Cheltenham Prep Yearbook
2023-24
Head’s Introduction
We don't teach too much Confucius at The Prep nowadays, but the old adage, often attributed to him, that a picture tells a thousand words is one we would strongly agree with. Hopefully the pictures found within these pages give you a sense of The Prep in 2024; of excitement, of adventure, of challenge, of dedication, of achievement and, most importantly, of fun!
This Yearbook tells a story in pictures of some of the amazing events and amazing people from the last twelve months. It really has been a vintage school was full, happy children worked
When all the children featured here are old and grey, we hope that this Yearbook will act as an aidememoire, reminding them of those halcyon days that really were "the times of their lives".
Autumn
Back to School Extravaganza!
It was wonderful to witness the joyous atmosphere amongst the children during their first day back extravaganza! From Nursery School to Year 8, the children took part in lots of fun-filled activities throughout the day, making the most of the warm weather and being back with their classmates.
Scooby in Science
Scooby surprised Year 8 when he joined them in their Science lesson to help them design an experiment to investigate the relationship between Force, Area and Pressure.
Fantastic Fundraising
A huge congratulations to all of our children at The Prep who raised a fantastic total of £5,563 during the 2022 - 23 academic year. The money raised is for the charities, The Grand Appeal and Cots for Tots.
The Greatest Birthday of All
On Thursday 11 September, the parents and children of Cheltenham Nursery School celebrated its first birthday with a circus-themed party! There was a traditional (hand operated) carousel, face painting, balloon arches, games, bubbles, popcorn, music, sweets, just about everything else you could think of, and a truly giant birthday cake.
Friendship Friday
This is a new event for Reception to Year 2 children which celebrates friendship and looking after one another. The children were organised into mixed groups amongst Pre-Prep and took part in a variety of ‘friendship type’ activities.
As part of this day, the ‘Big Friend/ Little Friend’ initiative was also launched. Each Year 2 child is allocated a Reception child to look after and nurture throughout the school year! It was lovely to see all the children embrace the day and for the Year 2 children to be excited to take part in looking after their new ‘Little Friend’ in Reception.
House BBQs
At the beginning of the new term, it was wonderful for both new and old pupils to re-connect in their Houses, playing garden games and having a BBQ!
Middle School Explorers
On Friday afternoons, Mr Drake takes the Middle School Explorers' Club into the outdoors. From primitive fire lighting methods to toasting marshmallows, the adventure is endless!
The Chadwick Programme
In the Autumn Term, Year 8 children were involved in Cooking, First Aid, Outdoor Education and Yoga activities. In one of the cooking sessions, pupils learnt how to cook a spicy marinaded chicken dish. In Outdoor Education, Mr Drake taught the children how to strip stinging nettles in order to make cordage rope.
The Funniest Clown in Town!
Reception to Year 6 were treated to utterly hilarious performances from local celebrity Tweedy the Clown.
Cheltenham Literature Festival
One of the highlights of being in the town centre is having some incredible opportunities on our doorstep, including the Cheltenham Literature Festival. Children from Reception to Year 8 have been fortunate to visit the Literature Festival, hearing from some superb authors and speakers.
Authors included Sophie Henn, Rod Biddulph, Julian Sedgwick and many more! One of the highlights of the Festival included Lower School’s ‘stars of the week’ meeting Pamela Butchart and collecting a signed copy of her new book for the Library!
Animal Species
Year 2 have been learning about the life of David Attenborough and the discovery of different animal species. During an expedition to The Prep Lake, the children were on the hunt for animal species of their own!
Scholastic Book Fair
A fantastic amount was raised at the Scholastic Book Fair! Thank you so much to everyone who supported the Scholastic Book Fair again this year. The pupils thoroughly enjoyed coming along and choosing a new book. It was a wonderful week, where nearly every child in the school walked through our library doors. Through your support we have raised £1,100 to buy new books for the whole of the school.
Auditions for the BBC
The Drama Studios kicked off November with quite an exclusive treat: a handful of our Middle School boys experienced the nerves and excitement of a professional audition. An affiliate of the BBC sent a casting director to see our pupils 1-2-1 audition for a role in a new production of ‘Lord of the Flies’. Every pupil left the experience buzzing, having prepared for the audition since Week 6. Ten of our boys were invited for a second-stage audition! Very well done to all the boys who attended for an afternoon of confidence and dramatic flare!
