Weekly Round up 13th February
13th February 26
Dear Parents
I hope you are all well.
It is hard to believe that half-term is already upon us. Looking back over the past few weeks, it is
remarkable just how much energy, achievement and joy have filled life at The Prep.
Our Year 6 pupils have worked incredibly hard in their senior school assessments and have been rewarded
with an outstanding set of scholarships so far: eight academic, five sports, two chess, and one music and
drama. Congratulations to all pupils who have sat scholarship assessments so far; and very best wishes to
the number of Year 6 and 8 pupils yet to sit theirs. I look forward to sharing the full picture of results with
you soon.
In the classroom, pupils have thrown themselves into everything from the national Time to Write
competition to Year 3’s Egyptian Day and Year 5’s Aztec Day. Our netball and rugby teams continue to
shine across all year groups, and we were delighted to welcome CFX for specialist netball training to
complement Chelsea’s excellent work with our footballers.
Wellbeing has been a real focus this half term. Better Body Group led an engaging and energetic Wellbeing
Day, parents joined us for a thoughtful Mental Health Workshop and pupils have taken part in Children’s
Mental Health Week activities. Ellie – from Holroyd Howe (our new caterers) – joined us on Thursday to
discuss nutrition with our pupils. Feedback on this was incredibly positive and we look forward to Holroyd
Howe’s continued engagement with our community.
Our wider Prep community has also enjoyed some fantastic events, including Burns Night and Quiz Night.
A huge thank you to everyone involved. We hope to see many of you at the Family Wellbeing Walk after
half term.
One particular highlight has been the arrival of our new 3D printer. The pupils have been captivated by its
possibilities – conical interlocking shapes included – and I am hoping to have a go at printing one myself
very soon!
Year 6 had a wonderful time in Paris last week, soaking up the sights and culture – and managing to fit in a
visit to Mickey Mouse and friends. Years 7 enjoyed an inspiring trip to Sevenoaks Bookshop, and to round
off the half term, Years 5 to 8 are welcoming the French theatre company, Onatti, to The Prep this
afternoon to perform “Shipwrecked en France”!
I look forward to seeing you all after the half term break.
Best wishes
Dear Parents and Carers
There are so many things I love about working at The Prep and I feel incredibly
fortunate to be part of such a dedicated and compassionate team. Our staff
understand the importance of caring not only for the children, but also for one
another, and this shared commitment creates the nurturing environment that is so
vital at the beginning of each child’s educational journey. Every morning, I am met
with the wonderful sight of children running into school with huge smiles on their
faces, an unmistakable sign of how happy and eager they are to start a day filled with learning that is
supportive, challenging, and, most importantly for them, great fun.
This week has been especially energetic, with children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 taking part in the
fantastic Maths Puzzle Workshops organised by Miss Young and Mrs Wallis. It was a joy to see the children
working collaboratively to solve problems, confidently using mathematical language and reasoning to
achieve such successful outcomes.
On Monday, Year 1 also took part in a netball tournament organised by Miss MacNeil. Once again, the
children demonstrated wonderful teamwork, encouragement and perseverance as they played a series of
short games, bringing our Way of Life values onto the court. They showcased the skills they have been
developing throughout the term, and as an ex-netball player myself, I was genuinely impressed to see how
confidently they applied the footwork rule at such a young age!
Nursery and Kindergarten have had a busy and joyful start to each day as well. The children have been
taking part in Squiggle Me a Writer activities, using scarves, movement and dance to support early markmaking skills. It has been a lively, happy and energetic beginning to our mornings.
With half term ahead, I wish you all a restful and refreshing break. When we return, we look forward to the
promise of warmer weather in Spring 2, more sunshine, and plenty more smiles in the Pre-Prep.
Best wishes,
Shannon Wake