Dear Parents,

I hope that you all had a fabulous summer. The staff have been working very hard preparing for the new term ahead and it is wonderful to see the boys back in school full of enthusiasm and with big smiles on their faces.

A particular welcome must go to our very new boys who are joining the school and especially to those who have joined us in Kindergarten and are at the very beginning of their school careers. I am sure that they will soon feel part of the Pre-Prep family and we will do everything we can to ensure that they are very happy here.

Staffing
We also have some staff returning to the Pre-Prep. Mrs Helen Moore returns from maternity leave and she will resume her role as Director of Studies, along with being 2A’s form teacher. Mrs Anouska George returned from maternity leave during the spring term and will now be form teacher in 2C, as well as the Year Co-ordinator for Year 2 and Head of French. Mrs Jude Hawes, who worked part-time in the Pre-Prep, last year, will be the new KG2 form teacher.

Mr James Nickalls joins us as an additional Assistant Teacher and he will be supporting classes in Year 1 and 2. Miss Emily Cama has joined us from the nursery and will be the Assistant Teacher in KG3.

My new PA is Mrs Francesca Morgan and if you wish to contact her by email, please note her address: fmorgan@eatonhouseschools.com

Information Evenings
We shall be holding information evenings in the first two weeks of term on the following days:

These evenings will start with an introduction from me in the Theatre and you will then be able to go to your son’s classroom to find out more about the curriculum for the year and the classroom routine. It will also be a good opportunity for you to get to know your son’s class teacher better.

The Kindergarten Information Evening will be followed by a social evening when you can be introduced to the other parents in your year group.

Important Dates
You will see from the Autumn Term Calendar that we have a stimulating and busy few weeks ahead of us. Please do check the dates carefully – particularly important ones to note are:

You will also find a copy of the calendar and other useful information, such as this term’s lunch menus, on the school website www.eatonhouseschools.com.

Early Morning
We do offer early morning care from 8.00 – 8.30 am. The boys are supervised by Mrs Navjot Gill or Mrs Emma Tillson, who are fully qualified nursery assistants from our very own Nursery. Each session costs £1.20 and this is charged to parents retrospectively, each half term, although occasional users can pay for single sessions on the day.

The main doors to the school open at 8.30 am and boys should not enter the school until this time, unless they have a coaching lesson, as this is vital time for staff meetings and lesson preparation. If your son is invited to attend reading comprehension or handwriting with Miss Rebecca, the boys do not need to come into school early as these sessions do not start until 8.35 am.

House Photographs
These will be taken next Thursday, so I hope the boys will look particularly smart for these.

Uniform and Equipment
Please check that every item of uniform and equipment that your son brings to school is named. As you can imagine, the boys quite often mislay things but if they are clearly labelled then we can get everything back to the right place.

With very best wishes to you all for the new academic year and the term ahead!

Yours sincerely,

Mrs P T M Cawthorne
The Headmistress

Dear Parents,

Happy New Year! I hope you have had a wonderful Christmas holiday and that the boys have had a chance to re-charge their batteries ready for the term ahead. As usual we have much planned for the forthcoming term.

Staff
Miss Naomie, who is teaching French in the Pre-Prep while Miss Anouska has been on maternity leave, will be leaving us at half-term, as Miss Anouska is returning to work. We thank Miss Naomie for all the hard work and dedication she has displayed in the short time she has been with us. Apart from teaching stimulating French lessons, she has been a great asset to the school and has even got to grips with re-organising books in the library.

We welcome Nic Marot as our new GAP assistant. He is from Australia and will be working in the Pre-Prep for a whole year, which is wonderful.

Important Dates
You will see from the Spring Term Calendar that we have a stimulating and busy few weeks ahead of us. Please do check the dates carefully – particularly important ones to note are:

25th January – 8+ Examinations
27th January – Scholarship interviews and practicals
3rd February – Second Hand Uniform Sale at 8.30 am
13th – 17th February – half-term
27th February – Book week begins
29th February – Costume Day – boys to come to school dressed as a character from a book
15th March – Spring Fair
29th March – End of Term

You will also find a copy of the calendar and other useful information, such as this term’s lunch menus, on the website.

Advance Warning
This year Sports Day will be held on Wednesday, 4th July starting at 10.00 am, at the Battersea Millenium Stadium. Please note that there will be no afternoon school on this day.

If you have any queries or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me.

