Arnold House Spring Assembly 2024 - REDACTED

SPRING 2024 Assembly

IN THIS ISSUE FROM THE HEADMASTER

PRE-PREP REPORT

CHILDREN’S MENTAL HEALTH WEEK

TRIPS & WORKSHOPS

BOOK WEEK

DRAMATHON

AH ART GALLERY

SPORTS ROUND-UP

FROM THE HEADMASTER

Welcome to the Spring Assembly. This past term has been a whirlwind of activity, and this issue captures the essence of what makes Arnold House such a special place, from the Pre-Prep to Year 8.

Whether it’s in front of the cheering crowd for our sports teams, or the hushed anticipation in the theatre during a concert or play, or exploring their creativity in the Art Room, the boys consistently demonstrate their confidence and talent; enjoy the articles on successful Art, Drama and Sport calendars in the following pages.

But Arnold House is more than just trophies and performances. We cultivate a love for learning that extends far beyond the classroom. Book Week was a resounding success, with boys of all ages enjoying stories, workshops and dressup day. It was truly inspiring to see the joy of reading come alive!

Mental health is another cornerstone of our educational philosophy. During our dedicated Mental Health Week, we explored themes of well-being, fostering open communication and providing valuable resources to help our young men recognise healthy habits.

Furthermore, the world beyond the school gates is a vital part of our curriculum. Off-site visits, many touched on here, offer the boys first-hand experiences that enrich their learning. Whether it’s a trip to a historical landmark or a visit to a world-class museum, these excursions broaden our boys’ horizons and spark intellectual curiosity.

As we reach the end of this term, we are left with a sense of anticipation: the next one promises even more adventures and opportunities for growth, hopefully under a sunny summer sky!

Until then, let’s celebrate all that makes Arnold House a remarkable place for young men to learn, develop, and thrive.

Giles Tollit Headmaster

The boys in Pre-Prep are now confident in their routine, having formed strong attachments and with a developing awareness of the school’s expectations, understanding the attributes needed to be an Arnold House pupil.

The Spring Term has delivered an array of experiences, drawing upon the boys’ skills and interests, with external and parental input focusing on culture and diversity, including the Lunar New Year, African traditional tales and presentations about Scotland, Iran and Austria (to name a few!)

Whilst Pre-Reception and Reception were at Canons Park early this term, and Year 1 worked busily in their first-floor classrooms we welcomed our prospective families for our Friday ‘Family Playdates,’ meeting boys and parents in a relaxed play-based setting, getting to know more about each other.

As Head of Pre-Prep, it is important for me to experience the delivery of the curriculum and I have enjoyed spending much time in classrooms and, at lunch, across all year groups, getting to know more about the boys. Thanks to an amazing and dedicated teaching team, each area of the school is busy and dynamic with carefully thought-out lessons and activities. The learning environment is relevant, inviting and engaging with focused themes reflected for boys to access independently and to initiate their own learning. Pre-Reception and Reception boys performed beautifully in their Spring Term assemblies, highlighting seasonal changes and Easter. It is clear to see the progress being made from their first performance at Christmas, whilst Year 1 are busy planning their play which will take place in the Summer Term and presented to parents at Canons Park.

As days begin to stretch and the warmer weather reaches, we look forward to seeing signs of growth and pupil progress in the months to come.

Mrs McKenzie Head of Pre-Prep

Pre-Reception

The boys have made so much progress and their confidence has blossomed from September to now. They have approached their learning with great enthusiasm and have tried their best in all activities. This has been so wonderful to see, and we are so proud of how far they have all come.

In Literacy, we have continued with our Phase 2 Phonics exploring the various individual letter sounds in accordance with the Read Write Inc scheme. We have begun orally segmenting and blending simple words using the sounds we have covered so far. We also play various Phonics games to enhance their early reading skills such as sound splat and musical phonics. We have continued to use our Show and Tell as an opportunity for the boys to present something associated with the letter sound of the week in class to consolidate their learning. The boys enjoy this each week, and we can see how their confidence has grown when presenting to the class.

