Year 8

What a year it has been for this wonderful group of young men; their resilience and optimism has been tested throughout, but they have still come out strong and smiling. They are a lovely year group known, above all else, for their determination, kindness and respect and have been magnificently led by Head Boy, Ben Cutts, Deputy Head Boys, Elio Lepore and Joseph Edwards and a team of excellent prefects and future skills ambassadors. There have been academic, sporting, artistic, musical and dramatic successes across the board for this talented group of boys who have certainly left their mark on the Prep School.

The Autumn term saw all boys make a very welcome return to school, albeit with restrictions in place. Despite this, morale was high, and it was fantastic to hear the sound of boys playing, talking and laughing on the school grounds again. Remote assemblies became the norm, blended learning became a new phenomenon and regular midweek and weekend rugby fixtures were replaced by ‘Ready 4 Rugby’ matches, but despite all of this, the boys were back and it felt like a school again.

The majority of the Spring term was spent in lockdown. That being said, the boys and staff reacted in the only way we know how to - to make the most of every situation. A vast array of remote clubs/activities were set up for boys to enjoy. These included; general knowledge, birdwatching, gardening, running, cycling, photography, baking, film appreciation and much more. The Y8’s also had the pleasure of being able to interview a number of very interesting people - all with fantastic messages to pass onto the boys. These people were; Austin Healey (Ex Leicester Tigers, England and British & Irish Lions rugby player), Joe Haigh (Chelsea & England U18 footballer) and Heath Harvey (former CEO of Saracens). Well done to all boys involved in the interviews. Once boys returned to school for the final few weeks of term, the eagerly awaited House Tug of War competition took place. Always a hotly contested event, and one that all boys want to win, but this year saw resounding winners in Whitbread House.

The Summer Term saw all boys back to school for the duration of the term and it was a term full of exciting opportunities. Once the Summer Assessments had been completed, the boys embarked upon the ‘Post-Exam Programme’. This year, boys enjoyed talks from various industry professionals, a Young Lifesavers Award, an inspiring talk from a Holocaust survivor, a two-day Bushcraft residential, a House General Knowledge Competition, a Leadership and Rhetoric Workshop, Life Maths lessons, Paintballing, a day at Box End Waterpark, a Debating Workshop, Upper School visits, House Drama, an Independent Project and a ‘Come Dine with Me’ event, to name just a selection of the fantastic activities the boys enjoyed in their final term in the Prep School. The ‘Come Dine With Me’ event was a particular highlight of mine and it saw each class plan, prepare and cook a three-course meal for themselves and their teachers. 8A produced an excellent Italian themed evening, 8B - an exquisite fine dining experience, 8D - a fun filled evening of entertainment , 8F - an all-American theme and 8H - an exceptional evening of fine service. 8B were chosen by Alex Grieve and his catering team as this year’s winners but each class delivered an amazing event and the final result was an extremely difficult decision. Another particular highlight of mine was the Bushcraft residential. This is a trip which pushes boys out of their comfort zones and it was brilliant to see them adapt to their surroundings on camp. Over the course of the two-day trip, boys tried their hands at camouflage concealment, knife skills, archery tag, axe throwing, shelter building, fire making and of course the infamous fisheye eating competition.

The Summer Term also saw the long awaited return of school sports fixtures. It was fantastic to see the cricket pitches being played on and the excited and nervous buzz of energy around school on a Wednesday and Saturday returning. The Y8 cricketers had a fantastic season. There were 53 matches played from 1st X1 to 6th X1 and 52 victories. To show this level of consistency over the season, after a ‘lost year’ last season, is an incredible achievement. Well done.

The year concluded with Speech Day and Prize Giving where a huge amount of our boys were recognised for their talents both in and out the classroom. A special mention must go to Henry Gillham who was awarded the Arthur Tisdall’s Award which is given to a boy who embodies the school values and most of all, kindness. Best of luck to Gary Wang, Bertie Sayer, John Ding, Ben Ulvert and Ben Cutts who have left the school for new challenges elsewhere. Congratulations to each boy who has now completed his Prep School journey and is moving on to the Upper School or beyond. Thank you for being such a fabulous group of boys - stay in touch; we look forward to hearing about your future successes!

Year 8 REPORT

WORDS BY By Mr Rob Heaney, Head of Year 8