Year 7

WORDS BY

Mr Rob Heaney,

Head of Year 7

Year 7 REPORT

What a great year it has been for this current crop of Year 7s. The first full year in school since the 20182019 academic year, and despite the odd class bubble here and there, September saw a sense of normality return to Bedford Prep School, and the usual buzz around the school that we have become so accustomed to had finally returned.

As is normal every year in Year 7, we welcomed just over 30 new boys into the year group, and what fantastic additions they have been. They all settled very quickly, thanks to our ‘old boys’ making them feel very welcome, and they really have flourished. It has been great to watch the whole year group grow this year, whether that growth has been in the classroom, on the sports fields, on stage, in concerts or on any other platform that our fabulous school offers to the boys, every single boy has progressed in numerous ways.

The Autumn Term saw a few restrictions still in place which put paid to several events, namely the fantastic Ickwell day, however, there were still plenty of opportunities for the boys to enjoy. There was a full rugby season for a start, which the boys loved, and what a season it was. The U12 As finished undefeated and were statistically ranked number 1 in the country, winning all 15 of their matches. The U12 Bs played 16 matches and only lost to Warwick, when playing against other B team opposition. The U12 C/D/E teams also acquitted themselves fantastically well throughout the season showing an excellent level of strength in depth. Well done to all boys that represented the school at rugby.

The first term was finished off in style with the Autumn Concert. Always a great event, but it seemed even more special this year with us being able to welcome family members back into the Great Hall to enjoy the evening’s performances. A huge well done to not only the boys involved, but also to Mrs. Gedye and the rest of the music team who always put on such a great show.

The Spring Term soon sprung upon us, and this term saw the business return. Assessments dominated the first few weeks, and as usual, our boys dealt with these showing extremely high levels of maturity. Following on from these, boys enjoyed a plethora of opportunities such as the Informal Concert, The Bedfordshire Festival of Speech and Drama, U13 UKMT Maths Competition, visits to the schools very own Planetarium and Observatory, plenty of hockey fixtures and much much more. Yet again, plenty of success came our way (there seems to be a common theme with this year group!). There was an almost endless list of wins, placements and commended performances at the Bedfordshire Festival, some excellent performances in the UK Maths Challenge, which bodes well for next year, and a 3rd place finish at IAPS for the U13 Hockey team, secured by a last gasp Rory Stewart-Jones goal.

In what seemed like a blink of an eye, we arrived at the final term of the year. Another busy term ensued with events such as the National Space Centre Trip, House Drama, Sports Day, the Summer BBQ with BGS, the Public Speaking Competition, won brilliantly by Oliver Barbour, the Summer Concert and of course the cricket season.

The National Space Centre trip was the boys’ first school trip since their sleepover at the Science Museum in Year 5, and the day was enjoyed by all, including the staff at the Space Centre, who thanked us for how the boys conducted themselves.

House Drama was a joy to behold. All boys were involved in one way shape or form. Whether they were actors, caterers, marketers, controlling the lighting or designing the sets for the production - it really was a fantastic day, and once again the boys worked incredibly hard to bring everything together.

The Summer BBQ with BGS was a real success. Despite the boys spending the first 20 minutes with their chests puffed out and speaking (shouting) to each other in their deepest voices possible, and the girls spending that same time running around screeching, they did eventually calm down and interact with each other. Lots of mixed cricket, giant Jenga and connect 4, and boules were played, which allowed the boys and girls to interact with each other in a safe and friendly environment.

And so, to next year. This year group now move on to being top of the tree and with that comes great responsibility. Quite often, they set the tone for the younger boys, so it is important that they display all the core school values on a regular basis. Well done to all boys that have been given leadership responsibilities for next year. I know that you will all do a fantastic job and I look forward to seeing your leadership skills progress as the year goes on.

Finally, a huge thank you to my fantastic Year 7 team of tutors. Mrs Gordon, Miss Bamber, Miss Goodman, Ms Kashi, and Mr Mason. Their care and support for the boys has been fantastic and it has meant that the boys in Year 7 have had a brilliant year. The role of a tutor is an extremely important one and I have been very lucky to have the team that I have had this year.

I would like to wish all boys and families a lovely summer and I look forward to seeing you all again in September.