This week, Year 7 heard from Year 8 pupils and teachers about the leadership opportunities in the Prep School as they begin to prepare themselves for next year. This afforded me with the opportunity on Monday to address the Prep School on the role of leadership. Leadership comes in many forms and guises but what is at the core is the ability to step up and take responsibility. Leadership is about taking ourselves and others to a better place. For pupils to stand up for what they believe is right, to be wise and caring. When they see a friend who needs help or is sad, when someone asks their advice, when they work hard to achieve what they dream of. It takes real courage to be a leader. I look forward to the term ahead celebrating the excellent leadership of our Year 8 pupils who have been exemplary role models for our younger pupils.
I shared one of my favourite stories about Ryan Hreljac. A boy who, aged 7, raised money to build a well for a village in Africa. Since then, Ryan has started a charity called Ryan’s Well and has completed 500 projects bringing access to clean water and sanitation to over 750,000 people in 16 developing countries. An awe-inspiring story. “It only takes one person to start something greater than us all”. For more details click here.
Thank you for your feedback on our new Curriculum Newsletters. These have been very well received and the format and content appreciated. These will be sent out on a termly basis and then uploaded onto our website. I wish Bon Voyage to our Year 4 pupils and staff, ably led by Miss Kingstone, next week who head off to Hilltop in Norfolk on their residential trip. It is an exciting time for our younger pupils and I look forward to hearing their stories on their return.
Staff News
Mrs Kate Cooper, our Librarian, has been offered another position in the Senior School as Pupil Development Centre and Exam Office Administrator and we are currently seeking a Librarian for the Prep School. In the interim, we welcome Mrs Kim Kelly, who also works in the Pre-Prep, as our Librarian and look forward to making her feel welcome.
Mrs Petrie
Congratulations to Mrs Petrie who completed the London Marathon on Sunday in 4.5 hours. Mrs Petrie said that it was an amazing experience and would like to thank everyone who supported her in raising over £3,300 for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust.
Finally...
I have to share a personal highlight this week. On Wednesday, I joined in with the bowling practice at the nets with the Colts Warriors and on my first attempt hit a wicket - the boys were impressed! Having reached perfection, I moved onto the rounders pitch…
Mrs Knox
Achievements
Libby Hawkins (Y7) and Casey Hollyman (Y8) appeared at Her Majesty's Theatre, Haymarket in a production of "Stagecoach West End Live". They were selected along with other members of the Northampton Stagecoach School to perform a Magic-themed medley, with music from Queen and Harry Potter.
Libby Hawkins' County music string group was successful at a Regional music for youth event and they have been invited to take part in the national festival finals at the Birmingham Symphony Hall in July with Libby as the lead viola.
Maddie Murphy (Y5) was awarded Most Improved Player and Francesca Benham (Y5) was awarded Player of the Year from Wellingborough Hockey Club.
Maddie King (Y6) was awarded the U11 Girls Most Improved Player and Polly Ross (Y6) was awarded U11 Girls Player of the Year from Kettering Hockey Club.
French Theatre Production for Years 7 and 8
On Tuesday, 26th April, Onatti French Theatre brought their touring production of “Les Garçons” to Wellingborough and transformed the Prep School Hall with their clever set and comedic acting. Following the trials and tribulations of Nathalie, a teenage babysitter whose love life and part time job cause chaos throughout the course of one evening, the play was entertaining and highly interactive, with pupils acting as go-betweens to help her out! Although the script is pitched at GCSE 
level pupils, the pupils in Years 7 and 8 listened carefully and followed the action with ease, and Alex and Hélène, the actors, commented afterwards that they had been one of the most attentive audiences to whom they had performed. Pupils commented that although the language was challenging, the high quality acting made it easy to follow; the chance to enjoy something a little ‘different’ was valued by all. It was great to welcome parents to the show too and we hope that you enjoyed it as much as we did.
