prep news summer 2016

1Prep News Summer 2016

Excellent Prep rated ‘Excellent’ in all

categories of the recent ISI Report

Turning Back Time History trips explore Gloucester,

Reading and Canterbury

Amazing Technicolour Pupils impress with their production

of Joseph

A Flying Start STEM Club members fly their glider

under Concorde

100 Days Celebration Kingfishers boys and girls mark 100

days of school

Summer 2016PREP NEWS

2 Prep News Summer 2016

ISI ReportStaff and pupils at The Prep are celebrating after the school received an exceptional report from ISI inspectors, having been rated as ‘Excellent’ in every single category. The report on the full School Inspection, which took place in February, was full of praise for the excellent quality of pupils’ high academic achievements and learning, while the curriculum and extra-curricular programme were praised for having both balance and real breadth throughout the whole school.

Pupils’ personal development was among the many strengths of both College and Prep, with ‘boarding experience classed as ‘outstanding,’ particularly through the high quality pastoral care and welfare

system in place and also the support and guidance pupils receive through the house system.

The Prep was praised for pupils’ attitudes to learning and their exemplary behaviour, which plays a significant part in contributing to their excellent educational experience. Headmaster, Jonathan Whybrow, said: ‘We are proud that the inspectors recognised our pupils’ excellent progress throughout the Prep and how they are exceptionally well prepared for transfers at each stage and to their senior school. As the report states, ‘pupils develop an excellent level of personal development as they move through the Prep, in line with the aim to develop a breadth of understanding of spiritual, moral and aesthetic awareness, as well as a respect for people and the environment.

‘One is able to see that the school has made giant strides in all respects. “Excellent” in all areas is only a small part of the story which, instead, is dominated by the many references to the character of the children and the strength of the community. This is an outstanding success story for the Prep but be assured, laurels will not be rested on!’

The Headmaster’s Reflections

And so the ‘difficult bit in the middle’ has been overcome and we can all look back on a term of challenges, intense activity, and, of course, the highly successful inspection. It was appropriate that the term was brought to a conclusion by the successful production of Joseph. The school’s ability to offer such an enjoyable and professional production was dependent on the community’s ability to work closely together.

The academic timetable comes under pressure and the children, who are already tired and busy, have to be supported to manage the pressures that they are under too. The relationships between children and between children and staff come under scrutiny. Reassuringly, the strengths of these relationships as identified by the inspection report, allowed the School to work through this extremely busy time of the year.

Meanwhile, in the background, Art has been waiting to take centre stage as Mrs Parsley and the Prep’s Art Department prepare to host the SATIPS National Preparatory Schools’ Art Exhibition. Do take the time to come and look round the incredible range of talent that will be on display in the foyer outside the dining room and on the balcony above, from Friday 22 April.

I wish to conclude by referring to one other challenge that was overcome, one which could not have been achieved without the co-operation of home. It was clear that in the penultimate week of term there was a real threat from the flu-like illness which had affected College. That the Prep was able to remain relatively unscathed was not just down to the fact that the Prep is primarily a day school. Instead, I put our success down to parents making sound decisions as to whether their child was well enough to attend school, thereby not risking the spread of contagious illnesses. Once again, I refer to the strength of relationships within the community, between staff, pupils and parents. Thank you.

Mr Jonathan Whybrow

Jon Whybrow, Headmaster

Two former Cheltenham College pupils returned to Cheltenham Prep with their own successful business, to help stage the school’s production of Joseph. Jonnie and Alex Clough launched their family lighting hire and event production business, Blue Parrot, in 2000, and returned to The Prep this term to provide complex technical staging for the school’s production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. The production’s cast of 100 pupils, plus 10 crew, rehearsed since September last year, and performed three shows to a sold out audience.

“The pupils have enjoyed the journey, from having to simply imagine what the show might look like,” said Head of Drama, Jill Douglas. “Now they have a full set, with professional staging, costumes, lights and special effects. The amazing technical production, including a video wall, is a credit to Blue Parrot.”

Cheltenham College maintains close ties with its former pupils, encouraging many to return and share their career experiences with current children. “We are delighted to be able to return to support our old school,” said Alex Clough, of Blue Parrot. “Seeing how well the children respond to the set, sound and lighting is really rewarding. We hope the children remember this production and will be inspired to pursue a career in the arts.”

Both staff and parents have praised the cast of this fantastic production for their hard work, confidence and dedication.

