The Summer Term is always a real highlight of the year.
This term saw two house charity days with Aqua organising an array of fairground games to raise money for the Samaritans. Ventis also organised their ‘Be a Bad Dog’ day raising money for the Dog’s Trust. So far this year the houses have raised over £2000 for their charities which is a fantastic effort.
As I write this, the General Election is still some days away, but I am mindful that the election result will be known when it is read.
The fundraising continued with the joint PAWS and WPSA Colour Run. Children from the Junior School and Prep School joined together to run or walk the course with money raised for a new outdoor classroom.
The term was very busy on the sports front with cricket dominating the fixture calendar. The weather was not too unkind this year, with many fixtures completed. However, swimming also played a large role in the sporting calendar this term with the year group galas, inter house Aquathlon and the IAPS and ESSA national championships.
The 2024 WJS Aquathlon saw appalling weather. In fact, the rain was so hard that some of the Year 6 boys took the decision to keep their swimming goggles on for the run! Despite the miserable weather, the boys continued the tradition of cheering every competitor over the finish line and pushed themselves around the course.
There was also great national success in the pool at the IAPS National Swimming Championships with the U10 relay team performing exceptionally well, finishing 4th and the U11 freestyle relay team finishing 8th. The U11 relay team also competed at the ESSA national finals and, in an incredibly close final, finished seventh overall – another amazing achievement for this group of swimmers.
Success was also seen at the Mercia Athletics Championship with two Year 6 boys making it through to the National Finals in the Long Jump and Shot Put.
Chess continues to go from strength to strength with some outstanding performances at the Birmingham Junior Open, the Birmingham Megafinal of the UK Schools Chess Challenge (UKCC) ,the U9 National Junior County Chess Championship and representatives playing in the Warwickshire U11 squad in the national junior county team final.
Music flourished with teatime concerts, the Strings festival, House music finals and the Summer Concert.
The annual STRINGFEST featured 130 boys from across the Junior and Senior Schools and a few friends from King’s High School whilst the inaugural performance from the Junior Foundation Symphony Orchestra saw a fantastic musical display with pupils of various ages from Warwick Junior School, Warwick Prep School and The Kingsley School.
The Year 6 play, Oliver Jr! was a real highlight of the term. Inpsired by Miss Curle, all of the Year 6 boys worked together as a production team, not just acting, singing and dancing, but also taking on the technical roles of lighting, sound and backstage.
There were a number of trips this term including visits to Go Ape!, Ryton Pools, the National Space Centre and Conkers. This term also saw the Year 5 residential to the Jurassic Coast where the boys enjoyed some fantastic weather and a range of coastal challenges.
Outside the classroom, boys also enjoyed some unique challenges. Five Year 6 boys competed in the Astro Pi Challenge, writing a program to be transmitted to the International Space Station. Volunteers from across the school also took part in the annual Junior School Bake Off. Showing skill and perseverance, the boys competed in themed rounds where they prepared cookies, cupcakes, savoury muffins and afternoon tea.
It has been a fantastic term with the boys taking up a huge range of opportunities but there is also some sadness as we also say goodbye to our Year 6s. We thank them for all they have done for the Junior School community and wish them the very best of luck in the future.
John Bond Headmaster
For those of us who believe in the importance of a strong independent education sector, many of the headlines and commentaries around our schools have made uncomfortable reading, not least because of the stereotypical view of our schools, our pupils and families, and indeed our alumni. For all the ‘loud failures’ in the sector which may be seized on, there are many more ‘silent successes’. I believe strongly that our pupils – your children – are forces for good in society and that the education we provide can better equip them for the ever-changing and uncertain world they enter as adults.
We are unlikely to know what the policies around VAT and implementation of business rates are likely to be until the King’s Speech later in July at the earliest. As with so many things in life, it is uncertainty which is hard to handle, and is unsettling for so many.
Anything which affects our schools – that may be government policies, economic recession, reputational challenges – has the potential to damage the impact our charity can have. I am mindful – and increasingly so – of the impact this charity has had over hundreds of years; the good we do both directly with the pupils we educate and indirectly through the impact we have on our local community.
