Generated by All in One SEO v4.9.10, this is an llms.txt file, used by LLMs to index the site. # Forest Prep School ## Sitemaps - [XML Sitemap](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/sitemap.xml): Contains all public & indexable URLs for this website. ## News - [Latest News](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/latest-news/) - Please find our latest news here. - [Buddy Scheme Brings Learning and Lasting Friendship](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2026/07/10/buddy-scheme-brings-learning-and-lasting-friendship/) - Our popular Buddy Scheme has continued to grow this year, now all the Upper School classes are partnered with a younger class, creating meaningful friendships and valuable learning opportunities across the school. The benefits for our younger children are easy to see. From Nursery through to Key Stage 1, every child has a friendly older - [Sweet Success with Maths in Year 3](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2026/07/10/sweet-success-with-maths-in-year-3/) - In Year 3, Mrs Eley makes Maths lessons fun (and tasty), drawing on her years of experience, she knows how to make learning engaging and memorable. Rather than relying on worksheets and traditional methods, Mrs Eley brings mathematical concepts to life using familiar treats that children instantly connect with. One particularly popular activity involves Smarties. - [Developing Character Beyond the Classroom](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2026/07/01/developing-character-beyond-the-classroom/) - Character Education may be a current focus in education, but it has always been at the heart of life at Forest School and what #theforestway is all about. We encourage children to demonstrate kindness, respect and responsibility in everyday actions, from holding doors open for others to showing exceptional manners and consideration for both their - [Year 5 Take on Their 11+ Mock Examination](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2026/06/12/year-5-take-on-their-11-mock-examination/) - Year 5 pupils have continued to shine, with their hard work and determination, when they sat a full 11+ mock examination in the school hall. The challenging mock exam was based on a practice paper from the Trafford Grammar Schools Consortium, and we couldn’t be more proud of our Year 5 pupils as they remained - [Parent Survey Shows Strong Parent Satisfaction](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2026/05/19/parent-survey-shows-strong-parent-satisfaction/) - Thank you to all the parents who took the time to complete our recent Parent Survey. We greatly value your feedback and are delighted with the overwhelmingly positive response from our parent community. Celebrating What Parents Value Most The survey identified several areas where parents expressed very high levels of satisfaction, particularly in communication surrounding - [Excitement Continues into the Summer Term](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2026/05/20/11914/) - As we reach the end of the first half of the summer term, I would like to take the opportunity to reflect on what has been an incredibly busy, productive and enjoyable few weeks here at Forest. The term has flown by and it has been wonderful to see the children continuing to work so - [Year 3 Go Outdoors with their Learning](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2026/05/19/year-3-go-outdoors-with-their-learning/) - Year 3 pupils have started enjoying a weekly lesson in the Outdoor Learning Classroom, which will continue throughout the summer term. Since beginning these sessions, the children have explored themes of discovery and investigation, engaging in thoughtful and intelligent discussions about what they have uncovered and learned together. The pupils have taken part in a - [Grown-Up’s Experience Life in KIndergarten](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2026/05/08/grown-ups-experience-life-in-kindergarten/) - If you have ever asked your child, “What did you do at school today?” only to hear the familiar reply of “Nothing!”, then Kindergarten’s recent Bring Your Grown-Up event proved otherwise! The special event invited parents and carers into the classroom to experience a typical day in Kindergarten and discover the exciting learning that takes - [Happy and Thriving Days in our Reception Class](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2026/04/08/happy-and-thriving-days-in-our-reception-class/) - Life in our Reception class is truly special, it’s a place filled with laughter, curiosity and kindness. At the same time, it is a place where children thrive academically and build the strong foundations they need for future success. As noted in our recent inspection: “There is a well-embedded approach to early reading, mark making - [Celebrating Success in and Beyond the Classroom](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2026/02/11/celebrating-success-in-and-beyond-the-classroom/) - As we reach the end of the first half of the Spring Term, it feels like a perfect moment to pause and reflect on what has been a truly encouraging start to 2026 for our school community. One of the highlights of the term has undoubtedly been the publication of our recent inspection report. I - [Year 6 Examination Success ](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2026/03/03/year-6-examination-success/) - We are absolutely delighted to celebrate the outstanding examination success of our Year 6 pupils, the Class of 2026. Their achievements reflect not only their dedication and perseverance, but also the supportive and nurturing environment that defines life at Forest Prep. This year’s results are a tremendous accomplishment: 75% of Year 6 pupils who sat - [The Forest Way of Life in Year 2 ](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2026/03/17/the-forest-way-of-life-in-year-2/) - At Forest Prep, Year 2 is an exciting and important stage in a child’s journey. It is the year where pupils consolidate their early learning while beginning to develop the independence, curiosity and academic confidence that will prepare them for Upper School. Our Year 2 classroom has a calm, purposeful atmosphere where children are encouraged - [Sports Round-Up](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2026/03/23/sports-round-up-2/) - One of our school’s objectives for this school year was to increase competitive sport opportunities for Years 1–4 whilst maintaining our sport-for-all ethos, ensuring every child has the chance to take part and thrive. The sheer volume and variety of sporting opportunities this half term clearly demonstrates that we are delivering on this important priority. - [Celebrating 20 Years of Mrs Johal](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2026/03/25/celebrating-20-years-of-mrs-johal/) - In our latest interview, Mrs Johal reflects on her journey at the school, from first visiting Forest in 1996, as a parent looking for a school for her daughter. Many years later she is still a huge part of our Forest family. At Forest, we are fortunate to have many long standing members of staff - [Plenty of Musical Achievements brings Music to our Ears](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2026/03/27/plenty-of-musical-achievements-brings-music-to-our-ears/) - Music at Forest is thriving, through steady growth and commitment, we have a culture that encourages pupils to take part and to take pride in what they do. One of the most striking aspects this year has been the sheer level of participation. Record numbers of pupils have entered ABRSM examinations across piano, voice, violin - [A Proud Moment : Delighted with our ISI Inspection Outcome](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2026/02/04/a-proud-moment-delighted-with-our-isi-inspection-outcome/) - We are thrilled to announce that our recent ISI Inspection confirmed “all standards are met” across all five areas, and recognised the many strengths that make Forest Prep a special place to learn and grow. Nurturing Spaces for Growth Our art room and music provision were highlighted for supporting pupils’ spiritual development and emotional wellbeing. - [Adventure Club in the Great Outdoors](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2026/02/09/adventure-club-in-the-great-outdoors/) - ‘Adventure Club’ is the new extra-curricular club for children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2. The club is led by Mrs Singer (Kindergarten Teaching Assistant) who is passionate about outdoor learning. She strongly believes that children learn so much from being outside, often without even realising they’re learning at all. Mrs Singer set up - [Goats Bring Learning to Life in Nursery Outdoor Provision](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2026/02/11/goats-bring-learning-to-life-in-nursery-outdoor-provision/) - There has been great excitement in Nursery this year following the arrival of our two much loved goats in September. The pair have quickly become an important and enriching part of our Outdoor Learning provision, offering children unique, hands on experiences that bring learning to life. Just like children do, the goats have their own - [Celebrating 20 Inspiring Years](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2026/02/11/celebrating-20-inspiring-years/) - This term, we are delighted to celebrate a remarkable milestone as Mrs Thomson (Art Teacher) marks 20 years at Forest Prep. Having first joined the school as the Reception teacher, she has since inspired hundreds of children and now leads Art across the whole school, sharing her passion for creativity from Nursery to Year 6. - [Preparing Children for Life](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2025/12/08/preparing-children-for-life/) - Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education (PSHE) is a vital part of our curriculum. We follow the SCARF scheme developed by Coram Life Education, a comprehensive and research informed programme built around the core themes of Safety, Caring, Achievement, Resilience and Friendship. SCARF provides a consistent, age-appropriate path from Nursery through to Year 6, ensuring - [Celebrating Outstanding 11+ Success](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2025/11/19/celebrating-outstanding-11-success/) - We are celebrating exceptional success in this year’s 11+ results. The phenomenal achievement reflects not only the hard work and determination of our pupils, but also the dedication, expertise, and care shown by our teaching team. Preparation for the 11+ begins early at Forest, it is built into the curriculum from Year 2 onward, ensuring - [Parent Survey Reveals Exceptional Care and Thriving Pupil](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2025/12/08/parent-survey-reveals-exceptional-care-and-thriving-pupil/) - In the Baseline Parent Survey 2025, issued in November, we were delighted with the feedback from our parent community. Some of the highlights include: 98% of parents agreed or strongly agreed that Forest Prep successfully promotes citizenship, community and awareness. 96% of parents agreed or strongly agreed that the school’s curriculum provides opportunities for children - [Reception Children off to a Flying Start](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2025/12/09/reception-children-off-to-a-flying-start/) - As we come to the end of the first term, it’s a great time to reflect on what the children in their first ‘official’ school year have achieved. The structure of our Reception class provides a truly exceptional beginning to school life, through the perfect blend of academic challenge, rich pastoral care, and character building - [Together We Flourish: Reflections on a Wonderful Term](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2025/12/12/together-we-flourish-reflections-on-a-wonderful-term/) - As we come to the end of term, I am delighted to reflect on what has been an exceptional start to our 101st year at Forest. We have certainly begun this new century of the school’s history with great momentum, most notably through our incredible 11+ examination results. These achievements speak volumes about the hard - [Preparing for the 11+ – The Forest Way](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2025/09/10/10335/) - At Forest Preparatory School, we understand that preparing for the 11+ is an important milestone in a child's educational journey. But here, that preparation goes far beyond practice papers and exam technique. Whether your child is already thinking about grammar school or you're simply dreaming big for your two-year-old, here’s what you need to know - [From Forest to the Stage: Former Alumni Shines in Musical Theatre](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2025/09/12/from-forest-to-the-stage-former-alumni-shines-in-musical-theatre/) - We are delighted to share news of the continued success of one of our alumni, Cyrus (Class of 2023), who is very successful in the world of performing arts. This autumn marks Cyrus’s second major professional musical run, in which he will be performing in the musical ‘13 going on 30’ at the Manchester Opera - [Foresters achieve outstanding results!](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2025/09/15/foresters-achieve-outstanding-results/) - Our latest Juniper results show that our Foresters have EXCELLED in Reading, Writing and Maths with attainment levels significantly higher than both the national benchmark and our already high-performing local authority, Trafford. Results highlight (% of children at or exceeding the expected standard): Reading: 96% Maths: 98% Writing: 97% – an incredible 30% higher than - [Mrs Eley’s Remarkable Milestone](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2025/10/06/mrs-eleys-remarkable-milestone/) - This year, we are delighted to celebrate a truly special milestone at Forest Preparatory School, it is Mrs Eley’s 50th year in teaching. To mark this special occasion, the school hall has been named after her, and is now known as the Eley Hall. Reaching half a century in the classroom is not only a - [The Academic Heart of Upper School](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2025/10/10/the-academic-heart-of-upper-school/) - Our Upper School is where focus, curiosity, and ambition truly shine. Year 6 is pivotal: it is not just about lessons, it is about preparation – preparing minds, hearts, and characters for the next stage of their journey. Academically, our True Foresters rise to the challenge. Exams are rigorous, but they are designed to stretch - [Forest Fest: A Centenary Celebration to Remember!](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2025/05/27/forest-fest-a-centenary-celebration-to-remember/) - The Centenary Year has been full of celebratory events! After a special time capsule planting in October, the first major event we hosted for families and alumni was the Centenary Gala Concert, where Upper School pupils took us through the decades in music. In the surroundings of the beautiful Stoller Hall, we were in amazement - [Year 6 are Ready for the Next Chapter](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2025/07/07/year-6-are-ready-for-the-next-chapter/) - As our Year 6 pupils complete their final weeks at Forest Prep, they do so with confidence, independence and a deep sense of pride in all they have achieved. Their final term is packed with meaningful experiences designed to prepare them for the exciting challenges of secondary school — and to help them leave as - [Kindergarten Ready to Soar into Reception!](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2025/07/08/kindergarten-ready-to-soar-into-reception/) - As the academic year draws to a close, Kindergarten pupils have shown they’re more than ready for the exciting step into Reception. From curious learners to confident thinkers, the children have blossomed across all areas — especially in Maths and English. Over the past year, children have developed a strong foundation in early numeracy. Many - [Music Success: We did it – and more!](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2025/07/10/we-did-it-and-more/) - Forest Main Choir are not only the winners of Category A (Prep School) – we've also been named the Overall Winners of the Bellevue Education Choir of the Year! In the Final, we were honoured to perform alongside two outstanding choirs — Norfolk House Senior Prep Choir (London) and Gateway Senior Choir (Great Missenden). Their - [Playtimes - Better than Ever!](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2025/09/08/playtimes-better-than-ever/) - Over the past year, we’ve invested heavily in making playtimes more exciting and active. As if our fantastic playground equipment wasn’t already enough, we’ve introduced new dedicated play zones filled with a variety of activities designed to spark imagination, encourage teamwork, and get children moving. From traditional games to larger-than-life fun, pupils can now enjoy: - [The Dracula Rock Show: A Summer Spectacle](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2025/07/08/dracula-rock-show/) - This year’s summer show at Altrincham Little Theatre was nothing short of fang-tastic. “The Dracula Rock Show” had the audience clapping along to the beat in a spectacular musical that brought Transylvanian flair to the heart of Altrincham. Staged by the talented Upper School, the production starred our amazing Year 6 pupils in lead roles, - [Showcasing Excellence: A Gallery of Pupil's Work](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2025/06/17/pupils-work/) - We are delighted to showcase the outstanding work produced by our pupils across the school. This collection not only highlights the high quality of their writing, but also the imaginative and creative ways our children choose to present their learning. From our youngest learners in Nursery to our confident Year 6 researchers, the gallery shows - [Children Thrive in Exciting Summer Term Extracurricular Clubs](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2025/06/30/children-thrive-in-exciting-summer-term-extracurricular-clubs/) - This summer term has been a vibrant and enriching time for our pupils, thanks to the fantastic range of extracurricular clubs on offer. From creative clubs to high-energy activities, the diverse selection has ensured that every child can find something for their interests and passions. Children have been enjoying a variety of clubs including Journalism - [A Special Afternoon: Grandparents' Tea Party](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2025/07/01/a-special-afternoon-grandparents-tea-party/) - Last week, we welcomed some very special guests to Forest for a heartwarming Grandparents’ Tea Party. Grandparents of children in Nursery and Kindergarten were invited to spend a relaxed afternoon enjoying homemade cakes, and—most importantly—precious time with their grandchildren. The joy on the children’s faces was clear as they proudly introduced their grandparents to their - [Celebrating a Historic Year at Forest!](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2025/07/07/10030/) - As we reach the close of an extraordinary school year, it is a moment to pause, reflect, and celebrate what has truly been a once-in-a-lifetime chapter in the story of Forest School. Our Centenary year has been nothing short of remarkable—a vibrant tapestry of tradition, community, learning, and joy. From the very first day of - [Farewell and Future: A Message to Our Year 6 Class of 2024](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2024/07/02/farewell-and-future-a-message-to-our-year-6-class-of-2024-2/) - It’s with great pleasure that we share our final e-newsletter for this academic year. As the school hymn goes… "Everything at Forest is moving a-long." A teacher; teaching them to count is one thing but teaching them what counts is best. On that note, I'd like to share with you my message to our Year - [Bellevue North Schools Music Festival](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2016/04/19/bellevue-north-schools-music-festival/) - After months of preparation, the very first Bellevue Northern Music Festival took place on Monday 18th April at the Royal Northern College of Music. The festival was a great success, with pupils from all four northern schools - Brabyns, Edenhurst, Forest Prep and Forest Park – showcasing their talents through a range of performances. Amongst - [Year 5 swimming team named Trafford Team of the Year](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2016/07/08/year-5-swimming-team-named-trafford-team-of-the-year/) - We are delighted that our Year 5 swimming team has been named Trafford Team of the Year. After an incredibly successful round of galas, the team - Ben, Freddie, Mitch and Nikhil - were awarded this prestigious title on Friday evening. They were up against tough competition from several other Trafford schools. Well done to the four - [School Council’s eco-friendly assembly](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2016/07/07/school-councils-eco-friendly-assembly/) - The School Council produced and performed an exciting and informative eco-friendly assembly for all pupils. The School Council have been proactive in raising key issues around school. Well done to all team members especially Year 6 pupils, Olivia and Keira who have been fantastic role models throughout the year. - [Pupil takes on role of Headteacher](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2016/07/07/pupil-takes-on-role-of-headteacher/) - Forest was delighted to welcome Mr Rommel as Headteacher for the day. His duties started bright and early after breakfast with the staff when he took class registers followed by a whole school celebration assembly. It was a day to remember for George, the staff and children at Forest. - [Pre-Prep’s enthusiastic assembly](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2016/07/06/pre-preps-enthusiastic-assembly/) - Pre-Prep performed their assembly to their parents with enthusiasm. - [Upper School’s performance of Olivia a huge success](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2016/07/06/upper-schools-performance-of-olivia-a-huge-success/) - The Upper School Production of Olivia was a huge success. The entire cast particularly Year 6, shone on stage. - [Kindergarten: Phonics](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2016/07/05/kindergarten-phonics/) - View our phonics display. - [Year 5: Religious Education](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2016/07/04/year-5-religious-education/) - Click the image below to view Year 5's recent work in Religious Education. - [Year 5: History](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2016/07/04/year-5-history/) - Click the image below to view Year 5's History display. - [Year 6: PSHE](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2016/07/04/year-6-pshe/) - Click the image below to view a display of Year 6's PSHE work. - [Year 5: Creative Writing](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2016/07/04/year-5-creative-writing/) - Click the image below to view Year 5's recent Creative Writing display. - [Nursery: shapes](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2016/07/04/nursery-shapes/) - Click on the image below to view Nursery's work on shapes. - [Year 4: Geography](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2016/07/04/year-4-geography/) - Click the image below to view Year 4's recent Geography display. - [Year 1: Painting](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2016/07/04/year-1-painting/) - Click the image below to view a display of Year 1's paintings. - [Year 2: Geography](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2016/07/04/year-2-geography/) - Click the image below to view Year 2's recent Geography display. - [Year 3: Egypt project](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2016/07/04/year-3-egypt-project/) - Click on the image below to view Year 3's Egypt project work. - [Learning Support Room](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2016/07/04/learning-support-room/) - Click on the image below to view our Learning Support Room and display. - [ICT](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2016/06/19/ict/) - Click the image below to view our Internet Safety display. - [Forest pupil wins place at Chetham’s School of Music](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2016/05/24/forest-pupil-wins-place-at-chethams-school-of-music/) - Year 6 pupil, Katie, has gained a place at Chetham’s School of Music in Manchester to study piano from September 2016. Katie has been playing piano for the past five years. Piano is her first study and singing, her second. She said: “I spent a week at Chetham’s Summer School last August and I thought - [Alderley Edge Festival](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2016/05/10/alderley-edge-festival/) - Year 6 pupil, Adam, performed exceptionally well at the Alderley Edge Festival. He was placed first for his monologue and received the Festival award. Then he was asked to perform at the 100th Festival Finale. There were 2700 competitors at the Festival this year and only 30 were asked to perform at the Finale. Adam - [Reception’s fabulous assembly](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2016/06/23/receptions-fabulous-assembly/) - [Year 1 and 2’s trip to Monkey Forest](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2016/06/22/year-1-and-2s-trip-to-monkey-forest/) - [Year 5’s end of year treat](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2016/06/22/year-5s-end-of-year-treat/) - Year 5 enjoyed a wonderful end of year treat at the Cheshire Show. - [Reception’s writing with Mr Booth](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2016/06/21/receptions-writing-with-mr-booth/) - [The Fantastic Forest Bake Off](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2016/06/23/the-fantastic-forest-bake-off/) - [Year 5 and 6 Residential](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2016/05/09/year-5-and-6-residential/) - Years 5 and 6 enjoyed their week long residential at Manor Adventure in Shropshire. The children took part in many activities designed to enhance and familiarise their confidence and teamwork; water sports, high ropes, abseiling, blind trail, rifles and archery all proved popular, along with many more exciting activities. The staff were very impressed with - [Year 4 Bath Bombs](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2016/09/22/year-4-bath-bombs/) - Year 4 pupils were given the opportunity to make their own magical bath bomb, carefully following their own designs and instructions devised during a creative writing exercise. The children have taken their bath bombs home to discover the reaction their mixture will make. - [Reading Friends](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2016/09/19/reading-friends-2/) - Year One pupils were introduced to their new reading friend. They enjoyed their shared reading time together. The relationship between each set of friends will blossom throughout the coming weeks and months. - [Archaeology Workshop](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2016/09/19/archaeology-workshop/) - Year 3 took part in an Archaeology Workshop. They learned about the work of an archaeologist, how a site is surveyed, how a dig is planned and how skeletons buried with artefacts, can tell us about the past. Ancient artefacts were carefully handled and notes were made on them. Mrs Byrne talked about how to - [Roberts Bakery](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2016/09/16/roberts-bakery/) - Year 5 enjoyed a hands on and informative visit from Robert’s Bakery last week where they had to follow instructions to bake the perfect loaf of bread. The children learned the scientific process of bread making and how to adapt materials to create different products. Year 5 listened with intent and the morning finished with - [Forest Fruit Stall](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2016/09/16/forest-fruit-stall/) - The Forest Fruit Stall once again proved very popular. All children can purchase healthy snacks at morning break on a Wednesday. The children enjoyed a selection of fresh strawberries, juicy grapes along with apples and oranges. Year 5 run the stall, promoting the school's Healthy Eating Policy, and will continue to do so every Wednesday - [Buddies](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2016/09/15/buddies/) - Reception children spent a lovely first session with their Year 6 buddies. The children read books together and enjoyed lively circle games. - [Year 5 Work Hard Play Hard](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2016/09/15/year-5-work-hard-play-hard/) - Year 5 have settled in well and have already impressed Mr Booth with their efforts and eagerness. They have firmly adopted the class motto of 'Work Hard...Play Hard.' The children have been given classroom duties and have commenced the examination process. - [Reception Settle In](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2016/09/15/reception-settle-in/) - Mrs Thomson and Mrs Howland are delighted with how well all the children are settling into Reception. The four year old children become involved more with everyday roles and routines. The children have joined in with House Meetings and Hymn Practice, however, the biggest journey of all is joining the 'big playground' with the rest - [Diamond Certificates](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2016/09/15/diamond-certificates/) - Congratulations to all pupils who achieved their Diamond Certificate at the end of the Summer term in recognition of the amount of merits gained in their year group.The children produced a variety of outstanding work across the curriculum. - [School Honours](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2016/09/15/school-honours/) - Year 6 pupils, Evie and Nat have been appointed as Head Girl and Head Boy for 2016/2017. Good luck in your duties this year which will include a range of things including representing our school community and speaking at public events. Mitch and Emma have been appointed as Deputy Head Boy and Girl. Congratulations to - [Introducing our new School Hall](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2016/09/02/introducing-our-new-school-hall/) - We are delighted to annouce that our new School Hall is complete. View photos of the completed work, here. - [Former Forest Preparatory School pupil wins silver for Team GB at Rio Olympics](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2016/08/11/former-forest-preparatory-school-pupil-wins-silver-for-team-gb-at-rio-olympics/) - Former Forest Preparatory School pupil James Guy is now an Olympic medallist, after winning silver for Great Britain in the Men's 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay Final last night at the Rio Olympics. The Olympic medal adds to his current haul of two gold medals from the 2015 World Aquatic Championships in Russia, as well - [Year 2’s Tea Party](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2016/07/13/year-2s-tea-party/) - Year 2 enjoyed a tea party with their parents. The children have worked hard throughout the year and are ready to move up to the Upper School in September. - [Pupil takes on role of Deputy Head](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2016/07/12/pupil-takes-on-role-of-deputy-head/) - Year 5 pupil, Lara, enjoyed her day as Deputy Head of Forest Prep. Lara's duties started at 9am with a joint assembly with Mrs Eley. She was welcomed both in the classroom and the office throughout the day. - [Year 5 meet buddies](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2016/07/12/year-5-meet-buddies/) - Year 5 were introduced to their new buddies in Kindergarten. They gave their buddy a letter about themselves and spent time getting to know their new friend. They will regularly meet their buddy in September as Year 6 pupils and mentor them throughout Reception. - [Reception: Mother’s Day display](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2016/07/11/reception-mothers-day-display/) - Click on the image below to view Reception's Mother's Day display. - [Introducing our new School Hall](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2016/09/02/introducing-our-new-school-hall-2/) - [End of Term 2016](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2016/07/15/end-of-term-2016/) - [Lower School Musical Performances](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2016/07/14/lower-school-musical-performances/) - [Year 6 and Reception Buddy Time](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2016/07/14/year-6-and-reception-buddy-time/) - Year 6 and Reception shared their final buddy time together with a picnic. - [Happy Retirement Mrs Mitchell](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2016/07/13/happy-retirement-mrs-mitchell/) - [Head’s Message](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2016/09/15/heads-message-2/) - Firstly, I hope that you all had a nice, restful summer and may I extend a very warm welcome to all our new starters and their families. As many of you know, the new extension to the School Hall was completed on the final day of the holidays. It has already made a great difference - [Top 10 Tips for Preparing Your Child for School](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2016/08/08/top-10-tips-for-preparing-your-child-for-school/) - Starting school is one of life’s major milestones and for many parents it can be an emotional time. It’s natural to feel both nervous and excited, but with a little advance preparation both you and your little one will be able to cope with the transition more smoothly. Here are our Top 10 tips to - [E-Safety at School](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2016/08/05/e-safety-at-school/) - E-safety at school Everyone at Forest Preparatory School takes the issue of 'E-safety' very seriously indeed. We want children to enjoy using ICT but, at the same time, we believe they must be made aware of the potential dangers involved and understand how to use the internet safely. We have a range of policies and - [Quantum Theatre](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2016/11/07/quantum-theatre/) - The Quantum Theatre Company came to our school to perform an educational and fun performance called Grammar Girl. The performers were called Ashton and Lauren and were very energetic and their memory of all the lines and their singing voices were very good. We thoroughly enjoyed the performance and we know everyone else had a - [Citizenship Ceremony](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2016/11/07/citizenship-ceremony/) - Last Tuesday, Year 5 visited Sale Town hall to participate in a Citizenship Ceremony for people who have completed their rights to become a British citizen. The children performed a harvest medley to the recipients and their families to which they gained great applause. Year 5 were also invited into the Mayor’s parlour for a - [Staircase House](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2016/11/07/staircase-house/) - Year 2 visited Staircase House to learn about The Great Fire of London. The house is over 500 years old and has been restored as a museum where the children are encouraged to handle the exhibits.Year 2 pupils were able to get a real sense of what it was like to live in the 17th - [Reading Friends Tea Party](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2016/10/14/reading-friends-tea-party/) - Inspired by the book ' The Tiger who Came to Tea' by Judith Kerr, Year 5 and Year 1 pupils held a tea party together to celebrate their blosooming reading friendships. Held in the new hall, the children gathered and were treated to jam sandwiches and cakes. Year 1 pupils had written out special tea - [Carving Pumpkins](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2016/10/14/carving-pumpkins/) - After working very hard during Assessment Week, Mr Booth held a pumpkin carving competition for his class. The children were put into groups and their task was to create a 'spooky' character. The pumpkins were then put on display for Mr Hyde to judge. Congratulations to the winning team. - [Year 2 visit Pizza Express](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2016/10/13/year-2-visit-pizza-express/) - Year 2 visited Pizza Express to consolidate their English work on following instructions. The pupils learnt about the history of pizza and discussed the ingredients needed to make margarita pizzas. These children listened to several instructions and followed these to make and decorate their pizzas. It was an informative and useful workshop and the children - [Celebrating Creative Writing](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2016/10/13/celebrating-creative-writing/) - At Forest we celebrate different writing skills in a variety of ways. During Mrs McClearn's Creative Writing Club, the children are encouraged to discuss what makes a good story before completing a writing task. The children begin to pen their masterpieces, writing just a few sentences to begin with, without worrying about spellings just putting - [Gold Award for Games](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2016/10/12/gold-award-for-games/) - The School Games Mark is an awards scheme to reward schools for their commitment to the development of competition across their school and into the community. We are delighted to announce that Forest has achieved the Gold Award for the second time. - [Roles and Responsibilities](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2016/10/11/roles-and-responsibilities/) - Year 6 pupils were given a number of special duties to perform throughout the school. Digital Leaders have been appointed by Mrs Knowles and their responsibilities include setting up the and tidying away the laptops each day. The children are outstanding thus far and Mrs Knowles has been particularly impressed by their enthusiasm, maturity and - [House Captains](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2016/10/11/house-captains/) - We have appointed our new House Captains and Assistant House Captains. Congratulations to Daniel Enright {Mimwood}, Hugo Scherzer-Facchini {Kersal}, Sebastien Ball {Chorlton}, and Oliver Wild {Jordan} in their appointment as House Captains. Assistant House Captains are as follows: Arjun Nair {Mimwood}, Yunus Ikram {Kersal}, Josh Aspinall {Chorlton} and Lara Byrne {Jordan}. We hope you enjoy - [Year 4 Eyam Trip](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2016/10/10/year-4-eyam-trip/) - As part of the children's History topic, Year 4 pupils discovered how the people of Eyam caught and contained the Black Death. The children visited Eyam Museum, the local church and trekked to the boundary stone. A huge thank you to Mr Bircham for accompanying Year 4 on their trip. - [Harvest Festival](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2016/10/10/harvest-festival/) - Forest pupils gave an outstanding performance in our Harvest Festival. A special thank you to all the families who have donated such generous parcels to our collection this year. The Salvation Army will distribute the food from their food bank, based at The Citadel for families referred to them by Social Services and individuals in - [Reception visit Manchester Airport](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2016/10/10/reception-visit-manchester-airport/) - Reception enjoyed a wonderful, informative trip to Manchester Airport. The children were all delighted to see the flight deck, sit in the pilot's seat and learn about Concorde. Mrs Thomson and Mr Hyde were extremely pleased with the children's enthusiasm and wonderful behaviour. - [E-Safety in Reception](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2016/10/05/e-safety-in-reception/) - In Key Stage One, Mrs Knowles introduced a range of e-saftey lessons where the children listened to a story about 'Digiduck', a duck who was having some trouble on the internet. Reception pupils participated in a number of e-safety lessons where the children have been thinking about how to keep safe whilst using the internet. - [Sporting Success](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2016/10/05/sporting-success/) - Forest pupils have enjoyed a range of sports in the first few weeks back at school. The football team won all three of their matches last week. Mr Hyde and Mr Booth both paid tribute to their hard work and determination during Celebration Assembly. The Year 6 Lacrosse team came joint Second place in their - [Year 3 Roman Day](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2016/09/29/year-3-roman-day/) - Year 3 have recently enjoyed a Roman Experience. During the experience, the children made Roman pots and lamps, painted a Roman soldier and made a Roman scroll. They learned some Latin words and how to write Roman numerals. Mosaic tiles were created using pieces of marble to replicate those found at Pompeii. The children learned about - [Water Polo](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2016/09/28/water-polo/) - Eight boys and two girls from Year 6 took part in the ISA North Water Polo Gala at Middleton Arena. This is a fantastic opportunity to participate in a fast-moving sport, not usually offered to children of this age range. In a very tightly contested group, the team convincingly won their first two games before - [Year 5 Jodrell Bank](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2016/09/22/year-5-jodrell-bank/) - As part of their Science topic, Year 5 visited Jodrell Bank in Macclesfield. The children took part in workshops, experienced hands on practical exhibitions and even observed the movements and recordings of the famous Lovell Telescope. Mr Booth was very impressed with the children’s fact finding and super teamwork during the Mars Rover and Tim - [Mr Booth’s 30th Birthday](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2016/10/14/mr-booths-30th-birthday/) - [Gold Award for Games](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2016/10/13/gold-award-for-games-2/) - [Head’s Message](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2016/10/03/heads-message/) - Now that their state grammar examinations are over, I would like to say how proud we all are of Year 6 and their unstinting application. They are a keen and enthusiastic class who never give anything but their best. After several weeks of the new term, I can now confirm that we are delighted with - [Baking in Year 5](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2016/12/13/baking-in-year-5/) - The Year 5 children enjoyed a baking extravaganza on Friday as part of their Design and Technology topic. The children made some very tasty Christmas biscuits. Over the past weeks the children have completed product analysis of several well-known brands, they reviewed taste, appearance and costing. Our Year 5 children also made comparisons with the - [Upper School Carol Service](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2016/12/13/upper-school-carol-service/) - The Upper School Carol Service at St Peter’s Church in Hale. - [Manchester Cathedral Carol Concert](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2016/12/13/manchester-cathedral-carol-concert/) - The Main Choir took part in a carol service in aid of The Children’s Society at Manchester Cathedral. The Children’s Society helps change children’s stories, working towards a country where all children are free from disadvantage. Locally and nationally they provide support where it’s needed most. The organisation base this vital work on the - [Lower School Nativity Play](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2016/12/07/lower-school-nativity-play/) - Lower School pupils dazzled in their Nativity production " Straw and Order!' The performance, held at North Cestrian Grammar School, is one of the many highlights of the Forest Purple Calendar. The children gave outstanding performances throughout the evening. A wonderful team effort from all the Lower School staff. The spirit of Christmas has arrived - [Impressive Christmas Performances from Pre-Prep](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2016/12/07/impressive-christmas-performances-from-pre-prep/) - Parents, grandparents and carers enjoyed two impressive Christmas performances from the school's youngest children. The two to four year olds in Pre-Prep sang a variety of songs beautifully, delivered lines and played bells to entertain a delighted audience. Two of the Nursery children even pulled a giant cracker! Very well done to all - [ISA North Swimming Gala](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2016/12/01/isa-north-swimming-gala/) - Forest proved to be a mighty force at the recent ISA Gala, held at Macclesfield Leisure Centre. The children swam to the best of their ability, producing excellent results along the way. The team behaved impeccably and Mr Hyde, Mr Booth and Ms Forster were impressed with their team spirit. A special mention must go - [Year 1 visit Tatton Park](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2016/12/01/year-1-visit-tatton-park/) - Year 1 pupils visited Tatton park in the run up to Christmas. The children were delighted to meet Santa and were introduced to two of his reindeers. The children were able to participate in an interactive Christmas story and enjoyed singing carols in the stables. The highlight of the trip was the walk around the - [Year 4 visit Bramall Hall](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2016/12/01/year-4-visit-bramall-hall/) - Year 4 pupils visited Bramall Hall to experience Christmas during the Tudor times. The children played traditional instruments, performed a play for the lady of the house and made sweet smelling poses. - [Inter School Speech Competition](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2016/11/30/inter-school-speech-competition/) - Forest was delighted to host the Bellevue Inter School Speech Final and to welcome contestants and parents from both Forest Park and Brabyns. There were four age categories and the contest was judged by Mrs Petrie, the Assistant Head of Cheadle Hulme School. Minnie, Zac, Livia and Patrick spoke superbly on Cats, Static Electricity, Running - [Forest Christmas Toy Appeal](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2016/11/24/forest-christmas-toy-appeal-2/) - On behalf of The Lalley Centre in Manchester, Dee and Chris Drake operate a Christmas toy appeal each year, to provide Christmas toys to children living in poverty. The Appeal has been running since 2013. This year Forest Prep set a task for our pupils to bring in a new or unused toy to donate to this very worthy - [Beech House Swimming Gala](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2016/11/22/beech-house-swimming-gala/) - The Independent Schools’ Swimming Gala took place at Middleton Leisure Centre on Friday morning, and the Forest team were Silver medal winners in what was a very tight inter-school battle. The children behaved impeccably and Mr Hyde and Ms Forster were very proud of each and every swimmer. Another excellent performance from the Forest Swimming - [ISA U11s Rugby Tournament at Manchester Rugby Club](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2016/11/22/isa-u11s-rugby-tournament-at-manchester-rugby-club/) - On Wednesday 16th November some of the boys from Years 5 and 6 took part in the ISA U11s Rugby Tournament at Manchester Rugby Club. All the boys play club rugby but it was the first time we had played as a school team. We played 8 aside, contact rugby. Most of the schools - [Year 4 study The Digestive System](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2016/11/21/year-4-study-the-digestive-system/) - Year 4 pupils have been learning in more detail about the functions of various parts of the body, including the digestive system. By the end of the demonstration, the children had a better understanding of how our bodies work. - [Year 6 WW1 Experience Day](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2016/11/21/year-6-ww1-experience-day/) - On Thursday 17th November we went on a History trip to Tatton Park. The trip was a World War 1 Experience. When we arrived we were put into groups and rotated around four activities using genuine artefacts to find out facts. In the afternoon, we were greeted by a man who was dressed as a - [Year 5 present ‘It’s all Greek to me!’](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2016/11/21/year-5-present-its-all-greek-to-me/) - Year 5 performed their assembly to the school on Monday. Based on the Ancient Greeks the children took their audience back in time to see what life was like for children in the ancient times. The cast were animated and fluent with excellent singing and traditional Greek dancing, even George the tortoise made a cameo - [Children in Need 2016](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2016/11/21/children-in-need-2016/) - Children in Need is always a highlight in the Forest calendar and this year we decided to add ‘The British Breakfast’ to our fundraising events. From 7.45 a.m. The staff donned their aprons to serve families who were welcomed into the hall to choose a selection of breakfast sandwiches, hot toasts and drinks. The event - [Year 5 RE Talk](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2016/11/14/year-5-re-talk/) - Dr Kousar visited Year 5 last week to talk about the Islamic faith. She explained the traditions and rituals that they follow as Muslims. The children also learned about the beliefs and how they carry out their day to day lives in terms of prayer and fasting. Year 5 had the chance to look at - [Pre-Prep learn about Diwali](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2016/11/08/pre-prep-learn-about-diwali/) - The Pre-Prep children developed a much greater understanding of the festival of Diwali, thanks to a lovely celebration organised by Forest parent, Mrs Swamy. The children had an excellent hands-on experience - dressing in special clothes, tasting food and making diva lamps. Thank you Mrs Swamy for a wonderful afternoon. - [Year 3 Chinese Feast](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/02/02/year-3-chinese-feast/) - Year 3 pupils enjoyed celebrating Chinese New Year by participating in a variety of activities coordinated by Mrs Eley and Mrs Cooke. The highlight of the day was the Chinese Feast. The children enjoyed tasting many types of Chinese food. - [French Breakfast](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/02/02/french-breakfast/) - Once again, Madame Cotton's annual French breakfast was a huge success. The children were able to choose from many things, including fresh baguettes with butter and jam and hot croissants. The pain au chocolat was a firm favourite and the children were able to dip it into their hot chocolate! Many thanks to all the - [Year 2 Mexican Day](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/01/23/year-2-mexican-day/) - Year 2 pupils experienced a Mexican Day as part of their Geography topic. They listened to Mexican music, made maracas, constructed a man from paper and even made a skeleton from the Day of the Dead. We enjoyed a feast of chilli, nachos, rice, tacos and guacamole. The day was a resounding success and enabled - [Battle Scenes](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/01/23/battle-scenes/) - Year 4 pupils have been learning all about how the Tudor period began. During their latest History lesson, the Year 4 recreated the Battle of Bosworth. We had Henry Tudor, Richard III and the Stanley brothers' army. The children were surprised by how well Henry Tudor's army fared against Richard's larger army. - [Mrs Bold visits Year 5](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/01/23/mrs-bold-visits-year-5/) - Mrs Bold visited Year 5 to demonstrate her collection of musical instruments. The children asked numerous questions about the origins and materials of flutes, clarinets and saxophones. This helped to gather lots of information for their Design and Technology topic. - [Mr Cotton’s Musical Workshop](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/01/23/mr-cottons-musical-workshop/) - Year 5 enjoyed a music workshop given by Mr Cotton. Mr Cotton demonstrated the different sounds made by stringed instruments from around the world. The children were able to try the instruments for themselves and will be writing about them as part of their DT project. Thank you to Mr Cotton for a wonderful morning! - [Year 4 Tudor Assembly](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/01/23/year-4-tudor-assembly/) - Year 4 children performed their assembly, 'Off with their head' this week to parents and the rest of the school. Children played several roles including Henry VIII, his wives and the crew of the Mary Rose. A fantastic performance. Well done! - [Trafford Swimming Gala](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/01/18/trafford-swimming-gala/) - On Friday afternoon two swimming teams from Forest entered into the Trafford Swimming Gala for pupils in Year 4 and Year 5. The children were in teams of four and had to compete against eleven other local schools. Well done to the girls’ team who were placed fifth and congratulations to the boys’ team who - [Judge Rinder visits Year 3](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/01/17/judge-rinder-visits-year-3/) - As part of their PSHE lessons, Year 3 have been learning that we are a democracy and everyone has rights as citizens of the UK. Judge Rinder is a criminal barrister who has spent his career fighting for justice. He came to take part in a mock trial in Year 3 to show the - [Traffic Observations in Year 5](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/01/12/traffic-observations-in-year-5/) - As part of their Geography topic on local traffic, Year 5 carried out several observations in Timperley Village. The children looked at problems and issues that are caused by traffic in our local area. Year 5 found some interesting results and will now write up a conclusion and evaluation from their recordings. As a treat - [Year 4 Maths](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/01/12/year-4-maths/) - This week, Year 4 have been investigating 3-D shapes. We looked at their properties and where you have seen the shape before. Then we looked at how nets create 3-D shapes, matched nets to different shapes and finally made our own shapes. - [Year 5 Christmas Puppet Show](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2016/12/15/year-5-christmas-puppet-show/) - Year 5 produced, directed and wrote a puppet play for the children in Year 1 and Reception. They delivered their lines clearly and the younger children were captivated by the different array of hand and finger puppets. This activity allowed Year 5 to focus on writing for a particular audience, also allowing the younger members - [Christmas Lunch at Forest](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2016/12/15/christmas-lunch-at-forest/) - A huge thank-you to Mrs Whitehead and her team for preparing a beautiful Christmas Lunch. The Children were served by staff members and were ably assisted by Head Boy and Deputy Head Boy, Nat and Mitch and Head Girl and Deputy Head Girl, Evie and Emma. Emma prepared a super Christmas soundtrack which was enjoyed - [Top 5 Tips for Settling Your Child into Pre-Prep](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2016/12/19/top-5-tips-for-settling-your-child-into-pre-prep/) - Starting Pre-Prep for the first time is a big change for both you and your child, and it’s natural to feel anxious about how you are both going to cope with the transition. Fortunately, we have come up with some top tips to help you settle your little one into Pre-Prep. 1.Talk about Pre-Prep positively - [The Suite](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/03/30/the-suite/) - The displays in The Suite are used for E-safety, Computing and French work. - [Recception Pupils celebrate Mothers’ Day](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/03/28/recception-pupils-celebrate-mothers-day/) - Mrs Thomson and Mrs Howland would like to thank all the mummies and grandmothers who came to Reception’s celebration of Mothers’ Day on Wednesday. Reception pupils treated their special guests to a presentation of warm-hearted messages that they had written. - [Year 1 visit Macclesfield Museum](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/03/28/year-1-visit-macclesfield-museum/) - Year One had a super day at Macclesfield Silk Museum. They met Ma'am and participated in a Victorian lesson. They handled Victorian objects and found out what life was like for rich and poor children. - [Altrincham Festival](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/03/28/altrincham-festival/) - Once again, Forest pupils have taken part in the Altrincham Schools' Music Festival, held at the Bowdon Rooms. We have had a busy week with performances from Year 2 (Recorders and Dancing), Year 3 (Recorders), Year 5 (Choral Speaking), Greenhouse Choir, Main Choir and Chamber Choir. The Altrincham Festival has been running for fifty years - [North ISA U11s High 5 Netball Tournament 2017](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/03/28/north-isa-u11s-high-5-netball-tournament-2017/) - Hulme Hall Grammar School in Cheadle Hulme, Cheshire was once again delighted to host this year's North ISA U11 High 5 Netball Tournament. The tournament has gone from strength to strength over the years, with entries doubling to an exciting 15 team competition this year! Once again the sun shone in Cheadle Hulme and we - [Forest Flower Service](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/03/21/forest-flower-service/) - This year's Flower Service was, once again, a lovely morning of entertainment at the Sale Citadel, with performance by Pre-Prep, Reception, Year 1, Year 2, Greenhouse Choir and Year 5. All the classes rehearsed with Ms Wellings and did their very best to perform with confidence and pride. The very appreciative audience also enjoyed a - [Rewind 2 Easter](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/03/21/rewind-2-easter-2/) - Year 5 spent an enjoyable and informative morning at Altrincham Baptist Church on Monday. During their visit they learned about Easter traditions and took part in several activities. They enjoyed planting bulbs and decorated their pots, answering questions in a multimedia quiz and many more tasks. Year 5 would like to thank all the volunteers - [Heaton Mersey Festival](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/03/20/heaton-mersey-festival/) - Heaton Mersey Music Festival proved to be a very successful day for our Forest musicians. Ms Wellings was delighted with the Greenhouse choir for their stunning performance of their two songs. Music Captain Lara B came Second singing an unaccompanied Italian folk song. Year 6 pupil, Amelia T came Second for playing the piano. Congratulations - [Choral Workshop at Forest Preparatory School](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/03/20/choral-workshop-at-forest-preparatory-school/) - Pupils from Forest enjoyed working alongside the choir from Edenhurst Preparatory School for a joint Choral Day. The day was organised by Forest Music teacher, Ms Susan Wellings and led by renowned conductor of the Hallé Children's Choir, Mrs. Shirley Court. The pupils rehearsed intensively throughout the day, doing vocal exercises, listening and responsiveness drills - [Life Cycles in Year 5](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/03/09/life-cycles-in-year-5/) - Year 5 have enjoyed carrying out various investigations through their current topic ‘Life Cycles’. The children have been looking at how seeds are dispersed differently and how seeds germinate. The topic has given the children the opportunity to broaden their understanding of scientific terminology. Last week each pupil planted sweet pea seeds. They will now - [Year 5 Algebra Week](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/03/09/year-5-algebra-week/) - Year 5 pupils have been looking into the future in Mathematics this week as they embarked on a week of Year 7 level algebra lessons. The children have discussed the different concepts and rules, and even worked from a Year 7 textbook. Mr Booth was impressed with the enthusiasm and attainment from the whole class. - [Year 2 Burwardsley Residential Trip](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/03/08/year-2-burwardsley-residential-trip/) - Year 2 had the most amazing time in Burwardsley on their overnight adventure. We hiked up a steep cliff in the woods for 3 hours, built dens, did willow weaving, toasted marshmallows, made clay pots, completed an archaeological dig and had lots of fun! Their behaviour was superb and it is definitely a highlight of - [The Hallé Orchestra](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/03/07/the-halle-orchestra/) - Year 3 and 4 pupils visited the Bridgewater Hall to listen to the Hallé Orchestra. The children enjoyed hour-long interactive musical journey through elements of the music national curriculum, presented by two Hallé musicians and was based on the motto ‘Music is Fun!’ Everyone agreed it was a wonderful and inspiring morning. - [World Book Day 2017](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/03/07/world-book-day-2017/) - All year groups have had a busy and rewarding time participating in an exciting programme of activities to celebrate World Book Week. The children looked marvellous in their costumes for World Book Day. Mr Hyde commented that he thought it was one of the best ever for imaginative costumes. The children swapped classes and listened - [Pancake Day](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/02/28/pancake-day/) - The children were delighted to be invited to eat pancakes in the Hall made by Mrs Ball and Mrs Bold. A variety of toppings were on offer, although Nutella was by far the favourite! The children thoroughly enjoyed the pancakes. Many thanks to Mrs Ball and Mrs Bold for their help throughout the morning. - [World Thinking Day](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/02/23/world-thinking-day/) - On 22nd February each year Guiding and Scouting celebrate World Thinking Day and Founders Day respectively. It was great to see so many of our pupils in their uniforms from Beavers, Rainbows, Cubs, Brownies, Scouts and Guides. It really got everyone talking about the movement and thinking about the wider family across the world - - [Year 4 Artists](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/02/20/year-4-artists/) - Year 4 pupils have been experimenting with land art. The children have studied the work of Andrew Goldsworthy and taken inspiration from his work to create pieces of their own. The children used a range of natural materials they had gathered at home and in school to form their pieces on the school grounds. It - [Pre-Prep Grandparents Afternoon](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/02/10/pre-prep-grandparents-afternoon/) - The Pre-Prep Grandparents Afternoon is always a very popular event and this year was no exception. All the children very much enjoyed showing their visitors around their classrooms and sharing a delicious party tea. Thanks to everyone involved, especially the hardworking members of the PA for making the event such an enormous success. - [Trafford North Cross-Country Competition](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/02/10/trafford-north-cross-country-competition/) - I have really enjoyed the 2016 – 2017 cross-country season. I did all the John Leigh races and had some strong runs in the A race. My highest position was 6th place. I’ll try hard to win it next year when I am in Year 6. I have also run at Sale Harriers and was - [Bowdon Festival](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/02/07/bowdon-festival/) - Forest enjoyed a busy and successful weekend at the Bowdon Festival. Both parents and staff were very proud of all your performances and your excellent behaviour, you were a credit to Forest. - [Young Voices 2017](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/02/07/young-voices-2017/) - It was on Thursday 2nd February that the students of Year 5 and 6 exchanged their purple blazers for a very special white T-Shirt, YV 2017 T-Shirt.We boarded the bus and were driven to the Manchester Arena, more and more excitement filled the bus with every mile travelled.At the vast Arena, we donated our cans of food - [Top 10 Tips to Help Your Child Settle into a New School](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/03/08/top-10-tips-to-help-your-child-settle-into-a-new-school/) - If you are thinking of moving your child to a new school, you’re bound to be feeling anxious about how they’ll settle in. However, Schools are generally very good at making new starters feel welcome and children are very adaptable, so - with some advance preparation - being the ‘new boy’ or ‘new girl’ won’t - [‘Once upon a Smile’ Charity Run](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/05/18/once-upon-a-smile-charity-run/) - Children from Nursery to Year 6 had great fun taking part in ‘The Smile Mile Challenge’ on Tuesday in their Games and PE lessons. Children in Lower School particularly loved ‘Sidley the Bear’, who came to visit whilst they were running and walking around the grounds. Thank you to all those who have already brought - [Alderley Edge Music Festival](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/05/10/alderley-edge-music-festival/) - Congratulations to all the children in the Greenhouse Choir who were awarded second place in their class at the Alderley Edge Festival. A special mention must go to Marcus in Year 5 who won the Solo Piano Grade 1 class and to Lara in Year 6 who was awarded a distinction in the Solo Singing - [Forest Snap Election](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/05/10/forest-snap-election/) - A Forest Snap Election has been called on behalf of the No Homework Party, the More Free Time At School Party and the Dress Down Friday Party. The party leaders delivered their manifestos to the whole school and campaigning has begun in earnest. Voting will take place on Thursday 25th May and the results will - [Parents v Pupils Football Match](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/05/09/parents-v-pupils-football-match/) - The 'Big Day' arrived for the football Match of the Year: Parents v Pupils [ and teachers!]. Both teams warmed up before the match, trying to outdo each other even before the match had started.The nerves kicked in as the players came out of the tunnel and ran onto the pitch. The whistle blew and - [11+ Parent Workshop](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/05/02/11-parent-workshop/) - Parents from Upper School were recently invited to an 11+ Workshop Evening, hosted by Mr Booth. The event proved very popular with over fifty parents in attendance. The following topics were discussed throughout the evening, What do the 11+ exams involve and when do they take place? What is GL and CEM Assessment? Which schools - [Girls’ Football Team News](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/04/24/girls-football-team-news/) - Well done to Forest girls' football team who played their last round of matches this season. The girls have developed so much and thankfully the sun was out this time round to see them finish the season in style. - [Boys’ Football Team News](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/04/24/boys-football-team-news/) - A huge congratulations to the boys' football team. This season, the boys have shown great attitude, skill and team spirit to finish runners up in their league. A fantastic result. Well done boys! - [Year 4 USA Study](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/04/24/year-4-usa-study/) - Year 4 have been studying the USA and have recently watched clips from Home Alone 2 to inspire them to create a leaflet to guide Kevin around the 'Big Apple'. The children have included essential layout features, superlatives, comparatives and fronted adverbials. - [Year 5 and Year 6 Visit to Northern France](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/05/02/year-5-and-year-6-visit-to-northern-france/) - Years 5 and 6 enjoyed their week long residential at Le Chateau du Broutel in Rue, Northern France. The children took part in many activities designed to enhance and familiarise their French speaking and listening; a visit to the Goat Farm, Snail Farm, Supermarket and Local Traders Market and Sweet Shop. They also enjoyed a - [Early Science in Pre-Prep](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/03/31/early-science-in-pre-prep/) - In addition to our plant growing, natural investigations and water experiments, Pre-Prep also enjoyed a lovely cake baking activity this week. Each child mixed the ingredients and then discussed the changes taking place as the mixture was baked. Mrs Wardle and Mrs Ollerton were very impressed by the concentration and enthusiasm from all the children. - [The PA Easter Egg Hunt](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/03/30/the-pa-easter-egg-hunt/) - The PA Easter Egg Hunt will took place in the school grounds during the afternoon. The children were very excited and thoroughly enjoyed the event. - [Knowsley Safari Park](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/03/30/knowsley-safari-park/) - A Science curriculum visit to Knowsley Safari Park, for pupils from Reception to Year 6, was arranged by Science Co-ordinator, Mr Francis. Pupils attended workshops and were given a guided tour of the park. It was also an opportunity for Year 6 and Year 5 to team up with their lower school buddies during the - [Year 6: Displays](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/03/30/year-6-displays/) - Year 6 pupils have created a diverse range of work for their displays. - [Year 5: Displays](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/03/30/year-5-displays/) - Year 5 pupils have an extremely busy working year. The class motto is ' Work Hard, Play Hard'. - [Year 4: Displays](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/03/30/year-4-displays/) - The Year 4 classroom is a very interesting space to work. The displays help to focus the pupils during their lessons. - [Year 3: Displays](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/03/30/year-3-displays/) - Year 3 pupils have worked hard to create an interesting and varied classroom. - [Year 2: Displays](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/03/30/year-2-displays/) - Year 2 have created a range of displays in their classroom. - [Year 1 : Displays](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/03/30/year-1-displays/) - Year 1 pupils have been working hard to create work for beautiful displays in their room. - [Reception: Displays](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/03/30/reception-displays/) - Reception pupils have been working extremely hard in their classroom. - [Pre-Prep: Displays](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/03/30/pre-prep-displays/) - Pre-Prep have been busy creating some wonderful work for their display boards. - [Music Room: Displays](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/03/30/music-room-displays/) - Please click on the photos to see all the photos of the displays in the Music Room. - [Learning Support: Displays](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/03/30/learning-support-displays/) - The Learning Support room has many exciting, visually stimulating displays created by Mrs Mulholland. - [Forest Preparatory School in Pictures - Part 2](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/05/18/forest-preparatory-school-in-pictures-part-2/) - [Forest Preparatory School in Pictures - Part 1](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/05/18/forest-preparatory-school-in-pictures-part-1/) - [What Makes a Forester?](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/05/18/what-makes-a-forester/) - We have something unique at Forest Preparatory, something that sets us apart from other schools. I often reflect on what this certain ‘magic’ is and I have ascertained that it is down to the children we have at Forest Prep. Staff regularly praise children with the compliment of ‘you are a true Forester’ but what - [Class of 2017](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/07/14/class-of-2017/) - The time has finally arrived to wish our Year 6 pupils every success in their new schools. They have been a huge part of Forest Prep and we will all miss them. They have a very special bond and have been a joy to teach. Farewell and Good Luck! - [Year 2 Tea Party](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/07/14/year-2-tea-party/) - Year 2 parents and children enjoyed afternoon tea in their classroom hosted by Mrs Allcock and Mrs McClearn. This was a chance for the children to celebrate their succesful year together. Mrs Allcock also presented each pupil with a certificate during a 'Graduation' ceremony. - [Upper School Sports Afternoon](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/07/14/upper-school-sports-afternoon/) - When Sports Day was cancelled due to poor weather, Upper School pupils enjoyed an impromptu sports afternoon hosted by Mr Booth. It was an afternoon of fun which was enjoyed by all children and teachers. - [Eid Celebrations](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/07/11/eid-celebrations/) - On Monday,10th July we celebrated Eid as a school community. The children enjoyed a special Eid assembly, followed by an open afternoon where the children and parents were treated to food, coffee and games in the hall. The PA also supported our Eid celebrations. A special mention must go to all parents and children who - [Year 5 Castle Challenge](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/07/10/year-5-castle-challenge/) - As part of their team building exercises, Year 5 painted their completed castle and presented to Year 1 pupils. The children were thrilled to receive their gift from their reading friends. - [Moving Up Afternoon](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/07/10/moving-up-afternoon/) - The whole school 'Moving Up' afternoon was a huge success. Pupils visited their new classrooms and were introduced to their new teachers in readiness for September. - [Upper School Summer Show](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/07/05/upper-school-summer-show/) - The opening night of the Upper School production of 'Shakespeare Rocks' was a huge success. The entire cast, particularly Year 6, shone on stage. Everyone backstage listened and behaved impeccably, which ensured that the performance ran smoothly. The Summer show is always a hugely rewarding experience for both teachers and pupils. Ms Pierce and Mrs - [Year 5 Castle Challenge](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/06/27/year-5-castle-challenge-2/) - Year 5 pupils participated in a fun, but challenging, team building exercise to assemble a castle for their Year 1 reading friends. The children were given a flat-pack cardboard castle and constructed it using the provided instruction sheet. It was a thoroughly enjoyable task! - [South Trafford Rounders Winners](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/06/27/south-trafford-rounders-winners/) - Congratulations to the Upper School pupils who participated in, and subsequently won, the South Trafford Rounders Final against All Saints Catholic Primary School. They now go on to play in the Greater Manchester Finals. - [Once Upon a Smile Charity](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/06/27/once-upon-a-smile-charity/) - We are delighted to have raised more than £1,000 for a local charity which provides support to families that have suffered the loss of a loved one. Emmerdale actor and co-founder of the ‘Once Upon A Smile’ charity, Danny Miller, and Charity Manager, Daniel Jillings, visited the School last week to collect a cheque for £1,219.40. Around 200 - [Year 3 Egyptian Workshop](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/06/22/year-3-egyptian-workshop/) - Mrs Byrne came to talk to the children about Egypt and the weather there. She also talked to the children afterwards about Ancient Egyptian writing and taught them how to write their name in Hieroglyphics. The children produced a cartouche on papyrus and also created a Father's Day card. - [Royal Cheshire Show](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/06/22/royal-cheshire-show/) - Year 5 spent the day at the Cheshire Show visiting many different stalls and learning about several different things, from Science experiments, to climbing the climbing wall. The rain stayed away for the day, with the children enjoying the fairground and the delights of the food tent. A great day for all, with many happy - [Quentin Blake Study](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/06/15/quentin-blake-study/) - Year 2 have been studying the work of Quentin Blake and have produced some beautiful illustrations. - [Open Afternoon](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/06/26/open-afternoon/) - As the sun shone brightly, Open Afternoon was once again, hugely successful. A range of activities were held across the School including sports demonstrations, Le Café du Foret and wonderful performances from the School Choir. A firm favourite with everyone involved, was the art exhibition in the school hall. - [Forest Snap Election News](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/06/15/forest-snap-election-news/) - Well done to Jax, Livvie and Oscar for all running superb election campaigns and to everyone in Year 3 for organising a smooth and efficient election. Special congratulations to Jax Ho of the ‘More Free Time’ party who led his party to victory. As a result, all the children will have a day with ‘more - [Year 6 Bikeability](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/06/15/year-6-bikeability/) - Congratulations to the members of Year 6 who participated in Bikeability. All pupils passed the course. - [Water Saving Project](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/06/15/water-saving-project/) - Years 4 and 5 pupils at Forest Preparatory School are being tasked to save over 1 million pints of water a year, following recent reports that this winter had been the driest in over 20 years. Read more about the project here: WaterSavingProject - [Pre-Prep Mobile Farm Visit](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/05/25/pre-prep-mobile-farm-visit/) - Pre-Prep, aged between 2-4 years old, had a wonderful experience when Fishers Mobile Farm came to visit. Each child could see and touch all the animals up close, including sheep and lambs, goats and pygmy goats, rabbits, a calf, cockerels and a duck and they found out lots of information too. - [Charity Car Wash](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/05/22/charity-car-wash/) - On Saturday, Year 6 pupils held a charity car wash in school, in aid of the Children’s Heart Foundation, the PA’s chosen charity this year. . - [Year 3 Egyptian Day](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/05/22/year-3-egyptian-day/) - As part of Year 3 Egyptian Day, the children made shabtis and scarab beetles, painted on papyrus, created their own cartouche, decorated gold collars, learned how to belly dance and completed many other activities during their Maths and English lessons. Year 3 pupils also visited Manchester Museum and were given the opportunity to look at - [Year 6 E-Safety Workshop](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/05/22/year-6-e-safety-workshop/) - On Thursday 18th May 2017, Year 6 took part in a workshop about E-Safety. The afternoon was led by two ladies, one of whom used to be a police officer and the other had been a teacher.The session included a question and answer session on some clips that were shown about cyber bullying and the - [Be E-Safety Aware](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/09/11/be-e-safety-aware/) - In computing last week, Years 1-6 revisited topics relating to using the internet safely. All tasks were met with sensible and mature attitudes; the children definitely remember a great deal from last year- which was fantastic to see. In an ever-changing world of technology, it is imperative that children grow up, not only understanding what - [We’re off!](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/09/11/were-off/) - Upper school had their first P.E. lesson back last week after their summer break, and what better way to start than by doing fitness testing. All children were successful in completing a 2km run and abdominal crunches (to burn off all their summer ice-creams). To encourage healthy eating and fitness, children will complete the same - [Forest Christmas Toy Appeal](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/10/12/forest-christmas-toy-appeal/) - On behalf of The Lalley Centre in Manchester, Dee and Chris Drake operate a Christmas toy appeal each year, to provide Christmas toys to children living in poverty. The Appeal has been running since 2013. On Wednesday this week, Dee came into school again to talk to the children about the importance of their role in helping to put - [Reading Friends visit to Timperley Library](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/10/10/reading-friends-visit-to-timperley-library/) - On Monday morning, the Year 5 and Year 1 Reading Friends visited Timperley Library to learn about how the organisation works. The two classes enjoyed sharing books, looking at the setup of a library and understanding how visitors can make the most of their visits. The Year 5 children also learned about the Dewey System - [Spelling Club](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/10/09/spelling-club/) - Spelling Club runs three mornings a week, for 15 minutes, with Mrs McClearn in Lower School and Mrs Mulholland in Upper School . Children who are thought will benefit the most from this intervention are chosen by their class teacher to attend. The children are taught the spellings through spelling strategies and rules using fun - [Year 4 Explore Eyam](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/10/04/year-4-explore-eyam/) - The children have been learning all about the plague in the 17th century and yesterday they were able to see how The Black Death reached a small northern village- Eyam. We took a tour of the church, gathered information at the museum and traced the steps of the villagers to the boundary stone. - [Year 5 Visit- Jodrell Bank](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/09/28/year-5-visit-jodrell-bank/) - As part of their Science topic, Year 5 visited Jodrell Bank in Macclesfield. The children took part in workshops; experienced hands-on, practical exhibitions; and even observed the movements and recordings of the famous Lovell Telescope. Mr Booth and Miss Bardsley were very impressed with the children’s fact finding and super teamwork, especially during the Mars - [The Romans Invade Forest](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/09/28/the-romans-invade-forest/) - Year 3 have recently enjoyed a Roman Experience. During the experience, the children made Roman pots and lamps, painted a Roman soldier and made a Roman scroll. They learned some Latin words and how to write Roman numerals. Mosaic tiles were created using pieces of marble to replicate those found at Pompeii. The children learned about - [Water Polo Wonders](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/09/28/water-polo-wonders/) - Daniel B and Emilia, our swimming captains, are delighted to announce that Forest Prep are- once again- the North West’s Water Polo Champions. They fought off some difficult competition from nine other prep schools, which included a nerve-racking penalty shoot-out in the semi-final! This is a real sporting achievement and huge congratulations go to all - [First Netball Friendly](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/09/24/first-netball-friendly/) - The Year 5 and 6 girls participated in their first netball friendly of the year at Loreto Prep. Their enthusiasm and determination to succeed was commendable and their efforts were rewarded with two wins! Year 5 won 2-0 and Year 6 won 3-1. All the girls represented the school brilliantly and Ms Forster was very - [Reading Friends](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/09/24/reading-friends/) - Building on the success of the Year 6 and Reception buddies, Year 5 and Year 1 have once again joined forces to create a ‘Reading Friend’ system. Both classes meet in the Year 1 classroom every Wednesday morning, where the younger children share their current reading book. Our first session was very successful. Year - [Great Forest Bake Off](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/09/13/great-forest-bake-off/) - 22 lucky Year 5 children turned their classroom into a bakery when they were visited by regional family baker, Roberts Bakery, to learn how to make the perfect loaf of bread. The budding bakers donned their special Roberts Bakery aprons and mop caps and were guided through every stage of the bread making process by - [Year 3 Roman Assembly](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/10/12/year-3-roman-assembly/) - Year 3 have been learning a great deal about the Roman way of life this half term and have been working extremely hard on perfecting their assembly to showcase their learning. They did a superb job of performing it to the rest of the school this week and taught everyone a thing or two about - [Harvest Festival](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/10/05/harvest-festival-2/) - Forest pupils gave an outstanding performance in our Harvest Festival. A special thank you to all the families who have donated such generous parcels to our collection this year. The Salvation Army will distribute the food from their food bank for families referred to them by Social Services and individuals in need. - [Y6 and Reception Buddies](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/09/14/y6-and-reception-buddies/) - Every week, Reception children and their Y6 buddies will get the opportunity to meet. This week was the first Buddy Group and the Reception children shared everything- from what they had been upto over summer, to showing off their incredible work from in class. - [Launch of Video and Coaching Project to Support Teachers’ Professional Development](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/10/12/launch-of-video-and-coaching-project-to-support-teachers-professional-development/) - Here at Forest Prep, we recognise that our staff are fundamental in enabling us to provide an exceptional learning experience for our pupils. One of the benefits of being part of Bellevue Education is the professional development opportunities available to staff. Over the past 12 months, Sam Selby, Education Director at Bellevue Education, has been piloting a project focused - [Music Captain’s Message](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/09/12/music-captains-message/) - The start of a new school year and I am very excited that I will be taking on the role of Music Captain. Music at Forest has had a kick-start this year with Main Choir becoming even bigger, as lots of new people have joined. Along with lots of girls joining, there are also more - [All Smiles for Swimming](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/09/11/all-smiles-for-swimming/) - Year 1 embarked upon their first school swimming trip last week and they were BRILLIANT! Not only did they show fantastic listening when being spoken to by the variety of adults on hand to help, but they were sensible and respectful (especially to members of the public) from beginning to end- true Forest behaviour. Despite only - [Year 5 Present ‘The Man on the Moon!’](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/11/16/year-5-present-the-man-on-the-moon/) - Year 5 performed their assembly to the school on Monday and their parents on Thursday. Based on the theme of Space, the children took their audience back in time to see what life was like for the astronauts who took part in the ‘Great Space Race’ in the 1960s. The cast were animated and fluent - [NSPCC Visit](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/11/10/nspcc-visit/) - This week, we had the pleasure of having representatives from the NSPCC in to school to talk to the children about Speaking Out and Staying Safe. Year 5 and 6 participated in a workshop where they became familiar with the terms ‘abuse’ and ‘neglect’ through engaging activities and a quiz. Children learnt that every childhood - [Forest Prep Speech Competition Final](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/11/10/forest-prep-speech-competition-final/) - We have had some incredibly talented (and not to mention brave) pupils in the speech competition this year- Mr Hyde would like to congratulate everyone who took part. A special congratulations goes to our speech finalist winners for the extremely high standards set and their exceptionally delivered speeches: Minnie, Lucas, Luke and Freya. We all - [Insight into the Bellvue Group](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/11/10/insight-into-the-bellvue-group/) - Forest Prep School is part of Bellevue Education. Each year, an internal magazine is published and shared with staff across the group. The latest Bellevue Connect publication is a celebration of the breadth, depth and diversity of achievement in Bellevue Schools over the course of the last year. As parents with children at Forest Prep School, we thought you might find - [Y2 Trip: Staircase House](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/10/12/y2-trip-staircase-house/) - Linking with their history topic (The Great Fire of London), Year 2 had a great time visiting Staircase House, where they learnt how the house was brought back to life after the fire. All the children enjoyed dressing up as characters, walking from room to room as they re-enacted the story of the Great Fire - [Children in Need Breakfast](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/11/20/children-in-need-breakfast/) - A HUGE thank you to all those who attended the breakfast on Friday and made it a great success, especially to all the kitchen staff and Mrs McClearn for organising the event. With the breakfast, the own clothes donations, the cake sale and all other activities, the children managed to raise a staggering £645.70! Well - [Year 5 and 6 Rugby](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/10/12/year-5-and-6-rugby/) - All boys trained really hard during their rugby practice this week and their efforts shone through during the tournament on Wednesday. Through teamwork and a determination to succeed, the boys enjoyed success throughout the ten games played. A big thank you to Mr Cummings, Mr Needham and Mr Wild, who helped out with the coaching - [Forest Prep Christmas Toy Appeal](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/11/22/forest-prep-christmas-toy-appeal/) - On behalf of The Lalley Centre in Manchester, Dee and Chris Drake operate a Christmas toy appeal each year, to provide Christmas toys to children living in poverty. The Appeal has been running since 2013. This year Forest Prep set a task for our pupils to bring in a new or unused toy to donate to this very worthy - [The Poppy Appeal](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/11/10/the-poppy-appeal/) - This week, children have been learning all about the significance of the poppy and the importance of Remembrance Day. Many have shown their charitable side, by buying a poppy from our Year 6 pupils and all children have impressed with their level of maturity during the minute silence, which was held at 11am. We are - [Success for Budding Artist Eva!](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/01/17/success-for-budding-artist-eva/) - A Year 3 pupil from Forest has been awarded first prize in a national colouring competition for school children. Eva Donohue, aged 7, was selected as the winner from more than 5,000 entrants in a competition organised by STEADTLER for World Colouring Day 2017. As well as STAEDTLER stationery goodies, Eva also won £250 worth - [Traffic Observation - Year 5 Walk to Timperley](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/01/11/traffic-observation-year-5-walk-to-timperley/) - As part of their Geography topic on local traffic, Year 5 carried out several traffic observations in Timperley Village. The children looked at problems and issues that are caused by traffic in our local area and found some interesting results. In the next couple of days, Year 5 will write up a conclusion and evaluation - [Pre-Prep do Yoga!](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/01/10/pre-prep-do-yoga/) - Yoga has proven to benefit young children in a variety of ways. Physcially, it enhances their flexibility, strength, coordination and body awareness. In addition, it improves their concentration and gives them a sense of calmness and relaxation. Pre-Prep have been introduced to yoga this half term by Ms. Forster and are thoroughly enjoying learning the - [New Starters Survey](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/01/08/new-starters-survey/) - A big thank you to all our parents who completed the recent 'New Starters' survey. This involved children in Pre-School, Y1, Y4, Y5 and Y6. We were delighted that 100% of you rated your overall experience as either Excellent or Very Good and the same response was received from parents who felt their child has - [Inter School Speech Competition- The Final](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/12/14/inter-school-speech-competition-the-final/) - Once again, this half-term saw Forest play host to the Bellevue Inter School Speech Final and to welcome contestants and parents from both Forest Park and Brabyns. There were four age categories and the contest was judged by Liz Irons. Minnie, Lukas, Luke and Freya spoke superbly and should be extremely proud of themselves! We - [Bebras International Computing Challenge](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/12/07/bebras-international-computing-challenge/) - The Bebras Computing Challenge introduces computational thinking to students. It is organised in over 40 countries and designed to get students all over the world excited about computing. This year, all the pupils in KS2 at Forest took part; Years 3, 4 and 5 were in the ‘Castors’ 8-10 age group and Year 6 took part in - [Pre-Prep Christmas Extravaganza](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/12/05/pre-prep-christmas-extravaganza/) - Parents, grandparents and carers enjoyed two impressive Christmas performances from the school's youngest children. The two to four year olds in Pre-Prep sang a variety of songs beautifully, delivered lines and played bells to entertain a delighted audience. Very well done to all the children for two confident and enthusiastic performances. - [Christmas Carols in the Grounds](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/12/05/christmas-carols-in-the-grounds/) - After an entralling Saturday Christmas Fair (to which a huge thank you goes to the P.T.A), parents joined their children this week in singing Christmas Carols. Following mince pies and some mulled wine, parents headed over to the marquee in the playground to join in the festivities and truly get into the spirit of Christmas. - [Sensational Swimming Success](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/12/01/sensational-swimming-success/) - Our swimmers took part in the ISA Northern Heats Swimming Gala, in Macclesfield, and we were proud of the effort and determination to succeed all swimmers demonstrated. They were model representatives of the school . The Y5 boys came first in their age group, winning a well-deserved shield. Five of the swimmers have made it - [Cross Country Triumph](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/11/29/cross-country-triumph/) - A huge congratulations to Jessica F. for finishing third overall in this season's Altrincham and District Cross Country League. It is an outstanding achievement that requires great talent, commitment and dedication. Well done. - [Mrs Bold Visits Year 5](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/01/18/mrs-bold-visits-year-5-2/) - Mrs Bold visited Year 5 to demonstrate her collection of musical instruments. The children asked numerous questions about the origins and materials of flutes, clarinets and saxophones. This helped to gather lots of information for their Design and Technology topic.Year 5 would like to thank Mrs Bold for a very informative talk. - [Y6 Gave a Hearty Welcome to Mrs Wood](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/01/11/y6-gave-a-hearty-welcome-to-mrs-wood/) - Year 6 are studying the heart as part of their Science topic on 'Animals, including Humans' and Mrs Wood (Forest parent and doctor) came in to talk to the children about the function of the heart. Head Boy, Elliot, was delighted to welcome his mum into class. It was a fantastic opportunity to learn many - [Battle of Bosworth at Forest Prep](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/01/18/battle-of-bosworth-at-forest-prep/) - To further our understanding of our history topic, Off with their Heads, Year 4 have boarded a time machine and have landed in the middle of the defining battle of the War of the Roses. The children discover how the Battle of Bosworth started the Tudor reign and find out how Richard III's body was - [Forest X-Factor](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/12/15/forest-x-factor/) - This morning, the whole of the school were dazzled by the spectacular performances given in the annual Forest X-Factor. From comedy sketches and singing duos to the magical sound of the hulusi, the children really pulled out all the stops this year! Well done to all those for taking part in showcasing their varied and - [“Lights, Camel, Action!”](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/12/10/lights-camel-action/) - On Thursday evening, Lower School pupils performed their Nativity production "Lights, Camel, Action!' The performance, held at North Cestrian Grammar School, is one of the many highlights of the Forest Purple Calendar. The children gave outstanding performances throughout the evening. A wonderful team effort from all the Lower School staff and a special mention to - [Year 6: A Victorian Christmas Part 2](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/11/27/year-6-a-victorian-christmas-part-2/) - [Year 6: A Victorian Christmas](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/11/27/year-6-a-victorian-christmas/) - On Monday, Year 6 visited Dunham Masssey to enhance and consolidate their learning all about life in the Victorian Era. They were immediately put to work, beating for His Lordship's shooting party and making lavender bags for Lord and Lady Stamford's guests at Christmas. The children learnt what it would be like to be a - [Year 1 Visit Tatton Park](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/11/24/year-1-visit-tatton-park-2/) - On Thursday, Year 1 visited Tatton Park where they learnt all about what life would've been like celebrating Christmas as a 6 year old in the post-war era. They gathered around the fire for a Christmas story, got to meet some of the farm's residents and even got a special visit from Santa! The mansion - [Recent Advances at Forest Prep](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/01/18/recent-advances-at-forest-prep/) - We are always looking for new developments that will improve the teaching and learning at Forest, as well as the overall school experience for the children and their families. At present we are using new technology within the classrooms for lesson observations and staff coaching and also invested in an online pupil survey system, which - [The Importance of Speech](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2017/12/14/the-importance-of-speech/) - Throughout a child's education, there is a strong emphasis on enabling children to use language to work together effectively. Cooperative learning has been widely credited for having positive impacts on every child's education, whatever their 'ability'. You can read more on this by clicking here. One reason for these developments is that recent research has - [Swimming Champions!](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/03/01/swimming-champions/) - Trafford Schools Sports Partnership held their Swimming Gala Final at Sale Leisure Centre recently. A total of 24 teams from 17 schools across Trafford qualified to reach the finals, all hoping to hold the winner’s trophy and go on to represent Trafford, in the Greater Manchester Winter Games in March. Having qualified in earlier heats, - [Chinese New Year](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/02/22/chinese-new-year/) - Across the school, children have been learning about the traditions associated with Chinese New Year. Earlier in the week, Reception were lucky to have a parent come in and give the children a taster (literally!) of some Chinese culture, by making traditional Chinese food. In their comprehension lesson, Year 1 have been busy following instructions - [Cross Country Championship Qualifiers](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/02/09/cross-country-championship-qualifiers/) - Wednesday 6th February saw Forest Prep School take 25 pupils to Beech House School, in Rochdale, to compete in the ISA Regional Cross Country Championships. Despite the perishing cold weather and the boggy course, our pupils ran a tremendous race. Over 600 pupils took part in the U9, U10’s and U11 qualifying races and the - [Budding Brahms at Bowdon Music Festival](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/02/07/budding-brahms-at-bowdon-music-festival/) - Last weekend, it was Bowdon Music Festival and many of our pupils took part. Ms. Wellings was extremely proud of all the entries, which ranged from Asher in Kindergarten to Marcus on Year 6. Our Grade 1 pianists (Grace, Isobel, Livia, Jax and Zane) played beautifully and all scored very highly. In addition, our grade - [NSPCC Charity Fundraiser](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/02/01/nspcc-charity-fundraiser/) - Since Karen's last visit in November, Forest have been working hard to raise as much money as possible to support the 'Speak Out, Stay Safe' programme, run by the NSPCC. Children have enjoyed participating in their individual class Fun Runs over the past couple of weeks and have done tremendously well in raising a staggering - [Australia Day in Reception](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/01/31/australia-day-in-reception/) - It's always such a delight to be able to introduce the children to other cultures and traditions. Last week, the children of Reception had a fantastic session with Amelia's mum and dad, revolving around Australia Day. They learnt about Australian animals, listened to stories and tasted Anzac biscuits, Lammingtons and Vegemite sandwiches. Thank you to - [Spelling Bee Final](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/02/22/spelling-bee-final/) - To round off a week of spelling challenges throughout the school, class heat-winners took part in the final today: we could not BEE prouder of them all! Kindergarten and Reception celebrated their winners; Asher and Alex, respectively. Year 1 and 2 were the first to compete against each other, and after a tense final (which - [National ISA Swimming Championships 2018](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/01/25/national-isa-swimming-championships-2018/) - On Sunday 21st January 2018, the London Aquatics Centre, in Stratford, provided the breath-taking venue for this year's National ISA Swimming Championships. Swimmers from the seven counties competed to become champions, not only of their own individual races but also to be crowned champions of England. Seven regions had held their respective area events and from them, - [Trafford Athletics Competition](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/01/23/trafford-athletics-competition/) - Last Thursday, pupils from Years 5 and 6 were invited to participate in the Trafford Sportshall Primary Competition- held annually at Altrincham Grammar for Boys. The exciting format provided the children with a fun-filled, competitive athletic experience. Many primary schools attended and competed against each other in a memorable and eventful day enjoyed by all. - [Cross-Curricular Learning at Forest](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/02/07/cross-curricular-learning-at-forest/) - We apply diverse knolwedge and skills to problems in our lives on a daily basis, so it is not much of a surprise that research on cross-curriuclar learning in schools has been found to have plentiful benefits to children. At Forest, teachers are constantly thinking of ways to teach in a cross-curricular manner. The approach - [A Taste of France at Forest](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/01/23/a-taste-of-france-at-forest/) - Once again, Madame Cotton's annual French breakfast was a huge success and proved to be popular than ever! The children were able to choose from many things, including fresh baguettes with butter and jam and hot croissants. The pain au chocolat was a firm favourite and the children were able to dip it into their - [Musical Instruments from Around the World](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/01/23/musical-instruments-from-around-the-world/) - Year 5 enjoyed a music workshop given by Mr Cotton. Mr Cotton demonstrated the different sounds made by stringed instruments from around the world. Year 5 were engrossed in learning about each instrument’s history and origins, and the questions they asked were extremely impressive. The children were able to try the instruments for themselves and - [Grandparents’ Afternoon in Pre-Prep](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/02/20/grandparents-afternoon-in-pre-prep/) - After inviting their grandparents to school for the afternoon, Pre-Prep children were delighted to see so many familiar faces show up! The Pre-Prep Grandparents Afternoon is always a very popular event and this year was no exception. All the children very much enjoyed showing their visitors around their classrooms and sharing their learning with them- - [Being Kind Online (Safer Internet Week)](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/02/08/being-kind-online-safer-internet-week/) - The UK Safer Internet Centre are a partnership of three leading organisations: Childnet International, Internet Watch Foundation and SWGfL, with one mission - to promote the safe and responsible use of technology for young people. Each year, they organise a Safer Internet Day, which aims to provide awareness, advice and support to children, young people, parents, carers and schools about - [Year 1’s Arctic Assembly](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/02/08/year-1s-arctic-assembly/) - This week, Eddie and the Penguins set out on their journey across the globe to teach children and parents all about climate change. The Year 1 assembly, to both the whole school and to their parents, showcased their learning about the negative effects of climate change and highlighted the small changes we can all make - [A Fond Farewell to a Forest Friend](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/02/02/a-fond-farewell-to-a-forest-friend/) - The Forest community is made up of several important parts, which create that unique whole school community. This week, we say goodbye to one important member of staff who has brought fun, support and immense loyalty to the staff team and to the Forest way of life, Mr McNally. Mr McNally, our ever-chirpy caretaker, has - [Y6 Learn Life Skills at Crucial Crew](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/01/30/y6-learn-life-skills-at-crucial-crew/) - Crucial Crew is a multi-agency safety event, aimed at 10 to 11-year-olds. It is designed to provide children with vital life skills and safety advice. A variety of organisations put on workshops, using scenarios to bring to life different situations.Whilst