Pre-Prep and Nursery School Yearbook 2023-2023

HEAD OF PRE-PREPARATORY AND NURSERY SCHOOL

Mr Michael Williams

We have enjoyed an action-packed centenary year in the PrePrep and Nursery School. Looking through this kaleidoscope of memories, it is incredible how much the children squeeze in to a school year here at Claremont!

This year has been a triumph of collaboration between the staff, pupils, parents and the wider school community as we focussed our energies on fundraising for our chosen charity, Shooting Star Children’s Hospice in Guildford. Together, we have smashed through our ambitious target of £10,000 and nurtured awareness in our young learners around community mindedness and the importance of helping others. As we say on our website: goodness underpins this school. The Claremont 100 initiative has been a wonderful vehicle for reflecting on who we are as a school; where we come from and where we are going.

I look forward to another successful year of learning and progress for the children and, of course, to another century for our fantastic school!

HEAD OF PREPARATORY SCHOOL

Mrs Helen Hutton-Attenborough

Our centenary year has offered a wonderful opportunity to bring together families, staff and governors, past and present, to celebrate their recollections and time at Claremont Fan Court, whilst also enjoying new experiences and laying down memories for the future. We also wanted to make our centenary about more than a celebratory event and, out of this desire, was borne the idea of the Claremont 100 initiative. We decided to challenge every child in the school to strive to make a ‘100’ pledge – in the form of pounds, time or other donations – over the course of the year, to support local charities. The children’s response to this initiative was phenomenal and many of the events and highlights represented in this yearbook are linked to this charitable effort. Visits from the charities helped to raise the children’s awareness of the impact of their efforts and the willingness with which the children embraced Claremont 100 was the highlight of the year for me.

Thank you for all your support this year and I hope that you enjoy reliving some of its special moments in the yearbook.

PRE-PREP AND NURSERY

Yearbook 2022-2023

Artwork by Emma B, Year 6

PRE-NURSERY

This year in Pre-Nursery the children have been busy learning. They’ve had lots of opportunities to make new friends. They started the year meeting nursery rhyme characters and singing lots of songs. After this they made friends with the animals, they loved meeting Harry the parrot and Dutch the dog. During our transport topic we enjoyed making friends with the firefighters who visited with the fire engine. We loved pretending to be firefighters and using the hose! During the summer term the children enjoyed spending time in the garden, growing peas, lettuces, sunflowers, pumpkins and companion flowers to attract the ladybirds and bees. They have also been making mud recipes and enjoying the new tyre swing. To finish a fantastic year they enjoyed sharing a special picnic with their teddy bears and teachers under our new canopy classroom.

NURSERY

OVERVIEW

This year, Nursery has been full of lots of successes and memorable learning experiences. The children started off the first term by exploring the world around them, with some lovely conversations about their families and local environment. Autumn was filled with celebrations, bright colours and patterns as we discovered all there was to know about pumpkins, Diwali and Christmas! In the spring term, we used green-screen technology to enhance our topic on space, making it look like the children had been on their very own adventures to the moon and therefore sparking some wonderful, imaginative language. The end of spring brought some wriggly guests to our classrooms in the form of five tiny caterpillars. What better way to learn about the lifecycle of a butterfly, than for the children to see this happening in front of their very eyes. The creature-theme continued as we became explorers in the summer term, learning all about the jungle. We showcased all that we had learnt during this topic in an assembly to the parents, filled with singing, dancing and playing instruments. The children have all been superstars and have embraced this year with such enthusiasm, wonder and a passion for learning.

“I liked learning about all of the minibeasts. The baby caterpillars were so cute, they turned into butterflies!” - Sara

“I loved doing the Christmas show. Me and Darcey were the angels and we had to flutter on the stage.” - Charlotte

RECEPTION

“Maths is so fun. I like learning numbers; I can count all the way to 50!”- Hera

OVERVIEW

This year we have had so much fun in Reception and made many memories that will stay with us forever. One particularly special moment for the children (and teachers!) was the arrival of our duck eggs in the spring term. The ducklings inspired us all with our learning. We made posters to go around the Pre-Prep, shouting about their safe arrival and even kept our own duckling diaries to record their growth each day. We then had the pleasure of giving them their first swim, which as you can imagine was both fun and rather wet for everyone involved! This hands-on experience really is invaluable. A few more highlights from the year include our Bollywood dancing workshop which we then performed in assembly, hot chocolate drinking forest school sessions with Mrs Watson, bread making like ‘The Little Red Hen’ and, of course, our annual visit from the local firefighters where we all squirted the big hose. The children have really grown in confidence and independence; it has been a fantastic first year of school.

