Kingswood Prep In Focus 2011/12

2011-2012

Prep School in focus

contents

Some highlights throughout the year

KPS Head’s introduction 1

Chapel & Charity

2-5

Academic

6 - 13

Boarding

14

Art

15

Pre-Prep

16 - 19

Music & Drama

20 - 26

Staff News

27

Celebrations

28 - 33

Sport

34 - 35

Play & Activities

36 - 39

News - Pre-Prep

40

20

Music and Drama

32

Olympic Torch

Jubilee Jamboree

Beyond (Visits & Visitors) 41 - 49

Year 6 Leavers 2012

34

Sport

28

50 - 57

Art

15

Kilve Court

41

KPS Head’s introduction

A word from the

Head at KPS W

hat a two years it has been! It was six terms ago when Simon Morris phoned, just as the Brearey family were enjoying tea in their cottage in the New Forest.

We had all been hoping that the phone would ring and there would be good news. Yvonne and I had been so impressed with the spirit and ethos of the school, and the thoroughness of the interview process, although exhausting, had been reassuring. The ensuing months and the many visits to KPS and all the Governors’ meetings only confirmed that this was a special school and it was going to be a privilege leading it into the future.

Marcus Cornah, my predecessor, helped so much in those intervening months. He provided comprehensive detail, opinion and wisdom about the school, its history and tradition, and the complexities of running a Prep School in Bath. He has invariably been proved correct.

It is good for the soul to leave somewhere you have been very happy, both professionally and as a family, and start again. The warmth of welcome from the children and parents has been overwhelming and greatly appreciated. There is a huge pride and loyalty to Kingswood. The impetus and hard work of the Year Reps and FOKPS sum up the parents’ love for, and commitment to, the school. Their work makes a real difference.

Getting to know the children, their talents and gifts, has been great fun. Being one step removed from the children and not spending as much time in the classroom have been two of the more difficult things about being a Headmaster. There are a lot of meetings which invariably take you away from a success in the classroom, a concert or a performance on the games field. KPS children are invariably great fun, open, honest, enthusiastic and very happy in their own skin. They grow up liking themselves and believing they can achieve anything they wish through hard work and a positive attitude, which is what we wish to achieve as a school. We are a school that values scholastic achievement at the highest level, but that also values the academic progress of every single pupil. For us, attitude is crucial; if your attitude is right, then anything is achievable. At KPS we work hard in and out of the classroom and we have fun learning. We are a kind school which values every child and allows them to develop at their own rate. Our pastoral care and extra-curricular programme are outstanding. We have a large team of teachers who dedicate themselves to your children’s learning and happiness.

I have been very impressed by the children’s interest in communities beyond their own, their willingness to embrace charity and their wish to do something about it for the good of others. Emily Yates’ desire to raise our awareness of cancer and then to lead our collective push to raise money for the charity was a highlight of the year. With Mrs Butcher’s sustainable development group and our strong EcoSchool status, our children are growing up with an awareness of the world beyond our own community.

For the third year running we are showing an increase in numbers and in these difficult financial times we can all be very proud of this fact. I have loved showing prospective parents around our school.

There is a wonderful energy about the place, as well as children who are interested, warm and friendly.

This summer we have had builders, contractors and our own Kingswood maintenance crew working flat out and it is with great pride I will be able to show parents newly revamped classrooms in

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Year 3 and Year 4, redecorated classrooms in the Pre-Prep, new playground equipment, new toilets in Summerhill, and a reallocation of storage and changing space.

We have also been in long discussions with the Governors about possibilities of growth and development on our stunning campus - all very exciting.

The breadth and variety of learning experiences, combined with the huge number of extra-curricular activities, make KPS stand out amongst other schools. The majority of our children love music and play a musical instrument. Our sport is inclusive but pushes those with talent. Our Art and DT are second to none and our Drama is the envy of others. This coming year we have a production of ‘Macbeth’ which will be performed at The Egg Theatre, our choir is going to the O2 in London and we have major drama productions for all our Year groups. We are sponsoring Julia Donaldson at the Children’s Literature Festival and we have a variety of inspirational authors and poets visiting the school. We also have our first Christingle concert in the school chapel for the Pre-Prep. This will be a wonderful occasion and exemplifies what a prep school is all about. It will also mean that every child and parent within the prep school will be able to spend time in the school Chapel.

Our Year 6 pupils left with their heads held high. They did very well in their entrance tests and have solid foundations on which to build.

We all wish them every success in the future. Charlotte Cutter and Callum Michie were both awarded academic scholarships after eight years at KPS and Charlotte Chilton gained a Drama award.

They have been a lovely year group and have gone out of their way to be welcoming and thoughtful. They all had a magnificent time at Kilve Court, where they were stretched physically and mentally. This trip was a huge success and next year’s Year 6 are already looking forward to a trip to France and an immersion in a different language and culture.

Becoming National Orienteering Champions, winning National Judo awards, gaining Grade 6 on a musical instrument, winning sports tournaments, gaining silverware from the Mid Somerset Festival are all tremendous achievements and richly deserve our praise. However equally important to us at KPS are growing up with the skills to cope with what will be a very different workplace.

Showing empathy for others, having an openness and flexibility of thinking, being a good team player, being able to communicate with confidence and not arrogance, and realising you can make a difference in the world. Our Golden Book Assembly celebrates the small, everyday things that make a big difference to our community: eye-contact, opening a door, being interested in others, owning up, taking responsibility for your actions and going out of your way for other people.

This has been a special year. The Jubilee and Olympic celebrations this term have enriched our school; in particular, those Olympic values that have been highlighted in Assemblies have been lived by our children this year.

I hope that our very first Kingswood in Focus gives you just a small snapshot of the vibrant, dynamic and kind school we are. Enjoy the magazine.

Mark Brearey

Warmth, discovery, learning for life

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Chapel & Charity

Developments at KPS for 2012 – 2013 KPS is a wonderful school with a real heartbeat.

At the core are our children’s values and its caring and outstanding personal care.

We have high academic standards and children who really listen and want to learn; in fact, love learning, but improving what we have on offer is something we will do year on year. Listening to the parent body through Deputy Head and Head’s Forums remains really important. Thank you, staff, children and parents, for your interest and support.

Feedback from the Inspectors…

It was in my second month as Head that the ‘dreaded call’ from ISI arrived. Mr Cornah had timed his departure quite magnificently! We were lucky to have a superb team of inspectors; experienced, knowledgeable and perceptive. We took a huge amount of pride in some of the conclusions and will be working very hard on the recommendations.

“KPS is highly successful in achieving its aims to educate pupils in a caring, Christian environment that enables them to achieve their unique potential”.

“The overall achievement of pupils is excellent”.

“The pupils’ personal development is greatly enhanced by the outstanding extra-curricular programme”.

“The quality of pupils’ personal development is outstanding”.

“A particular strength is the high quality of pupils’ writing”.

“All pupils have a love of learning; they are enthusiastic and committed to giving of their best, even at the close of a busy day”.

“The pupils’ social development is excellent”.

Our website has the ISI Report in full.

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The refurbishment of Pegasus.

The creation of a “Getting Better Bay” and medical matron position – all medical communication through Mrs Brearey.

Improved (daily/weekly) updating of website, Parent Portal, more articles in press.

Improved weekly planning for staff and parents available to staff on a Monday and for the week ahead for parents on the portal.

Continued used of texting/email to inform and communicate with parents.

Head’s ‘Open’ Meeting Monday mornings 8.30 am – 9.00 am without appointment.

Marianne Burke – in charge of ‘all things cooking’ – every child in the Pre-Prep to cook regularly.

Improved Outdoor Education with introduction of new badge system.

Marie McGlynn – Head of Girls’ Pastoral Years 3 – 6 - Head of Creative Arts (Music/Poetry/Drama/Art/DT) New toilets in Summerhill.

New storage – children do not have to carry large bags into school.

Breakfast Club 7.30 am available in High Vinnalls.

New morning arrangements and care from 8.00 am.

More ECAs including Archaeology Club.

Children having the opportunity to do prep in school with support and in an atmosphere that allows them to work.

More use of our beautiful grounds at break times.

Planning for family service at lunch time.

A message from the Head of the Foundation am delighted to be offered this opportunity to write a few words for this excellent first edition of ‘Kingswood Prep School in Focus’. KPS is a very special school indeed, and its vibrancy, energy and wonderful breadth of opportunity come across so powerfully in this publication. I am so pleased that we decided earlier in the year to produce two annual magazines, one for the Prep School and one for the Senior School, thus allowing both schools greater space to record a year in their lives. We are very much one foundation, with shared values and aspirations based on a history of some distinction and a commitment to the very best in 21st Century education, but we are also two schools with our own identities and our own characters. Our two magazines thus share much in common, but in their style and their content they also reflect the differences between the schools.

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My scheduled weekly visit to KPS is always something to which I look forward. I enjoy the walk through the school grounds, the sound of happy children at work and play, the positive environment which greets every visitor and, of course, the chance to support Mr Brearey as he develops the school. I am immensely impressed by the way he has taken an already fine school, analysed carefully the

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direction in which the school should travel and set about with such energy the fulfilment of his vision. Prep schools play such a very important role in the formative years of a child’s education; it is here that they learn how to learn, where they start to acquire a real love of learning, and where those crucial educational foundations are laid. The challenges of secondary education are in many ways very different, but success at secondary level is heavily reliant on that which has been achieved in the Prep School. We are, indeed, most fortunate to inherit children from KPS whose foundations are strong and whose excitement for learning has been kindled; our challenge is to inspire them further, to find and nurture new talents, and to do all this whilst helping to guide the pupils through the at times confusing world of adolescence!

As Principal of The Kingswood Foundation, I am very proud of what is being achieved at KPS and I am wholly confident that the school will continue to be seen as a beacon of excellence in Prep School education in Bath.

Simon Morris

Chapel & Charity

Kingswood Prep School –

a governor’s view M

y special association with KPS began over 14 years ago when I joined the Kingswood governing body. The Prep School had recently moved from Newbury to Bath and I watched with interest as it settled into its new home.

As the school grew, developed and prospered, so my interest and involvement in the school increased, as expansion into the Pegasus building and Summerhill Mansion was required.

As well as visits to check building development, I began to pay regular visits to the classrooms (and still do). I watched with fascination at the manner in which the teaching staff stimulated the children’s enthusiasm for learning, and was amazed by their (the children’s) ability to embrace new technology. It is hoped that iPads and laptops will soon join the interactive whiteboards in the classroom. A far cry from the chalk and blackboards of my day.

To see the children progress through the Prep School and to finally emerge from the senior school as mature, well-balanced individuals

ready to take their place in the world, fills me with pride and convinces me of the value of the Kingswood ethos.

I am proud too of the manner in which the school has moved forward in terms of both its facilities and its educational protocols.

I am particularly pleased with the improvements that have been made to the facilities at KPS this year; the newly refurbished Pegasus building, the ‘Getting Better’ room and the additions in Summerhill Mansion.

There is still much to do, but I am confident that we have, in our new headmaster, a man of vision with an exciting plan for the future and a team of staff to carry it out.

I have no doubt that the school will continue to offer an education, the standard of which, as a governor, I can be justly proud.

Katie Pillinger

Rev Mike Wilkinson ponders some very important issues...

You know that phrase ‘If I had £5 for every time…’ Well, I have done the maths and it amounts to £6,400 – not quite enough to retire on, but still, not to be sniffed at.

The computation is based on the number of times I have sung ‘When a dinosaur’s feeling hungry’ to the youngest members of our Prep School; at least twice a week, for thirty-two weeks, multiplied by 20 years…. and I still can’t sing it without the book in front of me.

From the very first day that I stepped over the threshold of Prior’s Court in Berkshire in September 1992, the place of our former Prep School, this song has been the number one choice. These days it probably has joint honours alongside the ‘The Clown’ song.

