Page 12 - Abberley Adventures - Dec 2021

ABBERLEY ADVENTURES
12
Exciting Projects and Investment (continued...)
» The EYFS courtyard, used as an outdoor play area for Nursery and Reception, will be having a complete makeover towards the end of this Summer term and it will be ready for the new school year in September 2022. The area will be resurfaced with artificial grass, have a new covered area to shelter from sun and rain and it will become an inspiring outdoor space for multi-sensory play and learning with shingle, bark, plants, water-play, sound-stations, a Hobbit House and all sorts of exciting, natural-feeling areas to explore. This project is with the designers now and we can’t wait to see what they come up with and for work to begin!
» We will also be repainting the exterior of the Pre-Prep in the Spring, with the main focus being the renovation and painting of windows, doors, facias and drainpipes.
» We have plans to resurface the Netball Courts during the Summer holidays and we hope that the newly surfaced facility will be ready for use from September 2022.
» We have had large-screen TVs installed in a number of classrooms and teachers have been issued with MacBook laptops and new ipads. These have already proved to be an outstanding addition in the classrooms and we look forward to introducing personal ipads for our older children from April 2022. As I have said before, new technology in the classroom will enhance the learning experience hugely but these devices will be strictly for education only – they will not be leisure devises!
» The Ashton Fountain had been looking sorry for itself for about 20 years but, thanks to a very generous donation from an ex-parent, it has now been restored to its former glory. The pond was dug out and resealed, a new pump was fitted, the stone was sandblasted and repointed and the statue in the middle was mended. The Ashton Fountain is now fully up and running and looking as beautiful as when it was first installed in the 1960s.
» The original Victorian Drawing Room has been transformed into a new School Office. From 5th January, it will house our Secretaries, Marketing Officer, Head of Admissions and Finance Officer. Please do pop in and say hello. Parents are still welcome to drop children by the Swimming Pool but you are equally welcome to drop them off at the main Front Entrance. The Front Hall will become the arrival point for all visitors to the school.
» We will be restoring and replacing a number of paths, steps and handrails around the site. Work will start this year and we hope to maintain a rolling programme of improvements.
School Calendar and Term Dates
Please note that the School Calendar is on our website within the Parent Zone and the calendar for the Spring term is now live. To see this, please click here. The best way for parents to access our calendar is through your Parent Portal. If you would like further advice about how to set this up and access it then please email the School Office and they will be happy to help.
Please note that Term dates for this and next academic year are now also on the website and they can be seen by clicking here.
Important Dates for the Diary
Looking ahead to the Spring Term, we have a handful of very important dates so please make a note of these!
Abberley Hall School, Abberley, Worcestershire WR6 6DD, UK t: 01299 896275 | e: office@abberleyhall.co.uk
Wednesday 5th January Friday 14th January Friday 21st January
Friday 28th January
Sunday 6th February
Monday 7th February Friday 11th February Monday 21st February
Thursday 10th March
Friday 11th March
Thursday 17th, Friday 18th and Saturday 19th March
Friday 25th March
Start of the Spring Term A Night at the Musicals
Exeat
Performing Arts Showcase and official opening of Yates’ Theatre
Abberley Relays Cross-Country Competition
Start of Year 8 Mock Exam Week Half Term starts
Beginning of second half of term
Martin Schellenberg Memorial Concert in Worcester Cathedral
Exeat
Senior School Play – Matilda End of Term
Finally, I would like to wish all of our wonderful pupils, staff and parents a very merry Christmas and best wishes to you all for a happy New Year!
Jonnie Besley