Message From the Head 
Dear Parents,
A fantastic start to the week, focusing on nurture and mental health.Thank you to all the parents who contributed to our Funky Hats day—so far we have raised around £185.00 for the Place2Be charity! The donation bucket will remain in reception and a QR code will be active until half term if anybody would still like to donate. Madame Early led a beautiful assembly to get us thinking about these important wellbeing themes, and Mrs. Waller ambitiously led our very first whole-school meditation session. We will follow this with a mindful walk around the school grounds, but given the potential for mud versus uniform carnage, we will wait until the weather improves.
A special mention to Year 7 and 8 for their impressive approach to mock exams this week—they remained composed and handled themselves with great maturity. As the children grow with us, we gradually and carefully prepare them to develop strong study skills and manage formal exams with confidence. Rather than a last-minute rush of stress—whether for senior school, scholarship exams, or eventually GCSEs—this is a critical skill set to develop and refine over time.
One of my highlights this week was reviewing some of the computing work Mr Smith has been doing with Year 2. The standards were truly exceptional—I’ve never seen anything quite like it! If you need some coding done, ask these children—they’ll sort it for you. On that note, I’m excited to share news soon about our next steps in harnessing AI for good, supporting our pupils in computing studies and beyond.
Mr Towers, Head
News from Upper Prep 
This week, the children in Year 7 and Year 8 have all sat mock examination papers in the hall. I have been very proud of their determination and their resilience as they have worked quietly through their papers. I have also seen some excellent examples of revision in the form of detailed notes, flashcards and slides and some children have even been using the pomodoro method we looked at last week!
These techniques will be useful right up to GCSE and beyond. One of the great things about staying for Upper Prep at Barrow Hills is that the children get the opportunity to be extended and stretched academically, as well as learning how to revise, so by the time they start a new school in Year 9 they are extremely well prepared for the rigour of exams.
Papers will be given back to the children shortly and they will be able to go through these with their class teachers and set some targets in time for our parent consultation evenings.
But it hasn’t been all work, work, work this week! Monday began with a fantastic assembly from Madame Early and Mrs Wheeler about Children’s Mental Health Week. The children wore funky hats they had made or brought in from home and the chapel looked very colourful indeed! Mrs Wheeler did some guided meditation with the children and even some yoga which everyone really enjoyed.
Some of the senior boys went to Charterhouse to play in a tournament on Monday. I know they faced some tough opposition but I was so pleased to hear how well they worked together as a team to support each other.
I hope you all have a wonderful weekend,
Mrs Mason, Head of Upper Prep
News from Prep
Dear Parents,
This week has been filled with positivity and a focus on wellbeing. We began the week with a mental health-themed assembly where the children took part in yoga and deep breathing exercises, learning simple but effective techniques to help them manage stress, stay focused, and cultivate mindfulness. It was a fantastic way to start the week, reinforcing the importance of taking care of our mental health just as we do our physical health.
On Monday, the children arrived at school wearing an array of funky hats—from bright and bold patterns to wonderfully wacky creations! This fun initiative encouraged them to embrace their individuality and served as a lighthearted reminder that expressing ourselves and celebrating uniqueness is something to be proud of.
I have had the pleasure of observing lessons across the school this week, and I have been very impressed with the variety of learning experiences: engaging class discussions in English, hands-on experiments in Science and creative problem-solving in Maths. The children’s enthusiasm and curiosity was evident in every classroom, as they tackled challenges with resilience and confidence. A huge well done to all of them for their hard work!
A reminder to parents that we love to celebrate the children’s achievements outside of school, whether it’s sporting success, musical accomplishments, drama performances, or any personal milestones. If your child has something they would like to share, please encourage them to bring it in—we are always thrilled to acknowledge their efforts and celebrate their successes with them.
Wishing you all a restful and enjoyable weekend.
Miss Tyrell, Head of Prep
News from Pre-Prep 
There was a spectacular scene of colour greeting us as we opened the main door at 8:15am on Monday morning as Pre-Prep children fully embraced Funky Hat day and wore a vast array of different hats to school which recognised the start of Children’s Mental Health Week. Year 1 and Year 2 joined the rest of the school for assembly in which we all enjoyed some yoga and mindfulness with Mme Early and Mrs Waller. It certainly set us up for the day ahead!
It has been lovely to welcome children from Reception Class to Pre-Prep Choir, the Larks, this term. They have been a wonderful addition to rehearsals on Tuesday mornings when they join children from Year 1 and Year 2 bright and early to sing with Mrs Davies.
Aspects of the curriculum, particularly core subjects, have been further enhanced for Year 1 and Year 2 who have been enjoying additional time in Forest School this term, every other Friday afternoon. Liaising with class teachers, the children have been continuing some of their Maths learning around shape for example in the woodland, while after particularly heavy rainfall, come of the children build dams and waterways to direct the water through various channels.
Congratulations to Otis and James in Year 2 who were each presented with Special Commendations this morning in assembly. They both show fantastic problem solving skills and tremendous resilience when they independently completed the ‘creating art with code’ section of the Year 2 course. They successfully determined how to change the instructions in a line of code, as well as interpret the number of pixels needed to draw line in a shape and worked out the angle needed to draw the next connecting line. Mr Smith commented that to comprehend this on their own was an outstanding achievement. Well done to Leo (Rec), India (Year 1) and Rafferty (Year 2) who each received Work of the Week certificates. Leo confidently recalled a number of fascinating facts about penguins and India was able to write all about her feelings including examples. Meanwhile, in Science, Rafferty was incredibly focused and thoughtful in the way he created a collage using only human-made materials and another one using only naturally-found materials. The first children to receive Silver Awards for their house point collection this year were presented with their certificates this morning. A very well done to Hugo, Beau, Matilda, Freddie and George W (Year 2).
Next Thursday is our annual Grandparents’ Afternoon in Pre-Prep. Our visitors are welcome from 2:15pm and can enjoy refreshments in the Refectory before a performance from the children in Chapel at 2:45pm, after they look forward to showing their grandparents their classrooms and some of their work.
Wishing you a lovely weekend.
Mrs Barnett, Head of Pre-Prep
BHCC
Bacon Butties brightened up the morning once again, raising £215.36. Thanks to our amazing team and the community for your support!
School Notices
All parents and alumni working in Law, or with an interest in legal careers, are warmly invited to join us for an evening of drinks and nibbles to connect and expand your professional network.
The event will take place at the Old Bank of England on Fleet Street, London, on Thursday, 27th February 2025, from 6:30pm to 8:00pm.
To register, please click here.