Falcons Prep - Summer 2022

12 Jubilee Celebration Day

7

9

Ancient Greek Day

Forest School

19 Imperial War Museum trip

16

14

A visit from Jay Tabb

Sponsored walk for Skylarks

Issue 10 | Summer 2022 | falconsprep.co.uk

| Issue 10 | Summer 2022

WELCOME

Welcome from Miss Buchanan

From the Falcons Prep Parents Association We close our school year on such a high!

The year of 2021-22, has seen us return to some sense of normality. Children have remained in the classroom, collaborating with peers and engaging in our specialist settings helping to further ignite their curiosity. We’ve seen trips in and out of London, fixtures far and wide and opportunities for the boys to work and learn together as part of their house groups, treehouses and in their leadership roles. We’ve welcomed parents back into the school with forums, workshops, talks, breakfasts and Open House events, and not forgetting the ever-popular PA bake sales! 2021-22 will be long remembered as the year in which the school and its community were formally recognised for its excellence. Even despite a couple of years of turbulence and change, Falcons Prep not only demonstrated but excelled in demonstrating our strengths both academically and pastorally.

Whilst many might shudder at the thought of an inspection, for us at FPR, it was the moment we were waiting for.

A moment for us to showcase our hard work, progress and success. I remember on the Monday after ‘the call’ several comments from colleagues about the sense of calm and ease that reverberated around the school, something never experienced during prior inspections.

What made this one so different?

We were, are, confident in what we are doing. Everything was there and ready to be seen. We are frequently reviewed and inspected by our Governors at APG, staff engage in current research and pedagogy at least once a week during TLCs (Teacher Learning Community), they collaborate and talk to colleagues both in and out of APG, we reflect, explore and are not afraid of change. I had every confidence in the staff, policies and procedures. We were not doing what we were doing for an inspection, we are doing it because it is what we believe in. The children, their happiness and ability to thrive both academically and socially remain our focus.

The past two years may not have been what we expected, in fact, I am certain that none of us could have predicted any of what was going to happen! However, we can choose to reflect and remember in one or two ways. We can look back with disappointment and frustration, focusing on all the things we could not or did not do, the people we did not see, the obstructions and suffering, OR, and my personal choice, we can identify the positives, the opportunities still given to us, the strength we found and the skills we developed not just as individuals but as a community.

This unpredictable period has been unrelenting for children, they have experienced a childhood unlike any others before them. They have been told, and learnt, how to be resilient, dig deep and adapt, and for the most time, they have done so with an ease us adults can but admire! We know that the decisions that adults and education leaders make today will have a lasting impact on the health, wellbeing, and happiness of our future generations. How we decide to respond is key in providing the right learning opportunities, in focusing on the importance of a positive mindset, of optimism!

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UNICEF’s recently published ‘The Changing Childhood Project’ highlighting that optimism peaks in late youth and diminishes rapidly

throughout the rest of our lives. But why is that so? Does our fading optimism come naturally from life experiences?

Do the challenges we face overpower the optimism of youth? Or is it because optimism is a practice, a skill, that some people hone and choose to maintain?

changed. Our children have changed and the opportunities for learning have evolved. Rather than pressing ‘pause’ and then ‘start’, we decided to press ‘reset’. Recognising what we do well and what we want to keep, whilst being open to change and continued improvement.

In times of difficultly or change (and remember, change is not synonymous with negativity), it is our strength of character, our resilience, which determines our success. Einstein once said, ‘In the midst of every crisis is great opportunity.’ We are all in control of our choices, our reactions and what we decide to do with what is put in front of us. Of course, there will always be things that we cannot control, that is life, and wouldn’t it be boring if we could control everything?! However, how we react is within our control, it is our choice to make.

When struck with the inevitable challenges we always have two choices, to focus on the negativity or look forward and create new opportunities. We chose the latter. We chose to continue. We chose optimism!

Instead of focusing solely on resilience and the need to ‘dig deep’ as an isolated approach, we should be supporting our children to understand and appreciate the power of optimism. Here at Falcons Prep Richmond, we often talk about innovation, the power of mistakes and the importance of a positive mindset, about the five learning habits of curiosity, creativity, independence, risk taking and resilience. We speak about these attributes and traits as skills that can be honed, something that we develop, and that we all have the ability to achieve.

So how can we better support and teach the skill of optimism? We believe that most importantly it comes down to the culture of your school or community. It is about what you choose to celebrate, is it the outcome or the journey? At Falcons, learning is an adventure, and we embed skills such as reframing, taking action, showing gratitude and being mindful into our curriculum. The best educational experiences not only build skillsets, but they develop a mindset that promotes optimism, innovation and self-belief. A curriculum that encourages pupils to work harder, have a go, to not be afraid of making mistakes and to always try again.

But what about the staff? CV-19 gave us, the teachers, the opportunity to demonstrate and develop our own learning habits. This period highlighted the importance of a community, the need to connect, collaborate and learn with others. Very quickly as a school, we decided to accept what was dealt to us and use it as an opportunity for further reflection and growth. Going back to ‘normal’ will not work. The world has

FROM THE PA

| Issue 10 | Summer 2022

And with that, I would like to thank you, the parents, boys and staff for an outstanding year. You have risen to challenges, sought new experiences, progressed beyond the inspectors' imaginations, and come together to rejoice and celebrate.

As we look back, we can do so with great pride. As we look forward, we anticipate the arrival of new pupils and families and the return of many pupils, but we must also say farewell. To our leavers, thank you for being such strong and positive members of our community. You may be flying the nest, but once a Falcon, always a Falcon and we look forward to welcoming you back soon.

We also say goodbye to some of our staff.

This year we say goodbye to Mr Russell, Maths teacher and Head of ICT, who leaves to further his learning at University in the study of Psychology. Mr Basista, PE, Games and Y4 Maths teacher and Mrs Keeler, Head of Art and Photography who both leave to new teaching posts near and far. We also say goodbye to Miss Wyatt, Deputy Head Pupil Welfare and Wellbeing, who has been paramount in the successful pastoral care and wellbeing of our boys and in effectively organising and keeping the school ticking over. We wish all our leavers every success in the future and hope to see them at the various Alumni Events.

