Recent news
Feb 2012
- The Friends were very pleased to present House Captains with some of the playground equipment purchased for the Upper School. Year 4 students have now received their traditional 'gift' of a recorder each and Sunflowers Nursery has some new outdoor storage.
All these items were purchased by the Friends using funds raised at recent events. The Friends would like to say a big thank you to everyone who has donated time, goods and money to enable us to do this. We look forward to your continued support through another exciting year of fundraising so that we can continue to make purchases to benefit our children.
Our thanks go to all who have contributed in any way, especially the Friends’ Committee, to the raising of funds for this equipment which we believe will be well used.
Jan 2012
- On Tuesday we had the first of our Year 5 Talent Shows. We were entertained with comedy sketches, tap dancing, piano and clarinet playing and gymnastics.
- The weather was fine this week for the Year 1 walk around the local area where the children were able to see the Council Offices, the Law Courts, Health Centre, Leisure Centre and the local Park. We spent the time looking at buildings and their uses and leisure facilities in the area.
- On Monday the children in Reception enjoyed an interesting and informative talk by Mr Li about Chinese New Year. They heard the story of the animal race and saw some lovely pictures. Every child was given a lucky red envelope and a chocolate to celebrate the New Year. Many thanks to Mr Li for his time and gifts.
- Media Information on behalf of Staines Prep School
Staines Prep has announced today that as part of its commitment to striving for excellence, it is commissioning a £3m project to build new state-of-the-art teaching and performance facilities at its Gresham Road site.
The development, which is due to start in April and be completed by the end of the year, will be built by ‘The Construction Partnership’ (TCP) working with Architects Robert Davies John West Ltd. The project will provide a new full-size bespoke multi-function hall, contemporary changing room and toilet facilities, two large fully-equipped classrooms, which will be used as the School’s new Art, Design & Technology & Science Suites, plus six additional standard classrooms.
The new hall will incorporate a removable divider and retractable seating, which will allow greater space for sporting activities as well as flexibility to stage larger assemblies and enhance school concerts and theatre productions.
All the new classrooms will feature modern interactive smart-board technology and provide students with bright airy rooms with plenty of space to maximise learning potential.
Headmaster Mr Peter Roberts said: “It will be very exciting to see work finally start on what has been a long awaited dream. The new build will allow greater scope in planning teaching and learning activities throughout the School, and will be enjoyed by pupils and teachers alike. We also intend these wonderful new facilities to be available to the local community”.
“A great deal of thought and planning has gone into the proposal to ensure that we meet high standards of energy efficiency. This will go some way to ensuring our regular outgoing expenditures are kept to a minimum, whilst acting responsibly within our environment.”
Mike Bannister, Chair of the Board said: “The primary mission of the Governors is continuous improvement in the excellence of the School and these fantastic new facilities will make a significant difference for pupils, parents and staff alike. We are delighted to be working in conjunction with local companies and organisations and are grateful to Spelthorne Borough Council, our immediate neighbours, for their help and support.”
The School received ‘outstanding’ reports in its most recent Inspection and has grown its pupil numbers by almost 15% in the last three years of economic downturn. This reflects the very high quality of its teaching, low average class sizes and its fee level being in the lowest 25% for IAPS schools in the UK.
The project is intended to work in synergy with the School’s ethos and long-term strategy to enhance its curriculum and provide the widest range of opportunities to its pupils. Staines Prep is poised to strongly build for the future.
More information will be available in due course at www.stainesprepschool.co.uk
For further information please visit the website www.stainesprep.co.uk or contact the Registrar on 01784 450909 or by email registrar@stainesprep.co.uk
For Press enquiries please contact Coreena Brooks 07973 666772 or email cbrookspr@googlemail.com
- Year 2 had a fun filled Monday morning with Alice from the Chertsey Museum coming into school to give us a Seaside workshop.
The children learnt lots of interesting facts about the Victorian seaside and enjoyed participating in all the practical activities, especially dressing up and making a Punch Puppet.
There is a display of all the things we got up to during the workshop on the board in the entrance to the Jubilee Wing, so please feel free to come and have a look!
- On Monday 16th January Year 6 travelled up to South Kensington to visit the Science Museum. Train and Underground services were both working well and the journey part of the day went very smoothly.
We were able to spend time in the Flight galleries and see all the aircraft, parts and engines which have been used from the very early days of flight up to the age of jet transport and the Jumbo jet. After our morning break we went into a Science Show - Crash Bang Wallop that looked at how explosions are created from inflammable items. The highlight of the show was seeing Barbie shooting out of a cannon. After this a happy hour was spent in Launch Pad trying out all the hands-on activities to do with Energy and Forces. After a leisurely lunch break we went to the Energy gallery where we had a short talk on renewable energy and the problems of relying on fossil fuels. This was followed by more hands-on activities looking at how we plan to provide electricity for all the needs of industry and individuals, as well as some of the dilemmas faced by building the power plants that do this. Following this we made our way back to school with another smooth journey.
Many thanks to Mrs Apte, Mr Hewett, Mrs Macfarlane and Mrs Redman whose assistance on the day helped the pupils have a safe and enjoyable time.
- As a year group we looked at three shapes – rectangle, square and triangle. We saw that the triangle was the strongest shape and structure. Using newspaper rolls we made a triangular structure. One triangle needed six rolls. Each class made four pyramids and joined them all together. Our final pyramid structure was 1.5m high!
Dec 2011
- We were delighted that a local business, J P Kenny, invited the Choir to sing some Christmas carols and songs at their offices at Knowle Green on the last day of the Autumn Term.
The children sang beautifully, which was obviously much appreciated by J P Kenny’s staff as they donated almost £400 to the School’s charity, Barnardo’s.
- Christmas started in earnest on Monday evening when the Carols by Candlelight Service took place at St Peter’s Church. The children, and in particular the Choir, sang beautifully in a packed church and parents, governors, children and staff enjoyed the evening. Special mention should be made of the Head Boy and Girl, Douglas M (6W) and Millan G (6E) for their readings.
Our thanks go to Rev Wood for presiding, Mr Ian Harman for playing the organ so ably, to Mr Sheldon, Mrs Revell and Mrs Pearson for decorating the Church and to Mr Amiss for his general organisation.
