HPS Headlines

The start of the Autumn Term has been bustling with energy here at Homefield. As I often say, every minute of every school day should be packed with 60 purposeful seconds. This approach not only keeps the boys engaged but also supports the staff and wider community in thriving together. Such opportunities foster growth and allow us to continue providing the very best for our pupils.

We are eagerly looking forward to welcoming prospective parents to our Open Morning next Saturday, 12th October. A heartfelt thank you goes out to all the boys who will be assisting with activities and acting as exceptional Homefield ambassadors, showcasing our wonderful school to visitors.

Warmest regards,
Mr C.Hammond

Head.

Art & DT:
All boys are getting into the flow of their projects. Year 3 now have a good understanding of how to draw music, Year 4 are producing collages inspired by nature, Year 5 are researching controversial policies and creating Warhol-style repeats, Year 6 are developing ideas for their masks, Year 7 are working on photography portraits, and Year 8 are busy with their monotone drawings of megacities.

Computing:
In Computing, the boys have been studying a range of topics. Year 1 and 2 are looking at useful computer skills, Year 3 are studying simulations, Year 4 are programming in LOGO, Year 5 are getting to know Excel, Year 6 are exploring binary and networks, Year 7 are being introduced to Access, and Year 8 are using Excel to simulate variables.

English & Drama:
Year 3 are developing their comprehension skills in English, while creating exciting freeze frames about The Iron Man in drama. Year 4 are analysing and exploring the principal characters in The Wolves of Willoughby Chase. Year 5 have had fun discussing villainous characters in English, while enhancing their group performance skills in drama. Year 6 have completed their travel writing pieces and are starting to develop key skills in critical analysis. Year 7 are examining persuasive texts, having performed their own speeches with great enthusiasm in drama. Year 8 are creating 'fake news', inspired by Orson Welles' infamous radio performance of The War of the Worlds in 1938.

French:
There’s been lots happening in the MFL department recently! Year 6 have been learning about types of shops and using their understanding of the present tense to write sentences about what you can buy from each shop. Year 3 are learning how to describe their friends' hair and eyes, and Year 1 are learning how to order a drink in French!

Geography:
This week, Year 2 boys have been looking at the capital cities of the United Kingdom and creating fact files. Year 3 have been studying rivers, oceans, and seas around the British Isles. Year 4 are learning to use OS maps and 6-figure grid references. Year 5 have been making biomes and writing about the human impact on them. Year 6 have been creating clay models of the British Isles, filling their projects with knowledge gained from both inside and outside the classroom! Year 7 have been learning all about tectonics, and Year 8 have been focusing on their fieldwork project at the River Tillingbourne.

History:
It has been an exciting two weeks in the History department with two trips having taken place. On Thursday 26th, Year 4 visited The British Museum as part of our Beliefs in Ancient Egypt topic. The boys enjoyed learning about natural and artificial mummies. On Tuesday, 1st October, it was Year 7's turn. They visited the National Maritime Museum and took part in an enquiry day, considering the question: "How did enslavement impact people’s identities?"

Maths:
Year 4 and 5 took part in their first Club 144 times tables and division challenge of the term, while Year 6 participated in their first Club 400 multiplication and division challenge. Year 5 have also been working on addition with exchanges.

Music:

It has been a busy start to the year. In the Lower School, the boys have been learning about call and response, keeping time, and singing in tune. Nursery and Reception have been confidently exploring classroom percussion and singing songs. Year 1 and 2 have been learning about pitch, with Year 1 exploring xylophones and Year 2 beginning their woodwind journeys on the ocarina.

Year 3 and 4 are learning treble clef notation and note values through the recorder. Year 3 has started learning their first notes, while Year 4 have added their second hand to expand their range to an entire octave—all while preparing for their upcoming festive concerts.

Year 5 and 6 are focusing on exploring (Year 5) and developing (Year 6) their music score reading skills, including correct hand technique on the keyboard.

Year 7 and 8 are expanding their aural repertoire by exploring other cultures and styles of music. Year 7 are moving into world music, learning about the origins and features of reggae by performing Three Little Birds. Year 8 are studying the influence of different cultures in musicals and exploring Lin-Manuel Miranda's Hamilton.

All boys have participated in assembly singing and have started their preparations for their upcoming Christmas concert performances!

