Dear parents,
This week we enjoyed our first House assemblies of 2026. Our House Captains did an excellent job, sharing updates on the house shields; the designs are nearly finalised! In line with our theme of rules, each house also explored why rules matter and began creating a house-specific code of conduct, using the letters of their house name for inspiration.
It has been a busy time in the classrooms. F1C have started their new textiles topic in DT, learning how to thread needles and complete a running stitch. They have begun sewing their woodland creatures and are looking forward to creating finger puppets later this term. Also in DT, Lower Two pupils have been baking some scrumptious biscuits, and I know they are looking forward to the second bake, when they will be allowed to enhance the original recipe to create even tastier treats. In music, our Lower Two classes are progressing well with their brass skills on the French horn and are enjoying playing the Wallace and Gromit theme. Upper Two have focused on guitar, reading TAB and performing a four-part arrangement of Ode to Joy. U1R explored a drama technique called Conscience Alley to help Bertie decide whether his beloved white lion should be sent to the circus. This activity encouraged empathy, speaking skills, and creative thinking while bringing the story to life.
Robot morning was brilliant today, with the Lower Two pupils having a great time working collaboratively to design a robot out of an egg box; I was fascinated to listen to the complex conversations that were taking place and the delight when the pupils saw their hard work pay off at the end of the process. The pupils were lucky enough to have sixth formers join them to help guide them and when I asked one Lower Sixth pupil if they remember doing this, their reply was, “absolutely, I’m glad some things don’t change!” And I’m not sure who was enjoying themselves more, the junior school pupils or the Lower Sixth. A big thank you to Mrs Morgan for masterminding this inspiring morning for our pupils.
The kind weather has also helped us make a positive start to sport this year. Over the past two weeks we have completed our swimming trials, with all pupils recording faster times than in September – a clear reflection on their hard work in lessons, after-school sessions, and beyond. On Wednesday, we held our first ‘Matchday Wednesday’ of the term, playing St Peter’s to begin the netball and hockey seasons. The children showed fantastic enthusiasm and teamwork, making it a wonderful afternoon of matches.
Have a lovely weekend.
