The children have come out of the pandemic years with strength and confidence. Their pursuits and interests, whilst always valued during the school’s history, have never been so keenly celebrated and encouraged as during 2022. The co-curricular programme was further expanded to make up for those years lost, and the sporting fixtures list was extended to ensure that children have the chance to play and compete when they were unable to before.
However, it was only a short time ago, in January, that we as a school had a surge in Covid cases that were the highest for our community, considerably after the national surge. It gave the children and us a sense of even greater purpose. We celebrated being one of the most diverse schools and remain confident that this will continue to be a true part of our nature. We celebrated the highest set of results the school had ever seen, but this was undoubtedly a testimony to the incredible partnerships that exist between our community members and the trinity that is exceptional parents, children, and staff.
It was only in March of this year that we were finally able to celebrate our 2020 Year 8 Leavers, who, owing to restrictions at the time, did not end their schooling with us in the celebratory way we had hoped. It was wonderful to welcome them back and hear all about their senior school ventures, and to be able to keep in touch with them moving forward through DPLink.
The summer saw more celebrations, starting with the Queen’s platinum jubilee in May, where the school became a sea of regal purple. Shortly after, a return to our traditional Celebration Day followed in June. It was truly remarkable to gather our school community to formally recognise all of the children’s achievements and showcase their talents.
Just one week into the autumn term of the new academic year, we gathered unexpectedly in the Sports Hall with children from Year 1 to Year 8. This time the tone was stark in contrast to that of the summer as we marked the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth. All children gathered for an unprecedented assembly to pay tribute and reflect on the last 70 years of Queen Elizabeth II’s reign. The children were gracious and showed the utmost self-discipline in their display of respect. A similar but shortened version for our Early Years children in the Gallery Road Hall followed this service. This was particularly impressive, especially as our community’s youngest children had not yet attended an assembly.
I have personally had the privilege of seeing the school operate with greater dynamism than at any point previously during my tenure. I hope very much that you will enjoy reviewing our year at Dulwich Prep London with glimpses of what has made this another special year in the school’s history.
Miss Louise Davidson Head Master
An unexpected rise in cases sees the school reintroduce pandemic safety measures.
Jan‘Wordle’ takes the world by storm and is sold to the New York Times for a seven-figure sum.
Lower and Middle School Sponsored Readathon raises £1,600 for Ugandan Education Charity, Nabugabo Community Learning Centre.
Early Years Nursery classrooms are refurbished. The Sports Hall at Alleyn Park is redecorated and has a brand new floor laid and new climbing wall installed.
Dulwich Prep London is awarded the Eco-Schools Green Flag with Distinction.
Birmingham
The Quiz Club participate in the national finals, placing 7th out of the top 50 primary schools.
We introduce our first reading therapy dog, Winnie the Whippet.
Our U9 and U11 Chess teams come in second and third place in the National Primary Schools Chess Championships.
Our U11 football team are crowned U11 ISFA seven-a-side Regional Champions and earned themselves a spot in the National finals.
Dulwich Prep London successfully passes its ISI Regulatory Compliance Inspection.
Boris Johnson resigns as Prime Minister and is succeeded by Liz Truss.
The death and state funeral of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
King Charles III ascends the throne, and we sing ‘God Save the King’ for the first time in 70 years.
Russia invades Ukraine.
China hosts The Winter Olympics.
The heatwave reaches 40ºC in places across the UK.
A planter designed and made by pupils goes on display in the Design Museum as part of the Yinka Illori, Parables for Happiness exhibition.
Dulwich Prep London’s community raises over £2,500 that goes towards Harvest donations and a Christmas lunch for local senior citizens.
Elon Musk buys Twitter for $44 billion.
Liz Truss resigns as Prime Minister and is succeeded by Rishi Sunak.
JulEngland’s Women’s Football team are crowned European champions. The Summer Serenade returns following an absence of three years. hosts the Commonwealth Games. Droughts are declared in counties across the UK.Dulwich Prep London’s Rugby Sevens take place for the first time in over three years.
Lower and Middle School pupils make it to the National Quiz Club Finals.
MarSouthend-on-Sea becomes the UK’s newest City.
76 Pupils take part in Restless Development’s Schools Triathlon, raising over £8,000 for good causes.
Pre-Prep Book Week takes place with Year 8 pupils reading self-written stories to the Year 1 and 2 boys.
The Friends of Dulwich Prep London Triennial Charity Ball raises over £50,000 for King’s College London’s Children’s Hospital.
The Year 6 Swim team are crowned English Schools Swimming Champions.
Middle and Upper School Athletics Finals return to the Battersea Millennium Arena for the first time since the pandemic.
JunThe Platinum Jubilee of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
Kate Bush’s 1985 hit ‘Running Up that Hill’ is featured on season four of Netflix’s Stranger Things and subsequently tops the charts worldwide.
The Dulwich Prep London Coral Society (Adult Choir) returns for the first time in three years.
The FIFA football World Cup takes place in Qatar.
AprDinosaur remains are found in North Dakota claimed to be from the day an asteroid hit the Earth and started their extinction.
The school hosts world-famous sculptor and former fashion designer Nicole Farhi’s Womenkind exhibition as part of the Dulwich Festival.
Ukraine wins Eurovision Song Contest.
The Elizabeth Line opens after taking 13 years to build.
The Friends of Dulwich Prep London host the Yuletide Fayre at Alleyn Park.
Mrs Brownsdon leaves to take up her first headship after nearly 25 years of service.
Jill Scott wins I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here Mariah Carey’s All I want For Christmas features in the UK Official Singles Chart Top 10 three weeks before Christmas.In June, we joined the nation and commonwealth worldwide to celebrate the platinum jubilee of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Early Years held their own street party to mark the momentous occasion, whilst Years 1 to 8 participated in a picnic and afternoon of fun and games at Mary Datchelor.
Who would have thought we would all come together again a little over two months later to mark the Queen’s passing? The day after the announcement we held two assemblies to pay tribute
to and reflect on the 70 years of the Queen’s reign. In a rare moment at Alleyn Park, Years 1 to 8 gathered together in the Sports Hall to honour and commemorate Her Majesty’s remarkable life and legacy. The Last Post sounded, a two-minute silence was held, and children of all ages showed incredible maturity; everyone carried themselves with a grace that made us incredibly proud. Our assembly concluded with the boys singing the National Anthem for the first time in all our lives to God Save the King.
We then held an assembly at Early Years, where our Nursery and Reception pupils marked Her Majesty’s death with a celebration of her life and a spoonful of Paddington Bear for good measure. Early Years then led out to the new National Anthem as they returned to class. We will continue to follow the late Queen’s example of upholding the values of Love, Humility, and Service, which she embodied throughout her reign.
Like so many others, we started 2022, hopeful of a more typical year ahead. In many ways, our hopes were confirmed. For the first time since the lockdowns, our pupils, families, and staff could support their different sectional charities in person.
Early Years ran a fabulous second-hand toy sale in support of Comic Relief and their work to help people break free from poverty. Donations were so generous that we could not sell all the toys. Mr O’Sullivan helped ensure the rest were given to our local state primary school, Dulwich Wood.
Pre-Prep played football in support of the Indochina Starfish Foundation, the educational charity in Cambodia they support. There were no sliding tackles; instead there was much cheering, and it was all ably refereed by Miss Bruce.
Lower and Middle School participated in a Readathon for their charity, the Nabugabo Community Learning Centre in Uganda. Funds raised have gone directly to supporting eight children through their education, and our boys enjoy corresponding by letter to them to see how they are getting on. Thank you to Mr Monteith for being both organiser and postmaster general.
The boys in Upper School decided to switch to supporting the Sparrows School Foundation more formally. This is a school in Africa with strong ties to Dulwich Prep London already. We have Sparrow golf competitions for fathers, sons and alumni. Each Christmas, Mr Brooke takes several of our musicians to perform in the Sparrow Carol Concert at the Royal Hospital Chelsea. The partnership was initially set up by a former Headmaster, Mr George Marsh. He was in the audience for the announcement, and it was lovely for us to show that the boys had voted to continue his good work.
Other charitable and outreach initiatives also returned. Park Runs, led by Mr Murphy and the Sports department, returned with many of our community
supporting various causes, including the 2022 whole school charity, Downs’ South. Our youngest runner was seven years old, and our oldest were both over 70.
The Year 8 boys organised their own Big Night Out to raise awareness of homelessness and funds for the charity Crisis, sleeping outside on school grounds. They took charge of everything from sourcing the cardboard to writing and signing off the risk assessments.
Pupils and staff also worked closely with our neighbours, Dulwich Wood. Miss Mitchen and the Science department ran a series of special lessons to introduce Dulwich Wood’s Year 4, 5 and 6 pupils to secondary Science, with our boys teaching their Year 3 children. Parents donated second-hand football boots to help Mr Crane run a mixed-team tournament
between the schools. Throughout the year, as always, Mr Bedford and Miss Zivkovic spent their Friday afternoons giving swimming lessons to children from Dulwich Wood.
The summer term saw a spectacular Hollywood-themed school ball supporting The Variety Children’s Hospital, part of King’s College Hospital. There were a few worried comments from boys (“Who thought it was a good idea to tell Dad he could be James Bond?”), but an assembly from a nurse at the unit won them over, and parents gave the event a resounding thumbs up. Thank you, once again, to the fabulous Friends of Dulwich Prep London for all the hard work to make the event possible and to you, our parents, who raised over £50,000 for King’s.
In many ways, it was good to be back to normal. Spring, however, brought news of
conflict, and with it, we learned of the vast number of refugees fleeing Ukraine. Dulwich Prep London decided to support the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC). Once again, families and staff proved their generosity. A special Poetry for Peace Day was held in school, where all sections raised awareness. It proved to be the seed of a lovely idea. Coen, in Year 5, was determined to do something extra. He gathered Jenson and James from his class, and together, over the next six weeks, they managed to coax, encourage and corral staff and students into helping them publish an anthology of poems written by pupils. The books were later sold on Celebration Day in support of the DEC. The focus of our school’s charitable activities is to do ‘more things with meaning’. The poetry book is one of those things, one among many initiated or taken part in by the boys.
