The end of the academic year always brings with it mixed feelings…. excitement for the end of school and the summer holidays to start, but a sadness that our Form VIII pupils are moving on, many of whom have been with us since they joined us at 2.5 years old in our Nursery.
When the time comes for your child to move on from Beachborough Prep, they will be fully prepared, both socially and intellectually for the challenges ahead, well equipped with self-discipline, enthusiasm, and confidence, in addition to an army of great friends and plenty of happy memories.
Two former pupils who demonstrated these attributes during their time at Beachborough Prep are last year’s Head Pupils, Ellie and Freddie.
Having now spent the first half of the autumn term at their senior school, we caught up with Ellie and Freddie to ask them how it is going at Stowe School and at Quinton House School, and to look back upon their time at Beachborough Prep.
Q. What is your earliest memory of being at Beachborough Prep?
E. My earliest memory at Beachborough was when I joined the school in year three and everyone was building dens in the woodland. It was so exciting – everyone was really getting stuck in and even using pinecones for money!
F. Definitely walking into my classroom for the first time and seeing Mr Knowles, smiling at me.
Q. What did you enjoy the most during your time at Beachborough Prep?
E. The sports fixtures… they were always so much fun, whether we were hosting a match or going to an away match, I have made friends for life through attending these matches.
F. I just loved all of the lessons, they were varied and so interesting. I really enjoyed the Wednesday afternoon sports fixtures as well as breaktimes in the woodland, where the pinecone wars were great fun!
Q. What was your favourite subject at Beachborough Prep?
E. English was my favourite subject because I enjoyed it’s creativity and I love reading.
F. Tech, Art, Food Tech and English are my favourite subjects. I still make some of my favourite food tech recipes at home.
Q. Which teacher inspired you the most at Beachborough Prep?
E. Mrs Chatfield (Director of Music) inspired me the most, she is always smiling and singing, and is always happy. She helped me with my music and I have progressed so much. She helped me to get through all of my music exams and my music scholarship. She has inspired me to continue with my music career and I have even taken up another new instrument.
F. Mr Gross (Head of Manor House and Maths Teacher), my maths teacher in Form VII. He always made time and made the hardest of maths challenges make sense and be fun. He is an absolute legend.
Q. What appealed to you most in choosing your senior school?
E. I chose Stowe School because the music and sports facilities are fantastic. There are so many sports to choose from including beagling or clay pigeon shooting! There are opportunities to work on your fitness and specialist coaches to help with your sport. There are so many music groups and bands that you can join and the music department has so much to offer, whether you want to perform or improve your instrument skills.
F. Quinton House had a really nice friendly, cosy feel and it is local to where I live. I can actually walk to school from my house, it only takes 8 minutes to get there!
Q. How did the teachers at Beachborough Prep support your transition to your senior school?
E. As you progress through Beachborough, the teachers give you more responsibility and expect more from you. This is very similar to what happens at Stowe School. The amount of work and prep increases as you move into Form VII and Form VIII which helps to set you up for senior school. You learn to manage the increase in prep so it is not too much of a shock when you start senior school.
F. The teachers at Beachborough gave me lots of interview practice and tips and tricks, as well as writing a really personal reference for me. Mrs Cox (Head of Art), Mrs Flint (Art Technician) and Mrs Hodgkinson (Head of Technology, Engineering & Design) all supported me so well with regards to my art scholarship. I will always be grateful for them believing in me.
Q. Is there anything you have taken with you, to senior school that you learned or were taught at Beachborough Prep?
E. Don’t give up. Always try your best and put in 100% effort even if it’s not your favourite thing to be doing. Try to be on time to lessons and to be on top of your prep and to hand it in on time. If you miss a lesson, try and see that teacher at break time, especially if you are in Form VII or Form VIII. The last two years go by so quickly and next thing you know, you are leaving, so make the most of it and have a good time.
F. Beachborough taught me to be myself, to step out of my comfort zone, and to take a few risks – they might pay off! Beachborough Prep gave me to the most amazing opportunities – it is a brilliant school.
A huge thank you to Ellie and Freddie for taking the time to answer our questions. We are looking forward to welcoming back our 2023 leavers’ to alumni events in the future, and we are extremely proud of each and very one of our Beachburians as they continue to develop, grow, and shine in their own way, at the senior school they have chosen to attend.