And with that, I hope that this latest edition of the newspaper will continue to highlight the key achievements and events of the Summer Term, give you a chance to see what your son gets up to beyond the school gates, as well as introduce you to some of the things that occur in and around the school. Enjoy your reading, have a super summer break and we look forward to welcoming many of you back in September.

Miss Olivia Buchanan Headmistress

The year has flown by, and we have stayed busy with local charity projects, supporting the school’s community initiatives, including humanitarian support for Ukraine, plus plenty of social events for our boys and parents.

We’ve had themed bake sales, our first Christmas wreath-making workshop, Comic Relief sweet shop, and enjoyed the return of our Christmas party complete with our very own DJ Charlie (dad of Benjy and Teddy from Y6 & Y8). We’re all glad to be back to our usual busy PA calendar!

Wooden Spoon, Children’s Charity of Rugby, returned to our fixture list in the Spring Term with the ever-popular Falcons Prep Sporting Challenge raising an impressive £1405. There were some mighty strong performances from our boys in Reception to Year 8 and an impressive sponsorship response from our Falcons families. Wooden Spoon CEO Sarah Webb told us, “Thank you so much for all you have done as a PA to drive the partnership over the years. It really does make so much difference to the children that we support and for Falcons learning more about what we do for those less fortunate”.

Walking for Skylarks The rain was non-stop but that didn’t dampen the spirits! The boys from Reception through Year 8 walked their socks off for Skylarks and through the generosity of their families, raised £1000.

On behalf of the PA team, thank you Mr Shaw and Mr Basista, and all the teachers and support staff for making the event such a success. The route along the Thames towpath to Kew Bridge provided an opportunity for our eco-school’s ambassadors to run a soggy litter-picking too! Thank you to our boys for keeping a smile on their faces through the rain, and of course to Falcons families for being so generous.

Sona Sharma, Head of Fund-raising, has frequently mentioned “the big-hearted Falcons”. Attending one of our School Assemblies at St John the Devine before the half-term break, Sona spoke to our boys and told them how our fundraising continues to help those families in our community that need it the most. As a thank you, Sona presented Falcons Prep with a brilliantly apt gift of a bird box with a specially engraved message of appreciation.

Jubilee Bake Sale

The Summer Term featured our second sponsored walk for Skylarks Charity. We have been supporting Skylarks since 2019 and this past 12 months have been another stand-out year in our fund-raising for this remarkable organisation who are based right on our doorstep in Twickenham. The weather may have been miserable for the walk, but our boys’ spirits remained bright, and they were happy to be walking for such a great cause. Falcons raised £1000 from walking the 4-kilometre circle route along the Thames towpath to Kew Bridge and back to school.

Excitement at Falcons before the half term break with our Jubilee themed bake sale. Plenty of amazing cakes, doughnuts, and brownies to tempt our boys in their lunch break. Thank you Years 3 and 4 for your baked goodies and to Rosie and Fiona for your help on the day. Well done Falcon boys for bringing in your pocket money to buy your sweet treats as you raised an impressive is £173.10 for the PA fund which is allocated to the end of year fun activities for our boys.

As we close the school year, we are sure you would like to join us in thanking all the Class Reps who have worked across our various projects and kept communications flowing through each year group: Alex Latti, Jess Bird, Alison Adebutu, El Terakopian, Wendy Musil, Luli Tose, Fleur Bird, Naomi Dent and Sally Ricketts.

Charity Target Exceeded!

Finally, we would like to wish everyone a super summer holiday and for those of you leaving Falcons Prep for your new senior schools we wish you all the very best of luck for a smooth transition.

We set ourselves a target of raising £3000 for our chosen charities in the 2021/22 school year. At the time of The Falcon going to press, we have already broken through the £4000 mark with more fund-raising initiatives at the end of the Summer Term still to take place (final total will be shared with you all next term).

The Falcons community is simply the best!

With our very best wishes Jude, Rosie and Anna Judith le Fleming: PA Chair Judith.lefleming@blueyonder.co.uk Rosie Orringe: PA Dep Chair rosie.orringe@me.com Anna Harrisson: Treasurer annaharrisson@yahoo.co.uk

FALCONS PA MEMBERS Jude le Fleming Chair (Yr 8 parent) Rosie Orringe Deputy Chair (Yr 4 parent) Anna Harrisson Treasurer (Yr 6 & Yr 8 parent) Alex Latti R Jessica Bird Y3 Alison Adebutu Y4 El Terakopian Y4 Wendy Musil Y5 Luli Tose Y6 Fleur Bird Y7 Naomi Dent Y7 Sally Ricketts Y8

Goodbye Just a quick note to say farewell to Falcons Prep. It’s been my absolute pleasure to have chaired the PA over these past 4 years, supporting Miss Buchanan and her team and working alongside the brilliant Class Reps.

We have supported our school with local community projects, managed social events, and launched fundraisers supporting Skylarks, Wooden Spoon, Comic Relief, Save the Children, Calabash clean water, Rugby Boot Bank and lots more. Falcons families over these past 4 years have supported us all the way and generously raised nearly £30,000!

After 10 years as a Falcon parent my son AJ departs Year 8 and it’s time to move on to a new exiting chapter. It’s been such a rewarding and enjoyable role to have taken on and one that I will never forget. I would also like to say a special thank you to Sally Ricketts and Rosie Orringe as Deputy Chairs and to Anna Harrisson our PA Treasurer. I’m sending my very best to Anna as she now becomes your fabulous new PA Chair in September, supported by Rosie.

All the best to you all!

Jude

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| Issue 10 | Summer 2022

| Issue 10 | Summer 2022

Upper School Corner Adam R Lego

Alex P Poland

Flynn AW Wild Owls

Many of you will know me as a keen golfer but what many of you may not know is that I am also a Lego enthusiast.

What this basically means is I love playing with Lego in my spare time.

Hello, I am Alex, and I will be talking about Poland. I am half Polish and have family there. Poland is to the east of Germany and West from Belarus. Poland has a great climate, it is cold and snowy in the winter and warm in the summer.

Poland has a population of 37 million people.

Wild owls come in all different shapes and sizes. When it comes to night-time, they must find a place to sleep, so they carefully collect twigs to create a basket to sleep on in a tree. They can live up to 25 years old and the world record breaking owl was 32 years old.

And so it got me thinking what the real benefits of Lego are and is there more to Lego than just building blocks?