In the late 1990s, because of a planned Dulwich Prep London cricket tour to South Africa, the then Headmaster, George Marsh, became aware of Sparrow School in South Africa. Sparrow started life as a Saturday School with four pupils, or learners as they are known in South Africa. It was, and remains, a non-profit making, independent organisation existing to provide schooling for underprivileged, orphaned, or disadvantaged children and young adults who would otherwise struggle to receive an education. Aiming to break down the cognitive barriers to learning, the school has blossomed into a major force in South African education. However, Sparrow still needs and counts upon charitable support for its existence. The organisation now comprises a Foundation School, a Combined High School and Technical Skills School, and a Further Education College (FET). Its motto, ‘Wings to Fly’, could not be better chosen.
You can find out more about Sparrow Schools South Africa at https://sparrowschools.co.za/education
Almost 25 years ago, George Marsh recognised the drive, energy, and commitment that the Sparrow School Head, Jackie Gallagher, demonstrated and he was deeply moved by what he saw in a school which at the time, had extremely limited resources or facilities and could hardly afford to put a piece of paper or a pencil in pupils’ hands. Such was Mr Marsh’s desire to help a school, which was in stark contrast to Dulwich Prep London, the Sparrow Schools UK Charity was born. As the founder, Honorary President and still a Trustee, all these years later, Mr Marsh’s passion for supporting Sparrow is infectious and has never dwindled. Sparrow Schools UK has worked for over t wenty years to play its part in fundraising to assist the growth and development of this remarkable School in South Africa. The UK branch has given towards so many areas of Sparrow, including improving facilities, assisting with teacher retention and, more recently, the devastating effects of the pandemic. After consultation with Sparrow Senior Leaders, the UK Charity is working to create a series of tiered bursaries to support children who may otherwise be unable to attend Sparrow.
To learn more about Sparrow Schools UK, you can visit https://sparrowschools.org.uk, which has details of events and how you can support the Charity.
Dulwich Prep London has always been at the heart of Sparrow Schools and continues to support what is a fantastic cause. Alums of Dulwich Prep London have regularly volunteered to visit and help at Sparrow. Teacher exchanges have taken place, and we have welcomed the amazing Sparrow Choir to the UK.
Our Year 8 Music Scholars form a Handbell Ringing Troupe each year and, for many years, have been invited to perform at the Sparrow Schools Celebration of Christmas, a gala fundraising event held in the magnificent Chapel of the Royal Hospital, Chelsea (Home to the Chelsea Pensioners.)
For many, Dulwich Prep London’s involvement is the highlight of the evening. An annual Golf Day is held at Dulwich and Sydenham Hill Golf Club, which has a significant corporate element but also allows Dulwich Prep London pupils, staff, parents, and alums to enjoy a competitive round of golf whilst also raising valuable funds for Sparrow.
Several other UK schools and establishments now support Sparrow, with some currently choosing it as their major charity. Following a visit from the inspirational Mrs Gallagher of Sparrow Schools SA, Dulwich Prep London pupils followed suit. Sparrow has been chosen as the Upper School international charity for the foreseeable future. Dulwich Prep London is proud of its relationship and strong links with Sparrow, and by virtue of the choice made by our pupils, we will continue to support the work of this astonishing school.
On 19 May 2022, five father and son teams competed for the Sparrow Schools Foundation Golf Trophy at Dulwich & Sydenham Hill Golf Club. The winners, Alexander and his father, Mark, are pictured. On the first hole, Mark hit a hole-in-one; the first time this feat has been achieved in 19 years of Corporate, Alumni and adult and Dulwich Prep London pupil golf days. £8,900 was raised during the day for Sparrow Schools, a charity whose long association with the school is described elsewhere in this issue.
The Spring Term began with the Early Years children returning excited to see their friends and with plenty of energy to embrace new experiences. The Nursery started by learning ‘All About Me’, finding out about different families, drawing around feet (parents included), and exploring senses with hidden sounds, feely bags and new tasting opportunities. This was followed by a ‘Reduce, Reuse and Recycle’ theme, with the girls and boys finding out about cutting back on waste and introducing recycling areas into the classrooms. We were fortunate to have a visit from Drama4All, who spent a day with us embedding the sustainability message and encouraging the children’s imaginations as they acted out being superheroes saving the planet.
The Reception boys learned about people who help us in their ‘I Need a Hero’ topic. Firefighters from our local station came with a fire engine which the boys enthusiastically explored inside. We also had Police Officers visiting with a real police car and teaching the boys how to set off the sirens, use walkie-talkies and put on handcuffs. Needless to say, it was a noisy day! Our Into the Woods sessions were enhanced with Reception’s ‘Great Outdoors’ topic, teaching the children to value the freedom of being outside, looking for minibeasts and spring changes. Watching the children return inside, muddy, windswept, and happy, is always a pleasure.
Much joy was brought to the Early Years when duck eggs arrived, and we watched with fascination as ducklings hatched and took their first swim in our paddling pool. They really brought awe and wonder; the children observed with complete concentration, and one child whispered, ‘This is better than any TV.’ As usual, we also learnt about the frog and butterfly life cycles, nurturing caterpillars and tadpoles and watching them evolve
into adult forms. The children are always fascinated to see these transformations happening in real life.
The summer term saw the Nursery Children embrace their Pirate topic, building ships, boat races, walking the plank, tugs of war, map making, treasure hunting, and more. Walking into the playground, with the backdrop of the pirate ship and log scramble, and seeing all the striped shirts, torn trousers, and tricorn hats, it was hard not to believe you hadn’t been transported away to some far away magical pirate land! The Reception boys were also transported away, travelling to different continents, conducting ice cream experiments in Antarctica, designing kimonos in Asia, learning about aboriginal art in Australasia, and making colourful necklaces in Africa. The boys had plenty of opportunities to learn about different cultures, try recipes from around the world and learn to value diversity.
The second half of the term saw a focus on summer sport, and as always, the highlight of the term was our Early Years Sports Day. The sun shone as the children came out onto the field, marching in time to loud circus music and proudly wearing their class-coloured t-shirts. Races followed, with keen siblings and parents joining in and then visiting the classrooms so the children could proudly show off their learning. A perfect Early Years day. We also talked to the children about Moving On and Up, transitioning to their new classes in September and looking back at their favourite moments in the Early Years. Unsurprisingly there were many.
Assemblies and special event days are excellent vehicles for teaching the children about our Golden Values, Excellent Learning skills and the world around us. There were lots of creative activities for
Easter, and in Assembly, the children heard The Tale of the Three Trees. At Eid al-Fitr, parents helped make a wonderful display in our entrance area, which children enjoyed as they came into school. We told the animal story for Lunar New Year, followed by lantern-making and trying out new food. We also held a Tiger Challenge with children making a vast diversity of creations to display outside school. It was wonderful watching the children so proud of their artworks and admiring those of others too. World Book Day gave us all an excuse to dress up and encourage the children’s love of books. Much fun was had making fruit kebabs for the Hungry Caterpillar, clocks for Hickery Dickery Dock and devising ways to stop Humpty Dumpty from falling off a wall. Children in Need and Red Nose Day charity events gave further opportunities to put on costumes (although not much encouragement is needed in the Early Years!). As always, we were overwhelmed by the generosity of parents, making cakes, donating pre-loved books and toys, and raising money for these worthy causes. We also held our traditional Maths Day, with everyone dressed up in different shapes. There was a fun-filled assembly, a carousel of problem-solving challenges inside and out, and the children left excited about being mathematicians at the end of the day. The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee was celebrated in style with bunting flying, crown making and culminating in a street party, a very happy day.
And with the end of the academic year, I retired from my role as Head of Early Years. It was comforting to know that I was handing over the custodianship to Dr Christopher Halls, who I know will steer the Section soundly along with the fantastic team on the next stage of the Early Years journey.
Mrs Ruth Burtonshaw Former Head of Early YearsOur Nursery pupils made bird feeders using apples, seeds and twine. They placed the feeders outside their classrooms and watched to see which birds came to eat from them.
Our Nursery children wrote to the British Antarctic Survey Royal Research Ship, the RSS Sir David Attenborough, to ask how they could help protect the penguins in Antarctica, and received a reply.
Both Nursery and Reception pupils celebrated Harvest by putting on assemblies. They sang songs and learnt about the importance of giving thanks.
This year our Reception children put on a fabulous rendition of The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig, with the five Golden Values as the underlying theme of the story. The fairy tale characters taught the big bad pig lots of valuable lessons, and at the end, they celebrated with a Golden Values party.
Our local Police and Fire services visited our Reception children as part of their topic, looking at local ‘Heroes’. The boys had an opportunity to ask lots of questions and learn about what the different jobs entail and got to try out some of their equipment.
Early Years Sports Day saw lots of smiling faces as the children got involved in a variety of different races. It was a particularly special morning, being the first sports day in nearly three years.
Early Years children brought in their own teddy bears, made sandwiches, and enjoyed a sunny afternoon out on the field at the annual Teddy Bears Picnic.
To celebrate World Book Day, the Early Years children dressed up as various characters from their favourite books.
The world of sport is full of great lessons for us to adopt in education. One such remarkable example is Sir Dave Brailsford’s impact on British cycling. Before his appointment in 2003, British cycling was a sport with just a single Olympic gold medal and no Tour de France victories since 1908. In Brailsford’s ten-year span from 2007 to 2017, British Cycling achieved 178 World Championships, 66 Olympic gold medals and five Tour de France yellow jerseys. Brailsford attributed this transformation to the aggregation of marginal gains, sometimes referred to as the 1% rule. In the years leading up to the Olympics, Brailsford and his team would look at every aspect of a cyclist’s daily life and look for 1% improvements, for example the best type of pillow for sleeping or the most aerodynamic clothing. Whilst the individual improvement may not have been singularly significant when combined with all the other improvements in every
aspect of a cyclist’s life, it led to the remarkable achievements listed above.
Whilst we are perhaps not aiming for Olympic cycling golds in the Early Years (yet), during this autumn term we have begun to apply Brailsford’s principle by looking for those 1% gains in everything that we do to ensure we are providing children with the very best start in their education. As Early Years practitioners, we understand that we have a tremendous responsibility to provide a rich and engaging environment which fosters purposeful and targeted cognitive challenge. This is because giving children the greatest number of experiences and opportunities for cognitive stretch, ensures crucial connections in the brain are formed which will be relied upon for the rest of a child’s life. Consequently, we became interested in how we could apply Brailsford’s approach to cycling to our use of our indoor and outdoor space.
