FROM THE HEAD MASTER
Assemblies
The prep school have been treated to some very enjoyable assemblies recently. On Tuesday morning we were joined by Mr Julian Evans, father of Jasper and Grace, to talk about his expeditions to the poles and Mount Everest. The children were captivated throughout and thoroughly enjoyed seeing the many photographs and films of his adventures. We are very grateful indeed to Mr Evans for coming to talk to the children.
As most of you will know, every Friday morning assembly is led either by a visiting speaker (often a Head from a senior school) or by one of our forms. Last Friday 7M gave us an interesting and amusing assembly, showing us different forms of greetings from around the world. 6S this morning told us all about the Tour de France – what it is, where it takes place and what the different jerseys mean. These assemblies are always an enjoyable end to the week.
Year 8 Concert
I thoroughly enjoyed Year 8 in their Informal Concert on Tuesday, with so many of them taking part. I did inform the children when I spoke at the end of the concert that Wednesday of this week is actually the mid-point of the school year and so from hereon in they are on that downhill slope towards Speech Day and the end of their time at Spratton.
I did follow this up a little in assembly on Wednesday by telling the children about how important it is not necessarily to think about what they want to be when they are older, but who they want to be. Getting just the right characteristics, qualities and manner means they will leave us with a fine reputation, finishing their time at Spratton well.
Next Week
Next week sees us take part in a national event, Children’s Mental Health Week. The event exists to help make a difference to the lives of children and young people across the UK. I am very grateful to Mrs Fordy, our Mental Health Lead, for organising a really exciting and interesting week of activities, including yoga, mindfulness moments, visits to the Forest School, dance, jigsaw puzzles, ‘Boxercise’, leaf-raking and so much more.
I also look forward next week to the Year 3 drama and music production ‘Blast from the Past’ on Tuesday at 5.30pm. Then on Friday, we have Home Clothes Day in aid of ‘Cancer Research’ where the children are invited to wear blue, pink or purple.
Thank you
Simon Clarke
PRE-PREP
Developing Creative Skills
“Every child is an artist” ~ how true are the words of Pablo Picasso. However, put a paintbrush in our hands and, as adults, many of us might falter or begin work tentatively as we throw into question our creative skills. Yet small children readily embrace and pursue opportunities to paint, cut, glue, draw, sculpt and assemble, seeking only the joy and happiness they find in the learning experience itself, rather than in perfection. Since the beginning of term, children across Pre-Prep have thoroughly enjoyed immersing themselves in a range of creative activities, with some eye-catching results. From the striking, vibrant colours of Egyptian masks in Year 1, to intricate Chinese willow patterns painted onto ceramic plates in Year 2 and the gentle, translucent wash of watercolours to represent ‘Mr Gumpy’s Car’ in Reception, the children’s creativity has been truly flowing.
Flying High with Phonics in Reception
There were whoops and squeals of delight from Reception this week, as they headed off into the fresh air to test out some rather wonderful homemade kites and twirly streamers. Having been introduced to the ‘igh’ trigraph, this was not a science activity as you might think, but a fabulous way of supporting and extending the children’s growing phonetic knowledge. Popping into RG and RY, the children were keen to show me their creations and to let me know that a trigraph is three letters making one sound.
Year 2 Assembly
On Thursday, Year 2 entertained us with a fascinating assembly comprising of lively songs, facts, knowledge and a beautiful fan dance, which captured some of their most memorable learning experiences from their recent topics of the ‘Chinese New Year’ and ‘Chocolate’. An informative and thoroughly enjoyable assembly, it demonstrated how much the children had learnt about the ancient Mayan culture of Mexico, alongside all the customs, stories and traditions linked to the New Year festival.
Pre-Prep Book Viewing Afternoon
It was lovely wandering from class to class during our Book Viewing Afternoon on Thursday. Watching the excitement on children’s faces as they shared their work with their grown-ups, it was clear they did not want to leave a single page unturned! I hope that you were able to gain a valuable insight into your child’s learning journey since September. There will be a further opportunity to enjoy a look at your child’s books after the half term break, in our Spring Term Parent/Teacher Meetings.
World Book Day – Thursday 2nd March
Finally, with World Book Day being celebrated nationally on the 2nd March, I cannot resist a quick (and tremendously excited!) mention of our intentions for Pre-Prep to join in the fun. The teachers are currently toying with all sorts of amazing ideas and activities for the children to take part in – and yes, dressing up as a story character for the day is definitely one of them! Decisions, decisions …. who will your child come dressed as? Peter Rabbit, the Very Hungry Caterpillar or one of the Mr Men or Little Misses perhaps? We cannot wait to see!