some workshops explored advice related to antisocial behaviours, others focussed on safety around alcohol, drugs - [Dedicated Staff at Forest Prep](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/02/22/dedicated-staff-at-forest-prep/) - I am constantly reminded through the course of the school year as to how lucky we are with the amazing staff we have at Forest Prep. Not only are they talented and committed within the classroom, but I am constantly impressed with the initiatives that they devise and develop. Just this week, for example, staff - [A Raving Review and Success All Round](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/02/02/a-raving-review-and-success-all-round/) - Last week, Bellevue completed its Annual Review of our school. This involved Head's and colleagues from other school's within the group carrying out lesson observations and pupil tracking alongside staff, pupil and parental interviews. We were delighted with the feedback on all aspects of the school and will notify you of the main findings over the - [Reuben’s Retreat Visit](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/03/27/reubens-retreat-visit/) - Year 6 pupils recently had the pleasure of visiting a charity with which we have helped raise money for this year - Reuben's Retreat. Based in the North West, Reuben's Retreat aims to support children who have a life limiting and/or life threatening illness and their immediate family – parents and siblings. The staff and - [Maths Masterclass](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/03/27/maths-masterclass/) - A group of Year 6 pupils from Forest were recently selected to participate in a Maths Collaborative Learning Day to enhance their experience of the Maths curriculum. The day was organised by Bellevue's Education Director Sam Selby as part of the Group's commitment to offering unique learning experiences to pupils across the group, and follows a similar event held - [Debate Club](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/03/26/debate-club/) - Here at Forest, we offer a wide variety of extra-curricular clubs- aiming to cater for all interests across the school. Debate Club has seen a plethora of children, from all age groups, meet to discuss their opinions and views on various different topics. Jessica and Ellie (Year 6): 'Debate Club is extremely good for socialising - [Product Design Visitor](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/03/16/product-design-visitor/) - Year 6 parent, Mrs Wilkins, was invited into school to talk about a design brief as part of the Year 6 topic on product design. The children were split into four teams and were each given a design brief to work on. Head Girl, Ellie, helped her mum to create each design brief, which was - [Learning through Drama- Y2 Assembly](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/03/16/learning-through-drama-y2-assembly/) - Year 2 gave a super assembly about ‘The Great Fire of London’ on Thursday 15th March. The children sang beautifully and showed everyone their confidence and enthusiasm. They showcased their learning of the story through songs, drama and dance. Well done Year 2! - [‘Rewind 2 Easter’](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/03/14/rewind-2-easter/) - On Tuesday, Year 5 spent an enjoyable and informative morning at Altrincham Baptist Church. During their visit, they learned about Easter traditions and took part in several activities. They enjoyed planting seeds and decorated their pots, answering questions in a multimedia quiz and many more tasks. Year 5 would like to thank all the volunteers - [Bellevue Learning Review](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/03/05/bellevue-learning-review/) - I recently had the pleasure of leading a Learning Review team at Forest Prep. The Learning Review is a peer-to-peer process, which allows Heads and other school leaders and teachers in the Bellevue Group to work closely in one of our sister schools each year on a focus of their choice, around teaching and learning. - [Water Polo Double!](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/03/02/water-polo-double/) - This week, we were delighted to have completed a historic water polo double at Middleton Arena! Prior to Christmas, our Y6 children became the North West Champions and now we have another trophy to add to our cabinet, as our Y4 team have completed the same feat. Their skill, stamina and team spirit were hugely - [Reu the Rainbow Gnu](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/03/01/reu-the-rainbow-gnu/) - Last Wednesday, children from Reception up to Year Five enjoyed a visit from Reuben’s Retreat. Children's author - Victoria Trundle - came into school to read her book, ‘Reu the Rainbow Gnu’, to the children as part of our World Book Week Celebrations. The children were especially excited to see Reu the Gnu himself, who came - [Masters of Music](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/03/22/masters-of-music/) - It has been an exceptionally busy half term for our music teacher, Ms. Wellings, as she has put a tremendous amount of time and effort into preparing the children for the plethora of music performances we have had. The Greenhouse Choir were successful in winning a shield at the Heaton Mersey Festival. The children sang - [Science Week](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/03/16/science-week/) - This week, the children have been looking at famous scientists as part of a whole school topic on Exploration and Discovery, in recognition of British Science Week 2018. From Mrs Eyley sharing her collection of precious fossils and knowledge of Mary Anning with Reception, to Mrs Knowles paying tribute to Professor Stephen Hawkings during her - [Reception’s Special Visitors](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/03/08/receptions-special-visitors/) - On Wednesday afternoon, Reception were delighted to welcome their Mummies into the classroom. The children presented their writing to their special visitors and recited a poem beautifully. Mrs Thomson and Mrs Howland were extremely proud of the class's clear speaking voices and confidence. The class made cakes earlier in the week and enjoyed tucking into - [Nursery’s Finger Gym](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/03/07/nurserys-finger-gym/) - In ICT this half term, Nursery are focusing on improving their fine motor skills and dexterity. Today in our 'Finger Gym' session, Nursery completed a variety of different movements with their hands and then had a go at strengthening their muscles by squeezing the ball as hard as possible. - [Year 5 Open Classroom](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/03/07/year-5-open-classroom/) - Last week, Year 5 parents had the opportunity to come in and have a look at all the wonderful learning their children had been doing. The children loved sharing their books (and immaculately tidied desks!) with their parents. - [Macclesfield Museum Pt.2](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/03/23/macclesfield-museum-pt-2/) - [Macclesfield Museum Pt.1](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/03/23/macclesfield-museum-pt-1/) - Yesterday, Year 1 went back in time, 150 years ago, to the Victorian era. They spent the day in the shoes (some- literally) of a Victorian child: experiencing a lesson with Ma'am, finding out the evening routines in a worker's cottage and discovering Victorian artefacts. The children had a fantastic time enhancing their learning. - [Year 2 Residential](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/03/16/year-2-residential/) - On the 8th and 9th of March, Year 2 went to the Burwardsley Centre. They stopped off at the Ice Cream Farm on the way and enjoyed a fun play and delicious ice cream. Over the two days, they took part in a range of activities including den building, willow weaving and an archaeological dig - [World Book Day 2018](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/03/01/world-book-day-2018/) - World Book Day gives us the opportunity to celebrate authors, illustrators, books and (most importantly) reading. In fact, it's the biggest celebration of its kind, designated by UNESCO as a worldwide celebration of books and reading, and marked in over 100 countries all over the world. All year groups at Forest have had a busy - [Looking Forward](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/03/23/looking-forward/) - As we head towards the end of another successful term, I would like to highlight some of the main events to look forward to, following the holiday break. At the end of April, we take Y5 and Y6 on a week-long residential to Shropshire- where they will enjoy a range of activities including canoeing, archery, - [Proud of our Year Six](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/03/09/proud-of-our-year-six/) - Last week saw the confirmation of places for our Year Six children and their future schools. As ever, we have been delighted with their performance -with over 80% passing the entrance examination for a grammar school. At this moment in time, future destinations include Altrincham Grammar School for Boys, Altrincham Grammar School for Girls, Cheadle Hulme - [Year 1’s African Adventure](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/05/21/year-1s-african-adventure/) - This half term, Year 1 have enjoyed finding out about Africa. Through texts such as 'Masai and I' and 'Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Plain' they have learnt about the Masai tribe and African folk lore. We have made African sunsets, masks and jewellery and looked at colours and patterns associated with the culture. We - [Year 3 Go Back in Time…](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/05/20/year-3-go-back-in-time/) - Earlier in the week, Year 3 were transported back in time to the Ancient Egyptian era, at Macclesfield Museum. Marianne Brocklehurst lived in Macclesfield, but she travelled all over the world, including several trips to Egypt. In their new exhibition and workshop for schools, Year 3 had the opportunity to get close to the many - [Forest Sports Day](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/05/20/forest-sports-day/) - On Tuesday the 15th of May, our annual Sports Day took place at Timperley Athletics Track, with EYFS and KS1 events in the morning and KS2 in the afternoon. The sun shone brightly as the children gathered for an eagerly awaited day of sporting activities. Children were in high spirits to start the carousel of - [Fire Crew Visit Pre-Prep](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/05/09/fire-crew-visit-pre-prep/) - As part of their current 'People Who Help Us' topic, Pre-Prep had a visit from a fire crew and their fire engine. They learned about the basic work of the fire service, looked at and handled items of equipment and sat in the fire engine itself, where they learnt lots more interesting facts. As an - [Year 2 Multi-Skills Event](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/05/09/year-2-multi-skills-event/) - Last week, Year 2 went to Altrincham Leisure Centre to compete in a multi-skills PE event with other local schools. They worked their way around the Sports Hall, completing activities such as archery and parachute games, with the guidance of some Year 10 girls from Altrincham Girls Grammar School. It was a really fun afternoon - [Shropshire Activity Week](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/05/08/shropshire-activity-week/) - Forest continues to expand on a wealth of activities which are diverse and exciting in their appeal. We strive to provide a platform in which our children can enjoy new interests and pursue existing talents. One of the highlights of the Forest calendar, is when our eldest children, in Year 5 and 6, have the - [A Busy Term for Music](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/04/25/a-busy-term-for-music/) - Another term ended at Forest Prep, signalling the start of a much needed break, but this term will be no easy jog to the finish. The summer production of 'The Rocky Monster Show' will take place, with Year 6 having found out their parts just before the holidays. Music last term at Forest came in - [Reception Independence](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/04/19/reception-independence/) - As we are in the last term, the end of the academic year is in sight and therefore teachers begin preparing their classes for the impending transition. Each year group here at Forest is unique, with varying expectations. It is for this reason that teachers being the process of transition at this stage in the - [Butterfly Season](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/04/19/butterfly-season/) - Here at Forest, we aim to encourage the process of 'active learning' as much as possible, providing children with the opportunities to learn through doing. As an end to their previous topic on 'Lifecycles', Year 5 couldn't have chosen a more fitting day to release their butterflies. The butterflies were reared by Y5 and they - [Bellevue Science Day](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/05/20/bellevue-science-day/) - Last week, a select few Year 6 Foresters were whisked away to Edenhurst School to join children from other Bellevue North Schools for a day of science. The day was based on 'Innovative Alien Road Building.' Children had fun collaboratively investigating the stopping distance of a car using different materials and working out potential gravitational - [Mr Hyde Turns 50!](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/05/20/mr-hyde-turns-50/) - Last Wednesday, the whole school surprised Mr Hyde with an 80's inspired day for his 50th birthday! Children and teachers were dressed the part for a day filled with exciting activities. Throughout the day, the children worked on different learning activities based on the 1980's, including looking at fashion, what was in the news, how - [Shropshire ‘18 Pt.3](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/04/30/shropshire-18-pt-3/) - [Shropshire ‘18 Pt.2](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/04/30/shropshire-18-pt-2/) - [Shropshire ‘18 Pt.1](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/04/30/shropshire-18-pt-1/) - [Pre-Prep Easter Bonnet Parade](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/03/29/pre-prep-easter-bonnet-parade-2/) - This morning, Pre-prep parents and the rest of the school gathered in the school grounds to witness the wonderful Easter bonnets: modelled by Pre-prep. The bonnets were exceptional this year, with some extremely creative designs! - [PA Easter Egg Hunt](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/03/29/pa-easter-egg-hunt/) - Yesterday afternoon, the children were lucky enough to be visited by the Easter Bunny and helpers. Excited and eager to find their very own bag of Easter treats, the children set off around the grounds of the school. Even Pre-prep enjoyed meeting the Easter Bunny and searching for their goodies! A huge thank you to - [Flower Service 2018](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/03/28/flower-service-2018/) - This morning saw the Lower School (including Nursery, Kindergarten, Reception, Year 1 and Year 2), the Year 3 members of the Greenhouse Choir and all of Year 5 partake in our annual Flower Service, at the Citadel. Parents heard class poems, songs, percussion and wind instrumentals from the, ever confident, children. In addition, we had - [Independent School’s Inspectorate](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/05/10/independent-schools-inspectorate/) - Last week, the school was visited by four headteachers from around the country, who made up the Independent School's Inspectorate's team. They were judging the School in terms of its regulatory compliance and the quality of the education it delivers. This covers everything from our policies, safeguarding and health and safety protocols, through to the - [Final Forest Few Months](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/04/19/final-forest-few-months/) - Welcome back to school and the start of the summer term. It has been lovely to see the children back in school and we have seen an upturn in the weather too! This is always a busy term for all of the children, especially for our Year 6 children, many of whom have been at the school since - [Bellevue Computing Day](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/06/25/bellevue-computing-day/) - Last Tuesday, Bellevue hosted a Computing Enrichment Day for selected pupils from various schools in the Bellevue group. The pupils from Forest took part in a variety of tasks throughout the day and worked in a cooperative manner with the other children from Forest Park and Edenhurst Prep. The children were split into groups of - [Supporting Our Staff](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/06/25/supporting-our-staff/) - Recently, Forest Prep hosted a Bellevue course for Teaching Assistants. Led by Deputy Head, Mr Booth, it was an opportunity to share ideas and experiences. Teaching Assistants from the North Schools also developed an awareness of supporting those with particular needs, such as dyslexia and dyscalculia, from Forest’s Learning Support Assistant, Mrs Mulholland. The team - [Trafford South Rounders Champions](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/06/25/trafford-south-rounders-champions/) - Last week, our Y5/6 rounder team took part in a competition against other Trafford schools. A huge congratulations to our Upper School Rounders Team for becoming Trafford South Champions for the second year running! The team will go on to represent Trafford at the Greater Manchester School Games later in the term. - [Mrs Thompson’s Mindfulness](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/06/19/mrs-thompsons-mindfulness/) - Living in a society where there are never enough hours in the day to get everything done, it can be easy to rush through life without stopping to notice much. Paying more attention to the present moment – to your own thoughts and feelings, and to the world around you – can improve your mental wellbeing. - [It’s Official… We are EXCELLENT!](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/06/06/its-official-we-are-excellent/) - Forest has been rated excellent in all areas, the best grade possible, after a recent inspection by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI). We received a glowing report from inspectors, who stated that “the quality of pupils’ academic and other achievements is excellent” and “the quality of the pupils’ personal development is excellent” having undergone an - [Reception Musical ‘Billy No Buzz!’](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/05/24/reception-musical-billy-no-buzz/) - Reception enjoyed performing their musical assembly, entitled 'Billy no Buzz', to the whole school and their parents. The children were natural performers, delivering the lines in lovely clear voices and singing the many songs with great gusto. The story linked to the children's Personal, Social and Development lessons, promoting the values of tolerance, kindness and - [Les Glaces pour Les Enfants](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/06/25/les-glaces-pour-les-enfants/) - As part of their French topic, Madame Cotton took Year 2 outside to enjoy the sunshine and some ice creams! In French, the children are able to order ice creams of various flavours and can state their preferences. - [Real Life Problem Solving in Y6](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/06/25/real-life-problem-solving-in-y6/) - Year 6 were fortunate to have Mrs Needham and a colleauge of hers from Lloyds Bank, in class last week, running a pilot workshop on finances, as part of mathematics. This session was based around a scenario of a family wishing to save for a holiday in Australia. Children explored simple financial documents (bank statement, - [Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/05/24/chirpy-chirpy-cheep-cheep/) - In the spirit of spring, Forest Prep have taken to hatching and rearing their very own chicks this year. With science links to 'Lifecycles' and understanding basic requirements needed for growth and living, the whole school has been helping out with operation 'Egg Watch' to see our chicks hatch. So far, we have 9 new - [Bellevue Computing Enrichment Day](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/06/25/bellevue-computing-enrichment-day/) - Last Tuesday, Bellevue hosted a Computing Enrichment Day for selected pupils from various schools in the Bellevue group. - [The Cheshire Show](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/06/25/the-cheshire-show/) - Last week, Year 5 spent the day at the Royal Cheshire Show, visiting many different stalls and learning about several different things. They looked around the rare breed animals and conservation trusts, community police, fire and rescue and many other informative stands. The rain stayed off for the day, with the children enjoying the traditional - [Little Monkeys visit the Zoo](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/05/24/little-monkeys-visit-the-zoo/) - Reception and Year 6 enjoyed a wonderful day on our annual 'Buddy Trip' to Chester Zoo. The children enthusiastically observed a wide range of animals : from Meerkats to Elephants. There were many baby animals which were wonderful to see. All children behaved impeccaply and were a delight to take out on the trip. - [An ‘Excellent’ End of Term](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/05/24/an-excellent-end-of-term/) - At the start of the month, the school was involved in its most recent Inspection process and we were delighted to be able to send the final report to parents this week. The report, in its entirety, can be found on our Inspection Report webpage and there you will see that we achieved 'Excellent' in all - [National Young Writers Awards](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/07/11/national-young-writers-awards/) - Congratulations to our very talented Year 3 writer, Sophie, who attended the National Young Writers Awards in London a couple of weeks ago. With her ever-engaging pieces of writing, JK Rowling with no doubt have competition in years to come! - [Trafford School Sports Partnership](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/07/11/trafford-school-sports-partnership/) - An amazing effort from all the children who represented Trafford SSP at the Greater Manchester School Games. We won 2 and lost 2, overall having a great day! Thank you to Trafford SSP for fantastic organisation and umpiring by the young leaders. - [Mr Hyde’s Replacement!](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/07/11/mr-hydes-replacement/) - Last week, Louis (Year 3) joined Mr Hyde in becoming Headteacher for the day. During a PA Ball Fundraiser, this was successfully bid for by his parents. Louis kicked off the morning by doing a little quiz on teachers knowledge of kids culture, with Mr Francis coming out on top! - [The Rocky Monster Show pt.2](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/07/11/the-rocky-monster-show-pt-2/) - For the full programme, please click here - [The Rocky Monster Show](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/07/11/the-rocky-monster-show/) - It was a joy to see the enthusiasm and sense of achievement that the pupils showed during their rehearsals for ‘The Rocky Monster Show’. The children from all year groups were amazing, notably our fabulous Year Six in their starring roles, in what was their final Forest performance. Once again, Upper School staff were instrumental - [Astounding Academic Achievements](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/06/26/astounding-academic-achievements/) - This week, all parents have received progress reports for their children and have had the opportunity for final discussions with class teachers before the end of the year. Children from Year 1 to Year 6 had their English and Maths assessment papers marked externally by GL Assessment and it was so pleasing to note that - [Forester James is Flying High!](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/10/04/forester-james-is-flying-high/) - James Mulholland started in Forest Nursery when he was just three years old. James was always fascinated by planes and even wrote in his Year 6 Leavers Book that one day he would like to become a pilot. Well, this summer, James took his first step towards achieving that dream when he became the UK’s youngest - [The Great Reception Bake Off](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/10/04/the-great-reception-bake-off/) - The Reception children enjoy working collaboratively with natural materials in their mud kitchen. The kitchen provides an environment that allows for communication, creativity, and imagination to be used, in an open-ended way. Children can use their observations and experience of cooking and baking to produce amazing earthy Michelin Starred recipes of their own. There - [Staircase House Trip](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/10/04/staircase-house-trip/) - Linking with their history topic (The Great Fire of London), last week Year 2 had a great time visiting Staircase House, where they learnt how the house was brought back to life after the fire. All the children enjoyed dressing up as characters, walking from room to room as they re-enacted the story of the - [Sporting Achievements](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/10/03/sporting-achievements/) - The variety of sporting activities offered at Forest is something which we are not only renowned for but extremely proud of. Thanks to the dedication of Ms. Forster, Mr. Francis and the support of all staff members, we are able to offer external sporting opportunities for our children. This academic year has gotten off to - [Preparing for Young Voices 2018](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/10/03/preparing-for-young-voices-2018/) - Year 5 & 6 are looking forward to singing at the Manchester Arena after Christmas, as part of the Young Voices choir. Always a stellar event, this year's songs include 'Any Dream Will Do', 'We are the World' and a medley from 'The Greatest Showman'. Pictured are Year 5 & 6 pupils already getting stuck into - [Pre-Prep’s First Fortnight](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/09/20/pre-preps-first-fortnight/) - Pre-Prep have had a brilliant first fortnight, making friends, exploring, and settling into life at Forest beautifully. Watch our short video to see what Pre-Prep have been up to over the past few weeks! - [Reception Share All](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/09/20/reception-share-all/) - Throughout a child's education, there is a strong emphasis on enabling children to use language to work together effectively. Cooperative learning has been widely credited for having positive impacts on every child's education, whatever their 'ability'. You can read more on this by clicking here. With this in mind, over these initial few weeks, Reception - [Meet Our New Year 6 Leaders](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/09/20/meet-our-new-year-6-leaders/) - A new academic year means we, once again, welcome our new Year 6 role models. This year, we have Ruby and Rio as Head Girl and Head Boy, respectively. Their roles include being the faces which lead all Forest events and represent the school in the weekly Celebration Assembly. Our Deputy Head Girl and Boy - [E-Safety Workshop for Year 6](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/09/20/e-safety-workshop-for-year-6/) - This week, Year 6 were learning about E-Safety, with the E-Safety team (Nicola and Jan from Safer Children, Trafford). One of the challenges of growing up in the modern day is understanding how social media can help, but also hinder, our quality of life and how to use it effectively, whilst being safe online. Year - [Speech Night Celebrations 2018](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/07/12/speech-night-celebrations-2018/) - Last night was Forest's annual Speech Night - an opportunity to celebrate the many achievements of the year and a formal farewell to our Year 6 children. In addition to the individual year group awards, Year 5 pupils were allocated their roles for their impending final year at Forest. - [Former Head Girl Steals the Limelight](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/07/11/former-head-girl-steals-the-limelight/) - A huge congratulations for former Forest Head Girl, CM, on her performances as Christine in The Phantom of the Opera at Withington. Reviews of the production have been extremely positive, well done to all involved. - [Year 5 Reach for the Stars](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/10/31/year-5-reach-for-the-stars/) - As part of their Science topic Year 5 visited Jodrell Bank in Macclesfield. The children took part in workshops, experienced hands on practical exhibitions; an even observed the movements and recordings of the infamous Lovell Telescope. Mr Booth and Mrs Johal were very impressed with the children’s fact finding and super teamwork, especially during the - [Reception Take Off!](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/10/31/reception-take-off-2/) - Last half term, Reception enjoyed a wonderful, informative trip to Manchester Airport. The children were all delighted to see the flight deck, sit in the pilot's seat and learn about Concorde. Mrs Thomson and Mr Hyde were extremely pleased with the children's enthusiasm and wonderful behaviour. - [Sporting Splendours](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/10/04/sporting-splendours/) - [Happy Harvest](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/10/04/happy-harvest/) - This morning, the whole school participated in our annual Harvest Service. All children performed songs and poetry to the rest of the school, with all children participating beautifully. Many thanks to all our families for donating so many items. These will be sent to the Salvation Army UK, based in Sale. - [Year 4’s Eyam Excursion](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/10/04/year-4s-eyam-excursion/) - The children have been learning all about the plague in the 17th century and yesterday they were able to see how The Black Death reached a small northern village- Eyam. We took a tour of the church, gathered information at the museum and traced the steps of the villagers to the boundary stone. - [Transported Back in Time](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/10/04/transported-back-in-time/) - As part of our studies of the Romans, Year 3 took part in a workshop. They made clay pots, oil lamps, mosaic tiles and wax tablets. They wrote an account of the legend of Romulus and Remus, learning some Latin words along the way! Using their wax tablets, the children also practised writing a letter - [Work Hard, Play Hard!](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/09/20/work-hard-play-hard/) - It is no secret that the Year 5 motto of ‘Work Hard, Play Hard’ is taken very literally and this year’s class have gotten off to an incredibly commendable start. The sheer determination to succeed in every aspect of their work is evident to Mr Booth and Mrs Johal, who are both very proud of - [Reading Friends Success](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/09/20/reading-friends-success/) - Year 5 and Year 1 pupils joined forces once again to engage in their very first ‘Ready Friends’ system. They enjoyed their shared reading time together. Both classes meet in the Year 1 classroom every week, where the younger children share their current reading book. Our first session was very successful. Mr Booth and Mrs - [Archaeology in Year 3](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/09/20/archaeology-in-year-3/) - Year 3 have been busy learning about the work of an archaeologist as part of their Romans topic. They created cuneiform tablets, found out about earthworks and analysed evidence found in a grave! This week, the school was transformed back into ancient times: seeing the children being taught how to write using the Cuneiform alphabet. - [Reading Friends Picnic](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/07/12/reading-friends-picnic/) - As a treat for the end of the academic year, and to celebrate another successful year of 'Reading Friends', Year 5 lead the Year 1s down to Pickering Lodge Park for a well-deserved picnic. The children enjoyed collecting conquers, playing games with each other and even had time for some cake and biscuits! Well done - [High Praise For All](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/10/05/high-praise-for-all/) - I would like to start by praising our Year 6 children for all their hard work throughout the examination period, at the start of this academic year. They are a cohort who are receiving great praise from staff throughout the school for their attitude, behaviour and how they are conducting themselves as excellent role models - [A Warm Welcome Back](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/09/21/a-warm-welcome-back-3/) - Welcome to the first edition of the e-magazine for the new academic year! It has been a genuine pleasure to see how seamlessly all the children have returned to Forest and their new classes; this extends from our new two-year old starters in Nursery through to our Year 6, who have already completed several grammar - [A Forest Farewell](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/07/12/a-forest-farewell/) - As summer arrives, I would like to think that Forest has enjoyed another successful year. Thank you to the children, staff and parents for all they have done - everything from excellent Inspection Reports, to fantastic assessment scores, from festive Christmas Nativity plays and Carol Services, to sensational Summer Shows, from outstanding sports results, to - [Swimming Champs - AGAIN!](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/11/29/swimming-champs-again/) - Two reports on the swimming success from our captains: On Wednesday 21st November, an excited team of swimmers from Forest set off for the Beech House ISA Schools Gala. At 9:30 am, we set off on the coach in our smart Forest PE kit. Mr. Hyde told us all which events we were swimming in. - [Year 5 Lessons in Bread Making](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/11/29/year-5-lessons-in-bread-making/) - Year 5 recently turned their classroom into a bakery when they were visited by a regional family baker - Roberts Bakery - to learn how to make the perfect loaf of bread. The budding bakers donned their special Roberts Bakery aprons and mop caps and were guided through every stage of the bread making process - [Charity Santa Dash](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/11/29/charity-santa-dash/) - Congratulations to one of our Year 6 pupils, WN, who took part in a charity Santa dash last weekend, to raise money for CAFT (Children's Adventure Farm Trust). They cycled 13 miles and half way round they got dressed up into Santa suits and cycled back to Altrincham Football Club. A sterling effort, for a - [A Familiar Face](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/11/29/a-familiar-face/) - We always love welcoming old Foresters back to school, whether they are picking younger siblings up, coming in for work experience or just popping in to say hi. This week, we were lucky to have an ex-pupil, Lydia, spending time with our Reception children. Lydia was helping the children exercise their fine motor skills by - [Maths - Because Challenge Matters!](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/11/15/maths-because-challenge-matters/) - Challenge does not simply mean "making things more difficult". It's a demand that comes at the point where the learner is capable of taking the next steps forward – and here at Forest, teachers work hard at helping the learner meet that demand, rather than ignore it. This week, children across the school have been - [Year 5 Assembly: ‘It’s All Greek To Me!’](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/11/15/year-5-assembly-its-all-greek-to-me/) - On Monday, Year 5 performed their assembly to the school. Based on the Ancient Greeks, the children took their audience back in time to see what life was like for children in the ancient times. The cast were animated and fluent, with excellent singing and traditional Greek dancing. Even George the tortoise made a cameo - [World Kindness Day](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/11/15/world-kindness-day/) - World Kindness Day is celebrated annually on 13th November. This year, Forest children attempted to make the world a better place by celebrating and promoting good deeds and pledging acts of kindness. World Kindness Day was first launched in 1998 by The World Kindness Movement, an organisation formed at a 1997 Tokyo conference of like-minded - [New Foresters](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/11/15/new-foresters/) - Since half term, there have been two very special new foresters, which you may or may not have noticed, living on the school grounds. Here at Forest, we encourage children to be kind and considerate to others and also to the world they live in. With this in mind, we have welcomed two chickens into - [Quality Buddy Time](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/10/31/quality-buddy-time/) - At Forest, we are very proud of our friendly, safe and nurturing environment, and our buddy system plays an important role in this. Every week, Reception children and their Year 6 buddies get the opportunity to meet for a catch-up. Children share everything - from what they have been up to outside of school to showing their buddy - [Christmas Toy Appeal](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/10/31/christmas-toy-appeal/) - Our PSHE curriculum encourages pupils to think about those less fortunate than themselves. As part of our ongoing charitable work, Forest has once again set a task for our pupils to bring in a new or unused toy to donate to the Christmas Toy Appeal. The appeal, which has been running since 2013, is run by Dee - [The Tiger (and Year 5’s) Came to Tea](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/10/31/the-tiger-and-year-5s-came-to-tea/) - Year 1 have been reading ‘The Tiger Who Came to Tea’ by Judith Kerr, and as a culmination, they invited their Year 5 Reading Friends to their very own special tea party to celebrate their blossoming reading friendships. The children gathered in Year 1's classroom and were treated to jam sandwiches and cakes. Year 1 pupils - [Effective Learning at Forest](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/10/31/effective-learning-at-forest/) - Here at Forest, teachers believe every student is capable of achieving success at school and they do all they can to find ways of making each student successful. Effective teachers strive to motivate and engage all their students in learning rather than simply accepting that some students cannot be engaged and are destined to do - [Christmas Countdown Commences](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/11/29/christmas-countdown-commences/) - Year 6 enjoyed an afternoon of Christmas crafts, then joined Mrs Forth in the hall to decorate the Christmas tree. After a very busy term of state and independent school exam preparation, the children are thoroughly enjoying preparing for Christmas. ‘‘Tis the season to be jolly..... - [Toy Appeal](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/11/29/toy-appeal/) - Once again, the generosity and kindness of Forest never stops. Our annual Christmas Toy Appeal saw children bringing in an abundance of toys for the cause and we have no doubt that we will have made hundreds of children, who are less fortunate than ourselves, have a bigger smile this Christmas morning. - [Bellevue Northern School Speech Final](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/11/29/bellevue-northern-school-speech-final/) - Last week, pupils from Forest Prep, Forest Park and Brabyns Prep took part in the annual Inter-School Speech Competition. All those who took part did extremely well in delivering their speeches in a confident manner. A special congratulations goes to all the winners, one of whom was JH, coming top in the Y3/4 category. It’s - [Children Helping Children](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/11/29/children-helping-children/) - A couple of weeks ago, the pupils at Forest did all they could do to raise money for Children in Need. They gave donations to come into school in their own clothes, baked cakes to sell at breaktimes and the Year 6 children did an amazing job of running a coffee and cake morning for - [Remembrance Assembly](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/11/15/remembrance-assembly/) - In honour of the centenary of the end of the First World War, children brought in a variety of family memorabilia to share with the rest of the school. Mrs Eyley ran a very informative assembly for the school, which was finished off beautifully with a very moving song from Livia and Bella. - [Year 1 Celebrate Diwali](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/11/15/year-1-celebrate-diwali/) - Last week, Year 1 were lucky enough to have Mr and Mrs Bisarya visit the class to share the meaning of Diwali through stories and music. Children enjoyed a delicious array of Hindu food and were shown how to dress in a sari, beautifully modelled by Mrs Burns and Mrs Wells. Year 1 children were - [Cross Country Determination](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/11/15/cross-country-determination/) - Come rain or shine, these pupils never fail to make it to John Leigh Park on Saturday mornings to compete in Cross Country. Their dedication, commitment to the sport and the school and sheer determination to succeed is admirable, and we are all very proud- well done to all! - [Cross Country Commences](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/10/31/cross-country-commences/) - It's that time of year again, when children head to John Leigh Park to compete in Cross Country races throughout the winter. There were plenty of Foresters who were up for the challenge and they all brought a great deal of enthusiasm and positive attitudes all the way to the finish line! A fantastic effort - [Forest Speech Finals](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/11/15/forest-speech-finals/) - Once again, Forest pupils have exceeded themselves in this year’s Forest Speech Competition. We have had some incredibly talented (and not to mention brave) pupils in the speech competition this year- Mr Hyde would like to congratulate everyone who took part. A special congratulations goes to our speech finalist winners for the extremely high standards - [Roman Showcase](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/10/31/roman-showcase/) - Year 3 were learning a great deal about the Roman way of life last half term and worked extremely hard on perfecting their assembly to showcase their learning. They did a superb job of performing it to the rest of the school and taught everyone a thing or two about the Romans! - [Team Spirit](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/11/29/team-spirit/) - In recent weeks, it has been so pleasing to see so many of our children competing at a high level in their sports fixtures: demonstrated in recent football and netball matches. Our Cross Country runners have performed superbly throughout the season - including some outstanding individual performances - and our swimmers have once more excelled - [Pastoral Success](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/11/16/pastoral-success/) - This week I was approached by the Chair of the School Council, who asked if he could promote World Kindness Day in school. He presented his ideas to the school and asked each class if they could think about what being kind meant and to write a 'kindness' comment. He then used the comments to - [A Super Start to the Year](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/10/31/a-super-start-to-the-year/) - Firstly, I would like to mention how proud we are of our Year 6 children. They have worked extremely hard for their state grammar school examinations and, as a cohort, we are very pleased with their collective achievements and their superb attitude. As a class, they all deserve a great deal of praise. Following on - [‘Fantastique’ French Breakfast](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/01/31/fantastique-french-breakfast/) - Once again, Madame Cotton's annual French breakfast was a huge success. The children were able to choose from many things, including fresh baguettes with butter and jam and hot croissants. The pain au chocolat was a firm favourite and the children were able to dip it into their hot chocolate! Many thanks to all the - [House Meetings in Action!](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/01/31/house-meetings-in-action/) - From Reception, each child at Forest is put into a house: Jordan, Mimwood, Kersal or Chorlton. Every week, the houses meet to discuss current school topics, count their house points as a collective and to vote for their 'Star of the Week'. This not only aims to give children the confidence to share their opinions - [Pre-Prep Computing](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/01/31/pre-prep-computing/) - Here at Forest, children begin computing lessons with Mr. Bullock while they are still in Pre-Prep. It not only allows children to work on improving their fine motor skills, but also gives them the experience of being in a different environment to their classroom, with a different teacher; factors which we feel benefits their sociability greatly. - [Year 5 Traffic Observations](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/01/15/year-5-traffic-observations/) - As part of their Geography topic on local traffic, Year 5 carried out several observations in Timperley Village. The children looked at problems and issues that are caused by traffic in our local area. Year 5 found some interesting results and will now write up a conclusion and evaluation from their recordings. Whilst completing the - [Kinaesthetic Learning in Year 2](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/01/15/kinaesthetic-learning-in-year-2/) - Each new academic year, the leap from year-group-to-year-group can be quite overwhelming for some children. Getting accustomed to a new teacher, new way of doing things, new curriculum- which is why teachers try their utmost to make the transition as smooth as possible. Learning kinesthetically can be a means to do this. Last week, Mrs - [Going for Goals](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/01/15/going-for-goals/) - This half term, all classes are exploring the theme of ‘Going for Goals’ as part of their PSHE topic. At Forest, children are constantly challenged in the classroom, to encourage them to meet their potential; making mistakes is the foundation for which we learn. Children are taught to view these mistakes as progress to achieving - [Wraparound Care](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/01/15/wraparound-care/) - In addition to normal school-day hours, here at Forest, we offer wraparound care from 7:30 am Breakfast Club, run by Mrs. McClearn, to 5:55 pm Late Stay, run by Mrs. Mowe and Mr. Bullock. This mutually beneficial arrangement not only serves to create greater flexibility for parents during term-time but also gives children the opportunity - [Lower and Upper School Blogs](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/12/13/lower-and-upper-school-blogs/) - As we come to the end of another busy Autumn term, please use the links below to read the latest blogs written by our Key Stage Co-ordinators, Mrs. Bradley and Mrs. Knowles. Key Stage 1 Blog Key Stage 2 Blog - [Manchester Cathedral Carol Service](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/12/13/manchester-cathedral-carol-service/) - The Main Choir recently helped to spread some festive cheer by taking part in a carol service at Manchester Cathedral in aid of The Children’s Society. The Children’s Society helps change children’s stories, working towards a country where all children are free from disadvantage. Locally and nationally they provide support where it’s needed most. The organisation - [Year 5 Puppet Show](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/12/13/year-5-puppet-show/) - Here at Forest, teachers are continually searching for creative ways in which to deliver cross-curricular lessons and last week was no different. Using their newfound understanding of playscript format alongside their in-depth knowledge of The Christmas Story, Year 5 produced, directed and wrote a puppet play for the children in Year 1 and Reception. They - [A Tudor Christmas](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/12/13/a-tudor-christmas/) - To enhance their history topic of learning about the Tudors, Year 4 visited the magnificent Lyme Park near Disley in Cheshire to experience Christmas as Tudors. The estate is managed by the National Trust and consists of a mansion house surrounded by formal gardens, in a deer park in the Peak District National Park. They - [Off With Your Head!](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/01/31/off-with-your-head/) - This week, Year 4 children showcased their historical learning of ‘The Tudors’ by performing their assembly to parents and the rest of the school. Children played several roles including Henry VIII, his wives and the crew of the Mary Rose. A fantastic performance. Well done! - [House Meetings](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/01/31/house-meetings/) - [Life Skills with Year 6](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/01/31/life-skills-with-year-6/) - Crucial Crew is a multi-agency safety event, aimed at 10 to 11-year-olds. It is designed to provide children with vital life skills and safety advice. A variety of organisations put on workshops, using scenarios to bring to life different situations.Whilst some workshops explored advice related to antisocial behaviours, others focused on safety around alcohol, drugs - [Writer’s Assembly](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/01/17/writers-assembly/) - This week, we celebrated some of Forest's finest imaginative and creative writers. Hand- picked by their teachers, the children brought their work to assembly and all pieces will be put on display in the hall for all to see! Well done to this handful of children. - [An Egg-citing Arrival](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/01/15/an-egg-citing-arrival/) - Last week, a mysterious egg caused an air of mystery in Reception- who does it belong to? With great excitement and wonderful ideas, the class have taken their responsibility of looking after the egg very seriously by writing signs to warn the rest of the school to be careful when around the precious egg. What - [Year 1 Meet Father Christmas](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/12/13/year-1-meet-father-christmas/) - On Tuesday, Year 1 visited Tatton Park where they learnt all about what life would have been like celebrating Christmas as a 6-year-old in the post-war era. They gathered around the fire for a Christmas story, got to meet some of the farm's residents and even got to visit Father Christmas! The mansion provided the - [Musical Marvels](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/01/15/musical-marvels/) - Earlier in the week, Year 5 were lucky to welcome Mr Cotton into school, who came in to show the children his wide variety of instruments- collected from all over the world. Not only did the children learn about the origins of the instruments, they were even allowed to play some of them! A huge - [Late Stay Activities](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/01/15/late-stay-activities/) - Just a taster of some of the fun activities children in late stay participate in: Making towers/ buildings from dried spaghetti and marshmallows Designing their own wooden maracas Creating lollipop-stick people Dodging lasers- using their agility and stealth Practising accuracy by throwing ‘snowballs’ as close to the Teddy as possible Matching pairs to test their - [Lower School Nativity 2](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/12/13/lower-school-nativity-2/) - [Lower School Nativity](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/12/13/lower-school-nativity/) - Lower School pupils dazzled in their annual Nativity production this year. The performance, held at North Cestrian Grammar School, is one of the many highlights of the Forest Purple Calendar. The children gave outstanding performances throughout the evening. A wonderful team effort from all the Lower School staff and especially to Ms Wellings for orchestrating - [Feeling Festive at Forest](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/12/13/feeling-festive-at-forest/) - At Forest, the lead up to Christmas is always an enjoyable time to peruse the grounds and observe all the festivities which occur. From Kindergarten performing their ‘Christmas Wish’ to parents, to classes rehearsing for the many musical events which they participate in, children truly embrace the spirit of giving. - [Impressive Attitudes to Learning](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/01/17/impressive-attitudes-to-learning/) - Following the Christmas holidays, we have been so impressed throughout the school with how the children have returned. Great progress is being made from Nursery to Year 6, as the boys and girls at Forest continue to achieve and develop as people. Our Effective Learners programme is helping to build the children's life-long learning skills, - [A Merry Christmas to All](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2018/12/13/a-merry-christmas-to-all/) - It is hard to believe that we are already at the end of our Autumn term and that we are now breaking up for Christmas. The term has gone so quickly and yet again we have achieved so much. When you look at all we have done since