In Mathematics, we revised number recognition and 2D shapes, along with simple counting activities through games and songs. We also explored patterns linked to animals where the boys matched the correct animals to the correct pattern. We investigated ‘one more’ and ‘one less’ than a given number using concrete materials. We explored the topic of weight and used key vocabulary such as heavy, heavier and heaviest, light, lighter and lightest. The boys also got to experiment with the balancing scales, investigating how many cubes it takes to reach a balance.

We covered many topics this term including Transport, which the boys absolutely loved. They thoroughly enjoyed their trip to the Transport Museum, which heightened their interest in the Transport topic. Another very popular topic this term has been Animals. The boys loved learning about various animals and singing a selection of animal songs. They had a wonderful day at London Zoo, exploring the different areas and seeing all the different animals.

The Pre-Reception team is very excited to see what the Summer Term will bring!

Ms Geffriaud & Miss Hennessy

Pre-Reception Teachers

Reception

In Literacy, the boys focused on poetry, rhyme and alliteration. The boys tried matching rhyming words and writing their own poems. They loved to experiment with alliteration and find funny words that alliterated with their name. They were inspired by the Dramathon project, going on to write and produce their own plays. The plays were child-led with the boys working on the props, costumes, music and staging in their house teams. They loved their moment of fame, performing the plays on stage in front of a camera! They also learnt about different text types such as posters, lists and instructions. During Book Week they wrote their own book reviews and enjoyed meeting two authors.

In Maths, the boys have been learning about shapes and measuring including time, weight, height and capacity. The boys used mathematical language to make comparisons. They used practical resources including weighing scales, stop watches and tape measures. When learning about shapes, the boys learnt about the number of sides and vertices of each shape and the names of more unfamiliar shapes such as trapezium. They were introduced to fractions by shading halves and quarters of different shapes.

Construction and football have been the main child-led topics in Starfish Class (RA) where the boys have been designing and making different buildings from around the world, using the photography folder in the classroom as inspiration and they have loved watching videos of buildings being built. Football- was our Dramathon theme with the boys designing football kits and trophies in their sketch books. Turtle Class (RH) have been interested in Space and Pokémon. They enjoyed a Space themed

drama workshop and learnt about the planets in the solar system. The boys in Reception also carried out some mindful exercises including yoga and breathwork which the boys really enjoyed.

The boys loved their school trips to London Zoo and the Science Museum and were so happy to have some parent helpers go along.

Miss Rafferty & Mrs Taylor Reception Teachers

Year 1

The boys returned from the Christmas break excited to tell us all about their adventures! They wrote an excellent recount of their winter holiday using time connectives and adjectives. They created New Year’s resolutions and discussed their goals for the year ahead. The boys were excited to begin the topic ‘Space.’ The boys were inspired by the book ‘Mae Among the Stars’ which told the story of Mae Jemison’s pursuit to become an astronaut with the moral of never giving up on your dreams. The boys created some wonderful fact sheets and gave their own opinions as to why her journey was so successful. Continuing the theme, the boys looked at the book ‘Astra Girl’ and were inspired by Tim Peak’s competition in 2014 to design a form of new food for him to eat in Space. The boys researched and investigated what types of food would suit an astronaut to eat. They were inspired by the books ‘The Way Back Home’ by Oliver Jeffers and ‘Toys in Space’ by Mini Grey to put their persuasive writing into practice and even sent a postcard from the moon! The boys wrote to their parents asking them to come and rescue them as they had landed there and were stuck!

Year 1 had a very busy term in Maths and found an excellent balance between practical and written skills. They started off looking at different types of non-standard measurements, recording their findings in different ways. They measured weight, capacity, length and time and learned the days of the week and months of the year. In the second half of the term, focus was on Numbers.

