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The Millstone 2022-2023

THE MILLSTONE

Headmaster’s Introduction

Contents

Starting with sustainability as a focus for the school year, 2022-23 has given us a fantastic opportunity to explore how we can care for our school, the world and other people; from maximising use of our outdoor spaces, to spending a few minutes of our day looking out for our colleagues and peers.

Head Boy and Head Girl Meet our Leaders! Prefects 2022-23 Meet our Clans

3 5 6 6

We have much to be proud of this year, with our Microsoft Showcase School status rewarding our innovation and investment in IT skills, to sustaining an ‘Excellent’ report following our ISI inspection at the end of the Christmas Term. Grammar School results this year reflected the pride we have in our Upper School children with a 90% pass rate; the highest we have ever achieved.

CHRISTMAS TERM

EASTER TERM

SUMMER TERM

MUSIC ART AND DESIGN SPORT SCHOOL LIFE

43 44 50 54

Enjoy browsing our round-up of a thriving St Piran’s in this edition of The Millstone! Sebastian Sales Headmaster

Fun for Early Years 8 Year 5 go wild in Osmington Bay! 10 We are a Microsoft Showcase School! 12 Fossils and Feasts 13 Collections and Donations! 14 Fire and Fireworks! 15 Challenging Maths 16 Reflections for Remembrance 17 A Sense of Christmas 18 St Piran’s is Excellent! 21 Blast off for Book Week 22 Out and About 24 Robotics Team Breakthrough Winners! 26 Forest and Jungle 27 Faith and Belief 28 Creative Catering 29 Mill on the Brue 2023 30 Coronation Celebrations Alix Burnage Centre Mosaic Meeting Meteorologists Wow and Wonder in Early Years Around the World International Day Matilda Jr Postcard from Devon School History

Speech Day Leavers’ Destinations Pupil Parliament St Piran’s Society Staff News

33 34 34 35 36 37 38 40 42

54 55 56 58 59

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Head Boy and Head Girl MATTHEW BROWN AND SOPHIE PURCELL HAVE BEEN OUR HEAD BOY AND HEAD GIRL FOR THIS YEAR, LEADING BY EXAMPLE AND ASSISTING MR SALES WITH EVERYTHING FROM OPEN DAYS TO OUR WEEKLY PREFECTS’ TEA. M: When the Head Girl and Boy were announced last year, to say I was surprised was an understatement! At first, I felt a little intimidated by the enormous responsibility, but the last Head Boy reassured me that there would be lots of help and support, and he was absolutely right. I soon felt confident in my new role – handing out awards in assembly, doing show-rounds for visitors and delivering speeches at Open Mornings – and of course, enjoying Prefects’ Tea! S: When I found out I was Head Girl, I was so shocked and surprised…. but delighted! It’s a busy role, but one that I have loved, alongside being a peer mentor and teaching the younger ones new games and playing at break. Being an East Clan Leader has also been a real honour, leading clan assemblies and holding our flag on Sports Day. M: Our school motto is “Inspiring Confidence” and throughout my 9 years here, I believe it has done just that. I started Nursery just after I turned 3. I remember Mrs Haywood indulging my obsession by reading me “The Gruffalo” every morning, playing in the sandpit, parading proudly around in our Easter bonnets, charging up and down on the bicycles, having so much fun on sports day, dressing up in capes and collecting starfish in buckets. The first feedback to my parents was that I was a “good eater” – which continues to this day! By the time I was in Reception, I had graduated to a space-hopper as my preferred mode of transport! We released the butterflies we had hatched with great excitement, and I still remember the words of the French songs we sang with Mme Kennedy! I remember lovely Mrs Burnage, who we all love and miss so much, being kind and patient with me when I was nervous about getting in the pool. She even let me sit on the side and water her with a little watering can, until, one day, I was brave enough to venture in. It was such a privilege earlier this year to help make her memorial mosaic. In Lower School, we had some wonderful trips: Reading Museum, Windsor Castle and Kew Gardens. We made good use of many empty shoeboxes, making creative dioramas and I was inspired to make a London skyline out of yoghurt pots! We were all intrigued learning about the history of our school; seeing the air raid shelters and reading the secret notes hidden by past boarders. Year 3 started with the excitement of participating in the Eco Council and

making many new friends, including Sophie. I first got to know how kind she was when I ran down the steps to the astro and face-planted, putting my tooth through my lip, and she came to my rescue. Please take note and walk down the stairs! S: Who would have thought that since that time of coming to Matthew’s rescue, we would both be here as Head Boy and Head Girl. Matthew and I have been a real ‘team’ this year. Whether it be greeting pupils at kiss and drop or meeting and greeting charities, it’s been great to be able to support each other and it has been a lot of fun. Who knew that the end of this term would see us on mufti day, collecting dog beds and bird feed whilst welcoming pupils dressed as Elmer, ladybirds and other wonderful creatures. My St Piran’s journey began later than Matthew’s, when I arrived in Year 3; I could not believe the amazing choice of lessons: it was so much broader than what I had been used to and St Piran’s truly offers something for everyone. I soon developed a love for DT, art and textiles but one of my biggest passions that has just kept growing is sport. Hockey, netball, athletics, cross-country…. the list is endless, but being in the swimming squad really boosted my confidence and it has been brilliant to be part of our developing girls’ football squad. Settling in was easy and everything was going swimmingly, until…

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M: …suddenly, Covid arrived! Mrs Wilson made online learning fun and it was lovely to see everyone on the Teams calls. Mr Barker and his team brought so much joy with his fabulous “Wake Up, Shake Ups” every morning and I would rush to see what craziness that day would bring! Of course, I missed my friends, but I had fun camping in the garden, making dens, growing vegetables, learning to cycle on the roads and learning a lot about IT! It was wonderful to get back into school for the last few weeks of Year 3. One sadness was that we never got to perform “Peter Pan”: I worked so hard on that sword-fighting scene with Thomas in our pyjamas! S: However we all came back at the end of Year 3 in a big burst of bubbles with hand gel and temperature checking on arrival. It almost seems like a dream now. As Year 4 began, we were becoming ever more resilient and motivated. This was helped hugely by a big challenge set for us: to read 10,000,000 words….. that’s a lot of words and…… we did it! We love reading but were encouraged by the lovely carrot of an incentive - free play for a day! M: Mrs Tse kept us going throughout the year and gave me a new love of English, drama and history. The highlight of the year was our first residential trip to Mill-on-the Brue! We tried many new things, including ziplining over the river, grass tobogganing, rafting on oil drums and water-sliding down the hill. S: The trip was amazing but what Matthew has failed to mention is the epic raft- building competition, which we chose to be ‘boys versus girls’. The anticipation was huge. The teams spent time trying to make the best, most resilient, durable raft and then the time came for ‘battle to commence’. Off we all went, paddling as much and as fast as we could and then SPLASH…. the boys fell off. M: Year 5 started with yet another amazing trip, this time to Osmingon Bay. I loved the excursion to Corfe Castle and the giant swing. Somehow our dormitory even won the “tidiest room” award! In school, I loved using the DT rooms and science lab. I enjoyed learning the clarinet, taking part in Chapel Choir and continuing the school traditions of weekly Chapel services and bell ringing. S: The year really was wonderful and school life seemed to become a bit more normal than the previous two. As preparation for secondary school, we became used to moving around the school even more independently and learned not to feel worried if we got it wrong. We were able to have the legendary Millstone Race again and of course, the allegations of cheating: and that was just by the teachers! Osmington Bay was a highlight but my room memories are a little different… At the end of another jam-packed day, we went to our dorm and headed to our bunkbeds to go to sleep. Slowly we drifted off until: the light flickered! We went back to sleep, someone may have been snoring and then we heard the shower turn on but there wasn’t anyone in the bathroom. All back to sleep and then another busy day before returning to our dorms for bed… we drifted off and then suddenly the toilet flushed, however, again no-one was in there. No doubt a case of being overtired…..

