reaction that the children loved watching.

'an awesome chemical reaction'

REMOTE LEARNING EXPERIMENTS During the second national lockdown, Prep School pupils engaged enthusiastically in a number of practical technology projects, with particular favourites including creating bird feeders, density towers, homemade lava lamps, parachutes, sailing boats and tennis rackets. Many of these lessons gave pupils a chance to be resourceful, using materials they had at home and it was fantastic to see how creative and imaginative the finished products were.

'chance to be resourceful'

Outdoor and active

FOREST SCHOOL We’ve had so much fun in forest school this year! In addition to the excitements which come with a brand new bird hide and mud kitchen, there has been a focus on growth this year with the introduction of two new raised beds. The children loved building bamboo structures for the peas to climb up, weeding and adding compost ready for the planting season. Reception planted peas, Nursery planted sunflowers and Pre-Nursery planted courgettes and pumpkins. Year 1 added broad beans and sunflowers, whilst Year 2 contributed some lettuces. The children finally saw the fruits of their labour with the first of the pea and lettuce harvest in the summer term.

'a focus on growth this year'

ALL ABOARD THE ROUTEMASTER BUS It was a very exciting day for the Pre-Prep and Nursery School when a 1960s routemaster bus stopped at Claremont to pick up a few small, very eager passengers! Each class had the opportunity to meet the conductor and the bus driver before boarding the top deck of the bus and using an old penny to buy tickets for a short journey through the school. The children loved the experience and we’re sure they will remember fondly the day the big red bus came to school!

'very eager passengers!' 20

EASTER BONNET PARADE It was wonderful to see the return of the much-loved Pre-Prep and Nursery Easter bonnet parade on the last day of term before Easter; especially exciting since the event had to be cancelled last spring. Pupils gathered outside in their class groups and paraded around the school garden, showing off their beautifully decorated Easter bonnets and bunny ears. Of course, no Easter bonnet parade would be complete without an appearance from the Easter bunny!

'beautifully decorated Easter bonnets'

HAWK ON THE WILD SIDE The Pre-Prep and Nursery School welcomed the return of hawk on the wild side and their magnificent birds of prey display in the autumn term. Year 2 children were able to enjoy a close encounter experience as part of their outdoor learning programme before joining the school outside to see the birds in action. Children saw the birds in full flight, swooping and soaring amongst the trees around them. A wonderful experience enjoyed by all!

'swooping and soaring'

ANNUAL WALKATHON Equipped with waterproofs and wellies, our Pre-Prep and Nursery children embarked excitedly upon the annual walkathon in November; this year a sponsored event as part of our naturewatch week. Carrying spotter cards, our intrepid explorers adventured around the school grounds, through the wild woods and up the hill to the Belvedere tower in search of local wildlife and natural habitats. Children also enjoyed finding and collecting natural materials including pine cones, colourful autumn leaves and bamboo twigs to take back to their classrooms.

'intrepid explorers' 21

PRE-PREP SPORTS DAY CAROUSEL The Pre-Prep and Nursery School excitedly participated in their annual sports day on the final Wednesday of term. Whilst the weather was not as warm as previous years, thankfully it remained dry enough for all activities to go ahead. The Pre-Nursery, Nursery and Reception classes carousel included ten activities so that the children could demonstrate to parents all the skills they have been developing this year. Year 1 and Year 2 then took part in a number of running races and three field events before finishing with the house relays.

'carousel included ten activities'

PREP SCHOOL SPORTS DAY Prep School sports day went ahead in June and whilst we were still unable to welcome parent spectators to our wonderful grounds, the event was a great success and enjoyed by all. Following some unseasonal summer term weather, we were delighted that the sun shone and the temperatures rose just in time for sports day. Every pupil participated in three individual events and a house relay. Longcross reign supreme across all year groups in the track programme, whilst Norwood dominated the field events.

'every pupil participated' 22

YEAR 3 VISIT TO WALTON FIRS It was lovely to be able to take the Year 3 children to the idyllic setting of Walton Firs during the summer term. Fortunately the weather was kind which meant the children were able to complete a number of high adrenaline and fun filled activities. Throughout the day they showed their bravery, determination and contagious sense of fun. From high ropes to team buggy building the children embraced this opportunity to extend their learning beyond the classroom environment.

'determination and contagious sense of fun' SPONSORED HOP The PTA were inspired to organise a sponsored hop during the summer term which raised over £1,000 for Shooting Star Children's Hospice charity. The children had a wonderful time happily hopping around outside in the school garden and at home for such a good cause!