In Understanding the World, Year 1 have been studying materials, devising and undertaking investigations about properties. They worked out which was the bounciest ball and were surprised that some of the objects sank whilst others floated. Their predictive and collaborative working skills have developed, sparking some lively discussions. They linked ‘Materials’ to History by looking

at how manufacturing processes have changed over time. It was a delight to see how the boys considered aspects of learning not only historically but geographically. As always, in these sessions an interesting discussion was had with the boys thoughtfully sharing their opinions. The boys enjoyed making maps of their local area and Canons Park. It has been fascinating to see how they have made detailed records of all the features they have seen on their journey to school, devising keys and pictorial representations to annotate their route.

The boys loved their trip to the Young V&A in Bethnal Green. The trip was a great opportunity to see toys from the past and explore how they have developed over time with modern materials and a range of power sources. The boys referred to the ‘olden days’ which made staff feel quite old! They undertook some great construction projects showing super teamwork and made excellent use of all areas of the museum to create stories and write sentences.

In Art, the boys enjoyed looking at both Van Gogh and Ana Zaja Petrak. They noticed the contrasting approach of both artists, stating that Van Gogh’s work includes lots of small dashes and details, while Ana Zaja Petrak’s work has a more simplistic and bold style. While looking at Van Gogh, the boys experimented working in his style, making small dashes and creating texture using mixed media. They worked as a combined effort to form a final collaborative piece with each boy completing a small section of the ‘Starry Night.’ When studying Ana ZajaPetrak, the boys took pride in creating a mixed media collage. They used one of her famous stripy and bold backgrounds, applying their own unique mark, selecting a range of pictures to form a collage.

Miss Brennan, Ms Legan & Miss Ayrton Year 1 Teachers

French

French in Pre-Prep is not only about learning the language but also about understanding the culture. This term we have covered many different topics in French, including ‘La fête des roi’ and ‘Pâques.’

Paris has hosted several Olympiads: 1900 and 1924 and will host them again in 2024. Both Pre-Reception and Reception enjoyed learning about ‘Les jeux Olympiques.’ The boys were fascinated learning that each Olympic medal and each Paralympic medal is accompanied by an

original piece of iron from the Eiffel Tower. Built between 1887 and 1889, the ‘Iron Lady’ has since been the subject of many renovation campaigns. Certain metal elements were thus permanently removed and carefully preserved ever since. For the Paris 2024 Games, the Eiffel Tower Operating Company is allowing these true pieces of Paris and French history to find a second glory. The boys also learnt about the Paris 2024 Olympics logo which depicts Marianne and the Olympic flame, all in one. The emblem shows a coiffured woman with lips as her only facial feature, and as such, is the first Olympic emblem to depict a face. The design also represents two other Olympic icons: the flame, seen in Marianne’s hair flicks, and the gold medal. The face of Marianne also pays homage to the female athletes and gives a nod to history, as it was in 1900 at the Olympic Games in Paris that women were first allowed to compete. The boys all went on to create their own Olympic medal ‘Médaille d’or.’

Ms Geffriaud

Early Years French Teacher

PE

During this Spring Term, our PE lessons have typically focused on developing fundamental movement skills through a variety of sports and fun games. The main sports we have focused on include rugby and football, while the fundamental movements covered often include jumping, balancing, hopping and skipping. In rugby, we have learnt the basic rules of the games and how to safely handle and pass the ball. We have also played games with rugby balls, so the boys know what it is like to run with the ball in hand. They have also learnt how to work as a team and develop communication and social skills. These sports are excellent for building physical fitness, coordination and motor skills and working with their classmates. The fundamental movements we have worked on lay the foundation for more complex skills and sports as they grow older. These movements are incorporated into the fun games and more structured games that teach specific skills. Teamwork and sportsmanship also play a big part in all we do in PE. All the boys have been an absolute pleasure to teach so far this year and I can’t wait to introduce them to cricket and tennis, hopefully with some dryer and warmer weather than we have had this term!

