Echo Issue 21 January 2023

The following pages in this latest edition of Echo shine a light on a particularly busy and positive Autumn Term at Elstree. With over 30 new families joining us since September, the enthusiastic buzz at Elstree has been louder than ever. We are in the fortunate position to be a thriving, growing school, bucking the trend against an economic backdrop that challenges all schools and businesses. We do not take this lightly. Change is always upon us, and it is so important to move forward with an open mind, a willingness to adapt and a calm resilience as we uphold our values and commitment to the school’s purpose and ethos.

And there it is, our theme for the autumn term: Commitment . We saw it in abundance!

I am always proud to see Elstree pupils stepping up to a new academic year with fresh energy and positivity. They are eager to pick up on old friendships and make new ones. They want to join in and be part of a team, to contribute with friendly rivalry, healthy competition and unerring kindness to the success of their House and school.

As the longest term in the school calendar, the Autumn Term does not just span seasons, it encompasses the full rigour of an Elstree education and the children responded with an eager tenacity to see it through with brilliance. Sitting exams can be a nerve-wracking time; to put learning and skills to the test is always likely to cause a flutter of butterflies, but the boys and girls all did so well. They worked hard, remained steadfast in their focus, and we are hugely proud of their results and early promise of Scholarship success.

Our sports teams have shown plenty of determination and courage on the pitches too. The girls’ hockey went from strength to strength, and on the football pitches,

the boys honed their skills, playing with flair and dedication to their team. I am delighted that the commitment and talent of two of our outstanding sportsmen has been well rewarded; William Sideso awarded a Sports Scholarship to Radley and Ollie Irvine a Sports Exhibition to Winchester College.

This term has also featured a busy array of extra-curricular activities, including Informal Concerts for every year group, a celebration of cultural diversity, the Year 8 French Trip, Book Week, a stunning performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream by Year 6, numerous Big Weekends, trips and days out and a quite staggering series of Choir and Carol performances in the run up to Christmas. All testament to the faithful endurance and enthusiasm of our Elstree pupils.

Perhaps our pupils were inspired to demonstrate such commitment as they have all borne witness to the sad passing of a role model like no other. At the start of term, the whole school gathered together in an Act of Remembrance for Her Majesty the Queen and I truly believe that this moment, so soon after our triumphant celebration of the Queen’s Jubilee, has given the children a very clear idea of what selfless commitment, loyalty and humility can enable us all to achieve.

Our achievements, however, would be all the poorer were it not for my talented and hard-working staff and for you - pupils and parents, past, present and future who remain so committed to supporting our wonderful school.

I hope you enjoy reading the latest news from Elstree.

Sid Inglis, Headmaster

BOARDING

We have had a wonderful time in the Boarding House this term and goodness, time has whizzed by! Moving the girls’ boarding to Sanderson’s has been a great success and I know that they have appreciated having a little more space (as well as the swanky hairdryers in the bathrooms, of course!). A poll to rename the girls’ dormitories included boarders and staff and was spearheaded by Mrs. Hepburn. With votes cast and counted we were delighted to reveal Thatcher, Nightingale, Austen and Seacole as the new names!

expectations. And on a chilly November evening, a record number of Elstree Boarders escaped the clutches of Colditz Castle and succeeded in making their way from the shooting range, past the (somewhat hapless) guards to the airship moored in Park, and thence to home and safety!

We also enjoyed a super Boarders’ Family Quiz Night, where over 120 boarders, parents, staff and siblings competed in over 12 rounds of eclectic trivia for the title of Quiz Champs 2022!

