St Hugh's School Magazine 2021/22

Proud to be a supporter of St Hugh’s School

At Stamford, we welcome students who are independent individuals – which is why St Hugh’s students thrive with us.

We offer a wide range of academic subjects across our co-educational setting, alongside a huge array of co-curricular opportunities including sport, music, art and drama scholarships from age 13.

Our fabulous new Wothorpe Sports Centre has extensive Astro facilities as well as two dance studios, gym and hospitality area, enhancing our outstanding sports offering at the Stamford Schools.

All this, combined with our ability to offer full or flexi boarding options as well as occasional boarding mean we are able to provide the ideal choice for your child’s next steps.

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Speech Day

Mr Jeremy Wyld, Headmaster

Boys and Girls, Colleagues, Chairman, Governors, fellow Headmaster, Parents and Friends of St Hugh’s – good morning and a very warm welcome to St Hugh’s for our annual celebration of achievements and success this year. This is the first time in this format for some time, following variations of bubbles and online assemblies. For that reason alone, it is particularly special that I am able to welcome you here today.

So welcome to what feels like the end of the 9th term of the 2019–2022 academic year…

This morning is not intended to be overly formal; we are here to celebrate childhood, achievement and ambition and our focus will be entirely on the children for whom it is our privilege to be trusted to teach and care for and your privilege to parent (although you may need to be reminded of that from time to time!).

So, children, I am deeply honoured

to be a part of what is your prize giving, and yet again I stand here in awe of your accomplishments, your spirit, your maturity and your understanding that not all of you can take away a prize; the joy you show for your friends who do is humbling and a lesson to all of us.

Every one of you has stood up, addressed your inner fears and been on stage – and what a range of stages – from nativities to class assemblies, from elocution to drama.

From informal and formal concerts (such as the exceptional summer concert) to Shrek, to Rock Bottom, from violin solos to playing the accompanying music at assembly, from the reveille at Remembrance, to carol services and harvest festivals and so much more. You have the ability to walk on stage in front of a crowd of people and sing or deliver lines, play in a rock band at a county show or even, as you’ll hear, speak superbly to a packed Speech Day hall. Fancy starting the cello in May? Why not play in a concert in June – that is what you do and, wow, you do it well.

In almost 25 years of teaching, with the last 10 in Prep Schools, it is only at St Hugh’s that I have witnessed an audience in tears due to the power of the children’s performances.

Then consider the sports field and the swimming pool – many of

you here today have represented us across the county and the country, in regular fixtures and national events, winning IAPS Bronze in the Olympic Pool, and in a range of sports including golf, athletics, rugby, tennis, football, hockey and many more. Or even getting involved in the Forest School where the excitement of the mud kitchen is enough to fuel the chatter long into the rest of the day.

The challenge is often in distilling what a St Hugh’s education means, when there is just so much going on. First of all, I cannot answer the question about what type of pupil makes a St Hugh’s pupil. Nor would I want to.

Fundamentally, we want your children to find their something, whatever that might be, and we will support them in finding it, in enjoying it and in wishing to continue to pursue it.

I have not said to perfect it, for a reason, and that reason is because we want them to enjoy childhood for as long as they can before rushing into their adult futures, a future which we recognise as being very different to the future we adults faced some time ago.

This is what makes us a “Preparatory” school and that has a specific meaning; preparing children to thrive. We are preparing your children for any one of a variety of onward destinations in what could be an uncertain world but allowing them to stay children. You are going to be grown-ups for a long time, so why rush childhood?

This is why we prioritise wellbeing – always important but especially so as we emerge blinking from the social and emotional challenges of enforced separation over recent years, and all the more so as that same uncertain world dominates discussion at the dinner table or on social media.

This is why we are committed to embracing the wider community –there is no pride attached to being in a bubble – we have responsibility to be part of our world; be this through sharing good practice (and, I stress, learning from the best practice of others and not assuming that our way is best) or, as we did recently, collecting for Ukrainian families

experiencing the most shocking and distressing of displacements.

As to whether we have achieved these aims, I’ll let you be the judge. However, rather like the message we give our children, if we haven’t, it is because we haven’t YET and it is that word which drives our ambition at St Hugh’s – everybody shares it. What makes our school so special is the celebration of a child’s talent – whatever it may be and wherever it may lie. That is the “something” I talked about a few moments ago.

Coming to the end of another school year, the staff at St Hugh’s, across the board have, without exception, gone way beyond the extra mile. They have cooked, counted, coached, cleaned, cared, taught and driven your children day in day out and always with a smile.

They have found their “something” – and I for one am eternally glad that they have found it here, as they are a phenomenal team.

I want to extend my gratitude to two more groups. The first is to the parents – your support and kindness has been so positive throughout the year. Your trust in us to work with the most remarkable raw materials, your children, is humbling. The support will never be taken for granted and will be repaid many times over in terms of the quality of everything that we aspire to do next year and beyond.

This is what keeps St Hugh’s vibrant, as it is now and will be next year with excellent Prep School numbers. Our plans for the summer involve refurbishments around the site, including the car park and significant improvements to the swimming pool changing rooms. I and the Governing Board are committed to ensuring that St Hugh’s the site matches St Hugh’s the school in terms of quality and ambition, especially as we start the ball rolling on centenary celebrations in 2025. So, my thanks also to the Governing Body, in particular the Chair, Richard Bussell.

Approaching the end of this address, I want to close on a few members of the school team, and one closer to home.

We have a number of staff joining us next year, who you will all have the opportunity to meet. One of them joins to succeed Ann-Marie Hainsworth whose work in boarding has been exemplary and who has reinvigorated

our residential community with her dedication and care.

We all wish her and her family well as she moves out of the Boarding House but thankfully not too far away and we look forward to welcoming her back next year. Within boarding, we are sad to say farewell to our fabulous Resident Assistants, James Mayhew and Nancy Britten, who have broken the mould and have just been superb.

To Gavin Sinnott and Sharon Sinnott – time doesn’t permit doing either of you justice so I am glad that we had a separate event to celebrate you both. Suffice it to say, and I know you all echo this, they will be missed enormously and we all wish them well as they head to Suffolk and I hope the recent send offs showed them how much affection they are held in.

I must also thank Richard Goodhand and Natalie Wallis – two key members of the Senior Leadership Team and kindness personified. Thank you to you both and I look forward to continuing to work with you in your new roles next year.

Gavin, Natalie and Richard have been the glue that has held everything together over the year and they have made a very strong team.

In addition to the whole staff, I have my own support team in Niki. It is not easy being married to a Head even at the best of times – we are often absent and even when we are there in person, the weight of the day preoccupies us and often throughout the year.

Almost finally, thank you to all of you. Congratulations in advance to every single child in here, whether or not you head up to the stage – if it is of any reassurance, it is only since I’ve been in this job that I’ve made it up to the stage; otherwise, I have never got anywhere near!

Very finally, we say farewell to our leaving children – be they in Year 6 or Year 8, as well as those of you in other years who also move on to new schools. We have celebrated your achievements and marked your time separately but, formally: thank you for all that you have done, and from this point and into the future you will always be a fondly remembered part of our history but also welcome to stay connected to our future.

Harry Hall, Head Boy

Headmaster, Ladies, Gentlemen, Staff and Pupils of St Hugh’s, after three years of not holding a full Speech Day, it gives me the greatest pleasure, as Head Boy, to deliver my speech to you this morning.

On behalf of everyone at St Hugh’s, I would also like to give the warmest welcome to our guest speaker this year Mr Price, the Headmaster of Oakham School. If I didn't have enough pressure today in delivering my speech to you all, I also have the Headmaster of my next school listening too! No Pressure!

I would firstly like to give a big thank you to Mr Wyld for giving me the greatest opportunity of Head Boy; it has been both an honour and a privilege. I've really enjoyed our hot chocolate chats!

I would also like to give a great thank you to the fantastic team of teachers, cooks, cleaners, groundsmen, matron, and office staff who are the unsung heroes of St Hugh’s.

My journey at St Hugh’s started almost nine years ago, as a very young four year old, in the Reception class with Mrs Wallis.

I have always been known as a trier. I can't remember the number of times I have won the Perseverance Cup! I was never really achieving as

well as my peers. You could say I was the underdog. Never to be deterred, I continued with the huge support from my teachers and especially Mrs Waite, and you know what? Good things DO come to those that not just wait, but try very hard.

The benefits started to show in the last three years, my proudest achievements being the Elocution Competition and form prize winner, and then to achieve being Head Boy and Cricket Captain. As my dad said, I had achieved the hat trick. But, most importantly, I've now passed my Common Entrance exams and gained my place at Oakham School.

St Hugh's School is very good at giving everyone opportunities and what I would say to all of the pupils here today, is grab every opportunity offered to you. Whether that's the boarding nights, the hobbies, sports, forest school, music, trips… enjoy every minute of them. Try something new and do as much as you can to learn new skills, make new friends and push yourself out of your comfort zone.

I've got to say, the teachers here are brilliant. Individually, each one has shaped me into the person I am today. There are so many teachers to thank, not just in my lessons but with my sport like Mr Pickering, Mr Goodhand and Mr Jeffery.

I must of course give a mention to someone who has had a big influence in my time at St Hugh’s. A man that is not shy to discipline us when needed, so with my fellow Year 8 pupils, we couldn't believe our luck when we found ourselves at a pool

party recently, which was attended by many teachers and where Mr Sinnott was standing awfully close to the edge of the swimming pool. Well you can imagine what happened next…

The funny thing was, after being pushed into the pool (with great spirit may I add), he emerged five minutes later with a full set of dry clothes. I'm guessing he knew it was coming!

I must say though, on behalf of St Hugh’s School and myself personally, Mr and Mrs Sinnott, you have been amazing with us and I know you will both be hugely missed. I wish you all the best for the future in your new positions.

So I hope that any pupil here today that is thinking that this could be me up here in Year 8 one day, please believe in yourself and work hard, as I never thought I would be standing here with this amount of confidence.

I genuinely feel I've had the best start to my education at St Hugh's. It has been nine years of making the most amazing memories that I will treasure forever. St Hugh's you have set the bar very high and Mr Price, your school has a lot to live up to. No Pressure!

Finally, I would like to say a huge good luck to our new Head Boy, Elliot, and our new Head Girl, Poppy, in your roles next year. And to all the pupils coming back in September, enjoy every minute of your time here. They really are the best times of your life!

And finally to all the teachers here, I'm going to miss you all… but you know I will be back!

Ruby Stott, Head Girl

Good morning everyone. Wow. What an honour it is to be standing here in front of all of you, and one that I have been both excited and nervous for since I was awarded the position as Head Girl.

It has been such an honour to lead the school alongside Harry, who has been both an exceptional Head Boy and a true friend, and who I have grown up with since Reception.

That now seems like so long ago. I was only two years old, learning to read and write with Mrs Wallis and Miss Locke, both great mentors with whom I had so much fun. I’m so glad they are here today to see me finish my St Hugh’s journey which began with them – thank you to you both.

And now, after years and years… and years of putting up with Mr Jeffery’s…questionable jokes; Mr Goodhand’s…unique Maths songs; Mrs Costello’s crazy science lessons; Madame Clayton’s catchy French songs and of course Mrs Bonner-MacKenzie’s dedication to the Elocution Competition, I have finally made it to the end of my time at St Hugh’s, and I couldn't have done it without such a brilliant team of teachers to guide me, including the support staff: Mrs Sim, the gap students and especially Matron who really takes care of us all.

Growing up here, I have made many friends, some who have stayed with me throughout my journey, and some that have only been here for a few years, and yet are still some of my closest friends. I hope that, although we are parting ways, we will all remain in contact and strengthen our relationships with one another, as it would be a shame to put all of our laughs to an end.

One of my favourite things about St Hugh’s is the boarding; however, our professional acting skills never quite fooled Miss Hainsworth, as somehow she always knew when we were fake sleeping after being caught talking. And although she may have told us all off quite a few times, she is always there for a chat, and makes us feel at home. She also manages to find the time to do so many activities with us, taking us out of school to places such as Tattershall

Lakes, where I fondly remember blasting some of the teachers into the air from a giant air bag, which was a great laugh. Having weekly boarded in such a brilliant school like this, I feel so much more prepared for life at a full boarding school, so thank you Miss Hainsworth and the boarding team.

Music has always been a passion of mine. With much help from Mr Ferguson, I have been encouraged to learn and play the drums, as well as singing, and have even been a part of a band. Thanks to him, I experienced an amazing opportunity last week which was playing the drums and singing at the Lincolnshire Show, with my school band as well as performing on stage in the summer concert. It was so much fun and we had a great time. Also, I want to thank Mr Botterill and Ms Haynes for getting me to the level that I am at now, and for inspiring me to carry on with my music at my future school.

Sports Day was so much fun, all thanks to Mrs Felton, but I think the best part was the parents' race which, after much persuasion, we somehow managed to convince our dads to take part in! My dad has been competing in that race for 13 years now and each year he gets more and more competitive, even though I’m pretty sure he’s also getting slower – no offence dad. I’m just glad that you didn’t sustain any injuries… this year! Not forgetting the parents vs children cricket match, where thankfully, there were also no injuries! That was a very fun match which was rather competitive but Mr Pickering scored very fairly and, needless to say, we kids thrashed the parents!

On our recent trip to Ullswater, we had all kinds of fun; however the lake was extremely cold, and Mr Sinnott very kindly decided to take pictures of us all, while we were practically freezing to death, trying to make a human raft! Funnily enough, karma soon returned the favour, when he managed to roll off the hillside that we were camping on during his sleep, waking up at the bottom, with a slug in his sleeping bag! Although many of the activities were challenging, we felt a great sense of achievement once we had finished them.

Together, we have been through an experience like no other: Covid-19. Through such uncertain times, our amazing school managed to keep us going strong. Mr Sinnott, with very little time to figure out a solution, kept our school running from home during lockdown. The realm of online learning was new to us, and extremely daunting, but you led us through together. Even

though we were not face to face, I still felt that sense of the St Hugh’s community, which I think helped us all throughout such strange times. It was a difficult process, but one which has made us appreciate being with each other so much more and has brought us even closer together. I want to thank all of our teachers here for keeping us safe, but also keeping a smile on our faces – you have really been heroes to all of us.

Mr Wyld joined this school not long before Covid-19 and we have found that he is honestly the best! Considering you had been at this school for a short amount of time before the pandemic, you led us through it together and handled the situation exceptionally. You are so friendly and involved with all pupils, and make everyone feel welcome here. You are open minded and always thinking of new ways to improve our school. I’m sure I can say on behalf of everyone here, thank you for being such a wonderful headmaster.

St Hugh’s has been like a second home to me, and, having been here for just over a decade, I feel that it has developed me into a strong, capable and independent young lady. Not only does it help to build your academic ability, but such a strong support network really helps to grow your confidence, preparing you for your next steps in life. I am definitely going to miss everyone here, but I’m so excited to see what the future holds for us all.

Our senior school play this year has made me realise how much I love acting. All of our hard work, especially from Mrs Sinnott for organising it, really paid off and made us feel so good once we had performed it. The only thing I feel that may have slightly let us down was Mr Sinnott’s singing, but perhaps Mr Ferguson can brush up your vocal skills before you leave the school.