Many may well consider our likely challenges a niche issue; the preoccupation of a tiny proportion of society, and a privileged proportion at that.
I disagree.
Independent schools are a healthy part of this nation’s diverse educational ecosystem, providing different perspectives on educational issues, and driving initiatives which have impact on education beyond our individual school gates.
I know first-hand how transformational education can be. Growing up in a mining town in Derbyshire, my parents saw education as a way of enabling me to have more choices than they had had in my future life. A cost accountant and a nursing auxiliary, there was no spare money in the household; my schooling was determined by a hefty Music Scholarship and an equally hefty government assisted place. I was the first in my family to be educated at an independent school and the first to go to university, and I have no doubt whatsoever without those courageous choices by my parents over 40 years ago, I would not be writing this message to you now as Foundation Principal.
The end of term is always a showcase for the exceptional activities which have taken places over the preceding weeks, culminating in concerts, shows, sports fixtures, and exhibitions. What our young people achieve is extraordinary – and I would like to thank each and every family, now more than ever, for the support you bring to enable this to happen. Together, we transform the lives of the young people in our care. Thank you.
Richard Nicholson Foundation Principal
It has been a great last term of the year for Junior PAWS!
We started off with the highly anticipated first aid course. Our external trainers, First Care Training provided first aid training to 72 boys in the Junior School, all of whom graduated with a certificate and a diploma credit.
We held our regular meet and greet coffee morning and this time with a pop up Junior Second Hand Uniform Sale that was really popular and will become a regular event on the Junior PAWS calendar.
Finally, we had our first joint event with WPSA – Warwick Prep School Parents Association. This was the highly successful Colour Run, a fun event for all that was a fundraiser for the Junior and Prep school’s joint plan for their outdoor classroom.
We are looking forward to another fun filled successful year in 2024/2025.
This year’s bake-off competition was fantastic once again.
Our class of 2024 bakers started with 13 boys, who all worked extremely hard and produced some fantastic bakes throughout numerous rounds.
The final took place on Friday, 5 July, with Benedict, Maddox, and Saffi being tasked to create a showstopper cake based on the theme ‘country competing in the Olympics’.
Benedict created a black forest gateux based on Germany, Maddox created a cycling-themed cake based on France, and Saffi created a cake based on India.
All three finalist bakes – and from all of the boys throughout the competition – were brilliant, but there could only be one winner…
Congratulations to Maddox, the bake-off 2024 winner!
In April, a team of Year 6 pupils (Alec, Maddox, Max, Oliver and Dougie) participated in a challenge set by Raspberry Pi Foundation and the European Space agency (ESA). On board the International Space Station is an enhanced version of the Raspberry Pi microcomputer (Astro Pi) connected to a variety of motion sensors and a camera. Their mission was to write a Python program to first use the Astro Pi computers’ sensors and camera, gather data about the orientation and motion of the International Space Station (ISS) as it orbits the Earth, and then calculate the speed of the ISS based on the gathered data.
The competition was open to schools and universities across Europe with an age limit of 19 years. Programs that proved to be viable would run on the ISS. Team WJS Astro’s program were awarded flight status!
Once again this year, the Junior School pupils competed, supported each other, and embraced the unique challenge of the Aquathlon.
Despite the miserable weather, the boys continued the tradition of cheering every competitor over the finish line and pushed themselves around the course, with over 100 pupils lined up on poolside and transition through the green gym!
The atmosphere of the event was fantastic, and Mr Burchett was so impressed with how the boys embraced it.
Congratulations to the winning house this year – Ignis.
In June, our U10 and U11 swimming teams took part in the IAPS National Swimming finals at the London Aquatics Centre. The results were:
• U11 Freestyle Relay team – 8th (Ellison B, Alex R, Leo S-D and Henry S)
• Ellison Burt – 50m freestyle – 15th
• U10 Medley Relay team (Leon C, Joshua D, Jake S and Harrison G) – 4th
• U10 Freestyle Relay team (Leon C, Joshua D, Jake S and Harry M) – 12th
• Jake S – 15th – 50m Butterfly
• Joshua D – 14th – 50m Backstroke
• Leon C – 10th – 50m Freestyle
Special mention must go to the U11 freestyle relay team – due to their hard work and focus this year, they finished 8th in the country, taking an incredible five seconds off their qualifying time.
