This Week at Edge Grove

The partnership between home and school is such an important one, and it always brings me great pleasure to welcome parents into school for events. Thank you to everyone who attended the Year 2 to Year 3 transition meeting. I will be sharing the slides, along with some additional information, towards the end of next week.

A huge thank you also to Miss Davies, Miss Lamptey-Senior, and Miss Kyriacou for delivering such a fun and interactive EYFS Phonics session. Your energy and creativity truly brought the session to life.

I’ve had great fun joining in with creative activities across the department, from making Father’s Day cards, to writing Burglar Bill character descriptions, to helping Year 2 pupils compose postcards for our new starters joining the Edge Grove family in 2025. The imagination and talent of our pupils never ceases to amaze me.

The highlight of the week was, without a doubt, Sports Day! It was truly wonderful to see so many of you there. Watching the children in full sporting action was an absolute delight! Their sportsmanship, enthusiasm, and encouragement of one another showcased the spirit of the Edge Grove family. Well done to all the pupils! A special thank you to Mrs Emms, Miss Evans, and Mr Rose for coordinating such a brilliant event, and to David Whitehead for the incredible job he did marking the running tracks.

There will be a special second-hand blazer sale on Tuesday morning, taking place outside the Junior Department entrance from 8:00 to 8:30am. Please keep an eye out for it!

Wishing you all a restful weekend and a special day on Sunday.

Mrs Wynne
Assistant Head (Junior)

Nursery

On Your Marks, Get Set… Go! Nursery have had an action-packed week preparing for Sports Day! We’ve been practising a range of sports and physical activities, all while learning about the importance of keeping ourselves healthy. The children explored healthy and unhealthy foods, and we had lots of meaningful discussions about how exercise helps our bodies stay strong and feel good.

All their hard work and enthusiasm led to a fantastic Sports Day! We were so impressed with the children’s teamwork, determination, and resilience throughout the event.

Well done, Nursery – we are so proud of you!

Reception News

It has been a ‘Wild’ week for Reception…..primarily because we have been delving into the book Wild, by Emily Hughes, and exploring its contents. The story alludes to a little girl who discovers her confidence and happiness in the jungle. As part of the learning in Literacy, the children undertook some tasks to further develop their comprehension skills.

The first task was to listen to a description of the girl in the story and draw her from their own understanding and the second task involved them creating their own wild environment, inspired by some wild flowers we found outside of The Apthorp building. Both activities produced some very creative and imaginative pieces of work!

In Maths this week, we’ve been exploring counting in tens. The children have been learning about the number pattern, noticing that all the numbers in this sequence end in zero.We have challenged the children to count in tens as much as possible so please do not be surprised if your child counts in tens up and down the stairs or all the way to school!

Sports day was a roaring success and we are very proud of the effort the children put in! Well done Reception, have a very well deserved weekend!

Year 1 News

In Maths this week, we’ve been delving into capacity and volume. The children have thoroughly enjoyed the practical lessons, impressing us with their ability to read scales, work out intervals, and use mathematical vocabulary to describe and compare capacity. A big thank you for all the fantastic baking homework! The children loved sharing their experiences, and we certainly appreciated the delicious treats too. This week’s challenge is to make your own potions at home. Can you measure out the liquid accurately? We can’t wait to hear all about it

Cumulus, nimbus, stratus…The Year 1’s have been learning all about the types of clouds in science and used cotton wool to show their differences. Keep a look to the sky and see if you can spot any of these clouds.

Well done to all the children for taking part in such a fantastic Sports Day!

It was truly heart-warming to witness so much good sportsmanship, teamwork, and determination. Whether racing to the finish line or tackling challenges with a smile, every child should feel incredibly proud of their efforts. What a wonderful celebration of our school spirit!

Next week, we have so much to look forward to – watching the Year 2 Showcase, Enrichment Week and visiting Year 2.

We hope you have a restful weekend and spoil the special male figures in your life on Sunday.

Year 2 News

The children have worked incredibly hard, drawing on all their knowledge in Maths and English to complete their end-of-year quizzes. As we’ve mentioned before, while we are not a data-driven school, these assessments give us a helpful snapshot of what the children have retained over the year. These results will be shared in the usual way as part of the end of year report. We’re so proud of their determination and the positive attitude they’ve shown throughout.

The week culminated in an exciting Sports Day! It was a joy to see such wonderful sportsmanship across all the activities, and heartening to witness our school community come together for the delicious Junior Department picnic.

Wishing you all a lovely weekend—and a very happy Father’s Day!