My curiosity led me to discover some amazing benefits of Lego that are not only helping young children and adults like us but actually is impacting and benefiting many adults as well.

For example did you know that Lego helps to: •

Improve creativity skills

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Help with problem-solving abilities

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Is a form of meditative relaxation

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Helps to decrease levels of stress

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Helps with fine motor hand skills which is especially helpful for my golfing

They help to improve teamwork and communication skills and also helps you to think outside of the box and collaborate together. I think most importantly it helps to foster an atmosphere of play and creativity because it is just as important to rest when you are working hard and when you are also problem-solving. This is why people enjoy baking and knitting as well as it has the same impact So the next time you decide to play Lego remember you are not just having fun you are actually increasing your productivity, your creativity, and creating new neural pathways in your brain for problem-solving so there are lots of benefits to playing with Lego.

AJ My Time at Falcon’s Prep Richmond Hi, I am Aj , head of Kestrel and captain of the first XI for football. I have been at this school for 10 years since nursery and have experienced everything this school offers.

At the moment I am enjoying preparation for senior school life and I am off to Charterhouse this September. School has been very fun across all subjects. In science we have been looking at different energy resources and how they work, History we have just completed our year 8 documentary on the Great Fire of London and In French we have been memorising our speech for Common entrance.

This school has offered a lot to me and has prepared me well for my future life.

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Mohammad Tintin Comics

Currently Poland is full of Ukrainian refuges and in the city centre. Poland is good at football and qualified to the 2022 Qatar world cup with their star player Robert Lewandowski who plays for Bayern Munich and has broken many records, for example most goals scored by substitute and fastest hattrick.

Poland is also known for their ski jumping victories of the Four hills. Recently Kubacki won it in 2019-2020 and previously Kamil Stoch won it twice in a row in 2017 and in 2018.

Benjy H Christmas Every year people find Christmas one of the most enjoyable times of the year as you can get together with your family, eat lots of delicious foods and get lots of presents. But this year it will feel a little different and feel a little bit more special.

Last year a couple of weeks before Christmas we got the news that we wouldn’t be able to see any family that didn’t live with us but this year it looks like we will be able to see our family and we will be able to celebrate Christmas with them.

We will also be able to have a meal with all the delicious foods that we have every year at Christmas lunch and can have that excitement of waking up on Christmas day and wondering what amazing presents you’ll get.

I am just reminding you of what special moments are found on Christmas and that this year you will be able to have a proper Christmas with family that you might not see all the time and can have a great Christmas this year.

I am also lucky enough to have my own owls in a house in Oxfordshire, I have two of them and we feed them dead beetles at about mid-day. They occasionally come out and sit on our shoulders, but they do bite.

Did you know there are over 197 different types of owls, and they are discovering new ones all the time such as the forest owl which has green feet. Baby owls will take about 2 weeks to hatch and when they do, they are very cute and are about the size of a can of coke.

7 mysterious facts about owls •

Owls can turn their heads almost all the way around but not quite

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Owls have far-sighted, tubular eyes

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Owls have super powered hearing.

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Owl flight is silent.

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Owls swallow prey whole, then barf up the indigestible bits.

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Owls sometimes eat other owls

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Owls feed the strongest babies first.

Harry R Sri Lanka Hello I will be talking about my trip to Sri Lanka on the Easter holidays. We flew out and we started in Colombo which is the commercial capital. Then we went inland to Habarana which is quite jungle like. Next we went to Sigiriya which used to be the king’s huge palace and was gigantic and it was built on a giant rock which we had to climb up, the king however never walked he was carried everywhere he went and was treated like a God. The next day I got into a jeep and went to see elephants, there were loads and we even saw baby ones which is quite rare. The next day we rode in a bull cart to a giant reservoir, which we then got on a boat and went into the forest. There we walked to a tribal lady’s hut and she cooked us a curry using ingredients from her back garden, it was delicious.

The next day we headed to Kandy which was very wild and we went into the town and learnt about Kandys gems. After a quick stay in Kandy, we headed off to Galle which was by the sea and there we relaxed.

A few days later we went back home after the two weeks escape to Sri Lanka.

Hello, today I will be talking about the Tintin comics, they are good and fun comics. In every comic, they have an adventure such as being in space or at sea. The Adventures of Tintin is a series of 24 Bande Dessinée albums created

by Belgian cartoonist Georges Remi.

They are fun to read.

Joohyoung C Memorial Day of Korea Just like the Remembrance Day of UK, in Korea, there is the Memorial Day. Korean Memorial Day is observed on 6th of June to recall the Korean War which began on 25th of June, 1950, but it is the day to honour those who have died in the war for the country in Korean history.

On the Memorial Day, Koreans hoist a national flag at half-mast at the door of every house and building. At 10 am, when sirens sound throughout the country, people pay a silent tribute to the dead who fought for the country.

At the national cemetery, the special ceremony is hosted by the government to remember all the fallen heroes who fought for Korea. During the ceremony, people tribute the chrysanthemum or the rose of Sharon, the national flower of Korea, to the grave.

The British army of 56,000 soldiers was sent to Korean War and 1,078 of them lost their lives in the battles while led the victory. To honour them, you can visit the Korean War Memorial to the British soldiers in Victoria Embankment Gardens in London.

Joseph P Sea life on Scottish Coast In this article I want to tell you about the sea life off the coast of west Scotland that I have seen and learnt about.

Basking sharks are the second largest fish in the world, and they return to Scottish waters each summer. I was fortunate to see a basking shark in the summer of 2019 when I was on top of a cliff looking down on the water.

Next, I am going to tell you about Minke Whales. This summer, I went on a Hebridean Whale tour and saw 2 minke whales, they can get up to 10 metres long that was as long as the boat we were going around in.

Thirdly, we saw a pod of dolphins, and they were very playful they jumped and breached out of the water and came right up next to the boat.

Finally, I`ve seen lobsters and langoustine and I`ve also eaten them, langoustine are very tasty you crack them open and get a juicy meat. Lobsters are like giant langoustine, but I prefer the taste of langoustine.

It is about a boy called Tintin and the captain called Haddock. In my opinion, the two twins are my favourite people in the books or comics. They are mentioned and seen in every Tintin comic book there is in the world. In 2011 they made a film called the “adventures of Tintin”. Fun fact, Tintin was officially made in Belgium.