Miss Machin
Year 6 Willow Workshop
We welcomed Sue Kirk, a willow sculptor and basket maker into school on Tuesday 26th April to work with Year 6 pupils. The deer that have graced the grassy bank by the Chapel for nearly seven years, originally made by the current upper sixth pupils and Sue Kirk, were very frail and brittle so they were remade by 6HC and 6LI. Despite working through hail, snow, arctic winds and at times very welcoming bright sunshine the Year 6 worked together in small groups to recreate the herd of deer. Flora Baxter commented that it was “the very best team challenge she had ever worked on because everyone was working together and not one person argued!” They are now fit for another 7 years! The lucky 6LW worked inside in the warmth to create a cluster of giant dragonflies. Grateful thanks go to Sue Kirk for guiding and teaching the children throughout the day and a host of parent helpers (Mrs Ross, Ms Saxby, Mrs Fernley, Ms Parrish and Mrs Kirk) who were invaluable. Special thanks go to Mrs Colabuono, our art technician, who helped orchestrate the whole day.
Mrs Roberts
Equestrian
We were delighted to hear that one of our pupils, Niall Mahon entered his first local showjumping competition last weekend on his new pony and was placed in the rosettes. We look forward to the pair becoming part of our school equestrian team.
On Thursday 2nd June, we will be holding our annual Interschools Showjumping Competition at The College Equestrian Centre, Keysoe. This is a regional qualifier for the National Schools’ Finals in October and we hope as many of our equestrian team as possible will be able to compete for Wellingborough. Spectators are welcome, the event will run for the whole day and there is an onsite café where refreshments can be purchased. We would like to thank the Northampton branch of Carter Jonas for sponsoring one of the classes and Tim Stockdale for providing prizes for the winners. Additionally, if there are any parents or pupils who would like to volunteer to help on the day, please contact Mrs Owen via email as she is looking for ring stewards, runners and scorers. For full details click here.
Mrs Owen
School Charity Committee
The School Charity Committee met this week to discuss the forthcoming Evensong. Panthers, Tigers and Wolves will host the Evensong Service scheduled for Thursday, 5th May, at 4.30pm in the Chapel where they will have an opportunity to give feedback to the school and parents on the work of the committee so far. We are also looking forward to welcoming Tom Cheatley back to talk to us about the work of Cransley Hospice.
Mrs Petrie
Year 8 Gala Dinner
The Year 8 cookery masterclasses are now complete and we are looking forward to welcoming you to the Gala Dinner next Friday, 6th May. All pupils will need to be available to set up for the evening from 4:10pm so they will not be able to go home before the event. We will provide the pupils with food and drink. Could parents please arrive at 7pm for a 7:30pm start. The dress code is smart casual and wine will be available to buy on the evening. Could we please also ask that you do not tip the pupils throughout the evening! Any questions before the evening please do get in touch.
Mrs Petrie
Internet Safety Presentation (Nursery to Year 6)
On, Tuesday, 17th May, from 4pm to 5.15pm there will be an Internet Safety Presentation in the Prep School Hall. Late Prep will be available for pupils during this time. To book your place please email Mrs Tina Billington (Prep) or Mrs Michelle Riches (Pre-Prep). For more details click here.
Mrs Petrie
Music School
Exam Results
Congratulations to all pupils who took music exams last term. To view the list of results please click here.
Chapel Choir - Prep School Evensong
Chapel Choir will be required to sing at the Prep School Evensong next Thursday, 5th May. Pupils should meet promptly after school in the Recital Room for a short run-through. The service will start at 4.30pm and should be finished by 5.10pm.
Mr Leutfeld
A Mathematical “Pause For Thought” for Parents
The first person to email the correct answer will win a mathematical pencil. Please email prep-office@wellingboroughschool.org.
(Q) A mystery number with two identical digits is multiplied by 99. What is the four digit number which results, if the third digit number is 3?
Congratulations to Mrs Huntingford who was the first person to correctly answer last week’s quiz. The answer was: It was a reflection of the numbers 6 and 7.