Dear Parents,

With only fifteen school days left to go until the Apthorp closes its doors on another academic year, there is still much to look forward to for all year groups. Next week, Enrichment Week begins with full-on schedules for Years 3, 4 and 5. Table tennis, rocket launches, STEM workshops, clay modelling and Go Ape all feature in the timetable, and then the latter half of the week is all about the residential elements – Norfolk Lakes for Year 5, and camping on-site for Years 3 and 4.

It promises to be an immersive week!

Mr Thorne
Assistant Head (Middle Department)

Mrs Allen writes:

Well done, 5A – what a week! You have been exceptional.

It has been a particularly busy and challenging week, with end-of-term assessments alongside the usual packed curriculum, including swimming lessons, Speech Day rehearsals, and fixtures both home and away. Yet, you’ve approached everything with resilience and maturity.

I’m incredibly proud of how pupils conducted themselves during their academic assessments. Some were completed in classrooms, while others took place in the theatre to help them grow more comfortable in a larger, more formal exam setting.

They also thoroughly enjoyed sports fixtures on Wednesday, representing the school brilliantly both at home and away at York House. Alongside all this, we’ve continued our Year 5 Young Enterprise projects and had some thoughtful, honest discussions about friendships – how to nurture them and make better choices to support one another.

It has been a packed week, but one they should be really proud of.

Now we look ahead to Enrichment Week – time for some well-earned fun at Norfolk Lakes!

Mr Russell writes…

It has been another jam-packed week for 5R as we power our way through the last of our end of term assessments. We are incredibly proud of the resilience and determination the children have shown! 

Cricket has certainly been a highlight this week! Ved was delighted to captain his final cricket match at Edge Grove, putting in a fine all-round performance that included a brilliant three-wicket over and a number of much-needed runs with the bat. In the very same game, Lucy truly shone, contributing a fantastic four boundaries and bowling a superb maiden over. We also congratulate Cooper and Tippi, who were delighted to be on the winning side in their respective cricket matches this week – well done to all our cricketers!

On the athletics front, Tommy thoroughly enjoyed his experience on Monday, competing at the Regional Athletics meet in Eaton. While he did not progress to the nationals, he was absolutely delighted with his performances and cherished the entire experience.

In English, Sami has been highly engaged in tracking his reading progress. He was clearly motivated by seeing his achievements and is now eager to keep reading even more books!

We also spent time this week getting very excited about our upcoming trip next week! We went through all the information about the centre and discussed the exciting activities we will be doing, which has certainly built anticipation.

We are all looking forward to a very exciting week ahead!

Have a lovely weekend.

Mrs Fox writes…

3W have continued to impress this week with their positive attitude towards assessments, showing excellent focus and dedication. They have also made the most of our ‘normal’ lessons, where we have kept the fun very much alive!

In Science on Wednesday, we explored the bones in the human body. The children thoroughly enjoyed cutting out their own skeletons, which we will be labelling in our next lesson. They asked lots of thoughtful questions and are excited to continue learning about this fascinating topic. 

In English, we have been balancing descriptive writing with our class text, diving back into Marcus’s world as a Roman boy living with a Celtic tribe. We are all eager to find out what happens next in his story.

With Enrichment Week just around the corner, and after most of the class’s fantastic camping experience at the brilliantly organised EdgeFest, many are already counting down the days until they can get their sleeping bags back out! I am hoping for more sunny skies and am looking forward to roasting marshmallows around the fire and singing camp songs.

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend!

Miss Corin writes… 

I would like to start by saying a massive well done to all of Year 3 for demonstrating remarkable determination and hard work in your assessments over the past few weeks. Your commitment to your studies has been truly commendable, and I cannot emphasise enough how impressed I am of each and every one of you. You are all amazing!

In between our assessments, we have continued to engage in fascinating lessons. Recently, our focus in science has been on the human skeleton, where the class demonstrated a keen interest. The pupils in 3C particularly enjoyed piecing together the various bones, which enhanced their understanding of how our bodies function.

Looking ahead, I am eagerly anticipating our forthcoming enrichment week, which promises to be filled with a variety of  activities. A highlight of the week will undoubtedly be the highly anticipated camping night on site. I know that many of you are excited about the prospect of spending a night away from home, and I assure you that it will be a memorable experience.

Mrs Senghani writes…

Another busy week of assessments for Year 3, who have embraced them so well.

In English we continued to read Revolt of the Romans and the students have been able to use their imagination further, but predicting what they think happens next at the end of each lesson.

In science this week we moved onto the bones that make up the human body. The class enjoyed learning about the bones in our body, and where they all go. They had the opportunity to learn about the bones, followed by an activity to label the skeleton activity which gave them a great from assessments.

