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Inside: 1914-2014:Remembering thefallen 100 years onCarol Kings: Makinga song and danceabout Christmas

BLUNDELL’S PREPARATORY SCHOOL MAGAZINE

AUTUMN 2014

review

Head Master’s NEWS

Andy Southgate Head Master

One of the abiding memories of myfirst year as Head of Blundell’s Prepwas Grandparents’ Day and the 20minute forum that I set up with our80 guests in order to talk aboutschools and the ways in which theyhave changed. I had thought, naively,that this would be verystraightforward and yet the topic ofconversation took a mostunexpected turn. The first questionthat I was asked was “Head Master,

are you concerned by the electro-magnetic smog that iscreated by wireless networks?” I paused, gathered myself,tried to formulate an answer that was balanced andappropriate whilst still reeling from the shock. I managed toget through that question which was then followed by adiscussion about technology and its place in schools. At thattime it was the start of the ‘I-Pad Revolution’ when manyschools appeared to be doing away with books and libraries infavour of tablet technology and the lure of the ‘App’. The roomdivided and a books vs technology debate ensued, much tomy delight. It was a fascinating morning and one that I oftenreflect on when considering the future use of technologywithin schools. There is no question that it has its place and agreat disservice we would be doing our children if we did notprepare them for the technology driven world in which we liveand in which they are going to work. However, we mustguard against the notion that exposure to technology will beenough as it is the skills to use that technology in the mosteffective and meaningful way that is the key to success andthat is where the teacher’s role is paramount.  We want ourchildren to be discerning learners, able to source, select,challenge and refute the information that comes their way ona daily basis and in such volumes that we could only havedreamt of when we were children. Our children must be ableto make those decisions but they must also be able tounderstand the very building blocks of technology and that iswhere the new Computing Curriculum comes in. I am surethat some of our current Prep School parents have raised aneyebrow when their children have returned home to say “weplayed computer games today” but what they actually meanis “we made computer games today…and then playedthem!” The skill of coding is something that is making acomeback having seen the UK’s position as industryleaders dwindle over the last 20 years. That is not to say thatwe are educating a whole generation of game makers but weare helping children to look beyond the simple use oftechnology and into its very building blocks. As parents, wemust try to keep up! 

“Our children must be able to make those decisions but they mustalso be able to understand the very building blocks of technologyand that is where the new Computing Curriculum comes in...”

At Blundell’s Prep we have embraced these changes with asignificant investment in technology, with new laptopsacross the school, Interactive whiteboards and surroundsound in all classrooms, and a bank of tablets for classes toaccess information with ease. Add to this new ‘Beebots’ inthe Pre-Prep and a purpose built Pre-Prep ICT suite and youhave everything you need – well, not everything. You alsoneed the teachers to shape the curriculum and the way thatthis equipment is used, and we are fortunate to have verycapable staff who have fully embraced the use of tech in theclassrooms. They use a wide range of software from Scratchto Purple Mash to Espresso (not the coffee!) in order to bringinteractive opportunities to every lesson and this will befurther enhanced over the coming months with support fromour new Head of Computing in the Prep School. Digitalcameras are in use on a daily basis and we even used thetablets to capture sounds of nature in the woods, recordingsthat were then edited in order to form a musicalcomposition. Lego Mindstorms Club is as popular as everand encourages programming skills as well as engineering.Our Design Technology room is soon to be fitted with aceiling mounted camera to enhance group demonstrationsand this will then be mirrored in Food Technology. As you cansee, the use of technology is fully embedded in everysubject area. 

Throughout the school, the children are having theopportunity to discover new technologies and to see howthey can benefit their learning. Will this mean “the end ofthe book?” as one concerned Grandparent suggested. “Farfrom it” was my reply, as the new and the traditional are notmutually exclusive, in fact at Blundell’s Prep they mesh ratherwell.

You will notice that technology features as the lead topic inthis Autumn edition of the Review but you will also noticethe vast array of events that have filled the last 3 months. Ithas been another action-packed term and one that has beengreatly enjoyed by everyone at BPS. My thanks as always toall who have contributed to this publication, especially ourEditor, Lee Moore. Enjoy!

IT’S MORE FUN TO COMPUTEMany of the children here at the Prep School have been enjoyingthe start of an exciting new ‘Computing’ curriculum throughoutthe Autumn Term. With a greater emphasis on computationalthinking and creativity, it has been lovely to see how quickly theyhave adjusted to the changes, throwing themselves into thesubject in typical Blundell’s style. There has been a real ‘buzz’amongst pupils in Years 5 and 6; they have been constantlytalking about their latest gaming creations developed through thecoding platform ‘Scratch’, sharing their wonderful ideas andtesting them out on one another! Coding, or programming,provides them with a wide range of skills that will be essential asactive participants in a digital world – logical thinking, planningand ‘debugging’ to name but a few. Newly purchased laptops andtablets, alongside existing technical equipment such as cameras,Lego Mindstorms and digital microscopes, are used on an almostdaily basis throughout the school, whilst websites such asLinguascope and MyMaths provide excellent opportunities forchildren to continue their learning in other subjects in a fun andenjoyable manner. The digital citizens of tomorrow are beingdeveloped right here at Blundell’s Prep today! D.J.M.