“The roleplay corner is so much fun. The teachers and my friends are so kind to me.” - Eleanor

YEAR 1 OVERVIEW

For the children in Year 1, this has been a busy year filled with learning, exploration and fun. From travelling back in time through a Great Fire of London workshop and our visit to Milestones Museum, where they were able to see and experience the toys and games played by children over the last 100 years, to developing their map reading skills at Walton Firs, they have discovered the awe and wonder that is all around us. During the spring term, their curiosity and shock at learning about the challenges affecting our world drove a collective passion to make our world a better place. Their discovery that many beautiful animals around the world are in trouble truly captured their imagination and led to persuasive posters and a class assembly that sought to make us all take better care of our planet. This thirst for knowledge has been woven through their entire year and led to many successes and achievements that have made their teachers feel very proud and happy to have been a part of.

“I have loved being in Year 1, I have great friends and have really enjoyed working hard.”

- Dylan

YEAR 2

OVERVIEW

September seems so far back when we reflect and ponder all Year 2 have achieved this academic year. Our new cohort of young leaders quickly stepped up and we were overwhelmed by the positivity and enthusiasm of all the children who made speeches to be voted house captain.

The children loved embracing new topics – Guy Fawkes is always fascinating and we were impressed by how well our Year 2 pupils grasped the complexities of right and wrong when thinking about this important historical event. Before we knew it, Christmas show rehearsals were underway and Mrs Francisco, with extremely talented and excited Year 2 pupils, led the cast in a rousing performance. In the summer term we began to prepare for our next steps – even our trip to Kidzania (which was every bit as incredible as we hoped) encouraged us to think about what we want from our futures. It was with fondness (and much joyful singing) that we celebrated our year gone by, our progress made, friendships nurtured and lessons learnt. With happy hearts we saw our Year 2 pupils throw their house graduation hats, into the wind, off the mansion steps at the end of their graduation ceremony!

PREP SCHOOL

Artwork by Arabella F, Year 6

YEAR 3

OVERVIEW

September saw us welcome the Year 3 children to the Prep School and into Stable Court. Those who came up from the PrePrep and those who joined us from other schools were equally energetic and enthusiastic. The year started with an introduction to new classrooms, routines and expectations, with the children working hard to adapt to these new experiences. Over the course of the year, we have covered a wide and varying range of topics – from the Stone Age to the Blue Planet, rocks and solids and everything in between. The children have also impressed us with their marvellous mathematics and engaging creative writing. Numerous school outings demonstrated the children’s resilience, confidence and growing independence. Their impeccable behaviour on trips to places such as Ufton Court and Nower Wood, was a pleasure to behold and made us all extremely proud.

YEAR 4

OVERVIEW

Year 4 has been a whirlwind of discovery and growth, filled with enriching experiences and thrilling adventures. We explored the captivating world of Vikings, immersing ourselves in their history and conquering spirit. A spellbinding trip to Wimbledon Theatre brought Pinocchio to life, igniting our imaginations. The annual production of Hoodwinked showcased our Year 4 stars’ dedication and teamwork. We delved into art, crafting stunning Viking shields and Egyptian death masks. The highly anticipated Marchants Hill residential trip fostered resilience, teamwork, and adventure. Day trips to Winchester Science Museum opened our minds to the wonders of science, making slime and venturing through the universe. With VR headsets, we explored new dimensions and lands. Year 4 has allowed the children to show their resilience, enthusiasm, and spirit of discovery.

“ I loved the residential to Marchants Hill. My proudest moment was leaping off the top of the abseil wall.“

- Ethan

YEAR 5

OVERVIEW

Year 5 is always a busy year at the Prep School and this year was certainly no exception. In September, we enjoyed a wonderful theatre trip to see ‘The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe’ in the West End and were thoroughly entertained by the show. The autumn term concluded impressively with the whole year group performing the well-known poem, ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas’ off by heart at the outdoor Christmas concert. The arrival of the spring term saw the pupils admirably prepare for their Senior School examination, showing unwavering commitment and dedication. Once this was over, it was time to let off some steam (and eat a few ice-creams!) at our Ironbridge residential, then shortly afterwards, dip our toes in the water at the River Tillingbourne on our geography field trip to Juniper Hall.

