If you can read this, thank a teacher.

One of my favourite quotes of thanks for teachers is ‘If you can read this, thank a teacher’ and this twist appealed! 

I read with interest a recent Times' article this weekend which discussed the problem in many primary schools for boys. It highlighted  that male primary school teachers are basically an endangered species and the importance of male role models for both boys and girls during their education.  I very much agree with this and at St. Peter’s we are very lucky to have both male and female teaching staff who can shape those young minds every day.  A couple of weeks ago we celebrated Teacher Appreciation week with a surprise breakfast for the teaching staff and also the support staff, catering, maintenance and the cheerful army of bus drivers without whom the school simply would not run.

And so I invite you this week to recognise and appreciate the wonderful staff that we have at St. Peter’s.  In and out of the classroom, planning creative and interesting lessons, activities and trips to extend and develop interest and learning, the teachers go above and beyond. There is a  strong emphasis on supportive, kind pastoral care where the form teachers, led by Mr Lord and Mrs Ball, go out of their  way to respond immediately to any problem. Ms Smith in the Learning Success department ensures that no child is overlooked and that every child, whatever their ability, makes progress and achieves the best they can and Mrs Tyson steers the preparation and provides advice for children and parents on a huge range of senior schools, ensuring the quality of tracking information which means that no child slips through the net.

Children leave here as high achievers, academically strong with high expectations and senior schools welcome and appreciate St. Peter's children. This week, on visiting Taunton School, we heard of our children, now pupils at the school who were experienced in communication and presentation throughout our Baccalaureate, impressing teachers and staff with their articulacy and confidence.  The children who enter from St. Peter’s are some of the top in the year group and the extremely high standard of work they complete in Years 7 & 8 here stands them in very good stead as they enter Senior Schools in Year 9 and start preparing for GCSEs.  

As our Head of Art leaves this half term for a ‘reccy (no complaints from her)’ in Rome, plans are already being put in place for full immersion for year 7 and year 8 next year around a cultural trip to Rome. Classics, Art, History of Art, Latin, Italian, History, Architecture, Cookery, Music and gladiatorial combat (!) will make the curriculum inspirational (with flex for creativity) rich, cultural and wonderful for the whole term. The ability to link is one of the signs of academia and high quality teaching on this scale encourages synapses in the brain to link and connections to be made. Children need ‘hooks’ for knowledge to fix onto and it is linking up which helps the process of learning to happen.

We have seen the first of some wonderful photographs taken by Emma Solley for the new Website and Prospectus.  A snippet here and more to come.  She is visiting the school over the next few terms to make sure we have some super photos showing the range of what we do here.

St. Peter's Prep, Lympstone

Open day, enrichment and prep school sport.

Open day, enrichment and prep school sport.

Following an extremely successful Open Day last Saturday with some wonderful enrichment, it was good to meet prospective parents and pupils.  I am sometimes asked at Open Days what a parent and child will get at a prep school in comparison to the local primary school - in effect, what are they getting for their money.  In previous posts I have discussed the fantastic teaching, the opportunities in music and outdoor learning that the children get here at St. Peter’s and, this week, it is the time to focus on sport.  An apt subject as two pupils this week have received awards of ‘Player of the Tournament’.  One at an U9 Rugby tournament yesterday held with over fifty children playing at Stover and another at the U13 Hockey tournament at East Devon with eight schools represented on Tuesday.  

As a parent of a rather boisterous son, I realised the relationship between physical exercise and a child’s behaviour quite early on.  Rather like a puppy, it seemed necessary to exercise him twice a day before anything else could feasibly be achieved. At St. Peter’s we truly understand the need for children to be participating in sport regularly throughout the school week which, in turn, helps them concentrate in lessons and achieve highly.  

Quality provision and facilities for games and sport also have other huge benefits.  Children learn to be resilient, to take part in matches and training when they might be feeling too tired, for the sake of the team.  They learn to take care of their body and of their equipment.  They learn to work with others and to be good team mates, gracious in defeat and humble in success.  They learn how to become disciplined, focused and dedicated.  They learn how to deal with disappointment, when they don’t get that placing or title that they hoped for, they can try again to give it their best shot.   They respect not only themselves, but other athletes, officials and coaches.  They learn that it takes hours and hours, years and years of hard work and practice to create a champion and that success does not happen overnight.  Sport gives children the opportunity to make life long friendships, create lifelong memories and to be proud of their achievements.  High quality sport at school opens doors to high quality sport outside of school and the opportunities these can bring to quality of life, as a child and then, onwards, as an adult.  Wherever you are in the world, you can join a club to continue to play sport and then meet a new community.  With sport and games at a prep school you are paying for opportunities that sport provide children. It helps children to develop attributes that will serve them well throughout their lives and give them the opportunity to bless the lives of others.  You can’t argue with that as an investment!  

Sport at St. Peter’s is taught by specialists from Kindergarten up to Year 8 and from Year 3, they have three games sessions, including matches, throughout the week.  As well as increasing participation in fixtures across all age ranges, sides achieve great success - last year, over 70% of boys' rugby and football matches were won or drawn, and a number of sides went undefeated in the Michaelmas and Lent term.  This week, it was great to hear that our U13 hockey side won an U14 East Devon 7-a-side hockey tournament!  Next week, we will host King Edward's School Bath at St Peter's, our first touring side of the term, and our own Sports Tour departs to Stratford-upon-Avon over half term, with fixtures planned against Princethorpe College and Bilton Grange.  Outside of our regular fixtures, St Peter’s pupils continue to represent strongly in a number of  in regional or national competitions.   Our golfers headed to Oxford last weekend for the annual 'Radley Putter' competition on the back of being crowned 'IAPS Team Champions' in 2016 and in Sailing  we are building success over previous years, towards an aim of having another ex-pupil as a GB sailor (Ben Rhodes  49er World Champion and twice GB Olympican). In last year’s IAPS Nationals St. Peter’s - U11 and U13 teams were both placed in top 1/3 nationally.   We also feel that it is important to give our pupils a taste of new sports - last Saturday it was an introduction to lacrosse while American Football has been a popular Friday afternoon activity option.  

I very much enjoyed watching (and cheering too loudly - according to my daughter),  the rugby and the hockey this week and could see the determination and resilience among the St. Peter’s sides as they worked as a team.  Well done to all pupils and to the committed and supportive games department for their tremendous work with the children to help them achieve their best, together.