Upton Update Spring 2024

Spring is certainly in the air as we start the Easter holidays following a super term filled with music, LAMDA, STEAM, art, sport, maths challenges, debating, exciting events, ducklings, and of course, lots of fun.

The Upton Update is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate many of the highlights of the term and I do hope you enjoy flicking through the pages with your children. We try to include as many pictures as possible, and the links enable you to revisit the events in your own time.

From our youngest Uptonians to our oldest they have each given their all this term with wonderful adventures along the way! Upton has had many visitors this term including Form 1 Grandparents. Our ‘Hoppy Easter Pop-In’ was a delight as the children impressed with their amazing costumes and happy smiles.

So much to celebrate and so many successes along the way. We are very proud of all our Form 6 pupils who have achieved superb offers and results for their Senior schools. This year we have created a second graphic to show the successes achieved by our first cohort of Form 6 boys.

The Upton family and community is filled with energy, curiosity, innovation and compassion. Raising almost £2,500 in just one week for Great Ormond Street Hospital was quite incredible. Thank you, parents, for your support.

We know many of you will have been or are currently touched with loved ones navigating through cancer diagnosis and treatment and we send our warmest wishes to you all in those circumstances. I would also like to send our own Mrs Hewitt, now in her sixth round of chemotherapy, and Catherine, Princess of Wales, in the earlier stages of her treatment, all our Upton love and Upton hugs. Many of the Upton Team will be running Cancer Research UK’s 5K and 10K Race For Life in Windsor on June 1st! Do give us a cheer if you are there.

Wishing you a very healthy and happy Easter.

Mrs Rhian Thornton

Tamilore Performs in West End Show

“Tina the Musical”

I have always loved to sing and act, and my dream is to become a professional actress! I currently perform in Tina the Musical in London’s West End. I play the part of young Alline (Tina Turner’s sister) and I cover the young Anna-Mae role (Tina Turner). I perform three times a week and I am in the show until the end of June. I love the Tina story, music, production, and amazing cast! Before every show, the entire cast do a physical and vocal warm up, fight call and then we go to wigs and costume.

I get such a buzz from performing and singing in such a phenomenal show. My favourite moments are performing Nutbush and covering the young Anna-Mae role when I get to sing three solos.

The show has taught me about the life and brilliant music of an amazing woman who overcame so many difficulties. She always believed in herself and didn’t give up!

By Tamilore (6M)

Pre-Nursery: Story Telling Through Classical Music

There is nothing we love more in PreNursery than music! You will often find us dancing around the room exploring ways to express ourselves to different genres of music. This term we have been focussing on classical music, listening to music from Peter and the Wolf during assemblies and learning all about the different instruments featuring in The Story Orchestra in our music lessons. We have had the opportunity to try out different instruments, sing, dance and story tell and we are happier little humans for it.

World Book Day

Upton celebrated World Book Day on Friday 15th March.

In the weeks leading up to this, the older children generated ideas to enhance story-telling using digital techniques. They brainstormed, planned, scripted, set designed and produced content relating to their favourite book characters, making them come alive through green screen and AI imagery. They were focused on encouraging others to read their favourite books by communicating the essence of the stories. The digital element allowed the children to convert their imagination into interactive quizzes and digital footage that they and others could see. It was delightful to see the children’s faces light up as they presented their wonderful creation to the whole school, thereby igniting our love for reading further!

All the children enjoyed taking part in ‘The Masked Reader’. Each day, they listened to an extract from a story read by an Upton member of staff and enjoyed guessing who was behind the proverbial mask. The excitement for reading that this generated was incredible and many giggles were shared!

Other amazing activities included conducting interviews where the children confidently asked Mrs Thornton, Mr Phillips and Transition parent Mr

Cappelli about their experiences with reading as well as creating a phenomenal ‘Guess the Book Quiz’ which was created by the Broadcasting club and some Form 6 volunteers. Our children love any opportunity to share their broadcasting creations, and this really did not disappoint!

On World Book Day, the children had lots of opportunities to share their favourite stories or listen to their teachers read their favourite book. This year’s theme was #ReadYourWay, which celebrated giving children the freedom and the choice to read in any way that they enjoy. To celebrate this year’s theme, classes enjoyed doing D.E.A.R. (Drop Everything and Read) and taking part in a book quiz to earn lots of House points.

As part of our celebrations, we were delighted to join for our annual World Book Day parade. Each class paraded their costumes in a special assembly. We were so inspired by the variety of costumes celebrating so many different characters, from Cat in the Hat landing on a book and Oompa Loompas working in a chocolate factory, to Sherlock Holmes and Sherlock Jnr investigating a crime scene.