YEAR 6

OVERVIEW

Year 6 have finished off their time in the Prep School in fine fashion. The autumn term saw them begin their ambassador roles in school tours and take a trip to the Royal Albert Hall to perform with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra - a great chance to support a worthwhile charity. Speaking of charity, the Year 6 have helped out at numerous charity events this year, in particular the stalls they designed and then supervised one lunchtime for the rest of the Prep School to enjoy. They have served their fellow Prep School pupils throughout the year, hosting events as house captains, much to the delight of the younger pupils. The spring term brought the return of a residential trip abroad. It was bon voyage and off to France we went by boat and by train. Well done everyone for remembering your passports! We visited World War I battlefields which was a poignant moment on an otherwise jovial trip, including trying the opposite of fast food - snails! The goat farm was a real highlight, with cuddles, feeding and even the chance to milk a goat. The production of ‘Porridge’ has been an absolute treat this summer term, with jokes and props galore. Their singing, dancing and acting had the audiences at each performance cheering and laughing in equal measure. What a team effort from pupils, parents and staff and a wonderful way to round off the year.

“We are moving on from the Prep with hearts full of happy memories, ready to tackle the next steps” - Finn

PREPARATORY SCHOOL PORTFOLIO

WHAT IS THE PREP SCHOOL PORTFOLIO?

The Prep School Portfolio is a celebration of each child’s personal learning journey. It is designed to place value on the aspects of life which have true value: preparing to live a happy and fulfilled life, within a stable and caring community, and with respect and love for the world around us. It allows every child to understand the contributions that they make are important and celebrated, as well as to encourage them to see the opportunity to always do a little bit more.

A readiness to bring a love of learning, ambition and conviction to every lesson; to be a discerning learner who has the courage to ask good questions.

Inspiring joy and appreciation in art, music and performance; every pupil has the opportunity to grow in self-belief and confidence through these shared experiences.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

ACADEMIC WORLD AND CULTURE

THE ARTS CITIZENSHIP

Developing enquiring minds who understand the interdependence of actions and consequences in the natural world.

OUTDOOR AND ACTIVE

Encouraging healthy lifestyles and a sense of self-care – there’s a sport or activity for everyone!

Understanding our world and different cultures to nurture socially responsible minds and attitudes.

Caring about the well-being of others and striving to promote our values of friendship, trust and co-operation.

ACADEMIC

Year 5 had an action packed three days on their history residential trip to Ironbridge. The children enjoyed the interactive exhibits at the Enginuity Museum and the Museum of Iron before taking a short walk across the famous Iron Bridge itself. After settling into their rooms at the hostel they went on to our evening activities including a visit to the China Museum and a clay pit making activity at the potteries. A full day at Blists Hill Victorian Village saw the opportunity to experience the strict discipline of the Victorian classroom. Thankfully all demonstrated their ability in the 3 R’s and avoided the stern Miss McCullan’s caning!

UFTON COURT

Year 3 were transported back to Tudor times in April in an immersive trip to Ufton Court. They made bow and arrows, feasted on a banquet and even got to act out a siege of the house! This was a real hands-on experience, helping them understand the conflict and trials of Tudor religion and discover how hard life must have been for the everyday people.

HOUSE CHARITY QUIZ

In March, the Prep School held a general knowledge quiz competition where teams battled it out answering questions to earn valuable house points. This fun team building event was in aid of our Claremont 100 charity initiative.

PROSE READING COMPETITON

The annual prose reading competition took place in June, which is always a real highlight of the Prep School calendar. As ever, the standard was high and our eleven finalists impressed the judges with their confident and engaging performances. In the junior prize category, Luca F was declared winner for his reading from the book, ‘Charlotte’s Web’ by E.B. White. Six Year 5 pupils were eager competitors in the senior prize category, all delivering strong performances from their chosen books. After some difficult decision-making, the judges awarded the winner’s prize to Bertie for his reading from Rudyard Kipling’s ‘The Elephant Child’.

POETRY READING COMPETITON

The Prep School poetry competition took place on Friday 4 November and, as ever, the standard was exceptionally high. The theme this year was ‘Our World’ with all competitors giving confident performances of their chosen poems. The judges were impressed by the mature and confident deliveries of each of the competitors and eventually awarded the junior prize to Brodie J for his performance of ‘Dreamer’ by Brian Moses. In the senior prize category, Jacob H was declared winner for his performance of ‘Warned’ by Sylvia Stultz.

