24th January 2025
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HEADMASTER’S MESSAGE
St Hugh’s at Cocklebarrow races
A reminder that St Hugh’s will be at the Cocklebarrow Races on Sunday 26th January. Do come along and say ‘hello’ if you are attending!
NURSERY
This week in... NURSERY
Phonics: Our focus sound is ‘f’ for flower.
Topic: The story this week is ‘Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What do you See?’ Our role-play area has been transformed into an Opticians. We have been writing appointment cards and helping our friends choose glasses! A challenge this week has been to build a castle from Duplo, as several children brought in dragons. We have also painted a portrait of a friend, thinking carefully about the colours we needed and where to position facial features.
Maths: It’s the number 3 and recognising triangles this week. We have been on shape hunts!
TOPIC: We have been learning all about the planets in our Solar System. Can you remember how many there are? We listened to a brilliant song. Click here to listen again at home. We each wrote a planet fact sheet, which we then collated to create a class non- fiction book. We also listened to Holst’s ‘The Planets’, created planet artwork and decorated planet biscuits. This week in... Reception RECEPTION
PHONICS: We introducedtwo new 'Special Friends' or digraphs. This week, ‘ar’ (start the car) and ‘or’ (shut the door). Our tricky word this week was ‘she’.
MATHS: We have been comparing groups of objects up to 10, using the mathematical vocabulary more, fewer, more than, less than. We have compared groups where the objects within groups are different sizes, colours and shapes. We have also started to 'find the difference' between two numbers up to 10.
YEAR 1
This week in... YEAR 1
Maths: We have been continuing our learning about the number-line to 20, labelling missing numbers on a line. We have continued to apply our knowledge of place value to order numbers correctly and compare them, saying which is greater than or less than. Can you put these numbers in order and say how many tens and ones there are? 19, 12, 15.
Literacy: This week, we have really enjoyed the story, ‘Don’t Let the Pigeon Stay up Late!’ by Mo Willems. We have learnt about ‘bossy’ verbs and have been writing excuses, using ‘because’, to say why we think we should be able to stay up late. However,… Mrs Hames says “only at the weekend!”
Topic: We have loved using our ‘Wonderful World’ topic as inspiration for a collaborative Pre-Prep Art mural project! We used our observational skills to draw lots of animals, mountains, trees, flowers and insects. The children used lots of colourful paint to bring their drawings to life. Watch this space for the completed project!
We had a fantastic RS afternoon, learning all about the story of Noah and his Ark and how God saved the world to create a beautiful new one. The children worked in teams to sequence the story, make a collage rainbow to create their very own Ark! We also enjoyed our tasty snack with a visit from Mrs Pickering, our Head of RS!
YEAR 2
This week in... YEAR 2
Science: All about Penguins! We have studied the Penguin Life Cycle. Do you know how many species of Penguins there are?
Topic: We have been learning about Continents and Oceans. We can recognise where they are on a map and recall interesting facts about the countries. Did you know Antarctica is an Island? We are really excited about meeting a real-life Antarctic explorer next week.
Literacy: We have been concentrating on The Arctic and Antarctica. We have been learning how to answer questions using complete sentences by reading a comprehension passage. We have enjoyed learning about what life is like in the Polar Regions.
Maths: We have completed our unit on Money and have now progressed to Multiplication and Division. We have been putting items into groups and counting how many are in each group.
YEAR 2 ICT
2PW were working on predictions and programming with Beebots this week, to see if what they predicted was correct.
This week in... MIDDLE SCHOOL MIDDLE SCHOOL
Middle School have entered The Global Canvas Art Competition. This is an annual international art contest run by the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation (DSWF), to encourage creativity from young people, to display thought and concern for our planet’s environment and the incredible wildlife that inhabits it. The 2025 theme is ‘Coexistence – how can humans and wildlife live in harmony?’. Each class has been working hard to create different elements of a Powhatan village scene, linked to both our ‘Take One…’ project and the theme set by the DSWF.
MIDDLE SCHOOL ART DAY
4SP have recycled cardboard boxes to create a mountain range during our Art Day Session.