'happily hopping around'

PRE-PREP PTA SUMMER FAIR The Pre-Prep and Nursery School PTA transformed the school garden into a fantastic summer fair ground at the end of term. Children enjoyed playing traditional funfair games, eating ice-cream, hurtling down the bouncy castle slide, arts and crafts, and even the chance to throw a wet sponge at Mr Williams - what more could you want from a summer fair! It was a wonderful way to finish a successful summer term.

'playing traditional funfair games'

I'M FROM CLAREMONT, GET ME OUT OF HERE! To bring an exciting end to the autumn term and to raise funds for some new equipment, children in the Prep School took part in our very own version of ‘I’m a celebrity.’ Children had to earn stars throughout the day by taking part in a range of challenges and tasks. The most extreme being retrieving stars out of a bucket of live maggots and eating salted toffee crickets! Pupils also enjoyed the physical tasks on the assault course and participating in mental and creative challenges in the classroom.

'bucket of live maggots'

ANNUAL REINDEER RUN The reindeer run went ahead once again this year, although in a slightly different format to previous years. All pupils were well prepared and worked hard over the term to improve their levels of fitness and general conditioning. This was evident on the day, making for some exciting battles along the 1 1.5 mile course. Well done to all involved!

'prepared and worked hard'

COACH AND FORMER RUGBY PLAYER, GEORDAN MURPHY, VISITS THE PREP SCHOOL The Prep School welcomed rugby coach and former Irish and Leicester Tigers player, Geordan Murphy, to school in May for a rugby session with a small group of Year 5 and 6 pupils. He led an inspirational session, combining games with skill development and the pupils were required to work at their hardest for the full hour, constantly striving to improve. Geordan Murphy was impressed with the pupils’ attitudes towards the game, their enthusiasm when participating and their overall skillset as a group. Everyone involved had a fantastic morning and the pupils have certainly benefited a huge amount from the session.

'combining games with skill development' 24

PREP SCHOOL SPORT OVERVIEW AUTUMN TERM Physical education and games resumed in September upon the full return to school for our pupils and, following a significant period away from curriculum sport, Health Related Education and a games carousel approach were introduced. Pupils enjoyed participating in tennis, football, netball, hockey and lacrosse and an in-house lockdown tournament was born. Pupils in Year 5 and Year 6 formed different ‘bubble’ teams to compete in both football and lacrosse – all for the chance to win two trophies; The Lockdown Cup and The Lockdown Plate! The autumn term culminated with our annual festive reindeer run which the pupils had prepared well for. SPRING TERM Lockdown 2 was back with us for most of the spring term but the pupils continued to attend lessons remotely and were able to produce some outstanding work as a result. Live PE lessons took place alongside skill challenges and ‘beat the teacher’ competitions using the Homecourt Basketball app. The return to school saw girls refresh their netball skills and games play, whilst the boys focussed on rugby handling and tactical game play. SUMMER TERM The summer term saw competitive fixtures resume, albeit under COVID-19 guidance. Claremont hosted a number of athletics meets where participation was the key focus and pupils enjoyed competitive cricket fixtures against neighbouring schools. It was fantastic to see pupils competing and doing what they love best once again and, although spectators were absent for most of the events, it certainly didn’t dampen the spirits of the pupils. Sports day went ahead successfully and Longcross reigned supreme in the track programme, whilst Norwood dominated the field events. However, it wasn’t enough to prevent Longcross from claiming the sports day cup - which they last won almost 15 years ago!

A CLAREMONT WINTER WONDERLAND Pupils supported by the key worker scheme arrived at school one chilly January morning to find the grounds sparkling under a blanket of crisp white snow! It wasn’t long before lots of snowmen began popping up all over the school and teachers were delighted to see how children learning from home had been enjoying the snowfall in their gardens. The snow lifted our spirits and provided a source of much needed entertainment during lockdown!

'snow lifted our spririts'

SWIMMING LESSONS This year the Pre-Prep and Nursery were delighted to start swimming again in the summer term. Every year group has participated in swimming lessons making the most of the great weather. For the younger children and those with less experience of swimming, there has been lots of fun water confidence building games and those already confident in the water have been developing their swimming technique.

'confidence building games'

World and culture 'awash with yellow' #HELLOYELLOW CAMPAIGN Claremont Fan Court School was awash with yellow on Friday 9 October in support of the Young Minds UK #HelloYellow campaign to mark World Mental Health Awareness Day. All parts of the school participated, with both pupils and staff wearing yellow such as headbands, socks, ties, hats and face masks. The campaign advocates that nobody, including young people, need feel alone with their mental health and that looking after our wellbeing is just as important as our physical health.

