The Bulletin Edition 15

Our work on embedding our ‘pride’ values continues to sit right at the heart of daily life at the Pre-Prep & Prep this term. Over the last couple of weeks my assemblies have focused in particular on kindness and generosity. We have explored generosity not simply as the act of giving something tangible, but as a mindset: noticing when something needs doing, choosing to act when it would be easier not to, and using our talents and voices for the good of others. Drawing on examples from history and more recent times, the boys (and girls in the Pre-Prep) have been encouraged to see that generosity is rarely loud or showy; more often, it is quiet, principled and sustained.

Last week my assembly was devoted entirely to Nelson Mandela, whose life provides such a powerful example of kindness rooted in moral strength rather than weakness. The boys in the Prep were struck by the idea that kindness does not mean ignoring injustice, but choosing to respond to it with humanity, dignity and an unwavering belief in the worth of others.

These themes came together beautifully this week during the Year 5 visit in to central London to see the musical Wicked. This was a trip carefully and intentionally planned by Mrs Howard, and I am very grateful to her for organising it. Through her work with the boys in their Life Skills lessons, Mrs Howard has been exploring the dangers of prejudice, stereotyping and simplistic narratives and these ideas sit, of course, right at the heart of the story Wicked tells.

As the boys saw for themselves, the musical challenges us to question first impressions, to think critically about how stories are shaped, and to recognise how easily fear and misunderstanding can slide into prejudice or exclusion. Above all, it reinforces the importance of kindness, moral courage and standing up for what is right, even when it is difficult or unpopular. If our boys and girls leave the Pre-Prep or Prep able to think generously, act kindly and challenge prejudice wherever they encounter it, then we will know we have done something truly worthwhile.

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A small but excited group of young musicians set off for Epsom College to take part in their annual Prep School Strings Day. The Hampton Prep pupils joined an orchestra of 130 children from other local Prep schools to rehearse and perform a concert from scratch.

Goodness me, this half term seems to be rattling past at quite a pace and is proving to be as busy as ever! We were treated to our first class assembly of the spring term, beautifully led by Reception. In connection with our whole-school assembly theme, the children explored the word ‘value’ thinking about its importance in bringing quality to our lives and reflecting on what past events can teach us.

It’s been a truly ‘cosmic’ week in Kindergarten! We’ve been learning fascinating facts about the eight planets in our Solar System. We discovered that some planets are made of gas, while others are made of rock or ice. We also learned that the Sun is a star — much, much bigger than Earth — and that while some planets are scorching hot, others are freezing cold. Some have raging storms that have lasted for thousands of years, while others are rocky worlds or enormous gas giants.

This week, Reception have been exploring the world using their ‘Five Senses’. The children learned in detail how each sense works, taking part in exciting experiences to deepen their understanding. We ventured into the playground with our clipboards for some ‘Sensory Fieldwork’, using all our senses to observe our surroundings.

Our week started on a high with Year 1 reading their African Counting books to friends in Kindergarten, which proved a thoroughly enjoyable activity for all involved!  In English, Year 1 have been basing their work on the story Don’t Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late! by Mo Willems. The class absolutely LOVED this book; there was lots of laughter and more than a few requests to read it again! We used the story as inspiration to write persuasive arguments to our parents, encouraging them to let us stay up just a little bit later. The children campaigned with great passion, our apologies in advance, parents! 

In English lessons this week, the children have loved continuing their study of “The True Story of the Three Little Pigs”, by Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith.  To fully understand the many features of a newspaper, the children immersed themselves in a multitude of “First News” editions, analysing catchy headlines, reporting styles, photo captions and puzzle pages. They have already written their own headline and opening paragraph, and look forward to completing their newspaper report next week.