The Bulletin Edition 30

The Year 5 camping trip for two nights near the Dorset coast at the start of this week could not have been blessed with better weather if we tried! Please see below a selection of photos of the boys having a truly splendid time.

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As part of our programme of events in support of the Year 6 boys ahead of them moving to Senior Schools in September, we were delighted to host a fantastic mini-careers event on Tuesday, featuring talks from two generous parents, and one inspiring daughter! These sessions are designed to broaden our pupils’ horizons and offer real-world insights into a variety of career paths.

Last Friday, Hampton Prep’s U11A team set off on an exciting three-day tour to Guernsey. On arrival, we played our first match, a 24-over game against Elizabeth College’s U11A team. Batting first, our team posted an impressive 156 runs. Both Rishaan and Ronak batted superbly, retiring on 30 runs each. Our bowlers then took control. Cullan bowled an amazing spell, taking 4 wickets on the trot! An incredible achievement! Viaan took 3 wickets and Jack took 2. We bowled the opposition out for 53 runs.

As the end of the year approaches, we find ourselves reflecting on our wonderful Year 2 children. They are a truly smashing bunch – full of enthusiasm, kindness and a real love of learning. We are incredibly proud of all they have achieved during their time with us and know they are more than ready for the exciting challenges that await them, whether here at Prep or in a completely new school in the case of our lovely Lani. Although we shall miss them dearly, we look forward to hearing about all the amazing things they will go on to accomplish. They leave us not only with wonderful memories but also with the confidence that they will continue to shine wherever they go.

After our week with minibeasts, all the children have been really keen to explore at playtime for creatures we have learned about. Every now and again a cry of ‘butterfly!’ rings out over the playground. We are still keeping an eye on our caterpillars who have now progressed to hanging under the lid of their jar and have started to weave their cocoons. They will soon be transferred to a netted home where they have room to develop. This week’s focus is on bees and all the magical things they do for us. We have found out about their 5 eyes, their love of the colour purple and how they identify their friends (through smelling their feet!). They were shown the three main parts of a bee and identified them on a drawing. We have looked at their lifecycle and even found out that they hum the note C#. We talked about pollination, nectar and their hive with hexagonal holes. Those who listened in our shape session were quick to say they were like a hexagon with six sides. What fascinated the children the most was that it is only the lady bees who sting, not the males. We also talked about how we can help bees and together made a water feature for bees.

Reception Class have enjoyed their second week learning about farms. Last week, our Reception children embarked on an unforgettable adventure to Bockett’s Farm, where they delighted in meeting animals, discovering farm life, and understanding the hard work behind producing food. This week, we built on that excitement with our ‘Farm to Fork’ focus, encouraging children to explore how food makes its journey from fields to our plates. Through hands-on activities and thoughtful discussions, they deepened their appreciation for farmers, sustainability, and the importance of making healthy choices. It has been wonderful to see their curiosity grow as they make connections between what they eat and where it comes from! We have loved playing with the farm toys, inspired by our own map farm designs. We have also enjoyed milking Daisy our farm cow in the garden.

In Year 1 this week our learning focused on preparing for and holding our ‘Teddy Bears’ Picnic’. We all had so much fun eating our picnic treats whilst listening to a selection of special stories together with our favourite cuddly toys. We also reflected on the difference between fact and fiction statements, in preparation for some work next week on information texts about Bears.

In their English lessons, Year 2 have relived the joys of last week’s Living Rainforest trip. The children were tasked with writing a recount of their trip, developing their understanding of how to write a recount of an event. Learning activities included ordering photographs of the trip chronologically and talking through the day; how to use appropriate fronted adverbials to order the events of the day; using exciting, challenging vocabulary in their writing. It was interesting to read the varying perspectives and highlights voiced by the children about this popular school outing.