In Tintin, people think that the comic is translated in French but because Belgium people speak French they are already written in French. Tintin had been published in more than 70 languages with sales of more than 200 million copies and had been adapted for radio, television, theatre and film.

Marcus C Manchester United Hi, I'm Marcus and I support Man United.

In this article, I will tell you about Manchester United’s past and present.

Manchester United have been serial winners in the past. Manchester United (Football Club) was founded in 1878. The founder was Lancashire and Yorkshire railway. Old Trafford (The stadium) was a crossing point in the olden times. This name comes from when there were 2 Trafford halls. They were: Old Trafford Hall and New Trafford Hall. Old Trafford Hall was then shortened to Old Trafford.

The original name for Man United was ‘Newton Heath LYR Football Club’. Their nickname in the past was 'The Red Devils’ and it still is. Manchester United have had 22 different managers in the past up till now.

Currently, our manager is Ole Gunner Solskjaer. We have got 33 Players in the squad, and we are 6th in the premier league now but hopefully we will be in the top four by the end of the 2021/22 season.

Oliver Chess Chess is a fun board game that anyone can play.

When I was in Year 3 I saw my friends playing chess so I wanted to join them and that is what got me engaged in chess. I joined a Chess club at school in Australia to learn how to play. Chess club gave me some really good tips and taught me special moves.

I like to play chess with my brother, Thomas. Whenever I play with my brother, he always seems to be better than me as he always seems to get me into a check mate. It is also funny when we check each other and we chase each other around the board which results in a stalemate (a draw). These games can take a really long time!! I also used to play with my Grandpa in Australia, and he bought me a chess set of my own.

I have a chess book that first of all covers the basics of chess and it has special tips on how to win the games and good moves to try and capture pieces. It also shows how each piece can move around the chess board.

I enjoy chess because, you have to think ahead, it can help with strategy, planning and observation skills, and maybe a bit of trickery as well.

It’s a board game you can play anywhere, here is a picture of me playing with my brother in Croatia.

I really liked the Wizard’s Chess in Harry Potter the Philosophers Stone. It was very creative to have moving chess pieces, but I thought it was a bit barbaric when the queen destroyed a piece by whacking it with a sword. I wonder whether it is mechanically possible to create this in real life, although I don’t think I would like to play it.

I feel very happy when I say Checkmate, a big smile comes across my face.

Maybe try playing a game of Chess yourself!

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| Issue 10 | Summer 2022

Miguel B Life in Madrid

Zak N Submarines

Scott MC Sloths

School is slightly different, there are more exams each term and we follow a book for each subject . Also, we have more homework.

For my Christmas gift I have received a book about an Astute Class Nuclear Submarine, and now I want to share with my friends fascinating facts I have learned about submarines. From this book I have learnt what a complex and amazing machines submarines are! In the books there were more pictures than a picture book: colourful photos, schemes of submarines’ internal structure and also many interesting facts. Did you know that when the submarine breaks the surface it doesn’t do any damage as it only brings the center of the ship upwards and then downwards causing a massive water bubble? A few times a year they test their emergency blow system which is used for if the submarine is flooding, it is designed to bring them to the surface very quickly. I have also learnt that the acoustic spectrum wavelength created by the submarine is almost four times bigger than an 88 key piano keyboard and the electromagnetic spectrum is at least 100 Nano meters which are ultraviolet lights. The energy of the submarine is enough to power a small city but it does not mean that the submarine, being so powerful, is providing a lot of space for people who work there.

The biggest part of the submarine is used to protect sailors or the rooms to control the submarine.

5 Interesting facts about sloths

The first break time is 45 minutes and the second one is 2 hours.

We have a celebration each year in the school to commemorate the Patron Saint (Saint Joseph) and we have tombola , escape rooms , and we can get sweets, hot dogs and many other things.

We have breakfast at the same time as you would have it here but you would not eat eggs, beans , or bacon.You would instead eat a croissant, donuts , churros or sobaos (typical spanish cake).

You would have lunch between 2:00 to 3:00pm and you would have normally two or three courses with a wide variety of food like paella , spanish omelette, gazpacho or cocido.

Dinner will be at around 9:00pm and you would normally eat vegetables or fish such as hake or sardines.

In Madrid you will normally live in a flat.

There are not so many houses as in the UK. There are a lot museums, churches, monuments and city markets. You can go to fancy restaurants and lively bars. The streets are always crowed with people enjoying the nice weather.

There are also parks, fountains and you can visit one of the stadiums in the city (Real Madrid or Atletico’s).

I would encourage you to read such books as even though they seem very technical at the first glace, they might be really interesting!

Sam S Hockey Hello, my name Is Sam and I love to play Hockey. For those that do not know, hockey is a sport where you use a stick and a ball. To score a goal, you must hit the ball in a net, you can only use the flat side of the stick to hit the ball.

There are 11 players on the team including one goalkeeper that gets all padded up because if you get hit by a ball it can really hurt. I used to play hockey for two clubs.

Ealing and Richmond with Richmond being at ROKO in Chiswick.

I really enjoyed playing for both clubs especially when we played matches against other clubs because it was both fun and it required you to work hard to get the result you want.

Without sloths there would be no avocados.

The extinct giant ground sloths were some of the only mammals that had digestive systems large enough to process the huge avocado seeds whole. They feasted on the fruit and then dispersed the seeds everywhere. All tree sloths that we see today evolved from giant ground sloths — there were thought to be over 80 diverse types with the largest (Megatherium) reaching over six metres in height. There is even evidence to suggest that several varied species of marine sloth existed, feeding from sea grass and seaweed in shallow water.

Sloths are 10 times stronger than us Sloths are the undisputed pull-up world champions — from the moment they are born sloths can lift their entire body weight upwards with just one arm. Not only that, but sloths have 30% less muscle mass than similar sized mammals and are over three times stronger than the average human. They have a highly specialised muscle arrangement that can produce enough strength to withstand the force of a jaguar trying to rip them from the tree.

Specialised tendons in the sloth’s hands and feet lock into place, allowing them to hang upside down for lengthy periods of time without wasting any energy. This unique locking mechanism is also how sloths can sleep while hanging from a tree branch, and they have even been known to remain suspended upside down after death!

