Four Year 7 children went to this year’s round of the Young Engineers Competition held at Bede’s last week. Along with 15 other school teams, Joseph Shouksmith, Calysta Morris, Thomas Goodenough and Sasha Marlow were tasked with creating a flying bobsleigh which was then flight tested. The challenging theme focused on the forthcoming Winter Olympics and issues around gravity and friction.

Each team was given a squash bottle and other supplied materials to produce their product. Flight testing from a special ramp at Bede’s Sports Hall produced a variety of flight results and some spectacular crashes! The teams were judged on their design and the quality of bobsleigh construction, the distance flown (or not) and how they worked as a team. 

Our team produced a good design and enjoyed an extremely good day together. 

Following on from the heat held here at St Andrew’s last November, our qualifying team of four Year 5 and 6 children set off for Surbiton Boys’ Prep School in Surrey to compete in the semi-finals of the Science Inter-school Quiz Championships.

The competition was tough and the team did really well but unfortunately didn’t quite qualify for the final. All the children said how much they enjoyed competing against other schools and spending a day in a different part of the country.

We look forward to the Year 7 and 8 General Knowledge Finals at the end of this month when we will be sending our team of four to Harrow.

Art was the name of the game today in our Baby Room. Our youngest children ranging from 12 to 24 months put on their painting aprons and happily dabbled with brushes and paint. The children had a lovely time and for the parents – no tidying up! I’m sure we have some Constables and Hockneys in the making.

Our Baby Room children also enjoy a musical activity several times a week with our on-site specialist music teacher.   

The penultimate week of term has been full of wonderful Christmas performances from Nursery up to Years 3 and 4. Each year gave a lovely performance extracting much laughter and a few tears from the audiences. Mr Ferguson enjoyed the Year 2 performance so much that he joined the children on stage.

St Andrew’s Day is one of the special days within our school calendar when we go off timetable to enjoy a host of special events to mark and celebrate the school’s namesake and come together as a school community.

Prior to 1877, the site was a working farm called Colstocks. When the Revd Francis Souper bought the site, he turned the farm into a school and called it Meads later changing the name to St Andrew’s after the disciple whom Jesus first met by the sea. 

Hats, games and a show are the themes for the day. Every child makes a hat and the day starts with a millinery parade for the Pre-Prep parents. Our Year 8s then entertain the Prep school with games including sumo wrestling, pillow fights, a photo booth and a table tennis competition. A special lunch follows where everyone (staff included) wear their hats after which all are treated to the St Andrew’s Day Show – an afternoon of songs, skits and dancing put together by our gap students, complete with an ice cream interval.

Each year we invite ex staff, parent sand OAs to lunch to celebrate the day with the children.

Competition was the name of the game last Friday when St Andrew’s Prep hosted two heats of the National Inter-School Quiz Championship. In the morning, the school welcomed teams from Handcross Park Prep and Hurstpierpoint for a Years 5 and 6 Science Quiz. The Hurst team played an excellent game keeping ahead for much of the competition and finishing first – they go on to the final to be held in Surrey next January. St Andrew’s came in second but have also qualified for the final having achieved a sufficiently high score in the heat.

In the afternoon, it was General Knowledge for Years 7 and 8 and this time the St Andrew’s children were joined by teams from Gildredge House, Handcross Park, Moira House and Solefields in Sevenoaks. Gildredge House were hungry for first place keeping ahead for much of the competition but they were overtaken towards the end by St Andrew’s who will travel to Harrow in January for the final.

The gym was transformed for the Friends of St Andrew’s Advent Fair at the end of this month.  On sale there were Christmas gifts galore to purchase including jewellery, children’s toys, scarves and some very fetching tartan boots and purses. 

On stage there were games for the younger children and a chance to visit Father Christmas in his grotto.  The Junior Department ran their ever successful Chocolate Tombola and the Jam Jar stall attracted constant custom.

The Year 7s organised nail painting, hair spraying and various games (including a chance to score a goal into Mr Tomsett’s mouth!) and if it all became a little too hectic, the Friends ran a very successful café which was a haven of peace and quiet and delicious treats. Our Head Chef, Sarah Murfin, put on her Food File Live displays with pasta making, stir-frying, delicious cheeses and a chance to make your own smoothie on the ‘smoothie bicycle’. 

This year the raffle raised £219.00 for Children in Need.  Many thanks to all involved in the organisation and running of this event.

The St Andrew’s 6-a-side football team was a whisker away from getting into the semi-finals at the IAPS Annual National Soccer Sixes Finals. The eight strong squad travelled up to Shrewsbury School knowing that there would be strong competition ahead. The standard was exceptionally high and in their league, St Andrew’s won one match, drew two and lost two just missing a semi-final place but still gaining a place in the top eight prep school teams in the country. Special mention must go to Alvaro Casado and Daniel Toole for their outstanding play and well done to the rest of the squad, Joe McIntyre, Joshua Hardy, Joe Parish, Edward Rosson-Jones, Henry Turnbull and James Young.

After technical problems robbed eight year old Sarah-Michelle (Year 4) of a high ranking in Chantilly, Paris in August, she took part in her latest international triathlon in Bangkok, Thailand in September.
First out of the water after the 42m swim and first off her bike after the 2k cycle, Sarah and a very determined boy swapped first and second place several times during the 1k run. With this strong opposition leading her in the last 100m, Sarah put into practice what she had been taught by Olympic coach, Mark Gregory, and pipped the boy to the post making her the first female and first overall – a superb result.
Well done to Sarah-Michelle who is now enjoying a well-deserved rest. Simon Severino said, ‘We at St Andrew’s Prep are very proud of Sarah-Michelle’s achievements in triathlon this year and wish her the very best as she pursues her passion in the future.’
You can read all about her Triathlon Challenges to raise funds for the Demelza Children’s Hospice charity and maybe make a small donation at: www.sarah-michelle-clear.me.uk