Arnold House Spring Assembly 2022

Assembly SPRING 2022

IN THIS ISSUE FROM THE HEADMASTER THE IMPORTANCE OF PSHE THE VALUE OF PREP SCHOOL SPORT GROWING TOGETHER A TERM IN PHOTOS

ARNOLD HOUSE SCHOOL - ASSEMBLY SPRING 2022

FROM THE HEADMASTER

Reflecting on a term that contained so many memorable moments, my favourite (if I am allowed to have one) is the most recent: having the whole community of boys, staff and parents singing together in St John’s Wood Church was a very moving moment, two years almost to the day since the start of the first lockdown.

During these lockdowns, schools were pared down to a version of education which saw boys removed from each other’s company, and instructed by staff who had no choice but to become distant. Even though the novelty of being online gave it an exciting twist, school was reduced to individuals, reading and writing. This model of education is instantly recognisable, but from a bygone era, not fitting for the modern world for which we are preparing your sons.

In this edition of Assembly, three areas of school life are highlighted, which I feel are essential to a full prep school experience: Sport, for its health benefits, team skills and camaraderie; PSHE, which allows boys not only to explore their own lives together but also widen their horizons on others’; Mental Health, another vital component in our determination to know boys as individuals and to listen to their experiences. I hope you enjoy reading more about all three.

Just before that end of term service we held final Assembly when, amongst so many reminders of all the boys’ activity in so many arenas, I was able to thank this term’s Head Boy, Max Kennedy, for having been a super role model for the rest of the school, and to announce that George Kerr will take on that role for the Summer Term.

We also said our farewells to two colleagues: firstly, to Mr Lutyens, this term’s Gap Student, who is not leaving us for long as he will be a regular contributor to life at Canons Park in a busy sporting summer; to Mr Houston, who has been teaching Latin and humanities, as he embarks on an exciting career in writing for film and television. Mrs Austen-Smith also starts her maternity leave.

Next term we will welcome Mrs Bulder as Head of Classics, Mrs Jones-Keyworth as Head of Art and assistant form teacher for 4A, Mrs Jacifi as Deputy SENCO and Mr Flaherty as the Gap Student; Mr Chappell becomes assistant groundman at Canons Park.

Three weeks ago we discovered the water damage to The Huxley Building which rendered it unusable. I would like to thank Mrs McKenzie and all her team for the superb work that has gone into relocating those four forms to Canons Park, and the quality of the provision that they have established there. Now dry, The Huxley Building has contractors working throughout the break so that we can get back to normal very soon.

To return to St John’s Wood Church, Father Anders gave us a lovely message about being open to all things and all people, a concept surely embedded in the heart of a good education. He ended with a quote from Dag Hammarskjold, SecretaryGeneral of the United Nations until his untimely death in 1961. As we look back on a great Spring Term, and sunnier days herald all that the Summer Term will bring, that quote seems fitting for us: “For all that has been, Thanks. To all that shall be, Yes.” I hope that you have a great Easter with your boys and that Mother’s Day has already shown them to be good sons!.

Giles Tollit Headmaster

Front cover: Year 7 performing Macbeth at the Shakespeare Schools Festival. 1st row images from left to right: Pre-Reception visit by author Liz Fost during National Storytelling Week, Early Years trip to London Zoo, Verse Speaking Competition Individual Winners.

2nd row images from left to right: Y2 Potty Potions Workshop, Year 8 trip to Belfast, Y1 Indian Dance Workshop. 3rd row images from left to right: Y4 production of The Rocky Monster Show, Y6 Maths Puzzle Workshop, Reception Dental Hygiene Workshop at Canons Park.

4th row images from left to right: Yellow & Blue Charity Day in aid of Cure EB, Y6&7 Winning Delegation at the Mini UN Bryanston School.

ARNOLD HOUSE SCHOOL - ASSEMBLY SPRING 2022

THE VALUE OF PREP SCHOOL SPORT Interview with Chris Kerr, Director of Sport How has sport in prep schools evolved over the last 20 years?

The short answer is that prep school sport has got better! Far more thought goes into school sport nowadays. Coaches are more enlightened, are better equipped and have more qualifications; there’s more of us too!

Facilities are better and importantly more geared up to cater for children. I think the parents who come to watch are better behaved now too! One thing that hasn’t changed though is the boys’ enthusiasm for playing sport!

