Our Learning Strength this week continues to be Focus — that ability to give sustained attention, to persevere when something is challenging, and to remain purposeful even when there are distractions all around. This week, that message felt particularly apt as our Year 3 and 4 pupils headed off to Mount Cook for their residential adventure, and I was fortunate enough to visit them on Thursday. 

Stepping away from familiar routines and comforts offers a powerful test of focus, particularly when it can be the first time the boys have stayed away from home. Whether tackling the zipwire, lighting fires, building shelters, navigating routes through orienteering, or scrambling and climbing over unfamiliar terrain, the boys were required to concentrate fully on the task in front of them. Success did not come from rushing, but from listening carefully, working methodically and trusting both themselves and those around them. In each activity, it was heartening to see how focus translated into personal achievement and growing confidence. 

Equally striking was the way teamwork underpinned every challenge. Focus was not an individual pursuit; it depended on encouragement, cooperation and problem-solving as a group. The boys learned the importance of resilience when things did not go perfectly first time, adapting their approach, supporting one another and learning from experience. These moments — often small and easily overlooked — are where real development takes place. 

Residential experiences such as this create memories that last far beyond the week itself. Long after the kit bags are unpacked, the boys will remember the sense of accomplishment that comes from overcoming a fear, mastering a new skill, or contributing meaningfully to a team effort. Above all, they return with a deeper understanding that focus, confidence and perseverance are qualities that extend well beyond the classroom and will continue to serve them throughout their lives. 

Links with the community continue to thrive with the Year 3 pupils helping with the design of a Junior School ‘peace tree’ for the Warwick Peace Festival being held at St. Mary’s Church in Warwick this weekend. Our tree, alongside those designed by the Prep School and other primary schools in Warwick will be exhibited at St. Mary’s and the College Garden this Saturday. Click here for more information.

Wishing you an enjoyable weekend with your family and friends, 

John Bond 

After achieving success in the annual Bebras Computational Thinking Challenge in November, when 21 of our Year 6 pupils ranked within the top 10% nationally, they proceeded to participate in the Raspberry Pi Coding Challenge.

Well done to Hugo, Alex, Edward, and Ben, who once again placed in the top 10% nationally! And further congratulations to Edward and Ben for achieving perfect scores!

Separation and divorce aren’t easy.  There may be bad feelings between the parents and their families. Children can pick up on this, which may confuse or upset them, or even lead to them blaming themselves for a break-up.

Working out how and when to tell children about a separation is never easy.  Remember, that while sharing the news is a big step, it's one step of many.  Separation and divorce aren't single events but processes that the whole family experiences.

When talking about a separation, it’s important to find the balance between sharing so much with your children that they become overwhelmed, or so little that they don’t understand what’s going on.

To support children during a separation and help them with their worries, it’s important to:

• remind them that both parents love them
• be honest when talking about it, but keep in mind the child's age and understanding
• be careful how you speak about your ex-partner, as any negative comments could make your children feel confused or resentful
• keep up routines, such as going to school and having specific mealtimes and bedtimes
• explain that it's OK to be sad, confused or angry and let them know they can talk about their feelings with you

Children’s responses

Children can have a wide range of feelings in response to your news, and their feelings could change over time. Particularly if they're younger, they might struggle to say exactly what it is that they're feeling.  And no matter their age, some of their emotions may come out in their behaviour rather than their words.

Some common responses include:

• Anger – this could be directed at one or both parents or be a general sense of anger that their life is going to change.
• Being upset – children might be upset at the prospect of change, or shocked by the news.
• Grieving – children might grieve their 'old life' once the separation becomes a reality and they are having to get used to changes in the family.
• Withdrawing – it's natural for children to withdraw from family situations if they're feeling hurt or confused. It's important not to force them to do anything while they're adapting to the news.
• Relief – children pick up a lot on their parents' feelings, whether or not you've spoken about them. If it's been a tricky time for your family, a child might be relieved that something will be changing, and things could get better in time.

Read the article in full and find out further advice.

On Saturday 25 April, the Major and Minor finals of the English U9 County Chess Championship took place.

The Warwickshire A and B teams, having qualified for the final as Midlands Champions, produced outstanding performances, much to the delight of Mr Lam, the county's Head Coach. Warwickshire A finished third in the Major final and Warwickshire B won the Minor Final with a 100% score.

Among the players was Warwick Junior School's very own Alex. He showed just why he was deemed worthy of a call-up as he produced a fantastic performance on board 3 for Warwickshire B, scoring 3/4 despite being out rated in three out of the four rounds. Well done Alex!

This week we started to focus on a new Learning Strength, Focus. In assembly on Monday, we discussed the importance of focusing in our learning and the challenges we can face when trying to concentrate on something. We also discussed the importance of ‘focus’ in our relationships and behaviours. Linking to St George’s Day, we also learnt about the ‘real’ St George and how despite pressure and distractions, he remained focused on doing the right thing.  

It was wonderful to see so many parents taking the opportunity to visit their son’s 1:1 music lessons this week for our Music Open Teaching Week. On Wednesday, a group of Year 5 boys visited Kingsley School to take part in an ‘Apprentice’ style business challenge and on Monday there was an U10 and U11 swimming gala against Bablake. Today, we held the Ignis Charity Day, raising money for UNICEF. Starting with an informative assembly on Monday morning, Ignis organised an exciting day of activities and ‘rule breaking’ which raised money and awareness for an important cause; well done and thank you. 

Huge congratulations to Alden in Year 6 who played in the IAPS Squash Championships this week, finishing 2nd - a fantastic achievement! 

Wishing you an enjoyable weekend with your families, 

John Bond 

On Sunday 19 April, the Birmingham Megafinal of the UK School Chess Challenge (UKCC), the second stage of one of the UK's most prestigious junior chess tournaments, took place.

A number of boys from Warwick Junior School competed, keen to follow in the footsteps of Mr Lam who twice reached the Terafinal (the grand final of the UKCC), making the final 32 of the original 50,000 entrants, and Warwick Junior School alumnus Candidate Master Billy, who went one better than Mr Lam in 2024 by winning the Terafinal outright!

Rideh was the youngest Warwick representative taking part but showed what a promising player he is by qualifying for the Gigafinal, the penultimate stage of the competition, for the U8 category. The same feat was achieved in the U10 categry by Ansh and Alex. Moreover, Alex finished joint-second overall, with an outstanding 5/6 in what was a very strong section, beating some of the county's best junior players.

A big well done to everyone who competed on Sunday!