Head’s Welcome – Mrs Owen, Head of Prep
With the first flurry of snow this week, dare I mention that it is not very long now until Christmas and the end of term will be here before we know it! We have lots of exciting things planned across the Prep School for the children, and lots to fit in before the 12th of December.
To go back to last week for a moment, my newsletter article had to be submitted before Friday’s Upper Prep poetry assembly, but I wouldn’t want to miss the opportunity to congratulate all the pupils involved. They recited a wide variety of poems with confidence and clarity; it was wonderful to see how well they captured the attention of their audience. Thank you to Mrs Bowler and the English department for all the support given to the pupils in preparing them for the assembly.
An assembly that I was privileged to attend this week was a senior school one on the theme of racism, put together by the DEI group, led by Mrs Pehlay. There was a series of spoken word performances from staff and Senior School pupils, each one so powerful in its delivery and content. I would like to thank everyone involved for sharing their stories and personal experiences in this way.
A final thank you goes to Mrs Waite and the Year 5 Charity Committee, who organised a fabulous charity activity break on Tuesday. The pupils had put so much work into ensuring they had a wide range of creative activities, and it was evident from the smiles on the faces of all pupils from Year 2 to Year 6 that much fun was had by all. Not only that, but they raised an incredible £561.13 for our prep school charity, Animals in Need.
EYFS Update – Katie Mason, Early Years Lead
The main focus for this half term is to learn the words and actions to the songs and perform our wonderful production of Whoops A Daisy Angel. So far, the children have exceeded our expectations and have done an incredible job of singing, remembering all of their lines and working closely with the nursery children to perform like shining stars! We cannot wait to show the other children and perform for their parents and family members.
Alongside that, the children have continued their learning in all areas of the curriculum. In maths, the children have been exploring the concept of circles and triangles and how they compare to four-sided shapes. The children have been really good at spotting these shapes in the environment too and even got excited to see the shape of the ceiling tiles in the dining hall! They have extended their learning of smaller numbers and investigated how to work out one more and one less than a given number. In phonics the children have continued to learn new sounds, apply these in their writing and have started to read sentences too. We couldn’t be more proud of how hard they are all working.
Mrs Mason, Miss Herbert, Miss Pentalow and Mrs Hill are enjoying working with the children as they continue to flourish and grow.
Prep Science Update – Joanna Ferguson, Teacher of Science
In Year 5 Science, we began the year exploring the life cycles of animals and plants. We compared the similarities and differences in the life cycles of mammals, amphibians, birds, and insects. We also looked at the work of behaviourists and naturalists, admiring their dedication, which often spans years—even decades. To conclude the topic, we studied the life cycle of a plant and even grew broad beans from seeds. Some pupils continued caring for their plants at home during the half-term holiday and beyond—look at Rosalie’s (5SA) plant!
As we approach Christmas, we have moved on to the topic of light, which is always a favourite of mine, especially because we can make lots of activities Christmas-themed.
This term, Year 6 have been diving into the fascinating world of materials and their properties. It’s been a very hands-on topic, with pupils classifying different materials and considering how their properties influence their uses. They’ve also explored mixtures, investigating reversible and irreversible changes such as dissolving, burning, and rusting.
Alongside these practical activities, pupils have been developing essential scientific skills. They’ve learnt to measure mass and volume accurately, record data with precision, and ask thoughtful scientific questions. After conducting investigations, they’ve presented their findings using line graphs and begun interpreting these in different contexts—a key skill for future learning.
We’re proud of the curiosity and care Year 6 have shown in their work. These skills will continue to be embedded as we move forward into the next topics.
Helping Children Grow Kindness and Stay Safe Online and In Games
As children grow, they’re learning how to handle big feelings, make friends and find their place in the world – both in real life and online. Along the way, they will make mistakes, and sometimes their words or actions may hurt others without meaning to.
As children grow, technology becomes a big part of their world – from sharing funny clips with friends to exploring creative online games. While these activities can be fun and sociable, it’s important for parents to understand age ratings and why they exist.
Read the full safeguarding newsletter for this month here.
Key Calendared Events for the next two weeks
Monday 24th November
- ABRSM Exams
- Nursery-Year 6 Parents Morning Coffee with SLT Team (08:30)
- Prep Christmas Concert (16:30)
Tuesday 25th November
- ABRSM Exams
Wednesday 26th November
- Nursery-Year 6 Parents Morning Coffee with SLT Team (08:30)
- Year 3 LEGO Stem Robotics Day
Friday 28th November
- Nursery-Year 2 Christmas Activity Day
- Nursery-Year 2 Christmas Tree Delivery from ‘Andy the Elf’
Monday 1st December
- Nursery-Year 2 visit from Father Christmas
Tuesday 2nd December
- Nursery-Reception Christmas Production (Parents invited) (09:30)
Wednesday 3rd December
- Club Sport – Year 3 & 4 Rugby & Hockey (Parents welcome to spectate) (10:55)
- Club Sport – Year 5 & 6 Rugby & Hockey (Parents welcome to spectate) (14:05)
- Nursery-Reception Christmas Production (Parents invited) (14:45)
Thursday 4th December
- Years 3 and 4 Drama Production (Parents invited) (16:00)
Friday 5th December
- Years 3, 4, 5 & 6 Team Photographs
- Years 3 and 4 Drama Production (Parents invited) (16:00)
- Last day of Prep Co-Curricular Activities (ASC/Late Prep as normal)
To view the most up-to-date calendar information, please log onto Firefly – click here.
