A visit to Reading FC proved to be quite inspirational with boys and girls dreaming of getting their names on shirts and playing in front of 24,000 spectators. Our matches against Orchard Junior School and Ballard School did not quite attract that turnout but everyone played in the mixed team formats with great effort, growing team and individual awareness, plenty of skill and most importantly huge amounts of enjoyment. Laser quest, ten pin bowling, our hotel and beach side restaurant were all other locations where the pupils were great ambassadors for the school receiving many compliments along the way. Pleasingly they all recommended that next year’s Year 4 group should go on tour but that Miss Barrett’s and Mr Dryden’s coachpool karaoke voices needed some attention!.

Whilst Year 4  were travelling back our Year 6 boys were beginning to think of their own onward journey through to senior schools. Transition can be a daunting experience but we were grateful to our colleagues at Senior Boys who gave all the boys, regardless of their next destinations, a superb weather adjusted programme and a taste of ‘big school’. 

Glorious sunshine greeted more intrepid adventures on Monday. It was fortunate that two large coaches had been organised to take Year 6 on their exciting week to Osmington Bay as the amount of luggage was extraordinary. I was lucky enough to visit the boys on Wednesday (not the best day, weather-wise!) and everyone was having a whale of a time, even if they were a bit wet!

Year 4 got the travel bug and scooted up the M3 to Hampton Court Palace on Wednesday to reinforce and extend their learning in their Tudors topic. It really is a remarkable building and well worth a visit in the holidays.

Whilst the older pupils were away, all of Year 3 and 4 took the chance to invite parents back into the Hall for our first major musical concert for quite some time. The performances on Thursday made us all smile and the applause was greatly deserved. It is wonderful to see that lockdowns have not stopped our boys playing a wide range of instruments. If you would like your child to learn an instrument during school please do contact Mrs Stevenson (EVS@Clairescourt.net) 

On Thursday morning our Year 5 visited Senior Boys for a ‘Discovery session’ as part of their transition programme to Senior Boys.  It was pleasing to hear that (as always) they were very enthusiastic in their Science and Languages sessions and enjoyed their lunchtime too! Please do take the opportunity to arrange a personal visit to Senior Boys by calling our Registrar on 01628 327710.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

Best wishes

Mrs Kirby