The Padua Press | Spring Term 2025

Spring Term 2025

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

www.leweston.co.uk 01963 211054

WELCOME FROM THE HEAD As we approach the end of what has truly been a fantastic Spring Term, I am delighted to share some of the many highlights that have made it so memorable. The energy and enthusiasm displayed by our pupils throughout the term have been nothing short of inspiring.

Our sporting achievements have been exceptional, with many teams securing victories in various competitions, and individual talents shining across different disciplines. From thrilling matches to moments of teamwork and perseverance, the spirit of sportsmanship was alive and well across the school grounds.

Our pupils also continued with their remarkable LAMDA sessions, where our budding actors and performers showcased their creativity and confidence in front of their peers.

British Science Week was a standout moment, with our pupils embracing their curiosity and showcasing innovative projects that sparked imaginations and prompted important learning lessons. The busy Spring Term concluded in memorable fashion, with our inaugural whole-Prep Lent Walk, followed by our annual Egg Hunt, which brought our community together in a shared celebration of outdoor adventure, and truly reinforced the strength of our school spirit.

Finally, I must highlight the success of our Public Speaking Awards, where our pupils demonstrated outstanding oratory skills. It was a testament to their hard work, confidence, and ability to communicate with clarity and passion.

As always, I am incredibly proud of all our pupils, and I look forward to seeing them continue to thrive in the upcoming Summer Term.

Richard Thompson

ENRICHMENT AND ACTIVITIES BETTER PLANET CREW’S FASHION SWAP Our amazing Prep 3, 4, and 5 pupils from the Better Planet Crew organised a fantastic Fashion Swap!

Pupils swapped their pre-loved clothes for tokens which could be used to select new-tothem treasures from the racks. This ecofriendly event was such a hit that everyone’s already buzzing about doing it again next year!

CELEBRATING WORLD BOOK DAY What a word-tastic day we had celebrating the world of books! The children came into school in their brilliant vocabulary-themed costumes and the morning was jam-packed with wordplay activities, focused on synonyms and House colour-inspired words, plus crafting Top Trump character cards from their chosen words. To top it all off, we enjoyed a magical Harry Potter-themed lunch.

PANCAKE DAY We had a brilliant time celebrating Shrove Tuesday ahead of Lent. Our PrePrep Choir dedicated their singing to the 'Pancake Song', pupils also had lots of fun during their pancake race, and we welcomed Mr Campbelton, Beatrix's Dad and chef, who talked about the ingredients, tools required and of course flipping and eating our golden pancakes!

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ENRICHMENT AND ACTIVITIES RECEPTION BECOME SUPERHEROES After exploring the various types of heroes, from doctors to astronauts, Reception Class had a brilliant Superhero themed Wow Day! They started the day decorating capes ready to bring their new story to life in drama, they also created their own spaceship and concocted hero potions before decorating and setting up their own theatre ready for their story of the day 'Super Millie'.

PRE-PREP RUNNING CLUB

COOKERY CLUB

Pre-Prep Running Club held on Wednesday lunchtimes proved to be a real hit this term. It was great to see some of our youngest pupils loving their running in our wonderful local environment.

There were some hungry faces at our Cookery Club! The children made delicious treats, too good to resist!

This term, our activities programme has seen not only cookery but also French Club, Kickboxing, Better Planet Schools Crew, Rugby Tots, and LAMDA, to name a few!

HANDS-ON LEARNING AT ANCIENT TECHNOLOGY CENTRE Prep 4 had a hands-on day at the Ancient Technology Centre, diving into AngloSaxon and Viking activities. They built fences, split firewood, wove on a loom, and played Viking games. A fire demo in the longhouse, lunch by the fire, and impromptu singing made it unforgettable. This trip perfectly matched their Focus Projects, sparking curiosity and pride in both pupils and teachers.

PREP 1 DINOSAUR DISCOVERY WOW DAY Prep 1 had a "Wow Day" focused on dinosaurs, featuring a dinosaur dig, creative crafting, and presentations at show and tell where they shared fossil facts. Baking 3D dinosaur biscuits, creating dinosaur statues, and participating in various activities, showcased their remarkable discovery skills and imagination.