Delicious Apple Juice
Year 2 were delighted to be part of an apple juice project which was organised and run by a Year 2 parent. Year 2 collected windfall apples which were then pressed to make delicious apple juice. The children designed the label on the bottles and the bottles of tasty juice were available to buy by the Year 2 children with all proceeds going to our designated school charities.
Playing at Kingsholm Stadium
The charity Rugby fixture on Thursday 17 November was a huge success, with over 2,500 tickets sold and over 5,000 views on the livestream on the night of the event! We are proud to share that over £11,000 was raised for National Star, College’s chosen charity of the year. Thank you to everyone who supported the teams and donated to such a fantastic charity.
The Prep U13 teams played fantastically, winning the mini tournament overallwell done boys!
Toasting Marshmallows
Nursery School children were treated to an afternoon at Outdoor Learning, toasting marshmallows!
Rain Garden
Some of last year’s Sustainability Squad members helped our Gardeners to plant up the new Prep Rain Garden by the Sports Centre. As we continue to develop how we manage our outdoor spaces more sustainably, this new planter uses rainwater harvesting technology and provides a habitat for wildlife. We look forward to seeing the first beautiful, scented blooms next Spring!
Celebrating the Romans
Year 4 have been celebrating the Romans! Children have painted Roman shields, competed in chariot races, designed a Roman menu and followed a Roman recipe.
French Trip
Year 6 had a fantastic time in Paris over the October Half Term. The children visited The Eiffel Tower, Montmartre, Notre-Dame, Pompidou, Louvre, Champs Elysées, Stade de France, Jardin d’Acclimatation and Fondation Louis Vuitton. A brilliant trip full of rich history and culture.
LAMDA Winter Showcase
Hockey and Rugby Highlights
The Autumn Term was full of great Hockey and Rugby fixtures, with highlights including the U13A girls winning their Servenside tournament and the U13 boys were undefeated in Rugby!
Well done to eight of our U13 pupils who were selected to represent Gloucestershire for the U13s County Hockey!
The Lake District
Year 7 pupils had a fantastic time in The Lake District for a week of outdoor adventure! Activities from the week included Canoeing, Ghyll Scrambling, Raft Building, Archery and more. An incredibly fun-filled week!
A Visit From Father Christmas
Nursery and Reception Nativity
The ‘Not Now’ Nativity Performed by Years 1 and 2
Singing at Sudeley Castle
The Prep Choir were invited to perform at Sudeley Castle ahead of the ‘Christmas at Sudeley’ event, hosted by Lady Ashcombe - in aid of Wellchild. It was a fabulous opportunity for the pupils to perform!
Christmas Lunches!
Spring TERM
Extracting Pure Salt
Year 5 have been using several chemical separating techniques to extract pure salt from a sample of rock salt. Our budding scientists started by separating the solids, followed by dissolving the salt in water in order to filter it, resulting in the separation of the rock from the salt solution. Finally, the pupils evaporated off the water using a bunsen burner, to leave pure salt in their dishes.
Off to Find Treasure
Year 5 took part in a treasure hunt as part of their ‘hook’ lesson in English. A hook lesson is when we get the children guessing about a new book or topic. Subjects teachers plan an active and engaging activity to get the pupils making their own links and deductions before revealing what the book and topic is for the term.
Year 3 Art
In Art, children were drawing their trainer. This is a school-wide project where each year the children will draw their trainer with the children able to look back at their progression over their years at The Prep once they reach Year 8.
The Great Fire of London
Year 2 loved their Great Fire of London morning! We all came to school dressed in the era. The day began with preparing plaited bread rolls, we then did some writing using a quill, drew Tudor houses and relived the Great Fire by burning our origami Tudor Houses. To finish off the morning, we snacked on ‘wine’ and cheese to remember Samuel Pepys and his favourite tipple!
Year 5 Maths Challenge
In February, College held a Maths competition for Years 5 and 6. Throughout the day, the children were set various maths challenges and were competing against other prep schools. Well done to our pupils who took part in the day!
Congratulations to Reyan M-J (Year 5) who swam 1,000m without stopping to raise money for Comic Relief! A superb achievement and he even received a well done from Olympian Sharron Davies.
Masquerade Ball
Years 6 to 8 thoroughly enjoyed the annual Masquerade Ball; an evening of delicious food, (soft) drinks and lots of dancing!
