The Echo Summer 2017

THEECHO ECHO ECHO

Summer 2017 Edition

St Margaret’s is ‘EXCELLENT’ - It’s Official!

St Margaret’s, like all other schools, is inspected regularly to ensure that the quality of every aspect of its provision for the children remains of the highest possible standard. To that end, in May we welcomed an inspection team from the Independent Schools Inspectorate to the school. The inspection process is two-fold, focusing on both regulatory matters and the quality of the education for our pupils. At the end of a rigorous three day process, the inspectors concluded that not only did St Margaret’s meet all aspects of compliance, but that both the children’s academic and other achievements, as well as their personal development is excellent.

This represents the highest possible grade and we are of course thrilled to have our provision externally recognised.

Furthermore, our ongoing membership of the Independent Association of Preparatory Schools (IAPS) is now secured as a result. The inspection report expertly reflects all that is special about St Margaret’s and phrases such as ‘Pupils attitudes to learning are exemplary as a result of the high expectations set by their teachers’ demonstrate the aspirational nature of the school and acknowledge that this leads to outstanding outcomes for the children. Further, in summing up, the inspectors concluded that ‘Pupils leave the school as confident, independent, highly mature and thoughtful young people’. This could not better illustrate our ambitions for the children and consequently it is with enormous pride that we publish our 2017 inspection report and offer huge congratulations to all the extraordinary members that make up the St Margaret’s community!

Welcome to the Summer 2017 Edition of The Echo As the academic year 2016/17 draws to a close there is much to reflect upon with great pride, not only in recent months, but from as far back as last September and indeed beyond! As ever, all members of the St Margaret’s community have contributed fully to ensure that opportunities for the children have been many and that their best interests remain at the heart of everything we do. Our Year 6 pupils leave us ready for a whole new world of opportunities, and they could not be better placed to make a positive contribution to their senior schools; we wish them every success.

In their departure, they will be making way for our new intake of children and the cycle and excitement of the next academic year will begin again!

‘What lies behind us and what lies before us are small matter, compared to what lies within us.’

This edition of The Echo will undoubtedly provide you with a memento of some of the many wonderful things that your children have undertaken this term.

I hope you enjoy reading it and I send you and your families good wishes for a restful summer!

www.stmargaretsprep.org.uk Kindergarten Head to Find The Gruffalo!

Kindergarten took a stroll through the deep dark wood...

The children headed out to the wildlife garden on a sunny day to see if they could find The Gruffalo.

Everyone knew that ‘He has terrible tusks, and terrible claws, and terrible teeth in his terrible jaws. He has knobbly knees, and turned out toes, and a poisonous wart at the end of his nose. His eyes are orange, his tongue is black; he has purple prickles all over his back…’ but would they find him?

During the search, Kindergarten children had great fun exploring! They found tiny insects, spiders, leaves, fir cones, twigs, mud, a perfect place to have a story... but sadly, no Gruffalo.

All was quiet in the deep dark wood...

Reception C Dive into Big Write This term Reception C children started their Big Writing sessions. Each week they were given the challenge of doing a piece of writing in a different genre. Firstly they warmed up their pencil grip skills with a Dough Disco session, before engaging in independent writing, using phoneme charts to help them.

Following their fun-filled visit to Bristol Aquarium the children were challenged to write a detailed recount of their first-hand experiences. Everyone tried hard to write sentences, using their phonological awareness to write words which match their spoken sounds; they also tried to remember to use simple punctuation. Ravioli the Stingray and Georgie the Shark would be very proud!

Olden Days Excitement in 1H The children in Year 1 had a very exciting trip to Chepstow Castle to explore a castle ruin first-hand. Taking with them their prior knowledge of castles, they were able to visualise the life in the castle when it was first built. Everyone was fascinated to explore and name all the different parts of the castle they have learnt at school.

The trip was brought to life by an historic guide who demonstrated how all the weaponry and armour were used to protect and attack during battle. The children were in awe of how the assortment of weapons was used and how they had changed through time. With the ‘volunteering’ from Mrs Hansford and the use of a dagger from the historian, the children saw how important chainmail was to a soldier during battle times. The children demonstrated so much curiosity and enthusiasm for learning about Castle History and all decided that the ‘olden days’ was a more exciting time to live than today – but only if you were a Knight or a Lady!

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Andy Goldsworthy Inspires 1P The children in 1P had an exciting time studying the work of the British sculptor Andy Goldsworthy. They focused their interest around his circular sculpture using autumnal leaves. To begin with, the children sourced their own natural materials from the resources that they have in the outdoor classroom and worked collaboratively to create their own amazing pieces. Additionally, they developed their understanding of Andy’s colour choices and created their own interpretation of his autumnal leaves. Lots of new vocabulary was learnt and used to describe their masterpieces to each other.