Big Weekends are highlights of every term and have been exceptionally well-attended. The Year 8s enjoyed a ‘Silent Disco’ with the girls of Downe House, and once everyone had got over some initial awkwardness, the children all thoroughly enjoyed it! The Year 7s enjoyed a cooking-themed Big Weekend, donning chef’s garb and competing to see which team could produce the most appetising and tasty supper. The winners were treated to a slap-up lunch a week later where they feasted until fit to burst! The Year 6s honed their

The end of term heralded the Boarders’ Christmas Party with the exciting magic of Elstree old boy, The Great Baldini. On the final night of term, we were delighted by a surprise visit from the ‘Man in Red’ at the Boarders’ Readings and Carols. A favourite of many, this intimate service in front of the fire in the Front Hall, with the Christmas tree twinkling atmospherically in the background, is always a very special way to end the Autumn Term.

IDH

Bushcraft skills under the expert guidance of Miss Boyd and, for the first time, we organised a ‘Mini Weekend’ for Year 5 which was tremendous fun.

A long-standing Elstree favourite, Escape from Colditz lived up to all

ELSTREE ALUMNI

We so enjoyed catching up with over 120 Leavers from 2014 - 2018 over drinks at Christmas. It is always wonderful to hear what you have been up to and raise a glass to the future.

Archie McAlister – Pangbourne College

Archie McAlister went on from Elstree to Pangbourne College. In July 2021 he was nominated by staff and students to take up the position of Head Boy which he accepted and has really enjoyed.

In September 2022 he had the enormous honour to be invited to represent Pangbourne College in the State Funeral Procession for Queen Elizabeth II. Archie was one of four students from Pangbourne that spent six intense days at Frimley Barracks travelling up to London for overnight rehearsals and drills. The experience will stay with Archie for the rest of his life.

Archie Morris-Marsham – Marlborough

Archie has had five very enjoyable years at Marlborough College. As well as playing cricket and rugby, he took part in the gruelling Devizes to Westminster International Canoe Race which involved kayaking 125 miles including 77 portages with his co-pilot Daisy.

After leaving school he hopes to gain some work experience and much needed funds in Italy in preparation for the Ryder Cup in 2023 before travelling to South America. After that he is keen to study Business and Marketing, possibly at Bristol or Newcastle University.

Common Lane House Concert. He is hoping to study History of Art at Edinburgh University after a gap year travelling to Japan, Thailand and North America.

Fitz Andreae – Eton

Fitz is also aiming to take a gap year and travel to North and South America, plus South East Asia. He is hoping to read Philosophy at Edinburgh University. Last term, Fitz’s team won the coveted Senior Eton House Football Tournament from all 25 Houses taking part. He has been appointed House Captain for the year for Common Lane House.

Moby Andreae – Eton

Moby has been appointed Captain of the Arts at Eton and last term, organised and took part in the

The Charlie Waller Trust

Old Girl Debs Burles (née McMullen 1980 – 86) remembers Charlie Waller as a gentle giant and an old family friend. She now works for us here at Elstree and for the The Charlie Waller Trust. So, when the opportunity came to support this wonderful charity, she jumped at the chance - regardless of the fact that it was a daunting 104km trek across the Sahara Desert!

Debs spent 5 days and nights trekking with camels through sand dunes and sleeping under the stars. This huge undertaking saw Debs and the team she was with raise over £57,000 to ensure that The Charlie Waller Trust can continue to raise awareness of depression and reduce its stigma amongst young people today.

Old Boy Ben Walker (1982 – 88) remembers Charlie Waller as one of the Elstree gappers and formidable sportsman. Charlie was a much adored big brother figure to his youthful wards. Years later, just as with everyone who knew Charlie, Ben was shocked to hear that he had taken his own life having suffered from depression.

Earlier this year, Ben signed up to swim a 6.5km stretch of water where the Black Sea drains into the Aegean. With a strong cross current and a busy shipping lane (fortunately closed for the swim), Ben completed the Hellespont Race and raised over £13,700 for the Charlie Waller Trust.

Having learnt to swim in the Elstree swimming pool, Ben stands testament to the famous 13 length Sports Day swim standing him in great stead!

Staff

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Old Boys Football Match

On Sunday 6th November, we welcomed back Elstree Old Boys who are currently in the Upper Sixth for the annual football match against Elstree staff.