3Prep News Spring 2016

4 Prep News Spring 2016

KINGFISHERS100 Days of SchoolIn Kingfishers this term, everyone celebrated our 100th day of school! We are now 100 days smarter, and enjoyed a day of creative and maths challenges and activities around the number 100.

Year 2 were amazed by the decorations that they discovered when they arrived at school that morning. ‘When I walked in to Kingfishers, I thought a workman had made the display that I had to walk through,’ said Jack, in class 2D, ‘but it was actually Ms Duggan, Mrs Randell and Mrs Harris. It felt ticklish, it was amazing!’

Hattie, in 2D, got stuck into the 100 Days-themed activities: ‘We made hedgehogs with 100 spikes,’ she said. The hedgehog challenge was just one of many, with boys and girls making necklaces from 100 Cheerios and building a model using 100 pieces of Lego.

The celebrations certainly caught the imaginations of the boys and girls in Year 1: ‘I drew a picture of what I think I will look like when I am 100!’ said Charles, from 1B, whilst others enjoyed colouring

a ‘Happy 100th Day of School’ picture. Some children had brought in things from home, like Edward from 1J, who said ‘I brought in a jigsaw with 100 pieces which we are making together’.

When asked what the favourite part of their day was, Reception boys and girls said they most enjoyed putting 100 seeds in lots of plant pots and covering them up with soil, as well as pretending to be witches and wizards, counting 100 eyeballs into a magic potion and stirring the pot!

The children in Year 1 performed their very own jungle-themed assembly! The boys and girls thought of their own words and showed off their dancing and acting skills to great delight. There were pretty, dancing flamingoes, quickstepping tigers, break-dancing frogs, cheeky monkeys, colourful parrots and stomping elephants. The tour guides led everyone through the Jungle safely, with lots of laughs along the way.

‘There was a lot of animals in our assembly: elephants and tigers and crocodiles... But we weren’t scared! We invited them home for tea.’

In the Jungle

Happy St Patrick’s Day! In Kingfishers, Prep parent, Mrs Bell, came in to tell some Irish stories, before the boys and girls explored the school grounds on the hunt for a leprechaun! They didn’t find one, but they did find lots of his gold coins. Everyone had a shamrock painted onto their faces and made Irish flags. Thanks Mrs Bell, we had a fun morning celebrating St Patrick’s Day!


DinosaursCottage and Reception boys and girls loved the topic this term: Dinosaurs! Reception class waited with baited breath as two dinosaur eggs in the classroom waited to hatch. Each morning the children checked carefully to see if any cracks had appeared and there was much speculation as to what might be inside. In Forest School the

children went on a fossil hunt and dug up some dinosaur bones. They couldn’t be sure if they were real or not! There were some real experts in class who loved sharing their knowledge, keeping the teachers on their toes, especially when it comes to using the correct pronunciation.

Some of the many activities have included digging up bones in our outdoor excavation site, as well as inspecting, drawing and measuring them. The boys and girls used their feet to measure a giant dinosaur footprint they found on the floor – which dinosaur do you think it might have come from? Playing in the dinosaur swamp has also been very popular, and the children have all made their own dinosaur hats to wear around school.

Sense-ational Year 2In Year 2, boys and girls became poets who know it! They heightened their senses to become more familiar with the Kingfishers surroundings and promote the school to anyone who enters, through the genre of poetry! They listened to children playing, teachers shuffling, pancakes flipping and ‘Forest Schoolers’ digging. The children saw blustery winds and plenty of rain, but also many acts of kindness and generosity.

To help them get into the creative mood and generate adjectives to enhance their poems, everyone took part in a touch experiment. Brave, (although not always willing!) volunteers had their own version of a ‘bush tucker trial’, and described what they felt in different bowls. There were slimy, sludgy scrambled eggs, mushy, revolting banana, soft, gentle feathers, juicy, squishy oranges and rough, spiky bark. There were gasps of horror, squeals of delight and plenty of laughs: that was just from the Year 2 teachers! You can spot many of their special ‘Come to Kingfishers’ poems around the department.

Going on a Bear HuntIn a dramatic turn of events, Year 1’s teddy bear went missing. Was he kidnapped? Lost? Or off being mischievous somewhere...? In an effort to discover the bear’s whereabouts, Year 1 boys and girls ventured out to Bath Road on a treasure hunt.

