June 25th 2021
A varied and exciting fortnight of activities
Our Year 8 boys have enjoyed a fun and varied programme of activities since the end of their Common Entrance examinations. Despite restrictions meaning that the usual trips and visits haven’t gone ahead, the boys have taken on a variety of activities here at school, with a real focus on preparing them for life beyond Prep School.
Their first big treat as soon as the Common Entrance was over was the traditional run around the school and a visit from the ice cream van. This was followed by an afternoon of outdoor cinema where the boys enjoyed ‘School of Rock’ on the front lawn.
Fancy dress walks, river-based fun, learning about careers, hearing from Old Moles about life at Senior School, hero collages and exploring money matters were all on the agenda. The boys also took part in some fascinating workshops including Impact Training with Jessica Haworth, focusing on presentation skills and building self-esteem. We also welcomed guest speakers Peter Hall and Patrick Foster.
After some glorious sunny days of activities, unfortunately the weather changed for the annual Forest School Campout and we spent a very fun but very soggy 24 hours in the woods. The boys sourced wood for their shelters, prepared and cooked their own supper and kept their fire alight with great skill! Unfortunately the walk back from Ipsden had to be abandoned due to the rain, but it meant they got their CE results sooner than expected and they were all delighted to have passed.
The boys then spent a week taking part in Drama Workshops, run by theatre group RABBLE, which led to final informal performances on the last day. The boys seemed to particularly enjoy learning stage combat.
It has been a great couple of weeks and we are looking forward to Sports Day and a week away in Devon before the final week of term.
