Achievement or attainment? Prize-giving at a Prep School.

Achievement and attainment. Two words which often get confused. Achievement in the Oxford English Dictionary means ‘to accomplish; acquire’, a ‘thing accomplished’. ‘He has achieved great things’. Achievement is relative to the person. So we can read this as ‘He has achieved great things for his ability’. Attainment is different. Attainment is a fact or figure, the child who is ‘top’ academically in ability for that group.

This year we are introducing (or re-introducing so Mr Lord tells me!) class prizes per term. These will be awarded for each class in final assembly next week for achievement and St. Peter’s Qualities. The achievement prize can be awarded for a range of different things - excellence, outstanding effort, a combination of both, or overcoming a challenge. Our mission statement here is ‘Believe it!... Achieve it!’ so this also ties in with our core values. St. Peter’s Qualities' prizes are for those children who have impressed our staffroom over the term with their progress in ‘finding’, ‘presenting’ and ‘curiosity’. At St. Peter’s we encourage and develop interested, independent learners and this prize recognises this.

I’m very much looking forward to awarding these in Final Assembly on Wednesday and we will publish these in the final Celebration Newsletter. I would like to take this chance to thank Charlie Pritchard, a stalwart of St. Peters who is simply outstanding at organising final assemblies, prizes, weekly routines, Harvest festivals, carol concerts and much more.

We are in great discussions to introduce Mindfulness to our Early Years’ children. Learning strategies to take time, breathe and focus can help when children are feeling stressed or worried. Taking time to listen to their bodies is hugely beneficial in later life. They are learning to be in the ‘Present’.

Christmas is well and truly here. After listening to our Chamber Choir sing Bach’s St. John Passion in the Cathedral (an absolute highlight of my first term), watching in wonder at the unity and enthusiasm of the ‘House Singing’, wondering at the ‘Christmas buses’, joining the Boarders for a delicious, festive Christmas dinner and attending the simply wonderful Nativities this week, we are all feeling a little ‘tinselly’.

I certainly did not expect to literally be asked to ‘play God’ when I took on a Headship but you just take and embrace these challenges as they come(!). The children watching the rehearsals on Wednesday certainly looked a bit shocked as my voice followed a clap of thunder and boomed round the Wessex Hall to inform the angels of their ‘mission!’! Many thanks and well done to all for the Early Years, Year 1 and Year 2 staff for working with our brilliant children to create such memories for the children and their parents.

I very much look forward to enjoying the last few days of term with the staff and pupils before the Johnston festivities truly begin (although Mr Johnston, you may have noticed has already been busy with the lights - ‘only the beginning’ he says...).