M: Year 6 has been the best year of my life! We tried many new things during Life Skills Week: open water swimming (pushing us out of our comfort zones), first aid and orienteering. We went on art trips, an inspiring visit to Reading University’s Meteorology Department and everyone has had the chance to join in swimming galas and concerts. We have also had some amazing opportunities to represent the school, for example, at maths competitions, the “First Lego League” Robotics competition and sporting events such as swimming, cross country, hockey, trampolining and biathlons. The last few weeks of Year 6 have been amazing and we have made memories to last a lifetime. S: For me, Matilda was a dream and how lucky I was to have two other Matildas to share the responsibility with. You would never have known that backstage was rather hectic and combined with one of the hottest weeks of the year goes to show what a professional group we are in Year 6. Huge thanks to Miss Galloso and Mr Horton and all the other staff who made it West End quality. At Battisborough House, gorge-walking was my favourite part. Generally you can rely on safety in numbers but clearly not on this day. There we were, walking up the gorge, through waterfalls, floating down slides and looking at other stunning sights and then I tripped and fell, along with everyone else! M: By far my favourite activities were coasteering and surfing, neither of which I had done before. It was exhilarating to jump off the rocks into the sea and to learn to ride the waves! I have so many other memories of my time at St Piran’s: Seaside, Tudor, Roman and Egyptian days; recording the new school song with my friends; Mr Smith singing karaoke at the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee tea party; playing in the fabulous new woodland area; enjoying the vast array of clubs on offer and taking part in the Millstone races. And of course, the unforgettable Mr Barker discos – I will never hear the “Superman” song without thinking of him! A quote by Tim Cahill describes my time at St Piran’s very well: “A journey is best measured in friends, rather than miles”. Throughout my time here I have made wonderful friends and I am sure we will remain close for the rest of our lives. It has been a great honour for us to be your Head Boy and Head Girl this year. St Piran’s certainly has “Inspired Confidence” in us all. In the words of the Dali Lama, St Piran’s has given us “wings to fly and roots to come back”. It has given us opportunities to learn and grow, to try and fail and try again, and to achieve what we could never have dreamed of. We are ready to go to our new schools, looking forward to our futures and I am sure we will all enjoy returning to tell our teachers about our new adventures.

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Meet our leaders! Year 6 leadership positions are chosen to reflect individual skills and interests with each child fulfilling their role to their best throughout the school year. Badges were proudly given out by our Chair of Governors in our special Leadership Assembly in September.

BOYS’ SPORT CAPTAINS

LEARNING COUNCIL

HEAD OF BELL RINGING

Arian Bajaj George Denning Ben Morrissey George Leach

Flossy Harry Thomas Parkes Devangi Kalra

Antony Vazhappilly

SWIM CAPTAINS (BOYS) Harry Fielder William Arden

Sebastian Fordham Aaradhya Bote Oliver Wray

GIRLS’ SPORT CAPTAINS

WELLBEING COUNCIL

Evie Nicholson Maisie Beresford Jones Reina Spears Scarlett Pettifer

SWIM CAPTAINS(GIRLS) Alice Fleming Mia Littley

DIGITAL LEADERS Sebastian Fordham Oscar Matthews Aaradhya Bote Matthew Brown Henley Baker Daniel Weaver

PEER MENTORS Theo Bambridge Isabel Greenough Isobel Leach Sophie Purcell Joseph Stebbings Aurora Taylor

ECO COUNCIL

Jasper Banham-Bates Harley Slater Harry Fielder

SAFETY COUNCIL

Amelie Mertes Beatrix Plumb Isabella Pizer

OUTDOOR LEARNING LEADERS William Arden Maisie Beresford-Jones Fabian Ghita Lydia Hourd Ben Morrissey Amelie Mertes Evie Nicholson Tilly Royden

DIVERSITY LEADERS Flossy Harry Francesca Norminton

DRAMA LEADERS Isabel Grenough Francesca Norminton Scarlett Pettifer Beatrix Plumb Reina Spears Amelia Williams

HEAD OF CHAPEL CHOIR Lexie Welham

CHAPEL MONITORS Lydia Hourd (Head Chapel Monitor) Millie Easton Ariana Kumar

ART LEADERS Millie Easton Aurora Taylor Lexie Welham

DT LEADERS Henley Baker Tilly Lawrence Katy Tudor-Morgan Henry Wooldridge

LITERACY LEADERS Jessica Bowley Isobel Leach Amelia Williams

MATHS LEADERS Matthew Brown Antony Vazhappilly

SCIENCE LEADERS George Denning Oscar Matthews Thomas Parkes Katy Tudor-Morgan

MEDIA AND EVENTS LEADERS Tilly Royden Henry Wooldridge

THE MILLSTONE | CHRISTMAS TERM

Prefects 2022-23 Appointed throughout the year by the Headmaster, here are our Prefects for 2022-23! Henley Baker Jessica Bowley Daniel Weaver Ariana Kumar Aurora Taylor Anthony Vazhappilly Lexie Welham Isobel Leach Ben Morrissey Katy Tudor-Morgan

Meet our Clans Regular Clan Assemblies bring all ages together in our groups to think of new ideas and do the best for our clan under the responsible leadership of Year 6 pupils!

NORTH

SOUTH

EAST

WEST

George Leach Tilly Lawrence Joseph Stebbings Mia Littley

Arian Bajaj Devangi Kalra Ariana Kumar Daniel Weaver

Alice Fleming Isabella Pizer Sophie Purcell Oliver Wray

Jasper Banham-Bates Theo Bambridge Jessica Bowley Harley Slater

‘Clan Super’ Miss Holloway & Mr Barker, Mr Grice, Mrs Joyce, Mrs Williams & Miss Wright-Warhurst

‘Clan Super’ Mr Smith & Mrs Bailey, Mrs Handford, Miss Gwynn, Miss Mettler & Mrs Tse

‘Clan Super’ Mrs Holmes & Miss Alison, Mrs Bryan-Peterson, Mr Dale, Mrs Gravenor & Ms Williams