One particular part of our school that I feel I have to mention on behalf of all our pupils and staff, would be Mr Wilson’s fabulous cooking! Throughout my whole time here at St Hugh’s, I can say that I have not once had to complain about the food as it has always been so delicious, especially the chocolate fudge cake! Thank you to all of the kitchen staff for making us three tasty meals each day; your hard work is greatly appreciated by all of us.

Finally, I would like to wish Elliot and Poppy the best of times being the future heads of the school and I hope you enjoy it just as much as I did. I am sure that you will be nearly as good as Harry and I have been! Good luck to you both and I wish everyone a fantastic summer.

Jubilee Celebration

Platinum Jubilee Celebrations

Our very own Platinum Jubilee celebrations were a triumph, thanks to the hard work of Miss Henderson who enthusiastically led the festivities, not only with a whole school Street Party, but also a Summer Fete style celebration in school with ‘Pin the Jewel on the Crown’, a Tug of War, a Penalty Shootout, trumpet blowing, coconut shy, a Nerf shooting arcade, card games, darts, dressing up for a selfie, necklace making, beanbag challenge, penny and marble games, guess the weight of the cake and face painting to name but a few!

The forms and their form teachers arranged each activity and it was a resounding success.

Well done to everyone involved but in particular Mr Wilson and Mr Ferguson for arranging the catering and the music respectively. The sun shone and the laughter and enjoyment was a brilliant way to close the first half of term – as we marked Her Majesty's reign of 70 years, being able to spend so much time as a community planning this event was a super way to bring history to life.

Salvete & Valete

Mr Gavin Sinnott and Mrs Sharon Sinnott

It is always very difficult to capture precisely what contribution longstanding colleagues have made during their time in school, particularly when so much is done behind the scenes (figuratively and in Sharon Sinnott's case literally) for the school.

Equally it is important to recognise that, although Gavin and Sharon were here for many years as parents and therefore as "The Sinnotts", they have also made significant contributions on an individual level as Mr Sinnott and Mrs Sinnott.

With his encyclopaedic knowledge of life in school and the systems that are in place, many of which have been established by himself, Gavin as Director of Studies has filled a crucial role in the daily operations of the school. Appointed back in 2007 by Stephen Greenish, Gavin has assumed responsibility for DT, Cookery, ICT, routine matters such as staffing, staff cover as well as senior rugby. He has even in the past done a stint as Head of English and is a long-established member of the Inspection team for ISI, and as such has inspected a number of schools over the years. His attention to detail has been essential to us in

preparing children for future schools and guiding parents through what can be a very complicated landscape. As such, his avuncular good humour with his tutor group and their parents has, over the years, stood Year 8 in very good stead as they move onto life beyond St Hugh's. A stalwart of the Year 8 experience, he has abseiled, sailed, canoed, climbed and kayaked with them in the weeks after their Common Entrance exams finish, as well as overseeing the Year 8 Fashion Show. From a personal perspective, I have been very grateful not only for his support of the school's leadership team but also, and most recently, for implementing and managing the school's Online Learning during the Covid-19 pandemic. Implementing this at such short notice when the lockdowns started was a genuine challenge to all of us but he rose above this and I am sure all are grateful to him for his efforts. Similarly, the language of our teaching and learning has been determined by Visible Learning, a ground-breaking project which was steered by Gavin and embedded across the school.

Mrs Sinnott arrived at the school with Mr Sinnott and their family and she quickly became an established member of the school's staff as they all settled

and she started teaching with us shortly afterwards. As Head of Art, she was instrumental in the recent successes of our children on the scholarship quest to secondary schools and it was lovely to see many of those children at their leaving party. She introduced aspects of the outdoors to her art teaching with many of the children displaying this influence in their work and this was due in no small part to her passion for Forest School which has gone from being an activity to a fully embedded part of our own curriculum, of which she is justifiably proud. Every senior production has benefitted from her expertise as its director, with Shrek the Musical being her last production in the Forbes Hall; a genuine tour de force, even with both Sinnotts in cameo roles.

Both, individually and collectively, have given so much to the school and we, along with many years of St Hugh's families, are very grateful for all that they've done. As Gavin moves on to a well-deserved Headship at Barnardiston Hall in Suffolk, moving with the family, and Sharon takes on a teaching role at the same school, we wish them all the very best for the future for this new chapter in their lives.

Jeremy Wyld

Miss Alison Blee-Storey

We welcomed Miss Alison Blee-Storey to our Games Department. Alison primarily coaches netball in the Spring Term but also contributes to Games coaching more widely in the school as well as supporting the PE department.

Alison’s experience and background in netball is broad; she is the Lincolnshire Performance Pathway Lead, and involved with the Loughborough Lightning U15s. In addition to playing netball herself, she is Head Junior Coach at Lincoln City Netball Club so her role here at St Hugh’s tied in perfectly with her passion for the sport.

Mr Paul Nicholl

Paul joined the St Hugh’s family this year as a Teaching Assistant in our Prep School.

Having relocated to Lincolnshire, Paul brought with him a range of experience from working in a variety of schools. Paul has become a popular member of staff amongst our children thanks to his skills both in the classroom and on the football pitch!

Miss Ellie Henderson

Miss Ellie Henderson became our new Year 1 Class Teacher. Ellie joined us from a large primary school in Swindon having previously worked in Cyprus and Germany.

Ellie has a degree in Drama and Education and is originally from Lincoln. She has wide ranging experience within Early Years and Key Stage 1. Her previous roles included a period as Assistant Head.

Mrs Claire Corner

Mrs Claire Corner joined us as our Year 3 Class Teacher. Claire previously worked at Witham Hall, having worked at S. Anselm's and Cundall Manor.

With a degree in Sport and Education, she is also passionate about outdoor learning. Claire is an experienced prep school teacher who has worked at the British School in Paris.

Miss Ella Breton, Mr James Mayhew and Miss Nancy Britten

We both welcomed and said goodbye to three new Resident Assistants who joined us on their gap year before starting University.

Miss Ella Breton, Mr James Mayhew and Miss Nancy Britten were a key part of the Boarding House Team and assisted in leading PE, Swimming and Games lessons.

Following their time here at St Hugh’s, Ella has since started her

degree in English Literature with American Studies at the University of Sussex; James is studying Sport and Exercise Science at Newcastle University; and Nancy is at the University of Edinburgh studying a Masters in History.

We wish them all the best in their future studies and careers – they will be an asset wherever they go!

To all of our leaving staff, we wish them the very best and, with apologies to TS Eliot, "to fare forward, voyagers".

Mrs Joanne Noden

Joanne Noden joined us as a Teaching Assistant in our Pre Prep classes.

With more than 20 years’ experience of being a Teaching Assistant, Joanne has a wealth of knowledge of working in the education sector and has become an invaluable member of our team.

From the Archives

Charles Nevil Overton DFC

Charles Nevil Overton was born in Navenby, Lincolnshire in 1919 and was one of the first entry of boys to attend St Hugh’s School from where he went on to Denstone College, Staffordshire.

Overton, known as ‘Teeny’ because of his fondness for Ovaltine, joined the RAF on a short service commission and began his initial flying course at White Waltham on 17th January 1938.

In November 1939 Overton was posted to 609 (West Riding) squadron flying defensive patrols from Drem in Scotland. Barely 20, Overton was the youngest pilot in the squadron. On 18th May 1940, after the German invasion of the Low Countries and France, 609 was ordered south to Northolt. On 30th May Overton flew 609’s first patrol of the war to cover the Dunkirk evacuation. In the evening, loss and damage having depleted the squadron, Overton and eight others returned to Dunkirk. On 609’s approach run, Overton encountered 15 He111 bombers and 20 Me109 fighters. There followed a superb display of air fighting; Overton and Flying Officer Hank Russell, an American volunteer, making simultaneous beam attacks, destroying a Heinkel. Overton then noticed that he had a Me109 on his tail. After a six minute dogfight he was in a stall turn with the 109, when he got the 109 in his sights and opened fire at 70 yards. The 109 plunged into the sea.

Shortly afterwards Overton piloted one of nine Spitfires which escorted Winston Churchill to see the French Prime Minister.

He was awarded the DFC (gazetted 6th October 1942) and was twice Mentioned in Despatches.

Concluding his war as a Wing Commander in Malta, Overton returned to Lincolnshire to farm at Heath Farm, Wellingore – where in 1957 he bought the wartime airfield RAF Wellingore and returned it to a working farm. He died in October 1998.

Dedication Service photos: Crown copyright MOD 2022 –Corporal Sally Raimondo

Delving into St Hugh’s history and celebrating the past pupils of the school and their achievements.

On Friday 20th May, we held a Dedication Service in honour of former pupil and Battle of Britain Spitfire Pilot, Charles Nevil Overton DFC, 609 Squadron. It was wonderful to welcome Charles’ family and special guests to join us to commemorate his life.

As part of the ceremony, Harry and Ruby, our Head Boy and Head Girl read White Chalk Marks in the Summer Sky, an extract from the evocative Battle of Britain poem, with Freddie, our Deputy Head Boy delivering a reading.

Charles’ son, Richard Overton; the Battle of Britain Historical Society; Commanding Officer 609 Squadron Royal Auxiliary Air Force; our Headmaster, Jeremy Wyld; and Padre (Sqn Ldr) John Mbayo, of the nearby RAF Coningsby, all contributed to the service.

Our School Choir and Orchestra made us all extremely proud with their incredibly moving performances, which included a War Time Medley.

The Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Lincolnshire, Francis Dymoke, unveiled the plaque, and a flypast by a Battle of Britain Spitfire, enjoyed by the whole school, certainly was the perfect finale to such a special event.

Thank you to everyone for making this such a truly special event and a part of St Hugh’s history.

For any former pupils or their families reading this, please do get in touch. We love to hear your news and, even more, we welcome you to visit whenever you happen to be passing.

Nursery

Christmas Card Competition

Congratulations to our nursery pupils who produced some outstanding Christmas card entries this year.

The winning entries of this year’s Cauliflower Christmas Card Competition were: Best use of colour: Theo W, Transition

Overall Winner and School Christmas card design: Hugh C, Nursery

A Visit from Santa

Everyone was very excited to hear the sound of bells as Santa made his way down the corridor to the classrooms of our Nursery and Pre Prep children.

Santa checked that everyone was indeed on his nice list ahead of his journey on Christmas Eve.

As he handed out presents, there were some super questions asked, including William B’s (Year 1): “Is Rudolph’s nose actually red?”.

Before he left, Santa also mapped his journey home on the globe, with help from Sebastian T (Year 2).

Chinese New Year

Children learnt all about how Chinese New Year is celebrated by people around the world. To welcome in the Year of the Tiger they ventured to the woods where they painted Chinese numerals using their own homemade paint!

Feed the Birds

Our Nursery children enjoyed making bird feeders in Forest School. They carefully threaded cereal onto pipe cleaners before proudly hanging their creations ready for the birds to find. Everyone was excited to visit the woods again to see how much had been eaten!

Spring has Sprung

The Nursery got busy in the sunshine doing a spot of Spring cleaning in their outside play area.

Everyone did a fantastic job when it came to gardening and choosing which flowers they would like to plant. Their welly boot planters looked bright and cheerful once again!

Beach Trip

There was much excitement in our Early Years Department as children arrived at school with their beach bags, buckets and spades ready for a day at Huttoft.

For many of our children it was their first time on the school bus so everyone was eager to climb on board ready for a fun-filled day ahead.

Once at the beach, everyone was quick to change into their swimwear ready to brave the water and eager to get Mr Wyld to join them in the sea! After lots of splashing, sand castle building and burying their friends it was time to have a rest and enjoy lunch sitting on the parachute.

We could not have asked for nicer weather and the perfect day was finished off with an ice cream at Farmer Brown's before heading back to school on the bus. We think we might have brought half of Huttoft's sand back with us though!

Pre Prep

A Visit to Heckington Windmill

Year 1 enjoyed a visit to Heckington Windmill as part of their work on the Little Red Hen story.

They had a guided tour of the building and braved the wooden ladders to climb to the top of the tower to view the internal workings of the mill. As they climbed to the top floor, they followed the progress of wheat into flour on each level. The class was even fearless enough to venture out onto the balcony, to walk around the third level, for a super view of the fens on a sunny but very windy day!

There were lots of interesting activities with everyone trying their hand at making flour using the quern (a handoperated millstone) – it certainly tested their muscles.

Who knew Lincolnshire is home to the world’s only surviving eight-sailed windmill?!

Reception Dress Up Day

Chestnut Class had a fantastic day with pupils coming to school dressed as the job they would like to do when they grow up.

They had spent lots of time in class thinking about the many different occupations they could choose, before deciding what they would each like to do and identifying the tools they might need to complete that role.

There were pilots, a chef, a vet, and even pirates and princesses. Miss Hainsworth made an excellent dancer!

An Indian Experience

The Nursery and Pre Prep pupils had a fantastic time enjoying an Indian Experience Day.

We were delighted to welcome Sunita, who delivers cultural and religious workshops on Hindu and Indian customs and traditions.

Pupils enjoyed storytelling, created Rangoli artwork, gained an insight into Hindu worship and even dressed up in traditional Indian clothing before learning some dance moves! It was a very exciting and memorable day which really brought Indian culture and traditions to life.

Visit to International Bomber Command Centre

On Thursday 4th November, Year 2 visited the International Bomber Command Centre in Lincoln as part of their topic on Woodhall at War.

Pupils enjoyed stories from the war with Janine and learnt about Antis the German Shepherd who flew in the planes for Bomber Command with his owner. Then they had a tour of the exhibitions and enjoyed the interactive resources and videos.

They also met Allan who showed them around the memorial and spoke to them about Operation Manna, when the bombers dropped food parcels over starving people in Holland during the war. The children took a few moments to hear about a family member of our school’s Site Manager, Mr Hainsworth – whose Uncle, Ronald William Hainsworth, died in the Second World War at just 23 years of age. Pupils left a poppy on the wall of remembrance for him.

The children also had time to explore an Anderson shelter in the grounds, and found the tree for RAF Woodhall Spa. It is one of 27 trees, each planted to commemorate an RAF base from which the bombers flew in Lincolnshire.

The trip was a poignant and thoroughly enjoyable day, and our thanks go to all the staff at the Centre, especially Janine and Allan.

Wreath Layers

It is always lovely to hear what our pupils are busy doing outside of school.

We were therefore very proud to hear that Florence (Year 1) and Faith (Year 2) were selected to represent the Woodhall Spa 2nd Rainbows to lay the wreath on behalf of their Rainbow pack at the Memorial Service on Remembrance Sunday. Well done girls!

Atlantic Flyers

Our Reception class was lucky enough to welcome a special visitor to hear all about a very impressive challenge.

Christmas Card Competition

Congratulations to our Pre Prep pupils who produced some outstanding Christmas card entries this year.

The winning entry of this year’s Cauliflower Christmas Card Competition for the most original idea was Cecily T in Year 1.

