Prep

Prep Drama

It has certainly been a dramatic year in the Prep! Each year group from Kindergarten all the way through to Prep 6 has performed on stage in the theatre to an audience of students and parents. We have had a wide range of theatrical delights from ‘Tattybogle, the Scarecrow Musical’, with our younger students, to Prep 3’s fantastic performance of Roald Dahl’s ‘Little Red Riding Hood’ (made extra special by the fact that Prep 3 also designed and helped create their own set for this show with the help of our creative in-house artistic wiz, Mrs Wilson). Prep 4 devised their own twisted fairytale play to show to Reception and Year 1. We had bad wolves turning into good wolves, Gingerbread men running off to Cinderella’s ball and Goldilocks and the TWO bears! Prep 5 performed a version of the classic tale of ‘Peter Pan’, with ‘Pantastic’, throwing themselves into the slapstick comedy of this musical with great enthusiasm! Prep 6 saw the academic year out in style with their performance of ‘Scheherazade: Tales of the Arabian Nights’. This is my last year as Prep Drama teacher with St Francis’. I have loved all of my seventeen years of dramatic time at the College. I am off to do some storytelling training and to see what other Drama adventures I can find! Many thanks to all my Prep students for all the enthusiasm, courage and hard work that you have shown in all these productions. It has been a privilege to see you grow in confidence over this year with the realisation that ‘You can do it’.

Music

After two years in which live music has been hit particularly hard by Covid restrictions, it has been a joy to resume our usual clubs and performances.

The Autumn Term was a very busy one. Musicians from throughout KS1 & 2 provided a Musical Interlude in the Foyer at the Open Morning, Preps VI, V and EYFS/KS1 performed in music assemblies, while the music scholars and practical exam candidates were able to participate in lunchtime and tea-time concerts in the Chapel.

We were all delighted to be able to resume our traditional KS1 Nativity performances, Letchworth Lights Concert and KS2 Carol Concert, following the enforced break during the last two years. This year, performances took place in the Chapel and were videoed. We are all looking forward to Christmas ’22, when we hope to be able to welcome back a full congregation for these events.

Recorder Ensemble, Choir, String Group and Orchestra all took part in the KS2 Carol concert. Choir were excited to perform the world premiere of a work called ‘Rejoice’, which had been written specially for them by former pupil Eleanor Mackey.

The Spring term saw class music assemblies for Preps IV, III and EYFS/KS1; another Musical Interlude in the foyer at the Open Morning involving a range of instrumental pupils from KS1 & 2 and also lunchtime, tea-time and Music Scholars concerts. As part of our Number Day celebrations, we played and sang number themed songs on the keyboards. The highlight of this term was the KS2 Spring Concert, at which all of the Music clubs performed, with Orchestra playing Cha Cha Cha and Charleston, along with Themes from Harry Potter and String Group playing ‘Girls and Boys Come Out to Play and Poor Jenny’. It was very exciting to be able to have Choir performing live (albeit outdoors!) in front of the whole Prep School for the first time since Christmas 2019! They sang ‘Believe’, an optimistic anthem, which encourages us all to believe in our potential.

In the Summer Term, Orchestra and String Group joined forces at Prize Giving, to perform ‘The Rondeau’ from Purcell’s Abdelazar together and Choir sang ‘Love as our Guide’ … this time in the theatre, with the audience! Life really is getting back to normal at last. As a grand finale to Prize Giving, the whole of KS2 sang a medley of Gospel Songs to great acclaim. At The Leavers’ Service for our departing Prep 6, our Scholars performed Morning from ‘Grieg’s Peer Gynt Suite Number 1’. We shall miss them all, as they move on to new adventures next year.

Class Shows

Throughout the year we have regular highlights in the form of Year group musicals. Having risen to the challenge of the Nativity in the Autumn Term, EYFS & Yr1 joined together again in the Spring Term, to perform ‘Tattybogle’, in the theatre. The infectious enthusiasm of the cast as they sang to the scarecrow will stay with the audience and the cast clearly enjoyed this lovely, optimistic tale of new beginnings. This was swiftly followed by Preps V & IV with an ambitious performance of ‘Pantastic’. The cast gave a vigorous rendition of the whole company songs, with some lovely solos as well. Congratulations to all the singers: it was a great show! We wrapped up the Spring Term shows with Prep II performing ‘Little Red Riding Hood’ (a stage version of the story by Roald Dhal). The Wolf was suitably dastardly and the choruses were delivered with great gusto!