The National Museum of Computing
Year 7 enjoyed a trip to The National Museum of Computing, where they saw rebuilds of Alan Turing’s Enigma code breaking device the Bombe as well as Colossus, the world’s first electronic computer. They also loved the opportunity to play on what they called Retro Games on a range of classic computers and consoles, wrote some code in BBC Basic and were taken back in time to solve puzzles and clues in a World War 2 cryptography challenge.
Viking Day
Year 4 immersed themselves in their topic learning during Viking Day. The children cooked on the fire, created stop motion films of the Lindisfarne invasion and completed an archaeological dig. A dress-up day to remember!
A Visit From the Gurkhas
Year 2 were delighted to learn all about what vehicles the Gurkhas use to train and in warfare.
A Wedding to Remember!
As part of their Christianity topic in Theology, Philosophy and Ethics, Year 6 have been learning about Christian sacraments. 6MD performed an excellent mock ceremony to revise the steps of a Christian marriage.
Ballet Club
Some of our Pre-Prep children took part in their first Ballet lesson! This is a wonderful new addition to our choice of after-school clubs.
Mental Health Week
The theme this year for Place2Be’s Children's Mental Health Week was ‘My Voice Matters’. The Prep embraced the week and its theme with customary gusto, starting on Monday with another ‘let’s connect lunch’ where Years 5 and 7 ate together and Years 6 and 8 ate together. There were discussion prompts to promote conversations, the sharing of opinions and the building of connections at our lunch tables.
We also spent time reflecting on what our ‘Mindapples’ are. We listed these small things, achievable on a daily basis to make us feel better, on apple shaped templates which will be displayed around school, so we can remember our 5-a-day for the mind!
School Council reps have been listening whilst encouraging all to use their voices and recording the views of their classmates in preparation for discussions at the next school council meeting. The children have also been considering which behaviours they would like in their school and which ones they are saying ‘not in my school’ to; we are encouraging them to use their voice in influencing school culture positively. After Half Term, more work will continue with children looking at ‘pressure online’ and the impact this can have on wellbeing and mental health.
A
‘Really Wild Day’
Children from Nursery School to Year 2 were visited by some very friendly reptiles, small mammals and birds of prey - what a fantastic way to end the first half of term! The children spent the morning learning all about the different animals, their characteristics, what they like to eat and more.
Celebration of the Arts
The 'Celebration of the Arts' is an opportunity for pupils applying for a 13+ Music, Art or Drama award to be able to display their work and perform audition material to a supportive audience prior to their 13+ award day.
The evening was a fabulous celebration of the various arts disciplines and the important part they play in a truly holistic education for our pupils, but also a celebration of all the hard work, time and effort that the children involved have put in over a considerable number of years to get to the point of entering a 13+ award. Bravo to all.
Historic Tudor Day
As part of their introduction to the topic, The Tudors, Year 6 took part in a Tudor-themed day. This was filled with a range of workshops to immerse themselves in the Tudor period, and to enlighten the children about what they will be learning in History this term.
The children greeted Henry VIII with a curtsy and a bow, to royal fanfare, and learned all about Henry VIII and his six wives. They then had the opportunity to explore Tudor coin minting and to produce their own clay medallions. The children learned how to skillfully play two popular 16th century games: Fox and Geese, and Soldiers. After lunch, the children took part in a Tudor dancing workshop, learning the dances to Branle d'officielw, Pastime with Good Company, and Washerwoman.
World Book Day
To celebrate World Book Day, all pupils and staff dressed up as their favourite character from a book!
Graffiti Workshop
The Cade House Boarders took part in a creative graffiti workshop, creating some brilliant pieces of artwork to display in their dorms!
County Hockey Champions
A huge well done to our U11 and U12s who were both Gloucestershire County Champions!
Charity Netball Fixture
On Tuesday 5 March, the U13A team played against Hucclecote in the curtain raiser to the Charity Netball match where College’s 1st team played against Malvern College. Both fixtures had a huge amount of support fundraising for National Star!
Year 8 Scholars’ Trip to Oxford
The Year 8 Academic Scholars began their PostScholarship Exam enrichment programme with a trip to ‘The City of Dreaming Spires’.
