1 ADVENTURES PART OF THE FAMILY OF SCHOOLS

ISSUE 4 | FEB 2021

Dear Parents,

As we enjoy a well-earned Half Term break, I would like to say how The Prime Minister is due to unveil a so-called ‘Roadmap out of Lockdown’ grateful and impressed I have been with the whole Abberley community. during the week beginning 22nd February. With infection rates falling Pupils, parents and teachers have worked tirelessly to make sure that the and the vaccination programme ‘rolling out’, I very much hope that our past six weeks have been as positive as they could have possibly been. children will be able to return to us on Monday 8th March. This week provides an opportunity for children to take some time off after I hope you enjoy this latest edition of Abberley Adventures. Despite what has been a very challenging period and I hope that they are able to lockdown, we have continued to function as a close-knit community and have as much time away from screens as possible. I hope that adults are we have much to celebrate! able to enjoy a rest as well as I know that ‘home learning’ is as exhausting for you as it is for the children! Best wishes, People across the country have observed that this lockdown is different, and the Dunkirk spirit which characterised the lockdown last year is not as prevalent; nor, of course, is the lovely summer weather which helped so much. Things are harder for everyone. We are as eager to have your children back at school as I know you are. Our pupils need to be back Jonnie Besley here with their friends where they belong and we will, of course, be Headmaster welcoming them back with open arms at the earliest opportunity possible.

IN THIS ISSUE

Lockdown III 2 Thank you from staff 2 Academic Life 3 World Book Day 3 More Scholarship Success 3 Year 8 Exams 3 Drama, Music and Chapel 4 Art 4-5 Staff Leavers and Joiners 6 Boarding 6 Outdoor Education 7 Sport 8 Saturdays 9 Emotional Health 10 Pre-Prep 11 Instagram 12 Prayer Group 12 And finally... 12 ABBERLEY ADVENTURES 2

Lockdown III

I wrote to families in December explaining that Year 7 and 8 children would have a slightly delayed start to term but that all primary aged children would return as expected on Thursday 7th January. We had received thousands of Lateral Flow Tests and set our Main Dining from staff to parents and pupils Room up as a testing centre for staff and senior children. Primary schools across the country started accepting children back on the morning of Monday 4th but that same evening it was announced that “Thank you so much to all our wonderful parents for the positive all schools would be closed until at least half term. messages that you have been sending in. The positivity and encouragement have been so much appreciated. Thank you for Arrangements were quickly made to reinstate our Distance Learning your involvement in school challenges, for your contributions to Programme. As the programme had gone so well back in the Summer, our social media pages and for supporting and encouraging your we were well-placed to repeat this success. We launched with the children at home whilst they have been forced to go through this intention of doing everything possible to maintain a full and rich challenging experience. educational experience. Our online day was long and included all areas of the academic curriculum as well as Assemblies, Games, Thank you to all the children for your resilience and for your sense Outdoor Education, Music, Drama, Design Technology, Art and of humour. Thank you for keeping on going and for the moments individual lessons such as LAMDA and instrumental music. of joy that all the teachers have had during their online teaching. Thank you so much to pupils and parents for all you have done to We asked parents for feedback after the first full week and then help us teachers to stay positive during this tough time. You have all introduced a few adjustments. The day was shortened slightly for been brilliant and we hope you are having a wonderful Half Term!” the younger children in the Prep School and we decided to run our ‘Outdoor and Active’ sessions at the same time for all so that families with numerous children at the school could get outside and exercise together. Although pupils have the option to ‘do their own thing’ at this time, we have been delighted with the numbers attending our teacher- led sessions.

We worked to establish good ‘Teams etiquette’ during the first week or two and ensure that children raised a hand rather than calling out, that they had their cameras on where possible and that the teachers were able to involve all children and prevent individuals from dominating lessons. As pupils, parents and teachers got used to working online, the experience went from strength to strength and feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.

Rules outlining the definition of a critical worker were broadened and so we found ourselves with far more children at school then we had in the last lockdown. With all of our Nursery children in school as well, we have had almost 50 pupils here with us on many days. Most of our staff have been in school teaching online whilst also helping to supervise the pupils with us and our wonderful catering team have been in cooking to their usual high standards.