IN THE CLASSROOM

Ancient Greek Day On Monday 9th May Year 3 and 4 went back in time to experience a day in the life of ancient Greece. Boys and staff came to school dressed as ancient Greeks and the school hall was transformed into the agora in Athens in the morning (the marketplace) and a Greek theatre in the afternoon.

Our day was led by Mistress Sue from ‘History Off the Page’. The time was set as the war between Greece and Persia culminating in the Battle of Marathon (490BC). The hall was the agora where the ancient Greeks would make and sell their arts and crafts. We also had a Temple to Athena where we could offer up what we made to the goddess Athena.

We spent the morning as craftsmen and traders. We had a choice of activities and we tried to do as many as possible. We made mosaic tiles; we crushed olives to make olive oil which we burnt in an oil lamp plus we made our own miniature clay lamps; we painted small pictures; we made ‘stone’ sculptures (out of soap); we made our own wax tablets which we were able to write on once the hot wax had dried; we mixed herbs which could be used as medicinal remedies to cure complaints such as toothache. We were allowed to take all the things we made home (after we had offered them up to Athena!)

After the agora we were split into four groups and were set the challenge of preparing scenes from famous Greek plays and poems. After lunch we went back into the hall which was now set up as a Greek theatre. We performed our plays watched by the other groups and we had a Greek feast served to us by four slaves.

We drank out of silver goblets and ate food such as flat bread, grapes and feta cheese.

We loved our day and learnt a lot.

Sloths swim faster than they run Although they spend most of their time in the trees, sloths are surprisingly good swimmers — they can swim through water three times faster than they can move on the ground! Three-fingered sloths have two more neck vertebrae than any other mammal, allowing them to turn their heads through 270° and effortlessly keep their nose above water when swimming.

Sloths could cure cancer.

Sloths have an unusual method of camouflage — cracks in their hair allow many distinct species of algae and fungi to grow which makes them appear green.

Some species of fungi living in sloth fur have been found to be active against certain strains of bacteria, cancer, and parasites! Sloth hair also provides home to an entire ecosystem of invertebrates some species of which are found nowhere else on earth (like the ‘sloth moth’). A single sloth can host up to 950 moths and beetles within its fur at once.

Sloths can fall 100 feet without injury Sloths are anatomically designed to fall out of trees. On average, a sloth will fall out of a tree once a week for its entire life. But do not worry, all sloths are anatomically designed to fall and survive — they can plummet from over 100 feet without injury (that is the height of twelve double-decker buses). When two sloths fight the aim of a sloth fight is to knock your opponent out of the tree. Weird right?

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| Issue 10 | Summer 2022

Reception Chicks Reception were delighted when ten eggs were delivered to the classroom one morning.

We placed them in the incubator (a special box to keep them warm) and watched and waited for them to hatch. After a few days they started to hatch. Then we observed as they slowly dried off and were ready to be moved from the incubator to the brooder. By the weekend all ten eggs had hatched into fluffy little chicks. The boys were very caring of the chicks and made sure that they were quiet so they did not get scared.

They created signs to put up around the school to remind other pupils to move quietly around as well. As they handled, fed and cleaned the chick’s brooder, the children started to become concerned that the chicks might be bored so set about investigating toys which they might like. After drawing plans and then using our saw, hammer and drill, each child created a swing for the chicks! The children were delighted to watch the chicks test our swings!

We loved having the chicks and the children started to develop an understanding of the how the chicks change after being hatched and we were so impressed with the way the children acted around them. After spending ten days with us, most of the chicks went to live with our Geography teacher, Mr Martin the others went to a nice outdoor farm.

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IN THE CLASSROOM

Magna Carta Day The 3G Magna Carta Day saw the whole school embark and enjoy a carousel of activities in their house groups.

The day began with an exciting assembly by Miss Wrigley before the boys set of in their houses to take on the different challenges and activities that lay ahead of them consisting of: Medieval sport (including Archery), Creative poetry writing, drama freeze frames and the writing of a new Magna Carta, of which the winning house will have theirs framed and placed in the school for the school community to enjoy! Days and opportunities like this give us the opportunity to stretch the boys' social, creative, communication and life skills, enabling the boys to lead, support, converse and learn in new environments and with boys from across the school.

| Issue 10 | Summer 2022

| Issue 10 | Summer 2022

IN THE CLASSROOM

Queens Jubilee Celebration Day On Friday 10th June, Falcons Prep hosted our very own Jubilee Celebration Day. This was a day for the pupils to not only celebrate the Queen, but also investigate the Common Wealth and learn about a number of different cultures. Each form was allocated a country as below, and their task was to research and investigate interesting things about the country and make our very own Common Wealth Fair. Each form had a slot to visit the fair throughout our wonderful picnic lunch. The boys also were introduced to a number of games from different cultures, and had a session with the fantastic ‘Drama Hut’. It was a fantastic day for the school to come together in our red, white and blue mufti to celebrate the Queen and increase our knowledge of other cultures.

R: Singapore 3: Cyprus 4M: Kenya 4S: India 5B: Malaysia 6E: South Africa 7V: Jamaica 8F: Samoa

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IN THE CLASSROOM

| Issue 10 | Summer 2022

A Musical Year to remember!

It has been lively year in the Falcons Music Department with an exceptionally high percentage of pupils taking up individual peripatetic lessons. Leading the charge for rock have been the percussion pupils taught by our new drum teacher Mr Tim Goldsmith who by the end of the year had so many pupils he had to teach on two days …… be still my beating eardrums!! His pupils have gone forward to perform successfully at Open House Music Recitals, House Singing Competitions, Talent Show auditions, Rock School examinations and even form a band playing 12-bar blues at the Pod in the Park events at the end of term. Well done drummers, now, where did I leave that packet of Ibuprofen...!

In December, Falcons Choir represented the school superbly at the Richmond Lights-Up event on the riverside at Christmas, leading hundreds of festive revellers singing such Christmas classics as Paul McCartneys “Wonderful Christmas Time” and of course, the Shakin’ Stevens classic, “Merry Christmas Evr’yone”. The boys even shared their voices to perform with children and staff from Skylarks, Falcons chosen charity organisation.

Years 5 and 6 blasted back into performing in a public space as COVID restrictions finally allowed them to return to the RACC theatre (Richmond Adult Community College) for Falcons first public musical production in 2 years.