After arriving in Oxford, the pupils visited the Ashmolean Museum and spent the morning working collaboratively with the museum curators getting inspiration for their Independent Projects. After lunch, they then received a personal guided tour of New College, one of Oxford University’s oldest colleges (and where several scenes from Harry Potter were filmed, including the scene when Draco Malfoy was turned into a ferret).
The Scholars were in good company: as well as Harry Potter, people associated past and present with New College include the actor Hugh Grant, psychologist Simon Baron-Cohen, eminent neuroscientist (and the first female Science Fellow at New College) Kia Nobre, and the mathematician Marcus du Sautoy. We have little doubt that the trip inspired some of these pupils to grace the corridors of Oxford colleges soon…!
Author Visit – Lucy Walters
The wonderful Lucy Walters came into The Prep to spend time with our Pre-Prep, Lower School and Year 5 children. Lucy had the children captivated and engaged with her interactive storytelling sessions. Lucy is a professional storyteller and can be regularly found at The Story Museum in Oxford.
Nursery School and Reception Meet Superheroes!
Throughout the term, Nursery and Reception children have been learning all about what it means to be a superhero. Over the weeks, the children were fortunate to meet some real-life superheroes including Dr Inman, PC Constable Hayes, Mrs Simpson the firefighter and Mr Drake the soldier!
House Music Solo Competition
Well done to everyone who took part in the 2024 House Music Competition!
Junior Strings
1st Ashley W (Year 4), 2nd Ella B (Year 5), 3rd Max R (Year 4), 3rd Ollie S (Year 5)
Senior Strings
1st Gianna W (Year 7), 2nd Rowan F (Year 8), 2nd James F (Year 7), 3rd Abbey D (Year 8), 3rd Lulu H (Year 7)
Junior Wind & Brass
1st Minnie M (Year 4), 2nd Nicholas F (Year 5), 2nd Thea P-L (Year 5), 3rd Ashley W (Year 4)
Senior Wind & Brass
1st James F (Year 7), 2nd Reuben W (Year 8), 3rd Abbey D (Year 8)
Junior Voice
1st Ella B (Year 5), 2nd Linger X (Year 4), 3rd Iróna N (Year 5), 3rd Thea P-L (Year 5)
Senior Voice
1st Lulu H (Year 7), 2nd Annabelle M (Year 8), 3rd Bali S (Year 7), 3rd Erin W (Year 7)
Junior Piano
1st Ella B (Year 5), 2nd Linger X (Year 4), 3rd Janis L (Year 5)
Senior Piano
1st James F (Year 7), 2nd Rafe M (Year 6), 3rd Belle W (Year 8)
Percussion
1st Arthur B (Year 7), 2nd Ellis C (Year 8), 3rd Oscar S (Year 6)
Cade House Colour Rave
Cade House celebrated the end of the Spring Term with a fabulous Colour Rave!
School of Rock
As the Spring Term drew to a close, the children of the Upper School annual production came together to ensure it ended with an explosive finalé. ‘The School of Rock’ absolutely wowed audiences with the power of ROCK! Teaching at The Prep will never be the same, and neither will the performers, now that they’ve put their hearts and souls into the biggest, loudest, most awesome theatrical event of the year. They ‘Climbed to the Top of Mount Rock’, they performed in the Battle of the Bands, they ‘Stuck It To The Man’, and now, with the stage neatly packed away and the instruments safely at home in Lake House, we are left full of pride and memories as we wonder: Where Did The Rock Go?
Mud Run
On the penultimate day of term, the first ever Charity Mud Run took place on The Prep Fields! Children from Years 3 to 8 took part in a very muddy assault course, working in teams within their House to compete for the quickest time. It was a fantastic afternoon with approx. £12,000 raised for our two charities of the year, Help 4 Heroes and the Midlands Air Ambulance.
Summer TERM
EYFS Bug Fest
To celebrate and launch the topic ‘Minibeasts’, Nursery School and Reception children were treated to an afternoon of bugs and creepy crawlies. The children and Teachers were incredibly brave and held these mini creatures and found out lots of interesting and fun facts.
Year 8 Mock Trial
Our Year 8 Scholars spent the last few weeks of the Spring Term busily preparing for their mock trial. We were fortunate to invite Chloe Vater to The Prep to judge an important case, R V Drake! The Scholars stepped into the shoes of lawyers, witnesses, and jurors to explore the intricacies of the legal system first-hand. The children immersed themselves in this exciting opportunity, where they worked as a team to present strong arguments, cross-examine witnesses, and deliberate the facts of a mock case. This experience not only deepened their understanding of law and justice but also honed valuable life skills that will serve them well beyond the classroom.