Mr Lutyens

PE Teacher

Forest School

Pre-Reception enjoyed some lovely nature walks within the nature reserve at Canons Park. The boys embraced the wonderful surroundings, asking questions and showing curiosity to what may live within the woodland itself. Rainy days were delightful where the boys splashed freely in the muddy puddles. Colder, frostier days allowed for rich discussions about seasonal changes and led to predictions on what would happen as the warm weather sets in.

The boys participated in the Great Big Bird Watch (RSPB) noticing all the different birds in their environment, learning their names and their distinctive features – the boys did some amazing drawings of their favourite birds.

The boys have shown lots of interest in den building exploring different ways to construct using sticks, large sheets, string, and clips. Additionally, the boys have had a great time rolling and flipping tyres as well as participating in orienteering, creating and using maps to help navigate them and others to different locations in Canons Park.

For Mental Health Week the boys in PR and R engaged in some ‘Mind up Meditation’ using the ‘breathing rainbow’ to help self-regulate, focusing on breathing exercises and positive affirmations. In Year 1 the boys wrote down their worries on a piece of paper before safely making a fire and throwing their worries into the flames.

Mrs Wootten Forest School Teacher

CHILDREN’S MENTAL HEALTH WEEK

‘MY VOICE MATTERS’

Every child has the right to express their views, feelings and wishes in all matters affecting them, and to have their views considered and taken seriously.

As adults, we should empower children and young people, and provide them with time, space, and opportunities to express themselves. We must also ensure they have opportunities to influence aspects of their worlds that directly - or indirectly - affect their wellbeing.

Empowering children and young people can have a positive impact on their health and wellbeing. For example, children and young people who feel that their voices are heard - and that what they say makes a difference - have higher levels of self-efficacy and selfesteem. They also have a greater sense of community – and as people become empowered, they can work together to create positive changes for themselves and for others.

Over the course of the week the boys, parents and staff took part in various events:

• Assemblies and daily activities based around My Voice Matters

• Gospel song performed by the boys – Give us Hope

• Inspiring change and making a difference

• Y2-6 workshops - Understanding Emotions, Mental Health and Emotional Wellbeing

• A daily art and wellbeing hub run by the peer mentors

• Votes for Schools

• What matters to you?

• My proud moments

• A morning at QCPS where the Y5 boys had a wellbeing workshop, yoga and lunch with the girls.

• Gong baths and sharing circles for Y7 and 8

• Staff and parents’ gong bath

• Over the course of the week the boys created a wellbeing graffiti wall in the gym.

Miss Hall

Year 6 Form Tutor, Mental Health & Wellbeing Coordinator

Y2 Great Fire of London Workshop

The boys attended an interactive Great Fire of London drama workshop earlier in the term. They were greeted by Mary Porter, a resident of Pudding Lane, and explored what life was like in 1666. They recreated life in Pudding Lane, became the fire as it grew and spread, and then discovered how the city was rebuilt. The boys were totally engaged from start to finish and all enjoyed being Time Travellers going back to 1666.

Mrs Dart

Head of Year 2

Y3 Ancient Egypt Workshop

History Off The Page. The Year 3 boys spent a day in the life of an Ancient Egyptian, preparing for the induction of a new High Priest chosen by Pharoah Akhenaten and Queen Nefertiti. Boys were taught new skills such as ink making, canopic jar crafting, scarab beetle carving to present to the Pharaoh as offerings. The day ended with a feast, dances, role-play, stories and a procession. 1345 BC brought to life, the boys couldn’t get enough!

Mrs Bennett

Year 3 Teacher

Y4 Forensics day

The Year 4 boys, in collaboration with Queen’s College Preparatory School, delved into the fascinating world of forensics. Their exploration included a range of activities, from meticulously examining unique fingerprints using brushes and powder, to collecting trace evidence that could unveil the lineage of a particular individual. Working together as a team, they honed their critical thinking skills while immersing themselves in the role of real-life forensic detectives.