- Thank you to everyone who attended the Christmas Fayre on Saturday the event was well attended and we were very lucky to have the Staines Prep Singers open proceedings (and a huge thank you to Miss McLean who made this happen and to Mrs Walker for her work helping the children rehearse).
We raised approx £1,500 which will go towards purchases for Golden/Privilege time and playground equipment which will be purchased next term.
The chocolate tombola was a big hit on the day raising a total of £435, a big thank you for everyone who brought in some chocolate, home made cakes and soft toys. Well done to Year 6 who won the prize of an extra playtime for bringing in the most chocolate!
We still have Christmas puddings for sale, so do get in touch for some last minute purchases (via the Friends’ Box). We would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year.
The Friends would like to thank all the helpers on the day.
- As part of the national anti-bullying 'Stop and Think - Words can Hurt' campaign pupils in the Upper School have made posters in PSHE lessons - you can see one in all the classrooms and areas used by Years 4 - 6. We have discussed many ways in which we can be kind and forgiving towards one another, and the children have been very enthusiastic and sensitive in their contributions.
Simon Shutt also delivered a thought provoking assembly on this theme earlier in the month.
Nov 2011
- Year 6 were invited to visit Halliford School to meet Jules Howard, an expert in wildlife as well as fossils and to see some of his amazing collection of fossils and replicas from museums around the world. They reviewed how fossils are formed and went on to study vertebrae of extinct crocodiles, sharks teeth, ammonites, belemnites and many other interesting specimens. They were able to search through collections of rocks and pick out the fossils as well as identify them using keys.
The highlight of the session was when the pupils were able to sift through collections of amber and find, trapped in the fossilised resin, insects that had been flying around millions of years ago. Jules was able to use a microscope and projector to ensure all were able to see the forest ants, mosquitoes and moths. The question and answer session at the end of the session showed how inspired the pupils had been and how their curiosity about life in prehistoric times had been stimulated.
We are extremely grateful to Halliford School and Dr Jeremy Dunlop for his kind invitation to meet Jules Howard and his fascinating exhibits.
- Wednesday evening saw the fantastic performance by the Staines Prep Singers. Most of the fifty strong choir were there to sing a selection of Christmas songs and carols to their parents. It was a very enjoyable evening and a huge well done goes to all the children.
Thank you to parents for your support and a special thank you to Miss McLean and Mrs Walker for their hard work with the Singers.
We look forward to seeing you at the Christmas Fayre!
- Congratulations to Arjan T (3G) who took part in the London Junior Chess Championships and has qualified for the final which takes place at the end of December.
- On Wednesday the Year 6 pupils participated in the Primary Maths Challenge organised by the Mathematical Association. The Challenge is a 45 minute test focusing on logic and problem solving skills.
All of the children did very well with 13 achieving Bronze awards, 8 gaining Silver awards and 5 Gold awards. Congratulations to Tabitha P, Millan G, Yashwina R and Max R of 6E who gained the highest scores and have a chance of being selected to complete in the Bonus Round held in February.
- We have had another very busy week. We went out for a walk around the local area looking for sources of light - we took some photos and when we got back we put them on the computer and talked about what we had seen. We have also been bathing babies in the water tray, helping us to work cooperatively, and using handprints to make a special surprise! And we've been 'working out' with scarves in PE - getting our arm muscles working hard - so important to help us get ready to write.
We've also enjoyed playing 'silly soup', when we choose objects that rhyme to make a soup (eg to make hat soup we have cat, bat, dog - which one goes in the soup?). This is excellent for improving our rhyming and listening skills.
The Seedlings have been very busy in the Home Corner this week - sorting cups, saucers and cutlery and making some fabulous meals for each other! We have also enjoyed measuring and mixing ingredients to make playdough, and we've been using our large motor skills on the adventure playground and bike track.
A website has been recommended to us www.helpkidzlearn.com - it has some great counting songs for you to sing along with. And don't forget we have some songs and rhymes on Schoogle for you to sing together at home.
- As part of our Eid-ul-Adha celebrations, we thought of people less fortunate than ourselves, and went to the local charity shop to donate some of our toys. The lady in the shop raising funds for the West Thames Hospice was delighted to see us and gave the children each a little book showing that by giving, good things happen to us.
- On Thursday morning Years 1 and 2 were entertained with a production of Hansel and Gretel performed by the excellent Image Theatre, supported by actors from Years 1 and 2 with the remaining children providing a strong choir.
The children were enthralled throughout the performance.
- Year 4 spent some time in the Reception classes this week reading to the younger children. As part of a joint English and ICT project, Year 4 had written a story suitable for a 4-year-old and typed it up in the ICT Suite, combining pictures with their text.
It was lovely to see the enjoyment on all the children’s faces as the stories were shared.
- It was good to see so many Governors in school on Tuesday engaging with staff, pupils and parents. They very much enjoyed the lessons they visited and were very impressed with the children’s attitudes to learning and behaviour. Following lunch Miss Coles gave a presentation on ICT at Staines Prep and Governors were amazed at the high standards achieved both with regard to the skills acquired and the children’s creativity.
- Congratulations to the following pupils who were the runners up and winners:
Year 3
Winner: Jagroshan B
Second place: Saffron D
Third Place: Preeah S
Special Mention: Lily T and Sofija C
Year 4
Winner: Grace D
Second place: Kristian B
Third Place: William B-L
Year 5
Winner: Firas K
Year 6
Winner: Anthony D
In addition Jagroshan B was declared the Overall Winner. Please note the years refer to when the pupils completed the drawings.
You can see the four finalists' work on the Main Gallery and the runners' up work on the Inventions Gallery at www.createandwait.com.
- Three pupils took part in the Surrey Hundreds Competition last Saturday – Arjun T (3P), Heather McG (3P) and Ellen McG (5W). Ellen won a rosette and Arjun was awarded a rosette and title of Champion of the Godley Hundred.
- The Friends held their annual fireworks display last Saturday, and despite the forecast of heavy rain, the event was dry. This year saw a record number of children, parents and teachers attend, with a big hit (or smash) of the night being the crockery smash!
The traditional pumpkin lantern carving competition was won by Arran W (4J); and the spooky fancy dress parade, was won by Keira W (3P) and Zaid A (N2). Both competitions were exceptionally difficult to judge with some magnificent pumpkins and all the children looking wonderful in their fancy dress outfits.
The funds raised from the ticket sales and the various stalls were approx £1000.