All in high spirits, twenty-five players gathered for a thrilling competition. Displaying a higher level of fitness and fine ball skills, the Old Boys were victorious this year, winning 3-2.

After the game, we all enjoyed drinks and hot dogs in the Long Room. It was a wonderful opportunity to hear the news of our Old Boys and catch up with their parents too.

Sebastian Faulks

We were delighted

It was an honour for our Chapel Choir to be a part of this wonderful event at St. Paul’s Church in Knightsbridge, and we were delighted to hear that Sebastian felt that the choir has improved so much since his day, thanks to the “influence of the girls and the big lads at the back!”

to see Elstree Old Boy Sebastian Faulks at The Rainbow Trust Carol Service on 1st December 2022.

CHRISTMAS AT ELSTREE

Christmas Festivities

Elstree pupils seem to agree that the Christmas season really is the most wonderful (and a jolly busy!) time of year. Festivities began with children in the Pre-Prep and Prep school decorating wonderful Christmas trees with twinkling lights and sturdy baubles. An evening of community carols and mince pies was opened beautifully by Years 3 and 4 who were then followed by Years 5 to 8. Everyone sang with great gusto, and The Twelve Days of Christmas with everyone chipping in according to the month they were born, was a great source of amusement at both events.

The whole school tucked into a delicious Christmas lunch, complete with crackers, hats and jokes around the table on the penultimate day of term. A huge thanks to Lara and all the catering team for providing such wonderful food for every occasion. Perhaps the grand finale to the busy Christmas schedule was the Elstree Staff Pantomime. A truly unique version of Cinderella acted out for all pupils featured many of the Elstree teachers and support staff. The somewhat suspect acting, costumes and singing prompted incredulous shrieks of shock and laughter.

Christmas Carol Services

We were privileged to be invited to perform at The Rainbow Trust’s Christmas Carol Concert in St Paul’s Knightsbridge, our opening event for the Christmas season and a real highlight in our choral calendar. The Chapel Choir led the audience carols and sang four items on their own. Preparation and hard work paid off and they performed with confidence and aplomb. Hamish Fawcett got the whole concert off to a fantastic start with his beautiful ‘Once in Royal’ solo and from then on, the carols and readings rang out effortlessly. It was wonderful to be a part of such a starstudded event, which included a reading by Elstree Old Boy, Sebastian Faulks.

Having sadly missed last year’s Bradfield Carol Concert, we were delighted to be back once again in this splendid setting and supporting a cause that is so close to the hearts of the Elstree community. The year 2022 marked the 25th anniversary of The Charlie Waller Trust and this poignant event helped to raise over £16,990.

Our final Carol Service was held at

Douai Abbey on the last day of term. Derek Lee led the choir procession with his wonderful solo and once again, the carols and readings flowed beautifully as anticipation for the end of term and a joyous Christmas spirit really set in. Sebastian Francis’ solo performance to open ‘O Holy Night’ was a triumph and such a lovely carol to bring the service to a close.

Round the House Games

In this heart-warming highlight of the Elstree year, pupils are paired (oldest with youngest) to challenge other pairs to traditional games around the house.

If you win, you move on to the next game.

Laughter and encouragement rang out as pupils dressed in Christmas jumpers had a fun time roaming around the main house for the afternoon.

Pre-Prep Christmas Play

What a treat the parents had when they were invited to ‘Mary’s Baby Shower’, the 2022 Pre-Prep Christmas play.

The children were absolutely incredible, telling the Christmas story in a new way.

The Year 2 children learnt their lines brilliantly and the duet sung by Mary (Charlotte Rose) and Joseph (Rex Ruddick) brought tears to our eyes. The songs were all full of energy and enthusiasm, with some wonderful dance moves.

A huge thank you to Liz Collins and Sian Bond who helped the children learn all their songs and master the dances.