It felt incredible to be back under the lights and the thrill of being backstage in between scenes for the 3 shows was palpable. The boys absolutely revelled in the fun and mayhem of their dramatic production of The Amazing Adventures of SuperStan featuring standout comic performances and unforgettable ensemble numbers. Well done everyone.

Throughout the year, instrumental pupils participated in live performances at assemblies in St John the Divine in Richmond and received certificates celebrating success in examinations for RockSchool Grades and a range of performance exams for the Associated Board of the Royal School of Music (ABRSM). Well done to all boys who have passed exams with particular mention being made to Marcus Wells for his outstanding Distinction for Grade III Cello and to Joohyoung Cho for his incredible achievement this of attaining the lofty accolade of gaining Grade V in both Clarinet and Piano. A huge thanks to his teachers Mr London ( Woodwind ) and Mr Hayes ( Piano ) for their tireless support and inspirational tuition.

Pupils of vocal teacher Helena Debono have really made themselves heard this year and their gifts and voices were much admired often as soloists in this year’s House Singing Competition. All Houses did themselves proud as they performed at the Silver Jubilee Celebrations on the Astro stage, entertaining the audience of proud parents with songs by Elton John, Pharell Williams, Queen, Journey and Rick Astley. Falcons voices hit the high notes again at the Pod in the Park Concerts with House Singing Competition and Talent Show winners loving the opportunity to perform and shine in front of a live audience.

Thank you boys, parents and music teachers for all your hard work and patience and for serving up such a joyful year of music.

Mr Peckham Director of Music

| Issue 10 | Summer 2022

BEYOND THE SCHOOL GATES

Year 3 trip to British Museum Egyptian Galleries On Friday 29th April Year 3 went to the British Museum.

We spent the morning in the Ancient Egypt Galleries and the afternoon in the Ancient Greek galleries (with a stopover in Ancient China on the way).

We travelled on the London Underground and once out of the station followed street signs and maps to find our way to the museum. We showed good teamwork and independence and kept Mrs Cowdery and Mr Dawkins from getting lost.

In the museum we saw huge monuments, decorated sarcophagi and mummies; we saw toys that ancient Egyptian children had played with; we saw jewellery, ornaments and even sandals . We read lots of information labels and were proud to spot hieroglyphs and Egyptian number symbols that we could recognise. We spent most of our time in the Egypt galleries because we had just finished learning about Ancient Egypt but we also wanted to find out what we would be learning about in our new Ancient Greece topic.

It was very busy in the museum, but we had fun, saw some inspiring artefacts and learnt lots. We were tired by the time we got back but we loved our day at the museum.

Mathematics This year has brought with it a great deal of challenges and much success. The mathematics department have continued to embed Teaching for Mastery and has utilised more Concrete and Pictorial representations of concepts.

Boys in Year 3 and 4 have been provided with individualised learning and flexible groupings within lessons, to ensure complete coverage of critical objectives and work at the appropriate level to both support and extend their understanding. Year 5 and 6 have been working beyond their years on the 11+ and Common Entrance curriculums, where boys have looked at concepts like Algebra, Roots and Powers and Prime Factorisation. The Year 7 boys have progressed through much of the curriculum and are on the way to enormous success next year. Finally, Year 8 have completed their journey in mathematics at this level and their exams went excellently, with results as high as they had been previously.

Outside of lessons, we have had multiple competitions. Year 5 and 6 have been busiest, taking part in the Primary Mathematics Challenge, the Hampton Maths Wizard Competition, and the Quiz Club National Mathematics Championship. Year 7 and 8 completed the Junior Mathematics Challenge this year and Year 7 have competed with Year 6 in Numeracy Ninjas.

I am delighted to announce that the mixed Year 5/6 team not only qualified for the Semi-Final (top 600 teams) but have successfully made it through to the National Finals of the Quiz Club Championships. We will attend this event on the 4th July 2022, but I would like you to join me in congratulating them wholeheartedly for this truly outstanding achievement – they are among the top 40 teams from over 4000 entries nationwide.

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BEYOND THE SCHOOL GATES

Forest School Reception have continued to enjoy trips to our onsite Forest School.

We have been impressed with the way that they lead their learning and develop interesting and creative role plays and activities. Recently children have enjoyed using a sheath knife to whittle wood.

One child later asked to use the tool again to make their own tool. They found a stick and with support, whittled the end into a point. This was then used to dig a hole in the search of dinosaur fossils!

Using tools such as sheath knife, is fantastic for encouraging children to be resilient and to develop an understanding of how to take risks.

We have loved the sunny weather this term and it has inspired children to investigate using a solar powered water fountain. The children searched for sunny spots around our Forest School to place the fountain and were delighted when it worked.

Reception love taking advantage of our Forest School site and visiting as often as possible!

| Issue 10 | Summer 2022

| Issue 10 | Summer 2022

BEYOND THE SCHOOL GATES

Year 5 London Central Mosque trip Year 5 visited the London Central Mosque as part of their studies on Islam in Theology, Philosophy and Religion.

The boys planned their route to the mosque, as well as the questions and features of the mosque they wanted to learn more about. They had a wonderful tour visiting the main prayer hall, wud area, library and the outside features of the mosque. We visited Regents Park afterwards for ice-cream and a visit to the playground.

Year 7 Geography Thames Barrier trip On Wednesday 27th April Year 7 visited the Thames Barrier to consider the dangers of flooding and how London has prepared for such an eventuality. This was prompted by the 1953 North Sea / London floods but planning and building of the barrier took another 29 years before it was completed in 1982. Amazing to think its only been around for 40 years!

Anyway, we enjoyed a very interesting and exhaustive presentation with a powerpoint, the educational centre and a film before going outside to view the Barrier a little more closely.

Unfortunately, the public are not allowed inside which was a shame. Then lunch and back to school.

What was the best part of the trip for the boys? Probably two ribs with 20 or so black-clad police personnel – all very high profile police security.

It did occur to Mrs Varichon and myself that the journey, in general, together with the impressive Jubilee line or O2 centre, in particular, made for a further positive experience for the boys; revealing a small part of what our great city can offer and albeit on a school trip developing independence.

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BEYOND THE SCHOOL GATES

Year 6 trip to Imperial War Museum On Friday 6th May, Year 6 set off in the sunshine to the Imperial War Museum.