Reading truly goes to the heart of all our learning here at Upton and we hope that you will find some time to #ReadYourWay as a family together this Easter.

Celebrating Cultural Differences in Nursery

One cold overcast day in February, a mysterious letter landed in Nursery, announcing the arrival of a strange visitor. With his little fluffy tail, distinctive ears and black claws, Kevin Koala

flew in from Australia and wished us all a “G’day”. He had come to celebrate Australia Day with us! He told us all about his country – the animals, the landmarks, the natural habitats, the activities and more. Whilst we both live on islands and speak the same language, it’s clear Great Britain and Australia couldn’t be more different! We were so excited to hear more about their wildlife – the Kangaroos, poisonous spiders and snakes, wombats and barrier reefs - and to our surprise, Kevin Koala was

Nursery Trip to Windsor Great Park Environmental Centre

equally excited to hear about our hedgehogs, squirrels and deer! We spoke more about the cultural differences between our countries, especially our weather! How we wished we could have ‘shrimps on the barbie’ in sunny 30 degree heat!

Unfortunately because of the time difference, Kevin had to shoot off so he could celebrate the rest of Australia Day with his family, so we wished him good luck, and thanked him for stopping by. Until next time Kevin Koala!

If you go down in the woods today… In Nursery we love to learn outside, so we took the opportunity to extend our learning with a visit to the Windsor Great Park Environmental Centre. A fabulous day was had by all in the woodland, searching for wildlife and digging for treasure. Our adventures continued as we did some den building, footprint spotting and discussing the textures of the natural materials in the woodland using our senses to hear and see what delights were around us. Being outdoors can have a wonderfully positive impact on children’s wellbeing, developing their confidence, resilience, teamwork and communication. It also allows the children to help each other to work through personal challenges and to move out of their comfort zones to try new things, all of which we do in abundance here at Upton.

A New Art Club for Transition

A new Art Club has been formed to develop and extend the imaginations of our Transition children giving them the opportunity to explore new mediums and techniques. We have been printing, painting and collaging with gusto producing some incredible pieces of artwork. The children have been encouraged to draw without worrying about making mistakes, in art there are no mistakes to be made. Big, bold and colourful was the message! It has been wonderful to have this extra time with our younger Uptonian artists, to be to be calm and mindful as well as brave and creative at the end of their busy day.

Transition B Assembly

The highlight of Transition B’s term has been performing their assembly to a live and online audience. We had 124 family members watching from as far away as Australia, but also Spain, Poland, Ireland and the USA . How exciting is that? It is pretty daunting being on stage when you are aged just four and five, but Trans B relished the opportunity and took to the stage like pros. It was a jam-packed assembly full of facts about the planets, a visual

demonstration of how the planets orbit around the sun and then showcasing amazing artwork of their favourite things about planet Earth before finishing with a beautiful rendition of Top of the World by The Carpenters. It was most certainly a feel-good assembly, the hall was full of big smiles and warmth. Great job Trans B!

Transition G Assembly

Inspired by the Spring Term theme ‘Story Telling through Classical Music’, Transition G became an orchestra for their assembly! They retold a story based on the book 'Meet The Orchestra', each child representing a different instrument. The captive audience were treated to snippets of music, visually stunning artwork and were wowed by the information told to them by the children with such enthusiasm and confidence. 198 families joined the assembly from far and wide including Costa Rica, Taiwan and India with one mummy even watching from an aeroplane high up in the sky! It was an engaging and interactive assembly, the children were inspired to explore their musical knowledge further and lots said they would love to join the school orchestra one day.

Transition

Excursion to RHS Garden Wisley

What an amazing time Transition had at RHS Garden Wisley. Our day started with a ‘How Plants Grow’ workshop where we planted a nasturtium seed to grow at home, this was followed by a joyful nature walk looking for signs of spring of which there were plenty. We were lucky to have lots of sunshine, allowing us to have our first picnic of the year. We all agreed that eating outdoors in the sunshine is the best! The excitement continued in the afternoon when we visited the ‘Plants Before Time’ exhibition where we spotted dinosaurs, a very happy discovery. We had a bit of time to use the very last of our energy up at the nature-themed play area before an unusually quiet coach trip home (apart from the odd gentle snore or two). A fabulous day!

Pre-Prep at Playtime

Playtime is a valuable opportunity for social interaction and physical activity during the school day. For some children, it can be an opportunity to wind down and talk with friends or learn hand clap games. For others, playtime can be an opportunity to build a kingdom and gather your knights to slay the dragon, or channel your inner Messi as you tackle the ball and aim for a goal! Playtime allows students to engage in play, develop friendships, and take a break from all the wonderful things they have been learning, in a fun and relaxed environment. We think you will agree from these photos, that playtime is a much-loved time of the day for the children in Pre-Prep at Upton House School.

