Friday Headlines
the weekly newsletter from EHS
Nursery to Year Six Highlights
27 June 2025
It’s been a fun and action-packed week in Pre-Prep and Prep, with a range of exciting activities aimed at sparking creativity, curiosity and confidence. Explore the gallery below to see what each year group has been up to!
Smallest to tallest!
This week in Nursery, the girls have been busy exploring language and vocabulary all about size. They have learnt to use words like small, big, tall and short as they compared different objects and practised ordering them from smallest to largest. Pupils had fun building sandcastles and talking about which ones were bigger or smaller. Outside, the children used bricks to create towers, carefully comparing their height to see whose was the tallest!
Under the Sea!
Kindergarten had an unforgettable adventure as they visited the Birmingham Sea Life Centre. Travelling by the school minibus, the young explorers were bubbling with excitement as they made their way into a world filled with fascinating sea creatures. The first stop was to watch the penguins dive and swim through the water. They even waved as they swam passed! At the jellyfish display, the children were mesmerised by the glowing, pulsating creatures drifting peacefully in their tanks. The children were amazed at how the jellyfish moved like floating umbrellas in the water. Next, they came across the delicate and enchanting sea horses. They watched closely as the sea horses curled their tails around seaweed and gently bobbed through the water. Many of the children were surprised to learn that it’s the male sea horse that carries the babies, they had very big tummies!
The excitement continued as the children made their way to the large tank where the sharks swam slowly and gracefully. Some of the children pressed their hands against the glass, thrilled to be so close to these powerful creatures, while others stood back in awe. They also enjoyed watching the sting rays glide up close to the glass. They flapped their wide fins like wings, gliding effortlessly through the water. After a busy and exciting morning, the children returned to school for a much-enjoyed picnic lunch together!
Reception Pupils Explore Symmetry
Reception pupils have been learning about symmetry this week. As part of their Numeracy and ongoing Topic work, they learnt about symmetrical patterns by designing and decorating their own butterflies. Each pupil carefully folded paper in half, applied paint to one side, then folded it again to create a perfectly symmetrical design, just like real butterfly wings! To extend their learning and link between caterpillars and butterflies, the girls also made 3D caterpillars. Each caterpillar was unique, with their own little character and design. These colourful creations not only helped with fine motor skills but also encouraged conversations about the life cycle of a butterfly and the changes that occur. Well done, girls. What a creative week!
Hooray for the Hundred square
This week in Year One, the girls have been diving into the world of numbers up to 100 and what a number-tastic adventure it’s been! They’ve been busy sorting, shuffling and rearranging carpet tiles to line up the numbers in the right order (a bit like a giant maths puzzle on the floor). They’ve cracked the code for counting in 10s from any number and became pros at figuring out what’s 10 more or 10 less. One of the highlights? Our sneaky “Missing Number Mystery” game on the 100 square, where a number would vanish and the girls had to become number detectives to figure out which one was stolen. It’s been a week full of giggles, games, and some seriously super learning in Year One!
Historical timelines
Year Two pupils have been developing their understanding of chronological order in their History lessons. Placing historical events in chronological order is an essential skill that fosters a deeper historical understanding. The skill is carefully developed in History lessons throughout the Prep Department, pupils deepening their understanding each academic year. The Year 2 pupils were given pictures of a famous person, including Amy Johnson and Mary Seacole, or an important historical event, such as the Great Fire of London, studied in the Year 2 History curriculum. They firstly considered how each picture helps place the person or event in time, for example was it a photograph or a piece of artwork, then added significant dates to their pictures. Finally, they were challenged to independently create a class timeline. By organising events in the order they occurred, the pupils developed a strong sense of time and historical perspective. The activity also sparked a great conversation about the connections between different events. Great work Year Two!
Practical Capacity Work in the Sun!
This week, Year Three took their learning outdoors to put their understanding of capacity to the test in a fun, hands-on way. Following a series of class-based lessons where pupils explored capacity using a range of containers, it was time to bring the learning to life on the playground! Armed with an assortment of bottles of different shapes and sizes, the children began by estimating how much liquid each one could hold. There was plenty of discussion and reasoning as estimates were made, some surprisingly close and others delightfully imaginative! Next came the measuring. Using water and measuring jugs, the children carefully poured and recorded the actual capacities of each bottle. It was wonderful to see teamwork in action, with pupils taking turns, double-checking results and celebrating accurate estimations. To finish off their investigation, the children were presented with a big challenge: estimate and then measure the capacity of a large bucket. The sunshine added an extra layer of enjoyment to the session, making it a truly memorable learning experience. Well done, Year Three, fantastic fun and fantastic learning!
Research and discovery!
In Year Four this week, English lessons have been about research and discovery! The pupils have learnt about leaflets and the wonderful information that they hold. They used their iPads to research a topic of choice and then make a leaflet to go into an information centre.
Inspirational cricket during thrilling Day at Women’s T20 Match
Pupils from Year Five enjoyed an unforgettable day out at the world-famous Edgbaston Cricket Ground on Wednesday as they watched a thrilling Women’s T20 match between Bears Women and Essex. The match kept everyone on the edge of their seats, with Bears Women securing a tense two-wicket victory as part of their strong campaign in the Women’s Vitality Blast. Star performer Charis Pavely played a key role in the win and reflected afterwards: “We have a really good team atmosphere at the moment. We all back each other so much and that is what is contributing to the great environment we are creating in the changing room.”
Year Five were particularly inspired by the high level of skill on display and the positive energy of the players. Many of the girls commented on how exciting it was to watch such talented female athletes in action and described the players as fantastic role-models. The visit not only offered a brilliant day of sport but also left a lasting impression on the pupils, encouraging a greater interest in cricket and showing what can be achieved through teamwork, dedication and passion for the game.
Determination and imagination!
Year Six have had a fantastic week full of challenge, learning and achievement. Many pupils have taken part in Bikeability, developing their road safety awareness and confidence while riding on local roads. A number of children even learnt to ride a bike for the first time, a brilliant milestone and one they should be proud of! Meanwhile, our Dragons’ Den projects are in full swing. Teams have been working hard to design, pitch and prototype creative product ideas, showing great teamwork, problem-solving and communication throughout. Both activities have helped pupils build independence, resilience and a range of transferable skills that will benefit them well beyond the classroom. From navigating roads and spotting hazards to market research and product design, Year Six have shown real determination and imagination – well done to everyone involved!
Herb Bouquets!
The final Prep Gardening Club of the Summer term was bursting with fun and excitement! Harvest time has officially begun, and the girls proudly dug up their very first crop of potatoes, what a fantastic surprise hiding beneath the soil! The gooseberries were also ripe for picking and proved to be a big hit, especially with this year’s enthusiastic Year Fives. Adding an extra touch of creativity, some of the girls made beautiful herb bouquets to gift to their friends, a fragrant and thoughtful treat! We are already looking forward to September, when even more delicious and colourful crops will be ready to harvest. The garden adventures are far from over!
Prep Highlights - 27/06
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