September, it is a testament to the - [Year 2 Go Back in Time at Burwardsely](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/03/07/year-2-go-back-in-time-at-burwardsely/) - On the 4th and 5th of March, Year 2 went to the Burwardsley Centre. They stopped off at the Ice Cream Farm on the way and enjoyed a fun play and delicious ice cream. Over the jam-packed two days, they took part in a range of activities: den building, willow weaving and an archaeological dig - [Year 6 Visit Manchester Crown Court](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/03/07/year-6-visit-manchester-crown-court/) - On the morning of 6th March, Year 6 visited Manchester Crown Court. The children stepped into these working courtrooms to learn more about the fascinating world of the English and Welsh Justice system. The professional environment, coupled with a thought-provoking interactive activity on Cyberbullying, made for a unique and engaging learning experience. The highlight of - [U9 Waterpolo Wonders](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/03/07/u9-waterpolo-wonders/) - Mr. Hyde was delighted to take eight Year 4 boys and girls to the ISA Water Polo tournament in Rochdale. This was the first opportunity for these children to experience this exciting and fast-moving sport. They played several games - in both the deep and shallow end of the swimming pool - and although we - [Trafford Hockey Heroes](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/03/07/trafford-hockey-heroes/) - This week, an Upper School hockey tournament was held at Timperley Cricket Club for schools around Trafford. Forest entered a Year 3/4 team and a Year 5/6 team. The unfortunately damp weather did not deter our teams’ spirits: with the Year 3/4 team going undefeated to win the tournament! We are extremely proud of the determination - [Author Visit Inspires Budding Writers](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/02/14/author-visit-inspires-budding-writers/) - Earlier this week we were privileged to welcome children's author, Fay Evans, who came into Forest to share her new book Bob's Beard with the school and talk about her experiences as a writer. Some classes participated in writing workshops with Fay, which helped to inspire them and broaden their imagination! Faye said: "As an author, I - [Trafford Swimming Gala Success](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/02/14/trafford-swimming-gala-success/) - A couple of weeks ago, two swimming teams from Forest entered into the Trafford Swimming Gala for pupils in Year 4 and Year 5. The children were in teams of four and had to compete against eleven other local schools. Congratulations to both teams for making it through to the Trafford Finals in the Greater - [Year 2 Assembly - The Great Fire of London](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/02/14/year-2-assembly-the-great-fire-of-london/) - Last Thursday, Year 2 gave a super assembly about ‘The Great Fire of London’. They retold the story and showcased their learning through songs, drama and dance. The children sang beautifully and showed everyone their confidence and enthusiasm - well done Year 2! - [Bowdon Music Festival Achievements](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/02/14/bowdon-music-festival-achievements/) - A record number of Forest pupils participated in the 7th annual Bowdon Festival over the weekend; 35 pupils performed in piano, singing and drama classes (both competitive and non-competitive) receiving tremendous praise and encouragement from audiences and adjudicators alike. Special mention must go to the following prize-winners: WG & MH (Yr 3) - 2nd in - [Exploring the Arctic in Year 1](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/01/31/exploring-the-arctic-in-year-1/) - This half term, Year 1 have been exploring the Arctic, looking at different animals who inhabit there and their adaptabilities to the weather conditions. We always welcome any external links to class topics and Year 1 were lucky enough to have a child’s uncle coincidentally visiting the Arctic. He sent photos and videos to assist - [Young Voices](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/03/07/young-voices/) - Inspiring children to discover their love for music, Young Voices is the world's largest school choir concert. Being a member of one of the largest choirs in the world means that children got to practice with some of the best professional musicians in the world and got to learn some amazing tricks and skills from - [Some Very Hungry Caterpillars](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/03/07/some-very-hungry-caterpillars/) - This week, Pre-Prep have had a very special delivery: caterpillars! As part of their science, learning about life cycles, children in Pre-Prep have joined forces with Year 5 to care for the caterpillars and watch them flourish into beautiful butterflies. The children will work together to create a suitable release site, when the time comes - [Cross Country Celebrations](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/02/14/cross-country-celebrations/) - Over the past few weeks, there has been some fantastic cross country running. Children in Key Stage 2 participated in the ISA Schools North Competition: running with great energy and enthusiasm. A special mention to IH (Y5) and LT (Y4) for qualifying for the Nationals! A few of our pupils also take part in running - [Y3 Chinese Week](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/02/14/y3-chinese-week/) - This year, Year 3 pupils enjoyed celebrating Chinese New Year by participating in a variety of activities, which were coordinated by Mrs Eley and Mrs Cooke. The children dressed in Chinese-inspired clothing, with some girls wearing Cheongsam (traditional dresses), they made ‘Good Luck’ banners and lanterns as well as using paint brushes to create addition - [Admirable Attitudes from Year 5](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/01/31/admirable-attitudes-from-year-5/) - As they move through the school, each year group provides its own challenges for our pupils. Notoriously, Year 5 is an especially challenging year as intensified preparation for the early second school examinations commences, therefore the motto ‘Work Hard, Play Hard’ is extremely fitting. This week, the pupils of Year 5 have showcased exactly this: - [World Book Day 2019](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/03/07/world-book-day-2019/) - World Book Day gives us the opportunity to celebrate authors, illustrators, books and (most importantly) reading. In fact, it's the biggest celebration of its kind, designated by UNESCO as a worldwide celebration of books and reading, and marked in over 100 countries all over the world. All year groups at Forest have had a busy - [Year 2’s Trip to Burwardsley](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/03/07/year-2s-trip-to-burwardsley/) - [Bowdon Music Festival](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/02/14/bowdon-music-festival/) - [Pre-Prep Tea Party](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/02/14/pre-prep-tea-party/) - After inviting their grandparents to school for the afternoon, Pre-Prep children were delighted to see so many familiar faces show up! Our annual Pre-Prep Grandparents Afternoon is always a very popular event and this year was no exception. All the children revelled in showing their visitors around their classrooms - not to mention enjoying a - [Sporting Success at Forest](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/03/07/sporting-success-at-forest/) - As a small school, I am constantly amazed by the sporting achievements of our children and the amount of opportunities we provide for them to participate in and enjoy. This week was typical of both these points. During this time, our girls and boys swimming teams finished second and third respectively in the Trafford finals - [The Arts at Forest](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/02/14/the-arts-at-forest/) - In Celebration Assembly last week, I gave out scores of well-deserved certificates to the children for their plethora of successes at the Bowdon Festival: including for musical performances, poetry recitals, monologues and duologues. When you place this alongside our high standard choir performances (at locations such as the Manchester Cathedral and the Royal Northern) and - [Teamwork to Avoid Turmoil](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/01/31/teamwork-to-avoid-turmoil/) - We hope that the treacherous weather conditions in our area and subsequent enforced closure of the school this week did not cause too much disruption for families: it is only the second closure that has occurred at Forest within the past 15 years! Within this event, I am sure the children enjoyed their 'snow day'! - [Impressive Results in Cross Country Nationals](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/04/04/impressive-results-in-cross-country-nationals/) - Back in February, three of our Forest cross country runners qualified in the top 10 at The North’s regional qualifying event. This enabled them to be entered into the National Finals, down in Rugby, not only representing their school but now their whole region. The event was very well attended, with 100’s of boys and - [Rising to the Challenge for Charity Fun Run](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/04/04/rising-to-the-challenge-for-charity-fun-run/) - We had a fantastic Monday afternoon, the sun was shining and all the children and staff were raring to go for our Fun Run in order to raise money for our school charity, Reuben’s Retreat. A clear track around the school grounds was set and the children (and staff!) tried very hard to complete the - [Year 5 Exceed Expectations during Algebra Week](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/04/04/year-5-exceed-expectations-during-algebra-week/) - Over the past couple of weeks, our Year 5 children have been delving into the future in Mathematics as they embarked on a week-long series of Year 7 level algebra lessons. Pupils discussed the different concepts and rules, and even worked from a Year 7 textbook! The children exceeded all their perceived learning capabilities and - [Performing With Confidence at the Flower Service](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/04/04/performing-with-confidence-at-the-flower-service/) - Last week, we saw the Lower School (comprising of Nursery, Kindergarten, Reception, Year 1 and Year 2), the Year 3 members of the Greenhouse Choir and all of Year 5 partake in our annual Flower Service, at the Citadel. Parents heard class poems, songs, percussion and wind instrumentals from the, ever confident, children. It is - [A Busy Open Morning](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/03/21/a-busy-open-morning/) - Last Saturday, Forest opened its doors to the public for the annual ‘Open Morning’, giving prospective parents the opportunity to have a look around the school, and ask any questions they may have to any of the staff. Despite the treacherous weather conditions, this year we had a record number of families walk through the - [Hats Off Year 1!](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/03/21/hats-off-year-1/) - Tying in with their learning, Year 1 performed an assembly to the school and to their parents all about the seasons; ‘Hats off!’ The children took their audience through each of the four seasons: explaining what to expect with the weather in each and singing a beautiful array of seasonally-appropriate songs. Speaking in front of - [Forest at the Altrincham Music Festival](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/03/21/forest-at-the-altrincham-music-festival/) - Over 60 of our pupils took part in the Altrincham Festival last week, held at the Bowdon Rooms. Year 1 presented two songs - ‘Down on My Allotment’ and ‘Stand Up, Clap Hands’; Year 2 made their recorder debut with ‘Mary’s Lively Lamb’ and ‘Ostinato Ode’; Greenhouse Choir entertained with the cat-themed songs ‘Gobbolino’ and - [Story Adventures: What the Ladybird Heard](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/03/14/story-adventures-what-the-ladybird-heard/) - We look forward to welcoming local prospective parents and children of pre-school age to our forthcoming Story Adventure, offering a highly memorable experience and enabling parents to gain insight into how we bring learning to life in our Nursery on a daily basis. Our next event will be focused on "What the Ladybird Heard" by Julia Donaldson and will take - [Story Adventures Presents: What The Ladybird Heard](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/04/01/story-adventures-presents-what-the-ladybird-heard/) - Forest warmly welcomed prospective families and children into Nursery last week for our first 'Story Adventures' event. The event, which was themed around the book 'What The Ladybird Heard' by Julia Donaldson, gave children and parents who are new to the school the opportunity to explore the Nursery classroom and outside areas, and see first - [Forest Flyers](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/03/21/forest-flyers/) - Last week, as part of ‘Science Week’, children from Reception to Year 6 were given the challenge to design and create their own paper aeroplane. As part of a competition, children had to think carefully about wing size, body size and how streamlined their aeroplanes were in order to stand a chance of coming out - [Steel Skating Success](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/03/21/steel-skating-success/) - 'On Friday 8th March, I went to Sheffield with my synchronised skating team-Altair- to participate in our first competition, the Steel City Trophy. Altair is one of three teams that form part of Altrincham Synchro Club. Every week, we have one ice practise from 6am – 7am before school and then off-ice training at the - [Pre-Prep Zoo 2U](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/03/21/pre-prep-zoo-2u/) - As part of their ‘Growth’ topic, Nursery and Kindergarten had an exciting visit from a range of animals, courtesy of Zoo 2U. It was a very interactive and stimulating experience for every child, as they met and could handle: a snake, tortoise, owl, tenrec (similar to a hedgehog), praying mantis and giant millipedes. They also - [Poetry Competition](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/03/21/poetry-competition/) - This year, Forest hosted the first ‘Poetry Competition’ in a bid to encourage children to be creative with their writing; the given theme being ‘The Future’. Finalists from each class (Reception-Year 6) were chosen to compete in the final, which took place on Friday 8th March. Our finalists performed their poems exceptionally well and impressed - [Let the Zen Begin: Mindfulness](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/03/21/let-the-zen-begin-mindfulness/) - Children at Forest Prep show great enthusiasm for regular Mindfulness sessions. In the ever-changing, busy world we live in finding time for mental and physical calm has a huge impact on children’s well-being. During the sessions, children are taught to breathe effectively; from the diaphragm, sometimes imagining their breath in a different colour, or visualising - [Year 4’s Mesmerising Museum Trip](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/06/20/year-4s-mesmerising-museum-trip/) - Our history topic this half term is all about the Transatlantic Slave Trade. We arrived at the beautiful Albert Docks on a gorgeous, sunny morning and headed towards the museum. The first exhibition we visited was all about life in West Africa. Our children studied sculptures, artefacts and quotes based on the notion of slavery - [Forest Prep Celebrates Top 20 Nurseries Awards](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/06/13/forest-prep-celebrates-top-20-nurseries-awards/) - Staff and children at Forest Prep School are celebrating after scooping two Top 20 Nursery awards. The School has received the Top 20 Nurseries North West England 2019 award based on parent reviews by the leading nursery reviews site daynurseries.co.uk. Furthermore, the School’s owners, Bellevue Education, have been placed in the Top 20 Recommended Large - [Enjoying Mindfulness in the Great Outdoors](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/05/23/enjoying-mindfulness-in-the-great-outdoors/) - As many parents may be aware, last week was Mental Health Awareness Week. This year's topic was Body Image - how we think and feel about our bodies - a concept which many children (and adults) struggle with. With a great deal of media coverage on the topic recently, it seems vital that we strive to instil - [Going for Gold at the Inter-House Gala](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/05/23/going-for-gold-at-the-inter-house-gala/) - This half term saw the return of the Forest Inter-House Swimming Gala; an opportunity for parents and family members to come and watch their children compete in a variety of races. As the youngest competitors, Year 1 did a brilliant job of showcasing their swimming skills. All classes took part in the front crawl and - [Celebrating Our Chess Club Champs](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/05/23/celebrating-our-chess-club-champs/) - Since the start of Chess Club earlier in the academic year, it has been going from strength-to-strength. Its vast number of members have been learning through both ChessKid and our unique training course. Despite its short-lived existence, the club has attracted a great number of children from across a broad age range. Some children have - [How Our School Pets Enrich Learning](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/05/23/how-our-school-pets-enrich-learning/) - Here at Forest, we are continually looking for ways to enrich the children’s learning in an out-of-classroom context. Socially, school pets offer so much to children of all ages; responsibility, respect, companionship and confidence-building, to name a few. In addition, there are links to learning, notably in science and PSHE, such as life cycles, the - [Year 1 Embrace New ‘Africa’ Topic](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/05/02/year-1-embrace-new-africa-topic/) - This week, Year 1 have all worked hard embracing their new topic - ‘Africa’. They started the week by reading the book 'Masai and I' - a wonderful story about two girls and their differing cultures. Naturally, this led on to a class discussion on the East African Maasai way of life, where children were able - [Lower School Learn to Code with BeeBots](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/05/02/lower-school-learn-to-code-with-beebots/) - This week, during our Lower School ICT lessons, we have been focusing on simple coding using BeeBots. As well as introducing a computer mouse, the children had the chance to practise their mouse control when using computers. Over the last half term, the Kindergarten and Reception children have been learning about coding, which is just - [A Valiant Effort at ISA U9 Netball Tournament](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/05/02/a-valiant-effort-at-isa-u9-netball-tournament/) - Last Friday we travelled to Alderley Edge School for Girls to take part in the annual ISA U9 Netball Tournament, competing against 12 other schools. This was the first time our group of seven pupils from Year 4 had ever played as a team. Despite being extremely new to the game, and somewhat overwhelmed with the - [Choral Workshops Inspire a Love of Singing](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/05/02/choral-workshops-inspire-a-love-of-singing/) - Our three choirs were very fortunate to participate in a series of workshops recently led by Shirley Court, the conductor of the Halle Children's Choir. Main, Chamber and Greenhouse Choirs rehearsed with Mrs Court, focusing on attentive listening, effective storytelling and exemplary enunciation! This is the second visit by Mrs Court to Forest and, once - [Confidence Shining Through in Reception](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/05/23/confidence-shining-through-in-reception/) - This week, Reception put on a dazzling, colourful performance of ' Stella the Starfish' for both the whole school on Monday, and parents/families on Thursday. The children all delivered their lines clearly and with great enthusiasm; enjoying singing the catchy songs as solos, duets and as a class. The underwater adventure had an important message - [Multi-skilled Year 3’s](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/05/23/multi-skilled-year-3s/) - Throughout the year, Mrs Eyley always plans some exciting activities for the children, to link in with a variety of topics within the curriculum. A highlight in the Year 3 calendar is always the Egyptian learning experience. Last week saw the children participate in themed craft activities in the morning, followed by a trip to - [Monet Masters](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/05/02/monet-masters/) - Last week, Reception were given the opportunity to showcase their artistic flare when completing a replication of Monet’s ‘Water Lily Pond’. Using a both paints and oil pastels; considering foreground and background, the children successfully managed to copy the painting, with some striking final pieces. - [Successful Sports Day](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/05/23/successful-sports-day/) - What a day we had at our annual Sports Day event earlier this week. This eagerly anticipated event provides an excellent opportunity for our children to demonstrate the sporting progress they have made this year. If success can be measured in smiles, then this was a highly successful occasion. It was heartwarming to see the - [Proud of her Planting-Mad Pre-Prep](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/05/23/proud-of-her-planting-mad-pre-prep/) - The children in Kindergarten are enjoying the weekly gardening sessions they are doing with Ms.Bardsley, on a Friday morning. They have so far planted beans, carrots, radishes, cucumber, corn and tomatoes. Last week, we were very excited to discover that the sunflower seeds we planted at the beginning of the term have started to grow! - [France Pt.2](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/05/09/france-pt-2/) - [Bon Voyage! France Pt.1](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/05/09/bon-voyage-france-pt-1/) - Years 5 and 6 enjoyed their week long residential at Le Chateau du Broutel in Rue, Northern France. The children took part in many activities designed to enhance and familiarise their French speaking and listening; a visit to a Cow Farm, Snail Farm (where of them were brave enough to try the delicacy), Supermarket and - [Fantastic First Forest Session](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/05/02/fantastic-first-forest-session/) - The Kindergarten children started their ‘Forest School’ outdoor learning sessions this week. Dressed in wellies and waterproofs, they spent the morning outside exploring and creating. The children had a lovely morning and especially enjoyed working together in pairs during a scavenger hunt. - [Happy Easter!](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/04/04/happy-easter/) - With the break for the Easter holidays imminent, Forest Prep have been getting in the spirit. In addition to learning about the religious meaning behind Easter for R.E. lessons, this time of year allows children the opportunity to showcase their creative side. Pre-Prep paraded their beautiful array of Easter bonnets and hats in front of - [Narnia Experience](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/04/04/narnia-experience/) - Last Friday morning, Year 5 visited Altrincham Baptist Church, on Hale Road, for a ‘Narnia Experience’. The entire church had been transformed into Narnia and the children took on the famous roles of Edmund and Lucy. Throughout the journey, our children were mesmerised by the scenery, acting and effects. It was a fantastic opportunity of - [Year 1’s Victorian Adventure](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/04/04/year-1s-victorian-adventure/) - This half term, our Year 1 pupils have been studying the Victorians as part of their History studies. A couple of weeks ago, Year 1 went back in time to this era when they visited Macclesfield Museum. They spent the day in the shoes (some- literally) of a Victorian child; experiencing a lesson with Ma'am, - [Our Rewarding House System](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/05/23/our-rewarding-house-system/) - After the recent myriad of sporting events at Forest, it is so pleasing to see the ‘House’ system at Forest is as strong and effective as ever. From Reception, children are placed into one of four houses: Mimwood, Chorlton, Kersal and Jordan- a concept which dates back to the beginning of the school. Indeed there - [Bringing Learning to Life](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/05/09/bringing-learning-to-life/) - Several members of the Forest staff and I have just returned from another memorable, week-long residential trip to France, with our Year 5 and 6 children. As well as being provided with opportunities to put their French language skills into practise throughout the trip (such as a visit to the local market), the children were able - [Celebrating Challenge](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/04/04/celebrating-challenge/) - It is hard to believe that another term has come to an end and we are preparing to enter into the final term of the year. Saying that, the achievements of all our pupils have continued to impress throughout these past months: both in the classroom and in the wider areas of the school. In - [School Council Gives our Pupils a Voice](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/10/01/school-council-gives-our-pupils-a-voice/) - Last week, the School Council 2019/20 had a very productive first meeting. Our Year 6 Council Leaders were outstanding in their contributions and guidance; all our new members had ideas and spoke with confidence. We will meet at least twice each half term and members are encouraged to come to the meeting armed with ideas - [On Your Artsmark, Get Set - GO!](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/09/17/on-your-artsmark-get-set-go/) - This year, Ms. Wellings has begun in leading the school through Artsmark: the only creative quality standard for schools and education settings, accredited by Arts Council England. Aiming to bring learning to life through arts and culture, different classes have been showing their commitment to Artsmark this week during some art lessons. Year 1 have - [Farewell to a Forest Legend](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/09/17/farewell-to-a-forest-legend/) - Last week, we said a final farewell to Forest legend, Mrs Lawler. For the past 23 years, she’s been a very familiar face mainly at lunchtimes, Breakfast Club and Late Stay. One of the reasons Forest manages to remain such a successful school, is the dedication of the staff. We thank Mrs Lawler for all - [Investing in Our ICT to Boost Digital Literacy](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/09/17/investing-in-our-ict-to-boost-digital-literacy/) - We are all very excited about the school’s 24 brand new Chromebooks. They are very versatile pieces of equipment: they can be used as a laptop as well as a touch screen tablet with a pen when folded. 12 of the new Chromebooks will be used within ‘The Suite’ as part of the children’s weekly - [Year 1 - All Smiles for First Swimming Trip](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/09/17/year-1-all-smiles-for-first-swimming-trip/) - A couple of weeks ago, Year 1 embarked upon their first school swimming trip and they were fantastic! Not only did they show excellent listening when being spoken to by the variety of adults on hand to help, but they were sensible and respectful (especially to members of the public) from beginning to end - - [Year 6 Enjoy Their Leavers Celebrations](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/07/11/year-6-enjoy-their-leavers-celebrations/) - It is that time of the academic year again, when our oldest pupils move on to pastures new, with exciting challenges awaiting them at secondary school. Whether the children have been with us since Nursery, or joined at a later stage, here at Forest, we like to mark the end of a huge stage in - [Bellevue Enrichment Day Encourages Creativity](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/07/11/bellevue-enrichment-day-encourages-creativity/) - Last week, a few of our Year 6 pupils were transported back to the 1920s during the Bellevue North Enrichment Day, held at Edenhurst Prep School in North Staffordshire. All with a specialism in different disciplines, the pupils had to work with children from the other northern Bellevue schools to create a project which highlighted - [Speech Night: An Evening of Achievements](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/07/04/speech-night-an-evening-of-achievements/) - Last night, Forest celebrated its annual Speech Night - an opportunity to recognise the many achievements of the year and a formal farewell to our Year 6 children. In addition to the individual year group awards, Year 5 pupils were allocated their roles for their impending final year at Forest. The audience, predominantly made up - [Mrs Eley Marks 40 Years at Forest!](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/07/04/mrs-eley-marks-40-years-at-forest/) - During our recent Speech Night celebrations, it was a pleasure to present Mrs Eley with the ‘Susie Kendrew Shield for Enhancing Life at Forest.' Each year, whilst writing my highlights speech, I think of all the things that have stood out for me over the past 12 months. This is often an incredibly challenging task, - [Sun Shines for Annual Open Afternoon](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/06/20/sun-shines-for-annual-open-afternoon/) - As the clouds finally parted, the sun shone for our annual Open Afternoon for parents. A range of activities were held across the school, including sports demonstrations, Le Café du Foret and wonderful performances from the School Choir. A firm favourite with everyone involved was the art exhibition in the school hall. Thank you to all who - [Upper School Athletics Aces](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/06/20/upper-school-athletics-aces/) - Last week, jumped straight back into the new half term, attending the ISA North Athletics meeting at the Etihad Campus. Competing alongside 28 other schools, our team went out in full force; superb determination, impressive skills and fantastic teamwork. As ever, the behaviour was exemplary. A special mention to TP (Y6) and IH (Y5) for - [Jolly Jodrell Outing](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/09/17/jolly-jodrell-outing/) - As part of their Science topic, Year 5 visited Jodrell Bank in Macclesfield. The children took part in workshops, experienced hands on practical exhibitions and even observed the movements and recordings of the famous Lovell Telescope. Mr Booth and Mrs Johal were very impressed with the children’s fact finding and superb teamwork, especially during the - [Year 6 Leavers](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/07/11/year-6-leavers/) - Take a look at what some of our Year 6 pupils have been up to over the past few weeks... - [Egyptian Day: Part 2](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/07/11/egyptian-day-part-2/) - Last week, Year 3 enjoyed another Egyptian workshop; with craft activities and presentations by Mrs Woodhouse and Mrs Byrne. A special thank you to Mrs Byrne for preparing and serving the Egyptian feast (and of couse, for teaching us how to dance)! - [Sensational Swimming](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/06/20/sensational-swimming/) - On Saturday, three of our Year 6 swimmers and one Year 5 were accompanied by their parents to compete at Ponds Forge, the olympic pool situated in Sheffield. It was a fantastic achievement for our Y5/6 relay team to get to the ESSA primary championship for the second year running. We came away with individual - [Budding Bakers](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/09/18/budding-bakers/) - This Tuesday, 22 lucky Year 5 children turned their classroom into a bakery when they were visited by regional family baker Roberts Bakery to learn how to make the perfect loaf of bread. The budding bakers donned their special Roberts Bakery aprons and mop caps and were guided through every stage of the bread making - [A Brilliant Start to their Forest Journey](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/09/17/a-brilliant-start-to-their-forest-journey/) - The staff in Pre-Prep have enjoyed a busy couple of weeks getting to know their new starters and the children have been busy getting to know their new routine. From making their own nature paintbrushes, to starting their ICT lessons with Mr Bullock, all the children have settled in brilliantly and are all set to - [Amazing Artsmark](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/09/17/amazing-artsmark/) - From Kindergarten making their own nature paintbrushes and paints out of different fruits to create pictures to Year 5 creating their own Autobiography on a template with imaginative hair pieces! - [Busy Few Weeks in Pre-Prep](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/07/11/busy-few-weeks-in-pre-prep/) - The Kindergarten and Nursery children have had a busy end to their school year. On Tuesday 2nd July, they had a fun packed sports day and all of the Pre-Prep staff were proud of how well all of the children performed. The Kindergarten children also found out who their Year 6 buddies will be next - [Stunning Summer Show: Rock Bottom](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/07/04/stunning-summer-show-rock-bottom/) - What a week our Upper School children (and staff!) had last week. After months of learning lines, practising songs and numerous rehearsals, the annual Summer Show, Rock Bottom, was a roaring success. The entire cast, particularly Year 6, shone on stage. Everyone backstage listened and behaved impeccably, which ensured that the performance ran smoothly. The - [Buddy Bonding- Chester Zoo](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/06/20/buddy-bonding-chester-zoo/) - Year 6 and their Reception children joined together for their annual ‘Buddy’ trip to Chester Zoo. It was a wet and windy day but that didn’t stop the fun, as the children explored and spotted so many animals from the moment they entered. A firm favourite is always the bat encounter, where the children are - [Lower School Visit Africa](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/06/20/lower-school-visit-africa/) - Last week, Year 1 and 2 were lucky enough to set out on an adventure: to explore Knowsley Safari Park. Throughout our trip, we spotted (and were able to name) many animals which have linked to Year 1's ‘Africa’ topic: lions, giraffes, zebras and rhinos to name a few! In addition, the children got to - [Royal Cheshire Show](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/06/20/royal-cheshire-show-2/) - After working incredibly hard throughout this year, especially after having just completed two 11+ mock exams, Year 5 have had a day to remember at #RoyalCheshireShow, in Tabley. The children enjoyed visiting a wide variety of exhibits; rare breed animals, birds of prey, science events, the ‘Dancing Sheep Show’, traditional funfair and the very popular - [A Warm Welcome Back](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/09/17/a-warm-welcome-back-2/) - Firstly, may I say that we have been delighted with how all the children have returned to Forest following the summer break. I would also like to take this opportunity, once more, to welcome all our new families throughout the school. I have, this week, sent home a letter that outlines the vision, mission and - [Farewells, Thank Yous and Moving Forward](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/07/11/farewells-thank-yous-and-moving-forward/) - Once again, it is hard to believe that we are at the end of another academic year. All our lessons, playtimes, assemblies, trips, fairs, sports days, summer shows, swimming galas and homework have, once more, been completed. Talking to the staff, I know that they have all really enjoyed teaching their classes this year and - [A Busy and Successful Summer Term](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/06/21/a-busy-and-successful-summer-term/) - Yesterday evening, following another busy Open Afternoon in school, several members of the staff team spent the evening in the Little Theatre, in Altrincham, preparing the stage and lighting in readiness for next week's Summer Show. This is a hectic time of year for staff and over the next two weeks they will have taken - [Year 5 Come to Tea with Year 1 Reading Friends](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/11/19/year-5-come-to-tea-with-year-1-reading-friends/) - The Years 1 and 5 Reading Friends scheme has made a very positive start and both classes have struck up a solid collaborative working ethos. Academically, the purpose of these sessions is to build upon reading skills and comprehension knowledge, however, there is a very important pastoral stand that comes with it too. Following on - [Fire Service Visit Aims to Keep Pupils Safe](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/11/19/fire-service-visit-aims-to-keep-pupils-safe/) - November is always an important time in the year to discuss fire safety and the best practices for staying safe around Bonfire Night. Recently, Years 5 and 6 welcomed members of the Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue into school to learn just that. The team told the children about key hazards and taught them how to - [County Chess Success for Forest Superstars!](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/11/19/county-chess-success-for-forest-superstars/) - Since it started as a club here at Forest, our Chess Club has gone from strength-to-strength. During the half-term break, Ben F in Year 3 won the Cheshire Junior U9 competition, held at Cheadle Hulme School, with his peers, James H and Yashmit P, finishing joint 2nd. We are incredibly proud of all the children - [Year 2 Proud to Share Their Learning](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/11/19/year-2-proud-to-share-their-learning/) - At the end of the last half term, Year 2 families were welcomed into the classroom. This was a fantastic opportunity for our very proud Year 2s to share their work and give their family a tour of the classroom. The children had worked hard to keep their desks tidy prior to their parents coming - [The Art of Mindfulness: New Yoga Classes](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/10/15/the-art-of-mindfulness-new-yoga-classes/) - This term has seen the introduction of extracurricular Yoga classes for children from Reception to Year 6. Children gain many benefits from being introduced to Yoga at a young age: developing strength, flexibility, coordination and awareness in a relaxed, non-competitive environment. The practice of Yoga is an ancient science but is even more relevant in - [The Forest Way: You’ll Know if You Know!](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/10/15/the-forest-way-youll-know-if-you-know/) - All teachers and members of staff in this school strive to ensure that when children leave us in Year 6, they are impeccably turned out ‘Foresters’. A term which has been used throughout the school for many years, and sometimes hard to describe in words just what we mean, we feel our new school hashtag - [Year 5 Share Learning with their Families](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/10/15/year-5-share-learning-with-their-families/) - On Friday 4th October, Year 5 welcomed their parents and grandparents to an ‘Open Classroom’. Mr Booth and Mrs Johal stepped aside and asked the children to show their families the work that they had completed during their first weeks in Year 5. This allowed the children to take ownership over their learning, show-off their - [Year 6 Get E-Savvy in E-Safety Talk](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/10/15/year-6-get-e-savvy-in-e-safety-talk/) - Year 6 were visited by Nicola and Jan (Safer Trafford) who were teaching the children all about E-Safety. One of the challenges of growing up in the modern-day is understanding how social media can help, but also hinder, our quality of life and how to use it effectively, whilst being safe online. Year 6 children - [Enriching Learning in Upper School: Viva La France!](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/10/01/enriching-learning-in-upper-school-viva-la-france/) - Earlier this week, Madame Cotton organised an exciting treat for our Upper School classes. They were lucky enough to be visited by The French Theatre Company for an entirely French performance of 'Viva La France.' It was engaging, relatable and gave great context to some of the children’s French lessons. - [Independent Learning: Mini-Archeologists Dig for Facts](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/10/01/independent-learning-mini-archeologists-dig-for-facts/) - This half term, Year 3 welcomed Kate Spencer, a local archaeologist, to lead a workshop for the Archaeology Day. They studied the history of writing and then became mini-archaeologists themselves. With their transition into Year 3 going smoothly, children were encouraged to learn independently and find out facts for themselves, a skill in which all - [Waterpolo ISA North Runners Up](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/10/01/waterpolo-isa-north-runners-up/) - Last week, our Under 11 Water Polo team competed in the annual ISA North Tournament. After a tough fight in the early rounds, only conceding a handful of goals, our Forest team managed to make it through to the final, where they ended up coming Runners Up (narrowly missing out on the top spot with - [Forest Remembers](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/11/19/forest-remembers-2/) - As the clock struck 11:00 on 11/11/19, the Forest community stopped for two minutes of quiet to mark Armistice Day. Earlier in the morning, the children learned about Remembrance Day with a very informative assembly by Mrs Eley. They shared poems, artefacts and explained why it is important to always remember those who were brave - [Pre-Prep Proving Learning Can be Fun!](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/10/15/pre-prep-proving-learning-can-be-fun/) - Pre-Prep have been busy with a great deal of cross-curricular learning. In expressive arts and design, the children have been honing their fine motor skills by manipulating a paintbrush in one hand whilst painting portraits of themselves. Children have been exploring different ways in which to begin counting, a huge abacus being one useful piece - [Year 3 Showcase their Learning- a X out of X Performance](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/10/15/year-3-showcase-their-learning-a-x-out-of-x-performance/) - This half term, Year 3 have been learning a great deal about the Roman way of life and have been working extremely hard on perfecting their assembly to showcase their learning. This week, they did a superb job of performing it to the rest of the school; teaching children of all year groups a thing - [Exploring Eyam and Extending Education in Year 4](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/10/15/exploring-eyam-and-extending-education-in-year-4/) - This half term, the children of Year 4 have been learning all about the plague in the 17th century. Last week, they were able to see how The Black Death reached a small northern village - Eyam. We took a tour of the church, gathered information at the museum and traced the steps of the - [A Successful and Happy Harvest](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/10/15/a-successful-and-happy-harvest/) - Throughout the year, we transform our school hall into many different things - this fortnight it was the turn of Harvest. Each class performed a range of songs and poetry. The choirs and percussion club also participated. Every pupil represented their class with energy and enthusiasm (some involved were only aged 2!). Once again, Ms - [Pre-Prep Venture Outdoors for Learning](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/10/01/pre-prep-venture-outdoors-for-learning/) - The Pre-Prep children have enjoyed starting their Forest School Outdoor learning sessions. So far we have been on a hunt for dinosaurs, we have made our own paint using fruits and this week we have made hedgehogs out of clay. - [Year 2 Trip: Staircase House](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/10/01/year-2-trip-staircase-house/) - Linking with their history topic (The Great Fire of London), Year 2 had a great time visiting Staircase House, where they learnt how the house was brought back to life after the fire. All the children enjoyed dressing up as characters, walking from room to room as they re-enacted the story of the Great Fire - [Kicking off Cross Country](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/10/01/kicking-off-cross-country/) - Thankfully, the sun shone as our runners assembled on the start line at John Leigh Park for the first of the Salford Schools' Cross Country Championships. Team Forest were delighted to welcome our Year Three debutants for the season and they truly put in remarkable performances. There were a number of outstanding runs this week, - [Celebrating Success](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/10/01/celebrating-success-2/) - Friday morning assemblies are something in which children, from Nursery all the way to Year 6, look forward to. Presented by Mr Hyde, it is an opportunity to celebrate all things Forest: whether that be each class’s Pupil of the Week, French stars of the week, House Champions of the week or worthy sporting achievements. - [Reception Take Off!](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/11/19/reception-take-off/) - In keeping with their topic, Reception enjoyed a wonderful, informative trip to Manchester Airport. The children were determined not to let the rain put a damper on their day and all were delighted to see the flight deck, sit in the pilot's seat and learn about Concorde. Especially considering it was their first school trip - [Listening, Actioning and Improving Through Pupil Voice](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/10/15/listening-actioning-and-improving-through-pupil-voice/) - At Forest Prep, we pride ourselves on giving opportunity to and listening to all members of our community when it comes to how we can continue to improve and develop as a school. We do this in a range of ways, from staff meetings to parental questionnaires and forums. Additionally, the ‘Pupil Voice’ is also - [Measuring Children’s Potential](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/10/02/measuring-childrens-potential/) - Over the course of the next week, the children from Year Two upwards will be completing their annual autumn assessments. These measure individual children’s potential and will inform teachers of continued areas of strength and development. Teachers below this year group, will continue their daily observations and informal assessments of their children. Here at Forest, - [Looking After the Environment: A Forest at Forest](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/12/10/looking-after-the-environment-a-forest-at-forest/) - A couple of weeks ago, the school council and four children from Pre-Prep planted 15 new tree saplings as part of National Tree Week. Despite the wet weather, the children each planted their own class tree on the school field with the help of Miss Bardsley and Mr Pawson. The trees were sent to us - [Confidence in Speaking at our Inter-school Speech Final](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/12/10/confidence-in-speaking-at-our-inter-school-speech-final/) - Last week, pupils from Forest Prep, Forest Park and Brabyns Prep took part in the annual Inter-School Speech Competition. All those who took part did extremely well in delivering their speeches in an articulate and confident manner. A special congratulations to the winners, Forest Park Prep. It’s always a pleasure to welcome Forest Park and - [Giving to Charity: Toy Collection Assembly](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/12/10/giving-to-charity-toy-collection-assembly/) - A huge thank you to the whole Forest community for, once again, supporting us with our initiatives. We have made so many local underprivileged children have a much happier Christmas morning! The Toy Appeal is a registered charity, operated by Dee and Chris Drake, which provides a sack of toys at Christmas to children living - [Swimming Success at National Finals](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/12/03/swimming-success-at-national-finals/) - Young swimmers from Forest Prep School have brought home 3 medals after competing at a national swimming competition. The pupils took part in the Independent Schools Association (ISA) National Swimming Competition, which was held at the London Aquatics Centre, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, on Saturday 30th November. Four pupils from Forest were selected to represent the North of - [Inspirational Teacher Chalks Up 40 Years at Forest Prep](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/11/22/inspirational-teacher-chalks-up-40-years-at-forest-prep/) - Inspirational teacher Jennifer Eley is celebrating her forty-fifth year of teaching, a remarkable achievement made all the more extraordinary by the fact she has been teaching at the same school in Timperley for most of her career. Jennifer, who joined Forest Preparatory School in 1979, has taught hundreds of children during her time at the - [Y5’s Informative Assembly: The Great Space Race](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/12/10/y5s-informative-assembly-the-great-space-race/) - Year 5 performed their assembly called ‘The Great Space Race!’ for the whole school and their families recently, with the children providing much entertainment for their audiences to enjoy. Set in a television studio, the primetime show interviewed Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michel Collins about their mission to win the 1960s space race. The - [Getting into the Forest Festive Spirit](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/12/10/getting-into-the-forest-festive-spirit/) - In the words of Perry Como, “It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas!” This time of year is always extremely busy; filled with plenty of festive activities throughout the school. From Carols in the Grounds, the Lower School Nativity production, the PA Christmas Fayre to our Chamber Choir visiting Newhaven Carehome to entertain the - [Lower School’s Dazzling Nativity](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/12/10/lower-schools-dazzling-nativity/) - Lower School pupils dazzled in their annual Nativity production. This year, the Nativity was called ‘The Landlord’s Cats’. The performance, held at North Cestrian Grammar School, is one of the many highlights of the Forest Purple Calendar. The audience were treated to performances from the Lower School Percussion Club, the Greenhouse Choir, the Chamber Choir - [Y6 and Y4 Day Trips Out: Stepping Back in Time](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/12/10/y6-and-y4-day-trips-out-stepping-back-in-time/) - Year 4 Last week, Year 4 visited Lymme Park to experience what it would be like to spend Christmas as a Tudor. The children had time to try out traditional Tudor toys, learnt what would have been on the Christmas menu and did plenty of arts and crafts during their visit. Mr Francis and Mrs - [Digging Deep for Children in Need](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/11/19/digging-deep-for-children-in-need/) - Children in Need is always a highlight in the Forest calendar, especially Mrs McClearn’s Big Breakfast! From 7.30 a.m. the staff donned their aprons to serve families who were welcomed into the hall to choose a selection of breakfast sandwiches, hot toast and drinks. The event, as always, proved a huge success as the hall - [Fantastic Forest Speech Final](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/11/19/fantastic-forest-speech-final/) - It’s been a busy start to the half term and to kick it off we have heard over one hundred and eighty speeches throughout the school. The staff have learned many interesting, and not to mention varied facts, as well as enjoying a range of tales. We are incredibly proud of all our pupils for - [Wishing all a Peaceful Rest](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/12/13/wishing-all-a-peaceful-rest/) - As the calendar year draws to a close, so does our autumn term at school. It has been a busy, productive and successful time since our Year Six pupils returned early to their studies at the end of August. We have also welcomed many new families since September and have been delighted with how their - [Artsmark: Our Journey Towards Gold](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2019/11/19/artsmark-our-journey-towards-gold/) - One of the key strategic areas for Forest this year is our journey towards achieving our Gold Artsmark Award. This is a prestigious award, overseen by the Arts Council of England, and is awarded to schools who demonstrate effective strategic planning and whole-school commitment to a high standard of artistic endeavours. At Forest, our pupils - [Pre-Prep’s Grandparents’ Tea Party](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2020/02/05/pre-preps-grandparents-tea-party/) - Our two to four-year-olds in Nursery and Kindergarten invited their grandparents to a special afternoon party in their honour - one of the most important events on the Pre-Prep calendar. As well as meeting all the members of the Pre-Prep team and having a guided tour of the learning environment by their