Science:
Year 3 have continued with their topic on skeletons. They have learned the names of many bones in the human body and have enjoyed locating these bones in their own bodies. Year 4 are making great progress with their light topic and are learning how light reflects off objects. Year 5 are continuing with their topic on cells and have been finding out how specialised cells are adapted to their functions. Year 6 have enjoyed researching elements and have carried out excellent investigations into specific elements. Year 7 are finishing their classification unit and have been investigating continuous and discontinuous variation among humans. 8H have set up a germination experiment to study how rainfall affects the rate of germination, and they have also completed a lily dissection. Year 8 have finished their unit on metals and non-metals and are about to begin studying photosynthesis.

STEAM:
The boys have made an excellent start to the year in STEAM. Reception have engaged in STEAM challenges, while Year 1 have enjoyed making shapes. Year 2 have been learning about the moon landings, and Year 3 are making model fingers. Year 4 have been researching the different types of engineers, while Year 5 have been researching the most effective ways to magnify different objects.

TPR:
In the Lower School, Year 1 boys have been exploring Creation stories from various faiths, focusing on the Hindu Creation story in more detail.

In Year 2, the boys have been learning about stewardship, the importance of caring for the Earth, and why stewardship is significant in Christianity, linking this to their knowledge of the Christian Creation story.

In Year 3, the boys have been exploring Plato's Allegory of the Cave and reflecting on its deeper meaning.

In Year 4, the boys have been learning about the Passover and its significance in Judaism.

In Year 5, the boys will begin thinking about the story of the Good Samaritan and how it relates to the Golden Rule.

In Year 6, the boys are further understanding the teachings of Martin Luther King, particularly with a focus on equality, justice and fairness.

In Year 7, the boys have been exploring the relationship between faith and science.

In Year 8, the boys are furthering their understanding of Martin Luther King's legacy.

Nursery:
The Nursery boys have settled in brilliantly and have enjoyed exploring their learning in new and exciting ways. They have been on walks around the school to familiarise themselves with their new environment, attended specialist lessons, and discovered new methods of learning in the classroom, such as using the interactive whiteboard!

They have taken everything in their stride, and we are extremely proud of their resilience.

Keep it up, Nursery 🙂

Reception:
For the past two weeks in Reception, we have been exploring the numbers 1, 2, and 3—not only the numbers themselves but also the different ways in which we can represent them. This week, we have been learning new vocabulary to describe quantities, such as calling 1 a “single,” 2 a “pair,” and 3 a “triple.” The boys have had lots of fun completing activities linked to this new vocabulary. For example, they matched a big pile of socks or worked in triples to complete an outdoor sorting activity. Our exploration of circles and triangles also continued, with shape collages and shape printing.

In Literacy, we started exploring a new story, The Gruffalo. We spent time discussing the structure of a story by focusing on the beginning, middle, and end, as well as learning about the characters. We also linked our phonics learning to our written Literacy task, where the boys had to listen carefully to a word from the story (such as a character or feature of The Gruffalo) and identify the initial sound. The boys did a fantastic job, not only hearing the sounds but also forming them beautifully! For a few Literacy lessons, we decided to take our learning outdoors to explore the weather and gather autumnal materials, linking to our topic, Autumn Adventures. The boys had so much fun collecting leaves, sticks, and mud to build the Gruffalo his very own home! It's safe to say that the Gruffalo will be nice and warm for the winter months.

Year 1:
Year 1 boys have been getting to grips with their new routines and have settled in well.

In Maths, we have been focusing on partitioning using part-whole models. We also introduced number sequences, patterns, and counting in 5s and 10s.

In English, our focus has been on sentence writing, teaching the boys to remember the essential elements of structuring a sentence correctly: who, where, what, and when. They have also been practising correcting sentences that are missing finger spaces.

In History, we have continued learning about the Titanic, comparing the different classes on board and looking at the people who travelled on the ship.

In Geography, we have been learning about towns, focusing particularly on Sutton. The boys shared their thoughts on how well they know the area and its features. We also looked at where we live and identified our road names on Google Maps. The boys were very good at spotting their roads and noticing the surroundings.

Year 2:
In Year 2, the boys have continued to show enthusiasm in all areas of their learning. In Maths, we have begun exploring the patterns in times tables and will soon be moving on to addition and subtraction. In English, the boys have been learning about similes and how to use them in setting descriptions. In History, we have been studying the causes of the Great Fire of London and making comparisons between London in the past and the present day. In Geography, we have been deepening our understanding of the United Kingdom, focusing on the four countries, their capital cities, and their significance.

We have been impressed by the boys' continued positivity and resilience in their learning so far this term!

Nursery:
Jai, for accessing all areas of Nursery life with enthusiasm and curiosity and Qasim has settled into school well and has shown resilience when faced with challenges.

