News list
Form 2 enjoyed a fun day getting to know each other on the St John’s playing fields at the end of their first week of term. The children were involved in a variety of team building activities and had to effective communications skills to work effectively as a team. The children in all three of the Form 2 classes were put into mixed groups, enabling new friendships to form whether they were new to the school or not.
The 2019 Girls’ U11 A hockey season got off to a flying start on 6 September with a masterclass at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London, led by Haileybury school’s Director of Hockey and former USA international, Mr Rob Schilling. The girls took part in a hockey festival with four other schools which involved training and matches, before watching Haileybury's 1st XI hockey scholars' 'curtain raiser' match against Epsom.
On Saturday 6 July 2019 parents, pupils, staff and friends of St John’s gathered to mark the end of another successful academic year at the school. Parents and children had the opportunity to admire and celebrate the wonderful work that was on display around the school, at Byron House, Senior House and Whitfield House. After the prize-giving service in the marquee, families relaxed with a picnic lunch before the Form 1 to Form 6 children took part in an afternoon of sports.
The Form 6’s Leavers’ Programme started with an exhilarating trip to the Ardèche region in France. The children took part in activities such as kayaking, river walking, night-line, climbing and abseiling with a two day canoe descent of the Ardèche River with an overnight bivouac being the highlight of the week. The Choristers also had their own schedule of fun and varied activities during trips week as they remained in the UK due to their Choir commitments.
Our youngest Senior House children, Form 3, went to Edale Outdoor Activity Centre in Derbyshire for trips week in June 2019. The trip was designed to promote teamwork and leadership skills, encourage participation in new and exciting challenges and to practise all important listening skills. Set within some of the Peak District's most stunning countryside, Edale is ideal for walking, caving and climbing activities and the children also had the chance to tackle the open water with boat-based activities.
The Summer Concert at the West Road Concert Hall was, again, an extraordinary evening in a great venue that will long be remembered by those who came and all who took part. St John’s pupils took to the professional stage with joy, confidence and skill to play and sing a delightfully varied and balanced programme of first-rate quality.
Great team spirit ensured that the Pre Prep Sports Day on 28 June was one of the highlights towards the end of term. It got off to a flying start and saw the children take part in competitive running and relay races. The children also competed in various novelty races which included a dressing-up race, an obstacle race, an egg and spoon race and a sack race.
Form 2 set off on “The best trip ever!” according to one child overheard after the first activities had been completed. The trip was designed to develop the children’s independence and organisational skills and to challenge themselves with all the activities on offer. Hilltop is an Outdoor Education Centre based on the North Norfolk Coast and the trip included activities such as the high ropes course, a 15m climbing wall, a super swing, archery, The Big Zipper and The Amazing Air Jump (the first activity of its kind in England) and fun at the rocky seashore.
Another beautiful sunny day heralded the start of this year’s hugely successful Byron House Summer Fair. A staggering £1,249 was raised and has been split between two charities: www.humanitascharity.org and www.bridgestobelarus.org.uk.