Let’s be honest, the theological and spiritual value of the dinosaur song is nil. Its main message to children is don’t eat the soap, though, if your children don’t eat the soap, I will claim the credit. The central activity is about pulling faces at each other – yummy faces when we eat the cake and uurghh! faces when we eat the soap.

Laughter in this key moment of the song is obligatory.

Would I be happy to never sing this song again? – Probably! Would I be happy not to respond to that guaranteed request every time I ask ‘What shall we sing…?’ – Certainly not! Those 15 minute slots with tiny people on tiny chairs remain critical to the work of this chaplain. They make me known at the earliest time of a child’s entrance into the school and it means that through later years I have half a chance of keeping them singing and listening.

Currently, Years 1 and 2 are visiting the ‘don’t have to read the words’ songs of Junior Praise…. lots of arm waving, jumping and yelling. Years 3,4,5 & 6 are getting into the Beatles, protest songs and a little bit of traditional folk, as well as what we sing in worship on a Monday.

Do I worry about some of this secularised musical engagement? – Never! When a Prep School pupil puts in a request for ‘Horse with no name’ by America, I give thanks for culturally astute parents.

Believe me, when they are 18 they are quick enough to say that there is ‘too much God in Chapel’. It’s best to ease them in a little and give scope to simply enjoy tunes, both spiritual and secular in these earlier years.

It’s never going to create my fortune but, in 20 years, there has been one moment of fame. A handful of years ago, when the summer time circus was set up in Victoria Park, a Kingswood family sat close to the ring as the clowns bounced around entertaining the kids. As they asked ‘Who’s your favourite singer?’, Robbie and Kylie, naturally, were vocalised a-plenty. Except for one small Prep School child who answered ‘Mr Wilkinson’ - bless!

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Chapel & Charity

At KPS we are a small part of something bigger.

Charity is of fundamental importance to all of us at KPS. I have been hugely impressed by the children’s and parents’ desire to support charities at home and abroad. From Ted’s Big Day Out, which supported Cancer Care at the RUH, to the visit of the Watoto Choir, we all feel a deep-rooted responsibility to positively affect others’ lives. I am indebted to the staff and parents for their continued support. Next year I would like to have a Charity Committee made up of children to lead this area of school life.

Mr Dixon and I also have an idea of a major charity drive we would like to undertake in the Summer of 2013. More news as it happens.

Cancer Research UK Way back in January we held a very successful ‘Pink Day’. The day, which was largely organised by Emily Yates, Lexi Hart, Katie Halliwell and Lizzie White, was set up to raise money for Cancer Research in memory of Emily’s mother. The whole school community participated enthusiastically and, as well as raising a huge amount of money, we also raised awareness of the illness and its impact.

Money has continued to be donated and the final total now stands at £1945.51. This is an amazing effort, especially as our original target was £1000! On behalf of the girls we would like to say a very big ‘Thank you!’ for all your donations and support. We pray that this money will help to fund further research in order to help make progress in the battle against this terrible disease. Emily wants me to remind you, ‘Together we can beat cancer!’

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Chapel & Charity

“Well done Joe”

Have a clear out and help homeless charity Julian House

Sleeping rough for Julian House

KPS was delighted to help and support Julian House at Harvest Festival by donating a large quantity of food in the form of cans of food.

We enjoyed a talk by Cathy Adcock from Julian House. She talked about homelessness and ho w Julian House supports men and women who would otherwise be forced to sleep on the streets. As part of our growing links with the community the school has decided to act. We all took pink sacks home and filled them with items – they were then sold at their charity shops.

Clothes, books, toys and CDs were given and became a muchneeded source of income.

As always, the whole KPS Community was proactive in thinking of others in less fortunate positions than ourselves.

WaterAid Day As many of you will know, KPS has been supporting WaterAid for the last few years. WaterAid is an international organisation working in some of the world’s poorest communities in order to bring better sanitation, hygiene and safe water to the people living there.

Traditionally, Year 5 organise WaterAid Day: they create the posters, promote the vision of WaterAid Day, design and prepare stalls and games for the whole school, bake cakes and organise the resources. What a brilliant job Year 5 did this year! They should be incredibly proud of themselves!

Planning started for this special day a couple of weeks earlier during class time. Pupils were shown videos and given information from the WaterAid website, in order for them to understand the importance of raising money for this cause. Pupils worked in small groups designing a game or stall which would attract customers and would be accessible for the whole school. Each year, the Year 5 staff are always amazed by the wide range of creative and original ideas designed by the groups, and this year was no different. We had a huge selection of stalls, including: a tombola, a raffle, guess the name of the bear, shoot the target, a sweet stall, spoon the marbles into the jar, penalty shoot out, guess the number of sweets in the jar, assault courses and various stalls designed to soak pupils or teachers with water.

As is tradition, teachers kindly donate their time to this good cause and allow children to pay and then squirt them with water pistols, throw sponges and even water balloons. Mr Dixon is always a popular choice, with the children loving the opportunity to squirt him from all directions with water, knowing there will be no come back! It must be said that Mr Dixon came particularly well prepared this year, with an all-in-one wet suit and umbrella!

Sadly, the weather was not on our side and we arrived at school to rain, wind and a slightly soggy field. This did not dampen the pupils’ enthusiasm and excitement for the day and they rose to the challenge with a smile on their faces. Year 5’s dedication to WaterAid Day must have rubbed off on the weather, as by midmorning, it had stopped raining and warmed up slightly.

The total amount raised this year was a staggering £715.77! This was achieved through selling cakes, allowing children to come to school in blue or green for £1, together with money raised on all the stalls. Year 5 spent a lot of time organising WaterAid Day, including giving up weekends to prepare their stalls. They should all be congratulated for a splendid day, enjoyed by the whole school.

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Academic

Academic life

in the Prep School Kingswood Prep School prides itself on the broad curriculum on offer to its children and recognises the importance of teaching life skills.

Rote learning serves limited purpose, children need to learn how to locate information and use it. Numeracy and literacy are very important skills but they are by no means all. Problem-solving, Information Technology, working with others, and evaluation are equally important, as are thinking skills involving reasoning, enquiry and creative thinking. Much of what is most important in education cannot be measured in pencil-and-paper tests and so we must avoid the trap of teaching to tests and getting caught in league tables. At the same time accountability is vital to ensure that we are doing an effective job of challenging our children and enabling them to achieve their potential.

As indicated in the inspection report, assessment results at KPS show that our standards are well above the national average. This year 100% of children in Year 6 at KPS attained a Level 4 or 5 in reading and writing of which a massive 73% attained a Level 5 in writing and 87% in reading! In mathematics just 2 children did not achieve a level 4. Compare these results to the government’s target for 80% of children to attain a Level 4 or 5 in each subject. These results are all the more impressive as, contrary to many schools within the maintained sector, the children at KPS are not taught to the test. To do so would restrict the very skills we are trying to develop.

We do collect a range of data such as English and Mathematics assessments taken by all Prep children at the end of each year and this information is used not only to track individuals’ progress through KPS but it is also available to governors and inspectors monitoring standards.

These high standards are encouraging and are true throughout the Prep department. The relative strength of reading throughout KPS is evident and reflects the success of the recent strong emphasis shown in this area of learning.

“If you’re happy at school, you have every chance to fulfil your potential.”

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Academic

fun s i g n Learni at KPS

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Academic

Eco Schools We have the whole world in our hands - this is the message that we try to teach our children. To do this we try to help them to be in awe and wonder of the natural world, to enjoy it and, above all, to value it and to realise how to help the world survive the way man is treating it. This is one of the key areas of education.

In March 2011, we were awarded our ďŹ rst Eco Schools Green Flag. This was the culmination of ďŹ ve years of hard work in which we endeavoured to embed environmental awareness into all aspects of school life. In order to retain the Green Flag, we will be re-inspected during the coming academic year and, in that inspection, we will be asked to show that our green vision is just as strong and that we have made progress towards it. We approach our green initiatives from two angles.

First, and most importantly, we educate the children by many different means: assemblies; curriculum work; outdoor education; PSHE discussions; playground rules; charity work; the school council and the Eco Club.

Secondly, we try to set an example by working to ensure that the school is run in a sustainable way. To do this, we have termly meetings of the Sustainable Development Committee, which includes members from as many different areas of the school as possible - the governors, the head, teachers, the Eco Schools Coordinator from the Senior School, the catering manager, the gardener, the estates manager, the Director of Commercial Development, the caretaker and admin staff. Children from the Eco Club address the meeting to put forward their ideas and to report on what they have been doing. An action plan is drawn up which endeavours to take the school forward on its journey towards sustainability.

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Academic

KPS School Council The school inspection towards the end of the Autumn Term identified the School Council as a valued and effective voice of the children.

Each form in the Prep department has its own Council with a representative elected by the class in a secret ballot. Form Councils discuss issues on a weekly basis to do with improving their school.

Such matters are far-ranging from food options at lunchtime, playtime organisation and facilities and after school clubs (ECAs) to uniform and toilets! The key issues are brought forward to School Council which meets every Friday lunchtime to discuss them further and decide what action to take. School Council is made up of the elected Form reps, one from each Prep class and is chaired by a Year 6 pupil who holds the post for the year. Elections for Form reps take place each term and children are encouraged during the secret ballots to vote for someone who they believe is best placed to represent their form’s view and take their ideas forward to School Council.

Chairing meetings is a difficult skill, particularly if it involves working with one’s peers. I have seen many a teacher flinch when asked to chair a meeting! This year the School Council has been ably chaired by Hannah Morris. My role is to act as secretary and only to intervene when seeking clarification for the minutes, which are printed out with clear action points at the end of each meeting and handed to each rep. They are then fed back to their classes.

Meetings follow a routine pattern. The children have appreciated the

presence of a member of the catering staff (Trish) at most meetings.

As her time is limited, catering matters have always been dealt with first before the other items on the agenda. Matters arising are dealt with before debating new items.

One cannot fail to be impressed by the children’s ability to debate, listen and respond appropriately to argument, taking turns and showing respect for the points of views of others regardless of whether they are shared or not. In fact I think one or two politicians could learn something from watching our children! On a recent guided tour of parliament I was told that government is keen for children to understand democracy and to get involved in politics.

The School Council is democracy working successfully at a micro level. Evidence of this is not only the children’s attitude towards it but also the achievements of the School Council which are many.

Most notable this year are an even more popular lunch menu on a 3 weekly cycle, substantial improvements to the Summerhill toilets, which are taking place over the summer holidays, and, most popular and exciting of all, a new adventure playground with many features including its own zip wire – something that the Council has been requesting for a number of years.

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Academic

Book characters come alive!

To celebrate World Book Day, KPS children dressed as their favourite book characters. Harry Potter, Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz and the Worst Witch filled the playground and the he classrooms.

The children (and teachers!) had great fun dressing up and sharing their favourite characters with their friends.

“It was fun and exciting dressing up as Neville Long Bottom. I really felt I was him, I even made a Hogwart’s School ool tie, everyone looked really silly,” reported Johnny Phillips (Yr 4) “I really wanted to know which books the characters came from,” said Niall Hudson (Yr 4)

NEWSFLASH

A big

thanks to the

Friends of KPS for their

brilliant work over the year.

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£ was raised to support Book Aid International £90 International, a ffantastic charity dedicated to changing lives through books. Every yyear they send half a million books to community, public, school and academic libraries in 12 countries in sub-Saharan Africa, to a increase access to the best quality books in some of the poorest areas of the world. a Th The children also enjoyed being e involved in the in world’s biggest w online book o ffestival and rreceiving their World Book Day vouchers.

Academic

Miam, miam c’est bon!

On Thursday 13th October the French Room was transformed into a French café to welcome Year 6 to a French class with a difference.

The children had been learning about a typical French breakfast, cultural differences and how to order food in French. To bring the learning to life the scene was set with French flags, posters, red table cloths and traditional French music. Breakfast menus designed by the children themselves decorated the tables and proved useful for the few who had a “trou de memoire”.