I am looking forward to enrichment week next week. Please ensure you have the letter sent out last week with all the information you need. The children are very excited to camp, as well as singing songs around the camp fire with marshmallows and hot chocolate.

Have a restful weekend, before a busy week ahead.

The Year 4 Team writes…

A massive well done to all of Year 4 for demonstrating remarkable determination and hard work in your assessments over the past few weeks. Your commitment to your studies has been truly commendable, and Mrs Futerill, Mrs Warnes, and Miss Lundrigan (in her absence) are incredibly proud of each and every one of you. We have also been particularly impressed by how well you have adapted to the changes in your routines, timetables, and for some, even your form teachers. Your resilience throughout these transitions has been outstanding!

However, lessons did not stop just because of assessment week… Our focus in science has been on Living Things and their Habitats. Year 4 brilliantly collected data on invertebrates and vertebrates, utilising the fabulous Edge Grove grounds to gather information. You also explored the intricate parts within flowers. 

In TPR, all of Year 4 truly impressed with your factual yet creative diary entries from the viewpoint of Paul, expertly incorporating what you’ve learned about his missionary travels.

We also had the wonderful Mrs Richards, a parent of one of our Year 4 cohort, come in and share her passion for story writing. Mrs Richards runs a company called Storymix, an inclusive fiction development company. She captivated our students with her enthusiasm and knowledge. Year 4 was presented with a problem: The Storymix team and Mrs Richards had lost all their stories and needed to present to the publisher by the end of this week! Our Year 4s then worked collaboratively to “pitch” a story they would like to see from Storymix, using an everyday object to inspire their ideas. Please ask your child what brilliant story idea they came up with!

Inspirational Senior Department Assembly

This week, Maya-Rose (Year 6) confidently presented an informative assembly to her peers in the Senior Department about Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD). She explained what GAD is, including common symptoms such as worry and difficulty concentrating. She also discussed how GAD can affect young people in school and everyday life, and emphasised the importance of understanding and supporting those who may be struggling. Maya-Rose also shared tips on how to manage it, such as breathing exercises, talking to trusted adults and seeking professional help. The presentation was clear, empathetic, and helped raise awareness about mental health among the student body. Well done Maya-Rose! We are very proud of you.

Junior Platform

On Tuesday morning we held our final Platform Concert of the year for the Junior Department.  The variety and level of musicality on show was excellent and created a brilliant opportunity for our youngest pupils to gain very important performance experience.  Well done to all!

Instrument Lessons

Edge Grove offers 1-2-1 instrument tuition for all of our pupils from Reception to Year 8.  Our lessons are provided by professional musicians employed by the school, offering a vast array of musical instruments to suit our pupils.  

These include:

• Piano
• Singing
• Drums
• Harp
• Guitar
• Bass Guitar
• Ukulele
• Recorder
• Clarinet
• Flute
• Saxophone
• Trumpet
• Trombone
• French Horn
• Violin
• Viola
• Music Theory
  

Research has highlighted how beneficial musical learning is on a child’s mood and behaviour, and indicates that greater progress can be achieved across all areas of school life due to it.  This includes an improvement in academic progress, simply through learning an instrument!  If you would like to see a summary of the research, it can be found here.

In addition, senior schools are always on the lookout for excellent instrumentalists, particularly of the orchestral variety (clarinet, flute, trumpet, violin etc).  Places and scholarships are more likely to be given to instrumentalists of this nature in order to build orchestras and bands.  Moreover, a majority of scholarships are offered to pupils who play more than one instrument.  If you’re interested in potential scholarships, I have roadmaps to scholarship success with planned activities and targets which can be found here.

Lessons are £34.20 for half an hour, charged in arrears.  We timetable our lessons on SchoolBase and rotate them weekly so that pupils do not miss the same lessons week-on-week.  An initial trial lesson is available for all instruments, which are also £34.20 each.

If you wish to sign up for lessons in September or a trial, please follow this link.

What an absolutely fantastic week we’ve had in the Sports Department!

It was wonderful to see so many families enjoying the stunning Edge Grove grounds over the weekend at Edge Fest. A huge thank you to FOEG for organising such a fantastic event—our personal favourites had to be the inflatable football dart and axe throwing!

On Monday, we were proud to send 10 pupils to the Thames Valley Athletics Meet, where they truly shone and achieved some excellent results. Be sure to read the match report for all the details.

Wednesday and Thursday were packed with exciting cricket fixtures against York House, Belmont, and Beechwood Park, showcasing great sportsmanship and skill across all teams.

As I write this, we are putting the final touches on preparations for Junior Sports Day tomorrow—a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the achievements and energy of our youngest pupils. At the same time, our U12 cricket team will be representing us at the St Albans Festival.

