A leading independent prep school in Somerset, offering excellence in education for 2-13 year olds
Towards the end of last term and following their recent history trip to the Bovington Tank Museum, Year 6 were set the challenge of making their own Anderson shelters out of recycled materials. Congratulations to Alice, Rosie and Henry for their winning designs, closely followed by Scarlet and Henry in second place and Rose and Kai in third. It was a tough call as Mr Finch was very impressed by all the designs!
Our school community came together for Prize Giving on the final day to term, to celebrate the many successes and achievements of our pupils throughout the year. We were honoured to welcome the Headmaster of Canford, Ben Vessey, who spoke about the importance of the three p’s – positivity, patience and perseverance. It was an inspiring and uplifting message; thank you, Ben. Thank you, too, to our brilliant pupils, staff, families and friends for keeping the energy and spirit of Perrott alive despite the circumstances – and a special mention to our Headmaster, Mr McCullough, who has been the ultimate in cool, calm and collected during this tumultuous year.
Pre-Prep pupils took part in their Sports Day earlier this month, with many successes and personal achievements throughout the morning. We are delighted that all their hard work in PE this term paid off! Many thanks to Mr Sheldon and the games department, along with Ms Williams and the Pre-Prep team, for a great morning of sport.
The last week of term saw the launch of the Perrott Hill Music Festival, with not one but five outdoor stages! The Senior Choir kicked things off with their superb rendition of Duran Duran’s ‘Ordinary World’ before parents moved around the site in small groups, taking in our solo performers and ensemble groups. Hats off to Mr Shortman and his outstanding team of music and performing arts teachers for a truly unforgettable evening of music and a lesson in making things work whatever the circumstances.
Pupils in Years 7 and 8 attended a brilliant ‘Standing Tall’ event last week. They started with workshops in deportment, modern manners and social graces, before learning how to handle stressful situations and sitting down for a three course meal where they were able to show off their newly acquired skills! Many thanks to the wonderful Heddy and Jo from Standing Tall, who ran the workshops with humour and ease, and to Mrs Layfield, our catering team and all the staff involved at school.
Pupils in Years 3-7 took part in the inaugural Four Hills Challenge recently, a four mile sponsored walk in aid of St Martin’s Church in North Perrott and Key4Life, an inspirational charity which aims to reduce youth reoffending for prisoners and those at risk of going to prison. We were delighted to welcome the charity’s founder and CEO, Eva Hamilton MBE, along with former prisoner turned mentor, Liam, to launch the walk; the duo also spoke in assembly and praised our pupils for their thoughtful and intelligent questions about the criminal justice system. A special mention goes to Arabella, whose brilliant interview with Eva can be read in the latest edition of The Week Ahead.
The roof of the Theatre was well and truly raised last week by our incredible Year 8s, whose performance of ‘The Borrowers’ was an utter delight from start to finish. Under the superb direction of Aaron and Sarah from The Drama Club in Stratford-upon-Avon, what this brilliant team of pupils achieved in just over seven days is nothing short of remarkable, with standout performances and exceptional backstage support throughout. Very well done to you all! Many thanks to Mr Shortman, our live band and Senior Choir, to producer Mrs Layfield, and to Mrs Palmer, Mr White, Mr Andrews, Mrs Stafford, Mrs Tarrant and everyone involved in such a joyous and uplifting production.
It was a pleasure to host our Prep School Sports Day recently. Very well done to all our pupils who competed with grit and determination, cheering one another on in true Perrott spirit – we are so proud of you all. Congratulations to the individual winners (including record-breakers Harry, Florence, Tommy, Lily, Henry, Arthur and Daisie) and three cheers for the winning House, Mendips. Finally, a big thank you to all those who made the day possible, including our Director of Sport, Mr Sheldon, and our incredible grounds and maintenance team. Top Field was a thing of beauty! The countdown is now on for Pre-Prep Sports Day; we can’t wait.
Last week, Years 3-5 shared their thoughts on Annet Schaap’s heart-rending debut novel ‘Lampie and the Children of the Sea’. The book was shortlisted for The Carnegie Medal and received a unanimous thumbs up from some of Somerset’s most discerning readers (it was also recommended by Head of English, Mrs Byrne, in The Week’s Independent Schools Guide in March)! The book up for discussion at last Thursday’s Years 6-8 Book Club was ‘Echo Mountain’ by the celebrated American poet and novelist, Lauren Wolk. It inspired some lively and thoughtful discussions about family and friendship.
Last week’s Parent and Child Golf Tournament was a very enjoyable foursomes competition on the pitch and putt course at Cricket St Thomas Golf Club. Congratulations to the Boulters, who were crowned the winners with an excellent 62 over the 18 holes.