As usual the children had a healthy appetite and the delights of the food on offer proved a useful incentive to remember the language skills they had learned. The biscottes were particularly popular as many had never tasted them before.

Madame Turner and Madame Ward became French waitresses and dressed for the occasion wearing berets to bring a real sense of character whilst taking the children’s order in French.

After the food was devoured we sang “La Chanson du Cafe Rouge”, a song about a very interesting restaurateur who serves his guests particularly revolting dishes; Le Comte Dracula. The children were pleased that they had not been to his café instead.

The food on offer included des croissants, des pains au chocolat, du chocolat chaud, de la baguette avec du beurre et de la confiture et des biscottes brought straight from the continent in Madame Turner’s suitcase for the occasion.

Good fun was had by all and the French breakfast experience was in the words of many children “the best French lesson ever!”

FRENCH DAY TO COINCIDE WITH THE MARDI GRAS On Tuesday 22 February KPS children enjoyed a fun–filled French day to coincide with the Mardi Gras celebrations in France. The school was a sea of red, white and blue as the children arrived wearing the colours of the Tricolore which was flying overhead. On the playground the mood was set for the day by Madame Burke playing tunes on the accordion.

An extended assembly in the morning gave the opportunity for all classes in Pre-Prep to present in turn a song in French to the school with entertaining mime accompaniment. In addition, children from each in the Prep department presented a range of amusing saynètes (short sketches). The enjoyment and enthusiasm of the children was fully evident and it was impressive to see the confidence and willingness of the children communicating in another tongue without inhibitions or fear.

At various times throughout the day there were ‘courses aux crepes’ (pancake races) to the accompanying cheers of “allez les bleus! allez les rouges! …..” After a French lunch which included ‘coq au vin’ and slices of baguette, the children enjoyed either a game of Boules or a choice of video cartoons in French.

A big MERCI to Mme Turner, Head of French, who master-minded the thoroughly enjoyable and memorable day.

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Academic

Some winning entries from our KPS Creative Writing Competition...

My Funny Family Mummy likes to care and share.

She looks after us all everywhere.

My favourite breakfast is pancakes and bacon And it’s always best when Mummy makes them.

Lara, she is our family pet.

She gets upset at the vet And when she goes to get her jab, She curls up like a frightened lab.

Gabriel, he’s the naughty one But when he stays, he’s lots of fun.

We stay up late, he’s always talking And we even pretend to go sleep-walking.

I’m doing Dad last of all, he thinks he’s tall but he’s rather small.

When our scales say he’s not that thin, he runs off quickly to the gym.

I love my family and my family loves me, When you are free, please come to tea.

My little sister Princess Millie Dresses in pink which I think is silly.

Every time another princess comes to play, They lock themselves away all day.

By Jules Hawking (Winner, Poem 10 Years)

Little Kit is a small and tiny thing, We cover our ears when he tries to sing.

He keeps us up every night With his dreadful song, g, nobodyy sleeps p tight. g

Life in the Trenches Rats scurrying around on the floor, pieces of shrapnel flying above my head.

Water up to my knees giving me trench foot, lice making me itch.

The officers living in a bunker dug into the mud.

Friends being shot right in front of my eyes, the sound of plane propellers whirring, the bang of grenades and bombs exploding.

It pierces my heart, the thought of not going home ever again.

The barbed wire covered in pieces of cloth and stained with blood.

Poisonous gas choking the unlucky.

By George Hannon (Winner, Poem 8 & 9 Years)

On the Beach Giggling children from far away Splashing in the waves.

Building sandcastles with a moat Decorating it with shells.

Having ice-cream dribbling away In the hot sun.

Snorkelling amongst the beautiful fish Beware the stinging jellyfish!

Hunting rock pools for pinching crabs With bright coloured nets.

Making friends On the beach.

By Mia Randolph (Runner-Up, Poem 7 Years)

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Academic

The Eagle

Wonders of Space

They marched, none of them looking back at the chaos they caused.

Deadly darkness, no dawn, no dusk, Planets lurking in the middle of nowhere, Perishing Pluto, far away, Red planet, maroon Mars, Swirling rings, swooping round Saturn, Scalding sun, screeching and exploding, Smashing supernova destroy everything, Crackling comets, streaming water, Big black holes, pull back time, Gigantic galaxies, with billions of starts and planets, Amazing astronauts , reaching the moon . . .

Trees destroyed, towns massacred, people distraught, but there was no emotion on the legion’s face.

Dried blood smeared all around their helmets.

Their spears, swords, shields battle-worn.

The only sound was their feet.

Stamp-stamp, stamp-stamp, like a heartbeat.

By Alex Sedcole (Winner, Poem 7 Years)

As they marched the scenery softened and more light broke through the trees.

If you looked down from above you would see a metallic machine, massive and brutal, cutting through the undergrowth.

If you looked up you would see a metallic bird, fierce and proud, the legion’s golden eagle.

Me.

By Tom Reeves (Winner, Poem 11 Years)

The biblical tale of Jacob The biblical tale of Jacob and his 12 sons sees Joseph being sold as a slave by his brothers, jealous of his relationship with their father.

While working in Egypt for Potiphar, Joseph is fortunate enough to work his way up through the ranks until he is head of the house.

A uncanny kknack An k ffor iinterpreting i d dreams gets Joseph out of prison and earns him a job working for the Pharaoh. Interpreting the Pharaoh’s dreams, Joseph forecasts seven years of bountiful crops, followed by seven years of famine.

However, bad luck strikes when Joseph is found in a compromising position with the lady of the house, and is thrown in jail.

The famine brings the brothers to Egypt in search of food and an eventual family reunion.

Anonymous

13

Boarding

“Home from home” at KPS Our boarding house, High Vinnalls, is presently full with twenty boarders, Team Titley, Miss Rexe, Mr Hamilton, Mrs Brunt and Mickey the dog. However, despite its popularity, it is not necessarily to everyone’s taste!

Introduction We are lucky enough to have twenty beds available to boarders.

I have been involved in boarding for over 20 years and nothing ever replaces home, but at High Vinnalls there is a warm, nurturing environment where boarding and family seamlessly combine to provide an environment where young boarders feel safe, loved and secure. For the young boarders, it is the perfect start to life at school. Lovely Houseparents, top food, plenty of staff and a really well thought out amount of time for trips and activities and time to play and be children.

I asked Mr Titley to put down his thoughts ughts on paper and was delighted with his ‘Perplexed from Paignton’ article.

I hope you enjoy.

Dear Mr Brearey I am writing to voice my concerns regarding my child’s recent experiences of boarding at High Vinnalls. I know what boarding is all about, as I boarded myself from the age of 3 to 18, and therefore feel suitably qualified to question some off your practices.

Firstly, food. I have been reliably informed that your boarders have a choice in what they eat for dinner. I sayy again, a choice! In my day you would eat what you were given and enjoy it, since when did we start offering children choices? If that was not bad enough, I have subsequently learnt that this practice also takes place at breakfast where the boarders are offered such fayre as cereal, porridge, toast, bacon, sausages, waffles, yogurt and fruit, as well as pastries from far-flung corners of the world.

Mr Brearey, a simpler menu with no choices, oices, which does not spoil the boarders, is the way forward. If this practice does not cease, before long my child will be demanding such fine dining at home.

Dare I suggest that this simple menu would save the school a considerable amount of money? I look forward to your response on this matter and, of course, a subsequent fee remission.

I was assured when I signed my child up for boarding at KPS that they were going to get an excellent, all-round education where my child would achieve their full potential. Perfect. You will therefore sympathize with me when I tell you that during my phone conversation with my child on Friday all they could manage in response to my questions was: one hello, four yeps, one no, an I’m busy, one I love you and a bye. His poor mother did not even get a look in. Did you realise that in the evening at High Vinnalls the boarders, once homework and reading is complete, are actively encouraged to relax, play games and have fun with their friends? What type of establishment are you running, sir? As this ‘conversation’ took place on a week night, I thought I would try a second call at the weekend; however, a longer conversation with my son, or in fact any child, was not forthcoming as the phone was not even answered. I therefore posted an email to the Houseparent (I believe this the equivalent to a modern day Housemaster) enquiring

14

on the whereabouts of my boy. Now, Mr Brearey, may I suggest you sit down before I tell you his response; the boarders were on an ‘Outing’. A ‘trip’. A ‘visit’. They were, believe it or not, off the school premises enjoying a local attraction. In my day weekends were the ideal times for cramming in extra study, not time to be swanning about the local area receiving, not my words, but those of your Houseparent, a ‘broad and balanced education’. To rub salt into the wound he also chipped in the fact that this term (only three weeks old)) the boarders had already visited Horse World, Laser Ques Quest, the Circus, the park (twice!) and been on a bus tour around Bath. Mr Brearey I must protest, ask that this practice ceases fort forthwith, and enquire about a fee remission.

I fear that this is the thin end of the w wedge and before long you will be w writing to inform me of your new ini initiatives at High Vinnalls, such as: Qua Quality all-round care from qualified and expe experienced staff, a modern boarding house with a ‘homely’ feel, use of extensive and beau utiful grounds and a wide range of beautiful ev evening and weekend activities.

No None of these were available in my da day and it never did me any harm.

I lo look forward to your prompt resp response and revised bill.

Yours You Perplexed of Paignton Per If you would like your child or children to exp experience this terrible life as a boarder then casual boarding may be board the op option for you. Casual boarding is open to any pupil from Year Three to Year Six; we can always find room night, an o odd weekend or a two-week break. whether you need one night Mr Philip Titley (Houseparent) can be contacted via the school office or directly by email: pt@kingswood.bath.sch.uk Please note that long phone calls or extra academic work at the weekends cannot be guaranteed!

Art

Ceramics Club Ceramics club has been running for 13 years! It takes place in the Art Room on Thursday afternoons, from 15.45 – 16.45, and is open to Y5/6 in the Autumn and Summer terms, Y3/4 in the Spring term.

Children explore many clay techniques: thumb/pinch pots, slabbing, coiling, ďŹ ne modelling and applying texture. A range of ďŹ nishes can be applied to ďŹ red clay such as bright, shiny, earthy or matt glazes, glass paints and natural oxides.

Skye: ‘Ceramics is a great club; I’ve joined it every time I can!

Also we get to make amazing WKLQJV OLNH Ă&#x;VK snowmen and birds.’

The progression of skills from Y3 – Y6 can be remarkable. A child can be ‘all ďŹ ngers and thumbs’ in Y3 and in Y6 produce a beautiful piece of art work, worthy of permanent display in our school community. Individual pieces have ranged from fancy cakes to shimmering ďŹ sh to outdoor sculptural panels.

As these photographs and comments show, many children have enjoyed using their hands to produce ceramic pots and models, which they can treasure forever.

Children’s comments:

Hattie: ‘I like ceramics EHFDXVH LW›V YHU\ Ă&#x;GGO\ and messy.’ Kristel: ‘I like it because we’re always making exciting things.’

Archie: ‘It’s like drawing but you make it.’

Emily: ‘I like coming to ceramics because you can learn how to be creative with a different material.’

It is always a busy time in Design Technology at KPS. All Prep Year groups have undertaken a wide variety of projects ranging from paper engineering to simple timber constructions. The children have particularly enjoyed a series of marble run challenges, each increasing in complexity, ďŹ nishing with Year 6 moving outside building large scale runs using some 60 metres of bamboo,and footballs rather than marbles. Among other projects Year 3 and Year 5 studied the mysterious world of textiles, leading to some weaving experiments and the making of a carefully designed glove puppet.

The whole concept of what,how and why fabrics are made and joined proved to be a real eye-opener for the children, for example the silk worm and real felt. I take heart that all in Year 5 now know how to sew a button on, no doubt a vital life skill in future years when living away from home! As is always the case at KPS, children of all ages enjoy the fun,hands-on learning of this most practical of subjects and I hope this introduction to Design Technology ďŹ res their enthusiasm for the subject .