OK Computer

Blundell’s Prep NEWS

Congratulations to Joseph Provis and Jessica Paynefor leading the School as Head Boy and Head Girlthis term. All in Year 6 have been trying hard allterm to join them as Prefects and voting took placeat the end of term to elect the new team ofPrefects. Well done to William Cave, Abigail Horan,Freya Marr, Finlay Williams, Alice Williams andGeorge Worcester, who were chosen as setting apositive example by their manners, appearance, theway in which they behave and the effort that theyput into their work. They were awarded Prefect tiesto wear, and will take up their new roles in January.Special congratulations go to William and Abigail,who were chosen to take up the mantle of HeadBoy and Head Girl next term. Well done to all, andkeep trying hard Year 6 – more Prefects may wellbe chosen as the year goes on!

It was a great treat to have avisit from The West MidlandsChildren's Theatre Companythis term. They gave us alively performance of the storyof the Fire Bird. Children werechosen from the audience tohelp the actors tell the story.They listened spellbound asthe story unfolded.  T.N.

Blundell’s Bonfire Night wasa huge success and theturnout was great, eventhough it had been delayedby bad weather. Everybodyloved the blazing bonfireburning brightly, and thespectacular fireworks whichlit up the sky in an array ofsparkling colours. We allenjoyed the sweets and lightsticks, and the food wasgreat too! Thanks to theFriends of Blundell’s Prep fororganising the night.

Kaira Hinchliffeand Molly Joyner, Year 6

Each form has also elected a representative totake their views to the School Council this time.The Council meets with Mr. Kerr to discussissues raised by the pupils themselves, and thisterm discussions have centred on SchoolBuddies, Lunch Menus and Children In Need.Congratulations go to the following forrepresenting their Forms this term: FinlayWilliams, Tyler Read, Abigail Horan, KeziaHolman, Oscar Winsley, Jasper Winsley, WilliamLuxton, Harry Cracknell, Benji Provis, AlexTarrant and Bea Morrison. There will beopportunities for others to step forward torepresent their Forms next term.

Alice Williams and Estelle Tucker, Year 6

To mark the centenary of thestart of the First World War, theSchool Remembrance Servicetook place in the Chapel thisyear. Mr. Southgate talked tothe children about an OldBlundellian pupil, LieutenantPhillip Perkin, who had foughtin the Great War and had diedin active service at the age oftwenty two. The ReverendHunt, our School Chaplain, led

the prayers. After the service, the congregationgathered around the School War Memorial and childrenfrom each year group laid a tribute to those who hadlost their lives fighting in action. Trumpeters from theSenior School then played The Last Post and Reveille. Itwas a very moving service and lovely to see so many ofour school families represented in the congregation. T.N.

Besides holding our Remembrance Servicein the School Chapel, in recognition of thestart of The Great War, 100 years ago, wealso decided to build our very own replicatrench in a field behind the Prep School, andenlisted the help of Head of Maintenanceand historian, Tony Addison. The result wasa super resource to be used in Historylessons and Year 6 had the opportunity tospend time in the trench, learning aboutwhat life was like on the front line of theWestern Front. Each child in the Prep Schoolmade their own poppy, some of which wereplaced at the School War memorial, but theremaining poppies were placed in front ofthe trench as a mark of respect to all wholost their lives during the First World War.A.D.S.

The TrenchPlaying with Fire

Remembering

Blundell’s Prep NEWS

On Friday 26thSeptember popularchildren’s author JuliaJarman came andvisited us. She talked tous about how shewrites her books. Sheshowed us the stagesof making a book andwe were all surprised at

how long it took! Afterwards we got a chance tobuy signed books from her. Julia has written a lotof books including Ghost Writer (one of herfavourites,) Pillywiggins (a story inspired by herGrandma) and the Time Travelling Cat series. Shehas also written booksfor younger readers,including The Big RedBath, Class Two at theZoo and The Bear onthe Stairs. You can findout more about Juliaat her website:www.juliajarman.com.

Jess Payne and LottieSouthgate, Year 6

The Write Time

Blundell’s Prep NEWS

At Harvest lots of food was donated toCHAT (Churches Housing Action Team).There was a whole table full of food,including tuna, pasta, soup, canned fruit,sugar and a whole range of cereals;CHAT gives the food to local people whocan’t afford their own food or housing.Thank you to everyone who contributed!Estelle Tucker and Alice Williams, Year 6

AFTER WORDChildren in the Pre-Prep enjoyed coming to School dressed as favouritestorybook characters, and returning to School afterdark to have bedtime stories read to them bycandlelight served as a fitting epilogue to the day.

