Dear Parents,
The Autumn term is now well underway and we have had an extremely positive start. It was lovely to have our Celebration Assembly this morning, with many students being recognised for their courteous, caring behaviour and their teamwork and collaboration throughout the week. These are some of St Edward Prep's core values and I am proud to see them in action throughout the school. A reminder to our new parents that you are most welcome to attend on Friday mornings and be part of the celebration.
We enjoyed our first Prep School trip in two years when we travelled to London last week to see the West End hit musical Wicked. Excitement levels were high as the children saw the stage for the first time and they were fascinated by the story and trying to work out the secrets behind the special effects! It was wonderful to see their reactions and to receive so many positive comments about their behaviour as we navigated the busy streets of the city.
I am also delighted to share this short video from last week's Celebration Assembly, when the whole school came together to share a touching tribute to the remarkable life of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II. We are so impressed with the children's thoughtful response.
Year 3 Maternity Teacher
I am very pleased to announce that we have recruited Maternity Cover for Miss Clark in Year 3 who will be going on leave shortly after half-term. Miss Clark's replacement is called Katy Ramos and is a very experienced Prep School teacher, who has worked at a number of high-achieving schools teaching across the curriculum.
She will be starting after half-term to ensure that there is a hand over period and she will be ready to take over the class and meet all their pastoral and academic needs. I understand that Year 3 parents would appreciate an opportunity to meet her, which I hope to arrange before the end of this half-term.
Order Your School Photos
All parents should now have received proof copies and order information for the pupil photographs that were taken on Tuesday. They can be ordered online or using the order form provided, with an Early Bird discount code 7T626E available until Monday 3 October.
We had such a fun morning with all the children looking their smartest and doing their best poses. They also really enjoyed taking part in the first whole school photograph to be taken in six years. We can't wait to share the results!
Sign Up for After School Clubs
St Edward's provides a variety of after school clubs for pupils to take part in, whether it is learning a new skill, enjoying their favourite games or taking part in sports activities.
To see the full programme and timetable for the Autumn term, please click here. Internally run clubs are £67 per term and clubs run by external providers are £80 per term.
It is not too late to sign up for any clubs that your child might be interested in. The closing deadline has been extended to Friday 30 September. Please contact our Operations Coordinator, Mrs Alison Russell.
October Parents' Evenings
A reminder to put the following dates in your diary for the upcoming Parents' Evenings in two weeks' time. We will be sending invites early next week for you to make appointments.
- Pre-Prep - Nursery to Year 2 - Monday 3 October
- Prep - Year 3 to 6 - Tuesday 4 October
Pre-Order for the FREDs Welcome Back BBQ
A reminder that FREDs are hosting their Welcome Back BBQ on Friday 30 September from 4pm-5.30pm in school. Food and drink needs to be pre-ordered using this form but please note there is no charge for anything. Please submit your choices by 5pm on Tuesday 27 September so we can make sure we have enough for everyone - thank you.
We are looking forward to seeing lots of the St Edward's Prep community there.
Year One Trip to Pangbourne Woods
Year One parents are reminded that their children should come to school wearing their PE kit on Monday, with their wellies in a bag, ready for their morning trip to Pangbourne Woods.
Senior School Evening Recording
We held a successful information evening on Wednesday for Year 4 and 5 parents about choosing, applying and transitioning to secondary school. If you were not able to attend or you would like to watch it again you can view the recording here.
LAMDA Results
Exciting news! LAMDA results from the Summer Term exam are in and we are so impressed with the inspiring feedback from the examiners on the day. Feedback forms will be read through in LAMDA sessions next week and put inside folders for parents to retrieve and keep safe, while certificates will go out in Friday's celebration assembly. Please keep up-to-date with LAMDA posts in Teams.
Action Required - Year 4 Parents
There is a new learning platform that we will be using this year to support the curriculum: Atom Learning. It will be used as part of English, Maths, Science and 11+ lessons, as well as homework assignments. We have to share some of your child's data with Atom Learning so that they can set up their user details and we therefore need your permission to pass this on. Here is the privacy statement for your information. Please read this and then kindly send an email to julia.parsons@stedwardsprep.com confirming that you are happy for us to share data with this company.
Finally, I hope you have a lovely weekend and look forward to seeing you at the Barbecue next Friday.
Best wishes,
Jonathan