The 2022 musicals culminated in the Summer Term, with the Prep VI show ‘Scheherazade’. This marked the Prep School’s return to its traditional large-scale performances, with Years III, IV & V acting as choir for the show. It was so exciting for KS2 to be able to experience the sense of community which a big show brings, as the whole cast, actors, singers and dancers, work together for a common aim. I suspect more than a few of the audience had those tunes in their heads after the show. Congratulations to everyone involved!

This has been my final year of music at St. Francis’ Prep and it has been an excellent one. Thank you to all the pupils for making it such a bumper year of performances. I wish them all many happy years of music-making in the future.

Ms Bassnett

Mrs Baldwin

PE and Sport

The PE curriculum is progressive and consistent throughout Prep. Pupils begin in EYFS and KS1 by developing the fundamental movement skills, focusing on balance, co-ordination and agility. In KS2, pupils are given the opportunity to refine and develop these skills through a wide range of sports, encouraging sport diversification.

Pupils have a swimming lesson every week in the College pool, from Kindergarten to Prep VI. The children begin by learning the core aquatic skills and work up to safe self-rescue and water polo! There are a wide range of sports clubs on offer to the pupils each week. These include: Netball, Football, Hockey, Tag Rugby, Lacrosse, Rounders, Cricket, Street Dance, Swimming, Long distance running, Tennis, Golf, Gymnastics and more! There is something for everyone.

Pupils have the opportunity to represent the College in a variety of matches, from Netball matches to Cricket Tournaments, as well as friendly festivals. Sport is inclusive; every pupil in Key Stage 2 has the opportunity to represent the College in a team. The pupils also take part in interhouse competitions within school, with a particular highlight being the Key Stage 2 Interhouse Swimming Gala!

“My favourite thing about PE is practising races for Sports Day, and going to Gymnastics Club!” Eniola, Reception “I like playing lots of different sports in PE lessons.” Imogen, Prep II

“I love the interhouse competitions, especially the Interhouse Swimming Gala! It gives us something to work towards and I love swimming with other year groups in my house!” Alana, Prep IV “I love playing matches and tournaments against other schools. It’s friendly and competitive, and gives you a chance to socialise and interact with other schools.” Alysia, Prep V

Notable competitive events and results this academic year:

U11 District Indoor/Winter Athletics – winners

Key Stage 2 Cross Country Championships – U11 winners, U9 3rd place

U11 District Football Tournament – runners up

U11 Heritage Golf Competition – winners

U11 Netball Friendly Festival – unbeaten in all matches

U11 District Cricket Tournament – runners up

U11 South East Regional Swimming Gala – 4th place

U11 County Tennis Tournament – winners

“Swimming is my favourite lesson of the week! I love it at the end when we all get to jump in!” Isabella, Prep III

“I like how sport brings people together from different year groups and teaches you about sportsmanship and teamwork.” Miah, Prep VI

“My favourite day of the year is sports day because it brings us together in our houses and I like working with the younger year groups.” Yan, Prep VI

Prep 1 have done a lot of travelling this year…. In the Autumn Term we went back in time to discover what toys were like in the past. We explored what our grandparents and parents liked to play with and looked at how these toys had similarities and differences to our own toys. In Science, we found out what these toys were made of in our topic on Materials and in Art we made our own spoon dolls.

A highlight of this term was our Nativity play where we journeyed as shepherds to see the baby Jesus!

In the Spring term we visited Africa to find out how their landscape and culture are different to ours. We read stories and rhymes set in the Savannah, we made African masks and Masai necklaces and used our colour mixing skills to make sunset safari pictures which we recreated on the computers using Dazzle. In Science, we found out about different African animals. We also spent time exploring humans and their five senses. We carried out several interesting experiments and discovered that lemons really are sour!

We had a great time on Number Day, dancing to the 2 times table song, counting in 2s and creating a Noah’s Ark display! At the end of term we made some yummy cakes for Easter.

In the Summer Term, we went back in time again to discover what seaside holidays were like in the Victorian times. We found that people travelled by steam train and changed in special ‘changing machines’ on the beach. They still enjoyed fish and chips and ice creams like we do today though! We visited Mr Grinling at his lighthouse and found out who Grace Darling was and why she became a national hero.

A highlight of our term was visiting Woburn Safari Park where we got to see many of the African animals that we have found out about this year.

Prep 2

During the Autumn Term, Prep II learned some important things about how to stay safe online. The class used their IT skills to make a list of rules for going online safely as a 6/7-year-old. In our modern, internet-dominated age, it is vital that young people learn age-appropriate e-safety skills, so that they are equipped to deal with the online world as they grow up. The bright colours help us all to see immediately which things we should and should not do.