We would like to say a big thank you to all the volunteers who helped with the event; we could not do this without you.
- Miss Katherine Peters, who joins our Sunflowers Nursery team on Monday 7th November as Senior Nursery Practitioner.
We also welcome Mrs Angela Horan-Sibley who began working as Girls’ Games Coach this week.
We hope both have a long and fruitful time at Staines Prep.
- We are looking forward to our second Governors’ Day which will take place on Tuesday 8th November. During the morning Governors will see the School in action by visiting lessons, Assemblies and seeing the children at play. After lunch they will hear about the exciting developments that have taken place in ICT and discuss future plans for the School.
- Rachel Hales from Staines Library joined the Assembly on Tuesday and presented certificates to those children who had taken part in the Summer Reading Scheme. Well done to the following children who took part.
Staines Library is now running a reading group called Chatterbooks on the first Saturday of each month for 8 - 11 year olds. If you are interested please go along to the first meeting on Saturday 5th November at 10.30am.
- On Tuesday Years 1 & 2 went to the Barbican to a concert by the London Symphony Orchestra. The theme of the concert was the story of Millie’s Marvellous Hat and the children heard pieces of music by Grieg, Mendelssohn and Respighi as well as singing My Marvellous Hat with the orchestra. The children really enjoyed the experience and certainly looked marvellous in the hats they had made at home.
Oct 2011
- As part of our work during Healthy Week, the Nursery children got right back to basics and thought about how and why we wash our hands. The children took part in and helped to make a film about germs and thoroughly enjoyed being 'germ detectives' around the Nursery.
What a healthy week it has been! On Monday the Upper School had a super-sporty assembly when Nathan G, Grace D, Zaki M, Liam H-S and Charlotte B told us about their sporting activities outside and inside school. At breaktime, the School Council hosted a popular Fruit Swap for the Upper School in the playground. Tuesday saw a chef from Chartwells, our catering company, give the Whole School a brilliant presentation on Healthy Eating. Mrs Owen and her staff put together a wonderful varied extra-healthy menu for the whole week, with information on good foods on show. Wednesday afternoon gave Year 6 the opportunity to practise relaxation techniques and discuss what stresses them with Mrs Macfarlane in their PSHE lessons. On Thursday a check was made on everyone's progress and several pupils and staff had so far successfully kept to their healthy pledge for the week.
Friday was the day everyone dressed in sportswear and took part in sports and dance activities at break time.
Thank you to Mrs Walker, Miss Block, Mrs Macfarlane and Mrs Owen for their input to Healthy Week and to all staff and pupils for joining in. Thank you also to the Dowdeswell family for making us two wonderful 'SPS Melons'!
- Many thanks to all the parents and children who came along last Saturday to help to tidy up the environmental area. There are now new sites to pond dip and also many fewer brambles and nettles as well as a flattened log pile which is much more accessible for pupils studying the minibeasts that live on rotting wood. Mr Heath was grateful for all the help given to make the area much more child friendly. Hopefully we will have a good turnout next time when we continue the tidy-up.
- We have just heard that Mrs Lynn Watts, our bookkeeper, has achieved a place in next April’s London Marathon when she will be fundraising on behalf of the School’s charity, Barnardo’s. Congratulations Lynn and good luck with the training!
- On Tuesday the Atrium was buzzing with activity as children in Reception, Years 1 & 2 participated in circuses of activity looking at the ways in which different forces are used in games. The children were able to make balancing birds, fire rockets, manoeuvre a maze, make a bouncing marble run and much more. They all thoroughly enjoyed the activities and were able to develop their understanding of the forces involved as they were assisted by their teachers, Learning Support Assistants, Year 6 pupils and a former pupil here on work experience. At the end of the day they all had a little memento to remind them of the great time they had.
The workshop was organised by Shell Education Service. They have produced two super booklets on Science activities that can be carried out by parents with their children. You can download these from:
http://www.shell.co.uk/home/content/gbr/environment_society/shell_in_the_society/social_investment/science_education/shell_education_service/home/
or go to Schoogle and check your child’s messages for the link.
- Mr David Boucher and Mr Alex Forrester from Staines Rotary Club spoke briefly about the work of Rotary and presented all of the Year 5 children with wonderful new dictionaries in Assembly on Tuesday morning. We send them our sincere thanks.
- Lower School pupils were excited to see the Nursery Rhyme Grotto as they came into the Atrium on Monday morning. This marked the beginning of Book Week. Mrs Mirza came into School on Monday morning to read stories to Nursery, Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 which all the children enjoyed.
The Upper School children have thoroughly enjoyed the activities of Book Week, culminating in a fabulous parade of characters from some of their favourite books. It has been a real hive of activity involving book reviews, talks to the class about favourite books and some really imaginative book covers on the top floor of the Burges Wing - do pop up and have a look!
- Tuesday saw the launch of Staines Preparatory School - Past and Present. Mr John Adamson, the author and former pupil, spoke to the children in Assembly about writing a book. After lunch he visited classrooms to answer some of the children’s questions and give signed copies of the book to those who had pre-ordered. A further book signing took place after school.
We were also delighted to see members of the press and Governors during the morning, but especially pleased to welcome Mr John Braithwaite and Mr Ted Fottrell, pupil numbers 11 and 28 respectively, who had helped Mr Adamson by providing recollections of the early days of Staines Prep.
Copies of Staines Preparatory School - Past and Present are available at £9.99 from Reception or by sending an order form, copies of which can be found on the School website, with the correct remittance.
Sep 2011
- Congratulations to Owen P (4D), Tudor (2E) and Hazelle M-I (5W), and Stephon U (5W) for reaching the semi-final, where they had to use Kazakh, on Friday 30th September at Cranmore Preparatory School, West Horsley.
Huge congratulations to Stephon who scored 238 out of 255 and came first, 16 points ahead of the second candidate. Stephon goes through to the Grand UK Final on 21st October at Olympia. He will be learning the African language of Luganda. Congratulations also to Tudor for being the youngest pupil from the School not only to enter, but also to reach the semi-final. Staines Prep are becoming a linguistic force to be reckoned with!
- The children in Lower School enjoyed a Harvest Assembly yesterday led by Miss McLean. During the Assembly the Staines Prep Singers sang Harvest Song. We are very grateful for all the donations of food – thank you for being so generous. Theses donations will be collected by the Besom Charity and distributed locally to those in need.
