Summer Edition - July 2024
HEAD’S MESSAGE
FROM THE HEAD
It is a joy to see happy children with a love of learning succeeding every step of the way. We have enjoyed an abundance of events and performance opportunities. Democracy and economic education were at the fore during PGP’s Wellbeing Elections and Enterprise Exhibition. We have ensured that emotional wellbeing and academic attainment reach new heights; huge congratulations to everyone for their achievements and 11+ results. My heartfelt thanks to the pupils, staff and the whole PGP school community.
Dr Edmonds
FOPGP celebrated the end of year with a lively summer fair. The pitch was buzzing with excitement from inflatable football and Nerf games. The kids enjoyed freeze pops and browsing for books while the adults queued for a PGP tea towel featuring child and staff portraits. The last week of term saw a visit from the Boh & Bees ice cream van - a much-loved tradition. Next term’s highlights include the uniform sale on 6 September, the movie night and a Christmas event.
Kate Forrester
HOUSE CUP RESULTS
Our penultimate day of term saw the presentation of the House Cup in the Sports Assembly. Well done to all of the children for their incredible efforts this year Thousands of house points have been awarded for a variety of reasons, from sportsmanship to manners, being helpful and for excellent effort in the classroom, with a final boost from Sports Day. With an incredibly close contest, here are this term's final average house points per pupil this term:
1 st – Shackleton – 61.89
2 nd - Williams - 61.54
3 rd - Attenborough - 60.06
4 th - Earhart – 59.13
Well done Shackleton! We start all over again in September.
THE ARTS
ART
The children produced wonderful work this term that they enjoyed sharing with parents at the summer exhibition. We were also delighted to have had individual and group success in art competitions. In lessons Year 1 learnt about portraiture and Year 2 used Henri Rousseau’s painting Surprised! as inspiration for their collages. Year 3 and Year 5 studied the Tudors and Ancient Greeks respectively and produced collages, clay relief tiles and papier-mâché pots. Other classes developed their drawing skills with shading techniques and perspective drawing.
PREP PERFORMANCE
Year 3 to Year 6 children thoroughly enjoyed their summer performance of Hoodwinked this term. This performance was also enjoyed by our enthusiastic audience who booed, hissed and cheered with gusto. Year 5 and Year 6 rehearsed tirelessly to perfect this modern Robin Hood musical and it was great fun to watch. Year 3 and Year 4 were a welcome choir addition and sang beautifully during the show. Well done to all our performers.
MUSIC
In music we have had a very busy term with lots of pitch and pattern in Reception and a study of Schumann’s Scenes from Childhood in Year 1. We have been singing about Tudors and learning intervals in Year 3, whilst Year 2 have been playing samba and composing. In Year 6 we have been preparing for the graduation and learning about how music affects film. Year 4 have been busy on the drum machine and Year 5 focussed on rhythm and composition. Well done everyone.
OUT AND ABOUT
BOCKETTS FARM PARK
Reception had a wonderful trip to Bocketts Farm. They began the session by meeting lots of lovely animals. They got to cuddle a big bunny, a chicken and guinea pigs. We then walked around the farm to meet the goats and the sheep and they loved having the chance to feed them. They enjoyed riding the tractor around the farm and spotting beautiful butterflies, as well as pigs playing in the mud. It was a great trip to finish the year.
WOODROW HIGH HOUSE
This term Year 3 ventured to Woodrow High House to take part in three days of fun teambuilding activities. Singing round campfires, a woodland walk and the 'underground tunnels' were all described as highlights by the children and plenty of fond memories were made. We were incredibly proud of all the children on their first residential and felt that each showed an immense amount of courage, bravery and perseverance during their time away.
WRWA RECYCLING CENTRE
Our Year 2 children had an eye-opening experience during their trip to the Wandsworth recycling centre this term. They learned about the importance of recycling and reducing waste to help protect the environment. Year 2 were able to see firsthand how different materials are sorted and processed for recycling. They also had the opportunity to ask questions and engage in discussions with the staff about the impact of waste on our planet.
BRITISH MUSEUM
As part of our Admirable Architecture topic, Year 1 visited the British Museum to take part in a printmaking workshop. The class explored the Korean gallery and took inspiration from different artefacts including vases, coins and paintings. Afterwards, pupils used their observations and jottings to draw and then score their designs on Styrofoam. Year 1 then used a roller and ink to print their unique design onto paper. A creative experience exploring technique and design with an artist.
THE ISLE OF WIGHT
In May Year 6 embarked upon their great adventure to the Isle of Wight. Their willingness to embrace new challenges and adventures, especially during less than perfect conditions, exemplifies their resilience and 'give it a go' attitude. The children exceeded expectations by not only participating in water activities such as paddleboarding, sailing, and kayaking but also conquering any initial fears and showing remarkable courage. Their involvement in team games as a class was marked by a supportive nature and teamwork, creating a positive and inclusive experience for everyone.