We have offered parents significant fee reductions to reflect the fact that online learning cannot compete with ‘the real thing’. We hope that this gesture has helped a little at this difficult time. Fee reductions will take the form of credit towards Summer term fees. We outlined our new fee structure last term and many parents will benefit from lower school fees from the start of the summer term. Our new fee structure can be seen on the website by clicking here. ABBERLEY ADVENTURES 3

Academic Life More Scholarship Success

Despite the challenges of lockdown, academic life continues to flourish. Since writing my last Newsletter, in late December, more of our Year We reviewed our timetable last term and were set to launch a new 8 pupils have achieved awards to senior schools. Very well done and and improved curriculum in January. LIFE lessons (Life Skills, Identity, huge congratulations to the following pupils… Faith and Ethics) were introduced and these sessions incorporate what used to be delivered during Religious Studies lessons as well 3 as PSHE, which is a mandatory subject for all children. My thanks go Grace Tomlin Drama Scholarship to Malvern College to Mrs Kennedy for her energy and enthusiasm in making sure that this subject has been so well received. More time had been devoted Drama Exhibition to Malvern College to Design Technology and Computing and Mr Hiles has worked hard Tilda Morgan to ensure that the subject is a success despite lockdown. We have reviewed the amount of time allocated to the different subjects and Musical Theatre Exhibition to made some adjustments where necessary. The younger children, for Tilda Morgan Malvern College example, now have more time allocated to English and Maths.

Lots of fun has been had during online lessons but some serious work Joe Hawthorne Art Exhibition to Malvern College has taken place and this has been confirmed by some truly excellent effort grades across all year groups. It is rumoured that one pupil Sports Scholarship to Rufus Hankin managed to achieve a 5 in every subject. Well done to you all for such hard work despite the difficulties. Sports Exhibition to Edward Cook Cheltenham College

Scarlet Smith Art Exhibition to Cheltenham College

Year 8 Exams

Despite the challenges of lockdown, we continue to prepare our Year 8 pupils for Common Entrance and Scholarship exams this summer and we are committed to ensuring that they achieve the excellent results that they have been predicted.

World Book Day Mock exams will be taking place for Year 8 from Monday 1st to Friday 5th March. Parents will have received a letter with further details and an exam timetable. Papers will be sent in the post and they will need to At we strive to encourage a love of reading and we be posted back at the end of the week in the stamped and addressed were delighted to welcome author Neil Jenkinson for a talk to Year 7 envelope provided. We wish all our Year 8 pupils good luck and we about how he created his book ‘The Slime Gang’. He answered many know that they will try their hardest. questions and gave some excellent advice on the process of writing and having a book published. Please note, no other year groups have formal exams this term.

On Tuesday 9th March, the whole school will be celebrating World Book Day. Officially World Book day is on th4 March but we have delayed in the hope of having children back at school by 9th. We are also keen to avoid a clash with Year 8 exams. For us, the day will have an ‘Alice in Wonderland’ theme and we encourage everyone to take part. We hope that children will be back with us from Monday 8th but if we cannot be at school then the event will go ahead in some form virtually. Please keep this date in mind and start thinking about your costume! ABBERLEY ADVENTURES 4

Drama, Music and Chapel

Our Music and Drama departments have been as busy as ever. I hope you have all enjoyed the regular virtual Performing Arts Showcases Drama as much as I have and enjoyed feeling connected as a community despite the distance between us. Mr Dunham has worked miracles Drama lessons have continued as part of the curriculum. I enjoyed and produced some stunning videos. seeing the Year 5 fashion show à la mode, which was a roaring success 4 and, again, we have enjoyed seeing many performances during the I particularly enjoyed the outstanding performance of ‘How Far I’ll Go’ regular Performing Arts Showcases. Lots of pupils have continued from Moana and watching the Patrol Talent Competition at the start of to receive individual and group LAMDA lessons and a number of Half Term. Well done to The Owls for winning the competition and to children have started preparing for LAMDA exams, which will take The Cuckoos for coming second! Peewits and Woodies – remember, place in May. Thank you to Mrs Eynon for her hard work to ensure that it’s the taking part that counts! To see the fantastic Patrol Talent our LAMDA provision remains such a strength of the school. Competition, click here. Beauty and the Beast Chapel We were planning to perform the musical Beauty and the Beast as a We have enjoyed some superb readings and singing during our virtual film this term. Parts have been cast, the licence has been bought and Chapel services. Thank you to all who have contributed by sending all was set to start. Sadly, the lockdown has delayed rehearsals but we in recordings. Thank you to Keith Metcalfe, Headmaster at Malvern are determined to go ahead with this wonderful musical. We hope to College for his excellent talk at the start of term. He reminded us all get started when children return to us in March and we aim to have a of the importance of kindness towards those who we may not warm Film Premier event after Year 8 exams in the Summer term. ‘The show to naturally. Thank you also to Nicola Huggett, Headmistress from must go on’!! Cheltenham College, who talked to us about the importance of time and how to use it wisely.