- Year 6 pupils attended an action packed morning today at the British Airways Community Learning Centre where Spelthorne Borough Council Community Safety Officers had set up a series of challenging activities to raise safety awareness amongst pupils.
They found out how to cope in many emergency situations including fires, contacting the emergency services, how to help a person who had fallen into deep water and dealing with unconscious casualties, as well as how to stay safe online. The children enjoyed themselves and will no doubt benefit from the experience, which will stand them in good stead should an emergency ever arise.
- On Wednesday, Toby Hewson from Just Different came in to talk to us about life with a disability. Toby was born with cerebral palsy and Churchill raised over £900 for his charity last year. We saw how his wheelchair works, were shown his speech enabling computer controls and saw an amazing slideshow of all the sports he is involved in. He is hoping to be a referee at the Boccia (type of bowls) championships in the Paralympic Championships in 2012 and has represented England for six years. He has also been skiing and travelled to Canada, France and Brazil!
- Forty children accompanied by six members of staff spent five days in Valkenburg the week after school ended in July. We were fortunate to have stayed at the Hotel Op de Boud which provided excellent accommodation and extremely friendly and helpful staff. The food was excellent and we were even entertained by a jazz band from a Liverpool school one evening!
The excursions were very enjoyable and interesting; we spent half of the first day underground! This was in a replica coal mine and then in some caves. Later we all had a go at tenpin bowling, candlemaking and then the children ventured underground again for a game of Laser Tag.
For our second day, we visited Maastricht where we saw how a bakery and water mill worked; afterwards, we did a walking tour of the old part of Maastricht and completed a worksheet.
On our last day we went to Drielandenpunt where Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands meet. Here we went into a maze but everyone got out safely. This was followed by a ride on a steam train and a visit to a Roman archaelolgical site in Heerlen.
Every evening we either went to play games or did our diaries before showering and going to sleep. It was a fantastic five days and our thanks go to Miss Walden, Miss Gallop, Miss McLean, Miss Eastaugh and Mrs Thapar for giving up part of their holiday to accompany us and to Mr Amiss for organising the visit.
Jul 2011
- We were delighted to be visited by the Jazz Band from Halliford School on Thursday afternoon.
The Band performed to both the Lower and Upper School children who thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to listen to a variety of music played with great skill and enthusiasm.
It was particularly good seeing two former Staines Prep pupils clearly enjoying their musical life after SPS.
- Our Wildlife Park was on display in the Atrium on Thursday 7th July. The children had researched all the relevant information about their chosen animal so that they could design and make a model enclosure that replicated their animal’s natural habitat. The presentation of their information sheets, plans and models was of a very high standard and showed a remarkable attention to detail. The Lower School children were thrilled to visit the display.
The children gave a presentation to their class in which they described the habitat of their chosen animal. They also explained how they had constructed their model enclosure and why they had worked with particular materials. Well done Year 3!
- Year 5 were lucky enough to have a lovely sunny day on the banks of the River Colne as they investigated different aspects of the river’s course across Staines Moor.
Much splashing around was involved as the children measured the speed of the river, the shape of the channel and tried to find out which creatures lived in the river. Luckily nobody got too wet and everybody had an enjoyable time.
Many thanks to the staff who helped out with the trip.
Jun 2011
- On Tuesday Year 1 children visited The Polka Theatre to see a production called All Join In. We had a wonderful time joining in with songs and clapping to tunes played on a variety of musical instruments. On returning to School we enjoyed a picnic lunch in the classroom due to the inclement weather!
- Despite rain overnight and an overcast morning the weather brightened up just in time for the annual Upper School Sports’ Day last Saturday. All of the children had worked hard in the practices and their enthusiasm and competitiveness was clear for all to see on the day. They competed in a variety of traditional Staines Prep events, including To The Brim, Human Chain, Threading, Rounders' Relay, Penalty Shoot Out and Throw to Target, plus standard events such as the Sprints, which included Elite Sprints, Longer Runs and Relay Races.
- Last Friday the children visited Ladyland Farm which is a family run, working farm set in 100 acres. During the morning there was ‘hands on’ teaching where the children experienced touching sheep, chicks, ducklings, rabbits and calves. Following a busy morning with lots of hand washing and a tractor ride we had lunch followed by some playtime on straw bales and tractors. Everybody enjoyed the fine weather and we returned to School tired but happy. Well done to the children for excellent behaviour.
- Congratulations to all the swimmers who took part in this years‟ Inter Schools Gala; it was a fantastic day with Ellen P, Douglas M, Alex L and Luke H all coming first in their individual races. Congratulations to the Year 3 girls for coming second in their age group, and to the Year 4 and Year 6 girls for coming third. The Year 5 boys swam well to come first in their age group, but special congratulations go to the Year 6 boys‟ team who won their relay race and went on to win their age group for the fourth consecutive year. All these fantastic results and hard work from all the swimmers helped SPS to come third overall. Well done.
- We all enjoyed a wonderful evening of music performed by Year 6 pupils, the Choir and younger pupils who are due to take various tests in the near future. The standard was excellent and the children left the audience in awe of their collective talent. All of the pupils are to be commended for their hard work in practising their pieces. We were treated to some beautiful pieces on piano, violin, guitar, clarinet and trumpet as well as solo singing performances. In addition to the individual pieces, the Choir performed several numbers, including splendid renditions of You Raise Me Up and Bohemian Rhapsody.
We were also privileged to hear Miss Shipley perform two wonderful solos with incredible skill, the second of which, A Word On My Ear, was highly amusing. We are sorry that Miss Shipley will be leaving SPS at the end of the term and send her our very best wishes for the future.
Our grateful thanks go to all the Music Teachers for their dedication in raising music standards in the School - Mr Beavis (Brass), Mrs Hill (Piano), Mr Jones (Piano), Mr McShane (Guitar), Mrs Moore (Violin), Mrs Shaw-Cotterill and Miss Shipley (Singing and Choir), Mr Tompsett (Saxophone, Clarinet and Flute) and Mrs Walker (Piano).
Our special thanks go to Mrs Walker for her continual encouragement of the children and organising such a lovely evening.
- Despite gloomy weather forecasts, Monday turned out to be an excellent day for a walk around Windsor.
After arriving by train at Eton Riverside Station the children walked up the hill beside Windsor Castle to eat their breaks and begin to complete their workbooks.
