Parsons Green Prep - Spring 2024 Newsletter

HEAD’S MESSAGE

FROM THE HEAD

I congratulate each and every child at PGP on what they have achieved, both in and out of the classroom this term. The children’s proactive engagement in their learning and their level of attainment is a joy to see, not only in the classroom but in House events, sports fixtures, in-house competitions and themed days. Year 4 and Year 5 had so much fun and were suitably challenged during their residentials. I am incredibly proud of our Year 6 pupils, who have secured places at top schools, reflecting their ability, attitude to learning and the embedded preparation for 11+ at PGP. I look forward to next term and I wish the school community a very enjoyable break.

FOPGP

Events included the crowd-pleasing children’s disco and the popular Quiz Night and Art Auction. Thank you to everyone that came and donated and special mention to George Cazenove for his charismatic auctioneering. Lastly, FOPGP is thrilled to officially welcome its new President, Nicky Thomé, whose enthusiasm guarantees more fun to be had. Next term: an ice cream van visit, parents summer event and summer sale.

Kate Forrester

SCHOOL COUNCIL

The children love the new play equipment, particularly the football goal, and the array of foods for lunch. The introduction of additional themed days has been very much enjoyed. So too has the increase in sports fixtures, including the Tag Rugby Festival hosted by PGP and entering national competitions. The inclusion of contact rugby for Year 6 and the Craven Cottage citizenship event have been popular additions in the preparation for senior school. Thank you to this year’s School Council members for their continued commitment to helping the school evolve.

HOUSE CUP RESULTS

Congratulations to Attenborough on winning the House Cup this term, with an average of 6.2 house points per pupil each week. Earhart and Williams were joint second on 6 and Shackleton came third with 5.8. Well done everyone on a close contest. Roll on the summer term.

THE ARTS

ART

There have been many exciting projects this term in art and the children have learnt new skills and applied them to some amazing artwork. Year 6 studied the art of batik and used hot wax to act as a resist on their cushion designs. Year 4 experimented with a variety of watercolour techniques to enhance their paintings. In other lessons the children have made Egyptian canopic jars, created pen and ink drawings of the London skyline, constructed natural sculptures and produced drawings and collages of rivers.

LAMDA

This term has been exciting for the LAMDA cohort at PGP. Mr Max has been joined by the fantastic Miss Jordon (also of House of the Dragon fame) in delivering classes across preprep and prep, with record numbers of children signing up and discovering the unique benefits of studying voice, performance, communication, acting and poetry. Another very successful winter exam season saw almost every student receive a Distinction and with 20 submissions booked for the spring exam dates LAMDA at PGP is thriving.

MUSIC

This term we have explored scales and unusual instruments in Year 6 whilst Year 5 have looked at the woodwind section. Trying out the ukelele was a highlight in Year 3 and Year 4 have been busy writing computer game music. Year 2 have gone on a journey with the Carnival of the Animals and have even written music for their own animal. Year 1 have written their first rhythmic compositions using musical maths and Reception have been learning all about rhythm, rhyme and ballet.

OUT AND ABOUT

MILL ON THE BRUE

The Year 4 residential proved to be an exciting experience, with the children participating in activities including rock climbing, tunnelling and ziplining. They acquired essential skills such as understanding the process of food growth and compost production. They learned fire-building techniques and enhanced their teamwork and problem-solving abilities through collaborative exercises. This trip offered them a comprehensive learning experience, fostering a love for the outdoors and learning to persevere with mental and physical challenges.

LONDON WETLAND CENTRE

Year 1 visited the Wetland Centre at Barnes as part of their topic on the environment and nature. Pupils carefully observed plants in the local area before identifying them by shape, size and texture. They then worked collaboratively, applying STEAM skills, to build dens. Year 1 also enjoyed watching the otters and exploring the adventure playground. This was a fun-filled day of outdoor learning. The Wetland Centre is actually made up of four disused Victorian reservoirs.

SCIENCE MUSEUM

Year 3’s school trip was a thrilling journey. The forces workshop captivated them, bringing theoretical concepts to life through hands-on experiments. The children eagerly delved into each activity, witnessing principles of physics at work. Exploring the museum further, their enthusiasm remained high. It was a joy to see theory seamlessly transition into practical understanding. Year 3 were a credit to the school and were inspired by the ‘magic’ of science. Photo: Science Museum Group.

H&F JUNIOR CITIZENSHIP SCHEME

The council provided Year 6 with a fun, informative and educational morning at Craven Cottage, when we attended their Junior Citizenship Scheme. Pupils participated in a number of workshops aimed at equipping them with necessary life skills and preparing them for the start of senior school. Sessions included fire safety, first aid, using public transport, cycling proficiency, mental health, cyber safety and being streetwise. It was a fantastic event.

HINDLEAP WARREN

Year 5 had a wonderful time on their residential. We took part in a variety of activities including abseiling, climbing walls, team-building exercises, orienteering, map reading, survival skills and night walks through the forest. However, the task which tested our communication skills, perseverance and resilience the most was the forest adventure afternoon. We waded upstream in a river, squelching through mud and even jumping into watery mud pools up to our waists. It was an experience we will never forget.