‘Clan Super’ Mrs Robertson & Mrs Carpenter, Mr McKee, Mrs Gorringe & Mr Werrell

THE MILLSTONE | CHRISTMAS TERM

Christmas Term

THE MILLSTONE | CHRISTMAS TERM

Fun for Early Years

We have celebrated many events this term, starting with Harvest in the woods. We all listened to the story of ‘The Enormous Turnip’ with a special snack of bread rolls and hot chocolate. The woods are a big focus with every class visiting once every week. We have enjoyed stories, been on dinosaur hunts, completed challenges and even cooked soup for snack on the fire. We have been developing our maths knowledge, exploring our environment and learning how to look after our world. We have also had great fun in the mud! Nursery have been very busy bakers this term with treats of baked cookies, muffin pizza, bread, and even Baby Jesus mini chocolate cakes! Everyone has enjoyed autumn walks, shape hunts and a special elf hunt on the last week before Christmas. Nursery and Pre-school celebrated National Nursery Rhyme Week with singing and dancing, learning new songs and completing activities related

THE MILLSTONE | CHRISTMAS TERM

to our favourite nursery rhymes and all of Early Years celebrated World Science day, exploring and investigating by making straw rockets, testing magnets on different materials, and becoming palaeontologists! The end of the term was all about Christmas! The children in Reception and Pre-school were fantastic in their production ‘Busy, Busy Bethlehem’, remembering all their lines, songs and actions. Nursery spent time learning new Christmas songs for their Christmas sing-a-long and we were so proud of all the youngest children in our school and the confidence they showed. Reception posted their letters to Father Christmas in the post box at the top of the drive and PreSchool’s kindness elves helped to take their letters to the North Pole, travelling through their magical doors.

We learned about Diwali celebratio ns from one of our parents

THE MILLSTONE | CHRISTMAS TERM

Year 5 go wild in Osmington Bay! A mix of challenging adventures and activities with seaside fun and delicious ice creams as Year 5 started the term with a fantastic residential week at PGL Osmington Bay in Weymouth! Over to Ellie Dix and Evie Ashton for their highlights:

“The food there was amazing, there were always two or three options and a huge salad bar. Everyone loved the food and most importantly the activities. We did Jacob’s ladder and that was super hard but super fun, our group did get to the top eventually! The dragon boat race was a favourite, we had team names and team chants! We also went to the beach and had ice cream (the caramel is the best). Everyone loved the disco, we all danced and sang to the Greatest Showman and played games. Lastly, the race to get the materials to protect water balloons was really fun. We can’t forget about the dorms; they were amazingly clean and had lots of room and they also had an ensuite! A definite 10/10 from us!”

THE MILLSTONE | CHRISTMAS TERM

We are a Microsoft Showcase School! We officially earned our Microsoft Showcase School Status and are now in an elite group of global schools that exemplify the best of teaching and learning in the world today. Well done to our staff for making the school’s IT vision a reality.

We continue to champion IT around school for all ages. Robotics Club meets weekly to discuss coding for their robots, build Lego energy models and work on ideas relating to how we can improve energy in our world. Our Middle School and Upper School children committed to their weekly touchtyping club. Some children took type test 1 and are nearing completion to be fully qualified touch typers. Our Early Years coding journey has begun, and they are already showing excellent coding skills with the robots. Recruitment of pupil Digital Leaders has been a success and they undertook the Childnet Digital Leaders Programme, helping with e-safety talks for Year 6 during Life Skills Week. This was rolled out to the whole school including staff and parents.

THE MILLSTONE | CHRISTMAS TERM

Fossils and Feasts!

Year 4 pupils (and some wonderful parent helpers!) donned their Tudor outfits as the Tippet Hall was transported back in time to Christmas in the 1500s. Pupils had the chance to make a bundle of Tudor crafts, they performed traditional plays, songs and dances, and finished off the day with a festive feast. Further back into history and togas and sandals were in evidence as Year 3 experienced a Roman day with History off the Page.

Y3 Roman Day Y4 Tudor Day Y1 to Oxford Natural History Museum

THE MILLSTONE | CHRISTMAS TERM

Collections and Donations! Harvest Donations of food at harvest time were passed on to the residents of local care home, Clara Court, plus foodbanks Maidenhead Foodshare and One Can Trust who distributed goods to those less fortunate in our local community. Assemblies focused on the importance of helping others and giving thanks for plentiful food.

Mufti Days What a treat to have Pudsey Bear surprise our children for Children in Need. The delight on their faces said it all! Our Pudsey cakes at break were delicious and our non-uniform day raised £677.04 to help children all over the country. Jeans for Genes raises awareness of the challenges faced by those living with a genetic condition. Wearing our jeans for the day meant we could donate £528.91 to the charity and learn more about their work. Term wouldn’t be the same without Christmas Jumper Day on the last week! We wore our festive sweaters to raise £391.21 for Save the Children and Daisy’s Dream.

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Fire and Fireworks! London during the Great Fire of 1666 was the setting for the Tippet Hall for Year 2 as they immersed themselves in a hands-on workshop to engage in life at the time. They really got into character!

Bonfire and fireworks started half term with a bang! Our annual guy competition saw some fantastic entries and, this year, toys and gifts for sale on the night reflected our aim for greater sustainability.

The maintenance team worked hard to put the bonfire together!

THE MILLSTONE | CHRISTMAS TERM

Challenging Maths Maths Week England enabled the children to take part in a live problem-solving session alongside 7000 other students. We had a record number of children take the Primary Maths Challenge in Upper School and a wonderful number of passes. There was a fiercely competitive Battle of the Bands on TTRS with over 146000 questions answered correctly! We entered England Rocks and placed 125th out of 1000 Primary Schools across the country, taking our total correct questions to over ¼ of a million over 3 weeks of competition! Year 4 did brilliantly at a maths challenge and worked extremely hard on the day to achieve a great finish.

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Reflection for Remembrance Taking time for reflection and showing empathy, pupils from Reception to Year 6 are encouraged to engage in Remembrance Day and our assemblies and Chapel services. Following poppy and merchandise sales, our community British Legion representative passed on enormous thanks for our support, informing us of our total of £1090.85 raised, over £400 more than last year.

ath Reception made a poppy wre

for Chapel

Linking to our English curriculum this term and to mark the start of Remembrance, our Year 6 pupils were transported back in time to experience the true terror of the trenches and the devastating effects of WW1 through the Hobgoblin Theatre’s adaptation of Keith Campion’s novel ‘The Last Post’. We were mesmerised by the outstanding performance, and just a little bit emotional at the end!

Prefects sell poppies for

the British Legion

THE MILLSTONE | CHRISTMAS TERM

A Sense of Christmas Christmas comes to spark all our senses into life! ...our driveway is transformed into a beautiful light display to welcome visitors.

...a fabulous pantomime in school.

We see ...

ught us a captivatin MandM Theatrical bro n! ddi performance of Ala

Father Christmas came to meet us!

...a Christmas grotto appears in the woods! The Camel’s Arms

...twinkling stars, cheeky camels and bouncing sheep dazzling the stage with Lower School’s superb performances.

We feel...

... proud of our St Piran’s tree in the St Luke’s Christmas tree festival.

... the warmth from the fire in Mr Sales’ office.

dedi Our tree was e ag rn Bu to Mrs

Santa’s helpers so

rt the post

... delight when we send and receive cards from the Christmas post box.

cated

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We hear ...

r ng carols fo The choir si rt ou C ra la C residents of

...readings and carols at our Carol Service

...the carols from our bell ringers and choirs.