As the afternoon unfolded, both schools donned their forensic suits, ready to apply their newly acquired expertise to the investigation of a simulated crime scene. It was a thrilling opportunity for the students to put theory into practice and experience the excitement of solving mysteries firsthand.

Miss Rose Science

Y5&6 Maths Workshop

The Y5s and Y6s took part in a Maths workshop run by the Happy Puzzle Company. They worked collaboratively to solve a number of varied puzzles. They had to undertake careful strategic planning, persevere, and approach problems from different perspectives in order to find success.

Mr Gleeson Head of Maths

Y6 Regent’s Park Mosque

The Years 5&6 boys visit a number of places of worship as part of their “World of Religion” course. They have already been to St John’s Wood Synagogue and St Sophia’s Greek Orthodox Church and will go to the Neasden Temple next term.

The Regent’s Park Mosque is well used to educational groups visiting and we had a wonderful guide, who explained the core ideas of Islam to the boys and how worship takes place. We were able to watch the midday prayers, which are only about five minutes long. As it was Ramadan, there was a large number of worshippers present. The purpose of the visits are so that boys can compare and contrast the different places of worship. They can see how things are done differently by each religion, but also how there are common elements. They are also encouraged to compare with the services they know from St John’s Wood Church. The boys had the following observations: “I liked how the service was so short” and “Why didn’t they have any singing?”. Both are excellent prompts for learning more – which is a wonderful outcome and shows how visits play an important role in sparking deeper interest.

Mr Hill

Deputy Head, Academic Y6 Citizenship Trip

Year 6 tends to be year when many of our boys become independent travellers. As part of the PSHE programme the Year 6 boys attend a number of workshops held at the London Transport Museum and hosted by Transport for London. The workshops cover a range of topics such as staying safe online, travelling safely on public transport in London, using e-bikes and e-scooters in London as well as the problems of vaping. The boys also attend scenarios created by the police, the ambulance service, the fire brigade and staying safe with animals in public areas.

Mr Cox

Head of Years 5&6, History

Y6 Horniman Museum and Gardens

It was great to see the Year 6 boys enjoying such a wonderful day at the Horniman Museum and Gardens. This term the boys have been focusing on a crosscurricular project in Art and looking closely at links to science, from fungi to plant cells and insects. A real highlight of the day was the interactive butterfly house and the mesmerizing aquarium. A perfect setting to get creative as well as scientific.

Mrs Austen-Smith Head of Art and Design

BOOK WEEK

If a Martian wandered past Arnold House as the boys arrive for school, most days they would see lots of red blazers, innumerable bags (often larger than owner), scooters and even the occasional hug – all exactly what someone new to this planet’s culture would expect. However, for one particular day each year, all normality is suspended, and our Martian would have quite a strange idea of what an English schoolboy might look like.

With this year’s theme allowing the boys’ imaginations full rein, the costumes were outstanding. From life-size robots (with working lights) to Leonardo da Vinci, from a Steampunk Peter Pan – with, of course, his shadow – flying through the clouds to Steve Jobs himself popping in to see what was happening, we were treated to a splendid array of pirates, mad scientists, Victorian urchins, Steampunk heroes and walking computers. Even Lord Azriel graced us with a visit. Actually, maybe two Lord Azriels!

That was all on World Book Day itself, but it was just the culmination of a week of book-themed events, packed with curious and interesting things – and lots of books. We started on Monday with Peter Bunzle, best-selling author who came and spoke about his books – then showed the boys how to make paper animations based on characters they’d invented.

Sophie Deen – author and entrepreneur –talked to the older boys about her career move from lawyer to head of a company determined to put more STEM and coding in schools. She put the boys into groups and made them focus on something in the world that might need help – they then had to come up with a solution, with a marketing plan which they then read out and she critiqued. All change for the younger boys who were treated to a masterclass in spying! Which, as it included writing an algorithm to tell a robot how to make a jam sandwich, did get rather messy as Sophie transformed before our eyes into the robot and followed the boys’ instructions to the letter. As you can imagine, hilarity ensued!