‘These things are fun, and fun is good’ – Dr Seuss.

Exploring Times Tables in Maths

We have embarked on an exciting venture in Pre-Prep, introducing a new structure to acquaint children with the captivating world of multiplication. One of the foundations of our approach has been the introduction of a counting stick, a tool that serves as a gateway to understanding multiplication. Children have begun to explore the use of doubling, halving, adding and subtracting, using the counting stick as their guide. Through hands-on exploration in Pre-Prep, they have discovered how these operations are connected and how they contribute to finding times table products.

To make learning both captivating and effective, we’ve integrated a holistic approach into our lessons. Children have danced and sung to catchy songs, immersed themselves in interactive games, linked them to everyday life and used Numicon, multi-link cubes and arrays, all designed to reinforce their understanding of times tables. They have also investigated the beauty of patterns. Through this very practical approach embracing creativity, innovation, and a spirit of enquiry, we aim to empower children on their journey through the world of times tables.

Form 2 Assemblies

The Form 2 assemblies this term transported us back in time.

Form 2P took their audience back to World War II through the eyes of children. They delved into the era's vocabulary, embracing terms like ‘evacuation’ and ‘rationing’ and were able to tell us about some of the country’s main campaigns such as ‘Dig for Victory’ and ‘Make Do and Mend’.  The iconic wartime song, beautifully performed, brought a tear to our eyes.

Form 2D’s assembly shed light on Florence Nightingale's legacy: From grim hospital conditions to her pioneering reforms, some of the children re-enacted the journey of change, honouring the courage and compassion that transformed nursing forever.

Upton House Friends

The assemblies were not only wonderfully entertaining but also showcased the children's growing understanding of history and how events from the past have helped to shape our future. The online audience was ever-present and we were thrilled to be able to share our assemblies with parents in places as far-flung as the USA, Sweden, Hong Kong, and Madrid and even on a train to Cambridge! 106 joined online to enjoy the 2P assembly while 122 tuned into 2D’s assembly.

It’s been an exciting term for Upton House Friends with a newly formed lead team starting in January.  The highly anticipated Pub Quiz took place after half term, bringing fun and comradery to our parents and staff. Well done to the winners ‘Quiz Team Aguilera’. Our Springtime cake decorating competition showcased impressive and beautiful designs from the children. Congratulations to all our prize winners who will enjoy afternoon tea with Mrs Thornton and Mrs Newcombe. Two pre-loved uniform sales were held this term, contributing £3,000 to UHF, ensuring used uniform found a new home. UHF raised £5,500 this term and invested in new floodlights for the netball court which are more effective and energy efficient. Thank you for your continued support and contributions.

Grandparents’ Tea Party

The annual Form 1 Grandparents' Tea Party is a cherished tradition at Upton House, brimming with warmth and affection. The carefully decorated hall, adorned with homemade delights and pots of tea, set the stage for a delightful afternoon. The eager anticipation, as the grandparents awaited the arrival of their grandchildren on stage, was palpable. With smiles and excitement, the children, bursting to showcase their talents, took to the stage to deliver a heartfelt performance of songs and poems.

One of the most touching moments of the afternoon is the children proudly displaying their paintings of their grandparents, accompanied by messages of love, highlighting the deep bond shared between the generations (usually involving sweeties!) The room came alive with animated conversation and laughter when the children joined their grandparents for refreshments and sweet treats afterwards. The magic of the occasion was there for all to see.

This really is a very special event and we know that there are always some grandparents who are unable to be with us for the event and as such we were delighted that we were able to broadcast this event live to their living rooms. This year 330 family members joined us online from 15 countries including Columbia, Taiwan, the Netherlands, South Africa, Hungary and New Zealand.

How wonderful the power of technology is in bringing families together across the distances.

The children’s efforts to spoil their grandparents in such a way speaks volumes about the importance of family bonds and the joy of sharing such special moments together.

Science in Pre-Prep

In Pre-Prep, science is always realms of boundless excitement and the lessons are eagerly anticipated each week. This term, our young minds have delved into the enchanting world of materials. Like real scientists, they have been learning to predict, investigate and report. In Form 1, budding scientists have honed their investigative prowess through a plethora of experiments, unravelling the mysteries of various materials' names and properties. For example, will they bend, stretch or twist? Are they rigid or flexible, transparent or opaque? Magnetism became a playground as they discovered which materials were magnetic and they were amazed when materials were magically moved on a table top by a magnet underneath! They enjoyed getting wet whilst investigating waterproof and absorbent materials.