It seems the fluffy friend had been up to all sorts of mischief and the trail of clues led us through banks, the post office and cafes, all the way to a bakery, to find him! Teddy was so grateful for being rescued by the children that he treated them all to a biscuit.


Geography Trip to Bath RoadIn Geography, Year 3 took a field trip to Bath Road to investigate the type of customers and the types of shopping going on in the local area. The boys and girls discovered that the Bath Road shopping area was used mostly by those people who either live or work locally.

The young researchers wanted to know from how far away people travel to Bath Road and which shops were the most popular. The only way they could find out this information was to ask visitors! It was a lovely opportunity for all of the children

to take a closer look at the school’s local area and to carry out a shopping survey. The children were well behaved, polite and courteous. Staff received many compliments about how well they presented themselves and represented our school in the community!

LOWER SCHOOL

Sleeping Beauty Taken HostageYear 3 and 4 pupils enjoyed a fantastic morning of exciting English activities as part of their regular Enrichment Mornings.

The pupils were split in to seven different teams and rotated around all of the different activities on offer, which ranged from interviewing each other for a new Head Teacher role, creating word clouds about literacy, hot seating characters, and playing word and sentence games.

Events took a sinister turn when then pupils created ransom notes inspired by popular stories, or in relation to newspaper articles. The morning was a great success and complementary to the brilliant work constantly taking place in literacy lessons.

Viking DayLower School children in Year 4 recreated their own Viking village based upon all they have learnt this term. All of the time spent researching facts about the Vicious Vikings came in very handy!

Using craft materials, pupils built 3D houses with wattle and daub features (a building technique the Vikings used to use) and they thatched the roofs with hay. To protect the village from attack, the children made fences out of lollypop sticks. The children even made their own Viking people for the village! The figures wore tunics and belts made by the pupils, just as the Vikings would have worn.


Printing in ArtYear 4 boys and girls have enjoyed printing in Art during the term. They experimented with different tools and techniques to make patterns and pictures on polystyrene and then used printing ink to make their prints. To finish the project, the children used watercolours to colour-wash a piece of paper and then printed their designs onto it, to create these fantastic, colourful designs.

Finding Peace at Gloucester Cathedral‘Dona Nobis Pacem (Give us Peace)’ was once sung by the monks at St Peter’s Abbey, known in modern times as Gloucester cathedral. Year 4 pupils chanted this prayer during their visit to the cathedral, as they dressed in traditional monks’ habits and (unsuccessfully) vowed silence. Not that staff minded - they sang with great feeling and imagination!

We had a marvellous tour of the grand cathedral and learned of the dress code, daily rituals and roles of the monks who once resided there. The boys and girls were all given the opportunity to write with quills and produce small bags of sweet-smelling herbs, such as rosemary and sage from the gardens within the historic grounds.

In ancient times, the monks would have come to the cathedral to study, work and pray. Many of the Year 4s were enthusiastic about the idea of a life playing Nine Men’s Morris (a traditional game) whilst eating eel stew. Delicious!

Music for Youth PromsTaking place throughout the year and around the country, the Music For Youth Proms are performed by young people, for young people. This term, Lower School pupils enjoyed seeing this inspirational show of talent at the Cheltenham Town Hall.

The performance began with the Greater Gwent Percussion ensemble, performing a variety of rhythms using step ladders. Their performance seemed to go down a treat! This was followed by vocal acts including The Arias, performing an Ed Sheeran number, and Wyedean Gospel Choir. Their performances were received with whoops and cheers. Next to perform were the Flash Mob Ninjas on their trombones. They performed a range of jazz pieces including a popular favourite, Feelin’ Good. Finally, the percussion ensemble rounded the performance off with another piece they had composed and arranged themselves.

The children particularly enjoyed being able to take part in the concert. They were taught the bubble gum warm-up as well as a tricky rhythm which everyone performed as part of a round. Overall, it was a wonderful experience for both pupils and staff. Here’s what some of our Year 3s thought:

‘I liked the Gwent percussion because they used ladders instead of instruments’ Andrew

‘I really liked the bubble gum warm-up because it was funny.’ Thomas


WWII Play in a DayIt was a huge privilege for pupils and parents to watch Year 5 children perform a play about being an evacuee this week. After a few hours of exciting, fast-paced rehearsal, every pupil in Year 5 took on a role and led us through a dramatic recreation of evacuee experiences in WWII.

