Junior School

Junior School News

Welcome to our latest news section, where you can read all about the latest events and stories from around the school.

Here, you can also view 'The Warwickian', our termly celebration of all things Warwick School.

ThE Warwickian

Page 8

Archive

Mr Bond's week in review - 28 March
Published 28/03/25
In line with our current learning strength, reflectiveness, I have been reflecting on one of the weekly awards we give out in our Friday Celebration Assembly.

The Care, Courtesy and Consideration awards are nominated by teachers, and sometimes pupils, to acknowledge acts of care, courtesy and consideration around the school. I wanted to share with you some of the reasons why our boys have been nominated for these awards this term:
- For, without being asked, creating a class poster, recognising all of the strengths of the boys in their class.
- For helping another boy catch up with his work after he had missed the start of the lesson, without being asked.
- For constantly being kind and thoughtful, holding doors open and carrying other pupils' bags when they are overloaded.
- For a caring and supportive response by the whole form in reacting to one of their peers receiving a headmaster's commendation in science for an outstanding improvement between topic tests.
- For encouraging and checking in on another member of the form during Play Week when they were finding the week very tiring.
- For greeting a member of staff at the playground gate with the most infectious smile and ‘good morning’.
- For being beautifully polite in introducing himself to a new member of staff.
- For taking the initiative to help organise a class 'Get Well Soon' card for a boy who was absent and giving up time during his lunchtime club to do this.
- For giving up his Code Club time to help a new boy in his form login for the first time and get set up on the school network.
- For noticing a fellow pupil was upset and getting a teacher to help
- For seeing that a boy who arrived at lunch late was sitting alone. He came and asked the boy if he was OK and then moved to sit with him so he wouldn't be alone.
I could have provided many more nominations with over 50 acts of kindness before being recognised so far this term.

Well done to all the boys who have been recognised so far this term, but also well done and thank you to all the boys for the acts of care, courtesy and consideration which may go unnoticed but make the school community a supportive and welcoming place.

John Bond
Read More
U10 football success!
Published 27/03/25
The Warwick Junior U10A football team had an impressive run at a football tournament held at RGS the Grange this week.

The boys started strong, winning their first two games comfortably against Kings St Albans and The Elms. Although they faced a tough challenge in a competitive group game against RGS, which they lost, their overall performance allowed them to progress to the semi-finals.

In that crucial match, they defeated Winterfold, setting the stage for a rematch with RGS in the final. The boys excelled in the final showcasing excellent passing, organisation, and teamwork, which ultimately led them to a convincing 3-0 victory over RGS The Grange, making them the deserved overall winners of the tournament! Well done to everyone involved.

Read More
The Coventry Junior Open
Published 25/03/25
On Sunday, 23 March, the Coventry Junior Open took place. This English Chess Federation rated chess tournament attracted a huge turnout of over 140 children, including a sizeable contingent from Warwick Junior School.

Some outstanding results were achieved! Bo was by far the youngest participant in the U18 Group C, but he scored a fantastic 3.5/5 for a silver medal, performing well above his rating in the process. In the U11 Group C, Sammy won bronze with 3/5, as did Jason in U11 Group D. In U11 Group E, Diego produced a tour-de-force performance in his first tournament outside of school to win gold and the section outright with 4.5/5. Then in U8 Group E, Alex won silver with a super 4/5.

Congratulations to all the prize winners and a big well done to each and every Warwick player!

Read More
Year 4 play - Gladis Baker, Gladiator
Published 21/03/25
Year 4 stepped back in time to Ancient Rome for this year's play. The story took place in the Colosseum where the stage was set for the first ever Great Roman Bake-off! There were no gladiator fights, but the boys were whisked into a frenzy, beaten to a foam and knocked back in a competition where Flour was Power!

Orphan Gladis managed to escape the clutches of her miserable aunt and uncle by winning the Great Roman Bake Off and becoming the ‘Gladisbaker’.

The uplifting and cheery songs, alongside the impressive acting talents shown by the boys, made this show unforgettable for everyone who came to watch it. Well done, Year 4!

Read More
Egg-citing news from the Year 6 Digital Leaders!
Published 21/03/25
Following a hugely popular and successful pop-up club run by our talented Year 6 Digital Leaders, the results are in for their Online Easter Egg Design Competition!

The creativity and effort put into every entry were truly egg-ceptional, making it a very tough decision for our Digital Leaders. A huge well done and thank you to all the boys who took part—you should be very proud of your designs!

After much deliberation, the winning designs have been chosen and prizes have now been awarded. Congratulations to Charlie B (Year 3), Ronnie C and Louis C (Year 4) for their outstanding creations!

Stay tuned for more exciting digital challenges in the future!