We taste and smell...

Prefects surprised our morning staff team with

...our delicious Christmas lunches.

...surprise hot chocolate and biscuits

treats!

Christmas party time!

THE MILLSTONE | EASTER TERM

Elin Bergman Bailey (4AC)

Easter Term

St Piran’s is

Excellent!

We were able to share the outcome of our ISI inspection in January following a visit from four inspectors in November. The Focused Compliance and Educational Quality Inspection Report judged us excellent in all areas. It was wonderful to share our news far and wide and the report is testament to the energy, verve and commitment of our wonderful pupils, staff and governors.

“Pupils demonstrate excellent attitudes to learning. The vast majority of pupils show excellent levels of engagement, thinking and motivation to succeed in line with the learning habits of the school.”

“Pupils excel in many enjoyable events beyond their academic studies. The vast majority develop their ability to compete and refine their talents across a range of activities.”

“Pupils have an excellent understanding of right and wrong. They recognise the impact of their behaviour on others and the need to work cooperatively.”

“Pupils’ communication skills are excellent, with strong beginnings in EYFS. They are orally confident and engage in measured and sustained discussions, considering the view of adults and their classmates constructively.”

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Blast off for Book Week A collaboration with our science department, this year we brought a cross-curricular ‘out of this world’ extravaganza to Book Week! Our STEAM [Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Maths] theme was ‘Our Place in Space’ – Stories, Space and Sustainability.

Space Adventures

a Year 1 alien

Obi-Wa

n Ke n o

invasion

an Upper School visit from the Planetarium

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Year 2 were transported to space learning coding skills on the way

the Milky PreSchool looked for Room ing llbe We Way in the

MC Grammar taught us how to beatbox and rap

...and dress-up day!

We had a blast!

THE MILLSTONE | EASTER TERM

Out and About Reinforcing our topics, or just allowing us to learn outside the classroom, our trips and visits are vital to creating lasting memories too.

Look Out Discovery Centre

Windsor Castle Year 2 visited Windsor Castle where they saw the State Apartments, Queen Mary’s Doll’s House and had a Knights’ workshop along with a guided tour of St George’s Chapel.

Exploring sights, sounds and science as Year 1 head to the Look Out!

The Living Rainforest Year 3 venture deep into the Living Rainforest

THE MILLSTONE | EASTER TERM

Braywick Nature Centre

Much excitement as Reception went out pond dipping and used insect nets to catch bugs in long grass at Braywick Nature Centre.

Meeting an author Year 5 were invited to Leighton Park to meet the author, Steve Cole. Having read his books about dinosaurs in space during reading time, he entertained us with funny stories and songs on his ukelele.

Willow arch On home turf, our outdoor learning leaders worked together with our gardener, to create a beautiful willow arch to be enjoyed by us all for years to come!

THE MILLSTONE | EASTER TERM

Robotics Team Breakthrough Winners!

St Piran’s Day 2023 March brings us a chance to celebrate our saint and learn all about Saint Piran’s journey on the millstone. Our annual Millstone Race saw North Clan taking the prestige of winning this year! We enjoyed special Cornish flag cakes, a general knowledge quiz and a black and white themed non-uniform day. Gool Peran Lowen!

St Piran’s IT Robotics Club members attended their first ever Lego League Challenge competition, working incredibly well as a team to create a fantastic project, with some excellent Lego building, robotics coding and fantastic sustainability ideas to help our future world. The only primary school represented, their hard work and determination paid off as they proudly claimed the Breakthrough Award. This award celebrates a team that made significant progress in their confidence and capability in both the Robot Game and Innovation Project and are a shining example of excellent core values. They demonstrated their understanding that what they discover is more important than what they win. the flag of

Saint Piran

is raised

THE MILLSTONE | EASTER TERM

The Jungle Book

A cast of jungle animals assembled for Year 3’s production of The Jungle Book singing classics such as ‘I Wanna Be Like You’ and ‘The Bare Necessities’. The colourful performance was a triumph and a credit to the children’s hard work, dedication and enthusiasm.

Programme by Hanna Pietrusinska (3P)

Robin and the Sherwood Hoodies Rustling amongst the leaves of the forest, Year 4 emerged with a brilliantly fun and energetic performance of Robin and the Sherwood Hoodies. The children worked extremely hard over a few short weeks to learn their lines, lyrics and dance moves!

Forest and Jungle!

THE MILLSTONE | EASTER TERM

Faith and Belief Chapel services are at the heart of our Christian ethos and provide a foundation for children’s spiritual development and for an understanding of right and wrong. The Chapel was built in 1885 under the Headship of Rev Thomas Jackson Nunns. Through brick, mortar, glass and wood it provides a place of peace and sanctuary to all who visit. We have been blessed to have many visitors come to share some thoughtful words, including visiting headteachers, this year. It provides a moment of peace and reflection at the end of a very busy week and for many is a time to treasure.

We embrace all faiths and encourage children to make their own faith choices and aim to provide resources to support each child on their journey. We have had the privilege of being warmly invited to St Mary’s for both ‘Christmas Unwrapped’ and ‘Easter Cracked’. The children delighted in both multi-media presentations which shared the Christian beliefs regarding Christmas and Easter and engaged them in treasure hunts, mince pie making, puzzles and so much more, encouraging them to ask questions and unwrap what lies at the very heart of the Christian faith.

We were also warmly welcomed to Maidenhead Mosque where the children listened attentively to discover more and develop a clearer understanding of the Islamic faith. The children asked questions, explored ideas to make informed decisions whilst respecting the faith. Some were quite fascinated by their observations of the parallels between the Islamic faith and Christianity, asking many astute questions. A generous treat at the end of the session saw many eyes light up and broad smiles form! Mrs B Bailey, Head of RE

THE MILLSTONE | EASTER TERM

Creative Catering Thomas Franks, our caterers, have brought us theme days and special assemblies to empower us all to learn more about food and to engage with what is on our plate. We loved understanding how surplus food can be given a purpose by putting it back onto plates through the Surplus to Purpose assembly. It also made us more mindful of the amounts of food we take and do not use.

Years 3 & 4 went on a tasting adventure with the Thomas Franks’ nutritionist, trying different fruit.

Olivia, Thomas Franks’ nutritionist, delivered an assembly on the ‘eat well plate’ and the importance of a rainbow of food. She proposed a challenge activity where the children were encouraged to add colour to their plates, sharing what colour they added and whether they tried something new. At Speech Day, Thomas Franks invited along Josh Quigley, an inspiring world record–breaking athlete and cyclist to motivate and chat to the children and parents. There was also a ’smoothie bike’ to try and healthy food samples! We have enjoyed new menus, themed days and a special international food week in June with tasty meals from Italy, America, Morocco and France!

THE MILLSTONE | EASTER TERM

Mill on the Brue 2023 Year 4 ended this action-packed term with their much-anticipated residential trip to Mill on the Brue in Somerset, where the famous zip line, high ropes and grass toboggans awaited them.