The children enjoyed the opportunity towork in mixed-age groups on Maths Dayand it was fantastic to see the olderchildren supporting the younger ones.The day began with a problem solvingnumber trail around the school grounds.There were 15 questions set out on acircular route. The children did a greatjob of finding each clue and then workingout the attached problem. They alsocollected letters along the way which theyhad to re-arrange to make a maths-relatedword. All of the teams managed tocomplete the trail and were rewardedwith cookies and hot chocolate beforeplaytime! The next activity challenged thechildren to invent a new maths game.Some chose to make sports-related gamesin the playground while others opted forthe more traditional board game. All ofthe games were original and the childrenhad fun playing them. The Maths Daywas a great success and the childrenenjoyed using their maths skills indifferent contexts. G.J.R.

Sum Times

RUGBYCHAMPIONSEngland Rugby Captain and Harlequinsflanker Chris Robshaw presented thetriumphant Under 10 A Team boys withthe trophy after a comprehensivevictory at the Millfield Tournament.

Mr. Southgate led anoutdoor Assembly

looking at vegetableproduce collected at

Harvest.

On Friday 14th November it was Childrenin Need day. Everyone donated onepound to come to school dressed instripy clothes, and cakes were madeand sold by Year 5 to raise extra moneyfor the appeal. Children in the Pre-Prepalso brought a cuddly toy into school forthe day, and there was a Guess the Bearcompetition in which the children couldguess which teddy bear belonged towhich member of staff. There were alsobear biscuits to decorate and all enjoyedeating these at snack time. Children inNeed use the money to help childrenwith illnesses, disabilities and diseases.This year more than 32.6 million poundswas raised across the country. Thanks toeveryone who contributed!Eve Nugent and Emily Sellar-Elliott, Year 6

Childrenin Need

Harvest

here were lots of lovely stalls and gamesat the Blundell’s Christmas Market,including: ‘the shooting gallery’ (usingwater pistols to put out candles), toy and

book stalls, a Name the Teddy competition (nownamed ‘Brownie’), the Raffle (run by year 6),sweetie stalls, a lucky dip, face painting,tattoos, a bouncy castle and of course FatherChristmas. Many thanks to the Friends ofBlundell’s Prep for putting the market together.Father Christmas also put in an appearance atthe Christmas Parties on the last day of term,with a sack full of presents to give out after adelicious party lunch and party games playedwith great enthusiasm. Another highlight of theend of term was the festive feast that wasChristmas Lunch – many thanks to Barbara Moysand the catering staff for working so hard toprovide a veritable banquet of a roast with all thetrimmings! Besides the nativity productions, carolservices, decoration making and card sending,Christmas also provided the theme for the Year 2 FoodTechnology workshop, and Year 3 had ‘treemendous’ fun decorating the School Christmas Tree at the end of a very busy term. We wish everyone a very merryChristmas – and a peaceful new year.

L.P.M. (with help from Jessica Payneand Lottie Southgate, Year 6)

T “...I am always amazedat the confidence withwhich the childrenperform in front of anaudience and this wasno exception...”

Festive Fun

Mus

Blundell’s Prep MUSIC

Our Tea Time Concerts have continued toshow all the hard work that the children putinto learning a musical instrument. OurJunior Tea Time Concert saw many Year 3and 4 children taking part for the first time. Iam always amazed at the confidence withwhich the children perform in front of anaudience and this was no exception. TheSenior Tea Time Concert highlighted theprogression from children performing forthe very first time to children who havedeveloped real performance skills and theability to play or sing a difficult repertoire.

As always, with the run up to Christmas,the Choir have been busy. They sang intown for the turning on of the Christmaslights. It was wonderful seeing so many ofthe children giving up their time on aSaturday afternoon and their singing wasvery much appreciated by the crowds,leaving them very much in the festive spirit.

Just after term finished a small group ofsingers entertained people at Knightshayes.It was ‘late night opening’ at the House andour singers sang to visitors in the DrawingRoom as they walked around. TheChristmas trees, candles and Christmasmusic created a really magical atmosphere.

Thank you to all the children who haveperformed this term and to all the staff whohave helped in the music department. It hasbeen a very busy term for all! B.L.C.

