It is quite amazing to think that we have reached the end of another term! As usual, the end of term has been really busy and this week we have had 40 pupils and 6 staff in Rome for the Classics visit, whilst the pupils back here at school have been taking part in a special week of activities to promote ‘intellectual curiosity’.

Last week, Year 6 pupils thoroughly entertained and impressed us with their performance of Bugsy Malone. It is staggering to see what they can achieve at such a relatively young age and huge thanks must go to Mr Hinton and all of the staff who worked so hard to inspire the boys.

After Easter, there are some great events rapidly approaching so please put them in your diary: firstly, the PA are organising their Summer Fair on Sunday 7 May and this will be a really fun event for the whole family. I do hope to see many of you there. Secondly, we have a charity magic show, organised by MTS, in the Lalani New Barn Theatre on Friday 12 May at 5.15pm. Both a professional magician and amateur (but brilliant!) magicians from MTS will be entertaining us and tickets are available on WisePay.

Finally, I would like to wish you all a very happy holiday over the Easter period and I hope that your boys have a chance for a really good rest.

Best wishes

Dr. Karen McNerney | Head of School

Monday 24/04/2017
MTP Staff INSET

Tuesday 25/04/2017
MTP Staff INSET

Wednesday 26/04/2017
Y5-8 Cricket Trials Begin
MTS Spring Spectacular Concert
Year 5 Residential Meeting

Thursday 27/04/2017
Year 6 Residential Meeting

Friday 28/04/2017
Staff and parents coffee
Year 5 Science Challenge at MTS
Year 7 Residential Meeting
U11A Cricket vs UCS (a)
U10AB Cricket vs Highgate (h)
Northwood 500 (Y8 Assault Course Championships)
JLS Music day

Monday 01/05/2017
May Bank Holiday

Tuesday 02/05/2017
Clubs and Activities begin
U9AB Cricket vs The Beacon (h)
U9CD Cricket vs The Beacon (a)

Wednesday 03/05/2017
3S Swimming begins
1st and 3rd XI Cricket vs MTS (a)
2nd and 4th XI Cricket vs MTS (h)
House Maths Quiz

Thursday 04/05/2017
U9AB Cricket vs Radlett Prep (a)
Y7/8 House Tennis at Merchant Taylors'

Friday 05/05/2017
Y8 Quiz Team at MT Hall (all day)  
Dedication of the new term Pre Prep Choir 5pm-5.30pm (Lalani New Barn Theater)
U11AB Cricket vs Radlett Prep (h)
U10AB Cricket vs Radlett Prep (a)

Sunday 07/05/2017
PA Summer Fair

Monday 08/05/2017
3G Swimming begins
Y3-8 Music Recital
U11 and U14 SATIPS Ski Race (Hemel Hempstead)
Ensembles Concert Y1-8 (Lalani New Barn Theater)

Tuesday 09/05/2017
U9AB Cricket vs Devonshire House (h)

Wednesday 10/05/2017
Y5/6 House Tennis at Northwood LTC
1st XI Cricket vs Davenies (at BCC)
2nd XI Cricket vs Davenies (h)

Thursday 11/05/2017 
Wren Yard Sale
Inter-school Maths Quiz

Friday 12/05/2017
MTS Charity Magic Show in the Lalani New Barn Theatre 5.15-6pm
U10AB Cricket vs Berkhamsted (a)
U10CD Cricket vs Berkhamsted (h)

Saturday 13/05/2017
U13 Belmont Cricket Tournament

As Spring finally blossoms at Merchant Taylors’ Prep, we are beginning to see the fruits of all our labour. We extend thanks and best wishes as appropriate to the Year 6 cast of ‘Bugsy Malone’, our music examinees, Year 7 LAMDA candidates, the stand up comedians who entertained us at Comic Relief Assembly and our MTP tourists who are currently enjoying the classical sites of Rome.  St Patrick’s Day was celebrated on March 17th with over £400 raised by Johnson House for Herts Homeless.  After Easter Livingstone will hold sporting challenges to support Mr Denham in the London Marathon (Alzheimer’s & Dementia charity) and Wren will have their Yard Sale (Calcutta street children charity). Families are thanked for all their donations and support.