Meanwhile, in Form 2, the sizzle of anticipation filled the air as they delved into the transformative power of heat on food and the mystery of reversible and irreversible reactions. What will happen when the food is heated? Will it be able to return to its original state? They quivered with excitement like jelly, witnessing the mesmerizing transformation of jelly cubes. The thrill escalated as they witnessed the effect of heat on an egg. And oh, the smell of melting chocolate! This term has been a whirlwind of exhilarating discoveries, igniting a fiery passion for science within these young adventurers of Pre-Prep!

Form 2 Excursion to Milestones Museum

Form 2 embarked on a memorable journey to the Milestones Museum in Basingstoke this term. Stepping into the museum is akin to stepping into a time machine, with each exhibit transporting the children to a different era. From cobbled streets reminiscent of the Victorian times to the bustling shops of the 1940s, history unfolds before their eyes. Interactive displays allow them to engage with the past firsthand, whether it is trying on vintage clothing or exploring a life-sized replica of an Anderson Shelter. Guided by enthusiastic educators, they delved deeper into what life would have been like during the war. As they explored the museum’s various exhibits, laughter and curiosity filled the air as they consolidated their term’s learning. It was a wonderful trip and will no doubt leave an indelible mark in their memories.

Form 1

Excursion to Windsor Castle

Earlier this term, Form 1 embarked on a thrilling adventure to Windsor Castle. Prior to their journey, the children had delved deep into the castle's defence mechanisms, fuelling their anticipation. Upon arrival, excitement surged as they beheld the majestic fortress, ready to apply their newfound knowledge. With keen eyes, they identified battlements and arrow slits, immersing themselves

in imagining being a soldier. Inside, the awe and wonder on their faces as they marvelled at the size and beauty of Queen Mary's dolls house was wonderful to see. A poignant moment followed at St. George's Chapel, where they were able to visit Queen Elizabeth's resting place, showing such great respect, etching this profound experience into their memories forever.

Assemblies with Charlie Walker

After his inspiring presentation at Prize Giving last year, renowned explorer Charlie Walker visited Upton for another fantastic afternoon earlier this term. Charlie captivated all the children with his spellbinding tales of Papua New Guinea's uncharted territories. During his presentation, Charlie recounted his daring escapades navigating through dense rainforests and treacherous rivers (in an inflatable kayak), encountering indigenous tribes and sampling lots of local delicacies.  Charlie brought his presentation to life through his amazing photography and videos. Our interaction with Charlie did not stop there this term as two of our Form 6 children interviewed him online whilst he was on his latest adventure in Nigeria during which Charlie shared his love of reading and experiences as an author. The interview was filmed and broadcast to the children as part of our World Book Day.

As the children transition from football to rugby during the Spring Term, ball skills with hands take centre stage at Upton. The children learn different techniques in rugby such as holding and running with the ball, passing and catching over a variety of distances as well as the correct method of scoring tries. In Prep the children develop their understanding of the principles of attack versus defence through different possession games as well as directional and multi-directional drills. Fixtures have been played throughout the term to put into practice all the techniques that they have learnt including a closely fought game with Bishopsgate for Forms 3 and 4 and a couple of great victories in the recent Dolphin School Rugby Festival for Forms 5 and 6.

Rugby Prep House Football

We were delighted to welcome the U15 Windsor Boys’ Rugby team and two members of staff to Upton. The boys delivered an assembly around their fundraising run to Twickenham, raising money to support their Canada Rugby Tour, and ran a coaching session for our Forms 4 and 6 boys. The boys received the coaching sessions incredibly well and learned so much throughout the morning.

The Spring Term saw Prep take to the football fields at the York Club for their respective House Football events. A bumper crowd was served some excellent games by Forms 5 and 6 in early January with players scoring hat tricks, players scoring their first ever goal, goalkeeping out of the top drawer with saves a plenty and overall just excellent football being played with superb sportsmanship. In early February individual brilliance coupled with superb teamwork culminated in beautiful football being played at the Forms 3 and 4 event. St Andrew took the title of House Football 2023-2024 winners overall. Congratulations to everyone, such a superb year!

PE in Pre-Nursery and Nursery Windsor Boys Rugby Coaching

The children have been having lots of fun in their Nursery and PreNursery PE lessons this term. The curriculum is based on the principle of guided discovery with different pieces of equipment, as well as different movement patterns such as running, skipping, and hopping. By focusing on these two key areas of physical development, the children will develop into agile, balanced, and co-ordinated individuals. The children have started to practice for their upcoming sports day in their lessons too, which they are all really excited about!