WORLD BOOK DAY

To celebrate World Book Day, Pre-Prep and Nursery travelled all around the world through stories! Pupils enjoyed making lots of noise in an African drumming workshop which tied perfectly into their themed day. The pupils in the Prep School had a wonderful time celebrating World Book Day. This year, the dressing up theme was ‘My Future Self’ with children being encouraged to come to school in an outfit that reflected their career ambitions. A wide range of costumes were on display including police officers, pilots, artists, doctors and professional sports players. During the morning, the children enjoyed writing autobiographies as their adult selves, which described their life journey so far.

Yearbook 2022-2023

THEARTS

PREP CONCERTS

We saw the many musicians of the Prep School performing brilliantly at a concert in April. Their parents were treated to a variety of instruments and styles of music ranging from Mozart to Green Day, from clarinets to harps! The school’s musical ensembles of chamber choir, string group, Year 5 violins and the wind and brass band played wonderfully the pieces that they had been working on. Well done to pupils who have been involved with the whole school musical teas that have taken place throughout the year too.

PRE-PREP CONCERTS

At Pre-Prep’s concert in May, parents enjoyed hearing a variety of instruments being played, such as the cello, violin, piano and recorder. The Pre-Prep choir also performed several songs which was a delight to hear. A special well done to pupils involved in playing at whole school music teas in the mansion at various points throughout the year.

CHRISTMAS CONCERTS

It was lovely to hear lots of cheerful singing coming from the Prep School at the Christmas Fair. Pupils performed ‘Hosanna Rock’ outdoors surrounded by twinkly fairy lights for their loved ones. Pre-Prep also got in the festive spirit in December when they did a Christmas sing a long at drop off, where Santa featured as a special guest!

JUMP ‘N’ JIVE CLUB

Pre-Prep have enjoyed boogying on Monday afternoons at Jump ‘n’ Jive club. This lively group helps children to experience, enjoy and develop a range of dance styles. They use a framework where they follow a methodology to improve balance and coordination. These techniques, combined with popular songs such as ‘Let It Go’, encourages the children to try new moves and boosts their confidence.

PERFORMING ARTS CLUB

Pre-Prep pupils have been enjoying learning about theatre skills in Performing Arts Club on Tuesdays after school. Performing Arts can benefit a child in countless ways! Aside from being a lot of fun, a combination of movement, drama and music can not only boost a child’s confidence but can also increase spacial awareness and reading skills!

CHRISTMAS SHOWS

Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 performed their Christmas production ‘The Magical Christmas Jigsaw’ in December. The pupils did an excellent job singing, acting and dancing while trying to find the missing puzzle piece to save Christmas. Pre-Nursery and Nursery also looked amazing in their nativity costumes when they were performing ‘Whoops-a-daisy Angel’.

PREP SCHOOL PRODUCTIONS

HOODWINKED

Year 4 took to the stage to perform ‘Hoodwinked’ in March. This play told the story of Robin Hood and Maid Marian like you’ve never heard it before! We could not be prouder of their fairytale performances. It was clear to see that much time had gone into rehearsing and it was a joy to see the fruits of these labours. Thank you to the parents for the wonderful costumes and to our Year 4 team, led by Miss Bell.

PORRIDGE

Congratulations to the Year 6 cast, crew, teachers and all the parent helpers for putting on the truly wonderful production of ‘Porridge’. What a feast for the eyes and ears! This exhilarating crime themed fairytale set in Happy Valley was the perfect finale for Year 6 before they moved on from the Prep School. Well done to everyone involved for putting on such a memorable play.

LOVE ART COMPETION

Love was in the air at the Prep School during the spring term! These beautiful and imaginative multi-media designs were created by pupils who took part in the ‘Love’ themed art competition. Mrs Williams, head of art at the Senior School, had the difficult decision of choosing the winners. Congratulations to our winners: Year 3 – Izzy C, Year 4 – Milo and Dylan K, Year 5 – Amelia W, Year 6 – Freddie H. Our overall winner was Katie W. Well done to everyone who entered.

ART WORK

It has been a joy to see creativity flourish in both the PrePrep and the Prep School. DibDab art club remains one of the most popular clubs in the Pre-Prep, and it is easy to see why! The young pupils love getting their hands messy with paint every week.