Later in the month, the U11 Swimming team also took part in the ESSA (English Schools Swimming Association) Primary Schools relay finals at Ponds Forge in Sheffield.
The boys swam brilliantly in their heat, qualifying for the A stream final – meaning they were one of the top 8 schools there. In an incredibly close final, they finished 7th overall – another amazing achievement for this group of swimmers.
On Monday 1 and Tuesday 2 July, we held our two Sports Mornings. The boys demonstrated all of the characteristics that we expect to see from a Warwick Junior School pupil – empathy; sportsmanship; giving 100% to every activity; and showing the resilience required to push themselves to perform at their best. The Year 3 and 4 middle distances races were also a great addition to this year’s Sports Day.
The individual races were competitive, but it was a pleasure to be on the finish line to see how the boys spoke to each other, irrelevant of position or how they felt the race had gone. Congratulations must go to Ventis in Year 3 and 4 and Terra in Year 5 and 6 for winning this year’s event.
The Summer Term has brought patches of sunny weather, which has meant for some great cricket fixtures. Across multiple age groups, the boys have put in some great performances and have been effectively putting into practice what they have been working during their lessons. Most importantly, they have had fun while doing it!
In April, we were treated to the annual STRINGFEST performance, featuring 130 boys from across the junior and senior schools and a few KHS friends. The concert was an energised evening, with performances from 13 different groups, including a traditionally raucous Massed Band item to round the evening off.
The concert once again demonstrated the versatility and relevance of string playing, with groups presenting pieces across all genres, from exquisite classical performances to punchy pop. The word of the night was certainly ‘fun’. Highlights included witnessing the Bass Battalion (14 Double Basses!) assemble to play with Debut Strings, and Rising Strings leading the entire room in an improvised account of Smoke on the Water, featuring audience participation, dramatic lighting and an enthusiastic smoke machine!
The quality of playing from the Foundation’s Senior Schools’ most advanced groups, combined with the breadth in the Junior School and lower years, makes for a strong future in the string department.
Aqua Aqua’s House Charity Day was in aid of Samaritans.
There were lots of games such as a coconut shy, hook-a-duck, a telephone game, name the frog, tin can alley and roll-a-penny. There was also a stall selling bags of sweets, doughnuts and popcorn and lots of fun prizes to win.
Everybody had a wonderful time and Aqua House managed to raise the fantastic sum of £715.05 for their chosen charity.
The House Music performance was fantastic. All four houses took part, with four performances each. All of the boys organised their own performances, with no help from the teachers! Stuart Thompson, Executive Music Lead at the Foundation, was the ‘celebrity’ judge – it was a very tough decision, but Terra were crowned the winners.
Well done to Terra and all of the boys involved.
On Friday, 27 June, Ventis House charity day took place. It was great fun for all involved – students took part in a range of activities, including; throw poo bags in a bin (no poo in the bag, just clay); guess the name of the dog (we ran out of names quickly!); guess the number of treats in the jar (real dog treats); guess which dog belongs to which teacher; and finally, the obstacle course (that everyone crowded around at the start).
Throughout the whole event, we raised a whopping total of £500 for Dogs Trust, who were our chosen charity. But the activities were not the only thing that happened on the day – in the morning, there was a chance to give donations for dogs, such as dog beds, treats, toys, and so on. Thank you for the many donations we received.
On 20 June, the boys performed in their Summer Concert and what a joyous occasion it was!
They provided a wonderful evening of entertainment from the Orchestra, playing a selection from the ‘Carnival of the Animals’ to ‘Teacher’s Pet ‘ from ‘School of Rock’. The programme was a magnificent selection of such a wide range of music and ensembles, and very clearly showed the hard work of the boys and the staff, as well as the obvious fun that they had putting it all together.
The inaugural performance from the Junior Foundation Symphony Orchestra at the beginning of May was truly brilliant.
All of the pupils’ hard work paid off as they put on a fantastic musical display for parents in Warwick Hall.
