Currently, during our PSHE lessons, the boys in every year group are undertaking a unit of work on Relationships and Sex Education, and frequently, the topics covered promote conversations that may continue at home.

All children need to learn about relationships and sex. If they don’t learn about this from schools and parents, they are more likely to turn to their friends and online sources. Some of this information may be inaccurate, misleading and confusing. Parents have an important role in helping their children to sort out the facts from the fiction.

It’s never too early to start a conversation on this subject. Children start learning about relationships and sex from an early age and their learning continues throughout childhood and into adulthood and, it’s perfectly natural for children and young people to be curious about these topics.

But for some parents and carers, it can feel awkward talking about these things. You may feel embarrassed, so might your child, but it’s natural for them to have questions.  Contrary to popular belief, most children, both boys and girls, would like their parents/carer to talk to them about relationships and sex and, children who talk to their parents about this, are more likely to be responsible in their relationships.

The NSPCC have lots of advice for parents about how to approach these delicate conversations with children.

Let’s talks PANTS, is a programme designed to support parents to talk to younger children about their body, and that their body belongs to them and they have the right to say ‘No’ if someone tries to touch them in a way that they don’t feel comfortable with.

For older children, heading towards their teenage years, their ‘Healthy Relationships’ advice covers topics such as what makes a relationship healthy / unhealthy and what is meant by consent.

With the World Cup starting this week, it is useful to bear in mind that such sporting events often lead to an increase in incidents of domestic violence.  While football does not cause domestic abuse, existing abuse can intensify around tournaments like the Euros or World Cup. Research by Lancaster University showed cases of domestic abuse increased by 38% when England lost a match and 26% when they won or drew.   

What is domestic abuse?

We define domestic abuse as an incident or pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive, threatening, degrading and violent behaviour, including sexual violence, in the majority of cases by a partner or ex-partner, but also by a family member or carer. It is very common. In the vast majority of cases, it is experienced by women and is perpetrated by men.  

Domestic abuse can include, but is not limited to, the following

• Physical abuse
• ePsychological and/or emotional abuse
• Coercive control 
• Financial and economic abuse
• Sexual abuse
• Tech abuse
• Harassment and stalking

I’m not sure if my relationship is healthy

Disagreements in relationships are normal, but when they become frequent and begin to form a pattern, it might be a sign that something is wrong, and possibly abusive – a word that is hard for many people to think about or even say out loud.   Every situation is unique, but there are some common factors in relationships that might mean they are unhealthy and even abusive. Just thinking about these red-flag behaviours is an important first step.

More information provided by Women’s Aid, designed to help identify potential red flags in a relationship

Useful contacts:

Women's Aid

National Domestic Abuse Helpline: 0808 2000 247

Respect

Men's Advice Line (Respect): 0808 8010 327 

On Tuesday, we held our House Music Final in Warwick Hall. We enjoyed performances from bands and soloists in Years 3–6, all of whom rehearsed independently and chose their own pieces to perform.

Every boy showed great bravery in performing in front of their peers, and the school community was incredibly supportive throughout. We heard some fantastic duos featuring clarinet, flute and piano, as well as solo performances on piano, guitar, bass, voice, recorder and even the dhol!

The boys also did themselves proud with their bands, performing arrangements of Seven Nation Army, Ordinary (during which one of our Year 3 pupils played the instrument they have been learning through the scheme), Africa, Shape of You and Yellow.

A special thanks also goes to our very own Miss Sharp, who established House Music and returned this year to judge the competition. She announced that, for the first time, the winning house by just one point was… Ventis!

We look forward to seeing which musicians step forward to represent their houses next year!

On Saturday 6 June, pupils in Year 5 & 6 travelled to the London Aquatics Centre to represent Warwick Junior School in the IAPS National Swimming Finals – and what a successful event it was.

George, Leon, Jasper and Arlo had huge success representing the U11 team. They began with competing in the medley relay, where they finished in fourth place. They went on to compete in the freestyle relay, finishing in first place, taking home the gold medal and the national title!