Wing Commander Sonny Roe, a parent of one of our pupils, was about to embark on an epic 3,000 mile rowing race across the Atlantic as part of a team called the Atlantic Flyers. Visiting the class, he told them that on the 12th December, he would board an ocean rowing boat, along with three other RAF pilots, in a bid to race unaided across the Atlantic Ocean, for the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge. Competing against up to 30 other teams from across the world, they would attempt to travel 3,000 miles west from San Sebastian in La Gomera, Canary Islands, Spain to Nelson’s Dockyard, English Harbour, Antigua and Barbuda. Pupils thoroughly enjoyed finding out all about Wing Commander Roe’s upcoming adventure and found out lots of fascinating facts including, ‘each team would row in excess of 1.5

million oar strokes over a race’ and ‘rowers would row for 2 hours, and sleep for 2 hours, constantly, 24 hours a day’. The children had lots of questions to ask: “Where will you go to the toilet?”, “Will you pack your pyjamas?” and “Do you think you will jump in and swim in the sea?”!

The children also found out about a special little girl called Isla, the daughter of one Wing Commander Roe’s teammates – the inspiration for the challenge. The epic trip was to mark the milestone of Isla’s five year remission from Leukaemia while raising money for Starlight, a charity granting wishes for little heroes.

Following the visit, the class was then delighted to receive video updates from the Atlantic Flyers as they completed the amazing task. They definitely earned their Challenging Cheetah and Team Player Tortoise badges!

Back to the Classroom

It was back to school for the parents of our Reception class children to learn all about phonics.

At the start of Miss Hainsworth’s presentation, there were some slightly puzzled faces as she introduced everything from digraphs to trigraphs and Harriet the Cow to dough disco! Thankfully, it all became much clearer with games and activities and soon everything started to fit into place and make perfect sense. Although, it certainly reminded everyone how difficult and confusing the English language is to learn.

There was even time for a workout to the sound of the Vengaboys as parents got ‘squiggling’ with squiggle cloths. This is something our Reception class pupils enjoy doing in their phonics lessons and involves moving to different pieces of music – helping develop their fine motor skills and preparing them for writing tasks.

We hope everyone enjoyed their phonics lesson and really appreciate parents taking time out of their busy day to come along.

Crazee Bongos Trip

A fun-filled Christmas trip was enjoyed by children in Nursery, Reception and Years 1 and 2 as they journeyed to Crazee Bongos for the day.

Dressed in their Christmas jumpers, everyone was very excited to climb on board the school minibuses to share an outing together.

Once inside Crazee Bongos, there was time for exploring with lots of climbing and all the children were particularly keen to encourage their teachers to have a go down the slides – which proved to be rather fast! It was soon time to take a rest and settle down with some craft activities with pupils making reindeer plant pots, Santa decorations, and decorating party crowns with jewels.

Following a delicious lunch, a very special visitor arrived – none other than Father Christmas! All the children enjoyed taking it in turn to let Santa know what was on their list. A super day was had by all!

Scientist Day

Year 1 had such a great day as Scientists, with everyone coming to school in fantastic outfits ready to have a go at lots of different experiments. They watched raisins dance; experimented with the consistency of slime; caused ‘potion’ explosions with baking soda and vinegar; explored items that float and sink and experimented with magnets.

The class had lots more happening in their Science lessons over the next few weeks but this was the perfect way to start the term with awe and wonder!

Nativity

Our Nursery and Pre Prep children outshone themselves in the brilliant performance of their Nativity.

The cast did a wonderful job of telling the story of ‘Everyone Loves a Baby’… the normally cheerful children of the Bethlehem innkeeper weren’t too sure about babies. They thought their newly born brother was very noisy and a bit smelly. Heading off to see their friend, the children discovered news of a special and unusual baby about to be born – baby Jesus. With fantastic acting, super singing and lots of humour along the way, thankfully everyone did, in fact, end up loving babies after all!

Our staff and children certainly deserved the audience’s rapturous round of applause. They worked so hard, even putting on two performances to ensure we could safely welcome all our families to watch. Everyone should be incredibly proud of themselves for delivering such a showstopper!

Rhubarb Theatre

Our Pre Prep pupils enjoyed a visit from Rhubarb Theatre Company – a wonderful touring theatre company who delivered four different, interactive stories for each of our classes.

Nursery children heard the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears which linked perfectly to their topic on traditional tales. After warming up by dancing along to the Happy Song, accompanied by the accordion, they pretended to wander through the woods while their porridge was cooling! Reception found the story 'Dinosaurs Love Underpants' very funny indeed. They travelled back in time to the Victorians and Romans before landing on Earth to discover dinosaurs and a caveman in spotty underpants! Everyone had the opportunity to make their own pair of underpants before

hanging them up in the classroom.

Year 1 took part in retelling ‘The Princess and the Wizard’ which linked beautifully to the magical aspect of their topic this term. Children loved turning into fish, chicks, grasshoppers, foxes, cats, butterflies, birds and paper. Everyone danced around the hall and acted out washing dishes, darning socks and cleaning smelly toilets! They finished the day by making their own crowns so they could attend the Princess's party.

Year 2 set sail with Jack retelling the story of ‘Jack and the Flumflum Tree’. With Jack’s Granny sick with a case of the moozles, the class found themselves on an adventure to the Isle of Blowyernose to find the only cure, the fruit of the flumflum tree. Using everything they could find in Granny’s patchwork sack they fought hungry sharks, fixed a leaky boat and came up against a thieving monkey. A fantastic challenge and lesson in perseverance linked to their topic on Explorers.

Palaeontologists for the Day

Chestnut Class came suitably dressed and ready to find out all about the job of a palaeontologist. Everyone enjoyed an action-packed day unearthing fossils and hunting for eggs. No one could quite believe that some dinosaurs had even come to visit!

When it came to measuring one of the dinosaurs, the children thought

he perhaps sounded a little familiar, especially when Mr Hainsworth had suddenly disappeared! It certainly was a day of fun and laughter bringing their topic work to life.

Remembering Real Life Superheroes

Chestnut Class visited the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (BBMF) as part of their topic on superheroes. Before they even got inside the hangar, they put their maths skills to the test to measure a very large bomb!

Once inside, they were all super impressed that they were allowed through the red barrier to get up close to the aircraft, and even touch them!

They toured the Dakota, Spitfires, Hurricanes and Lancaster, and everyone asked lots of fantastic questions. The whole class got to sit in the Dakota and climb aboard the Lancaster.

It really made everyone think about the real life superheroes who flew and maintained these aircraft all those years ago.

Castles, Dragons, Quests and Adventures!

Year 2 looked fantastic in their fancy dress outfits which were all brilliantly linked to their topic in the second half of the Spring Term: Castles, Dragons, Quests and Adventures!

The class learnt all about castles, discovering why and where they were built as well as finding out about the many people who worked in them. They also enjoyed a wonderful selection of dragon stories and poems to fire up their imaginations in literacy lessons!

Exploring the Ocean

Year 1 travelled to Skegness Aquarium. After being very busy learning about Oceans in the Summer Term, this was the perfect way to bring their learning to life.

They learnt all about the different sharks and specifically liked the biggest one called Nudge, who loves to be cuddled and tickled by the divers! Everyone enjoyed observing all the different creatures and asked lots of thoughtful questions bringing a range of facts back to the classroom. It was a great day out!

Lincolnshire Wildlife Park

Year 2 enjoyed a wonderful day at Lincolnshire Wildlife Park as part of their Endangered Animals topic.

The children thoroughly enjoyed seeing all the animals and finding out more about those which are endangered or vulnerable. They particularly liked making friends with Billy the very talkative parrot, and the boys were very happy that the meerkats thought their feeding box looked the tastiest!

Michael Morpurgo in Conversation

A group of children in Years 6, 7 and 8 travelled to Blackfriars Arts Centre on Sunday 19th September for the first Boston Book Festival to hear a talk with famous children's author Michael Morpurgo.

Michael really engaged the children as he spoke about his life and the unique things he has experienced that have inspired his books. He had lots of funny stories to tell and answered a lot of questions from the audience about how he writes his books, even giving the children in the audience some tips on how to write stories themselves!

We were also treated to a reading from his latest book: When Fishes Flew.

The highlight though was Michael actually passing us on his way into the theatre! “Are you coming to see this?” he asked the children. “Yes!” they replied. “I wouldn't.” he said. “I've heard it will be rubbish!” Thankfully, he was wrong!

Burghley House Sculpture Park

As part of the Year 8 topic on Sculpture, pupils spent the day at Burghley House Sculpture Park.

They enjoyed a wire dragonfly workshop before exploring the impressive gardens. On such a lovely sunny day, pupils took time to draw and sketch the many amazing sculptures that dot the park. They finished off their day touring the Water Garden of Surprises.

Year 5 River Trip

On Tuesday 28th September, Year 5 went on a rivers investigation.

Starting at Snipe Dales, they found the source of the stream which later joins the River Lymn. They then walked along its course for a little while and identified various features of rivers, such as valleys, meanders and tributaries. The class stopped at a confluence and gathered data on depth, temperature and speed of the river. They also examined some of the river water for different creatures after using the kick-sampling technique.

After lunch, everyone headed to Gibraltar Point to look at the river at its mouth. Having now become the River Steeping, it meanders to The Wash. Here pupils drew a bird’s eye view of the winding river as it flowed through the salt marshes to the sea.

It was a very enlightening day and it was really interesting to see the differences between the start and end of a river.

The Romans Have Landed

In the Autumn Term, Year 3 pupils learnt all about the Romans. Everyone transformed themselves into their own Roman character coming up with unique names and boasting of their army’s conquests and empire!

They were very creative designing boats, helmets and chariots, and even built their own catapult which they enjoyed testing out.

The class was transported back to 43AD and the Roman Empire where they met Boudica, a queen of the Iceni tribe, and helped fight the Roman invaders during an interactive workshop!

Year 5 Visit to Burghley House

As part of their Victorians topic, Year 5 visited the magnificent Burghley House.

They started with a tour inside the house and looked at some of the many rooms – the kitchens, various drawing rooms, the servants’ quarters and numerous bedrooms. This included several rooms where Victoria actually stayed in when on visits. Pupils then had a go at different jobs that children may have been expected to do as servants around the house (parents may be interested to note that clean laundry was folded, shoes were buffed and brass polished!). In addition, there were a few hobby time activities that were available to do: cup and ball games, yo-yos, tiddlywinks, snap, and scrapbook making.

After lunch, there were some parlour games and it was refreshing to see the children play in small groups without the need for electronic devices. They worked together well, guessing the famous faces, hiding counters in hands, and the one they enjoyed most of all was playing ‘Lord Bean’ which involved passing a small, round counter between themselves using only their thumbs to hold it. Finally, there was enough time to examine some Victorian artefacts and try to guess their uses, such as carpet beaters and a footman’s hat. It was a fun day with a lot of fascinating information garnered from our knowledgeable ‘Victorian’ guides; and plenty of entertainment too.

Visiting Author

On Tuesday 12th October, pupils in Years 1–4 enjoyed a visit from children’s author, Sam Copeland. Sam is a best-selling author and we were incredibly lucky to invite him into school and hear about his experience of being a writer.

Everyone had a fantastic time listening to him read from his first book – Charlie Changes into a Chicken. It was a very amusing discussion when he talked about the world’s most disgusting animals, including how a Hagfish produces slime and how cows have managed to explode a barn from all their wind!

At the end of his presentation, children had the opportunity to have their chosen book signed by Sam and were very eager to start reading.

ISEB Project Qualification (iPQ)

This was the first year pupils completed an iPQ. The ISEB Project Qualification (iPQ) provides a framework for teaching and assessing the development of independent, pupil-led project-learning skills, taking the form of a 15–20 hour project.

Pupils in Year 7 chose a range of topics to explore. Congratulations are well deserved as all pupils achieved a Merit, and Dan and Poppy were awarded Distinctions.

Christmas Card Competition

Congratulations to our Pre Prep pupils who produced some outstanding Christmas card entries this year. The winning entries of this year’s Cauliflower Christmas Card Competition were:

Most original idea: Agatha C, Year 3

Best use of colour: Aydin T, Year 6

Remembrance Service

On Thursday 11th November, the whole school congregated on the Headmaster’s Lawn for our annual Remembrance Service. It was lovely that we were able to join together once again to pay our respects and remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice.

Mr Wyld’s Remembrance Address was followed by the reading of a poem by Head Boy, Harry H, before pupils joined together to lay wreaths. This year, Year 3 pupils had produced ten large poppy wreaths, each containing a fact about World War 1. It was wonderful to see our older pupils pair up with our younger children to read aloud each fact before laying the wreath and pausing for a moment to reflect.

Everyone observed the minute’s silence before the Reveille by Dan G and Mr Richards. A poem was read by Head Girl, Ruby S, before the dismissal, ‘They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old: Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning. We will remember them.’

The Service proved the perfect finale to the lessons and activities that had gone on during the week, with pupils of all ages recognising the importance of Remembrance Day.

Joyeux Noël!

Madame Clayton set pupils in Years 4 and 5 the challenge of designing their very own Christmas jumper. Alongside their design, they had to describe, in French, what the jumper looked like!

Well done to the winners in Year 4, who were chosen by Madame Clayton: Charlotte and Ben. Year 6 had the tricky job of deciding the Year 5 winners: Euan, Annabelle and Jemima. Bravo everyone!

Christmas Lunch

Mr Wilson and his team excelled themselves once again and everyone was treated to a full Christmas lunch including pigs in blankets, stuffing and roast parsnips followed by chocolate yule log or Christmas pudding.

Staff and pupils donned their finest Christmas attire for the occasion.

Prep School finished their lunch with music and a fabulous sing-along to festive tunes. Thankfully everyone was able to work off some of their lunch at the annual post-Christmas lunch disco!

Christmas Cards for Patients

Our children were very busy in December making Christmas cards and writing letters for patients who are in local hospitals over the festive period.

The initiative, which St Hugh’s has supported for a number of years, is run by the United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust.

We are sure the children’s cards proved a lovely surprise and their cheerful messages raised a smile. Pupils handed over the letters and cards to Mrs Lalloo-Padley, Divisional Managing Director of United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust.

Christmas-themed Taskmaster

As an end of term treat, Year 8 pupils split into two teams to enjoy a Christmas-themed Taskmaster.

Based on the much loved British television panel game, Mr Sinnott set a series of challenges, splitting the class into two teams in order to compete!

There was much shouting of encouragement and screams of frustration as the teams tried to complete tasks including decorating gingerbread men and wrapping a Christmas present while blindfolded. To ensure there was no arguing when it came to awarding points, Year 2 pupils were brought in to judge the contestants’ performances!

Reading Together

This year, we paired Year 8 pupils up with Year 3 to encourage reading for meaning. The Year 8 pupils listen to the younger children read once a week, ask them questions, and log their progress in their reading record.

This shared reading is valuable not only for the younger pupils, who love reading to the Year 8s on Thursday mornings, but also for the older pupils, who have to think of challenging questions to ask the Year 3s as well as encouraging them to read accurately and thoughtfully. It has been lovely to see them reading so well together.

History Mystery

On Thursday 20th January, Mr Patterson from Uppingham School came to deliver a talk to our Year 5–8 pupils about using evidence to find out about the past.

It was based around the true story of Private John Barnes who had been shot for desertion in WW1 and his mother’s attempts to get his name engraved on a war memorial.

Pupils worked hard to analyse the meaning and significance of various source materials (including one document that bore the signature of Field Marshal Douglas Haig, the controversial military leader) in order to find out whether Private Barnes’ treatment was justified.