Read More
Mr Bond's week in review - 21 March
Published 21/03/25
Reflectiveness was our new learning strength this week and in assembly I asked the boys to reflect on the things they find easy and the things they find difficult. The boys were incredibly honest about the subjects and activities they find easy or difficult, but also those learning strengths such as focus, which they can find challenging. We discussed how we all have different strengths and weaknesses and that we need to be appreciative of our strengths and those of our friends, but also supportive and empathetic with each other when we find things difficult.

This was a busy week musically with Junior School boys performing alongside Warwick School pupils in the Stringfest and Guitar concerts. A number of boys also took their music exams this week, and we wish them luck as they await the results.

All the year groups enjoyed football fixtures this week and the School Council also met to discuss menu changes, car park signage and their views on school life.

As we approach the final busy few weeks of the term, there are a number of events, including Terra House Charity Day, open homework weeks, Year 6 trip to Bletchley Park and the Year 3 and 4 residential. If you do have any questions regarding upcoming events, please check the newsletter or contact the school office.

With best wishes,

John Bond

Read More

Terra House Charity Day

Published 21/03/25

On Friday, 28 March, it is the Terra House Charity Day. As a house, we are supporting the RSPCA and we hope that all the boys will get involved with our day to help raise some money and donate to this wonderful charity.

How you can help?
The boys in Terra House have decided on three different ways that we would love everyone to help us.

Number one: Dress up in something beginning with R, S, P, C or A. Boys should donate £1 to dress up. Some examples are in the table below:

R	red/ ribbon/ raincoat/ running shoes/ rags.
S	silver/ slippers/ shirt/ sliders/ scarf/ silk.
P	pink/ purple/ pants/ plimsoles/ petticoat/ polo shirt/ poncho.
C	crimson/ cream/ cap/ cardigan/ CROCS/ cloggs/ chinos/ cashmere(!).
A	apricot/ azure/ anorak/ armbands/ apron.

Number two: Terra’s Treasure Chest. We encourage boys to bring in something that would enrich the life of an animal in need. This could be canned food, small pet toys, enrichment games for small pets. Please remember the RSPCA helps animals of all sizes, not just cats and dogs.

Number three: Terra’s Terrible Tuckshop. In order for this to work, we would need donations of small packets of nut-free sweets or nut-free mini chocolate bars from the boys in Terra House. There will then be a tuck shop at lunchtime where items are sold for 50p each. Boys who wish to purchase something from the tuckshop should bring £1 to buy a maximum of two items.

Boxes will be placed in reception next week to collect donations of sweets and animal gifts.

We thank you all in advance for your help with the day.

Best wishes,
Terra House

The Caldicott 7s
Published 20/03/25
Last weekend, our U11 sevens rugby team enjoyed a rare Saturday fixture, taking part in the annual Caldicott Prep 7s festival.

With 12 teams taking part on the day, there were 2 pools of 6, with one crossover game to end the day. This meant that our boys played six games, each lasting 10 minutes. A lot of rugby to be played and plenty of opportunity to showcase their skills!

The first game was the toughest, taking on a strong Caldicott team on their main pitch, with the game being live streamed on YouTube! The boys defended brilliantly, but couldn't quite get their attack going, and the game ended in a 1-1 draw. What followed after was a brilliant day of rugby overall and the Warwick boys showcased some fantastic rugby - having worked very hard in training to improve their attacking skills. They went on to win all five of their remaining games.

A highlight of the day was a full-length of the pitch, multiphase try against our friends at Clifton College, who we had met earlier in the season on tour. But a highlight for the coaches was watching the boys do player-led huddles and team talks, piecing together what the focus of each game should be. A real sign of maturity from the players!

It was a fantastic day overall, and having a large parent group there in support definitely gave the boys a lift throughout the day. Well done to all of the boys who took part.

Read More
Mr Bond's week in review - 14 March
Published 14/03/25
This week, Mr Lewis led the assembly for British Science Week. Linking with our learning strength of responsibility, he spoke to the boys about climate change facts which discussed how humans have impacted the climate and how it's our responsibility to change our behaviours to look after the planet. Covering the Industrial Revolution, photosynthesis, the greenhouse effect, extreme weather and renewable energy, the boys were fascinated by this important topic. Thank you, Mr Lewis.

One highlight of the week was attending the Woodwind Concert on Wednesday evening in the Warwick Hall. The Junior School All Stars ensemble performed fantastically with focus and musicality. It was a great opportunity for the boys to perform on the Warwick Hall stage in front of an audience and to share the evening with other schools within the foundation. It was a thoroughly enjoyable evening which ended with all the pupils joining the Foundation Wind Orchestra for a highly entertaining rendition of ‘Copacabana’!

