s I sit in my office writing this summary of the term with the lights on and radiator ticking over, the warmer days of early September seem a very long time ago. However, it is fitting as we head towards the end of the calendar year, to reflect on how much has been happening in the Junior School since the boys started the Michaelmas Term.
AIn September we welcomed our new boys to the school and in the first days of term, the boys took part in a range of exciting induction activities including circus skills and disc golf. Pupils also took on a whole range of leadership opportunities in the first few weeks of term including new prefects, house officials, librarians, digital leaders and school council representatives. Recently, we also launched our new initiative, Playground Pals, with boys applying to take on roles to support each other on the playground.
During the term we celebrated differences through joining in with ‘Odd Socks Day’ and it has been wonderful to recognise over 55 acts of care, courtesy and consideration during the term where boys have respected differences and showed great kindness to others. As part of their PSHE curriculum, Year 4 also visited Hazard Alley to learn about personal safety.
For parents, we started the year with our ‘Meet the Teachers’ evening and continued with a well-attended workshop on online safety, and also a presentation from Miss Walton and Mr Wurr about how best to support Maths and Reading at home.
The boys continued to show great effort and skill on the sports front this term with good performances on the rugby and hockey pitch as well as in the swimming pool and cross country. Chess continues to prosper too with success at the Birmingham Junior Open and Warwickshire County Chess. The Year 6 Rugby Tour was a real highlight of the term with over 35 boys travelling to Bristol to play two competitive fixtures and enjoy time together as a squad. The boys were fantastic throughout the weekend and particularly enjoyed their visit to the Principality Stadium in Cardiff joining 70,000 fans to watch Wales vs South Africa.
Musically, the boys continued to impress, with a large amount of success in music examinations and performances full of confidence and flair throughout the term. Boys put together strong instrumental performances at the Teatime Concerts, micro choir showed great maturity and skill singing at the Foundation Gala Concert, and, as always the Christmas Concert showcased the huge breadth of musical talent across the school from rap to jazz, rock to orchestral.
As a wider community, boys in Year 5 and 6 had a Link Day with the Prep School and Year 6 joined other members of the Foundation schools at the annual Foundation Service at St. Mary’s. Year 5 also visited the Senior School for an afternoon of Classics, Chemistry and Food Science
We have continued to fundraise for charity this term. Organised by PAWS, the Macmillian Coffee Morning was very well attended and Aqua House ran their annual charity day, raising money for the Pangolin Crisis Fund. Thank you to all the teachers, staff and parents for their support of the boys this term and I wish you all a very merry Christmas and a happy 2025!
John Bond, Headmaster
FROM THE PRINCIPAL
As a chorister in my younger days, I loved the season of Advent (actually, I still do). There was something rather special about the very structured sense of climax towards Christmas, including less familiar, infrequently performed music. Later, as a Director of Music, by the time Christmas Day arrived, I never wanted to hear another carol ever again!
One of the great joys of my role as Principal is supporting as many events across the schools as I can. As I write, there have already been fourteen Christmas events, from nativities to concerts and services, and some thirty-five yet to come. What I find most joyous is that each manages to capture the spirit and personality of the school. A Kingsley Carol Service has a uniquely Kingsley feel, just as the Warwick Carol Service is unmistakably ‘Warwick’. The King’s High and Warwick Prep Services also beautifully embody their own distinct spirit, showcasing the shared values and traditions of their communities while celebrating their individuality. Each and every one is perfect.
A key Foundation Value - arguably the most important - is ‘drawing on the best of each other’. Another way of putting this is ‘sharing the best of ourselves’, because being as generous as we can with our gifts and talents is a tremendous way to live. The joy of our Foundation is that we can enable our pupils to do just that, by working towards common goals which enable them to contribute to a community larger than their own school, and in return, be the recipient of the support of their Foundation peers. So often when we do this, we see true magic happen.