Middle school - Positions of responsibility
School Council: 3PP – Olly P; 3MR – Spencer B-T, 4ER – Jessica S; 4SP – Rafferty M; 4NP – Freddy M
Digital Leaders - 3PP – Charlie C; 3MR – Marley H, 4ER – Will C; 4SP – Oliver S; 4NP - Johnny W
Librarians: 3PP – James B, 3MR – Mimi D & Leonora L; 4ER – Oliver E; 4SP – Alexa G; 4NP – Gwen G
Leviathan
This week’s questions are as follows...
Upper School
1. Last week, you discovered who bought the first ever item from eBay. This week, I want to know from whom did he buy it? 2. And for how much? 3. Which animal has the densest fur? 4. Which queen was married to both Louis VII of France and Henry II of England? 5. In the UK, what is associated with a thirtieth wedding anniversary? 6. Who was believed to have been the founder of Buddhism? 7. Which BBC music programme was broadcast weekly for forty-two years between 1964 and 2006? 8. What is the main ingredient in hummus?
Middle School
1. What is the main ingredient in hummus? 2. In which city is the Senedd Cymru (Welsh Parliament) based? 3. Which ancient Greek god is known for being extremely fast and served as the gods' messenger? 4. Which animal has the densest fur?
BOARDING
This week in... BOARDING
The highlight of this week was undoubtedly our circus-themed workshop last Friday evening in the Barn. After being treated to a short display by the wonderful Arthur, the Boarders had the chance to practise their diablo, juggling and plate-spinning skills. Everyone had great fun clowning around!
BOARDING
The Boarders’ Council met on Wednesday evening in the Oak Room to discuss and propose any future ideas into the house, of which there were many. Since last term’s meeting, we have introduced porridge and boiled eggs to the breakfast menu; introduced a baking activity and added lamps into the dorms to soften the ambience before lights out.
And finally, well done to our Boarder of the Week, Rory C, for his punctuality, politeness, and helpfulness. We wish all the Boarders an enjoyable Exeat weekend.
ENGLISH
Year 5
Mrs Davies' Year 5 English group have recently been learning about Shakespeare and the Globe Theatre. They have been studying ‘A Midsummer Night's Dream’. Libby was delighted to go to the Globe Theatre in London last weekend, with her family. She brought in some items to share with the rest of the class, who thoroughly enjoyed hearing about her visit! The Year 8s have a writing checklist of 'ingredients' they should aim to include when they are undertaking their creative writing, particularly for their CE exams. On the next pages, Anna C has really tried to achieve this in her recent writing. The checklist includes, personification, similes, a range of punctuation, strong vocabulary, onomatopoeia, and paragraphs...
Year 8
English - Pupil Work
It is midnight on Wednesday 31st May, the station is quiet - only a few people walk slowly and fewer trains come in and out, like the tide, all of this calmness lasts for five hours until the clock ticks to 5am. It starts with her shoes tapping, ‘tap, tap’ to the beat of her stride. She arrives at the same time every morning like the leader of the herd, and then trains, full of fuel and screaming to go, arrive. She is no longer alone, more shoes thud, tap and run though the station. As trains say goodbye the station is still filling; more and more and more people arrive until it is just a field of heads. Trains fly by with a ‘whoosh’ as people try to get on to those that stop but some are left behind and must wait until another one comes. They push and shove to get on. Some sit and wait for the train while eating sandwiches, salads and especially Walkers crisps, and they leave their trace in the form of a rainbow, littering all over the platforms. Ten to a 100 of them frisked away in a few hours as the trains fly, racing one another at top speeds until five people have turned to 50 and 50 to 500, pushing on and off as if it’s the Hunger Games. If you don't get off, you are trapped in a sea of people.
English - Pupil Work
The station is quieter now, not so many people remain, just cleaners and the odd person. The trains that were screaming and full now crawl towards the finish line and when they get there, they just stop and collapse with exhaustion, knowing they are going to have to do it all again tomorrow. Later young feisty and boisterous trains arrive back from their late-night party, drop the few partyers home and shut down instantly as they stop. The station is almost empty by time they get back, apart from the homeless men who sleep under the shelter. No one is left; but then the night trains roll in again - one every hour until 5 am and as the big, old grandfather clock ticks towards the golden hour of tomorrow, you can only hear city cabs beeping their horns in frustration, in conversation with the odd flickering streetlight. ‘Tick, tock’ it's getting close. The clock counts down ‘20, tick’, 19 ‘tock, 18 tick, until ‘ding, dong ,ding ,dong ,ding ,dong’. The golden minute is over and it’s now Thursday 1st June.
