THE PREP SCHOOL

PREP SCHOOL

OVERVIEW

This past year has seen school life move back to normal as much as has been possible. Numbers in the Prep School have continued to rise and very encouragingly, September 2022 will see the Prep as large as it has been for many years.

Twelve months ago, I reported on the success of our Prep 1 and 2 class moving to the main Prep School building from Pyke. This year, our Reception class (now our youngest children in the school) joined them, as they also made the move up from Pyke. With our Reception children now a greater part of the school community, as well as joining the House system, it has had a very positive impact on school life and the strong sense of community, and relationships between year-groups and classes have been strengthened even further.

With our increased pupil numbers, we have moved from having three Houses to streamlining with the Senior School and also having Pollard House. This has added an even greater element of healthy competition across the whole school.

Following the departure of the wonderful Mrs Willis-Butcher, Mrs Emmerson joined us as a teaching assistant and she has been absolutely tremendous, working mainly with Prep 1 and 2, but also with other year-groups. Mr Fouche has also been a superb addition, helping across the Prep School with such an infectious positivity. Mr Middleton and Mrs Shaw shared the academic year leading Prep 5 and my sincere thanks to them both for being superb colleagues and great additions to Shebbear. We wish Mrs Shaw the very best of luck as she now moves to a teaching job in Somerset. We also said farewell to Mrs Thompson, after six wonderful years leading our Early Years setting, including the transition of the Reception move to the Prep building. We wish Mrs Thompson every happiness and success with her move.

Throughout the year, the commitment and endeavour shown by all of the children in the Prep, from the youngest in Reception, under the wonderful

guidance of Mrs Thompson and Mrs Henderson, to our Prep 6 children, has been very impressive. There is a quiet determination to do well in all areas of school life, as well as a ‘family feel’ and a strong sense of community and peer support. This ambition and energy is a direct reflection of the commitment and enthusiasm of the Prep and Senior School staff, who consistently go ‘above and beyond’ in providing as many opportunities as possible for the children.

The Shebbear values and ethos (our Six Cs) have been shown in action throughout this year in so many different ways, including our assembly programme, greatly assisted by our Chaplain Revd Donna Leigh, sports fixtures and House competitions which have all restarted with vigour. Congratulations to Thorne and Ruddle for winning the House Cup in the Michaelmas and Lent terms respectively and again to Ruddle who pipped Pollard to the post in the Trinity Term. The Trinity term has seen more events being able to take place as normal, including our cycle race, our sensational musical production, inter-House swimming gala, Sports Day and Celebration Evening, as well as enrichment days of climbing and performing arts.

Mrs Appleton-Wahl has continued to get the very best out of our Prep artists, and the work they produced has been quite exceptional. Woodwork, with Mr Quance, has been a really important addition over the last few years, with Prep 5 and 6 pupils having weekly lessons. They have made a selection of wooden toys and Christmas decorations with one of their main projects being a Christmas nativity stable.

Drama continues to be loved by the children, and Mrs Jones outdid herself with the wonderful production ‘Pirates vs Mermaids’. The same can be said for Music, as Mrs Sadler-Smith and Mrs Parker have grown the Prep choir, as well as seeing more than 25 performers take part at the Prep School Informal Music Concert in the Lent term. World Book Day proved to be ever-popular, with our children and staff dressing up as their favourite book characters. From Harry Potter to Elsa, and from Dennis the Menace to Wally, we just about had them all. It was a very clear indication of our children’s engagement and enthusiasm.

An important part of Prep School life is our School Council. Mr Willetts has overseen the Council again this year and such was the enthusiasm and energy of the class reps, that more has been achieved this year than any other year. Meetings have taken place with Mr Gould, our Catering Manager, and the National AntiBullying Week advice leaflet was written for their peers - we also wore odd socks to school!

We now look forward to 2022-23, which will see some exciting changes to the staffing of our Prep classes. It will also move further away from some of the limitations of the pandemic. However, as I also said last year, regardless of the circumstances they find themselves in, this group of children and staff have shown that they are full of hard work, enthusiasm, good humour, encouragement and commitment, resulting in a wide array of fine achievements across all aspects of school life.

A huge thank you, well done to everyone and the very best of luck for the year ahead.

Matthew Foale Head of Prep

RECEPTION

What a fantastic year we have had in Reception! The move from Pyke to the Prep School building has had so many positives for the children and staff. We have attended assemblies, become more involved in house events including the cross country and cycle race and benefited hugely from the learning ambassadors.

We have been adapting to the fantastic new EYFS guidelines throughout the year, which focus on child-led teaching and learning. Topics have included wonderful me, space, tall buildings, minibeasts, London and the Queen - this included us celebrating the Jubilee in style with a wonderful Royal party for the Queen!

