independent schools 2019

Thursday, February 7, 2019

Newbury Weekly News

Thorngrove School

THORNGROVE School is a thriving co-educational day school situated in the beautiful village of Highclere, four miles south of Newbury. Founded in 1988, the school is set in 25 acres of glorious grounds that include its own woodland. Children are able to join at age two-and-a-half years in the Nursery and can continue up to Year 8. The school feeds a wide selection of top independent senior schools. In most years approximately 25 per cent of Year 8 leavers will be awarded scholarships to their chosen senior schools. With the expertise of dedicated staff, Thorngrove children receive an amazing well-rounded education that aims to inspire in every aspect, allowing them to develop their confidence and enjoy their many and varied achievements. Sport is an integral part of the education offered. This year there is a football and hockey tour to Valencia for Year 7 and 8 boys and girls. There are also annual regional tours for rugby and cricket – girls and boys. Apart from the usual extra- curricular sporting activities, others include fencing, dance, roller-skating, golf and fishing. The most recent additions to the sports hub are a three-lane cricket net facility, together with two brand-new coloured tennis courts with a non-slip surface. Drama is taught as a separate

international artist Soraya French. Cecchetti ballet lessons are on the curriculum for Nursery and Reception and offered as an activity for Years 1 to 8. There is opportunity for annual examinations, accredited by the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing (ISTD). Two children in Year 5 are in the Cecchetti Associates programme and another child attends weekly classes at the Royal Ballet School. There is also an active Brownie pack run by a Thorngrove staff member and the pack is open to all girls in the local area. The Brownies enjoy all the school facilities and, in particular, the amazing outside space. The popular and successful Remote Control Car Club has benefitted from the construction of a new off-road race circuit. The track features ramps and jumps and regularly attracts numerous cars and drivers for the club race meetings on Friday lunchtimes. A drivers’ platform is also planned for the near future. If you would like to visit the school and find out how a Thorngrove education could benefit your child, please call the registrar Bev O’Brien on (01635) 253172. Alternatively, you can call the school office on the same number to book a place at the Open Morning on Friday, March 8, from 9am to 11am.

Devon. Uptake for extra-curricular speech and drama lessons, available to Years 3 and above, is at a record high, with consistent success in LAMDA exams. These lessons cover acting, speaking of verse and prose, mime, devising drama, public speaking and interview techniques. The vibrant music department is always full of activity. Regular informal concerts allow children to develop their confidence playing their instru- ments in front of an audience.

A highlight for this term was the choir taking part in the Young Voices Big Sing at the O2 Arena, involving more than 8,000 children, where they sang with stars such as Tony Hadley. Later in March, there is also the annual music festival, judged by external adjudicators from prestigious senior schools. It is a wonderful celebration of music which encourages individuals and groups to participate and above all, enjoy. These are inspiring times for art at Thorngrove, with the newly refurbished and fully-equipped

art studio offering plenty of space for young artists to get creative. This term the annual art exhibition will showcase selected classroom artwork from Years 2 to 8, displaying the highest standards of skill, expression and creativity. This work will be on display during the Open Day on March 8. It will also include the winning entries from this year’s special art competition held prior to the exhibition. External judges are invited and this year include the famous

subject from Years 3 to 8. The content is rich and varied, with a cross-curricular approach being taught, deepening the pupils’ knowledge of historical and social topics. All pupils have the opportunity to get involved with a production during the year. Past shows directed by head of drama Fiona Sinsbury include Honk, Fiddler on the Roof and The Monster That Ate 3B . Year 5 pupils recently had the opportunity to rehearse and present a Shakespeare play on the beach at Battisborough,

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www.thorngroveschool.co.uk/open-mornings

Open Morning | 08 th March | 09:00 - 11:00AM

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/ThorngrovePrep

The Mount, Highclere, Newbury, RG20 9PS, UK | Tel: +44 (0) 1635 253172