Having in depth discussion with Mr Patterson, using his expert knowledge of the First World War, raised many interesting questions for the pupils and they started to understand the huge dilemmas facing both generals and soldiers on a day-to-day basis in wartime at the Front.

It was an enlightening afternoon and gave children valuable training in how to cast a critical eye over information presented to them – an increasingly necessary skill in today’s information-saturated world.

Penguin Awareness Day

Everyone was surprised to find out that January 20th each year is Penguin Awareness Day!

After hearing there is such a day dedicated to the flightless birds and with the penguin population dwindling every year, Mrs Costello was keen to raise awareness amongst her Year 6 pupils.

The class enjoyed finding out lots of fascinating facts and how climate change has affected the many different species. After the lesson, everyone was eager to tell their peers about the penguins’ plight.

A Maths Lesson at the Shops

Year 3 pupils learnt about money in their Spring Term Maths topic. Aiming to make Maths relevant in real life scenarios, Mrs Corner decided to take the class on a trip to the local shops.

Pupils visited Sainsbury’s where Mrs Corner had set them the challenge of a quiz where they had to locate certain items and work out calculations. Then, working in their groups, they were given a shopping list of items to buy in Co-op. They had to total the cost of all the items on the list and work out their change, remembering to ask for a receipt so they could check they

were correct. An incentive of the trip was that they could distribute their shopping to various lucky staff members and also enjoy a few treats themselves!

It was a great experience with children not having handled money due to Covid-19 and the increased use of card payments. A successful shopping trip indeed!

Classics Lecture

Prep pupils were lucky enough to take part in a Classics Lecture delivered by Sam Dewhurst of Uppingham School.

Year 5 pupils were joined by Latin students in Years 6–8 to hear all about what life was like for a wealthy Roman. The presentation explored everything from waking up and going back to bed; what they wore; where they lived; and how they spent their day frequenting the Roman baths and forum. Pupils also discovered what toys the children played with.

Everyone was particularly intrigued by the bottle of olive oil Sam had brought in to show them along with an item called a strigil. Pupils learnt this was for cleansing and had a go using the olive oil and strigil on their arms! Although that proved nothing compared to the smell of a bottle of garum (fish sauce) that everyone had the opportunity to smell. Apparently, the Romans liked to put it on all their food. The resounding opinion from pupils was “yuk”!

On the Buzzer Quiz

On Tuesday 1st February, eight Year 6 pupils travelled to Uppingham for the On the Buzzer general knowledge quiz competition prepared to pit their wits against ten other teams.

Team A was comprised of Matthew, Wilf, Arthur and William; Team B of Euan, Sophie, Mahreen and Aydin. Team A impressed the audience with their knowledge on animals and art amongst other things but, up against two tough teams in their first round matches, narrowly missed out on a quarter final place. They went through to the plate competition, conducted pub-quiz style, which was extremely close and the boys missed out on a place in the top two by just two points!

Team B lost their opening first round match against Maidwell but

went on to win their next three matches, meaning they sailed through to the next round. They faced a team from Witham who were very speedy on the buzzers and, despite some excellent correct answers and interruptions, Team B were knocked out in the quarter final.

We stayed to watch a very exciting final, and the teams returned to school rightly proud of their efforts – and their shiny new badges! Thank you to the team at Uppingham for a fantastic afternoon.

Celebrating World Book Day

The children at St Hugh's enjoyed a fantastic World Book Day celebration on Thursday 3rd March. Pupils were invited to come into school dressed as their favourite character, and it was great to see so many inventive costumes on display!

Years 6–8 enjoyed a creative writing workshop and Q&A with Kerry Drewery, a Lincolnshire-based author of Young Adult fiction, where they came up with their own detective stories. Also being detectives were the Pre Prep, who went on a hunt around school to see how many Wallys they could find!

Congratulations to the winners and runners-up of this year's costume competition:

Pre Prep

Winners: George C, Willow G, Lana R

Runners-Up: Maddie L, Abi B, Sienna N

Years 3–5

Winners: William L, Thomas S, Rory P

Runners-Up: Jemima S, Ela H, Lulu H, Frankie B, Olivia A

Years 6–8

Winners: Harry H, Dan G, Grace L

Runners-Up:

Civil War Visit

On Friday 11th March, Year 7 visited the National Civil War Centre, Newark to support their learning about the British Civil Wars in the 1640s.

The first workshop involved identifying some rather gruesome wounds from the battlefield and deciding whether they were fatal or not.

Following this, pupils tried on different battlefield outfits including heavily armoured pikemen, cavalry and the barely protected musketeers. Then a quick lesson in musket drills and pike drills kept them on their toes. After watching a short film about the siege of Newark, we selected three objects from the galleries that we thought were the most interesting; some pupils then acted as curators and explained their objects to the rest of the class. Dressing up in 17th Century costumes also went down well.

In the afternoon, Year 7 re-enacted the trial of King Charles I, with Rico as the doomed monarch, Huxley as the ‘mysterious woman’ and Sam as the executioner. There was a lot learned about the Civil Wars through these activities, which brought the events to life, and also through our knowledgeable guide for the day, Denise.

Following our author visit, pupils in Years 6–8 got creative in their English lessons with the Japanese art forms of the haiku and origami.

Kerry Drewery’s latest novel, The Last Paper Crane, tells the story of a Hiroshima survivor and the ways in which the events of that day in 1945 haunt him, even in his old age. The pupils learnt about the symbolism of the paper crane, after reading an extract from the book and watching a survivor's story.

They made their own paper cranes and decorated them with their own haiku poems about some of the lessons we might learn from the Hiroshima bomb, or how this event might have affected those involved.

The teachers played detective too, keeping their eyes out for the most original costumes throughout the day and nominating their favourites.

Ruby S, Penny V, Hatty W, Annabel T & Freya B; Poppy W, Peyia F & Imogen L; Aydin T

Year 5 French Trip

Our Year 5 pupils had the most fabulous week in France. Their adventure began with a very early start ready to jump on board the coach. Safely in France, they didn’t waste any time and had fun taking a ride on a luge.

After a busy day, complete with birthday celebrations for Mr Pickering, everyone was ready to relax in the lovely accommodation where the children were very excited to find TVs in their bedrooms – they just couldn’t understand why everything was in French though!

Day two started with a market mission. In groups of four, they were all given three euros and had to buy their own food for a picnic. They had to ask for items in French and everyone thoroughly enjoyed using their language skills. Back on board the bus, Madame Clayton reported a strong smell of Camembert!

Following their picnic, they then visited a biscuiterie and learnt how to make biscuits. With time to spare, they chose to spend it on the beach. An already busy day was finished off with a visit to the bakery before dinner and a game of mini golf.

Day three involved learning lots about snails followed by working out on a 5k uphill cycle ride on a disused railway (and 5k downhill!), before spending their last euros in a supermarket. They then took a tour of the Canadian War Memorial of Vimy Ridge before heading back to their accommodation to squeeze everything into their suitcases for the journey home.

Our younger children in Chestnut Class were keen to make sure that their class teddy bears, Harry and Harriet, did not miss an opportunity to have an adventure too. Madame Clayton had kindly packed them in her suitcase for the week and children loved seeing all their photographs!

A truly wonderful week was had by all with memories we are sure will last a lifetime.

Synagogue Visit

Our Year 7 pupils travelled to the Leicester Hebrew Congregation Synagogue and gained a fantastic insight into Judaism.

The visit truly brought their lessons on the Jewish faith to life. Pupils learnt about the key features of the Synagogue and how its Jewish community worship in the building. They were also able to see the various ceremonial objects relating to Judaism and were shown the Torah scrolls, discovering how they are written, when they are used, and what is contained within them.

The trip brought to life the Summer Term’s work on different religions and the importance of the Synagogue within the Jewish faith.

Learning About The Ancient Maya

Year 4’s topic work on the Ancient Maya was brought to life thanks to special guests and speakers.

Firstly they welcomed a chocolatier for an interactive workshop to find out all about the origin of chocolate. They smelt and tasted the raw ingredients before making and packaging their own chocolate bar!

A second event saw them partake in a live Q&A session with Dr Diane Davies – the only British archaeologist studying the Ancient Maya. Her enthusiasm inspired the children with them all asking fantastic questions on everything from artefacts and sacrifices to death masks and ball games.

No one could ever have anticipated the third special guest – none other than Keagan’s Grandad, who we discovered is an ecological anthropologist. Dr James D Nations has been learning from Lacandón Maya families for more than forty years and everyone was fascinated to hear that he even lived with them for three years and continues to visit annually. Keagan’s classmates couldn’t quite believe it and everyone thoroughly enjoyed finding out about his Grandad’s work and seeing all his amazing photos!

Viking Invasion!

Year 3 pupils came to school dressed perfectly for a Viking Workshop. They had even made their own pewter amulets in Forest School ready to adorn their wonderful costumes.

The workshop started with a history lesson on the Vikings and their invasions followed by a quiz on the different aspects of Viking life, their kings and battles. The children were introduced to Viking riddles and had fun playing a game called Tafl – a strategic board game involving a fox and geese.

In the afternoon, there was much amusement in the playground as they completed the timeline up to the Battle of Hastings with a re-enactment of the fight in slow motion!

Year 5 Farm Trip

In June, Year 5 travelled to Mr & Mrs Scott's farm as part of their Geography farming topic. Mr Scott took us on a tour of the farm starting with a look at the solar panels they have had installed there and how they are used to generate energy.

After this we looked at several different crops that are grown, ranging from borage, potatoes, daffodils, wheat, wild oats, artichoke, asparagus and peas. Mr Scott explained what these crops required in order to grow and how the irrigation system worked. We were lucky enough to be able to sample a few of these – and freshly shelled peas were the most popular!

A superb lunch was arranged for us to eat in the woods which included some of the produce we had seen. Children tucked into the asparagus and artichoke, and those who had not tried them before were pleasantly surprised. After a run around the woods we drove to the reservoir and heard about its uses on the farm. Close by the reservoir we had a cherry picking competition with large amounts of cherries gathered (and consumed). We also had a look at some of the large storage facilities set aside for these crops, before heading back to the main yard for a debrief.

A massive thank you is due to Mr Scott for accommodating us all and explaining some of the complex issues and decisions involved with running a farming business. The visit really highlighted the importance of farming in our community and for our country.

Year 6 Visit Lincoln Castle

On Thursday 9th June, Year 6 visited Lincoln Castle as part of their topic and also as an investigation into local historical buildings.

Avoiding the cast and crew filming for a popular TV show, we were guided to our rooms within the castle. Here we reinforced our learning on the Magna Carta by viewing one of only four remaining original documents in the world in the castle’s vault, and after some discussion about the Magna Carta’s significance in (world) history, pupils took part in a King John drama which involved a lot of dressing up and looked at the build-up

to, and aftermath of, the sealing of Magna Carta in 1215. There followed a medieval ‘banquet’ with lords and ladies at the top table, servers, dancing, and attempted comedy turns from various jesters. This was swiftly followed by some replica armour handling. Pupils began to realise just how heavy a small piece of chain mail could be!

After lunch on the grass in the castle’s bailey we were led on a wall walk around the battlements with expert explanations from our guide of the various developments in the castle’s structure and locations of different battles and skirmishes in the area.

We are fortunate to have on our doorstep such a remarkable and nationally important landmark. Parts of its rich and varied history were brought to life in a very enjoyable visit.

A Visit to Air Ambulance HQ

On Friday 10th June, Year 6 travelled to the Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance (LNAA) Headquarters.

After raising money for the charity as part of our school Jubilee Celebrations, pupils were keen to find out more about their work and how donations help to save lives.

The pupils were welcomed by LNAA CEO, Karen Jobling, before taking a tour of the hangar to see the rapid response cars as well as the Operations Room, where the pilots, doctors and paramedics wait for the klaxon to go off signalling a shout. Then they got to see the equipment the doctor-paramedic crew take with

them on every call-out, as well as taking part in an interactive lesson on how to perform CPR on someone.

One of the highlights of the morning was seeing inside the bright yellow helicopter and asking pilots Ben Richardson and Roger Griffiths questions about what it is like to fly and how fast the helicopter goes.

As pupils were about to leave, there was an emergency and the opportunity to see the helicopter take off!

Boarding

Boarding Report

The Boarding House has continued to grow and has been so busy over the year.

“

We have been lucky enough to go on trips out of school as well as have our taster evenings back for all different year groups. We had treat evenings to McDonald’s, water fights on the Headmaster’s lawn, takeaway treat teas, visits to Tattershall Lakes water park, bowling, Jump warriors for trampolining fun, walks into the village for sweet treats, Christmas celebrations, birthday celebrations, and many, many more activities. We continued to decorate the house at the request of the children and over the Easter holidays each dormitory was painted with the Boarders’ choices of colour.

It has been a pleasure to work for over six years in the Boarding House, which I believe is the heart of our school. The children grow in independence during their time in the House whether it is for one night a week or full-time. Listening to our Boarders has been so important in the creation of a home-from-home environment and the ability to make

changes to routine has been vital. Our Boarders now spend more time relaxing in the House and doing more things they want to rather than being led by directed tasks all the time. This has made a huge difference to their mental health and down time.

Thank you to everyone who has supported the Boarding House over the years and I would love to wish Mrs Warwick-Smith all the best in her time in the Boarding House and the future.”

Miss Hainsworth Boarding House Parent

Wellbeing

Celebrating Kindness

In their assemblies and PSHE (Personal, Social, Health and Economic) time, Chestnut Class focused on ways to be kind – both to themselves and each other.

For each act of kindness, they collected body parts for the class Mr Potato Head and worked really hard to complete him with all the pieces in the right place.

To celebrate successfully finishing the task, and their achievement as a class, they decided to come to school in their best fancy dress costumes!

World Kindness Day

Held on the 13th November each year, World Kindness Day is recognised across the world as a day to celebrate kindness in society and day to day life. Its aim is to encourage individual acts of kindness.

As a school, we joined together in our assembly to think about how we could all be more compassionate to each other and thought of the many different gestures we could each do in our daily lives to show such kindness.

Pupils were then encouraged to make a note of any acts of kindness made by them, or to them, and one of our display boards looked fantastically full with a record of them!

Wellbeing Walks

The Spring Term saw the introduction of a new initiative at St Hugh’s: a weekly Wellbeing Walk.

Held every Tuesday lunchtime by Mrs Waite, Head of Additional Learning, all children are welcome, whether they want to walk and talk or simply take in the scenery. We also have a regular addition to our walks – Mr Wyld's dog, Maisie!

Wellbeing Forum

In January, we were delighted to host our first Informal Wellbeing Forum.

The event provided the perfect opportunity for local professionals to gather in person to share good practice, resources and questions related to wellbeing provision, in an informal and supportive atmosphere.

According to NHS data, ‘one in eight children and young people experience mental health difficulties severe enough to warrant specialist support pre-pandemic, and this has lately increased to one in six’. (Jaime Smith, Anna Freud Centre)

With wellbeing so crucial for children to be successful in school and life, we are always keen to work with other local professionals to share best practice, ensuring we deliver the best to our pupils and staff. Thank you to all the schools who joined us – we very much look forward to future meetings.

Sets Set Charities for 2022

At the start of the Spring Term, our three Sets — Red, White and Blue — met to discuss which charities they would each like to support.

At St Hugh’s, our Sets bring together pupils from across the school to work together on a range of activities. One of the challenges everyone enjoys is raising money for charity throughout the year.

