We have enjoyed a musical crescendo to our week, as our Prep School children competed in the House Shout and the individual House Music competition.

On Wednesday, the children donned denim and sparkles for the much anticipated House Shout, which was themed around a 'battle of the bands' this year. They have been rehearsing their performances since the beginning of term which has certainly built up anticipation! Each House was cheered along in their performances of a Backstreet Boys medley, 'Reach' by S Club 7, 'Hall of Fame' by The Script, and 'Counting Stars' by OneRepublic.

While there was stiff competition, Rowan was chosen by our expert external adjudicator, Dr Charlotte Exon. Dr Exon has previously worked as Director of Music at Westonbirt and Downe House School, and is now an A Level examiner.

Our House Music competition gives our individual musicians a chance to represent their Houses. 227 children took part in the preliminary rounds with their music teachers, and 83 were selected by their music teachers to progress to the second round on Thursday, judged by Mrs Saunders. Gosh, she had some difficult decisions to make!

15 Finalists, who ranged from Initial Grade to Grade 5, performed in the Final Round to our whole Prep School, and our returning judge, Dr Exon. Many congratulations to our Finalists, who gave fantastic performances to the Prep School audience, and our eventual winners.

After a week full of musicality, Willow came out on top as the winning House!

What a joyful day to conclude a joyful week, at the end of a joyful term!

The Easter Bunny visited us this morning, and children had a fabulous time out on the Sundial Terrace hunting for Easter treats! The children did us proud in our Easter Service, reciting springtime and Easter poems, and singing some wonderfully uplifting songs, as well as listening to an address from Lay Minister, Sue White.

We have been busy planting spring flowers, arranging spring gardens and spending plenty of time outside. Nursery families were invited to come in and review the children’s learning from this term, focusing on space, and using their inquiry skills to answer the question ,"What is beyond the clouds?" Papier mache solar systems adorned the ceiling, and children shared their individual project books about their chosen planets with their adults.

We are thankful for our wonderful school and the abundant opportunities for happiness, exploration and learning that we embrace every day. Wishing all our families a wonderful Easter holiday.

Anna Packman, Head of Pre-Prep

Class 4M wowed us this week with their performance of 'Oliver Twist'. This is the second in our series of Year 4 plays based on books by Charles Dickens. The children did a brilliant job of bringing this Victorian tale into modern times, and portraying some of its iconic characters.

Every term, our Forms are challenged with receiving the most pluses and credits, which they are awarded for good behaviour or acts of kindness. On Tuesday, our winning Forms were announced! Our winners were rewarded with an extra special sweet treat for their break time snack on Tuesday. Our catering team outdid themselves, as the children enjoyed "worms in mud", cake pops, ring doughnuts, chocolate waffle sandwiches, heavily garnished milkshakes, and platters of sushi. We should emphasise, each snack was for a different form group, rather than a six course tasting menu...

The sun shone on an unforgettable day at the Rosslyn Park 7s, the world's largest schools' 7s festival. Our boys embraced the challenge, playing with skill, resilience, and teamwork on very large, firm pitches.

A standout moment came in a thrilling comeback win against Scarborough College, capped by a stunning match-winning try. Special praise goes to captain, Otis Rowland, for his brilliant tries and leadership, as well as our Year 7 boys, who stepped up impressively in an U13 tournament.

It was a fantastic day of rugby, filled with determination and memorable moments. The team can be proud of their efforts, and it was a great way for some of our Year 8s to sign off from their Beaudesert rugby careers.

You always know when summer is on its way at Beaudesert. Is it the trees bursting into leaf? The songbirds making their return? The evenings stretching out just that bit longer? Perhaps... But there’s one true sign that marks the turning of the season, and signals summer is near...

On Wednesday evening, after a full afternoon of sport, it happened. The first ball was bowled. The first bat swung. The first sprint down the slope to the Wellingtonia sent a roar across the grass. Wachy Special has returned. And with it, that unmistakable feeling that summer, or at least spring, might be here.

Looking ahead to next term, there is so much to be excited about; Boarders’ Got Talent, slip and slides, tennis tournaments, evenings spent chilling on the banks, and that unbeatable summer boarding buzz that fills the air.

Before we head off for a well-deserved break, we want to say a few thank yous to our wonderful boarding team. Every single person who steps into the Boarding House helps make it such a special place.

And of course, the biggest thank you goes to the children who are at the heart of it all. Your smiles, stories, energy and joy make the Boarding House come alive every single day.

Have a fantastic break. We can’t wait to welcome you all back for a sunshine-filled, action-packed Summer Term.

Oli and Debbie Jones, Houseparents

Last Saturday, members of the Beaudesert Park Equestrian Team travelled to Rectory Farm to compete in the NSEA Arena Eventing Championship Qualifiers. The Green Team went first, with Amelie, Marni and Joey gaining three fabulous clears. Annalisa rode a very fired up Dakota Star brilliantly, which put them in to the lead. Next, came the White Team of Rose, Marni and Meredith and everyone stayed by the fence to cheer them on. Rose and Meredith went clear and Marni, who was flying round, had an unlucky run out at the penultimate fence to finish on four faults, putting them in fourth. We kept the lead right to the end, and won the 70cm! This means the Green Team have qualified for the Hickstead Championships in May, with Amelie and Marni qualifying as individuals, as they came 2nd and 4th.

In the 80cm, the team ended up on four faults and came a very respectable fourth. Amelie produced her second clear of the day on Wandering Kodaline to place 7th, and Jack rode a fabulous round on It’s Spartacus to place 10th. Marni had an unlucky four faults on her two rides, but she rode the rounds beautifully.

The children should all be very proud of themselves. Thank you once again to all the parents and helpers who came along to support; it wouldn’t be possible without you.

Jo Davies-Smith, Equestrian Co-ordinator

3HJ helped our grounds team this week by collecting sticks ready for the grass to be mown. It was a great way to understand how volunteering works; something they are learning about in PSHE. Our grounds team were very grateful for their help!

Mrs Saunders and Mrs Shaw were very proud watching Old Beaudesertian Elliott Ransome (2011-2020) perform the first movement of Rachmaninoff’s Second Piano Concerto with the symphony orchestra, side-by-side with Sinfonia Smith Square recently.

We have heard from more OBs who started their musical journey at Beaudesert and continue to thrive:

• Evie Jones (2010-2019) is playing in the Symphony Orchestra at the University of Edinburgh.
• Paloma Johansen (2020-2023) has played at the Royal Academy of Music since joining Marlborough College with a Music Scholarship.
• Ivo Parkes (2017-2024) has been offered a place at The Brit School.
• Will Shipsey (2011-2017) has been awarded a place in the Merton College Chapel Choir while studying at Oxford.

You can read more of their journeys since finishing Beaudesert over in our news section.

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