STEAM SUBJECTS

MATHS

This term the children from Reception to Year 6 have engaged brilliantly in timetabled maths lessons. All year groups incorporate ‘red challenges’ in lessons, where the children have the opportunity to apply their problem-solving and reasoning skills to more challenging questions. This term we celebrated PGP Sudoku Day. Not only is sudoku a lovely, calming activity but it is a great opportunity to practise maths and reasoning skills. All the children who took part demonstrated resilience and a positive mental attitude. We hope we’ve sparked your love for sudoku.

CHESS

This term’s chess tournament has proved to be another success. A series of exciting rounds led to a nail-biting final between Axel and Victor. Axel castled, launched his knights forward and, for a while, the game hung in the balance. However, the loss of Axel’s queen clinched the game on points for Victor. Congratulations, to all who took part. Mr James continues to build the Early Years Club and interest in chess at PGP is at a high.

CODING CLUB

Using 2animate, Pre-prep children recreated scenes from Aladdin, retold traditional tales and produced their own stories using moving pictures and sounds. Coding challenges included racing snails and guarding a castle. Prep pupils have enhanced their digital skills through projects on Scratch and Purple Mash. They are encouraged to explore a range of coding principles for creating animations, games and interactive experiences. As their competence develops, they have shown an eagerness to create innovative codes in order to build unique games.

STEAM OVERVIEW

There has been a range of STEAM projects covered across the school this term, from ocean selfled study in Year 6 to pyramid projects in Year 3 and Bee-Bot challenges in Year 2. Reception and Year 5 teamed up this term to complete a joint project. Year 5 pupils conducted surveys to discover what they could design for the Reception children and spent the next few weeks creating an item in the STEAM room. Sample items included animal masks, children’s story books, mazes, card games and board games. This research project took all of us in different directions, depending on likes and dislikes.

YOUNG ENGINEERS LEGO CLUB

Our Young Engineers this term combined a bit of art with the engineering when they built a motor-powered easel. Some nice modern art was the result. We saw how symmetry and vibration worked in our steamrollers (minus the steam) and tested the model by flattening pieces of aluminium foil. Everyone had fun with the scales we built as we tried to see how we could get the two sides to perfectly balance. We also discovered different types of energy, from wind to elastic energy.

COMPUTING

In February PGP celebrated Safer Internet Day. This sparked interesting conversations in the classroom about using technology responsibly, respectfully, critically, and creatively. Year 1 children studied how technology and the internet has changed over time and continues to impact people’s lives, while Year 4 thought, in detail, about how the internet can influence young people today. Year 6 considered how Artificial Intelligence (AI) may change people’s lives now and in the future.

IN THE CLASSROOM

RECEPTION

The Spring term saw us covering Seasonal Changes, Space and Quirky Stories. The children’s creativity has shone through a wide range of activities. They have begun their computing lessons with their Year 6 buddies and it has been great to see these bonds flourish. As part of the Quirky Stories, the children went to the Polka Theatre to watch Tidy. The children have risen to the challenge of including their learnt phonics sounds and are becoming independent writers.

YEAR 2

In the Spring term the children in Year 2 have been solving problems on money, statistics, multiplication, division and fractions. In English they have been working on expanding their vocabulary, using punctuation accurately and levelling up their writing by checking and correcting any marvellous mistakes. We had a workshop on the Great Fire of London and they took part in their first netball and football fixtures. As a class they have listened carefully throughout, resulting in them producing wonderful pieces of work across the curriculum. Have a great break.

YEAR 1

The class enjoyed exploring nature through art, applying observational skills to compare and plant seeds and to write stories about nature saving the day. They also wrote factfiles about octopi and explored non-fiction texts about plants. Year 1 took a trip to the London Wetland Centre to further develop their understanding of the environment and were tasked with building their own dens. The children have developed their understanding of place value and used practical skills to measure length and weight.

YEAR 3

We have had another super term in Year 3, with hard work and enthusiasm. Our topic this term was Egypt. We were able to learn all about its historical importance, its pyramids and pharaohs and how the ancient Egyptians have shaped our life today. Cinderella of the Nile proved a perfect accompaniment in our English lessons and Year 3 were able to write outstanding versions of their own fairy tale with a twist. In the second half of term we read Cloud Tea Monkeys and the children learnt all about the importance of Fairtrade across the globe. We cannot wait for more exciting topics and adventures next term.

YEAR 4

The class have explored Hinduism in Religious Education, online safety in PSHCE and animation creation in computing. They've honed multiplication and division skills through weekly times tables tests in maths and have enjoyed learning about the concept of time and fractions. In STEAM children investigated various alarm systems, designing their own for home testing. English studies focused on researching and writing biographies of influential figures and in science lessons the children have delved into sound.

