It has been another fruitful and very busy term for Winterfold, with many successes and also much to celebrate, particularly around the children’s progression and development.

John Lloyd CBE, the radio and TV broadcaster, stated that “Everyone is born a genius, it just takes time to find out what in”.

Inside this Review you will see some of the WInterfold geniuses of the future, as they happily forge their way through the many opportunities on offer at the School. As part of that journey, the important thing is that they have the chance to both explore and identify their talents, highlighting their potential and also developing new skills.

There are a multitude of people who work together to ensure Winterfold’s success, collectively ensuring the children are central to what we do, and we must also remember that they play an important role in each child’s journey.

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WINTERFOLDNEWS

Children from Reception to Year 8 carried out sponsored exercise circuits, coached by Kristian and Jack, followed by an inspirational assembly for the whole School.

Kristian Thomas rose to fame when he was crowned senior British champion. In 2012, he was part of the British team that famously won Olympic bronze in London before he came back from a minor injury in 2013 to take bronze on vault at the World Championships. As Captain of Team GB’s gymnastics squad for the Olympic

Games in Rio 2016, Kristian helped the team finish fourth and made the individual floor final.

The entire School listened attentively as Kristian spoke of his life as a gymnast, culminating in his competing in two consecutive Olympics. The ensuing gymnastic demonstration was breathtaking and the children’s reactions were a fitting sign of how much they were enjoying it. They were particularly in awe of the children who were prepared to lie down for Kristian to somersault over them and Mrs Toms

who, when asked to join them, was a very good sport.

Following a very energetic morning, Isla and Ed then interviewed the athletes in the Radio Room for a podcast which will be on our YouTube channel very soon.

Winterfold raised a tremendous £3,800 from taking part in the Sports for Schools morning. Forty percent went to Sports for Schools to help fund the Olympic and Paralympic athletes and sixty percent came back into School to help fund new sports equipment.

In October, GB Olympic Gymnast Kristian Thomas and Jack Rutter, Captain of the GB Paralympic cerebral palsy football team, visited

Winterfold as part of a Sports for Schools initiative.

SPORTS FOR SChOOLS

Mr Blakeway spent thirty days in the race and sailed the Portugal to Uruguay leg. The pupils were enthralled by the presentation, where they learned about the tough conditions often experienced at sea, particularly with a 30/40 degree tilt of the yacht and a fast speed the equivalent of 29.7 mph.

The children were intrigued by the fact that there was no shower on board and for a month, they used sea water to keep clean. The team of twenty-one people worked four hours on, four hours off, with half of the team on deck racing the boat, with the other half either sleeping or eating.

Despite the hard work and being constantly wet, the team loved the various forms of sea life they encountered, from the 150 dolphins that were swimming under and around the boat, to whales, sea turtles, albatross and even the birds that would stop to rest for a few days en route to their final destination.

Commenting on his experience, Mr Blakeway said “the best part was spending time with the team on the yacht, albeit sometimes in difficult conditions. We are now friends for life”.

Towards the end of the race, team Ha Long Bay Viet Nam knew they were

in line for third place but when they passed through the Doldrums, the wind dropped completely. All they could do was wait, as their competitors began to catch them. Finally, the wind picked up and they made it to third place and a place on the podium.

At the end of the talk, the children enjoyed a Q and A session, with questions ranging from “did the team get sea sick,” to “can fish really fly”.

Mr Blakeway’s final words - “Be curious and find your own adventure” were an excellent way to sum up an inspirational talk for the children.

Pupils and staff were thoroughly inspired by a talk given in an assembly by Mr George Blakeway, father of Jack and harry, who was recently a member of the Ha Long Bay Viet Nam,

Clipper Round the World Yacht Race team.

RACE AROUND ThE WORLD

As part of their Outdoor Learning Programme, Year 4 were busy after the Christmas half term at the School’s Forest School site, collecting natural materials for a new project. From this, they made stars, mini Christmas trees and decorations to dress a tree for Worcester Cathedral’s Christmas Tree Festival.