Act of Remembrance for HM The Queen

On 9th September, the Pre-Prep and Prep school children joined together with all Elstree staff for a thought-provoking and moving ‘Act of Remembrance’ for Her Majesty The Queen. Mr Inglis reflected that this was a moment in all our lives that we would never forget and asked for all present to join him in marking the occasion with appropriate respect and dignity. Prayers were said for the Queen, King Charles III and the Royal Family. Later, the headmaster commented:

“The children were outstanding, and they gave the occasion the due deference and respect that it merited. I was very proud to be Headmaster of Elstree as we stood together as one community at a time of profound historical importance. As we all said a final ‘Long Live the King’, bright sun burst through the rather gloomy clouds and the front of the school was bathed in glorious sunshine.”

The following week, sports teams paused for a two minute silence in memory of HM The Queen before the first matches of the season, and the players wore a black armbands out of respect.

Bonfire Night

A gloriously dry, crisp and chilly Autumn evening set the scene for Bonfire Night, a favourite of Elstree occasions. Pre-Prep children and their families gathered first and were soon joined by the entire Elstree community, lighting up the Yard with bright neon caps, headbands and glasses whilst enjoying warming drinks, popcorn and hotdogs under twinkling festoon lights.

Our Year 8 pupils did a great job supporting the smooth running of the stalls. Mrs Sykelmoore’s classes had been busy in preparing a Guy and this year, Gabriella Ajani, the youngest child in the Prep school stepped forward to help Mr Inglis light the bonfire.

The crowd roared a countdown and timed it just right to see the first rocket light up the sky. The display was spectacular and thanks to the wonderful support of Didi Walker and her Friends of Elstree team, the event raised over £5,000 which will go towards some exciting projects over the next year.

A huge thanks as ever to our groundsmen, who did an incredible job building the bonfire and organising the fireworks.

Act of Remembrance

The Elstree Act of Remembrance was opened beautifully by Pre-Prep children singing We Will Remember accompanied by James Morris-Weston on the violin and Mrs Westley playing the piano.

The Headmaster, Mr Inglis addressed staff and children, calling on them to pause and remember all those who served and those who died fighting for their country in the wars and conflicts since 1914. The Last Post played by Mr Matthew Eckland and Harry Clothier rang out before the whole school observed a one-minute silence.

The Reveille was followed by wreath laying from our Heads of Houses: Sebastian Francis (South), Arthur Ward (West), Alex Hoare Nairne (East), Oliver Anderson (North) and Tom Lloyd Harris, our oldest child from Pre-Prep. On behalf of all Elstree staff, Mrs Payne placed a wreath at the base of the flag which had been lowered to half-mast alongside the beautiful ceramic poppies made by pupils.

To close the assembly, Mr Inglis invited us to listen to Laurence Binyon’s poem For the Fallen. It was a very moving and poignant week as we remembered those who have given their lives for their country.

PALS visit Elstree

As part of their Elstree Award and maintaining our commitment to the local community, our Year 7 pupils welcomed back children and helpers from PALS, a local charity we have been supporting for many years.

The first morning involved arts and crafts inspired by the autumnal leaves falling around the school while the second was Christmas themed. These are lovely mornings that encourage the pupils to work together and most importantly, to help others who need their support.

Full of creativity and conversation, the mornings are rewarding for everyone involved.

Gift Fair

With 50 stalls stretching the length of the Long Room, Dining Room and McMullen Hall, there were plenty of tempting gifts to buy at last term’s fantastic Gift Fair. There were lots of happy shoppers, excited children, hampers galore and delicious refreshments baked by the talented Millie Ridley-Day. This was all interspersed with some beautiful singing from the various Elstree School Choirs. The Year 7 boys and girls gave guests a warm welcome at the entrance and ran the tombola, cake stall and sweet stall with charm and efficiency. This will go towards the ‘charity and service’ section of their Silver Elstree Award.

We were delighted to have raised £3,112. 80 for West Berkshire Foodbank at such an important time of year. The Elstree Hamper Auction, masterminded by the Friends of Elstree raised an incredible £3,204 which will go towards revamping the 1st XI cricket scoreboard.

