Dear Parents,
We ended last week with a very busy Friday of events, celebrations and, importantly, our Remembrance Day assembly. Thank you to everyone who sent in their photos and stories of family members who have bravely contributed to protecting our country and freedom. It was an honour to share them with the school and helped the children to understand the significance of the occasion. I am particularly proud of the Year 6 children who prepared and recited a poem to end the event. We will continue by observing the two-minute silence today and enjoying a Remembrance themed lunch from Chef Linda.
I would like to say thank you to everyone who submitted their beautiful entries to this year's Festival of Light competition. It is great to have this back in our calendar of events to mark the celebration of Diwali with our community. The photos show some great variety and creativity and posed a challenge for our judge photographer Dave!
Congratulations to the winners in each category and well done to everyone who participated. Here are the stunning winning images:
We finished Friday morning by welcoming 18 families to our Reception classroom to take part in our taster session for September 2025 admissions. There were some fantastic, creative activities set by Mrs Turner to showcase our Journeys and Discoveries Theme of Investigation through the popular story The Snail and the Whale and it was a lovely atmosphere with the parents getting involved and current and new children meeting for the first time. We look forward to supporting them through the next year as they prepare for the exciting milestone of starting school.
We are looking forward to our annual Maths Week England celebrations this week, with activities taking place for all ages to join in with and discover different ways to explore and engage with the subject. On Tuesday Years 5 and 6 will take part in a Maths Challenge during their lessons and on Friday we are excited to see Year 6 hosting a special challenge for Year 4 in the school hall. We will share all the highlights in Friday's newsletter.
This week we will also be marking Anti-Bullying week in a number of ways, encouraging our pupils to discuss relevant topics through PSHE lessons, as well as a special assembly on Wednesday. This year's theme is Choose Respect. It is Odd Socks Day tomorrow and children are encouraged to wear their best mismatched pairings to celebrate individuality and acceptance. We pride ourselves on our caring community at St Edward's and it is important for us to reinforce these values with our pupils.
Finally, a reminder that the Curriculum Overviews for this half term's Theme of Investigation, Journeys and Discoveries, are now all online and you can view them via the link below.
Calendar Reminders
Here are the key dates coming up.
- Football Fixtures - Wednesday 13 November - Y5 & 6 vs Waverley Prep (home), Friday 15 November - Y3 & 4 vs Waverley Prep (away).
- Nursery & Reception Theatre Trip: Thursday 21 November - full details below.
- Cross Country - will take place on Friday 29 November. For Nursery, Reception, and Year 1, the event will be held at school in the morning. For Years 2 to 6, it will take place at Sulhamstead Cricket Club at 2pm where parents are invited to join us. Further details will be provided soon by Mr. Winship.
St Edward's Prep in China
Many people have asked about the recent trip I took to China alongside Mrs Hunt and Mrs Turner during the half-term break. We were invited back to deliver a series of lectures on Early Years Education in the UK following a successful visit last year when we established a partnership with Zhengzhou Preschool Education College. I am immensely proud of them both for joining me in giving lectures to over 400 welcoming and engaged students, sharing our expertise on the philosophy and approach of the UK Early Years curriculum, as well as key topics from communication and language development to introducing the expressive arts and managing early years settings.
We received a warm welcome and campus tour from the university president and a visit to one of their kindergartens, where we observed their impressive child-centred curriculum based on exploration and discovery - a style closely aligned with our own. We also enjoyed a day out at a cultural park and a farewell dinner hosted by the president. I'd like to extend a special thank you Ling Ling, who was essential in building this partnership, helping with translation and logistical support to make everything run smoothly.
Overall the trip was a great success, leaving me both proud of our talented staff and pleased to offer them such a rewarding professional development experience. Here are a few photo highlights from the week:
Christmas Holiday Club: Booking Open
We are happy to announce that booking is now open for this year's Christmas Holiday Club, which will run from Monday 16 to Friday 20 December. The children will be able to take part in lots of fun, festive arts, crafts, games and sports with our brilliant Holiday Club team.
Click below to book your place and if you have any questions, please get in touch on holiday-club@stedwardsprep.com.
Nursery & Reception Theatre Trip
We are looking forward to taking our Early Years children to watch The Gruffalo at The Haymarket Theatre in Basingstoke on Thursday 21 November. We can confirm that the cost of the trip will be £25 and will be added to your end-of-term invoice.
The children will have lunch at school before departing in the minibuses at around midday for a 1pm performance and will be back at school by the end of the normal school day. We hope this is a memorable trip for them on what could perhaps be their first trip to the theatre! If you have any questions, please contact Mrs Hagyard on h.hagyard@stedwardsprep.com.
Year 5 Trip - The Ure Museum
To link in with their Ancient Greek Journeys and Discoveries investigation this half-term, Year 5 have the opportunity to take part in an exciting visit and workshop at The Ure Museum at Reading University. This will take place on Thursday morning from 10am-12pm and includes an introduction to the museum, archaeology and Greek pottery, followed by a handling activity to look at and analyse real pots. They will also have time to look around the museum's collection and hear retellings of some of the famous Ancient Greek myths.
The cost will be £8 per pupil, which will be added to your next invoice. The children will travel to the museum in school minibuses and should wear their normal uniform and bring a water bottle. They will return to school before lunch, so will need their school bags for afternoon lessons. If you have any questions, please contact Mrs Hunt on t.hunt@stedwardsprep.com.
Years 3 to 6: Gumshields and Shin Pads
A reminder from Mr Winship that all pupils in Years 3 to 6 need gum shields and shin pads for sports this half term. They are starting game-related drills and matches in Hockey, as well as being introduced to Rugby.
You can purchase both items from any supplier, but if you would like St Edward's branding for gum shields we have a partnership with OPRO - follow this link and search for our school to see the options.
I hope you had a lovely weekend.
Best wishes,
Jonathan