Following the Opening Ceremony with the Mayor of Worcester, Councillor Allah Ditta, Winterfold’s Christmas tree went on public view, along with trees from other organisations, forming a glittering avenue. It was a great project to be part of and we look forward to being involved again next year.

ChRISTMAS TREE AT WORCESTER

CAThEDRAL

The first exciting event was the visit of the Pearl of Africa Children’s Choir. This wonderful group of singers and dancers came to Winterfold as part of their UK tour. They led drumming and singing workshops, before wowing us with an explosion of dance and music in Penryn Hall. As ever, we raised a large amount of money for their worthy cause.

Willem Van de Heuvel Berkers had a good summer with the National Children’s Orchestra, playing in a series of concerts in Dorset where he co-leads the ensemble. He then went on to represent Winterfold at Shrewsbury School’s Symphonic Sundays, leading their orchestra for this one-off event. He was also to lead the senior String Group at the Strings

Day at Dean Close School.

This event was a huge success, with strong representation from Winterfold in all of the three Orchestras set up on the day. We all had a wonderful day and were well looked after, as well as having the opportunity to play some wonderful music. This was led by the World class Carducci String Quartet.

Christmas, the time of peace, goodwill to all men and much music making. It was certainly a busy term, which saw our usual blast of

Yuletide tunes and merriment.

MUSIC

A week later, our Year 4 singers travelled to Chaddesley Corbett Village Hall to their Care Café. Our children sang sweetly then played games with the visitors, who were delighted to have them there for the afternoon.

November started with a Performance Platform, featuring some twenty solo items by a wide range of children, many of whom were due to sit exams the following week. It was great to see performers from Years 3 to 8 sharing a stage.

We also had our annual Remembrance Mass at which our Brass Group, orchestra and Chamber Choir all performed. We were treated to a solo rendition of Gaelic blessing by Bessy, which was very moving. The month also saw two Mini Me concerts in the front hall, showcasing the talents of cellists and wind players.

Christmas comes early to Winterfold and it was great to start the season at the end of November with the first of two Carols and Coffee events

in the front hall (Kaffeekuchen und Weihnactslieder), as they say in Germany. The Christmas atmosphere carried on with our annual Christmas Market, which was sadly, a rather drizzly affair. However, the musicians raised some festive cheer, with performances from the Junior Band, String Group and a troupe of buskers, who kept playing for well over an hour in the foyer.

Meanwhile, the Chamber Choir was busy at St Ambrose’s Church, where

they sang as part of a Christmas concert with the Kidderminster Valentines and Holy Trinity School. They performed a lovely set of songs, along with the Girls’ Harmony Choir.

The Girls’ Harmony Choir sang in the wonderful chapel at Hartlebury Castle that weekend too. Their carols and solo pieces delighted the public and they did the School proud.

On the day of our Carol Service, there was a double bill event. In the morning, we had a festive Mini Me,

complete with yuletide cheer and a mass performance of Jingle Bells by all the drum pupils in the School.

That evening was the real culmination of the magic that is Christmas at Winterfold, with our Carol Service. This year was as good as ever, with wonderful renditions of carols by five different School choirs. Highlights were the Girls’ Harmony Choir singing Mary Did You Know, the Junior Choir wowing us with their spirited rendition of Child in a Manger Born and the

Chamber and Parents’ Choirs‘ spirited rendition of Ding Dong Merrily on High.

We finished with mince pies and wine in Penryn Hall. Christmas was over for another year. All that was to follow was a repeat of the whole pageant in our homes. The Brass Group didn’t get to perform at the Christmas in the Park event, since it was cancelled due to rain. However, I think all the musicians at the School deserved a fantastic Christmas. We look forward to 2020 with excitement and anticipation.

