The Padua Press | Spring Term 2024

THE PADUA PRESS REFLECTS THE MANY ACHIEVEMENTS OF OUR PUPILS OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS

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WELCOME FROM THE HEAD

We take great pleasure in releasing our Spring edition of The Padua Press in wonderful spring-like conditions, as we begin to see our beautiful school setting in its full glory And glorious is an apt description of all the goings-on in the Prep School over the last term We pride ourselves on the wide ranging opportunities we make available to our pupils; a child might be Henri Rousseau, Hermione Granger, a kickboxing champion, a Roman legionnaire, a dinosaur expert, an engineer, a sports star and so much more No matter which, they will be themselves, comfortable in their own skin and proud of their achievements Leweston children explore, discover and dream We just remind them that there are no limits to where those dreams might take them

Richard Thompson

CLUBS AND ACTIVITIES

Our pupils in the Pre-Prep and Prep School loved the Activities and Clubs this term. They were busy creating Kandinsky inspired artwork in Art Club, designing a bridge that can hold over 1kg in STEAM Club, and exploring various themes in Film Club. It's been amazing to see them grow their skills and discover new interests!

Gardening Sessions

Gardening Club and Reception Class have had a brilliant time getting their hands dirty outdoors! They visited the Prep polytunnel, where they cut the dead-heads off sunflowers.

After tidying up, they explored seed formation and examined the seeds up close.

Our Pre-Prep pupils' hard work during their gardening sessions started to pay off towards the end of term. Their bulbs started to bloom, and the pots they designed looked fabulous with the plants thriving inside them. It was amazing to see the progress they made and the care they put into their gardening projects.

CLUBS AND ACTIVITIES

Craft Club

Kickboxing Sessions

Prep 5 and 6 students were treated to a Kickboxing Taster Session at the start of term They had the opportunity to take part in a quick warm up, learn how to set up a secure defensive guard and understand the foundations of a kickboxing kick. It was a great chance to trial the sport and decide if they would take it further as a weekly activity throughout the rest of the term

Craft Club has produced numerous artworks this term They celebrated Winnie the Pooh Day by giving members the choice of crafting their own version of Winnie, Piglet, or Tigger, resulting in fantastic finger puppets

Additionally, they made dragon masks to honour Chinese New Year, this lead to some intriguing discussions on the symbolism of dragon including their links to courage, power, and fortune Then, they delved in the different colours of Chinese dragons and their symbolic significance The group's creativity has been remarkable!

Brass Taster Sessions

Prep 4 class have had the opportunity to participate in brass taster sessions this term, allowing them to explore playing a brass instrument It's brilliant that some pupils are keen on taking lessons with Miss Wilmshurst after finding the sessions so enjoyable!

MUSIC AND CREATIVE ARTS

Art and Design

Prep 1 dove headfirst into Henri Rousseau's art, each creating their wild take on his ‘Tiger in the Jungle’ They absolutely nailed it!

Prep 6 pupils created an automata during their Design Technology classes They successfully completed the frame, crank handle, cam, and follower Working with plywood and softwood, they utilised tools like the pillar drill, sanding belt, hinges, and hand tools to learn how to mark out and use equipment with precision and safety.

Prep 4 delved into the art of Cross Stitch cards, using vibrant colours, fabric scissors, and large eye needles Everyone mastered the techniques of stitching and sewing

In our most recent blog entry, Jemma Lacey, Head of Art and Design, discusses "The Significance of Sewing as a Skill: Reasons Why You Should Learn."

Scan the QR code to explore further on our website

MUSIC AND CREATIVE ARTS

Music

Reception Class learned action songs and experimented with instruments during the Spring Term and they loved showing their new skills to their friends The pupils are incredible listeners right from the moment they step into the music room, making every minute count. Mrs. Betley, the Head of Prep Music, is consistently amazed by their talent

Meanwhile, Prep 1 explored the world of African drum rhythms They got creative by tapping out animal names on the drums and trying out different drumming techniques To top it off, they learned an African song and flawlessly played along on their drums while singing.

Throughout the Spring Term students continued to impress with their dedication to their individual music lessons Taking part in tuition in voice, piano and organ, woodwind, strings, brass and percussion, it is amazing to see (or hear!) our pupils’ skills

SCIENCE

Once again, science has been a key component in the pupils' education this term. The Prep had a blast conducting different experiments for British Science Week, and in every year group, science came alive during lessons.

In order to understand Galileo's work, Prep 1 had a mini 'night sky show’ in the classroom They gazed at the stars while listening to calming music to enhance their viewing experience

One of the highlights of British Science Week was the wide range of interactive experiments, all of which were designed to be hands-on and engaging, allowing pupils to actively participate and learn through direct experience

Pupils from Reception to Prep 6 eagerly immersed themselves in a plethora of engaging and captivating science experiences from creating bubbles and slime to hands-on engineering, crafting their very own wooden, powered cars using elastic bands.

