A leading independent prep school in Somerset, offering excellence in education for 3-13 year olds
Friday’s Prize Giving for Years 3-8 took place on the Front Terrace on Friday and what a joyous occasion it was! Well done to all the pupils who won prizes (including those awarded at internal prize giving the day before) and a big thank you to our guest speaker, Bart Wielenga, Headmaster of Blundell’s. Bart spoke to the children about the importance of being your best self and making the right choices along the way, with the imparting message that it’s not the prizes you win (or don’t win) that you’ll be remembered for, but for the person you are and what you leave behind. Thank you, Bart. We also bid farewell to our grads, Mr Harlow, Miss Foice and Mr Matthews; to Miss Hand; to our Chair of Governors, Lord Bradbury, who has served the school for an impressive 18 years; and to Miss White, who has been at Perrott Hill for even longer – a whopping 19 years! Thank you for everything you’ve done for Perrott Hill over the years and good luck with your next adventures.
Hats off to our Year 6 pupils who wowed us with their superb production of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ on the Front Terrace last week – it was magical! Special thanks to Dr Berkeley, Mrs Byrne and Mr Shortman, and to all the pupils and staff who helped behind the scenes. These included musicians from Years 5-7 in ‘The Dream Band’ (with the fairies’ ballet music composed by Ruby in Year 7), fairy attendants from Year 3 under the wonderful direction of Rose in Year 4, and stage management and props by Acer, Ruby, Caspian and Max. Very well done to you all.
It was a pleasure to welcome back our 2020 leavers for a get together on the Front Terrace last week. This brilliant group of pupils – who between them went onto 11 different schools including Canford School, Blundell’s, King’s Bruton, Sherborne Girls and Taunton School – missed out on the usual leavers’ events due to Covid. Needless to say, we loved having them back and hearing their stories about life at senior school.
Pre-Prep Prize Giving took place in the Grundy Hall on Friday, with the Year 2 children taking us on a wonderful trip down memory lane. From their first day at school to the friends they have made along the way, they each spoke beautifully as they recited their favourite memory of Pre-Prep. There was singing in the form of French songs and the children performed their special leavers’ song, too. Well done to Inigo in Year 1, who won this year’s House Points Cup, and to all the children in Year 2 who received prizes with a citation from the Headmaster and Pre-Prep staff. We are so proud of you all.
Year 8 performed their leavers’ play last week, which was a stellar production of J. Meade Faulkner’s 1898 novel ‘Moonfleet’, adapted for the stage by Mr Shortman. The acting was phenomenal and it felt very special to bring this local story to new audiences at Perrott Hill. Very well done to all our Year 8 pupils who were absolute superstars, and a massive thank you to the show’s directors, Sarah and Aaron from The Drama Club in Stratford-upon-Avon, to folk musician Tim Laycock, and to all the staff involved at school. It was brilliant!
One of our favourite events of the year – the much-loved Grandparents’ Tea Party – took place on the Front Terrace last Wednesday. It was such a joy to see the children’s faces as they led their grandparents off around the school, before enjoying a delicious afternoon tea and a short concert by our wonderful musicians. Our favourite number from their set? ‘Tea for Two’ of course… Many thanks to everyone involved in such a special afternoon.
Years 6 and 7 enjoyed a brilliant trip to France recently, where they were hosted by the wonderful Maison Claire Fontaine staff in Burgundy. As well as visiting the towns and villages of Avallon, Flavigny and Vézelay, they also toured le Château de Bussy Rabutin and took part in various workshops and competitions – all in French, bien entendu! Congratulations to Alice and Euan who were chosen as the two Perrott Hill ambassadors in recognition of their hard work and superb attitudes throughout the week, and to all of Years 6 and 7 who did themselves and the school proud. Un grand merci à Madame Brooks, Mr Finch, Mrs Tarrant et Miss Foice. Les enfants sont rentrés avec des souvenirs plein la tête et ont fait beaucoup de progrès à l’oral!
Congratulations to the ten finalists who took part in our annual Year 5 Storytelling Competition in the Library. Pupils had to write and recite their own stories based on Rudyard Kipling’s ‘Just So’ series and it was lovely to see such creativity and imagination on display. Well done to Alvin, Willoughby and Milly who came 1st, 2nd and 3rd respectively – and a big thank you to Mr Silk and our adjudicator, Mark Hambleton, Head of English at King’s Bruton.
Our senior choir and musicians took to the stage at the Beaminster Festival last week, performing a half hour set in the glorious St Mary’s Church. Following this, they were lucky enough to listen to and then take part in a Q&A session with the pupils of the internationally renowned Yehudi Menuhin School, who told them all about their favourite composers, starting out as musicians and what it’s like to attend one of the best music schools in the world. Many thanks to Mr Shortman and the organisers of the festival for a truly magical morning of music.
Nursery and Reception have been learning all about animals this half term. Last week, their learning was brought to life by a fantastic visit from the wonderful Axe Valley Wildlife Park. The children got to hold and stroke animals including an African land snail, a bearded dragon and a royal python called Percy! Plus, keep your eyes peeled for a story about the day a T-Rex came to school.