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MUSIC AND CREATIVE ARTS SHOWCASING MUSICAL TALENT From guitar solos to choir harmonies, all of our musicians performed so confidently and beautifully at our Prep School Concert this term, demonstrating how much they have learned during their lessons.

SHERBORNE ABBEY CHOIR Congratulations to Ben (Prep 6), Will and Joe (Prep 5) for their participation in the choir concert at Sherborne Abbey. Lily and Connie (Prep 6) also lend their voices to the Abbey as part of the girls' choir, with Lily recently earning her dark blue medal.

Sherborne Abbey Choir has a long and illustrious tradition dating back centuries. Leading the congregation for services each week, the choir sings a wide range of music. The choir offers training programmes where choristers learn to harness their vocal abilities, cultivate healthy singing practices, and master music reading.

It's wonderful to see our students embracing opportunities not only at school but also within the local community.

TAUNTON MUSIC FESTIVAL Three Leweston choirs, featuring over 100 talented pupils, performed in the Taunton Festival of the Arts. Our Prep Choir competed in the ‘12 and under’ age group, securing a very close second. The Festival Singers impressed in the Younger Senior Choirs category and came first, winning the Bishop Fox’s Cup for Senior Choirs. Meanwhile, Schola Cantorum triumphed in the older category earning the prestigious Taunton Music Festival Choral Challenge Bowl.

All three choirs sang beautifully and were a shining example of the high quality of Choral Singing that is at the heart of the Leweston Music Department.

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ART AND DESIGN This term, creativity bloomed in every class! Pupils levelled up their skills while dabbling in all sorts of artistic adventures.

UNLEASHING CREATIVITY Our young artists have been bringing their imaginations to life. From Prep 1's fabulous Pointillist-style flamingos, and Reception's conejo (rabbit) face masks in their Spanish lesson, to Prep 5's daring dragons, focusing on pen and ink, their creativity knows no bounds!

Prep 6 created their own interpretations of famous artworks. Using the grid technique, they accurately drew out their piece before using acrylics to emulate the style of their artist, creating some very impressive pieces!

Prep 1 got creative and made some incredible emotion faces then played a game to see if they could identify which emotion each one was portraying. Some of the children made it really tricky choosing to depict ‘devastated,’ ‘shocked’ and even ‘feeling fantastic!’ They were able to discuss the different characteristics present and note the similarities between them.

Prep 5 were thrilled to discover that their pots had made it through the kiln firing. With excitement, they set to work decorating them, bringing their sketchbook designs to life. The results were brilliant.

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Prep 6 Famous Artworks

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IN THE CLASSROOM PUBLIC SPEAKING AWARDS Pupils in Prep 4, 5 and 6 received their Public Speaking Award certificates and feedback sheets this term. They all did incredibly well and should be so proud of themselves. The enthusiasm, confidence and resilience they have shown is remarkable.

PREP 6 ENTERPRISE MORNNG Mrs Hutton, Leweston Careers Advisor, led an Enterprise Activity for Prep 6, to develop important employability skills including teamwork, creativity and communication, and to give an insight into branding, promotion and product design. Pupils were tasked with designing a branded cereal box, before pitching their products to wow Mr Thompson and Mrs Ellery!

STEM EGG DROP CHALLENGE Prep 5's STEM morning focused on the Egg Drop Challenge. Pupils designed, costed, built and tested a lander to protect an egg when dropped from a height. They then delivered a presentation which included an evaluation of how their lander could have been improved.

This egg-citing activity aimed to crack open the world of STEM careers and hatch skills like communication, teamwork, and problemsolving!

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PENTATHLON, SPORT & EQUESTRIAN EASTER PENTATHLON EXTRAVAGANZA! Our Easter training camp was a whirlwind of fencing duels, splash-tastic swimming, thrilling laser runs, and OCR adventures, all under the watchful eye of topnotch coaches.

Earlier this year, our athletes stormed Bath University for the National Schools Biathlon competition, delivering brilliant performances!