We hosted our annual Festivalof Carols in the Chapel, withthree other schools joining us –St. John’s, Tidcombe and TwoMoors. It was lovely to see somany children joining togetherto celebrate Christmas. Our ownCarol Service was a celebrationof music and readings with thecandlelight creating a perfectatmosphere. The singing waswonderful and the readers readwith confidence and clarity.

ical notes

Starring Roles

The production of Ebenezer by Year 5 this year was a traditionalway to look at Christmas and also set a challenge to the childrenand the costume department alike! This challenge was incrediblywell met by all the cast who due to illness were often changingroles at the last minute. Lochy as Ebenezer took us brilliantlythrough time, visiting the past, present and future with all theattendant spectres. Our soloists were again outstanding andexpertly supported by a very loyal Year 6. All involved clearlyenjoyed the experience! T.M.C.

Blundell’s Prep ON STAGE

There were no shrinking violetsin the Year 1 Christmas Nativityplay this year. The children werefull of confidence and you couldhear every word they spoke andsang. They told the story of alittle angel trying to find outabout something special that was about to happen;along the way she met dancing snowflakes, childrendecorating their house in time for Christmas, a chefpreparing the Christmas food and Father Christmaswith a sack full ofbulging presents. It wasonly when she followedthe star that she wasled to the stable whereshe found Baby Jesuslying in a manger. Theloud clapping at the endof the play showed justhow much the parents,grandparents, auntiesand uncles had enjoyedthe performance! T.N.

The Little Angel

Ebenezer

It was lovely to see theYear 3 children put somuch energy into theirChristmas play -Gabriel's Big Break.They all acted theirparts well and weresupported by the Year 4children who sang withgusto. A specialmention should go toFloss who playedGabriel, and had manylines to learn and toSophie who playedAriel and sang her solo beautifully. Floss,Poppy and Gracie also performed their star dance withpoise and elegance. Everyone enjoyed the experienceimmensely. Well done to all! S.A.S.

The Year 2 children launched the Nativity seasonwith their performance of The Landlord's Cat. Ittold the story of the birth of Jesus through the eyesof the landlord's very clever cat who knew that something special wasabout to happen. The children entertained us all with songs and well-rehearsed words and actions. Their friends and families came to watchthem and thoroughly enjoyed the story. The play was followed by a cup oftea and hot mince pies; the audience went home feeling very seasonal! T.N.

The Kindergarten children told the story of a verygrumpy sheep in their Nativity play. Thesheep felt grumpy about everything.She didn't want to walk anywhere;she was jealous of the angelsbecause they had wings to fly andshe was jealous of the Kingsbecause they had camels to ride.Finally, she made her way to thestable and seeing Baby Jesustransformed her into a very happysheep who smiled her first smileever. It was a delightful performance;the children had obviously workedso hard to learn their wordsand songs. They lookedwonderful in theircostumes. Their familiesand friends thoroughlyenjoyed watchingthem perform. T.N.

The Grumpy Sheep

Blundell’s Prep ON STAGE

The Landlord’s Cat

Gabriel’s Big Break

Nursery delighted us all with theirperformance of The Noisy Nativity.There were the usual nativitycharacters of Mary, Joseph, adonkey, shepherds, inn keepers,three kings and a dancing star. Allthe children enjoyed wearing theircostumes, singing the songs andperforming actions to them too,and the audience played their parttoo by joining in with clappingand singing to support this veryyoung cast. Everyone involvedshould be very proud of all thatwas achieved. Well done to allthe children in the Nursery!D.M.K.

The Noisy Nativity

Blundell’s Prep OUTDOORS

ON THE BEACH The sun was shining when Year 2 set off to Budleigh Salterton. On arrival we walkedthrough the town and onto the pebbled beach for a snack. The children enjoyed looking atthe art work made of pebbles along the shore line as well as watching the choppy sea, asit was quite breezy. The children were keen to explore and they found many interestingcrab shells and pincers as well as other shells, stones and seaweed. While the childrenhad a go at making their own beach artwork we were fortunate to see the Tour of Britaincyclists whizz past, which was an extra treat. We then carried on walking towards theestuary and the River Otter. After a challenge to find a pebble that looked like a ball wethen walked all the way back to the town to enjoy a short coach ride to Exmouth wherewe were very keen to enjoy our packed lunch. After lunch children had the opportunity tobuy their own tasty ice cream or lolly and then we went for a refreshing paddle. We evensaw a few live crabs too. We noticed lots of interesting things in both seaside towns andthe children were able to remember lots of things for our Geography, History and Sciencelessons this term. The children really enjoyed their day out!   D.M.K.

Children from theNursery enjoyedsharing booksfrom TivertonLibrary this term.

GROUPBOOKING

Classroom teaching is often brought to life by visits into the local community andbeyond, and a whole range of subjects, from History and Geography to Englishand Art, have all benefitted from trips to some of the many beautiful attractionsavailable in the local area this term...

out and about

Blundell’s Prep OUTDOORS

Nursery childrenmade a seasonal visitto Pennywell Farm atthe end of term,where they enjoyedacting out theNursery Story – withthe help of some realfarmyard animals –and even met FatherChristmas!