Our last author was for Year 2, and author and illustrator Lucy Farfort spent

an afternoon with them, sharing her lovely story about how we can all make a difference and then guiding the boys through a workshop.

Marlborough Place wasn’t left out, with a local author to read her stories to them and an Afro-Caribbean storyteller, Wendy Shearer, to come and weave her multisensory magic, the boys all got involved. They dressed-up too, and lots of brilliant entries arrived for the competition. Even a MP mum switched buildings and came over to Loudoun Road to speak to the boys about how reading can help with anxiety and stress.

Our competition pulled in a vast array of entries – all you had to do was imagine your favourite book character was a pupil at AH. Well, imaginations worked overtime, with a model of Enid Blyton’s The Saucepanman, teachers changed into Pokemon, Mr Toad and Sherlock Holmes in AH uniform, The Witch King of Angmar taking a Maths lesson and a triple-whammy entry of painting, story and animation based on Fahrenheit 451. Amazing!

Another Book Week done. I must thank the authors, who were wonderful, of course. Yet most of my thanks goes to the school as a whole: to the boys for being so funny, imaginative and willing to give anything a go; to the parents who bought books, helped with artwork and costumes; to the teaching staff who put up with a week of disruption and last, but not least, the admin staff, who went above and beyond.

Another one next year? I hope so – I’d better start thinking of a theme!

Leonie Flynn Librarian, English

ARNOLD HOUSE

24HDRAMATHON

On 29th February, Arnold House launched the Showstopper Drama Campaign with a 24 hour Dramathon at Canons Park. Boys and staff from Pre-Reception to Year 8 took part in a huge variety of performances throughout the 24 hour period ending on lunchtime on 1st March. The range of talent included stand up comedy, singing, inspiring monologues, excerpts from Shakespeare plays, magic, skits written by boys, instruments, mime, stage combat, dance, rap, poetry, stories and more. Please help support the campaign to raise funds for this important space, bringing the magic of theatre to Canons Park!

Stephanie Miller Head of External Relations

THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED

SUPPORT

DONATE HERE

AH ART GALLERY

The boys have continued to blossom in the Art room. This term we would like to showcase the incredible artwork by the Year 2 and Year 7 boys.

Year 2 industriously created striking colour wheels, influenced by the artist Alma Thomas. They hand painted bright papers, full of warm

and cool colours , then neatly arranged them into a mosaic pattern.

Year 7 enjoyed hand crafting mini ceramic coral worlds, made from white speckled clay and earthenware, carefully using meticulous hand building techniques.

Page 1 left to right:

Page 2 left to right:

SPORTS ROUND-UP

This term has been another busy one in the sporting life of the school. AH teams have played against other schools in fixtures or tournaments in sports including rugby, hockey, cross country, basketball and swimming. Every boy in Year 2 upwards played in at least one school match. In addition to various standalone tournaments and festivals 138 hockey or rugby fixtures were played! Regardless of the sport being played, AH boys approached their endeavours with energy, resilience and good humour. When not competing against other schools, AH boys had plenty of opportunities to show off their ability in their chosen sport in internal training sessions and house tournaments too.

Rugby

The Under 13 rugby team gelled together brilliantly this season under the watchful eyes of their coaches Mr Ingram and Mr Harahap. The season also included a tour to Belfast where two excellent matches were contested. The Irish proved too strong in both games but AH gave a brilliant account of themselves. As always the team played in three 7s tournaments, these included events hosted by Durston House, Wetherby Prep and our own at CP. Mr Ingram knows his rugby and he identified the team’s general progress as the season’s biggest highlight. His team were defeated by St Anthony’s in their first match of the term but in the return fixture -at the AH Rugby Festival -the team put in a brilliant performance. They were able to piece everything together; they moved the ball well; they dominated the rucks and the contact areas and they came up as a disciplined line. All of these factors contributed to the team’s convincing win.