Mrs Rowley-Burns
Country of the Day
To continually improve location knowledge in the Prep School, here is a daily challenge from Dr Fordham and the students of 7AF. Your focus for each day is to locate the country on a map! If that is too easy, there are some extension questions too…
- Daily challenge:
Tuesday 3rd May – Monaco
Wednesday 4th May – Switzerland
Thursday 5th May – Mauritania
Friday 6th May – North Korea - Extension questions:
1. What is the capital city of this country?
2. What does the flag look like?
3. How many people live in this country?
4. What are the most notable features of this country?
Dr Fordham and 7AF
Nearly New Shop Volunteer(s) Wanted
Lisa Cherry is stepping down at the end of this academic year so if you would be willing to give up around an hour every other Thursday afternoon to help in the shop we would love to hear from you. It fits in with school pickup at the end of the day so there is no evening commitment and I will continue to do all the admin and finance and deal with parents' queries. We also open on one extra day in the summer term for new Year 4 pupils moving-up day and on induction afternoon just before the start of the new term in September. It would be great to hear from anyone, particularly in current Y4/Y5 so we have a Prep parent involved. It's very easy, very sociable, a good way to meet lots of parents from both Prep and Senior Schools and a great way to give something back. If you'd like to get involved with a friend and would like to take over running the shop please get in touch as I may also be looking to step down within the next 12 months. Click here.
Mrs Crook
Sports Announcements
Welcome Back
The sports department would like to welcome you to the summer term and another very busy couple of months ahead. There have been a couple of changes in the setup of teams for this term and they are as follows:-
- Year 5 & 6 Cricket are combining for this term and will be known as Colts A, B, C,D & Warriors
- Year 5 & 6 Girls Cricket are also combining and will be known as Fillies A & B
As you will see from the calendar there is lots of sport throughout the term with weekly cricket, tennis and rounders matches for Years 4 to 8 and around 4 or 5 athletics competitions. We look forward to your continued support.
Regional Triathlon Championships
We have the National Triathlon championships on Sunday 12th June taking place at Dulwich Prep school, Kent. I would like to take the opportunity to wish the very best of luck to the following pupils who have signed up for the event: Jack Benham, Francesca Benham, Will Middleton, Jamie Dunn, Jack Thomsen, Ollie Buchan, Maddie Murphy, Harry Hammett and Lawrence Leslie-Carter.
Extra Fixture added to the calendar
I am pleased to inform you that we have managed to add the following fixtures to this term’s calendar:
- Saturday 14th May – PS 2nd & 3rd XI Cricket v Kimbolton – Away – 10:30am Start
- Wednesday 18th May – Fillies A & B v King’s Ely – Away – 2.30 Start
- Saturday 18th June – U12A Cricket v Kimbolton – Away – 10:30am Start
- Wednesday 29th June – Fillies A & B v Laxton Junior School – Away – 2.30 Start
Mr Irvine
Club Bears
New in ...
Club Bears all looking for new owners! Why not pop down to the School Shop to meet them and find out more details.
Mrs Cliffe
Twitter
Don’t forget to follow us on twitter @WboroPrepSchool.
Finally, something that made me smile this week… as I said farewell to the Year 4 pupils on Wednesday as they set off to Hilltop for their 3 day camp I asked a group if they had brought their favourite cuddly toy. Oh no they replied, “we have brought our second favourite teddy bear just in case something happens to the special one.” Just gorgeous.
worship they listened to detailed explanations of what it means to live and worship in modern Britain as an observant Jew and Muslim, and some had a chance to explore the visual delights of the stained glass in Hampstead Synagogue, while those at the Liberal Synagogue got to taste some chollah bread. The highlight of the day, after a picnic in nearby Regent’s Park, was the chance to absorb the atmosphere, sights and sounds of over 200 worshippers in the mosque observing lunchtime prayers – something which no school textbook can hope to achieve, and definitely worth the early reveille.
What fun it was to listen to so many eloquent young men and women trying to persuade with messages that were crucial, relevant and personal. This year, the Year 8 Public Speaking Competition featured a huge variety of topics. Pupils’ speeches were all well-structured and made full use of the rhetorical devices studied last term, but performances on the day made the difference: confidence, conviction and comedy triumphed. Edward Colmer entertained us with the idea that Jesus’ teachings might just be the result of “Chinese whispers”, nevertheless we had to accept he was “real”. Archie Arrowsmith made an impassioned defence, with super imagery, of his favourite pastime: shooting. Miles King and Imogen Smith motivated us all to save lives by signing up to organ donation (I’ve done it!), and Grace Cunningham wanted everyone to “Lose a Phone; Get a Life!” (Interestingly, overuse of technology at home has been a feature of pupils’ worries for the past two years). Our judge, Beverly Evans (professional scriptwriter, playwright and actress), had a tough but entertaining job for which we thank her profusely. Rhys Neal-Davies’ heartfelt plea to spend more quality time with your siblings whilst you can, and Olivia Afonso-Drury’s amusing diatribe accusing us all of being “Monkeys, Martyrs or Megalomaniacs” gained Special Mentions. Jamie Howell’s hilarious impassioned defence of “Clucky’s” salvation (an attack on battery farming) achieved 3rd. Akaash Baiju’s riotous railing, like Trump’s, brought the house down to gain 2nd, and Euan Burns brought tears of laughter to many an eye with his attack on “the H word” and the “slavery“ of homework (a hot topic at the moment). The People’s Vote was almost identical, but Edward and Rhys came 3rd=, knocking Clucky slightly off his perch (again!). Mrs Knox was delighted with the standard and thoroughly enjoyed the afternoon, the first of many competitions to come.