The topic of the trip was Can Buildings Speak? and the buildings in Windsor have a great deal to tell us. We were very fortunate to be given some plaster, complete with horsehair that was from a building in the process of being altered. The plaster and horsehair was over 500 years old!
After watching the Guard Change at the Castle, the children investigated other buildings, gave suggestions as to why the crooked house was crooked and then walked to Eton Bridge, for more observations.
The afternoon was spent having a picnic, sketching a magnificent view of Windsor Castle and playing in the park before a happy but tired return by train to Staines. Many thanks to the parents who joined us on the trip and were so helpful.
- Year 6 were invited to attend the Armed Forces Day Ceremony on Monday at the Spelthorne Borough Council offices. As the Last Post was played by a bugler, representatives of the Burma Star organisation and the British Legion made short speeches. Once again, our children were a credit to the School.
- The sun eventually shone brightly on Staines Prep School’s annual Summer Fayre this year, helping children, staff, parents and locals to raise £2,000 in aid of the Friends of Staines Prep fund.
Due to the weather we had transformed the School’s outdoor as well as indoor areas with traditional family activities, tasty refreshments, face painting and glitter tattoos, sand art, panning for treasure and of course tin-can-alley.
Traditional Caribbean music from the Nostalgia Steel Band got feet tapping. Mill Cottage Farm Experience was back by popular demand and the children loved the small animals they brought in. To tickle the taste buds people were able to sample Barbie's Caribbean Kitchen cuisine and other delicious refreshments, including a tropical drinks fountain. The children enjoyed the Staines Hockey club hockey drill course as well as the inflatable obstacle course.
As the sun shone brightly for Spelthorne Gymnastics they performed outside on the sports field to a large crowd of onlookers.
The money raised by the event will support the School’s varied curriculum and enhance pupils’ learning experience at the school.
We would like to thank all our parent and teacher volunteers who helped make this day such a success!
- On Thursday June 16th a group of Year 6 pupils, who took part in Spanish Club in their Year 5 (2009/2010) attended a Spanish Workshop Day as part of a series of Global Weeks celebrated by British Airways at their Community Learning Centre, Waterside, Harmondsworth. The workshops included a pretend flight using the mock cabin, the environment of Spain, tile painting, flamenco dancing, comparing Spanish Culture to British Culture and of course a Languages session!
Pupils created some amazing designs for their tiles and learned the first steps of flamenco to some great Spanish tunes, including the Macarena! They sang Karaoke in the Spanish language session and learned about migrating birds in the environmental session. Cuckoos fly over Spain to Africa each year and deserts and mountains form part of the landscape in Spain!
The pupils made their own passports in preparation for the flight in the mock cabin, where they could dress up as cabin crew and serve food and drink, and simulate taking off and landing by stomping their feet!
A great day was had by all and we hope to participate in Global Week again in the future.
- Sunflowers children were blessed with the weather when they did their Big Toddle for Barnardo's on Tuesday.
This year they had to complete six challenges - water, trikes, parachute, balancing, football and climbing, working hard to raise funds for Barnardo's.
The children talked about others less fortunate and later drew and painted pictures about the Toddle.
- Year 2 spent a very busy morning on Monday taking a visit back in time to the seaside in Victoria times. Alice from Chertsey Museum showed the children genuine ad copies of swimsuits through the decades; particularly fascinating were the Victorian man’s swimsuit with a small skirt and the knitted swimsuit from the 1950s.
There were several interesting ideas about the mystery item which turned out to be a Victorian ice-cream maker! The children were able to dress up in Victorian style clothes, perform a Punch and Judy Show, make their own puppets and look at photographs of the seaside in bygone days. An informative and enjoyable morning.
- We were pleased to welcome the Mr Kwasi Kwarteng, our local MP, to Staines Prep last Friday. He and his PA were shown around the School by the Head Boy and, in the absence of the Head Girl, one of the Prefects. He then met with the Headmaster and Chairman of Governors to learn more about SPS and talk over wider educational issues.
Mr Kwarteng was very positive about what he had seen on his tour and we hope he will be able to revisit the School at some time in the future to talk to some of the older children about politics and the role of an MP.
- A vast array of challenges and activities awaited children from the Upper School for this year’s Challenge Day, part of the SPS Challenge award. Most of the children were able to try their hands at Tai Chi, which proved very popular, as well as Years 5 and 6 being able to play various instruments from a Chinese orchestra.
Other highlights included:
Year 3 were treated to a presentation from Colin Brown from the RNLI who showed the children how to stay safe on their summer holidays.
Year 4 helped the community by collecting no fewer than 15 sacks of rubbish from around the local area.
Year 5 had to use their initiative by planning survival on a desert island, and also worked together to make CD hovercrafts
Year 6 used their observational skills to help them collect clues to build rockets. The rocket launch completion provided a very exciting finale to the day’s events. Thank you to Mr. Heath and Mr. Amiss who constructed and ran the Year 6 challenge so successfully.
- In assembly this Tuesday, Étaline and Caroline from the charity ‘All as One’ were presented with a cheque for the money raised by Brunel House’s Spellathon.
The pupils listened with great interest to the description of the lives of the children in the orphanage in Freetown, Sierra Leone. The orphanage, supported by ‘All as One’ cares for and educates up to 60 children who would otherwise be starving and living on the streets. All the money raised will go towards supporting the orphanage and Étaline, Caroline and the children of ‘All as One’ were very grateful to the pupils of Brunel House for their hard work.
- The Happy Puzzle Company arrived on Monday to start Maths Week with games and puzzles to intrigue and entertain each year group. The children thoroughly enjoyed the practical activities that encouraged good team work and co-operation.
Maths Week continued with various games and challenges outside. Potatoes were weighed, measured and grouped. 2D provided the longest class line, whilst the 108 potatoes laid end to end made a line 10.6 metres long. The heaviest potato weighed a massive 795 grams and was brought to School by Raiyan in 1S. As a finale the potatoes were used to print repeated patterns.
Congratulations to all the Lower School pupils who behaved sensibly, worked co-operatively and, most importantly, enjoyed putting their Maths knowledge into practice. Many thanks also to the Year 6 team of helpers who worked so well with the younger children.