Winterfold had an enjoyable, productive and successful rugby season. All of the boys had the opportunity to play in competitive fixtures at a level appropriate to their ability. The Year 3 and 4 boys played in festivals every other week and this format works well in creating a balance between having time to develop their skills and playing matches. The improvement by the end of the season was clear to see and some excellent rugby was being

played. The Year 5 and 6 boys had a busy season and made good progress with their skill levels.

It is encouraging to see a number of boys playing at clubs and this is a sure fire way of accelerating their development and understanding. The Senior boys in Year 7 and 8 played some excellent rugby at times this season. It was also great to see the leadership, teamwork and independence they showed in training

and matches. The style of rugby they played reflected the hard work they put in on their catching and passing skills. Our focus as a School is very much on developing the all-round skills that will enable the boys to flourish and enjoy their rugby, both now and as they move into Senior schools and hopefully, adult rugby. My thanks to all of the Coaches - Mr Heatley, Mr Haynes, Mr Dieppe and Mr Mitchell for their enthusiasm and expertise.

SPORT

RUGBY

Congratulations to all of our Cross Country runners who took part in the District Cross Country Championships at Wyre Forest Visitors Centre in November. In rather inclement weather conditions, they all ran superbly. A special well done to Kasey Newton who finished fourth and now qualifies to run for the District team at the County final in February 2020.

CROSS COUNTRY

All in all, this was another extremely busy calendar of Sport for everyone at Winterfold. Thank you to all of the children who have taken part, to our superb Coaches for their help and expertise, to our grounds staff who prepare and maintain our pitches, to our kitchen staff for providing such great match teas and to all of the parents who have supported the teams so positively this term.

Many thanks from the whole School community to longstanding FOW Officers, Louise James, Helen Gibbens and Lisa Samuel. As a team, they have organised and run a huge number of social and fundraising events, which in turn have funded some of the significant projects around the School, with the Radio room being the most recent. They have always worked tirelessly and with great enthusiasm to support the School.

As Gemma Hughes, Rebecca Northall, and Catherine Hale now take up the roles of Chair, Treasurer, and Secretary respectively, we should also like to thank the Parent Reps and other parents, who give such generous support to FOW events.

FRIENDS OFWINTERFOLD

Our girls have enjoyed their most successful term of hockey ever. This is due, without doubt, to our wonderful new Astroturf facility, which has transformed the way that we deliver our lessons and play our matches. The consequences of this, are that we are now able to produce confident, skilled players, who are developing a true love of the game. This has been reflected both in the way that we play and in the results that we have achieved this term. Mr Gooderham and Mr Terry from Bromsgrove School have continued to lead our sessions on Mondays and we are grateful for their expertise and insight into the game.

hOCKEY

ChAPEL NEWSDuring the Christmas term, there were many events which celebrated the Catholic life of the School, from the Harvest mass and the pet blessing, to the annual Carol Service at the end of term.

For the Harvest mass, there was an impressive amount of fresh and dry produce amassed by the Winterfold community and our team of twelve Worship Leaders delivered it to the Basement Project in Bromsgrove.

To commemorate St. Francis’ feast day, a pet blessing was arranged in the Secret Garden, led by our Chaplain Father Lamb. Many breeds of dog, cats, hamsters and a tortoise attended with their owners, whilst we celebrated the beauty of God’s creations.

Parents, staff and children were treated to a wonderful Carol Service at the end of term. In the transformed Sports Hall, our talented brass players accompanied the Parents’ Choir and Children’s Choirs with

their beautifully sung carols. There were lovely performances from the Chamber Choir, Senior Choir, Girls’ Harmony Choir and the Chamber Choir. Year 3 performed their Nativity tableau, with Year 8 pupils reading from the scriptures. The Junior Choir gave a very moving performance of Child in a Manger Born which was a real highlight of the evening. With around 500 in the congregation, it really embodied the essence of the Winterfold community.