STEAM SUBJECTS
CODING CLUB
Pre-prep Coding Club have built on their skills to use timers and variables within their codes. Alongside coding, pupils have animated stories and created an animation for a celebration, adding sound to go alongside their moving pictures. In the Prep school, this year's Coding Club has fostered the children's creativity, imagination and critical thinking. They have learnt to debug, write their own form of code and familiarised themselves with the tools available on Scratch and Purple Mash.
YOUNG ENGINEERS’ LEGO CLUB
During the Summer term our Young Engineers had a lot of fun building a pirate ship (just like the one at Legoland) and seeing how it moved back and forth. We then built a carousel and saw centrifugal force in action. Our conveyor belt used a belt transmission to move bricks back and forth. We had contests with the playful dreidel to see who could keep it spinning the longest. We also looked at elastic energy and built catapults to send ‘stones’ (made of paper) across the tables.
STEAM OVERVIEW
Reception children enjoyed working with Year 1 during their STEAM afternoon. They learnt about the Olympics and created their own medals. Year 2 enjoyed their Apprentice Gardener topic, where they extended their understanding of plant growth, while Year 3 studied Tudor warfare and weaponry. Year 5 children prepared arcade games for our school Enterprise afternoon while Year 6 studied the importance of submarines in the exploration of the sea, including areas that are impossible for humans to reach.
COMPUTING
Reception children worked with their Year 6 buddies to design a variety of farmyard animals on Purple Mash. Year 1 have shown attention to detail and accuracy when coding by following instructions carefully, while Year 2 also further developed their coding skills by learning to debug and give directions. Year 3 learnt how to receive, write and send emails. Year 4 also continued to hone their coding skills, while Year 5 used concept maps to organise ideas. Year 6 pupils consolidated their skills on Excel, PowerPoint and Word to present independent research projects.
CHESS
In Years 1 and 2 Chess Club we have been developing the children’s’ knowledge of the rules, tactics and several special moves. The children have been able to play plenty of matches with their friends and participate in healthy competition to eventually take part in chess tournaments from Year 3 up to Year 6. Try to keep playing over the summer holidays and remember there are three ways of getting your king out of check, using the acronym CPR - capture, protect or run away!
MATHS
Maths is of course an integral part of our curriculum at PGP. This term Reception children consolidated their mathematical language in preparation for Year 1. Meanwhile Year 1 and Year 2 engaged in practical maths for measurement, while Year 3 and Year 4 have been focussing on money and measurement problems and applied these to problem solving. Year 5 consolidated their learning and applied their skills to examstyle questions, while Year 6 engaged in Nrich challenges and Theme Park Maths to encourage logical and analytical thinking.
IN THE CLASSROOM
RECEPTION
It’s been a term full of amazing personal growth, resilience with their application of knowledge and wonderful, hands-on experiences. The children have seen the birth of chicks and the life cycle of a caterpillar. They have reflected on their journey and their memories in a parent learning morning. They have consolidated their phonics knowledge and applied their mathematical language to their maths tasks, amongst other incredible educational achievements. Panda Class are definitely ready for Year 1.
YEAR 2
In Year 2 this term the children have been discovering how to up-level their writing by checking their work as they go. They have been learning about measuring mass, length and width in different units. In science they have been progressing their knowledge on the parts of a plant and their role in its survival and reproduction. The children have enjoyed a trip to the recycling centre and their first cricket fixture. Well done for an excellent term.
YEAR 1
The class has become increasingly independent, demonstrated resilience when approaching challenges and shown great enthusiasm for our topics. Year 1’s favourite text this term has to be the humorous Pig the Pug, which led to fantastic discussions and extended own version story writing. In maths Year 1 have been busy learning about multiplication and division through grouping and sharing, fractions and telling the time to half past. A fabulous final term everyone.
YEAR 3
We have had a very busy and exciting Summer term in Year 3, filled with plenty of learning and opportunities to perform. The spotlight was on the pupils as they acted out their Tudor class assembly - a highlight for many of them and a whole lot of fun. Our business mindsets were engaged for our Enterprise Week, where our Year 3's devised, prepared for and delivered brilliant business strategies to earn a profit, which will benefit PGP. Incredible work Year 3.
YEAR 4
We have covered a range of topics including the end of the Vikings and rulers of England in humanities, Shackleton's journey in English and converting units of measurement, properties of shape and angles in maths. Year 4 finalised their hydraulics machines in STEAM and created their own coding games in computing lessons. It has been an absolute pleasure to teach Year 4 this year and Miss Kaela wishes them all the best in Year 5.