One of the most popular topics was space. We brought this topic to life through being creative in our learning. The children started with a group cookery session, thinking about what an astronaut would eat for breakfast. This started numerous conversations as they let their imaginations run wild!. We were able to create a space shuttle in the classroom with a board of compasses and an electric yes/no button panel. The children entered in pairs and questions were heard from within as they tested each other on the knowledge they had covered as a group. Examples included ‘What is the closest planet to the sun?’, ‘What was the name of the first dog in space?’ and ‘What meal would you like to eat as an astronaut?’

The children became familiar with the Jewish Folk tale ‘The Noisy House’ and learned to tell it using some of Pie Corbett’s methods. They were then able to adapt it to someone living on the moon and write their own version which they performed as a play. We also had a visit from an alien that moved around campus throughout the day and was spotted at various points by the children, followed by an alien hunt which ended with the children enjoying cakes and hot chocolate with their new friend!

Aside from all the facts and knowledge learned in class, we consider imagination and creativity to be one of the most important contributors to learning. This has been supported by the fantastic art sessions with Mrs Appleton-Wahl twice weekly.

The initial eight children grew to nine in the Trinity term. Every child has shown notable development in their learning throughout the year and they all now confidently ask questions about their learning. Confidence curiosity, creativity, courage, courtesy and compassion really have developed, progressed and are now shining through in this group and we feel very proud and honoured to have been part of their early years education.

Mrs Thompson & Mrs Henderson Reception Class

PREP 1&2

Prep 1 & 2 have had a very productive year. We all hoped that this year would be disrupted less by Covid-19 and that the children would be able to enjoy a more normal year at school. Unfortunately, blended learning resumed for some of us at various times throughout the year as the virus continued to circulate. Adapting to this type of learning is difficult, but the children amazed me again with their positivity and flexibility.

The Michaelmas Term brought Mary Anning, fossils, dinosaurs and of course, Christmas. We planned to invite an audience to watch our performance, but once again Covid scuppered our plans. Nevertheless, the show went on and we had a lot of fun performing and recording our Christmas story for all to enjoy and share at home. We sadly said goodbye to Mrs Willis-Butcher as she left to begin her new venture and we welcomed Mrs Emmerson into our class.

During the Lent term our focus turned to Victorian life. The children had so much fun making Victorian style toys and it was a joy to watch how their imagination blossomed with each toy they made. The highlight for many was our Victorian school room experience. The strict teacher proved too much for some as they scurried to the safe zone, but others were unperturbed by the cane and Dunce’s hat and remained, entering into the spirit of the lesson with enthusiasm. I think all of the children were relieved when it was over and the normal Mrs Jones returned!

During the Trinity Term we utilised our beautiful school grounds and made the most of the weather by taking our learning outside as often as we could. Number work was a favourite and it was amazing to see how easy the concepts of multiplication and division became once we were using stones and sticks. The end of term soon came around, giving us an opportunity to look back and remember all of the exciting experiences and learning we had enjoyed and to acknowledge the enormous progress each and every one of the children had made.

Mrs Jones Class Teacher

PREP 3&4

It seems a long time ago when we first started back in the Michaelmas term. The children got into the swing of things straight away and there was a positive buzz in every lesson. Particular highlights include some brilliant acting in English lessons and a special mention to Oliver who got so into his acting that he accidently kicked a chair down the Prep School corridor much to the alarm of Mrs Jones and Mrs Emmerson!

We are very lucky that we have a variety of Senior School teachers who teach different lessons to Prep 3 and 4 and I am always astounded with the work they produce. A great example is the wonderful artwork they have created, inspired by Mrs Appleton-Wahl. The pupils are clearly proud of their work and are always keen to show off their creations to anyone they come across! Congratulations to all the pupils who had artwork selected for the Annual Schools Exhibition at the Burton Art Gallery in Bideford in May and a special well done to Marah and Arthur who won prizes for their work.

One of my favourite events of the school year is the informal music concert, which was created to give children the opportunity to perform in front of an audience for the first time, in a friendly environment. It was amazing to see our Prep 3 and 4 musicians perform with such confidence and skill. It shows they not only have nerves of steel but also are hugely talented musicians.

A big part of life at Shebbear involves sport and we have played a variety of different sports against schools in the area. All of the children have played mixed Netball, Rugby, Football and Cricket at Under 9 level. It has been great to see them learn new skills and use them across a range of different match situations. All of the children in Prep 3 and 4 have represented the school brilliantly by playing competitively during the match, as well as showing true Shebbearian courtesy after the game.

We have welcomed several new pupils into Prep 3 and 4 throughout the year and they have all settled in brilliantly, fully immersing themselves into school life. It also highlights how kind and caring our current pupils are, as they always make new children feel so welcome. It has been an absolute pleasure to teach the children throughout this last year. It is my last year in Prep 3 and 4 so I would like to wish all of the children in Prep 3 all the best for next year, when Mrs Jones will be the class teacher. To everyone in Prep 4, I am really looking forward to teaching you again next year as your Prep 5 teacher!