And finally, a massive Good Luck to all our pupils taking part in the ESSA Swimming Gala on Saturday!

Wishing everyone a restful weekend before we head into Enrichment Week!

Week 7 Match Reports

London Regional Athletics Meet 2025: A Day of Strong Performances

On Monday, our talented athletes who qualified for the London Prep Schools Athletics Meet 2025 headed to Thames Valley Athletics, aiming for a spot in the national finals. The competition was fierce, with only the winner of each event guaranteed a place, and second-place finishers needing to surpass a designated qualifying time or distance.

Given the individual nature of most events, here’s a breakdown of our pupils’ impressive efforts:

4x100m Relay

Oliver, Elliott, Nathaniel & John kicked off the day in one of the first races. They cruised to victory in their final with a time of 58.27 seconds. Unfortunately, another team from Lochinver House posted a faster time in the second final, securing their spot at Nationals. Heartbreakingly, our boys missed the national qualifying time by a mere 0.27 seconds.

Individual Track Events

Freya showed her speed in the 200m, qualifying for the final with a strong heat time of 34.49 seconds. She then went on to finish 7th in the final, shaving off some time to cross the line at 34.36 seconds.

Aiden had a busy day, finishing 4th in both his 100m and 200m heats to qualify for both finals. In the 100m final, he again placed 4th with a time of 13.84 seconds. He mirrored that performance in the 200m final, finishing 4th with a time of 28.56 seconds.

John battled hard in the levelled 800m final, securing a respectable 12th place with a time of 2:45.78.

Timi had a mixed day on the track. He finished 3rd in his 100m heat with a time of 13.84 seconds, narrowly missing out on the final. However, he shone in the 300m final, finishing 2nd with a time of 44.02 seconds, placing him 4th overall in the event.

Elliott, fresh from the 4x100m relay, dominated his 200m heat, cruising to victory with a time of 30.10 seconds. He also placed 4th in his 100m heat (14.33 seconds), qualifying for both finals. In the 100m final, Elliott finished 4th with a time of 14.40 seconds, and he replicated that position in the 200m final with a time of 29.73 seconds.

Edith displayed remarkable resilience. She qualified for the 200m final with a 3rd place finish in her heat (33.21 seconds). She then competed in the 800m, finishing 6th with a time of 3:12.57, before immediately heading back to the start line for her 200m final, where she finished 6th with a time of 34.15 seconds.

Field Events

Sienna performed admirably in the U12 girls’ long jump, finishing 7th with a distance of 3.39m.

Oliver also qualified for the long jump, achieving a distance of 3.62m to place 12th.

Tommy made a great debut in one of his first athletics events, jumping 3.28m in the boys’ U11 long jump – a huge achievement!

Huge congratulations to all the pupils involved for their tremendous efforts! It’s important to remember that these finishing places represent the culmination of a rigorous qualification process, from internal school selections to district events, leading to this regional competition. While we won’t be sending any athletes to the national finals in Birmingham this year, I am immensely proud of their achievements on Monday. Every athlete involved carried themselves with dignity and composure, representing our school admirably.

Wednesday

U11A Girls Hardball vs York House 

Edge Grove 229-253 York House

In a thrilling and hard-fought encounter, the U11A hard ball cricket team showcased great skill and teamwork but narrowly missed out, losing to York House by 24 runs. It was a competitive match from start to finish, full of exciting moments and individual brilliance from both sides. After losing the toss, Edge Grove were put in to bat. The team responded positively, looking to build a strong total. Sienna led the charge with the bat, displaying excellent timing and confidence at the crease, earning her the Batter of the Game award. She rotated the strike well and found the boundary with precision. Kirsten, Sara, and Eva also contributed vital runs, each hitting powerful fours to keep the scoreboard ticking over. Despite some strong batting, York House bowled tightly and took wickets at regular intervals, slowing Edge Grove’s momentum. With a defendable total set, Edge Grove took to the field determined to make every run count. Their bowling attack rose to the occasion, led by Kirsten, who bowled with fantastic control and consistency, troubling the York House batters throughout her spell and fully deserving her title of Bowler of the match, thanks to her accurate line and length, consistently troubling the batters. Backing up the bowlers with an exceptional fielding display was Prithvika, who had a standout all-round performance. She took three crucial wickets, one clean bowled, one with a sharp direct-hit throw on wicket and one catch.

U10A Girls Softball vs York House 

Edge Grove 277 vs 254 York House

What a fantastic day of cricket in the sunshine at York House! Lyra and Edith opened the batting confidently, with York House managing to take two early wickets. However, we bounced back strongly — Ayomipo and Jasmine delivered some brilliant strokes, scoring several impressive boundaries to boost our total.