YEAR 6
We enjoyed a fantastic trip to the Isle of Wight. On our return we were straight into the Bikeability course. Hoodwinked was a resounding success. The Year 6 pupils took the lead and led with fortitude. The PGP Election was a chance to put their teamwork to the test and the class produced fantastic campaigns. Following Enterprise Week, Year 6 gave their all to representing their houses on Sports Day. We reached the end of term with happy hearts and heads held high.
YEAR 5
The pupils were introduced to 11+ exam practice and they have become much more mature and well rounded, both academically and socially. Highlights included our residential trip to Hindleap Warren, the Hoodwinked performances, a trip to the British Museum to complement our Ancient Greek studies in humanities lessons, and Enterprise Week. We made over £234 on our tie-dye scrunchie stall and arcade games during the Enterprise afternoon as a result of the class’s creativity and excellent teamwork.
LET’S SOCIALISE
Don’t forget to follow us on social media for the latest news and activities around the school.
X: @pgpschoollondon Facebook: @ParsonsGreenPrep Instagram: @parsonsgreenprep
And do check out the news section of the school website at www.parsonsgreenprep.co.uk.
SPORT
CRICKET
The main team sport for the Prep school this term has been cricket. The children have been taking part in lessons at Hurlingham Park and morning squad sessions on our on-site Astro. The children have made fantastic progress with their batting, bowling and fielding skills. We have had several excellent wins, including victories against Brighton College Prep, Hurlingham School and Kew Green Prep. Year 2 have played their first two fixtures and had two wins against the Merlin School and Knightsbridge School.
HOUSE MATCHES
The Prep school children competed in this year’s cricket house matches at Hurlingham Park. During the Year 3 and Year 4 competition Earhart defeated Williams after both winning their first round matches with a nail-biting 231 runs to 229. Attenborough achieved 3rd place, beating Shackleton by 236 runs to 195. The Year 5 and Year 6 competition saw a repeat with Earhart beating Williams by 272 runs to Williams’ 239. Attenborough secured 3rd place scoring 247 runs to Shackleton's 200. A big well done to everyone for two fantastic afternoons of cricket.
SWIMMING
Swimming lessons resumed this term for Year 5 and Year 6. The children have made excellent progress in all swimming strokes and enjoy the lessons taught by the highly skilled swimming teachers. Our annual Swimming Gala for Prep pupils was a great success, with the children competing in the disciplines of front crawl, breaststroke and backstroke. A particular highlight was the Year 5/6 relay, where the top swimmers in each house competed in the 4 x 25m relay. Congratulations to Earhart House for winning in an impressive time of 1 minute and 26 seconds.
ATHLETICS
PGP’s top athletes in Years 3 - 6 competed in this year’s ISA London West Athletics competition in the disciplines of short-distance running, 600m, long jump, high jump and ball throw. Athlete of the day went to Tara (Y5), who came first in her 75m race and second overall, finishing in a time of 11.13 seconds - a fantastic achievement. We hosted our second annual internal Year 5 and Year 6 High Jump Competition. Isabel cleared a height of 1.05m to win the Year 5 competition and Victor won the Year 6 competition, clearing a fantastic height of 1.2m.
SPORTS DAY
On Sports Day children from Reception to Year 6 travelled to Barn Elms Sports Trust to compete in the disciplines of short and long-distance running, throwing and jumping. The day was a huge success, with the children showing excellent commitment and sportsmanship throughout the day. The highlight of the event was the 4 x 100m relay event, where Earhart took first place, closely followed by Attenborough. Congratulations to Earhart, which secured first place overall by scoring a fantastic 171 house points.
EVENTS
YEAR 6 GRADUATION
Year 6’s final day at PGP arrived and emotions were high. Donned in caps and gowns and armed with songs and speeches, the class presented themselves articulately, speaking proudly of their years at PGP and singing with joy. Most importantly, it was a day to recognise the firm friendships that have been forged and the many skills and lessons that have been learnt along the way. They demonstrated confidence, resilience and kindness. We are so proud of all they have achieved and the way in which they conducted themselves and we very much look forward to hearing from them in the future.
CHARITY ROUND-UP
This term Williams and Attenborough raised funds for their chosen charities. Williams encouraged all children to dress up as their favourite sports star and take part in an obstacle course, raising a fantastic amount for the Daisy Trust, a local charity raising awareness and funds for local community groups. Attenborough hosted Mr Lee's annual Talent Show, raising money for Riding for the Disabled Association. Well done to everyone who took part and thank you to parents for their support.
ECO COMMITTEE
The Eco Committee have had a brilliant year, working together on the Eco-Schools topics of marine, energy and litter. This term the committee has been focusing on ways to reduce single-use plastic pollution. They made posters showing different types of single-use plastic and gave suggestions of more eco-friendly options that we can all use. We have submitted our EcoSchools Green Flag with Merit application and are eagerly awaiting to hear our results. Thank you for your hard work in keeping PGP an EcoSchool.
HAPPY SUMMER HOLIDAYS!