There is a chill in the air and a sweet smell of summer.
STEM CLUB - YEAR 5 & 6
This week in STEM club, our young scientists were tasked with building a terrarium, a sealed transparent jar in which plants are grown. The pupils took great care arranging their layers of stones, activated charcoal and soil, and enjoyed selecting their succulents for their mini-ecosystems!
YEAR 5 GEOGRAPHY
Year 5 had the option of creating a volcano at home over Christmas. We were delighted with how many children took up the challenge and created some truly fantastic examples. We managed to create our very own Ring of Fire, with Mrs Welch explaining why it exists and then Mr Kennard getting into the science of the mentos and coke reaction that was about to take place in their volcanoes to represent the magma in an eruption.
Let the eruptions begin! Some were exceedingly impressive and others delightfully gentle - a wonderful representation of how varied real volcanic eruptions can be.
Girls’ Sports -Middle School
U9A team played extremely well on Tuesday. They tentatively listened to feedback ensuring they moved the ball around the court and travelled into space. Excellent teamwork by all with lots of enthusiasm. 30-4 was the final score which was an astonishing achievement. Well done all, especially this week’s MVP, Tinker BS this week for her continuous movement around the court and resilience to succeed. The U9B had a fantastic match with a result reflecting their play. Despite a slow first 5 minutes, the girls really stepped up and marked their chosen player tightly until the very end. They also moved into space and then onto the ball brilliantly, which was then converted into goals by accurate shooting from all the team but especially Ida and Ophelia. The result came to a 13-6 victory with MVP going to Arabella for fierce interceptions and constant movement off the ball. A brilliant match for the Cs starting with great movement around the court and strong passes. Taking an early lead, the girls continued to hold a strong attack and an even stronger defence, taking a convincing advantage. Hatherop developed as the match went on and put some pressure on the girls. Finishing score 12-8, with MVP Isabella for strong passes and good movement around the court. Finally, the D’s had a thrilling 7-6 victory. The girls started off slow but found their feet by the end of the first half and then there was no stopping them. They played an excellent game with strong defence as well as fantastic attacking play. They worked hard to find space and were able to connect well. Great team effort. MVP goes to Rosie A for her contribution to defence as well as scoring a couple of goals. Well done girls!
Girls’ Sports - UPPER SCHOOL
The 1st Netball team faced a tough challenge against Dragon, a strong, fast, and tall side. Despite giving their best efforts, St Hugh’s struggled to keep up at times. With a depleted squad, girls from the 2nd team gained valuable experience at 1st team level; all the girls played in different positions during the match. MVP - Cassie W who shot well throughout the game. A combined squad of eight girls played as Thunder and Lightning teams against Dragon school. Bebe, Ella and Romiley gave a good defence for the Thunders against impressive opponents who secured a 21-10 win in the end. MVP goes to Bebe for strong play in a number of positions. In the Lightning match, Anna and Grace worked hard in centre court supported again by Bebe. Hazel showed wonderful movement in and out of the circle and with some fabulous goals. The girls secured a decisive 20-1 win. MVP goes to Poppy for consistently accurate shooting. The Colts A won 17-2 in a fantastic display, focusing on movement and driving into space in front of defenders. MVP Olive made some epic interceptions, moved constantly and shot effectively. The Stars won 14-1 in another fantastic display. They found space well and problem solved effectively. Nel B scored 6 goals, but MVP was Maggie D. The Comets also won thanks to amazing defence from Edit S, energy from Reese and top goal scorer Eliza U. MVP Aggie A never stopped running and moved the ball around the court effectively. The Blades put out a much-improved performance this week, with much more considered passing and hard work in defence, restricting Hatherop’s chances. Suki shot well and MVP Georgie BP was excellent in each position she played.