Netball

In PrePrep this term, the children have been learning through the principle of attack versus defence with bouncy balls, focusing on how to play these roles concurrently during a game situation. Prep children have continued to focus on netball in the curriculum as the girls’ focus sport, developing the key fundamentals of the game such as getting in front of a defender and receiving a ball on the move. This focus on the skills has certainly paid off in terms of the success we have enjoyed with a superb set of results including finishing runners-up at the prestigious St George’s Ascot Prep Schools Netball Tournament. The girls also finished 4th out of 8 schools at the Rodean Netball Festival that included victories over some Regional Netball Clubs in addition to winning gold medals at the Oratory Prep Schools Netball Tournament remaining unbeaten across the afternoon winning all 4 games and finishing 4th out of 12 at Berkhamsted. We took a team to Roedean for a tournament where we played other schools and club teams and came 4th, an amazing achievement. Netball is flourishing at Upton!

IAPS Competitions

On Friday 1st March, seven girls from Forms 5 and 6 travelled to Stroud School to take part in the IAPS Netball Regional Qualifiers. The girls had put in lots of hours of training prior to the day, attending IAPS netball squad training every Thursday morning since October. The girls played fantastically in their initial pool round, as the only school out of 14 taking part that won all their matches and amassing a huge 15 points for the team. The girls were then arranged into a quarter-final heat and came up against a strong side narrowly losing 4-3 in the final seconds. The girls should be incredibly proud of their performance.

Judo Taster Days

Upton House School swimmers showcased their exceptional talent at the IAPS gala hosted at Crosfields School in February. Dominating the competition, the girls secured 1st and 2nd place in numerous heats, leaving their coaches bursting with pride. The team's record-breaking participation of children added to the electric atmosphere of the event. Swimmers demonstrated their skills in individual events such as front crawl, backstroke, breaststroke, and butterfly, culminating in thrilling freestyle and medley relay races. Their remarkable performance and teamwork truly shone, solidifying Upton House School's reputation as a force to be reckoned with in the swimming world.

Upton welcomed longstanding extra-curricular provider Core Judo in to provide some taster sessions for Transition to Form 2 in February. It was great to see Aaron and team deliver wonderfully tailored sessions to these younger age groups, giving some an introduction to judo, or an extension for others who are already keen judokas. The team taught the language of judo; ‘Hajime’ meaning to start, ‘Matte’ meaning to stop, in addition to many other traditions in the sport such as demonstrating sportsmanship by kneeling before your opponent. They began to learn some basic holding techniques as well as grappling.

Update: Sport Parent Steering Group

We have now finalised the Sport Parent Steering Group members and very much enjoyed a productive first meeting at the end of term when we discussed all things sporting at Upton and asked for parent feedback on how to help shape the future for our Upton family.

Our fantastic Forms 3 and 4 Coding Club have been extremely excited when learning how to code using our new Microbits. They had so much fun coding their own ‘Rock, Paper, Scissors’ game, then competed against each other and the Microbits. Our children are thrilled to have any opportunity to use their coding and broadcasting skills; we can’t wait to discover what else we can create in the coming weeks!

In Book Club, the children have had fun immersing themselves in books and words within the relaxing environment of our superb library. They enjoy word searches followed by a fun quiz based on the book we have been reading. The children light up when engaging in discussions about their favourite stories. We ended the term by designing posters to celebrate World Book Day which have been put up around school! Reading is an integral part of the Upton magic!

Book Club and Coding Club in Prep Cicero Cup

Upton was delighted to host an exciting Cicero Cup Debating Competition Heat in February. The Heat welcomed debating teams from St Hugh's and Yateley Manor, as well as our own debating teams, 'Upton House Blue' and 'Upton House Red', for an exciting four-team round of debating. The children had a wonderful morning debating some challenging motions. Yateley Manor progressed to the next round and we congratulate them on their success, while Upton’s very own MJ was announced as Best Speaker; huge congratulations on this achievement, MJ! During the judge's feedback, our Uptonians were praised for their excellent argumentation and style.

For the prepared motions, the children debated 'This House believes footballers are paid too much money' and 'This House believes everyone should be vegetarian'. We then moved onto our impromptu debates, which the children had just twenty minutes to prepare for within their teams. Upton House Blue argued for the opposition for the motion, 'This house would not make students in British schools learn a foreign language', and Upton House Red argued for the opposition for the motion, 'This house would welcome humanoid robots into our homes’. Debating continues to excite and engage us all at Upton and we look forward with great anticipation to more debating next term!

Children at Upton love their language lessons. Why? Because they sing, act out role plays and compete against each other in exciting games while practising their vocabulary at the same time. Repetition is key to making a new language stick, but that doesn’t mean that activities aren’t varied and engaging.