Mr Willetts Class Teacher

PREP 5

It has been such fun getting to know Prep 5 over the past year or so. They are a super bunch of motivated and enthusiastic children who look out for each other and are very supportive which is so lovely to see. They have embraced the challenges thrown at them and been so welcoming to all the new pupils who have joined us this year.

In Maths our new Doodle Maths program has led to much excitement as the children earn stars through their individualised learning program, buy items for their avatars and challenge each other to be top of the leaderboard! It has been super to hear the children enter the classroom each morning and say “Can I Doodle Mrs Shaw?’in their efforts to be the top class of the week to earn treats and awards!! Keep up the good work Prep 5!

In History our Medieval Britain topic kicked off with the invasion of William the Conqueror, represented through the Bayeux tapestry, and then moved on to look at castles. We had great fun thinking about the best way to attack and defend a castle and the weapons available. The children came up with some great plans and I can tell you no mercy was shown! Our other history topic that led to some interesting discussions was that of the amazing sacrifice of the villagers of Eyam who cut themselves off from the rest of Derbyshire to avoid spreading the plague. The children found it particularly poignant in the light of our recent pandemic. This culminated in a super performance in assembly of a short play to tell the story to the rest of the Prep School. It was then a quick hop, step and a jump to the Tudors, Henry VIII and his six wives, Tudor exploration and Tudor houses where the children had the chance to get creative and build their own! Phew!

In Geography we have been looking at the concept of trade and especially the idea of Fair trade. It has been super to see the passion the children have felt in relation to the issues and I hope they will take this forward.

One of our favourite Religious Education topics this year was Christianity and the Easter Story which culminated in us making some gorgeous Easter gardens to take home with us to share with our families.

This is really just a taste of all that we have been busy learning about this year in Prep 5 and I could go on! Suffice to say the children have been such fun to be with. Their enthusiasm is infectious and their thirst for learning so visible. I know they will continue in this vein next year as they move to Prep 6.

Mrs Shaw Class Teacher

PREP 6

From the very start of the Michaelmas term in September, this group of children has been excellent to work with. Within the group there is a broad range of interests, personalities and characters, and this has made the year a real pleasure There are not many groups with as much creativity as shown by these children. Whether only being in the Prep School for the final term of the year or having been in the Prep all the way through, the children bonded and supported each other really well. It has been superb to see Tom and Ella join us for the final term and they both contributed greatly to the last few months of the year.

In the classroom, whether in person or still, on occasions, via Google Meets, I have been impressed by the children’s creativity, application and levels of achievement. This has been echoed by teaching staff across various subjects. Many congratulations to Esther, Emily and Alfie, who were awarded with academic, art and sport scholarships to the Senior School respectively.

One of the aspects of the year that I have been most impressed with has been the independence and increased confidence shown. Many children have stepped forward to volunteer or support our younger children and during the year, Aimee, Woody, Dixie and Esther were awarded their full school colours for exceptional contribution to school life.

I have thoroughly enjoyed teaching our topics, often combining English and History themes. The children show a real interest and have independently created some outstanding work as a result, going well above and beyond what is expected. Titanic and World War 1 trench warfare work come to mind in particular.

The Public Speaking competition, adjudicated by Mrs Shamsolahi, Head of English in the Senior School, saw many tremendous performances, not least by some who stepped out of their comfort zone and possibly surprised themselves a little. Dixie was the overall winner, with George, Reem, Louis and Aimee as our runners-up. Esther was also the worthy winner of this year’s Cawdrey Cup, for the best overall speller in the Prep School, with Dixie coming second in the class.

Other fiercely-fought competitions included the Chess and Connect4 tournaments. Woody made the final in both competitions, which is a tremendous achievement. Well done to Aimee who was our Connect4 Queen!

Prep 6 is an important year for the children to have additional responsibilities, and this group has led from the front in terms of the example they have set, often taking the initiative in different ways. Our Prefects, Esther, Aimee, Scarlett and Harriet have been fine role models and ambassadors for the Prep School. The House Captains, Woody (Way), Emily (Thorne), George (Pollard) and Lila-Mai (Ruddle), have led their Houses superbly, including delivering considered and thoughtful assemblies throughout the year. I have also been very pleased with the work of our learning ambassadors, Liam, Reem, Louis, Amilia and Alfie, who have helped our younger children in the Prep School with different aspects of their learning. These contributions cannot be underestimated, as they are at the core of our family feel and strong sense of community.

A final word must go to Dixie and Ashton, our Heads of School this year. Both have been excellent and reflect very clearly Shebbear’s values and ethos.

There is a lot of talent in this group and I wish them every success as they move on to the Senior School. I look forward to following their achievements with interest.

Matthew Foale Class Teacher