The children are always eager to support a diverse variety of charities and look forward to choosing from all their many nominations.

After much deliberation, the following charities were selected:

Grow Your Own Way

At St Hugh’s, mental health and wellbeing is an integral part of the support we strive to give to all our children and staff throughout the year.

Children’s Mental Health Week shines a spotlight on it each February and the theme for this year was about recognising the personal growth that we can’t necessarily see. It is also about supporting others to grow.

In school, our children were invited to think about their own emotional growth and to identify an aspect of this to work on.

Throughout the week, pupils added

their ideas to our Wellbeing Wall which had been decorated with a watering can and tree, the watering can representing things they do to feel happy and replenished whilst also taking time to think about how they can grow, signified by the tree. The wall was covered with fantastic thoughts and ideas and it was lovely to see how full it was by the end of the week.

Red: White: Blue:

The Set charity days are led by the Year 8 pupils of the group with input from all members, giving them valuable experience in organising and running events.

Set Pancake Races

The whole school had fun celebrating Pancake Day. Chestnut Class ventured into the playground for their phonics lesson using frying pans to flip each sound!

After morning break, Pre Prep joined together to have a pancake race before it was the turn of Prep all ready for action in their Set Teams. With much shouting and cheering, White Set were crowned the winners!

Sweat for Your Set

Sweat for Your Set Results

Thank you to everyone for supporting our Sweat for Your Set fun run. We were delighted with our fundraising totals:

Blue Set

£457.24 (for JDRF Diabetes charity)

Red Set £467.60 (for World Wildlife Fund)

White Set £589.24 (for Guide Dogs for the Blind Association)

Money was raised from additional entries into the fun run, the selling of set colour themed merchandise, a set stall on the fun run afternoon, and a further collection at the bar for both performances of Shrek.

This means that St Hugh's pupils, staff and families raised a total of £1,514.08 in the Spring Term for Set charities. Well done to everyone –your sweat was worth it!

Art & Design

Music & Drama

Harvest Service

On Friday 8th October, the whole school enjoyed the short walk to St Peter’s Church for our much awaited Harvest Service on what was the most beautiful Autumn Day.

After such a long time, it was a very special moment to congregate in Church, thinking of the many missed gatherings, and finally welcoming everyone to celebrate together.

It proved a very emotional service, with an outstanding performance from our Pre Prep pupils, a particularly touching recital from the School Choir, and a very proud moment listening to this year’s Head Boy, Harry, deliver his first public reading. Father Paul provided a particularly welcome story of a neighbour’s hope of growing a chocolate tree and crisp plant, which turned emotion to much laughter from all age groups in attendance!

As Mr Wyld outlined in his welcome, the service provided the perfect opportunity to recognise how many people in our own school community are busy working in food and farming. It was fitting to reflect on this in a time where the food industry, like many industries, is emerging with ambition from the most desperate of times. We remain grateful to all of those who work so hard on our behalf to keep us fed and healthy.

Thank you to everyone who attended and to St Peter’s Church for their hospitality.

Oakham Music Day

On Tuesday 2nd November, some of our violinists and singers were invited to attend the Oakham School Music Day, along with other Prep Schools in the area.

“Harvest Harmonies” was the theme of the day, using autumnal repertoire including some ancient songs and some brand new pieces specifically composed for this event. The pieces provided a challenge for all of the musicians, encouraging them to expand their technique and knowledge with either their instruments or voices.

The day involved two big rehearsal sessions, with the string players in

Oakham School's Chapel (lead by Emily Holland, Head of Strings), and the singers in the Oakham Castle (lead by Peter Davis, Director of Music). Whilst the rehearsals were quite intense, the children found them to be both enjoyable and effective. The sound that each group omitted was nothing short of incredible!

Following a delicious hot lunch, the string group and singers merged to

rehearse the finale. It was a privilege to watch and listen to some 100 musicians all playing together. The choir, string group, organ and piano all working together was spectacular!

The concert in the afternoon rounded the day off and celebrated all of the hard work that the children had done to produce such an event. Our pupils performed with confidence and helped to produce a wonderful sound.

Autumn Concert

Our Autumn Concert at St Peter’s Church was a resounding success with a brilliant range of performances. For many of our musicians this was the first time they have performed in such a setting and, in fact, in front of an audience.

All of our musicians worked so hard this year to overcome the challenges of online music lessons and their dedication truly shone through as they took to the stage. The School Orchestra set the evening off to a fantastic start followed by an array of performances including everything from our pop choir and solo performances to our string and brass ensembles.

A new, surprise addition to the concert was our Rock Band. Its members – Ruby, Freddie and Daniel – had kept their act so quiet that their hidden talent was quite a surprise to everyone!

Special thanks must go to Mr Ferguson and all our peripatetic music teachers for their incredible efforts to deliver such a special evening.

It was wonderful to have Peter Seabourne in attendance. Peter was Director of Music here at St Hugh’s for 26 years and, following the concert, our pupils enjoyed reminiscing about their lessons with him. Thank you to Peter for his kind words: “It was a great joy to see your children in action, displaying their many talents and obviously enjoying the occasion immensely.”

Carol Service

The Christmas Carol Service is one of our favourite events, bringing everybody together to share in the Christmas festivities before going their separate ways for the holidays.

The beginning of the Service featured our Head Chorister, Annabel T, singing the opening verse of “Once In Royal David’s City” whilst leading the procession to the choir stalls.

The choir performed a modern hymn, “Glory” (Matt Maher) which brought a thoughtful tear to the eyes of those in attendance. The Pre Prep also featured, singing “Clip Clop, Don’t Stop” from their Nativity show earlier in the week.

Father Paul, of Harvest Service fame, provided another inspiring and engaging sermon, talking about the meaning of Christmas and its importance, particularly in the modern world where it is so easy to forget that it is the simple things which matter.

It is wonderful to see that the Carol Service is so well supported. Hearing children and parents singing together is an amazing and emotional thing, and shows how important family is to us all. Thanks also to St Peter’s Church for providing a beautiful setting for this event.

We Are The Champions

On Thursday 10th February, pupils attended the Uppingham Prep School’s Orchestral Day.

Held annually, this is a hugely important and significant event that provides a valuable opportunity to reaffirm and celebrate the musical relationships that we share. This year’s theme ‘We Are The Champions’ offered a broad choice of inspirational and upbeat pieces for three separate ensembles.

Firstly, the string orchestra performed Peter Warlock’s ‘Basse Dance’, along with a piece from High School Musical, ‘We’re All In This Together’. The wind band, featuring woodwind, brass and percussion pupils played a Queen medley including ‘We Will Rock You’, ‘We Are the Champions’ and ‘Another One Bites The Dust’, as

well as performing ‘Ain’t No Mountain High Enough’. These two ensembles combined to form a full orchestra, directed by Uppingham’s Director of Music, Andrew Kennedy. They performed ‘Chariots of Fire’ by Vangelis before rounding off the concert with a spectacular rendition of ‘Eye of The Tiger’.

Some 223 pupils attended the day, representing 14 different schools. In total, schools travelled 660 miles to participate in the event, demonstrating how valued this day is for instrumental pupils. It was also nice to see a former St Hugh’s musician, Joseph Shaw, performing as part of the Uppingham Jazz Orchestra

on drum kit, testament to the early opportunities afforded pupils here at St Hugh’s.

Opportunities such as these have a huge impact on our musicians and help nurture and develop their musical capabilities and passions. They provide a focus for practice and essential performance experiences, vital elements for a developing musician. Working as part of such a huge ensemble, with other children from elsewhere, brings people together in a way which only music can.

Summer Concert

The Summer Gala Concert is a celebration of the musicians at both ends of their musical careers at St Hugh’s School.

Junior Music Concert

Our Junior Concert featured every member of the school from Year 2 to Year 6 in a performance setting.

Each class group had worked incredibly hard in preparation for the Concert, and performed an ensemble piece, regardless of whether or not they receive instrumental or vocal lessons individually.

The Concert also featured soloists and a vocal duet, as well as the St Hugh's School Wind Ensemble.

Creating a performance opportunity for the children is a perfect way for them to develop as musicians, and having a receptive and supportive audience is a huge part of the process. Everyone should feel very proud of themselves for such a brilliant performance!

Performing were pupils that have only picked up an instrument this academic year (some even as recently as May!), as well as those perhaps more familiar to you having played at numerous concerts and events previously.

A concert such as this is always bittersweet. We, as a school, are always proud to showcase the talents and abilities of these wonderful children. However, at this time of year, it is always tinged with sadness as we say farewell to pupils, some of whom we have taught for many years. The children have embraced the start of their musical journey, faced difficulties and challenges, but also shown great perseverance and, undoubtedly, success. The hard work and dedication of these children was on show for you all to witness. Without their commitment, and your collective efforts as parents, events such as these could not happen. It is important to remember, particularly

for those moving on, that this isn’t the end of the story but the start of a new chapter, with exciting opportunities and performances on the horizon.

A huge thank you must be said to our team of peripatetic music teachers at St Hugh’s. They are all a tremendous asset to the Music Department and have been a great support both for the children.

All of the children performed with a sense of occasion and really demonstrated that with dedication and commitment, great things can happen. There was a vast array of music on offer, including film music, classical tunes, traditional songs, pop songs, our fantastic rock band and a feature finale of the Year 8s with their rendition of “Hall of Fame”, which also happened to poke a little fun at some of our members of staff! It was a pleasure to listen to these young musicians and we wish every single one of them well for the future.

Shrek the Musical

Shrek The Musical was an outstanding show performed by our Prep pupils and staff.

The audiences this week could not fail to be impressed by the fantastic stage, scenery, costumes and individual performances. It certainly has been a labour of love!

From the Director, Mrs Sinnott: “

Shrek has always been a story close to my heart (after all I am married to an ogre!) and when we discovered that the rights to the musical were available, it was too good an opportunity to miss. This has been a bitter sweet show as it is my last at St Hugh’s but I have had so much fun working with the children. We have had lots of laughs and only a few tears!

I would like to say a huge thank you to Miss Hainsworth and Mr Ferguson for sticking with my crazy ideas and helping me to make this happen – the dances and music were amazing. Thank you to Mrs Turbin for making some fabulous costumes and to Mr Hainsworth for helping to build the set. Finally, thank you to Mr Sinnott for being so supportive and embracing the idea of having a cameo role!”

A huge well done to everyone involved in the show – you were all simply brilliant!

Cast

Shrek – Russell B

Donkey – Ruby S

Fiona – Annabel T

Lord Farquaad – Thomas B

Pinocchio – Daniel S

Gingy – Harry S

Dragon – Beth C

Wolf – Freddie H

Ugly Duckling – Henrietta P

Fairy – Imogen L

Witch – Freya B

Young Shrek/Dwarf/ Humpty Dumpty – Harry H

White Rabbit – Poppy W

Captain Hook – Brandon B

Peter Pan – Leo G

Mad Hatter – Dan G

Elf – Rico L

Greeter Walter – Harry B

Bishop – Sam R

Pied Piper – Angelina B

3 Pigs – Huxley S, Spike H, Elliot A

3 Blind Mice – Hattie W, Penny V, Peyia F

3 Bears: Papa – Harry B Mama – Penny V

Baby Bear – Frankie B Thelonious – Henry E

Chorus: Duloc dancers, Skeletons, Guards – Ailsa F, Scarlett G, Megan D, Poppy H, Angelina B, Grace L, Peyton B, Lucia H, Florence L, Isadora G, Amelie C, Toby O, Toby W, Wilf H-S

Teen Fiona – Sophie T

Young Fiona – Ela H

Pied Piper – Angelina B

Extra Fairy Tale Creatures –Layla E-H, Lulu H, Tabitha H-S, Michelle B, Megan B, Millie B, Jemima S, Olivia N, Kitty W, Alicia T, April S, Arabella G.

Pre Prep Elocution Competition

Well done to everyone in Years 1 and 2 for delivering such wonderful performances as they took to the stage in front of their extremely proud parents and teachers!

Our annual elocution competition gives pupils their first introduction to the art of public speaking, helping to give them the confidence to speak in front of a large audience. Everyone had been extremely busy choosing from a broad and wonderful mix of poems before working hard to remember and recite them with boundless enthusiasm!

As everyone took to the stage, our Guest Judge and former Deputy Headteacher, Mr Jasper Jarrett, had the very difficult decision of choosing the winners.

A huge well done to everyone, with particular congratulations to the chosen winners:

1st place: Maddie L for her delightful performance of the poem ‘Quick! Quick!’

2nd place: Edward R for making everyone laugh with the very amusing poem ‘The Brontosaurus’s Brains (and Where He Keeps Them)’

3rd place: Bonnie W for her beautiful reading of ‘Snow Petrels’.

Prep Elocution Competition

The Prep School Elocution Competition Final was held on Friday 27th May. It was wonderful to once again be able to hold this event, after two years without a final to which all pupils and parents could be invited.

The proceedings started early for the finalists, as each had to perform an unseen poem – after just ten minutes to prepare – in front of the judge and Mrs Bonner-MacKenzie before performing their prepared poem in front of a large audience.

The finalists were understandably nervous, but all performed brilliantly. The variety of poetry – all of which pupils had chosen themselves –was excellent and the audience was treated to everything from the classics of William Blake and W H Auden, to more modern offerings from Wes Magee.

We were delighted to invite our guest judge, Sarah North, who not only used to teach English at the “other St Hugh's” in Oxfordshire, but also now works closely with ISEB and SATIPS, leading the 11+ English setting team and providing courses on a range of topics to English teachers all

over the country.

Sarah was impressed with the pupils’ composure in front of such a large crowd, as well as the immense effort that had gone into learning their poems by heart and perfecting their articulate performances.

Well done to everyone involved, and particular congratulations to our 2022 winners and runners up.

Junior competition

1st: Arabella G

2nd: Joshua F

3rd: Holden L

Intermediate competition

1st: Grace L

2nd: Matthew H

3rd: Angelina B

Senior competition

1st: Ruby S

2nd: Russell B

3rd: Dan G

Rock Bottom

Our Junior play featured every child from Year 3–6, with the leading roles going to the older children.

Written by Craig Hawes, this Stone Age Musical featured some catchy songs and provided a brilliant vehicle for our pupils to show off their acting skills.

The heroine of the show, Bobby Cobblestone (played by Megan B), is a budding inventor and when she hatches her first good idea, she's whisked off to work for the local celebrity, Lady Lava (Annabelle J). All is not as it seems and Bobby is soon up to her Neanderthal neck in trouble when she discovers that her new boss hides a dark secret that will rock Rock Bottom to its foundations. With mysterious monsters terrorising the town, a volatile volcano ready to blow its top, cavemen and women looking for help, talking dinosaurs, three Mexican amigos, time travelling toilet brushes, this show had it all.

The children did a fantastic job with learning their lines and delivered them with brilliant comic timing, heartfelt warmth and produced a brilliant show. Thank you to Mrs Appleton and Mrs BonnerMackenzie for supporting and nurturing our talented children.

The SENSE of BALANCE

Arrange a personal virtual tour by calling 01283 559200 or email admissions@repton.org.uk

A perfectly balanced education in the heart of England repton.org.uk

Dry Ice!

There was much excitement after a delivery of dry ice to the Science Lab.