15

Pre-Prep

KPS

Pre-Prep

You collect your little one at the end of the day, and the once pristine polo shirt looks suspiciously like a washing powder advert challenge (mud, paint, glitter, unidentifiable foodstuffs, etc!) but the answer to ‘What have you done today, darling?’ is undoubtedly, ‘Don’t know, can’t remember’.

So what exactly is it that goes on in the Pre-Prep when all the mummies and daddies have dropped off and a new day at school begins?

The truth is that a ‘normal’ day in the Pre-Prep is actually a pretty rare occurrence. Flexibility, adaptability and the ability to think on your feet are essential traits in the teachers of the youngest children.

Plenty of active, hands-on learning is guaranteed, but every day teachers are responding, reacting and changing plans to meet the diverse needs, interests and enthusiasms of the children in their class. Then, of course, there are all the visits, visitors, activities, ceremonies, concerts and events which punctuate our calendar.

Celebration and jubilation form a significant part of the life of in the KPS Pre-Prep, and make every day in this vibrant learning environment exciting and enriching for all.

Walking through the building, the hustle and bustle of busy children is evident in every available space. Displays in classrooms and corridors are bright, colourful reflections of happy industry. The sounds are of children laughing, chatting and learning, warmly supported by large numbers of well-qualified staff, who nurture and encourage. Phonics, numbers, technology, history, geography, art and music are, as you would expect, very much in evidence.

16

The adventure that is exploration and discovery is not limited to the classroom, however. Frequent visitors to the Pre-Prep will be familiar with the rows of wellies and waterproofs that line our corridors, and will know that, for us, learning is as likely to be taking place in the Secret Garden, or surveying the hedgerows, as it is in the confines of the classroom. As well as having plenty of fun and keeping healthy, spending time outdoors provides our children with excellent opportunities to learn about nature, about their own capabilities and about their own place in the World. Through outdoor education, the children develop a broad range of practical skills, and in-depth knowledge and understanding, grounded in active, hands-on learning.

What is clear is that, as well as exploring the many and varied aspects of the curriculum, our children are busy developing as little people. They are becoming confident and thoughtful, developing a strong and positive sense of self-identity, and acquiring a disposition for learning and success that could last them a lifetime.

From the moment they join the Pre-Prep, our children embark on a learning journey. Maybe we can’t quite take all the credit for the wonderful A’ level results they will undoubtedly go on to achieve, but we can be sure that it is in the Pre-Prep that the children are learning how to learn. And to think that there are those who say that Pre-Prep children just play all day!

Pre-Prep “KPS children are inquisitive, curious and really interested in life around them.�

17

Pre-Prep

With Harvest Week in full swing and the children settling beautifully into their new routines, the Nursery is a really happy, buzzing and vibrant place to be.

Our Nursery ‘diet’ of having a minimum of 5 stories told or read every day is going strong. For a young child the world of the imagination is as real as the physical, everyday world. Our very little children seem to have the ability to cross back and forth on a ‘bridge’ of imaginative activity, like butterflies. The story-telling g sessions throughout the day serve to nourish the children’s imagination. It is absolutely fascinating to watch their faces as they listen to a story with rapt attention, many of them appearing to be transported to a place where a spoon becomes a telephone, a piece of play-doh is a feast waiting to be enjoyed by an imaginary creature who lives in an underwater cave, surrounded by sparkling fish and killer whales. Rhyming stories are a big hit with ‘Don’t Put Your Finger in the Jelly Nelly’ rating very high in popularity this week week, and inspiring some highly creative and very amusing rhyming lines from the children!

Play comes in many forms, and in these very early days children may play alone or with others, and the experience may be shortlived, prolonged, recurring, or new and innovative. As Nursery staff support play and exploration in positive ways, based on where a child is in his or her learning, and build on current interests and fascinations, children’s confidence and self-esteem soar.

‘Finding out what things are, how they work and what to do with them occupies a great deal of attention and effort for the young child’ (Garvey 1986)

18

We are already seeing many signs of this exciting stage of development in the Nursery as the children eagerly explore their new indoor and outdoor environment. They are enjoying all our toys and equipment, as they whizz around the playground on bikes and scooters,, make little cakes with ‘Mrs Burp,’ (alias Mrs Burke), in our newly refurbished Food T Technology Room, start g getting to know our two guinea pigs, ‘Twinkle’ and g ‘Star’ or perhaps consider ‘S what wh contribution they might like to create for our ‘Nursery Gallery’ wall display, which is Ga growing by the day. gro There The is just so much to expl explore and plenty of time and supportive, caring staff right there to wipe away the occas occasional tear on these first ea l mornings. m mo nings O e ne e little c early Our very new, very children quite quickly fi d themselves th find happily distracted by a puppet, an exciting table top activity, or by a comforting story being read in one of our quiet carpeted areas, accompanied by the soothing sounds emanating from a small yellow harp played by one of our newest little boys.

With our overall theme for this half-term revolving around Teddy Bears and ‘We’re Going on a Bear Hunt’ being a central story, ‘The Three Bears’ Cottage’ role-play area is proving very popular.

Mummy, Daddy and Baby Bear are getting to grips with making and spooning out porridge and fixing broken chairs, whilst Goldilocks enjoys trying on a selection of beautiful long dresses as she makes a few ‘phone calls whilst preparing pizza for the bears. These are very happy days filled with awe and wonder.

Pre-Prep

Parents and carers are always welcome, especially during the early weeks as the children become acquainted with their new environment and new routines. We look forward very much to welcoming you and to sharing the children’s progress and development together.

Playing is the point. It is what children do when we stop telling them what to do, and simply give them time, space, permission and an exciting, stimulating environment that fosters play in its many forms.

Yes, of course children are learning, they are being physically active,

socializing, and increasing their ability to be creative. And all of this leads to increased conďŹ dence and self-esteem and fosters children who are emotionally engaged in their learning as they explore through their play‌and what a wonderful way to spend time.

19

Music & Drama

Go for Gold!

Not only did the Olympic Games come to London this year; they also graced the stage of Kingswood Theatre for the annual Year 5 & 6 KPS production.

Ancient met modern in ‘Go For Gold’, a tale of dashed hopes, dreams and determination.

The fun started with the expansion of the script. After an initial reading, a keen writing team met and thrashed out ideas for new characters and scenes. Some corny jokes were added and we were ready for a first walk-through. During rehearsals, the play continued to evolve with ideas being expanded and the cast bringing their own interpretations to the roles.

In the meantime, in true team spirit, children and staff also played their part in set-design, prop-making, photography, choreography and costume-making. The Boarding House was raided for ‘teenage-style chairs’ and Mrs Cross rewrote lyrics and adapted some tunes from the Eighties to fit in with our storyline.

Further rehearsals brought shape to the production and refined the acting, singing and movement. Once the theatre was set up, energy levels increased and performances were eagerly anticipated. At last, the time had come!

As ever, the cast rose to the occasion and delivered an excellent show. Charlotte Chilton (Nora Nosoff) and Eva Hudson (Suzie Swift) were very strong leads, confidently backed up by a super-efficient news team. The Ancient Greek scenes were convincingly portrayed

20

and included some formidable Spartan warriors, a rapping Zeus and a host of Greek goddesses whose singing showed amazing maturity. A favourite for many was the colourful and cleverly choreographed modern Olympic scene (another addition to the original script); however, for giving the audience such thrill and enjoyment, everyone deserved gold!

Music & Drama

LAMDA Alice, Mowgli, Beauty, Fantastic Mr Fox, Violet Beauregard, Toad and the White Witch were just some of the characters presented in this year’s LAMDA exams.

25 children rose to the challenge of preparing for an acting or mime exam in the Autumn Term; this increased to 30 in an extremely busy Summer Term. Levels taken ranged from Entry to Grade 4.

LAMDA Examinations is the UK’s largest statutory speech and drama awarding body. Practising for an examination can unlock the imagination and creative thinking, develop communication skills, refine technical skills and artistry and promote team-working. Most important of all, the process does wonders for the building of self-confidence and self-esteem.

A flavour of the hard work of the candidates was seen in our celebratory ‘LAMDA’ evening, wherein scenes were shared and all were rewarded with delicious nibbles and drinks.

We had great fun rehearsing and refining pieces. Mimes were tested on friends and family and acting scenes were checked for pause, pace, clarity, variety of movement and emotion. When the exams finally came round, there was a healthy amount of nerves which were soon quelled by our friendly examiners.

Once again, the results were delightful: our November candidates gained 16 Distinctions and 9 Merits (our best-ever marks); we await the results of the latest exams. In the meantime, I have the enviable task of reading through plays to find some new pieces. It’s a hard life!!!

21

Music & Drama

A MUSICAL YEAR at KPS 2012 his year has been very busy for the music department and every child in the school has been involved in music making and performing.

In the autumn term, Year 5 held their year group concert in the school hall where the audience of parents and friends were treated to solos, duets and group performances featuring every instrument that is taught in school, and showcasing pupils’ talents from beginners to those who are already quite advanced.

T

The Pre-Prep nativity play was called ‘Children of the World’.

Each class or year group took a country and showed us how they celebrate Christmas in very different ways. We were treated to singing, dancing and stories from all over the world, culminating in the retelling of the birth of Jesus and joint celebration of Christmas.

The Prep Carol Service was held right at the end of the autumn term. Each year group sang carols they had rehearsed for several weeks, and many pupils brought readings and prayers and solo songs which were interspersed between the carols. The congregation enjoyed singing traditional carols by candlelight and Rev Wilkinson, the school chaplain, brought the service to a close with his Christmas thoughts and a blessing.

In the spring term, Year 6, Year 3 and Year 4 all performed year group concerts. There are so many musicians in school that each concert took a whole afternoon and was packed with solo items as well as duets and group pieces. Pupils in Years 5 and 6 moved on rapidly to rehearse and perform ‘Go for Gold’, an Olympic themed musical which combined the first ancient Greek Olympics with this year’s London 2012 Olympic celebrations. For 2 nights the theatre was packed with parents, relatives and friends who enjoyed learning about the history of the Olympics with the message that it’s not about money but about the enjoyment of competing and doing your best, stretching yourself and reaching for the gold standard in everything you

do. The spring term also saw our best ever results in music exams, with 8 distinctions awarded to pupils.

The summer term started with Year 3 and 4 rehearsing ‘Aesop’s Funtastic Fables’, a light-hearted musical in which Aesop took Kevin and Sarah on a journey to meet various animals and learn about teamwork, honesty, imagination and love for all around. The standard of performance was truly amazing with solos from several Year 4 characters, and every child in Year 3 and Year 4 involved on stage in the hall.

Early in the term, the Pre-Prep held what must have been their longest, hottest, most crowded concert ever! On the hottest day of the year we all went to the hall to hear many children’s first public instrumental performances plus the choir and classes singing. We were overwhelmed by parental support and quickly ran out of space. The concert extended far longer than anticipated but every child performed with confidence, and the sheer sense of achievement in the room was tremendous to experience.

Congratulations to all who were involved, but particularly to those who waited all afternoon for their moment on the stage. We will split this concert for next year, as we have already done for the older year groups. It was a pity to have been so squashed in the hall, but in some ways a wonderful problem: to have so much music going on in the Pre-Prep that it cannot all be contained in one event any longer.

We also held our first ‘Musicians and Ensembles’ concert in the summer term. This concert was a showcase for some of our most advanced instrumental and vocal pupils alongside our musical ensemble groups. We were treated to incredibly advanced playing from pupils who are all working on grades 3, 4 or 5. From Italian aria to jazz piano to classical violin, every pupil acquitted themselves with a level of musical maturity usually seen only at the senior school. The choir finished the concert with ‘The London Medley’, a setting of songs with a London theme, pointing us towards the Olympics and the Jubilee. As part of our Jubilee festivities the school learned and performed ‘Sing’ by Gary Barlow and Andrew Lloyd-Webber, a song written especially for the Queen and featuring musicians from across the Commonwealth. This song quickly became a favourite across all the year groups and also featured in our end of year celebrations.

