RGS Prep Review 2022-23

R e v i e w

INCLUSIVITY

We remain loyal to our founding principles to educate bright local pupils, irrespective of background or financial circumstances, and we inherently believe in establishing a culture of diversity and acceptance, and in educating our pupils in a welcoming, tolerant community where each individual is valued and enjoys a deep sense of belonging.

RESPECT

We nurture an atmosphere of mutual respect between all members of our community, and foster self-respect and selfesteem in terms of physical health, emotional maturity and personal well-being, while establishing lasting friendships in a positive, happy environment.

School Values

SCHOLARSHIP

We encourage the growth of intellectual curiosity, independence, creativity, innovation and habits of learning within a scholarly community through inspirational subject specialists who provoke and stretch the pupils’ minds and inculcate a lifelong love of learning.

COURAGE

We develop leadership, teamwork, resilience and life skills through a diverse range of activities where all pupils, regardless of their talents and attributes, are encouraged to challenge themselves, take appropriate risks and work hard to fulfil their potential.

INTEGRITY

We promote the development of self-discipline and responsibility, spirituality and a personal moral code, and cultivate an ethos where enduring qualities of decency, honesty, courtesy, humility and good humour are celebrated.

COLLABORATION

We work closely with others for mutual enrichment, and encourage a spirit of generosity and service, a sense of perspective, and a firm belief that we can work in partnership with others, locally and internationally, to make a difference and have a positive impact on society.

Our

are at the very heart of our ethos.

Our pupils are brimming with enthusiasm, curiosity and energy. They are well-mannered and responsible. They are individual. But, most of all, they are happy.

As I look back over the past academic year, I see so many examples of happy pupils and fantastic learning and achievements. It is impossible to include everything here, yet to include the highlights alone is highly subjective. What stands out as a highlight for one pupil, parent or teacher, or Head for that matter, will vary for each individual.

This Review attempts therefore to show a cross-section of the past

year’s learning, activities, performances and achievements, and to highlight some exciting and memorable activities from across the school.

The laughter at playtime; the smiles during performances; the work on display around the school; the successes on the sports field all demonstrate the enjoyment our pupils experience during their days at RGS Prep.

What’s more, walking around the school, in the corridors and classrooms, I see our Values of inclusivity, scholarship, integrity, respect, courage and collaboration exhibited by every member of our school community. Something of which I am very proud.

Front cover: RGS Prep are declared National Champions at the English Schools’ Swimming Association Primary Championships

Mr Toby Freeman-Day, Head

Wel lbei ng

Our commitment to happiness and wellbeing is resolute and our whole community works together to create a positive environment in which our pupils can flourish, both emotionally and subsequently academically. We believe the wellbeing framework and tools we equip our pupils with will prepare them well for not only their time with us, but as they move into the next stage of their education, and beyond.

Creature Comforts

Just a normal school day at RGS Prep... with the added comforts of dressing gowns, favourite toys, hot chocolate and cookies to make the boys feel warm and snuggly as they celebrated Hygge Day!

Winston the Therapy Dog

Therapy dog and gentle giant, Winston, visited the school regularly to listen to pupils read and enjoy lots of stroking and attention! Sadly, Winston, who was an old boy, has passed on but his wonderful work will continue next year through another licenced therapy dog. Winston’s owner told us how he loved coming to spend time with the boys and she had some difficulty convincing him to leave at the end of his visits! We loved having him too.

The happiness and wellbeing of our pupils is at the heart of every decision that we make and everything that we do at RGS Prep.

Children's Mental Health Week

In February, we embraced Children’s Mental Health Week with the theme ‘Let’s Connect’. Each day focused on one of the five contributors to good wellbeing: Take Notice, Keep Active, Connect, Keep Learning, and Giving. We looked at how children and adults can make healthy connections to family, friends and others which can support our mental health and our sense of wellbeing. Activities included planting seeds, making bread rolls, Lego with Mr Freeman-Day and, on the final day with the theme of ‘Express Yourself’, a Disco and friendship photobooth.

