25th June 2021

We were delighted that Sports Day was able to go ahead for the children today, despite the poor weather which had been forecast. The Pre-Prep version took place in the morning, with many hotly contested events (not least the egg and spoon for the youngest children!) and in a lovely, positive, encouraging atmosphere. The overall results were very close, with Nile coming out on top. The Prep event this afternoon was run in a similar spirit, although a little more competitively and with many very impressive performances. The winners of the Prep event were again Nile and so they received the overall trophy. There were many examples of sportsman and sportswoman-like behaviour and the determination of the children, wherever they ended up being placed, was most impressive to observe.

Mr Brooksbank very kindly took photographs and we hope that many of you will be keen to purchase pictures of your children in action. The link will be sent out separately next week to his gallery.

Next week, we turn our focus to the Pre-Prep and Prep plays, and excitement is growing for both. The Pre-Prep version is being performed in the Hall at the beginning of the last week of term and will be recorded, while the Prep version takes place in the Kenton Theatre next Tuesday and Wednesday evenings, with Y6 parents and families attending. The performance will also be live-streamed on Wednesday evening. On Wednesday, Year 2 are off to the Story Museum in Oxford and on Thursday, Year 5 depart for the Blenheim woods for three days of Bushcraft adventures. We are so pleased to be able to run all these events in the current climate and we are most grateful to you for your support.

Further to the information I gave last week about Speech Day, we have planned the following for Thursday 8th July. All year groups up to and including Year 5 will come into school at their normal times in their summer uniform and wearing their blazers please. We will be holding an internal prize-giving and the children will be picked up after this at 11.30am. Year 6 children will arrive with their parents at 12pm and a prize-Giving will be held for them on the lawn. Any siblings of Y6 children can be looked after in school if parents are not able to arrange for them to be elsewhere. Please could Year 6 parents contact the office by Friday 2nd July if they wish their younger siblings to remain in school during the Y6 Prize-Giving.

I hope you have a restful weekend and that your children return ready and excited for a busy week.

With best wishes,

Nick Armitage