On Tuesday we welcomed The Code Show to Beaudesert.  They brought computers and technology from over 50 years ago, including the Sinclair Spectrum, BBC Micro, Commodore 64 and the Atari ST!  A brief lecture walked the Prep children through the home technology revolution starting from the use of typewriters in the 1930s right up to the HD computer screens we have at home today. The children were then given the opportunity to use the different machines, which also included early mobile phones and cameras, and challenged their classmates to a game of Pong!

Following our assembly on ‘Teamwork’, some of our children in Years 3 to 8 witnessed an excellent example of this in action when attending the ‘Zimmer vs Williams’ Concert of Film Music at The Bristol Hippodrome on Saturday. The London Concert Orchestra performed music from ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’, ‘Harry Potter’, ‘Gladiator’, ‘E.T’, ‘Batman’, ‘Superman’ and ‘Star Wars’ to name but a few! Complete with a light show programmed to the timing of the music, this was an inspirational opportunity to watch and listen to professional musicians working together in bringing film scores to life.

“My favourite part was when the conductor came on dressed as Johnny Depp from ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ and on the way home we saw lots of Banksy pictures. For those of you who do not know Banksy, he is a famous graffiti artist. It was a wonderful experience and I definitely recommend it,” said Sofia in Year 5.

Today we hosted an expert lecture by journalist and author Andy Robertson, who spoke to parents and children about gaming, the industry and well-being. Andy spoke to children from Years 6 – 8 and opened their eyes to the facts and figures behind gaming. Fortnite alone makes £300 million a month through in-app purchases. He also discussed PEGI ratings and explained how age classifications are placed on games.

He also introduced some more unknown games that are more appropriate for a younger audience and for families to play together – Joust Mania was a particular favourite. Thank you to all the parents who turned up and supported this afternoon and as ever, we shall continue to explore different avenues to keep our children aware of a digital world that will continue to dominate their lives.

It has been a great first full week back in the boarding house, packed with fun, laughter and a little bit of sleeping as well!

Last Friday saw Round 3 of the Table Tennis Ladder take place in which there was huge movement at both ends of the table. On Monday, the Year 4 children had a great time reacquainting themselves with all that the School has to offer. Before supper they were in the sports hall enjoying a game of dodgeball, then after supper (thanks to the rain) it was off to the IT room for some chill time. On Tuesday, it was a brand new boarding activity, Karaoke. All the children from Years 5 – 8 got involved and sung to their heart’s content, choosing songs and friends to share the microphones with. It was a huge success that we are sure will be repeated in the near future!

On Wednesday, the usual Searson supper took place but the order of the evening was a quiet one with a film to finish. On Thursday, it was this year’s inaugural Year 6 cricket nets which brought boys and girls to the sports hall to get their eye in and practise their spin or pace deliveries. For those who didn’t fancy an evening of cricket, Just Dance was on the cards in the boarding house.

We look forward to another fun week next week but as ever, should you have any questions regarding boarding, please do get in touch on the email houseparents@bps.school. From all of us upstairs, have a terrific Leave Out weekend.

On Monday Beaudesert hosted the regional round of The National Key Stage 2 General Knowledge Championship, run by Quiz Club. We welcomed three local schools and fielded two teams. After a hard fought competition, answering questions on topics that included Science, Geography and History of Art, our best performing team came third. Well done to the winners, Berkhamsted!

We are very excited to be hosting an exclusive concert in February including singer-songwriter Ben Cipolla and all-female trio Cafe Spice! Tickets are just £10 and include a beverage, under 16s go free.   Please click here to purchase tickets : BUY TICKETS

Join us for a relaxing Friday evening with a wonderful selection of professional musical talent. For a taste of what is in store, please click on the links below:

We were treated to some fantastic performances in the Prep School assembly this week. Archie in Year 8 played ‘Fly me to the Moon’ on the cornet, Iona and Esme in Year 6 performed a LAMDA piece from ‘Goldilocks’, Amelia in Year 6 sang ‘Dream it Possible’ and Rose in Year 7 played ‘Stranger’ on the piano. All of the children performed fantastically in front of their peers and it was a wonderful way to start the morning!

Tennis coaching with James Aburrow at Minchinhampton Tennis Club takes place this term during the Tuesday activity. The fun and active sessions take place on the clubs brand new all-weather court. Please contact Mr Dill if you would like your child to join the paid activity N.dill@bps.school