September marked the creation of the Drama Scholars’ group, which is made up of fourteen talented Year 7 and 8 children. The Drama Scholars meet weekly to create original performance work and prepare for scholarship auditions at Senior Schools. In addition, the children support in-house performances, either backstage or front of house. The Drama Scholars have also been fortunate enough to attend a performance of Jesus Christ Superstar at Malvern College, as well as taking part in workshops with a professional theatre company.

It is not just the Scholars who have been treated to live theatre

performances this term. All of the Prep School enjoyed a lively performance about the issues surrounding mental health, by White Socks Theatre Company. The Pre-Prep went to Birmingham to watch Billionaire Boy; Years 2-5 enjoyed a modern re-working of Peter Pan at The Rep Theatre; Years 6-8 were whisked off to a magical world, during a performance of The Snow Queen at the Old Rep and we finished the year with a professional pantomime performance of Mother Goose on the last day of term. Across all of these performances, we have seen a range of staging, performance styles and genres and have enjoyed them all.

However, it is not all about watching theatre - we have been busy creating theatre this term too.

In November, Year 5 gave an energetic performance of The Nutting Olympics and The Farmhouse Play, showing tremendous professionalism in their ensemble performance to parents. Year 3 followed, in December, with a sensitive performance of the Nativity, as part of the Christmas Carol Service. Finally, Years 7 and 8 are currently rehearsing the Senior production of My Fair Lady, which we are looking forward to sharing with audiences in March 2020.

It was a busy start to the academic year in the Drama department.

DRAMA NEWS

of a 150 question exam, debating, collaborative essay writing, the Scholar’s Bowl, a debate showcase and a talent show. After enjoying a day of exploration in The Hague, everyone attended a Cultural Fair, where fifty-one countries shared their cultural traditions. Louis and Heydon attended the Global round as a team of two, knowing it would be impossible to qualify for the Final in Yale, for which the scores of three team members were required. However, on Day 1, the boys were asked if they would like to help two other teams of two who had each lost a team member to sickness on the day. The boys showed great

maturity, working with the other four scholars to create two new teams of three. All previous teams split up and each new team had a boy from the UK, a girl from Turkey and a boy from Austria. Neither of the new teams qualified for Yale, but the way they worked together and helped one another was incredible. This was an amazing experience for Louis and Heydon, working with some of the best Scholars in the world. They loved every minute of it.

Year 5 had an enjoyable and sun drenched trip to the Elan Valley in mid-Wales in September, as part of their Geography topic on water. The

children were treated to a “not for the public” tour inside a dam. They learned that the water they could see provides Birmingham with its drinking water and that they were at the start of a seventy-two mile underground pipeline built 115 years ago. It was a fascinating trip.

In October, children from Year 4 were invited to sing at the new café in Chaddesley Corbett Village Hall which has been set up by the local community to help people with dementia. The talented choir, including two soloists, performed a range of songs, which were hugely appreciated by the audience. Afterwards, the

The Christmas term started with much excitement and we welcomed new friends to the Winterfold community, with thirty-five children

joining us in the Prep School.

PREP NEWS

Our Year 8 pupils stepped into their roles of responsibility at the top of the School, ably led by Head Boy, Louis and Head Girl, Lily.

The weather was splendid this year for the annual Year 8 Camp Out in our beautiful grounds, with pizza, hot chocolate and marshmallows around the campfire. A game of Predator in the dark was quite the highlight. It was great to see everyone getting along and playing games together. Their behaviour was fantastic and thanks to

Mrs Miles, Mrs Humfress, Mr Brinkley, Mr Dieppe and Mr McCracken for giving up their time to make it such a fun night.

We were delighted that Louis (Head Boy) and Heydon qualified for the Global round of The Scholar’s Cup at the Hague. The pupils, including Lewis did very well in the regional round held at Bromsgrove School and were delighted to have the opportunity to compete in the Global round, alongside 1900 scholars from fifty-one

countries. The Opening Ceremony was exciting, with representatives from many embassies, including Austria, Kyrgyzstan, Indonesia and the Netherlands. They all described the Scholars as having bright minds, a commendable passion for learning, future leaders of the world and global citizens of the future.

