Year 1 have been busy exploring the fascinating world of dinosaurs through a range of creative art activities. Using a slider mechanism, the children designed and made their own pop-up dinosaurs, carefully creating tissue paper collage eggs, colouring their dinosaurs, and neatly cutting out the different elements before assembling them. It was wonderful to see their hard work rewarded as their dinosaurs successfully popped out of their eggs!

The children also closely observed and sketched ammonite fossils, developing their observational drawing skills by looking carefully at shape and pattern. They explored different textures by creating rubbings and enjoyed imagining what a dinosaur’s skin might have felt like. This hands-on project allowed the children to combine creativity with careful observation while developing their cutting, colouring and drawing skills.

What a fantastic afternoon for our Year 5 and 6 House Football matches! With glorious weather, beautiful pitches and plenty of excitement, Snowdon, Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Slieve Donard took to the field ready to battle it out for house glory.

There was some excellent football on display, with well-timed tackles, some cracking goals and a few missed opportunities that may still be talked about tomorrow! A couple of tackles were perhaps a little more enthusiastic than technically perfect, but that is all part of the learning curve!

The team spirit throughout the afternoon was brilliant, with players encouraging one another and giving everything for their houses. The touchlines were equally lively, particularly thanks to our Year 3 and 4 pupils, who came out to support the matches. Their enthusiasm was fantastic, and no doubt some were already imagining themselves as next year’s football stars!

Every house won at least one match, so it was a close contest with plenty to cheer about. The final standings were:

1st place: Scafell Pike
Joint 2nd place: Snowdon and Slieve Donard
3rd place: Ben Nevis

Congratulations to Scafell Pike on their victory and well done to all four houses for their effort, sportsmanship and fantastic team spirit. A brilliant afternoon of football, with plenty of smiles, red faces, some memorable moments and hopefully only a few grass stains to show for it!

Art Club has got off to a fantastic start, with the children enjoying the relaxed and creative atmosphere. The club give pupils the opportunity to develop their artistic skills while exploring their own interests and ideas.

So far, pupils have been exploring colour through exciting drip painting techniques, experimenting with a range of colour combinations and effects. They have also been drawing back into their paintings, adding detail, pattern and imagery to create unique and expressive artworks.

It has been wonderful to see the enjoyment, enthusiasm and creativity on display, and we look forward to seeing how the pupils’ ideas and artistic skills continue to develop throughout the term.

The children have been participating exceptionally well in their wellbeing lessons this term. Our half-term focus is My Healthy Self, centred around the key question: How do my choices today shape my future self? This week, pupils explored how the daily habits they develop now can help protect their long-term dental health.

We were particularly proud of Siya, who took the lead in preparing and delivering an engaging presentation on dental hygiene. Supported by her chosen assistant, Clarissa, she confidently shared her knowledge and taught her classmates about the importance of caring for their teeth. As a follow-up activity, pupils reflected on their own routines and identified one way they could improve their daily dental hygiene habits. It was wonderful to see such thoughtful contributions and active participation from everyone involved.

The Year 3 and 4 girls were full of excitement as they took part in their second hockey fixture of the season against Brambletye. Playing at home meant no travelling, and with lovely weather and plenty of parents supporting from the sidelines, it was a fantastic afternoon of hockey.

With the girls split into age groups and mixed-ability teams, everyone had lots of opportunities to play in the 4v4 small-sided games. There was plenty of running, some excellent goals scored, and great examples of teamwork throughout. Most importantly, the girls demonstrated outstanding sportsmanship and enthusiasm, making it a very enjoyable and successful fixture for all involved.

At our End of Year Celebration, back at the end of summer term, pupils took home a very special Copthorne duck and were tasked with the challenge of taking their duck on some summer adventures. From flying an aircraft simulator to a trip to the Eiffel Tower, our ducks have had a busy summer. We hope you will continue to be adventurous and curious and please send us more photos!

As part of our Year 6 Leavers’ Programme, our pupils recently stepped into the exciting world of business – and what a success it was! With creativity, teamwork and plenty of enthusiasm, the children planned and ran their very own enterprises, offering a fantastic range of products and services to younger pupils across the school.

From lively karaoke booths and colourful bracelet stalls to popular fidget toys, darts challenges, and even a pie-throwing raffle, the variety on offer was impressive. Each group carefully thought through their ideas, prepared their products, created eye-catching advertisements, and confidently ran their stalls on the day.

This experience was not only hugely enjoyable for our Year 6 pupils, but also incredibly valuable. They developed key life skills such as teamwork, organisation, communication and financial awareness. Managing money, setting prices, and calculating profits gave them a real taste of enterprise in action.

The benefits extended to their younger “customers” too, who practised their own maths skills by handling money, counting coins, and calculating change. It was wonderful to see such purposeful learning happening in a fun and engaging environment.

Some groups proved to be especially successful entrepreneurs, making an impressive profit – which they were delighted to keep! Many went home with pockets (and purses!) bulging with coins, a tangible reward for their hard work and clever thinking.

Overall, the event was a fantastic celebration of creativity, independence and real-world learning. We are incredibly proud of our Year 6 pupils and the initiative they showed — a wonderful way to mark their final year and prepare them for the next stage of their journey.

Tuesday’s Informal Concert was a wonderful celebration of the musical talent at Copthorne Prep, with performers from Years 3 to 6 taking to the stage to share the progress they have made this term. The concert was very well attended by families, who enjoyed a varied programme of solo and ensemble performances, including confident soloists on the harp, voice, piano, violin and cello, each demonstrating the dedication and hard work that has gone into their musical studies.

One of the highlights of the afternoon was a lively and impressively complex piano trio performed by Vadaanya, Clarissa and Walter, whose excellent ensemble playing, musical communication and technical control captivated the audience. Another memorable performance came from Rishik and Georgina, whose energetic drum and guitar duet showcased fantastic teamwork and rhythmic precision.

The concert also featured the first public performance by our newly formed Chamber Orchestra, who performed with confidence and maturity, marking an exciting milestone in the continued growth of ensemble music at Copthorne Prep. Their entertaining performance of Tequila, complete with enthusiastic cries of “Ribena!” instead of the famous refrain, was a real hit with the audience.

Congratulations to all of our performers for sharing their music with such confidence and musicianship, and thank you to our families for their enthusiastic support. We look forward to many more opportunities to celebrate our pupils’ musical achievements next year.

If your child is in Years 5 or 6, don’t miss the fantastic opportunity to experience first-hand the energy, ambition, and opportunities that define sport at Caterham. Children are invited to join a morning of sporting masterclasses led by specialist coaching staff across multiple sport. Parents can tour the sports centre including state-of-the-art Performance Gym and find out more about sporting provision, specialist academies, scholarship opportunities and representative-level support. Find out more and book your place here

This week, our Year 6 pupils had the opportunity to attend a local Book Awards, where they were fully immersed in a vibrant celebration of reading and storytelling. A particular highlight of the visit was the opportunity to meet all five shortlisted authors, including the acclaimed children’s illustrator Chris Riddell; the children engaged thoughtfully in workshops, posed insightful questions and developed a deeper understanding of the creative process. Their enthusiasm and preparation were evident throughout, as many had already formed strong opinions about the books. The event began with great excitement when their favourite author, Jack Mackay, was announced as the overall winner—an outcome that was met with cheers and genuine delight. It was a truly inspiring experience that will undoubtedly continue to encourage a love of reading across the year group.