Anti-bullying Workshop

Pupils participated in an Anti-bullying Workshop led by Michael from West End in Schools. They discussed the language around bullying and different scenarios where bullying might happen. In small groups, pupils role-played these different situations and decided on appropriate courses of action. All boys

actively participated in the workshop and Michael was impressed by their collaboration, knowledge and decision making.

Online Safety

Years 1 to 6 listened to an ageappropriate workshop from Online Safety 4 Schools to build on the boys’ existing knowledge. They learnt about how to stay safe when online.

The workshop was very engaging and boys learnt about the importance of things such as not giving out personal information, deliberately or inadvertently, what happens when we click on pop-ups, and talking with people in online environments.

An evening workshop for parents provided help and guidance on current issues and how to engage in conversations with their children about online safety.

Buddying Up

Across Pre-Prep, boys took their roles as buddies very responsibly and helped the younger boys settle in quickly. Our 'Buddy' program has been a great success this year with some wonderful relationships blossoming between the boys. We are proud of how the older boys have been great role models for their younger friends.

Expanding Horizons

Throughout the year our pupils have led numerous assemblies where they have shared information about their culture, heritage and religious celebrations with the school community. We have learnt more about Vesak, Rosh Hashanah, Diwali, Hannukah and Nigerian culture, to name a few.

Our pupils, with their thirst for knowledge and healthily competitive nature, have enjoyed participating in a variety of workshops, competitions, national days/weeks and collaborating with local girls’ schools.

Science Week

Science Week in March, with the theme of 'Connections', saw pupils of all Year Groups, together with pupils from St Catherine’s and RGSG Dubai taking part in a wide range of exciting activities, practical experiments and talks. Topics included: AI and robotic interface; forensic experiments; magnetism and MRIs; identifying species via DNA; ship navigation and veterinary practice.

World Book Week

We welcomed author and playwright, Ian Billings, to the school. Ian captivated the boys with his passionate and interactive approach. Pupils enjoyed dressing up as their favourite literary characters, reading sessions and the Book Fair. The week culminated in our annual Speak Out – a public speaking festival in which pupils demonstrate both courage and scholarship, performing in front of an audience of their peers.

Reading Together

Our prefects develop their leadership skills and give up their time to listen and help pupils from younger Year Groups with their reading.

We are incredibly proud of the broad academic provision we offer at RGS Prep and this year was no exception.

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Leavers' Destinations

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Celebrating Success

Prize Giving took place for our Prep pupils during the last week of term. A fitting way for proud parents and teachers to mark the many scholarly achievements across the year. The audience was also treated to some uplifting performances from the boys demonstrating their collaborative abilities in music and dance.

Year 6 Prize Giving is always bittersweet as we celebrate the boys' many achievements and successes at RGS Prep, and watch them move on to the next stage of their educational career. In attendance was the Chairman of Governors alongside

many of our governing body. The audience of parents, pupils, staff and many of our governing body enjoyed listening to the Head Boys delivering impressive and impactful speeches to their peers.

Summing It Up

15 SPORT 3

15 MUSIC 4

Scholarships awarded:

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M usi c

Music is a central part of life at RGS Prep. The corridors are always filled with the wonderful sounds of music lessons, performances and choristers rehearsing.

Across the year, pupils showcase their skills and demonstrate their progress in front of an appreciative audience of staff, parents and peers.

Choristers’ Report

The Choristers have enjoyed another incredibly rewarding year. All have demonstrated how dedicated they are to their duties which include: attending twice-weekly Choral Evensongs at Guildford Cathedral; before-school practice; taking part in Sunday Eucharist; and the liturgies of Palm Sunday, Holy Week, and Easter.

On Mothering Sunday, the Choristers sang beautifully for the BBC Radio 4 Sunday Worship service. This year, the Choristers were honoured to sing at the Proclamation of the King at Guildford Cathedral. They sang beautifully in all three services of commemoration and were proud to be a part of this historic event.

Music & Drama Extravaganza

Pupils performed superbly in the annual Year 4 Music and Drama Extravaganza. Their performance was a credit to the dedication of both pupils and their teachers.