YEAR 2 AFRICA PROJECT Year 2 enjoyed learning all about Africa in the spring term. During English lessons the children studied the real life story of Zeraffa Giraffa and participated in a debate involving persuasive writing techniques. They learnt all about Maasai tribe culture, comparing school life for English and African children and had fun making their own traditional African jewellery. The topic was rounded off with class presentations from each of the children which they had prepared themselves about safari wildlife known as the Big Five.

EARTH DAY

'class presentations'

Claremont Fan Court School celebrated Earth Day on Thursday 22 April by having conversations throughout the school about the impacts of climate change, sustainability and how we can work together to restore our planet. It was fantastic to see how passionately the pupils talked about these important issues, working together to make pledges to influence change.

'talked about these important issues'

ODD SOCKS FOR ANTI-BULLYING Prep School pupils and staff arrived at school wearing a fantastic array of colourful odd socks to kick start anti-bullying week from 16 – 20 November. The odd socks day initiative run by the anti-bullying alliance aims to raise awareness around bullying by celebrating individuality and what makes us unique. Wearing odd socks has been a wonderful way to show we are united against bullying.

‘celebrating individuality' PREP MOCK G7 SUMMIT

On the penultimate day of term, twelve children from the Prep School gathered together for an environmental summit. Named ‘G12,’ each class representative delivered a highly professional speech from the perspective of a country they had been studying. They then discussed pledges which could be made by the rest of the school over the holidays and these were voted on in the summer. Every class had fun creating their own plastic sculptures to represent the plight of the oceans and banners were produced to accompany the Gee7 song in the afternoon. Most impressively, the summit was organised by Abigail, Sofia, Harrison, Chloe A, Mason, Jacinta, Millie, Lara and Harrison in Year 6. We are incredibly proud of their enthusiasm and willingness to stand up for what they believe in.

'stand up for what they believe in'

Houses

PRE-PREP AND NURSERY HOUSE OVERVIEW Our House captains have achieved a huge amount this year. They presented live online assemblies every Friday, giving out encouragement through their House mottos, launching competitions such as the hair with flair day and even introduced us to new House mascots. This year saw the creation of our first augmented reality mascot, Ping the penguin, who supported Lukas in representing Norwood House during home learning. Hair with flair day and Ping are two fine examples of the creativity and vim to come out of the Pre-Prep and Nursery during the pandemic. When life gave our House captains lemons… they made lemonade!

'fine examples of creativity'

PREP SCHOOL HOUSE OVERVIEW The House Cup this year went right down to the wire, with the highest ever points totals recorded at the Prep School. Due to off curriculum days during lockdown, where huge amounts of house points were awarded and a fantastic effort by so many since the return to school, all houses smashed through the 10,000 point barrier. With only a week to go, 9 points was the difference between Longcross and Norwood, with Esher only 60 points behind. Sports day was won by Longcross but it was not quite enough to beat Norwood in the end. We look forward to many more House events next year.

'a fantastic effort by so many' 29

Citizenship OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD

The Prep School were delighted to support the Samaritan's Purse Operation Christmas Child campaign again this year. Pupils busily packed shoeboxes full of gifts to be distributed all around the world to children in need aged between 2-14 years. Items included fun toys, hygiene items and school supplies. This year there was also the opportunity to pack a virtual box online to send. It was wonderful to see so many boxes stacked up high awaiting collection, and we hope the boxes brought plenty of joy to children all over the world.

'shoeboxes full of gifts'

CHILDREN IN NEED FUNDRAISER The Pre-Prep and Nursery School raised an amazing £1,165 in support of BBC Children in Need following their Naturewatch week fancy dress day in November. The fundraiser was the finale to an exciting week full of activities designed to inspire and engage the children in the natural world. Children took part in everything from wildlife photography competitions, themed crafting, den building, hot chocolate around the camp fire, wildlife spotting and a special naturewatch walkathon around the school grounds.

'an amazing £1,165'

SUPERHERO FANCY DRESS In the spring term the Pre-Prep and Nursery School participated in a Covid-19 superhero fancy dress day fundraiser in support of the true heroes at the Princess Alice Hospice in Esher. The staff at the hospice use their powers to care for very poorly patients and their families, so to celebrate the wonderful work they do, the children transformed themselves into superheros for the day. The campaign raised a fantastic total of £900 thanks to lots of generous donations.

'in support of the true heroes' 30