House Football has now been played and we look forward to Final Assembly at the start of the Summer term to see which House won the Spring Cup overall.

Heads of House

While some of our boys have been in Rome discovering the wonders of the Ancient World, the rest of us have been focussing on Intellectual Curiosity. In Monday’s Assembly I shared the definition with the boys and encouraged them to be resilient and not to fear failure but rather to learn from it. We discussed how curiosity changes the brain’s chemistry and enables us to learn better. Aarian Malhotra demonstrated how to pierce a potato using a drink straw – he had researched the method to do this seemingly impossible task. This kind of curiosity is exactly what we as a school are trying to encourage in our boys.

This week I have seen boys programming robots, building bridges, launching rockets, solving murder mysteries, building interactive tour maps, discussing scientific ideas, playing maths games, designing their own games, building clay models and bridges, making films, building obstacle courses, performing their own short drama productions and so much more. All of this because of our amazing and creative teachers, who constantly strive to challenge our boys with engaging and exciting lessons. I would like to thank our year 8 boys who have been helping the teachers and documenting this week, they have been amazing. Well done Niam Bhattacharya, Jonathan Read, Lukas Blom, Jayde Ah-Time, Thomas Groves, Usman Khan, James Gray, Ameya Dabral, Elliot Craft and Arjun Gill.

As I write this, we look forward to visiting Kidzania to explore careers offered in London and to wrap up our Intellectual Curiosity week. Watch this space for some amazing photographs.

As the spring term draws to a close, I would like to take the opportunity to thank our parents for their continued support of the school. I would also like to wish all of our boys a restful Easter break with their families. I would urge them to recharge those batteries because the summer term will be full of opportunities to learn, play and excel. Happy Easter.                  

Mr M Hibbert | Assistant Head of School & Mr A Crook | Deputy Head

This is been another really great term and I am so impressed with how hard everyone has worked and how much progress all of the boys have made. The boys have been so excited about their learning at school and have thoroughly enjoyed all of our topics.

At the Manor their topic of ‘Off We Go’ ended with a visit from the Rickmansworth fire engine and crew. The photographs show the boys in the fire engine and talking to the firefighters. They also had a visit from Captain Nick who told us all about being a pilot on an aeroplane. Year 1 and Year 2 finished their topic about London with telephone art work and power point presentations to their peers.

We have all concluded the term with a week of activities designed to develop the boys' intellectual curiosity. As you know, through our Learning Friends, we encourage the boys to develop positive dispositions towards their learning, to think about how they learn and the skills they need to approach a task. Intellectual curiosity is a very important disposition as it encourages a range of skills including problem solving, creative thinking, team work and a desire to find out more, which enables the boys to be more effective learners at school.

At the Manor the boys had a visit from Jeremy King and they had a fantastic time making alka seltzer rockets blast off in the courtyard. They also designed their own stomp rockets which they experimented with in our garden to see how far they could travel. The Reception boys have also been busy making their own representation of London with junk modelling materials.

In Year I and Year 2 the boys have enjoyed a range of workshops and experiences to stimulate their intellectual curiosity including a session to discuss and sort different types of bridge, a Forest School Day and an Engineering Day, also with Jeremy King. The boys worked in teams with him to build a working model of Tower Bridge and the photographs show them hard at work and with their finished model, of which they are justifiably proud!

We have also been learning about Easter and the boys enjoyed an Assembly with Reverend Bond followed by a shared Easter Activity Day which included an exciting egg hunt in the woods!

For the boys in Year 1 and Year 2, we have sent home Easter Holiday homework, outlining our request for parents to develop their sons' imaginative skills by encouraging them to build a model of a bridge in the most creative way that they can find. We are very grateful for your help with this and look forward to seeing photographs of the finished structures.

Finally, may I take this opportunity, on behalf of all the staff in Pre-Prep to wish you all a happy and peaceful Easter break. We are all looking forward to seeing the boys back at school on Wednesday 26th April.

