We had a fantastic time welcoming our grandparents to Beaudesert this afternoon. Grandparents of our children in Year 5 and Year 8 joined us for a tour with their grandchildren, tea together in the PAC, and a few musical performances to finish the day. While the afternoon began with torrential rain (!), the skies soon cleared up and families had a wonderful time mooching around the grounds in the bright sunshine. Thank you to all who came along.

Last Friday, a group of Year 6 boys travelled over to Marlborough to take part in their Prep School Cricket 8s Festival. The squad of Wilf, Max, Will G, Rory, George, Arthur, Fred, Wilbur and Henry T offered a nice mix of bowling attack, assured batting and one or two all-rounders.

As well as taking part in the tournament, the boys were able to experience some of Marlborough’s impressive cricket facilities and particularly enjoyed facing the bowling machine in the nets. Excellent cricket, a lovely lunch and great weather made for a very pleasant day.

Early victories against All Hallows and The Oratory got us off to a great start but, with the loss of Captain Wilf to a prior engagement and the loss of wicket-keeper George to a broken finger, those two wins were followed by losses against strong Farleigh and Caldicott teams, which meant we did not progress beyond the group stages. Even so, the boys conducted themselves brilliantly and impressed the Marlborough coaches with their enthusiasm for the game, willingness to listen to advice and their individual and team performances. Great work, lads!

Petra scored a sparkling 75 not out for our Girls' 1st team, featuring some outstanding striking of the ball. Backed up by sensible batting from the rest of the team and with a disciplined performance in the field that saw us defend our total with relative comfort, this was perfect preparation for our second round IAPS match at Taunton today. It has been a fantastic start for the team this term, long may it continue!

Eleven Year 8 boys enjoyed a fantastic afternoon of golf this week against Cheam and Pinewood on Pinewood's pitch and putt course. The standard of golf was superb throughout, with Jasper finishing an outstanding second overall against a strong field from all three schools. Most pleasing of all was the atmosphere of the day, with children encouraging not only their own teammates, but players from the other schools too, even in the middle of competition. A lovely afternoon of sport, socialising and representing Beaudesert brilliantly.

On Thursday 7^th May, a group of children in Year 6 to Year 8 visited the West London Shooting Club to take part in this year’s IAPS Clay Pigeon Shooting competition. The day was very competitive with teams from over 15 different prep schools taking part.

During the day, every competitor had a strong round, demonstrating great levels of concentration and focus. Although we featured strongly, more consistent performances from other schools meant that we did not make it on to the podium on this occasion. All those involved learnt a lot from the experience and they look forward to their fixture against Pinewood later in the term.

Reception enjoyed a fantastic day at the Cotswold Farm Park this week, cuddling fluffy bunnies, gently holding tiny chicks, feeding bouncy goats and meeting mama pig and her piglets. The teachers were very proud of the children’s good manners and engagement throughout the day.

We were pleased to welcome Chef Graham to speak to us this week about Bees, their superpowers and their stinky feet! We all have a much better understanding and appreciation now for the 250 types of bees that contribute to our diet in so many ways.

Year 1 also welcomed Cassia’s mummy to speak about her time living and working in Hong Kong and Singapore as part of our learning about Asia, and children have been growing their geographical understanding from continents to compasses.

Outside we have been pond dipping and linking this learning with our Year 2 work on habitats and food chains. We discovered a mystery egg amongst some tree roots – the children think it may belong to a pheasant – and have also been building dens, making mud soup, cooking on the fire and finding minibeasts and bugs. One Nursery child proudly announced ‘I have found a Centre-Peter! Look at all his legs!’ We like this name and think we will adopt it.

Anna Packman, Head of Pre-Prep

On Thursday, Graham from Accent's Head Office came to speak to our most senior children about his experiences working as a Chef for Formula 1. He emphasised the importance of healthy eating, and how healthy eating can help power out brains when we need it, especially during exams.

The whole school enjoyed a delicious F1 themed lunch, featuring some of the F1 driver's favourite foods. We had tandoori chicken, chickpea and tomato pasta, roasted butternut squash and a host of tasty salads. Thank you, Accent!

We had another great week in boarding, with plenty of fresh air, laughter and activity packed into each evening. Tuesday saw the children out on the tennis courts making the most of the sunshine, with some fiercely competitive rallies, improving serves and plenty of encouragement between friends. It was one of those lovely evenings where everyone seemed determined to stay outside for as long as possible.

Wednesday brought a brilliant mix of activities, with a BBQ on the terrace followed by football and golf down on the banks. The children loved the relaxed feel of the evening, drifting between activities, chatting with friends and making the most of the lighter evenings. The golf was particularly popular, while the football matches quickly became far more competitive than perhaps originally intended. Mr Curr's bruised toes are testament to this.

Thursday rounded the week off perfectly with more football, face masks and plenty of fun back in the House. There was also a rather amusing spa-themed moment, complete with cucumbers on eyes, which certainly made for some excellent photos and a lot of laughter. The combination of energetic games outside followed by a calmer, slightly sillier atmosphere back in House made for a really lovely end to the week.

A superb few days all round, with the children in excellent spirits throughout. Have a wonderful weekend.

Oli and Debbie Jones, Houseparents

5G hosted an excellent Prep School assembly on Wednesday based around Britain in WWII. The children began their presentation with the national anthem, and then ran through the events of the war as if it were an episode of Newsround. Part their "episode" featured an "interview" in the London Underground, where air raid sirens played. It was excellent combination of history and drama, which made us feel as though we were really there.

On Saturday 13th June, Beaufort Polo Club will be hosting the Beaufort International. They are offering Beaudesert parents a 10% discount; please use the code BEAUDESERT10

More information and Tickets     

Our friends at Longfield Hospice are hosting a 'Walk 4 Longfield' event alongside their Summer Fete, also on Saturday 13th June.

For more information or to buy tickets, please visit Longfield's website.

More Information