eager grandchildren, the - [Bowdon Music Festival Sensations](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2020/02/04/bowdon-music-festival-sensations/) - Last weekend, over thirty pupils took part in the Bowdon Festival. Our Foresters performed in the piano, singing, brass and speech/drama classes, displaying their talents to very appreciative adjudicators and audiences. We had a number of 1st/2nd/3rd prizewinners (see the Music & Arts Twitter pages for details) but, more importantly, it was incredibly special to - [Chess Team Success in National Championships](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2020/02/04/chess-team-success-in-national-championships/) - In addition to the recent football, cross country, swimming and music successes, we’re now adding another to our belt - CHESS! On Sunday 26th January, an eager group of pupils from Upper School visited Cheadle Hulme School to take part in the National Chess Championships. Our teams enjoyed a triumphant day, with both the U11 - [Year 6 Netball Team Bronze Medal Winners](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2020/02/03/year-6-netball-team-bronze-medal-winners/) - A huge congratulations to our Year 6 netball team who played outstandingly well to gain bronze in the Chadwick Cup tournament last week. Used to playing high-five and having only played seven-a-side a handful of times with Ms Forster, the Year 6 girls netball team were being challenged from the outset. This, however, did not phase - [Lower School Demonstrate True Forest Spirit](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2020/01/23/lower-school-demonstrate-true-forest-spirit/) - Since returning from a long Christmas break, Lower School have been demonstrating how hard they can work; how engaged and enthusiastic they can be; how respectful they are and just what it means to be a ‘true Forester’ (#theforestway). The staff in Lower School are extremely proud of the children’s attitude this half term, long - [Year 5 Out-of-School Learning: Traffic Observations](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2020/01/23/year-5-out-of-school-learning-traffic-observations/) - As part of their Geography topic on local traffic, Year 5 recently carried out several observations in Timperley Village. The children looked at problems and issues that are caused by traffic in our local area. Year 5 found some interesting results and will now write up a conclusion and evaluation from their recordings. Many thanks - [Year 6 Show Sensational Sportsmanship at Athletics](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2020/01/21/year-6-show-sensational-sportsmanship-at-athletics/) - Last week, Year 6 put their all into the Sportshall Athletics competition, held at Altrincham Leisure Centre. With a variety of activities to participate in, such as shot put and long jump, Year 6 pupils did a brilliant job of working together and showing unwavering support for each other and children from other schools. It - [Charitable Cake Sale Supports Australian Bushfires](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2020/01/21/charitable-cake-sale-supports-australian-bushfires/) - On Monday morning, Year 3 children were the driving force behind the very successful cake sale. Keeping up to date with current affairs, Year 3 children were keen to raise money for the animals who have, and continue to suffer, in the Australian bushfires. In just 20 minutes, ZW and the rest of Year 3 - [Bon Appetit! French Breakfast 2020](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2020/01/21/bon-appetit-french-breakfast-2020/) - Once again, Madame Cotton's annual French breakfast was a huge success. The children were able to choose from many things, including fresh baguettes with butter and jam and hot croissants. The pain au chocolat were a firm favourite and the children were able to dip it into their hot chocolate! As always, many thanks to - [Presenting Learning: Y4 Tudor Assembly](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2020/01/21/presenting-learning-y4-tudor-assembly/) - Assembly time again and Mr Francis claims that his current Year 4 class have been outstanding from the beginning. This year, their assembly is based upon Henry’s break from Rome after he met Anne Boleyn and decided that she would be his second wife. With both history and RE links, the children explore some of - [A Musically Cultural, Cross-Curricular Workshop](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2020/01/21/a-musically-cultural-cross-curricular-workshop/) - On Thursday morning last week, Year 5 enjoyed a music workshop given by Mr Cotton, who demonstrated the different sounds made by stringed instruments from around the world. Year 5 were engrossed throughout; learning about each instrument’s history and origins and the questions they asked were extremely impressive. The children were able to try the - [Year 6: Transition Trip to Crucial Crew](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2020/01/21/year-6-transition-trip-to-crucial-crew/) - Crucial Crew is a multi-agency safety event, aimed at 10 to 11-year-olds. It is designed to provide children with vital life skills and safety advice. Children are enrolled in the half-day course as part of their transition to secondary schools. A variety of organisations put on workshops, using scenarios to bring to life different situations.Whilst - [Pupil Work Around the School](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2020/02/04/pupil-work-around-the-school/) - Since returning from Christmas, it has been a very hardworking half-term at Forest Prep; all you have to do is walk around and look at the wonderful displays to have a sense of the work which has taken place. The children definitely deserve a week off and we hope they return in spring 2 with - [ISA North Qualifiers: A Huge Success for our Cross Country Runners](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2020/02/04/isa-north-qualifiers-a-huge-success-for-our-cross-country-runners/) - On Wednesday 22nd January, the annual ISA ‘The North Regional Qualifiers’ for Cross Country took place in Scarisbrick Hall School, in Ormskirk. Forest took a large team of 29 enthusiastic and competitive runners from years 3 - 6. The children showed their maturity and eagerness to represent their school and region in lining up against - [Pre-Prep’s Grandparents Tea Party](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2020/02/04/pre-preps-grandparents-tea-party-2/) - A brilliant afternoon spent with our Pre-Prep's lovely grandparents. - [Year 3: Cross-Curricular Chinese Themed Week](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2020/02/04/year-3-cross-curricular-chinese-themed-week/) - In a series of themed lessons celebrating Chinese New Year, Year 3 have been busy learning about Ancient Chinese traditions and the history of China. DW (from Year 5) also visited the class to teach them how to say and write Chinese numbers. Later on, the children also used brushes to create calculations in their - [February Half-Term Marks a Fantastic Final Few Weeks](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2020/02/04/february-half-term-marks-a-fantastic-final-few-weeks/) - The final weeks of this half-term have seen our pupils, once more, achieving great things outside of the classroom. Celebration Assemblies, held every Friday, have seemed busier than ever before with a plethora of medals, certificates and trophies. It began with our Cross Country runners at the ISA North race, on the Wirral. There were terrific - [Endless Extracurricular Opportunities](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2020/01/21/endless-extracurricular-opportunities/) - At Forest, we understand how important a strong extracurricular programme is and the many benefits it can bring to our children. We aim to offer a multitude of opportunities that may spark an ongoing interest outside of school too. This begins as early as Kindergarten, with an after-school Spanish Club. As the children progress through - [New Initiatives to Keep our Children Learning](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2020/04/28/new-initiatives-to-keep-our-children-learning/) - In these trying times, we have all been faced with a level of challenge which we had not anticipated. Here at Forest, before we were instructed to close our doors, we had begun to form a contingency plan for how to implement remote learning for our children. This forward planning was crucial to the seamless - [PE- Challenge Yourself Tuesdays](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2020/04/28/pe-challenge-yourself-tuesdays/) - Learning from home has done little to stop our Forest Upper School from going about their ‘normal’ daily routines, including PE sessions. Upper school children have been completing various different ‘Tuesday Challenges’ in a bid to continue to develop their PE skills and knowledge. Last Tuesday was the Jump Challenge. With minimal equipment, children were asked - [Our Continuing Commitment to Key Worker Care](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2020/04/28/our-continuing-commitment-to-key-worker-care/) - Since school closure on March 23rd 2020, Forest has continued to remain open for children of Key Worker parents. We are hugely grateful for the wonderful work our Key Worker parents, and the NHS, are doing on a daily basis and with the help of some of the children who have been in school, we - [Upholding Forest Traditions](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2020/04/28/upholding-forest-traditions/) - At Forest, it is our annual traditions which form part of the make up of who we are as a school. We are delighted to see the lengths children and parents have gone to, to uphold some of these traditions. Reception got creative in designing and making their own Easter bonnets and ‘parading’ them over - [Year 5 Easter Trip](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2020/03/24/year-5-easter-trip/) - Last week, Year 5 spent an enjoyable and informative morning at Altrincham Baptist Church. During their visit they learned about Easter traditions and took part in several activities. They enjoyed planting seeds and decorated their pots, answering questions in a multimedia quiz and many more tasks. Year 5 would like to thank all the volunteers - [Netball Champions](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2020/03/24/netball-champions/) - A few weeks ago, our Year 6 netball team took part in a tournament. Not only did the girls show great determination and sportsmanship (like true Foresters) they came first! Ms Forster was extremely proud of all the girls and their brilliant attitude to sport when representing the school; well done girls. - [Showcasing our Beautiful Singing: Altrincham Music Festival](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2020/03/24/showcasing-our-beautiful-singing-altrincham-music-festival/) - The Altrincham and District Festival has played a key role in our calendar for more than 20 years, with two former Forest staff, James Pearson and Anna Wright, giving many hours of their time volunteering. To start proceedings, our Choir sang both their songs (Amani Utupe and Right Royal Do) with precision and style. Ms - [Burwardsley Bonanza: Year 2 Residential](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2020/03/24/burwardsley-bonanza-year-2-residential/) - Our very eager Year 2 pupils recently set off on a mini break (residential) to Burwardsley. The children were very excited (as were the staff!). Before arriving at the Education Centre, they called in at Cheshire Ice Cream Farm for a quick play and a treat. Once they had unpacked, the sun appeared and they - [A 9.9 For Our Early Years Provision!](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2020/03/04/a-9-9-for-our-early-years-provision/) - We are incredibly proud of our recent reviews of Nursery and Kindergarten left by current parents on the website Daynurseries.co.uk. Thank you to all who were able to leave such lovely, warm and heartfelt comments that we feel reflect our Early Years provision. Please click here to read the full reviews. - [Our Chess Stars Excelling](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2020/03/03/our-chess-stars-excelling/) - This year at Forest, chess has really taken off, with a plethora of players, some as young as 8, competing in external competitions. Two of our Year 3’s took part in the Northern Chess Championships for U9’s and were delighted to be ranked very strongly; with JH coming third! With their recent success under their - [U9 Waterpolo Winners: ISA Sport North](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2020/03/03/u9-waterpolo-winners-isa-sport-north/) - Last week, our U9 Waterpolo team took to the waters at Castleton Health and Leisure Centre to partake in the ISA Sport North Waterpolo Tournament. The team did tremendously well: with their persistence, admirable sportsmanship attitude and sheer determination to do the best they could. Out of the six games they played, they won all of - [Choir Prize at the Bowdon Festival](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2020/03/03/choir-prize-at-the-bowdon-festival/) - Last week, the Main and Chamber Choirs performed at the Bowdon Festival and we are delighted that the Main Choir was awarded the prize for Most Entertaining Song for a stunning rendition of ‘Roller Ghoster’! The adjudicator wrote lovely comments about both groups and many audience members spoke to Ms Wellings at the end about - [Music Lessons through Google Meet](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2020/04/28/music-lessons-through-google-meet/) - Ms Wellings has been using Google Classroom and Google Meet to continue with delivering high quality music lessons across the school. Early Years were introduced to their new unit- dynamics and were asked to bang saucepans to show their learning of the new terms- forte (loud) and piano (quiet). AK from Pre-Prep even broke his wooden - [The Forest Way from Home](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2020/03/24/the-forest-way-from-home/) - Following Government advice, from Monday 23rd March the school is closed until further notice. Teachers have not let this stop them from providing inspiring, challenging and fun classes to the majority of our pupils, who are now to be educated through Google Classroom for the time being. We can only thank our ever-supportive families for - [Saving the Planet: Year 1’s Informative Assembly](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2020/03/24/saving-the-planet-year-1s-informative-assembly/) - Despite not being able to perform to a parental audience, last week Year 1 did a sterling job of performing their assembly to the rest of the school. The assembly was also videoed for parents to see later on. The informative, and ever so topical, assembly revolved around Edi the penguin and her quest to - [Harbouring a Love of Learning Languages](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2020/03/03/harbouring-a-love-of-learning-languages/) - Research has proven that it is significantly harder to learn a new language as we get older, with some researchers claiming that second language acquisition skills peak at or before the age of 6 or 7. We hope that when our children come to the end of their Forest Prep journey, they have acquired enough - [Quick Sticks Hockey Success](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2020/03/03/quick-sticks-hockey-success/) - This year we took two strong teams to the Annual Trafford Schools Hockey Tournament, 6 players from both Years 4 and Year 6. Each team was split into 3 pairs which were able to rotate every half to fairly distribute the minutes each player was on the pitch, playing 4 aside for 4 minute halves. - [Year 2 Burwardsley 2020](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2020/03/24/year-2-burwardsley-2020/) - Year 2 had a wonderful time on their recent residential trip. It’s very tricky to explain just how much fun they had! Therefore, sit back and enjoy all the photographs from their experience! - [World Book Day 2020](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2020/03/24/world-book-day-2020/) - World Book Day gives us the opportunity to celebrate authors, illustrators, books and (most importantly) reading. In fact, it's the biggest celebration of its kind, designated by UNESCO as a worldwide celebration of books and reading, and marked in over 100 countries all over the world. All year groups at Forest have had a busy - [Feathery Friends Visit Pre-Prep](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2020/03/03/feathery-friends-visit-pre-prep/) - Yesterday, Pre-Prep had some unusual visitors... Gauntlet Birds of Prey brought a variety of animals in to visit our Pre-Prep children: a vulture, an owl and a ferret to name a few! This interactive session was a brilliant way for the children to learn some interesting facts about the different animals. - [Supportive Parents at Our Year 5 Open Classroom](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2020/03/03/supportive-parents-at-our-year-5-open-classroom/) - Here at Forest, we take pride in the open door policy we have and the resulting strong links formed with our parents. Recently, Year 5 children went one step further and invited their families into school for an ‘Open Classroom’ event. Mr Booth and Mrs Johal were eager for the children to take ownership over - [We’re All In This Together](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2020/03/26/were-all-in-this-together/) - First and foremost, I hope that in the present circumstances, everyone within and linked to our school community is well and taking care. On behalf of us all, I would like to send sincere thanks and gratitude to those families with key workers in, who are working so hard to keep everyone safe throughout these - [Oustanding Results for our Year 6 Children](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2020/03/04/oustanding-results-for-our-year-6-children/) - As we are all aware, there is increasing competition for places at Trafford’s top grammar schools. With this in mind, we are, yet again, delighted with the achievements and results of our current Year 6 children. Our own tracking and assessment systems provide a very useful insight into measuring children's potential. We have, over several - [Forest: Back in Full Swing](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2020/09/22/forest-back-in-full-swing/) - What an exceptional start to the year it has been. Children from every class have come bounding into school each day, excited to see their friends and teachers, and start their learning. The way in which the children have incorporated the new COVID-friendly routines and habits into their daily school life has been admirable. Children - [The Sound of Music, Once Again](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2020/09/22/the-sound-of-music-once-again/) - Ms Wellings has enjoyed resuming her full timetable of music lessons. Years 3 and 4 have been enjoying their introduction to the xylophone topic, where they have been looking at simple time values and bass clef spaces. Year 2 have been learning different types of strumming as well as the ‘fret’ position for the Chord - [P.E- Get Moving. Get Active!](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2020/09/22/p-e-get-moving-get-active/) - A warm welcome back to you all at the start of a new school year. A slightly different start to the school year, nonetheless. Over the past few months, children have spent a lot of time at home, many with reduced physical activity. They now return to school in bubbles and we are trying to - [Reception: Our Soaring New Starters](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2020/09/22/reception-our-soaring-new-starters/) - Our new Reception class has made a wonderful start to the school year and are coming into Forest every morning with big smiles and bags of enthusiasm! In Reception, we aim to foster independence and a ‘can do’ attitude to develop a lifelong love of learning. This is already being demonstrated with this class; organising - [The Summer Show: The Show Must Go Online!](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2020/07/07/the-summer-show-the-show-must-go-online/) - The annual Summer Show is always a highlight in the Forest calendar and usually marks the beginning of the big send-off for our Year 6 Leavers. Unfortunately, with all the restrictions in place, we were unable to perform at Altrincham’s Little Theatre, however this did little to stop our brilliant Year 6’s performing a purpose-written - [Pop-Up Pre-Prep](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2020/07/07/pop-up-pre-prep/) - In order to welcome our little ones back safely, we made the decision to set up (in true Forest style) ‘Pop-up Pre-Prep’. Located at Timperley Sports Club, who we have had a positive partnership with for many years now, Pop-Up Pre-Prep welcomed back our Forest families on the 8th June. We are delighted to announce - [Our Successful Safe Return to School](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2020/07/07/our-successful-safe-return-to-school/) - Monday 8th June marked the return to school for some of our children. In line with government guidelines, we saw some of our Reception, Year 1 and Year 6 pupils return on site, whilst Pre-Prep started back in their temporary ‘Pop-up’ set up. Over the past few weeks, different year groups have gradually made their - [ISA Essay Competition: Our Wonderful Wordsmith Winner](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2020/07/07/isa-essay-competition-our-wonderful-wordsmith-winner/) - The ISA Essay Competition is the annual opportunity for pupils at ISA Members’ Schools to allow their writing skills to shine. Wordsmiths are invited to submit entries for a range of competition prizes aimed at age groups from Year 5 through to Sixth Form. We are so incredibly proud to announce that IH (Year 6) - [Pre-Prep’s New Online Platform](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2020/05/19/pre-preps-new-online-platform/) - As a larger proportion of their learning is physical/ activity based, naturally, Pre-Prep have been the more challenging age group to ensure we are still providing education for. Bellevue have devised an interactive 'Learning Zone' for which to do this: linking to the key EYFS curriculum areas. Parents are able to access the online platform whenever - [Continuing Our Charitable Work](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2020/05/12/continuing-our-charitable-work/) - Usually marked by a non-uniform day in school, on Monday 11th May, we asked our children to come to their virtual school in their Forest uniform and donate to a charity of their choice (whether it be a food bank, monetary or good deed donation). As always, our committed and ever-generous families were happy to - [We Miss You- A Forest Story 2020](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2020/05/12/we-miss-you-a-forest-story-2020/) - We have received countless emails from parents expressing how much their children miss coming to school; seeing their friends, their teachers, the routines to name just a few. Unsurprisingly, the feeling is mutual. The school is eerily quiet- missing the usual buzz and life that our Foresters bring on a normal day. To show just - [True Foresters- Embracing Our Core Values](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2020/05/12/true-foresters-embracing-our-core-values/) - Working from home, as I am sure we have all become to appreciate, is not without its challenges. In spite of this, teachers have been absolutely delighted with the response their pupils have shown towards our remote learning. From the sheer motivation and the standard of work to the continuation of wearing the school uniform, - [Tracking Progress Remotely- getting sum practise in!](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2020/05/12/tracking-progress-remotely-getting-sum-practise-in/) - Since returning from the Easter break, children from Year 1 through to 6 have been signed up to Sumdog maths. This engaging and interactive online platform not only enables teachers to set personalised maths challenges for their class, but allows teachers to track progress remotely. The children themselves have given very positive feedback regarding the - [Trafford School’s Virtual Sports Day](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2020/07/07/trafford-schools-virtual-sports-day/) - As we have been unable to take part in any form of competitive sporting activity since the COVID19 pandemic and our Sports Day has been cancelled, we decided- like everything else- to GO VIRTUAL! We joined in the Trafford Sports Partnership, Greater Manchester Virtual Sports Day. Forest’s Virtual Spots Day was held on Tuesday 30th - [Prepared, Productive and Proving Progress: Year 6](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2020/09/22/prepared-productive-and-proving-progress-year-6/) - Mrs Knowles has been astounded with how well Year 6's have settled into their new routine. With exam preparation on their radars, each and every pupil has demonstrated true grit and resilience for the inevitable challenges ahead. The children have also risen to the challenges of taking on their roles of ‘chicken monitors’ with great - [Busy Bees in Year 1](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2020/09/22/busy-bees-in-year-1/) - Here are just some of the amazing things Year 1 have been up to over the past few weeks. The Year 1 teaching staff are delighted with how quickly the class have settled in to their new classroom and curriculum. - [Pop-Up Pre-Prep](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2020/07/07/pop-up-pre-prep-2/) - To say the Pre-Prep children have been having a ball would be complete understatement! But do not take our word for it, here are some lovely photographs, showing all the wonderful things they have been up to. - [Our Charity Uniform Day](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2020/05/12/our-charity-uniform-day/) - Here are some of the photographs taken of our ever so smart children in their uniform. Click here for the full story. - [Pre-Prep’s New Online Platform](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2020/04/28/pre-preps-new-online-platform-2/) - As a larger proportion of their learning is physical/ activity based, naturally, Pre-Prep have been the more challenging age group to ensure we are still providing education for. Bellevue have devised an interactive 'Learning Zone' for which to do this: linking to the key EYFS curriculum areas. Parents are able to access the online platform whenever - [Remote Learning: The Forest Way](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2020/04/28/remote-learning-the-forest-way/) - Here is a selection of photos of all the exciting learning which has been taking place at home. From baking delicious-looking scones, to learning how to keep a plant alive to designing a synagogue- there appears to be no end to our children's talents. - [Wonderful Writing](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2020/04/28/wonderful-writing/) - All the staff at Forest have been astounded by the amazing work our children continue to produce from home; notably their quality of writing. Here are a selection of beautiful pieces of writing completed by our Foresters: from Year 1 - Year 6. From poetry to rewriting stories to research pieces, a huge well done to - [An Excellent End to a Peculiar Year: A Thank You From Us](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2020/07/09/an-excellent-end-to-a-peculiar-year-a-thank-you-from-us/) - This week marks the end to, what has been, a very strange academic year and I could not be prouder to be a part of such a hardworking, highly motivated and community-based school. Staff and parents alike have truly excelled in their approach to both the remote learning, which was thrust upon them, and in - [Staying Connected and Supporting Each Other](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2020/05/19/staying-connected-and-supporting-each-other/) - During this period of remote learning, it is of vital importance to ensure that we all remain connected and that our Foresters continue to feel recognised and valued as part of the Forest family. Pastoral care is at the heart of life at Forest and our regular Google Meets have ensured that we continue to - [Our Forest Community Rising to the Challenge](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2020/04/28/our-forest-community-rising-to-the-challenge/) - Over the past few weeks, I could not be more proud of our whole school community and its coming together at this most challenging of times. As parents at Forest, you have been hugely supportive of all that the school has been trying to achieve through remote learning. The photographs and emails that have been - [Bringing Learning to Life: Year 6 Evacuees](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2020/12/08/bringing-learning-to-life-year-6-evacuees/) - Earlier this week, Year 6 stepped back in time and became wartime evacuees. Before entering school, their identification cards were inspected. Throughout the day, Mrs Knowles had planned a variety of activities linked to the war theme. They enjoyed their ‘Make do and Mend’ where children utilised what little materials they had to create Christmas - [Cross-Curricular Learning: French and Computing](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2020/12/08/cross-curricular-learning-french-and-computing/) - We apply diverse knowledge and skills to problems in our lives on a daily basis, so it is not much of a surprise that research on cross-curricular learning in schools has been found to have plenty of benefits to children. At Forest, teachers are constantly thinking of ways to teach in a cross-curricular manner. The - [Pandemic-Style PE: A Healthy Body is a Healthy Mind](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2020/12/08/pandemic-style-pe-a-healthy-body-is-a-healthy-mind/) - Forest Preparatory School is committed to a broad and balanced Sports, Fitness and PE education. Despite the current pandemic, we have been lucky enough to continue to ensure our pupils have been provided with a range of activities to develop healthy bodies and healthy minds. Sadly, school practice and competitions have had to be postponed this - [Our Thriving Chess Club](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2020/11/17/our-thriving-chess-club/) - Forest Preparatory School has always been proud of the vast array of extra-curricular opportunities we are able to offer to our children: from cooking to debate club. Over the past 18 months, Chess Club has proven to be one of the most successful clubs in terms of uptake and has produced some inter-school champions along the - [Helping our Local Community #theforestway](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2020/11/17/helping-our-local-community-theforestway/) - Here at Forest Prep, we value links to and partnerships with our local community- jumping at the chance to help those around us, especially who may be less fortunate than we are. Last week, The Bideford Community Food Hub, based in Wythenshawe, thanked us for the many kind donations made by our ever-generous Forest families. - [Presenting our Year 6 Honours](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2020/11/17/presenting-our-year-6-honours/) - To celebrate the end of the recent gruelling exam process, Year 6 enjoyed a fun- filled tea party to celebrate all they have achieved thus far. In previous years, the school Honours were given out at Speech Night. This year, due to Lockdown, the children were presented with their roles by Mr Hyde, in school. - [Celebrating Remarkable Writers](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2020/10/13/celebrating-remarkable-writers/) - Each week, a child in each class (Reception - Year 6) is selected by their teacher for their outstanding writing. From acrostic poems to adventure stories, our literary whizzes have excited us all this week with their words. Congratualtions to our 'Writers of the Week' for their brilliant pieces of writing this week. - [A Smooth Transition to KS2](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2020/10/13/a-smooth-transition-to-ks2/) - Transition into a new year group always comes with its challenges; a new routine, new expectations, a new teacher to get used to. The transition from Key Stage 1 to Key Stage 2 is, understandably, a significant change for our children. Luckily for us, we have our very experienced Year 3 teacher, Mrs Eley who - [The Meaning of Harvest: Year 2](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2020/10/13/the-meaning-of-harvest-year-2/) - All the Year 2 children have made a sensational start to the academic year, in true Forester style. Last week, they thoroughly enjoyed their Alternative Harvest where they had fun creating leaf crowns, which they proudly wore as they left the classroom at the end of the day. This craft session was the culmination of - [Computing with our Chromebooks](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2020/10/13/computing-with-our-chromebooks/) - Each and every class has made a fantastic start to their computing lessons this half term, making use of the big investment in our Chromebooks made by the ICT department last year. As ever, lessons for each class started by centering around E-safety; the importance of keeping personal information private and steps to take if - [Speech Competition: Instilling Confidence in our Foresters](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2020/11/17/speech-competition-instilling-confidence-in-our-foresters/) - As ever, it has been a busy start to the second half of autumn term with the presentation and delivery of all the children's amazing pre-prepared speeches, from Pre-Prep to Year 6. A treasured time of year for all, every single speech has managed to engage and enlighten their audiences; we are always amazed by the varied topics each - [Lest We Forget: Remembrance](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2020/11/17/lest-we-forget-remembrance/) - The day began with all classes tuning in to a Google assembly, taken by Mrs Eley, to mark our annual Remembrance Service. Throughout the day, each class chose to participate in a variety of activities to demonstrate their appreciation of the annual event. Of course, as it drew closer to 11am, all classes gathered in their - [Our Hardworking Reception](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2020/11/17/our-hardworking-reception/) - Reception have had an extremely busy few weeks back at school. They have been working on their letter and number formations, in a variety of exciting activities planned by Mr Bullock and have shown how hardworking and determined they can be! Mr Bullock has thoroughly enjoyed his teaching stint in Reception, nearly as much as - [Engaged and Enthusiastic: Year 4 Triumphs](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2020/11/17/engaged-and-enthusiastic-year-4-triumphs/) - Our Year 4 children have had a busy start to the term with Mr Francis. A focus in their writing this half term has been adding further detail, using subordinate and embedded clauses. All children have worked incredibly hard to achieve this goal, with great success. In addition, they have been exploring how to add - [Year 6 Honours: Meet the Team](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2020/11/17/year-6-honours-meet-the-team/) - In order of appearance in the photos: Head Boy (LM) and Head Girl (MF) Deputy Head Boy (ZA) and Deputy Head Girl (SF) Swimming Captains (LTB and DW) School Council Representatives (US and AF) Sports Captains (HW and NW) Netball Captain (SW) Football Captain (HR) French Captain (OR) Music Captain (NH) House Captains: Mimwood (ED - [Rising to the Trafford Virtual PE Challenges](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2020/10/13/rising-to-the-trafford-virtual-pe-challenges/) - Returning to sport has been fantastic this half term and it is clear to see just how much the children have enjoyed participating in various sports once again. This half term, each Upper School class has had the opportunity to take part in the ‘Trafford Virtual School Games Intra-School Competition’. Each class has completed a - [Putting the Work in to See Progress: Year 5](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2020/10/13/putting-the-work-in-to-see-progress-year-5/) - From the moment they step into the classroom, Mr Booth's 'Work Hard Play Hard' mantra is instilled in the Year 5 children. The current class have made an exemplary start to the year and it is clear to see that they have taken to life in Year 5 with great pride, focus and determination to - [Supporting our Local Community: Alternative Harvest 2020](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2020/10/13/supporting-our-local-community-alternative-harvest-2020/) - Not being able to participate in and perform our usual harvest songs did little to dampen our spirits this year! Our class teachers got creative and were able to orchestrate a variety of harvest themed activities for their classes. A huge thank you to all our parents for helping us to support our local community - [The Wonders of Pre-Prep](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2020/10/13/the-wonders-of-pre-prep/) - Take a look at all the wonderul things our Pre-Prep have been up to over the past few weeks. From measuring shoe sizes, to creating class corn art out of popcorn, to experimenting with different tastes, to perfecting their planters, they have all settled in well this half term and are making huge progress along the - [Dazzling Displays](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2020/09/22/dazzling-displays/) - Do not take our word for all the amazing work going on in school, take a look at some of the beautiful classroom displays, showcasing all the outstanding work being done throughout the school. - [Interactive Learning in Pre-Prep](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2020/09/22/interactive-learning-in-pre-prep/) - Take a look at some of the incredible, interactive learning our Pre-Prep children have been participating in over the past few weeks. Nothing but happy, smiling faces. - [Our Commitment to Constant Communication](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2020/11/19/our-commitment-to-constant-communication/) - As school’s have had to adapt and make changes in recent times, we continue to work hard to maintain our high levels of communication with parents. The start of this half term has seen staff completing the autumn progress reports on your children. These are due to be followed by Parents’ Evening next week, which - [Helping to Keep Our Community Safe: A Thank You](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2020/10/13/helping-to-keep-our-community-safe-a-thank-you/) - As the first half term of the year comes to a close, may I say how proud I am of the whole school community. Everyone has played their part in bringing the whole school back together and trying to keep us all safe and well in these challenging times. Classrooms and lessons feel back to - [A Warm Welcome Back](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2020/09/22/a-warm-welcome-back/) - At the beginning of this academic year, it has been a pleasure to see the school return in its entirety again. The children have settled so well into their classes and you can already feel their engagement and curiosity beginning to grow and new relationships being formed with their teachers. Although we are closely following - [Our Artsmark Journey: Continuing to Gold](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2021/02/02/our-artsmark-journey-continuing-to-gold/) - Last year, Ms. Wellings begun leading the school through Artsmark: the only creative quality standard for schools and education settings, accredited by Arts Council England. This is a prestigious award, overseen by the Arts Council of England, and is awarded to schools who demonstrate effective strategic planning and whole-school commitment to a high standard of artistic - [Mental Health Week: Healthy Mind, Healthy Body](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2021/02/02/mental-health-week-healthy-mind-healthy-body/) - This week marks Children’s Mental Health Week, 2021. Since the first lockdown last year, mental health has become an increasingly prominent topic in the news. This year, the theme of Children’s Mental Health Week is ‘Express Yourself’ and is focused on getting children and adults to find creative ways to share their thoughts, feelings and - [Keeping Ourselves Active](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2021/02/02/keeping-ourselves-active/) - We are hugely impressed with the enthusiasm and dedication our children have been putting into their workouts this half term. Once again, a huge thanks to Joe Wicks for providing some interactive workouts to our lockdown. Additionally, Mr Bullock has given his all for a live fitness class for Upper School this afternoon, which proved - [Interventions Triumph: Continuing Personalised Education](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2021/02/02/interventions-triumph-continuing-personalised-education/) - This lockdown, our Foresters' home-learning timetables have mimicked their in-school timetables very well: keeping them all extremely busy! From individual subject teachers continuing their lessons with each class, to small learning group video calls (book clubs, phonics classes, reading to name a few) to one-to-one learning support with Mrs Mulholland. We are incredibly proud to continue - [A Forest First: Fab-yule-ous Filmed Nativity](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2020/12/14/a-forest-first-fab-yule-ous-filmed-nativity/) - Last week was a Forest First - we were so excited to present a special Forest film version of our 2020 Nativity "Lights, Camel, Action 2! The Sequin!". Households around Timperley were glued to their screens last Thursday night to watch our Year 2 superstars, supported wonderfully by Year 1 and Reception, and featuring cameos - [Festive Forest Feeling Filling the Air](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2020/12/08/festive-forest-feeling-filling-the-air/) - There is a definite festive Forest feeling filling the air, which started unusually early this year with preparation for the big nativity extravaganza. Over the past week, festive activities have ramped up, with classes getting busy with their ‘Window Challenge’ craft, decorating their class trees and learning about the meaning behind Christmas. After a terribly busy - [Year 5 Visit Ancient Greece](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2020/12/08/year-5-visit-ancient-greece/) - It’s all Greek to me in Year 5... What better way to start a December than with some fancy dress? It was all go in Year 5 this week as they embarked on a themed day dedicated to their History studies- The Ancient Greeks. The children started the morning discussing politics and the types of ruling; looking - [Pre-Prep: New Learning Experiences](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2021/02/02/pre-prep-new-learning-experiences/) - Our Pre-Prep children have been continuing to have a wonderful learning experience at Forest. Not only have they been lucky enough to learn how to roll, shape and decorate some delicious cookies with Chef Simon, they have continued to flourish in their outddor Forest School activities, enjoy multiple snow days and learn the importance of animal - [Fancy Dress Fun on the Final Few Days](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2020/12/14/fancy-dress-fun-on-the-final-few-days/) - What better way to end the dreary autumn term than with fancy dress and virtual pantomine viewings, in place of our annual Upper School trip to Stockport Plaza? Children (and staff!) made a fantastic effort dressing up and plenty of fun was had by all! - [Christmas Window Challenge](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2020/12/08/christmas-window-challenge/) - This year, to inject just a touch more Christmas spirit into Forest, Mr Booth set the classes a 'Christmas Window Challenge' as an opportunity for classes to get creative and decorate their windows as festively as possible. Here are some of the entries. After some intense judging by our independent judging panel, a huge congratulations - [Sending Christmas Cheer](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2020/12/10/sending-christmas-cheer/) - As with most events in 2020, we have had to adapt our school Christmas calendar, but hopefully we have managed to keep some of the festive cheer and magic of this time of year. Ms Wellings has overseen the production of a brilliant Virtual Nativity, recorded over several months and showcasing the many talents of - [The Forest We Know: It’s Good to be Back](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2021/03/19/the-forest-we-know-its-good-to-be-back/) - The days have started to become longer, lighter and have definitely become louder since welcoming our Foresters back into school. We have been astounded with how each and every pupil has returned. Despite a disruptive 12 months, the children have coped remarkably well and any transitions back into school have been seamless. The air is - [Incredible Learning: A Snapshot of Work](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2021/02/02/incredible-learning-a-snapshot-of-work/) - We are bursting with pride at all the effort and hard work our Foresters are putting into their home learning, so we thought we would show some of it off! Remember- not all learning has to be confined to working in books... - [Donating to Charity: Uniform Day](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2021/02/02/donating-to-charity-uniform-day/) - At Forest, we pride ourselves on our smart appearance. Therefore, on Monday 1st February, we asked our children to come to our virtual school in their Forest uniform. At a time when so many more people find themselves in need, as a reverse of our normal 'non-uniform days', we asked that a charitable donation, of - [Home Learning: Keeping it Fresh](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2021/02/02/home-learning-keeping-it-fresh/) - During our online learning this half term, we have been keen to nurture our children's burgeoning Forest attitudes of resilience, passion and drive, whilst realising the importance of bringing a little something extra to our classes. Upper School have enjoyed a 'Crazy Hair Day' with Mr Booth, a 'Fancy Hats' Non-Verbal Reasoning class with Mr - [An Amazing School Community](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2021/02/02/an-amazing-school-community/) - In this edition of the E-Magazine, I would just like to reinforce what an amazing school community we have at Forest. Throughout this period of remote learning, there is no doubt that our dedicated staff have been working very hard, with many completing roles that are new to them. On-site, our grounds, catering and office - [Spring to Summer Sport Update](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2021/07/01/spring-to-summer-sport-update/) - With a phased return of sports, it has been an increasingly busy term at Forest. We were welcomed back with socially-distanced-arms to Altrincham Leisure Centre, for the first swimming lessons in over a year. This was a milestone moment for our current Year 1 children, as it was their first school swimming lesson! Considering all - [Preparation is the Key to Success: Year 5 Mock Exam](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2021/06/30/preparation-is-the-key-to-success-year-5-mock-exam/) - Each year group has its own challenges. In Year 5, one of the biggest challenges is exam preparation- physically and mentally. From the first time the children step into Year 5, Mr Booth instils into them the ‘Work Hard, Play Hard’ mantra and it is one the children take very seriously. The endless hard work - [Bringing France to Timperley: Bon Appétit!](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2021/06/30/bringing-france-to-timperley-bon-appetit/) - Each year, our Year 5 and 6 children embark upon an exciting week-long residential trip; alternating between Shropshire and France. The unprecedented year we have endured has meant that our current Year 6 children have not been able to enjoy either residential trip. This however, did not stop Madame Cotton bringing France to Timperley, by - [Heads to switch roles in exciting change at Forest School](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2021/06/22/heads-to-switch-roles-in-exciting-change-at-forest-school/) - Forest Preparatory School, a Bellevue Education school based in Timperley, Cheshire, will see its Headteacher and Deputy Headteacher switch roles at the start of the new academic year in September 2021. Our current headteacher Rick Hyde will take up the role of Deputy Headteacher and Year Five Teacher, whilst current Deputy Headteacher Graeme Booth - [Staff Changes and Well-Wishes for the Future](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2021/05/07/staff-changes-and-well-wishes-for-the-future/) - At Forest, we are extremely lucky to have such an amazing team of staff working alongside each other. Recently, there have been a few announcements on staff changes, one of which being our Site Manager, Gavin Pawson, leaving us at the end of this half term. We have been fortunate to have Gavin work for - [Bellevue Northern Sports Festival](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2021/05/07/bellevue-northern-sports-festival/) - Over the last year, childrens' competitive sport has been one school activity which has been difficult to safely continue. As restrictions ease and with all precautions being taken, our Year 6 class were lucky enough to take part in the Bellevue Northern Schools Sports Festival. The sports event, including children from Brabyns Prep, Edenhurst Prep - [Channelling Challenge](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2021/05/07/channelling-challenge/) - Here at Forest, the staff team remains passionate in encouraging children to feel confident in challenging themselves; offering support and guidance to the children and encouraging pupils to work as a team in taking on higher order material or problem-solving scenarios at a greater depth. In Upper School, Year 4 have been working extremely hard - [Smiling Faces for our Return to Swimming](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2021/05/07/smiling-faces-for-our-return-to-swimming/) - This week, our Year 1’s were thrilled to have their very first Forest swimming lesson. Mrs Burns and Mrs Wells were so proud of the children: their attitudes and behaviour were truly exemplary. Swimming has many benefits for children; enhancing mental development, developing confidence, boosting social skills, and improving strength, flexibility and stamina. We truly - [Exemplary Exam Results: Our Best Ever!](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2021/04/01/exemplary-exam-results-our-best-ever/) - This year, we could not be more proud of our Year 6 children and the outstanding exam results that they have achieved. Over 86% of the children sat external examinations, with 95% of those passing for at least one grammar school and 84% passing more than one grammar school; giving parents and pupils a choice - [An Exciting Change for September 2021](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2021/03/26/an-exciting-change-for-september-2021/) - Yesterday, Forest Preparatory School announced a very exciting change. At the start of the new academic year, in September 2021, Rick and Graeme will be switching roles! Current Headmaster, Rick Hyde, will take up the role of Deputy Headmaster and Year Five Teacher, whilst current Deputy Headmaster, Graeme Booth, will step into the headship. Both Mr Hyde - [Year 1: What Makes Us Happy](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2021/03/19/year-1-what-makes-us-happy/) - One of the books Year 1 have enjoyed this half term is, ‘Jar of Happiness’ by Ailsa Burrows. The children loved reflecting on what makes them happy during our PSHE time. After some lovely discussions, the Year 1 ‘Wall of Happiness’ was made and is now flooded with beautifully painted pictures, showcasing all the things - [REU23 Fundraiser](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2021/06/30/reu23-fundraiser/) - On Thursday 13th May, the children throughout the school were sponsored to cycle, scooter, run and skip to help raise money for Reuben’s Retreat. Children were challenged to complete 23 minutes of continuous movement around the grounds and, as ever, our determined Foresters were keen to earn their sponsor money and try their best. The - [Astounding Artsmark Work](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2021/05/07/astounding-artsmark-work/) - We continue to promote and celebrate the school's Arts provision in striving to achieve the Gold Artsmark Award. Follow our Twitter @ForestPrepArts to find out more. - [Our Year 6’s: How They’ve Grown](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2021/05/07/our-year-6s-how-theyve-grown/) - Can you spot a few familiar faces? We are so incredibly proud of all our Year 6 children, for the individuals they have become. Whether they have been with us from the start, or joined us part-way through, each pupil's individual Forest Journey has been a special one and we are delighted with their continued - [Forest Spring Fest 2021: The Forest Way](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2021/04/01/forest-spring-fest-2021-the-forest-way/) - This year, in lieu of our annual Flower Service at the Citadel, the pupils, teachers and parents have been working collaboratively to bring spring to life with our Forest Spring Festival 2021. The children have been reciting poems, singing songs, making various spring craft and enjoying all that spring has to offer. Additionally, we thank - [Pre-Prep Easter Bonnet Parade](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2021/04/01/pre-prep-easter-bonnet-parade/) - This morning, the hugely anticipated Pre-Prep Easter Bonnet Parade took place in the school grounds. Our socially-distanced class bubbles were able to provide the encouragement our littlest Foresters required to strut around in their wonderfully designed bonnets. Thank you to the Pre-Prep parents, as always, for being so involved in making the pupil’s exceptional bonnets - [Express Yourself: What Makes a Good Forester?](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2021/03/19/express-yourself-what-makes-a-good-forester/) - During the most recent lockdown period, we decided to have another ‘screen-free’ afternoon to promote mental wellbeing amongst our children (and teachers!) Children were asked to use their imagination and creative skills to design and make something which represented ‘What makes a good Forester?’ From cakes to poetry, writing on pebbles to artistic pictures: we - [Sensational Sports Day for Lower and Upper School](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2021/07/01/sensational-sports-day-for-lower-and-upper-school/) - Lucky with the weather, our Lower and Upper School classes took turns in participating in a wonderful Sports Day. The children enjoyed a variety of races: flat, egg and spoon, bean bag balance, obstacle, hurdles. Children competed in their house groups, with the aim of achieving as many points as possible to contribute to their - [Monkeying Around: Chester Zoo](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2021/06/30/monkeying-around-chester-zoo/) - After nearly 16 months of not being able to enjoy school trips, Year 5 and 6 were lucky enough to jump on a coach and go exploring at Chester Zoo. All children were impeccably behaved and did us proud in representing the school so commendably. - [Life Through the Eyes of Pre-Prep](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2021/05/07/life-through-the-eyes-of-pre-prep/) - Three areas are particularly important for building a foundation for igniting children’s curiosity and enthusiasm for learning, forming relationships and thriving: communication and language, physical development and personal, social and emotional development. Additionally, these three prime areas are strengthened and applied by supporting children in four specific areas: literacy, mathematics, understanding the world and expressive arts and design. Our - [Keeping our Children Safe: E-safety](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2021/05/07/keeping-our-children-safe-e-safety/) - At the start of each term, every class from Nursery to Year 6 takes part in ‘Forest E-safety Week’. These lessons consist of age appropriate topics, which help the children safely navigate their way through off and online computer safety. EYFS and Lower School lessons this term, focused on how to safely use a computer - [Upholding Traditions: World Book Day 2021](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2021/03/19/upholding-traditions-world-book-day-2021/) - World Book Day gives us the opportunity to celebrate authors, illustrators, books and (most importantly) reading. In fact, it's the biggest celebration of its kind, designated by UNESCO as a worldwide celebration of books and reading, and marked in over 100 countries all over the world. Remote-learning did little to stop us celebrating the occasion - [Post-Easter Easing: A Steady Reintroduction of Activities](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2021/05/07/post-easter-easing-a-steady-reintroduction-of-activities/) - As we move cautiously forward, following the Government's road-map to recovery, we can steadily begin to reintroduce events, clubs and lessons back into the school calendar and day. We have added some outdoor after school clubs to our full wraparound service and the Easter holiday saw Soccerwise hosting a tremendously popular holiday club too. This - [A Spring in Our Step: A Good Way to End a Term](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2021/04/01/a-spring-in-our-step-a-good-way-to-end-a-term/) - Firstly, may I say how proud we have been in the way the whole school community has come back together following the second period of remote learning. It has been lovely to see classes coming back together and the children socialising and playing once more with their friends. The children are working very hard across - [A Busy Start to the Year 6 Calendar](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2021/10/01/a-busy-start-to-the-year-6-calendar/) - Year 6 Honours I’m sure for many Forest parents of Year 6 children, it doesn’t seem that long ago when their children were just starting their Forest journey in our Nursery/ Kindergarten. Now, we proudly present to you, our Year 6 Leaders for the academic year ahead: JM - Head Boy GM- Head Girl MH- - [Forest High Flyers: Sport Update](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2021/10/01/forest-high-flyers-sport-update/) - Football In a similar fashion to the next season's premier league kit being revealed, Forest Prep’s football team had their very own opportunity to unveil a brand new home kit. The kit was very kindly funded by our school’s fantastic Parents Association and wider school community, to whom we would like to say a huge - [Hip, Hip, TA! National Teaching Assistant Day](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2021/10/01/hip-hip-ta-national-teaching-assistant-day/) - On the 16th September, we got the opportunity to celebrate the amazing teaching assistants we are so very fortunate to have here at Forest. Whether it is welcoming their class in every day, doing 1-2-1 reading, phonics practise, helping small class groups in lessons, designing classroom displays, or just peeling an orange at breaktime, the - [Youngest to Eldest: Whole School Wraparound](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2021/10/01/youngest-to-eldest-whole-school-wraparound/) - Attention ALL parents- we are pleased to announce that we are now extending the offer of wraparound care to our littlest Foresters! Children from Nursery all the way up to Year 6 are welcome to join our Breakfast Club 07:30-08:30 and Late Stay 15:10-17:55, any day of the week. From early morning reading practise, to - [Welcoming New Faces in September](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2021/07/15/welcoming-new-faces-in-september/) - As we draw close to this academic year, we get ready to bid farewell to some of our cherished staff members and welcome some new faces, who will be joining our team in their place. After 16 magnificent years, Madame Cotton, will be embarking on her tennis, golf and grandchild-filled retirement and, although we will - [Year 6 Leavers: Our Forever-Foresters](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2021/07/13/year-6-leavers-our-forever-foresters/) - It is that time of the academic year again, when our oldest pupils move on to pastures new, with exciting challenges awaiting them at secondary school. Whether the children have been with us since Nursery, or joined at a later stage, here at Forest, we like to mark the end of a huge stage in - [Pre-Prep-aring for September](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2021/07/13/pre-prep-aring-for-september/) - Pre-Prep have been busy preparing for their exciting new starts in September. Current Nursery will graduate through to Kindergarten and no longer be the smallest Foresters in school whereas those in Kindi will begin a more formal setting in Reception. Needless to say, they have been busy in and out of the classroom. Sports Day In - [Young Enterprise: Year 6 Do the Apprentice](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2021/07/12/young-enterprise-year-6-do-the-apprentice/) - This term, the Year 6 children were challenged to develop their entrepreneurial skills by taking part in the ‘Year 6 Foresters Do The Apprentice’ project for our Young Enterprise week. They were tasked with the following brief: “Create a product or service to sell to members of Forest school and generate the greatest profit for - [Forest Family Feeling](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2021/10/01/forest-family-feeling/) - We are so thrilled that our classes can finally mix once again. With this in mind, we see the return of House Meetings (albeit a change in the time to afternoon sessions), Reading Buddies and mixed class assemblies. Creating our 'Forest Family' is no fluke. House Meetings and Reading Buddies are just two examples of - [Wondrous Writers](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2021/10/01/wondrous-writers/) - Amongst the many things we enjoy celebrating at Forest, one of them is outstanding writing. Mr Francis always looks forward to announcing the Writer of the Week in Reception-Year 6 classes and their work is put on display in the hall for all to see. We have enjoyed seeing a variety of genres of writing - [I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream for Ice Cream!](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2021/07/15/i-scream-you-scream-we-all-scream-for-ice-cream/) - A huge thank you to the Parents' Association for organising our annual end of year treat! - [Kindergarten are Reception-Ready](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2021/07/01/kindergarten-are-reception-ready/) - This time of year is always very busy for any year group. Kindergarten have been busy preparing themselves for Reception. Phonic revising, spelling their full names, reflecting on mental health, teaching others and even a bit of forest learning; our busy bees in Kindergarten are definitely oozing confidence and Reception-ready! - [Our Ever-Productive Pre-Prep](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2021/10/01/our-ever-productive-pre-prep/) - Our Pre-Prep children (and teachers!) have been extremely busy these past few weeks; from cutting, making and tasting fruit salads; making wind streamers to see how they move in the wind; finding, counting and learning about conquers; making rainbow pictures with paint and water; developing fine motor skills using tweezers to pick up different sized pom-poms; - [Summer Show: Could You Hug a Cactus?](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2021/07/13/summer-show-could-you-hug-a-cactus/) - Based on a collection of whimsical poems by Phillip Van Wagoner, Could You Hug A Cactus? is a musical revue that follows a group of kids as they come together to create a show that’s bursting with poems and creativity. One by one, they each share their imaginative creations, until a nervous performer panics and - [Year 6 Leavers: Our Forever-Foresters](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2021/07/13/year-6-leavers-our-forever-foresters-2/) - Please enjoy this selection of the Year 6 chidren enjoying their many 'end of year' activities. We will miss you Year 6! - [Get Them Out of There: Year 5 Go Into the Wild](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2021/07/12/get-them-out-of-there-year-5-go-into-the-wild/) - Who said learning has to take place in the classroom? Last week, Year 5 had the pleasure of reconnecting with nature at their Survival School trip to ‘Into the Wild Bushcraft’. The class were introduced to many new skills; foraging, shelter building, fire starting and tool maintenance- to name only a few! The children had - [The Wonderful Work of our Foresters](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2021/07/01/the-wonderful-work-of-our-foresters/) - From symmetrical African portraits in Year 4, to Year 1 penning their own version of Handa's Hen, our Forest children have had a busy term. Who says work has to be completed in the constraints of the classroom? Year 3 have ventured outside to showcase their knowledge of angles using chalk on the playground and - [Head and Deputy: A Final Word](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2021/07/15/head-and-deputy-a-final-word/) - As you may have read in recent correspondence, or heard at Speech Night, it has been my privilege to have led the school for the past fourteen years. Therefore, in my final blog, I would like to thank you for a final time; all the outstanding colleagues, incredibly supportive parents and truly amazing children I - [Edging Slowly Back to our Norm](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2021/07/01/edging-slowly-back-to-our-norm/) - Following what has been a time of restrictions within school’s, it has been so pleasing to see some events being permitted back into the school calendar. School trips have been taking place and more are to follow before the end of the academic year. Sports Days have successfully returned and, with careful planning, we were delighted - [Overcoming Barriers: Learning Support](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2021/11/25/overcoming-barriers-learning-support/) - As a school, we are motivated to enable every child to fulfil their potential during their Forest journey, however short or long. As such, the Learning Support Classroom was founded in 2013 to provide support and intervention for children who have been identified by the class teacher as having a barrier to learning. As a qualified - [Developing Public Speaking Skills: Speech Competitions](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2021/11/23/developing-public-speaking-skills-speech-competitions/) - This autumn term saw the return of our much-loved annual Speech Competition. The event sees children from Pre-Prep to Year 6 present and deliver a pre-prepared speech of a topic of their choice to the rest of their class. After delivering to their class, two winners from each class are chosen to compete in a - [Year 3 and 4’s Collaborative Learning Approach](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2021/11/23/year-3-and-4s-collaborative-learning-approach/) - Collaborative learning is a teaching method where children learn in small groups or teams allowing them to consolidate their knowledge on the concept being discussed. This half term, Year 3 and 4 will be using this approach in their mental maths, every Tuesday morning from 8:30-9:15am. The children will be put into groups, using teacher and - [Embedding our Values: Relationships and PSHE](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2021/10/14/embedding-our-values-relationships-and-pshe/) - This half term has seen each class delve into the new, carefully designed Relationships and PSHE curriculum. Lessons have been all about celebrating the children for who they are, as individuals, and highlighting those people who are special in the children’s lives. Whilst the focus in Lower School has been exploring and recognising an array - [Charitable Causes](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2021/10/14/charitable-causes/) - Reuben’s Retreat This week, children were invited to come into school in their own clothes to help raise money for a charity close to our hearts: Reuben’s Retreat. The event was in honour of Reuben Michael Graham, who tragically passed away in August 2012, aged just 23 months. The charity, which his mother set up, - [One Kind Word: Anti-Bullying Week](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2021/11/23/one-kind-word-anti-bullying-week/) - Anti-Bullying Week is coordinated In England and Wales by the Anti-Bullying Alliance and took place from 15 to 19 November 2021. It had the theme ‘One Kind Word’. The week began with Odd Socks Day, which was supported by CBBC and CBeebies star Andy Day and his band ‘Andy and the Odd Socks.’ This linked - [Bringing Learning to Life: The Return of the Romans](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2021/10/14/bringing-learning-to-life-the-return-of-the-romans/) - A highlight in the Year 3 calendar, it was time for the Romans to invade Forest once again. Year 3 have been learning a great deal about the Roman way of life this half term and have been working extremely hard on perfecting their assembly to showcase their learning. They did a superb job of - [Happy Harvest 2021](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2021/10/14/happy-harvest-2021/) - Once again, at this year’s Harvest Festival, we were left amazed by the generosity of our Forest families. The Salvation Army will distribute the huge donation of canned and dried goods from their food bank for families referred to them by Social Services and individuals in need. A special thank you to all the families - [A Busy Sporting Schedule](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2021/11/25/a-busy-sporting-schedule/) - Once again, Mr Bullock has been busy organising and attending the many sports events for this year and we have had some resounding successes! We took a team of 12 to the ISA Macclesfield Gala, all children swam very well, both individually, as well as in their team events. From this, we have three swimmers - [Sharing Achievements with Parents: Open Classrooms](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2021/11/23/sharing-achievements-with-parents-open-classrooms/) - Here at Forest, celebrating achievements and successes is part of our routine. Our Friday morning assemblies are something in which children, from Nursery all the way to Year 6, look forward to. Presented by Mr Booth, it is an opportunity to celebrate all things Forest: whether that be each class’s Pupil of the Week, French - [Time to Reflect: Remembrance Day 2021](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2021/11/23/time-to-reflect-remembrance-day-2021/) - Remembrance Day has been a part of our annual calendar for over 100 years: first observed in 1919 throughout the British Commonwealth. It was originally called “Armistice Day” to commemorate the armistice agreement that ended the First World War on Monday, November 11, 1918, at 11 a.m.—on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of - [First Headmaster’s Treat Trip](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2021/10/14/first-headmasters-treat-trip/) - As mentioned in the last e-Magazine, Mr Booth was keen to take the Year 6 children on a well-deserved treat trip...to the bowling alley! Each pupil in the class are a valued member of our Forest family and were a fantastic credit to the school for the duration of the trip. - [Helping Transform Young Lives: Children in Need](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2021/11/23/helping-transform-young-lives-children-in-need/) - What a resounding success! A heartfelt thank you to all those who attended Mrs McClearn’s legendary Children in Need breakfast on 12th November and made it a great success. With contributions for the breakfast, the children’s own clothes donations, the Year 6 cake sale and all other activities, the children managed to raise an unbelievable - [Pre-Prep Perfect their Fine Motor Skills](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2021/10/15/pre-prep-perfect-their-fine-motor-skills/) - Practising fine motor skills is such an essential part of Pre-Prep life; building the strength in their fingers to help them develop their beautiful writing. Whether it is rolling dough, scooping out pumpkin seeds with spoons, creating pictures using paintbrushes or crayons, cutting their food with knives and forks, weaving or just a bit of broccoli for - [Big Efforts and Big Smiles in Year 1](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2021/10/15/big-efforts-and-big-smiles-in-year-1/) - This half term, Year 1 have been extremely busy. They have been doing lots of English work and writing activities linked to their class reads: This is the Bear, The Tiger Who Came to Tea and The Colour Monster. They have been sorting 'ch' and 'sh' sounds, identifying and discussing feelings, exploring properties of and naming - [Run, Forest! Run! Cross Country Results](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2021/10/14/run-forest-run-cross-country-results/) - Our Cross Country runners have been going from strength-to-strength. Last week, we had superb placings, with everyone beating or maintaining their previous race positions and all our Year 6 boys were all placed within the top ten! Mr Booth stated, ‘Incredibly proud of all our Foresters this morning. Not only did they show excellent skill - [The Yeast They Deserve: Year 5 Bread Making](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2021/10/01/the-yeast-they-deserve-year-5-bread-making/) - After a strong, hardworking start to the year, the Year 5 pupils were set the challenge of making the perfect loaf. The children learnt the scientific process of bread making and how to adapt materials to make different products. We knead to say a huge thanks to Chef Simon, as without him, the children wouldn't have - [A Busy and Varied Autumn Term](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2021/11/25/a-busy-and-varied-autumn-term/) - Since the half term break, life at Forest has been a varied and busy one. We've enjoyed the annual Speech Competition, where all pupils, as ever, shone with their confidence in delivering some fascinating topics and facts. We were also delighted to welcome parents and families into school for the return of Mrs McClearn’s charity - [Headship: An Impossible Feat Without Unwavering Support](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2021/10/15/headship-an-impossible-feat-without-unwavering-support/) - It suddenly dawned on me, as we started the final day of the half term, that I should check I was doing what I'm supposed to be doing! I turned to the ever-reliable Google search with ‘What does a Headmaster do?’ Here’s the answer; 'They provide vision and leadership to all stakeholders in the school - [The Forest Way Is Here To Stay](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2021/10/01/the-forest-way-is-here-to-stay/) - It has been wonderful to welcome back our Foresters, both old and new; our grounds and classrooms are, once again, filled with laughter, fun and hard work. Friendships have been rekindled and new buddies formed. Over the Autumn term, we are looking forward to several key Forest events, most notably the Harvest Festival Day, Speech - [Year 2 Showcasing their Learning](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2022/02/08/year-2-showcasing-their-learning/) - Last week, we travelled to Pudding Lane with Year 2 as they performed their assembly on The Great Fire of London. They retold the story and showcased their learning through songs, drama and dance. The children sang beautifully and showed everyone their confidence and enthusiasm - well done Year 2! - [A Roaring Success: Chinese New Year](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2022/02/08/a-roaring-success-chinese-new-year/) - Since its inception over 3,800 years ago, Chinese New Year has grown in importance, not only in China, but also across the globe. From homegrown traditions to international celebrations, the celebration is helping spread Chinese culture worldwide. This year, we celebrated in The Forest Way; lantern making, mask designing as well as learning about the - [Sensational Support Staff](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2022/01/25/sensational-support-staff/) - At Forest, we are incredibly fortunate to, not only have teaching support staff throughout the school, but have the finest there are! From 1-2-1 reading with pupils, to small group interventions (whether that be to provide support to those who need additional support or challenge those more able), to the wonderfully eye-catching and informative displays - [Pastoral Nurturing: Buddy System](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2022/01/25/pastoral-nurturing-buddy-system/) - At Forest, we are very proud of our friendly, safe and nurturing environment, with our buddy system playing a crucial role in this. Every week, Reception children and their Year 6 buddies, and Year 1 and their Year 5 buddies, get the opportunity to meet for a catch-up. Children share everything - from what they - [A Busy Half Term for Sport](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2022/01/25/a-busy-half-term-for-sport/) - Cross Country No matter the weather or the terrain, our Forest runners have been excelling in Cross Country, week-after-week. Congratulations to our Year 6 Games Captain, JH, who has been selected to represent Trafford at the Greater Manchester Junior Cross Country Championships on Saturday 5th February. Well done on your team selection and wishing you - [Acquisition and Consolidation: Y5 Learning Experiences](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2022/01/25/acquisition-and-consolidation-y5-learning-experiences/) - In the ever-changing technological world we live in, Year 5 were lucky to experience a live session all about saving our planet, screened live from Jodrell Bank. The session was interactive, engaging and extremely thought-provoking for our Year 5 pupils- a thoroughly enjoyable learning experience! In contrast, the Year 5s took their Geography learning to - [Radio Alty: Superstar Foresters](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2021/12/13/radio-alty-superstar-foresters/) - We are delighted, and very excited, to announce that we are joining forces with @RadioAlty for a special occasion. On 29th Nov, we turned the Music Room into a recording studio with presenter, Peter Scotson. Our pupils performed a selection of festive treats; having time to record 21 songs, poems & stories performed by our - [Immersive Learning: Trips and Visitors](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2021/12/13/immersive-learning-trips-and-visitors/) - As a typically busy half term, our Foresters have thoroughly enjoyed the reintroduction of immersive learning experiences. We regard these as a fundamental part of learning as children are able to relate and develop their learning on a variety of topics, thus making it more memorable and ultimately, enabling them to retain information more effectively. - [Sporting Highlights: Swimming and Cycling](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2021/12/13/sporting-highlights-swimming-and-cycling/) - ISA National Finals Earlier this half term, our Forest swimming tradition of excellence continued as LA (Year 6), IF and DR (Year 4) journeyed to London to compete in the prestigious and highly competitive ISA National Finals. We were so incredibly proud of this group of swimmers. Each ran their best race; IF and DR - [Spreading Christmas Cheer: Good Deeds Done](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2021/12/13/spreading-christmas-cheer-good-deeds-done/) - Toy Appeal As December hits, the excitement of Christmas begins to bubble. Here at Forest, the children learn all about the story of Christmas, but more importantly, the meaning behind it: giving to others, especially those less fortunate than yourselves. It is a perfect opportunity to reflect on how lucky we are and give to - [Musical Delights](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2022/01/25/musical-delights/) - From ukuleles in Year 2, to boomwhackers and bells in Reception- Ms Wellings has been busy leading a diverse curriculum in music this half term. Year 1 pupils started the new term with a bang - focusing on treble clef and the note B on the middle line. We practised drawing the treble clef on - [Henry’s Break From Rome: Year 4 Assembly](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2022/01/25/henrys-break-from-rome-year-4-assembly/) - Showcasing their history learning and all things Henry VIII, Year 4 performed an outstanding assembly last week, to both the rest of the school and their parents. Not only was their performance outstanding, it proved very informative in delving into the history of the reformation of the church and how Henry VIII’s desire to have - [The Great Pre-Prep Bake Off](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2022/01/25/the-great-pre-prep-bake-off/) - Last week, Mr Booth revisited his roots and taught Kindergarten for the day and what better way to spend a Friday morning than baking bread…with a group of 3 and 4 year olds! Chef Simon (ever-organised and the perfectionist he is) did a sterling job of pre-weighing, making and proving the dough for the children. - [Forest Nativity 2021: A Midwife Crisis](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2021/12/17/forest-nativity-2021-a-midwife-crisis/) - This year, our Lower School was able to perform the wonderfully witty, ‘A Midwife Crisis’ to their parents and grandparents. With a new venue for the occasion, parents were welcomed into The Fuse with mulled wine and mince pies before the show began. As always, our Year 2 children commanded the main parts, with Year - [A Pre-Prep Christmas Wish](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2021/12/14/a-pre-prep-christmas-wish/) - Kindergarten absolutely shone as they performed their, ‘A Christmas Wish’ to very proud parents & grandparents. Our 3 and 4 year olds had beaming smiles as they spoke superbly & sang beautifully, oozing confidence from every angle. We were very proud of them. Down in Nursery, parents were invited into the classroom to share in - [Chinese New Year 2022](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2022/02/08/chinese-new-year-2022/) - A gallery to demonstrate all the wonderful Chinese New Year celebrations which went on around the school. - [Proud Learners: Actions Speak Louder Than Words](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2022/01/25/proud-learners-actions-speak-louder-than-words/) - Fostering a love of learning is something which all staff at Forest strive tirelessly to achieve. We could sit here all day and tell you of how much our Foresters love to learn, but it is much easier to show you instead! The smiles say it all… - [Christmas: The Forest Way](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2021/12/16/christmas-the-forest-way/) - What a busy end to the term; from (a rather soggy) Carols in the Grounds, to class trips to the Pantomine at Stockport Plaza, to EYFS visiting Father Christmas in his magical grotto, to our Upper School Carol Service, to welcoming back some Forest legends for a mince pie and a cup of tea- not - [Christmas Window Competition](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2021/12/14/christmas-window-competition/) - It was that time of year again, where Mr Booth set the classes a 'Christmas Window Challenge' as an opportunity for classes to get creative and decorate their windows as festively as possible. Here are some of the entries. Stay tuned to see who the winning class was... - [A Spring in our Foresters’ Step](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2022/01/25/a-spring-in-our-foresters-step/) - With the passing of autumn term and as each year group has become fully immersed in their class-specific routines and expectations, our transition into spring term brings a fresh and energised feeling to the school. Historically, spring term is not only a busy one within school, but one in which we find the children come - [Christmas: A Time to Reflect and be Grateful](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2021/12/16/christmas-a-time-to-reflect-and-be-grateful/) - Just like that (as I eagerly and excitedly sit, waiting for the coach to take us to see the big man himself) I'm writing the final piece for the school e-Magazine for this term. The favourite old saying of, ‘time flies when you’re having fun’ certainly comes to mind and what an incredible term it - [Mr Booth’s Tea Party](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2022/03/08/mr-booths-tea-party/) - Last half term, the School Council ran a competition to design something for Chinese New Year. The chosen winners won the honour of enjoying a tea party together in Mr Booth’s office. In the week leading up to the tea party, it was difficult to contain the children’s excitement! Each and every winner earned and - [Poet from the Peaks: Andy Tooze](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2022/03/08/poet-from-the-peaks-andy-tooze/) - Last week, we welcomed the “Poet from the Peaks”, Andy Tooze, who spent the day conducting a series of poetry workshops with Reception to Year 6. Lower School enjoyed superb master classes in poetry; everyone was engaged and came up with some amazing ideas for creating their own class poems. In Upper School, the children - [Budding Singers: Seedlings Choir](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2022/03/08/budding-singers-seedlings-choir/) - Seedlings Choir This half term, IF (our Year 6 Music Captain) made a very exciting announcement- the introduction of a new choir group. The new Seedlings Choir, which includes children from Reception and Year 1 being invited to join, enjoys rehearsals during Monday morning break time. A big thank you to IF, for initiating and drumming up - [The Smartest Year 2s in Town](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2022/03/08/the-smartest-year-2s-in-town/) - In line with promoting our high standards in all areas of Forest life, the annual ‘Year 2 Top Button and Tie Challenge’ was once again instigated, organised and judged by Mr Booth. He visited the Year 2 classroom and was met with a sea of smiling (but perhaps a touch nervous) faces. With never a - [SCARF: Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2022/02/11/scarf-childrens-mental-health-awareness-week/) - Our new Relationships and PSHE scheme, SCARF, has become a treasured part of our Forest routine; both in the classrooms and in assembly time. It gives children the opportunity to learn, discuss and reflect on some important topics associated with the world in which they are growing up (so quickly!) into sharing the SCARF values - [Superb Sporting Achievements, In True Forest Fashion](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2022/02/09/superb-sporting-achievements-in-true-forest-fashion/) - Local Friendlies Over the course of this half term, Mr Bullock has been busy organising some friendly football and netball games for our upper school teams. A couple of weeks ago, our Year 6 girls and boys teams set the ball rolling (literally) by playing a friendly against The Willows. Last week, our Year 4 - [World Book Day 2022](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2022/03/08/world-book-day-2022/) - One of the most celebrated annual events in the Forest Calendar…in fact, in any school calendar: World Book Day. The special day gives us the opportunity to celebrate authors, illustrators, books and (most importantly) reading. In fact, it's the biggest celebration of its kind, designated by UNESCO as a worldwide celebration of books and reading, - [Celebrating Success](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2022/02/10/celebrating-success/) - Friday Celebration Assemblies are the highlight of the week, with French stars and class pupils of the week announced, Forest certificates, pen licenses, sports achievements awarded and children have the opportunity to bring in anything worthy of celebrating from outside school. We have had ballet dancers, ice skaters, footballers, judo stars- just to name a few! Each week, - [Positive Attitudes to Learning in Pre-Prep](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2022/02/10/positive-attitudes-to-learning-in-pre-prep/) - There is never a dull moment in Pre-Prep; their constant 'on the go' and positive attitudes to learning definitely keep Mrs Wardle, Miss Saez, Miss Walsh, Mrs Dulson and Mrs Carty on their toes! From being flying aeroplanes in PE, to experimenting with big bubbles and the wind in Forest School, to making 3 letter words - [Guilty! Law and Order in Year 6](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2022/02/09/guilty-law-and-order-in-year-6/) - Last week, Year 6 visited the Greater Manchester Police Museum. The museum tour included a very realistic and drama-filled courtroom session. Many thanks to the team @NJMLearning who delivered a fantastic tour and mock court case to our Year 6 children, it was a thoroughly enjoyable and educational experience. It was a fascinating insight into crime and - [Evolving Education: Reacting to Changing Times](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2022/02/10/evolving-education-reacting-to-changing-times/) - As a school, we are always very conscious to ensure that the curriculum we offer is broad, balanced and enriching for all our pupils. From the moment they begin at Forest Prep in the Early Years and continuing through to the top of the school, when preparing the children for their entrance examinations and transition - [Immersive Learning Experiences](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2022/03/08/immersive-learning-experiences/) - Year 2 Year 2 had a wonderful, informative day with Greater Manchester Fire Service. Little Life Savers has been specifically developed to introduce six- and seven-year-olds to ways of staying safe and knowing what to do in an emergency. Year 4 A very informative and useful trip; Year 4 had a lovely time Bramhall Hall taking - [Work Hard Play Hard: A Snapshot](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2022/03/10/work-hard-play-hard-a-snapshot/) - Here at Forest, the term 'Work Hard, Play Hard' becomes embedded in the children's minds. The children's continued efforts in working hard are always rewarded, in a variety of ways. Below is a snapshot of photographs, which demonstrate just how hard our Foresters work...and the resulting rewards they reap. This time, the children were lucky - [Northern Hockey Tournament Runners Up](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2022/03/10/northern-hockey-tournament-runners-up/) - This week, our Year 6 and some Year 5 girls were invited to take part in a Northern Schools Hockey Tournament, hosted by Manchester High School for Girls. The weather was extremely kind to us, with the sun shining from start to finish! Included in the tournament were Cheadle Hulme, Stockport Grammar, Withington Girls', St Bedes - [Outstanding Year 6 Results for Forest Prep School](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2022/03/14/outstanding-year-6-results-for-forest-prep-school/) - As parents living in Trafford, we are all aware of the increasing competition for places at Trafford’s top grammar schools and secondary schools. Each year, we are seeing impressive results from our pupils at Forest Preparatory School. Over the last two years, we have seen some disruption to school life and for this particular year - [Safe, Secured and Valued: Your Child’s Welfare](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2022/03/10/safe-secured-and-valued-your-childs-welfare/) - At Forest, the pastoral welfare of your child is paramount. We want our children to feel safe, secure and valued. If a child is happy in their surroundings, then they will flourish both socially and academically. Behind the scenes, we have procedures in place including staff training, discussions and recording to help enable this to - [A Roaring Success on Residential](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2022/05/23/a-roaring-success-on-residential/) - Y5 and 6 Shropshire Residential After two years of restrictions, it was an incredible sight to see the children of Year 5 and 6 thoroughly enjoying all that their Shropshire residential had to offer! Canoeing, kayaking, blind trail, fencing, climbing, abseiling- to name just a few activities which kept them busy. The days always started - [Billy No Buzz: Bee-ing Kind to Others](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2022/05/23/billy-no-buzz-bee-ing-kind-to-others/) - Last week, it was Reception’s turn to showcase their learning to the rest of the school and their loved ones. Mrs Thomson and Mrs Howland were very proud of their little bees, flowers and bugs; with the children demonstrating exceptional performance skills; confidence, articulation, singing and dancing. With COVID, this marked the children's first ever - [Grandparents’ Tea Party](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2022/05/23/grandparents-tea-party/) - Last week, Nursery and Kindergarten welcomed their grandparents in for a tea party in their honour - one of the most important events in the purple calendar. As well as meeting all the members of the team and having a guided tour of the learning environment by their eager grandchildren, the grandparents were also treated - [The Greatest Writers](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2022/05/05/the-greatest-writers/) - Hosted by Mr Francis, our Writers' Assemblies are an opportunity for talented writers, from Reception to Year 6, to share their amazing work with the rest of the school. Often nominated by their teachers, pupils are called to the front to discuss their exceptional piece of writing with their peers; whether it is expository, descriptive, - [Relationships and PSHE Workshops](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2022/05/04/relationships-and-pshe-workshops/) - This week, our four Upper School classes were lucky to participate in a very informative Relationships and PSHE workshop, conducted by Rachel Hart from Coram Life Education- our school SCARF scheme provider. As we continue to embed the scheme into our curriculum and school life, we are thrilled with how enthusiastic and engaged our pupils - [Our Sporting Achievements Continue…](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2022/05/04/our-sporting-achievements-continue/) - Hockey Runners Up This half term, a huge congratulations was earned by our fantastic Hockey Team, who were crowned RUNNERS UP in the Trafford SSP tournament. As always, they put their all into each of the matches and very deservedly came away with a medal. In the series of very close matches they showed superb - [Astounding Alderley Edge Festival Accolades](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2022/05/05/astounding-alderley-edge-festival-accolades/) - This week, our Chamber and Greenhouse Choirs performed in the Alderley Edge Music Festival and came away with some astounding awards, both for group, solo and duet performances: The Chamber Choir sang wonderfully and were awarded third place! The adjudicator commented specifically on their round tone in Now the Sun is Shining and their excellent - [Spring Sporting Highlights](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2022/04/01/spring-sporting-highlights/) - This term has seen an incredible revival of sport at Forest, so many of our usual spring sporting events- which had previously been postponed over the last two years- have come back with gusto and Forest pupils have thrived with each and every opportunity. Not only have Foresters had their skills and techniques put to - [Proud Learners in our Open Classrooms](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2022/03/30/proud-learners-in-our-open-classrooms/) - One thing we really did miss here at Forest during COVID restrictions was the physical involvement of our Forest families across the school. We are very lucky to have so many families who are so supportive and interested in their child’s learning journey during their time at school. With beaming smiles of pride, our Reception, Year - [Hats Off to Our Year 6 Foresters](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2022/03/30/hats-off-to-our-year-6-foresters/) - We are thrilled with our Year 6 examination success this year; with 94% of those taking examinations passing at least one grammar school exam. Whilst we are very pleased with this result, as a non-selective school, a huge focus as our pupils transition through Upper School is finding the secondary school which is best suited - [Celebrating Diversity](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2022/03/30/celebrating-diversity/) - At Forest, we are proud to have Foresters from a wide range of cultures and backgrounds. As part of our Relationships and PSHE topics, identifying and learning about our differences is discussed throughout the school; after all, no one is the same and this is definitely something to be celebrated! Teaching children to treat others with kindness - [Parent Survey 2022](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2022/03/25/parent-survey-2022/) - Thank you to all of you who responded to the recent annual parent survey. We use the data to support the forward planning of the school. Your feedback is invaluable and complements the feedback we receive via our regular contact with you. I am always appreciative of this as it helps inform our planning and - [Enriching Educational Experiences](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2022/05/23/enriching-educational-experiences/) - This half term, we have welcomed a host of educational visitors to Forest, all with the shared goal of enriching the children's learning. Author: Ian Brown Many thanks to Albert Tortoise author, Ian Brown, for visiting Forest last week. He held workshops with Kindergarten to Year 2 and they learned all about the life of - [A Memorable Aftern-ewe-n](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2022/05/04/a-memorable-aftern-ewe-n/) - Last week, Mrs Pawson kindly visited school with 3 very special guests. Early Years gathered in the sun to meet 3 gorgeous lambs and learned all about how to care for them. The children even had the opportunity to bottle-feed the lambs, a truly memorable experience. With satisfied tummies, the lambs were carefully escorted onto the - [Exciting New Extracurricular Pursuits](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2022/05/04/exciting-new-extracurricular-pursuits/) - Extracurricular Provisions This year, it has been a pleasure to welcome back some previous favourite extracurricular activities, such as chess, yoga, LAMDA and Kiddy Cook. Additionally, it has been exciting to welcome some new and exciting provisions; we have been offering archery, fencing and bike club, which have all gone down extremely well. Continuing the fun - [Pre-Prep: People Who Help Us](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2022/05/04/pre-prep-people-who-help-us/) - This half term, Pre-Prep have begun their new topic, ‘People Who Help Us’. The children have been for a special visit to Forest’s school kitchen, where Chef Simon told the children all about how he stores the food, cooks it and then cleans away after. He even bought a special treat for each of the - [Headmaster’s Treat Trip](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2022/03/31/headmasters-treat-trip/) - It was that time of the term when Mr Booth took another well-deserving class- this time Year 3- on their treat trip. The childern (and staff!) had a lovely time at Atlantic Bowl; putting their bowling skills to the test before digging in to a delicious lunch. Which class will be next...? - [KS1 Multi-Skills Festival (of Fun!)](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2022/05/04/ks1-multi-skills-festival-of-fun/) - Thank you to Trafford SSP for two fantastic afternoons at the Year 1 and Year 2 Multi-Skills Festival. The children loved all the different sporting activities on offer and learned a great deal. It was also a pleasure to meet up with old-Forester, Bella N, who was one of the Sports Leaders. We always love - [Forest Spring Festival 2022](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2022/03/31/forest-spring-festival-2022/) - To mark the end of our spring term, the whole school enjoyed a wonderful (and very varied) spring-inspired day. Here is a sample of what some of the classes got up to: Pre-Prep- designing and making a 3D carrot Reception- understanding adjectives to use when describing the Easter Bunny Year 1- making some egg-themed thaumatropes - [Action-Packed Pre-Prep](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2022/03/31/action-packed-pre-prep/) - Birds of Prey A highlight in the Pre-Prep calendar- when the Gauntlet Birds of Prey come to visit! The children were mesmerized with the beautiful variety of birds brought to school; from a hawk to a baby owl. The children were taught about the importance of the adaptations of each bird and were left in - [Key Stage 1: Engaged. Energetic. Enthusiastic.](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2022/03/30/key-stage-1-engaged-energetic-enthusiastic/) - Year 1: This half term, our Year 1 pupils eagerly presented their assembly, "The Enormous Turnip!" to their adoring fans (aka their families). With smiles like Cheshire cats, the children sang with energy and recited words with precision; teaching us the importance of working together. Year 2: Recently, our keen Year 2 children set off on a - [Exciting Developments for Nursery and Lower School](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2022/05/02/exciting-developments-for-nursery-and-lower-school/) - Introduction Since its opening in 2000, our Nursery class has allowed children to begin their Forest journey from the age of two years old in a warm, safe and stimulating environment. Approximately 16 years ago, Mrs Wardle joined the school and was tasked with creating the Pre-Prep Department, where both Nursery and Kindergarten worked in - [An Encore for More: Momentous Music](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2022/03/31/an-encore-for-more-momentous-music/) - It is so fantastic to be back in the full swing of Music at Forest! At Christmas, we had a brilliant Lower School Nativity at our new venue, The Fuse, and returned to St Peter’s in Hale for the Upper School Carol Service. Even after we broke up for the Christmas holiday, we joined Peter Scotson on - [Reading Monsters](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2022/12/12/reading-monsters/) - I’m sure all parents are now familiar with the term ‘Monster Phonics’ and maybe even know some of the Monster’s names!. As part of our School Progress Plan for 2022 – 2023 one of our priorities is to embed the new phonics scheme throughout the school, not just with the children but also with parents. - [New Nursery Setting](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2022/12/12/new-nursery-setting/) - This September we opened the door to our new nursery setting, led by our new nursery manager, Miss Bardsley. One of our priorities in the school progress plan is to provide a dynamic and enriching learning environment for our very youngest pupils. By the way our youngest Foresters have settled and are starting to thrive, - [Our Eldest Foresters Ready to Fly the Nest](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2022/07/14/our-eldest-foresters-ready-to-fly-the-nest/) - Our Year 6 Foresters are embarking on an exciting journey; their transition to secondary school. As we bid farewell for now to the children, we wish them all the best in their new schools and look forward to hearing all about their inevitable and impending successes. Whether the children have been with us since Nursery, - [Speech Night 2022](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2022/07/14/speech-night-2022/) - Last night was Forest's annual Speech Night - an opportunity to celebrate the many achievements of the year and a formal farewell to our Year 6 children. During the evening, children were presented with a variety of sporting and academic awards and there were musical performances from the choir, Year 6 and a whole school - [End of an Era: New PA](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2022/07/12/end-of-an-era-new-pa/) - Today, after 18 years, we said goodbye to the long-standing head of our Parents’ Association, Mrs Marston. Over the years, the PA have done an incredible amount for the school, benefitting the children’s lives at Forest in a multitude of ways. We have been very fortunate to have such a supportive parental body. A huge - [A New Headmaster (for the day!)](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2022/07/12/a-new-headmaster-for-the-day/) - Following successful bids in the PA Mere Ball, we welcomed a new Headmaster and a new chef, LB from year 3 and CG from Reception, respectively. From a home collection by Mr Booth to start the day, to breakfast in the staffroom with the teachers, to sending emails, walking Mabel and baking cupcake, the stand-ins were - [Returning to the Stage: Cinderella & Rockerfella](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2022/06/30/returning-to-the-stage-cinderella-rockerfella/) - We’re back! This week, Foresters have been rocking the stage of Altrincham Little Theatre in their performances of “Cinderella & Rockerfella” in the first summer show since 2019. A pantomime version of the classic tale, we have had all the usual characters, including Buttons and a Dame! Year 6 have been performing with flair and - [A New Forester: Mabel](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2022/06/30/a-new-forester-mabel/) - Yesterday afternoon, Mr Booth gathered the whole school into the hall to make a very special announcement. As a way of showing his appreciation to all the pupils and staff for his thoroughly enjoyable first year as Headmaster, he presented them with a very special gift. From September 2022, Forest Prep will have its very - [Summer Sports Update](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2022/06/28/summer-sports-update/) - ISA Nationals This half term, BB, AD and IF were representing the North in the ISA Athletics Finals. To even get to the ISA National Finals was an incredible achievement by these budding athletes and we are immensely proud of their attitude and efforts this year. BB went on to win the Year 4 boys - [Sharing with Parents at Open Afternoon](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2022/06/28/sharing-with-parents-at-open-afternoon/) - As the sun shone brightly, a range of activities were held across the school during our Open Afternoon. Sports demonstrations gave children the opportunity to showcase their learning and newly-acquired skills, some choosing to challenge their parents in the agility course. The ever-popular Le Café du Foret provided the (very welcome) refreshments, where children and parents - [ISA Northern Junior Athletics](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2022/05/24/isa-northern-junior-athletics/) - This afternoon, the rain held off for the ISA Northern Junior Athletics competition at the