Reception:
Sameer has adjusted so quickly to Homefield life and is trying hard to demonstrate our values and
David has submitted such wonderful pieces of homework.

Year 1:
In 1H, Robbie has made outstanding contributions during a compare and contrast activity on the different social classes aboard the Titanic. Vihaan is consistently demonstrating kindness and caring for others. In 1S, Arin has been working so hard in Maths this week. Kieran, for being such a good friend.

Year 2:

In 2H, Laurie for continuing to exemplify Homefield values and showing respect to both adults and his peers. Dylan, for always showing kindness to adults and peers and doing his best to show our values in everything he does. In 2S, Ali for working hard in all areas of his learning and being kind to others and Ariz H for being mannerly towards both adults and boys in the school and being resilient in his work.

Year 3:

Tahazyan, for his independence and effort in lessons, especially showing resilience with his History investigations of the Indus Valley.

Year 4:
Aiden has shown enthusiasm and exemplary behaviour on the Year 4 trip to the British Museum, demonstrating great endeavour in his self-guided investigations.

Year 5:
In 5H, Henry is being commended for showing endeavour in his Geography lessons, particularly during debates as part of the Rainforests topic.

Year 6:
In 6H, he is being recognized for showing great endeavour in Drama lessons, and his enthusiasm has been a pleasure to see.

Year 7:
Jesse, for an incredible start to Year 7, consistently showing integrity, respect, and kindness towards others. Nitin is always contributing to lessons and is showing resilience in his learning and attitude.

Year 8:

Isaiah is consistently demonstrating all the school values in his learning and behaviour. Harry is being commended for displaying outstanding behaviour and being an excellent role model during the Year 8 fieldwork trip to the River Tillingbourne.

Saturday 12th October: School Open Morning 10.00am -1.00pm.

Friday 18th October: EYFS Celebration of First Half Term 3.15 – 3.45pm

Week of 11th November: Parent ‘Book Looks’ 8:00 – 8:50am in classes throughout the week:

Tuesday 12th November: Reception, Years 1 and 4,

Wednesday 13th November: Years 2 and 6,

Thursday 14th November: Years 3, 5 and 7 and 8.

Friday 22nd November: Lower School Parent Consultations (Virtual) 12:30pm – 8.00pm.

Thursday 28th/Friday 29th November: Upper School Parent Consultations (virtual) 11.00am – 8.00pm, 11.00am – 7.00pm.

Thursday 5th December: Christmas Carol Concert Years 4 – 8 @ Trinity Church.

Friday 6th December: Year 3 Christmas Concert at 3.15pm.

Tuesday 10th December: Nursery and Reception Christmas Concert 8.30am.

Tuesday 10th December: Years 1 and 2 Christmas Concert 2.30pm.

Thursday 12th December: Christmas Jumper Day and Christmas Lunch.

Great work from Lachlan in Year 8! He produced a digital line drawing of a megacity, which he then engraved using the laser. Following this, he created a black pen drawing of a megacity, drawing inspiration from Stephen Wiltshire.

On Tuesday 1st October, the Year 5 boys all played in a home football fixture against RGSG. The A team had an exciting game, winning 4-3. Matthew scored a hat trick of goals, and Jai completed the scoring to win the game. Kenzo was outstanding in defence during the second half. The B team lost 1-3, but Finnlay was wonderful in midfield, and Hussain worked tirelessly in attack. The C team played out an epic 4-4 draw. Ansh was the hero of the day, scoring an incredible four goals in the match. The D team also had a fantastic draw, 3-3. Jaka bagged a brace of goals, and Ayaan showed great skill to lob the ball into the goal to draw the game. Well done to all the Year 5 boys who played.

Have you ever wanted to have a sleepover with a giraffe? Or spend the night camped beneath a blue whale?

This unique sleepover gives children aged 7 to 11 the chance to explore the Museum after dark while taking part in fun and educational activities. Click on the link to find out more: Have a sleepover at the Museum!

As we navigate the hustle and bustle of school drop-offs, it's crucial to remember that safety is our utmost priority. Recently, there have been a few close calls with cyclists and pedestrians as parents have been exiting the school driveway. These incidents serve as important reminders of the importance of being vigilant and cautious as we enter and exit the school premises. Please could we encourage everyone to exercise patience, awareness, and consideration for others in sharing our space. If you park and walk to school, please do not park on the yellow lines or across our neighbours dropped kerbs - you are likely to receive a ticket by vigilant traffic wardens who operate in the area at drop-off and pick-up times.

Western Road, Sutton, Surrey, SM1 2TE

+44 020 8642 0965

administration@homefieldprep.school