What's New This Year? Preparatory School

Founded 1642

New Hall School The Best Start in Life

What’s New 2011-12 Highlights

A great year for New Hall Preparatory School, with Olympic and Jubilee celebrations, awards for the school and a superb school production.

PLUS INSIDE Sporting achievements, musical highlights and more...

This Year?

A New Hall Preparatory School education gives the best start in life.

An exciting year I hope that you enjoy reading about the highlights from the last academic year at New Hall Preparatory School. Every year in the Preparatory School is exciting, but this year in particular has been filled with events and activities. The children celebrated HM the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the London 2012 Olympics. They enjoyed getting involved in these ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ events and with the resources and facilities at New Hall Preparatory School we have been able to celebrate in style.

Sarah Conrad, Headteacher

This year has seen some wonderful developments at the Preparatory School, including the opening of the new Art, Design and Technology area, which has also provided an exceptional space for After School Care. We have seen great academic achievements and celebrated successes in sport and the performing arts, much of which you can read about in these pages.

This past year, New Hall School has celebrated after winning the National Independent School Award 2011, in recognition of our strategic initiative and growth. The Preparatory School was nominated and placed in the top three for the categories ‘Best Headteacher’ and ‘Best Preparatory School’ at the Archant Good School Awards. We also announced the expansion of our boarding provision and the opening of two new junior boarding houses, which will allow us to enhance further the exceptional care we provide for boarders in the Preparatory School. We ended the year with the news that New Hall would be the first independent school in the country to enter into sponsorship of a state primary academy.

If this is the first time you are hearing about New Hall School I warmly invite you to come and visit us for yourselves. Please contact our Registrar, Miss Marie Norrington, on 01245 236 098 or via email registrar@ newhallschool.co.uk for further information or to arrange a tour.

We look forward to welcoming you to our school.

Sarah Conrad, Headteacher

The new Art, Design and Technology and After School Care area was completed.

Year 6 went on their PGL trip in May to commemorate their final year together at New Hall Preparatory School, before moving on to senior schools.

We were honoured to welcome Mr Danny Crates, former Paralympic gold medallist, to the Key Stage 2 Prize Giving.

Pupils from New Hall Preparatory School dazzled in dance and drama performances.

Award-Winning Education New Hall Preparatory School offers a rich and varied curriculum and we pride ourselves on teaching outstanding lessons, which encourage the pupils to aim for academic excellence at all times. Small class sizes of around 20, differentiated lessons and setting in English (Years 5 & 6) and Mathematics (Years 3-6) ensure that pupils are appropriately challenged and make exceptional progress. This is evidenced by our high Foundation Stage results and National Curriculum results, which are consistently above government expectations for the given age ranges. We believe that children excel academically when they are inspired to learn. The curriculum is delivered through a range of exciting and engaging topics and supported by stimulating visits, trips and activities.

Pupils had lots of fun dressing up as their favourite characters for World Book Day.

38 pupils from Years 5 and 6 won national awards in the Primary Maths Challenge, which is organised by the Mathematical Association.

‘Egyptian Day’ where pupils lived like Egyptians for the day.

Pupils in Year 6 took part in ‘Science Week’ - a week full of workshops, activities and learning, culminating in the Science Fair which saw lots of weird and wonderful examples of science on display.

Pupils enjoyed exciting storytelling workshops with the famous Charlie Wilson from Crickcrack storytelling.

Sporting Success

New Hall Preparatory School form a giant ‘2012’ to celebrate the launch of the Olympic Gold Challenge.

This year, New Hall Preparatory School took part in ‘the Gold Challenge’, an Olympic initiative to get children involved in sport whilst raising money for charity. The pupils were some of the first to step onto the Olympic running track when they took part in the Gold Challenge Parade at the Olympic stadium.

For the Gold Challenge, the pupils took part in a range of sports to try to reach the goal of the school travelling 2012km and raising as much money as possible for the school’s chosen charity, Kids Inspire, in the process.

The Year 3 netball team enjoyed a string of successes this year.

Pupils from the Preparatory School have been displaying their talents outside of school, with children excelling in sailing, gokart racing, riding and ice skating.

The Year 3 hockey and netball teams had particularly good seasons, winning the majority of their matches - we are very proud of their fantastic achievements.

In swimming, there were lots of competitions and galas, many of which were held at New Hall’s 25-metre indoor swimming pool.

New Hall swimmers had another great year of results including many 1st places at the Annual Mid Essex Swimming gala in June.

To culminate a great year of sport, everyone took part in Sports Day in July, where the overall winner was St John’s House, with 410 points.

Ben Hutton-Penman (Year 4) and Toby Warren (Year 5) finished in 2nd place at the U11 Independent Schools Sailing Regatta in May.

The winners of the New Hall Preparatory School Tennis Competition.

Luke Freestone (Year 6) qualified as 4th fastest, having set a personal best time, at the Summer Go-Karting Championships.