How important is it for the boys to play competitive sport at prep school age?

Prep school sport is competitive, especially in matches with our great rivals; The Hall!

Competing against another team is a powerful vehicle to develop an awareness of the importance of hard work, endeavour, teamwork, resilience, accountability, leadership, respect and patience. All really useful traits for prep school aged pupils to develop! Of course, competitive sport and in particular losing can often result in negative behaviour being displayed.

‘Conquer we shall’ is our school motto but ‘win with humility and lose with dignity’ is an equally appropriate sentiment that is woven into the fabric of AH sports teams

by AH teachers.

Arnold House continues to offer rugby as a main sport when many independent schools have started to move away from it – why?

I’m a great believer in offering a breadth of sporting opportunities for our boys.

Each term, at Games, we focus on different sports. In the Autumn Term, football is the focus; in the spring term hockey and rugby are the main sports and in the summer cricket and tennis are played. Rugby at AH continues to be very popular. We are able to offer a first-rate rugby programme at AH thanks to our experienced, knowledgeable and passionate coaching team. Teachers like Mr Ingram, Mr Swain, Mr Matthews and Mr Milburn Fryer have all played rugby to a high standard and are brilliant coaches too. England Rugby recently identified Teamwork, Respect, Enjoyment, Discipline and Sportsmanship as core values that make rugby a special sport. Over the years I have witnessed these traits emerge in our boys through their endeavours on the rugby pitch, so I’m determined that rugby continues to be played with gustso by AH boys in the years ahead. Plus, having a really strong rugby programme allows us to run an annual rugby tour; this is one of my favourite trips! The Year 8 players and their teachers recently returned from Belfast after spending three action packed days in the province; needless to say the boys were terrific ambassadors for Arnold House.

How do you make a boy in the D team feel as valued as a boy in the A team?

Ensuring there are well-matched and meaningful fixtures for all the boys at AH regardless of their team is one of my most

important jobs. I can honestly say that some of the most memorable matches that I’ve watched, involved D teams battling it out. At AH we try to foster a feeling that everyone is part of Team AH, regardless of what team you might represent on any given match day. I’m passionate about trying to offer equity of sporting opportunities to all AH boys at Games.

In practice this means that I want every boy to feel part of a team, to experience playing in fixtures and tournaments and to benefit from good coaching so that they can get better. Wherever possible, interschool matches are arranged so that everyone who plays the sport can get a chance to play in a team against boys of a similar standard. In our weekly match reports, D Team games are just as likely to get a write up as an A team contest.

Importantly, at the end of season awards assembly all school teams are involved. The player of the season trophy for the 4th XI is as valued (and is the same size) as the one for the 1st XI. Likewise, the ‘player of the week’, allocated to the boy who impressed (usually for effort), can and often does come from any of the our teams.

What makes a good role model on the sports field?

Of course boys look up to other boys who are strong, fast, skilful, brave and industrious. Staff admire these traits too.

But to be a really good role model you need all the characteristics that make you a good role model in life! Traits like being kind, being positive, being encouraging, being patient, being humble, being modest and being honest are all found in good sporting role models. Over the years, I’ve been proud to see AH boys demonstrate these traits when representing AH in sports matches.

What makes sport at Arnold House special?

There’s so much that’s special about AH in general and in particular, sport at AH. Undoubtedly the brilliant facilities at Canons Park that are looked after with such care by Lee Morgan our fantastic groundsman are special. The numerous experienced and dedicated AH sports staff who are always happy to go the extra mile to make the boys’ sporting experience the best it can be is another massive strength.

The legendary AH hospitality: I’m thinking delicious flapjacks and fantastic cricket match teas is also something that AH does brilliantly. The termly Saturday Sports festivals open to all members of the AH community (even mums and dads who get a chance to play the teachers) is also a unique element of AH, as is the programme of AH interschool tournaments, tours and House Events in all the major sports each term. The most special aspect of AH sport is probably associated with the the strong positive relationships that exists between supportive parents, enthusiastic boys and dedicated teachers.

1st row images from left to right: Football Colts Tour, Y8 Rugby Tournament at Stone X Stadium. 2nd row images from left to right: Colts Under 11A Hockey Team, Y3 1st Rugby Team, U13 Team representing Arnold House at the National Schools Sevens Tournament. 3rd row image: Years 5&6 Football Squad.

