Matchstick Men and Mighty Speeches
Although the Trinity Term has only been underway for three days, it’s already been jam packed with learning, events and excitement. On Wednesday, our Art team led the way with the Year 4 Lowry Exhibition, showcasing the creativity of every Year 4 pupil in a vibrant pop-up gallery. Parents and families poured into the Prep Hall to view the children’s accomplishments and they were not disappointed. Laurence Stephen Lowry was an English artist who depicted scenes from industrial centres in the North West in the mid-20th century. His highly distinctive style is well known and often referred to as ‘matchstick men’. His works were often brooding in their atmospheric style and captured the viewer’s attention. You will see that the Year 4s have emulated this style to an excellent standard as well as bringing in a little of their own personality.
Click here to view our photo albums.
On Thursday, we had the pleasure of watching the Year 6 Public Speaking Final. We are always proud of the dedication and effort our pupils put into their learning, and this was no exception. Every Year 6 pupil worked hard on preparing and performing a speech for their classmates at the end of Lent Term, making the selection process a real challenge for their Year 6 teachers. However, we finally decided on our two finalists and one reserve from each class.
Their performances in the competition were incredible. They spoke with confidence and passion about topics that mattered to them – ranging from the climate crisis and banning homework, to the value of learning, the role of social media, the development benefits of video games, and even the idea that pupils should be paid to attend school!
The diversity of the speeches and how they were delivered really engaged the audience of Year 5 and 6 pupils, staff and parents. Our judging panel had a tough job, but finally decided on Billy as the well-deserved winner. He spoke with great enthusiasm about the impact our choices have on the environment and we were all gripped. The winner of the Public Speaking Competition also gets to give a speech at the Year 6 Celebration in June, with the freedom to add a bit of personality and fun to what they say. We look forward to hearing more from Billy!
Special thanks go to Senior School Public Speaking Competition winners Lionel and Titas who joined us at the Prep, inspiring our pupils with their own speeches and helping with judging. Thanks also to our expert judges Miss Kwolek from the Senior School English Department, the Revd Dr McConnaughie, and also to Mrs Roberts for being a super head judge.
This week was St George’s Day and I look forward to the Monday Key Stage 2 School Meeting in which I will be talking to the pupils about the significance of this Saint’s Day.
Have a lovely weekend,
Alice Goodfellow