At the annual New Hall Inter-School Dressage Competition in October, Megan Cotton (Year 6) achieved a 1st and 3rd placing with her team and qualified for the NSEA National Championships.

Performing Arts 2012 saw Year 6 pupils give the performances of their lives in the school’s production of ‘Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat’ as well as the Choir and Orchestra taking part in national competitions. The Senior Recorder Ensemble and the School Orchestra won their categories at the Stratford and East London Music Festival and the Years 5 and 6 Chamber Choir performed at the O2 Arena as part of the largest school choir in the world. The Junior Choir were also awarded 1st prize at the Leigh-on-Sea Music Festival in June and the Chamber Choir were chosen as one of the best choirs in the country at the regional Music for Youth festival. The whole school were involved in National Sing Up Day, with each House performing for guest judge Mr Fardell, Director of Music at the Senior School. Preparatory School pupils gave great performances in the spectacular annual dance show, this year entitled ‘Made in Britain’.

The Orchestra at the Easter Concert

Lunchtime Concert

The School Orchestra

Sing Up Day Competition

Pupils in the Christmas and ‘Made in Britain’ dance shows

New Hall Preparatory School pupils performed at the O2 Arena

‘Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat’

The best day ever!

To celebrate the Olympic year, New Hall Preparatory School hosted its very own Olympics, with all of the children taking part in fun sporting activities throughout the week and learning about Olympic countries from all around the world. Everyone dressed in the colour of their country and took part in an ‘Opening Ceremony’, with each country showcasing something unique from their country’s culture.

The whole Preparatory School celebrated the Diamond Jubilee, with picnics on the Cedar Plot.

The Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1 Christmas Productions, 2011.

Pre-Reception celebrated Valentine’s Day by making biscuits and other treats and enjoying a tea party with their families.

The children performed songs and music for friends and family at the Easter Treat and Easter Tea in 2012.

Harvest Festival, 2011.

Spiritual Life As a Catholic school, we recognise that God is at the heart of all that we do. With this in mind, we are actively involved with many charities and fund-raising projects throughout the year.

New Hall Preparatory School is twinned with a school in the Democratic Republic of Congo and, this year, sisters from the school have visited us to share stories with the children about what life is like at their school.

Our children are always keen to help the school’s New Hall Voluntary Service (NHVS). At Christmas, they help to entertain the elderly at the annual Christmas lunch by singing carols and playing their instruments; in the summer, they help with the annual Strawberry Tea.

Sister Margaret Mary and Sister Moira, with Sister Agnes from Rwanda and Sister Veronique and Sister Therese from our sister school in the Congo

Collective worship is an important part of life here at New Hall. As well as assemblies, there are liturgies throughout the year such as our Harvest Festival, May Procession and Advent services. Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1 classes have special class liturgies and Key Stage 2 have Year Group Masses. On Holy days of Obligation and special feast days, Mass is celebrated in the School Hall. Parents are always welcome to attend any of these services.

This year we celebrated the first Holy Communion with some of the children and they took part in special preparations for this within the school’s chaplaincy.

Lighting the Advent wreath in the Senior School Chapel.

Children who took their First Holy Communion this year.

We welcomed Bishop Thomas in January and attended a special blessing of the newly refurbished Senior School Chapel.

After School Care This year saw the completion of a new Art and Design & Technology area at New Hall Preparatory School.

Its is a large, light and airy space, complete with its own toilets and washing areas. This extended space has provided an ideal new location of the provision of After School Care, which was recently assessed as outstanding by a local authority inspection.

At After School Care we provide enrichment activities and care for children after the school day is finished.

This provision gives parents in employment, or with appointments, the peace of mind of knowing that their child is being cared for in a safe and engaging environment.

The Local Authority Report summary flyer is available on the New Hall School website or via the school office.

For more information about After School Care at New Hall Preparatory School, please see the New Hall School website, speak to a member of staff or email prep@newhallschool.co.uk.

Founded 1642

Founded 1642

New Hall School New Hall School The Best Start in Life The Best Start in Life

New Hall Preparatory School is a vibrant and forward thinking school for boarders (ages 7-11) and day pupils (ages 3 - 11), located 30 minutes from London. Set in the same stunning grounds as the Senior School, a former royal palace, we are proud of our rich history. The school has a strong tradition of academic excellence, combined with outstanding pastoral care. We aim to educate the whole child: academically, creatively and socially, in a community which also nurtures the spiritual and moral dimensions of human life. New Hall offers a distinctive education of real quality that is designed to give students the best start in life. We have built a national and international profile for academic, dramatic, musical and sporting excellence.

New Hall School is located just 30 minutes from London. There are direct rail links to London and other major towns throughout East Anglia and major London airports are within 45 minutes.

For more information about New Hall School or to arrange a visit please contact the Registrar.

newhallschool.co.uk

The Avenue, Boreham, Chelmsford, Essex CM3 3HS 01245 467 588 | registrar@newhallschool.co.uk