Mrs S Funnell | Head of Pre Prep

In the most eagerly anticipated production of the season, Year 6 boys threw themselves enthusiastically into the enticing world of gangsters, guns and goo that is ‘Bugsy Malone’. Suited and booted in style by Mrs Toumanova, and armed to the teeth with Mr Harper’s ingenious splurge guns, the boys took great pleasure in turning the Lalani New Barn stage into prohibition New York. Under the expert guidance of Mr Edwards, the infamous musical score had audiences singing along with delight as Bugsy united good guys with bad by teaching us all to ‘Give a Little Love’. And there was certainly plenty of love flying around The Lalani New Barn Theatre last week as Year 6 served up a wonderful celebration of the dramatic talent on offer at Merchant Taylors’ Prep. I am very proud of them all. 

The boys rose majestically to the challenges of this classic children’s musical, confidently portraying a colourful range of eccentric characters with talent and charm. Assured and energetic performances entertained two busy evenings of parents, friends and relatives as well as a school matinee to the delight of MTP pupils and staff. It was very pleasing to see so many families from other year groups attending our performances as well as twenty Old Terryers from the original cast of 2012 who joined the 2017 company on stage for a rousing chorus of ‘Fat Sam’s Grand Slam’! Mr Edwards and his band supplied a vibrant musical soundtrack to accompany the stage action, while assistant directors Mrs Mortimer, Mrs Smith, Mrs Gadd and Mr Smith are also worthy of praise for their valuable creative support. Evocative stage lighting was delivered by professional designer Mr Crossthwaite, with Mr Watson expertly stage managing the production from the wings assisted by Mr Winn, Mrs Gadd and Mr McConnell. James Gray (8L1) and Ameya Dabral (8W1) were on hand to operate lighting and sound respectively from the technical box.

Special thanks to Mrs Nye for her tireless effort in making props and fixing splurge guns, and to the huge staff team who also assisted the production backstage and front of house. But the last word must go to our superb company of Year 6 actors, who wowed us with their boisterous ‘Treasure Island’ two years ago and who impressed us once again with their commanding performances of flair, wit and imagination. It was another unforgettable evening of spectacular entertainment in The Lalani New Barn Theatre, from a hugely talented ensemble of Year 6 boys. I now look forward to welcoming you all again to the Year 8 production of Labiche’s hilarious French farce, ‘An Italian Straw Hat’ which opens at the end of June. Don’t miss it!

Mr S Hinton | Head of Speech and Drama

"...AND SCENE!"

It is well-known that drama and theatre offer pupils an array of benefits, including stimulating the imagination, building confidence, enhancing communication skills, discipline and memory. However, this week, Mr Hinton, Mrs Smith and Mr Kopel organised some very specific workshops to nurture and develop the intellectual curiosity of our students. Because sometimes imagination is not enough, the boys were asked to seek answers to the “why” questions, by creating a problematic scenario, involving a famous landmark in London, and then resolving it. Everyone in each tutor group contributed fully to their imagined short scene and performance. This led to a myriad of stories, all of which were equally culturally interesting and exciting. From the Queen having her jewels stolen, Big Ben telling the wrong time, tourists getting trapped in the London Dungeon, to discovering a fear of heights on top of the O2, rescuing a technician from the arc on Wembley Stadium or policemen assisting a sad tourist who had just been mugged in Oxford Street (yes, boys will be boys!).

Students did not work at a surface level, but instead asked probing questions in order to peel back layers of explanation to design and perform these scenes that challenged the intellectual curiosity of everyone in the room...and who knows, perhaps this strong desire to learn without constraint might stimulate an actual visit  to Buckingham Palace, Big Ben or even the shops in Oxford Street over the Easter break!

Mr R Kopel | Modern Foreign Languages

In our continued effort to create a reading culture at the school through the Accelerated Reader programme, the Sports department are asking for donations of any 'sport related books' you may have lying around on a shelf at home. It could be an old annual of Roy of the Rovers or Chelsea's Best 100 goals (if there is such a thing!) - and how many of you have several books on how to play golf and still can't go a round without losing a ball? We are looking to build up a range of books that the boys can dip into either at team change or if they find themselves off- games. Our aim is to create activities around them that the boys can learn more about a variety of sports and widen their interests beyond what is offered at the school. I urge you to just spend a few minutes over the Easter break to dig out one or two books for us. It could even save you a trip to the charity shop! As an incentive for your son to take the initiative on this, we will be offering 2 Housepoints for every book brought in and given to Mr. Todd. 