Well done 1P you are all sculptors now!

Rainforest Animal Fun in 2J The children in 2J have enjoyed finding out about the different animals that would live in the rainforest and the habitat in which they live. They wrote riddles about these animals, thinking about how they move, what they eat and what they look and feel like. Everyone had great fun trying to guess each other’s animals! They also enjoyed reading the story ‘Beautiful Bananas’ and the children changed the animals that Beatrice met along the way into rainforest animals. The class wrote some superb stories, making sure they included adjectives to describe the animals and the journey that Beatrice made to Grandad’s house.

Printing Enthusiasts in 2T 2T children have been using their understanding of shape, symmetry and pattern to create the most wonderful printed pictures. They looked at pattern and fabrics from Asia to link with their study of a non-European country.

They took ideas and inspiration from this to create their own printing block, first drawing a design and then making an impression in polystyrene. With rollers and coloured dyes they used their printing blocks to print art work onto calico, which they then framed using frames decorated with pasta. Everyone also enjoyed using their maths knowledge of symmetry and repeat patterns to add to the effect.

Open D Giving & Afterno

ay, Prize & Sports on 2017

www.stmargaretsprep.org.uk 3H Discover Calne’s Famous Past ‘We’re going on a plaque hunt, we’re going to find a blue one, we’re on the look-out, what a beautiful day!’

Year 3 children brought their History lessons to life with an exciting tour of Calne town centre, looking for evidence of its famous people and landmarks. The children were surprised to discover just where the Harris Factory was located and tried hard to imagine the sheer size of it. As they passed the almshouses, they couldn’t help but be shocked at the size of the tiny doors compared to their own homes. They were successful in the blue plaque hunt before heading to Bowood for a more in-depth study of Joseph Priestly. The children were inspired to stand in the exact spot where he made his famous discovery of oxygen.

With a little time left for play, their imaginations ran wild in the grounds as they walked the plank on the pirate ship!

3R are Left in the Shade!

As part of their Science unit on ‘Light’, Year 3 investigated how shadows change over the course of a day. The children devised their own way of testing this question and the predictions were many and varied!

They were astounded to see the shadow changing, in some cases even after a matter of minutes. They learnt that the shadow of an object moves around clockwise according to the position of the sun. This led to a hot debate about the fact that whilst it appears that the sun is moving, we have to remember it is actually the earth revolving. Another discovery was the fact that the shadow shortened towards midday. Everyone demonstrated excellent thinking skills and linking of concepts when concluding that this was due to the sun being at the highest point in the sky.

Electrical Games Get 4B Buzzing!

Year 4 children have been busy putting into practise what they have learnt about ‘Circuits’ in Science, in order to build electronic games in their Design and Technology lessons. They have been working in groups and were given the choice of designing and making an electronic quiz board, a game using a bulb or buzzer, or a greetings card which lights up.

The games are truly cross-curricular because not only do they link to the children’s last Science unit on ‘Electricity’, but the quiz boards contain questions about their current History unit on Ancient Greece and some of the past units like Anglo-Saxons and the Vikings.

It was quite a challenge building the games and then working an electrical circuit into them, but perseverance and teamwork have been very evident in both classes – well done everyone!

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5G Enjoy Stunning Swanage For Year 5, the highlight of the term was their trip to the Dorset coast at Swanage. Although the weather was cool, it was bright and sunny for the whole stay. The children eagerly awaited their first glimpse of the coast on the journey down and also saw Corfe Castle’s imposing ruins. On the first afternoon everyone got on with their surveys and questionnaires in the town. All the groups had plenty to do collecting data on the shops and the traffic around the town. Then they asked some tourists their opinions on Swanage. For some it was a little scary to approach people in the street but they quickly discovered that everyone was very nice and helpful. To finish the day the children were taken to Durlston Country Park to see the giant globe.

4NC Embrace Sustainability Year 4 had great fun this term at Mill on the Brue, but the visit also linked to the theme of ‘Sustainability’ that the children have been working on in Geography - something that Mill on the Brue staff are passionate about.

The garden cabin is a great example of an eco-build. It has coat hooks made out of twigs, the roof is growing and it has its own veg patch! SIPS panels keep it really warm all winter and the children really enjoyed making pizza in the clay oven, with a roof made out of old baked bean tins! Mill on the Brue staff are very proud of growing as much of their own food as possible - 85% is home grown and they try to have seasonal menus to reduce food waste.