ESB CLUB ESB, which stands for English Speaking Board,is an association which focuses on improving public speaking skills.

During ESB club, the children who participate focus on two key aspects of communication: developing a clear speaking voice and, most importantly, how to engage, connect and communicate with an audience.

The club runs from the beginning of the Autumn Term until the end of the Spring Term, at which point the children will take an ESB exam. The exam comprises of four main parts: for the first, main part of the exam, the children have to prepare a presentation on a topic of their choice.

The other parts consist of: learning a poem off by heart, preparing and reading a passage from a chosen text and listening and responding to questions from the examiner and the other members of the group. Due to the long process involved in the preparation for the exam, the children require a certain level of dedication.

As a result of this, when they complete the exam, there is a very

22

real sense of achievement and this is a delight for me to witness.

However, what pleases me most is that I know how much the skills developed will benefit the children in the years to come.

Music & Drama

Exam Success Every year pupils, who are ready to take music exams, work hard to perfect pieces, scales, sight-reading and aural skills. At the end of each term the main music room becomes an exam centre for the internationally-renowned ABRSM music exams. These exams are recognised across the world as setting the benchmark in musical achievement. There is a preparatory grade then 8 further grades in every instrument and in singing. Exams are marked hard – the pass mark is 66%, then to gain a merit you need 80%, and for

a distinction you need 87%. The graded exams assess musical performance and ability and can be taken at any age. ABRSM grade 5 is considered to be the level of performance needed for an A grade in GCSE Music; grades 6 – 8 count towards university entrance requirements. Our pupils continue to succeed in their music exams each term. Congratulations to the following pupils who took music exams over the past academic year:

Music Exams Results 2011 - 2012 First Name

Year Surname Group

Instrument

Grade Mark Category

Rose

Bates

2

Piano prep

0

Pass

Emma

Blezard

6

Singing

2

118

Pass

James

Button

4

Piano

1

120

Merit

Zoe

Crisp

2

Singing prep

0

Charlotte

Cutter

5

Clarinet

1

122

Merit

Isaac

Fee

3

Piano

3

108

Pass

Olivia

Fee

2

Piano prep

0

Pass

Theo

Gammie

6

Singing

3

113

Pass

Lexi

Hart

5

Piano

1

126

Merit

William

Jeffery

5

Piano prep

0

Olivia

Jones

5

Piano

1

Sebastien

Nicastro

6

Guitar prep

0

Pass

Ruby

O’Mahony

2

Singing prep

0

Pass

Anais

Osborne

6

Piano

3

109

Pass

Rebecca

Ousby

6

Singing

2

123

Merit

Rory

Padkin

4

Piano

2

131

Distinction

Oliver

Parry

6

Singing

3

121

Merit

Peter

Phillips

6

Piano

1

125

Merit

Johnny

Sedcole

4

Piano

3

131

Distinction

Oscar

Stevens

4

Piano prep

0

Grace

Stuart

2

Singing

1

Natasha

Thornton

6

Guitar prep

0

Emily

Yates

5

Singing

2

William

Barnes

6

Guitar prep

0

Pass

Oliver

Biggs

3

Piano prep

0

Pass

Charlotte

Chilton

5

Piano

3

Pass

Pass 120

Merit

Pass 120

Merit Pass

121

117

Merit

Pass

Rufus

Dakin

2

Piano prep

0

Pass

Miles

Deverell

2

Piano prep

0

Pass

Sam

Ewing

4

Recorder

1

120

Merit

Barnabas

Fletcher

6

Violin

2

100

Pass

Maddie

Greenway

6

Piano

2

127

Merit

Nathan

Gregg

5

Piano

3

114

Pass

Oliver

Hall

6

Saxophone

2

116

Pass

Joshua

Knight

5

Piano

1

106

Pass

Oliver

Knight

3

Piano prep

0

Anais

Osborne

6

Violin

3

122

Merit

Rebecca

Ousby

6

Saxophone

2

117

Pass

Oliver

Parry

6

Guitar

2

103

Pass

Mia

Randolph

2

Violin

2

109

Pass

Anna

Rowland

6

Piano

4

131

Distinction

Alexander

Sedcole

6

Piano

1

131

Distinction

Benjamin

Shardlow

4

Guitar prep

0

Pass

Harry

Stevens

3

Piano prep

0

Pass

Lily

Palmer

5

Cornet

1

131

Distinction

Anna

Blezard

5

Piano

1

114

Pass

Tristan

Day

5

Piano

1

110

110

Phoebe

Hall

3

Piano

0

Emma

James

5

Violin

2

114

Pass

Tom

Lane Fox

4

Violin

2

124

Merit

Callum

Michie

6

Alto Saxophone

1

122

Merit

Hannah

Morris

6

Violin

3

113

Pass

Alex

Rawle

6

Piano

2

113

Pass

Ashish

Tamang

5

Violin

1

108

Pass

Pass

Pass

23

Music & Drama

Mid-Somerset Fest During a busy four days in March, KPS pupils polished their performing skills in a range of classes at the Mid-Somerset Festival.

They competed against children from all over the South West region and were first-rate ambassadors for our school. There were some nail-biting moments during adjudications and the excellent results were thoroughly deserved….

Speech & Drama Verse Speaking 7 ½ - 8yrs

Alex Sedcole

Distinction

Winner*

8 ½ - 9yrs

Kristel Langkilde

Commended

3rd

9 - 9 ½yrs

Georges Boutin

Distinction

3rd

10 ½ - 11yrs

Eva Hudson

Distinction

3rd

9yrs

Johnny Sedcole

Commended

3rd

10yrs

Ellie Brearey

Commended

Eva Hudson

Merit

Olivia Jones

Commended

2nd

Charlotte Chilton

Commended

3rd

Hannah Morris

Commended

3rd

Joanna Vaughan

Merit

Ellie Brearey

Merit

Harvey Heap & Nathan Gregg

Commended

Zoe Field-King & Maddie Edwards

Commended

Alice O’Gorman & Hebe Mottershead Davies

Commended

Ben Narbett & Max Brindley

Distinction

Beth Harris

Commended

Francesca Ledbury

Commended

Emma James

Commended

Hattie Foster

Moderate

Eva Hudson

Merit

Ellie Brearey

Commended

Olivia Jones

Merit

Charlotte Chilton

Distinction

Reading Aloud

Memorised Prose 11 & 12yrs Solo Mime 10 & 11yrs

Duo Mime 11yrs

3rd

2nd

Solo Acting 9yrs

10yrs

11yrs

24

Winner

Music & Drama

ival Success Duo Acting 11yrs

12yrs

Anna Blezard & Eleanor Robertson

Merit

Chloe Rawlins & Georgette Wakefield

Moderate

Charlotte Chilton & Hannah Morris

Distinction

3rd

Charlotte Chilton

Distinction

Winner

Hannah Morris

Merit

Olivia Jones

Distinction

Ellie Brearey

Merit

TV Newsreading 10 & 11yrs

2nd

*Winner Evelyn Sandford Memorial Cup Alex’s mark in his verse speaking class was the highest in several classes and won him a prestigious overall trophy.

Alex was asked to recite his poem in the Festival’s Speech and Drama Concert, held in the Guildhall’s Banqueting Room. What an honour!

Creative Writing Poem 8yrs

8 & 9yrs

10 yrs

11yrs

Winner

Alex Sedcole

Outstanding

Mia Randolph

Commended

Reuben Zukas

Distinction

Johnny Sedcole

Distinction

George Hannon

Distinction

Charlie Roach

Distinction

Jules Hawking

Commended

Isaac Fendley

Distinction

Tom Reeves

Outstanding

Alex Read

Distinction

George Lowes

Commended

George Hannon

Commended

Ben Shardlow

Distinction

2nd

Johnny Sedcole

Outstanding

Winner

Eva Hudson

Commended

Olivia Jones

Distinction

Matthew Hooper

Merit

Jules Hawking

Merit

Charlotte Cutter

Distinction

2nd

3rd

Winner

Short Story 9yrs & under

10 - 13yrs

A huge WELL DONE to all involved!

25

Music & Drama

My Favourite Song We all love to sing. Every class sings and every pupil sings and probably every teacher sings, too.

In the Autumn Term the Pre-Prep get busy learning songs for their Christmas Nativity, in the Spring Term Year 5 and 6 learn songs for their production, and in the Summer Term it is the turn of Year 3 and 4 to learn songs for their play too. Here are some of our favourite songs that we sing in music classes as part of our termly music topics – can you remember the tunes?

I moving down, I’m moving down then up real slow.

Reception: Dr Knickerbocker Year 5: Oh won’t you sit down Dr Knickerbocker, knickerbocker, number nine, I’d like to be a Martian or the man in the moon, Oh won’t you sit down, Lord I can’t sit down, He likes to dance and he keeps in time, I’d go as far as Pluto, I’d take a look at Mars, Oh won’t you sit down, Lord I can’t sit down, Now let’s get the rhythm of our heads, And perhaps I’d even catch a falling star, Oh won’t you sit down, Lord I can’t sit down, Now let’s get the rhythm of our lips, And perhaps I’d even catch a falling star.

‘Cos I just got to heaven, gonna look around.

Now let’s get the rhythm of our hips, It’s incredible, it’s so great, It’s a here to infinity, Who’s that yonder dressed in red?

Now let’s get the rhythm of our feet, wonderful, mystery place.

Must be the children that Moses led.

Now let’s get the rhythm of our hands, Who’s that yonder dressed in white?

Now let’s get the rhythm of the number nine Yr 3: Cockles and Mussels Must be the children of the Israelite.

1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9!

In Dublin’s fair city, where girls are so pretty, Year 6: Swing Low She’ll be coming Year 1: Sing of a rainbow I first set my eyes on sweet Molly Malone, Oh when the saints Sing of a rainbow, a beautiful rainbow, As she wheeled her wheel barrow, Swing low sweet chariot, coming for to carry Sunshine and rain make a magical sight, through streets broad and narrow, me home, Swing low sweet chariot, coming Sing of a rainbow, a beautiful rainbow, Crying ‘Cockles and mussels, alive alive-o!’ for to carry me home.

Painting the skies with a palette of light.

Alive, alive-o, alive, alive-o, She’ll be coming round the mountain when she There’s red and orange and yellow and green, blue Crying ‘Cockles and mussels, alive, alive-o!’ comes, and indigo and violet, She’ll be coming round the mountain So many colours to be seen, Year 4: Scoo Bee Doo Bee song when she comes, How can we best describe it?

Doo, doo, doo, doo be doo, doo, doo, She’ll be coming round the mountain, coming Sing of a rainbow, sing of a rainbow. doo, doo be doo. round the mountain, She’ll be coming round the Scoobee doobee doobee doobee do do doo, mountain when she comes.

Year 2: Space, it’s a place scoobee doobee doobee doobee do do doo.

Oh when the saints go marching in, Space, it’s a place, stretching out way Scoobee doobee doobee doobee do do doo, Oh when the saints go marching in, beyond far away, scoobee doobee doobee doobee do do doo.

I want to be in that number, Past all the stars, who can say if it’s near or it’s far? Bap shoo wap, bap shoo wap, bap shoo wap, When the saints go marching in.

And it I had a rocket I would fly there soon, bap shoo wap, My feet do stamp and my hands do clap, My fingers are a clicking and my arms do flap, I turn around and around I go,

Theresa Cole teaches ‘cello at KPS Here is her string-playing story: How old were you when you started playing ‘cello? I was 8 years old.

