Thankfully the sun has started to shine on our Summer Term. It is so wonderful to see the children back together playing, attending assemblies, enjoying School trips and sharing their learning journeys.

I have thoroughly enjoyed my very short time so far at SVPS and loved getting to know the children. I know they have had an action-packed year of activities and the teachers work really hard to produce a creative curriculum that gives them the opportunity to learn in an inspiring and fully engaging approach. As I walk through the School, there is a hum of excitement and busyness where there is no ceiling on their learning and that creates excitement amongst our very smallest of learners.

It has been a busy time in the Pre-Prep as we have enjoyed lots of different trips, topic fun and extracurricular learning. We celebrated all of the wonderful things that have happened during the academic year in Pre-Prep with our Prize Giving last week. The children were recognised for their academic achievements, sport, Forest School and creative prizes. They were also recognised for their courtesy and overall contribution. Our youngest learners also experienced Sports Day this week. Our Young Climbers went to the beach, and we had family fun with Little Steps.

All children experienced moving to their new class and meeting their class teacher this week. We also welcomed our new families to the community, beginning with our transition programme ‘Book Worms’. The children met their new teacher and were introduced to new friends during story time in the sunshine.

We have had lots of fun building a den in Forest School and making bee lanterns. The Millennium Garden is a place the children can go to complete their schoolwork, they can sit around the fire pit and go pond dipping to explore all different kinds of nature and find out the science behind the natural world. Reception children explored the Mud Kitchen and the Secret Garden and we will be taking part in International Mud Day next week. We will be creating art using fabric and mud and our youngest learners will be making seed bombs to throw at our very own Hungry Caterpillar.

Through the creative curriculum, the children get to explore ‘COOL’ time. This is the time for children to ‘Choose Our Own Learning’. The children engage in activities independently that help to cement their learning. This could be through Drama, Art, creative writing or freeze-frame and photography. The children will apply their skills and practise their learning by applying it to different activities. This supports independent and inspired learning. The children cannot wait to tell any visitors what they have been learning and how they can apply this to something they have created and truly value.

So with still a few weeks left of the term, I look forward to hopefully seeing you at one of the many events and celebrations we have left to enjoy in this academic year.

Carly Froggatt, Head of Pre-Prep