Beechwood Lion Lent 2019

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The

Beechwood Lion Lent 2019

The Witches cast a spell - see page 3 for more

From the Headmaster Dear Parents and Friends, The Independent Schools Inspectorate’s new-style Educational Quality Inspection focusses less on the scrutiny of teaching and educational provision and almost exclusively on the measurement of pupil outcomes. Alongside statutory compliance, inspectors use the School’s self-evaluation to assess the pastoral, academic and co-curricular outcomes of pupils from the Woodlands Nursery to the Top Form. The raw data that we amass year on year speaks convincingly of the educational quality of a Beechwood education, but as we know, schools are more than algorithms and this data provides only an evaluative framework. Why? Because schools are people places; places in which pupils, staff, parents and governors collaborate to effect the very best educational outcomes possible for every child’s future. The ISI’s judgements of ‘Excellence’ in all areas (with no recommendations for improvement) come as no surprise to those who see at first hand the daily excellence that Beechwood evinces. Such outcomes are, I am told, extremely rare, but it is the prose feedback of the inspectors which speaks so powerfully and so passionately about the vision, culture and people of our School. In my letter to parents, communicating our ISI success, I highlighted the exceptional alignment of our School to its child-centred Mission, to Nurture, Engage and Inspire. It is a Mission which is self-consciously child-centred, deliberately putting children at the centre of their educational

journeys, giving them opportunities to stand on their own two feet, academically, in their cocurricular lives and as integral members of our community, whilst giving them the autonomy to master their very own destinies. Schools are all about the future; they open doors, instil confidence for future fulfilment, which is presumably why they are called ‘preparatory’, they develop character and creativity, but most of all they imbue hope, and it is primarily the prose of the ISI report which most clearly conveys what is extraordinary about Beechwood. The inspectors speak of our unique alignment, the profound effect of our 16 core Values on our pupils, our pupils as ‘confident and articulate communicators’ and ‘exceptional collaborators’, their ‘rapid development of skills and knowledge’ and their ‘exemplary behaviour’. Wow! I have never before read that in an ISI report. If you have not yet read in detail the 21 paragraphs in Section 3 of the report please take the time to read the points again, perhaps even with your children, because these points articulate our pupils' extraordinary individual and collective progress and outcomes. …and no sooner had the inspection finished, than we plunged on again into a dynamic term of developments; ascending cherubs, (descending scaffolding!), the big reveal of our bright new façade, a new South Lawn pathway, (made of flapjack according to one young observer!) new indoor cricket nets, la folie de la Soirée Amicale, Rotary Youth Speaks debating success, the pupils’ election of Build Africa as their chosen international charity, outstanding cross-country, the mischievous antics of the irreverent James Carter our new Patron of Reading, magnificent Poetry Presentations, World Book Day with all manner of costumes, spotted and otherwise, Pi Day, our biennial Music Composition

Competition, remarkable clay pigeon shooting, equestrianism, synchro swimming success, national fencing accolades and a developing a culture of winning at fixtures home and away. The Witches spawned a creative Arts Week including four real (and few hundred toy) mice proliferating the South Corridor. Felix met David Walliams and told us all about it in assembly, Adeola appeared on Eastenders and Mrs Anderson on Radio Verulam (repeated by popular demand!). We were inspired by visits to The Globe, Hazard Alley and a residential trip to Aylmerton, Norfolk. Significantly, we have also been bowled over by the success of our pupils in achieving highly competitive places at 11+ and 13+ senior schools and by the 28 (!!!) senior school scholarships awarded this and last term and I congratulate all of those pupils, particularly those who secured places at schools they thought were out of their reach; evidence of their Growth Mindset and that of the School. Thank you to Mr Bullock, Mrs Clarke, Mr Coke, Mr Packer and the rest of the staff on these outstanding achievements. I cannot tell you how proud I am of all of these outcomes. Time has warped, expanding to accommodate eleven weeks of educational inspiration; the summer term beckons, but for now as the Easter holidays approach, perhaps we have a few weeks collectively to rest on the glossiest of laurels and to recharge our batteries. Have a lovely holiday! With best wishes, Yours,

EDWARD BALFOUR HEADMASTER

Felix Meets David Walliams

Youth Speaks Success

Felix (Year 3) was recently in the extremely enviable position of being invited to meet David Walliams and receiving a signed copy of one of his books. If this wasn’t enough excitement, Felix also featured in an article in The Radio Times! The magazine had run a competition inviting children to pose questions to the author and Felix was over the moon to have been selected from hundreds of children thanks to his insightful question; ‘Why do most of the characters in your book have only one parent?’ Congratulations Felix; what a fabulous opportunity!

Congratulations to the Beechwood Park public speaking team; Jonathan and Joshua (Top Form) and Freddie (Year Seven) who reached the district final of the Rotary Club Youth Speaks Competition. In the preceding rounds, the team battled a number of strong teams from other schools in the intermediate category. Performing at an extremely high standard, the boys delivered lively speeches based on their chosen topic: “what is the world’s greatest invention?”

Food for Thought We were delighted to welcome Holroyd Howe Nutritionist, Sally Crewe, to Beechwood Park this term. In a number of sessions across the School she inspired pupils to enjoy a healthy lunch, emphasising the importance of a balanced diet.

The newsletter of Beechwood Park School, Markyate, Hertfordshire AL3 8AW

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