Why did you start to play the ‘cello? I was asked if I’d like to learn and I said yes, even though I didn’t know what a ‘cello was!

Where did you study to be a ‘cello teacher? I studied at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama.

What do you enjoy about teaching the ‘cello? I enjoy being able to share the joy of playing the ‘cello and how much fun it can be.

What other musical activities do you do with your ‘cello apart from teaching? I play in a String Quartet and I also love playing in shows. My favourites are Les Miserables and Oliver because the ‘cello parts are just fabulous!

What is your favourite piece of ‘cello music? There is an amazing amount of beautiful ‘cello music and my favourite varies over the years. At the moment it’s Brahm’s Sonata in E Minor.

Why is the ‘cello a good instrument to learn? You can make a good sound even when you are a beginner.

What do you enjoy doing when you are not playing the ‘cello? I enjoy reading crime thrillers and meeting friends for coffee.

26

Staff News

Farewell to Ron Hamilton

This year we said a sad farewell to Ron Hamilton.

Ron arrived on a one-year contract from inner London and very quickly immersed himself into life at KPS.

“Mr Hamilt on was coo l, he loved ga dgets, eating chicken and IT.”

He was astounded by the opportunities on offer both in and out of the classroom. He believed the children to be incredibly lucky and fortunate to be at such a school. As many of you are aware, Ron was ‘stacked’ and had muscles growing on muscles!

Large platefuls of protein, normally in the form of 10 chicken breasts, were slowly consumed throughout the course of the school day. Ron enjoyed his games coaching and work in the Boarding House and we all wish Ron every success and happiness in his new post in Switzerland.

ays ilton alw “Mr Ham or us in the e f had tim om.” classro

Jessica Anderson arrived in Yr1!

Previous schools: Broomwood Hall, London; Dormer House, Cotswolds; Thomas’s, Fulham;; Upper Horfield Primary School, Bristol

Favourite food: Lasagne Favourite film: Good Morning Vietnam If you were not a teacher, what would you be?: Aid and Development Worker 3 things to take to a desert island: a Leatherman, a sarong, food Favourite place visited: Philippines First impression of KPS: Friendly

Thanks also to Helen Stanfield, Claire Bailey, Fiona Bateman and Nicki Portman for all their hard work over the academic year. All made a significant difference to our community.

Helen Stanfield

Claire Bailey

Fiona Bateman

Nicki Portman

27

Sport Celebrations

KPS Jubilee celebrations

A glorious day for a

Jubilee Jamboree!

Over 1,000 adults and children enjoyed a fabulous day on the Upper playing fields in celebration of the Queen’s Jubilee.

An atmosphere of friendship, fellowship and fun abounded in the true British traditional style of a summer Sunday afternoon fête. Music played, the hog roast sizzled, ‘fizz’ popped, children played, ponies paraded, posh cakes and cream teas added the n calories, Dads and teachers played football and everyone had an ble amazing time. The surprise ‘Royal’ visitor was delighted to be able to pop in for a few minutes in her busy schedule and helped the Headmaster of the Senior School, Simon Morris, to thank everyone one for their support! Gareth Chilcott kept the whole afternoon buzzing ng along with his masterful voice and enthusiastic commentary for the human table football game. It was wonderful to have an event nt which reached across all sectors of the Kingswood Community with governors, staff, parents, former parents, pupils, former pupils, member of the Bath community and many relatives and friends all enjoying such a great afternoon together. It is hoped that the event will have raised in the region of £5,000 for the Kingswood Foundation, which supports John Wesley Bursaries and capital projects for the benefit of current and future generations of pupils at Kingswood, as well as facilities for the members of the wider community to enjoy. A huge thank you to everyone who supported the event and especially to all the volunteers who helped with the planning and organisation.

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Sport Celebrations

KPS Jubilee celebrations

29

Celebrations

International Day Dressed to impress as animals from around the World, the children in the Pre-Prep enjoyed an unforgettable International Day, discovering species big and small from Africa and Australia.

They had the chance to get truly up-close and personal with animals including meerkats, a porcupine, a boa constrictor and a baby tarantula, thanks to a Really Wild Presentation from Tropical Inc. Mask-making, fabric-painting, sand art, jewellery-making and Aboriginal artwork were just some of the exciting, hands-on activities enjoyed by children from Nursery to Year 2, as they celebrated and explored the magical kingdom of the animals.

International Day in the Prep School was also eagerly awaited by staff and pupils alike. The school was adorned with flags from many countries and there were many impressive costumes on show. The day was linked to the Olympic theme in anticipation of next term.

The five countries that were represented were Australia, Kenya, Peru, China and Ireland. Children of mixed ages represented each of the five countries and throughout the day the groups rotated around five workshops. They learnt about their country through art

30

Celebrations

and craft, dance and ICT activities. Each group also produced a video relating to their respective country country. The day concluded with an assembly in which much of the work was shared and presented.

As you can see from some of the comments below the day was a massive success and it certainly helped that we were blessed with glorious weather.

In our school prospectus it states, “We strive to create an atmosphere where all pupils learn to live together amicably, gain an awareness of others and begin to develop attitudes, values and beliefs based on Christian principles”. Events such as International Day play an important part in helping to shape the attitudes of our children and to recognise, celebrate and respect the great diversity of the world in which we live. Our children will become global citizens who hopefully will want to contribute towards creating a world where there is greater tolerance and understanding of other peoples and nations. One only has to pick up a newspaper to be aware of problems throughout the world caused by ignorance and intolerance.

As a community we can all be proud of the steps that our children are keen to take towards achieving the goal of world peace and understanding.

I cooked Irish soda bread. Before International Day I didn’t know what it was or where it came from. I also HQMR\HG ZRUNLQJ RQ WKH OHDàHW LQ ICT. - Charlie W. “I really learnt a lot about China and the IDFW WKDW WKH àDJ LV RQO\ VL[W\ WKUHH years old. It was great to work with children from other classes. - Dominic C. I really enjoyed doing the Tangram puzzles with Mr. Chitson. I tried to do them as fast as Mr. Chitson but I couldn’t!”- Tom R.

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Sport Celebrations

OLYMPIC

ARRIVES IN

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Sport Celebrations

TORCH

BATH

33

Sport

KPS and the Olympic/Paralympic Games As the London 2012 games approached, KPS decided that they wanted to fire the children’s enthusiasm for all things ”Olympic” by following the Games as a theme for a significant part of the Summer Term.

From the day that the Olympic Flame passed through Bath until the end of the Summer Term KPS had 6 weeks of Olympic- themed activities which helped to set the scene for the amazing Summer of Sport which was to follow. Here’s a summary of what we did:

Visits from Olympians/Paralympians Kate Allenby (Modern Pentathlon) Ben Rushgrove (100m/200m) Geoff Cooke (Sprint Cycling) Max Robertson (400m hurdles) Jamie King (Swimming)

Sports Demonstrations Fencing Tae Kwon Do Boxing Judo Archery

Sports Workshops Handball Synchronised Swimming Fencing Water Polo Canoeing Wheelchair Basketball Mountain Biking Volleyball

Olympic-style events Reception Swimming Gala Year 1 and 2 Swimming Gala

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Athletics meetings for Y3 - 6 Aquathon Race

Family Events Parent and child Triathlon Parent and child (Athletic) Pentathlon

Assemblies: Weekly Prep and Pre-Prep Assemblies focusing on the Olympic/ Paralympic values of Friendship Respect Equality Excellence Determination Inspiration Courage

Large-scale events : Watching the Olympic Torch Relay Olympic-inspired production “Go for Gold”.

Olympic-themed Theatre Workshops Whole-school Olympic Opening Ceremony Whole school Run 2012 laps/walk 2012 laps “Have fun with flags” as part of World Sport Day. Make the Olympic Village out of Lego.

Sport

Sport at KPS In 2011-2012 KPS sports teams played against other schools in the following fixtures: (There were many, many more internal matches and events) Autumn 2011

Summer 2012

110 Rugby matches (51 at “A” team level, 59 below “A” team level) 92 Hockey matches (43/49) 32 Football matches (16/16) Plus Swimming galas, Cross-country races, Orienteering events, Judo tournaments.

Rain badly affected this term; the following were scheduled to happen (but not all of them went ahead) 71 Cricket matches (29/42) 47 Rounders matches (31/16) Plus several Athletics events, Swimming galas, Aquathon events, Tennis matches, Orienteering events and all the KPS Olympic Events in the run-up to London 2012.

Spring 2012 127 Hockey matches (52/75) 104 Netball matches (64/40) 54 Football matches (26/28) Plus Swimming galas, Cross-country races, Rugby matches, Orienteering races, Fencing tournaments.

Our aim is to make sport at KPS something which is truly experienced and enjoyed by all….regardless of their ability or experience. There are so many positive benefits from participation that we aim to involve all the children as often as possible throughout the year.

35

Play & Activities

Extra-Curricular Activities We have over 800 places a week available for our children to do activities – from cooking, choir, chess, video editing, archaeology, fencing …the list is simply the envy of other schools and means we can discover and nurture new talents in your children.

Did you know? s There are now 80 ECAs that run each week! s There are over 1000 places within the ECA weekly programme! s A little less than 50% of ECAs are sports-related. s 8 adults involved in the ECA programme have competed at national or international level in their chosen sport! s 1 coach played with David Beckham in the Youth Man. Utd. team of 1992 and was quoted on record as being the best young player in England at the time! s Some of the ECA programme has changed over the years in response to the School Council. s The Orienteers are currently the National Junior Schools champions! s At the Bushido National Judo Championships at High Wycombe last weekend Ethan Hawtin gained Silver medal in the U30kg class, Ben Shardlow Gold medal at U35kg and Rory Padkin Gold Medal at U40kg! Well done to all who competed!

At KPS we aim to provide the children with as broad a range of opportunities as possible to help them find interests outside of the classroom that will stimulate and motivate them, ones that they may wish to develop further in their lives. Hopefully this will provide a spark that will ignite their interest and encourage them to pursue the activity to a greater depth. Over the last two years the provision, in particular within the Pre-Prep, has increased dramatically for sports activities.

“It’s Playtime!”

A wonderful playground, a nature area, a secret garden, an outdoor education area, a woodland play area, a tree platform and zip wire, areas of fields and walls, as well as places to play sport, provide KPS children with something very special.

If your children need a quiet space to think or adventurous play areas in which to jump and run, then KPS provides the perfect space for young children to play. I remember Break being the highlight of every day and I want the children at KPS to feel the same. ‘Letting off steam’ at Break can only benefit learning in the classroom.

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The ECA E programme was identified as a strength of the school in last year’s year inspection report. “Personal development dev is greatly enhanced by the t school’s exceptional extracurricular ext programme. At the time of the inspection, 55 activities were on offer. The range ac extended from 24 different sports, ex musical ensembles, drama and m speaking activities to cookery s and an art clubs. Pupils are highly a appreciative of the activities, and ap a feel fe that there is something for everyone’. e I am grateful to staff and friends of the th school who work so hard to provide wonderful opportunities p for fo the children and to Denise Seward S who tirelessly types and updates the lists. u

Play & Activities

A Step Back in Time for Year 6 From the moment Miss Squire’s stern figure appeared ringing the bell on the steps of Sevington Victorian School, we knew this would be no ordinary day. Girls and boys were separated from the start and we were told to hold our heads high and keep our backs straight. Lessons in the tiny schoolroom included: £ s d maths on slate boards, copybook handwriting and vocal gymnastics. We learnt that ‘children are to be seen and not heard’ and were threatened with ‘six of the best’ or the dunce cap if our work wasn’t good enough. While the boys made beeswax candles, the girls were taken to the parlour where they made lavender bags and were shown the housemaid’s box. At break we had great fun playing with hooplas, magnetic fish and hobby horses. It had been good stepping back into the past, but I’m nott sure I’d like to stay there!

37

Play & Activities

Prep-Orienteering The highlight of the year had to be winning the 2011 British Schools’ Championships.