The class tackled some challenging problems in their coding course this year. In particular, they worked very hard to create looped code for staircases. In the process, they helped Scrat reach acorns, out on the ice; they showed Laurel how to collect her lost jewels and they even built ladders to scale the side of pirate ships! In addition to all of this, the class made a lovely set of snowmen, writing all of their own code in JavaScript.

We may not have had any snow outside this year, but Prep II’s snowmen made a very wintry scene in the IT Suite. Particular credit must go to Francesca Howlett, whose exceptional work using JavaScript has resulted in images of a very Funky Frog and an appetising plateful for the challenge ‘What’s for Dinner?’

Prep 3

Prep III is the beginning of Key Stage Two and sets the foundation for the rest of the upper primary years.

The transition from Prep II to Prep III runs smoothly as the girls have already been taught weekly lessons by the Prep III teacher. This means that they already know their teacher and classroom and are ready for the challenges that Key Stage Two brings.

This year the focus is on developing independence, becoming more resilient and persevering. The emphasis is on not being afraid to make mistakes, as we all make mistakes, and learning from them is the real lesson.

The majority of subjects in Prep III are taught by their form tutor although some subjects are taught by specialist teachers. In Prep III, being more form based, enables the pupils to become secure in their new key stage and confident with the expectations of learning and behaviour in KS2.

In Computer Science in the Autumn Term, Prep III learn how to be good digital citizens, by studying the concept of concentric ‘Rings of Responsibility’ – myself; my community (immediate friends & family); my world (everybody online). The class will explore the importance of good and safe behaviour online, with a particular emphasis on how essential it is to have the permission of friends and family before sharing photos on social media. This introduction to one’s own responsibilities online is a big step along the road towards equipping today’s young people to be good digital citizens as adults.

As well as learning about e-safety and using their IT skills in a research project, Prep III spend a big portion of the year coding. They use their knowledge of how to build looped code for staircases to help ‘The Farmer’ pick her sweetcorn; learn how apps can help to overcome accessibility issues in many walks of life and make their own mini games using ‘Events’ as triggers for their sprites’ actions. It will be an exciting journey for these new coders, as they learn new skills and even draw their own snowmen using JavaScript. There are lots of opportunities in Prep III to develop teamwork and friendships with different learning experiences both in class and out. Lots of work in Prep III is linked to other areas of the curriculum and trips in the past have included visits to Roman Verulamium, The Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre and The Educational Centre at Stansted Airport.

The array of extra-curricular clubs widens in Prep III and club choices now include extra language and sports clubs. The pupils also have exciting opportunities in PE to represent St. Francis’ College and play against other schools, take part in house competitions and the Key Stage Two Swimming Gala; one of the highlights of the school calendar. There are also the additional opportunities of taking part in the Carol Concert and being part of the Choir in the Prep VI play.

The pupils in Prep III were asked what words they would use to describe Prep III and their top words are:

Friendly, fair, fun and caring.

We look forward to welcoming you to Prep III.

Prep 4

A year in the life of Prep lV

The transition from Prep lll to Prep lV brings some significant changes as the vast majority of subjects, including English, Maths and Science, are now taught by specialist teachers. So, armed with their planners and house bags, the pupils get used to moving around the Prep School as they go from lesson to lesson. Alana tells me that, “It makes us feel very independent and grown up!”

In Prep lV, Latin makes its first appearance in the school curriculum. The pupils love finding out about the language, the history and the culture of Roman Britain through the adventures of a real family who lived there at the time. The pupils delight in learning short phrases, translating cartoon stories and even getting to grips with some simple grammar. The overarching aim at this stage is to build confidence in language learning which will stand them in good stead throughout Upper Prep and on into the Senior School.

Art continues to be a firm favourite in Prep lV and the pupils enjoy learning about great artists and developing their own skills in a range of techniques and styles. In this photograph, the children adopted Seurat’s pointillism to create a close-up representation of the human eye! They used oil pastels to create glass vases filled with tulips. The water looks so realistic - you could almost dip your finger in.

In Computer Science, Prep lV pupils really stretch themselves in Course C of code.org’s coding curriculum. Everyone learns to think about shapes in terms of internal and external angles, while breaking up complex shapes into simpler component parts. Suddenly, a complicated challenge becomes nothing more than a series of rectangles and triangles! The pupils become experts at using loops, debugging, spotting patterns and writing code for games. Some even design their own ideal meal using JavaScript.

This year saw the much-anticipated return of residential trips for Prep lV with a threeday visit to PGL at Caythorpe Court in Lincolnshire. Given that Covid made sleepovers impossible and visits away from home were cancelled, this trip was, for many pupils, their first time away without parents.