THE MILLSTONE | EASTER TERM

THE MILLSTONE | SUMMER TERM

by Vidhi Chheda (Y5)

Summer Term

Coronation Celebrations! Back in September we gave thanks for the life of our Queen, Elizabeth II, dedicating our Chapel Service to her life of service to our country and the Commonwealth and flying the St Piran’s flag at half-mast in her honour. It was time for a royal celebration in May as we marked the coronation of the new king, Charles III with St Piran’s Coronation Week! Coronation fever spread through Early Years with crown and bunting making, selfies with the King and a corgi, making their own sandwiches, tea parties and cakes! All classes planted a special tree in nearby grounds in commemoration of the event.

The whole school donned their red, white and blue or regal themed clothes for a mufti day and Year 2 acted out the Coronation ceremony in assembly!

God Save the King!

THE MILLSTONE | SUMMER TERM

Alix Burnage Centre Mosaic One Monday evening in June, (after avoiding a heavy thunderstorm!) we unveiled the beautiful mosaic and plaque in honour of our beloved former Head of Swimming, Alix Burnage, who passed away in 2021. Alix’s family joined many friends and colleagues, and the artist Liz Tiranti, to raise a glass as they revealed the new name for our St Piran’s Centre: The Alix Burnage Centre [ABC] We are sure you will agree that the mosaic looks beautiful and is a fitting tribute to a much-loved member of staff.

Meeting Meteorologists Year 6 visited Professor Sarah Dance from the Department of Meteorology at the University of Reading as part of their geography work. They were treated to a tour of the atmospheric observatory and took part in lots of flooding activities. •

A flood simulation table

•

Learning about air pressure using plungers!

•

A lucky dip climate change game

•

Taking selfies with the thermal imaging camera (check out Mr Grice’s!)

•

Competing to be crowned winner of Rivers Top Trumps.

Mrs H Bambridge Head of Geography

THE MILLSTONE | SUMMER TERM

Wow and Wonder in Early Years Early Years worked around a theme of ‘Wow and Wonder’ this term, reminding children of how far they have come and how much they have achieved. Animals and the natural world featured in so much of our term. As well as climbing trees and jumping in muddy puddles, Early Years cultivated an allotment of herbs, beetroot, carrots, and strawberries, grew sunflowers and enjoyed nature walks and woodland learning. Lifecycle projects included studying caterpillars and hatching ducklings, seeing how they don’t stay small for long. We released the butterflies to squeals of delight from the children and our ducklings loved swimming in the water tray – the children were quite sad when they left to return to the farm!

A farm visit brought lambs, a miniature pony, ducklings, chicks, guinea pigs, rabbits and some free roaming naughty goats to school! The children loved experiencing hands-on feeding and grooming.

June brought our Father’s Day breakfast. We welcomed our daddies to spend time in class and share a healthy breakfast with us. There was a special story time before giving out the gifts we had made for them.

The summer term culminated in some splash day fun, splashing our friends and teachers in the paddling pools as well as a party morning for Pre-School and Nursery with Disney themed activities, a visit from the ice cream van and once Reception joined the fun, a visit from Minnie Mouse!

THE MILLSTONE | SUMMER TERM Idris and Adam buy fruit! 5H

Around the World From singing songs in Early Years to presenting a weather forecast to the class in Upper School French, the love of languages abounds in all ages at St Piran’s. Lower School learned about animals, colours, numbers and food while Middle School revisited ‘les saisons’ and ‘la famille’ and worked on ordering ice creams, snacks and fruit and veg ready for their holidays!

Olivia O’Flynn 4G

Matthew Brown

Henry Wooldridge 6G

Theo Bambridge 6B

THE MILLSTONE | SUMMER TERM

New languages have been sampled in Year 6 as they continued their language enrichment in French, Spanish, Italian and Latin; they also celebrated French film as part of the UK French Festival of Film. Some fantastic pieces of work from our pupils this year reflect their engagement in language from around the world. Mrs C Hawkins Head of MFL

Spanish Club with Mrs Pow

International Day International Day is a fun, informative day where the children look at artefacts, find out information about the culture of that country, enjoy lots of related activities and take the opportunity to share cultures which are special to them. Lower School year groups studied a different country for the day with Year 1 focusing on Italy and Year 2 spent the day learning about Mexico. They spoke Spanish, created some Mexican artwork, followed a recipe to make guacamole, and had fun learning salsa dancing.

Olé!

THE MILLSTONE | SUMMER TERM

Matilda Jr. Matilda is a fantastic choice of script; it has everything you could wish for from a musical – comedy, suspense, and of course, catchy musical numbers. The backdrop, designed and created by our own Art Department, oozed colour, creativity and skill. The committed support from all involved in making this production one to remember speaks to the inclusion and spirit of community within our school, with the Year 6 students performing in the musical, to the Art Leaders organising the props; the Drama Leaders helping during the performances, and to the Dance Captains rehearsing the choreography during break times to assist teachers.

THE MILLSTONE | SUMMER TERM

It is evident how much time and effort our English, Drama and Music Departments dedicated to this outstanding musical, as the acting, choreography, and singing came together to encapsulate the hard work, talent and dedication experienced from our highly artistic performers and Backstage Team. Congratulations must also be awarded to our team of sound and lighting technicians who gave a polished and professional feel to our musical. We definitely have some future stars in our midst – the whole cast gave the most incredible performances, showcasing vocals and acting that rivals a West End production. The entire cast was enthusiastic and shared their feeling of fun with the audience. This was a superb production and is testament to the dedication and perseverance of our inspired performing arts team, as well as our outstanding students! Miss L Galloso Head of English and Drama

THE MILLSTONE | SUMMER TERM

Postcard from Devon! POSTCAR

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St Piran’s School Gringer Hill Maidenhead Berkshire SL6 7LZ

THE MILLSTONE | SUMMER TERM

Greetings fr

Devon

! e r e h e r e w Wish you

THE MILLSTONE | CHRISTMAS SUMMER TERM TERM

School History This year a group of Year 6 children began the process of bringing to life some of the many pieces of the St Piran’s story. They sorted and recorded photographs, books, uniforms and all manner of things from the past. These will eventually be displayed for all past, present and future pupils - and parents to look at. Archives from the past tell us about who we are, where we have come from,

and are an integral part of our story as a school. I would like to thank the Year 6 pupils who volunteered so enthusiastically: Antony Vazhappilly, Aurora Taylor, Flossie Harry, Devangi Kalra, Ariana Kumar, and Francesca Norminton. I do hope that in years to come that they will get to see the final outcome of the process which they began. Mr JE Grice, Head of History

Former pupils joined us for our Alumni Lunch in June, revisiting their old school with tours from our current Year 6 and many returning to take part in rounders and cricket matches (enjoying a match tea too!)

THE MILLSTONE | MUSIC

Music In the Music Department, pupils have volunteered to perform in our various Informal Concerts through the year in which we have seen a wide variety of instruments, songs, pieces, styles and standards represented. The Middle School concert on 22 November was a real highlight, with individual performances from a number of children, and contributions from the Middle School Choir and all the children singing together. The Carol Service promised to be beautiful and atmospheric and certainly delivered. The Chapel Choir continues to go from strength to strength, making great contributions each Friday to the Chapel services. Our Clan Music Competition in the Easter term attracted a large number of entries and a very high standard of performance, culminating in a memorable and enjoyable final. To end the year, we enjoyed a fabulous Lower School Concert and superb performances of Matilda Jr. the musical. Well done to all the children involved in music this year!