The Big Sing
The ‘Big Sing’ took place again this year at the Cheltenham Town Hall, where the venue was filled with voices raising the roof!
There were around 450 performers from five different schools (Cheltenham Prep, Cheltenham College, Naunton Park Primary, St John’s Primary and Gloucester Road Primary) plus an adult choir of parents and staff from the various schools. Accompanied by an amazing live band of keyboard, bass, guitar, trumpet, drums and percussion, the programme included items such as ‘This is me’ (Greatest Showman), ‘For Good’ (Wicked), ‘Seasons of Love’ (Rent), ‘Sing’ (Barlow/Lloyd Webber) and the work ‘Freedom’ (L’Estrange), which has lots of movements in various styles such as jazz and gospel but all outlining the ‘power of song’ throughout history (touching on various themes such as slavery, civil rights movement, suffragettes and war and remembrance).
It was brilliant to work with all the children from the different schools, all coming together to partake in a project bigger than all of us as individuals, make a joyful noise, and know that music can unite and uplift us all. Bravo to everyone!
FameLab
Presentations
Year 8 pupils worked hard to put together a presentation of a topic of their choice, relating to Science. The children presented for 3 minutes in front of Mr Huggett and Mrs Wells. Presentations were superb and ranged from ‘Dark Matter’ to ‘How Hormones Affect Emotions’ and ‘Schizophrenia’
Year 6 French
Year 6 have been researching French-speaking countries to make a tourist leaflet. The children were tasked with finding out about the local culture and we have been discussing the history behind why these places all over the world are Francophone. Once finished, they presented their work and we got to find out all about Burundi, Monaco, Madagascar and many other wonderful places!
Montpellier Park
Year 2 had a fabulous time exploring the playground equipment at Montpellier Park. The children did lots of research in preparation for one of their Design and Technology projects this term!
Evacuation Day
Year 5 were transported back in time to 1940 when they became World War 2 evacuees for the day. The children arrived at school looking amazing (thank you parents!) with their gas mask boxes on their shoulders, ID labels round their necks, and headed off to Winchcombe Station for their Evacuation Experience. We were met by Miss Wilson, a school teacher, who talked them through how their days as evacuees would look, the uniforms soldiers wore, what the children would have played with, and showed them how much food would be available with rationing… not much!
Farmer Broomfield then took over and oversaw them using a stirrup pump, useful to put out any bombing fires; we then all experienced an air raid and huddled in the pitch-black shelter with the sounds of bombs, planes and anti-aircraft guns ringing in our ears, very realistic! Following that, we watched videos of actual evacuees talking through their individual evacuation experiences all those years ago; very sobering accounts.
U13 Regional Indoor Cricket Finals
Well done to our U13 girls who came second against Millfield School in the Regional Indoor Cricket Finals. The girls bowled out Millfield for 112 but fell short of the total, scoring 88-6. The girls played fantastically, winning their four matches prior to the final!
Next it was the steam train! We headed towards Cheltenham station, ate our lunch and sang out to the words of ‘Dame Vera Lynn’, whilst keeping an eye out for the spy! Thankfully, Miss Cottrell and Miss Hire were speedy enough to catch him as we alighted at the station.
Finally, we headed back to Winchcombe, whilst watching the countryside roll by on a beautiful, though rare, summer’s day. A fantastic trip and great experience for both the children and accompanying staff.
St George’s Day
Nursery School and Reception children celebrated St George’s Day. It was wonderful to see all the children dressed in their knight, princess and dragon costumes. The children had a fun day of celebrations which included jousting, making their own St George’s flags and shields and eating scones with jam and cream. The Reception children went on a dragon hunt and successfully found a very large dragon at school!
A Visit from Gakushuin Primary School
We were delighted to welcome twenty pupils and three staff from Gakushuin Primary School in Tokyo. This was their second visit to The Prep and once again it proved to be an enormous success. On their arrival, the Gakushuin pupils treated us to a spectacular assembly, where we learned about the prestigious history of their school, as well as gaining an insight into their daily routines and customs. It was a pleasure to welcome both pupils and staff into our lessons and Middle School pupils were fortunate enough to enjoy a Japanese workshop that included origami, an introduction to Japanese handwriting, games and dress.