This began before term even started in September with our Nursery classrooms. The underlying principle guiding us was that bright colours can contribute to ‘visual noise’, making it difficult for the child to concentrate and focus on their learning. Therefore, with much credit going to our Head of Reception, Mr O’Sullivan, we began to carry out our own action research into the effects, and subsequent benefits, of becoming more neutral in our choice of furniture, wall colour and materials.
To that end, over the summer of 2022, we laid a new wooden floor, replacing the faded blue laminate and repainted the walls to an off-white. We reduced the number of brightly coloured display boards on the walls and opted instead for cork boards where we could focus on celebrating children’s achievements and learning. We also invested in new furniture, which reflected our
approach of neutral tones and aligned with our pedagogical values. We were also particularly interested in how this furniture would allow children to become more independent with their learning by giving them access to their resources without the need for adult assistance, thereby giving them greater ownership over their classroom environment.
We approached our woodland provision with the same 1% principle and began the year by ensuring every class had a regular timetabled slot in the woods. This equated to one whole afternoon outside a week, where children were joined by their class teachers and an additional member of staff who led the woodland teaching. Next, as the term progressed, we began to apply the 1% rule to the resources children were using. Whilst in the early stages, we focused on the children exploring the woods unaided, we have now invested in the infrastructure within the woodland to ensure children (and staff) can get the most from their time outside. This has ranged from all the correct (and safe) kindling equipment to class sets of magnifying glasses for those all-important ‘insect identification’ sessions. .
We didn’t stop there; as the autumnal weather turned to wintry showers, we sought out tough tarpaulin to make secret dens and researched the best (and most importantly waterproof!) clothing for staff to enable enjoyable lessons outside. The Finnish have a word, ‘sisu’, which roughly translates as grit or resilience, and is often used in relation to the Scandinavian
approach of letting children go out into the woods in all weathers. This is because it is precisely by not allowing inclement weather to hamper learning outdoors that we then get the most from it.
Returning to the opening comment, I hopefully speak for all Early Years staff when I say that we have been pleasantly surprised by the impact an ‘aggregation of marginal gains’ mindset has had on
effect has been precisely that. Ultimately, we feel the children have benefited enormously from their new learning environments and enabled practitioners to create rich, stimulating learning opportunities which are so crucial for healthy brain development. The great joy of this 1% approach is that it never stops, and I am already looking forward to where this will lead us in the future and the impact on the boys and girls in our
Pre-Prep started 2022 in the face of more pandemic-enforced staff shortages, having to bubble the occasional class and resort to online learning! However, our New Year resolutions were to be ‘Persevering Parrots’, to stay positive and have ‘Courage’. It wasn’t all doom and gloom!
Throughout the year, parents and visiting speakers enhanced the curriculum by leading Assemblies: celebrations of the Lunar New Year and Spring Festival, Eid and the month of Ramadan, the Buddhist festival Tha Din Gyut, and Diwali and the Festival of Lights, and Rabbi Nathan Godleman talked about how the Jewish religion celebrates Passover. Seeing the boys proudly giving presentations about their faiths and cultures was wonderful.
We have had many events during the year to which parents were invited to see just how talented their sons are: Year 1 Assemblies covered topics such as International Women’s Day where the boys looked at Helen Keller, Dr Mae Jemison, and Dr Jane Goodall, to name but a few amazing women who have changed the world. The the Year 2 musical ‘Blooming Gorgeous’, was a huge hit, and
Harvest Festivals and the Christmas Performances provided the boys with further opportunities to showcase their talents in public speaking, acting and singing.
The boys undertook several educational visits, to enhance their classroom learning. Year 1 made ‘Dinosaur’ sandwiches to take to Crystal Palace Park, where they made observational drawings of the life-size dinosaur models. They also visited Rochester Castle where they created shields, climbed the 200 steps to the top of the castle, and visited the Guildhall Museum. A highlight of the Year 1 visit to the Brooklands Museum was a guided tour of one of the few remaining Concordes left in the world. Year 2 thoroughly enjoyed their visit to the London Wetland Centre, which complemented their topic work on Living Things. They had a day of pond dipping, bird spotting, and flora and fauna identification. As part of their topic ‘Bright Lights, Big City’, they enjoyed a wonderful visit to the Tower of London and took part in a ‘Fire! Fire!’ workshop, using role play to bring the story of the Great Fire of London to life. On their return, in the Pre-Prep playground, the
Great Fire of London was re-enacted to great whoops of delight as their beautifully constructed Tudor houses were burnt to ashes in seconds.
Coinciding with Book Week, we celebrated literature in a variety of different ways; a very popular Book Swap; a visit from the author Zehra Hicks; and an opportunity to dress up as a character from a favourite book. Guests at the Year 1 Grandparents/Senior Citizens Afternoon Tea also told stories from different cultures and eras. During Art Week, the boys produced stunning pieces of art inspired by various artists; Bauhaus mobiles, Roaslind Monks insects, and Charlotte Manso light paintings.
As part of their Explorers topic, Year 2 saw the first footage of Shackleton’s ship, Endurance, which showed it to be in superb condition at the bottom of the Weddell Sea, 3008 metres below the surface, after over a century. They visited Dulwich College to see Shackleton’s boat, the James Caird, and saw Scott of the Antarctic’s sledge, housed in our very own Betws Building. As part of their 1950s topic, Year 2 had fun doing the Jive and Twist to Elvis, and the teachers
looked wonderful in their fancy dress! As part of their Growth topic, Year 2 chitted their seed potatoes, ready to harvest in the summer and watched eggs hatch into beautiful fluffy baby chicks. They also had a fun-filled afternoon with the girls from Sydenham High School’s Prep School, completing an eco-challenge, cooking together, and participating in a dance workshop.
This year Pre-Prep supported Readathon and the Indochina Starfish Foundation, a Cambodian education charity, playing in a football tournament and raising a staggering £1000. At the end of the spring
term there was a visit from the Easter Bunny whilst boys happily dashed about hunting for eggs! They enjoyed a Picnic Day at the Early Years’ Playing Fields, and for Year 2, as a farewell treat, they had a summer BBQ evening with a visit from an animal company. To round off 2022, Pre-Prep watched a pantomime, had a Festive Fun Day, enjoyed Christmas lunch, and even had a visit from Santa!
There have also been moments of sadness this year too. As war broke out in Ukraine, the boys created doves of peace to go up in classrooms and corridors with beautiful messages written. Examples
read: ‘Peace is in our hands’, ‘You can conquer anything with peace’, ‘Live life in peace’, and ‘Peace is power’. We looked at Remembrance and why we remember those who have died in the conflict. The boys were extremely respectful, observing the two-minute silence and listening to the older boys play the Last Post and Reveille, as they were when the school held a service in memory of Her Majesty The Queen. They showed remarkable self-discipline and, above all, respect as they listened to the Head Master.
Mrs Shelley Whitehead Head of Pre-Prep
Pre-Prep Book Week included a super character dress-up day, a book swap, stories read by Year 8 pupils and workshops from author and illustrator Zehra Hicks.
Having spent the morning making ‘Dinosaur’ sandwiches, Year 1 pupils ventured to Crystal Palace Park, where they went dinosaur hunting and completed some observational drawings of the life-size dinosaur models in the park.
Pre-Prep pupils were presented with a great assembly teaching them all about Diwali, and they tried their hands at Rangoli art with chalk.
The pupils in Year 2 constructed beautiful Tudor houses, only to be burnt to ashes in seconds. The re-enactment included demonstrating the effect of creating a break in the path of the fire by moving the houses apart so that the fire could not travel. The wind showed the boys how fast the flames moved and set light to each building.
Year 2 visited Dulwich College to see the James Caird. They learnt about the adventures of Ernest Shackleton and saw the lifeboat that was so important to his Antarctic expedition.
A fantastic week full of artistic expression and learning. Year 1 enjoyed some Light Painting inspired by French artist Chanette Manso. Year 2 made the flowers for our very own giant flower sculpture, inspired by the flower sculptures of Makoto Azuma. Pupils created artworks using Nike Okundaye’s ‘resist-dying’ techniques and the work of Rekha Goyal inspired ceramic tile art imprinted with objects found in nature, including leaves, shells, and feathers. Other creations from pupils included Bauhaus mobiles, Damien Hirst spin paintings, and Roaslind Monk’s black and white insects.
‘Blooming Gorgeous’ told the story of Thomas Fairchild, an 18th-century gardener. It included his pioneering work in the cross-pollination of flowers and the serious message about the need to keep the world’s bee population healthy to save the planet.
It was brilliant to have Pre-Prep Sports Day back, such an enjoyable day where the show of sportsmanship, camaraderie, ‘Courage’, ‘Humility’ and ‘Self-discipline’ was astounding.
Year 1 pupils had a great day learning more about planes, buses, cars, and motorbikes, the history of transportation and one of the only Concordes.remaining
‘Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh! Try Everything!’ For those unfamiliar with the songs in the movie Zootopia, I recommend a quick online search for this song (Try Everything by Shakira). It was first heard in Lower School as part of a Year 4 class assembly in the autumn term of 2021 and quickly became a ‘Lower School Anthem’. It certainly should have been our theme song for the year. The song is not only fun to sing and enjoy with friends but has many messages dear to the hearts of all in Lower School: ‘Seize the opportunities available to you’, ‘don’t worry if you fail, you can learn from your mistakes’, and so become better and stronger in the process. It is on this canvas that we have painted our work and play.
Whilst it was sometimes easy to forget, the first six months of the year saw many firsts for the boys in a post-pandemic world. For example, live partnership events with Sydenham High School saw our boys and their girls coming together to share problem-solving in play. This was followed by the first in-person concerts, sports days, and celebration assemblies, with Celebration Day, a fitting finale for the whole school. Sadly, it took a pandemic to make us recognise the value of these face-to-face events, but the world is undoubtedly a better place now that these have become commonplace.