Ask Form 3 the best way to learn the days of the week and they will tell you; “playing dimanche!” This term Form 4 have been working on physical description and to embed this learning they each created their own character, gave them a name and wrote a paragraph to describe them. Form 5 proved that French really is the language of love by writing some wonderfully creative love poems and practicing their bilingual dictionary skills in the process.

Alongside weekly French lessons for all and Latin for children in Forms 5 and 6, many children also attend our popular Spanish clubs. Here at Upton language learning is thriving and the children are having fun in the process!

Form 3 and Form 4 Easter Assembly

We have such a diverse community here at Upton and it is always exciting to find out about different Easter celebrations from around the world. Did you know in Bethlehem there is a unique multi-denominational church, called Basilica of the Nativity where pilgrims can visit and watch the parade by the Scouts of Bethlehem? For their Easter Assembly, Forms 3 and 4 took the audience on a journey around parts of the world, exploring Easter traditions in Europe and further afield. We learnt about candle decorations and bonfires in Cyprus, 7-hour-long church services in Ethiopia, tree decorating in Germany and pot-throwing traditions in Greece. Whilst we were in the hall, we were being live-streamed with 254 viewers tuning in from 13 countries around the world including Australia, Italy, Malta, the UAE, USA and Turkey. We would love to hear from you if you can tell us about an Easter tradition from your country so we can share it with the children.

Splashing Success: Children

Shine at the Prep House Swim Gala

The swimming pool at St George’s Ascot was abuzz with excitement as children from Prep gathered for a thrilling House swimming gala. The event promised an action-packed morning of friendly competition, showcasing the young swimmers' skills and determination. With the pool deck lined with cheering parents and enthusiastic supporters, the atmosphere was electric.

The swimming gala kicked off with an energetic medley relay, where swimmers from each year group swam a different stroke; Year 3 swam backstroke, Year 4 swam freestyle, Year 5 swam breaststroke and Year 6 swam butterfly.

The swimming gala featured a wide range of events which catered to swimmers’ ages and abilities. All children swam backstroke and freestyle over 25 metres. The pool was alive with splashing water and cheers from the crowd as the swimmers raced towards the finish line.

One of the highlights of the gala was the relay races, where teams of four swimmers competed against each other. The relay races not only showcased the importance of teamwork but also added an element of excitement and camaraderie to the event. The crowd erupted in applause as the teams fought for first place, pushing themselves to their limits to secure victory for their team.

Throughout the morning, the swimmers demonstrated exceptional sportsmanship and support for their fellow competitors. The pool was filled with encouraging cheers and applause, creating a positive and motivating environment for all participants. Regardless of the outcome, each swimmer received recognition for their efforts, reinforcing the importance of participation and personal growth. Thank you to all the parents that came to the event and all your wonderful cheers of encouragement.

At the end of the gala, an award ceremony was held to honour the outstanding performances and achievements of the young Uptonians. Medals were awarded with bronze going to St Christopher, silver to St George and taking home the trophy this year was St Andrew. The joy and pride on the faces of the winners were contagious.

Congratulations St Andrew.

Form 6 Assembly

Our F6 assembly transported us into the enchanting world of The Magic Flute. Through captivating storytelling, our children brought the timeless tale to life and showed off their wonderful artwork at the same time. The song Count on Me filled the room as they serenaded us with their lovely voices, reinforcing the importance of friendship and kindness. The children reminded us of the magic that lies within each of us and the power of supporting one another. This spirit of inclusivity extended beyond the school walls, as the performance was streamed to parents and a wider audience comprising 126 viewers in the UK, Italy, Switzerland, Sweden and the USA, showcasing our brilliant use of our broadcasting suite. It was our children in the broadcasting team who helped deliver this to our wider audience, gaining invaluable reallife experience in broadcasting.

F6 Excursion to see “Shrek the Musical”

F6's trip to see Shrek the Musical was an unforgettable experience, as they were fully immersed in the whimsical world of Shrek, Fiona, and Donkey. The children were captivated by the lively performances, vibrant sets, and catchy musical numbers. Comparing it to our digitally immersive productions at Upton, we realised how ahead of time our school truly is. As we gear up for our end-of-year show, Shrek, excitement is evident. Already auditioning for parts, we anticipate a groundbreaking digital immersive production that will transport audiences into the fantastical realm of Shrek like never before. We can't wait to bring this magical experience to life!

Ancient Greece, Gods and Godesses

This term Year 3 have been busy delving into the distant past of Ancient Greece. They went ‘potty’ looking closely at their daily lives depicted on black and red ware vases and craters, resulting in the children producing magnificent copies themselves, adding their own interpretation to their work. The Ancient Greek gods and goddesses were also scrutinised with interest, some of them not escaping criticism of their behaviour, including Zeus being labelled “naughty” or Hermes being “the mischievous one”. Fun was had, learning achieved, with a little ‘philosophy’ to boot – history continues to rock at Upton!