After posing with the giant canon, boys visited the incredible exhibitions on display. In the afternoon, Year 6 entered the World War One exhibition and created documentaries on sources and objects they found interesting for Smash TV. Boys received live updates and instructions via text message as they used their microphones and clipper boards to create educational resources for the museum.

| Issue 10 | Summer 2022

PASTORAL

| Issue 10 | Summer 2022

Mental Health Awareness Week This term we celebrated Mental Health Awareness Week.

The boys had opportunities for pupil voice, to share things they feel help them in school as well as ways in which they help their own mental health. The theme of the week was ‘Loneliness’ and boys explored this throughout their Life Skills lessons, understanding what the term loneliness means, what it can feel like and how we can help ourselves or others should this feeling arise. The boys understood that these feelings are normal and everyone experiences them, but there are ways in which we can help to cope with them.

Diversity Forum Our Summer Term Diversity forum was held on 17th May 2022 and was our third of the year.

Thank you to all of the parents, pupils and staff who attended. The Diversity forum allows all parties to share ideas, track progress and implement new ideas into the school community. Some of the ideas implement or in the process of implementing are themed lunches, a more diverse selection of clubs, a curriculum review including diversity and our cultural investigations in common worth countries as part of our Jubilee Celebration Day. The school values being a diverse community, celebrating all of those within it.

PC Mick visit to Year 5 and Year 8 The term we welcomed back the boys favourite speaker, PC Mick!

Thorpe Park trip We arrived bang on 10am and were one of the first groups in the park!

He ran a very informative session for Year 5 all about the age of criminal responsibility and the process that happens should a person be investigated by the police. The boys found this very interesting indeed and asked all sorts of useful questions! PC Mick then returned nearer the end of the term to talk to our Year 8 cohort all about transition to secondary school and some of the difficulties they may face. He outlined a number of useful reminders for the boys in regards to the law and the boys went away with a wealth of knowledge as they move on the the next stage in their journey.

It was great, we had nearly a full hour of no queues for all of the rides - IT WAS SO GREAT!. We all planned our routes and had to check in with the teachers at several points throughout the day.

Everyone had an amazing day, and we all fell asleep on the minibus on the way home!

"Best day EVER"

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| Issue 10 | Summer 2022

PASTORAL

Bikeability course

A visit from Jay Tabb

This Year our Year 6 pupils showed off their cycling skills to the Borough Instructors throughout the week of the 25th April. The instructors were incredibly impressed with the boys skill level already, and this allowed the boys to really push on in gaining knowledge about how to ride on the roads safely and increase their cycling skills even further.

It was fantastic to see the boys gain in confidence throughout the week.

Congratulations to all of Year 6 who passed the course with flying colours!

During our Year 8 Come Dine with Me evening, we welcomed Jay Tabb, a former professional footballer with Reading Football Club. Jay spoke with the boys about his journey as a professional footballer, from his YTS days at West Ham and Crystal Palace, to playing in the Premier League with Reading. It was a great insight for our boys to hear about how hard Jay worked to reach his goals.

HOUSE COMPETITIONS

| Issue 10 | Summer 2022

House Competitions House Photography

Hobby

Merlin

Kestrel

Peregrine

1st

We had some wonderful entries for this year’s House Photography Competition, one of the favourite competitions of the year.

Congratulations to the following winners: 1st: Oliver D (Merlin) 2nd: James B (Kestrel) 3rd: Arthur H (Hobby) 4th: Flynn A (Peregrine)

3rd

FEd Talks for parents

2nd

The teenage brain, 5th May 2022 Ms Buchanan shared some of her learning around the 'Teenage Brain'. We discovered the science behind the development and growth of the brain as our children reach adolescence, the fact that gender really does matter, and how the way we learn changes and the impact of puberty on sleep, risk, stress and social awareness.

Creating a safe digital enviroment for your family, 20th May 2022 We were thrilled to be joined by Falcon parent Mr Todd Facemire, leading expert in the field of cyber security, who shared his knowledge and provided extremely useful insights on online identities and what to look for to protect ourselves. He has seen firsthand how things can go very wrong without proper online safety and talked through some examples.

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| Issue 10 | Summer 2022

HOUSE COMPETITIONS

House General Knowledge This year our House General Knowledge Competition featured around all the general knowledge topics that the boys have accessed in form time throughout the Academic Year.

House Mufti Celebration Our Spring Term Champions had a wonderful time at the start of the Summer Term, celebrating their Termly House point win with a Pizza party and Mufti day.

Congratulations to all of the pupils in Peregrine on their efforts in the Spring Term!

| Issue 10 | Summer 2022

COMMUNITY AND CHARITY

Sponsored Walk for Skylarks On 11th May, the whole school embarked on a sponsored walk for our School Charity Skylarks. We donned our waterproofs and set off along the river to Kew Green. The boys showed fantastic resilience and everyone walked with a smile on their face. Sona from Skylarks then greeted the boys back to school, offering them all a little treat on their return. The walk raised over £1000 for the Charity and thank you to all that donated!

The competition took place in houses, allowing pupils of all ages to be involved! A huge thank you to Mr Martin and Mr Russell for their ongoing help and development of our pupils general knowledge.

House Singing This is the first time we have run this competition and What a fabulous afternoon of singing it was!

Each house treated us to their rendition of Rick Astley’s ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’ followed by their House Selection as follows:

Hobby: Don’t Stop, Believing Merlin: We will Rock You

House Charity Breakfasts for Inspirational Men Following on from our hugely successful breakfasts in the Spring Term for Inspirational Women, this term we celebrated all of the inspirational Men in our lives. Boys had the opportunity to invite all of the inspirational men in their lives to school to share a wonderful continental breakfast with them. Each family donated a minimum of £5 which went towards the Gold Standards Charitable Trust. Thank you to everyone for their generosity!

Kestrel: Happy Peregrine: I’m Still Standing The boys put their heart and soul into their performances and well done to everyone involved! Our guest judge was incredibly impressed!

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SPORTS

Cricket Tournaments It has been a wonderful Summer of cricket at the school.

We have been blessed with rain free days and sun, a great combination for any budding cricketer. In our Middle School, they have played several matches against other schools, with some exhilarating last overs going to the wire. Watching a combination of Year 5 & 6 boys play in the Tonbridge Sixes Tournament was a real highlight.

