News from The Prep

It would have taken a bold leap 12 months ago for me to imagine that The Prep staying open throughout the year and having every child in school for the last weeks of the Summer Term would be two of the proudest achievements of the school over the last year.

We, however, live in challenging times and the Key Worker Programme at The Prep played a crucial role in the crisis of recent months. The Prep staff not only ran a fantastic online education programme, but they also kept the school open every day to look after the children of key workers, allowing them to continue the extraordinary work in which they were engaged.

We were also lucky enough to be able to use many of the College buildings during the term to allow us to safely bring back every child in the school, from Nursery to Year 8. At a time when almost all schools were either shut or operating a skeleton timetable to a small number of children this was a fantastic achievement, deserving of highlighting here, and says everything you need to know about the dedication, commitment and sheer hard work of the staff. The fact The Prep is now at its largest for well over a decade is a direct result of all they have done over recent months.

There was, it is sometimes hard to believe, a pre-Covid time, and The Prep had a wonderful first two terms of the academic year. Academic success in the classroom, highlighted by a number of impressive scholarships, continued and extensive success on the girls’ and boys’ sports fields as well as several wonderful shows (culminating in the swashbuckling Three Musketeers), enchanting concerts and stunning artwork. The Boarding House has never been so full, and we were having a wonderful year!

Although the Year 8s all managed to sit (and do extremely well in) Common Entrance, and return to school before the end of the year we didn’t get the chance to celebrate their many, many successes, over their years with us, in the normal ways. We are very much looking forward to throwing them a suitable party once restrictions allow!

What of the present and the future? Well, as mentioned earlier, it is many years since The Prep has been so popular, with waiting lists in a number of year groups. The current restrictions whilst onerous for staff and parents, allow the children to enjoy school almost ‘as normal’. I have no doubt it will be a spectacular year, and with a brand new Nursery in the planning and an extensive refurbishment programme to supplement the ongoing excellence of the staff The Prep can, and will, remain a beacon for all through these challenging times.

Mr Tom O’Sullivan Head, Cheltenham Prep

Fifi Russell