Dear Parents,
As we get closer to opening our Nursery to two-year-olds, it was exciting to host our Autumn term Discovery Morning today and welcome some of those who might join us in January, as well as new families interested in our three and four-year-old admissions. Mrs Turner and Mrs Nogal ran some fantastic activities with the two-year-olds going on a Bear Hunt and the three-year-olds creating Leaf Men. The event gave parents a glimpse into our Early Years curriculum and a typical day in our Nursery. We hope to be welcoming some new members to the St Edward's community very soon.
Yesterday was the second theatre trip of the Autumn term, this time for our Nursery and Reception children as they travelled to the Haymarket Theatre in Basingstoke for a magical, musical adaptation of The Gruffalo. They were very excited to see the story brought to life and we enjoyed seeing their reactions and experiencing the thrill of live theatre with them.
I was so proud to take two teams to Rupert House on Tuesday to take part in their Maths Challenge. It was a huge success for St Edward's with Hector and William winning the event and Max and Elliot close behind in second place. They were up against teams from five other schools, competing in three rounds that included algebra, tricky problem-solving and tangram puzzles. What a brilliant end to our Maths celebrations.
Photo Highlights
Max, Hector, William and Elliot with their prizes at the Rupert House Maths Challenge on Tuesday.
Calendar Reminders
Here are the key dates coming up until the end of term. The website calendar is now password protected - please see below for the details.
- Fixtures and Cross Country - There are no fixtures next week and the House Cross Country is postponed until the Spring term (details below).
- Year 1 and 2 Theatre Trip: Pinocchio at The Watermill Theatre, Newbury, Tuesday 26 November at 2pm. A reminder that children do not need their school bags and will not return to school until 4.45pm.
- Nativity: Tuesday 3 and Thursday 5 December - full details and link to reserve your space below.
- FREDs Mince Pie Mixer: Friday 6 December - see below for more details.
- Prep Choir at The Oracle: Tuesday 10 December, 2pm.
- Christmas Jumper Day: Thursday 12 December
- Carol Service: Friday 13 December, 11am at All Saints Church on Brownlow Road. Full details and an invite will follow next week.
Cross Country Postponed
After careful consideration we have decided to postpone this year's Cross Country event to the Spring term. While we are very keen to go ahead, the planning process has presented several challenges that would prevent us from delivering the quality experience we aim for.
Additionally, the poor weather forecast for next week has further reinforced our decision. By moving the event to the Spring term, we will have the opportunity to create a more enjoyable, well-organised and beneficial experience for all pupils involved. We appreciate your understanding and look forward to sharing further details about the rescheduled event in the new year.
Parking Reminder
A gentle reminder to please be considerate when parking near the school for drop-off and collection during the school day, particularly on Connaught Road. It is important that no driveways or drop curb entrances are blocked as it has been brought to our attention that some residents have had trouble with access to their property. We would like to maintain a positive relationship with our neighbours so please bear this in mind. I appreciate your support with this.
Communications: Calendar & School Office
Website calendar: To allow us to share more essential school information with you securely, we have implemented password protection on the website Parent Portal. To view the calendar and find links to previous Headteacher's updates, you will need to enter the following password: t1Lehurst*R0ad. This section will be improved and updated and we will share more with you soon.
School office email: To simplify communications with the school office, we would appreciate it if all parents sending information regarding absences, appointments, changes to bus requirements or any other pupil information could use the email address office@stedwardsprep.com. Don't worry, this will still reach Mrs Russell and be recorded in the same way.
Maths Challenge Competition
Thank you to everyone who created their own Maths challenges last weekend and submitted entries for the competition. We have had over 20 entries and there are some wonderful ideas, puzzles and problems to try. Mrs Hunt is looking through them all carefully and we will announce the winners next week.
Reception 2025 Places
A reminder to those of you considering your options for a Reception place in September 2025 to please let us know your intentions for your child starting school, if you haven't done so already. We would love to continue to support them at St Edward's and are giving priority consideration to our current families as we experience growing interest in this year group.
Please email Jordan Ruddick by next Wednesday 27 November - jordan.ruddick@stedwardsprep.com. If you have any questions, concerns or anything you would like to talk with me about, please get in touch and I would be happy to arrange a meeting.
Nursery to Year 2: Book Your Nativity Places
Don't forget to let us know which of our performances of Simply The Nativity you would like to attend by next Tuesday 26 November. Each family is allocated two places and you can follow the link below to reserve your place.
- Tuesday 3 December: 2.30-3.30pm
- Thursday 5 December: 9.15-10.15am
Nursery parents: We are excited for your children to take part in this year's Nativity. Please note the following details for you:
- If your child attends school part time, please pick the performance day that they usually attend school.
- If your child does not attend either session, please reply and select a day. Your child will be able to join in the fun of the performance and then go home with you afterwards.
- If your child attends both days, please select the day that is best for you.
Year 3 & 4 Residential Information Evening
We are thrilled to announce an exciting opportunity for our Year 3 and 4 students —a residential trip in the summer term at the high-quality venue, Woodrow High House. To provide more information and answer your questions, we’re hosting an Information Evening at 4pm next Thursday 28 November. We apologise for the short notice; the venue has given us a brief window to confirm and we don’t want to miss out on this fantastic opportunity. We hope you can join us. For those unable to attend, we will record the meeting to ensure everyone has the necessary details to make an informed decision.
Christmas Holiday Club: Booking Open
Don't forget that booking is open for this year's Christmas Holiday Club, which will run from Monday 16 to Friday 20 December.
Click below to book your place and if you have any questions, please get in touch on holiday-club@stedwardsprep.com. Booking will close on Sunday 8 December.
Join the FREDs Mince Pie Mixer
On Friday 6 December we invite you to join us at the end of the school day for some festive refreshments at the FREDs Mince Pie Mixer. From 3.45pm we'll be serving mince pies and other treats in the hall and would love to see you there.
Donate your pre-loved Christmas jumpers and books: We plan to have a selection of Christmas jumpers and books for sale during the event to raise funds for FREDs. If you have any that you would like to donate, please drop them off at the school office.
I hope Storm Bert doesn't disrupt your weekend plans too much!
Best wishes,
Jonathan