With a generous grant from the Foundation Office, we were able to purchase items for our splendid new reading corner in the library. As soon as the cushions and rug were in place, the children flocked to it, grabbed a book and found a comfy spot to read. It has been a terrific new addition to the library and we are extremely grateful for this generous grant. Reading is such a key skill and providing opportunities to read in a relaxed setting is a key ingredient to ensure reading for pleasure is embraced.
This week, we were delighted to welcome the Governors to the Prep School. They spent time in classes with pupils, joined in with hymn practice and enjoyed a Q&A session with Year 8 pupils. The feedback has been lovely: “We all considered our visit to be extremely valuable and helpful, as well as leaving us with high praise for what we saw and heard.” “The group discussion with the Senior Pupils showed how confident and enthusiastic these young people have already become with the flow of answers and questions being so natural”. Following questions from the pupils, the Governors were also able to explain the key role they play in the governance of the School. A really enjoyable morning.
Jack Mason (Y6) won the Wellingborough Open Archery Club Outdoor Open Junior Windsor shoot and has been invited as Captains Guest at the Ivy Keating Inter-County shoot between Northamptonshire and Bedfordshire.
Sun hats, sun cream, sun glasses and shorts? These are rare spotted things in Norfolk in early May but Year 4 were lucky this year as the sun shone all three of their days at Hilltop Outdoor Centre. Early on Wednesday morning 45 excited children set off on ‘The best trip ever!’ according to one child overheard after the first lots of activities had been completed. As soon as rooms and groups were assigned the children headed off to enjoy the first of their activities. It was the much anticipated ‘Big Zipper’ and archery for some, fire building, hot chocolate and toasted marshmallows followed by the assault course for others and crate stacking and orienteering for the rest. An evening in the enchanted forest followed dinner where some of the children even managed to practice their maths! Thursday brought a morning at the beach and after a quick stop for ice creams on the way down we scoured the rock-pools for creatures that were being somewhat elusive this year! An afternoon of activities and the ever popular Mad Hatters game in the forest topped off a fabulous day. However, time flies when you are having fun, and we were soon packing bags again and climbing on the coach for the journey home. All in all, it was a very successful trip and hopefully one that the children will remember for a long time to come. Thank you to the staff that gave up their time to accompany the children and make it such a big success.
The hottest day of the year so far saw Lauren Church, Lucy Miles and Ella Miles competing at the Winchester House Hunter Trials in the 90cm team event. Lauren competing her young horse in its very first cross country event did a beautiful clear and came home delighted. Lucy on her youngster also completed a fabulous clear round. Ella completed the first half of the course but then sadly had some problems with her cheeky pony and didn't manage to complete the course due to injury. The girls did the school and each other proud, helping and encouraging each other around a big course, being supportive and above all they 'had fun'. Competing in the 50/60cm class, Oliver had a wonderful clear round, despite Brandy being spooky and trying to run out at the dark fences! He had the fastest round of the day and jumped all the bonus fences. Brandy in fact enjoyed it so much that he didn’t slow down to trot over the finish line so unfortunately they both just missed out on the placings. A lovely venue with very inviting fences but not at all easy so very well done to everyone.
The Year 8 mathematicians got active this week, getting to grips with the concept of speed. Saving "Kevin the Koala" was the aim - too fast a decent and it may have been a trip to A&E!