- Torrential rain was not going to stop Year 3 children enjoying their visit to Marwell Wildlife on Monday. They arrived fully equipped with wellies, cagoules and complete changes of clothes. However, none were needed as the inclement weather had moved on and conditions were perfect for a day at the zoo. Many of the species we saw are threatened with extinction and we learnt how Marwell is safeguarding their futures through conservation breeding programmes. We studied the animals’ enclosures and noticed how they were designed to meet their particular needs. The children impressed the instructor at the Education Centre with their knowledge of vertebrates and their feeding habits. They identified skulls and most were brave enough to stroke both the large stick insect and the python.
All the animals were active and very entertaining. We had a very close encounter with a tiger, watched wild ass racing and met inquisitive lemurs. The penguins proved most popular and provided one of the funniest moments of the day when one of them pushed its neighbour head first into the water. Thank you to the staff who accompanied the children and to the pupils for being so well behaved and enthusiastic. We all had a marvellous day.
- The School was delighted to host the Spelthorne Business Forum breakfast on Thursday during half-term. The event was attended by many local business people, as well local councillors and council officials. A presentation was made by the Chairman of Governors, Headmaster and Deputy Head which was followed by an opportunity to network. Visitors were then able to take a tour of the School if they wished.
The feedback, both about Staines Prep and the meeting in general, has been most encouraging.
May 2011
- The annual Year 6 Field Trip to Derbyshire (and this year Staffordshire) was again an enormous success despite the weather being rather changeable.
During the trip the children were involved in a wide range of activities some of which form part of the Staines Prep Challenge Award. After the journey north on Monday we walked across Stanton Moor and then visited Magpie Mine. Once the coach had squeezed over the narrow bridge, we settled in to the Youth Hostel at Gradbach. After dinner we went for another walk to Lud’s Church, a well known local landmark. On Tuesday and Wednesday the party was split into two groups and over the two days the children did some rock climbing at The Roaches, canoeing at Tittesworth Reservoir, visited the Speedwell and Treak Cliff caverns and completed their 10km+ ‘Challenge’ walk along the Great Ridge near Castleton. Thursday included visits to Peak Cavern and Peveril Castle in Castleton and the Mining Museum and Temple Mine in Matlock Bath. On Friday morning we took a pleasant walk through Dove Dale and looked at some of the limestone features.
The children had a wonderful week and enjoyed all aspects - even the food got a big ‘thumbs up’ from the majority. Finally thanks go to the staff who accompanied the trip; Mr Evans, Mrs Lane, Mr Roberts, Mrs Thapar and Miss Walden, but especially to Mr Walker for his excellent organisation.
- Children in Year 1 had good weather on their recent visit to Chiltern Open Air Museum. They were learning about houses, homes and life in the past and thoroughly enjoyed the Victorian Washday and Candle Making Workshops.
One of the highlights of the day was travelling to and from the museum in the Harlequins Rugby team’s tour bus!
- Twelve pupils from Year 5 accompanied by Miss Eastaugh, Mrs Kerr and Bob Davies, a school governor, took part in the annual Melun Semaine Européenne in our twin town of Melun near Paris.
The week also celebrates the end of the Second world war and eight European countries participate! We had a very successful week, taking part in the classes at Ecole Montaigu for three days, spending a day sightseeing in Paris and performing our play on the theme of the project - the Seven Wonders of England - in the University Theatre. We enjoyed sunny weather throughout, worked well on our diaries and brought back souvenirs for our families. We were also of course able to share our accounts and pictures of the Royal Wedding, beautifully drawn by some pupils in Year 6!
It was a very worthwhile trip for all concerned and thank you to all the parents involved for your support! Our thanks also go to Miss Eastaugh for her organisation of the project and to Mrs Kerr and Mr Davies who gave up their time to accompany the party.
- Dan Mynett from the Games Workshop in Staines judged this competition, which saw some wonderful examples of model making. The overall winners were Sahib M and Rajan P (6A) (see picture of their design), Adrian L (6W) and Grace D (3H). The winners in Year 4 and Year 5 were Rohan V (4R) and Vinay H (5R) respectively. The overall winners received goodie bags with a model kit, T shirt and magazine. All of the winning models can be seen at www.createandwait.com.
- …… Mrs Davis who was presented with her Post Graduate Certificate in Dyslexia and Literacy in Assembly this morning following completion of her year long University of York course, organised through Dyslexia Action.
- This Sunday, 8th May, is the 76th Anniversary of Staines Prep and in Assembly this morning Mr Roberts talked about Mr & Mrs Burges, the School’s Founders.
The children heard that Mr Burges was perhaps a little unconventional, but very inventive and during the Summer he could sometimes be seen sat in a tree feeding cricket balls into a chute so they landing in the same place each time in order to give the boys batting practice.
Mr Roberts also told the children about Mrs Burges’s great generosity in ‘giving the School away’ by setting up the Staines Preparatory School Trust in 1987 in order that SPS would continue beyond her lifetime.
The children also learned that Mr John Adamson, a former Staines Prep pupil, is writing a book about the history of the School where they will be able to learn a lot more about Mr & Mrs Burges as well as the School. The book will be available later in the year.
- The pupils arrived safely on Sunday with good weather and they have been visiting a school with another twinned school group from Madrid! They will arrive back at School after 3.00pm on Monday 9th May.
Apr 2011
- Yesterday Year 3 enjoyed a wonderful day exploring Kew Gardens. The recent warm weather had encouraged all the spring blooms out across the gardens. The cherry blossom and magnolias made a splendid display and the air was alive with busy bees, butterflies and bird song.
The Palm House and Princess of Wales Conservatory provided an ideal opportunity to study the vegetation of different climatic zones and learn about their uses to mankind. Great fun was had playing at the new activity centre, Treehouse Towers.
Prior to the visit, the children had been involved in planning the route by train and tube and had written their own safety assessment. It was, therefore, no surprise that the day went so smoothly. It was a pleasure to take such an enthusiastic and well behaved school party.
Year 3 would like to thank all the staff for their help during this visit.
- It was 'back to school' yesterday evening for Year 4 parents who attended the workshop on Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning. The 'class' were a little apprehensive as they arrived to see the desks laid out in ‘exam style’. Nevertheless, everyone worked hard as they answered some questions under 'exam conditions' to remind them what the experience will be like for their children when they sit the secondary schools' tests. Parents were also shown some of the techniques required to solve the types of questions used in 11+ examinations.
