Here are just a few of the highlights of the academic year 2009/2010. The enormous breadth of the education we offer at Brockhurst & Marlston House is reflected in the range of outstanding achievements celebrated here.

Scholarships and AwardsThis was a vintage year for scholarships with 8 of the 29 13+ leavers winning awards to their Senior Schools. Major academic awards were achieved by Emily Craig (Downe House), Hong Huang (Abingdon) and Katie Mills (Pangbourne).

All-rounder and Art ScholarshipsEmily Lunt won an all-rounder scholarship to Bradfield College, and Sebastian Bowden gained similar for Millfield. Both of their portfolios included Sport and Art. Eliza Lambert won the Bradfield Art Scholorship.

Music ScholarshipsThe pupils have been excelling themselves in the performing arts, with Katie Mills gaining a Music Scholarship to Pangbourne College, Peter Uttley singing his way to a Choral Scholarship to Chelteham College, and Anya Goncharenko picking up a Music Award to St Edward’s, Oxford.

UK Maths250,000 children took part in the annual UK Maths Challenge. Pictured are those who scored in the top 10% of their age group of whom three won gold certificates awarded to those in the top 6%. Hong Huang was best in School.

HigHligHts 2009-2010

MusicLucy Dundas is taking her Grade 8 piano, Grade 6 violin and Grade 6 theory exams in June after passing Grade 7 piano and Grade 5 violin with distinction last year. She is hoping to begin her piano diploma course next year.

Last year Lucy was chosen from hun-dreds of students at the Royal College of Music Junior Department to perform a piano recital at The Bluthner’s Chamber Music Concert in London and invited to play at the Annual Cancer Charities Concert in Newbury as an outstanding local artist.

Brockhurst and Marlston House Preparatory SchoolsMarlston Road, Hermitage, Berkshire, RG18 9UL. Telephone 01635 200293

ProPosed east elevation

Pre-PreP Classrooms

ProPosed ground Floor Plan

learning suPPort & it suite

ProPosed First Floor Plan

Plans For tHe new Pre-PreP extension & learning suPPort & it suite

ChâteauMembers of Form 2 spent a week at our very own Château Robert in the village of Montgaillard in south-west France. Although the main aim of the visit was to improve their spoken French, the pupils learned a lot about living and working together, as well as enjoying the total immersion in French daily life.

Poetry CompetitionMichael Seed won first prize in the Year 7/8 category at the Holme Grange Poetry Competition. Earlier in the year, we held our own Declamations, which were judged by An-thony Dakin from Winchester College. Elinor Fleming and Emma Wyatt were the winners.

Plans have been submitted for these major developments and it is hoped that work will start in 2010.

Boarding aCtivitiesWith over 100 children boarding during the week, it continues to be as popular as ever. The flexibility of our arrange-ments clearly appeals to pupils and parents alike. Time spent with current friends and making new friends are what our pu-pils enjoy most about boarding. Taking part in organised activities or being independent and arranging their own fun also add to the appeal. During the year, a new ‘cyber café’ was opened, enabling boarders to contact ‘home’ via web cam.

Wind in the Willows and Casper the Friendly Ghost Audiences were treated to rousing and colourful performances of Wind in the Willows from Form 3, and Casper (Forms 1 and 2), both directed by Mrs Craig, and Mr Rowley, who composed and wrote the musical Casper.

LAMDAElinor Fleming, Hong Huang and Emily Craig took their GCSE level (Grade 5) LAMDA exams this summer.

drama

sPort

Pre-PreP: ridge House

NetballOur teams won the St Francis Under 11 tournament, and were runners-up at similar events at Holme Grange and Downe House.

CricketFred Lennox and Sean Wilson were selected to play County Cricket in the West Berkshire Cricket team.

FootballFred Lennox, Tom Stefanczyk, and Teddy Howe were selected for the Elite Football (Southern Area) squad.

Swimming17 children reached the National IAPS Swimming Cham-pionships. Outstanding results were achieved with high-lights being Jack Tucker (4th individually), Helena Silewicz (5th) and the boys U11 relay team which was the fastest nationally in the small schools division.

JudoBoth the boys and girls’ teams were overall runners-up in the IAPS National Judo Congress. Outstanding individual performances: Gold medals for Tilly Howe and Georgie Miller, with eight other pupils winning indi-vidual silver medals.

Riding16 children entered the Stonar National Schools One Day Event (a record for any school). The U10 Team came second overall: Effie Dollar, Arabella Hobby, Miranda Hobby and India Burney.

The May Day celebration has become a tradition at Ridge House for the summer term when parents are invited to join the pupils for country dancing with the Morris Men. The pre-prep has continued to enjoy a broad curriculum with emphasis on individual programmes of learning through multisensory teaching, practical activities and school visits.

AthleticsFive pupils qualified for the National IAPS finals held at Birmingham and Helena Silewicz went on to win an individual Bronze medal in the Long Jump.