Mrs Costello involved the whole school in her lesson on states of matter and pressure in containers using dry ice – the solid form of carbon dioxide. Everyone enjoyed finding out about its properties and watching it fog and make bubbles when placed in water and washing up liquid.

Pupils watched plastic gloves magically inflate and launched bottles on the sports field as they learnt about the process of sublimation!

Year 8 Recycling Project

In Design & Technology, Year 8 pupils got busy working on a recycling project to create floating gardens planted with cress seeds.

They upcycled a range of materials to come up with a variety of designs. Everyone enjoyed placing their final creations on the school pond and watching the gardens grow!

Science with Sweets

In their Science lessons, Year 7 pupils discovered sweets had a novel use to help them with their learning in the Autumn Term.

First, they used Skittles to investigate diffusion and water stratification when dissolving different solutions made by the sweets. Then they learnt about compounds and constructed their own with a carefully built structure of midget gems.

We wonder how many sweets were left at the end of the lessons…!

Bebras Computing Challenge

Each year, pupils in Years 2 to 8 enter the international Bebras Computing Challenge which helps pupils to develop the problemsolving skills and techniques that software engineers use to write programs and apps.

The younger pupils work in teams but Years 6 and above enter as individuals with the top 10% in the UK going through to an additional round in February. We were thrilled to find out that Dan and Huxley in Year 7 achieved a top 10% score in the UK.

Well done, boys!

Parent and Child STEM Challenge

Pupils travelled to Oakham School for the Years 6 & 7 Parent and Child STEM Challenge.

Congratulations to Elliot for winning the competition! He is now the proud owner of a 3D printer. Well done to Megan who won a 3D pen.

Year 7 Science Week

The Year 7 Science Week was a great success.

Pupils chose a variety of topics to investigate – from comparing battery and gas powered guns to analysing bacteria samples in water and researching what shape ball is the best to kick.

Forest School

From the Forest…

As always, everyone has enjoyed spending time in our woodland watching the seasons change.

In the Autumn Term pupils tested their culinary skills making pumpkin pie and soup, rosehip syrup, damper bread, and foraged for berries to make jam. New craft skills were learnt as they used clay to make candle holders and clay men before painting and glazing them. There was much fun using hammers to create nail art as well as pounding natural pigment into cloth to discover the Japanese technique ‘HapaZome’. The electric drill then trumped the use of the hammer when there was the chance to use one for the first time to create a house from old pallets!

The start of the Spring Term saw pupils add to their already extensive culinary repertoire as they made haggis, pheasant nuggets, pancakes and sticky weed pesto. Time was spent being quiet in the woods as we joined in the RSPB’s Big Garden Bird Watch, waiting patiently to see if visitors would make use of the homemade bird feeders hanging from the trees. Important dates in the calendar were celebrated with crafts created for Valentine’s gifts and clay nests for Easter. Our younger forest schoolers even had fun hunting for frozen nature eggs that had carefully been hidden.

Summer Term saw the welcome arrival of warmer weather which was perfect for a spot of pond dipping and uncovering the woodland’s occupants. Food remained a popular theme as ever with bhajis and pesto on the menu! Woodwork skills were developed designing and building marble runs and creative skills tested making clay insects.

Whatever the season, most of all everyone enjoyed being outside together come rain or shine!

Sport

Rugby

U9 Rugby

It was a strange term with regard to matches as, although a couple of fixtures fell by the wayside for Covid-related reasons, we still managed to play against a great variety of different schools over the course of the season, largely thanks to the festivals we attended.

The traditional first match away to Ranby is usually a closely fought out affair and this year proved no different. We showed great defensive solidarity and prevented a few certain tries with some careful and sustained tagging. We ended the game just two tries shy of Ranby.

The St Hugh’s festival came next (in the cold and pouring rain!) and the togetherness in the team was much in evidence in our excellent support play. Some good team tries were scored and some persistent tagging ensued and we won our fair share of games in the festival.

The Barlborough festival followed, giving our players the chance to play against schools that we don’t usually face. We tagged really effectively

and scored tries against Mylnhurst at the start. Solid displays against Westbourne and Barlborough followed and it was rounded off at the end with another tough match against Ranby which was notable for some excellent tagging, running and support play.

The final match of the season was again against Ranby, this time at home. An even closer game this time (St Hugh’s 10–11 Ranby), again saw us resist attacks brilliantly with consistent tagging. A really enjoyable term’s rugby with good progress made in many aspects of the game, and I was extremely impressed by the boys’ willingness to learn and their hard working attitude in training.

Mr Jeffery

U11 Rugby

Having previously coached the boys as Tag/Touch players back in Year 4, it was lovely to have them back to play a more competitive form of the sport with the reintroduction of contact and some of the more physical aspects of the game.

They rose to the challenge really well with all of them playing for the school each week.

Such was their commitment that when they had to play Tag or Touch against less experienced opposition, they were really disappointed! We saw plenty of progress amongst them, welcoming back William to St Hugh’s sport as well as seeing Ted develop into a very effective ball carrying runner in the middle of the pitch. With the charge on the pitch routinely led by Wilf, Jenson and Aydin, matches and training sessions were always enjoyable affairs. Due to the pandemic, they played at U10 rules due to the RFU’s continuum and this meant they had plenty of space on the pitch to play in, with relatively little stoppage time for scrums. As a result, as the term progressed we saw some exciting free-flowing rugby emerge and they were great to watch.

More importantly, they gelled as a team and it was lovely to see Arthur, Matthew, Euan (who became known as Iron for the strength of his tackling!) and Toby get stuck into matches in their last season at St Hugh’s. Well done to everyone involved and thank you to the parents who regularly attended to support the team.

Mr Wyld

U 13 Rugby

It was good to welcome back fixtures this term and, for some of the boys who joined at the start of Year 7, it was an opportunity to play rugby matches for the first time.

With a small squad to choose from, early matches were quite challenging, especially when playing much larger schools such as Oakham.

However, the boys’ efforts never dipped beyond 100% and, with such a positive mindset as well as a willingness to work as a team, their improvement over the term was significant and results improved accordingly with the 50–45 victory over Worksop and 65–35 over QEGS being particular highlights.

Henry very much led by example as captain, providing real power in the forwards and making ground whenever he got the ball. He provided a focal point for the forward pack of Harry B, Dan G, Russell and Leo to follow. Harry B in particular deserves special mention for the quality of his hooking, winning a number of balls against the head in each match.

Thomas also spent the start of the term in the forwards as he was very good in any contact situation. However, he was also a powerful runner, scoring the majority of our tries and so moved to centre later in the season. It was no surprise that he was also awarded a sport scholarship to Oakham based on his rugby.

As scrum half, Harry H was a handful for every team, a tricky runner, brave in the tackle and able to release a perfectly timed pass before contact, something Freddie as fly half made the most of as he was also a dynamic runner with the ball. Of course he was not the only one. Daniel S in particular proved to be a very good strike runner with the ability to cut through the smallest of gaps, an ability shared by Huxley though he often created his own gaps with his sidestep. Harry S, Spike and Rico also enjoyed success down the wing with Elliot providing the glue for them all to work together through his unselfish attitude and ability to pass confidently off either hand.

The season provided a number of memorable moments whether it be Daniel’s surging runs against Oakham, Thomas’ try saving tackle in the corner against Stamford or Henry bouncing players off against Worksop. However, it will be their ability to keep working as a team that will stick most in the memory and I wish them every success for the future.

Mr Sinnott

Girls’ Hockey

U 11 Girls’ Hockey

U9 Girls’ Hockey

The Year 3 and 4 girls were very excited to start the hockey season and represent St Hugh's for the first time!

Early on in the season, the girls attended an inter-school hockey tournament hosted by Barlborough Hall School. The matches were played on grass and the girls scored 14 goals, winning four games and only losing one – a great achievement.

Over the term, the girls gained confidence and played in a variety of positions. The players really enjoyed playing on the astro, as the grass can be rather more challenging! The girls worked brilliantly in their teams and had a very successful season.

Mrs Corner

The U11 Girls had a brilliant term of hockey, demonstrating great skills and work ethic during training and within matches.

All players demonstrated excellent teamwork and determination to put together impressive performances throughout the season, despite some challenging weather.

It was great to be able to give lots of girls the opportunity to try out as goalkeeper, with many performing very well and enjoying the experience. Charlotte T particularly impressed and was able to keep her place as the A team goalkeeper throughout the season, making some super saves and being a vital part of the team. The girls were also challenged with the new concept of short corners and, after training hard to learn to perfect these, they became a very strong asset to all of the teams' overall gameplay. This resulted in a positive and rewarding season for all players.

Throughout the season there were many highlights. The A team had a

fantastic trip away to IAPS where they performed outstandingly and narrowly missed out on a medal coming fourth place. They should be tremendously proud of this achievement and their hard work and dedication during the whole season. The B team also had their own success in a tournament held at Oundle; the girls performed brilliantly playing good hockey and taking what they had been learning in training into their game. The C team had a number of strong performances, showing great progress over the course of the term. One performance which highlighted the teams progression was when they faced Lincoln Minster School, winning 4–0. We look forward to seeing many of these players transition into the senior squad next year.

Mrs Felton

U13 Girls’ Hockey

The U13 Girls had a very successful term on the hockey pitch with the Year 8s leading the way giving a very solid spine to the team.

Ruby in goal made many fine saves and earned herself a few Girl of the Game performances along the way. Hatty and Freya in defence competed well for the ball and then provided the passes forward. Penny was a great utility player to be able to call upon by adding grit to the defence when needed as well as attacking runs forward. Beth was obviously a star and was able to split an opposition team apart whilst still playing a team game. Annabel was there on the back post waiting to sweep the ball into the net for some crucial goals.

From the Year 7s, Peyia particularly impressed and contributed well with good skills and high energy. The other Year 7s developed well over the season and successfully made the step up to U13 level. Next year the mantle will pass to them to carry forward the reputation of St Hugh’s Hockey.

Following a very pleasing start to the season with a victory over Witham Hall School, the girls were set up for a positive season. This culminated with victory at the IAPS tournament in the plate competition. Following a night in the Boarding House and a team building meal at Zucci, it was an early departure to Repton. The girls grew into the tournament and won three of their five games scoring 10 goals, with six against and having three clean sheets.

Over the season Captain Beth scored an outstanding two thirds of the team’s goals – 31 in total.

A special mention is deserved for Mr James Mayhew, one of our Resident Assistants, who with his hockey knowledge, skills and experience was able to contribute to the high standard of coaching over the term.

Mr Goodhand

Football U9 Football

In the chilly crosswinds of the top field, the U9 Boys played some superb football throughout the term and across the whole squad were a delight for Mr Mayhew and me to coach.

They worked very hard during every session and were absolutely determined to do their best when representing the school.

As a combined squad made up of Year 3 and 4, competition was fierce and each team was a pleasure to work with. They travelled up and down the A1 and across the county for our fixtures and were super ambassadors for the school.

Throughout the term their ball skills improved and the sense of cohesion within the whole squad grew.

Those who were used to playing at clubs away from St Hugh’s led by example with their added experience from outside the school and the whole group benefitted from this as well as from Mr Mayhew’s energy and enthusiasm in games sessions.

Well done to everyone involved and to the parents who came to share those crosswinds with us!

Mr Wyld

U 11 Football

The U11s enjoyed a very successful season with some excellent players gracing the field this year. A strong performance in the St Hugh’s festival showed that we were blessed with intelligent passers of the ball and possessed a real threat up front.

The fixture against Witham Hall yielded the best performance of the season. Despite a quite remarkable long-range Witham goal from the centre circle, we scored some goals of great quality. We linked our play really well with superb passing moves creating simple chances that we took gleefully. Great midfield tackling by Maxwell, aided by rock solid defending at the back by Charles, Jenson and AJ gave us a secure basis from which to launch attacks. William L, Aydin, Toby O and Maxwell all found their way onto the scoresheet as we claimed a convincing 11–3 victory.

The final game of the season was a combined A, B, C match away

Boys’ Hockey

U9 Boys’ Hockey

On a lovely afternoon on the astro, the U9 boys took on their first hockey match of the term.

The A team faced a strong Ranby team which resulted in a very competitive and exciting match. Well done to all the boys involved in a great result, winning 5–3.

The B team also had a very closely fought game, particularly in the first half. Josh seemed to be involved in most of the action in midfield and was robust in his challenges. Seb held the back line superbly and timed his interceptions to perfection. However, we could not seem to get the ball up front to threaten their goal. The second half followed a similar pattern with lots of bunching around the ball with everybody willing to get stuck in. The stand-out moment, though, was Noah’s scintillating dribble past several defenders and calm finish for our first goal of the season.

The second and final hockey match was against Burton Hathow. Having gained experience and confidence from our previous match, we dominated the game with some lovely interchanges involving Sam, Rory and James. Our defence was also very solid when it needed to be and we ended up winning comfortably. The season provided great preparation for our Year 4 boys, who will move up to the U11 team next season.

Mr Pickering

at Orchard House. A massive pitch awaited us and subsequently there was very little goalmouth action. We pressed well, and it was great to see several unsung players get a chance to show their skills. We came away victorious (2–0) after goals from Fergus and Toby O, and despite a missed penalty. This rounded off a fantastically successful season – not only resultswise, but more pleasingly, the style of passing and movement amongst the team was outstanding for players of this age – I look forward to more of the same next season!

Mr Jeffery

U 11 Boys’ Hockey

The U11 hockey season started with a match against Wisbech Grammar School.

It turned out that most of the Wisbech players play club hockey outside of school, and this was evident from some of their play. It was the first hockey match for some of our players and it proved a very good learning experience. We didn't give up and I was particularly impressed with our fitness and tackling.

Our second match was against Ranby. It finished 0–0 but, despite the score line, this was a very exciting game with plenty of chances for both teams to score. The B team also improved and showed a better level of control with some nice passes and dribbles.

We took a mixed A and B team to Witham Hall to play in the 5-a-side hockey festival. We played some impressive hockey throughout the afternoon and this was the first time this year that we have been able to dominate matches.

It is a long way to Bakewell, but when it is warm and the sun is shining it is worth the trip. We played in a tournament at S. Anselm’s where the matches were only eight minutes long, so it was important to attack and try to score goals. Our first match was against S. Anselm’s B team. We passed the ball really well and attacked throughout and won 2–0.

After winning the second game 1–0, we then played The Elms School and defended really well to earn a 0–0 draw. Our last group match was against Ranby. If we won, we would win the group and play in the final. Unfortunately, we conceded our only goal of the day and lost 1–0, ending up 3rd in our group on goal difference. We then played Old Vicarage School in the 5th/6th play off. This finished 0–0 so we went to penalty shuffles! These were a new experience for the boys, fun but also nerve wracking! We lost the penalty shuffles 2–1 but had a lot of fun.

Mr Pickering

U13 Boys’ Hockey

The term was a term of two halves with regards to performances and results.

Hockey Captain for the term was Thomas B and his A team consisted of Daniel S in goal, with Henry E and Dan G in defence and the middle of the park marshalled by Elliot A and Huxley S. The wingers and forwards were Harry S, Rico L and Spike H. The B team consisted of Brandon B in goal with Russell B, Leo G and Sam R in defence. Freddie H and Harry B held the midfield and Harry H provided the running forward.

