Private School News

Most weeks at Prior Park Prep School in Cricklade are full and inspiring but this one was exceptional.

Earlier this month a number of children took part in the Mid-Somerset Festival of Speech and Drama in Bath. A Year 7 pupil came away with the cup for Bible Recitation and some superb comments from the adjudicator. That same day our Year 8 girls travelled to Jersey for hockey and netball tournaments. This is an invitation competition and Prior Park were invited to attend because of their excellence in the past. Once again they won the Hockey Tournament – making this four times out of the last five years, without conceding a goal in the whole tournament!

The following day our Year 3s took part in the Under 13 Group Speaking Competition in Bath. Different age groups at Prior Park have won this class over the past few years, so they had much to live up to. Despite this being their first experience of competing in the Festival they ‘wowed’ the audience and the judges, and won the trophy. They were delighted to be invited back for the Gala Performance in the Guildhall on Saturday evening.

At the start of the week one of our Spanish pupils, who is only with us for a year, was awarded goalkeeper of the tournament at the Padfield Hockey Tournament at Dean Close School in Cheltenham. The following day the Under 11 Colts team went to London to play in a prestigious rugby seven-a-side tournament – playing many large London schools. They played with real passion and got through to the finals where they were narrowly beaten. This is the best performance that any Prior Park team has achieved at this level.

All this happened in a ‘normal’ school week which also included a ‘book based University Challenge’ and a ‘Come as a Character Day’ for the National Book Week.

Whilst congratulating all the children in assembly, the Headmaster, Mr Gerry Hobern, was reminded that every boys’ hockey team had won all their matches in the previous week against two separate schools.

Mr Hobern said, “I am so pleased with all our children. We are a non-selective school and we aim to give every child an ‘education for life’. With the support of our team of dedicated staff and by their own efforts the children are clearly inspired to achieve great things.”