As the new academic year started, it was a delight to welcome our new Year 3 to Lower School whilst seeing the boys now in Year 4 mature and grow into their responsibility as role models at the top of the Section. This most recent term has held a series of highlights for the boys; Year 4 class assemblies, special assemblies for Diwali and the Myanmar Festival of Lights, pupils’ concerts (giving the boys the stage for solo performances), the excitement of fixtures against Dulwich College, Eco Day (with the use of as little electricity as possible). There have then been the appointments of Tribe Kachina, School Councillors, Eco Warriors, and Wellbeing Ambassadors and, of course, the start of the Lower School club programme, including the numerous musical ensembles. Alongside these special events, the boys have worked with focus in their classrooms, and all made pleasing progress in their academic studies.
As Christmas beckons, we know the Lower School boys will continue to go from strength to strength as the year progresses and, I have no doubt, continue to ‘Try Everything’!
Mrs Karen McDonald-Tuckwell Head of Lower and Middle SchoolA day of great excitement! The boys presented to their peers on all things ‘STEAM’ and they also enjoyed workshops and assemblies from external providers to highlight the fun and fascination of Science in the curriculum as well as celebrate famous achievements in technology, art, mathematics and engineering. Pupils and staff swapped uniforms for lab coats in celebration of STEAM Day. The day even ended with a rocket launch!
Our Year 3 and 4 pupils enjoyed their Sports Day, and the sunshine was superb. There were races, obstacle courses and, of course, the tug of war.
During the first half of the autumn term, Year 3 have been learning all about what it would have been like to be a Roman. They learned about Roman food, clothing, homes, and fighting techniques, specifically the ‘Tortoise Shell’. The boys made shields, and some took it upon themselves to create soldiers out of clay and Lego.
The culmination of our Roman topic was Roman Day. All pupils and teachers were dressed up as Romans, and the day began with the boys marching as soldiers around the playground and down to the Mary Datchelor fields. Different battle chants and formations were displayed before a surprise attack from the ’enemy’ (Year 3 Parents) watching; luckily, the boys’ understanding of Roman defensive strategy ‘protected’ them. The rest of the day saw boys participating in various activities; an assault course, peg soldier making and Hama bead mosaics. They also enjoyed a typical Roman snack banquet.
A fantastic day was spent by pupils and staff having fun while learning through experience.
Our Lower and Middle School Quiz Club had a fabulous morning at the Quiz Club National Competition. They showed their passion for knowledge and ability to work collaboratively.
What have the Romans ever done for us?
In Year 3, pupils go on their first residential trip to Sayers Croft in Surrey. The boys enjoyed various activities, including orienteering, an obstacle challenge, ballista making, pond dipping, caving, a campfire and the blindfold trail and maze.
Year 4 pupils delved into the depths of the Amazon rainforest. They made their own 3D model, wove ‘God’s Eyes’, and tried some rainforest cuisine!
Pupils took part in various workshops and activities to experience Greek life and culture, traditional Greek food.
Year 4 pupils thoroughly enjoyed their residential to Magdalen Farm. They got to experience country life and get a taste of agricultural living. The boys tended crops, cared for the animals and explored the landscape. With the run of the whole site, they had the opportunity to play out on the field and adventure course and build shelters in the woodland. By learning about the plants and animals on the farm, they were asked to consider the importance of sustainable living and the right ways for food production. The chickens, goats and pigs are more often than not the highlight of the trip for many boys.
It’s a farmer’s life for me!
Focusing Frogs, Persevering Parrots, Communicating Cats, Willing Wolves, Thinking Therapods and Linking Lions. It is a delight that after the boys voted last year to continue with Excellent Learning Characteristics (and their associated animals) whilst progressing up through the school, we can now apply these key learning dispositions to the work and play of the Middle School boys. Throughout the calendar year, their development has been a focus for the boys in Middle School.
‘small is significant’, has been valued and applied by the boys in their behaviour around school and their interactions with peers and staff. Doors have been held open for visitors, lessons have started with a prompt and clear focus, four square rules have been understood, and rooms have been left tidy. This has been ‘grease to their wheels’, allowing them to enjoy their busy days without problems. And what busy days they have been! Alongside their academic work, a myriad of co-curricular activities has been enjoyed. Special assemblies for Online Safety; Relationship Education;
giving the boys the stage for solo performances; the excitement of fixtures in all sports; Eco Day, with the use of as little electricity as possible; and the appointment of Tribe Braves, School Councillors, Eco Warriors, and Wellbeing Ambassadors.
As the autumn term began, the boys of both year groups faced their own challenges. Year 5 moved from having
focused on preparing for the admissions assessments for their future senior schools. It has been super to see all boys rise to these demands in their school life and indeed clearly enjoy the independence given as well as the responsibility needed to take control of their learning. Whilst the photographs in this magazine might not show the boys busy in their classrooms as much as the special events of the term, this hard work
Middle School boys will continue to go from strength to strength as the year progresses with enjoying elephant, discovering dolphin, organising octopus, creating crow and, playing penguin, completing the suite of skills they master.
The Upper School took the emergence from the pandemic as a real opportunity to re-establish the usual routines but also use the chance to explore new opportunities. A welcome return to the clubs and sporting programme saw a full range of fixtures against a wide-ranging set of opposition, including competitive rugby and football matches against our near neighbours of Kingsdale and Dulwich College. Further successes were seen in the pool in terms of Water polo and Swim team success and an increase in the squad sizes, showing that pool-based sports continue to grow in all aspects.
Residential trips, always a highlight of the year, returned in full force. The importance of these group trips cannot be underestimated. They give the pupils time to socialise outside of their usual routines, create new and firmer bonds, and allow the boys to be challenged in the activities they undertake. Year 7 travelled to Buddens in Dorset for the first time. Pupils and staff stayed under canvas in five-metre Bell Tents and participated in activities such as raft building, climbing, abseiling and the challenging blindfolded
assault course. Year 8 once again had a choice of residential trip, with all boys being able to opt for either surfing in Croyde or outward-bound activities at a new venue, Adventure Parc Snowdonia. Upper School pupils also made up most of the annual trips to Iceland and Skiing in Obertauern, Austria.
Our relationship with Sydenham High School continued to blossom, and we saw the very first Year 8 collaboration, named ‘One Voice’. This project saw 28 pupils from each school come together over a series of meetings to produce presentations on a topic of their choice under the central theme of ‘What the World Needs Now’. This exciting project started with an away day at the Girls’ Day School Trust’s Head Offices in Victoria and ended with a presentation evening in front of family, friends, and a judging panel. The projects were varied and ranged across topics including racism, equality, and the environment. We now look forward to developing this further in the next academic year.
The return of a Middle and Upper School drama production in the form of Lord of Flies and the much-anticipated Year 8 Drama projects for each boy across the year group. These opportunities gave rise to spectacular performances and allowed all boys to explore and develop various skills. Along with the full return of drama, the Year 8 Post Exam Programme returned to its brilliant best with workshops given by the police, a visit by the adventurer Charlie Walker and project week among some of the highlights. The year was rounded off with another first, seeing Leavers’ Day take place on a Friday. During the day, the leavers enjoyed a special breakfast, receiving their yearbooks, hoodies, a BBQ, and games on the fields. Pupils, parents, and staff then came together in the evening for a moving and emotional service, followed by a wonderful dinner and the traditional applause walk as the boys walked out of Dulwich Prep London for the final time.
Mr Phil Topham Former Head of Upper SchoolThe new academic year brought with it a new Upper School team comprising Mr Sasanka Velagapudi as Head of Section, Mr Ben Gooding as Head of Year 7 and Mr Brendan Murphy as Head of Year 8. Although a brand-new Upper School pastoral team, we were lucky also to include Ms Neha Dayal as the new Assistant Head of Section. Her experience of Upper School pastoral, academic and extra-curricular activities has ensured a seamless transition.
Additions to the trip’s schedule have included a return to ‘Science Live!’ which was been a wonderful opportunity for the boys to see and interact with some of the most pre-eminent scientists of our time, Astronomy Club alongside colleagues at Westminster School, as well as a very much enjoyed trip to the Houses of Parliament.
We are delighted that this cohort has a more normalised Upper School experience than some in the recent past. Although accommodations can always be made when dealing with factors out of one’s control, nothing beats the benefits of coming together as a group to grow, learn and thrive.
Mr Sasanka Velagapudi Head of Upper School
Middle and Upper School pupils have spent time learning about and creating videos using Green Screen; they have used JavaScript to make basic phone apps; they have block-coded projects using the BBC Micro bit and developed simple games in Scratch. Pupils in Pre-Prep and Lower School have learnt the basics of coding, starting with ScratchJR and then moving on to Scratch. They also had the opportunity to create animations, games, digital storybooks, spreadsheets, and graphs. In Year 5, they learnt about Artificial intelligence and how it is changing our world.
Boys from Years 3 to 7 have participated in the annual Bebras Computing Challenge, which introduces the pupils to computational thinking and takes place in
over 50 countries. Our boys do very well every year, and many achieve distinctions or are awarded best in school; some boys are invited to participate in the advanced Oxford University Computing Challenge. Our Year 6 pupils have also participated in the Mission Zero Astro Pi challenge, where boys create a short program in Python Code for the International Space Station that sends a short message, measures humidity and displays a picture on a matrix of LEDs. This year we had our highest-ever number of Year 6 pupils’ computer programs approved and shown on board the actual space station.
Mr Steven Pearce Director of IT
This year, some Science highlights included:
• We began a partnership with Professor Walsh, the Astronomy exper t at Westminster School. He teaches a select group of Year 8 pupils Astronomy ‘pre-GCSE’ and incorporates this with practical sessions and visits to the observatory at Westminster School.
• A speaker from ‘Bees for Refugees’ who provided the bees on the Pennock Centre roof came to talk to the boys across Middle and Upper School about the plight of the bees and their importance to our lives.
• Middle and Upper School pupils fingerprinted suspec ts and solved a crime with the help of a former policeman. They started with the 999 call through to the taking of evidence and statements.
• The Year 8 Science Fair allowed the boys to focus on the point of interest. Here they were able to share their research and findings on topics such as how pets affect our heart rate to does music suppor t memory.
• Boys from across the school came to visit Mont y the python and enjoy calming snake therapy.