Animal Farm

CHRISTMAS PAST The Year 1 trip to Killerton Housewas as special as ever this year.The trees around the NationalTrust property were beautifullydecorated with large, colourfulbaubles which twinkled in thesunlight as we walked up thepath. The House was decorated in

the theme of the story of The Nutcrackerand every room reflected part of thefamous story. To add to the occasion, thechildren dressed up in Victorian clothes.They learnt about what Christmas was likein the past. They learnt to waltz andwaltzed from room to room; they were allnaturals! They played party games fromthe Victorian times and handled anddiscussed Victorian toys. They also sangVictorian Christmas songs. It was a lovely

experience for themand one thatenhanced theirunderstanding of thepast enormously. T.N.

LOCAL NEWS As part of their Geography topic on Settlement,36 Year 3 children set off, with clip boards in hand,to locate various landmarks of significance inTiverton. First port of call was Heathcoat’s FabricFactory where they learnt about John Heathcoat’sinfluence on the town. Other stops included theconfluence of the Rivers Exe and Lowman, a visitto Knightshayes Court and the Grand WesternCanal. Finally they returned to the Prep School,which was founded by one of the wealthiestmerchants of Elizabethan England, Peter Blundell.W.J.N.

SKETCHERS Year 6 enjoyed their sketching trip to thecanal at Halberton. The children relaxed onthe towpath in the sunshine, collecting ideasto use in their own watercolour landscapesback at school. J.A.A.

SCULPTURE CLUB On a glorious day in September, Year3 headed to North Devon. Theyvisited Broomhill Sculpture Park andexplored a variety of sculptureshidden in the valley. Laden withideas, they then travelled to SauntonSands to create their own sculpturesin the sand, followed by theobligatory ice cream! A fantasticday was had by all.  W.J.N.

HOUSE GUESTS On Tuesday 11th November Year 6visited School House, to find out alittle about life at the Senior Schoolin general and Entrance Examprocedures in particular. We weremet by Mr. Marshman, Head ofSchool House, who escorted us tothe lunch hall for doughnuts and achance to talk to some Year 7students about their experiences atthe School. After a chance to askquestions, we were shown BigSchool – the exam venue – beforebeing given a tour of the facilities atSchool House. Everyone found it afascinating and informativeafternoon – and were all very keen tomake the move up to Year 7!Emily Sellar-Elliott and Eve Nugent,Year 6

U11 HOCKEYWhat a busy term it has been! The U11 A Team has played a totalof 10 fixtures and participated in 4 locally held tournaments. Tosay this group of girls like their hockey is an understatement, infact I think they eat, sleep and breathe hockey! Their commitmentand attitude towards training has been second to none and as aresult they have had a most successful season. They camerunners up in only one Wednesday afternoon fixture where theBlundell’s v Exeter battle continues. Don’t worry, there is alwaysthe netball season! They accomplished convincing victories overKing’s Hall, Mount Kelly, Maynard and St. Peter’s where goalsflooded in left, right and centre. With the pace of Anna Maunderon the right wing, the tenacity to tackle that comes in the form ofLottie Southgate and the fearful strike of the ball from HonorHuggett, they have been a force to be reckoned with. Aside fromweekly fixtures the girls have won silver medals at both theExeter and Queens tournaments, progressed to the quarter finalsat a very competitive IAPS competition and ended the seasonbeing crowned Devon Champions! I don’t know about you, but Ithink they deserve a holiday!

It has been an impressive term of hockey for the U11 B Teamwith the majority of their games ending in victory. Jessica Payne

Blundell’s Prep SPORTS

Hockey

“...Their commitmentand attitude towardstraining has been secondto none and as a resultthey have had a mostsuccessful season...”

and Megan Sharp have been almost impossible to penetrate indefence, and together they worked with immense determinationand competitiveness to keep opposing teams away from our goal.Issy Leyshon stepped up to the plate early on as goalkeeper andhas gone from strength to strength, making some excellent savesas the season has progressed. On the wings Molly Joyner, TylerRead, Alice Williams, Kaira Hinchliffe, and Emily Sellar-Elliott haveall created fine attacking opportunities and also supported thedefence when it was needed. In latter matches, it was clear tosee the development of skills in all the players as they confidentlyused reverse stick and left to right drag manoeuvres in order toget around the opposition. In the centre, Eve Nugent made a bigimpact with her superb fitness and the ability to dribble the ballforward at great speed on the attack. Abigail Horan, as centreforward, has been a supportive team player throughout,committing 100% to every match and tirelessly working hard toimprove her skills and tactics week in and week out. Ella Martinand Cerys Squibb have played well both as centre forwards andon the wing and have also been a huge help in assisting the U10sin several of their matches. Well done to the whole squad andenjoy the Christmas break.  F.L.E. & L.B.

