The Bulletin Edition 3

By the time you read this, I shall have returned from the annual IAPS Heads’ Conference, which this year took place in Brighton. It was, as ever, an invigorating few days of professional learning, thoughtful debate, and shared ideas. All in the company of colleagues who understand both the joys, and the challenges of life in Prep Schools.

Just as the boys and girls at Hampton Pre-Prep & Prep thrive when they are curious, open to new experiences, and willing to learn from one another, so do we as school leaders. The conference provided me with a timely reminder that the strongest growth, whether in a classroom or in a seminar room full of fellow Heads, happens when individuals support one another, listen carefully and share generously.

I am very keen on bringing the latest educational research that helps shape the thinking of colleagues to life. Over the last 18 months or so, I have hosted an occasional podcast, on behalf of IAPS. Which involves getting a few like-minded Heads together to have a nuanced debate about various pieces of published research that we recognise other Heads might have missed. The latest podcast, in the series, was recorded live this week in Brighton, on the theme of Glorious Failure. Christabel Westall, (Head at Terra Nova School in Cheshire) and I explored how we can best ensure the pupils in our schools learn from their mistakes, and come to see setbacks as opportunities for growth. That conversation will be available on the IAPS website in due course, I hope it may prove as thought-provoking for parents at Hampton Prep as it was for those of us gathered in Brighton this week.

With Brighton’s sea air still in my lungs and plenty of fresh inspiration in mind, I return to school next week, energised and grateful for the pupils who spur us on with their own learning journeys, and for the professional network of colleagues who remind me that this journey is made together!

The first fixtures of the year kicked off on Saturday, with the U10 A and U11 A teams in action at the Hampton School 5-a-side tournament. It was an excellent start to the season.

A very special visitor, Rhiannon, from London’s Air Ambulance Charity, led our assembly on Monday. The children were fascinated to learn just how vital this service is – and how the fundraising they took part in last year makes a real difference.

This week, Kindergarten have thoroughly enjoyed exploring our topic, ‘Getting to Know You’. The children loved sharing their family photographs with the class, proudly pointing out and naming their family members. These lovely photos are now on display in our classroom. If you haven’t yet sent one in, there’s still time — we’d love to include your family, too! 

This week in Reception, we’ve been diving into our exciting new topic, ‘Magnificent Me’. We also painted self-portraits, using mirrors to observe our skin, hair and eye colours closely. This led to thoughtful conversations about how everyone is different, and special in their own way.

This week in Year 1, we’ve been diving into phonics and spelling. The children learned about vowels and consonants, and used their phonic knowledge to spell CVCC words. We also practised writing full sentences with capital letters and full stops.

Year 2 have had another busy week of learning! The children continue to explore number and place value in Maths, and they are becoming adept at explaining their understanding verbally.