Ethiad Stadium. With 21 schools competing from all over the North West, the competition was extremely tough. All children represented the school admirably and enjoyed the variety of events that took place: high jump, long jump, shot-put, rounders ball throwing, - [Sports Day 2022](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2022/05/23/sports-day-2022/) - Last week, the sun was kind to us for our Lower School and Upper School Sports Day, hosted at Timperley Sports Field. The children enjoyed partaking in a variety of races; the obstacle race, hurdles, sprints, relay and the egg and spoon race. Children collected points for their houses along the way, with Kersal winning the - [A Musically Marvellous End to the Year](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2022/07/12/a-musically-marvellous-end-to-the-year/) - Summer Showcase Thank you to Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 for performing their Summer Showcase. Great talent, enthusiasm and loud voices. The Upper School were hugely impressed! Examinations Congratulations to IF from ⁦Year 4 who was awarded a DISTINCTION for ⁦Trinity Arts UK,⁩ Grade 2 Piano! An incredible achievement and definitely one to watch. - [Moving Up Morning](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2022/07/12/moving-up-morning/) - Last week, all our classes enjoyed their ‘moving up’ morning in which they visited their teachers for next year. As an important part of the transition process, it provides a valuable opportunity for the children to experience a snapshot into life with their new class teacher. Additionally, it gives teachers and teaching assistants the opportunity - [PA Summer Fair 2022](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2022/06/28/pa-summer-fair-2022/) - With a ‘Forest Bake Off’, Surf Wipeout, bouncy castle, afternoon cream tea, tombola, raffle, market stalls, Chef Simon’s BBQ and the opportunity to throw a wet sponge at Mr Booth in the stocks, the Forest Summer Fair 2022 was always going to be a good one! A huge thank you to the Parents’ Association for organising - [A Trip to the Euros to Round off Sport](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2022/07/12/a-trip-to-the-euros-to-round-off-sport/) - Women’s Euros On Wednesday 6th July, Year 5 and 6 children visited Old Trafford to watch the Women’s Euro game. With a record number of attendees to a women’s football game, the atmosphere was amazing. The children were impeccably behaved and managed to cheer England on to a 1-0 win! In the build up for - [Roll Up! Roll Up! The Circus is in Town!](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2022/07/12/roll-up-roll-up-the-circus-is-in-town/) - Lower School children were lucky to get a special visit from The Education Group, who delivered a wonderful circus skills workshop. The children had to help one another, focus and balance…so many skills were being practised. Thank you to The Education Group for delivering such a unique and interesting workshop! - [A Spectacular Summer Show](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2022/06/30/a-spectacular-summer-show/) - Oustanding performances so far by all our Upper School children. Click here to read the main blog. - [Nursery and Kindergarten Sports Morning 2022](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2022/06/30/nursery-and-kindergarten-sports-morning-2022/) - After last year’s Pre-Prep washout, any weather would have been an improvement…and it was! Mr Bullock and Mr C did a sterling job of preparing the Nursery and Kindergarten children for their events: obstacle; egg (beanbag) and spoon; balancing beanbag and the sprint race. All the children did brilliantly and parents were thrilled to be involved - [Enhancing Out-of-School Experiences](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2022/06/28/enhancing-out-of-school-experiences/) - What a busy half term, both in school and out! Take a look at all the exciting and educational school trips the children (and staff!) have already enjoyed this half term. Nursery Trip Little World of Scholars. Reception and Year 6 Buddy Trip Knowsley Safari Park. Year 4 Liverpool Slavery Museum. Y5 and 6 The - [Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Celebration](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2022/05/25/queens-platinum-jubilee-celebration/) - The Forest Platinum Jubilee Celebrations began with a special history whole school assembly, presented by Mrs Eley. Planted by our current eldest and youngest pupil and Mrs Eley, we are delighted to have planted our commemorative Platinum Jubilee tree this morning. The apple tree will now stand on the front lawn for Foresters over the next hundreds - [Our Wonderful Work](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2022/05/24/our-wonderful-work/) - What a busy half term. From learning about Africa in a cross-curricular manner in Year 1 to exploring Ancient Greece (including a delicious Greek feast) in Year 5, our Foresters have been working extremely hard. - [Signing out for Summer](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2022/07/14/signing-out-for-summer/) - This year has been like no other, Forest was back with its doors open and living its fullest of times. Two years of restrictions, whatever they were at any given time, allowed us to learn what was important and, most importantly, how much our children have to offer. Whether it was on the sports field, - [Significantly Above Average: Summer Results](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2022/06/30/significantly-above-average-summer-results/) - Each year, the pupils at Forest never cease to amaze us with all they achieve; both in-school and out-of-school activities. A strength of the school, which has been increasingly apparent since the era of homeschooling, is undoubtedly the variety of opportunities we endeavor to offer to the children; sporting, music and drama, social and academic. - [Forest Life in Full Swing](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2022/05/24/forest-life-in-full-swing/) - This last fortnight, the school community has been awash with activities and it has been wonderful to be part of the full Forest way of life. In the middle of Sports Days, residential trips and class assemblies, our Foresters have also been working very hard on their assessments. I'm incredibly proud of the children for completing - [Exam success for Year 6](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2023/03/28/exam-success-for-year-6/) - We are delighted to share the recent exam results for our current Year 6 cohort. As an academically non-selective school, 91% are now moving onto a selective grammar school in September 2023 and two pupils have been awarded a music scholarship. Altrincham Grammar School for Boys and Altrincham Grammar School for Girls, remain the most - [Sing your Heart Out](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2023/02/06/sing-your-heart-out/) - This term we would like to introduce our youngest group of singers at Forest, known as the ‘Forest Seedlings Choir’. The choir is made up of children in Reception and Year 1 who just love to sing, love to perform and love to dance! The Seedlings Choir is led by our Director of Music, Ms - [Who doesn’t love muddy puddles?](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2023/02/03/who-doesnt-love-muddy-puddles/) - This spring term, the Nursery children have started a new adventure and are taking part in weekly ‘Forest school’ sessions. Big smiles and a great selection of wellies, from bright pink to stripey, could be seen on the children (and teachers) as they got involved in their outdoor learning. The typical Manchester wet weather provided - [Sharing a Good Book](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2023/02/03/sharing-a-good-book/) - Every Friday afternoon, Mr Bullock, the Reception teacher, welcomes a ‘VIP reader’ into the classroom to share one of their favourite books. The ‘VIP’ is usually a parent or grandparent of one of the children. The VIP Reader initiative helps to promote a love for reading amongst the Reception class. The children hear a variety - [Shining on the Stage](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2023/03/28/shining-on-the-stage-2/) - At the beginning of March our Year 5 and 6 Foresters performed at the Stoller Hall in Manchester as part of the Bellevue Northern Music Festival. The purpose of the Bellevue Northern Music Festival is to celebrate the importance of music and the sheer talent of the four northern Bellevue schools - Forest, Brabyns, Edenhurst - [Easter Eggstravaganza](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2023/03/27/easter-eggstravaganza/) - As always, as we break up for Easter, we made sure the last day was filled with making many happy memories at our special ‘Spring Festival’. Nursery and Kindergarten kick started the day with the adorable Easter Bonnet parade. The children performed a procession around the school grounds proudly showcasing their masterpieces. The rest of - [Nursery Open All Year Round](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2023/03/27/nursery-open-all-year-round/) - February half-term saw the first school holiday provision for our youngest Foresters in Nursery and Kindergarten. Our high standard curriculum activities continue in the school holidays, plus a bit of extra fun! The children had a great week, they created their own pizzas, took part in a dance session run by a specialist teacher and - [Super Spellers](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2023/02/03/super-spellers/) - To encourage our pupils to have a passion for and excel in spelling, we hosted a Spelling Bee 2023 competition again this year. The children were given a list of words to learn and each year group took part in class heats. The finalists then went through to the Lower and Upper School finals which - [It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year!](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2022/12/12/its-the-most-wonderful-time-of-the-year/) - The run up to Christmas has been a busy but fun time here at Forest. We have had our own Christmas Countdown made up of lots of festive events for all year groups. The Christmas Toy Appeal Assembly kick started the festive season. At Forest, children learn all about the importance of giving to others - [It’s a Census….Get Me Out of Here](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2022/12/12/its-a-census-get-me-out-of-here/) - All parents look forward to their child’s Nativity and this year’s certainly didn’t disappoint. Lower School performed a Broadway-standard performance of, "It's a Census, Get Me Out of Here!". From our Reception energetic Sheep, elegant Angels and Travellers, through to our Year 1 eager Townspeople, Camels, Soldiers and Stable Animals, to our entire named cast - [Celebrating Chinese New Year](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2023/02/03/celebrating-chinese-new-year/) - It was lovely to welcome MM Education UK into school to carry out Chinese New Year workshops with our Reception to Year 6 children. The children enjoyed painting Chinese numbers, making dumplings, Chinese craft and dressing up! It was a truly enjoyable morning, especially our Asian pupils who have taught us so much about their New Year celebrations. - [Snow Day](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2023/01/30/snow-day/) - This is what nursery is all about, making snowmen, snowballs and having fun in the snow with all their friends. Nursery days are happy days! If the children love coming to school they will thrive. - [Keep Dancing](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2023/01/19/keep-dancing/) - Our Early Years Department (Nursery, Kindergarten and Reception) have been enjoying their weekly dance lessons taught by a dance specialist teacher. There are always big smiles to be seen and the children leave the class feeling energised and ready to fous on their learning. - [Sport Roundup](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2023/03/27/sport-roundup/) - Our sports calendar has been very busy this half term, some of the highlights include: Girls Football The girl’s football team ended the season by winning both of their final group games. Thank you to Trafford Sports Partnership for organising. Handball Congratulations to our two Year 4 Handball Teams who took Silver and Bronze medals - [Year Two Hit the Road](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2023/03/27/year-two-hit-the-road/) - At the beginning of March, Year 2, excitedly boarded a coach to head to Burwardsley, on a two day residential trip. On the way, they were treated to a stop off at the Cheshire Ice Cream Farm. The trip involved climbing Willow Hill, den building using only what can be found in the woods, weaving - [World Book Day 2023](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2023/03/23/world-book-day-2023/) - Who doesn't love curling up with a good book? At Forest, we want to inspire all children to have a passion for reading. For that very reason, World Book Day, is a very big celebration for us! All children came to school dressed as one of their favourite characters from a book they love. The day started - [Scientists for the Day](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2023/03/22/scientists-for-the-day/) - As part of British Science Week 2023, Dr Durovic, a Neurologist (and Forest parent), came into school to discuss connections within the brain. Classes from Reception to Year 6 enjoyed workshops throughout the day, where they learnt more about key skills in being a Scientist, how the brain looks and how the neurons within the brain work. In - [Run Forest Run](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2023/02/03/run-forest-run/) - On a chilly and windy day in Lancashire, almost forty of our Upper School children embarked on the tough challenge of the ISA Cross Country Meet. All our Foresters put in their absolute all- for their own gain and also for their teammates, too. Congratulations to all who participated and a special mention to HT - [It’s a Census Get Me out of Here](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2022/12/12/its-a-census-get-me-out-of-here-2/) - For more information on this years nativity click here - [Sporting Success](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2022/12/12/sporting-success-2/) - This term our trophy cabinet has grown as many of our Foresters have excelled in their chosen sports. Our swimming team had a superb afternoon at the ISA North Swimming Gala, they competed amongst 22 other independent schools and managed to bring home a trophy as well! Following on from the success at the Regional - [Christmassy outings - A real treat for the whole school!](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2022/12/12/christmassy-outings-a-real-treat-for-the-whole-school/) - Our entire school, that’s over 200 children, went on Christmas trips on 8th December. The weather set the perfect Christmas scene, white frost on the ground and bright blue skies but it was COLD. Nursery and Kindergarten classes visited The Dunham Barns to see Father Christmas. On their return to school they were treated to - [The Art Studio - Now Open!](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2022/12/12/the-art-studio-now-open/) - The Art Studio officially opened in September. Mrs Thomson aimed to create a bright, vibrant and open learning space for all the children to work in and enjoy. The first lesson delivered was to share and debate the question, ‘What is an Artist?’. Our Art Room saw the production of the official Forest Preparatory School - [‘Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.’ Pablo Picasso](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2023/03/28/art-washes-away-from-the-soul-the-dust-of-everyday-life-pablo-picasso/) - It is hard to believe that another term has come to an end and we are preparing to enter into the final term of the year. Saying that, the achievements of all our pupils have continued to impress throughout these past months: both in the classroom and in the wider areas of the school. One - [Springing into the Spring Term](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2023/02/06/springing-into-the-spring-term/) - We are thrilled with how seamlessly the children returned from the excitement of the winter break. With the passing of autumn term and as each year group has become fully immersed in their class-specific routines and expectations, our transition into spring term brings a fresh and energised feeling to the school. Historically, spring term is not - [A Christmas Message…](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2022/12/12/a-christmas-message/) - Just like that I'm writing the final piece for the school e-Magazine for this term. The favourite old saying of, ‘time flies when you’re having fun’ certainly comes to mind and what an incredible term it has been. A particular highlight was the opening of the new Nursery. We welcomed twenty-four little Foresters in September as - [Book Worms](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2023/09/29/book-worms/) - Our ‘Reading Friends’ scheme is back for a new year and the children in Year 1 and Year 5 have been very excited about meeting their new partners. The scheme plays an important part in helping the Year 1s develop their reading skills and our Year 5s get a lot of enjoyment from it. Mr Hyde, Year - [A big warm welcome back from Maggie](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2023/09/05/a-big-warm-welcome-back-from-maggie/) - We’re back for the 2023/24 school year and we have one excited Forester, Maggie - our school therapy dog, who is very happy to see all her friends after the long summer break. Maggie was aware that there would be nerves, smiles and some tears on the first few days back but she is a - [Forest Prep presents ‘Porridge’](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2023/07/11/forest-prep-presents-porridge/) - The annual end of year show, hit the stage at Altrincham Little Theatre on 27th, 28th and 29th June as upper school performed ‘Porridge’. As ever, the show was a complete hit and finished with a very big round of applause from a ruptourous audience, who couldn’t resist singing along. The show was professionally led - [Speech Night 2023](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2023/07/07/speech-night-2023/) - Our celebratory evening, ‘Speech Night,’ where we recognise the achievements of 2022/2023, took place at the Citadel, in Sale. The evening opened with a brilliant performance of ‘I Just Can’t Wait To Be King’ by the Seedling Choir supported by ND, NH and ZW from Year 6. Mr Booth welcomed everyone and spoke about what - [Grandparents Tea Party 2023](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2023/07/07/grandparents-tea-party-2023/) - One of the highlights in our Forest calendar - ‘The Grandparents Tea Party.’ Our Kindergarten class welcomed their grandparents, shared cake, and played in the Kindergarten garden together. The children even gave a little guided tour of the classroom; and were so proud showing their work and favourite toys. This is a special celebration for - [Shining staff!](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2023/05/16/shining-staff/) - All our staff work incredibly hard and fly the Forest flag high. We are honoured and excited to announce that two of our staff have been recognised in their fields.. Mrs Johal Firstly, our very own Mrs Johal has been shortlisted for a Tes Schools Award in the category of Teaching Assistant of the Year. - [A Party Fit for a King](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2023/05/16/a-party-fit-for-a-king/) - At Forest we love to have fun so to mark the King's Coronation we held a special ‘Coronation Celebration’. Occasions like this only happen once or twice in our lifetime, we like to make a big deal of it, in the hope that the children might remember this day for a long time. Good memories - [All Year Round Nursery - Official Opening Ceremony](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2023/07/06/all-year-round-nursery-official-opening-ceremony/) - Parents and grandparents of our Nursery children were invited to a special afternoon to celebrate our all year round nursery and officially open the setting. We were honoured to have the Mayor of Trafford, Dolores O’Sullivan, join us at the ceremony who officially opened the Nursery and cut the purple ribbon. Dolores spoke about the - [Music Festival Successes](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2023/05/26/music-festival-successes/) - There were lots of highs for our Foresters at this year’s Alderley Edge Festival of Music. They brought home numerous awards, including 5 first places. We scooped first place in the Main Choir, Chamber Choir Year 5 Vocal Solo, Year 3 Grade 2 Piano Solo and Year 1 Grade 2 Piano solo categories. Second and third - [Willersley Castle Residential Trip 2023](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2023/05/19/willersley-castle-residential-trip-2023/) - There was great excitement, as Year 5 and Year 6 children, embarked on their much anticipated 5 night residential trip to Willersley Castle, in the Peak District. The weather was on our side, not a raindrop in sight! It certainly was an adventure week, the children never stopped, apart from to sleep and eat. Everyone - [On Your Marks, Get Set, Go!](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2023/07/07/on-your-marks-get-set-go/) - The rain held off for the Nursery and Kindergarten Sports Day so that our youngest Foresters could take part in a morning of activity. They all showed great sportsmanship and put their fine motor skills to the test in the egg and spoon race. Balancing skills also came into play with the bean bag race, - [The Return of the Forest Netball Cup](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2023/05/26/the-return-of-the-forest-netball-cup/) - We were delighted to welcome, Brabyns Preparatory School and Forest Park Preparatory School to Forest, for our friendly tournament between three Bellevue Northern Schools. After several years' absence, we were delighted to put the Forest Netball Cup back into our sporting calendar. It was great to see competitive matches played with great team spirit. A - [Officially Introducing Year 6 - Class of 2024](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2023/09/21/officially-introducing-year-6-class-of-2024/) - We were delighted to host a special event with Year 6 children and their parents to announce the roles and responsibilities for our Year 6 class of 2024. Coffee and cake was served on arrival and parents were given the opportunity to 'catch up' with each other after the long summer break before the celebration assembly began. - [Porridge](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2023/07/07/porridge/) - Our end of year show 'Porridge,' professional performed by Year 6 and supported by the rest of Upper School. Click here to read all about the performance. - [Welcome to Forest, Maggie.](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2023/07/06/welcome-to-forest-maggie/) - Meet the latest addition to our Forest family, Maggie, our new School Dog. Maggie will be trained as a support dog and will help the children to learn their everyday tasks such as reading, maths and relationships. As an integral part of our wellbeing programme, Maggie will also be there as a good friend and - [Bringing Home the Medals](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2023/07/06/bringing-home-the-medals/) - A team of sporty Foresters visited the Ethiad Stadium to compete in the North ISA Regional Qualifiers. Mr Bullock was incredibly proud of all the children who competed. Following on from the success of the Regional Qualifiers, BB went on to compete in three races in the ISA National Athletics Finals. Congratulations to BB who - [Our Great Summer Offering - Extra- Curricular Activities](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2023/05/25/our-great-summer-offering-extra-curricular-activities/) - At Forest we believe education extends beyond the classroom. Our extra-curricular activities are designed to help boost children’s confidence, improve their social skills by mixing with Foresters from different year groups and have fun and relax away from the classroom, as well as picking up new skills. As the days are longer and evenings - [Sports Days 2023](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2023/05/16/sports-days-2023/) - Our annual Sports Day took place on 9th May at the athletics track in Timperley village. The sun was shining and the children did a fabulous job at competing in a determined but fair manner. It was a fantastic day of sport with various races taking place including egg and spoon, bean bag balance, hurdles, and - [A Party Fit for King](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2023/05/16/a-party-fit-for-king/) - To read all about our Coronation Celebration Day, click here - [Farewell Year 6](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2023/07/10/farewell-year-6/) - It’s with great pleasure we share our final e-newsletter for this academic year. As the school song goes… Everything at Forest is moving a-long. A teacher; teaching them to count is one thing but teaching them what counts is best. On that note, I'd like to share with you my message to our Year 6 - [Artsmark Award](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2023/05/26/artsmark-award/) - We are thrilled to announce that Forest has been awarded the Artsmark Silver Award, recognising our significant investment and involvement in the Arts across the school. Accredited by Arts Council England, Artsmark focuses on the following quality principles: 1. striving for excellence and innovation 2. being authentic 3. being exciting, inspiring and engaging 4. ensuring a positive and inclusive experience - [School Lunches Revamped](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2023/09/29/school-lunches-revamped/) - Following the feedback from our parent survey regarding school lunches, we have made some changes. You said, we did! This term we have seen our Foresters, both pupils and staff, enjoying the recently launched school menu. On a daily basis the children have a choice of a healthy hot meal, jacket potato with a filling, - [Kindergarten: Exploring the Wonders of Weather](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2024/02/06/kindergarten-exploring-the-wonders-of-weather/) - The focus for this half-term in Kindergarten has been all about ‘Seasons’. Mrs Wardle, Mrs Budd and Mrs Singer have put on some interactive and ‘messy’ workstations, so that learning is fun but most importantly memorable. Each week the children have explored a season, covering all the 4 seasons. The role-play area has been turned - [Magical Lower School Nativity](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2023/12/12/magical-lower-school-nativity/) - Last week, our beloved Lower School Nativity took place at The Fuse in Partington. This year's production, 'Straw and Order,' was professionally led by Year 2 students, with Year 1 and Reception supporting as enthusiastic chorus members. Before the Nativity, the audience was treated to a captivating concert featuring performances by the String Ensemble, Brass - [Christmas has arrived!](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2023/12/04/christmas-has-arrived/) - The Christmas festivities at Forest have officially started! They were kicked off with the ever-popular ‘Carols in the Grounds’. The front lawn came alive with the joyful voices of children, staff, parents and grandparents, creating a magical atmosphere that officially marked the start of the Christmas season. Our Forest families sang along to lots of - [Forest Remembers](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2023/11/14/forest-remembers/) - In a touching tribute to Remembrance Day, we hosted a heartwarming school assembly, alongside the grandparents of Year 5 and 6 pupils, who were also invited to this special event. The grandparents were made to feel very welcome and enjoyed tea and cake in the hall after the assembly, enabling them to spend valuable time - [Revitalising the Forest House Point System](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2023/11/14/revitalising-the-forest-house-point-system/) - In a lively and colourful event on the 10th October, we officially launched our revamped House Point System, placing it once more back at the centre of school life. On this special day, students wore their own clothes in the vibrant colours of their respective Houses, adding an extra layer of excitement to the event. - [The Importance and Benefits of Character Education in Schools](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2023/10/24/the-importance-and-benefits-of-character-education-in-schools/) - The measures of a quality education extend far beyond academic attainment and exam results. However, many parents and schools often neglect Character Education as a vital part of a child's educational experience. But what is Character Education and why is its importance greater than ever in our rapidly changing world? What is Character Education? Character - [Nursery Days!](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2023/10/06/nursery-days/) - As we approach the end of the first half-term it is lovely to see how far our littlest Foresters have come since their first day with us, which for many was only a few weeks ago. The Nursery children have settled brilliantly, friendships are starting to develop and they are enjoying exploring and learning from - [Christmas Nativity](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2023/12/12/christmas-nativity/) - This year's much-loved Lower School nativity, 'Straw and Order', was professionally performed by Year 2 and supported by the rest of Lower School. Click here to read all about the performance. - [Kindergarten Shines in Spectacular Christmas Nativity](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2023/12/06/kindergarten-shines-in-spectacular-christmas-nativity/) - It was a heartwarming and joyful Christmas Nativity performed by our Kindergarten class. The children looked adorable dressed in festive outfits, and their confident delivery of lines and superb singing created a delightful experience for the proud parents and grandparents watching. It's hard to believe they are only 3 years old; Mrs Wardle and Mrs - [Bringing History to Life](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2023/10/23/bringing-history-to-life/) - What an incredible Roman-themed day Year 3 had! The day kicked off with a captivating assembly, performed by our talented children for their proud parents. Activities included crafting beautiful mosaic tiles and clay pots, and diving into the legend of Romulus and Remus through creative writing. In Maths, they tackled Roman numerals, practicing with lolly - [Our younger Foresters and more grown up Foresters head to Jodrell Bank](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2023/10/13/our-younger-foresters-and-more-grown-up-foresters-head-to-jodrell-bank/) - Kindergarten and Year 5 had a very busy and insightful day as they visited the famous Lovell telescope and learned about all space related matters at Jodrell Bank Observatory. Kindergarten enjoyed a special story time in the planetarium, where they learned about daytime and nighttime, different planets and moons. This really helped with this term's 'Space' - [The return of the very popular ‘Headmaster’s Treat’](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2023/10/03/the-return-of-the-very-popular-headmasters-treat/) - The first Headmaster’s Treat Trip for this academic year was won by Year 6 who were awarded with a visit to Pizza Express. Year 6 became Pizza Chefs and they created their very own pizzas which they later got to devour. Over the last few months our eldest Foresters have worked so hard- it was a well - [Sporting Successes](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2023/10/03/sporting-successes/) - Sport is an important part of life at Forest. This year our Girls and Boys Football Teams are competing in the Trafford Football League Fixtures. Mr C, Specialist PE teacher, commented, "I was very impressed by their opening performance and was incredibly proud of the team." Our successes extend beyond the football field. Forest were crowned champions - [Foresters Shine Bright in Thrilling Start to the Cross Country Season](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2023/11/27/foresters-shine-bright-in-thrilling-start-to-the-cross-country-season/) - The Cross Country season is now up and running for the new school year and what a start we have had! Our team of Foresters dazzled at John Leigh Park's first meeting of the season, and we were proud of the large number of children that were motivated to take on the challenge. All the - [Out-of-this-world experience for Kindergarten](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2023/10/23/out-of-this-world-experience-for-kindergarten/) - The little astronauts aka our Kindergarten class, celebrated the end of their Space topic with a spectacular 'Space' themed party. The children embarked on a cosmic adventure, taking part in a series of missions that left them with smiles that could rival the stars. First up, the budding bakers rolled and cut biscuit dough to - [Early Years Provision at Forest Prep through the eyes of Mrs Budd, Deputy Headteacher.](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2023/12/19/early-years-provision-at-forest-prep-through-the-eyes-of-mrs-budd-deputy-headteacher/) - From the age of two, children are welcomed into our family-orientated setting, where they are encouraged to explore their surroundings and immerse themselves into the Forest way of life. Our age-appropriate Nursery setting, run by our experienced Early Years practitioners, motivates children to actively learn through playing, exploring and creating and thinking critically. With combined - [Festive Greetings](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2023/12/12/festive-greetings/) - The favourite old saying of, ‘time flies when you’re having fun’ certainly comes to mind and what an incredible term it has been. A particular highlight was the Speech Competition. We welcomed over 200 speeches after half term and listened intently as all the children sorenred their hobbies or interest with such enthusiasm. The new - [Our 99th Year has officially started](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2023/10/13/our-99th-year-has-officially-started/) - It’s unbelievable to think that we’ve already completed the first half term. It only seemed a week ago since we opened the gates for the 99th year to begin. A new set of Nursery children in their uniforms and our Year 6 children sitting their 11+. I always love the first day back. Having the - [Discover the Excitement of Journalism Club!](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2024/03/28/discover-the-excitement-of-journalism-club/) - Step into the dynamic world of Journalism Club, where young minds take on various roles akin to a real newspaper team. Whether snapping photos as a photographer, conducting interviews, crafting compelling stories as a reporter, or polishing prose as a copywriter, there's a role for everyone. Collaboration and independent thinking are at the heart of - [Happy Days in Nursery](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2024/03/19/happy-days-in-nursery/) - The children in Nursery had a delightful day full of excitement! It all began as they eagerly boarded a coach for a morning adventure to Little World of Scholars. Engaging in various role-playing activities, they had a blast as they transformed into supermarket assistants, construction workers, and even fairies as they ventured into the enchanting - [Foresters Flying High!](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2024/03/11/foresters-flying-high/) - We are continually impressed by the dedication of our Foresters and the exceptional quality of their work. It's fantastic to see this acknowledged in their latest evaluation. Our Juniper Results for 2024 were truly remarkable: Reading 94%, Maths 98%, and Writing 96%. These achievement levels surpass the UK schools benchmark by a significant margin of at - [Sports Round Up](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2024/03/11/sports-round-up/) - Forest life extends far beyond the classroom, as evidenced by our bustling sporting calendar this term. Our Year 4 Water Polo Team clinched the bronze medal at the ISA North Water Polo Tournament. Their display of sheer determination, teamwork and stamina not only did justice to the school, but also filled us with immense pride. - [Celebrating our Global Community](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2024/03/11/celebrating-our-global-community/) - To honour our diverse pupil population, we embraced Culture Week and explored cultures from around the globe. The children (and staff) relished learning about different cultures, dressing in their clothing and sampling their cuisines. What a fun week it was! Culture Week started in China. Year 3 pupils learnt all about Chinese New Year with - [Celebrating our Fabulous Writers](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2024/02/06/celebrating-our-fabulous-writers/) - At Forest, we deem writing to be really important, especially creative writing. To help children develop a passion for writing, we host a monthly celebration assembly, where a child from each class is recognised and awarded a special certificate. Our youngest writers, Reception, have been working really hard putting sentences together relating to their ‘Under - [Year 4’s Triumph: ‘Henry’s Break from Rome’ Assembly Wows Audience](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2024/02/06/year-4s-triumph-henrys-break-from-rome-assembly-wows-audience/) - Year 4 impressed both the school and their parents with their assembly, "Henry's Break from Rome." Their exceptional acting and spirited singing delighted everyone as they brought the story to life. A special mention to HH, who played the role of Henry VIII, for his impressive dedication in learning a huge amount of lines. The - [Music Captain Strikes a Chord at the ISA Young Musician Competition Final](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2024/02/06/music-captain-strikes-a-chord-at-the-isa-young-musician-competition-final/) - Forest School's Music Captain dazzled as a National Finalist at ISA Young Musician Competition! This week, our extraordinarily talented Music Captain performed 'Song of Twilight' on the piano at the Independent Schools Association young musician competition held at Oxford University. After the performance she said: “I was quite nervous prior to my performance but I - [Egg-straordinary Easter Bonnets!](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2024/03/20/egg-straordinary-easter-bonnets/) - The Spring Term concluded on a high, with the much-anticipated Easter Bonnet parade, featuring our littlest Foresters from Nursery and Kindergarten. The children took great pride in marching around the school, showcasing a range of stunning and imaginative bonnets. It was a proud moment for parents too, as they clapped alongside the rest of the - [Superhero Party](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2024/03/18/superhero-party/) - Kindergarten Kids jumped into the - 'Spider-Verse' for Mrs. Budd and Miss Singer's Superhero Celebration. Our pre-schoolers crafted Superhero hideouts, captured enemies, made Superhero treats, and crawled through webs. Yet, the highlight was undoubtedly the appearance of a genuine, live Super Hero - Spiderman!! Truly, it was a dream come true as the youngsters encountered - [Spreading the Love of Art](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2024/03/11/spreading-the-love-of-art/) - Mrs Thomson, Art Teacher, hosted her first set of Art workshops for parents and grandparents. It was clear to see, from their smiling faces, that they all enjoyed finding their artistic side. The tasks included; continuous line drawing and block printing, where they had the chance to design their own tiles. The workshops aimed to - [Culture Week](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2024/03/07/culture-week/) - We very excitedly took part in Cuture Week (19th -23rd February), this seemed to be the perfect way to celebrate our global community here at Forest. Read more about our Culture Week celebrations. - [Foresters’ Artistic Brilliance Shines in 3D Design Masterpieces](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2024/02/06/foresters-artistic-brilliance-shines-in-3d-design-masterpieces/) - This half term, there have been some wonderful creations in our dedicated art room. The topic has been 3D Design Technology. Year 1 fashioned roller coaster carriages from cardboard boxes, while Year 2 delved into architecture, exploring intricate designs. Year 4 displayed their artistic flair through wire statue portraits and Year 5 children embarked on - [Charity Work: Kindness is #theforestway](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2024/02/06/charity-work-kindness-is-theforestway/) - This year's Parents Association chosen charity is the Little Green Sock Project and we are well underway with our collaborative working. The proceeds from our Christmas Jumper Day were very much appreciated and went towards their Christmas appeal - buying presents for over 100 children. The Teaching Assistant team also paid a visit, on inset - [Forest School Starts in Nursery](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2024/02/06/forest-school-starts-in-nursery/) - This Spring term marks the start of our outdoor learning sessions in our Forest School in Nursery. Our initial sessions have been focused on immersing ourselves in the natural environment. The children have relished the opportunity to investigate the field, test their balance on tree stumps, and attempt tree climbing. We've also brought along Maggie, our - [Spring Term in Kindergarten](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2024/02/06/spring-term-in-kindergarten/) - Our pre-schoolers have had a busy but very fun half-term in Kindergarten learning all about ‘Seasons’. In addition, to all their hard work on the seasons, the Kindergarten children have been focussing on being ‘school ready’, practising their handwriting skills and number recognition. You can read all about it here. - [Celebrating the Successes of Year 6](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2024/03/18/celebrating-the-successes-of-year-6/) - It is hard to believe that another term has come to an end and we are preparing to enter into the final term of the year. Saying that, the achievements of all our pupils have continued to impress throughout these past months: both in the classroom and in the wider areas of the school. One - [Music Success](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2024/02/08/music-success/) - It seems we're always on the go with Music at Forest, and this term is no different (it keeps us all out of trouble!). We have had huge success in two young music competitions. Firstly, we had a finalist in the ISA Young Musician Competition, IF from year 6 was chosen as one of fiteen finalists, - [Star Warts Musical Shines Bright: Foresters Deliver Out-of-This-World Performance”](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2024/07/01/star-warts-musical-shines-bright-foresters-deliver-out-of-this-world-performance/) - Our Upper School children certainly dazzled in a sell-out theatre performance over three nights. The curtain closed to a delighted audience left wanting more! This year's performance was "Star Warts: The Umpire Strikes Back," produced by MusicLine Direct, and showcased over three nights in June at the Altrincham Little Theatre. Our Foresters embraced their quirky - [Upper School Shines at ISA Regional Qualifiers in Manchester](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2024/06/17/upper-school-shines-at-isa-regional-qualifiers-in-manchester/) - A number of children from our Upper School competed at the ISA Regional Qualifiers at the Regional Athletics Arena, Etihad Campus in Manchester. The Forest flag was proudly waved high for their great team spirit. Mr. Bullock remarked, “I was immensely proud of all the children who took part; each and every one behaved impeccably.” - [The Results Are In - They are Music to our Ears!](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2024/05/13/the-results-are-in-they-are-music-to-our-ears/) - Congratulations to all our wonderful musicians who achieved outstanding results in their ‘Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music’ (ABRSM) examinations. All their hard work and talents shone through! The exams spanned from Initial to Grade 3, embracing a range of skills and levels. Of the eight violinists, five pianists, one trumpeter, and one - [Introducing Our New Feathered Foresters](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2024/05/07/introducing-our-new-feathered-foresters/) - Exciting news —we've welcomed three new chickens to our Forest community! Our new feathered friends are being lovingly cared for by Mrs Singer and Kindergarten, along with pupils from Year 6. After drawing up their own shortlist, Year 6 came up with some ‘cracking’ names, with Oreo, Rocky and Ginger winning the final vote. Year - [Foresters Hit the High Notes at Alderley Edge Festival](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2024/06/18/foresters-hit-the-high-notes-at-alderley-edge-festival/) - We are incredibly proud of our musicians who excelled at the Alderley Edge Festival of Music. Our Foresters achieved top-three finishes in many categories and secured several first-place positions too. We extend our heartfelt congratulations to all our Year 2, 3, and 4 pupils for their confident and dynamic performances. A special mention goes to: - [Destination Success for Year 6](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2024/04/09/destination-success-for-year-6/) - We are delighted to share the recent exam results for our current Year 6 cohort. As a non-academically selective school, we are hugely proud of our external examination success rates, with 91% of our pupils moving onto a selective grammar school in September 2024. Our most popular school destinations continue to be Altrincham Girls Grammar - [Star Warts](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2024/07/01/star-warts/) - This year's summer show performed by all of the Upper School was performed on 25th, 26th and 27th June at the Altrincham Little Theatre. Check out these incredible photos to give you a taste of the show. Read more about the show. - [PA Events Boost Fun and Funds for School and Charity](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2024/06/19/pa-events-boost-fun-and-funds-for-school-and-charity/) - This summer term, our PA has worked incredibly hard, organising and hosting several fantastic events, including the Summer Ball, Colour Run, Disco, and Summer Fair. The funds raised are shared between the school and our chosen charity, ‘The Little Green Sock Project’. The funds allocated to the school are used to improve our facilities and - [Exciting Summer Sports Days](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2024/06/18/exciting-summer-sports-days/) - This summer, we excitedly hosted three Sports Days for Upper School, Lower School, and Nursery and Kindergarten. All the children demonstrated excellent focus and team spirit. The events featured a variety of races, including the egg and spoon race, obstacle course, hurdles, relay race, and even a parents' race. Upper School students competed for their - [Heartwarming Moments at Grandparents Tea Party](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2024/06/18/heartwarming-moments-at-grandparents-tea-party/) - Nursery and Kindergarten children were thrilled to welcome their grandparents to one of our most beloved events, the ‘Grandparents Tea Party’. Big smiles lit up the children's faces as their grandparents arrived. Grandparents enjoyed scones and tea while spending a precious hour with their grandchildren, exploring favorite classroom activities like the water table, home corner, - [Learning ‘with a Little Help from Our Parents’](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2024/05/15/learning-with-a-little-help-from-our-parents/) - As our Kindergarten class enters their final term, they are preparing to be 'school ready' by exploring the broader world around them. This term's theme is "People Who Help Us." Building on the close bond we have between school and home, Kindergarten have had the pleasure of hosting parents who shared insights about their professions. - [Unforgettable Shropshire Adventure](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2024/05/15/unforgettable-shropshire-adventure/) - At Forest, our teaching and learning extends far beyond the classroom, our residential trips are an important part of our curriculum. This term, with great excitement, our year 5 and year 6 children, set off on a 4 night residential to the picturesque Shropshire countryside, hosted by Manor Adventure. They took part in lots of - [Tudor Times Brought to Life](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2024/05/15/tudor-times-brought-to-life/) - Year 4 consolidated their History topic on the ‘Tudors’ with a trip to Ordsall Hall. During their visit, Year 4 delved into the life of Sir John Radcliffe, who resided at Ordsall Hall, when Queen Elizabeth l reigned. They gained insight into the lavish lifestyle of the wealthy Tudors, learning about how they dressed and - [Sporting Achievements](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2024/05/13/sporting-achievements-2/) - Sport is one of our many passions at Forest. This term’s sporting calendar highlights were the Bellevue Northern Schools Netball Tournament and the Upper School Swimming Gala. As always, we hosted the Netball Cup and it was a pleasure to welcome teams from Edenhurst, Brabyns and Forest Park. We were delighted to be crowned overall - [Happy Holidays](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2024/05/17/happy-holidays/) - As we finish following the first Summer half-term, on behalf of all the staff and myself we wish you a very happy half-term. A rest is well-deserved after a busy half-term in which the children have worked so diligently in their assessments. After the half term break, we welcome the return of the Summer Show for - [School Community Gathers to Honour Remembrance Day](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2024/12/09/school-community-gathers-to-honour-remembrance-day/) - On Remembrance Day, our entire school came together in a solemn two-minute silence to honour and remember all those who have fought and sacrificed for our freedoms. Children and staff assembled around the school’s air-raid shelter, creating a poignant setting for the commemorative service. The ceremony began with a moving performance of the traditional Last - [Spectacular Centenary Gala Concert in Honour of the Centenary Year](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2024/12/09/spectacular-centenary-gala-concert-in-honour-of-the-centenary-year/) - Forest Prep School’s Centenary Gala Concert was held on 21 November 2024, at the remarkable Stoller Hall in Manchester City Centre to celebrate 100 years of the school. This milestone event was a sell-out, bringing together former staff and pupils, current and former parents and the school’s alumni pupil musicians, who were invited to participate - [Christmas Celebrations at Forest](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2024/12/10/christmas-celebrations-at-forest/) - At Forest, the children work incredibly hard throughout the year, so it’s only fitting that they are treated to a host of festive activities. The holiday season began with the Kindergarten children delighting their parents and grandparents with a charming nativity performance. It was a truly heartwarming event that left everyone feeling extremely proud and - [Forest Centenary – ‘Time Capsule’ Celebration Assembly](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2024/11/05/forest-centenary-time-capsule-celebration-assembly/) - One of the many celebrations for our 100th year involved planting a time capsule. The entire school, along with parents and grandparents, gathered in the garden by the main house for a special moment to honour our school's history with the creation of a time capsule. The time capsule was presented by our head girl, - [Kindergarten and Year 5 Explore Jodrell Bank Observatory](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2024/10/02/kindergarten-and-year-5-explore-jodrell-bank-observatory/) - Both Kindergarten and Year 5 had an exciting and educational day at Jodrell Bank Observatory, home to the iconic Lovell Telescope. The trip was filled with opportunities to learn about space and astronomy, providing valuable insights for all students. Kindergarten students enjoyed a magical storytime session in the planetarium, where they discovered the wonders of - [Celebrating Milestones at Forest School](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2024/09/25/celebrating-milestones-at-forest-school/) - This September, we marked some truly magnificent milestones at Forest School! Not only did we celebrate the start of the school’s centenary year, but we also honoured five dedicated staff members for their incredible years of service. Mrs. Val Howland, Mrs. Nikki Wells, and Mrs. Angela Wild are proudly celebrating their 25th year with us, - [Reception Children Shine in their First Half Term](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2024/09/25/reception-children-shine-in-their-first-half-term/) - We have been super impressed with our Reception children as they complete their first half-term. Settling into the daily routine is a key part of Reception, and we want the children to be as efficient as possible, so that they can quickly