In lessons, the Prep School have been studying various artists, like creating flower drawings inspired by Georgia O’Keefe. Year 4 have been integrating art into their academic work, for example, they crafted stunning Viking shields and Egyptian death masks to complement their history studies.

PAPER ART WORKSHOP

Pre-Prep welcomed paper artist, Nathan Ward, to their hall in May to run a paper crafting workshop. Nathan has built sets, props and models for big brands such as Google, Jo Malone and John Lewis. He shared his talent with our pupils and taught them how to make anything from playful paper fish to detailed and delicate paper flowers.

“I enjoyed being creative, I have loved the art” - Tommy (Year 3)

LEARNING THROUGH ANIMALS

SCIENCEANDTECHNOLOGY

Pre-Prep and Nursery have not only found out lots of facts about animals and their habitats, but they have also learnt to bond with them from first hand experiences. In January, staff members bought their pets into Pre-Nursery, the children loved meeting Bear the puppy and Harry the parrot! Reception welcomed duck eggs into their classroom and watched as they hatched. They recorded this special moment in their duckling diaries and even got to watch them have their first swim! The Godstone Farm trip was another highlight for Reception as they got to pet lots of the animals. Pre-Prep welcomed some very special guests in June when Animal Magic visited with Arnie the armadillo, Cornelius the snake and Mrs Tiggy-Winkle the hedgehog.

GREEN SCREEN SAFARI

Nursery have been taking green screening technology to a new level to enhance their learning. During their computing lesson with Mrs Williams, Nursery students explored the different habitats for their toy animals, using a green screen. Their teacher, Miss Westbrook, also brought their jungle animal paintings to life by incorporating the pupils and their painting into a jungle/safari scene!

NEST MAKING

Spring term is a very exciting time for Birds, Bugs and Beasties Club in the Prep School because it is around nesting season. In preparation for this, pupils built nests from twigs and plants in our walled garden. Some of the ‘bird hotels’ were very creative and even had swings for the creatures to perch on!

NOWER WOOD TRIP

In October, Year 3 spent a day at Nower Wood. The children took part in three interactive and informative sessions – tree identification and key making, minibeast classification and a woodland discovery walk. One of the many highlights of the day was the listening circle, where the children took time to notice and enjoy their

CODING AND ROBOTS

Pre-Prep’s computing curriculum seeks to equip students to use digital technologies to understand and engage with the world around them.

Our young learners are taught by a specialist teacher in weekly lessons throughout the year. Here they learn the principles of computational language and how to use an assortment of hardware and software; from coding with Scratch and the latest robotics, to using both Windows and iOS devices.

There is a strong focus on developing their e-safety awareness so that, as they get older, they can safely navigate the online world.

VR HEADSETS

Our VR headsets have been hugely popular with our Prep School pupils and offer a completely new and different learning experience for them. Whether it is travelling to different countries without even leaving a geography lesson, or completing a maths problem solving maze, these interactive lessons have been a great hit with the pupils!

The Prep School entered two go karts into the Seaford College Goblins event this year, where we raced against many other schools from the South-East. The team, who had made our new go kart from scratch, were able to test their skills in drag races, slaloms and then a knockout race event. The children named our go karts, ‘We Race Any Car’ and ‘Hugglesmobile’ (the pitfalls of democracy!). In the events, our highlight was winning the drag race event, with the quickest car in a straight line out of the 23 karts in the competition. A most impressive result in only our second year at the event and against much more experienced teams.

EGG-NAUT EXPERIMENT

Year 5 made an egg-cellent start to learning about forces in their science lessons in October. The children had a smashing time in an experiment where they were tasked with getting their eggs safely back to earth in a re-entry module. A few survived but many were too shell-shocked by the experience!

SCIENCE FAIR

PrePrep pupils welcomed Prep School scientists in May. The younger pupils loved learning from the older pupils and taking part in science experiments like rolling toy cars on friction ramps, making catapults and blowing bubbles!

OUTDOORANDACTIVE

MARCHANTS HILL TRIP

Year 4 had a fabulous time at their recent residential PGL trip to Marchants Hill. The children experienced a range of adrenaline fuelled activities, including the giant swing and abseiling. Pupils also enjoyed team building exercises such as survivor and a blindfolded sensory obstacle course. Challenge activities including orienteering and archery introduced the pupils to new and exciting skills. On one evening Year 5 were treated to songs around a campfire, complete with toasted marshmallows!

