School Calendar
Please click on the link below to access the School Calendar
Notices
Parking at Hatherop
I would like to politely remind parents of our car park rules and regulations, which are designed to keep the community safe during peak times.
In the morning, I urge parents of Prep 3–8 pupils to use the drop-and-go roundabout, which enables you to drop your child off without the need to park. If Prep parents wish to park and escort their child into school, they must use the bottom car parks and walk up. The top car park is reserved for Nursery parents and minibuses only.
It has been noted that a few Prep parents have been parking in the top car park, which increases congestion in areas where children are walking and prevents Nursery parents from finding parking.
Finally, may I remind all parents to drive with caution around the school and to be extra vigilant during drop-off and collection times when children will be walking from the front door to minibuses, etc.
Prep 3 & 4 Introduction to Boarding Coffee Morning
Come along for an informal coffee morning in the boarder's common room to find out more about life as a boarder at Hatherop. This is the perfect opportunity to chat with Mr Nish and some of our regular and flexi boarders about the benefits of boarding or just to have an informal tour around the boarding house and a catch up with other parents!
Prep 1 Grandparents Toy Workshop
Prep 1 children are learning about the history of toys, and grandparents are invited to the Grandparents Toy Workshop on Tuesday, October 1st, at 2:30 pm. Please inform the Prep 1 team if your child's grandparent can attend and share toys or photos with the children.
Sport Notices
Lost Property
We are starting to get a collection of red & grey socks, white PE socks and various items of games kit in the lost property box. Please could all items be clearly labelled so any items left behind can be returned to the children.
Team Sheets - Girls
Team Sheets - Boys
Highlights of the week
Toddlers
This week in Toddlers, we’ve had a fantastic time enjoying our PE, dance, and music lessons, while also exploring the beauty of autumn. With our binoculars and magnifying glasses, we ventured outside to closely examine leaves, pine cones, and even spotted some cows in the field! Our creativity flourished with potato printing and painting using animal footprints.
The children also made sensory bottles, which we’ve been excitedly exploring. We had fun with a farm-themed tuff tray, played with cloud dough and wheat – which, of course, we then fed to the toy farm animals. The children have also engaged in mark-making in the sand, creating lots of patterns with sticks. On Thursday, we joined the main school in celebrating the European Day of Languages. We made flags from around Europe, exploring different colours and enjoying the thrill of flying them in the wind. It’s been a week full of discovery, creativity, and cultural celebration!
Pre-Reception
This week in Pre-Reception, the children became explorers! They ventured around the castle grounds with checklists, finding coloured leaves, squirrels, mushrooms, and more. Some children collected natural items, linking to a maths lesson on small and large collections.
In the mud pie tuff tray, they enjoyed a sensory experience, mixing mud and water, observing texture changes, and using kitchen utensils to explore and transport their creations. After reading Home Bird Hoot, many children recalled the story during circle time, with some contributing artwork to our Focus Book board.
The autumn sensory tuff tray was another highlight, featuring lentils, brown sugar, glitter, rocks, and pine cones, which the children explored creatively. For European Day of Languages, some children had face paint, others dressed up, and everyone made flags while learning about different countries. We encourage parents to share weekend photos on Tapestry to connect home and nursery
Reception
This week, Reception children have been busy helping The Little Red Hen. They planted, watered, cut, and ground wheat to make bread. After all their hard work, the children baked and tasted their own delicious bread, filling the stable yard with its yummy smell! In maths, we focused on matching, sorting, and comparing. The children sorted compare bears by size and colour and explored the concepts of more and fewer by comparing groups of objects. In phonics, we planted grass seed for 'g', squeezed oranges for 'o', made crowns for 'c', and created fruit kebabs for 'k'. What a busy week in Reception!
Outdoor Maths Fun and European Day Excitement in Prep 2!
Prep 2 have had a fantastic week learning how to use number lines to estimate where numbers go and practising the greater than and less than crocodile symbols. We took our maths lessons outdoors whenever possible, using chalk and string to design our own number lines with a partner.
On Thursday, Prep 2 loved dressing up and all looked amazing, as you can see. They thoroughly enjoyed completing the European Day of Languages quiz that Mr Hempstead had prepared around the stable yard for them.