The team’s results from regular 13 aside season matches are listed here:

Played: 8 Won: 3 Drawn: 1 Lost: 4

Points For: 235 Points Against: 210

Points Difference: 25

The Under 13 2nd XIII rugby team also made progress. They played a full schedule of matches too; winning 4 and losing 4 of their 8 matches. Mr Millburn Fryer’s views are here:

The 2nd XV developed superbly this season and played many excellent matches. They faced some tough opposition at times; however, I was always impressed with the boy’s resilience and fortitude. The tackling and physicality improved every game with particular mention to and who were fearless in the tackle. A 50% win record is a good result for the 2’s as we often faced larger schools with bigger teams. Perhaps the highlight of the season was the recent win versus The Hall away at Wilf Slack! This is always a tough fixture and to come out with a win away from home is a huge result. Well done all!

The Under 11s were coached by Mr Matthews (Colts A) and Mr Milburn Fryer (Colts Bs). The boys had a tremendous season. Mr Matthews gives his opinion on the season here: A fantastic rugby season for the Colts this term. All boys rotated within the two teams and all have made huge improvements with recycling the ball, scanning for space and reliable defence. This has been the cornerstone of their success, only losing to one school the entire term! The win against The Hall by a comfortable margin early in the year was a memorable match; we saw patches of brilliance from every player and it became the catalyst for a successful run of wins on the trot and it was good to see individuals hone their craft. Orley Farm have always proven difficult to beat over the years and so it was especially pleasing to see all the aspects we have trained for come together with an emphatic victory which saw solid defence, quick recycling and a huge amount of support play which resulted in try after try after try! Mr Matthews’s A team played 9 matches, won 8 and lost only once.

The Under 13 rugby team at the Wetherby 7s tournament

The Year 8 Rugby Team on tour in Belfast

The B team also enjoyed success. They played 6 matches, winning 4 and losing twice. Mr Millburn-Fryer summed up the term here: The Colts B rugby team were an excellent group to manage and coach as they always played with smiles on their faces and a sense of fun. To have managed a winning season is a testament to the boys huge efforts and is no easy feat. Physicality improved with every game and on a few occasions we completely blew our opposition away with the pace and power the boys played at. I hope the boys have enjoyed their season and are already looking forward to next year!

The RFU player progression pathway adds quite a few aspects into the game at Year 5 (Under 10) level and the boys benefitted from the expert coaching from Mr Ingram and Mr Stringer who are passionate rugby fans, brilliant players and skilled coaches. The Under 10s played 6 games and won every match! Indeed the team was so strong that many of the Year 5 boys were asked to play up with the Year 6 boys in their matches.

Year 4 is another key stage in the learning journey of our young boys (tackling is introduced) and Mr Millburn-Fryer, who looked after the U9A team and oversees this age group more generally enjoyed seeing all the boys develop.

The Year 3 boys play touch rugby and Mr Wint and Mrs Matthews, head up this age group. They were impressed with the skills and focus of this age group. 4 block fixtures were arranged for this year group;

Hockey

At AH the Spring Term is also synonymous with hockey. At Year 7 and 8 level, AH regularly fields 3 teams in block fixtures. During the term we played 9 matches; these came against the likes of Hill House. Westminster Under School, St Anthony’s, The Hall, Durston House, Westminster Cathedral School and Newton Prep. Four wins and five losses were recorded. The highlight was the team’s performance at the AH Hockey Festival where the team played brilliantly in every game. The U13 team were also great company on tour in Belfast where we played two well contested matches. In the annual AH tournament, the team came third with memorable wins coming against Hill House and The Hall out of 7 competing schools.

all the boys enjoyed playing. They showed good sportsmanship.

The 1st XI hockey squad

The Year 8 Hockey Team on tour in Belfast

The Colts Team pictured here before their match at The Stonex Stadium

The Year 4 A team.

