This afternoon we were absolutely wowed by our Year 3 production, 'Stories by Dahl'. 3N combined two of Dahl's classic tales together, as our favourite characters from 'Matilda' told the story of 'The Enormous Crocodile', before Miss Trunchbull threw them all in the cupboard. 3BH told the marvellous tale of 'James and the Giant Peach', as James grows an enormous peach in the garden of his two terrible aunts, and finds an unusual crowd of friends inside. With brilliant songs throughout, the children shone in their various roles. We are excited to watch these budding thespians grow through their time in our Prep School.

The re-arranged U11 boys Winterfold football tournament was met with glorious spring weather, manicured pitches and plenty of strong opposition. Playing with great spirit and tenacity in a tough group against committed opposition, the boys acquitted themselves excellently, securing a victory, two hard fought draws and only one solitary defeat to finish an admirable 3^rd place in 'Group of Death 1'. Playing the best football of the day in our Cup semi-final, scoring two outstanding team goals saw us through to the final, where we were up against top footballing school, Wolverhampton Grammar. On a sloping pitch, we were up against it; these were a talented bunch playing good technical football and pretty physical to boot. Battling all the way, we scored a memorable breakaway goal right at the end, leaving Wolves with no time to regroup, and the Cup was ours!

This was a most enjoyable afternoon with a great group, they all did brilliantly, very well done all!

Our Year 7s spent Tuesday off-timetable as they participated in their STEAM Day. With a biscuit-themed mission reminiscent of a task from 'The Apprentice', their day began with sessions in Maths, ICT, Art and DT. They designed packaging, calculated profit margins, put together company logos and assembled their biscuit packaging, gaining points for their class for their efficiency and diligency.

In their Science sessions, the children experimented with the 'dunkability' of different biscuits, recording how quickly a biscuit crumbled when placed in hot water. The children performed excellently throughout, and should be proud of the biscuit business empires they have created. Throughout the day our teachers were keeping notes on the children, observing how much they engaged with the topics, how well they behaved and how much they helped their teammates. The winners will be announced in assembly next week!

It was a real pleasure to welcome the Shrewsbury School Wind Quintet to Beaudesert on Thursday. The Sixth Formers gave short recitals to Years 3 to 6, in which our children were treated beautiful live music, expertly played. Imaginations were sparked when the ensemble played some famous film soundtracks, including a song from 'Encato' and the 'Teddy Bears' Picnic'. After the recitals, the quintet worked with our Years 3 to 7 orchestral players, learning two pieces from scratch, finishing the day with an informal performance to parents. We are so grateful to Mrs Mackenzie and Mrs Landon for their direction during the day and for bringing these talented boys to play for our children. If your child has been inspired by today’s event and would like to take up an orchestral instrument, please do not hesitate to get in touch, and we can organise a taster lesson.

Mr Parker, Director of Music

We have been full of gratitude and kindness this week and have been thinking about our grown-ups at home and all the support they offer us. We have poured this love into our Mother’s Day creations, which we look forward to bestowing upon our special people this weekend.

Mrs Searson hosted an assembly all about kindness for us as well, using a vase of water, a pipette and some food colouring, to demonstrate how each drop of kindness we offer up to others spreads and builds to create positive change across our whole community.

We have also been grateful for the onset of spring, relishing our time outside, creating kites to fly on windy days, and using resources from the natural world to inspire our artwork.

And of course, we have been grateful for our learning and our teachers, who have been busy teaching us about measurement and about space exploration – amongst other things!

Finally, we are grateful to Cameron Tew, in Reception W, for taking the time back in December to write a wonderful book, a copy of which he has kindly gifted to Pre-Prep. We look forward to reading it to all the children in assembly next week!

Anna Packman, Head of Pre-Prep

This week, we are celebrating the following children for their acts of kindness:

Last week, Mr Jones asked a few of our Year 8 Art and DT scholars to help him redesign the Herd Board. We think you will agree they have gone above and beyond, what a lovely new addition to the hall walls to celebrate positive behaviour.

This week, our children who visit Horsfall House were celebrating the Hindu festival of Holi with the residents. They created colourful collages together with the residents to brighten up their days.

Having received their Mock results and been given feedback by their teachers on the areas requiring further work, the Year 8s had a study skills session hosted by Elevate which was on the 'Finishing Line'. The children were given guidance on how to study effectively, along with practical examples of how to revise and remember large amounts of information. The children listened well and came away with lots of practical tips to help them in the coming weeks leading up to their Common Entrance exams next term.

Boarding has been full of energy this week, with plenty of children eager to get outside and make the most of the evenings.

Monday began inside with cricket nets led by Mr Griffiths. There was some excellent batting on display, a few very determined bowlers and lots of encouragement from those waiting their turn. Back in the Boarding House, Mrs Danks brought in her earring-making materials for the girls. The top floor quickly turned into a small jewellery workshop, with beads, colours and designs being carefully chosen as everyone created their own pieces. The Year 4 girls were enjoying themselves upstairs, trying on some of the props and costumes left over from World Book Day. We're not entirely sure what the theme was, but they were having a lot of fun!