Spring Ensembles Concerts

The Junior and Senior Spring Ensembles Concerts were bursting with energy and confidence! Performers demonstrated great musical skill and knowledge and the range of music, from classical to modern, captivated the audience throughout.

House Music Competitions

Preliminary rounds were held in the House Music Competition. The best performances from each went through to the House Music Final. It was fantastic to witness how much musical progress the pupils have made this year.

Young musicians

Our youngest pupils enjoyed getting to play a range of different instruments as part of their weekly music lessons.

Carol Service

Pupils put on a beautiful candle-lit Carol Service at Guildford Cathedral: a great opportunity for the boys to perform to a large congregation.

DR AMA

We encourage our pupils to embrace creative expression and step into the spotlight, in whatever capacity they choose. There are an abundance of performance opportunities for pupils in all Year Groups. From leading and supporting roles to assisting with lighting, sound, and costumes, there are a wide variety of performance and backstage opportunities for all pupils.

May the Force Be With You

RGS Prep’s Drama Club presented Star Warts – The Umpire Strikes Back! The cast included Daft Ada and Luke Warmwater alongside Princess Nebula The boys gave great comic renditions of the characters, and the set, costumes, lighting, and sound effects were, of course, out of this world!

Speaking up at Speak Out

A truly impressive set of performances in our Speak Out final. Across the Year Groups boys recited poems from memory, performed scenes from Shakespeare’s The Tempest, spoke of inspiring figures and read stories to an enthralled audience. The judges had a hard time selecting the winners.

Comedy Vignettes

All Year 6 boys performed brilliantly in a hilarious set of comedy vignettes at the end of term to an extremely enthusiastic audience. Each class presented their own sketch featuring an engaging mélange of acting, dancing, singing, video presentations and photographic montages. It was evident how much the boys enjoyed working together in their final dramatic performance about their time here.

Animal Rumble Grumble

Our Pre-Prep pupils enthusiastically performed the Kenyan folklore tail, Animal Rumble Grumble. This colourful, atmospheric show is set in the plains of Kenya. Here, frightened animals seek the advice of Ghubari, a wise old man, but his cryptic words confuse them, so they find enough courage to confront the danger themselves. With brilliant handmade costumes and scenery, the boys had no trouble getting into character. From Nursery to Year 2, boys captivated the audience throughout the production as they performed with skill, delivered their lines with confidence, and sang beautifully in unison.

Nativity

Pre-Prep put on a fantastic Nativity performance across 5 days! The boys sang and spoke beautifully and with confidence to an audience filled with proud parents and guardians, grandparents and staff. The audience particularly enjoyed the boys' rendition of ‘Baa baa boogie’ – with humorous dance moves and great sheep costumes!

DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

Accelerated Learning

In the workshop provided by Bloodhound Education, boys discussed the many exciting careers in STEM. They also discussed the engineering involved in Bloodhound's aim to break the land speed record. Pupils were challenged to design and build the most effective air-powered rocket cars. The session allowed pupils to experience and learn from the engineering cycle by first testing their cars, then deciding and implementing how improvements to them could be made.

A Won-dough-ful Time

Shell enjoyed a hands-on, interactive trip to Pizza Express. The Piazzaolo and their team helped the boys to create some very tasty pizzas.

On track at Brooklands

Year 5 had a fantastic time at Brooklands Museum Boys extended their knowledge with the informative and interactive 'Automotive Innovations' and 'Aviation Innovations' tours. By studying and incorporating the principles of aerodynamics, stability and speed they were then able to create their own racing cars using recycled materials.

DT Skills Workshop

We welcomed Year 5 pupils from Tormead to our DT Workshop for a tool and machinery tutorial. The Head of DT explained how to use the tools, and what precautions to take. Year 6 boys assisted with demonstrations, sharing their knowledge and experience.

Building Bridges

Year 5 studied and constructed Leonardo da Vinci’s bridge designs. The Leonardo Bridge is a self-supported, self-locking structure which strengthens under the load.

Out of this World Year 6 explored the ‘Space and Energy’ exhibitions at the Science Museum before taking part in a workshop. Pupils eagerly helped staff with demonstrations of how rockets are launched into space. They then enjoyed 'The Wonder Show': an immersive journey developing understanding of technology, chemical reactions and how sound and light travel. To finish, the boys took part in handson activities and discussed potential careers they could pursue in technology.