THE MILLSTONE | ART & DESIGN

Art and Design

Year 1

Year 1 used watercolours, masking tape and different papers to create colourful lighthouses. In celebration of this year’s International Day, they made Italian Pizza collages. They enjoyed cutting out lots of different ingredients and applying the tomato base using red paint.

Rocco Hall

Year 2 Creating various London artworks. We drew ourselves as astronauts, designing our space suits and drawing around our hands and feet to give a sense of perspective, as if actually floating in space! We analysed the detail of summer flowers, creating beautiful watercolour paintings inspired by the sunflowers of Vincent Van Gogh.

Ethan Mohan

Exploring the medium of clay, learning how to build and construct fruit and vegetable shapes.

Rose Harris

Ar wel Petersen

THE MILLSTONE | ART & DESIGN

Year 3 Children designed and made their own Roman jewellery, developing these into 3D outcomes using clay, gold paint and gems. Vikings! Sketching ‘Hiccup’ and then moving onto larger Viking portraits using oil pastel. We created Viking longboat collages. Adhya Elipe

Isla Mertes

Year 3 learned about colour, creating their own ‘Colour Monsters’ during Mental Health week, thinking about moods and how colour represents feelings and emotions. We looked at how artists respond to the natural disasters of Planet Earth and made lively volcano drawings and paintings.

Year 4 Using their holiday memories of visits to the beach, pupils created mixed media studies using the ‘Fishing Boats’ work of Vincent Van Gogh as a starting point.

Children completed various mini-beasts outcomes which included a half and half watercolour study, and fineliner drawing where they considered pattern and markmaking in the style of illustrator, Rosalind Monks.

THE MILLSTONE | ART & DESIGN

Year 5 Children enjoyed the opportunity to develop their watercolour skills when creating Christmas robins, learning how to blend their colours carefully and use their brushes and water to create different effects.

Leo Singh

Arisa Greer

Aurelia Hargroves

Isla Randall

Food! Large scale sushi paintings, liquorice allsort observational drawings using oil pastels, Wayne Thiebaud cake and dessert studies.

Toby Dudderidge

Year 5 pupils visited Dulwich Picture Gallery which linked in with their Landscapes project for the term. In the classroom, pupils observed the work of artists including Stanley Spencer, Claude Monet and Vincent Van Gogh. They used paints and oil pastels to practise the techniques of the Impressionist artists, working outdoors at school as they developed their ideas.

In the second half of term they moved onto looking at the landscape works of David Hockney, and completing the year using clay to create 3D landscape outcomes. Isha Dhinsa Elizabeth Carter

THE MILLSTONE | ART & DESIGN

Year 6 Year 6 pupils started off the year with a visit to Roche Court Sculpture Park in Salisbury, to learn about a variety of sculptors including Barbara Hepworth, Barry Flannagan, Anthony Caro and Peter Randall-Page. On return to the classroom, they explored various materials including soap and wire to make 3D outcomes of their own.

We used the ‘Space’ Book week theme as inspiration for a Pop Art style space painting and worked with acrylic paints and onto canvas. We were able to work digitally creating ideas initially using the Canva programme.

G+T Artist Workshop In June, artist Claire Horacek spent the day with selected pupils across Years 3-6 to create beautiful paintings for our new Outdoor Learning space. Mrs C Gravenor, Head of Art

In their final term, Year 6 created typography outcomes as part of the King’s Coronation celebrations. They also designed merchandise ideas for the event including cups, bags and t-shirts!

THE MILLSTONE | ART & DESIGN

Design Technology Watching their designs come to life, Upper School have continued to embrace all our DT facilities have to offer. This year, we have been utilising CAD/ CAM technology and using the 3D printer and ‘Stika’ cutter. Students have designed and made colourful acrylic clocks, hanging wooden thermometers utilising ‘smart’ materials, bookmarks with circuits, felt monsters, and notebook covers with repeat patterns.

Woodwork club has also seen many children flourish in the workshop, gaining new skills and confidence. We have made picture frames, toy cars, and bird boxes (which were put up in the outdoor learning area and are home to a family of feathered friends).

THE MILLSTONE | ART & DESIGN The children have also been very busy at DT club, making a number of wooden scenes for the new woodland garden, and designing wooden borders.

Our DT Leaders made woo den bees for the gardens around the school – did you spot any?

In cooking and nutrition, the children have been learning about the importance of a healthy and well-balanced diet: skills which will stay with them for many years to come. Dr S Grover Head of Design Technology

Year 6 Coronation lesson – Sho rtbread biscuits decorated with the Union Jac k

Year 5 Coronation lesson

with the Union Jack – Fairy cakes decorated

THE MILLSTONE | SPORT

HOCKEY The hockey term involved a vast number of matches played against an array of schools. We hosted our own hockey tournaments for all abilities and year groups which were a great success. Pupils progressed their ability to pass the ball with power down the wing and link passes together to create opportunities to score. A special mention must go to the Colts A team who came 2nd at the IAPS regional hockey tournament and qualified for the national finals, ending in the top 24 schools in the country. Our U8A’s won the St George’s Weybridge tournament and we also took part in successful boys’ hockey fixtures. Mrs Holmes

TRAMPOLINING The enthusiasm and progress of our trampolining teams is evident in their many successes this year, travelling far and wide! The regional round of the BSGA Trampoline Competition was held on the Isle of Wight and 5 individuals and 3 U11 teams qualified for the zonal round in January. Our U11A Boys won the BGSA school’s trampoline national championships, and at the IAPS trampolining in the summer term, every child won a medal, many with individual high placings. A second place was awarded for our U11 girls’ A team and the U11B boys’ team were 1st in the plate competition. We also had a first placing for the U9 girls’ A and 2nd for the B team. The children have showed determination in training and were considerate and supportive of each other during the competition. Mrs Fricker

GYMNASTICS Boys and girls competed in the IAPS and ISGA national finals, performing routines and vaults to a very high standard. The Danes Hill Gymnastics Festival in March saw our U11 and U9 teams coming first, going home with an all-round win! We are proud of all our amazing gymnasts.

THE MILLSTONE | SPORT

FOOTBALL Highlights of the football season came from our unbeaten U8Ds and the U8A and U10B only losing one match. U9A celebrated a great win over Crosfields and an exciting 3-3 draw v Waverley School. At the ISFA tournament, the U11A performed well

and in their final match narrowly lost 7-5 to Holme Grange. The girls had an amazing day at the ISFA football, playing brilliantly but missing out on the semi-final on goal difference.

RUGBY Some muddy and fun fixtures and a first rugby match for Year 2 against Papplewick. Mr Smith

Mr Smith

NETBALL

CRICKET

The St George’s, Weybridge tournaments brought second and third placings for our U10 and U8s respectively and we had plenty of match play and many victories with Lambrook, Hall Grove and Eagle House netball festivals. Well done to our U10A team who won the Oratory Netball Tournament at the end of the season.