Art

The Art department has continued to thrive and some amazing work Abberley Artwork has been completed. Each year, hold an art Whilst on the subject or Art, I would like to thank Abberley competition and we always enter pupils’ ‘free time work’. The theme parent Zaza Shelley for producing a selection of beautiful this year is ‘A Climate of Change’ and the competition is aimed at paintings of various iconic Abberley Hall buildings. These pupils in Years 5, 6 and 7. Shrewsbury have suggested that pupils will be made into greetings cards, which I can’t wait to start take inspiration from their natural environment and they can create using. To see more of Zaza’s work, you can visit her website their artwork using any media or process they would like to use. Last www.zazashelley.com. Make sure you keep an eye out to see some year we had winning entries from Amelia Villar and Harry Tang (see of her Abberley paintngs throughout this newsletter. the photos below). It would be brilliant if we could encourage pupils to enter again this year. The deadline is 1st March.

Joe Hawthorne

Amelia Villar Scarlet Smith ABBERLEY ADVENTURES 5

Abberley Artwork (continued...)

5 ABBERLEY ADVENTURES 6

Staff Leavers and Joiners Boarding

The Chairman and I met with parents during a number of Zoom calls We really have missed our boarders this term but we have taken last term to explain some adjustments to our staffing structure. Parents the opportunity to carry our further cosmetic improvements in both received an updated staff list at the beginning of term and this can be the boys’ and girls’ boarding areas. A new Year 8 Girls’ Common seen on our website by clicking here. Room has been prepared and we have created a new girls’ dorm to accommodate the growing demand for boarders. The Year 8 boys 6 Mrs Crowther has decided to retire at the end of the Summer term have a newly created Common Room and the old ‘Matron’s Room’ has after 39 years as a teacher. She has been with us here at Abberley being transformed into what will be a stunning new dorm with views on for 16 years. Her professionalism and dedication to the school and one side to the Clock Tower and on the other to rolling hills. to the children has been appreciated hugely and she will be sorely missed by us all. We look forward to celebrating her retirement with her The School Surgery has moved to the bottom of Yates building so that when she leaves us at the end of the summer term. In the meantime, Miss Mackay is closer to the children during the school day. The two we look forward to enjoying the time we have left with her. We will be sick bay rooms are now in the same building and Miss Mackay now interviewing for a new Maths Teacher soon and we anticipate a strong lives in Yates House as well. Miss Ryan has moved into the flat that field of applicants. Miss Mackay used to occupy so that she is best-placed to supervise the girls at night. Mrs Heath, our Registrar, has left us in order to spend more time with her family and she leaves with our very best wishes. She did an excellent job and we look forward to her replacement, Kirsty Gill, starting soon. Kirsty is married to a teacher, she has children of prep school age and she has significant experience of working within the independent school sector. We look forward to welcoming her to Abberley Hall later this term.

We welcomed three wonderful new Gap Students this term. Ella Felkin comes to us from Moreton Hall School in Oswestry. Jemma Freel was educated at Salesian College, Hampshire and Oliver Taylor comes to us from Stowe School. Before Stowe, Oliver was at Abberley and so it has been lovely to welcome him back and to hear stories of when he was a boy here. Tom Tarlton remains with us and, being an ‘old hand’ he has helped the others settle in. They have thrown themselves into supporting our children of critical workers and we have even got them painting and decorating. I know that they can’t wait to meet all the pupils once they’re back! ABBERLEY ADVENTURES 7

Outdoor Education

Teachers have been busy ensuring that Outdoor Ed has kept going Year 5 have been learning about soil and Mr Raven hopes we can through lockdown. Children have been identifying plants and telling have a lesson or two inspecting the mulches next term; discussing stories about their favourite trees. Rope ladders have also featured, as wind erosion, compaction, runoff, nutrient leaching and soil health. have bird surveys and the making of some frozen icy-artwork. We can’t wait to involve the children in planting and sowing (as well as weeding!). We have a small yet well-formed greenhouse by the 7 orchard, the garden itself and some renovated indoor space.