Most recently, we brought together hundreds of pupils for our Gala Concert in Butterworth Hall. This was by far the most ambitious whole Foundation endeavour we have staged, featuring over 450 pupils from our schools and pupils from our four key partner schools - Evergreen School, Exhall Grange Specialist School, Clapham Terrace Primary School, and Westgate Primary School. The concert demonstrated the depth and breadth of music talent and ambition within each school, provided an amazing experience for all our Year 7 pupils, and showed the heights that our most able musicians reach. Truly, an inspiring and unforgettable evening.
As we look beyond the festive period and into 2025, that sense of common endeavour will remain such an important focus for us – ensuring excellence in all that happens across our schools and our Foundation family. Thank you for your support in enabling it to happen.
Richard Nicholson, Foundation Principal
COMMUNITY SPIRIT, FUNDRAISING AND EVENTS
he Parents Association of Warwick School (Junior PAWS) began the year assisting with the Macmillan Coffee Morning in September. This popular event provided a perfect opportunity for parents to reconnect and for students to enjoy some delicious cakes. The morning raised an impressive £816, all of which was donated to Macmillan Cancer Support. Following the Junior School Christmas Concert, Junior PAWS hosted it’s Mulled Wine and Mince Pie event held in Warwick Hall foyer this year. The event was a great success and it was
Twonderful for so many parents to get together.
Junior PAWS finished the term with a Christmas Activity Afternoon in school for the boys, with fun activities and games including name the elf, pull a candy cane, knock the elf off the shelf and a tombola. Thank you to the parents that contributed tombola prizes!
Stay tuned for details on future events in the weekly school newsletter and on PAWS’ social media channels.
For questions, information, or to join the PAWS Committee, email us at juniorpawswarwick@gmail.comwe’d love to hear from you!
BUY & SELL SCHOOL UNIFORMS
The PAWS Nearly New Uniform Shop offers Warwick School parents the opportunity to buy and sell gently used school uniforms. We sell high-quality items on behalf of parents, retaining a small percentage of the sale price to support PAWS’ funds and cover administrative costs. We also gladly accept donations, where 100% of the proceeds benefit PAWS.
This year, the Nearly New Uniform Team has already hosted two successful sales: the popular pre-term sale in September and a November sale, which gave parents the chance to pick up additional items and replace lost uniform. A big thank you to all the volunteers who make these sales possible!
If you have any items to sell, please consider donating or selling through us. Our next drop-off day will be in January, and dates will be announced in the School Newsletter and on PAWS’ social media channels.
For more information about the PAWS Nearly New Uniform Shop, please contact us at nearlynewuniformwarwick@ gmail.com.
HOUSE CAPTAINS
his year’s house captains were elected by their peers. The house captains are already busy planning for upcoming events, with Aqua being the first charity day that took place this term. Congratulations to all four of our house captains who are:
TALEX - AQUA
ILYAS - VENTIS
SAMMY - IGNIS
WILLIAM - TERRA
House Officials
Congratulations to the house officials who received their badges earlier this term and have made a great start to their new roles. Here are our house officials for this year:
IGNIS
l Jack - Sports Captain
l Finn - Charity Leader
l Barnaby - Music Captain
VENTIS
l Thomas - Sports Captain
l Zain - Charity Leader
l Ollie - Music Captain
TERRA
l Joshua - Sports Captain
l Quincy - Charity Leader
l Oisin - Music Captain
AQUA
l Finn - Sports Captain
l Will - Charity Leader
l Kamran - Music Captain
INTRODUCING OUR PREFECTS
his year’s Year 6 prefects were elected by members of staff. They took the prefect oath and were awarded their prefect ties in their first assembly. They will carry out many
Tduties at school during the academic year and they have already made a superb start this term.
Congratulations to James, Max, Forbes, Jake, Alex, Harry, Bo, Hugo, Oli, Anoop, Finley, Louis and Thomas.
Librarians
This term we welcomed our new Year 6 librarians who will provide support in the library at lunchtimes. Our new librarians are: Colin, Teddy, Roshan, Harry, Benji, Lucas, Austin, William, Cian, Jay, George, Inigo, Will, Joe and Abhay.