Our St Piran’s cricket festivals have been a great addition to the school calendar with all girls from every year competing. We attended the girls’ IAPS Cricket and Football tournaments and were thrilled with how the girls performed.

Mrs Holmes

With plenty of successful fixtures and results for the boys, our U11A team were delighted to reach the semi-finals of the IAPS cricket, losing in the plate final. Mr Smith and Mrs Holmes

CROSS COUNTRY We held our 8th Annual Primary Schools Cross Country Event with 6 local primary schools and over 100 children enjoyed running around the school’s grounds. Mr Smith

THE MILLSTONE | SPORT

SPORTS DAY Two very hot days for Sports Day this year meant that sun hats and plenty of water were in evidence to keep everyone cool and hydrated! Inflatables provided a great favourite again with smiles aplenty on the bouncy castle and obstacle course. Some even had a go on our smoothie bike! Some of our Year 4 children wrote about their Sports Day experience:

“

1st up was the 200m sprint. It was a breathtaking experience for all (specifically Thomas Broadbent who humiliated his dad for the third time in a row, beating him by around half a yard.) In my group the fastest lap was 36.42 seconds which got beaten 1 group later with 35.78 seconds by Jesse Ball.

2nd up was the long jump. The first group’s record was 2.61m. And then their record got smashed by the second group with their record as James Gallagher who jumped a whopping 3.34m! Relay Race - North, South, East and West were neck and neck in the relay when West started to pull ahead, for an early lead. North started to gain speed, followed by East with South struggling in last place. As the relay continued, West started to lose speed as South started to gain on East, that had taken the lead. As the last runners were finishing their lap, it was incredibly intense between North, South, and East with South just pulling ahead within half a metre and winning this year’s Clan Relay Race!

“

Sam Smith and Thomas Broadbent (4AC)

THE MILLSTONE | SPORT

SWIMMING

Four children reached the top 10 nationally in the IAPS Triathlon.

From those blowing bubbles and splashing to the children gaining personal bests in their endurance swims, our swimmers continue to go from strength to strength.

Sixteen pupils attended the IAPS National swimming finals at the London Aquatics centre in the summer term. Impressive boys’ and girls’ relays were celebrated alongside some amazing individual performances resulting in personal bests and some top national rankings, all testament to the many hours spent training in the pool. Thank you to all parents, coaches and staff who help support this.

Galas hosted at Braywick for Years 3-6 gave every child a chance to experience the fun and excitement of an away gala. Year 5 started synchronised swimming and Year 6 tried water polo.

We have had the best ever national biathlon results - with all individuals performing excellently with some strong team places! At the IAPS swimming competitions we went to a strong regional round at Lambrook and were competitive at the gala in all age groups against our competitions.

Miss E Holloway Head of Swimming

THE MILLSTONE | SCHOOL LIFE

Speech Day This year, each phase group took part in a dedicated end of year presentation, celebrating their successes and highlights. The last day of term was our Upper School Speech Day reserved for our oldest pupils and aimed at sending off our Year 6 leavers full of inspiration and enthusiasm for their future. Our guest speaker, Darren Edwards, spoke to us about overcoming adversity and building a resilient mindset. A former mountaineer and army reservist who sustained a life-changing injury, Darren has become a disabled adventurer and expedition leader, refusing to let disability define who he is. His inspirational words will no doubt stay with our pupils as they move on to the next stage of their own journeys.

As we reflect on all that took place at St Piran’s in 202223, one of our Year 5 girls is already looking forward to things to come…. The Best One Yet by Livvy Truman (5M) In Year 2 I wrote a poem which made everybody smile So, I’ve decided to write a new one and it’s taken me a while. I have so much to say about this special place. I mean who else, every year, would host a Millstone Race? I started here when I was 2, my skirt trailed on the floor. I sat upon the carpet and stayed till I was 4. My first ever Sports Day aged just 3 I waved more than I ran. The best first year at school water trays, indoor slides it’s how it all began. Now I’m heading to Year 6 the years have flown so fast. So here are some of my memories that will last and last and last The Millstone Race, the greatest show, my favourite gymnastics The Dulwich Art trip, Mill on the Brue they were all fantastic The medals won at matches, the cheerleading at break, The chapel choir, the cookery, the scones, the rolls, the cake I could go on forever about all the amazing things we’ve done. The assemblies, the school trips it’s all been so much fun. I can’t wait for our last year with all the amazing friends I’ve met So here’s to being in Year 6 - perhaps the best one yet.

THE MILLSTONE | SCHOOL LIFE

Leavers’ Destinations DESTINATION SCHOOL

NUMBER OF ST PIRAN’S PUPILS

SCHOLARSHIPS (OFFERED OR ACCEPTED)

SHIPLAKE COLLEGE

1 Academic Scholarship; 2 Sports Scholarships

SIR WILLIAM BORLASE

READING BLUE COAT

QUEEN ANNE’S

1 Sports Scholarship; 1 Sports/Dance Scholarship

LEIGHTON PARK

1 English Scholarship; 1 Dance Scholarship

NEWLANDS

THE ABBEY

1 Music Scholarship; 1 Sports Scholarship

LUCKLEY HOUSE

JOHN HAMPDEN

DR CHALLONER’S GRAMMAR

HOLYPORT COLLEGE

ROYAL GRAMMAR

MAGDALEN COLLEGE

LEICESTER GRAMMAR SCHOOL

MOVING ABROAD

THE MARIST

1 Music Scholarship; 1 Drama Scholarship

ABINGDON

2 Academic Scholarships

BERKHAMSTED

1 Academic Scholarship

HOLME GRANGE

1 Sports Scholarship

CROSFIELDS

1 Dance Scholarship

We are sure that you will be interested to know the destination schools of our Year 6 leavers and learn where they were offered scholarships. St Piran’s pupils achieved a 90% pass rate amongst those sitting the entry exam for grammar school, our highest ever percentage and an exceptional result.

THE MILLSTONE | SCHOOL LIFE

Pupil Parliament Pupils carefully worked on pitches and speeches to become a representative in our councils. Each of our four councils meet regularly throughout the term to give valuable contributions to different aspects of school life.

SAFETY COUNCIL

LEARNING COUNCIL

Mr Sales, Mrs Mackenzie, Mr Scaldwell

The Learning Council began by looking at our aims for the coming year.

Leo Eustace Toby Gaselee Oliver Palmer Teddy Carter Harry Stephen Poppy Hoyle Noah Yahya Elizabeth Carter Bradley Fisher Sebastian Fordham Aaradhya Bote Oliver Wray A rainbow signifies many things: positivity, hope, pride and faith. To our Safety Council, it was the perfect choice when deciding how to remind our community to Stop! Look! Listen! It now provides a bright driveway greeting for visitors to our school. Throughout the term, our Safety Council have met on regular mornings and inspected areas of the school to check for safety hazards. Their sound observations were passed on to our Facilities Team.