We have exciting plans to build some outdoor structures. Mr Scott has been drafted in to help with this as part of our Saturday Enrichment Programme. A site has been identified in the woods and construction will begin soon. With spring on the way, the opportunities for Outdoor Ed will be almost limitless. I see The Treehouse having lots of use, we will be getting some new school chickens, the Inkpot will be well used for fishing, ponies will return to our stables and there will, no doubt, be plenty of time for building dens and roasting marshmallows over open fires. Mr Bee is even muttering about building a Saxon Roundhouse in the grounds. What an exciting idea!

Mr Raven and Mr Hiles have cut back the willow plantation and put aside rods of various length to dry out before using them in the Spring when the children are back. They plan to work the material into woven baskets, garden hoops, fences, dens and works of art. Mr Hiles had been waiting three years for right time to harvest the willow and so there was great excitement as it was cut. Over fifty cuttings were taken and fresh willow was replanted, so fingers crossed, everything will shoot back up in the spring.

The school garden has also been a big focus. The compost heap is up and running. We are determined to turn our grass cuttings, food peelings and wood chippings into something amazing! A thick mulch of garden compost, aged manure, cardboard and partly decomposed wood chippings has already been applied to some of the beds in an effort to give seeds and plants a good start come Spring. ABBERLEY ADVENTURES 8

Sport

Games is renamed ‘Outdoors and Active’ for online learning and it has It has been wonderful to see how many children have joined in and been full of challenges, live workouts and skills sessions. The aim was a lovely opportunity to come together as a school and to motivate to try and give children (and their families) a variety of different ideas one another. and opportunities to get active, to keep practicing different sporting skills and, most importantly of all, to have fun. One of the most fantastic things about the Abberley community is that 8 they will always rise to a challenge! This half term was no different. We The children have been particularly brilliant at joining in with the live have seen how far the patrols can travel in a day compared to animals sessions - we have had quizzes, patrol challenges, fitness sessions, a in the wild, Year 7 and 8 children competed in teams to see which hockey session run by Mr Moss from Malvern College, a very special could travel the furthest in a week and we have also invited everyone birthday workout and former England and current Worcester Warriors to walk or run laps of their garden (and the Astro for those at school) rugby player, Matt Kvesic, gave an excellent and inspiring talk. in memory of Sir Captain Tom Moor. The initial target was to try and match his amazing effort of 100 laps and the children have done us proud, as always. Pupils and staff have exceeded Mrs B-Ts target of 1000s laps of the Astro. Well done to everyone! ABBERLEY ADVENTURES 9

Saturdays

We were so looking forward to launching Discover, our exciting new As the children are not currently onsite, most of the challenges have Saturday Enrichment Programme. Lockdown has delayed the start of been linked to our year-group-specific Abberley Awards. Miss Cook’s this but it is ready and waiting for us. In fact, as we approach Spring, video at the start of term advertised this to the children and also even more exciting opportunities will open up. We will be producing challenged them to beat Mr and Mrs Besley – who are trying to complete a new programme with some slightly altered activities but, for now, the challenges as well. With so many entries from the children, we look 9 details of the programme can be seen here. forward to seeing which awards the pupils will earn by the end of the summer term! Despite lockdown, Saturdays have seen the Abberley community participating in a variety of ‘remote’ challenges. The aim has been It has been fantastic to see so many pictures of the children to get children away from computer screens, to explore ‘the great participating, wherever they are in the world, with highlights being outdoors’ and to be creative. A core part of the challenges has been the ‘Big Garden Birdwatch 2021’ and the various exciting activities encouraging families to get outdoors and active. As part of this, children have got up to on Screen Free Saturday and Sundays. We families have been submitting their cumulative total distance travelled hope that you have enjoyed following the activities and entries at every weekend and those who have participated have already home. A massive well done to all those who have participated so far, travelled over halfway around the world - wow! Other challenges have please do continue joining in after Half Term! encouraged children to express themselves by creating things such as cakes, taking photographs and making survival shelters. ABBERLEY ADVENTURES 10

Emotional Health

Excellent pastoral care is the foundation for all that we do at Abberley As a small gesture to brighten things Hall. We believe that if children are happy and secure in the knowledge up and introduce another small spark that they are valued, cared for and respected, then amazing things will of fun, we introduced Funky-Sock- happen in the classroom and far beyond it. We have all read about the Friday earlier in the term and I am damaging impact of school closures on the mental health of young delighted to see that children and staff 10 people and so it is more important than ever that we do everything have made such an effort to take part. we can to encourage children to talk about their feelings and that we This new tradition is one that we would like to keep so please wear do everything possible to give children time away from screens, time your brightest and funkiest socks on Fridays from this day forth! outside with nature, time to exercise, to eat well, sleep and to have fun.