In the first half of term, both the A and the B teams struggled to score and at the same time were leaking goals. Following the IAPS tournament at Culford, both teams turned things around as skills, tactics, fitness and confidence grew. By the end of term, it was St Hugh's who were scoring multiple goals and keeping a much tighter defence.

Before the IAPS tournament, the boys enjoyed a team building meal at Zucci and a night in the Boarding House before an early start at 7am to travel to Culford near Bury St Edmunds. In the morning, the first game was a 3–0 loss against Gresham’s. Next was a 4–0 loss against Beeston Hall. The third game was 5–0 against Langley. The fourth game was 5–0 against Town Close and the final game was a close affair 2–0 against Framlingham. In the plate competition in the afternoon, there were two fixtures. The first against Barnardiston Hall was an improvement upon the morning and it was not as one sided as the 5–0 scoreline makes it sound. The final game of the day was against Town Close again and the boys had saved their best until last. It was pleasing to see that they had grown as a team over the day, despite the results. At half time, having had opportunities, it was still 0–0… but they conceded four in the second half with the final goal just two seconds before the final whistle.

Mr Goodhand

Netball

U11 Netball

The U11s had a busy season with regular matches against a good number of opposition. With the full transition to Stinger Rules in play this year, games were played as 5-a-side, allowing all players to experience each position on court, as well as other officiating roles such as scoring and timing.

U9 Netball

The U9 Girls had a very busy and successful netball season. The term began with St Hugh’s hosting a netball festival.

Every Year 3 and Year 4 pupil played and for many this was their first competitive game. At this age, the game can be mixed and a key component is that players rotate positions.

The U9A and U9B secured confident wins against Wellow House, Lincoln Minster and Ayscoughfee. The toughest and closest match for the U9A was their only loss by one goal, against Ranby. The season ended with a successful afternoon of netball at the Barlborough festival. Well done to all the girls.

Mrs Corner

This has been great preparation and will stand the girls in good stead as they progress to the 7-a-side game.

The U11A squad demonstrated great potential, with a number of our girls joining netball clubs and trialling for the county too! Congratulations to Sophie, Angelina and Florence who trialled for the county and successfully secured a place on the Lincolnshire U11 Programme.

The biggest highlight of the team’s season had to be their performance at the S. Anselm’s Netball Tournament where they played nine back to back matches. Each and every girl gave

100% all afternoon and they didn’t lose a game. At the end of play, they were joint winners with Pownall Hall, who they had drawn with earlier. Sadly, Pownall Hall had a significantly higher goal difference so they came away with the trophy.

The U11B&C teams also had a positive season and enjoyed competing in a number of matches and festivals. They worked hard in training over the course of the term and really improved their court movement and game awareness.

Mrs Felton

U13 Netball

The girls had a very successful U13 netball season. The development and growth within the team from the start of term to end was fantastic to see.

All players develop their fundamental skills and game sense on court which could be seen throughout their match play. The areas the team most improved on were centre pass attack and their through-court transition to which they learnt to apply more patience and control. This showed enormously in the match play and was definitely evident in the St Hugh’s tournament where they came up against strong opposition and competed strongly.

Miss Blee-Storey

Mixed Cricket

We have now seen our girls playing cricket since we introduced it to them officially in 2018/19.

This was a move made in support of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to have a place for everyone in the game regardless of age, experience or ambitions and for cricket to be a truly gender balanced sport.

It has been great to see every child in prep school playing cricket this season in their respective age groups and irrespective of gender, representing the school in regular matches. We are now beginning to see our pupils reap the benefits, with girls being selected to play in A teams, which includes the hardball game. With larger cohort numbers for selection, competition has thrived and all players, boys and girls, have benefited from competing in teams appropriate to their age and stage.

It has been very encouraging to see a number of our pupils, across the age range, inspired to go on to play at their local club, whether it be All Stars, Dynamos or club cricket. In addition to our own facilities, we are very fortunate to benefit from our link with Woodhall Spa Cricket Club, and have enjoyed the use of their pitch and nets on occasion, as they have with our indoor nets over the winter.

Mrs Felton

U9 Cricket

A very positive term for all of the boys and girls saw us provide four teams against a variety of opposition and it was lovely to see them all engaged in the sport, particularly given the co-educational nature of summer sport.

Travelling to fixtures across the region, including Ranby, Wellow and Grantham as well as hosting teams from Burton Hathow and Lincoln Minster meant that there was plenty of match time. The beauty of pairs cricket is that even if you are out, you still continue to play, so everyone gets useful game time bowling and batting which makes for an exciting afternoon of sport.

My thanks go to my colleagues Charlotte Ellicker-Campling, Claire Corner, Nancy Britten and James Mayhew for their hard work in supporting the children on a regular basis and for coaching, umpiring, driving and supervising along with me. I am really looking forward to seeing how this enthusiastic and capable group progress with the sport over the coming years.

Mr Wyld

U11 Cricket

It was a very busy season for our U11s who played in regular matches in ability graded teams. With a cohort of forty six, we were able to field an A,B,C,D and E team! Our U11A team had a super season playing hardball.

U11A Cricket Squad

We started our season really well with an assured performance away at Copthill, with some well-timed off-drives from Euan P being a particular highlight on our way to a good win.

With the Year 5s away in France on a school trip, the next fixture against Lincoln Minster was all Year 6 children and a good mix of four girls and four boys. Good bowling and fielding from Captain Sophie T, backed up by Wilf and Angelina who also picked up wickets, enabled us to keep their score down to 163. Decisive batting got us to victory by 14 runs.

With several players absent for the U12 County Cup match, an U11 A/B team played at the Brooke Priory festival. The match against Leighfield was an entertaining affair, with Rupert and Fergus running kamikaze singles and getting away with them more frequently than not. Max and Charles put on the majority of the runs with some big shots over the rather short boundary. A couple of dropped catches when fielding unfortunately put paid to our chances of winning as they managed to get the required 12 runs they needed off the final over in a tense finish.

The team continued to improve with further fixtures against Ranby, Stamford and Brooke Priory. Finally, we visited Wisbech and, after a promising start by Aydin with the ball, we had them struggling at 11 for 2. However, we ended up letting them accumulate a decent score (158 all out) through a combination of lacklustre fielding and big hitting. We batted with good concentration though we struggled to get the ball off the square, then frustration got the better of many batters. This final match encapsulated the pattern of the hardball season as a whole –some super bowling but rather too reliant on one or two batters to put together a decent total.

It was a splendid season and it was great to see so many different pupils represent the school at this level.

Mr Pickering

All other teams played paired softball matches, where all players had the opportunity to face four overs and bowl for four overs with a partner. This gives them valuable experience and keeps the game shorter than the traditional form of cricket. Over the course of the season, our coaches witnessed an improvement in both technique and accuracy of bowling and it was super to see a number of players taking wickets. In similar fashion, there was some great batting with our players communicating well to score some effective runs. Players enjoyed a good number of fixtures, including some festivals where they got to meet a number of different opposition. We hope to see a number of our U11 players transitioning to hard ball next season.

Mrs Felton

U12 County Cup

In the first round of the County Cup, the U12 team hosted Horncastle Grammar School. Spike and Huxley made a positive start showing intent and some good running.

Ten players all bowled two overs each with Huxley, Leo, Euan and Rory all getting a wicket. Rico finished off the innings with two wickets and Horncastle were all out for 39. A win by 71 runs.

We then played Stamford away in the semifinal, a rather more difficult game. On the hottest day of the year, Stamford opened the batting and though they started well there were moments of miscommunication between the wickets. This was exploited well by Huxley, who made a direct hit from mid-on to run out their key opening batter. The remaining overs saw Stamford increase their run rate and we did not manage to get any more wickets. Huxley captained the side really well and made sure everybody got to bowl two overs each.

Euan P showed poise and class in batting. He hit the first delivery to the square leg boundary, then proceeded to show excellent timing, hitting some sumptuous half-volleys and drives to the offside boundary and lofting the ball over mid-off. He unfortunately cut a wider delivery straight to the hands of the fielder in the covers having scored a superb 22, but he walked off to a well-deserved round of applause from all.

The players showed great perseverance –especially in the field where they concentrated fully and chased the ball down well during a long stint in the sun.

Mr Pickering

U13 Girls Finish as County Runners Up

Our success in the ECB Girls’ Indoor County Cricket Competition

U13 Cricket

The U13s had a very enjoyable season under the captaincy of Harry H. Although the results were a little mixed, there were some good individual performances and all the players certainly improved during the term.

The first game was a pairs match away at Stamford School against their B team. We batted really well and lost very few wickets. Russell, Henry E, Tom B and particularly Penny and Beth all batted really well. We won the game quite easily after bowling very tightly.

Our next game was against a strong Lincoln Minster side. Although we bowled and fielded well we struggled to take wickets and Lincoln Minster finished on 119 for 1. In reply we reached 79 for 7 with Elliot top scoring with 31 not out and Harry H getting 15.

We then played KEVIGS Louth at Woodhall Cricket Club. Louth scored 127 for 6 with Harry H and Tom B bowling really well. Against some fast bowling Russell and Harry H then batted very

bravely for most of the innings but couldn't quite score the runs quickly enough to achieve a win.

The team also travelled to Hunstanton to play Glebe House in a softball game. We won the game comfortably and enjoyed ice creams on the way home!

Select players also played in the U13 County Cup and came up against a strong stride from Branston. Russell and Harry H both batted well and Freddie H top scored with 22 but we finished the match eight runs shy of what we needed to win. Nevertheless, a strong effort from the whole team. Well done to everyone who represented the U13 team this season.

Mr Pickering

The team was captained by Penny and included all six of our Year 8 girls and was supplemented by three of our younger aspiring Year 6 players. It was the first time St Hugh’s has entered this competition and we were delighted to host the qualifying round, welcoming teams from Banovallum, QEGS Horncastle and Somercotes Academy. St Hugh’s started strongly with Penny taking a wicket on her very first ball. We went on to win every game and were delighted to qualify for the county finals.

We had a short journey to Nocton Sports Centre to play in the finals where we met stronger and more experienced opposition from Lincoln Minster, Sir John Nelthorpe and Stamford School. Our first match was against Lincoln Minster and we finished on 97–5 after our 8 overs. We then restricted Minster to 47–7 with all the girls bowling well and some very impressive fielding.

Our second match was against Stamford who had a very fast opening bowler. After a bit of persuasion, Hatty and Angelina agreed to open the batting. It was hard and we lost wickets regularly. Penny batted hard and top scored with 27 before being last out. We finished on 61 runs. Despite bowling well, Stamford passed our score fairly comfortably.

Our final game was against Sir John Nelthorpe School. We bowled first and restricted them to 63. Penny again came to the rescue scoring 46 not out –we finished on 96 and won by 33 runs. We finished a very creditable 2nd in the County which was an outstanding achievement given the size of some of these schools.

Mrs Felton

is testament to how well our girls have taken to the game over the past four years.

Cross Country & Athletics

Cross Country

We had a great core group of runners training regularly at running hobby over the course of the Autumn and Spring Term.

With a number of individual and team competitions across the year, this was super preparation for the St Hugh’s team. With Florence leading the pack and certainly leading by example, we were delighted with a number of top ten finishes which helped us secure some great team results.

At the first invitational at Brooke Priory, there were some outstanding performances from St Hugh’s, particularly by Florence (1st), Charlotte T, Charlotte J and James (2nd) and Penelope and Ailsa (3rd). As well as impressive individual performances, our team results were fantastic across all age groups, with the U10 Girls (Kitty, Millie B, Annabelle J, Olivia N, Jemima S) and U11 Girls (Florence, Charlotte T, Ailsa, Angelina) coming in first place.

At the Witham Hall Invitational, our U11 Girls finished in a creditable 2nd Place from a field of twelve schools and our U9 Boys placed 3rd. Congratulations to Charlotte J, who won her event, as well as James F and Florence L who finished second.

At Copthill, a superb team effort by James, Keegan, Kaz and Sam put the U9 St Hugh’s boys in first place, winning this category! The U11s had a slightly more gruelling course, which included two laps of undulating land covering a distance of 2.4km, but the strong U11 team of Florence, Charlotte and Ailsa once again finished on the podium.

Both boys and girls U11 teams had a successful outing to Worksop College for their annual event. This course saw runners complete a total of 2.2km, racing against athletes from a number of schools, some of whom we have not met before. It was a strong performance for a young U11 Boys team (Aydin, Rupert and William) and we were delighted to achieve second place in this category with three of our boys as top ten finishers. Another outstanding team effort from the U11 Girls led to the St Hugh's team being crowned champions!

Our trip to Ayscoughfee Hall School’s Invitational Cross Country was a fantastic finale to the season with forty St Hugh’s runners taking part. Although it was dry underfoot on arrival, it certainly did not remain that way but our runners coped extremely well with the conditions.

Top 10 individual performances in both U9 (Charlotte J, Penelope, Keegan and Kaz) and U11 (Florence, Charlotte, Ailsa, Kitty, William L and Wilf) teams meant exceptional team results for all. The overall team results highlighted our excellent performance on the day and throughout the season.

Mrs Felton

Set Cross Country

Having had to postpone this event, we could not have asked for a better afternoon to run our Annual Set Cross Country Championships.

While this event is very competitive, it is also inclusive, with every prep school pupil participating and earning points for their set. It allows everyone to experience competitive running and is always a great test of resilience!

This year we combined the U11 and U13 races to encourage competition for some of our strongest runners. Similarly, U9 girls and boys were set off in quick succession. Congratulations to the individual winners:

U9 Girls – Charlotte (R)

U9 Boys – Keegan (W)

U11 Girls – Florence (W)

U11 Boys – Rupert (W)

U13 Girls – Penny (W)

U13 Boys – Huxley (W)

However, all pupils contribute to their set’s overall position, not just those who finish on the podium!

Congratulations to White Set who, with some incredible performances, came first place in all three age groups – a fantastic achievement!

Athletics

Before we knew it, the Athletics season was upon us and whilst it was the shortest season yet, it was a busy term, with some notable successes for a number of St Hugh’s athletes.

I would like to thank Miss Nancy Britten for her outstanding contribution to the season – her endless enthusiasm and expertise was a huge asset and the children certainly benefited from this.

To start the season, a team of Year 4 and 5 athletes made the long journey to Norwich to compete in the East Area Athletics Competition held at the University of East Anglia. This event, like many, had been on hold during lockdown so it was great to return and see the pupils competing on the tartan track!

There were some super performances both on the track and field with Charlotte J, Keagan, Jemima, Rupert, A-J, Charlie T, India and Rory placing in the top four in at least one of their events.

Four of our athletes then travelled to the Keepmoat Stadium in Doncaster for the National Prep Schools' Athletics Qualifier.

In order to qualify for Nationals, athletes needed to place 1st in their event or finish 2nd and meet the National standard for their age group. Charlotte threw well and though she did not achieve a personal best, she finished 2nd place overall for her age category. A great learning experience and something to work towards for next year. Aydin also threw extremely well and was pleased with his performance, also finishing 2nd overall for his age group. Florence achieved an impressive personal best in the 1500m, running a time of 5min 38s, placing 2nd and comfortably meeting the national standard. Elliot was delighted to achieve personal bests in both javelin and discus, achieving the national standards, and coming in first place in both events.