Beecraigs Country Park provided a very suitable challenge for the event with the courses mixing running on woodland tracks and open land, but all extremely wet underfoot after the Scottish ‘summer’. Jim Bailey(3rd), Jamie Deverell (4th) and Ben Shardlow (9th) took the honours as the Year 5 boys champions. The girls contributed to the school team; Cecilia Mayne (3rd Year 5) and Charlotte Cutter (7th Year 6) together with Jim and Jamie were crowned British champions.

Kingswood once again won the primary schools’ league trophy with events ranging from the Quantock Hills, the Mendips, the Forest of Dean, glorious Westonbirt and closer to home Rocks East woodlands. Kingswood always seem to take a few weeks to get going, but this year did not leave it until the last event to take the lead and finished with a resounding win, over 200 points ahead of our closest rivals Redland High.

Ben Narbett won the Year 6 boys title and Charlotte Cutter was unlucky to be just 3 points off third place in the Year 6 girls. James Bailey scored the maximum 500 points to win in a very competitive Year 5 boys’ class, finally taking the title at the last event of the season. This competitive class also included Jamie Deverell and Ben Shardlow, both regular scorers for the team. James Button, who ran at every one of the 8 events throughout the season, is one of our most consistent orienteers and scored at all but one of the events.

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A great achievement! Elizabeth Narbett continued the family tradition and also scored the maximum 500 points to secure a win in the Year 5 girls with Cecilia Mayne taking 2nd place.

Throughout the season many newcomers have done well and at times scored good points for the school, so special mention should go to the following: Louis Fryer, Georges Boutin, Isaac Fee, Johnny Phillips, Eleanor Phillips and Alberta Fryer.

The individual championships took place at New Beechenhurst, in the Forest of Dean. Nothing can describe the weather conditions experienced. With gale force winds, torrential rain and freezing temperatures, the children did brilliantly to eventually get out of the car. This was the British summer!

The Year 5 competition was always going to be a close-run thing a High Littleton pupil and Ben Shardlow were leading the course early on, but a big mistake at control 3 cost them the race and it was a pupil from Weston All Saints Primary who

Play & Activities

report 2012 came in to win. Ben Shardlow ran the quickest second half of the course to take 2nd position on the day closely followed by Jamie Deverell in third.

It was also intense competition in the Year 4 race with James Bailey vying for top spot. He came 2nd on the day less than 30 seconds behind the WASPS winner. Georges Boutin maintained his careful navigation to take third place.

Cecilia Mayne, Charlotte Cutter, James Button, Louis Fryer, Isaac Fee, Johnny Phillips and Alberta Fryer should also be mentioned for braving the cold conditions and, of course, the parents who carried the coats and mopped up the muddy kit afterwards. The saving grace was the warm marquee selling hot food and drink – most welcome to all!

Mendips. With torrential rain on the journey it did not bode well, however, once there the rain stopped and it remained dry throughout. Kingswood fielded 5 of the 17 teams in the Primary competition with one team of parents. With a mispunch for our first team our best team home came in 4th place. The loudest cheer of the day went to the youngest competitors in the event: Thomas Button and Alberta Fryer, who are our future stars; although spending quite a long time, they persevered to finish the course. It is always a great atmosphere and this year was no exception as I managed to persuade 12 parents to also participate; it was lovely to see the children cheering the parents as well on this occasion and not just the parents watching the children – although I think some are still recovering from the experience!!

The culmination of the orienteering season is always the Inter-school Relays this year taking place at Stock Hill on the

39

News - Pre-Prep

‘Kung Hei Fat Choy!’

The Pre-Prep enjoyed a visit from Mrs Lee to celebrate the Chinese New Year of the Dragon. Mrs Lee brought in her iPad so the children could hear and repeat how to count up to 10 in Chinese.

She brought in noodles, dim sum, spring rolls and rice and the children had a lovely time sampling them using chopsticks. We enjoyed a workshop headed by Mrs Bennington and the children produced some stunning paintings of Chinese flowers and butterflies.

The children chose red and gold flowers to give to Mrs Lee as a ‘Thank You’; these colours represent happiness and prosperity. Thank you so much from all the Pre-Prep. We had a wonderful day!

‘Baa Baa, Moo Moo, Neigh Neigh Neigh!’

The Nursery children had a fantastic time at Warleigh Lodge Farm last Friday. They had the chance to feed lambs, meet and feed goats, groom ‘Gin’ and ‘Tonic’, the two donkeys, and get up-close and personal with a group of very hungry piglets. Invited by Julian, the farmer to make up the piglets’ bed for the night, the children set to work with gusto (and plenty of mud), to ensure the piggies would be comfortable. A visit to the ancient oak tree in search of ‘Peter Rabbit’ who lives in the enormous old trunk, which the children were able to crawl into, though no one actually found Peter – How many 3 year-olds can you fit inside a tree trunk?, followed by a wonderfully noisy, bumpy ride through the stunning countryside and back up to the farm in Julian’s trailer, completed a truly wonderful day.

A big thank you to all the parents who accompanied our 50 Nursery children, to Dave Stephens and Yvonne Brearey for ferrying us to and from the farm, and to the Nursery staff for all their support in making this a day of awe and wonder for all the children.

40

Beyond (Visits & Visitors)

“We’re off!”

Year 6 had a fantastic week at Kilve Court at the end of June. We all set off with excitement building in one coach and the school minibus not far behind. After a short stop at Sedgemoor Services we carried on to the edge of the Quantocks where Kilve is nestled by the sea.

From the moment we arrived we were all impressed by the quality of service and attentiveness of the staff. The attractive grounds were complemented by the clean and up-to-date accommodation and excellent food - nearly everyone had seconds every day! In fact, the food became quite a feature: busy, hungry children need constant refuelling and it was all heartily received!

We wasted no time in getting on with business and after lunch on the Monday we were all straight off to our various activities: mountain biking, mountain boarding, high ropes, canoeing and sailing. And, yes, the teachers were encouraged to join in, too! (Of course, some, like Mr Parry, needed no encouragement to join in!)

On the evening of the first day we played ‘Super Teams’ outside in the grounds of the lovely Georgian Farmhouse and discussed the trip so far. The overwhelming consensus from the children was that it was fantastic! Everyone had started the week with a bang and so we looked forward to the next few days eagerly.

The week rolled on so quickly that we found ourselves suddenly at Thursday night and the highlight of the week - the DISCO! Weary children found a new lease of life as they bounced around the dance danc floor. Then tu we tumbled in to Friday, Frida packing, saying sayin our farewells and heading off for our final activities before befo boarding the coa and minibus coach to head h home. The chi children all, without exc exception, said that w fantastic and it was

although they were looking forward to going home and seeing their families, they all wished that they could stay longer. In fact, quite a few children asked if families could visit as they’d liked to have done it all over again with Mum and Dad. That’s quite an endorsement!

Kilve Court is a remarkable place. As a staff we were impressed by the breadth of activities on offer, the quality of instruction and the attention to safety. However, the really outstanding features were the kind and gentle encouragement given by the staff to the children. The children were all very gently coaxed out of their ‘comfort zones’ to w experience success and new elt challenges every day. We felt he that we could literally see the children ‘grow’ throughout the week in confidence and inner strength. It was a liberating and affirming experience for all of them and one they will never forget.

Be warned though: I wouldn’t be at all surprised if, come Christmas, there are a few requests for mountain boards and sailing lessons. The taste for adventure has bitten!

41

Beyond (Visits & Visitors)

Bristol Zoo In Year 2 we have had lots of very exciting trips. We went to Bristol Zoo. We went into a rat house and had to try to find rats hidden in boots, bedrooms and food cupboards. There was even one in the washing machine!

Another trip was to Waitrose and we were able to go ‘behind the scenes’ and inside a big fridge. It was not as cold as we thought it would be. I thought it would be like the North Pole.

We enjoyed going to the Victoria Art Gallery. One of the paintings was quite scary, as a lady had a snake around her neck. Another terrific painting was a boat going through a tunnel. It made me feel arty.

One of our design projects was to make a vehicle that could move with an egg in it. We used a cardboard shoebox, tubes, wheels and wooden axles. We then had a competition to see whose vehicle could survive as the ramp went higher and higher.

Ben, Dillon and Rohan’s vehicle won. Anna Rose, Lilly, Alice and Zillah were the runners-up.

I also really enjoyed sewing my bookmark. It was great fun.

One of our topics was ‘Under Water’ and we were very excited to make our sea creatures out of clay. We were then allowed to paint them. It was strange that we were able to put glue in the paint to make it stick to the clay. It worked though!

We have had fun outside using pooters to collect minibeasts in. Phoebe and Anna Rose found money spiders. Daniel A found a very long centipede.

We enjoyed creating our own sea life fish tank. We had to draw fish and deep sea divers and hang them from the top. We then put our clay models inside.

We have enjoyed doing our Year 2 clubs. In Outdoor Education we made mini pizzas and in Cooking Club we liked making carrot cake and flapjacks.

We have really enjoyed Year 2.

It’s been really fun and we have had an outstanding time.

St Briavels From the 10th-11th May the Year 3 children experienced their first residential stay at St. Briavels Castle in Gloucestershire.

Our trip started at The Amazing Hedge Puzzle in Symonds Yat, where the children, using only themselves, some string and a few cones, had to employ their logical skills to work together to create their own maze.

After they had mastered this, the children were let loose on the ‘real’ maze. It was a challenge to find the centre and the teachers had to be called upon to provide help from the viewing platform above the maze.

In the late afternoon, we headed for the castle, which is an imposing building and still amazingly intact, considering it was once a hunting lodge for King John during the 12th Century. After unpacking their belongings into rooms named ‘the Hanging Room’, ‘the Prison’ (and other equally delightful names!), the children feasted on a medieval banquet. This consisted of homemade vegetable broth, roast chicken legs and potatoes, followed by honey cake.

Then the children enjoyed a story in ‘King John’s lounge’ and went to bed for a well-earned rest.

42

Beyond (Visits & Visitors)

The second day started with an historical tour of the castle, during which we found out about the many uses that the castle has had since its creation. Once we had ďŹ nished packing, we then made our way to our ďŹ nal experience, the nearby ‘Clearwell Caves’, where we enjoyed pot holing. Some of the children were hoping that the teachers would get stuck in one of the smaller apertures.

Fortunately for us, we came out unscathed!

It was a wonderful trip, which presented many challenges to overcome. The children gained in conďŹ dence and maturity a great deal over our two days away. Below are some of the children’s own thoughts about the trip.

“When we got in our rooms I was so excited I thought I might pop!�- Grace Stuart “The next day I had the best breakfast I’ve ever had. We had cereal and a cooked breakfast. After that I had a piece of toast with apricot jam. Then I had a party in my tummy!� - Finn Morris

“We took our bags to our rooms. We made our own beds. Then we went to dinner and ate roast chicken. Yum Yum!� - Dasha Fillipova

“For pudding we had a honeyy cake and to make it, this lady had actually got the honey from the bees and had the marks to prove it. She got stung ten times!� - Jonny Lester “When I got back I ran to my Mum outside and jumped in the car, picked up my brother from school and told everybody about the trip.�

- Alex Sedcole

About the Clearwell Caves: “I liked it when the lights went out – I shook hands with Matthew 3RZ Ă&#x;UVW , GLGQ›W NQRZ ZKR LW ZDV , DOVR found lots of stones and brought them back home.â€? - Floyd Jones “When I got back home I really wanted to go back and have the experience all over again because it was brilliant. I was really pleased to see my mum and dad again. I was practising my Diablo for the rest of the day.â€? - George Lowes “Staying in the castle was amazing because it was WKH Ă&#x;UVW WLPH HYHU WKDW ZH KDYH VOHSW RQ D VFKRRO trip.â€? - Hattie Hawtin 43

Beyond (Visits & Visitors)

Roman Day 2012 Rufus the Roman, towering six foot above us in his impressive auxiliary army gear, transported us back over 2000 years to the beginning of the Roman era…right here in the Year 4 classes, Pegasus building, Kingswood Prep School, on a truly beautiful morning.