George, Elliot, Hugo and Theo, representing the U10 team, came second in their medley relay. They swam a superb 1:07.73, breaking the Junior School U10 record, and missing out on gold by just 0.26 seconds. The boys also swam in the freestyle relay, recording an astonishing 59.92 seconds, another school record and just 0.10 of a second outside the overall meeting record. Their performance saw them win the race by nearly two seconds, securing the gold medal!

Success went beyond the relay events; six swimmers qualified for individual finals. Leon claimed a silver medal in the U11 backstroke, while George earned a well-deserved bronze medal in the U10 breaststroke. These individual achievements further reflected the performance and quality within the team.

At the IAPS National Finals, schools compete for combined honours based on all swim results. For the first time in the Junior School’s history, both the U10 and U11 teams finished as runners-up in their respective age groups. To complete a remarkable morning, Warwick Junior School finished as the fourth prep school in the country across all age groups — an outstanding accomplishment considering the Junior School competed in only two of the four age categories!

It has been ten years since the Junior School last secured a gold medal at these championships, with the boys bringing home a total of five medals and establishing the school among the very best in the country. Well done to all the boys involved, not only for putting on exceptional performances but for demonstrating resilience and teamwork.

A huge that you to parents for their continued support, and to Mr McWhirter for his guidance.

As we move into the second half of the summer term, we have been continuing to talk with the boys  about the importance of focus — not simply as something we apply in lessons, but as a habit that helps us make the most of the many opportunities ahead. The coming weeks are full of exciting events, from House Music and concerts to Sports Day, residentials and, ultimately, Prize Giving, and it is the ability to stay present, work steadily and give full attention to each moment that will allow the boys to gain the most from them.  

It has been particularly pleasing to see this quality on display across the school in a variety of ways this week. Members of Year 6 demonstrated impressive focus during their debate.  Presenting in front of their peers, the boys discussed the motion that the house believed all the food products produced during the upcoming Year 6 Young Enterprise Week should be healthy. There were strong arguments on both sides encompassing the ideas of creativity, personal freedom, and individual responsibility. The ability of the boys to listen carefully, think critically, and respond thoughtfully is something that will serve them well as they prepare for Senior School. Similarly, the first round of House Music has highlighted just how much can be achieved when boys commit to practising and refining their performances, and we look forward to the finals next Tuesday. 

On the sports field, too, focus has been evident in abundance. Our U11, U9 and U8 cricket teams have approached their fixtures with concentration and determination, while this same discipline has been clear in the classroom during assessment week. The boys have worked hard to apply themselves consistently, demonstrating that quiet perseverance is just as important as moments of performance. 

It was also a pleasure to welcome boys from Year 2 in the Prep for a transition assembly on Wednesday morning. A group of Year 3 boys did an excellent job of leading the assembly, introducing the Year 2 boys to life in the Junior School. Seeing the enthusiasm and curiosity of the Year 2 boys at the start of their Warwick journey was a timely reminder of the excitement that lies ahead for all of our pupils as they continue to grow through the final weeks of the school year. 

Earlier today, you will have received some practical information about the upcoming Junior School Aquathlon on Thursday 18 June which we are running as part of the Foundation Igniting Futures Giving Day. This is a wonderful house competition where all the boys take part. In the newsletter this week, you can read about how you can, if you wish to, set up an online sponsorship form for the aquathlon and raise donations for the Giving Day campaign.  

Wishing you an enjoyable weekend.

John Bond

This half-term, we introduced a new co-curricular activity — church bell ringing!

George, Charlie, Archie and Rory have taken to the ropes to learn the art of bell ringing, which has been established in England since 1637. They are fortunate to be taught by Mrs Annie Hall, a hugely experienced ringer, along with Ms Sayers, to take them through the Art Level 1 course in Ringing, known as 'learning the ropes' which is designed to help new ringers develop their skills progressively.

After an initial familiarisation visit to the towers of St Nicholas’ and St Mary’s the boys are now having weekly lessons at St Nicholas’ Church.  This week they learnt to chime the bell and ring fully on the backstroke; something Mr Lewis got involved in, proving you are never too old to learn a new skill.