Prep School Coronation Celebration

In eager anticipation of the Coronation of King Charles III, on Friday 5th May, Elstree boys and girls came to school wearing red, white and blue. Union Jack bunting joyfully festooned the school and with children cheerfully waving an array of flags and donning crowns, there was a real air of excitement for the weekend ahead.

Mrs Syckelmoore had been working with Years 3, 4, 5 and 6 pupils in her art department to create two memorable displays in the build up to the occasion. One a huge painted banner with motifs and declarations of support and excitement for King Charles and Queen Camilla, the other a beautiful tile mural. In the afternoon, the banner was wrapped around the Wellingtonia and the mural laid out on a table on Yard for all to admire.

At 5pm the sun made a welcome appearance and shone down on the spectacular Coronation themed tea courtesy of Lara and her wonderful team. Once tea had been served and scones had been scoffed, proceedings were underway.

Hamish opened the service with a fitting performance on his bagpipes, so poignant and stirring; setting the perfect tone for the afternoon. Mr Inglis welcomed the Elstree community and set the scene for the weekend – reminding us all that the Coronation of King Charles III would be an occasion we will never forget. Together we sang “I vow to thee, my country” and “And did those feet in ancient time” which rang out across the beautifully green Elstree fields with real pride.

Head Boy Alex and Deputy Heads Hamish, Petra and Clara read their readings with sincerity. After singing the National Anthem, Mr Inglis closed the service with a robust “Long Live the King” which was joyfully repeated by parents and pupils as cheers rang out and flags were waved in the spring sunshine.

Grandparents’ Morning

Grandparents’ Morning at Elstree is always such a special and happy occasion. We were so lucky to be able to welcome The Reverend Andrew Anderson, grandfather of Ollie in Year 8, to preach in our church service at St Peter’s Woolhampton. He brought with him a very special wooden spoon, which he used as a simple symbol of ‘service’. He asked the children to think about how they can serve in their lives, both here at Elstree and in the future. It was particularly special that Reverend Anderson and his wife Hazel were in church to witness their grandson Ollie being presented with his Head Chorister medal.

The grandparents then headed back to the Long Room for some delicious sandwiches and cakes. After a welcome from Mr Inglis, they set off on tours of the school with their grandchildren, all following slightly different routes around the classrooms, art room, DT, music school, library, dining room, boarding house and pitches. It was wonderful to witness the children showing their favourite places to their grandparents and enjoying spending time together, chatting on the benches in the sunshine.

At the end of the morning everyone headed to the McMullen Hall for a beautiful Vocal Concert, with performances from the Year 5 & 6 choir, the Vocal Group and the Chapel Choir.

Music by Candlelight

Music by Candlelight in St Peter’s Church is always a memorable occasion and this year’s programme of music, hymns and readings was no exception.

Eleven of our favourite and most beautiful anthems, complimented by three confidently delivered readings and an exquisite performance of Elgar’s Salut d ’amor made for a winning combination, providing the large audience with a rare moment of repose and tranquillity. Two Welsh hymns (in honour of St David’s Day) and the popular evening hymn “The day Thou gavest” rounded off the programme.

With spiritual appetites nourished, the audience made their way to the Long Room to enjoy wine and canapés. This firm fixture in the Elstree Calendar is not only a moment of joyful serenity for those who join us, it also raises money for St Peter’s Church, which is so dear to many people’s hearts.

Well done to the Chapel Choristers who gave their best to the singing, to our stirring readers Gabriel, Arthur and Hamish and to Derek and James for their superb piano trio.

Many thanks also to Mary Westley and Kelly Andrews for bringing the talents of our children to the fore and for giving us a most glorious musical and spiritual treat.

PALS Visit

We were delighted to once again welcome children and helpers from PALS to Elstree during the Lent Term.

With our helpful Year 7 pupils ensuring the morning ran smoothly, we began by creating colourful images using just a tooth-pick. By scratching off the top layer of a special type of paper it revealed all the colours of the rainbow, which resulted in some stunning pictures.

The second activity used shaving foam and water paints. An interesting combination but the results were a wonderful marble effect printing. A good deal of fun and laughter was had by all - as well as plenty of sticky, foamy hands!

Eco Day at Wychwood School

Eleven pupils boarded the Elstree minibus and headed to Wychwood School in central Oxford for a day of eco celebrations and initiatives. There were four other schools present and it was interesting to hear their thoughts on eco issues.

The principal speaker was Paul from the Ministry of Eco Education. He was clearly very passionate and knowledgeable about all things ecological and he was able to steer us towards some solutions to the climate crisis without being too alarming.

The day ended with each pupil making a pledge or promise to do their bit for the environment. Ethan pledged to bike or run to school, Jonty pledged to use less electricity, Iris pledged to do more to save animals and to stop testing on animals, and Bertie pledged to encourage the use of more electric cars at Elstree together with a charging point.

These are wonderful aims that will help us to steer the course for a sustainable future at Elstree.