End of Term Letter - 26th March 2010

Dear Parents

Term ends today and we welcome the arrival of spring and keenly anticipate warmer days ahead!  We have enjoyed an extraordinarily busy term, during the course of which the children have been involved in many and varied activities, not least the numerous early morning assemblies in both the Pre-Prep and Prep Departments.  The children never fail to impress me with their confidence and stage presence.

The School Concert and Year 4 Concert proved to be marvellous celebrations of music with numerous impressive solo and ensemble performances. The Read Hall, opened at the beginning of term in entertaining fashion by Adam Buxton, proved to be the ideal venue.  Music truly is strength of this place and it is always uplifting to hear our choirs in full voice.  Excerpts from the two concerts may be viewed on our website.

In early March we were treated to a Shakespeare double bill in the Read Hall.  Year 8 gave us ‘Romeo and Juliet’ while a cast from Year 6 presented ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’.  Two memorable evenings were enjoyed by audiences who marvelled at the children’s extraordinary talent.  Excerpts may be viewed on the website. 

Our wonderful new facilities are certainly being well used.  Mention has already been made of events in the Read Hall and earlier this term we hosted the inaugural Town Close indoor hockey tournament.

At last, I am able to tell you that we shall shortly be submitting a planning application for an Astroturf hockey pitch on Hewett School land in partnership with the Hewett School and Norwich Dragons Hockey Club.  We are seeking the green light for two pitches and will initially build one with the second to follow in a year or two, if funds permit.  We hope to be tendering for the project in mid-April with a view to completing it by October half-term, or thereabouts.  During the consultation period we would welcome any letters of support being sent to the Council, particularly from anyone who lives in the general area of Hewett School and may therefore receive a notice of planning application.

The arrival of this facility will enable us to develop the skills of our youngsters even more fully than we already do.  Many of you will have read in the most recent newsletter of the great success of our hockey (and netball) teams.

Our Under 11 girls’ side clinched qualification for the Eastern Region Schools’ Hockey Championships by beating Gresham’s 3-1.  They travelled south to represent Norfolk and encountered opposition from as far afield as Kent.  They returned as champions, having beaten off fierce challenges from six other counties.  Our Under 9 girls’ team won the Felsted Hockey Tournament, beating Kingshott from Hitchin in the final.

Our Under 13 boys’ side travelled to Millfield School in Somerset to compete in the National Finals, having qualified from our Norfolk group.  They found the competition really tough but gained a great deal from the experience.  Our Under 9 boys finished runners up in their section of the Felsted Hockey Tournament.

Our Under 11 girls’ netball side also qualified for the National Finals in convincing style.  They travelled to Roedean School in Brighton but, not unexpectedly, did not bring home the trophy!

Alongside the team successes, we congratulate three youngsters who are outstanding prospects in other sports.  Lorna Magrath represented Norfolk in the National Schools Cross-Country Championships in Manchester.  Competing against girls one year older than she is, she was the second Norfolk runner home.  Will Davies and Maria Andrews will be travelling further afield, representing Great Britain on the tennis courts of France and Belgium respectively and we wish them well.

Not to be outdone on the sporting front, all of the children in our Reception and Nursery classes ran a mile through the School grounds with their teachers and parents in aid of Sport Relief.  Darren Huckerby joined the children and their teachers for the event and each child was rewarded with a special medal for their efforts.  All the spring flowers were at their best in our woods and this made the occasion particularly special and enjoyable for everyone who took part.

You will be reassured to learn that plenty of academic work has been completed along the way this term and we are once again celebrating scholarship success.  Hamish MacGregor has won an Academic Scholarship to The Perse School in Cambridge, while Russell Seaman has been awarded a Design Technology Scholarship to Langley and Chloe Dhesi a Sports Scholarship to Culford School. We are immensely proud of their achievements.  The recipients of the Town Close Academic Scholarships, beginning when they enter Year 7, are Lucy Baxter, Andrew Nicholls, Coco Brown and James Hastings.   Music Scholarships have been awarded to Sarah Carroll and Madeline Upton while the recipients of Sports Awards are Grace Rider and Gussie Welsh.  We congratulate them all.

Our Parents’ Association Committee, lead so enthusiastically by Barbara Curtin, has been in overdrive this term.  The hugely enjoyable Bingo Evening was swiftly followed by an Easter Activity Morning for our youngest children.  The rain stayed away and everyone thoroughly enjoyed themselves.  Reviews of both events can be found on the PTA section of the website.

Your support is always appreciated by staff and pupils alike, whether it is at a Pre-Prep or Year 3/4 assembly, a concert, a play, or on the touchline.  I am aware that I have only mentioned a small number of things we have done and so I remind you that much more information can be found on our website: www.townclose.com.

All that remains for me to do is wish you an enjoyable and peaceful Easter holiday with your children.

Yours sincerely,

Graeme Lowe