SKI TRIP

Prep School pupils had a fantastic time in Italy on their ski trip over the Easter holidays! Not only did they have tremendous fun learning to ski, but they also enjoyed a bowling night, drinking delicious hot chocolates and playing games with Mrs Hutton-Attenborough!

EASTER BONNET PARADE

Yet again, the Pre-Prep and Nursery pupils dazzled us with their spectacular homemade Easter bonnets in March. The annual Easter bonnet parade is an event that parents and pupils look forward to every year. Since they were so well behaved and made such a great effort with their hats, they had a very special visit from the Easter bunny!

OUTDOOR CLASSROOM

Pre-Prep were delighted to start using their outdoor classroom facility this year. Parents enjoyed having a workshop in it during the summer term and PreNursery tested it out by having a special teddy bears picnic under it’s canopy! We can’t wait to see how this new area will compliment Pre-Prep and Nursery’s forest school education.

FOREST SCHOOL

As always, forest school in the Pre-Prep has been full of adventures this year. From campfires to tree climbing, the children have had a blast exploring the best playground of all, nature! Year 9 Senior School pupils have also got involved on Thursday lunchtimes. The older pupils have loved helping out in forest school and making friends with the younger year groups.

“Forest school is really fun. I go on a hammock and Mrs Watson makes a fire and we have hot chocolate”

- Elektra (Reception)

SPORTS

OVERVIEW

Pupils have enjoyed competing in a variety of sports this year which include netball, football, rugby, cricket, athletics, cross country, gymnastics and swimming. Sport for all has always been at the heart of our curriculum, but 2022-2023 saw the introduction of a Sports Performance Programme, where Prep School pupils can make that

Sports tour to Bournemouth

The first Prep School sports tour took place in March at Bournemouth College Prep. Pupils participated in football upon arrival. The boys started well, but narrowly lost, the girls won after a close game. After a comfortable night’s sleep, rugby and netball were played the following morning. The rugby game was evenly matched and a draw was the perfect result. The netball match was equally competitive and the our team got their second win of the weekend. It was a really enjoyable experience for all!

It was lovely to welcome back alumni, Fin Baxter to the Prep School in March. He spoke to our Prep School pupils about his rugby career at Harlequins and his time at Claremont. They had a great time training with him and learnt a lot from the drills they practised.

Year 5 bronze medal winners at the West Surrey Athletics Championships

Harlequins player coaches Prep School

Prep School netball girls achieve 60% win rate across the board in 2022-2023

PRE-PREP SPORTS

Pre-Prep pupils have enjoyed learning both team and individual sports. Swimming is always a highlight for our young pupils as it signals that summer has arrived, and this year was no exception! Our specialist PE teachers have focused on improving pupils’ motor skills through ball skills in cricket lessons. Pre-Prep girls and boys were delighted to wear their new football kit this summer!

WALKATHON

On Friday 14 October, our little rock stars absolutely smashed their walk to raise money for the PTA! The Pre-Prep and Nursery School pupils loved dressing up as rock stars and solving a music mystery. To find the clues, the pupils had to walk all around our beautiful woodland site, making this exercise based fundraiser also very interactive and engaging for the children. Thank you to the parents who helped to put on some amazing concerts along the way, you rock!

REINDEER RUN

Our Prep School children were quite literally dashing through the snow on their annual reindeer run! The cold weather didn’t deter the hardiest of runners. With triple points on offer for participation, the reindeer run took place on the frosty sun drenched front fields. Christmas songs were playing, antlers were on show and pupils were wrapped up warm, which resulted in some outstanding performances.

SPORTS

PRE-PREP SPORTS DAY

READY, SET, GO! At Claremont, we were delighted to welcome so many parents and friends to support the PrePrep sports day on such a lovely June afternoon. The Pre-Prep were involved in all sorts of fun races and games that even included a water race. All pupils were so full of energy, as sports day is always a highly anticipated event within the school year. They earned points that contributed to a running total for this year’s house winner. What a fantastic day of sport displayed by our amazing pupils. Year 1 and 2 in particular were able to show an extremely high level of athletics from what had been learnt in their games lessons.