Our huge thanks as ever go to the Elstree Gift Fair Committee, whose meticulous organisation and hard work ensured it was a great success.

ACADEMIC

Year 6 STEAM Project

Year 6 STEAM Project ‘Pinewood Derby Day’ is always a popular day with our pupils. The cross-curricular project includes elements of STEAM: Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics. The project is designed to help them develop exploration, modification, curiosity, creativity skills, so important in today’s workplace.

Pupils worked in groups of three to design, resource, build, test and decorate a pinewood car. Groups then raced their cars on the Pinewood Derby track to see whose would go the furthest and fastest.

This was a great fun day for all. Oliver Duffield, Jack Hedley and Toby Bi won the best design award, Eva Lockhart, Thomas Mitchell and Ana Ortiz de Urbina won the furthest distance race, and Alfie Burles, Josh Singleton and James Marshall won the speed race.

TRIPS

Year 8 French Trip

What a brilliant trip to the Opal Coast of France with French immersion throughout!

We stayed at the Hotel Moulin aux Draps in Desvres where we enjoyed wonderful French cooking – especially a daily petit déjeuner français with a ‘pain au chocolat, a croissant or a baguette’. Whether ordering food or taking part in activities and excursions, the pupils spoke in French throughout.

We visited Le Musée de la Couple, a gigantic concrete bunker which housed Hitler’s V1 and V2 rockets; the Nausicaa Aquarium, the largest in Europe and home to over 1,600 species; Desvres Market where the pupils created their own French picnic; Lochnagar crater on the Western front, Newfoundland Memorial Park and Thiepval Memorial to learn more about the history of WW1 and finally, Boulogne sur Mer with its superbly preserved fortified 13th century city.

Every day, the pupils completed their journals using the passé compose (perfect tense). They were keen to push themselves and we were delighted that their French speaking and understanding improved so much every day.

Madame Simonin

ENRICHMENT

Cultural Diversity Week

Elstree celebrated Cultural Diversity Week with a focus on African and Caribbean culture, history and heroes. Pupils learnt about people that have helped to shape our modern culture including Jamaican-born, British nurse Mary Seacole and the footballer, Marcus Rashford. Pupils discussed and reflected on subjects such as discrimination and racism; these themes were then developed and scripted by Mrs Oliver and her Year 5 Drama classes, with a performance and song by the Year 7 chapel choir staged for the whole school. Co-founder and NYC producer of STOMP, Carl Smith ran an exciting body and junk percussion workshop for all of Years 5 and 6. Using our theme of Diversity, Carl emphasised how the smallest sound can contribute

LIBRARY Book Week

This year, we celebrated 70 Years of amazing books with the theme ‘The Time of our Lives’. Dressing up as characters

to a creative whole. After a short introduction using body percussion including clicks, stamping, clapping and varied volume, children moved on to using brooms, buckets, plastic bags, pots and pans to create a rhythmic performance for staff and Years 3 and 4.

The finale of the week was an African Market Experience. Visiting workshop leaders Niyi Oduneye of Afrikidz Club and Giselle Idedia, founder of Little Genius Club handed out Food Passports to each child. These were used at different stations of African and Caribbean food where each child could

smell, taste and touch a variety of freshly cooked root vegetables and starches including rice, yams, cassava and plantain – many of which were a novelty. Finally, there was even an opportunity to learn a Nigerian dance from Mrs Akinola, who kindly organised this vibrant and unforgettable event.

from books we love, we enjoyed a Parade which included the whole school, a Readers’ Party and Author Talks.

On a beautiful autumn day, pupils and staff dressed as characters from How to Train Your Dragon, Paddington, The Explorer, Billionaire Boy and Private Peaceful amongst others. They paraded and danced to tunes such as Sweet Caroline, The Elephant Parade, La Bamba and others. Celebrating the enthusiasm pupils put into reading over the summer holidays, a special Readers’ Party with hot chocolate, marshmallows, pizza, rocky roads and brownies took place in Elstree School’s fabulous Library.