In the ever-increasingly technological world, we understand the importance of empowering tomorrow’s innovators today. Through workshops, hands-on learning and trips, the boys develop important transferable skills such as critical thinking and problem solving.

Across all Year Groups we encourage our pupils to explore a wide range of mediums and techniques: from clay sculpting to freestyle machine embroidery.

Art Scholars’ Masterclass

Those with a real passion and affinity for art are invited to attend Art Scholar Masterclasses that take place on several Saturdays throughout the year.

This year, our scholars created these parrot and landscape masterpieces under the guidance and direction of visiting professional artists.

Crafting with Clay

Engaging art lessons are always full of energy and enthusiasm. Year 4 boys brought plenty of both to their lessons as they learnt about the significance of First Nations totems and worked in groups to design and make their own totem poles of stylised animals.

In the Style Of...

Year 2 enjoyed learning about the different styles of famous artists. They produced some really creative Picasso-styled self-portraits.

Getting to the Point

Boys in Year 6 sharpened their creative eyes with needle felting, a craft that involves sculpting shapes and figures using wool and special barbed felting needles. They also tried their hands at machine-embroidery, using a sewing machine to create patterns on textiles.

Fffreezing Fun!

After learning about the Arctic and Antarctica, Year 1 enjoyed a Polar Regions WOW day where they explored all the wonderful things these cold places have to offer! Pupils took part in penguin and snow fox making crafts, made some Northern Lights scenes using pastels and decorated cakes before some exciting outdoor activities. Although the weather was fittingly cold, a good day was had by all!

Spo rt

Spectacular Swimming Success

The RGS Prep Swimming Team earned themselves the opportunity to swim in an Olympic venue in the IAPS National Swimming Finals! The team swam brilliantly, coming 5th in the U10 medley relay, 4th in the U10 freestyle relay and 7th in the U11 freestyle relay.

In the English Schools’ Swimming Association Primary Championships at Ponds Forge, Sheffield, the team won the coveted title of national champions in 3 races, becoming Open Schools Medley, Freestyle and Overall Champions.

County Cricket Finalists

The U11s got all the way through to the finals of the Surrey Prep Schools' Cricket Tournament. Against tough competition, the boys showed great team spirit. It was a closely fought contest, with Feltonfleet winning by a close margin. We are proud of the boys' achievements.

Speedy Runners (...and Cyclists and Swimmers)

A strong, dominant performance from the RGS team (Years 3-8) who placed first at this year's Parkside Biathlon.

The IAPs Triathlon Championships also saw some outstanding individual achievements with pupils finishing 8th and 18th out of 75 competitors.

Piste Perfect!

The Surrey Schools Ski Championship saw the squad complete every run with no falls and at their fastest recorded times since the start of the ski programme. In the team competition Josh, Henry, Tom and Charlie came second overall and team captain, Josh, was the second fastest skier of the day.

Sports Day

With warm weather, bright skies and a gentle breeze, the excitement for this year’s Sports Day was hotting up! Armed with hats and plenty of water, all of the boys enjoyed participating in their races and activities. From agility and balance to speed and strength, the boys showed their impressive skills in both the individual and team events and showed remarkable perseverance, sportsmanship and resilience throughout. Congratulations go to Windsor and Lancaster Houses as winners of the Years 3 & 4 and Years 5 & 6 shields respectively.

With guidance from their specialist teachers, our sport curriculum helps pupils develop key physical skills such as stamina, coordination, flexibility and balance. This, combined with the wide range of extra-curricular opportunities on offer, encourages pupils to believe in their potential and promotes lifelong participation in healthy activities.

Hous e

Check Mate Competition was fierce in the lunchtime chess tournament and the overall winner was decided by a whisker. Lancaster took victory in the end, with Windsor in second place.

Throughout the year, there are numerous House events across departments including Drama, Music and Sport. We hold regular House charity activities which help our pupils not only to develop an understanding of the world around them, but also to learn about the importance of kindness and empathy.