get into their learning. They've done a fantastic job so far, on arrival - [Speech Night 2024](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2024/07/11/speech-night-2024/) - Our celebratory evening, ‘Speech Night,’ where we recognise the achievements of 2023/2024, took place at the Citadel, in Sale. The evening opened with a brilliant string ensemble of "John Ryan's Polka" which got everyone in the spirit for celebration. Mr Booth welcomed everyone and spoke about what it actually means to be a ‘Forester’, before - [Celebrations have begun for the Centenary Year](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2024/09/16/celebrations-have-begun-for-the-centenary-year/) - This September marked a significant milestone for us as we celebrate Forest's 100th year. We kicked off our centenary celebrations with a delightful coffee morning that reunited our wonderful Forest families, hosted by our brilliant PA. After a summer break, everyone was happy to catch up and talk about their cherished Forest memories. As the - [Spook-tacular Fun and Learning in our Non-Term-Time Provision](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2024/11/26/spook-tacular-fun-and-learning-in-our-non-term-time-provision/) - The non-term-time Nursery and Kindergarten provision was packed with exciting activities! Miss Bardsley, our Nursery Manager, organised a variety of Halloween-themed crafts and baking sessions, all culminating in a festive Halloween party where the children enjoyed dressing up. In addition to lots of learning, we ensure that children in our non-term-time provision have plenty of - [Year 6 Celebration Afternoon](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2024/09/30/year-6-celebration-afternoon/) - We were delighted to welcome our Year 6 families to school for a special afternoon of celebration, where we proudly announced the new roles and responsibilities for the Year 6 class of 2025 — our 100th Year 6 cohort at Forest Prep. Mr. Booth shared his thoughts on the group, saying, "This class is both - [Centenary Christmas Nativity](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2024/12/13/centenary-christmas-nativity/) - Lower School took to the stage to perform the much anticipated Nativity - “The Angel Who Nearly Missed It All! ” Year 2 took the lead, delivering a wonderful show supported by Reception and Year 1, who sang a medley of festive songs beautifully. Adding to the magical atmosphere, the Nativity Band joined in to - [Christmas Trips Extravaganza](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2024/12/13/christmas-trips-extravaganza/) - The whole school were rewarded with a Christmas trip for all their hard work throughout the Autumn term. Nursery and Kindergarten visited a farm to feed and pet the animals and meet a very special guest, Lower School enjoyed a magical trip to the Sale Waterside theatre to watch the Christmas production, ‘The Bear’. Upper School - [Cross Country Season 2024](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2024/12/10/cross-country-season-2024/) - Throughout the winter half-term our Foresters have participated in three Trafford Cross Country events at John Leigh park. For the first time, children from as young as Year 1 were invited to compete in a 500m race, in addition to the Upper School races. We had a fantastic turnout for all the races and our - [Trips Gallore](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2024/10/02/trips-gallore/) - This first half term, most of our year groups have been fortunate enough to go on a school trip. School trips help bring learning to life, consolidate classroom topics, and create lasting happy memories. Kindergarten and Year 5 had the opportunity to visit Jodrell Bank, while Year 3 enjoyed a trip to the Roman Museum - [A Snap Shot of The First Half-Term in Reception](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2024/09/25/a-snap-shot-of-the-first-half-term-in-reception/) - The Reception children have been learning so much in their first half-term. They have been developing their phonics and number skills, and produced their first piece of writing which helps to build up muscles in their hands and their arms and as well as fine motor skills too. The topic they have focussed on is ‘travel and transport’. - [Photo Archive](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2024/09/13/photo-archive/) - Forest has just turned 100, so it's a great time to reflect on Forest's journey over the past century. Whilst lots has changed over the years and the school has grown bigger and bigger, the school grounds still have many of the original features. Forest Prep was founded in 1924 by the Clegg sisters. History has certainly impacted - [Reflecting on 2024](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2024/12/13/reflecting-on-2024/) - As we reach the end of this very special autumn term, it’s a pleasure to reflect on the many highlights that have made it such a memorable and rewarding time at Forest Prep. One of the most cherished moments of the term was undoubtedly our Centenary Gala Concert in November. This magical evening saw our - [A Creative Haven](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2024/12/02/a-creative-haven/) - Our specialist Art Room is a vibrant and inspiring space, buzzing with creativity as it welcomes students from Kindergarten through to Year 6 for dedicated art lessons, led by our talented Art teacher, Mrs. Thomson. Each half-term, children take on an exciting new art project, exploring a different artist and learning a new artistic skill. - [Forest Preparatory School Celebrates 100 Years of Excellence](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2024/10/04/forest-preparatory-school-celebrates-100-years-of-excellence/) - This year marks a momentous occasion in the history of Forest Preparatory School as we celebrate our centenary year. For 100 years, Forest Prep has been dedicated to providing exceptional education, nurturing generations of students, and fostering a strong sense of community. Since its founding in 1924, the school has grown and evolved while remaining - [Life in our Reception Class – The Final Chapter of the Early Years Journey](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2025/04/10/life-in-our-reception-class-the-final-chapter-of-the-early-years-journey/) - This Summer Term marks the final term in the ‘Early Years’ department for our Reception children, so it’s a great time to reflect — not just on the year so far, but on a journey that began when many of these children were just 2 years old in our Nursery. From Nursery, to Kindergarten, to Reception, our - [Shining on the Stage!](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2025/04/02/shining-on-the-stage/) - Music plays a vital role in school life, and we love nurturing our pupils’ passion and talent. To celebrate their musical abilities, our Year 5 and Year 6 children had the incredible opportunity to perform on stage at the prestigious Stoller Hall in Manchester on Thursday, 6th March. They took part in the Bellevue Northern - [Happy 18th Birthday, George!](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2025/03/25/happy-18th-birthday-george/) - On 2nd April, 2025, we celebrated a very special milestone—George, our beloved school tortoise, turned 18! For those who don’t know, George is one of our two tortoises, alongside his companion, Mildred. Since September 2009, George has been a much-loved member of our school community. He often visits the Nursery children, bringing smiles to their - [Year 6 Examination Success – A Proud Achievement](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2025/03/07/year-6-examination-success-a-proud-achievement/) - We are delighted to share the outstanding exam results of our current Year 6 cohort. As a non-academically selective school, we take immense pride in our external examination success, supporting our pupils in securing places at schools that best suit their future aspirations. For those who sat the entrance and 11+ exams, the pass rates - [Outstanding Achievements by Our Hardworking Foresters](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2025/02/04/outstanding-achievements-by-our-hardworking-foresters/) - During the Summer Term, all children from Reception to Year 6 participated in assessments, and we are thrilled to share the results. While we are incredibly impressed, we are not at all surprised — our children’s dedication and hard work truly shine through in their achievements. The percentage of children meeting or exceeding expected levels - [Welcoming Back Mrs Eley](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2025/01/29/welcoming-back-mrs-eley/) - The start of the Spring term not only saw the beginning of a new year (2025) but we also very happily welcomed back Mrs Eley. Mrs Eley is a huge part of Forest, and is our longest-serving staff member, having been with us since 1979. With a teaching career spanning nearly 50 years, she first - [Sparking an Interest in Science](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2025/01/17/sparking-an-interest-in-science/) - This half-term our Year 6 children participated in a hands-on Science STEM enrichment session led by Mrs Stokes. As a new initiative, Mrs Stokes will be teaching Science enrichment sessions throughout the year. The sessions are designed to engage the children in interactive learning, allowing them to explore key scientific concepts through practical activities. Throughout today's Year 6 session, - [Poetry Competition – Centenary Celebration](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2025/04/01/poetry-competition-centenary-celebration/) - As part of our Centenary Celebrations, all children from Nursery to Year 6 took part in a special Poetry Competition. Over the February half-term all children were tasked with writing a poem, in collaboration with their families . This was a wonderful opportunity for families to bond, share creativity, and celebrate school life together. The - [Exciting New Adventure Playground](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2025/02/04/exciting-new-adventure-playground/) - This spring half-term saw the opening of our brand-new adventure playground, bringing lots of excitement! Carefully designed to cater to all year groups, the playground offers age-appropriate sections to ensure every child enjoys safe and engaging play. Our youngest Foresters now have their very own play tower, complete with a slide, tunnel, climbing wall, and - [Exciting Sports Action!](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2025/03/25/exciting-sports-action/) - This term has been packed with many sports events! Both the boys' and girls' football leagues are in full swing, with teams competing in multiple matches and showcasing their skills on the field. The boys’ and girls’ year 2 football teams both enjoyed ‘friendly’ matches against another local prep school ‘Forest Park’. Meanwhile, the Forest - [Seedling Choir in Full Bloom](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2025/02/11/seedling-choir-in-full-bloom/) - Our Seedling Choir, made up of Reception children and led by our Music Captain, AW (Year 6), meets every Monday during break time to sing and learn actions to their songs. At Forest, we have three other choirs—Greenhouse, Main, and Chamber Choirs—all designed for Upper School pupils. The Seedling Choir is a wonderful opportunity for - [Hitting All the Right Notes](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2025/02/11/hitting-all-the-right-notes/) - We were thrilled to have three of our talented students reach the finals of the ISA Young Musician of the Year, held at the prestigious Oxford University. A huge congratulations to ZZ, JC, and AW for their outstanding performances in the final. Reaching this stage is an incredible achievement, with only 12 finalists selected from - [Spelling Bee Champions](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2025/02/10/spelling-bee-champions/) - The Spelling Bee is an exciting inter-school competition where Forest competes against other Bellevue schools, showcasing our students' spelling skills and determination. We are incredibly proud of our two Foresters, CG (Year 3) in the Lower Key Stage 2 category and JC (Year 5), who made it through to the Bellevue semi-finals. Competing against five - [Spring Half Term in the Art Rom](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2025/03/24/spring-half-term-in-the-art-rom/) - This half term the the Art Room has been a hive of artistic activity. The children have explored texture and colour, through a range of exciting art projects, taking inspiration from renowned artists. Kindergarten created clay tiles and experimented with line printing inspired by Marta Minujín. Reception used wax resist for space-themed art and built ‘Litter Bugs’ from recycled materials. Year 1 explored watercolour techniques and created Paul Klee-inspired cityscapes. Year 2 experimented - [Celebrating British Science Week!](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2025/03/18/celebrating-british-science-week/) - Children from Reception to Year 6 enjoyed two days of exciting, hands-on science activities, delivered by two visiting scientists. Dr. S. Djurovic captivated the children with the science of magnets—how they are made, how electricity powers them, and their role in high-speed trains. Children even created their own magnets using batteries, leads, and clips! Dr. N. - [Garden Adventures in Non Term-Time Nursery](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2025/03/05/garden-adventures-in-non-term-time-nursery/) - During February half-term our youngest Foresters explored the mini-topic "In the Garden" with a different theme each day. Monday – Bees: Children enjoyed bee-themed activities, including a counting game with hives. Tuesday – Caterpillars: They arranged numbered caterpillars in the tuff tray and had a Spanish lesson with Miss Saez. Wednesday – Mini Beasts: Kids searched for hidden mini beasts in - [Sponsors Support New Team Kits](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2025/02/03/sponsors-support-new-team-kits/) - Thank you to our two key sponsors, PLS Solicitors and Elite Knee Clinic, for helping us to purchase new team kits for our Forest Sports Teams. a Forest team kit. This new kit is for both Upper and Lower School and will be used at all competitive sporting team events. It helps keep up our - [Celebrating Outstanding Academic Achievements at Forest Prep School](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2025/04/01/celebrating-outstanding-academic-achievements-at-forest-prep-school/) - At Forest Prep, we take great pride in the academic achievements of our students. Our commitment to fostering a nurturing environment where every child can excel is evident in the remarkable progress our pupils have made. Whether it’s in the classroom or beyond, the hard work, dedication, and passion for learning that our Foresters demonstrate - [All Things Musical](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2025/02/12/all-things-musical/) - We are a small school that punches above its weight in Music and, in our Centenary year, nothing has changed in this regard. Last term saw our Gala Centenary Concert at the Stoller Hall in Manchester and, in March, we will be back there for the Bellevue Northern Music Festival. This is an event we - [Reconnecting with Former Pupils at Centenary Afternoon Tea](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2025/05/07/reconnecting-with-former-pupils-at-centenary-afternoon-tea/) - As part of our special Centenary celebrations, we hosted a ‘Centenary Afternoon Tea & Alumni Tours’ on 30th April and 1st May. This wonderful occasion brought together over 40 alumni from across the decades — including one former pupil who was from the class of 1945! The sun shone brightly as guests arrived and enjoyed - [Our Youngest Foresters have Blossomed in Nursery!](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2025/05/06/our-youngest-foresters-have-blossomed-in-nursery/) - When the children first stepped through the doors of the Nursery in September, they were beginning their journey into the world of school. They were unsure of routines and unfamiliar with the faces around them and were trying to master basic independence. Now they are in their final term of Nursery and those children have - [VE Day Celebrations - 80th Anniversary](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2025/05/09/ve-day-celebrations-80th-anniversary/) - To raise awareness and help children understand the significance of VE Day, we marked the 80th anniversary of this historic occasion with a day of reflection and celebration. Mrs Eley led an engaging and age-appropriate assembly, helping the children grasp the meaning and importance of Victory in Europe Day. At 12 noon, the entire school - [Upper School Swimming Gala – A Celebration of Sporting Excellence](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2025/05/09/upper-school-swimming-gala-a-celebration-of-sporting-excellence/) - Our annual Upper School Swimming Gala was a resounding success, with pupils from across the school showcasing their talent, teamwork and determination in a series of competitive and spirited races. Each participant demonstrated not only strong swimming skills but also the core values we promote at Forest – resilience, respect, and pride in representing their - [Exciting STEM Enrichment Across the School!](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2025/05/09/exciting-stem-enrichment-across-the-school/) - This half-term, pupils across all year groups have enjoyed exciting STEM enrichment sessions led by our specialist teacher, Mrs Stokes. Each session has offered hands-on learning experiences designed to spark curiosity and deepen scientific understanding. STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education is vital for developing critical thinking, problem-solving skills, and a deeper understanding of - [Exploring Beyond the Classroom](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2025/05/07/exploring-beyond-the-classroom/) - Year 4 pupils take part in independent research projects, known as 'Wider World'. These independent research projects, set twice each half-term, offer pupils the chance to explore fascinating topics linked to curriculum subjects such as History, Geography and RE. Sometimes the class is given a specific theme to investigate, while other times they are encouraged to - [Alderley Edge Music Festival Success](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/2025/05/13/alderley-edge-music-festival-success/) - We are incredibly proud of our talented music pupils who recently took part in the Alderley Edge Festival of Music, Speech and Drama. This prestigious event, which has been running for over 100 years, provides an annual platform for performers of all ages to showcase their talents in music, drama, and public speaking. With over 2,500 ## Pages - [The Forest Way](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/) - At Forest Prep, staff provide a happy, stimulating and well-disciplined environment, and encourage each child to strive for excellence, and reach their full potential in all areas of school life. - [Fees](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/admissions/fees/) - To make our school fees as accessible as possible, we welcome payments on a monthly basis. - [Extra Curricular](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/school-life/extra-curricular/) - Here at Forest our extensive range of clubs and activities is designed specifically to ensure the unique and natural talents of every child are recognised and encouraged. Scroll down to learn more about the clubs on offer. - [Visit](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/visit/) - Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Etiam ligula odio, pulvinar ac lobortis sed, pharetra a leo. Proin consectetur molestie hendrerit. Cras ut ultricies ante. Vivamus erat tortor, mollis vitae semper vitae, tincidunt sed orci. Vivamus sollicitudin risus nisl. Ut sodales condimentum leo, sed molestie sem consequat convallis. Donec vitae mattis nisl. Vestibulum eget - [Vacancies](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/about-us/vacancies/) - Here at Forest we recognise that the people who work for us are fundamental in enabling us to provide an exceptional learning experience for every pupil we teach. - [Meet the Team](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/about-us/meet-the-team/) - We have a team of dedicated and highly inspirational teachers and support staff here at Forest Preparatory School. - [Chef Simon's Lunch Menu](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/school-life/chef-simons-lunch-menu/) - The school’s catering is produced in-house by our Chef Manager and all round 'super-chef'- Chef Simon - [Kindergarten](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/early-years/kindergarten/) - Welcome to Kindergarten Our Kindergarten class is for children aged 3 who will turn 4 during the academic year and is open all year round. - [Reception](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/early-years/reception/) - Our Reception Class is made up of up to 24 children who have progressed from our Kindergarten, plus new joiners from other settings. - [Early Years Curriculum](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/early-years/early-years-curriculum/) - Our Early Years department provides a vibrant, caring and stimulating environment, where children aged 2-5 years thrive on the bespoke learning opportunities offered. - [Early Years](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/early-years/) - At Forest, the Early Years Foundation Stage comprises our Nursery (2-3 year olds), Kindergarten (3-4 year olds) and Reception (4-5 year olds) classes. - [Nursery](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/early-years/nursery/) - Welcome to Nursery from Miss Bardsley, Nursery Manager The Forest journey begins in our Nursery, where children join the Forest family from the age of 2. - [Why Choose Forest School?](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/about-us/why-choose-forest-school/) - Many of us will be familiar with the term “preparatory school”, but what exactly is a prep school and how do children benefit - [Welcome from The Head](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/about-us/welcome-from-the-head/) - Welcome to our website. Our intention is to provide both current and prospective parents with information regarding the many aspects of school life and the opportunities we can offer every individual child. - [Wraparound Care and Holiday Club](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/school-life/wraparound-care-and-holiday-club/) - Forest Preparatory School offers a full wraparound provision during term time and also during the school holidays. - [Academic Success](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/admissions/academic-success/) - Parents at Forest Preparatory School are very fortunate with the extensive choice of highly respected secondary schools available in the area and we aim to help them choose the right school for their child. - [Letters Home](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/school-life/letters-home/) - Forest Preparatory School prides itself on good communication and strong home-school links. - [Facilities Hire](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/about-us/facilities-hire/) - We are delighted to work in collaboration with many organisations who hire our hall and facilities. - [Inspection Report](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/about-us/inspection-report/) - Our Material Change inspection was by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI), in June 2024: - [Admissions](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/admissions/) - We believe that Forest is a great place to be.We would love to help your children learn. - [Open Morning](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/admissions/open-morning/) - Saturday 7th March 2026 | 10:00 – 12:00 Register your attendance! We warmly invite prospective families to join us for our Open Morning and discover what makes Forest School such a special place to learn and grow Registration is required. Please use the link above to register. - [eMagazine](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/latest-news/emagazine/) - More on our eMagazine can be found here. - [Parent & Community Resources](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/school-life/parent-community-resources/) - The PA is run entirely by parents from the school and our aim is to complement the thriving school community by creating: - [Policies and Procedures](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/about-us/policies-and-procedures/) - This page provides details of how parents and prospective parents can access the relevant information and policy documents. - [Term Dates](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/school-life/term-dates/) - Term dates for the academic year can be found here. - [What Community Means to Us](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/what-community-means-to-us/) - At Forest Preparatory School, community is more than just a word. It is at the heart of everything we do — shaping how we teach, who we partner with, and how we connect with families and our neighbourhood. We believe in building a strong school family, fostering active citizenship, and making a positive impact beyond - [Music](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/school-life/music/) - Music plays a very important part in the curriculum at Forest and is celebrated at every opportunity. All children are encouraged to develop a love of and respect for music. - [Upper School Curriculum](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/upper-school/upper-school-curriculum/) - With close co-operation and communication between Years 2 and 3, the move to Upper School is smooth and untroubled. - [Lower School Curriculum](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/lower-school/lower-school-curriculum/) - At this stage the children consolidate and expand their endless thirst for knowledge and take large strides forward socially and academically. - [Sports](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/school-life/sports/) - Sport plays a significant role in school life at Forest. - [Year 6](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/upper-school/year-6/) - The Year 6 class is taught by Mrs Knowles, with support from Mrs Howland. Together, they create a dynamic and engaging environment. - [Year 5](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/upper-school/year-5/) - The Year 5 class is taught by Mr Hyde (also deputy headteacher), supported by Mrs Johal, the teaching assistant. - [Year 4](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/upper-school/year-4/) - The Year 4 class is taught by Mr Francis, with the support of Mrs Howland, class Teaching Assistant. - [Year 3](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/upper-school/year-3/) - The Year 3 class is taught by Mrs Eley on Monday - Thursday, and Mr Booth (Headmaster) on Friday, both teachers are supported by Mrs Cooke, Year 3 Teaching Assistant. - [Year 2](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/lower-school/year-2/) - Welcome to Year 2The Year 2 class is led by Mrs Bradley, Class Teacher, and Mrs McClearn, Teaching Assistant. - [Year 1](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/lower-school/year-1/) - Welcome to Year 1The Year 1 Class is led by Mrs. Burns (Monday to Thursday), Mrs. Thomson (Friday), and Mrs. Wells, the Year 1 Teaching Assistant. - [Curriculum Progression Maps](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/curriculum-progression-maps/) - On this page you will find detailed information about the units and skills taught in each subject for each year group. - [Character Education](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/character-education/) - At Forest Prep, Character Education has been at the heart of Forest life since the school started educating children over 100 years ago. Long before the phrase became a ‘buzzword’ in education, Forest has nurtured children to grow into confident, kind, and responsible young people who are ready to make a positive difference in the - [Resources for Parents & Carers about Online Safety](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/resources-for-parents-carers-about-online-safety/) - Advice / Sites to Learn From: Children and young people spend a lot of time online and may face risks such as cyberbullying, being exposed to inappropriate content, or sexual exploitation. The internet isn’t a thing, it’s a place, and it can be a hazardous and scary place for young people to visit. Lacking parental - [School Vision and Aims](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/about-us/school-vision-and-aims/) - Please find out school vision and aims here. - [History](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/about-us/history/) - Please see our timeline below: - [Cookies](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/cookies/) - Please find our privacy policies here. - [Privacy Policy](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/privacy-policy/) - Please find our privacy policies here. - [Preparation for 11+](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/upper-school/preparation-for-11/) - At Forest Preparatory School, we prepare children for moving on to a wide variety of secondary schools. - [Upper School](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/upper-school/) - We provide a varied and stimulating curriculum which enables our pupils to achieve their personal best and develop a firm foundation for senior school. - [The School Day](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/school-life/the-school-day/) - Please see below to view a typical school day for each department. - [School Uniform](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/school-life/school-uniform/) - Uniform requirements vary for each year group. Below is an overview of the uniforms needed for each year group. - [Pastoral Care](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/school-life/pastoral-care/) - Our excellent pastoral care is built on knowing every child as an individual, and with an ‘open door’ policy strong links are formed with parents, allowing for excellent communication between home and school. - [Learning Support](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/school-life/learning-support/) - Helping and encouraging all children to reach their full potential lies at the heart of Forest Preparatory School's mission, which is why our Supported Learning Department is so important to us. - [School Life](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/school-life/) - To give you an idea of what life is like here at Forest, here are some recent quotes from the children. - [Lower School](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/lower-school/) - In Lower School we provide a secure, nurturing and quiet learning environment where the children make excellent pastoral and academic progress. - [School Calendar](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/latest-news/school-calendar/) - Please find our school calendar here: - [Photo Gallery](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/latest-news/photo-gallery/) - Please take a look at our photo gallery, to see what our students have been getting up to. - [Contact Us](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/contact-us/) - If you enquiring about your child joining the School, please complete our Prospectus Request form to ensure we are able to handle your enquiry efficiently. - [Book a Personalised Tour](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/book-a-visit/) - The best way to learn all about life at Forest Prep and discover if we are the right fit for your family, is to come and visit us. - [Open Events](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/admissions/open-events/) - Every day is an 'Open Day' at Forest! - [Enquire Now](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/admissions/enquire-now/) - To request a prospectus pack, simply complete our form and a pack will be delivered to your address. - [Third Level Menu](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/about-us/welcome-from-the-head/third-level-menu/) - Please find the third level menu here. - [Terms and Conditions](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/about-us/terms-and-conditions/) - Please find below the Terms and Conditions for entry to Forest Preparatory School: - [Part of Bellevue Education](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/about-us/part-of-bellevue-education/) - Bellevue Education is committed to excellence in education. - [Alumni](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/about-us/alumni/) - Join the Forest Prep School Alumni In September 2024, Forest proudly entered its 100th year! - [About Us](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/about-us/) - Find out more about our school here. ## Galleries - [Sports Day](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/galleries/sports-day/) - [Art Attack](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/galleries/art-attack/) - It's been a busy term in the Art room, with every class learning a different art technique. Kindergarten used watercolours to produce patterned circles to make a collaborative mobile. Reception made snail pictures using filter paper. STEAM..art meets science. Year One have studied birds and feathers before creating a bird sculpture. Year Two have produced - [Celebrating Year 3’s Incredible Journey!](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/galleries/celebrating-year-3s-incredible-journey/) - What an amazing first year in Key Stage 2 for our Year 3 class! We are so proud of how much they have developed and challenged themselves throughout the year. This half term, the children have worked incredibly hard in English, developing their research and presentation skills by creating fantastic double page spreads about Sir - [Funky Hair Day](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/galleries/funky-hair-day/) - Funky Fun Hair Day was a huge success as children arrived at school showing off some truly imaginative hairstyle. It was all in support of the wonderful charity, the Little Princess Trust, which Evie is currently fundraising for and is a cause very close to Evie’s heart. The day began with Evie and Harriet delivering - [Year 5 Pupils Continue Exceptional 11+ Preparation](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/galleries/year-5-pupils-continue-exceptional-11-preparation/) - The Year 5 classroom has enjoyed an exceptionally busy and productive fortnight, with pupils demonstrating outstanding commitment and consistently high standards across all areas of learning as they continue preparing for the 11+ examinations. In Mathematics, pupils have been developing their understanding of reflections and have recently been introduced to Algebra. Alongside new learning, the - [A Music Festival to Note](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/galleries/a-music-festival-to-note/) - The 2026 Alderley Edge Festival was a week filled with music and celebration. On Tuesday, young pianists and string players took to the stage, with Dron and Vidit both earning 1st place, while many children made their festival debuts for the very first time. Wednesday brought more success as Jade won the Grade 5 Piano - [From Drums to Piano, Every Child Finds Their Voice ](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/galleries/from-drums-to-piano-every-child-finds-their-voice/) - Music continues to thrive and expand Forest Prep School, where every child from Nursery to Year 6 enjoys weekly music lessons led by our Director of Music, Ms Wellings. These inspire a love of music from an early age, helping pupils to develop confidence, creativity and performance skills. In addition to class lessons, children also - [Culture Week 2026](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/galleries/culture-week-2026/) - At Forest, we are a diverse family so 'Culture Week' is very important to us, as we want to embrace and celebrate our school population. This year, our children explored and celebrated cultures from around the world through crafts, music, dance, sport, and food. They immersed themselves into many different cultures including Chinese, Indian, African, - [Young Football Stars Shine in Weekly Enrichment Sessions ](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/galleries/young-football-stars-shine-in-weekly-enrichment-sessions/) - Children in Nursery, Kindergarten and Reception have been enjoying weekly football enrichment sessions, held every Wednesday, inline with one of the school’s priorities to increase sports opportunities for all year groups. The sessions are delivered by M K Coaching, a specialist coaching provider owned and led by a player from Altrincham FC. The engaging programme - [World Book Day 2026](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/galleries/world-book-day-2026/) - What a fantastic World Book Day celebration. The day started with a whole school assembly where Mr Hyde shared one of his favourite stories, Six Dinner Sid. The children loved listening to the adventures of the mischievous cat and it was a wonderful way to begin our celebrations. After the story, it was time for - [Year 5 Share Creativity and Community at Wyncourt Nursing Home](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/galleries/year-5-share-creativity-and-community-at-wyncourt-nursing-home/) - Year 5 pupils visited Wyncourt Nursing Home for a special art session focused on portrait drawing. Working closely with residents, the children carefully sketched their partners, taking time to observe expressions and listen to their stories. The session was filled with plenty of smiles as creativity brought generations together. The visit had a wonderfully positive - [Kicking Off Success with Altrincham FC](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/galleries/kicking-off-success-with-altrincham-fc/) - Our football enrichment mornings with Altrincham FC players gave pupils from Year 1 to Year 6 the opportunity to develop their skills, teamwork and confidence through fun, high-quality coaching. Working with professional players inspired the children, encouraged positive attitudes to sport and promoted healthy, active lifestyles. Sports enrichment sessions play an important role in a - [Year 2 and Year 4 Maths Buddies](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/galleries/year-2-and-year-4-maths-buddies/) - We’re excited to introduce a new buddy scheme bringing together Year 2 and Year 4 for our weekly Mini Maths Champs sessions, held every Thursday. The scheme is designed to build confidence, enjoyment, and curiosity around times tables. Children work alongside their Maths Champ buddy to take part in a range of fun maths games and - [Why We Teach Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/galleries/why-we-teach-verbal-and-non-verbal-reasoning/) - Verbal Reasoning (VR) and Non-Verbal Reasoning (NVR) are about far more than preparing children for the 11+. They are powerful subjects in their own right, developing skills that benefit children regardless of the secondary school route they take. From Year 2 onwards, VR and NVR form part of our weekly curriculum and homework programme. This - [Year 3 Buddies Lead the Way into the New Year](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/galleries/year-3-buddies-lead-the-way-into-the-new-year/) - In the first Buddy Meet of the New Year, the focus was perfectly placed on setting New Year’s Resolutions. Year 3 pupils proudly took on their leadership role, guiding their Reception buddies to think about and choose a personal goal for the year ahead. These goals ranged from learning to ride a bike to swimming - [Lower School Nativity 2025](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/galleries/lower-school-nativity-2025/) - The Lower School children delighted families with a joyful performance of this year’s Nativity, Tinsel and Tea-Towels, held at the beautiful Altrincham United Reformed Church in Hale. This much loved Forest Prep tradition brought together our Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 pupils, alongside our Year 6 band, for a truly heart-warming celebration of the - [Winter Recital 2025](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/galleries/winter-recital-2025/) - Our first recital of the year and it was truly lovely for hall to be filled with music and excitement. From the very first notes, it was clear how much care and practice each performer had invested. Our instrumentalists played with composure and commitment, sharing pieces they’ve been developing so thoughtfully with our dedicated peripatetic - [Celebrating Black History Month](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/galleries/celebrating-black-history-month/) - At Forest, we were proud to mark Black History Month. A Forest parent, Mr Wedderburn, led an inspiring assembly, where he spoke passionately about the incredible achievements of many Black inventors, scientists, and sportspeople. He told the children about Garrett Morgan, inventor of the traffic light, Lonnie Johnson, creator of the Super Soaker, Venus Williams, - [Diwali Celebrations](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/galleries/diwali-celebrations/) - As a school we came together to celebrate and learn all about Diwali, the Festival of Lights! The hall had been beautifully decorated by our Hindu Forest community and was the venue for our special assembly led by Forest parents and pupils who wanted to share this happy occasion with the whole school. VS in Year - [A New Chapter at Forest: Rosie and Ruby Arrive](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/galleries/a-new-chapter-at-forest-rosie-and-ruby-arrive/) - This term, our Forest family welcomed two adorable new residents: Rosie and Ruby, a pair of playful Pygmy goats! Rosie and Ruby have captured the hearts of pupils and staff alike and have made themselves right at home in the outdoor classroom area, Together, they bring even more warmth and are a great addition to - [Year 6's Aim High - Sitting the 11+](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/galleries/year-6s-aim-high-sitting-the-11/) - We're very proud of our Year 6 pupils who sat the 11+ exams in the hope for a place at one of the Trafford Grammar Schools Consortium. We commend the children on their positive and fuss-free attitude as they faced this challenge, with many relishing the opportunity. The children were well prepared. Year 6 pupil's - [A Revamped Buddy System ](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/galleries/a-revamped-buddy-system/) - At Forest, we know that some of the most powerful learning happens when children learn from one another. This year, our Buddy System has been given a fresh new twist, creating even more opportunities for children across the school to build friendships, share experiences, and grow together. Nursery and Year 6 Our youngest and oldest - [Playtimes - Better than Ever!](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/galleries/playtimes-better-than-ever/) - Over the past year, we’ve invested heavily in making playtimes more exciting and active. As if our fantastic playground equipment wasn’t already enough, we’ve introduced new dedicated play zones filled with a variety of activities designed to spark imagination, encourage teamwork, and get children moving. From traditional games to larger-than-life fun, pupils can now enjoy: - [Children Thrive in Exciting Summer Term Extracurricular Clubs](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/galleries/children-thrive-in-exciting-summer-term-extracurricular-clubs/) - This summer term has been a vibrant and enriching time for our pupils, thanks to the fantastic range of extracurricular clubs on offer. From creative clubs to high-energy activities, the diverse selection has ensured that every child can find something for their interests and passions. Children have been enjoying a variety of clubs including Journalism - [A Special Afternoon: Grandparents' Tea Party](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/galleries/a-special-afternoon-grandparents-tea-party/) - Last week, we welcomed some very special guests to Forest for a heartwarming Grandparents’ Tea Party. Grandparents of children in Nursery and Kindergarten were invited to spend a relaxed afternoon enjoying homemade cakes, and—most importantly—precious time with their grandchildren. The joy on the children’s faces was clear as they proudly introduced their grandparents to their - [The Dracula Rock Show: A Summer Spectacle](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/galleries/the-dracula-rock-show-a-summer-spectacle/) - This year’s summer show at Altrincham Little Theatre was nothing short of fang-tastic. “The Dracula Rock Show” had the audience clapping along to the beat in a spectacular musical that brought Transylvanian flair to the heart of Altrincham. Staged by the talented Upper School, the production starred our amazing Year 6 pupils in lead roles, - [Showcasing Excellence: A Gallery of Pupil's Work](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/galleries/showcasing-excellence-a-gallery-of-pupils-work/) - We are delighted to showcase the outstanding work produced by our pupils across the school. This collection not only highlights the high quality of their writing, but also the imaginative and creative ways our children choose to present their learning. From our youngest learners in Nursery to our confident Year 6 researchers, the gallery shows ## Staff - [Miss A McRae](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/staff/mrs-a-cooke/) - [Mrs H Bradley](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/staff/mrs-h-bradley/) - [Mrs L Knowles](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/staff/mrs-l-knowles/) - [Mrs E Daniels](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/staff/mrs-e-daniels/) - School Office: 0161-980-4075 Mrs Daniels works on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday - [Mrs S Booth](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/staff/mrs-s-booth/) - [Maggie and Ronnie](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/staff/maggie/) - [Miss H Bardsley](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/staff/miss-h-bardsley/) - Additional Role: Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead (DDSL), including Early Years. Additional Role: School ELSA (Emotional Literacy Support Assistant) - [Beverley Budd](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/staff/beverley-budd/) - The school has high expectations, which the children match with their very strong work ethic. Our small classes enable us to have a broad and challenging curriculum. Children are well prepared for the next stage of their education and we have an outstanding record in entrance examinations to independent and state grammar schools. There is - [Mrs C Singer](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/staff/mrs-c-singer/) - [Mrs S Singhal](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/staff/mrs-s-singhal/) - [Mrs S Miah](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/staff/mrs-s-miah/) - [Mrs J Tourigny](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/staff/mrs-j-tourigny/) - Additional Information: Mrs Tourigny teaches Year 1 on Fridays. - [Rick Hyde](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/staff/rick-hyde/) - Children are at the heart of all our teaching at Forest Preparatory School. We pride ourselves on providing a happy and secure environment where all successes are celebrated. Great emphasis is placed on the welfare and well being of our pupils as we know that happiness is the key to children truly flourishing. Additional Role: Designated - [Graeme Booth](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/staff/graeme-booth/) - At Forest we believe that we have found a perfect balance in pursuing academic excellence whilst at the same time maintaining strong pastoral care standards. We strongly believe that if a child is happy they will learn and if they have a sound and efficient framework within which to work they will thrive. Every child is - [Mrs J Eley](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/staff/mrs-j-eley/) - Additional Information: Mrs Eley teaches Year 3 from Monday to Thursday. - [Mrs E Burns](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/staff/mrs-e-burns/) - Additional Information: Mrs Burns teaches Year 1 from Monday to Thursday. - [Mr J Bullock](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/staff/mr-j-bullock/) - Additional Information: Advanced Safeguarding Trained - [Mrs E Thomson](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/staff/mrs-e-thomson/) - Additional Role: Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead (DDSL), including Early Years - [Mr S Rimmer](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/staff/mr-s-rimmer/) - [Mrs A Wild](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/staff/mrs-a-wild/) - [Mrs A Moroney](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/staff/mrs-a-moroney/) - [Mrs S Forth](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/staff/mrs-s-forth/) - [Mrs C Davies](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/staff/mrs-c-davies/) - [Mr S Bate (Chef Simon)](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/staff/mr-s-bate-chef-simon/) - [Mrs D Hennessey](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/staff/mrs-d-hennessey/) - [Mr T Cunliffe](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/staff/mr-t-cunliffe/) - [Mr B Edwards](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/staff/mr-b-edwards/) - Additional Role: Designated Fire Marshall - [Mrs C Peers](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/staff/mrs-c-peers/) - School Office: 0161-980-4075 Additional Role: Designated Fire Warden (Roll Calls and Staff) - [Mrs E Birtles](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/staff/mrs-e-birtles/) - School Office: 0161-980-4075 - [Miss A Saez](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/staff/miss-a-saez/) - [Miss Z Smith](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/staff/miss-z-smith/) - [Miss L Hamilton](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/staff/miss-l-hamilton/) - [Miss K Naylor](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/staff/miss-k-naylor/) - [Mrs J Henderson](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/staff/mrs-j-henderson/) - Additional Role: Lead First Aider - [Mrs N Wells](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/staff/mrs-n-wells/) - Additional Role: Designated Fire Warden (Lower School) - [Mrs J McClearn](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/staff/mrs-j-mcclearn/) - [Mrs S Howland](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/staff/mrs-s-howland/) - Marketing Contact: marketing@forestschool.co.uk Year 4 Contact: showland@forestschool.co.uk School Office: 0161-980-4075 - [Mrs A Johal](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/staff/mrs-a-johal/) - Additional Role: Designated Fire Warden (Upper School) - [Mrs V Howland](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/staff/mrs-v-howland/) - [Mrs H Mulholland](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/staff/mrs-h-mulholland/) - Specalist Dyslexia Practitioner with APS. Member of the BDA (British Dyslexia Association). - [Ms S Wellings](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/staff/ms-s-wellings/) - [Mr C Francis](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/staff/mr-c-francis/) - [Gemma Newell](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/staff/gemma-newell/) - [Full Name 2](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/staff/full-name-2/) - Mauris venenatis sapien purus, in aliquam libero venenatis non. Ut ullamcorper risus vel risus pellentesque luctus. Sed pellentesque justo vel eros tempor molestie. Nullam eleifend justo eget rutrum vestibulum. Sed posuere, enim eget condimentum finibus, magna est ornare lacus, in vehicula tellus libero eget est. Morbi efficitur dignissim quam nec tempus. Morbi a eleifend justo. - [Full Name](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/staff/full-name/) - Mauris venenatis sapien purus, in aliquam libero venenatis non. Ut ullamcorper risus vel risus pellentesque luctus. Sed pellentesque justo vel eros tempor molestie. Nullam eleifend justo eget rutrum vestibulum. Sed posuere, enim eget condimentum finibus, magna est ornare lacus, in vehicula tellus libero eget est. Morbi efficitur dignissim quam nec tempus. Morbi a eleifend justo. ## Categories - [Blog](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/category/blog/) - [Latest News](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/category/latest-news/) - [Photo Gallery](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/category/photo-gallery/) - [Blog Entry](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/category/blog-entry/) - [Story1](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/category/story1/) - [Story2](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/category/story2/) - [Story3](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/category/story3/) - [Story4](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/category/story4/) - [Gallery1](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/category/gallery1/) - [Intro](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/category/intro/) - [Gallery2](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/category/gallery2/) - [Gallery3](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/category/gallery3/) - [Gallery4](https://www.forestschool.co.uk/category/gallery4/)