ARNOLD HOUSE SCHOOL - ASSEMBLY SPRING 2022

THE IMPORTANCE OF PSHE This academic year has seen a large focus on the promotion of personal wellbeing and development through a comprehensive Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) education programme. PSHE education is the curriculum subject that gives children the knowledge, understanding, attitudes and practical skills to live safe, healthy, productive lives and meet their full potential. The decision was made this year to include PSHE as a timetabled subject for Years 5 to 8.

This is because we believe that it is important for the boys at Arnold House to be educated beyond purely academic subjects. By providing a structured framework to teach this material, it enables us to ensure that the boys learn these important life skills. This will help prepare them to overcome the challenges they face growing up, as well as allowing them to learn from new experiences, giving them the confidence to make good choices on their own. PSHE provides the space and freedom for boys to voice their opinion, ask questions and develop an appreciation of themselves and the world around them.

The lessons have covered an extensive range of topics, with a strong focus on “Looking out for ourselves and others” in Year 5. There have been many discussions surrounding health, dental hygiene, assessing and managing risk in everyday situations and even some practical handson experiments relating to teeth, energy in food and organs in the human body.

Year 6 began the year understanding why it is so important to look after our mental wellbeing and ways in which to build resilience, notice signs of times of poorer mental health and positive ways of making sure our mental health is looked after.

Sleep was a big discussion as part of this unit, and it’s wonderful allowing the boys to have the freedom to dictate the direction that the lesson goes depending on what is important to them, when appropriate. They are currently in the midst of an exciting project where they will be delivering assemblies to the other year groups on PSHE topics that are important to them, giving an opportunity to practise their presentation and public speaking skills. All Year 7 boys underwent the Peer Mentoring training in the first term, leading to the introduction of the first ever Peer Mentors at our school, a successful programme which has been used extensively already, and appreciated by the boys. They have also had study skills sessions and looked at the online world, including internet safety. Year 8 started the year looking at stereotypes and discrimination, before moving onto relationships. There have also been debating lessons and environmental workshops.

Alongside the timetabled lessons, PSHE is delivered throughout the whole school including in EYFS, through form time activities, cross-curricular subjects, books, assemblies and events that have been organised throughout the year. We have celebrated Children’s Mental Health Week, International Women’s Day, Internet Safety Day, Earth Day and competed in climate change competitions. Years 5 to 8 also debate the Votes For Schools topic biweekly, which focus on topical issues around the world and allow form teachers to hear the many different ideas and views that the boys in the school have.

Workshops, visiting speakers and trips all help to mould and shape the PSHE curriculum and give the boys the best wellrounded and interesting education they can have.

It has been a wonderful year, and will be an area of the school that will continue to grow. PSHE is just another way in which we can help to support the wellbeing and emotional development of the boys from Early Years to the day they leave in Year 8, giving them the confidence to believe in themselves and the skills they need to manage their lives successfully in the future. I am excited to watch the programme grow along with the development of our boys.

Keeley Smith Head of PSHE

1st row images from left to right: Climate Education Workshop, IWD. 2nd row images from left to right: Dental hygiene experiment, Lecture on exam study skills, Assessing Risk. 3rd row images from left to right: Friendship Puzzle, Peer Mentorship Assembly, Bones & Organs Workshop.

ARNOLD HOUSE SCHOOL - ASSEMBLY SPRING 2022

GROWING TOGETHER The theme for Children’s Mental Health Week this year was ‘Growing Together’ so it was the perfect opportunity for us to encourage the boys to try new things. We explored the concept of growing emotionally and thought about ways to help each other grow.

To raise awareness, we put on a huge array of one-off activities to inspire the boys. At the end of the week the boys wrote their new skills on a leaf which reflected the theme and these were added to a bare tree in the gym. Over the five days, the bare tree accumulated leaves and it was full and flourishing with all the boys and teachers’ accomplishments by the end of the week.

To help children and young people to grow emotionally, and grow together as a whole

school community, it’s important that we embrace and celebrate diversity in all its forms. It kick-started some really important discussions surrounding children’s mental health and it was a good reminder for us all to check on family and friends, show them our appreciation, and to make sure we look after ourselves.

Natalie Hall Wellbeing Coordinator

ARNOLD HOUSE SCHOOL, 1 Loudoun Road, St John’s Wood, London, NW8 0LH Tel: +44 (0)20 7266 4840 Email: office@arnoldhouse.co.uk