At the start of February, we took part in Children’s Mental Health Week. As well as a focus on all of us doing what we can to maintain good emotional health, it was an opportunity to show support and raise money for the excellent charity Place2Be. The week started with a Headmaster’s Assembly where children were encouraged to try to follow the PERMA model of wellbeing, developed by Martin Seligman. To see the assembly, click here.

Our Dress to Express event was particularly memorable as was a talk given to us by former pupil, Henry Carpenter. Henry inspired us with his story of resilience and determination and explained how he is raising money for the Midlands Air Ambulance Service after they rescued him last year. ABBERLEY ADVENTURES 11

Pre-Prep

The Pre-Prep children responded to the latest Lockdown in true Our youngest children have been talking about their emotions during Abberley style and have not let it dampen their enthusiasm for assemblies and when they celebrated Chinese New Year, they learning. Children have been working remotely with Purple Mash as experimented with chopsticks. Some even attempted to eat their fish, well as receiving live lessons and teachers have been setting work chips and peas with them! with clear instructions as well as pre-recorded video explanations and demonstrations. As was the case in the Summer term, feedback Reception and Year 1 have been enjoying French lessons with Mme from parents has been superb. Topic work has taken centre-stage with Badual-Butler during which they have learned to count, talk about plenty of opportunities to get off screens and do practical activities the weather, listened to stories and dressing for the cold weather. All inside and out. The Pre-Prep have particularly enjoyed participating brilliant fun! They have also loved learning about castles and about the in the full school challenges this term, notably the Big Garden Bird Battle of Hastings. They got into role to apply for the job or managing Watch and Laps for Captain Tom. a castle and were then invited for interview, where they were pleased to be offered jobs as gardeners, cooks, marshals and watchmen! All our Nursery children have been in school as usual and their topic In DT they have investigated slider and lever mechanisms and then this half of term has been Winter. The children were extremely excited designed and made a moving picture. As well as this, much fun has to see the snow and had fun building a snowman. They have been been had building and playing with the toy castle. It has certainly on many walks, some of which included a spot of bird watching. The been a productive few weeks! children have been learning about penguins and enjoyed games such as feeding fish to Percy the Penguin. Nursery 2 was transformed into Year 2 children have been giving the Mrs Detheridge a run for her an ice palace. During their weekly baking activity, the children made money by making the most fantastic little films about forces in science pizzas, biscuits, flapjacks, banana and honey muffins and savoury and building fabulous wheeled vehicles to transport special teddies. pasties, all of these they have taken home to share with their families. The daily get-togethers on Teams have kept them all smiling and sharing their news. Mrs Pumpkin has been making weekly guest appearances whilst teaching children a beautiful dance to Frozen. The children have also Pre-Prep teachers long for the children to return but they are delighted learnt some simple French greetings, Bonjour, Au revoir, Je m’appelle that it has been a successful half term despite the challenges. We and numbers to 12. will be having decorators into the Pre-Prep during the Easter holidays and we look forward to seeing what impact ‘a lick of paint’ will have on the place. ABBERLEY ADVENTURES 12

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A ‘green heart’ made in support of the PrePrep made ‘green hearts’ to celebrate Today’s finger gym activity of threading climate coalition’s #showthelove all we love about our world for the climate turned into making ‘Mrs Blackmores’ campaign. coalition’s #showthelove campaign. glasses!

A brilliant entry for the Abberley Bake Making snow angels, does it get better Jack’s marble run lasts 63 seconds and Off challenge! than that..? includes knocking down dominoes!

Prayer Group And finally...

A few parents have requested that we form an Abberley Prayer Group. Again, thank you so much to all our wonderful pupils, parents and The school has always had a Christian ethos and so we would like to teachers for being so resilient, so positive and so supportive during invite any parents or staff interested in joining to please get in touch with this difficult time. Spring is in the air, there is light at the end of the Jemima Myrddin-Evans ([email protected]) who has kindly tunnel and we look forward with excitement to welcoming our pupils offered to co-ordinate the group. The plan is to meet twice a term via back to school in the not-too-distant future. There is much to look Zoom and then in person post Covid. forward to!

Abberley Hall School, Abberley, WR6 6DD, UK t: 01299 896275 | e: [email protected]