Olivia and Niall, two of the forty superbly creatively dressed Romans, bravely endured holding the Roman Empire map as we listened to a rapid run down from the very beginning with Julius Caesar in 55BC. Having refreshed our memories and realising we knew more than we thought, we split into two classes. The Delta board game highlighted some fine motor skills and utilised our Roman numerals knowledge. Eda was seen scoring many a X (ten) points! We scanned and searched many boards to discover clues and answers to an enquiry.

A sunny break was followed by a mental walk in a Roman town. Many an artefact was held and smelled as we ventured from the Roman baths to toilets with sponges (loo paper) bobbing in vinegar outside to homes with oil lamps and clay tiles. Much skill and strategy came into play in the Ludus Segedunum game involving two players, six tokens and the aim of getting three tokens in a row. To get the appetite going and our stomachs rumbling, we marched to the beat of sinistra (left), dexter (right) with our cohorts in two formations. As a crowd of KPS children grew to view this strange sight, we saw ourselves in a different light…true Roman soldiers, ready for battle…after a few decimations.

The afternoon session was the really active bit. An inspection of the various parts of soldiers’ armour was undertaken, to fully equip ourselves for battle. The cow field saw its first live enactment of the Boudicca Battle. Boudicca (Beth) inspired and was cheered by her Celt militia while Paulinus (Ollie Biggs) waited tactically with his Roman army. After the Romans slaughtered the Celts, we rested our weary limbs under the shade of a tree and set up for the last session – the Colosseum. Alex and Issy took centre stage as the Emperor and his wife, sending a gladiator, singer, gymnast or criminal to his or her death.

A full Roman day of happy learning and successful children!

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Beyond (Visits & Visitors)

Year 4 Folly Farm Viking Day After we fi nished our apple cores to th we gave made an an e pigs. Then imal shelte we r Daub is co w poo, clay with wattle and daub . an d wash our ha hay. Then w nds on the e had to gr as s and for me I don’t thin k it wor - Joe Boyle ked.

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ived we arr ate our When e w see m me to ly Far at Fol n a lady ca een a bus! s. The she ver s snack She had ne s because u . s b s u u e the b ’t know th e took er. Sh r lady. idn m d r a e F h S farme Viking was a ther Viking gil n o a n m a r o A t - Eda

“

Then we made felt. We put five layers of wool on top of each other and put two cloths beneath and on top of each other. We poured hot boiled water over it and rubbed it with soap on the cloth. Then we boiled water again and poured it on the cloth, rolled it up and SMACKED it on the table. We unrolled it and we had some felt. I liked this activity because it was fun smacking the felt on the table. We trotted back into the small room and listened to a mythical story about Thor and the Viking gods.

”

- Alex Read -

“ “

After we got off the coach, Ebba met us and took us to the hut. We talked about what life was like in both modern and Viking times. We looked at some interesting farming equipment that Ebba and her friend Gytha used. Then we went for a walk in the woods to find some decorations for some weaving later on. On the way, we found two important trees. The first was the ash tree because it represented the gods. The top was Asgard, heaven, the middle was Mitgard and the bottom was hell. The tree also had ‘keys’ (seeds) and you stick them in a crack of another tree and listen for a secret.

The other tree was a hazel tree and it was special because they used it for weaving as it was very bendy.

- Isaac Fee -

”

When we had finished the walk we went into a large room where we did weaving with the things we picked up on the walk.

We got a Y stick and wound some string around it and weaved the flowers and twigs in and out of it. I was very proud of mine and Beth’s weaving. I bet everyone was too. After we did the Y weaving we went to the stable and weaved mini hurdles. We weaved with wet willow. The willow felt all slimy and gooey! It also smelt like damp wood. Next we had lunch. I had a packet of crisps, a ham sandwich and an apple. It was delicious. Gytha had homemade bread and cheese.

- Skye Bayley -

”

“

Some of the secrets we heard were that the ash tree was in love with the hazel tree, Santa is a female skeleton, Miles has eternal life and God has two heads. Harry unfortunately doesn’t understand the chirps of the crickets!

- Miss Woolley -

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I don’t know how farmer Vikings did all that in one day!

- Miles Carruthers -

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Beyond (Visits & Visitors)

Year 4 Dream Team Visit Hooke Court The excitement was building, the rain was pouring, eager faces were appearing with kit bags bulging: the day for our Hooke Court adventure had arrived! After winding through wet country roads, villages lined with Jubilee bunting, beech woods and bluebells, Hooke Court appeared through the Dorset mist.

44 weary travellers tipped off the bus into our Honeypot dorms.

No time to waste, Year 4 careered around an orienteering course, hunting down controls with boundless energy. Next on our itinerary, after a packed lunch, was the challenge of building aqueducts, ‘Roman style’, followed swiftly by some successful arch building.

Harry Stevens tested the construction by balancing on top.

Success! Diary and postcard writing were soon forgotten in the excitement of the Night Search and Rescue. Our detective experts came to the fore, following up clues for a HC ‘murder mystery’. The ‘body’ was discovered and carted off by an enthusiastic ambulance team.

The Dream Team gathered in the cosy Common Room in PJs with hot chocolate and mini marshmallows in hand. Mr Dixon’s story reading was a welcome relief at the end of the day. Had we really only arrived this morning?

Tuesday morning dawned and we were treated to sunshine, rain and hail over breakfast. All-weather gear was definitely needed. A morning of pond-dipping and studying different habitats culminated in the prize catch by NIamh and Andi: a fish! Lunch was devoured outside and then an afternoon of shelter building and survival skills in the woods. Healthy rivalry ensued between different tribes, all shelters were habitable by the end and a retreat back to the HC Tuck Shop was a reward well-deserved. By then shower-time was a must!

After tucking into home-reared pork sausages, it was time to head out for an evening of low-ropes challenges and the adventure playground. Teamwork was a key skill for the low ropes course and some found this easier than others! Hot chocolate and marshmallows, Aesop’s fables read by Ben and droopy eyelids signalled that it was time for bed. Hush descended ... Day Two drew to a close.

The last day and we woke to brilliant sunshine – perfect for our trip to West Bay, the gateway to the Jurassic Coast. A morning of seashore activities followed. We ran up and slid down a steep cliff, sank into pebble beaches, toured the harbour and surveyed sea defences. A happy ending is always complete with a ‘Dream Team’ pic and an ice-cream. Time to head for home ... where had those three days gone?

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Beyond (Visits & Visitors)

“Kindness is more important than wisdom and the recognition of this is the beginning of wisdom.�

- Theodore Rubin.

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Beyond (Visits & Visitors)

Mill on the

Brue

Year 5 set off for an action-packed week at Mill on the Brue; and what a week it was! The weather was on our side with temperatures soaring to give us 5 more days of summer sunshine. After a few tears (from anxious parents) we waved our goodbyes and the coach embarked for our adventure in Bruton.

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We arrived to cheers from the Mill on the Brue instructors and loaded our rather heavy luggage onto an awaiting trailer for the trek through the ďŹ elds to our destination. Excited children waited in anticipation to hear which room would be their home for the week. Then our brave instructors assisted with unpacking while the staff sat down for a well deserved cup of tea! With introductions made, luggage sorted and rooms tided, we enjoyed the ďŹ rst of many wonderful meals in The Longhouse.

The children were sorted into small groups so that they could participate in a wide range of activities over the week. Rallying cries for the Magpies, Otters,

Beyond (Visits & Visitors)

Swallows and Squirrels could be heard as children (and staff) charged off for activities each day. The focus of the week was on team building and developing communication skills and all of the activities were geared to helping the children work together as a team. And that they did, helping one another to scale walls; navigate tunnels; build rafts; stack crates to great heights; complete an obstacle blindfolded; build a colony and race through dog baths and giants’ toilets!!

With children suitably covered in mud and exhausted from their week away, we struggled back to the coach and set off for the return trip back through the beautiful Somerset countryside.

I am sure that the Year 5 children have shared many of their successes from the week with you; they did themselves proud by attempting new challenges, facing their fears and working so well together!

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Year 6 Leavers 2012

M E MORIE S, ME SS A G ES TO O U R LEAVERS

Year 6 Leavers -

“Thank You and Good Luck!” t is always very sad to see a Year group come to the end of their time at a Prep School and this year’s Year 6 have been a special group of children. All have gone out of their way to make me feel welcome and part of the Kingswood family.

I

We had a wonderful Leavers’ Service in the Kingswood Chapel to mark the end of the Year 6 children’s time at the Prep School. In the service, I thanked all the staff who had made such a difference to their learning through their love and all the extra-curricular activities on offer. All our leavers are part of a new century, a changing and fast moving workplace where they will need to be equipped with a host of skills in order to be successful and happy.

The service provided me with a lovely opportunity to wish you all every success and happiness in the future – at your new schools and beyond. I have been so impressed with your kindness, warmth, your enthusiasm and your listening skills. Your new schools will be looking forward to one thing more than any other and that is attitude. Be positive, believe you can achieve anything and even when things get difficult, and they will, it is your attitude that will get you through those moments. Oscar Wilde was right when he said, “Be yourself. Everyone else is taken”. So my advice to you is, be yourself, believe in yourselves, you have, all of you, different and special gifts, celebrate difference, face all challenges with an “I can do” philosophy and believe you can make a difference. Continue to be kind and avoid dullness! All of you are welcome back at any time in the future; we would love to see you and really want to hear about your future successes.

Good luck and God bless.

Mark Brearey

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“Let no one steal your dreams”

By Paul Cookson

Let no one steal your dreams Let no one tear apart The burning of ambition That fires the drive inside your heart Let no one steal your dreams Let no one tell you that you can’t Let no one hold you back Let no one tell you that you won’t Set your sights and keep them fixed Set your sights on high Let no one steal your dreams Your only limit is the sky Let no one steal your dreams Follow your heart Follow your soul For only when you follow them Will you feel truly whole Set your sights and keep them fixed Set your sights high Let no one steal your dreams Your only limit is the sky

Year 6 Leavers 2012

Inca Bayley

Grace Blackburn

Jack Bradley

Ellie Brearey

Harry Bristow

Max Brindley

Michael Butler

Rigam Chhantyal

Dom Carruthers

Charlotte Chilton

Charlotte Cutter

Finley Crowe

Zoe Field-King

Maddie Edwards

Fin Feaver

Conor Finnamore

Daniel Greenslade

Nathan Gregg

Emily Yates and Katie Halliwell

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Lulu Flook

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Year 6 Leavers 2012

Fred Hamilton-James

Lexi Hart

George Hayman

Lily Landman

Harvey Heap

Eva Hudson

Will Jeffery

Robin Ledbury

Amelia Low

Hannah Morris

Callum Michie

Hebe Mottershead Davies

Tom Johnson,

Olivia Jones

Joshua Knight.

Ben Narbett

Alice O’Gorman

Lily Palmer

Oscar Plant.

Robin Pun

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Year 6 Leavers 2012

Alex Rawle

Chloe Rawlins.

Tom Reeves

Oliver Rugg

Jasmin Ryan.

Isla Sandeman.

Finlay Sayce

Olivier Sharples

Daisy Shayegan.

Ophelia Stott

Devon Taylor

Joanna Vaughan

*HRUJHWWH :DNHÃ&#x;HOG

Charlie Walker

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Emily Yates

Thomas Wheatley

Lizzie White

Alex Zikos-Barlow 53

Year 6 Leavers 2012

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Moments

Year 6 Leavers 2012

from Year 6

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Year 6 Leavers 2012

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Year 6 Leavers 2012

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reading is fun, even in the most unusual places

www.kingswood.bath.sch.uk/