Prep Art at the Old Court and Craft Coop

We are thrilled to announce that our school's stunning artwork has been on display throughout March at the prestigious Old Court in Windsor. This incredible opportunity showcased our children's talent and creativity

to the wider community. Additionally, a selection of our artwork has been exhibited for an extra month at the Craft Coop shop in Windsor town centre. Everyone has been invited, along with their friends and family,

to witness the brilliance of our children's creations and celebrate their dedication. A chance not to be missed and be inspired by the beauty they brought to life on canvas using various mediums!

Prep Careers Fair

Our Careers Fair took place on 12th March and was an inspirational event. The children thoroughly enjoyed listening to the motivating stories from professionals in a variety of roles. We were delighted to hear from a Pilot, Surveyor and Retail Agent, CEO of an engineering company, a member of Commercial Finance for Waitrose, Palace Foreman, Vice President of a PR and Communications company, Head of Sustainability and Consultant Radiologists. The children were in their element as they learnt about the evolution of each presenter’s careers. It was refreshing to hear that many of the presenters started in very different positions and through taking every opportunity that presented itself to them, have built successful careers. Each presenter spoke with such enthusiasm, showing a clear love for what they do and encouraged the children to pursue a path in something they enjoy. Each child was certainly inspired by each presenter. They enjoyed asking insightful questions whilst engaging in discussion with them and even got to win some fantastic prizes in the quizzes the presenters led! A huge thank you to everyone who presented and inspired the children. We look forward to seeing the wonderful careers our children choose to create in the future!

On Tuesday 20th February our fabulous Middle Choir took part in the Heathfield School Prep Choir Competition, competing against choirs from other Prep schools in the local area. Despite being a competition, the event was extremely relaxed and the children felt extremely supported and, as a result, at ease with the process. There was an air of mutual respect and appreciation for the different singers and the choice of songs and this was echoed in the mutual applause, positive comments and words of encouragement between the different schools. There were three independent judges from a diverse range of musical backgrounds who gave informative and encouraging feedback throughout the competition. The Upton House Middle Choir sang two songs; The Prayer by Craig McEvoy and You Will Be Found from the film and musical Dear Evan Hansen.  The children performed brilliantly and represented Upton beautifully not only in their singing, but also in their behaviour and their smart appearance. All of the children received a medal for participating and enjoyed a wonderful tea afterwards. Whilst we did not win on this occasion, it was a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon and the children should feel very proud of their achievement. Well done!

Middle Choir Performance at the Heathfield School Prep Choir Competition

Young Voices Concert at the O2

In January Upton Senior Choir went to the O2 in London to take part in an incredible day of music. Having learned the songs in advance, the children joined forces with over 9,000 other children to sing together in the largest children’s choir concert in the world. The songs featured some stunning and extremely inspiring arrangements of well-known songs in various medleys. There were also some new and original songs in addition to some amazing dance performances, songs from MC Grammar and even a voice message from the composer Tim Minchin, just before the children sang The Matilda Medley. Over 10,000 parents attended the concert. Everyone sang, danced and cheered just as loudly and energetically as the children who were performing which made for the most incredible atmosphere. It was a very special occasion, and we were all delighted to have been part of the experience. Thank you, Young Voices.

F5 Trip Excursion to the Tate Modern Gallery

Form 5 embarked on an enriching journey to the Tate Modern Gallery in London, immersing themselves in Yayoi Kusama's Infinity Mirror Rooms. As they stepped into the mirrored chambers, they were captivated by a symphony of reflections and illusions, each room a testament to Kusama's boundless imagination. This experience sparked a creative flame within them, inspiring the crafting of their own pieces in Kusama's unique style, blending vibrant colours and spots.

Form 5 Excursion to The Living Rainforest

Form 5 were immersed in their learning of the Amazon Rainforest whilst on their exciting trip to The Living Rainforest. Surrounded by thousands of plants, free-roaming tropical birds and an adorable sloth named Cinnamon, the children were awed by the tropical setting. They were in their element as they showed off their ample learning of the Amazon and asked insightful questions whilst

listening to our knowledgeable tour guide on our ‘Amazing Adaptation’ tour. The emerald snakes, poisonous dart frogs and venomous stingrays were just a few of the many fascinating creatures we saw. The cutest creature, and a firm favourite, was the pygmy marmoset which is the smallest monkey in the world! We had a wonderful day full of smiles bringing learning to life!