We hope those who attended found the evening useful and feel better placed to help their children. The handouts from the evening have been sent via pupil post for parents who were unable to attend.
- It has been another very good year in terms of the secondary school entrance results, especially bearing in mind the fierce competition for places at Grammar Schools and selective Independent Schools.
Fifteen pupils have been offered Grammar School places with an incredible six boys and two girls offered places at the Tiffin Schools - the highest total number ever from SPS.
In addition, fourteen girls were offered places at Sir William Perkins’s School, fourteen boys at Halliford School, eight boys at Hampton School and seven boys at St James Senior Boys’ School. Further places have been offered at a number of other independent secondary schools.
Whilst all of the children have performed well, special mention should be made of those children who have been offered scholarships at various schools:
Academic Scholarships:
Emily D - Notre Dame Senior School
Chinmay J - Hampton School
Kyle P - Hampton School
Angelo U - Hampton School and Reed’s School.
Music Scholarship:
Robert M - Halliford School
- The SPS Tournament which forms part of the UK Chess Challenge has been played throughout the term with each competitor playing seven matches.
The tournament was won for the second time by Scott A (6A), who won all seven games. Chinmay J (6E) finished as runner-up with 19 points out of a maximum of 21. Luke H (6A) and Angelo U (6E) shared joint third place on 17 points - the necessary total for automatic qualification to the Middlesex Megafinals to be held in May. There was considerable competition for minor places with ten more children recording three or more victories.
In addition to these pupils, the top U10 & U9 players and the highest placed girl also qualified.
This year no less than nine pupils have qualified for the Middlesex Megafinals.
Under 11:
Scott A (6A) - second consecutive year.
Luke H (6A) - fourth consecutive year.
Chinmay J (6E) - second consecutive year.
Angelo U (6E) - second time.
Under 10:
Arjan B (5R)
Sam H (5W) - second time.
Alex L (5W) - second consecutive year.
Under 9:
Stephon U (4K) - second consecutive year.
Chandini S (4K) - second consecutive year.
Well done to everyone who took part in such a sporting fashion and with good spirit. We send our best wishes to the Megafinalists and wish them good luck (and skill!) in their efforts to go on to qualify for the Southern Gigafinal.
- Aviraj R who captains Staines Town Juniors U10s and has led his team to the final of the Surrey Primary League Senior Cup Competition which will be held at the British Airways Sports Club on Sunday 10th April. Good luck for the final, Aviraj!
Mar 2011
- What a colourful afternoon on Wednesday! The display of pictures from the pupils was wonderful and it was nice to see all the children showing the pictures to their parents. Over £400 has been raised for the School and our thanks go to Mrs McDougall for all the organisation of the exhibition.
- Thank you to everyone for their generous support of the recent House fundraising activities - so far we have raised a magnificent total of over £2,400. It is hoped that the charities will send a representative to an assembly next term at which point a presentation of the cheques will be made. Any outstanding sponsorship money should be handed into School by the end of term.
- Our Spring Festival Celebration this year was well attended by grandparents of children in the Lower School and invited guests. The children sang beautifully and our guests thoroughly enjoyed their time with us. It was wonderful that the Staines Prep Singers were able to sing two songs that they have learnt in their lunchtime club with Miss McLean and Mrs Tudor-Owen. Our visitors were given refreshments, a hot cross bun and a posy of Spring flowers to take home.
We would like to say a big thank you to Mrs Derry-McClellan for her very generous donation of flowers. Our thanks also go to the children who performed so well and Mrs Williams and all the staff for the organisation involved.
- Year 5 - The residential trip to Kingswood this week proved to be a hugely challenging and great experience for Year 5. We enjoyed a great range of activities and many were left almost speechless as we watched children clawing their way up poles and leaping into mid-air! There were some excellent debating sessions considering such subjects as the pros and cons of School Uniform, Heathrow Runway 3 and Easter or Halloween! We also worked on our team building skills and learned the importance of good communication. Just as important - the children thought the food was FAB and the beds very comfy!! And, of course, the sun shone from beginning to end which was brilliant!
Year 4 - had a fantastic time at Grosvenor Hall and by the end of the three days didn’t want to return to school. The highlights for most of the children were the Zip Wire and the 3G Swing, however, they all participated well in the teambuilding exercises and the other activities where they set themselves personal targets. Well done to all the children for being so well behaved and being such great ambassadors for Staines Prep.
Year 3 - Our coach trip to Kingswood provided the perfect opportunity for the children to take on the role of an evacuee during WWII. Booklets were completed and clothing labels made whilst we waited for the coach to arrive. Chris Evans had already alerted the public to this being Grace D’s first residential school trip on his Breakfast Show and spirits were high. Quotes from our favourite experiences:
The Zip Wire because I faced my fear, I felt like a bird, it was amazing and cool. Problem solving because we had to work hard together. Archery because we shared the joy when the bull’s eye was hit. In sharing a dormitory I realised how nice people are. It was the most fantastic trip ever and I can’t wait until next year.
We would like to thank everyone involved in providing us with this wonderful challenge.
- Years 4 & 5 depart on their residential visits to Grosvenor Hall, returning Wednesday 21st March.
- A meeting with an ARP Warden who checked we all understood the conditions during the Blitz and then a dash to the air raid shelter as the siren sounded an attack - our visit to the Museum had begun. We sang to drown out the sounds of dropping bombs and to keep our spirits up. We experienced the effects on London and were glad to be safe. The Children’s War Exhibition enabled us to appreciate many aspects of life during WWII.
It was a pleasure to take such well informed, enthusiastic and well behaved children. Thank you to all the staff and Mrs Ali for their support on the day.
- Monday morning assembly saw the launch of Science and Engineering Week with a fascinating talk on Antarctica by Dr Francis from Royal Holloway. The pupils and staff looked on with a certain degree of envy as they watched video recordings of Emperor and Gentoo penguins and an exhilarating flight over the sea and ice. Saheeba M was able to try out the boots and jacket that could keep someone warm in temperature down to minus 60 degrees Celsius. The clothes help Dr Francis to keep warm as he travels to sites to study the snow and ice which has been building up on Antarctica over hundreds of thousands of years. This research helps improve our understanding of how the Earth’s climate has changed over many thousands of years. This should help scientists look again at the current changes in global temperatures and make more accurate predictions of causes and possible outcomes.