They work in teams of three and have one lunchtime duty every week. Librarians have a range of jobs to do as part of their role, they issue and return books, whilst supporting younger boys in choosing new books.
All of the librarians have made a great start in their role, well done boys!
HAZARD ALLEY
Earlier in the term, Year 4 visited Hazard Alley Safety Centre.
The centre specialises in teaching children, young people and adults about how to stay safe, understand risks and avoid accidents using realistic learning experiences. During their visit, the boys developed their awareness of hazards, risks, and dangers within a safe environment; it was a great trip for all those who attended.
The boys had a fun day and took away some useful knowledge!
BLISTS HILL
Towards the end of term, the Year 6 boys visited Blists Hill Victorian Town as part of their History studies, where the boys experienced what everyday life was like in 1900.
They visited Victorian shops and cottages, met craftspeople demonstrating their trades and tried out old-fashioned clothes. They even got to taste authentic food, where everyone got to grips with shillings and pennies that they used to buy sweets and fish and chips.
The boys also got to experience a Victorian lesson in the school – they had never been so quiet in front of a teacher! Overall, the boys had a fantastic day, and much fun was had by all!
RUGBY TOUR
Our Year 6 boys went on their rugby tour this term where they enjoyed two nights away in Bristol. They left early on Friday, 22 November all wearing their matching, sponsored hoodies, which they were very excited about!
On the Friday, it was very action packed as they played fixtures against Clifton College and enjoyed an evening of bowling and games in the arcade.
Saturday was the highlight of their trip as their day started with a training session in the morning. Despite the rain and muddy pitches, the boys –and coaches – weren’t put off! The day continued as they went to Bella Italia to enjoy a three-course meal before heading to Cardiff, where the boys had an unforgettable experience watching Wales vs South Africa –even Mr Bond joined everyone at the game!
After a late return to Bristol, the group had a slow start on Sunday
morning, the boys played some exciting rugby against a local club in Weston-Super-Mare. They made it back to school in good time, and the boys were still buzzing from their trip. Another successful tour at Warwick Junior School! A huge thank you to all the staff for accompanying the boys over the weekend, as well as the parents for their support and to those who sponsored the tour hoodies.
A GENEROUS SLICE
Finn had a driveway bake sale in aid of Myton Hospice. With some help from Mum, plus cake contributions from Hugo’s family, Finn raised over £400 from generous neighbours and passers-by for Myton Hospice. Well done Finn!
Anti-Bullying Week
N
ational Anti-Bullying Week 2024 took place Monday, 11 November - Friday, 15 November, with this year’s theme: Choose Respect. Tuesday, 12 November was Odd Socks Day, where children and adults were encouraged to wear odd socks to celebrate what makes us all unique. The school was very nicely
AN ACT OF KINDNESS
Benjamin very kindly organised a food collection for the Stratford-upon-Avon Foodbank from all of his neighbours, as he wanted to do something positive to support his local community.
The donated food weighed in at over 49kg, which equates to £116.13 in monetary value
Benjamin packed up and sorted all the foods into categories. The monetary value raised is such an impressive amount from an act of kindness. Well done Benjamin!
decorated with odd socks all over the place!
It was great to see the boys come into school with some very bright and unique socks. Everyone was able to support the message that we’re ALL unique and different and should be kind to each other and respect each other’s individuality.
We raised a whopping £403 for The Pangolin
AQUA HOUSE CHARITY DAY
On Friday, 29 November, the Aqua House charity day took place. Their chosen charity this year is an international charity, and they chose to raise money for The Pangolin Crisis Fund. It was a fun-filled day where pupils took part in a range of activities including a raffle, name the pangolin, pin the feet on the pangolin, a lucky dip and many more! A pangolin themed art competition also took place where the boys produced some great pieces of artwork!