YEAR 6

Congratulations to Year 6 for completing their 11+ exams and interviews. Their determination, resilience and hard work was admirable and they should be enormously proud of themselves. They have loved the self-led STEAM and maths projects this term; a sign of their readiness for increased independence. Our buddy scheme with Reception continues to be a great success. Pupils have patiently supported computing lessons and have selected fantastic books to read. Our trip to Jungle Rumble was a great class experience and a wonderful celebration of our achievements.

YEAR 5

We thoroughly enjoyed our fantastic trip to Hindleap Warren, where we took part in a number of unforgettable activities and adventures, which tested our communication skills, teamwork and resilience. The pupils particularly enjoyed learning about rivers in humanities lessons, which was brought to life during our trip to the river Thames. The class had a fantastic time exploring the river’s foreshore. We tested the river’s temperature and pH level and searched the area for living creatures.

LE FRENCH PROGRAMME

What a fantastic second term. The children in Pre-prep (Year 1) can be proud of their hard work - they can now read in French. The Prep school children have mastered our complicated French grammar (Year 3) and have mastered both comprehension and ‘dictées’ (Year 4 to Year 6). We have touched on the importance of the Olympic Games in Paris 2024 during our after-school clubs. We are looking forward to finishing our programme next term and preparing for the annual ‘French Day’ for all our friends at PGP.

SPORT

ISA FOOTBALL AND NETBALL

The U11 boys football team competed in this year’s ISA London West U11 five-a-side football, which took place at Maidenhead RFC. The boys did extremely well and won the plate competition, with impressive wins against Long Close School, LVS Ascot and Eaton Square School. We also had great success in the U11 ISA girls netball competition, with the team reaching the quarter -finals of the cup competition and enjoying excellent wins against Sherfield school, Waverley Prep and Highfield Prep.

TAG RUGBY

This term tag rugby was the main sport for the Prep School, with the children developing the core skills of handling and evasion during their Hurlingham Park games lessons. The highlight of the term was PGP’s interschool tag rugby festival, when we hosted eight other schools at Hurlingham Park. We have played in several excellent fixtures this term, with impressive wins against Kew College Prep, Wandsworth Prep and Bright-

HOUSE MATCHES

Williams was the winner in the Year 3 and Year 4 football house matches, with two excellent wins and a draw. Earhart secured second place, also remaining undefeated, with a win against Shackleton and two further draws. Shackleton beat Attenborough to win third place. In the Year 5 and Year 6 matches, Earhart played some excellent football, winning all of their matches to come first. Attenborough came second with two wins and Williams came third with one win. Well done to everyone on a great afternoon of football.

PRE-PREP GAMES

Year 1 have been taking part in a module called ‘Invasion Games’ in their outdoor PE lessons. The children have been developing their understanding of the games and the principles of defending and attacking. They have developed skills such as sending and receiving with both feet and hands, as well as dribbling with both feet and hands. Year 2 have progressed to playing five-a-side netball and played two netball fixtures against Knightsbridge School.

HOCKEY

Year 5 and Year 6 have been taking part in hockey lessons during Thursday afternoons on our onsite Astroturf. They have made excellent progress in the core skills of passing, dribbling, shooting and tackling. The pupils have enjoyed applying these skills to internal games. They also built on their teamwork skills and understanding of roles on the pitch. They learned positioning and various effective ways of defending and also learned how to outwit defenders whilst attacking.

CHARITY ROUND-UP

We have had another fantastic term of raising awareness and funds for local and national charities. All the children took part in the school initiative organised by Earhart's chosen charity, Under One Sky. The Pre-prep children produced beautiful pictures that were handed out to our local homeless community, whilst the Prep School accompanied their drawings with a thoughtful letter. We had an afternoon of playing our favourite board and card games to support Shackleton's chosen charity, Starlight (which promotes the importance of play for all children). Thank you all for your continued generosity.

WORLD BOOK DAY

To celebrate World Book Day pupils donned their creative character costumes. PGP was filled with a buzz about books and everyone enjoyed sharing clues about their character. Throughout the day, pupils listened out for the 'drop everything and read' signal and did exactly that, which proved an excellent way to promote reading for pleasure. Pupils are encouraged to visit a local bookshop with their book token to choose their next read. A fabulous way to celebrate reading and all the skills that it entails.

ECO COMMITTEE

The Eco Committee has been busy developing energy-saving methods for both in school and at home. The committee members assigned each class an 'energy monitor' to turn off all lights when leaving the classroom. The committee have also set an Easter challenge for children to participate in Earth Hour on Saturday 23 March 2024. This involves turning off lights for at least one hour, to help save energy. They created posters that encouraged everyone to participate. Next term we will focus on marine life and minimising plastic pollution.

EASTER BONNET PARADE

Lights, camera and strut! It was that time of year again where PGP pupils donned their best homemade Easter Bonnets and took to the catwalk for the Spring 2024 Easter Bonnet Parade. It was an array of colour, design and flair. The children proudly presented their recyclable Easter bonnets, which ranged from the classic to the extravagant. PGP also held an exciting Easter egg hunt in the school gardens. Look out for the pictures on social media next week and have a very Happy Easter.