Artwork by Emma V, Year

DAYS

The rain held off and the sun took a much appreciated break for this year’s Prep School sports day. The morning was all about Year 5 and Year 6, with over 70 races run throughout the morning. With too many medal winners to mention, it was a morning packed with competitive finishes, much enjoyment and plenty of achievements. The overall house award went to Norwood. It was Year 3 and Year 4’s turn in the afternoon, which for many was their first Prep School sports day. With 44 races run, it was evident that pupils were ‘in it to win it’! Radnor reigned supreme in the Year 3 and 4 age category!

CULTUREWORLDAND

It has been a year of broadening our pupil’s horizons beyond the walls of Claremont, whether it be through geography, history, environmentalism or languages. Trips and visitors have been a big source of inspiration for the children this year, encouraging them to get excited about other cultures and the diverse environment that they live in.

INDIAN DANCE WORKSHOP

Year 4 came to school dressed as Vikings (Norse people). They were led by Ingvar, a Viking warrior, who led them in a series of workshops. The children explored a range of artefacts, as well as taking part in a quiz about Viking battles, gods and runes. In the afternoon, the children examined weapons and armour. The finale of the day was a Viking battle held in the walled garden!

KUK SOOL WON DEMONSTRATION VIKING DAY

YEAR 6 FRENCH TRIP

Year 6 enjoyed a four day residential in France in the summer term.

Pupils stayed in a château, spoke the language, cuddled goats and even tried snails! A particularly moving experience was the guided tour of the WWI Battlefields of the Somme. Lifelong memories were made amongst friends and teachers during this special trip.

CARING FOR OUR PLANET

JUST ONE TREE DAY

In October, the Prep School took part in JUST ONE Tree Day. Pupils wore a green accessory to unite with schools around the world to reforest the planet. Thank you to all our pupils who raised awareness and money for the charity JUST ONE Tree.

TREE PLANTING

Prep School pupils brushed up on their gardening skills when they planted trees in April. We can’t wait to see these trees in the top car park grow over the years.

C ORONATION

CELEBRATIONS

CITIZENSHIP

Prep charity week stalls

CLAREMONT

This year marked our centenary which saw the launch of our whole school Claremont 100 charity initiative. At the start of the year, we set ourselves the challenge to raise £100,000 to support five local charities which have been nominated by pupils and staff across the whole school. The chosen charities were Rentstart, Momentum, Shooting Star Children’s Hospices, East Elmbridge Foodbank and The Grace Dear Trust. We would like to extend a huge thank you for everyone who has participated in fundraising events, be it the 5K fun run or bake sales, sponsored swim or talent show.

Food bank collection

Claremont’s Got Talent

Prep School staff bake-off cake sale

Prep School sponsored swim

Pre-Prep ‘Break the rules’ day

Pre-Prep ‘Walk the British Isles’ challenge

Prep School charity quiz

Pre-Prep ‘Wear your hair with flair’ day

FRIENDSHIP WEEK

The Prep School celebrated friendship in September. Each child got given a kindness bingo card to tick off throughout the week, as well as a chance to write a message to someone saying what their favourite things were about them. The highlight of the week were the special lunch breaks, where they got to play with their teachers. It is hard to tell who had more fun, the pupils or our staff!

WORLD THINKING DAY

Scouts, Guides, Brownies, Cubs and Beavers across 150 countries celebrated World Thinking Day on 22 February by wearing their uniform to school. The theme for World Thinking Day 2023 was Our World, Our Peaceful Future.

ODD SOCKS DAY

In November, the whole school took part in anti-bullying week by holding an odd socks day. The purpose of the day was to celebrate our unique differences and stand united against bullying.

HELLO YELLOW

On Friday 7 October, Claremont Fan Court School invited pupils and staff to wear yellow to raise awareness around mental health and to support the vital work of Young Minds UK charity. The day was a wonderful success and it was fantastic to see so much yellow on show throughout the school, from yellow bows in nursery to smart yellow ties in the sixth form.

GALA DAY

OVERVIEW

Thank you to all the pupils, parents, staff and alumni who attended our centenary Gala Day extravaganza on Saturday 1 July. What a fantastic way to celebrate 100 years! Well done to all of the pupils who got involved. It was a jam packed day full of activities including a house singing competition, a touching ‘Shooting Star Journey’ performance and a sponsored swim, to name a few! Our vintage fairground rides were a great success and we raised a lot of money for our Claremont 100 initiative, so thank you to everyone who donated. We hope you had as much fun on Gala Day as we did. Here’s to the next 100 years of Claremont!

Artwork by Beth W, Year 6