It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas…
Special Visitor Rounds Off Wonderful Term In The Nursery
As Nursery bid farewell to a fabulous autumn term, the annual Christmas party brought joy and laughter to our little ones. The children delighted in a festive Christmas lunch, relishing the delights of crackers and donning their cheerful Christmas jumpers for an afternoon of lively dancing. And a special visitor dropped by to spread festive cheer and wish the children a very happy Christmas. It was a fantastic conclusion to a wonderful term filled with growth, learning, and heart-warming moments. Wishing you all a joyous holiday season!
Kerry Chapman, Nursery Class Teacher
Reception Just Love How The Cookie Crumbles!
In honour of the festive season, Reception made lovely Christmas gingerbread cookies. The children used their listening and teamwork skills to follow the recipe and mix the ingredients. And the end result? The cookies tasted delicious and the children loved eating them as they settled in to watch a fun Christmas film.
Natasha Jacklin, Reception Class Teacher
Wonderful Performance A Fitting Finale For Year 1
Year 1 signed off for the festive break with a wonderful Christmas performance in the theatre. Proudly showing off their speaking, teamwork and listening skills, the children told a wonderful tale involving aliens, a broken spaceship and the birth of Jesus. I have been particularly lucky to have taught these children over the last two years and seen their growth and development and we are all so proud of everything they have achieved this year, not least their brilliant play.
Hannah Feery, Year 1 Class Teacher
‘Prickly Hay’ Success As Year 2 Produce A Tour De Force
The Year 2 performance of Christmas play ‘Prickly Hay’ was an outstanding success, culminating in a resounding encore and rapturous applause from the delighted audience of watching parents. Delivering an authentic and expressive performance, the children continually improved their speaking skills through learning their lines, rehearsing, committing to their roles, and projecting their voices. Their pure joy and love of singing and dancing radiated throughout the performance.
Shirley Jervis, Year 2 Class Teacher
Year 3’s Christmas Lunch Is A Real Cracker
As Year 3 happily tucked into a fabulous Christmas lunch on Wednesday, thoughts turned to the amazing efforts of our fabulous catering team, who keep the children (and staff) well fed and watered all year round. On Wednesday, catering manager Marco and his skilled team roasted a whopping 60 kilos of Hampshire turkey crowns, rolled 600 pigs in blankets and made 400 portions of homemade stuffing, not to mention cooking a colossal 85 kilos of roast potatoes! Despite the hot and hard work in the kitchens, Marco said the smiling faces of the children and the many handmade Christmas cards given to the team made it all worthwhile.
Henrietta Platt, Head of Year 3
Year 4 Christingle The Perfect Christmas Holiday Sign Off
Year 4 helped deliver a beautiful Christingle service on Thursday filled with merriment and joy. Joining festive forces for the first time with Year 3, who formed an atmospheric procession with their lit Christingles to set the mood, Year 4 sang Ring Out The Bells in lovely harmony and each form took their turn to recite a Christmas-themed poem. Special mention must go to 4OM, who wrote their own poem with rhyming stanzas! Carols were aplenty and the festive spirit flowed. A huge well done to Iona S, Edward G and Fizzy B who wowed the congregation with their opening of Once In Royal David’s City and to Millie B (violin) and Pippa N (recorder) who performed a stunning instrumental version of traditional favourite Away In A Manger. A truly perfect way to start the Christmas holidays!
Rosie Dachtler, Year 4 Class Teacher
Happy Year 5 Switch To Full-On Party Mode
Year 5 ended a busy and productive term in party mode as they headed into the Christmas break in style. The children swapped their maths books for magnificent dance moves, their scientific studies for tasty snacks and their Latin lessons for lots of fun and laughter. It was no less than the children deserved after working so hard in and out of the classroom since September.
Jo Longshaw, Head of Middle Prep
Year 6 Bid Festive Farewell At Wonderful Carol Service
Year 6 ended a satisfying and fulfilling autumn term with a beautiful carol service in the Chapel on Friday. Join by children in Year 5, the older pupils played a full part in a wonderful occasion led by organists Mrs Harman and Mr Mühlemann. Ben M, Alice C, Freddie D and Olu A gave confident readings while the year group harmoniously sang Deck The Halls while being joined by the younger children in atmospheric renditions of classic carols, including a particularly special version of The Holly And The Ivy.
Simon Gunn, Year 6 Class Teacher
Festive Year 7 Fashionistas Sign Off In Style
Festive fashionistas in Year 7 dressed to impress on Wednesday as they marked Christmas jumper day. The children pulled out all the stops as they dazzled in their colourful seasonal sweaters which featured everything from stripy candy canes, cool reindeer and penguins on skis to favourite football teams, rocking robins and snowboarding Santas. Darth Vader even made an appearance as Year 7 signed off in style!
Richard Dunn, Year 7 Form Tutor
Year 8 Usher In The Start Of Christmas
The run-up to Christmas is always a special time at school, a sentiment epitomised by the wonderful Year 8 carol service. It is always such a wondrous and uplifting occasion, mixing traditional hymns with poignant readings and lessons, and Friday’s end-of-year service with Year 7 was no exception. From the moment Daisy A sublimely led the choristers into the Chapel, there was no looking back. Word perfect readings from Cristo P, Ella G, Orsino G, Jemima G, Genny H and Jamie W followed before a rousing rendition of O Come All Ye Faithful led the congregation into Christmas.
James Figgis, Head of Upper Prep