It has been joyful to see the Pre-Prep children returning after their holidays full of smiles and stories of their adventures. With flowers in bloom and the sun shining, it has been a fabulous first week of term, with plenty of time outside hunting for bugs, cooking wild-garlic bread at Forest School and playing games like ‘What’s the Time, Mr Wolf?’

Our Year 2 Sports Showcase, organised by Mrs Powell-Jones, was a great success, with parents coming along to watch their children showcasing sporting skills developed so far this year in the format of a lesson demonstration on the Astro. Parents enjoyed a match tea in the sunshine, providing a taste of what is to come as their children move up into Prep School next academic year.

From promoting action, to promoting stillness; it was a treat to join Nursery yesterday for their Quiet Time session, which we have adapted over the past term to move away from screen-based activities and focus, instead, on calming techniques and listening skills. With cushions and cuddly toys out, the lights were dimmed and the blinds drawn before Mrs Danks encouraged deep breathing and relaxation with focuses on different parts of the body. The children then voted on their favourite audio story and they lay and listened, joining in with familiar refrains if they wished, showing excellent focus in a restful environment. We followed this with some teacher-read stories before resuming our play for the day.

In other news, we have been reaffirming our school values and Golden Rules this week, as well as tuning into our new inquiry-based topics with lots of related questions, exploring healthy eating and learning about and celebrating St George’s Day.

Anna Packman, Head of Pre-Prep

Eight of our keenest readers spent the day at Bilton Grange today, taking part in the National Lit Quiz. Our two teams, led by Year 8 captains Chips and Sam G, both finished in the top 20 nationally, which is an incredible achievement. Team Floyd made it to the national finals, taking third position in the country.

It was a brilliant day, and the children involved are already excited about next year's competition! Well done, all!

What a week it has been. The Summer Term has well and truly reached the Boarding House, and with it comes something a little bit special.

Tuesday saw tennis balls flying across the astro, with matches and rallies going long into the evening. Wednesday brought the banks to life before dinner, followed by an outdoor burger BBQ and, of course, even more time back out on the banks afterwards.

Thursday delivered more epic tennis battles, plenty of laughter, and some determined attempts to outwit and outplay the gappies and staff (with varying levels of success!).

But more than anything, summer on the banks brings a different feel. It is the simplest moments that stand out: children enjoying being together, laughing, chatting, and just taking the time to be with one another. It really is special to see.

And tonight… it’s time to be bold, bright and party!

Oli and Debbie Jones, Boarding Houseparents

The Summer Term is chocca with fun summer events, as children bask in the sun-soaked grounds, and our days extend long into the evenings. Before Half Term we are looking forward to charity discos and bake sales, school trips, cricket matches, athletics season, Wachy Special matches, our Grandparents' Tea Party, the Beaudesert Polo Tournament, lunchtime concerts and our Year 7 Open Classroom performance to name but a few!