GIRLS’ SPORTS - U12 NETBALL TOURNAMENT
On Wednesday it was fantastic to see all the Netball courts full, as we hosted our U12 festival for the A,B & C teams. Some fantastic performances from St Hugh’s winning C team and finishing 2nd in the A team. The U12A had a strong outing with 3 wins and a draw securing enough points for 2nd place and taking home the silver medal. The girls all worked hard and were impressive under the net, scoring 13 goals in 10 minutes against Cokethorpe, when goal difference became a factor against Beaudesert. The U12B team also saw success, ending up in third place. Making space helped the team to remain calm and composed against both very strong and weaker teams. They also marked well but the defence struggled against strong Dragon and Hatherop teams. Strong shooting from Lucy P and fantastic consistent effort from Liv L. All in all, a very good experience for the girls with several players rising to the occasion beyond expectations. Another fantastic tournament performance from the U12C side saw the girls come away with a 12- 1 win against Cokethorpe, before a challenging game against Dragon where the girls defended smartly and worked hard throughout. The next two games saw lots of good work from the girls, especially MVP Lovis S who shot and moved into space well. This was enough for them to win the tournament and take home the gold medal.
SPORT - CROSS COUNTRY
On Thursday afternoon, St Hugh’s sent an U11 and U13 Boys and Girls Cross Country team to compete at the Pinewood competition against 10 other schools. Amazing effort by every single participant with lots running up a year. Conditions were tough and cold, with deep mud to battle against from the very beginning. In the U11 Girls’ race, Clara C ran an incredible race finishing 4th in a tough field with Camilla H finishing close behind in 7th. The team as a whole finished a very impressive 3rd position. The U11 Boys’ race was very fast, with Theo T finishing first out of St Hugh's in a highly respectable 15th position. By the U13 Girls’ race, the mud had become a lot worse and the St Hugh's girls posted some amazing results with Nina V in 4th, Olivia E in 5th both running for the year up and Alexa H in 7th despite losing a shoe early on. 5 of the girls finished in the top 16 leading to the team finishing in 2nd place! The final race was the U13 Boys’ team where Hector H finished an impressive 10th place and Ludo G just behind in 13th. Both again running a year up! The U13 Boys’ team all ran very well and finished in 3rd place.
Very impressive overall results, especially given the tough conditions and a longer course than most have been used to.
BOYS’ SPORT - MIDDLE SCHOOL
A Prep school thriller took place against two very even teams for St Hugh’s and APS’ U9A sides. End to end action dominated the match, with excellent battles in the middle of the park also taking place. Harry S and Rory F had cracking games, showing fantastic composure while spraying the ball left right and centre for the tenacious Nico C-S and Johnny W to latch onto. With St Hugh’s looking certain to hold onto a 3-2 victory, APS clinched a last gasp equaliser to conclude an exciting match. MVP - Johnny W. The B team had an afternoon to remember; from the off, the boys played with quality and intensity. Oliver E got an early hat trick with some great composure in front of goal. Theo M worked his socks off in midfield and was a constant nuisance for the Abingdon players. William A showed real quality with the ball, making great choices and scoring four goals. George’s pace in defence was a real asset. Rory C’s powerful dribbling caused chaos for the opposition, helping him bag four goals. Henry also managed a goal on his debut with the Bs. The game finished 13-0 with Theo as MVP. U9C maintained their winning start to the season with a thrilling finish to the game. We dominated the first half but couldn’t take our chances leaving the match 0-0 at half time. The 2nd half started the same way until Abingdon mounted their first attack of the match and scored. It looked like it was going to be one of those days until with 5 minutes to go Harry DeA equalised . In the last 5 minutes our attack was relentless looking for the winner, and in it came with the very last kick of the match, with a Leo V cool finish. There was lots of good running with the ball from James B, and Leo V work rate in midfield was fantastic and Seb L positioning in defence broke up many counter attacks and Bobby’s (MVP) passing was outstanding.