The second day gave the children their experience of coastal fieldwork, starting at Lulworth Cove and then walking up the cliffs to Durdle Door.

The steep ascent is quite a challenge but the view of Durdle Door made it totally worthwhile. After an ice cream, there was time for games on the beach at Studland, beside the dunes.

On the final day, shopping was the first priority and then a trip to Corfe Castle on the way home. Up close the ruins were even larger, with many fascinating nooks and crannies to explore. Then, all too soon it was time to head back to school with lots of stories to tell. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed their trip to the Jurassic Coast!

Next to the garden cabin is the apple store which is an environmental classroom. The children enjoyed learning about its construction cob, Cornish Red cedar cladding and straw bales. It sits on tractor tyres filled with stones so that there are no concrete foundations.

Mill on the Brue even has a wind turbine for power, so that the energy sources are renewable. This is what gave the children their inspiration when designing their own sustainable buildings.

On one of the days, everyone had to go and pick their own lunch!

It was interesting to see how much the children were willing to try different vegetables and great to see the produce waiting outside the kitchen knowing it had zero food miles.

The children certainly learnt a valuable lesson about saving energy and the planet, whilst also having so much fun. Maybe it was a Geography field trip and not just a holiday after all!

5S Explore Ancient Egypt In History this term, the children in Year 5 have been learning about ‘Ancient Egypt’, and as part of this, they enjoyed the opportunity to try a spot of mummification! They were each given a body (tomato) which they cleaned and dried.

Then, with careful precision, they removed the internal organs (pips), and stored them in canopic jars. Once the body was empty and packed with natron (bicarbonate of soda and salt), they put it in a coffin. The children then learned about hieroglyphs and made cartouches so that the body could be identified in the Afterlife!

www.stmargaretsprep.org.uk Year 6 Masterchefs Year 6 demonstrated cooking gusto whilst preparing a meal for their peers at the end of term. Maggots was a hive of focused chopping, slicing, mixing, stirring and cooking. Groups of children worked alongside parent helpers who guided them through the correct preparation techniques and instructions. 6G was the first class to prepare a meal of spaghetti and meatballs in a delicious tomato sauce, followed by fruit kebabs and chocolate sauce.

The children laid the table and eagerly awaited the arrived of 6C to sample their cooking delights. The children entertained each other with a variety of tunes on the piano. The following week it was the turn of 6C to create a menu of scrumptious curry with rice followed by strawberries and cream with a lemon biscuit.

Thank you to the parents who volunteered to help the children; the whole experience was a huge success and everyone is now enthused to cook more at home!

Year 6 Create Comfy Cushions In their final term, Year 6 looked at the design and function of cushions in their Design & Technology lessons. Who was the target market? Where were they used? How were they made?

Was the material important?

All of these questions helped the children analyse the importance of product design and the suitability of the cushions for different users and functions. The children learnt about patterns and templates, seam allowances and a variety of decoration techniques to embellish their products. They enthusiastically designed a cushion for themselves and then created their own pattern out of paper and pinned it to their chosen fabric. The most exciting part was next, as the children were taught how to use a sewing machine. After a few trials using sample card, the classroom buzzed with industry and the steady hum of sewing machines.

Year 6’s Boating Bonanza on the Isle of Wight!

This year was even more exciting than usual as Year 6 were the first children from St Margaret’s to visit the United Kingdom Sailing Association’s (UKSA) base on the Isle of Wight. Anticipation and excitement was running high! Even the journey on the Red Funnel ferry was fabulous; the team of instructors welcomed everyone and took their bags to the Centre for the start of the adventure! The first challenge was to get into the wet suits, helmets and buoyancy aids! Then everyone took part in a variety of water-based games aimed at building confidence and teamwork. Imagine the delight when supper choices included any combination of the delicious dishes on offer. Plates were piled high.

Over the next two days everyone’s Effective Learning Skills were challenged and improved as the children enjoyed keel boating, kayaking, paddle boarding and dinghy sailing. Although a little chilly, the weather was very kind, giving the group bright sunshine for most of their stay. The day was long, and filled with the excited chatter of the children sharing their experiences and many achievements - some had never been on a boat before! Even the evenings were packed with fun activities, ranging from gutter boat racing to a hotly contested crabbing competition.

No-one stayed awake for long after a welcome shower, hot chocolate and biscuit. What a fabulous week – no-one wanted to leave.

St Margaret’s Preparatory School, Calne, Wiltshire, SN11 0DF Tel: 01249 857220 Fax: 01249 857227 Email: office@stmargaretsprep.org.uk Website: www.stmargaretsprep.org.uk