When it was our turn to field, Amber and Ariya each took a wicket, keeping the pressure on the opposition. Asayoma and Tippi then rounded off our bowling attack with exceptional pace and accuracy, leaving York House well behind in runs.

A huge well done to all the girls for a brilliant team performance!

Colts A vs York House 

York House 157 for 8

Edge Grove 84 for 14 

We played an 8-a-side pairs game for our last match of the season against a very good York House team. Unfortunately our bowling was not good in the first 10 overs and too many wides and bad deliveries saw their batsmen score 95 runs for just 1 wicket. We pulled it back in the next 10 overs only conceding 62 runs and taking 7 wickets. When we went in to bat we were never “at the races” as we lost wickets regularly against a very good bowling line-up who gave away very few extras. A heavy defeat was not how we wanted to end the season but well done to all the boys who played today.

Colts B vs York House 

Edge Grove Colts B faced York House in a thrilling 20-over pairs cricket match at home today. After losing the toss, Edge Grove stepped up to bat first.

The opening pair of Ved and Christopher got the innings underway, contributing 7 runs. They were followed by Syon and Atlas, and then Elliott and Raph, who collectively moved the score to a respectable 215 by the end of the 15th over. The final pair of Tyler and Lucy put in a significant effort, adding crucial runs and pushing Edge Grove’s total to an impressive 244 runs. York House demonstrated very consistent bowling throughout Edge Grove’s innings.

When Edge Grove took to the field, York House’s score began to tick over, reaching 227 by the 6th over. However, the Edge Grove bowlers then found their rhythm, taking a flurry of wickets! Rafael was in outstanding form, claiming 4 wickets, while Elliott, Atlas, Christopher, and Tyler each secured one wicket. Ved also bowled exceptionally well, taking 4 wickets.

Special mentions go to Syon for his fantastic wicket-keeping, Atlas for his brilliant throwing into the stumps, and Ved for being nominated Player of the Match. What a fantastic cricket game it was! Despite losing the match by a narrow margin of 244 runs to York House’s 260, you should be massively proud of your performance today. Well done, team!

Colts D vs York House 

Edge Grove 297 vs 275 York House

A great afternoon of cricket was played today. The boys started the game fielding, making sure all boundaries were covered. They did well to stop the ball, pass it to the wicket keeper and keep runs low. Our bowling was also strong, with wickets being scored by Luke and Cooper. During the batting, each player was able to get more than 2 runs. Special mention goes to Cooper, Joshua and Tom for scoring 6 runs due to hitting the ball over the boundary line. The team worked really well in their pairs, communicating decisions for runs, and played positively together as a team – well done to all, a great game to end the season.

Colts E vs York House 

Edge Grove 292 v 316 York House

We opened the batting with fantastic performances from Pranay and Aarin, setting us up for a very respectable total of 292 runs.
Heading into the field, Arhaan opened the bowling for us, with Riley and Itai making fantastic impressions through consistent and determined bowling efforts.
Despite our strong performance, York House managed to chase down the total, finishing on 216 and just edging out the win.
Well done to all involved for a fantastic match and for showing excellent sportsmanship throughout!

Colts F vs York House 

Edge Grove 300 – 295 York House

A beautiful afternoon for cricket with 6 determined young players. We won the toss and decided to bowl first. Louis bowled brilliantly giving away 21 of his 3 overs, with an unfortunate 4 and 6 off his final over. Aahil’s determination allowed him to improve every time he bowled a new over, and gave 18 off his 3 overs. All boys worked extremely hard and bowled really well in our 15 overs. 

Louis and Aahil opened the batting and scored 37 runs off their 4 overs, Chenlang and Adam followed with 32 runs off their 4 overs and Avi and Josh R finished with 35 runs off their batting overs. The boys batting skills allowed them to win with 3 overs to spare.

A huge well done to them all for their determination and sportsmanship this afternoon. 

Thursday

Year 3 Boys Cricket v Belmont

Mr McManusTeam

Edge Grove 99 for 2
Belmont 52 for 1
Edge Grove won by 42 runs

What a fantastic way to end the season for the boys. We batted first and scored an excellent total with Ari S and Veer opening the batting and putting on an excellent partnership of 24 with Veer hitting a big six! Ray and Zayyan batted next against some good bowling and scored 14 runs but unfortunately went out twice. Danny and James then came in and some fine running between the wickets saw them score 24 runs without hitting a boundary. Riyan and Neevan came in next and Riyan signalled his intent by hitting the bowler back over his head for 6 off his first ball! They amassed the top score of 25. Arav and Niam struggled to score against some good bowling but did not give their wicket away and Arav hit his last ball for a 6! Our bowling and fielding was far superior and we ran out comfortable winners. Everyone contributed to the team effort but Niam was the pick of the bowlers with their batsman struggling to even see his balls as they flew past them. Well done to all the boys on a great season.