Throughout the event, we managed to raise a whopping £403 for The Pangolin Crisis Fund. Thank you to every who took part and for all the donations we received, and well done to Aqua House for organising a successful charity day!
Helping those in need
Jai, in Year 4, took part in Diwali Basket Brigade 2024. Collectively, 2000 food hampers were packed by 200 volunteers to benefit those in need. These hampers were distributed to a number of charities and organisations, including Ronald
McDonald House, St Basils and many others. Jai was personally involved with the following volunteer jobs: packing food hampers, loading the vans, writing personal ‘dear friend’ cards and cleaning up the aftermath! Well done Jai!
LINK DAY TEAMWORK O
ur Year 5 and Year 6 boys teamed up with the Year 5 and Year 6 girls from Warwick Prep School to collaborate, communicate, and work as a team during their most recent link day.
The Year 5 pupils were challenged to become scientists, investigating reaction times, and engineers, constructing a polo puff mobile. The Year 6 pupils had to undertake a series of problem-solving challenges. The challenges included a countdown numbers challenge, car parking puzzle and a bridge building contest.
All the pupils displayed fantastic teamwork, as well as plenty of resilience and creativity, while tackling the various tasks. Well done, everyone!
YEAR 3 BBQ
In the first week of the Michaelmas Term, we welcomed our Year 3s and their parents with a BBQ – back when the weather was a lot warmer! The boys did a range of activities and some house tug of war matches. But most importantly, they got to enjoy some delicious hotdogs and drinks!
RAP BATTLE!
TThe winning band this year was… The Bucket Hat Boys!
his year’s rap battle saw some fierce competition taking place. The boys all did extremely well in this independent learning unit of work within Music, but eventually there was a winning group from each class. The Grand Final took place on Tuesday, 12 November. The finalists for this year were The Bucket Hat Boys (6RS), The Big Dawgs (6L) and
Explosive Dynamite (6C).
All the bands should be very proud of themselves as they performed superbly, but the winning band this year was… The Bucket Hat Boys! They performed in the Christmas Concert in front of the whole school and parents, and they did a fantastic job! A huge well done to all of Year 6 for such a fabulous rap battle this year.
Masterclass
Warwick Junior School hosted the Warwickshire Primary Schools Team Championship for the Coventry and Warwickshire zonal. There were two teams representing Warwick in the event, they were mixed boys from Warwick Junior School and girls from Warwick Prep School. The results were outstanding! Some brilliant chess was played by all of our boys, with one of the highlights being Beau’s brilliant ‘neat retreat’ fork combination against St Gabriel’s. The Finals and the super strong Birmingham teams await them in the new year!
CHECK, MATE!
he 2024-2025 edition of the annual Warwick Blitz Chess Tournament was held on Friday, 8 November which was a great success! 50 boys divided equally between the Junior and Senior School, from Year 3 to Year 13, engaged in six intense rounds of battle over the board. The boys showed great sportsmanship and respect for each other throughout the tournament, whilst showing a high standard of playing!
T• The ‘Best Win’ award went to Leon C, Year 5
• The ‘Best Junior School Player’ award went to James P, Year 5
• Bronze medallists: Tommy J and Ryan S
• Silver medallists: Ajay P, Alex W and Ilyas R
• A special mention to Alex W for a terrific effort in defeat against the tournament winner, Team England’s Billy F.
Swimming Success
In October, we hosted the inaugural Warwick 25s swimming gala. Six teams raced for individual medals and team medals. The boys were very successful, winning all three team trophies - the U11 Boys, the U10 Boys and the Overall Team Award. Further individual success was achieved in these races:
U10 BUTTERFLY - GEORGE A
U10 BACKSTROKE - JASPER C
U10 BREASTSTROKE - LEON C
U10 100M IM - LEON C
U11 BACKSTROKE - JOSHUA D
U11 BREASTSTROKE - WILLIAM A
U11 FREESTYLE - HARRISON G
U11 100M IM - JAKE S
Congratulations boys!