Year 6 pupils were able to give some superb demonstrations and explanations of the science behind them when they put on a range of exciting activities out on the playgrounds during breaks on Monday.
Wednesday was a busy day for Year 5 as they displayed their electricity/magnetism projects to fellow pupils.
Thursday started off with an informative fascinating talk by Ms Weyman from Halliford School Science Department whose topic was Discovery. She was able to change the colour of a clear liquid simply by shaking it and the pupils looked on as it turned back to its original state in a short time. She highlighted the discoveries that boys at Halliford felt were the most significant of all time. Vaccination and antibiotics were on the list as was the formation of the periodic table of the elements which lead to such great advances in Chemistry. She highlighted some of the technological advances she has seen and asked pupils to imagine life before things such as the mobile phone and the iPod.
Year 5 repeated their talks to pupils in Year 3 who had been out at the Imperial War Museum the day before. They finished the day with the exhibition for parents which was very well attended with fun for all. All were impressed, not only by the super range of well-constructed projects but also by the ability of the pupils to talk about what they had made.
Year 3 are hoping to find the super glider constructors in their fly-off in the Hall today. Watch this space for news of the results.
Many thanks to all who have made the week such an enjoyable and educational experience.
- As part of our Science topic Forces Year 2 visited the Science Museum on Monday. Damion entertained the children with an energetic telling of the story 'An Enormous Turnip' where he played all the roles, including a mouse, and also demonstrated the importance of forces.
The ‘Pattern Pod’ provided lots of hands-on experiences for the children and was certainly one of the highlights of the trip. After looking around the Flight displays showing rockets and aircraft the children returned to SPS with a better understanding of Forces.
- Shakespeare House
Children in Shakespeare were asked to bring in plastic bottles full of coins to spread over a huge map of Africa on the playground. Shakespeare are supporting the Calabast Trust.
The Calabast Trust is a charity who helps to support black township schools in South Africa. Their main priority is to ensure the schools have clean running water and a safe environment for the pupils of the school. All monies raised by Shakespeare house will contribute to the ‘Grass Roots’ scheme – a project that helps to create sporting facilities in the primary schools.
Brunel House
Brunel House held a sponsored “Spellathon” in the school hall on Monday. Year 6 children assisted Brunel House staff with the administration of the “tests”. Brunel supports the charity “All as One.”
“All as One” is a charity that runs an orphanage in Sierra Leone. The orphanage employs local people so more families are supported by the fundraising. It is a very small charity with only a few volunteers based in the British Isle (I believe it is only 3).
Raleigh House
Raleigh House came together on Friday to “Get to the Point.” Every year group threw bean bags, cricket balls and netballs and scored as highly as possible to raise money for “Just Different.”
“Just Different” - Toby Hewson started the charity to spread the message that disabled people are just as capable of achieving their ambitions and goals. Toby and his team visit schools free of charge to work with children and young people to promote this message and break the barriers of discrimination.
Churchill House
Churchill children negotiated an obstacle course involving throwing, running and jumping. The more laps they completed, the more money they would raise! Churchill support White Lodge.
The White Lodge Centre is a local charity based in Chertsey. They provide a range of flexible and creative activities and opportunities for children and adults with disabilities and sever learning difficulties. As well as directly supporting the young people, the centre also provides a support network for their families across Surrey and the surrounding areas. They can provide rest bite care, play schemes during the holidays, job opportunities and an invaluable source of support and information.
- The Inter-House Poetry Recital Competition was held on Thursday. The standard was, once again, very high. Some of the children had learned lengthy and demanding poems by heart and others recited and performed their own compositions. Judging was extremely difficult but the eventual winners were: Ellen P (Year 3), Theano A (Year 4), Maneesha S (Year 5) and Imogen D (Year 6).
- The Spelthorne Borough Junior Chess Championships 2010 will be held on Saturday 19th March at Staines Prep. The Mayor, Councillor John O’Hara, has kindly agreed to present the prizes.
There are three age categories (U9, U11 & U14) for both boys and girls and all competitors will play five matches. Entrants must live or attend a school in the Borough of Spelthorne, so all SPS pupils are eligible and entries should be received by no later than Tuesday 15th March.
Entry forms are available from Mrs Lee, the School Secretary.
- Last Friday Year 4 enjoyed a wonderful day out at the Roman Palace in Fishbourne, near Chichester. These are some of the best Roman remains in Britain and the perfect spot for us to find out more about life in this magnificent Roman palace almost 2000 years ago.
The Sun shone down upon us as we looked more closely at the beautiful gardens with their clipped hedges and beautifully laid lawns. We were then able to discover more in the small museum, seeing a model of the head of Tiberius Claudius Togidubnus - the chief resident of the palace, as well as many Roman artefacts from the palace. The mosaic floors were amazing and we were able to see how beautifully they had been designed and put together.
The day ended with a great Celtic and Roman Life workshop where everyone had the opportunity for some real 'hands-on' activities. We all enjoyed our day and can thoroughly recommend it for a family day out - perhaps in the Easter or Summer holidays!
- - Service in the Community Marie Curie -
Year 3 children listened with great interest as Mrs Price, a Marie Curie nurse, described the care she offered to ill patients at home. They particularly enjoyed hearing about her fund raising events, especially her cycle ride across Poland.
In the Autumn of 2010 all the children planted a bulb as part of the ‘mini pots of care’ activity organised by Marie Curie. To our delight, almost all the daffodils were in flower for her visit. The children took these home, along with a daffodil badge donated by the charity, as a mark of the children’s interest.
Year 3 wish to thank Mrs Price for giving up her time to explain about Marie Curie.
Feb 2011
- As part of their work in English on Myths and Fables, Year 5 recently enjoyed a visit from the Cat’s Grin Theatre Group. They had a wonderful time, both joining in and watching as they learned more about such characters as Demeter & Persephone, King Midas and Pandora.
- As part of their History studies on Ancient Egypt, Year 3 children learnt the skills involved in mummification. They visited the British Museum via the internet before taking on the various roles as embalmers and mummifying a Pharaoh (a fellow pupil). The Pharaoh looked splendid, when finally they were wrapped in bandages and wearing their magnificent death masks. Traditionally, the Ancient Egyptian Pharaohs also mummified their pets. The children practised their skills by mummifying a soft toy. They all agreed it had been a very tricky task!