Another highlight of the week was the Year 4 production of ‘Gladis Baker, Gladiator’. Over recent months, the Year 4 boys and staff have been working very hard planning and rehearsing for their performance. Every week, the boys have been improving, learning their lines, understanding the stage directions and perfecting their singing, and dance moves. As mentioned in last week’s newsletter, it is in making these ‘marginal gains’ that the boys can achieve ‘higher things’. Therefore, it was wonderful this week to see the results of all their hard work, with the boys putting together a great performance. The professionalism, talent and confidence of our boys is a fantastic thing to witness, and I know this feeling was shared by the audience. It was also abundantly clear that the boys were having great fun and working together so well as a team. At the time of writing this, we await the final performance, but I know that tonight will be a great evening of entertainment, and the production will live long in the memory. Thank you to all the Year 4 parents for their support as well as the staff team led by Miss Walton.

With best wishes,

John Bond

Read More
Warwick Town Centre Summer Flag Scheme
Published 07/03/25
Warwick Town Council are inviting local schoolchildren to design a flag based on the theme, ‘A celebration of Peace and Love’. The flags will be hung across the Town Centre, from the beginning of May, in time for the town’s 80th Anniversary of VE & VJ Day celebrations.

This will be run as a competition open to all Junior School boys. The winning design will be printed onto flags to be displayed for the rest of the summer around the Town Centre.

On Thursday, 1 May, winning pupils and their families will be invited to the Ballroom at The Court House to celebrate their artwork ahead of the flags being unveiled around the Town.

All designs need to be submitted to the Junior School office by Friday 28th March with the winner being announced in assembly on Monday 7th April.

Please download the template which should be used for any submitted design. Paper copies of the template will be available in the school office.

Good Luck!

Read More
My Bond's week in review - 7 March
Published 07/03/25
This week we followed up last week’s assembly on the school motto, Altiora Peto, by talking to the boys about how you ‘seek higher things’ and make improvements in your learning, your hobbies and interests as well as your relationships with others. We looked at the philosophy of marginal gains which dramatically improved the performance of the British Cycling Team in the buildup to the London 2012 Olympics and beyond. Small improvements in lots of different areas led to greater success, not just in terms of Olympic gold medals but also in world record times and success in the Tour de France. The cycling team considered every area of their training from the design of the bike and material used to make their race suits, to the detailed analysis of training and diet as well as the type of pillows that the cyclists used to improve their sleep. They also painted the inside of the vehicles which transported the equipment white, so that any dust which could damage the bikes, was easy to spot and could be cleaned away.

The challenge to ‘get better’ can be incredibly daunting and impractical. However, by breaking things down into smaller steps, and making simple, yet effective, improvements, we eventually see great progress. I challenged the boys to make those small marginal gains this week.

This week saw a number of football fixtures, the IAPS swimming qualifiers and even some cross-country. Amongst the last week of rehearsals for the Year 4 play, almost 50 boys also performed in two teatime concerts this week.

Thursday saw the boys wearing an eclectic range of headwear as part of World Book Day: well done to everyone for making such a great effort. Thank you also to everyone who donated books for the book sale run by PAWS, and a huge thank you to those PAWS representatives who gave up their time to collect donations and run the book sale on the day. Not only was lots of money raised for PAWS, but it was also a great pleasure to see so many boys buying books and then sitting in the middle of the playground engrossed in their new purchase!

With best wishes,
John Bond

Read More
The Junior Warwick 7s
Published 04/03/25
The 34th, Annual Warwick Junior School Rugby 7s Festival took place on Wednesday, 26 February, in very wet conditions! As eight schools - including teams travelling from as far as Aysgarth in North Yorkshire - battled through torrential rain, hail, cold temperatures, and thick mud, the boys still put on a real display, playing some fantastic 7s rugby and embracing the mud!

Each match was fiercely contested, with moments of brilliance shining through despite the testing conditions. The Warwick team won all but one game and made excellent progress throughout the day. As it has been for much of the season, their defence was their standout feature. The game against Aysgarth was an excellent example of this, with the opposition struggling to get out of their own half for the majority of the game. By the last few matches, the boys had started to move the ball a lot earlier, creating more space for each other rather than relying on their physicality. Off the pitch, camaraderie between schools was evident. Watching the boys have lunch together in the changing room highlighted the rugby's core values and the festival’s ethos.

Special mention to Anoop and Koa, who took the invitation to play for Akeley Wood School, who were struggling with injuries and illness in school. The boys not only performed outstandingly but represented the school in a fantastic manner. We received a great email from Mr Lemon, their Director of Sport, who said "Please could you also say a huge thanks to the two boys who joined us. They are lovely lads and were a great help. I even think it spurred a couple of our boys on. I'm not sure if you award House Points, but please award them something on my behalf. They were a credit to your school and the school sport and please also pass on my words to the Head if you are able to." Both boys have received Headmaster's Commendations.

Overall, despite the challenging conditions, the rugby was exceptional, ensuring another memorable chapter in the long history of this fantastic festival.

Read More