Conducted by Foundation Executive Music Lead Stuart Thompson, pupils of various ages from Warwick Junior School, Warwick Prep School and The Kingsley School worked in true harmony to showcase their musical talent.
On Thursday, 27 June, Year 3 pupils from Warwick Junior School and Warwick Prep School enjoyed a cricket link day.
The children had a great time bowling, batting, and catching up with old friends.
On Thursday, 23 May, the Eco Councils from Warwick Junior School, The Kingsley School and Warwick Preparatory School all got together in the Forest School for a joint eco event.
The children had a wonderful time taking part in activities such as; whittling with knives; planting seeds; rock painting; and Hapa Zome (the Japanese art of nature printing). Everyone collected flowers, petals, and leaves, putting them between two pieces of material and then banging them with a mallet to create a beautiful imprint. It was lovely to see pupils from the three schools working together and discussing their shared love of the environment.
Year 5’s trip to Swanage took place on Wednesday, 5 June. The boys were taken on a tour around Corfe Castle to learn about its amazing history, even meeting the original Colin from the food brand, ‘Colin the Caterpillar’!
Other parts of the trip included going on a waterbased adventure at the beach; learning how to run with chicken legs and how to porpoise dive; taking part in ‘The Big Fat Lifeguard Race’; paddleboarding; kayaking; lighting a beacon for D-Day; and taking part in a fascinating fossil ceremony where they passed around ammonites and fish bones from thousands of years ago.
On Thursday, 16 and Friday, 17 May, the boys in Year 6 performed their production of ‘Oliver! Jr.’ at the Bridge House Theatre.
All of the boys worked together as a production team – not just acting, singing and dancing, but also taking on the technical roles of lighting, sound and backstage.
All of the boys in Year 6 enjoyed learning and singing the ensemble songs, including ‘Consider Yourself’ and ‘Oom-Pah-Pah’. After working hard throughout the term in rehearsals, the boys put on a fantastic show and received huge applause from the audience.
Year 4 went to Conkers for a trip on Monday, 24 June. There were lots of things to do like playing in a park, watching a 4D movie, riding a train, and lots more.
At the start, we took the world’s slowest train to the other side of the activity centre where we did some pond dipping in the dirty river water. We looked for bugs and other creatures like tadpoles and little fish.
Throughout our trip to Ryton Pools, we took part in a range of exciting and enjoyable activities, such as an insect hunt – in the trees, under logs, in the large insect hotel, and in the meadow. Instead of catching them in the pots, we used nets and dragged them through the long grass. If we caught any pollinators like bees or wasps, we let them go straight away. We caught a variety of different insects including a leaf insect, a caterpillar, a shield beetle, and we nearly caught a dragonfly.
After lunch, we moved into the wooded area in the sun, where we got to make a den for our group and then a den for our woodland friend, including Foxy, Owl, Badger and Hedgehog. As the logs for our shelter area were so big and heavy, we had to work as a team to move them into the right position. The rangers then came around and tested our dens for water resistance. All the groups got slightly wet, but our woodland friends stayed dry under their tarpaulin!
We had a really fun day and enjoyed linking our Science topics to the different habitats around Ryton Pools!
Adapted entry from Adam, Arthur, Jude, and Theo (3BA)
Other activities we did included a bare foot walk where you walked across different terrains like water, rocks, logs, stones, hey and sand… with no shoes on. What made it even more exciting was that we were blindfolded so could not see a thing!
Finally, we did den building, where we made dens (survival dens) out of nature’s supplies like moss, wood clay and more. Just before heading back to school, we watched a 4D movie, played in the soft play and after that we visited the shop. It was a fun day out.
Freddie & Joshua (4W)
The Year 5 trip to the National Space Centre took place on Friday, 24 May.
As part of the trip, the boys saw a presentation on rocket science and saw a man fire a rocket using combustion; learned facts about the solar system in the planetarium; took part in a range of spacerelated activities, including pretending to be in a space rocket and landing a Mars rover on Mars; and got to see a bird’s eye view of the Apollo 11.
You can now follow us on Instagram (@warwickjuniorschool), Facebook, and X (@warwick_juniors)!