weekly round up 13th September

Dear Parents

I hope you are all well.

Term is now most certainly in full swing. Year 6 enjoyed a day at Bowles Rocks in Tunbridge Wells last Friday, and Years 7 and 8 have been enjoying their residential Bushcraft trip in Northamptonshire. As this newsletter reaches you I am probably on my way back with them and may well be in a service station somewhere on the A1. In years gone by, this stop on the return journey has always raised a smile on my face as we all radiate a rather strong fragrance of “Eau de Bonfire”, which we have become immune to over the previous days. However, the poor souls around us hoping to enjoy a quiet coffee and sandwich on a break from their travels do give us rather strange looks as though we have emerged from another, somewhat prehistoric world!

Next week I will be attending the annual IAPS Conference, which gives me a chance to attend some interesting presentations; this year, I am particularly looking forward to one focusing on AI and its impact on education in the future. It is also an opportunity to meet up with other heads from prep schools, learn from each other and debate the myriad of educational, economic and political issues that abound.

Next Saturday brings with it Family Day, our annual event to bring the school community together at the start of the year. I hope that you are able to join us and enjoy the stalls and events!

Best wishes

Luke Harrison

Dear Parents,

What a joy it has been to see all of our wonderful children back in school this Autumn Term! It has been especially delightful to welcome our new joiners, including our youngest nursery families, to our Pre-Prep community. The children have shown incredible resilience and enthusiasm as they settle into the daily life and routines of their new classrooms. We are very proud of how well they have adapted and embraced the start of a new term.

This term, we are placing a significant emphasis on our school’s ‘Way of Life’ and the importance of kindness, helpfulness and being a supportive friend to everyone. Our focus is on creating a positive environment where all children feel valued, safe and inspired to be the best version of themselves.

In our weekly ‘Way of Life’ assemblies each Thursday, we will be exploring the theme of ‘differences.’ We aim to help children understand that not everyone looks or sounds the same, and that these differences are something to celebrate. By meeting and knowing a variety of people, we enrich our lives and make our world a more interesting and exciting place to live in.
As we move forward in this new term, I am filled with optimism and excitement about all the opportunities ahead. Let’s work together to create a nurturing and inclusive environment where every child feels special and celebrated for who they are.

I would like to leave you with a thought for the term ahead:
“We all should know that diversity makes for a rich tapestry, and we must understand that all the threads of the tapestry are equal in value no matter their colour.”
Maya Angelou

Thank you for your continued support and trust in us. Here’s to a fantastic term ahead!

Kind regards,

Helen Cook