Year 5 children were encouraged to use their own knowledge of WWII to enrich the performance. It was very rewarding to hear so many accurate WWII details retold with such confidence and in such an entertaining context; Mr Baird, Head of History, was thrilled to hear pupils recollecting how they loved to collect shrapnel from bombsites. Indeed, many of us are still chuckling at Arthur Robinson’s attempt to milk a cow; we are not sure who enjoyed it most, Arthur, the audience or the cow!

Thanks must also go to Mr Colin Smith who directed this wonderful extra-curricular History activity. However, the stars of the day were undoubtedly the Year 5 evacuees themselves, as they brought WWII to life for a day at The Prep.

MIDDLE SCHOOL

Cheltenham SynagogueYear 5 headed down to Cheltenham’s local synagogue this week as part of their Religious Studies lessons. The children heard an interesting and informative talk from a member of the synagogue explaining its history and traditions, and the children were given the opportunity to ask questions and take part in some role play.

House Netball and HockeyMiddle School competed in the House netball and hockey competitions. It was fantastic to see every pupil taking part in these events, and pupils playing across different age groups and teams, unlike in normal Games sessions. On the touchlines of the hockey pitches, staff observed some great camaraderie and sportsmanship, with team captains ensuring that all players got a chance to play and team members offering each other their hats and gloves to keep warm. There was an equally friendly and encouraging atmosphere on the sidelines of the netball courts too.


Exploring the WaterworksIn Year 5 Geography this term, classes have been looking at water use, both locally and around the world. This week pupils were lucky enough to have Rod King from the College Estates Department show them water around the school.

The group started with the water coming into school, where it goes, how big the pipes are, how it’s used, and then (the fun part) where the waste water goes! The children enjoyed looking at the route of water once the toilets had been flushed, and gained a better appreciation for not blocking them! The rainwater tanks were also inspected and the children soon realised where a huge amount of their tennis balls ended up, once they’d travelled from the roof, along the gutters and down the pipes!

Sports AcrobaticsWell done Year 5 pupils, who have been performing their sports acrobatics routines to the rest of the class, in gymnastics lessons. Pupils worked together in small groups or pairs, using each other and the mat to balance and stretch in different positions.

Evacuation DayMiddle School pupils became evacuees for an afternoon. Using their rationed food to make proper WWII recipes, they discovered that many foods didn’t taste great but were a lot of fun to make. They made Lord Woolton’s Pie, Anzac Biscuits, Shortbread and Vegetable Turnovers. They also spent time in the Art Room, drawing and painting WWII planes, learning the difference between round and square wing tip silhouettes:

round edges for the British and square for the German. It was particularly interesting to discover how flying in formation also informed people below about what was happening in the WWII skies.

The pupils really had a great day and loved learning things about World War II. Everyone said that they would like to do more WWII cooking but we should all be very glad that we do not have to ration our food anymore! Mrs Bond said, ‘We are very lucky to be able to press a few buttons on the computer and have food delivered to our doors, rather than wait for hours in a queue for a couple of rashers of bacon.’


Townsend Warner History PrizeThe Townsend-Warner History Prize is over 125 years old and one of the oldest institutions in the preparatory school world! Consisting of two papers, one a demanding list of 100 questions with one-word or one-sentence answers from world history, and one two-hour paper in the form of essay questions.

After a relaxed Christmas break and a quiz devised by former candidates Duncan Pinchen and Maximus Morris, 22 Cheltenham Prep Upper School candidates sat Paper 1 in January. Staff can only commend their dedication to the challenge: pupils met during break times over the last term, learning about different parts of History that the syllabus does not cover and practising their historical general knowledge.

17 of the candidates did extremely well and will receive certificates of participation. Congratulations to: Charlie Anton-Smith, William Bradley, Seb Burden, Tom Buxton, Dekhan Dodo, Fionnuala Dowling-Membrado, Holly Ellis, Anna Forde, James French, Jessica Hale, Peter Marstrand, Francesca Pinchard, Oliver Schallamach, Denis Solovyev, Rory Southall, Anabelle Wells and Grace White. Three candidates scored highly and just missed out on an invitation to sit Paper 2: George Hardy, Molly Krauer and Rory Maddinson. However two exceptional candidates qualified to sit Paper 2: Louis Dessalles was placed 201st nationally with a score of 46/100 in Paper 1; Charles Hellens was placed 16th nationally with a score of 71/100. In a particularly difficult year of the competition (this year, 250 pupils nationally qualified from Paper 1 to sit Paper 2), these are incredibly impressive scores!