U9 HOCKEY It always amazes me when you returnafter the summer holiday and see howmuch the children have grown in the spaceof just a few weeks. The U9 A Team havematured so much in only a year and havebeen an absolute pleasure to coachhockey. They have listened carefully, triedhard, and shown a real determination toprogress. I have been most impressedwith the development of their skill. Theytravel with the ball with pace and nowhave the confidence to move aroundplayers. Their ability to work as a teamshone through at the Blundell’stournament; they came top of their pooland progressed to the quarter finals wherethey were unlucky to be knocked out on

U8 HOCKEY It has been a term of many ‘firsts’ for lots ofthe Under 8s in Games. For many, it was theirfirst competitive hockey match, and from thisall the girls went on to play in several verysuccessful subsequent fixtures where theyall showed great enthusiasm anddetermination to do well. They had their firstaway fixture against Taunton where theytravelled brilliantly on the minibus and didthemselves proud both on and off the pitch.Ruby Wetherall’s skills have really shone outthis term and she was never far from theaction in a game. Amara Lilley and GraceHoran played with vibrant energy andfortitude at all times and Poppy Borradailetotted up a satisfying number of goals in thelast two matches played.

Aside from the success in hockey, the girlsalso enjoyed some cross country and netballthis term. For many, it was the first time theyhad thoroughly enjoyed a very muddy andwet cross country route and in fact asked todo extra laps because they enjoyed it somuch! Leading on from this, it was the firsttime they were able to take a shower in thechanging rooms, which in itself seemed tobe one of the biggest highlights of theseason. Well done to all the girls! F.L.E.

penalties. Hattie Barnes, Ottilie Davy andConstance Patterson tackled beautifully indefence and fed the ball out with ease tothe wings. Jess Barnes, Flossie Ames, andFlo Cave have all developed their use ofreverse stick drags and have contributed tothe goal scoring this term. This, togetherwith Georgia Withey’s relentless hasslingof the opposition and Isobel Morrison’sathleticism and skill has made a successfulteam, so successful in fact that HonorTobin hasn’t had an awful lot to do in goal!Having not touched the ball during the 1sthalf of a match one Thursday afternoon,she played for the opposition and facedher own team mates, making someastounding saves! Her own teammatesfelt she could have let at least one in!Overall, five wins out of seven fixtures isan achievement the pupils should be proudof. Well done, girls!

The U9 B Team started the season withsome demanding matches against MountKelly and St. Peter’s. From this they learntthat they needed to work really hard whenchasing back in defence and also thatstepping up early to make a tackle wasgoing to be important in order to preventfuture losses. By the third game however,they had started to gel a lot more as ateam and were able to create far moreattacking opportunities. FlorenceChapman and Amelia Mitchell showedgreat determination and fitness whenworking in both attack and defence andwere always supportive on the wing andin the centre positions. The final threematches were won with a real flair and allthe girls showed a huge progression intheir skills from the first to the last game.Well done! F.L.E. & L.B.

U10 HOCKEY The U10 A Team proved to be a force to reckonwith this term. The statistics showed 8 wins, onedraw, silver medallists at the Queen’sTournament and Gold medallists at Millfield.Some great attacking hockey has been played,the two centre mids, Kezia Holman and RachelBrown, often finishing well worked moves withclinical precision. Shea Clark proved a potentforce on the right wing and showed some greattechnical skills. Phoebe Jerreat and ClemBantock both played the difficult role at left wingwith an abundance of determination andpromising skill. The success of a good team isnearly always reliant on a good defence, andElizabeth Honey, Millie Evans and Sophia Fieldsin goal all played their part, being totally focusedand very reliable when the need arose. There isonce again much to look forward to from thisteam next year. Well done girls!

The U10 B Team didn’t have the best of startsto the hockey season, with two injuries before

we even started and neither hockey related!With the support of Kaira Hinchliffe and CerysSquibb, and the occasional stand inperformance from Ella Martin, Tyler Read andAlice Williams, the fixtures went ahead. Asthe season progressed the pupils developedtheir movement on the field and ability toclose down players. The games played wereclosely fought with Lucie Spencer battlinghard, making some effective tackles anddemonstrating good use of her reverse stick.At the opposite end of the pitch there weresome strong performances by Jas Shaddickin goal who made some outstanding andbrave saves. With convincing wins overWellington and Stockland and only narrowdefeats by strong Millfield and WestBuckland teams, these children have everyright to feel proud of their participation andachievements this term. Well done girls!S.J.M. & F.L.E.