Fundraising Fun

Luigi, Spiderman and dinosaurs, among others, walked the corridors for Lancaster Charity Day in aid of Disability Challengers

The Tudor Charity Day raised money for the Kent, Surrey and Sussex Air Ambulance. At breaktime, the boys took part in aviation races and used bandages to practise their first aid skills.

York Charity Day raised funds for TOFS who provide lifelong support for those born unable to swallow. Ms Knight delivered an insightful assembly about the importance of such charities.

Windsor House hosted a variety of fundraising activities for Beads of Courage who provide support for seriously ill children. The scheme awards children different beads for treatments, creating a physical representation of their immense bravery.

Our House system is a thread that weaves its way through every aspect of life at RGS Prep and helps to strengthen the feeling of camaraderie and friendship throughout the school community.

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Rugby Boys compete hotly within their Year Groups for the title of Rugby House Champions. The result of this year’s House rugby tournament was shared, with each House claiming first place in at least one Year Group. 'Well-tryed' everyone!

Swimming

As with rugby, boys represent their House in Year Group competitions in the House Swimming Gala. The swimming on show was to a very high standard and the boys relished the opportunity to race for their houses.

House Shout

The highly energetic and enthusiastic performances by each of the Houses in this year’s House Shout were a delight to witness. Collaboration and respect were evident in equal measures as boys both participated and watched their peers performing in music renditions of popular songs for the hotly contested title of House Shout Champions.

Pancake Races

On Shrove Tuesday, the pupils took to the playground in the annual RGS Prep pancake race. Boys supported their Houses in this fun-filled flipping adventure!

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B ey on d the C l

YEAR 5

Year 3

Year 6

assroo m

Each year, in addition to our broad curriculum, RGS Prep pupils benefit from taking part in a range of trips and plethora of visits and workshops providing them with invaluable educational experiences and enrichment opportunities.

Activities Week

Blessed with wonderful weather, the whole school enjoyed a week full of exciting talks, events, excursions and residential trips as part of Activities Week.

Pre-Prep boys enjoyed a series of stimulating experiences and workshops. They enjoyed visits from ZooLab to learn about and get up-close to small creatures; dance and movement workshops and pizza making with their buddies. Trips to Bocketts Farm for Nursery, Birdworld for Shell, Brooklands Museum for Year 1 and Gatton Park for Year 2 topped off a busy week.

Year 3 enjoyed a day trip to Ufton Court, where the boys became Romans for the day, learning about battle formations, re-enacting the revolt of Boudicca and dining in style at a Roman banquet. The following day, the boys enjoyed their visit to Winchester Science Museum exploring the planetarium and learning how to design and launch their own rockets. They camped overnight at Polesdon Lacey: from archery to Zorb football, orienteering and bushcraft, the trip was filled with new experiences. The day was rounded off with hot chocolate around the campfire before boys retired to their tents for a well-earned sleep. The week culminated in a visit from AweStem with a variety of workshops including Robotics, Scratch Coding and Minecraft Education.

Year 4 began the week at Sayers Croft where pupils enjoyed caving, climbing and scaling woodland ropes. Tuesday was circus workshop day where the boys had lots of fun watching circus performers before trying their hand at diablos, juggling, unicycling and making juggling balls from scratch. Later in the week, they headed to Blenheim Woods for two nights to participate in shelter building, fire lighting, camp craft, wilderness first aid, SOS scenarios and nature walks.

Year 5 had a fantastic week away starting at Woodland Adventure. All took part in rock climbing, caving, axe throwing and air rifle shooting. Then it was on to the West Midlands Safari Park to see the animals, ride the roller coasters and cool down on the log flume. Lagoona Park was the perfect way to end the fun-filled week, where boys tackled the inflatable water course and much more!

Year 6 had an amazing time on their residential week at Buddens Activity Centre, engaging in lots of challenges including axe throwing, fire lighting, mega SUP, zip wire, archery, dry tooling and climbing to name but a few. All enjoyed getting out onto the lake: the teachers were subjected to lots of splashing!

The boys made so many memories with friends during Activities Week and showed exemplary behaviour throughout.

