This year, we were determined to give the Year 6 boys the send-off they deserved after a year they will never forget.
The class of 2021 have demonstrated their flexibility, adaptability, and resilience throughout the latter months of their Year 5, and all of Year 6. They adapted to the altered 11+ examinations, taking the changes in their stride whilst ensuring they remained focused on the teaching and learning each day. They concentrated on preparing themselves for a whole new process of examinations.
We wanted to recognise and reward their mental fortitude and emotional tolerance, and their cancelled residential. We organised weeks of activities, experiences, and fun. We wanted the boys to leave Year 6 and Surbiton High School full of fresh memories that were not darkened by COVID-19.
The Summer Term started with a day trip to Henley Fort where the boys dressed up as WW2 soldiers and immersed themselves into a day of re-enactments, drama and problem-solving. This event brought together their full term of learning, and the trip gave them a better understanding of life as a WW2 soldier.
Following this trip, the boys enjoyed workshops on how to bake the perfect cupcake, how to tie-dye t-shirts, and how to perform circus skills. Every week they experienced something new and different.
The day trips did not stop with Henley Fort. The boys also enjoyed a sunny afternoon participating in a treasure hunt around Kingston, with lunch by the river. They enjoyed a teddy bear’s picnic (with their Reception buddy) at Hinchley Wood, and the adventures culminated in a residential-in-a-day at Bentley Copse. Bentley Copse is an activity centre where the boys abseiled, flew on the zipwire, shot targets with rifles, and stacked crates with their friends, topped off with a BBQ and a campfire, with roasted marshmallows.
The penultimate full week of term was set aside for a Hopes and Aspirations Week. Parents came into School to inspire the boys to think about the bright and thrilling futures that lie ahead of them. Parents covered subjects as diverse as making documentaries, dreaming the future of robots and AI, data detectives, law and publishing. They were exposed to skills and knowledge that each of the boys will reflect on as they go through the next phase in their education.
We will miss the Class of 2021 a great deal. We know that their final year, despite the disruption and change, has still been a successful, memorable, and unforgettable last year at Surbiton High Boys’ Prep School.
