Easter was the focus of our assembly in the Prep on Monday this week, and we began, (and in fact concluded the assembly too) by listening to Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater, a personal favourite of mine and a musical work of such profound and aching beauty that it needed no explanation. A real ‘Baroque banger’ written in the eighteenth century but rooted in a thirteenth-century poem, it gives musical and emotional voice to something almost unbearable: a mother’s grief at the foot of the cross as she mourns the death of her only son. The silence that followed each hearing told me everything I needed to know about how the boys received it. We considered the original Latin lyrics alongside the English translation, and they soon understood, instinctively, that they were in the presence of something serious which set the tone for the assembly overall.
Two colleagues – both practising Christians, both willing to share something of their faith with honesty and without pretence – sat before a panel of boys who had prepared some questions for them about Easter. The boys asked whether Easter could exist without the resurrection; they asked how doubt sits alongside belief; they asked how one holds the darkness of Good Friday in the same heart as the joy of Easter Sunday. They asked what it actually feels like, week by week, to live a life shaped by Christian faith. These were not questions plucked from thin air. They were thoughtful, generous, and most importantly genuinely curious.
My colleagues spoke plainly about what Easter means to them: not as a cultural moment or a fixture in the calendar, but as the very centre of their understanding of the world. One thread that ran through everything they said was that without the resurrection, Christianity itself is, in their view, simply unimaginable. In other words, Easter is not an optional extra, it is the whole point. Another was the way they described Holy Week itself: an intense, often moving progression from the triumphant entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, through the desolation of Good Friday, to the extraordinary reversal of Easter morning.
The boys also asked (with characteristic directness!) whether it bothers them that Easter has, for many people, become chiefly about chocolate and bank holidays and a part of one colleague’s answer made it plain that there is something in the human instinct for celebration, for spring, for renewal, that points however distantly towards something real. The candour of two colleagues, willing to speak about their own beliefs in front of the whole Prep, gave our assembly its heart and I am very grateful to them for being so transparent about such a deeply personal aspect of their lives.
Headmaster
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT…
Here’s a round-up of our Instagram posts from this week – take a look below!
Make sure to follow us on Instagram for regular updates and snapshots of daily school life.
Prep
News From Mr Salt - Head of Sport
It was great to welcome Willington Prep back to Carlisle Park this Monday after a couple of years in which fixtures didn’t quite fit into the schedule. This was the U10s’ final rugby fixture of the term, and it looked as though the boys had saved plenty of energy for the occasion. They played with real intent and purpose across all teams. The A team completely closed down the Willington attack with their defensive pressure and combined this with pace and power in attack to record a convincing win. The Bs and Cs followed suit, each securing strong victories of their own. The D team faced Willington’s Cs in a very close contest; superb defensive efforts from Kit and Charlie kept the game tight, but Willington edged it 6–5 in the final moments.
Read moreNews From Miss Allott - Head of English
The House Poetry Competition was a fantastic celebration of confidence, creativity and performance from boys in Years 2–6. Despite one finalist initially claiming, “I don’t like poetry,” the event proved otherwise, with pupils delivering a wide range of pieces - from classics like The Jabberwocky to original and humorous modern poems. All finalists showed great bravery performing in front of the school, impressing both the audience and our judge, Mrs Rigby from Hampton Senior School, whose feedback made for a memorable experience. Congratulations to Krishna, Nivaan, Teddy, Julian and Philip for winning their year groups, and to Windsor for securing the most House points.
News From Year 6
Year 6 pupils took part in the Junior Citizenship programme, exploring a range of real-life scenarios designed to help them stay safe and make sensible choices as they become more independent. Throughout the morning, they were encouraged to think on their feet, make quick decisions and consider how they would respond to everyday situations. Led by local professionals, the boys met police officers and firefighters who shared practical advice on topics such as fire safety, first aid, and staying safe on the road and rail. Highlights included a mock 999 call and a detective-style role-play, where pupils examined clues, pieced together a mock crime scene and confidently debated their ideas. The YMCA team brought plenty of energy with team-building challenges that encouraged communication. The boys returned to school with a greater awareness of how to look after themselves, along with growing confidence in their ability to handle new situations.
Informal Concert
Our pupils delighted us with a wonderful display of musical talent at this half-term’s informal concert. It has been fantastic to see how their confidence has grown over the course of the spring term. Adam and Benedict delivered standout performances on the drums, while Francis and Thomas sang I Just Can’t Wait to Be King beautifully, full of energy. Canaan also impressed, rocking the electric guitar with great style. These performances were just some of many highlights in what was an afternoon filled with impressive and memorable moments.
Pre-Prep
A WORD FROM MRS MURPHY
It has been another vibrant and purposeful week at Hampton PrePrep, filled with rich learning experiences both in and beyond the classroom. I am delighted to share that our Eco Warriors’ plans have come to fruition, as we now have a brand-new bin in our playground, all thanks to their hard work and dedication. Last term, they put several designs to the vote, and pupil voice did the rest - selecting a rather smart-looking frog! A huge thank you to Mrs O’Brien for leading the Eco Warriors so beautifully. As mentioned earlier in the term, School Council have one final initiative to boost the total raised for WaterAid UK. From Monday onwards, children are invited to bring £2 to name a cuddly, supersoft zebra. We have come up with a few names to get everyone started but pupils are, of course, welcome to create their own. All names will go into a hat and the winner will be drawn at morning playtime on Friday 27 March. To borrow a well-known phrase, you have to be in it to win it!
Read moreKINDERGARTEN
This week, in Kindergarten we have been reading the tale of Little Red Riding Hood. Through shared reading and discussion, we explored the sequence of events, the key characters and the important messages within the story. This naturally led to thoughtful conversations about personal safety and why it is important not to talk to strangers and to listen first time to our adults. Some of the stories even had alternative endings, we liked the ending best when the wood cutter shook the wolf upside down to rescue Little Red Riding Hood and Grandma. We even read a version of the story together using Makaton signs with actions to tell the story.
Read moreRECEPTION
Reception have been having an egg‑cellent time learning all about springtime! In Literacy, we have been writing about the Signs of Spring. The children explored the wonderfully changeable weather and noticed how bulbs and blossom are beginning to burst into life. We also learned how the arrival of spring affects animals, including those waking up from their long winter hibernation.
Read moreYEAR 1
This week in maths, we concluded our unit on measurement, focusing on capacity and volume. The children have worked hard to understand these concepts and enjoyed exploring how they are used in real life, particularly through practical activities involving measuring and comparing liquids. A big thank you to everyone who brought in leaves for our science lesson. The children thoroughly enjoyed using magnifying glasses to closely observe and investigate them. They explored the different parts of a leaf and discussed its features, such as shape, veins and texture. This hands-on experience really helped to deepen their understanding of plants and how they are structured.
Read moreYEAR 2
We felt incredibly proud this week when Year 2 headed to the Prep school for the House Poetry Competition. Our Year 2 finalists performed brilliantly in front of the whole School, reciting their poems with clarity, expression, and the storytelling skills of true performers. Their confidence and enthusiasm shone through, and they did themselves, and their Houses, proud! Krishna was announced as the overall year group winner, but they all should be very pleased with their achievement.
Read more