The school were also delighted to tune in to virtual performances as part of Henley Festival 2022 featuring

Phil Earle, Patricia Burchart, and Emma Carroll. Well done everyone and a huge thank you to Mrs Walker for all her hard work in organising such a fun week.

authors

MUSIC

The Autumn Concert

The Senior Orchestra opened the Autumn Concert with ‘Clarior Ex Obscuro’. Then, pretending they were about to perform a rather boring orchestra piece with five movements, they played Rick Astley’s ‘Never Gonna Give You Up!’

The String Ensemble took us back to the Baroque period, playing ‘Spring’ from Vivaldi’s Four Seasons and the Flute ensemble gave us an enchanting rendition of ‘Canon in D’ by Pachelbel.

We had three wonderful soloists: Derek Lee on the piano, Ollie Anderson on the recorder and Toby Bi on the oboe. These boys are all at the top of their musical game, taking high grades or important exams in the next few weeks, so it was lovely to hear such polished performances from them.

It would not be an Elstree concert without some singing! The Vocal Harmony Group performed ‘Rise up’ and ‘Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho’ which got some feet tapping. The Middle Choir performed a beautiful version of ‘Baba Yetu’ to finish the concert off with a bang. We are so lucky to have so many talented musicians with us here at Elstree.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Love was in the air as mischievous spirits, Athenian royalty and a band of “hempen homespuns” from the present day performed an abridged version of Shakespeare’s much-loved comedy, A Midsummer Night’s Dream

SPORT

We have enjoyed fantastic sporting success this term.

Our boys enjoyed a wonderful football season before moving on to rugby training at the end of term. Particular congratulations to the U9A team who were unbeaten. We were also delighted that the U11s qualified for the ISFA final.

Year 6 rose to the challenge of learning Shakespearean English and wowed the audience with their witty interpretations. There were brilliantly comic performances from Mide Sonuga (Bottom/Pyramus), Kevin Hu (Flute/ Thisbe) and Oliver Duffield (Snug/ Lion), and excellent vocal performances from Leonardo Raphael and James Marshall. The four lovers (Eddie Law, Valentina Ridley-Day, Flora Napier and Bobby Blackwell) provided top class comedy entertainment, whilst Eva Lockhart (Titania) deserves a special mention for her stage presence and movement.

The girls’ teams are going from strength to strength. The U13 and U12 teams enjoyed an unbeaten hockey season with convincing wins against Cheam, Downe House and Crosfields. The Junior girls have worked so hard to learn new skills and understand how to work together as a team. Towards the end of term, the girls began netball with two successful matches under their belts already.

Louise Marshall’s ethereal set created three separate worlds and, with beautiful piano accompaniment from Lys Hayles, costumes created by Shelly Francis, stunning head-pieces by Nina Tryon and lots of help from our incredible mum volunteers, it all added up to a magical show.

Elstree has been selected as one of the Top 50 Prep Schools in The Cricketer Schools Guide 2023. All entries were judged on extensive criteria including our commitment to cricket, facilities, fixture programmes and coaching. We are delighted to be recognised once again for a sport that provides so much fun for both girls and boys at Elstree during the Summer Term.

ACADEMIC

Outdoor Learning Day

The Elstree Pre-Prep Outdoor Learning Day is always exciting for our young pupils.

Year 2s embraced lots of outdoor Science and Maths. First, the children were challenged to make right-angled shapes using natural objects in the school grounds, then each child was tasked to collect leaves and decorations for their afternoon projects. After lunch, the children learnt about insects and the names of their body parts. Using their natural resources, they created insects, and some even went on to label the heads, thorax and abdomen!

Last year, Mr Duarte and the Year 8s created a nature frame for us. Today, we took it to the woods and filled it with bark, logs and various other offerings. Some children thought it would be nice to add some feathers so that the bugs had pillows!

The final activity was to build a mini den in teams to keep a finger puppet safe.

