There was a lot of work going on over the holidays on the top floor of the Boarding House. Each of our girls' dormitories has been redecorated, with new beds and a full paint job in every room. The colour palette was chosen by our girls and we know they are delighted with the results. The girls also asked for more lights in their rooms, so marine lights and LED signs have also been installed. Speakers are being wired this weekend for audiobooks and music, and more mirrors are also on their way. Chalkboards and paint pens have been added to each room, so the girls can personalise their dorms.

It has been great seeing all of the girls' excitement at their suggestions coming to life, and to see the transformation first hand.

If you would like to have a look at the Boarding House, whether your child comes to board or not, please do get in contact - we love showing it off!

Elsewhere, the week has been busy and varied as always, as we enjoy the longer evenings.

Have a lovely Bank Holiday weekend,

Oli and Debbie Jones, Houseparents

A huge thank you to all the parents and teachers who put their brains to the test last Friday night at the first ever BPS pub quiz, held at the 'PAC & Fiddle'. Quiz Master Tom Kerevan ensured there was something for everyone in his scintillating assortment of questions.

Huge congratulations to Team Smartini for being the brainiest on the night with a winning score of 56. The evening raised over £800, which will be shared between Maggie's and Longfield Hospice, both of whom supported our friend and colleague, Craig Bessant. Thank you, all.

Huge well done to Miss Lang's pupils who performed in our lunchtime concert on Tuesday. From The Beatles to Ben Howard, all of the children did a fantastic job showcasing what they have been working on in their music lessons this term.

Another group of our Year 8s visited the Formula 1 Williams Headquarters today. The children had a brilliant time programming robots and trying out their driving simulators during their STEM themed day. Here are a few quotes from the children on their day;

I loved being the Program Manager for the EV Team Challenge. Our team worked well together. The main challenge was slowing down our vehicles to make the hairpin bends.

It is unanimous that being able to use the Williams drivers’ race simulators was the best. We raced at Vegas, Silverstone and Monaco. The last one was in the rain and at night, and there were LOTS of crashes!

I had the opportunity to work with other Year 8s outside my usual friendship group, which was great, and we learnt how to communicate better.

We enjoyed an eclectic assembly on Thursday morning from 5H, who had taken a deep dive into historic May Day celebrations. The class acted out different May Day traditions, including milkmaids who would balance silverware on their heads, and chimney sweeps who would make mischief on the streets, accompanied by some popular songs. We were thoroughly entertained!

Last weekend, members of the Beaudesert Equestrian Team travelled to Rectory Farm for the Rendcomb College NSEA Show Jumping Competition. The earlier riders had to deal with a fair amount of rain, but all of the 50cm team jumped clear to finish in 6^th place. Lola was closest of our team to meet the optimum time, finishing in 11^th. In the 60cm, we took off the brakes. Rose flew round the timed section in 24.52 seconds, only three seconds slower than the eventual winner. Her team, which included Iris and Lola, finished in 4^th place. As the jumps went up for the 70cm, so did the complexity of turns, and Marni produced a lovely clear on her new ride, Scarlett’s Cromwell, to place 6^th. Rose also jumped clear to finish in 13^th.  Well done to all who took part, and thank you to the parents for their continued support.

Jo Davies-Smith, Equestrian Co-ordinator

In our Monday assembly with Mrs Packman, we focused on the meaning of friendship. The children shared their ideas about what makes a good friend, and we evolved our ideas into a poem. Saying nice things to and about each other, being kind during tricky times, and having fun together were central themes. Our poem has come home in book bags today; do take a look.

Later in the week, we enjoyed another assembly driven by our litter picking eco-initiative and spearheaded by Wilfred. Wilf’s Wombles was shared with the children, who are now signing up to our regular litter picks around the grounds, using equipment purchased by the child-driven fundraiser last term.

On Tuesday, we had our first ever House Play afternoon, involving children from Nursery to Year 2. While we love all our House competition events, we also wanted to spend more time simply being together with other House members. We went out into the grounds, played with new friends, and supported peers from different year groups. It was very special.

We welcomed staff from The Malthouse this week to visit our wonderful Forest School, where we have been snail racing, re-wilding with seed bombs and making Bog Babies.

In other news, we have been learning how to care for animals, learning about maps and our local environment, exploring habitats, understanding fractions, and building our collaborative working skills.

Anna Packman, Head of Pre-Prep

As we head into May there are lots of local community events taking place which families might like to attend.

This weekend is the Amberley Cow Hunt, taking place on the 4th & 5th of May. The event includes lots of cows, and some delicious tea, coffee and cakes.

Nailsworth Festival is taking place between the 18th to the 25th of May. The much-anticipated Duck Race will be on Saturday 18th, with 13 races taking place over the day. Tickets are £1 per duck. You can buy ducks in Nailsworth on the day, or in town over the next few weeks.

The Festival will also be hosting an eco-fancy dress competition for adults and children on Saturday, 18th May from 11:15am. Please see the poster attached if you would like to get involved.

We are excited that the Truly Madlys will be performing at Beaudesert Park on Friday, 10th May 2024 from 7pm to 9pm.

This Stroud-based band will be performing a fusion of lyrical, rhythmic, immersive, and melodic art-rock. The Truly Madlys started as a musical collaboration between lockdowns, and fully formed two years ago. Since then, they have been wowing audiences with their own brand of melodic art rock, with original songs written by vocalist Tessa McGinn and arranged by the band – lead guitarist Ade Miller, Martin Whittaker on keyboards, Barry Mason on drums, and Pablo Sanchez Moreno on bass.

Tickets are £10, children U16 go free.

Book Tickets