Miss Hughes Team

What a thrilling afternoon of cricket it was for the Edge Grove Year 3 Boys B team as they faced Belmont in a 10-over pairs match! Captain for this week’s fixture was Musa, who unfortunately lost the toss, meaning Belmont elected to bat first. However, this didn’t deter our mighty Edge Grove bowlers, who put on a superb display of skill and precision. The boys bowled brilliantly, managing to take an impressive 10 wickets during Belmont’s 10-over innings! A special mention must go to Matthew and Max for their exceptionally speedy and accurate bowling, which consistently challenged the Belmont batsmen. Belmont concluded their batting innings with a total of 189 runs.

When it was Edge Grove’s turn to bat, the boys showed fantastic determination and power. They batted with great confidence, quickly building momentum and taking the lead. The runs flowed freely, culminating in a fantastic winning score of 256 runs! A huge congratulations goes to Arjun for his brilliant batting performance, contributing an excellent 10 runs to our impressive total. This was a truly fantastic win for the mighty B team, and a testament to their hard work and competitive spirit. While today’s victory is certainly one to celebrate, it’s also a reminder that there’s always room for improvement. Keep putting in the effort at training, boys, and continue to bring that fantastic competitive spirit to every match! Well done, Edge Grove!

Year 4 Mixed Cricket

Edge Grove 283 – 268 Beechwood Park School

What a brilliant afternoon for cricket with the sun shining at Beechwood Park School. Edge Grove won the toss and elected to field, showing great understanding of the game. We had some excellent bowling and fielding which was impressive. Ava was unlucky to have had a misfield in her over allowing the ball to go for 4 runs, however, then only gave away 4 runs in the remaining 5 bowls. Tamsin demonstrated great accuracy and only gave away 4 runs from her over, followed by only 4 runs off Wyatt’s over as well as 2 wickets, 1 bowled directly by Wyatt, and the second was a brilliant run out by Ava. Alexa followed with a great over, only giving 5 runs away and Adam also followed with a 5 run over. Overall great work in the field.

Monty and Ava opened the batting scoring 12 runs in 2 overs. Jola and Leila came in and scored an incredible 21 runs off their 2 overs, with 2 excellent 4’s hit by Leila. Hamza and Tamsin followed with another incredible 21 runs off 2 overs, this time with 2 4’s hit by Hamza. Wyatt and Alexa did not disappoint with a great 16 runs hit off their 2 overs, continuously rotating the strike. Sansiya and Adam were the last pair to come in, who scored a great 18 runs off their 2 overs, with a lovely 4 hit by Sansiya, followed by the only 6 of the game. A great win for Edge Grove. Well done team.

Nǐ hǎo,

Another short one from me this week.  As expected, I’m running on fumes after the amazing EdgeFest event last weekend.  The Friends of Edge Grove put on an astounding event, supported by me with both my musical skills (I do have some!) and camping experience (I’m a Scout Leader don’t you know!).  It was wonderful to have the school community together under canvas, and the inflatables didn’t let us down.  What an excellent and exhausting weekend!

Sadly, I was unable to attend the Junior Sports Day today, but I trust that it was a thrilling day led by our wonderful sports department.  I look forward to finding out the winners!

On to the joke of the week.  This week’s winner is (not at all influenced by the fact that I’m hungry) is Samuel of Churchills:

What did the thesaurus eat for breakfast? A synonym roll!

Keep those entries coming in and have an excellent Exped week!

Mr Evans

Head of Houses
Director of Music
Lord of the Campsite

Joke entries this week:

What’s purple and 21,196 km? The Grape wall of China!

Why are chemists great at solving problems? They have all the solutions.

Why is camping an extreme sport? It’s in tents.

What is the smartest piece of punctuation? An a-POSH-trophe!

A ghost went to a bar and the barman said they don’t take spirits.

What did the policeman say to the tummy? You’re under a vest.

Why don dogs float in water? Because they’re good buoys.

Why did the doughnut go to the dentist? To get a filling.

Knock knock. Who’s there? Luke. Luke who? Luke through the keyhole and you’ll find out!

Which is faster, heat or cold ? Heat because you can catch a cold.

I told my friend to embrace all their mistakes. They hugged me tightly.

What is Forrest Gump’s computer password? 1forrest1

Why did the tomato blush? Because he saw the salad dressing.