In all the groups, it was wonderful to see the interactions between the different classes. The older children looked after the littlest and the Nursery children loved being grown up with the ‘big’ children. Once again, the Pre-Prep pupils demonstrated kindness and compassion as they helped one another. 2LT

COMMUNITY

Harvest Festival

With welly wanging, face painting, beat the goalie, biscuit decorating, treasure maps and hook the duck, there was entertainment for all and everyone was well refreshed with delicious cakes and tea.

A particular thank you to an Elstree Old Boy (and current parent) Ed Brims, for entertaining so many children with a brilliant magic show.

DAYS OUT

The Reception children had been learning about animals from around the world, so they were very excited to see a few of them in real life at Marwell Zoo.

The children in Nursery, Reception and Year 1 were split into groups for different activities. They made leaf people, collecting colourful leaves and adding arms, legs and even eyes to bring them to life!! Then children took it in turns to build spiders webs, putting wool behind trees in our woods, twisting and overlapping the string until they had an intricate web. Another activity was to create a bug hotel.

The much-loved Pre-Prep Harvest Festival was filled with wonderful songs and adorned with beautiful decorations including crowns, wreaths and origami pumpkins made by the children as they learnt about the relevance of this event.

Each class took it in turns to take their items up to the Reverend Jane Manley, who positioned them around the altar and front pews. It was fabulous to see many visitors in the church for our special celebration as we thanked God for our favourite foods.

Thank you to our wonderful community who gave so generously, donating 205.9kg of food, equating to an amazing 432 meals for West Berkshire Food Bank.

Family Fun Day

At the start of term, the Elstree PrePrep Friends organised a wonderful Family Fun Day to reconnect with each other and to welcome so many new families to the school.

They saw penguins, zebra, a pygmy hippopotamus, giraffe, a tiger and even a snow leopard! The children knew where in the world these animals came from and thought about what they ate and where they slept.

Inside the hot and humid tropical house, there were colourful birds, butterflies and giant millipedes. In the area for cold-blooded animals, the children saw a tortoise and a snake-headed turtle, which Felix Lesser was so excited about because it had such a long neck.

The Year 1 children travelled to the STEAM Museum in Swindon. They loved dressing up as the workmen who built the railway and hearing all about George Stephenson and Isambard Kingdom Brunel.

The children enjoyed the challenge of building bridges, viaducts and putting together an array of locomotives.

Year 2 enjoyed a fabulous trip to the Living Rainforest in Hampstead Norreys. Surrounded by enormous leaves and dense vegetation, the guide explained where in the world rainforests are.

SPORT Mini Olympics

Nursery and Reception had a wonderful hour competing in the Elstree annual Mini-Olympics. A sea of excited parents came to support them and after waving hello, the children were arranged into small teams before taking part in eight different ‘Olympic’ events.

First Football Match

Year 2 took part in their very first football match representing Elstree against Cheam just before half term.

The children found snakes, frogs and tarantulas, guessing where they lived and what would happen if they got too close! The guide told the children that when it is scared, the tarantula shakes so its hair comes off and acts as splinters to hurt their predator –everyone stayed well away!

Working towards their Elstree Award, each activity was led by a Year 8 pupil. They all did a fantastic job of explaining how each event worked, speaking clearly and being very patient with the little athletes as they took part.

After a short trip by minibus, the children were greeted by teachers from Cheam and led out on to their pitches to get warmed up – some of them had butterflies! Some Year 4 boys from Cheam were referees and they did an excellent job in checking who needed to throw in and keeping track of the goals. There were lots, and the Elstree teams played brilliantly!

Some children were trying to throw javelins as far as they could. Others twirled colourful ribbons through the air, making shapes and patterns. In another corner, children were trying the triple jump. Remembering to hop, then step and then jump looked tricky! The relay was great fun and jumping hurdles was a new skill for many – with some deciding it would be much easier to crawl underneath instead!

It was fantastic to have so many spectators supporting and cheering the children on, both for Cheam and for Elstree. Our hosts were very friendly and really looked after us.