Louis and Charles sat Paper 2 the following week, and both boys gained significant places as a result of their hard work. Louis rose from 201st to 137th and Charles rose to finish in the Top 10, finishing 9th overall after being placed 16th after Paper 1. These are both superb achievements and a reward for their hard work and dedication towards the subject.

UPPER SCHOOLPrinting InspirationYear 8 pupils have been enjoying Art this term: the theme is printing. In class, they have researched, sketched and coloured graffiti lettering designs to inspire their reduction prints on lino. The designs were very colourful, requiring the pupils to remove sections of their lino using a cutter, stage-by-stage, printing with different colours of ink for each part of the process.

Careers TalksTo help Year 8 pupils relate the subjects and skills that they learn in school to those that they may require in their future career, they had the opportunity to listen to and question a range of speakers talking about their jobs and the skills they require. Teamwork, good communication skills and to enjoy what you do was a recurring theme from all.


Music Award Holders PerformanceMusic award holders from Year 7 and 8 performed a recital to an appreciative audience of friends, family and staff.

The occasion, which took place in the stunning Thirlestaine Long Gallery at College, was more formal than our usual pupils’ concerts, with the pupils wearing concert dresses and black tie. Each pupil performed on each of their different instruments, and a drinks reception was held afterwards to enable the audience to chat to and congratulate the performers. This event partly served as preparation for the Year 8 pupils who auditioned at College for their 13+ music awards the following week, but also as a celebration for these pupils who do so much for the wider musical life of the school. Well done to everyone involved - the musicians put on a fantastic show and their musical talent and professional approach impressed all our guests.

History Trip to ReadingTo complement the medieval syllabus in History, which prepares pupils for Common Entrance history exams, Upper School brought some of the stories around the rise and fall of King Henry II to life, with a trip away.

In March, Year 7 set off in search of Reading Museum (home to a full sized replica of the Bayeux Tapestry, the historical source that documents the Norman invasion of Britain from start to finish, the only one of its kind). From there the tour continued to Canterbury, where pupils were guided round the Cathedral and shown where Thomas Becket was murdered on the spot, on the alleged orders of King Henry II. As well as this was an opportunity to learn about the rich history that the most important church building in England offers.

After a Pizza Express ‘pizza-fest’ and overnight stay at the Holiday Inn, the trip reached its headline act: Hastings. Set in the town of Battle, the 1066 Centre is home to the world famous battlefield that changed the course of English History: even our current monarch is a descendant of the victor, William the Conqueror. The scale and magnitude

of the battlefield really brought perspective to the young historians in their quest for the truth. Historically-speaking, it was an essential piece of the history jigsaw that the History Department

is putting together for Upper School, however, it was also an extremely enjoyable trip due to the company and exemplary behaviour from the pupils. There were many extremely positive comments throughout the two days praising the conduct of the Year 7s, as well as their intellectual intrigue.

Roller DiscoIn between intense periods of studying, and exams for some, Upper School have been able to enjoy some great group activities. At the end of term, Years 7 and 8 dressed up in their best neon outfits, (plus some striking make up) ready to participate in the legendary Roller Disco!

After a delicious dinner to give energy for the evening of skating ahead, the boys and girls made their way up to the Sports Centre. Here, the atmosphere was set with pumping disco beats and flashing lights. Everyone enjoyed an evening of skating, trying to skate backwards and the inevitable crashes and collisions. The usual boys versus girls race was also a big success, with a fierce competitive edge. The night finished with everyone agreeing it was great fun, great exercise and a fitting end to the term.


Showcase Concert at Cadogan HallAs part of the College’s 175th anniversary celebrations, the combined Music departments of Cheltenham College and Cheltenham Prep gave a showcase concert in London’s prestigious Cadogan Hall. Head of Music at College, Mr David

McKee commented, ‘Performing in such an impressive venue was a huge privilege for all involved, and the students worked incredibly hard to produce an absolutely stunning evening of music that will be remembered for a very long time.’

The concert featured a number of music ensembles from The Prep School, including the Prep Orchestra, String Trio, and Percussion ensemble. The combined orchestras from both schools, accompanied by the choir, treated the audience to a rousing rendition of Parry’s Jerusalem. The evening’s repertoire ranged from Baroque string music to 20th century jazz via Dvořák and African drumming, giving a snapshot of the sheer breadth of music that is on offer at Cheltenham College and the Preparatory School.