With very best wishes to you all for the New Year and the term ahead!

Yours sincerely,

Mrs P T M Cawthorne
The Headmistress

Dear Parents,

I do hope that everyone had a most enjoyable and relaxing break. It has been lovely welcoming the boys back to school so full of energy and enthusiasm for the term ahead.

I had a fabulous time trekking in Nepal, up to the Basecamp for Kanchenjunga and I managed to visit the refuge, on the outskirts of Kathmandu, which we raised money for last term. The refuge is run very much like an English boarding school and the children are kept very busy with lots of activities in their spare time. They go to school and have the opportunity to go on into further education or to learn skills, such as carpentry. The children, from tiny tots to young adults seem very happy there, although it is sad that the children never go to a family home in the holidays. It costs £300 per year to keep a child at the refuge, so it is wonderful that our fund raising, of over £2,300 will benefit so many young people and give them a good start to their lives.

Staff News
We warmly welcome Jenny Biggart who will be teaching KG3 while Miss Helen is on maternity leave. You will be thrilled to hear that Miss Anouska gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, Serafina, in April.

Diary Dates
You will see from the Summer Term Calendar that we have a stimulating and busy few weeks ahead of us. Please do check the dates carefully – particularly important ones to note are:

9th – 11th May – Form Three Trip to Hilltop, Norfolk
24th May – Whole School Photograph
13th June – Exam Morning (Forms One, Two and Three)
22nd June – Parents’ Evening (no clubs)
5th July – Sports Day (Battersea Millenium Stadium at 2.00 pm, no morning school – more details to follow)
8th July – Form Three Play

You will also find a copy of the calendar and other useful information, such as this term’s lunch menus, on the school website www.eatonhouseschools.com.

Summer Uniform
Boys may wear white, short sleeved shirts and green ankle socks, to school this term (except on 24th May when we have class photographs). They should also have their sun caps at school to wear for Games. Kindergarten and new boys will be provided with these at the start of term, so please make sure that the sun cap is clearly named.

Sun Screen
Please would you apply sun screen to your son, on very sunny days, before he comes to school. We will apply a top up on Games afternoons. Please inform your son’s form teacher if your son is allergic to sun screen or you wish to provide your own.

Should you have any queries or concerns please do not hesitate to get in touch.

With best wishes,

Mrs P T M Cawthorne
The Headmistress

Dear Parents,

Happy New Year!  I hope you have had a wonderful Christmas holiday and that the boys have had a chance to re-charge their batteries ready for the term ahead.  As usual we have much planned for the forthcoming term.

Staff

You may have noticed that Gracie Harris, one of our fabulous team of Assistant Teachers is expecting a baby very soon.  She will be leaving us at the end of next week and will be replaced by Hayley Wallace, who is a graduate with experience of working with young children at Wellesley House Prep School, in Kent.  Our GAP Assistant for this term is, Prep school old boy, Roland Merz and he will be with us for one term before he goes travelling.

Important Dates

You will see from the Spring Term Calendar that we have a stimulating and busy few weeks ahead of us.  Please do check the dates carefully – particularly important ones to note are:

26^th January – 8+ Examinations
28^th January – Scholarship interviews and practicals
21^st – 25^th February – half-term
28th February – Book week begins
4^th March – Author in school (costumes to be worn – being judged by author)
17^th March – Spring Fair
18^th March – Red Nose Day (boys to wear mufti and something red!)
31^st March – End of Term

You will also find a copy of the calendar and other useful information, such as this term’s lunch menus, on the school website.

Summer Term

Although there is the long weekend, at the beginning of the summer term, due to the Royal Wedding and Spring Bank Holiday, we intend to start school, as planned on Thursday, 28^th April.  We did discuss the possibility of not starting term on the Thursday but the Prep school have two field trips which are going away on the Friday and with Common Entrance looming, Mr Edwards thought that it would be best if staff could touch base with the boys.  It is our intention to have a cross-curricular fun day in the Pre-Prep, based on the royal wedding. If any boys are unable to attend school that day please would you request their absence,   in writing, as per normal procedure.

Advance Warning

This year Sports Day will be held on Tuesday, 5^th July at 2.00 pm, at the Battersea Millenium Stadium.  Please note that there will be no morning school on this day.

If you have any queries or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me.

With very best wishes to you all for the New Year and the term ahead!

Yours sincerely,

The Headmistress
Mrs P T M Cawthorne