Our number one aim was to try to get a Virtual Reality Classroom into the school to aid learning and create a futuristic and far-extending breadth to our learning experiences. We had a company called ClassVR come in to demonstrate their virtual reality headsets that could be used to explore places where we would never be able to go. We went for a trip around the solar system – flying past the planets, as well as looking closely at a human heart that we could hold in our very own hand – much less slimy in virtual reality! We invited the Society along to our meeting as we really wanted them to give us some money for it. We are proud to announce that, with the help of the Society, we have purchased 24 VR headsets that will be ready to be used in school next academic year – we can’t wait! We have also looked at getting more inspirational speakers into school, and we are glad to say that we have had some amazing ones in our assemblies, culminating in a fascinating talk from Darren Edwards at Speech Day. We hope that next year’s council have as much fun as we did, and continue to move the learning at St Piran’s forward for all the pupils. Mr Robinson & Mr Hill Elliot Gleeson Bhadra Menon Emma Purcell Teddy Truman Freya Nicholson Isabelle Ridges

Archie Peake Evie Ashton Ben Tomlinson Flossie Harry Thomas Parkes Devangi Kalra

THE MILLSTONE | SCHOOL LIFE

ECO COUNCIL

WELLBEING COUNCIL Our Wellbeing team explains how this year has given them a chance to help others and made them proud of their achievements. “We loved visiting the younger year groups and making hands of friendship for Children’s Mental Health Week. It’s been fun working with younger children as we don’t normally get a chance and now we have included it as a regular feature in the school year.” “As a team we continue to encourage our friends to go to the Blaze Team if they have any worries or to put a note in the worry box by Matron’s. We asked people in class who they would tell if they felt nervous, sad or worried in and out of school – it is really important to go to people we can trust.” “Supporting animals and raising awareness, creating a new mufti day and our pet version of a Harvest Festival. On top of that we have raised lots of money for Place 2Be and Underdog International.” “Combining our role models’ mufti day to celebrate Diversity Week and International Week to continue to remind people about what an inclusive school we are and aim to be!” “Instead of ‘Anti-Bullying’ we looked to be more positive and created a new leaflet on ‘How to be Kind’” “We kickstarted ‘Friendship Week’ with an assembly on how to ‘reach out’ to others, sharing that ‘Respect, Kindness and Inclusivity’ are the key to a positive friendship and giving ideas on how people can help others.” Mrs Earp & Mrs Bailey Rory Bassett Kehsar Sindher Rose Mallalue Svea Baker Aradhya Aggarwal Wilf Palmer Ryan Mahajan Isha Dhinsa Avaani Sehmi Amelie Mertes Beatrix Plumb Isabella Pizer

The Eco Council has had a productive year, engaging in various initiatives to promote sustainability. They took a trip to the eco refill shop in Maidenhead, observing and learning about ways in which they are encouraging eco-friendly purchases. They even bought some items back to school! Additionally, the council members demonstrated their creativity by designing and making eco-friendly signs, which they placed around the woodland area. Some of our members supported our gardener and planted bulbs around the grounds, which we can wait to see bloom in the spring. They have been working hard on creating a new Eco Policy for the school, which our elected members next year will continue to work on. Furthermore, the council tackled the issue of food wastage within the school, exploring methods to reduce it. Lastly, they served as Eco Ambassadors, diligently ensuring that lights were switched off in empty classrooms, embodying their role in fostering sustainable practices. Miss Cowley & Miss Americanos Aisling Blick Dylan Weaver Ollie Denning Anya Zaman Henry Elliott Harriet Holloway Leo Singh Austin Gleeson Isabella Palmer Jasper Banham-Bates Harley Slater Harry Fielder

THE MILLSTONE | SCHOOL LIFE

St Piran’s Society Here at The St Piran’s Society, we have been working hard, with your ongoing support, to raise funds to help improve some of the facilities at school for the children. Your participation not only contributes to the school community, but goes towards exciting projects and initiatives to make the school an even better place to learn and grow.

competition, where families got to make their own Guy Fawkes to throw on to the bonfire after the winners have been chosen. And as an extra treat for this year, we invited the children to dress up to take part in a fancy dress competition for the best Halloween costume!

In December, as we are sure you all heard about from your children, we transformed the outdoor classroom in to a SANTA’S GROTTO with a visit from the man himself, and his reindeer friends. This was incredibly well received by the whole school. As you may have already seen, we have restored the OUTDOOR CLASSROOM canopy and the skirt to enclose the whole area. This has been invaluable, particularly enhancing our outdoor learning experiences. When children reach the Prep School in Year 3, they are invited to lead and represent their peers by being voted onto our Pupil Parliament. Council members work alongside the St Piran’s Society who help them to budget for and finance their plans. On Friday 14 October, we hosted our ANNUAL BONFIRE NIGHT! It was an evening of fun, food and fireworks! We also saw the return of the “Build a Guy” th

This June saw the return of the SUMMER BALL, with the theme being The Great Gatsby, so we had parents and teachers reliving the roaring 20s in their best flapper dresses and black tie! Fundraising activities included a diamond drop, an online and live auction, the famous giving tree, and a vodka luge. It was a fantastic night, with a sumptuous meal from Thomas Franks, and a special introduction from Mr Sales and his gangster mob! Thank you to all the parents for making the night so special and contributing so significantly to raising funds for school projects. Plans have been proposed for developing the adventure play area and the implementation of a kiln in the art studio. THANK YOU so much for your efforts, enthusiasm and support of the St Piran’s Society. We have an exciting calendar of events coming up, so watch out for more ways to take part in the near future! If you’re interested in joining the St Piran’s Society, please email society@ stpirans.co.uk and join us at a future event to see how you can get involved for the next school year!

THE MILLSTONE | SCHOOL LIFE

Staff Leavers We are grateful for the expertise and input of our staff at St Piran’s and their influence on the children as well as colleagues. We wished the following staff members well as they moved on this year to new careers or retirement. After 12 years of teaching at St Piran’s, Mr Jeff Grice decided to leave us at the end of this academic year to pursue new opportunities supporting pupils on a one to one basis. Mr Grice has been our Head of History as well as a much-loved English and Games teacher over these years and he will be missed by staff and pupils alike. Mr Grice’s unique teaching style has endeared him with so many of our current and past pupils and his experience and gentle encouragement has been a real asset to us at St Piran’s. Mrs Caroline Tse moved on after 8 years at the school to further her knowledge and interest in neurodiversity by undertaking a diploma in dyslexia with a view to teaching in this specialist area in the future. We wished her every success with her new direction.

Finishing her initial teacher training at St Piran’s, Mrs Emma Morrison took on a Year 1 teaching position at Gateway School.

Mrs Sheena Jenkins decided to begin a well-deserved retirement at the end of the academic year, after 10 years spent at St Piran’s. Over these years Mrs Jenkins was a key part of our Early Years team and so many children have benefitted from her nurturing care and passion for learning during those important first years at school.

Our Sports Coach Mr Joey Thomas left in the Christmas term after two years with us supporting children in the pool and on the games field. The children in particular were sad to see him leave as he took on a new opportunity.

Our SENCO, Mrs Susie Simmons, left us at the end of the Christmas Term after seven years leading the support for neurodiverse pupils and helping countless children reach their full potential.

St Piran’s School Gringer Hill, Maidenhead, Berkshire, SL6 7LZ 01628 594300 www.stpirans.co.uk