SPORTING ACHIEVEMENTS Prep 3 and 4 shone in various mixed hockey matches. Our students showcased significant improvement not only in their stick and ball skills but also in their spatial awareness and teamwork.

At the same time, our U11 teams performed exceptionally well in their hockey and netball games against other schools.

A standout moment was when eight Leweston netball teams took to the courts for 20 matches in a triangular event. Leweston hosted the U10 and U11 matches, where the U11s celebrated two impressive victories. The U10s enjoyed a lively afternoon filled with competitive games and shared successes!

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PENTATHLON, SPORT & EQUESTRIAN INTER-HOUSE COMPETITION The sporting calendar culminated with a hotly contested Inter-House Boys Hockey and Girls Netball competition.

In the glorious spring sunshine all pupils in Prep 5 and 6 represented their House with pride and passion.

St Antony’s came out on top in the Girls Netball, and St Francis triumphed in the boys hockey. A big shout out to all of the coaches and teachers who put in so much time and effort to allow the pupils to progress and evolve their sporting excellence this term.

EQUESTRIAN TRIUMPHS A very happy day was had jumping at Dorset Showground in their inaugaral NSEA SJ Qualifier for the National Championships to be held at Addington in the upcoming Autumn. Well done to Tilly for winning the individual 70-75cm and coming 2nd place in the Team 80-85cm.

Congratulations to Isadora who jumped two lovely clear rounds at Moreton EC taking 3rd place in both the 50cm and 60cm, qualifying for the NSEA Grassroots Championships at Hickstead in the summer.

We are immensely proud of our new Dorset County SJ Champions, who triumphed in the Team title across three classes and the individual title in four classes! We eagerly anticipate representing Dorset at the NSEA Inter-County National Championships at Hickstead in May.

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Mixed U8 & U9 Hockey

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TERM HIGHLIGHTS LENT WALK AND EASTER EGG HUNT

E-SAFETY INSIGHTS

The end of the Spring Term was celebrated with a Lent Walk and Easter Egg hunt, engaging the entire school community in a day of fun and exploration.

The event kicked off with a 2.5km walk through the school grounds, offering parents a chance to explore our stunning Belvedere and expansive campus.

During the walk, everyone strolled through our neighbours' orchard and farm, owned by the Adams family, who kindly allowed our pupils to feed their chickens and pigs, and admire the swans on the lake.

Along the route, pupils encountered 8 stations featuring a mix of questions, challenges, and facts related to Lent and the sights they encountered.

After a well-deserved doughnut and drink, while parents enjoyed afternoon tea and cake, the children eagerly searched the grounds for coloured eggs in a friendly inter-house competition. Each child left with a large Easter egg provided by the Easter Bunny, who was invited by the PALS (Parents Association of Leweston School).

We were pleased to host Karl Hopwood, a representative from UKCIS (UK Council for Internet Safety), who conducted informative sessions on e-safety for our pupils in Prep 3 to 6. He addressed crucial topics such as online gaming, privacy, AI, cyberbullying, and more! These discussions are particularly relevant in today's technology-driven world of mobile devices and gaming.

SUPPORTING THE TRANSITION TO SENIOR SCHOOL Prep 6 went to Castle Gardens for their Mid-Year Review where they had the opportunity to reflect on their time in Prep 6 so far, and what targets they have for the rest of the year, whilst enjoying hot chocolate and biscuits. They were joined by Mr Enticknap, current Head of Year 7, who supported them, and answered questions about the transition to Year 7.

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TERM HIGHLIGHTS WELCOMING SUNSHINE PREP 1 TRIP TO CARYMOOR Prep 1 had a fantastic adventure as Eco Explorers at Carymoor Environmental Centre, learning about its past as a landfill site. They explored a waste tunnel, observed a steaming compost site, and walked through a transformed nature reserve, spotting animal tracks and a great crested newt. Activities included a recycling relay and crafting dinosaur pots filled with compost and cress seeds. They also discovered various items made from repurposed materials.

The children enjoyed their visit so much that they wanted to return the next day!