U10 Rugby Coaching Day
The U10s had a fantastic day at the Warwick Senior School Rugby Coaching Event. This was an opportunity for local schools to come and be coached by our experienced Senior School staff on our fantastic 3G pitch. In the afternoon, the boys were able to demonstrate what they learnt!
U11 AND U10
RUGBY FESTIVAL
Warwick hosted the U11 and U10 Rugby Festival. Hundreds of boys took part in fixtures against schools from as far as Beaconsfield, Bedford, Cheltenham and Shropshire. The Warwick U11 and U10 teams performed brilliantly in what was their last rugby fixtures of the term. The coaches spoke highly of not only the rugby, but their positive attitudes and how they represented the school amazingly.
YEAR 3 TAG RUGBY FESTIVAL
Year 3 played in our own TAG Rugby Festival. Solihull and Blue Coat joined us for a fun-filled afternoon of rugby. The boys showed lots of energy and enthusiasm, whilst also demonstrating what they have learnt in their games lessons this term. Well done to everyone who was involved!
CHRISTMAS CONCERT Foundation Gala Concert
On 3 December, we held our annual Christmas Concert in Warwick Hall, where parents were welcomed. The concert was a joyful event and really got everyone into the festive spirit. The concert showcased all the musical talent across the school from rap to jazz, rock to orchestral. The boys put on a superb performance and ended with a rousing rendition of Merry Christmas Everyone!
On Thursday, 28 November, the Foundation Gala Concert took place at Butterworth Hall.
The concert was outstanding, bringing together singers and instrumentalists from all Foundation schools, and performers from our proposed Multi-Academy Trust (MAT) schools – including a performance of by the choir of Evergreen School.
The evening also included a performance of Christopher Tin’s ‘Calling All Dawns’, with the massed choirs of the Foundation, the proposed WSF MAT, and the Calling All Dawns Orchestra of staff and students.
Various Foundation ensembles performed on the night - including our Ambassadors, Wind Orchestra, Percussion Ensemble, String Ensemble, and Symphony Orchestra; some of the most gifted musicians from across the Foundation showcased their undoubted musical talent, and we couldn’t be prouder. Well done to everyone who took part!
SINGING FOR JOY
Warwick - A Singing Town was named as a finalist for ‘Outstanding Musical Initiative’ in the Music and Drama Education Awards 2025.
The awards celebrate outstanding achievements in Music and Drama education, and ‘recognises individuals,
schools, and organisations that have made a significant impact in these fields, showcasing excellence in teaching, innovation, and leadership.’
The Foundation is delighted to support such a positive initiative, and this achievement reflects the truly positive impact that it has on so many lives
Foundation Service of Thanksgiving
The annual Foundation Service of Thanksgiving took place on Friday, 27 September in the Collegiate Church of St Mary, Warwick.
The service brought together representatives of our whole Foundation community: pupils, staff, parents, and Governors, and provided a moment to reflect on everything our community - past and present - has achieved.
Pupils were represented by different year groups and joined forces to make music. This included several student choral and music groups, such as massed choirs from our senior schools; our Foundation Chamber Choir; our junior-aged chamber music group; and Warwick School’s brass fanfare team.
across the local community; from weekly singing tuition for children at local primary schools, to ‘Sing for Joy’ community choirs based at local community centres.
Orchestra of the Swan
The Foundation’s ongoing partnership with Orchestra of the Swan continues to excite, and on Thursday, 10 October, we welcomed actor Anton Lesser to Warwick Hall for the first Swan concert of this season.
The concert, also featuring conductor Rebecca Miller and the Swan’s professional orchestra, was once again outstanding; the combination of symphonic musical pieces with readings from Anton made for a wonderful experience for those in attendance.
We look forward to three more concerts at Warwick Hall throughout this season; On 26 January, Anton returns for ‘A Beautiful Thread’; on 20 March, our pupils will have the truly unique opportunity to perform side-by-side with the Swan’s orchestra in ‘Elements’; and on 19 June, we end the season with ‘Interstellar’.