Having qualified at this event, Florence and Elliot then progressed to Nationals. With prep schools from all over the UK being in attendance, competition was tough but nonetheless both athletes performed extremely well in this competitive field.

In the discus, Elliot threw consistently and finished in an impressive 4th place from a field of seventeen competitors. Similarly, his Javelin throws were also consistent and he was sitting in 3rd place at the end of the first round. This put him in a final round with the eight best throwers and he did incredibly well to finish 5th overall in this event.

Florence competed in the 1500m, having exceeded the qualifying standard in Doncaster. The final saw seventeen athletes battling it out over the 1500m with Florence very much holding her own. She ran another personal best of 5min 28.8, which put her in a creditable 6th place overall. A strong finish led to her overtaking an athlete in the final 150m stretch.

A super performance by both our athletes on the national stage!

Mrs Felton

Golf

Golf is growing in popularity amongst the school community and this has been supported by our physical education curriculum, where pupils in Year 3 and 6 have had the opportunity to develop basic skills through Tri-Golf and Golphin which are both aimed at grass roots level.

It has been great to see our link with Woodhall Spa Golf Club continue to develop over the course of this academic year too. Weekly coaching has continued as part of our enrichment programme and proven to be a popular hobby.

We held our first Intra-School Golf Competition this year which saw a group of players from Years 4–8 compete in a 12-hole short course competition at Woodhall Spa Golf Club. Results were incredibly close with just one shot between first and second place!

Congratulations to our top three finishers for 2022:

Winner – Ailsa (Year 6) 52

Runner Up – Ellis (Year 4) 53

3rd Place – Megan (Year 5) 55

This was also the first year we have entered a team into the Lincolnshire Schools' County Golf Championship, which was played at South Kyme Golf Club.

Ailsa and Megan coped incredibly well as the youngest players (and team) of the tournament. The competition saw pupils competing from sixteen secondary schools across the county from Years 7–12. This particular event was for those with a handicap index of 18–54 and was played over 18 holes using the Stableford scoring system, scoring points for the number of strokes taken at each hole. They played off the red tees which was a new challenge for both girls and they both had a creditable score.

Mrs Felton

Tennis

Tennis is another sport we are keen to develop going forward and it has been great to continue our link with Guy and Jade as they have developed their new facility at Tattershall Tennis Club.

In addition to lessons which form part of both the Year 3 & 4 physical education curriculum, we have run our popular Pre Prep Tennis Club and Prep School pupils have had the opportunity to be coached both on and offsite through our enrichment programme.

It has been great to see the progress pupils have made and super to hear of so many now attending sessions out of school hours too. Pupils enjoyed a tennis fixture hosted by Ranby House with St Hugh’s dominating in a number of games.

This year also saw the return of our Annual Intra-School Singles and Doubles Championships. This competition is open to any prep school

pupils who have the competency to play competitive games.

Congratulations to everyone involved and particularly the 2022 winners:

Senior girl: Freya B

Senior boy: Harry H

Senior doubles: Freya B & Annabel T, Elliot A & Dan G

It has also been fantastic to see our pupils representing at club and county level and we must congratulate Olivia (Y3) and India (Y4) who have both been competing for Lincolnshire County Tennis in their respective age groups, as part of the LTA Player Pathway.

Mrs Felton

Swimming

It has been an extremely successful year for our St Hugh’s swimmers and a great reminder of just how much of an asset our pool is to the whole school community and beyond.

It was great to be in a position to invite spectators back on poolside again and a lovely opportunity for many parents and extended family members to witness the progress the children have made.

Our youngest swimmers, aged 2–3, enjoyed demonstrating their

aquatic skills during their lessons and our Year 1 & 2 pupils had their first experience of competitive swimming when participating in our Pre Prep Fun Swimming Gala.

The Prep School were once again able to enjoy our Annual Swimming Gala, with swimmers competing in

ability graded races and set relays.

Our Swim Squads returned as strong as ever with some fantastic new additions to the team. Both our Junior and Senior Squads trained weekly and certainly benefited from the additional time spent in the water. They enjoyed an Inter-School Gala in the Autumn Term, hosted in our own pool. We witnessed some incredible performances and it was great to see St Hugh’s strong across all strokes and age groups. This was evident in the freestyle and medley relays with St Hugh’s finishing in first place for the vast majority of relays.

Mrs Felton

Bronze for the U11 Girls in London

It was an extraordinary achievement for the U11 team who travelled to London to compete in the IAPS National Swimming Finals, held in the iconic 2012 Olympic swimming venue, the London Aquatic Centre.

The team consisted of Captain Ailsa, Charlotte, Peyton, Sophie, Annabelle, Megan, Alicia and Kitty. The girls qualified for this event earlier in the year having swam in one of the many regional qualifiers taking place around the UK. Following a great swim at Repton, the girls eagerly awaited the results in the hope that we would finish as one of the top 10 ‘small schools’. It was a huge achievement to qualify with the third fastest time!

This meant that we had some preparation to do over the forthcoming weeks which included the use of Jubilee Park so we could train in a longer pool. All eight girls worked incredibly hard, focusing on their individual goals as well as our team goal… to finish on the podium!

The girls made their own way to London with their families and we met as a team in Queen Elizabeth Park, where we had time to soak up the great atmosphere and mentally prepare ourselves for what was to come.

Though clearly nervous, the girls really stepped up to the occasion and took it all in their stride. We were the first event of the afternoon and the race itself saw Charlotte take to the blocks first. With a very nervous Mrs Felton and Mrs Cardovillis watching from the upper concourse, the buzzer sounded and they were off.

Every swimmer gave 100% and it was super to see them all focusing on those important elements we had worked on in training. The team were amazed to learn that they dropped 12.04 seconds of their qualifying time – an incredible accomplishment. While some of the first swimmers were in a position to watch the end of the race, others were still in the midst of swimming the final couple of legs or leaving the pool. Seeing the team together watching the electronic timing board for confirmation was a real highlight. They were absolutely thrilled to have confirmation that they had achieved what they set out to do all those months ago. It was a lovely moment to see them receive their medals in front of a very proud bunch of parents, grandparents and siblings. Huge congratulations to each and every one of them. What a team and a great reminder that Together Everyone Achieves More!

St Hugh’s Ranked 7th Nationally Following Success at ESSA National Finals

Following their success in London, it was a trip to Ponds Forge to compete in the English Schools’ National Swimming Finals. Ailsa, Annabelle, Charlotte and Peyton were selected to compete in this event which saw them racing in the 4x25m Medley and Freestyle Relay. They were one of twelve schools representing the East Midlands Division category. The competition sees the best schools across the UK competing and it was the usual high standard again this year.

Our first race was the 4x25m medley relay and St Hugh’s were racing in Heat 2. The girls swam well with efficient changeovers and we were pleased to finish 3rd. It is of course a nail biting wait when watching the other heats and their times! St Hugh’s swam 1:14:91 which placed them 11th overall.

Next up was the 4x25m freestyle relay which saw St Hugh’s competing in Heat 1. This was essentially the same event as the girls raced in London so we were more optimistic about our chances. Our ultimate goal was to qualify for the ‘A’ Final and the girls went out there to prove themselves. We were delighted to achieve the 8th quickest qualifying time which secured our place in the ‘A’ Final.

The girls did tremendously and were very much in the race despite having stiff competition. They held their own and did themselves and the school proud. To finish as the 7th fastest team nationally is an incredible achievement and was a super way to end the swimming season.

Mrs Felton and Mrs Cardovillis

Mrs Felton and Mrs Cardovillis

Sports Day 2022

This year we saw the return of spectators to our Annual Sports Day, which had not happened since 2019. The weather was kind to us which made for a very enjoyable event and it was lovely to see families back picnicking in our traditional style with gazebos a plenty!

We welcomed ‘Really Awesome Coffee’ for the first time which seemed to be a popular addition, and the children were very grateful to receive an ice cream token from Mr Wyld, to use throughout the day from the ‘Party Delights’ van.

With the whole school participating on our 400m track, it was a great atmosphere with our youngest pupils in Nursery to our eldest pupils in Year 8 competing (as well as a good number of staff and spectators!). Pre Prep pupils were awarded with stickers as they finished the race and a participation medal on our podium following their final races. Our Prep School pupils earned set points for participating and those placing 1st, 2nd and 3rd were recognised for their achievements during morning and afternoon presentations, where they were presented with a medal on the podium.

There was some fierce competition throughout the day both in individual and team events and it was great to see participants giving their very best. Florence L excelled in all three events breaking the Intermediate Girls 800m record, held since 2012, and challenging both the Long Jump and 100m records!

Congratulations must also go to Beth C and Thomas B, as recipients of the Victrix and Victor Ludorum trophies respectively.

Team competitions were as competitive as ever with all three sets challenging for the Set trophy. This year, it was White Set who were victorious.

Set Results

1st Place – White

2nd Place – Red

3rd Place – Blue

Mrs Felton

SPACE TO BOND

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Year 8 Leavers

Leavers 2022

It was refreshing this year for Year 8 to be able to get back to a normal programme of events following Common Entrance, starting as usual with a trip to Skegness to go on the rides.

For some it was the first time they had gone on larger roller coasters and it would be fair to say that they were a little apprehensive. However, as a group they just decided to go for it and give it a try, surprising themselves with just how much they enjoyed it. Russell led the way, closely followed by Harry H, but all went on something new with Ruby in particular surprising herself on the giant swings. The best thing however, was watching the groups change depending on the ride, demonstrating how close they were as a year group, happy to go with whoever was around.

Harry B

“I joined the school in Year 6. My best memory is when we went to Sherborne for the Rugby 7s tournament. When I go to Stamford I am looking forward to the sport!”

“I joined the school in Year 4. My best memory has to be pushing Mr Sinnott into a swimming pool at our leavers’ party! When I go to Oakham, I am looking forward to playing lots of sport and meeting new people.”

B

The main trip each year is going to Ullswater and we were blessed this year by fantastic weather and no rain which made the camping element that bit more special. Over the course of the week, the pupils got to experience climbing, gorge walking, abseiling, canoeing, tunnelling, cooking around the campfire and the obligatory walk in the hills.

With this year’s group, with their positive attitude, we walked further than many of the groups in years gone by, though the heat made it tiring. Beth even resorted to licking rocks to get water which I wouldn’t recommend. Gorge walking for many was the most popular activity with Penny finding dubious use for the water in her wellies afterwards though. For some, just camping outside was the best bit as long as they didn’t wake up next to slugs.

“I joined St Hugh’s in Year 3. My favourite memory is when we went to Ullswater and did gorge walking because it gave me a sense of achievement. When I go to Wellington, I am looking forward to even more responsibility and freedom.”

Freya B

“I joined St Hugh's in Year 1. One of my best memories was my second year here. Mr Wingham, our Y2 teacher, was giving a lesson on jealousy. At the beginning of the lesson he gave half of the class a biscuit, excluding me and Ruby. We got really annoyed. Mr Wingham then gave the other half of the class their biscuit. Finally after whining all day, we finally got a biscuit! When I go to Uppingham, I am looking forward to making new friends who I can make new memories with and hopefully I can carry on playing the piano and singing.”

“I started at St Hugh’s on my second birthday. One of my best memories was in reception dressing up and everyone wanting the Ariel dress. Also eating jelly and ice cream on the headmaster's lawn! On Sports Day 2018, we managed to fit around 20 people in my car and had a water fight on the field in all our clothes! When I go to Lincoln Minster I am looking forward to all the new opportunities and the new people I will meet.”

C

Annabel T

Beth

Thomas

After Ullswater, there were a series of day trips starting with sailing at North Hykeham and then, on a more serious note, going to the Holocaust Centre at Laxton. The return of the Lincolnshire Show proved a particular highlight with Freddie H, Daniel S and Ruby also taking time out to entertain the crowds with their rock band. This was followed by a trip to Back to Bear with Year 8 getting the opportunity to throw knives and axes. Thomas B proved to be a viking in disguise, be wary of Annabel and wood whittling, and Daniel S’s whittling proved particularly memorable.

“I joined the school in Year 7 at age 11. My favourite memory at this school was going to Ullswater and doing all of the fun activities and being pushed to my limit. When I go to QEGS, I am looking forward to all of the new challenges that I am going to face and a new chapter in my life.”

Russell B

“I joined the school in Nursery. My best memory is when we went to Sherborne and played in a rugby 7s tournament. When I go to Oakham, I am looking forward to all the trips.”

Henry E

The final trip was to the local woods owned by the Halls to spend the day doing laser tag. Everyone had great fun running around and shooting each other as well as enjoying a barbecue lunch courtesy of the Halls. It was a great trip to finish on.

The trips were interspersed with days in school preparing for two events in particular, the summer concert and the fashion show. Year 8’s song proved particularly memorable at the concert and was such a hit that they repeated it at Speech Day. The Fashion Show was also memorable for different reasons – who could forget seeing Hatty come down in a cow outfit with water filled gloves as udders which were then ‘milked’ over the crowd. It was a great event to finish on.

They have been an absolute pleasure to have as a form and I wish them every success for the future.

Mr Sinnott

“I started St Hugh’s in Reception. My favourite memory was going to Sherborne and going to the arcade and Huxley and Henry winning 1000 tickets! I also loved our trip to Ullswater. When I go to Oakham, I am looking forward to making new friends and playing loads of sport.”

H

“I joined the school in 2016. A memory I will keep forever is playing rugby at breaks with the Year 8s when I was in Year 5–6. When I go to Oakham, I’m looking forward to rugby and cricket and the DT.”

Freddie H

“I joined the school at the age of two in the Nursery. My best memory would be when we used to have jelly and ice cream in the summer, on the Headmaster's lawn. When I go to Oundle, I am looking forward to creating a bigger rock band and performing for everybody.”

Ruby S

Harry

“I joined St Hugh’s at the age of two. My best memory was when the rock band played at the Lincolnshire Show. When I go to Lincoln Minster, I am looking forward to making new friends and playing in the Lincoln Youth Orchestra and the school orchestra. ”

“I joined the school in Year 4. My best memory is the huge water fight we had after Sports Day! When I go to Sedbergh, I am looking forward to the opportunities with the sporting events and the chances to succeed in the equestrian world, with a group of people who are interested in the same discipline as me.”

Penny V

“I started at St Hugh’s in Year 4. My best memory was going to Ullswater with all of my friends at the end of Year 8. I am excited for Worksop to make new friends and more memories.”

Hatty W

“I joined the school at the end of Year 4. Some of my best memories are recent – for example, during our trip to Ullswater the activities required a lot of teamwork which brought the class closer together. Another good memory is my last football game as I scored a quadruple hat trick. When I go to my next school, I am looking forward to the different opportunities and meeting new people.”

Destination School Scholarships Gained

Harry Barker Stamford Freya Belford Wellington School Russell Bolesworth QEGS, Alford

Thomas Brockway Oakham

Sport Scholarship Beth Church Lincoln Minster All-rounder Scholarship Henry Elton Oakham DT Scholarship Harry Hall Oakham Freddie Howe Oakham

DT Scholarship Ruby Stott Oundle Scholarship Harry Studholme Repton Daniel Sudra Lincoln Minster Music Scholarship Annabel Tinsley Uppingham

Penny Vincent Sedbergh

Sport Scholarship Harriet Ward Worksop College

Harry S

Daniel S

Jubilee Artwork by St Hugh's pupils