Dear Parents The snow was here, the Christmas trees are up, the lights are on, and Fi, in the front office, is working her way through her rather extensive collection of Christmas jumpers! As we look ahead to the final week and a bit of the autumn term, I wanted to reflect on what we have…
Dear Parents I spoke to the children today in assemblies about decorum (/dɪˈkɔːrəm/ behaviour in keeping with good taste and propriety). In Prep assembly, we also spoke about the word propriety (/prəˈprʌɪəti/ conformity to conventionally accepted standards of behaviour or morals). I related these words to our 3Cs and the Holmwood way of showing care,…
A Prep school like Holmwood specialises in preparing children for senior schools and is committed to its 13+ tradition. Our expectations for all the children are high, and for the top two years, the desired academic and personal development of these pupils is unique and significantly different from the experience similarly aged children will have…
Dear Parents As we look ahead to the final week of the school year I wanted to clarify arrangements for the end of term celebrations. Sadly, we will not be able to be together for these events but hope that the technology will enable us to create a sense of community nonetheless. A pre-recorded Pre-Prep…
Dear Parents What a wonderful week in school! We have had around 76% of the pupils in school from Years to 8 and an increasing number at the nursery and Pre-R. The atmosphere in both settings has been lovely and the children have demonstrated such wonderful qualities as patience and understanding; even the littlest ones. …
Dear Parents At the end of another incredible week, I am continually impressed by the resilience and energy of our children. They have taken the new normal in the strides in such a Holmwood way and we are all so pleased to see the quality of their work – week in, week out. You will…
Dear Parents We have enjoyed having some of our pupils back in nursery and school this week, albeit fewer in number. The nursery, Pre-R, Reception, Year 1 and Year 6 pupils who are back (along with our regular key worker children) have had a really positive and happy week in their carefully controlled zones around…
Dear Parents This is probably the most unusual newsletter I have had to write. It is with a strange set of emotions that we bid farewell to the children today; into the great unknown….. The children have been superb! They have responded so maturely, calmly and positively to everything going on around them; we even did…
Dear Parents Last Friday’s astonishing performance of ‘What a Knight!’ was quite spectacular. Feedback from children, parents and staff have all heralded it as a huge success. Well done Years 4 and 5, you were super funny, brilliantly engaged and highly entertaining. My enormous thanks to Mrs Mitchell for masterminding the production; directing her first show!…
Dear Parents It has been so busy at Holmwood in the past week or so! Last Friday’s Friends of Holmwood Quiz was a huge success. The questions, created and collated by the Grout and Bartlett parents, were cleverly crafted around Air, Land, Water, 3Cs, 5Rs and my name! The Talbot Room was full and the atmosphere…
