What a fabulous start to the Summer Term it has been. The sun started to shine for us, and the children have enjoyed playing outside, swimming in the outdoor pool and developing their learning through outdoor opportunities and new topic themes. Each morning I have seen happy children coming into school ready for their learning. They have impressed me with their politeness as they have wished me a good morning and have spoken in detail at lunchtime about what they have been learning and all the fun and exciting things they have achieved.

I started my first full week with the Pre-Prep Assembly, which will take place each Tuesday morning. The children listened so well and were able to identify the difficulties we can face when we come across change and how we feel if we are unsure of it. We talked about having a growth mindset and the power of ‘yet’! Having a growth mindset allows us to focus on the positives, challenge ourselves and make mistakes. This means we can try, assert effort and work harder when we are learning. We will not always master our initial objective, but we can feel safe that our mistakes mean we are on a journey. I would like our children to feel they can take risks in their learning and feel a sense of achievement even when we need to find new ways to find success and knowing this is different for everyone. I want the children to embrace challenge even when it is difficult and to know any mistakes help us to grow. We finished with our new Pre-Prep song Reach for the Stars and this is exactly what I will be encouraging your children to do.

It has been joyous to walk around the School and observe the enthusiasm and eagerness the children have in their learning, playing and communicating with their friends and teachers whilst initiating their own activities and play. It was through the lockdown period that we worried about children’s academic progress. However, communication and the building and retaining of relationships suffered far more and we understood quite quickly that we needed to offer more opportunity for the children in these areas. I can honestly say that all our staff and parents have made an incredible effort to shape and change the future of the lives of our little people. I have observed the children happily negotiating through play and communication, listening to the views of their peers and working together harmoniously. There is an infectious buzz in the Pre-Prep of happy and engaged learners. The children are thriving in the calm and focused environment with the hum of excitement and passion to learn.

We have a delightfully busy term ahead and with Grandparent’s Day, Sports Day, Swimming galas, Speech Day and prize giving, there is lots to look forward to. It is quite wonderful to be able to invite you all into School to watch and share in your children’s success. As we move through the term, there are transition activities that will begin to take place and so the feeling of change can be different for everyone, but we are here to support you and your children. The focus of my assemblies over the coming weeks will be to explore how we adapt to change positively and use a growth mindset to embrace the challenges we face.

I wish you all a lovely Summer Term and look forward to meeting you at the many events ahead.

Carly Froggatt, Head of Pre-Prep