Louis and Heydon spent five days in Holland, with activities ranging from a treasure hunt at Rotterdam Zoo, the Scholar’s Challenge consisting

children interacted with the guests, chatting and playing a wide range of board games. It was wonderful to see the meeting of the two generations. The café organisers were greatly impressed and are keen to have us back again in the near future.

The inaugural Outstanding Winterfold Learners (OWL) Group meetings took place in the grandiose surroundings of the main House. Split into two (the English and Social Science Group, and Maths and Science Group), our OWLs began finding out what it takes to win a debate. They explored the format of a debate and started looking at

debating techniques; relying heavily on the ancient Greek strategies of ethos, pathos and logos. Both groups then diverged into more subject specific projects. The Maths and Science Group explored magical maths with Mr Loughton, whilst the English and Social Sciences Group created Christmas themed radio dramas for Radio Winterfold.

Year 6 enjoyed a great trip to explore Chedworth Roman Villa in the Cotswolds. They discovered that Chedworth has some of the most impressive in-situ Roman mosaics in the country, as well as bath-house

rooms and hypocaust systems. The expert guides really brought the villa to life as they shared stories of its history and the more recent archaeological work.

For the younger children in the Prep School, our plane spotting Year 3 children visited the Learning Hub and the Departure Terminals at Birmingham Airport and Year 4 spent an enjoyable day at a mummification workshop to support their study of Ancient Egypt.

At Winterfold, we look forward to Advent and Christmas and to sharing the love of Christ. Through selling

sweets at the Friends of Winterfold Firework night, attending movie nights and individual contributions, we have continued to raise funds to support our sister School Ncemaneni.

At the Christmas Market hosted by the Friends of Winterfold, the Prep children provided the entertainment, with music from the String Group, Junior Band and Brass Group. The Packs enjoyed their usual stalls and games, whilst our younger children

had the opportunity to visit Santa. There was a lovely buzz around the School as everyone truly embraced the Christmas spirit.

Parents, staff and children were treated to a wonderful Carol Service during the last week of term. In the transformed Sports Hall, our talented brass players accompanied the Parents’ Choir, Children’s Choirs and congregation’s beautifully sung carols. There were lovely performances from

the Chamber Choir, Senior Choir, Girls’ Harmony Choir and the Chamber Choir. Year 3 pupils performed an excellent tableau to our Year 8 pupils’ eloquent readings. The Junior Choir gave a very moving performance of Child in a Manger Born which was a real highlight of the evening.

The whole of the Winterfold community shared an evening of thanks and praise, which was a fitting end to a full and rewarding term.

The Christmas term has been as busy as ever in Key Stage 1 and all of the children have had a very productive start to the School year.

PRE-PREP NEWS

Children in both Years 1 and 2 have produced a variety of work and creativity based on our topics. In English, the Year 2 children focused on the well-known author Judith Kerr and her variety of children’s literature. Using the story of The Tiger Who Came To Tea, the pupils created their very own Jungle Café menus for a variety of wild animals. Interesting adjectives were abundant and every menu would be a tantalising treat for any tiger or meat eating creature. The Year 1 children have been inspired by

a selection of Traditional Tales. They used their imaginations to produce a variety of character thought bubbles, for both the characters of the Fox and Gingerbread Man.

History and Geography have been an important and popular part of the curriculum this term. The Year 1 children have been looking at the different types of Castles and discovered ways of how to attack them, including trebuchet, battering rams and mining underneath the

walls. A trip to Tamworth Castle supported their studies. History in Year 2 has focused on the Great Fire of London and we welcomed the Discover History team to travel back to London in 1666. The workshop explored life and architecture in our capital city during this time. Our session also involved modelling a 3D city plan, recreating Pudding Lane and the surrounding areas. Their work is currently on display in the Year 2 classrooms.