Miss Nadia Mitchen Head of ScienceDevelopments in the Art department over the past year have seen many positive changes in the delivery of the curriculum and expansion of promoting art in the school and the local community.
Visiting artists Nicole Farhi and Jonathan McCree contributed to expanding the boys’ understanding of what art is. Nicole Farhi’s sensitive body casts and hand sculptures exhibited in the Head Master’s House as part of the Dulwich Artists’ Open House and Dulwich Festival generated debate and responses to the human form. Jonathan McCree’s one-week residency drew on shape, form, space and playing as boys interacted and responded to his vibrant cardboard sculptures to produce their own innovative and playful pictures and paper sculpture.
The visit to the ‘Folly’ exhibition at Dulwich College with the Art Scholarship group further expanded their understanding of contemporary art. Upon arrival, boys were introduced to artists’ work that explored using experimental methods. They saw how Dulwich College students had made creative responses in interpreting the exhibitions’ themes.
Incorporating new and more contemporary artistic mediums, ideas and working methods has been encouraged this year as the Art department has explored fulfilling more boys’ potential in creativity. Digital drawing with stylus animation, green-screen filming and time-lapse photography have exploited the use of their iPads imaginatively and effectively. Year 6 pupils animated drawings of body movement harnessed skills in photography, digital drawing, and stop frame animation, along with using filters and film editing techniques. The Year 5 boys delved into digital drawing, too, as they created responses to Dutch Still Life paintings and Michael Craig-Martin’s artwork in arrangements of symbolic objects.
Exploring traditional methods is still very much part of our teaching, especially the skills of drawing, painting, and ceramic work. Year 8 boys explored memories through figurative drawing and ceramic work. Year 7 explored landscape paintings of skies on canvas, whilst Year 6 harnessed observation drawing skills in their depictions of hands to convey a range of emotions.
The scale and size of individual boys’ works have also increased, as well as our exhibition programme. Now, each pupil has their own A3 sketchbook to enable them to explore larger studies and exploration of their ideas. Large 150cm rolls of paper have also been employed to facilitate large-scale responses to music and objects with inventive mark-making.
The Year 8 Art Project Week produced a collaborative round the world ‘crazy’ Ping Pong table, recognising important global landmarks such as Big Ben, the Golden Gate Bridge and Machu Picchu on a fourmetre-long interactive surface. The display of the Ping Pong Table accompanied the expanded exhibiting area for art as we broadened our displays to the outdoor area of the Music block and Hirst playground, celebrating students’ work from across the school during Celebration Day.
Finally, the Art department has seen the refurbishment of the classrooms where new tables and chairs now occupy a new floor, new colour scheme and updated layout too. Boys can now work on larger surfaces at a more suitable height. The reconfiguring of the Art studio’s furniture allows for more flexibility in space and easier use of art apparatus and materials, encouraging further access to a broader range of mediums and independence too.
Mr Joel Papps Head of Art
It is incredible to think that it was not until 14 March 2022 that the UK had shaken off the shackles of the pandemic, and all remaining restrictions on international travel were lifted. This was a clear indicator that in our daily lives, we were truly able to get back onto our feet and find our rhythm again. So, what did that period look like for us?
In daily lessons, our pupils have continued learning to infer from texts and explore the effect of the author’s technique. They continue to grow in their ability to write creatively and with control. Their lessons explore these skills through reading a range of rich texts reaching back to Shakespearian plays (such as A
Midsummer Night’s Dream and Macbeth) through to the more modern, namely Neil Gaiman’s The Graveyard. They study an array of poetry through many voices from different times, places, backgrounds, beliefs, and cultures. Our return to normality has given us a real sense of reflection. New authors, poets and playwrights are now being incorporated into our curriculum to provide pupils with a more open and diverse worldview.
This year, we have been able to run our two English department competitions. The first was our speech prize, the Buckhurst, whereas, in the past, we had delivered TedX talks, something we will be able to reinstate now. We also held
our Hatton competition for story writing. For this prize, Upper School pupils wrote a fairy story for our Year 2 pupils. It was an absolute joy to see how well-received these stories were when the older boys went to Pre-Prep to read and share them.
This year during Book Week in the Pre-Prep, the Year 8 boys have been invited back (by popular demand) to present their own narrative poem. Something they will all look forward to.
We have opened the doors of our school, once again, to the wealth of opportunities beyond our walls. In November, we invited an actor who shared a collection of war poetry with our Year 8 pupils.
They watched a profoundly emotional performance of a sergeant who had come across Wilfred Owen’s pocketbook that reflected on the words he had penned directly from the Western front. Sitting in front of a canvas tent, our Dulwich Prep London pupils watched as this sergeant weaved through thoughts and poetry that spoke through time. Please read the full article later in the magazine.
We also grasped an opportunity to have the top-rated Australian children’s author, Andy Griffiths, present to our Year 4 boys and Dulwich Wood pupils. Andy Griffiths was on tour in the UK to celebrate the publication of the new ‘156 Storey Treehouse’ book. The boys
were in hysterics listening to him seriously discuss the elaborate addition of 13 new levels, which had been added to the infamous tree house, now bringing it to a precarious 156 levels. To name a few of these new additions, there is the lost sausage office, a super-stinky stuff level and the amazing mind-reading sandwichmaking machine level. You can see why our pupils so warmly welcomed him!
There is a real sense of buzz and bustle in the library as we are lucky to have the very wonderful Ms Jasiewicz join the team as our new librarian. Newly published books are entering the shelves every month, and competitions are up and running, with our first one being
the CWISL CWIZZ hosted by Dulwich College. Children’s authors organise this competition from CWISL (Children’s Writers and Illustrators South London); this literary quiz is designed to bring together young Londoners to celebrate books and reading. We have two hopeful teams competing, one from Year 6 and Year 7, to whom we wish the best of luck. Ms Jasiewicz introduces herself and her top book recommendations for each year group on the next page.
I am delighted to have joined Dulwich Prep London as the school’s new librarian. I have over two decades of experience in publishing (as an editor and proof-reader) and bookselling, and previously I was a library assistant at Alleyn’s Senior School and volunteered at a primary school in Lewisham.
Since joining Dulwich Prep London, I have been assessing the library stock and monitoring the most heavily borrowed topics. I was surprised to find a keen interest in snakes, origami, and extreme sports, less astonished by requests for books on Minecraft, Lego, and Pokémon. I am responding to pupils’ requests; the role of the school library is to encourage and facilitate reading for pleasure rather
than prescribing books to children. My favourite part of my role is sharing book recommendations with pupils. My purchasing decisions for the library are informed by several sources, including publishers’ social media, press reviews, recommendations from other librarians and teachers, and pupil requests.
Comics and graphic novels are hugely popular now. They can be a great way of engaging reluctant readers, making complex topics more accessible (for example, Line of Fire by Barroux is based on the diary of a soldier in the First World War) and improving confidence; the sense of achievement that comes from reading a long book (even a heavily illustrated one) gives pupils a boost.
I am excited about organising events in the library. As Mrs Alessio mentioned, we have already hosted bestselling author Andy Griffiths (Treehouse series), who did an assembly for Year 4 pupils and Years 4 and 5 from Dulwich Wood Primary and had the children jumping out of their seats. Afterwards, he signed copies and chatted with the children. There is an everchanging pupil book reviews board, which the boys do read, and borrow based on fellow pupils’ recommendations.
Ms Ilona Jasiewicz School LibrarianTwenty Elves at Bedtime (Mark Sperring and Tim Budgen)
A Christmassy counting book to help younger children wind down at bedtime. Rhyming text helps learning and recognition.
I
DON’T Like Winter (Fiona Barker and Christine Pym)
A brilliantly funny picture book about two best friends who just can’t agree. Themes of friendship, disagreement, compromise and honesty make this a brilliant read year-round.
Upper School
a Big Bright Feelings book) A brilliant book for helping children to navigate social situations. This large-format picture book series has been very popular with Y1 and Y2 borrowers.
(Tom
(Zoe Armstrong and Anja Susanj) Lyrical text and beautiful artwork, this is a great book about bioluminescent animals to read together.
Sam Wu is NOT Afraid of Space (Katie and Kevin Tsang) A madcap, relatable series covering all the things that schoolboy Sam Wu is DEFINITELY not afraid of. A great way to introduce chapter books, these titles are 200 pages with illustrations and have been popular with pupils.
Physics for Curious Kids (Laura Baker) An illustrated introduction to energy, matter, forces and our universe, containing fun, easy activities.
Hold Back the Tide (Melinda Salisbury)
A darkly seductive story of murder, betrayal, love, and family secrets in a small town in the Scottish Highlands.
Know Your Rights and Claim Them (Amnesty International) A guide for young people highlighting the work of activists around the world.
Amari and the Great Game (BB Alston) The hotly anticipated sequel to Amari and the Night Brothers, this action-packed supernatural adventure is perfect for fans of Percy Jackson and Nevermoor.
Find Your Voice and Be Your Best Self: Silence is Not an Option (Stuart Lawrence) From role models to self-control, failure to imagination, an empowering and inspirational guide to building resilience.
In the Drama studio, Year 8 were treated to a visit from Redheart Theatre’s Mr Owen’s Pocket Book, a one-man show exploring Wilfred Owen’s experience of war through his poetry and the poetry of his contemporaries.
In the performance, a soldier arrives on the Western Front shortly before the Armistice of November 1918 and finds the pocketbook of verse written by a young lieutenant killed that day. It is revealed through the performance that the young man, whose life was cut short at the tender age of 25, was not only a courageous soldier, but also a gifted poet whose work exposed the true horrors of gas and trench warfare during WW1.
In the build-up to Armistice Day, the boys have been reading a selection of poems written by those who experienced The First World War, either on the front line, or at home. By looking at how views on the war have been presented, pupils have uncovered the lived experience of conflict and its impact on society at the time, working towards a shared understanding of the experience through literature.
In English, the boys have read and annotated the poems in detail, analysing language, structure, and purpose. The boys have written descriptively, working with vivid imagery and specific language used by Owen in his poem Dulce et
Decorum Est to establish an understanding of the true horrors of war.
In Drama, the boys in forms 8D and 8L performed a piece that explores World War One plays and poetry. The piece incorporates war poets, including Sassoon and Owen and texts, including Journey’s End, My Boy Jack, and Blackadder Goes Forth and is devised and performed entirely by the boys.