The Year 7 boys were coached by Mr Lutyens, Miss Rose and Mr Glesson and they too made excellent progress. Although the Year 7s often played up with the Year 8s, they did contest five stand-alone Year 7 matches. These came against Hill House, Westminster Under School, Newton Prep (twice) and The Hall. The team won four of these games and lost one. A Year 7 team was also entered into the AH Hockey Festival and the team came 3rd out of 6 teams.

Miss Hall and Mr Cox coached the Under 11 teams (Year 6) and they had a terrific season. The A team’s coach Miss Hall sums up the season here: The Colts A hockey team made AH sporting history by winning their final match of the term and recording an unbeaten season. There were many highlights over the course of the term as the team recorded notable victories over The Hall, St Anthony’s, St Paul’s Cathedral School, Hill House and WUS, and had a high scoring draw against a U12 team. It has been a fantastic season for the squad who have really developed as players. Each boy has improved immensely and as a team they have shown a real desire and passion to succeed in every training session and match. The boys’ determination is reflected in the style of play the team now adopts in each match and it is this attacking style of hockey which meant they scored a total of 74-goals and conceded only 10 – a truly fantastic achievement all round. Results: Played: 13 Won: 12 Drew: 1

Miss Smith and Mr Lutyens worked with the Year 5 (Under 10 boys) this term. Six matches were played and the team won five and lost only once. The team’s trip to Battersea Park to play Hill House Under 11s on their big pitch proved to be a valuable experience for the boys.

Cross Country

Cross Country is another popular feature of the Spring Term at AH. The Spring Term house cross country events were enthusiastically contested. The results were: Wellington and Nelson joint 3rd, Brunel and Pitt joint 1st. The top 3 individuals in year group races are listed in this table.

2nd 3rd

The Under 11 team participated in two events. They came second out of ten schools in the Hereward House Cross Country. Eighty four children participated in this one and AH boys featured heavily in the top ten. came second, came in sixth and came eighth. Arnold House also hosts a cross country event. The Under 11 team finished first out of six schools in this event. Out of 43 runners, came second and came third.

Senior boys also enjoyed success in cross country meets involving other schools. The AH Under 13 team came first out of a field of 10 schools and 85 runners in the Hereward House Event. showed his star quality with a first place finish; came 3rd, 8th and 10th. In the AH event the U13 team performed strongly. underlining his ability with another 1st place finish. also represented AH in the London Schools Cross Country Championships. He finished a very creditable 21st out of 135 entrants.

The Under 11 A Team

The Year 5 A Team at Battersea Park

Swimming

Once again, Year 3 and 4 boys had the chance to opt for swimming this term. These sessions took place at Barnet Copthall Leisure Centre. Mrs Bennett was in charge of this important aspect of the AH sporting offer and she reflected on the term here: We started the Spring Term course with a group that had doubled in size, which has meant double the lengths swam. It’s been a term filled with enormous progression and finessing our techniques. Well done, boys!

Year 5 and 6 Swimming

Year 5 and 6 also had the chance to develop their swimming on Thursday afternoons at the excellent Barnet Copthall Pool. Mr Lutyens was the main teacher of swimming but he was also assisted by Rachel Ayrton and Trish Legan - two hugely talented swim coaches who teach the younger boys at Marlborough Place. Mr Lutyens comments that: The boys have had a fantastic term in

the swimming pool. Everyone has progressed massively with their speed and most importantly their technique. A highlight was the swimming gala we had for Years 5 and 6 in the last week of term. Everyone performed brilliantly in all their strokes and it was great that the parents were able to see their progress and new found speed! Well done on an amazing term, boys!

Basketball

Basketball is a popular option for boys in Years 7 and 8. As well as lots of training in PE lessons, the Year 8s played one match against St Anthony’s. The team dominated the game from the tip-off and ran out convincing 30 - 12 winners. Stand out players this term include

Chris Kerr Director of Sport

Members of the U11 AH team to win the AH Cross Country Event

Charlie Nicolson, Finlay Miles and Faris McKinnon with their silverware following the Hereward House School cross country event