The annual WPSA Family fun night will take place on Friday 17th June from 4.15pm. The first team boys will be playing in a Twenty/20 cricket match, whilst the U13A girls’ team will be playing rounders. There will be free inflatables for all the children as well as a tuck shop, cash bar, hog roast and hot dogs. We would love to see as many children, siblings and parents there as possible for this lovely, fun event. We need some parent volunteers to help supervise the inflatables please, we have 32 one hour slots to fill. If you are available to help please email 
the 60cm jumping, 2nd in the 50cm jumping and 3rd for the veteran showing class. They also achieved 3rd place in the pairs class.
Ella Harvey (Y6) and Iris Kirk (Y6) had the honour of being flag bearers at the Northants County Cricket T20 match on 27th May at the county ground. Whilst there they were interviewed live by BBC Northampton's Annabel Amos about their cricketing exploits for the U11 Girls County team. If you would like to listen to the interview please 
Year 4 have been learning all about Viking longships in their History lessons over the past two weeks. With the aid of media, they have learned what Viking longships would have looked like, what they were made from, how they were powered, what life was like on board ship and why they built them. The children then produced some information sheets about the longship and this week they have enjoyed creating their own version of a longship for our display.
times around Pitsford Lakes, a distance of 26.3 miles raising money for Cransley Hospice. My plan was to join them for a circuit, but after ½ mile they were so far ahead of me, I had to let the pocket rockets speed off and continued at a much more leisurely pace. Congratulations to Robbie Warren Thiemann, James Kemp, Jack Hollick, Tom Kenney, Harry Cadman and Barney Childs and the staff who accompanied them: Mr Whitby, Mr Hill and Miss Clark.
Year 6 explored the history and architecture of Peterborough Cathedral on Monday, as part of their study of Christianity. We spent the day in the Cathedral and the nearby Education Centre and so stayed fairly dry, despite the heavy rain. Pupils were shown around the building and took photos of artefacts and different architectural styles in order to build up a picture of its development and use over the last 900 years. They also sketched some of the patterns found in the stone, wood, glass and textiles of the Cathedral. The sketches were later reworked in oil pastels and coloured inks and used to make striking collages, which will be on display at the Family of Schools day on Saturday. It was a lively and interesting trip, a satisfactory conclusion to our term’s work in RS.
On Wednesday 45 Year 4 pupils visited Glebe Organic Farm in Woodford. Despite the wet weather, the pupils had a great experience and learnt lots about UK farming. They were able to learn about what happens on an organic farm and also learnt about some of the wildlife and habitats found on farms, including the hedgerows. Pupils learnt about soil, through practical investigation and some managed to enjoy a ride in a tractor trailer (before it had to be abandoned due to technical issues). Pupils also undertook a crop rotation activity and planted their own seeds which they were able to take home and watch grow. This visit supports Year 4 pupils in their recent geography module, which has focused on where our food comes from and the different types of farms that we have. Behaviour was excellent and the pupils represented the School in a very positive manner, despite being quite excited and wet from the rain! Many thanks to Wendy at Glebe Farm and to the Wellingborough staff that attended and ensured the trip was a success.
for the 50m breaststroke.
I am honoured to have been selected to play for England in the Master's (35+) Indoor Cricket World Series to be played this coming October at the Action Indoor Cricket Centre in Birmingham. The Women’s World Series will be made up of teams from the hosts, England plus Australia, South Africa and New Zealand.
I thoroughly enjoyed watching the Club rugby and hockey on Wednesday. The Club spirit was extremely strong as each team tried their hardest to win points. Some positive changes have been made to the after school provision of sporting activities to encourage a full and inclusive participation in our sports programme. Mr Irvine, our Head of Sport, has developed the programme to support our pupils in becoming strong all rounded sportsmen and sportswomen. Please see full details in the Sports section below.
The annual trip to the Ardèche for our Year 7 pupils proved to be a great success. My thanks to Ms Machin for her outstanding organisation skills, Miss Clark, Miss Thomas and Mr Buck who joined the trip and gave up their holiday to give the children memories that will last a lifetime. Mr Knox and I also 
thoroughly enjoyed the trip and even managed to get a full night’s sleep on the overnight bivi despite the presence of wild boars in the campsite!