BOYS’ SPORT - UPPER SCHOOL
The U11As got their season up and running against Kitebrook and APS, with two scintillating performances. Against Kitebrook, the boys showed real class against an energetic opposition; Ollo D was outstanding in the right of midfield and deserves MVP, with good delivery into the box leading the boys to a 4-1 win. APS also beat Kitebrook by 3 goals, but St Hugh’s found another gear; Bertie H was strong on the ball and Billy F worked his socks off. Morgan D finished well when he got his chances and Ollie H was outstanding in goal. U11B produced a dominant 8-3 win in a timely return to form. Goals came from across the side, most notably from Arjun D who scored from the halfway line in the second half; the fact is was meant to be a clearance does not make it any less impressive nor did it dampen the celebration. James H was MVP. The U11C remain unbeaten, coming from behind to secure a third draw of the season. Ethan H was key in the sides interplay, William P continues to improve, and this week’s MVP Luke G was outstanding throughout. The U10As had more frustration with wastefulness in front of goal costing them, whereas APS finished their only chance to go in 1-0 up at half time. The second half proved more successful thanks to a goal from Oscar E and the performance of Lysander I, who was calm on the ball and made the right pass. Colts B were back to winning ways with a convincing 7-2 victory, playing excellently in the first half with Arthur Y, Alistair G and Hugo P scoring to have the side 5-0 up at half time. The second half was less impressive but led to further goals from Fraser M and Jude S. Finally, the 10Cs put together a superb performance, defensively solid but with a drive to take the ball forward. Sutch KC scored with a good strike and Henry R secured victory in the second half. The St Hugh’s goal remained untroubled which is always a good sign. Sam S was everywhere on the pitch, defending and attacking with intent and is this week’s MVP.
BOYS’ SPORT - UPPER SCHOOL
The 1sts ran out comfortable winners at APS with goals from Rocco S, Jonty F, Tommy HB, George D and Henry B, securing a 7-2 win. The boys played some nice Hockey, Raff C was commanding at the back, but George D was the MVP with a fantastic goal and a great all- round performance from right back. The 2nds played a great game of end-to-end Hockey. Harry W and Alfie S were solid in defence and Ludo G was confident in the middle of pitch. The boys fought back to make it 2-2 but conceded with 30 seconds to go. Harry W wins MVP for his strong performance at the back. The 3rds dominated possession in a 3-0 win after last week's frustrating loss. There was consistent link up play down the right of the pitch, built on composed defence from Ben K and Rory C. Oscar C didn’t have much to do in goal but made his saves when needed. Despite playing some good Hockey, dominating possession, and deserving much more, the 4s lost 1-0. The boys entered the D on dozens of occasions but couldn’t land the killer blow, showing a clear area for the side to focus on for next week. Meanwhile APS scored from their only chance in the game, which was very frustrating. All the boys played well, but Hector H was superb in attack and deserves MVP. The 5th team struggled but maintained their effort levels throughout. Sam J was composed on the ball, Samuel S did not give up and drove the ball forward well and Alexander OH was strong in defence. Thomas H was MVP in goal despite defeat, making many fantastic saves.
MUSIC - PIANO TEATIME CONCERT
There were poised and accomplished performances from some of our young pianists at Tuesday’s Teatime Concert. Well done to all of our young musicians who took part!
music - abingdon orchestral day
On Tuesday some of our young musicians were invited to take part in an inspiring day of music-making at Abingdon School. Over 100 children from 7 Prep Schools came together to perform in what was almost certainly the largest orchestra they have ever played in. The repertoire was not easy but they all rose to the challenge, rehearsed in sectionals and learnt the parts incredibly quickly. The results were both impressive but hugely enjoyable. With pieces from Purcell to Bizet, the favourite was undoubtedly ‘The Bare Necessities’. Well done to all who took part.
holiday camps
Ultimate Activity Camps returning in 2025!
We can't wait to welcome Ultimate Activity Camps back in 2025, offering an incredible opportunity for children to discover new activities, boost their confidence, and make lasting friendships. Each week is packed with over 40 thrilling sports, games, and creative activities, all delivered in a safe and fun environment inspected by Ofsted.
Ultimate Winter Saver - save up to £75 per week
Make significant savings on your 2025 childcare arrangements and enjoy peace of mind for the year ahead.
· Prices start from £45 per day · Offer ends 21st January 2025 · Camps taking place in February, Easter, and Summer!
This offer is available online so please visit: https://www.ultimateactivity.co.uk/locations/faringdon to take advantage and save on your holiday childcare.
Event run by the Littleworth Reading Room and Playing Field CIO: Charity Number: 1193083
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