Beachborough Newsletter: Friday 9th May 2025
Head’s Blog
“My dear friends, this is your hour. This is not victory of a party or of any class. It’s a victory of the great British nation as a whole … we may allow ourselves a brief period of rejoicing.” Winston Churchill
On Thursday, we came together to mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day, commemorating the end of the Second World War in Europe. It was a day filled with reflection, pride, and a sense of community as we remembered and honoured the sacrifices made by so many including twenty-two of Beachborough’s own, eight decades ago.
The day began with a gathering of pupils and staff on the front lawn and terrace. At 9.00am, the bells of Westbury Parish Church rang out, officially opening our commemorations. This was followed by a minute’s silence. Setting a solemn yet hopeful tone, the children gave a moving performance of I Vow to Thee, My Country. Spencer C and Freddie A then read a poem written by Mrs Howard in tribute to the Beachborough fallen. The commemoration concluded with a short address that included a diary extract from Peggy Thornton, a 13-year-old girl in 1945, encouraging reflection on the day’s significance and the enduring values it represents.
Themed activities continued throughout the day. The dining hall was festively decorated with Union Jack tablecloths and colourful bunting, creating a vibrant ‘street party’ atmosphere. The children enjoyed a traditional meal of fish and chips, both a wartime staple and the official VE Day anniversary dish, accompanied by wartime music. The sense of occasion was further heightened by the children wearing their red, white, and blue outfits.
In the afternoon, Mr Jackson accompanied a group of pupils to the Village Hall, where their entries for the Westbury VE Day competition were selected by the Parish Council for public display. It was a proud moment for the children and the school as their creative, thoughtful work was shared with the wider community.
A few months ago, we were fortunate to receive the photograph below, taken of Beachborough School in 1935, from a charity shop in Kent. We have since been able to identify ten of the twenty-two Beachburians who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country. They are marked with a poppy.
Commemorations such as this play a vital role in school life, giving children meaningful opportunities to connect with history, foster empathy, and take pride in their heritage. My thanks go to Mr Jackson for organising such a memorable and enriching day.
Wishing you an enjoyable weekend,
Simone
Sophie L (FV) was selected from a very talented squad of girls to play for Buckingham in the Buckinghamshire County Cup competition. The team had a super tournament, progressing to the final where they were beaten by a very strong team from Marlow. As runners up, they qualified for the Regional Finals which were held in Reading last weekend. The team played some incredible hockey and beat their old rivals Marlow in a very tense semi final to progress to the Finals. Sophie and her team played their hearts out in the scorching heat and scored some amazing goals, but were narrowly beaten by Hazlemere. An amazing achievement to come runners up in the Region and some very exciting hockey played by all the girls.
Last weekend, our Beachbots arrived in Harrogate to compete in the FIRST LEGO League UK National Final!
Our Colts B team cricketers, who were victorious against Bilton Grange on Wednesday. Beachborough scored 67 for 9 and Bilton Grange were 63 all out. Well done, team.
Monday night was a wonderful evening at Beachborough, as seven of our talented young musicians took the stage for their Flute and Recorder Concert! It was a joy to see our children showcasing their hard work and dedication in front of proud parents and friends.
Last weekend, 5 Beachburians – Josh, Morgan, Harry, Bruce, and Henry, all played in the Devon Rugby Tour, representing Buckingham U11 (ninjas). The boys did incredibly well in the hot weather against international opposition (Wales), as well as some other strong local teams.
On Thursday 8th May, we came together as a community to celebrate and reflect on VE Day. We deeply admired the courage and sacrifice of those who fought for our country, and remembered our own Beachburians, who fought and died in the war.
On Thursday 8th May, a group of enthusiastic Form V and VI pupils represented Beachborough at Stowe School’s prestigious Winton Cup competition. The event brought together pupils from a range of prep schools to explore the pressing theme: “How do we build climate resilience?”
Mrs Chatfield has recently introduced ‘Lunchtime Concerts’ to take place this term. This gives children the opportunity to perform in their respective clubs, as part of a group or as a soloist, in an informal concert. Yesterday, Boardman set the bar very high, as Arthur & Henry, Jacob, Elise, Grace, Poppy, Eva, and Arabella performed fantastically! Well done, all – we can’t wait for the next concert.
Isla R’s (FVI) swimming success continues, as she had an extremely energetic and eventful weekend competing in the South East Regional Championships, which was all filmed live! Isla did very well navigating what was an extremely busy, ticketed event with lots of very big competitors, including world record holders, British National champions and Paralympic Champions. It is impressive that – at such a young age – Isla confidently walked out onto the blocks in front of so many people to compete. She raced so well and has qualified for the English Nationals at Pond Forge Sheffield this summer, which is an incredible achievement for an 11 year old. We wish Isla the best of luck and we cannot wait to be updated with the outcome of her next competition!
On Thursday, we had the amazing announcement that ex Beachburian, Henry Pollock, has been selected for the British & Irish Lions tour of Australia this coming summer. A Lions call up is the pinnacle for any professional rugby player and for Henry at 20 years old to achieve this in his breakthrough season with Northampton Saints, and after making his England debut back in February, is truly astonishing.
On Wednesday afternoon, the top 10 finalists in each category of the national ‘Poetry by Heart Competition’ were revealed in a live screening!