Prep 6 had great fun at the Winchester Science Centre. From investigating hearts and peak flow to looking at how we hear planets, everyone had a great time learning lots of new facts

SCIENCE

As part of Prep 5's Materials work in Science, the class looked at reversible and irreversible changes. Pupils enjoyed experimenting with bicarbonate of soda and vinegar and watching the change that occurs!

Prep 5 also had an educational visit to Kew Gardens, where they toured various botanical wonders, engaged in hands-on activities, and showcased their map-reading skills while immersing themselves in the rich history of the gardens The trip was a fantastic way to further enhance their topics of the study of plants and pollination

Reception Class went on an icy adventure exploring frozen marbles, silver snowflakes and cubes of ice Some curious minds wanted to speed up the melting process, so they moved the Tuff Tray into the warm sun to watch the ice melt This sparked a discussion about how the heat from the sun, not just light, melts the ice The children also discovered the power of friction. By rubbing cotton wool on the ice rapidly, they created heat that started to melt the ice. These hands-on experiments are not only fun but also teach our little ones valuable lessons about the world around them

TOPIC WORK AND ‘WOW’ DAYS

Being an independent school allows us the flexibility to tailor our curriculum to suit our needs, building upon the standards of the National Curriculum to enrich our programme.

With this approach, we have introduced some exciting updates, developing a dynamic and innovative topic-based curriculum Each year group delves into a fresh topic each term, which seamlessly integrates across all their classes.

For further details, scan the QR code to watch a video featuring Mrs. Winter discussing the updated curriculum.

Prep 1 had an amazing visit from a Dinosaur Workshop where they explored different dinosaur fossils and fascinating facts The highlight of the workshop for many was meeting two adorable, interactive 'baby dinosaurs' This workshop perfectly complemented their topic on 'Nature and the Environment', their Literacy book 'Dinosaurs and all that Rubbish', and their studies on Mary Anning

Prep 6 explored the topic of 'Enterprise and Activism' In English they engaged in enjoyable role-playing activities, embodying Emmeline Pankhurst, Millicent Fawcett, and Henry Asquith as they advocated women's voting rights on behalf of the suffragettes and suffragists in the early 1900s

s part of Prep 5's ‘Belonging and Acceptance' topic, they cussed on the religious beliefs of the ancient Benin people aking inspiration from the animals that were important at the time, Prep 5 created clay tiles with images and patterns of animals.

Reception

Superhero WOW Day

Reception had an amazing Superhero WOW Day. The children dressed up in fabulous outfits and proudly received Leweston Learner Confident stickers in assembly (giving them an opportunity to show off their incredible

costumes!).

During the day, they cut and coloured their own superhero masks, made an edible Mjölnir and Captain America's shield, and created superh ls Overall, it was a fantastic day of fun and learning.

Prep 3 Roman WOW Day

Prep 3's WOW Day was full of costumes, shields, Roman numerals as well as a re-enactment of Boudicca’s story. The day was made even more special with a surprise bouncy castle in the afternoon!

Prep 6 WOW Day

Prep 6 had a wonderful day dressed as Suffragettes and Members of Parliament from the early 1900s. They practiced the "Votes for Women" song from Mary Poppins with Mrs. Betley, crafted placards, delved into the concept of petitions, and ultimately designed their own to gather signatures across the school

STEM Morning

Prep 5 took part in a morning led by our Careers Advisor, Mrs. Hutton, developing Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths skills The children were challenged to design, cost and build a protective capsule to protect an egg when dropped from a height After which they needed to create a presentation to evaluate their final design.

Congratulations to the winning team who put a lot of consideration into their design, the costings and how they would improve if they were to take on the task again

Prep 6 Enterprise Workshop

Mrs. Hutton also organised an enterprise morning for Prep 6 During the activity, students designed a branded cereal box, before pitching their products to Mr Thompson The activity was designed to develop important employability skills including teamwork, creativity and communication, and to give an insight into branding, promotion and product design.

Congratulations to all pupils for their enthusiastic participation in this event and a big well done to Team 6 for their winning product and pitch - 'Rocket Chocit'

SPORT

Pentathlon

During the Spring Term Leweston made history hosting the UK's first Pentathlon with innovative Obstacle Course Racing (OCR) format Leweston pupils achieved a number of Gold medals and secured 11 spots on the GB ser Run team!

Our Pentathletes also exceled at the National Schools Biathlon at University of Bath, winning multiple Gold medals and three team championships Congratulations to our Prep National Team Champions - Tilly, Lucia and Izzy (Prep 6) Further well done to Izzy who finished as National Champion and Lexie with Silver!

We hosted our annual Easter Pentathlon Camp during the holidays, welcoming 90 athletes from grassroots to experienced pentathletes The camp gave the attendees the opportunity to train in multiple disciplines with brilliant coaches, and take places in a Triathlon at the end of the week. We look forward to welcoming more pentathletes to our Summer Training Camp on 6-11 August (for information and to book please email

SPORT

Cross Country Netball

We saw some brilliant netball fixtures this term, and all of our players showcased their sportsmanship, playing very well!