Over three months, 80 Dulwich Prep London pupils from Years 5 to 8 rehearsed tirelessly to create the summer term production of William Golding’s ‘Lord of the Flies’. What a memorable experience it was. The cast’s comradery, leadership and unique thinking transpired beautifully to the stage. Powerful choir moments, collective dance, abstract movement, mime, and standout solo and ensemble performances; this event displayed the talent that so many of our pupils possess. I could not have been prouder of their collective efforts.
DramaA combination of physical and promenade theatre is no easy feat, yet they rose to the challenge with curiosity, passion, and determination. Seeing older pupils work so well with younger pupils, seeing those shine who have not yet had the opportunity to shine in front of a Dulwich Prep London audience, and putting on a show of that scale post the great pandemic halt of 2020 was such a joy.
It must be noted that it takes an army to make a show like this come to life.
A huge, giant thank you to all the staff and parents who supported and contributed to any facet of the production. I, for one, won’t forget the enthralling energy created by each cast member as they hunted for the beast, ran across the lawn as pigs, danced in the aisles of the audience, or came together as one to sing the haunting song of the conch.
Miss Megan Gilsenan Head of Drama
Those horrible, treacherous scenes from the TV Something you cannot bear Just like a vehicle accident, You force yourself to turn your eyes away but you just can’t Just like the news; just like the news.
But it is horror on a whole new level portrayed by the TV In a way that I had not seen before That I hopefully will never see again I was furious, just furious with those awful people Those awful people alone.
But as I watch those awful scenes, on the awful TV I see some hope and unity Invited into our homes
To see the help of ordinary people, ordinary people alone They have a mission, to stop the war, to go out of their home To launch themselves at the propaganda To risk their lives, just to say That they have a life and a heart And they want no part to play.
Angus HReligious Studies across Middle and Upper School has continued to offer opportunities for pupil engagement in critical thinking and cross-curricular links.
Year 5 covered a breadth of philosophical questions, including ‘How was the world created?’ This study included a diverse range of perspectives, including religious and humanist views, in addition to discussion around the coexistence of faith and science. Pupils learnt to question their own and others’ opinions respectfully and justify their views with reasons.
What can we learn from the Good Samaritan in today’s world? In line with our school value of Love, pupils explored the underlying meaning of ‘love your
neighbour’ whilst linking themes within the story to contemporary examples of prejudice and discrimination. They reflected on the qualities of a ‘modern’ Good Samaritan and applied these characteristics to their own creative writing.
What are the central tenets of Buddhism? Pupils discovered Buddhist philosophy in the summer term, in particular through the story of Siddhartha Gautama, The Four Noble Truths and Eightfold Path.
Year 6 pupils continued their exploration of world religions, beginning with Judaism in the autumn and subsequently Islam and Sikhism in the following terms. Their cumulative knowledge of key beliefs and teachings, food laws, festivals and rites of
passage enabled pupils to draw similarities and differences between each faith. More importantly, they aligned key content with the British value of tolerance and mutual respect, recognising the importance of diversity within the school and the wider community.
Specific highlights to celebrate religious festivals included:
● A spring term visit from Rabbi Nathan Godleman from South London Liberal Synagogue to impart his knowledge of the Pesach festival (Passover). He spoke about the origins of Passover, followed by a brilliant Q&A session.
The road ahead is a desolate landscape. Everything about the future is unknown. They always say we’re going to be safe But how can we be safe
If nobody is there. Getting on that bus, Leaving our lives behind. It is never a blessing, But always a curse. But you still do it Because the bus Is safer than home. And you can rest When you get there. Oh don’t worry, they say, How can I not worry when there’s nothing left. My home is being destroyed. How can I not fear The Future
When the future is a mystery looming over me. However, there is something that can save you When you’re in your darkest moments, When you’re just on the verge of crumbling; Hope.
Hope is not something that can be seen But something that can be shared, Something that can never be taken Passion that will ignite and will never go out.
A● An assembly about Eid led by Middle and Upper School pupils who shared their personal experiences. The children shared photos of family celebrations and food and courageously spoke about why Eid was important to them.
● An assembly about Diwali led by Middle and Upper School, followed by rangoli chalk drawings during break. The boys shared photos and videos of their celebrations with fireworks, diyas and family feasts. Years 1 to 8 participated in creating rangoli patterns with chalk to recognise the theme of wealth, prosperity, and good fortune.
The focus in Year 7 shifted to a more topical approach with the introduction
of human rights, asylum seekers and refugees. Considering current affairs, the department collaborated with the English department’s project titled ‘The Road Ahead’, in which pupils wrote poems about the plight of refugees alongside biographical summaries of famous refugees who have found success later in life despite hardship. The fruits of their work were collated and published into a book whose proceeds were donated to the Disaster Emergency Committee’s Ukraine Appeal. This was an excellent way to bring the pupils’ learning to life and increase empathy and understanding of those in devastating circumstances.
Year 8 offered the opportunity for pupils to hone their critical thinking and debating skills as they took a deep dive into the ethics of euthanasia (autumn),
the aims of punishment (spring) and arguments for and against the existence of God (summer). They often found themselves in the ‘learning pit’, taking one side of an argument one week only to be swayed to a different side of the debate the following. Ultimately, they learnt to broaden their thinking and become more open-minded to diverse perspectives.
The ever-changing nature of society continues to prompt rich discussion in the classroom, enabling pupils to find meaningful connections between lesson objectives and what is happening in the real world.
The boys rallied, and we heard some splendid music in the second half of term. The Lower School presented two concerts which belied the fact that so much rehearsal time had been lost. An error, not of Dulwich Prep London’s making, led to us releasing our date for a concert at Southwark Cathedral. A hastily redesigned event took place, instead and we are grateful to Sydenham High School for accommodating the concert in its premier Concert Hall. Splendid performances from our music scholars and senior Chamber Groups were followed by a light-hearted but powerful performance of Captain Noah and his Floating Zoo by Flanders and Horowitz. Lower School Voices, Lower School Choir, Senior Choir and Chamber Choir all joined together in joyful song. Mention should be made of Henry, Martin, and William, who were our main soloists. The term ended with a poignant service of readings and music for Easter in St Stephen’s Church.
The summer term brought with it the ‘live’ return of the Abrahams Piano Competition. Congratulations to every boy who played, at whatever stage, and bravo to those who progressed to the finals of their Classes. Aidan deserves a mention, having now won Class 3 for several years running. Thanks go to our adjudicator Mr Vincent Barrella, who had previously visited Dulwich Prep London as an ABRSM examiner. The Middle School followed suit just a short time later and demonstrated that the future of senior music ensembles is in very safe hands. The Pre-Prep Strings Concert demonstrated the steep progress curve of our youngest string players, and Lower School boys took to the stage in another pair of wonderful concerts, barely seven rehearsal weeks after their spring outing. Music was central to Celebration Day; Max and Tommy’s performances astonishing over 1000 guests at Prize Giving. Ojibwas won a keenly contested Tribe Shout, and Big Band brought the celebrations to a jaunty conclusion. Let us not also forget the triumphant return
of the Summer Serenade. Thanks also go to the musicians who played at the Year 8 Leavers’ Service. Tsz Kin, Leo and Angus’s solos were special moments.
The autumn term began with numbers taking instrumental tuition and attending instrumental groups continuing to be on the rise following the pandemic. The Senior and Chamber Choirs sounded beautiful as they led the music at St Stephen’s, when Dulwich Prep London joined the community for the annual Act of Remembrance. The Pre-Prep impressed with their Strings Concert; some boys performing solos after just a handful of lessons. Our senior ensembles proved themselves to be fully ‘back on track’ with marvellous performances at the annual Christmas Concert. The standards achieved bode well for the academic year. Southwark Cathedral was, once again, the majestic setting for our Festival of Readings and Carols for Christmas. This occasion never fails to impress. It was joyous to hear our choirs in such fine voice. Big Band, soloists
and choristers made merry and royally entertained our guests at the Friends Senior Citizen Party.
As well as all the above, high standards have been achieved in Pupils’ Concerts throughout the year. Boys have played in assemblies and in other less formal settings. A near 100% pass rate was achieved in ABRSM and Trinity music exams, with an unprecedented number of results being in the merit and distinction categories.
Huge thanks are due to the full-time members of the Music Department staff, the Visiting Instrumental Teaching Team and the Department Administrators. Without any of them, the boys would not achieve these amazing standardsstandards for which they deserve huge congratulations. Bravo!
Mr Philip Brooke Director of MusicSportOur principal post-pandemic aim was to re-engage the boys with sport. The online activities run by all Sports departments during remote learning played a role in encouraging children to remain active. It also brought the children together virtually in larger groups to allowing them to engage and interact with each other and remind them about the value of team sports and activities. However, the necessity of online learning left the Sports Department with some challenges.
As we headed into 2022, these challenges were two-fold:
1. Picking up the shortfall in skill acquisition created by having to teach spor t online for the best part of the previous two years.
2. Introducing and re-introducing children to the team aspect of spor t, placing great emphasis
firstly on the camaraderie and social togetherness brought about by taking part in a team, and secondly, teaching boys to work together once again by relying on each other to achieve a common goal.
Bringing about rapid changes in both of these areas was always going to be difficult. For the older boys, who would have played between ten and twenty sports fixtures in each sporting code, there was no quick fix to provide them with the experience they would have gained through both success and adversity brought about by competitive sport. For the younger boys, skill development and acquisition, which is, for most, a linear progression, could not be rushed by skipping phases as this would lead to a developmental and skill shortfall later on.
This saw a shift in how we taught PE and Games. In PE, we went back to basics and set about a programme focused on functional movement skills. This meant breaking down the basics of our daily movements and then, when they were understood at each level, layering them using a variety of individual activities before introducing them into sports and explaining how they can be combined effectively to allow the boys to participate in a meaningful manner. This was followed by engaging these skills in various sports and showing the boys how these skills and movements are mostly transferable across all sports.
Our Games sessions had to be flipped. We had to move to a more blended approach to get the skill levels up to standard, whilst at the same time teaching
the boys about team play and the value of taking part as part of a larger group. In the past, we taught skills and introduced them to small-sided games and matches before engaging in competitive fixtures. We now looked at creating as many opportunities as possible to play and enjoy the social and competitive nature of sport whilst trying to input the skills needed.