Prep Musical Soirées

For a large number of children in Forms 3 and 4, many of whom are at the beginning of their musical journey, late January provided the perfect opportunity to appreciate what it feels like to perform in front of a live audience and be seen by family and friends online. For many, it was the goal they have been working towards during their lessons and practice sessions, and there is no doubt that they now have a greater appreciation of the importance and indeed the impact of music when playing in front of an audience. Performers included pianists, violinists (including a violin duet), a flautist, solo singers and singing duets. The music ranged from traditional classical arrangements and songs from musicals to modern day Disney classics, Americana and even the melody of a familiar sea shanty. It was so lovely to see butterflies turn into smiles in the case of first-time performers and to hear how so many of the children who have previously performed have progressed since their last performance. Well done to all those who participated.

In early February, Forms 5 and 6 had the opportunity to shine and perform. It was clear from the high level of musicianship and comfortable stage presence, that performing really does get easier with practice. The children showed that they are starting to enjoy the interaction between the performer and the listener and there were some lovely smiles from behind the instruments, the microphone and the music stand, reciprocated by yet more smiles from members of our audience and the messages and comments from our online viewers. We heard some wonderful instrumental pieces on the violin, flute, cornet, cello and piano, as well as a large number of beautiful singers, two of whom made their debut singing and playing an instrument at the same time; one sang and played the piano, the other sang and played the guitar. With the Soirées being live-streamed, the children can share their performances with their families, reflect on their own experience and those who are unable to join us in person can tune in remotely. It was a very enjoyable evening of music and so encouraging to see the confidence of our performers in full bloom. Thank you all for a taste of spring at the start of February.

Our wonderful Broadcasting and Tech Teams livestreamed both Soirées which meant that 428 viewers could tune into the Forms 3 and 4 Soirée, 274 family members who were unable to join could watch the Forms 5 and 6 Soirée from the UK, Italy, Switzerland, Morocco, Finland and Germany.

Form 6 Maths Competition

Six of our Form 6 children took part in the DCBeagle Maths competition at St. Johns Beaumont in February. In pairs, the children had to answer a mix of problem-solving questions as fast as they could. One of the rounds was based on the popular TV show Countdown. The children were extremely active throughout the competition as they had to run to the front of the sports hall every time they answered a question so it could be checked by the judge before moving onto the next question. The children thoroughly enjoyed the challenge presented and should be very proud of their performance.

F6 Excursion to the Silverstone Museum

Form 6 embarked on an incredible trip to Silverstone Museum at the end of term, seamlessly integrating their Maths in Motion project with real-world experiences. Amidst the museum's captivating exhibits celebrating motorsport, students applied mathematical concepts to understand the physics behind racing. Guided by educators, they explored interactive displays, immersing themselves in simulations that brought mathematical theories to life. This handson approach not only enriched their understanding of STEM subjects but also fostered a deeper appreciation for the practical applications of mathematics in the dynamic world of motorsport. The scaled Scalextric model of the Silverstone circuit was a particular highlight of the day and it was a joy to see how enthusiastically the children engaged in all the activities.

Prep House Music Competition

On a cold and sunny day at the end of February, the highly competitive Prep House Music took place.

Just like the promise of spring that lay in the air, many of the day’s musicians hinted at the promise of a bright future in music, should they continue on their musical journeys.

The performance sections took many and varied forms including junior and senior piano, junior and senior instrumental, instrumental ensemble, junior and senior vocals and duets and the culmination of all the hard work, the wonderful finale, the House Songs. With over 70 per cent of our children learning an instrument it was no surprise that the range of instrumentation, musical genres and performance styles was extensive. Fur Elise, Piano Man and Innocence were some of the piano pieces followed by performances on the flute, violin, cello and electric drum kit. Next came the ensemble section which included some imaginative titles; Under the Crystal Waterfall, The Big Bang and Sunrise. We then moved on to the vocal section and we were treated to a feast of very talented solo and duet performances that included songs from films and musical theatre shows such as When I Grow Up, Naughty, If Only, You Belong With Me, Part Of Your World and Heart Of Stone as well as some stand-out performances of pop songs including A Thousand Years, River Deep, Mountain High, Stitches, What I was Made For, Dance The Night and Put Your Records On. The finale delivered everything that it promised and more, with all of the children in each of the three houses performing a song chosen by, sung by and choreographed by the Form 6 children led by the Heads of House. St. Andrew performed Dynamite, St. Christopher What About Us? and St. George Rolling In The Deep.

To finish our wonderful day of music the Welsh Guards Drum Corp popped in on their way to rehearsals and treated staff and children to an afternoon display of uplifting military music. It was a wonderful day and one which the children will remember for a long time.