As our Year 6 pupils move into the final phases of their chosen senior schools’ admissions processes, parents with pupils in lower year groups may be starting to think more about the journey that they and their child will be embarking on in the not too distant future. If your child is in Year 5 or below and you would like to meet to discuss their academic profile and next steps, please book an appointment via Mrs Thomas, Head’s PA on futureschools@edgegrove.com 

The Future Schools Presentation to Parents is now available to view on the Future School Documents section of the app.

INFORMATION FROM SENIOR SCHOOLS

ABINGDON SCHOOL

Abingdon Senior School will start to welcome girls to our First Year (Year 7) and Sixth Form from September 2026. We will therefore welcome girls at the 13+ stage in 2028.  

We have a number of events for prospective families running throughout the course of this term and next – all of which can be booked online via this link.

ABBOT’S HILL SCHOOL

13+ Scholarship Opportunities

We have recently launched some new Scholarship opportunities. Scholarships will be available in the following areas:

Sport
Music
Drama
Art+Design

Enquiries to  https://www.abbotshill.herts.sch.uk/scholarships/ or email admissions@abbotshill.herts.sch.uk

BISHOPS STORTFORD COLLEGE

Whole School Open Event – Saturday 20th September

11+ entry in September 2026. 

Application Deadline for entry to the College in September 2026: 

Monday 3 November 2025

Scholarship Assessment Days:

Tuesday 11 November 2025 (11+ art and music) 

Wednesday 12 November 2025 (11+ sport)

11+ Entry Testing Day:  

Saturday 15 November 2025

Outcomes sent to parents:

Friday 28 November 2025

CHANNING SCHOOL

Here are the Channing 11+ (2026) key dates for your diary:

11+ Application Deadline: Friday 7 November 2025

Bursary and Music Scholarship Application Deadline: Friday 7 November 2025

Channing offers both bursaries and Scholarships for Year 7.

Please do not hesitate to contact us at admissions@channing.co.uk if we can be of further assistance.

CITY OF LONDON SCHOOL FOR GIRLS

11+ Admissions Brochure

 For more information and to book, visit www.clsg.org.uk

HAILEYBURY

We are always happy to welcome any interested families to come and visit us; this can be done in a number of ways:

• Families can book onto one of our Open Events. Please encourage prospective families to book their place via the School’s website. 
• Contact the Admissions department (admissions7to9@haileybury.com / 01992 706353 ) to arrange an individual family visit during term time.

Once a family has decided to proceed with an application to Haileybury, we encourage them to register with us by completing our online Registration Form.

JOHN LYON SCHOOL

Admissions Brochure

To book a School in Action Open Morning please contact admissions@johnlyon.org

THE LEYS

Information on small group visits can be found here and, in addition, we’re always pleased to discuss the possibility of a private visit with families too.

LONDON 11+ CONSORTIUM

Information regarding the Consortium can be found on our website.

These are the key dates:

Closing date for registrations: Friday 7 November 2025

Consortium Assessment dates: Friday 28 November, Tuesday 2 December and Thursday 4

December 2025

Offer date: Friday 13 February 2026

Deadline to accept: Wednesday 4 March 2026 – 12 noon

MILL HILL

Visit Our School | Senior Admissions North London | Mill Hill

MILL HILL COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL

APTITUDE TEST DATES FOR YEAR 7 ENTRY FROM SEPTEMBER 2026

Registrations for Aptitude Tests will open on Friday 21st March 2025 and close at 3pm on Friday 9th May 2025. Registrations for Aptitude Tests are to be made online via the Mill Hill County High School website

https://www.mhchs.org.uk/1763/apply-for-aptitude-tests-4

RADLEY COLLEGE – 2026 ENTRY INFORMATION

All the details of our Open Days can be found on our website here. 

All 2028 entrants, regardless of their route of entry, will need to sit the ISEB Common Pre-Tests by 28 November 2025 .Parents need to register their children directly with the ISEB to sit the Common Pre-Tests via the ISEB Parent Portal. Parent Registration will open on 10 June 2025. 

Boys who have been shortlisted following receipt of the ISEB Common Pre-Tests results and Head’s report, will be asked to attend one of the following Assessment Days:

13, 15, 20, 22, 27 January & 3, 5 February 2026.

