e v o l u t i o n Stroud’s Summer Newsletter 2019
Dear Parents TEAM - Together Everyone Achieves More...the whole is greater than the sum of its parts…I get by with a little help from my friends… There is no better place than a school to highlight the benefits of working collaboratively as part of a team. From our SSA – where the parents are determined to bring added value to the children by giving their time to organise events throughout the year – to the KES Sixth Form pupils who join the Early Years pupils for Forest School sessions, we have teams everywhere. Our pupils collaborate routinely in the classroom, in sport, music and, most recently, in the Senior School performance of Doctor Dolittle. There is a growing body of research that suggests that teamwork improves productivity, morale and general efficacy. However, in the preadolescent brain, teamwork can also help to build trust, emotional intelligence and higher social function. The value of the team is also significant within the staff body. We spend a great deal of time working in year groups, subject areas, on residential visits and generally around the school. Stroud pupils are incredibly fortunate to have such an excellent team of staff, both teaching and non-teaching, and I know
that, as parents, we appreciate this too. At the end of this year, two long-standing and dedicated members of the Stroud team move on to pastures new, and I want to recognise the difference they have made. Mrs Renouf, our Head of Maths, retires after a distinguished career of 23 years in the maths department and on the Senior Management Team. She has ensured the success of numerous academic scholars and the positive transition of all pupils to a wide range of senior schools. Mr Jackson has spent 17 years working in a variety of roles: in the Middle School, IT department and, most recently, as our Deputy Head Pastoral. His role has a focus on welfare for children and staff alike, and his office has become the place to go when in need of an empathetic ear. Mrs Renouf and Mr Jackson are Stroudies through and through, and we hope to see them both in the terms to come. Enjoy the summer holidays – spend lots of time with family and enjoy the weather (whatever it may be!) Joel Worrall Headmaster
Stroud School, Romsey
King Edward VI Preparatory School
Latest News
Going for Gold! Huge congratulations to the w girls who won the IAPS cricket tournament hosted at Millfield.
Embracing the Great Outdoors Maths Challenge We were very excited to hold our annual Stroud School Maths Challenge again this year, where 84 children from 15 schools participated in a range of activities. There was much excitement and great anticipation as the children took part in three rounds to stretch their mathematical thinking: a trailblazer round, a see-saw round and a Countdown round, inspired by the famous TV programme. Mr Brett, who organised the event, said: “At Stroud we are proud to be able to support our local community. This was the most wonderful afternoon for celebrating maths; it’s so important to show children that maths is fun and can be done outside the classroom.” The competition was fierce, with several schools performing very well, but St Bede’s Primary, from Winchester, came out as this year’s winners. There was a lot of positive feedback, and we are already looking forward to hosting the event again next year.
We are proud to announce that we have been awarded the Silver Council for Learning Outside the Classroom Award. “We have been working towards our Council for Learning Outside the Classroom Award over this academic year and after a visit from the lead assessor, we leapfrogged bronze and went straight to the silver award”, says Angus Reid, Head of Learning Outside the Classroom and Year 5 Tutor. “This verifies all of our ongoing dedication to integrating outdoor learning into our broad and varied curriculum. From the assessment report, we will create an action plan to steer us towards the prestigious gold award. Meanwhile, we will continue to take as much learning as we can outside, to keep building on our fantastic Forest School and Beach School programmes, and to keep celebrating, through our VLE, all the exciting learning that is taking place at Stroud. The CLOtC award is complementary to our Eco Schools Green Flag that we have held for the past six years. It also sits perfectly with our general ethos as a school to use our fabulous grounds at Stroud to create memorable learning opportunities.”