‘Having diverse musical opportunities from as early as Cottage and Nursery classes through to Upper School has given Prep pupils confidence in their musical abilities,’ said Head of Music at the Prep, Mr Perona-Wright. ‘We’ve been able to cultivate confidence with performances in Lake House as well as in the community. The pupils demonstrated that confidence wonderfully at this evening’s concert, and I was very impressed with everyone who took part.’

Flying Start ChallengeThe Flying Start Competition, organised by aerospace engineering companies within the South West of England, aims to increase engineering awareness amongst young people and to help schools forge links with local industry. This year’s challenge was to design and build a hand-launched glider, to fly as far as possible, and Cheltenham Prep’s STEM Club members spent months preparing.

The regional competition consisted of a glider fly-off between all participating teams, a poster presentation of the glider’s design, which was judged by a panel from the engineering companies, as well as a tower building activity and quiz. Cheltenham Prep had amazing results and out of the 7 schools and 22 teams that

participated, one Prep team placed 1st in the quiz section, whilst another placed 3rd for all sections combined, securing a place at the national finals.

The Grand Final of the Flying Start Challenge was held at the Fleet Air Arm Museum in Yeovilton, where Deji Adetona and Pablo Benedit became the National winners of the Flying Start Activities Challenge 2016. They had to construct a support system to hold the most mass at a set height, and used a tetrahedron design that was really effective. They also had to design a capsule to support an egg that was launched by parachute off the second floor of the museum.

Rory Southall, Andre Zamora and Billy Mayes flew their glider under the wings of Concorde. It flew a fantastic 15 metres and was fourth overall. They also had to present their design to the Chairman of Safran, the aircraft engineering company, and some of the lead engineers from Rolls Royce and Airbus. The boys were confident and explained their designs clearly using lots of the technical terms they had learnt over the last two terms (like pitch, roll and yaw). The teams performed fantastically at this year’s competition and STEM Club members are looking forward to competing again next year.

Pancake DayPupils put their pancake flipping skills to the test in the annual Pancake Race this Shrove Tuesday. Children in Years 3-8 took a lap of the school playground, whilst carrying their frying pan and pancake, pausing twice to demonstrate their flipping prowess before charging to the finish line! In total £112.20 was raised for The Prep’s charity of the year, Gloucestershire Bundles.


World Book DayOn World Book Day, strange and oddly-clad creatures began to appear through the mist, and make their way across the playground and car park to classrooms. Shrieks of delight could be heard echoing around the school as Mr Men characters and Oompa-Loompas took the registers, demon dentists and gangsta grannies answered their names and a fierce looking Miss Trunchbull stalked the hallways, reprimanding any ‘disgusting little blisters’ that might step out of line.

Staff across the school were blown away by the children’s efforts to dress up as characters from an enormous range of books and to bravely strut their stuff down the catwalk in front of the whole school and local press.

Mrs Dawson’s library was busily buzzing with children entering the Alphabet Challenge and Book Token Design competition and superb teamwork was on display as pupils whizzed around the school, following the Book Trail and solving clues.

The Prep was awash with book quizzes, games, activities and lessons; Mr Strong revolted Lower School with rhymes during break time while Little Miss Sunshine transported Year 2 to George’s farm and his concoction of marvellous medicine. By the end of the day the Writes of Passage display in Day End was almost full with colourful cards written by pupils about a book that has had a significant impact on their lives. Visiting author (and teacher at Cheltenham College), Dom Faulkner, was a fitting peak to the end of a truly exciting day. Year 6 and Year 8 were spellbound as Dom regaled true tales from his book, The Longest Climb.

Science OpeningAt the beginning of term, staff, pupils and Governors of the Prep welcomed guests from Cheltenham schools and the wider science industry to the brand new Science Centre, as part of its official opening event. Guests, including College Headmaster, Dr Peterken, and representatives of the Cheltenham Science Festivals and University of

Gloucestershire’s Science Department, were invited to explore the facilities and try out a selection of experiments, guided by Year 7 scientists.

The Centre certainly wowed guests who were impressed by the technology in use, including dual HD projectors and visualisers. ‘These facilities would be the envy of any medical school - let alone a Prep school,’ said guest of honour, Mr John Ferris, before he declared the building open by delivering his very own experiment: setting the ceremonial ribbon alight!