The Prep is very grateful to the families who so kindly hosted our visitors as well as to the Middle School buddies, who did a wonderful job in making sure that the Gakushuin pupils were able to navigate their way safely and efficiently around school. It was heartening to see so many friendships being made in such a short space of time, and we are already looking forward to their visit next year.
Global Reef
Our Year 8 Scholars had a wonderful morning with Piers Baillie (OJ & NH, 2014), Marine Biologist and Old Cheltonian, learning about the work that he does with Global Reef. Global Reef is a marine research education and conservation project based in Thailand. The pupils were involved in a fascinating workshop including interactive VR to learn about coral reefs. The pupils have been tasked with designing an artificial reef to use in Thailand. The winner’s design will be built and placed in the conservation area. Watch this space to find out whose design wins!
LAMDA Showcase
For the LAMDA Showcase, Upper School pupils performed a piece each, ahead of their exams, under authentic stage lights in our new black box theatre space. There were some comedies, some tragedies, a pink feather duster and an entire evening of captivating performances!
Maypole Dancing
Over the course of the Summer Term, Nursery School children have been learning how to dance around the Maypole. Well done everyone, the performance was brilliant!
Independent School of the Year
We are delighted to share that Cheltenham Prep and Cheltenham College won the Independent School of the Year award in the 2024 SoGlos Gloucestershire Lifestyle Awards!
During the awards evening, we were commended for our ‘excellent’ ratings during the most recent Independent Schools Inspectorate inspection, as well as our academic achievements as recognised by the Sunday Times Parent Power league tables. At Cheltenham, we are incredibly proud of our local roots and connections to the town and all the vibrancy this brings.
Middle and Upper School Concert
A huge well done to our Middle and Upper School pupils who performed in the Summer Concert. It was a fantastic event, with some superb singing and musical performances.
Sandfield Farm
Year 2 had a brilliant trip to Sandfield Farm. The children learnt how to use a compass successfully and enjoyed playing in the Outdoor Learning area!
Forensic Day
The Year 8 Academic Scholars took part in a Forensics workshop at The Prep, led by two former Crime Scene Investigators from Northumbria Police. Working with pupils from St. Hugh’s School, they learnt how to take fingerprints and to dust for them, analyse hair and footprint samples, and use other evidence to identify the skeleton of a deceased person.
We are pleased to report that not only did all pupils correctly identify who the mystery body was, but they managed to successfully pinpoint who the murder suspect was using the forensics skills they had acquired!
Charity Parent and Pupil Tennis Tournament
Around forty competitors, comprising of pupils paired with their parents, siblings or peers took part in the round-robin competition, followed by knock-out finals. It was a beautiful, sunny morning and the standard of Tennis was exceptional. Congratulations to Benj Z (Year 7) and his mum on winning the tournament! The event raised £300 for The Prep’s charities.
Rowing
It was fantastic to see so many of our pupils at our Boathouse in Tewkesbury! There have been lots of crews out on the water, in mixed Quad and Octs as well as single sculls - thankfully we haven’t had anyone capsize!
Pirates vs Mermaids
Years 1 and 2 performed a swashbuckling story full of sensational songs, dazzling dancing, amazing acting and clever courageous children!
Cattle Country
Year 3 had a brilliant day at Cattle Country. The children enjoyed looking at the farm animals and playing on the slides, ropes and ball pits.
Archives Tour and Treasure Hunt
Year 7 headed over to College to have a tour of the Archives Department, followed by a treasure hunt activity around the grounds. Thank you to our Archivist, Hannah Dale, for an extremely informative and history-enriched day!
A visit from England Cricket Star
England Cricketer Alice Capsey trained on College Field in preparation for the upcoming New Zealand series. Children from Year 5 were very excited to meet the Cricket star, with Oscar C (Year 5) even having the chance to bowl at Alice.
Year 6 Residential
Year 6 children travelled to Ross-on-Wye for their two night residential trip! The children stayed at the YHA centre, where the days were jam packed with spy themed activities, archery, fire-building, fencing and more. Year 6 also took to the river, canoeing 13 miles from Ross-on-Wye to Symonds Yacht. A fun trip to remember!