RMS – PRIVATE TOUR OF RMS FOR GIRLS – Contact Admissions to book a tour

 Do not hesitate to contact our friendly Admissions Team who will happily arrange a private tour of the School at a time convenient for you.
Please contact admissions@rmsforgirls.com 

SHREWSBURY SCHOOL

We are always delighted to welcome families to our Open Days, when they can get a sense of our beautiful campus site.  Each Open Day starts with a presentation from the Headmaster and other senior staff, followed by a Q&A session with pupils.  Families visit one of our houses and then enjoy a school tour with pupils, followed by lunch.  Open Days & School Tours | Shrewsbury School

The Director of Admissions, Martin Cropper (mc@shrewsbury.org.uk), is always pleased to talk to parents and to offer advice on our Admissions process.  We welcome applications for September 2026 onwards, and a small number of places for September 2025 have recently become available.

SOUTH WEST HERTS CONSORTIUM – Secondary Transfer 2026

This year, registration for the tests spans a period of almost ten weeks, from Tuesday 1st April to Friday 6th June 2025. As previously, no late registrations will be accepted. If a parent has extenuating circumstances for failing to register for the tests, this may be cited as part of an appeal to an independent panel at a secondary transfer appeal hearing.

The Test Administration Team can be contacted via email only at info@swhertsschools.org.uk. There is no facility to telephone.

Key testing dates can be found in the image at the bottom of this section.

TONBRIDGE SCHOOL

The School has numerous Open Mornings taking place. These are a great opportunity for families to discover what a Tonbridge education can offer their son, as well as the chance to meet boys and staff.

Come along and find out what makes us the top boys’ boarding school in the country as well as the best boys’ school in the South-East, as ranked by The Sunday Times’ Parent Power table.

Book your place using this link.

UPPINGHAM SCHOOL

Uppingham’s Visiting Days Families can sign up to attend via our website or contact Sarah Heading (sch@uppingham.co.uk). 

Children love to explore and have fun through play and this week, UNICEF’s International Day of Play, reminds parents and carers to celebrate just how vital it is. Recognising its importance, the United Nations has even declared play a universal right for every child.

Beyond enjoyment, play supports children’s overall wellbeing. It nurtures mental health, encourages social interaction, sparks new interests, and helps develop physical and emotional skills.

In fact, the world of play and its benefits is much broader and richer than you might realise. These Tooled Up resources will help you reflect on how and why playful experiences are central for your child’s development.

Professor Paul Ramchandani has the unique title of Lego Professor of Play at the University of Cambridge. In this interview with Tooled Up he explores different kinds of play and explains why they are vital for children’s development and wellbeing: Dr Weston Talks with Professor Paul Ramchandani: The Importance of Play

Rough and tumble play has its own special value for children, and although it can sometimes be alarming for parents, if there are clear boundaries in place, it is something to be embraced. Read these tips on Helping Young Children to Respect Boundaries During Play.

For older children, play time likely includes gaming. Some parents might instinctively feel that gaming is a less valuable type of play, but what does the research say? Watch Professor Pete Etchells’ webinar on The Truth About Gaming to find out more.

How I Support Children Across the School
By Mrs Volioti, School Librarian

As the Edge Grove librarian for the past three years, I have the privilege of nurturing literary engagement throughout the school community. My role allows me to connect with children from Reception through to Year 6, tailoring experiences to support their developing literacy skills and fostering a love of reading. 

Junior Department Library (Reception-Year 2)

In weekly 30-minute sessions, I guide our youngest readers through book exchanges with personalised recommendations and introduce them to new library acquisitions. Reception children borrow one book, while Years 1 and 2 take home two books – one fiction and one nonfiction. After selecting their books, the children gather on the carpet for interactive storytimes where we discuss the narrative and enjoy the experience together. Year 2 sessions include a special poetry component where one or two children voluntarily recite a poem of their choice or share an original composition each week, developing their confidence in public speaking.

Apthorp Library (Years 3-4)

These sessions focus on developing independent selection skills across both fiction and non-fiction collections. I support their reading for pleasure that complements their curriculum-based Lexile books, while expanding their literary horizons through guided exploration of diverse genres. The children are encouraged to choose books that spark their interest while I provide gentle guidance to help them discover new authors and topics.

Main Library (Years 4-8)

The Main Library is open every break and lunchtime for children in Years 4 to 8 as a quiet place for reading and reflection. On Tuesday breaktime a pupil led reading group for Years 4 and 5, called Roaring Readers, meets weekly. On Fridays when I am not in school, senior librarians keep the Library open.  

Working collaboratively with English teachers, I facilitate book exchanges in the main library for our oldest pupils. During these sessions, I provide personalised recommendations aligned with their maturing reading abilities and highlight new additions suitable for more advanced readers. This partnership with their teachers ensures that library visits remain relevant to their academic development while still nurturing the joy of reading.

This progressive approach ensures each child receives appropriate guidance as they develop into confident, enthusiastic readers who view the library as both a resource provider and a space for literary discovery and enjoyment.