House Baking CompetitionStaff were amazed by the number of entries to the House Baking competition (231 entries in total across the school!).

Challenged to bake to the theme ‘Rio 2016’, Kingfishers pupils decorated shortbread biscuits with Olympic rings, various sports, medals and even some designed as sportsmen and flags. Lower School met the challenge of cupcakes well, by decorating them as tennis balls, or using a Rio carnival theme or the Olympic rings, some showing swimmers and other Olympic sports.

Middle School went to town with their Victoria Sponge cake decorations: there were swimming pools, divers, horses, Olympic flames, flags, race tracks, stadiums, a boxing ring, and more! Upper School had the hardest task of all: making a 3D bread sculpture. They met the challenge admirably. There were fantastic examples of Olympic rings, multi coloured dough, tennis racquets, statues of Christ the Redeemer, medals, hockey sticks, Olympic flames, mascots and various boats, including a fully manned rowing boat! The tasting was a tough job for Mr Webber!


Polo TeamsTwo teams from Cheltenham Prep entered the Schools and Universities Polo Association Junior Arena Tournament at Longdole Polo Club. The Intermediate team including Oliver Callon Hine, Phoebe Channing and Monty Dawson played in the Intermediate section against teams from The Dragon School and Beaudesert Park. The three played extremely well together, starting with a draw against Beaudesert followed by two narrow defeats by The Dragon, and ended up in fourth place.

The Prep’s Beginners team, inlcuding Charles Martin and Oliver Smith, were joined by a Beaudesert player and played three chukkas against The Dragon. It was Charles’ and Oliver’s first tournament and, although nervous the boys played very well, coached along by the umpire, Dan Banks, who teaches the children at our weekly polo sessions. The team finished in second place.

The children all received goody bags full of prizes with Oliver Callon Hine also being awarded the trophy for Most Improved Player. Congratulations to The Prep’s teams for playing brilliantly, being well behaved and remaining cheerful during a long and freezing cold morning.

Kingfishers First Away FixturesThis term Year 2 boys and girls were excited to play their first Hockey Tournament, against Dean Close Prep School. It was their very first away match! Everyone caught a coach and minibus there, played 4 matches and had match tea. The children not only practised their hockey skills, but also their sportsmanship, shaking hands with the opposition after each match, and giving three cheers at the very end.

‘It was my very first hockey match and I found it really, really fun!’ - Jack Evans

‘It was very fun because we got to see the Dean Close children again.’ – Ava Blackhurst

‘I enjoyed it very much and I scored lots of goals.’ - Oliver Weale

NetballAlthough a short term, the Netball season has been a very busy one. As well as the usual House Competitions, Severnside Tournaments and IAPS tournaments that regularly feature in our fixture lists, we also managed to squeeze in a number of other exciting trips and events to promote and develop Netball.

The Year 5 girls played host to a touring team from York, St Olave’s, and all three teams came away victorious after some close matches. The Year 6s had their annual tour to Guernsey which, now in its 30th year, was once again a huge success and saw the girls playing netball and hockey (as well as having lots of fun on the beach). Upper School girls were lucky enough to get the opportunity to see Team Bath in action in the Super League - a fantastic and inspiring experience for them all.

What’s more, after the positive feedback from last year, we once again hosted a mixed festival for local primary schools. All in all, another successful term and the girls continue to impress with their commitment, sportsmanship and positive attitudes.


Cross CountryCross country has seen a huge surge in enthusiasm, participation and success over the last two terms. Every Thursday evening, the 25-strong Cross Country Club brave the elements (whatever the weather!), put on their high-vis bibs and push themselves to improve personal bests, develop stamina and enjoy a run out with friends.

There have been two main House events this year. Firstly the individual races held at the end of November, where the children ran full laps of the school playing fields. This year it was particularly competitive and saw the following individuals come out as winners: from Lower School, Tom

Peterken and Lois Jeveons; from Middle School, Joseph Tagg and Claudie MacInnes; from Upper School, Finlay Hurst and Freya Coull. When all the scores were added up, it left Athens and Rome as joint winners.

Secondly there were the Cross Country relays, held in February, where one boy and one girl from each year represented their house and passed on the baton after running one lap of the field each. Strategy played a big part as the teams were allowed to decide the order in which the children ran! The overall winner was Persia with four houses coming joint second.