Charity Activity Break Results – Mrs Waite, Charity Coordinator
The Charity Activity Break on Tuesday was a huge success, raising a fabulous £561.13 for Animals In Need. Thanks go to the charity committee (and their parents) for going above and beyond to provide a range of fun and fabulous games for pupils from Year 2-6 to enjoy.
Our next event will be the very popular chocolate tombola at the Christmas Fayre on Monday 8th December. I am politely asking for donations of chocolate for the tombola. The more chocolate we have, the more prizes we have!
Thank you for your support.
‘Power for Good’ ABA Week 2025 – Written by Year 6 pupils Ella and Rose
The Prep School had a wonderful week last week, as it was ABA Week (Anti-Bullying Ambassador Week). On Monday we all wore funky odd socks to remind us that we are all special and unique. On Tuesday, we made superhero slices; we decorated wood slices and embellished them with jewels and quoted powerful, positive affirmations. At breaks and lunch on Wednesday we created magical superhero masks by either colouring them or scratching different colourful designs with a stylus. On Thursday, we all came to school dressed up as amazing heroes and heroines; we then did our best poses for our phenomenal photo booth! And, last but not least, on Friday we made Kindness Keychains, where we used some plastic string to thread beautiful multicoloured beads with some powerful effective words so every time we look at or see them, they will take us back to that day and remind us to be kind.
Thank you to everyone who dressed up and/or participated in the activities. Also, many thanks to all the parents who helped with costume designs. Special congratulations to all the winners; we loved your outfits!
Winners:
- Year 6: Rosie
- Year 5: William
- Year 4: Rose
- Year 3 and overall winner: James
Thank you, once again, from pupils Archie, Aman, Azalea, Pippa, Ella and Rose, along with the ABA stars, Miss Allan and Mrs Evans.
Sending Christmas Cards in the Prep School – Mrs Ho-Ho-Howen
In the Upper Prep, the time is near,
For Christmas cards to share some cheer!
Our bright red post box, big and bright,
Will soon give us a festive sight!
Write cards to friends that you have here,
And spread some smiles and Christmas cheer!
Don’t forget their form name too,
So the prefect posties know who is who!
Please wait for the final week to start
Before you bring in all your cards
This will keep them safe and neat
For a tidy end-of-term Christmas treat!
And Lower Prep won’t miss the fun,
Your chance to join will also come!
Your teachers soon will make it clear,
When your Christmas posting time is near!
Prep Christmas Concert
Reminder for our Prep Christmas Concert, on Monday 24th November at 4.30pm. All our larger music ensembles will be performing (orchestra, string group, musical theatre choir and years 1&2 choir), as well as a selection of solo and duet items. We can’t wait to see you there!
Calling All Unwanted Toys and Dolls!
The younger prep school children would be very excited to have some new toys to play with during After School Club. If you are throwing away unwanted items to make space for new Christmas purchases, perhaps you might consider donating them to the school? We are particularly interested in:
- Girls World heads (to practise plaiting and brushing hair)
- Baby doll clothes (for Barbies and larger/medium-sized dolls)
- Stencils for drawing/writing
- Foam floor jigsaw puzzles
- Plastic teacup and saucer sets
- Floor cushions
- Dolls house and contents
Anything we are given that is surplus to requirements will be donated to charity. Please leave any of the items above at the main entrance to the Lower Prep School (there is a doorbell to gain our attention) or at the main school reception. Thank you.
Online Christmas Hamper Raffle 2025! – WSSPA and WPSA Committee
The Wellingborough Senior School Parent Association (WSSPA) and the Prep School Parent Association (WPSA) are pleased to announce the online Christmas Hamper Raffle 2025 is now open!
There are 10 luxury hampers available to win from brands including Fortnum & Mason, The British Hamper Company, The Homemade Christmas Co. and more.
Tickets are £5 each, or you can buy 5 tickets for £20. All funds raised will go towards providing various “extras” for the senior school and prep school pupils. The raffle will close at 10pm on 9th December, so buy your tickets now!
To enter click HERE.
All prizes must be collected from Wellingborough School reception by 1200 on 12 December 2025.
Be in it to win it!! Thank you for your continued support.
Car Seats, Booster Seats, and Seatbelts for Younger Children
We would like to remind parents of the UK laws surrounding the transport of children in vehicles, which apply to all children up to the age of 12 or shorter than 135 cm in height. Please see this Gov.uk website and this Department of Transport guide for further information. In particular, please note that children under 12 or shorter than 135 cm in height should use an appropriate car seat if travelling in the front of a car.
Stay Connected
To see more of what’s happening at Wellingborough School, follow us on social media here.
You can also explore upcoming events and activities on our Events Page here.
Wellingborough School Business Directory
Please find the Business Directory at the following link: https://wellingboroughschool.org/community/business-directory/
