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The Lent Term is a unique and dynamic period that bridges the excitement of the new year with the reflective atmosphere leading up to Easter. The weeks have flown past, filled with the perfect blend of focused work, vibrant activities, and a rich program brimming with events.
The entire school community was overjoyed to learn that we achieved our highest number of 13+ Scholarships in LPW’s history with 24 Scholarships being awarded so far to our Year 8 pupils to the Senior School of their choice (72% of the year group).
Scholarships awarded so far are: 4 Academic Scholarships, including the Sankey Scholarship (highest Academic award to Lancing College) and the Jack Robson-Carter Scholarship (third highest Academic award to Lancing College), 2 Academic Exhibitions, 7 All-Rounder Scholarships, 5 Sports Scholarships, 2 Drama Scholarships, 1 Music Scholarship, 1 Art and DT Scholarship, 1 Peter Robinson Cricket Award and 1 Headmaster’s Award.
We are delighted to announce outstanding results in this year's Townsend-Warner History Prize: five of our eleven participating pupils placed in this prestigious national competition, now in its 139th year. A special congratulations to Year 8 pupil Rex R, who achieved a remarkable second place out of over 1000 competitors. We are so proud of Rex and the other successful pupils who did so brilliantly in this esteemed competition, which boasts notable alumni like George Orwell and Kwasi Kwarteng.
House events have reached new heights, showcasing an exciting mix of creative arts, sports, team building, our annual Pancake Race, and our first inter-house swimming gala and water polo competition.
We all welcomed the greatly anticipated ‘LPW’s Got Talent’ showcase where we enjoyed a host of performances from the children. They included poetry recitals, puppet shows, gymnastics, dance, comedy, singing and rapping. Nearly every child put themselves forward and their peers, as always, were a brilliantly supportive crowd.
Our community celebrated Chinese New Year, which is almost always observed on the second new moon following the winter solstice. We welcomed a guest speaker, and for lunch, we were all treated to a delicious Chinese feast in an elaborately decorated dining room. All the children received a fortune cookie and a special red envelope to take home as a memento. It was a very special day.
Strictly Come Historical Dancing, our annual fun event that combines history with dance, took place. During the day, pupils in Year 5 learned a courtly Tudor dance, Year 6 participated in a 20th-century race through the decades, Year 7 engaged in a medieval country dance, and Year 8 learned a Latino dance with African inspirations. In the afternoon, the school came together for a Strictly Show, where there was much laughter, learning, and fun.
Then, on Burns Night Eve (the celebrations falling on a Saturday), the entire school learned about the Scottish poet and lyricist, Robert Burns. The children listened to the poem “To a Mouse” and heard why his work is celebrated through Burns Night or Burns Supper each year. Some of our pupils donned kilts, but they all shared dazzling performances of some of his greatest and most loved works.
Our younger children have continued to flourish at their Forest School sessions, and I am so pleased that we have extended this offering from our Nursery and Reception classes into weekly sessions for Years 1 and 2. Our children love the opportunity for outdoor learning and embrace the diverse mix of activities, which include making bird feeders using lard, bird seeds, and pinecones, as well as designing and building their very own fairy gardens. Their imaginations come alive as they select natural materials to create charming little habitats for fairies and other woodland creatures.
Our in-class and extracurricular sporting offerings have been packed with netball, cross country, American NFL Flag Football, gymnastics, dance, Sama karate, basketball, football, table tennis, and tag rugby. All year groups were lucky to enjoy a fun ice-skating session in Worthing during a PE session, generously funded by our LPWA. We are most grateful for the time and energy from our Parents’ Association in supporting us.
Music continues to be a central part of our school life and our Spring Soiree this term was magnificent. The calibre of the children’s playing was simply breathtaking. We enjoyed everything from Hamilton to Mozart, Oasis to The Beatles, Billie Eilish to Billy Elliot. It was a truly beautiful celebration of music, providing a tremendous amount of inspiration and enjoyment and creating wonderful memories. Alongside this, our youngest children in the school welcomed their families for a sing-along session and our new Chamber Choir is going from strength to strength, having had opportunities to perform both here and in the Lancing College chapel.
Then, of course, came World Book Day. Each year, our children say, "This was the best World Book Day ever!" However, this year, I think we agree with them. The Alice in Wonderland theme transformed the look of our school. Homemade costumes were recycled and sold by our wonderful LPWA in advance of this year’s festivities, and we tried to be as green as possible with the books as well. The ‘book swap’ in classes ensured that all the children in our community went home with a book that was new to them while reducing the impact on our planet.
Our Nursery, Pre-School and Reception children had an afternoon of paired reading, and in the Pre-Prep assembly, the Queen of Hearts handed over to some unusual storytellers from Year 5 who performed a dramatic scene from The Mad Hatter’s Tea Party; their audience squealed with delight! As the children emerged through the shimmering curtain at into our dining room at lunchtime, tables were decorated with red hearts, chess boards, and teapots for our own magical Mad Hatter’s Tea Party. They were delighted with their afternoon tea, comprising miniature quiches, crudités, sandwiches, sausage rolls, and strawberry tarts. It felt like a delightfully bonkers picnic; teachers poured squash from teapots, and pupils queued for the main event: a chocolate fountain with fruit kebabs and marshmallow skewers.
This term was packed with exciting trips, including Galactic and Faraday science challenges, numerous chess and French-speaking events. Our Year 3 pupils explored Ancient Egypt at Brighton Museum and Year 4 Roman history at Fishbourne Roman Palace. Our Year 5 pupils embraced their wizarding side at Warner Bros. Studios, and Year 6 enjoyed a fantastic outing to the Lyceum Theatre to see the incredible Lion King.
We closed the term by all joining together for our Easter celebrations. Our orchestras and Chamber Choir gave stunning performances and pupils eloquently read poems and readings. We have much to reflect on and even more to look forward to in the upcoming Summer term.