Pupil Achievements
Many congratulations to Phoebe Tilston (RY) for gaining her 10m Swimming Award and to Harriet Guppy (RY) for achieving her Level 1 Swimming Award.
Well done to William Dorrian (RG) who gained a Ski Snowflake badge for his effort and skill on the slopes.
Fiona Sanchez
Head of Pre-Prep
MUSIC
Year 8 Informal Concert – Tuesday 31st January
The Year 8 Informal Concert was a wonderful showcase of the talent that we have in Year 8. It was a lovely evening which featured all of our Year 8 musicians. They played a variety of different style pieces, all to an exceptionally high standard. Many congratulations to all those who took part.
Uppingham Orchestral Day – Thursday 9th February
We are really looking forward to the Uppingham Orchestral Day on Thursday. Please be reminded that refreshments will be served to parents in the Paul David Music School from 4.15 pm, prior to the concert which starts at 4.45 pm. The concert will finish at approximately 5.30 pm. For those pupils who have requested transport back to school, the minibus will leave Uppingham at 5.45 pm and will arrive back at Spratton at approximately 6.45 pm.
Termination of Music Lessons
Please be aware that, if you wish to cancel music lessons from the start of the Summer term, notice must be received by February half term.
GEOGRAPHY
Year 6 have been looking at weather instruments in Geography this week and have made their own rain gauges.
LEGO MASTERS CLUB
Each week some enthusiastic Year 5 and Year 6 pupils attend Lego Masters Club with Mr Bradnam. There are weekly short talks about useful websites, how to catalogue collections, rare and expensive minifigures etc, followed by plenty of building. There is a 10 min solo speed challenge each week to test their creativity on a small scale, such as build a famous landmark or design your initials in Lego. This is followed by a half hour larger challenge, which is sometimes a solo, and sometimes a paired challenge. These have included building a 30cm bridge to support 500g, building a car to hold 200g, designing a desk tidy, and this week we focussed on nature, and building a multilevel scene from nature. We had a desert oasis, a coral reef and some woodland scenes. The pupils have improved their creativity each week and their building skills are improving.
HOUSE COMPETITIONS
Year 4 House Gaming
Year 4 competed in the House Gaming – ‘Sonic Racing’ on Tuesday.
Drake’s Oscar faced Grenville’s Jacob in semi-final one with Oscar coming out on top. Semi-final two saw Louis of Frobisher face Luke of Raleigh. Louis held his nerve to win and reach the final. The final between Drake and Frobisher was a close affair but Oscar managed to find his groove in the final lap to drive Drake to victory.
Well done to all the competitors.
PUPIL ACHIEVEMENTS
Well done to Mara Hamilton who has been awarded a High Distinction in LAMDA Solo Acting Entry Level.
SHSPA – UPCOMING EVENTS
LOST PROPERTY
Jai Chavda (1N) – school tie
“IT’S BEHIND THEM!”
Mr Bradnam and Ms Bianco finished their run of 13 performance of ‘Snow White and the 7 Ninja’s’ last weekend. Over 3200 people saw the show, including several Spratton Hall pupils and parents who came along to shout, sing-a-long and boo! Some of them may struggle to see Mr Bradnam in quite the same light ever again. The show was a great success, receiving some excellent reviews and, on Friday evening, a large contingent of Spratton staff went to watch the show. Mr Bradnam and Ms Bianco are now going to enjoy a few quiet evenings and some hot drinks to restore their voices. Thanks to all who came to support.
NATIONAL ONLINE SAFETY GUIDES
One of the most eye-catching results of a survey conducted last year (taking in more than 1,000 UK parents and carers) was that more than one in six – 18% – never talk to their child about staying safe online. There are many quite understandable reasons for this, such as feeling that their child is still too young, or assuming that they’re being taught online safety at school.
The fact remains, however, that regular conversations about our digital lives can help children keep online safety firmly in mind and avoid many common internet hazards. The #WakeUpWednesday guide this week has some ideas for starting these beneficial chats with children – letting them know that you’re taking a keen interest without making it feel like an interrogation.
Here is the link to the school website where you will find more details and further helpful information.