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Congratulations to Monty (Year 6), Max (Year 6), Isaac (Year 6) and Benjamin (Year 3), who took part in the National Primary Maths Challenge. All four boys achieved an excellent result in the bonus round and Isaac earned himself a Bronze Award. Well done to Alex (Year 8), who sat the UK Mathematics Trust (UKMT) Intermediate Maths Challenge and achieved a Gold Award in this competition. He was then invited to sit the Intermediate Kangaroo Challenge and received an honourable Certificate of Qualification. Alex, along with three other pupils from KES, was also among the aspiring mathematicians competing against each other at the national final of the UKMT Team Maths Challenge 2019. More than 1,700 schools entered the competition and the best 88 qualified to take part in the fiendishly testing grand finale. Our Stroud/ KES team achieved a respectable 73rd place
in the national final and demonstrated exceptional teamwork. Congratulations to Edward in Year 6 and Alex who qualified for the Pangea Maths Final, a national competition with more than 8,000 pupils taking part. Edward was a credit to the school at the final in May. Well done to Grayson (Year 7) and Benjamin (Year 3) who were invited to the Dauntsey’s Maths Final, placing them in the top 4% of over 1,000 pupils. The boys worked exceptionally well in this very tough final against 38 other finalists. Finally, our UKMT Junior Mathematical Challenge results this term are: Alex (Year 8) Gold Award and Best in School (also invited to take part in the Junior Mathematical Olympiad); Oliver (Year 8) Silver Award; Grayson (Year 7) Silver Award; Dan (Year 7) Bronze Award; Bloem (Year 7) Bronze Award Benjamin (Year 3) Silver Award.
Great Result at National Sailing Regatta The Independent Association of Prep Schools (IAPS) National Sailing Regatta was held at Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy in May 2019. The conditions were a challenge for our U13 sailing squad, with sunshine and light winds creating an interesting day of racing. The boys’ outstanding performances earned them the U13 National Fleet Winners title. This is a fantastic achievement!
Honesty, Respect, Happiness
Latest News
Celebrating our Mathematics Success
Early Years
New Classroom Canopy
Beautiful Butterflies
We are pleased to announce that the Early Years canopy has now been completed. This canopy will make such a difference to our outdoor learning space, not only because it has doubled our learning space but also because it can be used all year round, come rain or shine. It will always be accessible to the children and will allow free-flow traffic from the inside out. Even in the pouring rain, recently, the children were very excited to be outside.
Our Early Years children took great delight in studying butterflies this term. They watched the process from egg to butterfly which took about four weeks and were very excited once the caterpillars were ready to hatch. The children released the butterflies together most of the butterflies flew up into the air but one butterfly flew down to the ground which was perfect because we could see the patterns clearly on its wings.
Finkley Down Farm Last month, our Nursery classes visited Finkley Down Farm. They enjoyed getting up close to lots of animals and started off by holding rabbits. The class then fed some greedy goats and met a bearded dragon, a rather large snake and a big tortoise. Finally, they all took it in turns to brush the Shetland pony who stood very patiently for them. They also had great fun saying hello to pigs, llamas, meerkats and their young, chicken and geese. Just before leaving, they enjoyed a very fast sheep race! Children and teachers all had a wonderful time.
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We have really embraced the great outdoors this half term. Not only have we made the most of our swimming pool and had regular swimming lessons, we have thoroughly enjoyed our Forest School sessions in the New Forest. Both Squirrels and Woodpeckers enjoyed a trip to the New Forest by mini bus and, once there, they all sat down and had their lunch. This was followed by lots of exploring and observation on their surroundings, drawing, and writing about what they could see. After this, we had the ‘boat challenge’ where all the children had the chance to make a little boat. They had to choose a mast and a sail from leaves and twigs they had found around us. Then it was time for the boats to be tested! Some children got wet, some of the boats floated, lots did not, but all the children had lots of fun.
Honesty, Respect, Happiness
Early Years
Fun Swimming and New Forest Schools
KS1
There’s No Smoke Without Fire... The time came, this half term, for our little Forest School attendees to be let loose and to light and control their very own mini fire at Forest School. This was a fun, timed challenge of five minutes where the children were in charge of all their own preparation and execution. The whole process of building and lighting a fire enables our young pupils to practise their gross and fine motor skills, and provides them with instant gratification and a sense of achievement as the fire grows before them. Fire is also a potentially dangerous thing, so to entrust an individual with the responsibility for building and lighting a fire can be a huge boost to their self-esteem. All the children did a fantastic job and we were so proud of their efforts.
