Issue 40

This term, Year 4 embarked on a historical adventure, journeying back in time to explore Warwick Castle.

Their day began with a fascinating demonstration by a skilled Bowman, who unveiled the secrets of medieval archery, the equipment used, and the techniques employed by these skilled warriors.

The morning was packed with exploration. Students learned about the powerful trebuchet, a medieval siege weapon, and even witnessed it in action! Wandering through the Time Tower, they delved deeper into the rich history of Warwick Castle.

But the adventure didn't stop there! Lunchtime brought a unique challenge – enjoying a picnic lunch while keeping a watchful eye on the skies. The beautiful bird of prey display showcased magnificent eagles and other impressive birds, making the sandwiches all the more delicious!

Next came a test of courage! Year 4 bravely ascended the steep steps of Caesar's Tower, a towering structure roughly the height of 10 double-decker buses! From the top, they were rewarded with breathtaking panoramic views of the surrounding countryside.

Year 4's trip to Warwick Castle perfectly embodies the spirit of adventure that Chandlings Prep champions. Their enthusiasm for history and thirst for knowledge shone brightly throughout the day. Not only did they gain valuable historical insights, but they also displayed excellent behavior, acting as true ambassadors for Chandlings Prep.

Year 3 had an exciting and inspiring day at Science Oxford! The highlight of the trip was an amazing light show, where the children were dazzled by lasers and learned all about how light travels. They even took part in a fun shadow quiz to test their knowledge.

In the "Electricity Detectives" workshop, the children worked like real engineers to identify problems in electrical circuits and find clever solutions to get everything working again.

The day ended with plenty of hands-on fun in the Explorations Zone. From experimenting with sound and gears to investigating ice crystals and air, the children explored a huge range of scientific phenomena. Popular favourites included the animation station, scarf shooter, microscopes, and magnet challenges.

It was a fantastic day of discovery, curiosity, and hands-on learning!

We were delighted to take part in this year’s Oxfordshire Art Weeks, showcasing the incredible creativity of the children in our school. Each pupil had a piece of artwork proudly on display, and it was a joy to welcome families into school to admire and celebrate their children’s talent. 

The exhibition created a wonderful buzz of excitement and pride among pupils, parents, and staff alike. 

We’re already looking forward to next year’s event!

Year 2 at Chandlings Prep wrapped up their English topic all about the beloved Paddington Bear, with a Teddy Bears' Picnic fit for a bear himself!

Throughout the term, Year 2 embarked on a journey with Paddington, learning valuable skills along the way.

• Marmalade Masterclass: Inspired by Paddington's love of marmalade, they tackled the art of instruction writing, outlining the steps to create the perfect marmalade sandwich.

• Storytelling Savvy: They explored narrative structures, planning and writing their own unique Paddington-inspired stories.

With all this hard work under their belts, a celebratory Teddy Bears' Picnic was well deserved! Year 2 welcomed a special guest – Paddington himself! – for an afternoon filled with laughter, delicious treats, and a screening of the Paddington movie.

This immersive experience exemplifies Chandlings Prep's innovative approach to learning. By bringing literature to life, we spark a love for reading and inspire Year 2 to embrace their own creativity and storytelling talents. Year 2's Paddington adventure may have come to an end, but the lessons learned and the love for reading will continue!

Our Year 6 French trip was an unforgettable adventure packed with culture, friendship, and fun. From the moment we departed, excitement ran high, with smooth travel, sunny skies, and a warm welcome at the Château. 

Pupils embraced every opportunity to practise their French, from exploring the vibrant Etaples market and meeting penpals at Ecole Jean Moulin, to interviewing locals and singing "c'est la vie". Educational visits included a fascinating tour of a bee museum, a goat farm, and the underground caves at Les Grottes de Naours.

 Highlights also included shaping handmade lollipops in a century-old sweet shop, sampling escargot at a snail farm, and learning how artisan chocolates are made during a delicious factory visit. There was also plenty of time for fun, with activities such as bowling, beach games, volleyball, pétanque, and evening events at the Château. 

The children returned with new friendships, improved language skills, and a deeper appreciation for French culture. From market stalls to sunsets over Berck plage, the trip was filled with laughter, discovery, and lasting memories - truly a highlight of the Chandlings Prep journey.

Year 1 had an extra tasty time in class as they became mini chefs for the day! The children followed a step-by-step recipe to make their very own chocolate crispy cakes. The end results looked absolutely delicious. 

The fun didn’t stop there. After getting hands-on in the 'kitchen', the children put on their writer’s hats and had a go at creating their own set of instructions. They carefully thought about the correct order of steps and focused on using those all-important imperative verbs like “mix”, “pour” and “stir” . This made sure their instructions were clear and easy to follow.

To round off their chocolate themed learning, the class discovered where chocolate comes from. They learnt all about how cacao is grown and produced in Peru, and explored the incredible journey it takes from bean to bar.

Mrs Hanslip and Miss Love joined Daniel at the hive last week after spotting a swarm of bees gathered on a gate post. Sometimes the queen ends up on the outside of the swarm, so we had a good look, but there was no sign of her. Daniel brought a sheet and created a little “bee bridge” from the gate post into the nuc box, and we helped guide them in. After a while, the bees started moving in faster, which usually means the queen is inside. Fingers crossed!

We set the nuc box facing a different direction and added a queen excluder, then turned our attention back to the main hive. Inside, we found around 10 queen cells, some sealed, some not. We picked the best-looking one to keep (marked "QC" on the frame) and removed the rest. To keep things on track, we’ll be checking in every few days to remove any new ones that pop up and make sure the best queen cell stays put.

Earlier this week myself and Miss Love did another check. The hive was busy but calm. The queen cell we marked earlier was still there, with bees clustered all around it. A few frames later, we found two or three more sealed queen cells and took those out. On another frame, there was an open queen cell with no larva inside, but the bees were very active around it. We left it for now and marked the frame with a red circle. The one where we removed the sealed cells is marked with a red minus.

Good news: the nuc is looking busy, which is a great sign that things are going in the right direction!

Our Reception children had so much fun in French class last week, turning into little ice cream shopkeepers and customers.

Role playing was in full effect using a play till, toy money, and of course, loads of delicious play ice creams.

They had fun asking for their favourite flavour and “paying” for it in return.

The best part? They learned how to say "I love ice creams" in French! Ask them, we bet they’ll be très fiers (very proud) to say!