Special mention to our U11A Netball team, who had a great afternoon playing in a round robin tournament at Millfield Prep School. The team won two of their matches against some tough opposition, giving a very good account of themselves and playing some really great netball The team also finished 7th out of 16 in a competitive IAPS Tournament, making it to the cup quarter final!

Leweston Prep travelled to Milton Abbey for the annual Cross Country Challenge and our pupils did not disappoint.

Congratulations to the Prep 6 boys; Henry 2nd, Benedict 3rd, Ollie 5th and Oliver 6th, who together took the team title.

Further congratulations to the Prep 6 girls; Izzy 1st, Tilly 3rd, Lucia 5th and India 6th, again claiming the team title!

Swimming

Lexie (Prep 5) swam brilliantly at the Somerset County championships becoming County Champion at 50m Freestyle

SPORT

A big well done to all of our Prep riders this term!

Congratulations to;

Darcy (Prep 6) who had a convincing win in the 70/75cm at the Royal Windsor Horse Show.

Tilly (Prep 5) who competed at the Eventers Challenge Qualifier at Moreton EC and rode a steady double clear in the 70-75cm Eventers Challenge Class, earning her 4th place at the Championships.

Cece (Prep 5), Annabelle (Prep 4) and Eliza (Prep 4) finished in 1st in the 50cm jumping at the South West Regional Grass Roots Championships and Regional Points League Final.

Prep 3 Visit Dorset Museum

Prep 3 had a wonderful time at the Dorset Museum, starting the day with a brilliant 'Durnovarian Dorset' Roman workshop, followed by a trip to the Roman Townhouse in the afternoon Some of the pupils' highlights include: becoming archaeologists and taking part in an excavation; exploring the museum; dressing up in Roman clothes; and exploring the only Roman Town House to be seen in its entirety in Britain

Reception Visit Black Shed Flowers

Reception enjoyed an amazing visit to Black Shed Flowers and The Toy Barn They looked at the flowers and their growth process, discovered the tools on the farm, explored the polytunnel, and had a great time in the play

TERM HIGHLIGHTS

Prep 3 DT Volcanoes

Prep 3 began making volcanoes during their DT lessons this term They drew inspiration from Andy Warhol and Margaret Godfrey's volcano paintings After completing the structure and design, they had an amazing time creating eruptions and observing the reaction when combining the ingredients!

New Website Launches!

The new Leweston website officially launched this term. Showcasing our vibrant community in an interactive format, it's the perfect way to discover what a Leweston education is all about. Explore the new site by scanning the QR code.

Prep Liturgy

This term Prep pupils led one of the Wednesday liturgies in the School Chapel. Pupils not only read passages and prayers, but also taught the Senior pupils the actions to the hymns It was heart-warming to witness pupils of different ages sharing this moment in the heart of our school

TERM HIGHLIGHTS

Forest School

The possibilities of Forest School are endless, but the benefits remain the same. Children learn to work as part of a team, to solve problems and adapt their ideas, to interact with the world around them and to approach challenges logically. These ‘softskills’ will be transferable and beneficial to them throughout the rest of their lives. Pupils have been focusing on developing these skills throughout all of their Forest School sessions this term

Reception took story time to the woods for Story Telling Week, with some brave children standing in front of the group to tell their friends a story!

Prep 3 impressed during their photo orienteering activities! The level of enthusiasm and skill displayed by the pupils in plotting the locations on their maps was truly impressive.

Prep 5 created a pillar structure and a statue to sit on top, whilst also designing their own shovel. The brief required them to explore a variety of tools in a safe and skilled manner.

Prep 6 were tasked with constructing four pillars out of natural materials, which would support a rectangular piece of wood, keeping it level, but as attractive, as possible!

Surprise Visit at Story Time

Pre-Prep pupils had a surprise visitor to read the end of day story They were joined by Leweston’s Headmaster, Mr Paget-Tomlinson, who read them a Julia Donaldson favourite. This was the perfect addition to a brilliant National Story Telling Week

NSPCC Number Day

HIGHLIGHTS World Book Day

The NSPCC Number Day celebration was a hit for all.

Prep 2 enjoyed exploring number vocabulary through activities like number raps

Prep 4 gained hands-on experience with ordering, estimating, converting, and measuring.

Prep 5 delved into math-related careers and conquered a math challen Everyone went all out with th number-themed attire, raising for NSPCC

We were blown away by the amazing outfits for this year ’ s World Book Day

From the children in the Pre-Prep to the older pupils in Prep School, and even the staff, everyone truly showed their love for books in such creative ways

TERM HIGHLIGHTS

PALS Easter Egg Hunt

The sunshine made a quick appearan our annual House Easter Egg Hun term! The pupils collected 'eggs' in the colour of their House, and once all found they spelt out a sentence The fi discover the sentence, won!

Thank you to our PALS for providing a delicious eggs.

Prep 2 Easter Picnic

Prep 2 had fun creating and eating bunny faces whilst cuddling all of their teddies at their spring picnic Afterwards they read Spring Equinox poems to Mrs Winter to celebrate the first day of Spring and World Poetry Day.