Year 1 Trip to Beaulieu
Year 1 had a very exciting day out at Beaulieu Motor Museum. It started with a talk and a tour around the museum. They enjoyed looking at the many different cars, including: Mr Bean’s Mini, Del Boy’s Reliant van and the ‘flying’ Ford Anglia from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. They dressed up in period costume, enjoyed a ride on the monorail and climbed aboard an old bus in the museum. To finish off their trip, they went outside and enjoyed a ride on a veteran London open-top bus.
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KS1
Scientists and Detectives As part of their Activities Week, the whole of Key Stage 1 visited Kew Gardens. Year 1 participated in ‘Plant Scientists’ workshops and Year 2 in ‘Minibeast Detectives’ workshops. During the day the children explored Kew, visiting the enormous greenhouses, the ‘Treetops’ experience, the aquatics centre and some even discovered a gigantic badgers’ sett which they could climb into and explore. Much fun was had by all and this provided a wonderful stimulus for the rest of the week’s activities, and most importantly the sun shone - hurrah!
Green Fingers Every lunch time, a few children from either Year 1 or Year 2 help Mrs Walton plant up the raised beds outside the main entrance to KS1. So far they have planted strawberries, runner beans, lettuce, onions, lavender, poppies and more are planned. Two beautiful bay trees are also adorning the entrance.
Jungle Fever Hits Year 2
For this half term’s topic ‘Jungle Fever’, Year 2 visited Longleat Safari Park, where they took part in a Rainforest workshop. They learnt about animals that have adapted to their changing environment and also had the opportunity to touch lizards, tarantulas, cockroaches and, our absolute favourite, an armadillo! Afterwards, we enjoyed the Jungle River Cruise where we saw gorillas, hippos and sea lions. To finish the day off, we went through the safari park in our minibuses where monkeys climbed on our bus! It was a fantastic end to a wonderful day.
Honesty, Respect, Happiness Honesty, Respect, Happiness
Middle School
Rafting about: Year 4 Enjoy an Active Trip to Avon Tyrrell Year 4 spent an action-packed couple of days at Avon Tyrrell Activity Centre. They compared the mini beasts they discovered in the pond, garden and forest habitats of Avon Tyrrell with what we found in our own school grounds. The trip enabled the children to consolidate their investigative skills, learnt in science at school, in a different setting. The centre staff running the activities were very impressed with the children’s prior knowledge. In addition, we had the excitement of a first residential trip at Stroud and the novelty of staying away from home with friends rather than family. We sampled the outdoor activities offered by the centre and, for the first time, we opted to try the
zip wire across the lake. We are so proud of all the children who climbed up to the forest platform and zipped across the lake. Mr Nutting was especially pleased that he conquered his fears and managed it too!
Treading Through Time at Fishbourne Roman Palace The Year 3 children had a wonderful trip to Fishbourne Roman Palace, the largest Roman home in Britain, this half term. They were amazed by the incredible mosaics and learned a great deal from the fascinating Roman workshops - and let’s not forget the gift shop!
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Year 5 were very excited to be invited to KES to watch the colourful matinee performance of Wind in the Willows, where Mole, Ratty, Badger, Toad and friends were brought to life. The children travelled by minibus and enjoyed watching the young cast of the Lower School put on an amazing performance. Everyone enjoyed watching the story unfold in the school’s theatre, and were totally enthused on the journey back to Stroud.
Romsey Abbey Our annual Year 5 visit to Romsey Abbey was, once again, led by a staff member at Romsey Abbey who dressed up in character as a monk to explain the history of the Abbey in our town. They all had a fun and educational day!