European Day of Languages at Hatherop Castle School
We had a fantastic celebration of the European Day of Languages at Hatherop Castle School! The day was filled with exciting activities, beginning with an exhilarating treasure hunt, where pupils raced around the school, solving clues in different languages. The language competitions were a great success, with pupils competing in French, Spanish, and German, displaying their linguistic talents with enthusiasm.
The vibrant atmosphere was enhanced by the children's colourful outfits, as they dressed in the colours of their favourite countries. It was wonderful to see such creativity and national pride on show! The highlight of the day was undoubtedly the European feast, where everyone enjoyed delicious dishes, including traditional Spanish paella and a delectable orange cake. It was a day full of fun, learning, and cultural celebration—one the children will cherish for a long time.
Boarding
Weekends are where so much fun happens at Hatherop! If you would like to find out more about boarding at the weekend please do get in touch with Mr Nish at jamie.nish@hatheropcastle.co.uk
Swimming
Prep 3 – 6 Boys & Girls Swimming Gala @ Westonbirt – Tuesday 8th October 2024
THE HATHEROP SWIM TEAM NEEDS YOU!
We need swimmers from each group, Prep 3, 4, 5 and 6 to join the team at Westonbirt on Tuesday 8th October 2024. Please email Mr Bailey if you would like your son / daughter to have the opportunity to swim and compete. Please can you add your child’s best 2 strokes. The children in Prep 3-5 will need to be able to swim (25m) in either front crawl, breast stroke and back crawl. Children attending in Prep 6 ideally need to be able to swim butterfly. I am hoping spectators are welcome to come and watch.
On this occasion the children will be selected on a first come first serve basis. If your child doesn’t swim on this occasion then they will be put forward for the next one during the Lent Term 2025.
Please could you let Mr Bailey know if you intend to pick up from Westonbirt at approximately, 5.30pm, or from HCS at approximately 6.15pm. Nigel.bailey@hatheropcastle.co.uk
Rugby
Under 8 Tag Triangular vs Cokethorpe & Christ College Cathedral
Excitement built throughout the day for the U8 boys’ first-ever match. It was a fantastic afternoon of rugby in glorious sunshine. Mr Townsend and Mr Bailey were thrilled with the boys’ energy and enthusiasm. The positive atmosphere allowed every player to shine, with many scoring tries and all contributing defensively by taking tags. While there are areas to improve, it was an excellent start. Next week, the focus will be on supporting the ball carrier and ensuring accurate passing.
Well done, team! A great beginning to the rugby season.
U10/11 Rugby vs Wycliffe
Our U10/11 rugby team travelled to Wycliffe on a rather soggy afternoon. The boys didn’t let the weather dampen their spirts. The game was even throughout with the hosts passing the ball a little better which turned out to be the difference in the end. Some great footwork from the HCS boys resulted in a number of good try’s. The work on moving forward is can we score more team try’s through our passing game. Final score HCS 4-7 Wycliffe.
Hockey
U11B v Wycliffe
The U11 Girls faced Wycliffe with great determination, showing tenacity and pressing the opposition from the start. Their fighting spirit was evident throughout, never backing down against tough competition. An area for improvement is spreading out more on the pitch, as players occasionally crowded the ball, limiting passing options and allowing Wycliffe to close down space. By improving positioning and using the full width of the field, the team can create more opportunities and control the game better. Despite this, their commitment and teamwork were excellent. With a focus on positioning, the U11 Girls will undoubtedly build on this performance. Well done, girls!
U13 v Wycliffe
The U13 Girls played a fantastic game against a strong Wycliffe side, showing determination and skill. They attacked with purpose, consistently pushing forward and creating chances. The team's improved tactical awareness, especially in defensive positioning, was a highlight. They closed down space and intercepted passes effectively, neutralising Wycliffe’s attacks. Despite the rain, the girls' enthusiasm never wavered. A brilliant performance showing resilience and growing tactical maturity. Well done, girls!
Fencing
Mia was brilliant at club this week, using distance to make her opponents miss before attacking with deadly precision!
Violet is a natural fencer - she understands when to attack and when to defend, before turning defence into attack. Very well done!
Aurelia excelled today as she demonstrated the ‘twiddle attack’ moving her blade around her opponents to score a hit. Go Aurelia!