For their Geography topic, Year 1 studied a variety of different weather types and explored their effects on everyday life. The pupils investigated hurricanes and tornadoes and considered the impact of their destructive force. In Year 2, the children travelled to South America to explore the country of Ecuador. They learnt all about life in Quito and

compared and contrasted their way of life with a child in the UK. They used their inference skills, using fact files to answer a range of questions. Pupils were particularly surprised that many cities in Ecuador are built in close proximity to an active volcano.

The Christmas term culminated in our annual Key Stage 1 Christmas

play. This year, our production Lights, Camel, Action 2 - The Sequin involved a star-studded cast of the nativity celebrities, who were back in the Bethlehem stable to put on a spectacular show, celebrating the birth of Jesus. With a set of dances, including the Hustle, Charleston and Conga and some dazzling songs, it really was a Strictly inspired Nativity.

It was another busy time during the Christmas Term for Early Years’ children, who enjoyed many trips, activities and productions, in addition

to their Early Years’ curriculum.

EARLY YEARS NEWS

At the beginning of September, Reception children visited Thinktank, Birmingham Science Museum and were welcomed by staff who taught them how to become Engineers. They were given the opportunity to build their own designs, which were all very inspiring. At the end of the morning, they were engaged with interactive experiences and fun in the Science Garden, to explore how forces work.

Our Harvest Celebration was in October and Mums, Dads and Grandparents filled Penryn Hall to witness a heartfelt presentation by the children, of songs, poems and prayers,

appropriate to the time of year.

After half term, Reception children visited Hartlebury Castle as an introduction to their new topic on Shops and Toys. The children learned all about the history of toys, which promoted their learning opportunities and provided them with a whole host of information which they brought back to School.

The Early Years’ production took place at the beginning of December this year and they performed Everyone wants a Baby, with two very talented Year 8 children narrating the story.

The rest of the cast acted out the story of the birth of Jesus. There were seventy-nine children on stage which included twelve from the Nursery, who participated brilliantly.

The end of year trip for Early Years was to West Midlands Safari Park. Before seeing a very important person, the children visited the animals and went into Santa’s Grotto. They proudly handed over their handwritten letters to Santa, who asked the children to post them into the special box. They then worked their way through an extraordinary Winter Wonderland.

Once again, the Nursery has been a hive of activity this term, with the children enjoying lots of different activities.

NURSERY NEWS

In September, we welcomed many new children who have settled well into Nursery life. The sunshine was enjoyed by all, with lots of lovely autumnal walks collecting leaves, fur and pine cones for their art activities. They also enjoyed lots of lovely outdoor play.

October saw the children exploring a range of messy art activities - something the parents are always glad they do at Nursery. Hallowee’n saw the children dressing up and enjoying themed activities, but the frozen jelly hands filled with spiders had mixed reactions.

In November, the children enjoyed collecting sticks and making some lovely bonfire displays. They also made Catherine wheels using lollypop sticks and glue and tissue paper. The toddlers have enjoyed the pair matching games and puzzles on the interactive white board.

December arrived all too soon and Christmas music could be heard throughout the Nursery. Along with that came Christmas jumpers, dresses, hats and T-shirts. The children all looked lovely, not forgetting the staff.

The Wednesday toddlers were all very excited to be taking part in the School Christmas play and I must say they all did very well since most of them had only just turned two.

All children enjoyed Christmas art activities with glitter, glue painting and collage making. We’re not sure that Nicky the cleaner feels the same - glitter seems to get in every corner. The term ended with our Christmas parties, with the children very excited to see Father Christmas.

Our Christmas jumper week raised £66. Many thanks to everyone who took part.

PhOTO ALBUM

Chaddesley Corbett, Worcestershire DY10 4PWTel: 01562 777234 Email: head@winterfoldhouse.co.ukwww.winterfoldhouse.co.ukRegistered Charity No 1063133