Year 5 Travel Back in Time to Victorian Telford Our Year 5 pupils travelled back in time to experience what life was like for our Victorian ancestors. The first day of their residential included clambering aboard the SS Great Britain moored in Bristol, to appreciate what an exceptional ship Isambard Kingdom Brunel created. They then travelled to Coalbrookdale YHA, Ironbridge, which many consider the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution and saw the world’s first ever iron bridge. Other activities included herding Victorian sheep on the Acton Scott Historic Working Farm, where they sat on Victorian Shire horses, held Victorian chicks and herded Victorian sheep. They also visited Blists Hill, a themed Victorian town where candle making, mine cart rides, washing clothes Victorian style, using a mangle and the obligatory visit to the sweet shop are sure to delight! And to finish it all off, part of the return journey was on board the steam train on the Severn Valley Railway. This trip was an amazing opportunity for the children to step back in time for a true understanding of how life was in Victorian times.
Honesty, Respect, Happiness
Middle School
The Wind in the Willows
Senior School
Des Moments Inoubliables! Once again, Year 6 travelled to Normandy. During their trip they went to see Pegasus Bridge, the 360 Cinema and the American Cemetery. They also enjoyed an educational walk around the wartime port of Arromanches,
which was heavily involved in the D-Day landings. Here, all our children ordered their own lunch ‘en Français’, and then some of our children met a 101 Airborne Veteran. This was such a rewarding trip for all the children, who were, once again, a real credit to our school.
Civic Award Camps Year 6: Endeavour’s Civic Award journey began with a camp in the school grounds. After setting up their tents, they enjoyed orienteering round the school grounds followed by some camp cookery. The evening included singing around the camp fire. The children had a wonderful time and enjoyed sleeping in tents before waking up for breakfast and some sports activities before being collected. A fitting end to a brilliant first year of Civic Award. Year 7: Intrepid caught the train to Brockenhurst and then hiked to Tile Barn Outdoor Centre to prepare for an afternoon of activities. Groups enjoyed both climbing and archery sessions, and worked to support and encourage each other. This was followed with a game of rounders and a well-deserved fish and chip supper. The children then prepared their tents and sat round the camp fire to toast marshmallows. In the morning, the children prepared a cooked breakfast for everyone. Year 8: Forever Undaunted travelled to the beautiful North Devon coast and the sleepy seaside village of Appledore to stay at Skern Lodge Outdoor Activity Centre. One of the aims of the camp is to push the children further on their final Civic Award Camp, so the children had to pitch their own tents and cook their own food; they then spent Saturday surfing and river kayaking before packing up the camp and travelling home on Sunday. The centre staff commented on how good the children were and we, as staff, were very proud of their behaviour and positive attitude over the whole weekend.
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Senior School
Year 8 PGL Residential Year 8 celebrated the end of their time at Stroud with a fun-packed trip to Weymouth, where they stayed in the PGL centre for three nights. The trip included activities from archery to climbing; rifle shooting to abseiling; and dragon boat racing to giant swings! A brilliant time was had by all, and the children were a credit to themselves and to the school.
Honesty, Respect, Happiness
Events
The Land of Fire and Ice Some of our Senior School pupils took a trip of a lifetime to Iceland to focus on photography, geography and science. The tour, which was Stroud School’s first trip to Iceland, included 19 children and eight adults. Iceland is a place of extreme geological contrasts and is home to some of the largest glaciers in Europe, along with some of the world’s most active volcanoes. It is not surprising, therefore, that it is often known as “The Land of Fire and Ice”. The students (and adults!) were given an insight into the culture and heritage of the areas they visited from a very creative tour guide, who colourfully told tales of myth, legend and Icelandic sagas. Highlights of the itinerary included exploring the Snæfellsnes peninsula in sight of the Snæfellsjökull Volcano, which is topped by a glacier; the Hraunfossar Falls running through the lava field and into the Hvítá river; and the thermal spa, ‘Krauma’. The pupils experienced the ‘Golden Circle’, a 300km circuit around three stunning locations: Þingvellir National Park, the Geysir Geothermal Area, and Gullfoss waterfall. These sites are renowned across the world, and are as spectacular as they are unique. This truly was a once in a lifetime educational trip and wouldn’t have been complete without having the chance to stand on the black sand beach underneath the huge basalt columns at Reynisfjara. The highlight of the tour was our journey through the Raufarhólshellir Lava Tube; truly another world!