Blundell’s Prep SPORTS

Blundell’s Prep SPORTS

RugbyU11 RUGBY The U11 A Team has developed a wonderfulflowing style of play. With determined runningbacks and hard upfront forwards the team hasbattled well throughout the season, and withonly the matter of a conversion deciding somegames, all of the matches have been excitingto watch. The forward pack have supportedeach other well, and at scrum time they havecome into their own, being able to turn manyopposition scrums around. A touring teamfrom King Edward’s School in Bath had a packtwice as large, but in spite of this theBlundell’s pack dominated and the hookerswere lifted off their feet in the scrum as theforce from the sides was transferred throughthe front rows. Behind the scrum the backsplayed with great purpose and ran hard andstraight towards the opposition try line, oftencrossing it. Finn Muirhead led from the frontas Captain, ably supported by Joseph Provis,Harry Lanyon, Toby Hull, Kit Barnes andothers. Well done to all of the team!

This has been an enormously successfulseason for the U11 B Team in which atremendous team spirit pervaded throughout.The boys were committed to playing for eachother and for the team in every match. Thiswas clearly seen by the joy shared by allwhen a try was scored, as was often done byone of the enormously hard working forwardssuch as Finlay Williams, Gabriel Harrison-Kinnaird and Alexander Lawler. These threeboys committed themselves totally andselflessly to the team in every match, andtheir powerful running aligned with strongtackling ensured the quick running backs hadplenty of good possession to use productively.This possession was distributed excellentlyby Oliver Butler and the backs were ignitedby the powerful running of Nathan White fromfly-half and the electric running of Sam Oliveat centre. Outside Sam, George Worcester ransuperbly at all times and his ruthless tacklingbelied his size to the enormous admiration ofthe entire squad. Oscar Prior-Palmer appliedhimself selflessly to all roles asked of him andthrived in the open spaces of the back-line,while he also provided excellent support toNathan’s place kicking. Out wide theimproved running and defence of CarstenWood and Christian Tiernan was a delight towitness and gave the team a genuine boost.Each boy took turns to lead the team and atevery time they were supportedwholeheartedly by the rest of the team. S.G.S. & J.C.K.

The tremendoussuccess of lastyear’s season wasgoing to be veryhard to repeat for theU9 A Team,especially with anew set of rules fromthe RFU, but despitethe challenges theboys registered fourwins out of sixmatches at the St. Peter’s Festivalseason opener. Oursecond tournament atMillfield saw usbegin to display some well executed rugby with clean tacklingand many phases of direct running. We comfortably won fivegames out of six and ended up runners up to a very strongKingswood side. Matches at Exeter Prep, King’s Hall, MountKelly and St. Peter’s saw us develop further as a team workinghard together. The pressure was on for our own tournament inlate November, but three good wins in the early rounds and aclinical display against Wellington in the semis saw us face St. Peter’s in the final, arguably one of the strongest teams inthe tournament; the boys played to their strengths and ran outcomfortable winners 6-0 to take the trophy. Two more matchessaw wins at Wellington and Taunton which improved ourstatistics over the season: 28 games played, 24 won and 4 lost.This is a team which really has grown and developed; the boyshave been a pleasure to coach, well done, you deserve yoursuccess!

The U9 B Team embraced the new RFU rules, ably showingthe skills needed to take advantage of freer running in a morefluid and flowing game. They certainly showed their confidenceat the King’s Hall rugby tournament where the boys wereundefeated across six matches. With notable wins in theseason against Plymouth College and Wellington, the teamshowed a depth of rugby skills: great tackling from SebastianTarrant and John Wrightson often enabled the team to get onthe front foot, while Hector Marr provided a quality ball forWilliam Luxton to show what a good runner he is. Tom Prior-Palmer, Reuben Kerr and Romulus Hill backed up andsupported every move so possession was maintained. S.J.M. & S.G.S.

