Year 1 Mysterious Egg Discovered 15th May 2026 Pre-prep Science Year 1 had a very exciting day, when a mysterious egg appeared in the sensory garden! The strange looking object sparked lots of curiosity, and the children quietly headed outside to investigate. Gathering around the egg, the class carefully observed its size, shape, and colour. They began to wonder: What could be inside? How did it get there? Could it belong to an animal? The children shared fantastic ideas and predictions, with some suggesting it might belong to a bird, a reptile, or even something magical! Back in the classroom, they worked hard to write thoughtful questions to send to the estates team. They wanted to find out: How did the egg get into the sensory garden? Where did it come from? Does it belong to a real animal?
Entries Invited for Independent Research Project – ‘Amazing Animals’ 15th May 2026 Academic Global Pre-prep Science Following the success of last term’s International Women’s Day project, Ms Stone, Head of Academic Excellence, is delighted to introduce a new independent research project for this half term. In assemblies this week, the children learned about the incredible work of Sir David Attenborough, who has inspired generations through his storytelling and dedication to the natural world. In celebration of his 100th birthday, we are inviting children to create a fact file or presentation about an ‘Amazing Animal’. Full details can be found here. This project is open to all pupils across the school. Years 3–6: Please submit completed projects via Teams Pre-Prep: Please hand work in to your class teacher We are grateful for your support in encouraging your child to develop strong research habits and take pride in presenting their final work. We are very much looking forward to seeing the creativity and effort the children put into their projects!
Early Years Visit Little Street 15th May 2026 Nursery Pre-prep Reception and Bumblebees pre-schoolers had a wonderful time visiting Little Street this week! The children confidently stepped into a variety of roles, including hairdressers, postal workers, actors, dancers, firefighters and vets. They thoroughly enjoyed shopping in the supermarket, cooking and eating in the café, and exploring all the different areas. The highlight of the day for many was capturing the “baddies” and putting them into the prison! It was fantastic to see such creativity, teamwork and imagination throughout the visit. What a brilliant and imaginative day we had! Reception also welcomed a special visitor — Matron. She told the children about her role, showed them her first aid bag and taught them how to use plasters and bandages. The children thoroughly enjoyed this fun and informative afternoon learning all about first aid. A big thank you to Matron for such an interesting afternoon!
Caterham Family of Schools Spring Art Winner 15th May 2026 Creative Arts Nursery Pre-prep What a wonderful array of artworks were submitted for the Caterham Family of Schools Spring Art Competition. All different and unique in their own beautiful way – just like the family prep schools. Thank you to all of the children who took part and shared their creativity with us. The Copthorne Prep winners were: Nursery: Vyom Reception – Year 2: Maryam Year 3 – Year 5: Holly B Year 6: Jomanah Runners‑up: Robins: Jennifer Year 1: Revan and Arjan Year 2: Tarlea Year 3: Isabella Year 4: Freya and Walter Year 5: Aadwita Year 6: Charlotte Well done to everyone who participated; the standard of entries was exceptionally high. The first-place winners from Copthorne, Hawthorns and Caterham Prep progressed to the final Family of Schools judging round, representing their age groups anonymously, with all school names removed to ensure fairness. The overall winner was chosen by Mr Ceri Jones, Headmaster of Caterham School. We are delighted to showcase some of the finalists’ work from across the three schools and send our congratulations to Naya in Year 4 from Caterham Prep, our overall winner, Naya created a beautiful spring landscape featuring a vibrant pink blossom tree. Well done!
Year 2 Scientists Get a Taste of Year 3 in the Senior Lab 15th May 2026 Pre-prep Science Our Year 2 pupils had a great start to Thursday as they had a whole science lesson in the senior lab! They learnt about and discussed the three areas of biology, physics and chemistry. The children watched how a saline solution was made and saw what happens when evaporation takes place. They also had the opportunity to look at a small animal bone through a microscope. The lesson ended with another fun chemical experiment where they enjoyed watching what happens when you mix certain liquids and chemicals together. They all agreed that they can’t wait for being in Year 3!
Year 1 Make Memories at Hever Castle 1st May 2026 Co-curricular Global Pre-prep We had a wonderful trip to Hever Castle, where we explored its rich history and learned about its links to Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn. We were excited to see many fascinating artefacts, including a real knight’s suit of armour, and enjoyed spotting lots of castle features we had been researching in class. After a day full of learning and exploring the beautiful grounds, we spent time together in the castle playground, re‑enacting life in a castle. To end the day, Mrs Richardson set us a challenge to find our way out of the maze! Luckily, everyone made it out safely and back to the bus. It was a fantastic trip that we are sure to remember.
Reception Learn About People Who Help Us 1st May 2026 Pre-prep Reception have started learning about people who help us, with a focus on firefighters. We talked about what they do, the equipment they use and what they wear to stay safe. We enjoyed creating our own fire engines using different shaped card and took part in a fun ‘bucket brigade’, pretending to be firefighters from the past before hose pipes were used. We worked together taking on different roles to move water from the tap to the ‘fire’ showing great teamwork and imagination.
Reception Explore 3D Shapes 27th March 2026 Academic Pre-prep Reception have been exploring 3d shapes this week and as part of outdoor maths day we decided to test different 3d shapes. We had to work with a partner and investigate which shapes were able to stack, roll or slide. We had a wonderful discussion working out if certain shapes were sliding or just rolling.
Reception to Year 6 Maths in Motion 27th March 2026 Academic Pre-prep This week, following the completion of our end‑of‑term maths assessments, pupils across the school celebrated their hard work with a series of collaborative and active outdoor maths lessons—a wonderful example of the Copthorne approach in action. Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 took part in a unique Place Value Bootcamp, led by Mrs Richardson, complete with a rousing place value “army chant” and a range of fun, physical games designed to build confidence and understanding. In Years 3 and 4, pupils worked together to solve maths problems hidden around the school in an exciting scavenger hunt, combining reasoning, teamwork and resilience. Our Year 5 and 6 pupils rose to the challenge of the much‑loved Copthorne Escape Rooms, where demanding mathematical problems required collaboration, communication and perseverance, helping some teams unlock the treasure sooner than others. These experiences perfectly reflect our belief that maths at Copthorne is active, inclusive and deeply rooted in collaboration and thinking.
It’s Been a Tiring Week for Reception! 20th March 2026 Pre-prep We kicked off the week with a brilliant space day, where the children explored constellations, investigated whether the food could grow on the moon, and even discovered where our school sits on planet Earth. Curiosity was definitely in orbit! Tuesday took us on a fantastic adventure to Bocketts Farm. The children loved meeting and stroking animals big and small- Guinea pigs, rabbits, horses, goats and more. We cheered on the pigs during the race, enjoyed a wonderfully bumpy tractor ride, and ended with lots of fun in the playbarn. And the best sign of a great day? Every child fell asleep on the minibus home!