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Creativity
Music to Our Ears Our young musicians have had a great term full of music and melodies and are pictured here enjoying themselves on their musical instruments; making music while the sun shines.
The Performing Arts Academy (TPA) at Stroud School took to the stage for their biggest performance yet at The Nuffield Theatre. Bursting with passion, style and energy, their performance was unforgettable. To join TPA Academy from September, please go to the online portal or speak to the office staff at Stroud.
Honesty, Respect, Happiness
Sports News
Fantastic Stroud Cricket • The Boys’ U11A cricket team entered the IAPS Regional Competition for the first time this year. The weather was perfect for an afternoon of big-hitting and fast-paced cricket. The boys faced tough opposition in the group stages, playing Kings Hall, Taunton, and King Edwards Junior, Bath. Following three good group games, they then played New College School in the 3rd place team play-off. They won with one ball remaining, ending a fantastic day of cricket with a well-deserved victory.
Our new climbing frame: allowing children lots of enjoyment in their lunch breaks!
• Years 1 and 2 were treated to an All Stars Cricket session with James Hibberd, the Schools Engagement Manager at Hampshire Cricket, this term. Children focused on developing the basic skills required for the game, including bowling, batting and fielding. It was wonderful to see both boys and girls enjoying the sport. • Congratulations to the U11 girls who won the IAPS cricket tournament hosted at Millfield (see page 2).
Our Stroud pupils have really enjoyed their lessons at the weekly ski club this half term!
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Some of our Year 7 and 8 children took park in the ‘Southern Schools Ski Race’. This race was part of the English Schools’ Ski Association (ESSKIA) National Artificial Slope Championships, and took place at the Southampton ski slope.
Swimming Galas: Making a Splash Middle and Senior School pupils enjoyed their swimming galas, with lots of family there to cheer them on.
Junior and Senior Wessex Athletics
Middle and Senior School pupils enjoyed both the competitive Junior and Senior Wessex events. All our athletes (and staff!) had a great day.
Honesty, Respect, Happiness
Sports News
Hitting the Slopes
Stroud Spirit
The £5 Challenge Our Year 8 pupils have taken part in our £5 Challenge - where they are asked to create their own company and make as much profit as possible, starting with just £5. In groups of four, the children came up with business plans and, by putting their money together, put their ideas into practice. Over the course of five days, they then
either sold goods or a service to the rest of the school. By doing this, they were able to demonstrate some of our Stroud Spirit values: leadership, collaboration and communication, which are assessed for their Year 8 Stroud Spirit report. Any profit made from this venture goes to the charity chosen by each group.
Embedding our Stroud Spirit at Moors Valley Country Park The Prefect Pathway is a structured way of tracking children’s conduct, service to the school and dedication to extra-curricular activities, which form part of the prefect selection process at the end of Year 7. As part of the pathway, Year 7 spent two days focusing on their leadership skills and how the Stroud Spirit values support these. The first day was spent at Moors Valley Country Park, where the children undertook an orienteering activity to test their collaboration skills, and a bush-craft activity that allowed them to exhibit their resilience. The day was a lot of fun and showed children how these skills can be used in practical situations. At Stroud, on the second day, Year 7 were given a chance to role-play prefect scenarios in order to show leadership and independence, and completed a NASA challenge to show their curiosity skills. A session on team-building, run by the games department, allowed children to communicate with each other across a range of tasks, and completed their focus on the six Stroud Spirit values. Both days were a great success; children completed the final day with a reflection task, considering how they thought they’d performed and where their strengths lie. We look forward to seeing many children progress onto being prefects next year and showing these valuable skills to the whole school.
Stroud School, Highwood Lane, Romsey, Hampshire S051 9ZH