Taskmaster
In activities week, Year 3 children took part in a series of fun tasks based on the British TV show ‘Taskmaster’.
Flutterpillar
The children in Nursery School and Reception gave a fantastic performance of ‘Flutterpillar’ in their end of year production. The woodland animals, caterpillars and flowers all helped the Flutterpillars learn to fly and turn into a beautiful butterfly.
Summer Shakespeare Performance
Our Year 6 classes, along with the Year 7 members of the Advanced Drama Group, have put together a smattering of things written by, inspired by, and esoterically related to, William Shakespeare. Our annual Shakespeare Festival might be the most interesting one yet, as the audience travels to Verona, Ancient Rome, The Forest of Arden, Hill Valley USA, and The Death Star. Congratulations on the show to every young performer who threw themselves into their roles this term; you have created quite the treat.
Gastronomy Day
A huge thank you to Holroyd Howe, who put together a Silver Service workshop for Year 8. It was a fantastic day, where the pupils learned about table setting and service, in addition to preparing a dinner for their parents in the evening. We hope you all enjoyed the evening!
Sports day
Speech day
CADE HOUSE
Cade House
It has been an actioned packed academic year in Cade House. Our 48 Full Boarders have made Cade House their home, and they have enjoyed utilising every opportunity that makes being a Full Boarder such an adventure.
Weekends continue to be busy with most of our Boarders choosing to stay at school and they are by far the most special time in House! Boarders have enjoyed making the most of what Cheltenham has to offer on our doorstep, parks, lido, crazy golf, cinema, bowling, laser tag and retail therapy are all on our doorstep and it has been great to utilise these at the weekends. We have also adventured further for days out at the beach, the Cotswold Wildlife Park, Thorpe Park, Cotswold Water Park, Ninja Warrior, Go Karting to name a few.
During the week, the Boarders enjoy turning the school into their playground, making the most of the trampoline park, swimming pool, games room, Art & DT suites, and Astros. Boarders really are at the heart of the school, at has been a pleasure to see so many Cade House Boarders performing in ‘School of Rock’, in the Music concerts over the course of the year and in Sports fixtures every Wednesday and Saturday.
Thank you to the incredible Cade House team that ensure that every day is a boarding adventure.
year 8 leavers
memories of cheltenham prep
Ode to Mr Doo
When history’s written of The Prep
There’s one name that they won’t forget
He was the first amongst the few
The legendary Scooby Doo
New kids and parents were agog
When they first saw The Prep School Dog
But soon discovered how compliant
Was this truly gentle giant
By being good or working hard
Pupils could earn a ‘Scooby Card’
Like credit points, that could be stored
A gentle stroke was his reward
And every morning about eight
He’d meet and greet at the school gate
And then he’d rest till half past five
When once again he’d come alive
To watch all the activities
And try to join in, if you please
And if a girl was feeling bad
Or p’raps a boy was rather sad
Old Scoobs could somehow ease their pain
Until they felt themselves again
And everyone he knew agreed
He was a ‘special dog’ indeed
Here are some memories of Scooby written by the children!
“Scooby was so cute.”
“He was the same height as me!”
“I used to like seeing Scooby napping.”
“The first time I got a Scooby, I got a slobbery kiss!”
“I miss Scooby because we always used to see him every time we got 25 pluses and could stroke him.”
“In a Prep Assembly he was sitting by Mr O’Sullivan and he turned around and sat down facing the wrong way. It was very funny!”
“He greeted us every morning and on odd socks day he has the best socks! He supported us at all our matches.”
“He was chief of the cheer-up team. If someone was sad, they’d go to him. We will miss you Scooby.”
“I miss you and I think you were a really cool school dog!”
“I remember in Reception I was new and I sat down and Scooby sat on me. I liked it when we got Scoobys and we got to see him smile.”
“I am new to this school and I have never seen Scooby but I am sure that he would always cheer people up. I also love the name Scooby!”
“He came to the Cricket, even without a ticket.”
“I loved receiving my Scooby Christmas Card and Birthday card.”
“When Scooby was walking along the pitches, he motivated me to play better at sport.”
“Scooby was a BFD which stands for Big Friendly Dog.”
“Dear Scooby Doo, You were loving and true, Brave and loyal, Behaved like a royal, And so we all knew, You were our school dog from the start, And you’ll live on in our hearts”