Skill input sessions were now in the form of two versus three and three versus two activities and small-sided drill activities. These were aimed at developing the skills under less intense pressure to allow for greater success and, as such, speedier development of the skill sets needed. We hoped that, in doing this, we could bridge the gaps that had been created. We also tried to ensure that fixtures were more tournament-style events, where we played multiple mini-fixtures on the same day (especially with the younger boys) to maximise the competitive time, with the importance/pressure of heavy victories or defeats becoming less of a factor due to shorter games.
These changes in our approach to teaching saw us slowly close the developmental gap and increase the speed at which we could increase skill acquisition. The boys’ understanding of how to move more effectively, how to implement these skills into the various sports and slowly take part in more fixtures, quickly saw us start to reach the pre-covid levels of performance and attainment.
Whilst results will never be the sole yardstick of measuring our successes as a department, 2022/23 has seen us perform at the same if not better levels than we experienced pre-pandemic. What is a more significant indicator of improved performance is the desire of more boys to be put onto the playing field and participate effectively. The number of boys now wanting to join in these fixtures and being more willing to put their improved skills on display has increased. We will continue to play mixed teams, rotate teams, and look for new schools to compete against to give the boys as many opportunities as possible to enjoy being active.
Mr Dennis Spammer Director of Sport
Athletics Finals Day made its long-awaited post-pandemic return at the Battersea Park Millennium Arena. The Athletics finals see the eight finalists competing for each event in every year group from Years 5 to 8. This year we introduced photo finishes and electronic timing, providing a very professional feel. It was great to have so many spectators watching from the stands. The participants displayed fantastic sportsmanship and competed superbly throughout. We ended the event with a mixed Years 5 to 8 4x100m relay and the awards ceremony. Here’s to next year!
Languages are flourishing at Dulwich Prep London, and from Years 1 to 8, pupils have been throwing themselves head-first into their studies. As a department, we continue to be so impressed and enthused by the boys’ engagement towards the subject and their willingness to embrace not just the language but the culture, whether French or Spanish and the Francophone and Hispanic worlds, respectively.
Technology has become more integrated into our curriculum. A variety of language learning apps and websites are used regularly, both in the classroom and out, to help pupils strengthen all areas of their learning, whether it be practising their
vocabulary or new grammar, honing their listening or speaking skills or improving the accuracy of their writing.
There has also been a deliberate and persistent focus on the cultural side of the languages we teach by celebrating special days in the calendar. Recent discussions and research projects include the topic of ‘Día de Los Muertos’ (Day of the Dead). The European Day of Languages was a cross-curricular inclusion of language-related tasks throughout Middle and Upper School.
Pupils have continued to sign up for our various language clubs, and our recently appointed Language Ambassadors have
led by example and helped to organise events and assemblies. They were a great help in our inaugural Tribe Vocabulary Quiz, which took place in July. The afternoon was spent with all boys from Years 5 to 7 in the Concert Hall, with volunteers battling it out round after round to win points in a bid to make their tribe the eventual victor. Huge congratulations must go to Deerfeet and Mohicans, who could not be separated and ended the event as joint winners. It was a delightful afternoon with intervals where classes sang songs from around the world from as young as Year 1. We are already excited about next year!
Mr Tristram Gardner Head of Modern foreign LanguagesHistory continues to encapsulate our values, particularly of Courage, Justice, and Love. Memorable moments across lessons bring history to life using music, film, performing history, props, guest speakers and trips. For example, the song, No Air by Jordin Sparks, reminded us that King Edward the Confessor left England in a succession dilemma with no heir (and the misconception between the spellings of air and heir!).
Year 5 historians explored history skills and concepts such as chronology, cultural identity, and diversity. They used evidence by digging up the past to find out what caused the Tollund Man’s death. Next, they studied the Norman Conquest, and a highlight was re-enacting the Battle of Hastings.
Year 6 explored the critical turning points in Britain’s ‘Developing Democracy’ from the Magna Carta in 1215 to the Brixton Riots in 1981, where power gradually moved from the monarch to a people’s parliament. We looked at the concepts of class, gender, and race to see how people from lower socio-economic groups, females and different races, gained more democracy and voice.
Year 7 analysed the causes, key events, and impacts of the American, French and Russian Revolutions. Next, we transported them back to Tudor England, where they studied the religious rollercoaster from Roman Catholicism to Protestantism and considered who was the top Tudor monarch.
Year 8 studied the unit ‘US Civil Rights: Slavery to Freedom? 1600s to today’, in which the boys explored the struggle for equality and equity. Key turning points were considered across time, such as Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955-56, alongside key causes, events, impacts, changes, and continuities.
A particular highlight was the launch of our first Windrush Day with Year 7, where several of their lessons had a cross-curricular Windrush focus. In History, we learnt about the origins of Windrush Day, which began on 22 June 2018 in the UK, to remember each year the first large group of African-Caribbean migrants who arrived in England on 22 June 1948. We also looked at the ‘Windrush Scandal’ from 2012 to 2018, whereby an unjust new law declared the
Windrush Generation as illegal due to a lack of official paperwork and that they had to be deported and could not, for example, receive their pensions or use the NHS despite having lived as British citizens for decades. In Maths, students analysed quantitative and qualitative data from authentic sources such as ship passenger lists, arrival cards and census data to delineate information such as the last country of residence and where most people settled in the UK. The whole school enjoyed delicious AfricanCaribbean food such as jerk chicken, rice, beans, and plantain. Year 7 had a steel band workshop which continued outside on the stage in the sunshine, where we all danced and sang along to the upbeat music. We are looking forward to expanding Windrush Day in 2023.
• Jaffa Cake Debate – is it a biscuit or a cake? We watched some infamous Jaffa Cake adverts and prepared our evidence to debate this age-old question that has caused divisions across UK households! The actual legal case in 1991 decided it was a cake (and hence tax-free) as it went hard when stale rather than soft!
• Year 6 trip to York, where Mr Gordon brought the various layers of York’s rich History to life.
• Year 8 trips to the Royal Courts of Justice, where we re-enacted a court case in a real working court.
• Year 7 trips to Parliament to immerse ourselves in the story of the UK’s democracy and tour the House of Commons and the House of Lords, ending in the infamous Westminster Hall.
• Townsend Warner History Prize, where some Year 7 and 8 boys nominated themselves to participate in a challenging History competition.
Ms Amira Mekaouar Head of History
Thirty-nine boys and staff undertook Dulwich Prep London’s eighth trip to Iceland and a first in the Easter holiday! After an early flight out of Heathrow, we landed at Keflavik Airport with our first taste of the chilly Icelandic wind and a little snow in the air.
Our guide, Antoine, whisked us off to the newly formed lava field created by the Fagradalsfjall eruption. A truly fantastic opportunity to see the still warm and freshly formed basalt, with examples of olivine and pyrite collected as souvenirs from the rock, which is younger than the boys! From there, it was off on our journey to the south coast. Over the next two days, we visited the Solheimajokull glacier and charted the rapid retreat of the ice sheet, walked behind the curtain of water at Seljalandsfoss and explored the hidden waterfall. We listened to stories of trolls whilst exploring the black
sands and basalt columns of Reynishverfi. After a relaxing dip in the Secret Lagoon, we toured the golden circle, experiencing the original Geysir.
The final two days of our journey then took us to the west, the opportunity to descend into the depths of the Vidgelmir lava tube cave system and the last evening staying in the Viking Hotel cabin village. Throughout our time in Iceland, we also learnt to speak a little of the language. We enjoyed a variety of culinary delights, from organic ice cream and liquorice to hotdogs and dried fish! We even had a chance to meet some of the much-celebrated Icelandic horses.
A fun-filled and busy five days away left a positive imprint on each of the boys and staff that went. Hopefully, next year the Aurora Borealis will make an appearance.
At the end of October, Year 5 had the opportunity to visit Hilltop Outdoor Centre in Sheringham. It was a fantastic opportunity for the pupils and staff to bond outside the classroom while completing various activities. Some highlights were the Giant Zipline, climbing the high ropes and roasting marshmallows around a campfire. The pupils could choose their level of challenge for each activity and experienced working with lots of different members of their year group. During their stay, boys were responsible for organising their dorm rooms and keeping them spotless for room inspections. They worked in pairs and small groups to ensure their rooms were kept neat and tidy, ensuring they weren’t late for breakfast and the start of each day’s activities. It was a thoroughly enjoyable experience for all that attended and kicked off Year 5 in the best way possible. Bring on next year’s residential!
On the Year 6 residential to York, pupils discovered the history behind the city. They enjoyed the story of Dick Turpin, experienced a night tour around the city, a walk on the walls and visits to:
● The Jorvik Centre
● Clifford’s Tower
● The Abbey
● The Minster
● The Railway Museum
What better way to begin the school year than spend three nights camping with your peers? Residential trips always provide robust opportunities for exploration, enjoyment and growth for our pupils, and the trip to Buddens did not disappoint. Despite the early start, the boys descended upon Alleyn Park on a Tuesday morning with excited smiles, and there was an enthusiastic air as we boarded the coach. Making our way into Dorset, the surroundings became distinctly greener. Upon arrival at camp, eyes widened with anticipation at the sight of bell tents, ziplines and obstacle courses built into the surrounding woodland.
The next few days were a smorgasbord of action-packed adventures, with activities running to military precision and all the school’s Values on display. The boys showed Self-Discipline as they kept to the schedule, listening patiently to safety briefings and changing from wet to dry clothes in a matter of minutes. As they piled in hungrily for lunches and dinners, Gratitude was seen in the chorus of ‘pleases’ and ‘thank yous’. Courage and Humility went hand in hand as boys quite literally threw themselves out of their comfort zones, and cheered each other on with enthusiasm, showing pride in each other’s successes. We witnessed Justice and Honesty in sharing the facilities and the patience to let every team member have their fair go. As some began to feel homesick at times, they were never short of a friend to show them Love and kindness, and as new friendships developed, we saw Service at every turn as boys began to look out for one another.
From swimming through pools of mud, to foraging and fire lighting under oak trees, the week was full of positive experiences, and we can think of no better way to start the exciting school year ahead!
