Head of Prep School’s Message

Ms Kate Umpleby

I hope you are all well and have had the opportunity to enjoy the lovely sunshine over the last week or so. We have been trying to ensure we move learning outside as much as possible and make the most of the fantastic facilities we have access to. I particularly enjoyed covering a Forest School lesson last week where the students learnt how sundials work due to the rotation of the Earth and then put their learning into practice by making sundials and tracking the shadows through time. Lots of fun, but also a lot of inter-disciplinary learning – maths, science and even a little geography.

It’s been a super week at the Prep School. The weather was ideal for the Pre-Prep Sports morning yesterday. The students pulled out all the stops, throwing, jumping and running to the very best of their ability. Lots of smiles, lots of laughter and a dash of healthy competition from students, parents and teachers. However, what stood out to me was the support and encouragement that the students were showing each other. Cheering for their friends as they crossed the finish line and congratulating them on their efforts as they returned after a throw or jump. It was heart-warming to see the epitome of our school’s value - Community.

Yesterday was also the day that many of our Year 3 to 6 students had been looking forward to and working towards for much of the summer term - the famous Battle of the Bands Finals. I have heard how fantastic this event has been on many an occasion since arriving in September, so was also rather excited to see it for myself. I was not disappointed. The bands rocked, popped and jammed to an audience of enthusiastic and adoring fans, parents, students and teachers. They were magnificent exemplifying our values of Courage and Ambition with performances from Coldplay to Bon Jovi, One Direction to Eminem. I know that a lot of time was spent at home rehearsing and preparing ahead of the performances, so thank you, parents, for your patience and support. I can imagine it was rather loud at times!

As we look ahead to the final two weeks of the year, there are myriad special events still to look forward to: Prep Sports Day, Parents’ Guild Summer Fair, Year 6 Commendation Celebration and of course the Summer Concert. If you can, please join us as we come together as a community to have fun and celebrate a fantastic year at the Prep School.

Have a wonderful weekend.