Headmasters Notes: Reflecting Back On Lent Term

I am writing this on the eve of the final day of the Lent Term. The children are looking forward to the annual PMA Easter Egg Hunt tomorrow and Friday Prayers will give everyone the opportunity to reflect back on what has been a busy, exciting and fulfilling term.

This term, our Year 6 pupils have excelled in all areas. Their performance in the assessment exams saw every child being offered a place at their chosen senior school. In addition to this, many were awarded scholarships; seventeen were awarded in total with some children being offered two. They also managed to fit in rehearsals and two incredible performances of ‘Shrek The Musical JR’. Everyone who saw the show was blown away by the amazing acting and sensational singing.

Earlier this term, there was a delightful tea-time concert in the Mirror Room, attracting a large audience. However, the highlight of the Music calendar was the Music Festival which attracted many talented performers from across the school. The Festival culminated in a concert where the finalists performed in front of a large audience. The youngest performer was from Year 2 (only 6 years old) and the Year 6 pupils also showed off their talents with some accomplished performances, particularly from our three Music scholars. More recently, the choir competed at the Southampton Music Festival and came a very impressive second place.

The philosophy of our Sports Department remains very much ‘Sport for All’. Every child from Year 3 up has represented the school in matches this term. Our teams remain very competitive and the children certainly enjoy playing, improving their technique and gaining in confidence. The highlight of this term was when the Year 6 girls brought back Bronze Medals from the IAPS U11 Netball Regional Qualifier in Southampton.

The children have enjoyed several day trips this term, including Kew Gardens, Hilliers Gardens, Fishbourne Palace, The Mary Rose, The Winchester Military Museums and a historical walking tour of Winchester itself. All these trips enhance the curriculum and add to the richness of the children’s learning.

I have also been delighted with the popularity of the Friday family breakfasts and the introduction of the Coffee, Cake and Chat sessions with senior school Heads. The breakfasts have given another opportunity for families to get together over a delicious cooked breakfast and the sessions with the senior school Heads have allowed us to build stronger and deeper links with the next schools on our pupils’ educational journey. The Future Schools Event was also well attended and was another opportunity to look more carefully at educational options after Year 6.

I look forward to welcoming our pupils back to school on Wednesday 26th April and would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a very Happy Easter.

Adam King
Headmaster