Our Upper School have excelled with hardball cricket this term. They have been working hard on timing of shots, protecting their wicket, and backing up in the field. Well done to all the boys on successful fixtures against Wetherby Prep, Fulham Prep and Tower House.

| Issue 10 | Summer 2022

| Issue 10 | Summer 2022

SPORTS

Golf It was a busy campaign for our budding golfers this term.

The school has joined the ISGA this year, allowing us to play events at some excellent courses. Well done to Adam R and George W who represented the school this term in a number of events.

Sports Day Congratulations to all the boys who put everything into a blisteringly hot Sports Day this year.

The boys all supported their teammates throughout, with a real highlight coming in the Reception Agility Run, where we saw our Years 7 & 8 group cheering on the younger boys. Well done to Ivan T, who was awarded the Victor Ludorum trophy, given to the individual who shines across all races throughout the day. In the end, it was Kestrel House who came away victorious. Well done to all for their efforts on the day!

Richmond Borough Swimming Gala We made a splash at the Richmond Borough Gala this term with several great finishes in the pool.

Congratulations to James B on overall winner in the Butterfly and Freestyle races. All the hard work the group have been putting into morning training sessions was clear to see in the Medley Relay, finishing second by the narrowest of margins. Congratulations to all the boys this term!

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FUTURE SCHOOLS

| Issue 10 | Summer 2022

Future Schools Overview This academic year has brought with it a raft of updates to our process for advising parents, and preparing pupils, for their choice of Senior School.

Miss Buchanan has continued to develop the already strong links between Falcons and the large variety of Senior Schools that we feed to. Our list expands, with new relationships being grown and the team visiting a range of schools each year.

One such addition, the Elevate program, was introduced in the Upper School to support the boys’ development of study skills, time management and revision techniques. In our Middle School, in addition to Year 5 and 6, the Year 4 boys now use ATOM Learning to hone their Verbal and Non-Verbal reasoning skills. Detailed videos containing strategies and specific vocabulary are used to support teaching and the enhancement of the boys’ ability to perform on the 11+ tests.

Much of our support, guidance and preparation has likewise remained in place, with some developments here or there. With the introduction of Mr Boler as Head of Senior Schools, and Miss Wrigley as Head of Assessment, Data and Reporting, the team continue to provide highly detailed analysis and accurate predictions of future success. Guidance letters to parents, starting in Year 5, have also been streamlined and broken into chunks to provide the appropriate advice exactly when it is needed.

Our success this year is clear from the illustrated graphics and are only possible through the incredible program provided by the school. Case studies across both 11+ and 13+ highlight all the fantastic work that the teaching staff do, to prepare the boys for their exams and interviews. All boys are instilled with a sense of confidence and passion for life, in readiness for their moment in the spotlight.

| Issue 10 | Summer 2022

FUTURE SCHOOLS

Case Studies on Future School Access Pupil A: Joined Year 3 in 2017

Pupil B: Joined Year 5 in 2020

Y3 Assessment Scores: 89 Eng / 90 Mat Y4 Assessment Scores: 98 Eng / 108 Mat Y5 Assessment Scores: 103 Eng / 105 Mat Y6 Assessment Scores: 112 Eng / 115 Mat Y7 Assessment Scores: 125 Eng / 139 Mat

Y5 Assessment Scores: 127 Eng / 122 Mat Y6 Assessment Scores: 126 Eng / 123 Mat

Through our excellent teaching, as evidenced from inspection by ISI in 2022, pupils are able to surpass expectations and steadily increase their attainment.

Unsuccessful 11+ entry at Hampton and King's College With enough time from our additional learning support and individualised Senior School Preparation progams, pupil are able to make significant further developments in attainment.

13+ offers received from Brighton College, Charterhouse and Latymer

After joining from the state sector, our ability to quickly recognise talent and challenge pupils with bespoke work, enable us to then guide parents in suitable applications to competitive schools in and around London.

Unsuccessful 11+ entry at Hampton and King's College / 11+ offer from St George's Our Senior School Preparation program also provides pupils with the key interview skills needed and a clear view of the process, allowing them to be highly successful at the right time.

13+ offers received from Brighton College and Charterhouse

Pupil C: Joined Year 3 in 2017

Pupil D: Joined Year 4 in 2016

Y3 Assessment Scores: 108 Eng / 104 Mat Y4 Assessment Scores: 114 Eng / 110 Mat Y5 Assessment Scores: 110 Eng / 129 Mat Y6 Assessment Scores: 114 Eng / 119 Mat

Y4 Assessment Scores: 128 Eng / 126 Mat Y5 Assessment Scores: 131 Eng / 134 Mat Y6 Assessment Scores: 121 Eng / 145 Mat Y7 Assessment Scores: 122 Eng / 119 Mat Y8 Assessment Scores: 133 Eng / 125 Mat

Through specially adapted and targeted teaching, despite COVID-19, pupils were still able to achieve progression; maintaining their scores in line with what would be expected in a normal school year or even exceeding them in the case of this pupil's mathematics attainment.

Despite initial expectations of leaving with a good offer at 11+, due to the high standard of academics being achieved, we advised parents to apply for 13+ entry to some of the most competitive schools in London.

11+ Waiting list offer at Ibstock

11+ offer from Emanuel and Ibstock

13+ offers received from Kew House, Radnor House and St Benedict's

In Y7, a significant dip in score was seen during the period of COVID-19 and this was quickly rectified through excellent teaching and curriculum prioritisation.

Left to attend St Benedict's in 2021

13+ offers from St Paul's, Westminster and accepted Hampton scholarship in 2021

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This summer, hone your creative writing skills with

atomlearning.co.uk/young-author-award

Wishing you all a fabulous summer! registrar@falconsprep.co.uk T: 0208 9489490 Falcons Prep Richmond 41 Kew Foot Road, Richmond, TW9 2SS Find us on @Falcons_prep @FalconsPrep @falconsprep

As well as the opportunity to win plaudits and kudos, there are many exciting prizes on offer. Even if you don’t enter the competition, the creative writing activity pack is a perfect summertime companion.

Log on and get writing.

@Falcons Prep – Richmond

Issue 10 | Summer 2022 | falconsprep.co.uk