U9 RUGBYU10 RUGBYThe Under 10s have had a fantasticrugby season with all 15 of our boysmaking tremendous progress andcontributing fully to the squad. The termbegan with a convincing win againstMount Kelly (65-0) and all members ofthe squad keen to get their hands on theball. The A Team then headed off toMillfield for a tournament against someof the stronger Prep Schools from theSouth West, and yet our boys proved tobe too strong for them all, beating King’sHall (20-5), Millfield (30-0), All Hallows(10-0) and Bristol Grammar (10-0) on their way to lifting the trophy whichwas presented by England Captain, Chris Robshaw. Our next opponentswere West Buckland and they put up a very tough test for our squad ofplayers. It took every member of the squad to play well to hold them to25-15 but this was a good test for the boys and one that theyrelished. There was then a chance for the Under 10 squad to split upand to merge with the Year 6 players to form the Colts B and Cteams. Once again the boys made significant contributions and helpedthe teams to win both matches in some style. Another convincing winthen followed, this time against Stockland before it was time to head toBristol to face the very strong QEH.The B Team were in tremendousform and won their match but the A team, a side not used to losing, didexactly that and returned rather fed up to a coach who was also fed up,not least because he couldn’t travel with the team that day. Withcustomary grit and determination, the boys bounced back and becameColts teams once again, this time to face Exeter Cathedral. Convincingvictories followed and some very impressive rugby was being played. It would be fair to say that our Under 10 squad did rather surprise theiropponents on occasions as they are not the biggest but they are asferocious and competitive a group of players as I have come across inmy years of coaching. They just do not give an inch and this was thehallmark of their rugby throughout the season. This approach to rugbywas very much part of the way that they trained together and with theextra support from our Director of Elite Rugby, Tony Yapp, we were ableto form a side who were confident to play with the ball in hand and todefend as if their lives depended on it! After half term the squad wenton to even greater feats with victory at Queen’s followed by a winningperformance in the Queen’s Tournament. In conditions akin to amonsoon the children faced many challenges, both physical and mental,on their way to wins against Port Regis, Millfield, Exeter Junior, ExeterCathedral, Hazlegrove and then finally Sandroyd, conceding only one tryin the process. Wins at Exeter Junior School and Wellington followedbefore the final game of the season was upon us and another powerfulperformance saw the boys playing as Colts once more, the B teamwinning and the C team losing narrowly.

My congratulations to every member of the squad as all have giventheir very best throughout this superb season.  A.D.S.

As the term has progressed theYear 3 boys have grown inconfidence, skill and the abilityto work as a team. Trainingsessions have become moreefficient (less time spent gettingchanged/doing up shoe laces!)and matches played in mixed-ability teams against otherschools have been a realhighlight; particularly our awaytrips to Mount Kelly,Wellington, St. Peter’s andTaunton. Special mentions must go to Ethan Moran for hisability to read game situations like a pro, the Stewart andCracknell brothers for their superb support play, Harry Clarksonand William Edwards for going about their jobs in a quiet, yetincredibly effective manner, and Rafael Crowe for hisoutstanding tagging, try scoring skills and constant energy.Recent House Matches showed just how far all of the boyshave come, with some amazing handling from Jacob Tucker, aswell as magical runs from James Saunders and Benji Provis, toname but a few highlights. The future looks great for this groupof young rugby players – well done Year 3! D.J.M.

U8 RUGBY

Blundell’s Road, Tiverton

Devon EX16 4NA

Telephone: 01884 252393

Email: prep@blundells.org

w w w. b l u n d e l l s . o r g / p r e p

Outdoor Opportunities

ear 6 enjoyed a great morning when they came offtimetable for a cross-curricular Outdoor Learningworkshop at Paradise Woods. The children gatheredrocks, logs and twigs to create a base in the woods

complete with fire pit and seating area, before engaging in avariety of activities, including art work using mirrors to capturecanopy views of the trees above and music using tablets to recorda variety of nature sounds and pictures to be used as the basis fortheir own rustic compositions. They also enjoyed the opportunityof cooking their own ‘dough stick’ snacks over the campfire. Year5 cooked pumpkin soup in their field kitchen and sang Frenchsongs around the campfire. They foraged for colouful plants andberries using these to create colour charts for their 'Field andBerry' range of paints. The winners of the Year 5 Pumpkin CarvingCompetition were Ben FitzHerbert, Lochy Conkshaw and DominicWielenga. Year 4 built a fire in the woods, where they toastedmarshmallows and melted chocolate, and drizzled it over bananas.They were also charged with the challenge of giving Freddy thefield mouse a home – investigating waterproof habitats for thestuffed rodent! The rainy start to the Year 3 Outdoor learningmorning did not dampen spirits as they built emergency sheltersin the woods using tarpaulins. They then went on to make adobebricks and Egyptian boats made from willow grown at school.They later sailed their boats down the river. They enjoyed eatingapple pancakes which were cooked on the camp fire togetherwith hot chocolate, especially as the rain stopped and the suncame out! Children in the Pre-Prep have also been involved inOutdoor Learning this term. Many areas of the curriculum havebeen taken outside, story times have been a frequent occurrencein The Hub and Mr. Richards even organised a Bear Hunt acrossthe school grounds! Year 1 created some amazing outdoor art inthe style of Andy Goldsworthy. The fun experienced by childrenand teachers alike has been enormous! 

In addition to dedicated time enjoying the outdoors, all staff areconstantly looking for opportunities to use the outdoors duringlessons, whether for foraging in FT,using the environment as astimulus in English or Art or usingthe Teamwork, Leadership andChallenge activities (TLC) inMaths. The Hub is now in almostconstant use and the children loveusing it at playtimes also.Bushcraft Clubs take place twicea week after school and thechildren in these clubs have greatfun learning basic bush craft skillsand using the TLC equipment. OLhas been an out and out success!

Y