However, there was no time for homesickness, as they were on the go from first thing in the morning until last thing at night. Every waking moment was filled with FUN. Their feet hardly touched the ground - literally! They dangled and clambered, climbed and crawled, balanced, swayed, soared and scrambled. And if that wasn’t enough, they built dens, constructed buggies and completed an assault course blindfolded!

Their teamwork was amazing to see as they each encouraged one another to complete challenges, to overcome fears and to achieve new goals. It was an absolute delight to watch every pupil, without exception, grow in independence, resilience and confidence. A truly worthwhile experience, proving their readiness to move onto Prep V.

Prep 5

A year in the life of Prep V

Prep V is an action-packed year, full of fun and new experiences. Here the pupils are taught solely by specialist teachers and are also introduced to some new subjects.

The pupils have the opportunity to study Food and Nutrition for half a year, making delicious foods such as: vegetable couscous, sweet and savoury muffins and chocolate tiffin to name but a few. For the other half of the year, they study Design Technology and learn new skills to create pop up books and moving toys using CAM.

The pupils further develop their artistic skills by using the senior school art room, gaining inspirational specialist teaching from the senior school staff. They use their cross curricular links with Humanities to create Victorian toy theatres and rainforest landscapes. This year Prep V performed the play, ‘Pantastic’. Here the children are taught to improvise and work in role, perform plays and stories using language and actions to express and convey situations, characters and other emotions. It was a joy to watch!

In their adventures in programming this year, Prep V have coded complex programs, using nested loops, to help a bee collect nectar and make honey; helped Minecraft characters to avoid falling into molten lava and created computer games in which R2-D2 chases Tauntauns and Mynocks.

All pupils are encouraged to participate in extracurricular activities at lunchtime or after-school. There is a vast array of clubs on offer, from orchestra, choir, strings, chess, poetry, drama and mindfulness to name just a few.

The Prep V pupils have so many opportunities to represent the school in various sporting activities including: Tag rugby, netball, football, cricket, rounders, swimming and athletics. The Prep V pupils create such special memories on the trips that take place throughout the year. The trips are linked to curriculum areas – for instance, they visit a Victorian Museum, The Sewage Water Centre and The Airbus Discovery Centre.

Finally, the highlight of the year in Prep V is the three-day residential visit to Grafham Water Centre where they take part in water-based activities. Here, the children use their skills to help and support each other using Grafham Water’s core values of ‘BEST’ –

Brave

Encourage Everyone

Stay Safe

Trust and Teamwork

The pupils thoroughly enjoy the experience from start to finish and truly demonstrate that are the very BEST versions of themselves.

A year in the life of Prep lV

We’ve made it! We’re finally in Prep 6, the oldest, perhaps tallest and wisest. Being a role- model for all of the younger children is a massive responsibility but one we take very seriously. There are many special roles to take advantage of too including Head and Deputy Prefect and House Captains. What a super opportunity to develop our leadership skills!

Autumn Term is a busy one especially with the January Entrance Exams for Maths and English to prepare for. However, we know that hard work really does pay off and so long as we can say that we have tried our very best, we know we can be proud of ourselves. With so much learning, focus and dedication to our studies, we deserve a treat at Christmas. This includes going on a Prep 6 Ice Skating trip where we learn yet again about resilience, making mistakes, falling down and getting back up again.

The Spring Term whizzes by with another trip to look forward to - The Jurassic Coast Experience! We pack our suitcases, wave goodbye to our parents and families, have a good, hearty ‘sing song’ on the coach and arrive in the stunning coastal town of Lulworth in Dorset. From hiking to see Durdle Door, picnics and ice creams on the beach to sea kayaking and mud trail obstacle courses, you are bound to have the most magical time. You’ll make incredible memories of falling out of bunk beds, losing trainers in mud baths, somersaulting off giant water inflatables and having lots of laughter with your friends.

Lights! Camera! Action! The end of the year is just as eventful with the grand finale - The Prep 6 Show. Our talents are showcased on stage in front of the whole school, friends and family. The atmosphere is always electrifying, the dance moves are impressive and the powerful singing will have you humming the same catchy tunes for weeks to come. Not long after, we are on stage in the school theatre yet again but this time it’s for the annual Prize Giving Ceremony and in the school chapel for the traditional Leavers’ Service. An opportunity to reflect on an incredibly successful and memorable year and to award individuals with special prizes. All Prep 6s are presented with a school hoodie and a wonderful Leaver’s Book filled with personalised messages, anecdotes and memories as well as treasured photos from the year.

It might be an emotional farewell but we know excited things are to come with the move to Senior School. St. Francis’ is a truly special place and we will never forget our time in Prep here.