This year we are reinvigorating our use of the Habits of Mind in the Prep School and we will focus on one of the 16 Habits each half term. This half term we will be ‘Persisting’. Monday’s assembly reintroduced us to persistence, complete with its own theme tune (ask your children to see if they can remember it!) and there will shortly be the launch of a competition where pupils will have the opportunity to submit a WPS Persisting Poster design. Pupils will also be rewarded with pluses for demonstrating persistence in school and it would be super if parents could reinforce this message at home.
The Chapel has been supporting the Daylight Centre Fellowship for some time now. We have been offering our support by generously providing basic food supplies to the most vulnerable people in the Wellingborough district. Some of the clients often have had problems with securing disability allowance and generating enough funding to feed themselves. Others have struck hard times due to a change in employment and it can often take a few weeks between becoming unemployed and receiving much needed benefit to feed their families. The need continues to increase year on year. This year we are going to try and double our efforts as a Family of Schools. On the 15th September I will be explaining to the pupils, firstly whom the Daylight Centre supports and secondly, what the Harvest season is all about. We will be inviting families of Wellingborough School to support others in the community providing food and much needed supplies to those that are in need. We will be receiving the food donations during Chapel on the 22nd September. 
The end of another busy week draws to a close. At the start of the week, our Head Boy, George Ross and Head Girl, Maria Warren Thiemann, launched their theme for the year #whynot. They urged us to try new things, give different opportunities a go and say “why not” more often. Today in form time, all pupils have set themselves one academic and one wellbeing goal for the term and have been urged to think #whynot. In my address at Prize Giving in June, I commented that whilst goal setting is only a small thing, it’s big for the pupils as it reinforces their purpose and enthusiasm for learning. We also heard from our School Council and Charity reps about how we can get involved this year and I look forward to the small but significant changes these committees will bring about.
Following feedback from parents, pupils and staff through the surveys and focus groups conducted last term, we have gazed into the future and developed a clear and ambitious action plan to achieve important milestones taking us towards 2020. Our aim is for Wellingborough Prep School pupils to stand on their own as lifelong learners, equipped with a wide range of knowledge and skills, growing in confidence and independence, preparing to be major contributors in addressing global challenges. We aim to create a culture of achievement within a dynamic and stimulating learning environment where the pupils are provided with opportunities to discover and develop their unique talents and abilities. Within that, we want you, our families, to be recognised as integral members of the school community and our partners in your child’s education. The action plan has at its core 6 main pillars:
It was a pleasure to welcome our new families to their first social event. It was super to hear from so many parents that their children have settled in well and have been warmly welcomed into the Prep School. The evening began with a number of pianists playing beautifully and the evening was most capably overseen by our Club Captains. I would like to thank the School Governors who give freely and generously of their time to attend events at the School. I know the parents enjoyed sharing their first impressions of the School with both staff and Governors. We equally enjoyed hearing how you and your children are settling into school life.
This week I have seen a Year 5 English class having the story of ‘The Silver Sword’ brought to life with photographs of Warsaw before and after the German invasion alongside activities to help them empathise with the children in the book. Year 5 have also been looking at ‘Kindness’ as part of their Wellbeing programme in Life Skills. They were asked to represent what kindness means to them, without using words, and they enjoyed using Mrs Rowley-Burns’ white-wall to draw their ideas.
On Thursday the Anti Bullying Ambassadors (ABAs) met for the first time to discuss what bullying actually is, what forms it might take and what to look out for day to day. They also looked at a range of different but very real scenarios and how they would handle each one. They were extremely good at deciphering which course of action to take. Finally, they started to think about ways they could use the ABA notice board to encourage and engage other pupils. We look forward to supporting them in their noble efforts as ABAs in the months to come.
g their abilities, skills and understanding of concepts and the world around them grow. I particularly enjoyed word play with a Year 7 class as we made up a sentence with 15 of their spelling words and planting peas, broccoli and pansies with the gardening club. I am always amazed at how absolutely fascinated they are with bugs, snails, slugs and spiders!
bizarre moves, ran messages, married a couple, drew the odd dagger and generally strutted their stuff. ‘Twelfth Night’ is always a favourite comedy and straight-laced Malvolio’s punishment (seeing him parading in his yellow stockings, grinning like the Joker) had the boys and girls in stiches. There were philosophical points too: had Sir Toby taken things too far when he tried to make Malvolio believe he had gone mad? Lots to think about, lots to enjoy, it was active learning at its best.