We also took part in the Cheltenham and District Cross Country league for Years 3 – 6, which involved four races between October and March. This acts as a qualifying stage for the County race in late March where the children represent Cheltenham. After four races, the runners’ best three races are counted and the top 12 of about

180 runners get selected for the County race. Three Cheltenham Prep runners qualified this year and, but for illness, it would have been more: Joseph Tagg (6th), Claudie MacInnes (4th) and Martha Llewellen-Palmer (7th). When the scores from all the schools, of which there were about 25-30 schools in total, were added together the Prep’s girls’ team ended up coming 1st - a wonderful achievement! At the county race, held in Newent, the three all ran particularly well with Joseph Tagg being part of the winning Cheltenham boys’ team - a fantastic effort.

For the first time we also sent U11 and U13 boys and girls teams to the National Preparatory Schools Cross Country Championships hosted at Malvern College, where runners ran well against outstanding athletes on a particularly hilly and muddy course. We hope to maintain the momentum and continue to raise the profile of Cross Country and running in general.

House Swimming GalaThe popular House Swimming Gala was a huge success! Huge thanks go to all of the parents who supported the event and added to the atmosphere (and the noise!) on the day. The children really felt a part of their House and the excitement of that final full house relay race is something that

the organising staff will remember for a long time. The gala results were:

1st – ATHENS (330 pts) 2nd – PERSIA (321 pts) 3rd – ROME (317 pts)4th – CORINTH (296 pts) 5th – SPARTA (265 pts) 6th – TROY (232 pts)

Netball Mums Triumph!Cheltenham Prep girls have been enjoying lots of netball matches and it is super to see so many parents supporting court-side. This group of Prep Mums were just itching to play themselves and entered a team in the league at The College Sports Centre. Congratulations to the team for winning their league and cup finals too! It’s great to see so many people enjoying the sport and we hope your daughters are proud of you.


Brolly Creations InstalledAt the beginning of each academic year a new installation in the Art Room is used as a starting point for the term’s art project, for all pupils from Years 5 to 8. 2015 was to be ‘Umbrellas’, inspired by work of by Michael Craig-Martin RA. Everyone began by doing at least two lessons of observational drawing, which developed into large pastel and painted pieces. Later on each child received their own umbrella, and once assured they could be painted and embellished, the project was born!

Working alongside and in addition to their 2D projects, this highly personal task spanned two terms. The children were asked to plan, design and create an umbrella that was individual to them: it could have a personal meaning or it could be purely decorative. However, it had to be completed in time to be the centre-piece for the SATIPS National Prep Schools’ Art Exhibition, which Cheltenham Prep hosted in April.

The creations were fantastic! Ranging from modern interpretations of Marvel superheros and text messaging emojis, through to depictions of nature and the solar system, or personal connections to language and heritage, the artists let their imaginations run wild. The overall effect was wonderful, and you can see the completed installation outside the Prep Assembly Hall.

Dates of Summer Term 2016Half term: Friday 27 May – Monday 6 June

End of term: Saturday 2 July

Cheltenham College Preparatory School, Thirlestaine Road, Cheltenham, GL53 7AB

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Note from the EditorI would like to thank all members of the Common Room and The Prep pupils who contributed to this publication, in particular, Andy Banks for much of the photography.

Lesley Southgate, Editor

T: 01242 522697 E: [email protected] www.cheltenhamcollege.org/prep-home

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Easter CelebrationsEaster was being celebrated throughout the school in the run up to this wonderful festival!

The Kingfishers and Lower School boys and girls donned their best Easter bonnets and took part in an Easter egg hunt to raise money for Gloucestershire Bundles, answering lots of challenging clues along the way! Bakery Club decorated Easter-themed cakes and biscuits, using vivid pink and decadent purple icing for some of their creations.

Sweet treats could also be found at the Troy House Easter Event for younger House members. Pupils from Years 3, 4 and 5 all stayed after school to have an enjoyable time decorating cakes, making birds nests and creating egg heads.

C4 (Cheltenham College Christian Club), a group run by Mr Woodbridge and Mr Boyd, also held an Easter Party. They got together to understand the significance of this festive time: is there more to it than just lots of chocolate? More than 50 Upper School children met on the balcony to have fun and listen to a talk about the Easter message of Christ on the cross given by the pastor of Grace Church, which meets in Cheltenham.

prep news summer 2016

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