French Trip

Year 6 boys enjoyed a multi-faceted trip to Northern France. Activities included bread making, visits to the aquarium, a chocolate factory and the historic town of Ypres.

Butser Ancient Farm

Year 3 had a fantastic time bringing the past to life through lots of hands-on activities at Butser Ancient Farm. Pupils took part in Iron Age inspired activities including wattling, archaeological excavation and chalk carving.

Harry Potter Studios

Year 4 were spell-bound at Harry Potter Studios! The boys took part in writing lessons, and during the tour got to harvest mandrakes and try the famous butterbeer!

Football Trip

Pupils from Years 3, 4 and 5 travelled north to Newcastle for this year’s Football Tour. As well as playing in their own football matches, the boys trained with Newcastle and Sunderland’s Football Academy Watching Premiere League club Newcastle United playing a match along with an exclusive tour of the stadium were highlights of the trip.

Ski Adventure

Stunning views and perfect weather conditions made for a wonderful ski trip to Les Deux Alpes in France. Away from the slopes, the boys enjoyed evening activities, snowball fights and laser tag. Everyone made great progress with their skiing over the course of the trip.

Enr i c h men t

All pupils regularly take part in a wide variety of enrichment activities including workshops; visits from external speakers; activities with local girls' schools and Inspire Day.

As a school bursting with curious children, these enrichment days help to expand their knowledge of the world and learn beyond the classroom. Just a few of the highlights are shown here.

Inspire Day

This year’s Inspire Day saw, as in previous years, the provision of unusual and inspirational activities and learning for boys across the school. Every pupil spent the day enjoying their choice of activities and saw boys undertaking sessions such as music composition and techniques;

scientifically analysing their own and others’ sporting performance; enjoying art installations; learning about bee conservation and becoming photographers and journalists reporting on the day’s events.

The programme succeeded in delivering innovative learning that was able to cater to a wide range of age and abilities and was suited to the individual needs of each of our pupils. It was an unforgettable day that has sown the seeds for future curriculum provision and educational gains for RGS Prep boys over the coming year.

Enjoying the elements

Pre-Prep boys enjoyed hands-on learning in Boyzone, a designated area for exploring nature. On this occasion, having spent the lesson making collages from natural materials, the boys enjoyed toasting marshmallows and listening to stories around the fire pit.

Discovery Centre

The boys in Shell had a wonderful trip to the Look Out Discovery Centre Later, they explored the woodlands and built dens in the Autumn sunshine.

Drama Performances and Workshops

A range of external theatre companies visited the school to perform engaging shows and to give pupils inspiring drama workshops. Pupils collaborated with peers from local girls’ schools who joined us for the workshops.

Our Community

The whole school regularly comes together to celebrate the amazing achievements of individuals and teams, to commemorate national and international events, to raise important funds for charities and to simply enjoy time being together as a community.

Coronation Celebration Day

Everyone took part in coronationthemed events ahead of King Charles’ historic coronation. The day of celebrations included coronationinspired lessons, a royal relay race between Houses where the boys donned a selection of crowns and royal costumes and a coronation tea party. A ‘promise tree’ was created in Pre-Prep and wildflowers were scattered in the Science Garden to honour King Charles’ love of nature and to improve biodiversity.

Playground Equipment

Our Parents’ Association, the LPA, perform an amazing role in supporting the school with fun fundraising events. Money raised from events is donated to a charity chosen by the boys and to the school for equipment. This year, the LPA donated an incredible £15,000 to the school to help fund the new play area in the Prep playground which all of the boys have enjoyed immensely throughout the year.

Refreshed Spaces

This summer, our Nursery has benefitted from an update. This fresh space has been designed with a neutral colour pallete to provide a calm, warm environment for learning.

Gieve Room

The newly created Gieve Room is a beautifully bright space. It is used each morning by our choristers in their rehearsals. It also provides the perfect setting for parents to enjoy watching their sons playing a variety of sports on the field, protected from the elements!

A Global Community

Our footballers played a friendly tournament at Bradstone Brook alongside players from RGSG Dubai. The games were played with great gusto and spirit, and the match tea that followed was appreciated by all.

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