I remember when I scored a try in a rugby match against Dulwich College, and we won the game.
When I was chosen to read in Southwark Cathedral, I was super nervous, but seeing the younger pupils performing so well despite their fear gave me the confidence to do so too.
When I was in Year 3, I remember going to the Art club twice a week. That was when I first started doing art.
I remember when I was in Year 1, we met the frogs.
Going to York, visiting the castles, and having a fun time there.
I remember that in Year 6, I wrote a story of a fox hunting a rabbit. It got me very interested in English
and still, to this day, is one of my best pieces of work.
The Cedars School 2
City of London School 1 Cranleigh 1 Dulwich College 38
Eastbourne College 1 Eton College 1 Harrow 3
King’s College School, Wimbledon 1
The King’s School Canterbury 1 Marlborough College 1 Millfield 3 Overseas 1 Radley College 1 Royal Russell 3 Sevenoaks School 1 St Paul’s School 1 Tonbridge School 3 Trinity School 2 Westminster School 4 Wetherby Senior School 2 Whitgift 3 Winchester College 2
I enjoyed the Sheringham trip in Year 5. I remember playing hide and seek in the woods while the teachers were trying to find us!
Making my first-ever friend in Reception and having so much fun hanging out with him.
I remember in Year 6 when I performed Mozart’s Requiem in Southwark Cathedral. I remember the long piece taking a while to master, but I managed it.
I remember in Year 4, I broke the school record for 25 metres freestyle that hadn’t been broken in 40 years. I was very proud as I had been working very hard, and this was a great accomplishment.
In Year 4, when it snowed, everyone went down to the field, and we all chilled in the snow for a few hours with the whole school.
I remember when my team and I went up to the stage and qualified for the Primary Schools’ National Chess Final.
Staying up, playing card games, and helping others sleep during the ‘Big Night Out’.
In Year 4, we had prize giving, and I will never forget how amazed and happy I was when I found out I had won the maths prize.
I remember being in ‘Cats’ in Year 5, meeting older boys, and getting to know the school better.
Being the main character in Lord of the Flies, performing well, and not forgetting any lines!
When I went to York and got a dorm with my best friends.
The Year 8 drama project is a highlight, spending time with the class, rehearsing and playing games with my friends and then performing in front of our parents at the end.
Going to the St Paul’s athletics fixture and doing a pentathlon including 100m, 800m, long jump, high jump and shot put.
When we played Dulwich College in cricket, we were losing by around 80 runs, and I was nearly the last player, and on the last ball, we won 103 to 102.
One of my favourite memories is going on the Iceland trip to the secret lagoon.
When I was in Year 5, and at the end of the year, I was awarded the all-round most sporting boy and got a cup bigger than my head.
I remember singing Man’s Not Hot in the Year 4’s Got Talent competition! It went down a storm.
Playingacardgamewithtenpeople acrossthreerowsofanaeroplaneon thewaytoIceland.
The Friends Yuletide Fayre took place on Saturday, 3 December, and even though the chills of Winter were firmly with us, the warmth of festive spirit was felt in abundance. Activities on the day included An Audience with Santa, Craft Corner, Face Painting, Tap Football, Pantomime Entertainers, a Magician, and a wide range of fabulous Market Stalls. Thank you to all our staff, parent volunteers, and the fantastic Friends Committee for your hard work.
Shards of bitter chocolate give these little tarts a muchneeded edge of bitterness, cutting through the natural sweetness of the dried fruit. Use an assortment of small biscuit cutters to cut out the decorative tops. You’ll need to begin this recipe at least a day ahead.
Ingredients
270g dark brown sugar
200g each raisins, sultanas and currants 100ml muscat
100g unsalted butter, melted 100g candied orange peel, finely chopped
2 Granny Smith apples, coarsely grated
1 orange, finely grated rind and juice only
½ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp each of mixed spice, ground cloves and finely grated nutmeg
100g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), coarsely chopped
20g demerara sugar mixed with ¼ tsp ground cinnamon, for scattering Ingredients for the cinnamon pastry 180g softened unsalted butter 200g pure icing sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon 4 eggs 500g (3 1/3 cups) plain flour
1. Combine all ingredients except chocolate and demerara sugar in a large bowl, stir to combine, then spoon into sterilised jars and refrigerate for at least 1 day or up to 2 weeks, inverting jar occasionally. Makes about 5 cups of fruit mince.
2. For cinnamon pastry, beat butter, sugar and cinnamon in an electric mixer until light and creamy (4-5 minutes). Add eggs one at a time and beat until well combined. Beat in flour and a pinch of sea salt, turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead lightly until just smooth, then divide pastry in half, wrap each half in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3 hours to rest.
3. Roll out each pastry half on a lightly floured surface to 3mm thick, cut out 11cm-diameter rounds with a pastry cutter, place on a tray and refrigerate until required. Cut out small stars or other decorative shapes from the pastry scraps, place on a tray lined with baking paper and refrigerate until required. Re-roll any remaining scraps to 3mm thick, refrigerate until firm (30 minutes), then cut out more rounds and decorative shapes with small biscuit cut ters and add shapes to tray.
4. Line 24 125ml-capacity muffin tins with rounds and refrigerate until required.
5. Preheat oven to 180C. Add chocolate to fruit mince mixture, stir to combine. Spoon fruit mince mixture into each pastry-lined pan, leaving a 5mm gap at top. Top each with the pastry shape, brush lightly with water, scatter with demerara sugar mixture and bake until pastry is golden and crisp (12-15 minutes). Cool completely in tins, then remove. Fruit mince tarts will keep stored in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
(Recipe by Emma Knowles)Ingredients for the chocolate biscuits
150g butter, softened 100g dark muscovado sugar 1 large egg, whisked (*set aside a third for the for vanilla cookies) 130g self-raising flour
40g unsweetened cocoa powder pinch of salt 60g chopped walnuts or pecans (or sunflower seeds)
Method
1. Preheat oven to 180°C.
2. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until fluff y. Beat in 2/3 of beaten egg (if doubling recipe, add egg mixture little by little).
3. Combine flour, cocoa, and salt, and stir into the creamed mixture until just blended.
4. Mix in nuts or seeds. Use two spoons to scrape 16 equal sized dollops of cookie dough (about 30 – 35g each) onto a lined baking sheet. Use the back of a spoon dipped in water to spread each cookie out into a round about 6cm in diameter and bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Cool for a couple of minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.
Ingredients for the chocolate buttercream frosting
150g butter, softened 60g icing sugar, sifted 40g unsweetened cocoa powder a little milk
Method
1. Beat the softened butter until fluffy. Gradually add the sifted icing sugar and continue to whisk until fully incorporated.
2. Add the sifted cocoa powder. Use the whisk to stir it into the butter mixture first to avoid a major dust storm, before switching on the whisk and incorporating fully.
3. Add milk lit tle by little, whisking between each addition, until your icing has a lovely soft and spreadable consistency.
Ingredients for the mini vanilla biscuits
60g butter, softened 35g light muscovado sugar
Pinch of salt
1/3 of a large egg (*see above) 100g self-raising flour (regular, spelt and gluten-free all work) 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 10ml (2 teaspoons) milk of your choice
1. In a small bowl, cream butter, sugar and salt together until pale and fluffy.
2. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula, then whisk in the egg, followed by half the flour. As soon as these are incorporated, whisk in the vanilla and milk, and finally the rest of the flour. Stop whisking as soon as the mixture resembles cookie dough.
3. Preheat oven to 180°C. Spoon 16 spoonfuls of the mixture (each about 12 – 14g) onto a lined baking sheet and flatten slightly with the back of a teaspoon dipped in water (they should be about 3.5cm in diameter).
4. Bake cookies in the centre of the oven for 6 minutes or until the edges have turned golden brown and the middles are still soft.
5. Leave to cool on the trays before decorating.
To finish:
1. Spread chocolate frosting on each chocolate biscuit, place a vanilla cookie on the bottom half of each, then press pretzels into the icing to make ears.
2. Use some of the chocolate frosting to stick the candy eyes and red candy nose onto the pretzels and vanilla cookie respectively.
As we say farewell to Mrs Brownsdon at the end of 2022, we wish her all the very best in her new role as Head of The New Beacon School, Sevenoaks. We asked Mrs Brownsdon what she would remember about her 24 years at Dulwich Prep London, and in true Mrs Brownsdon style, she shares a few of her favourite things (you will need to sing along)...
Odd socks and knight costumes, pink wigs, and Romans, Teddy bears picnics and Mary Datch snowmen, Full festive outfits and white angel wings, These are a few of my favourite things.
Chess playing swimmers and book reading bakers, Twinkling nativities, red poppy makers, Listening to voices raised upwards to sing, These are a few of my favourite things.
When Mohicans, Lose the slip count, and I’m feeling sad. I simply remember my favourite things and then I don’t feel so bad.
Ice cream from science and chocolate chip cookies, Four square and wellbeing, taking snack duty, Scooters and cyclists, park runners with zing, These are a few of my favourite things.
Autumn leaves falling and harvest gift sharing, Boys who are loyal, kind, funny and caring, Abrahams pianists and Hand Bells that ring, These are a few of my favourite things.
When there is no hot chocolate, and l’m feeling sad, I simply remember my favourite things and then I don’t feel so bad.
Magical Woodlands and outdoor adventures, Zip wires and Clifford’s Tower, Barnes Wetlands Centre, Bounding up Snowdon or high Super Swings, These are a few of my favourite things.
Southwark Cathedral with music and voices, Art displays, sporting teams, so many choices, Lightsaber fencing and bouncing on springs, These are a few of my favourite things.
When it’s wet break, and we’re inside, and I’m feeling sad, I simply remember my favourite things and then I don’t feel so bad.
Freshly baked muffins, Pow Wow origami, Boys choosing sandwiches filled with salami, Hot chocolate treat times best fit for a King, These are a few of my favourite things.
Talented teachers and brilliant assemblies, Wooden stilts, balance boards, footballs in Wembley, Biscuits in Skylab and French listening, These are a few of my favourite things.
Now I’m leaving, and it’s over, and I’m feeling sad, I’ll always remember my favourite things and then I won’t feel so bad.