With the arrival of Spring sunshine, our pupils eagerly ventured into the Walled Garden and Pre-Prep Garden to engage in outdoor play and learning activities!

FOREST SCHOOL

RED NOSE DAY We had a fantastic time as we marked 40 years of Comic Relief! Our pupils rocked their red outfits, raised funds, and dove into exciting activities like crafting wild hair characters with red noses, competing in funny face contests, and sharing their best jokes!

This term, everyone has thoroughly enjoyed their Forest School sessions.

From building shelters to acquiring new skills with various tools, our outdoor classroom continues to enhance the development of our pupils.

BOARDING ACTIVITIES This term, our boarders have had a fantastic time engaging in a wide range of activities, from Movie Night to Laser Tag! It has been wonderful to witness our flexi, weekly and full boarders participate with such enthusiasm.

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TERM HIGHLIGHTS

SHOW AND TELL TO REMEMBER One of our pupils had a very special show and tell to share! Prep 1 were thrilled to be able to go outside and have a look. They loved comparing their heights to the wheels and chatting about what equipment they could attach to the back of the tractor. Some of them even wanted to climb inside for a closer look!

JUICE BIKE To inspire healthy living and smart food choices, we welcomed a representative from Chartwells, our catering company, who talked to the pupils about nutritious lifestyles and introduced them to the exciting smoothie bike. As they pedalled, the blender whirred to life, mixing up fresh fruit into a tasty, healthy drink! Everyone had a brilliant time taking turns on the bike and sampling a variety of smoothie flavours!

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TERM HIGHLIGHTS BUDDY SESSIONS Our Buddy Sessions continued throughout the Spring Term. These sessions pair pupils in Prep 6 with Pre-Prep pupils, allowing them to spend time together on a weekly basis, with a focus on reading and academic guidance. They also have the opportunity to come together at special events such as concerts or our Lent Walk.

FRIENDLY NEIGH-BOURS!

TAKING THE STAGE!

Our stables are the go-to spot for our pupils who have made some fabulous friendships with our equine pals.

Kicking off the Easter holiday, we rolled out the red carpet for young riders at our Easter Egg Riding Afternoon.

They galloped through fun and games at the Leweston Equestrian Arena, embarked on an epic Easter Egg hunt, and trotted around the school grounds.

The sun was shining and it was lovely to see our pupils donning bunny ears, whilst their ponies looked the part with flower decorations in their manes and tails.

Prep 4 dived into 'The Magic Twig' during their LAMDA lessons, preparing for their Grade 2 Group exam in the Summer Term.

The LAMDA (London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art) exam is the speech and drama equivalent of a music grade, starting at the basics and reaching the prestigious Grade 8 Gold Award. These classes are popular, with pupils joining individual or group lessons.

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Fun in the Sun

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JOIN THE FAMILY

WELCOME TO THE FAMILY We warmly invite families interested in becoming part of the Leweston Prep community during our regular Visit Weeks. These sessions provide an opportunity for families to schedule a personalised tour, meet current staff and pupils, and explore the wonderful opportunities available at our school.

We look forward to welcoming more families during our Summer Visit Weeks, scheduled for 12 - 16 May and 16 - 20 June. For additional information, please reach out to our Admissions Team at 01963 211054 or admissions@leweston.dorset.sch.uk.

We are also excited to welcome prospective pupils for Year 7 (2026) and Year 9 (2029) during our Year 5 Activity Day on Friday, 13 June. Please contact our Admissions Team for more details or to secure a spot.

What makes us truly special?

Exceptional facilities The advantages of a Through-School Comprehensive Wrap Around Care Inclusive Sports Programme A wide range of Activities & Extra-Curriculars Tailored Support Exciting educational trips and visits Flexible, Weekly, and Full Boarding Options

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Don’t just take our word for it; schedule your visit today to discover more!

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Leweston School, Sherborne, Dorset, DT9 6EN 01963 211 054 | admissions@leweston.dorset.sch.uk | www.leweston.co.uk

@LewestonSchool @LewestonPrep @lewestonprep