Mr D Todd | Director of Sport

The past fortnight has seen our annual House Football competitions take place with every year group having the chance to earn their House extra points, and just as importantly playground bragging rights! This year’s competition has had a fantastic atmosphere with each game played in the right spirit, and despite golden goals, penalty shoot outs and several own goals the tournaments were a resounding success. Livingstone (Y4), Johnson (Y5) and Wren (Y6) managed to win a competition each, with Newton managing to win both the Y3 and Y7/8 competitions.

This week’s PE and Games sessions have been different to normal, with many boys away in Rome we have had lessons in houses with boys from Y5-8 mixing and working together, the focus being on their intellectual curiosity. Pupils have been set tasks to overcome in competition with each other, and have taken part in several new sports such as Ultimate Frisbee and Lacrosse. It has been great to see pupils across year groups work so well together, and those in Y7/8 setting a positive example for boys in Y5/6.

Mr J Denham | Sports Coach

On Thursday 23rd of March 2017 we participated in the Bloodhound competition. The idea was to design and race a smaller version of the real thing which will be happening in South Africa in October. This is when the real Bloodhound SSC rocket car will attempt to break the fastest land car record at 1000mph! 

In teams of 3-4 we had a go at designing and creating our own rocket cars. All we got was a blue foam cuboid, 4 wheels, 2 metal rods and 2 hooks. From that we had to make a rocket car. Everyone got the same type of rocket and same programme in the micro:bit which was used to record the results. The rocket and micro:bit were given to us by the Bloodhound team. Groups had to cut, sand and do anything they could to make the car as aerodynamic as possible. But there were certain guidelines we had to follow.

The experience was fantastic and it was really cool. Our team was really good and I think we worked really well together, but not every team was like that. We had to learn to manage our team well. It was fun to design and construct the car, because we got to use loads of tools. We also got to draw and colour whatever we wanted on the car and this was really fun. There were challenges as well, such as keeping our team in control and making sure the car was aerodynamic and our calculations correct.

The race day was fun and it was exciting to see the car go off and to see the rocket in action. Overall it was an amazing experience with challenges and fun - a once in a lifetime experience.

Thank you to the Bloodhound, the Army and Heathrow Aviation Engineering ITU in Northwood for running the day. Thank you to Mrs Hibbert for given us this opportunity in our IT lessons.

Sahil Shah (7L1) &Sahaj Pankhania (7W1)

This year, building on some trial work last year, we have been using the Algetools App to teach concepts connected with:

• positive and negative numbers and operations (add, subtract, multiply and divide)
• algebraic variables and operations
• expanding brackets
• solving equations

This app has been used for some time in secondary schools in Singapore, and their KS3 textbooks explicitly refer to its use when covering these topics. Using this approach means  that our younger KS2 Y6 pupils will develop a sound, conceptual understanding of what positives and negatives are, and what algebra is really about. Meanwhile, our older KS3 pupils, in Y7 and Y8, are already building on these solid foundations and are getting to grips with the underlying structures and concepts, rather than learning the same material through a rote-learnt set of rules such ‘two minuses make a plus’ (which is technically incorrect). They learn through using the app that a negative sign in front of a number means ‘the opposite of’ e.g. -2 [negative 2] is the opposite of 2 on the number line, and therefore, – (-2) [the negative of a negative 2] is actually 2. They also learn that when we minus/subtract/take-away a negative quantity from a number, then that number increases in size, which is the same effect as adding to it, e.g. 6 – (-2)  [6 minus/take away  negative 2] is equal to 6 + 2 is equal to 8.

Through the use of the app they come to understand what is meant by expanding brackets, and that this does not necessarily involve multiplication. They also develop an understanding of the principles of solving equations by the ‘balance method’.

Of course, all of this understanding is transferred to the abstract representations when they write formal algebra, but it is done so with a deeper understanding of the underlying structures and principles. The other advantage of teaching and learning this way is that pupils are constantly developing their ability to reason mathematically, as opposed to merely regurgitating a rote-learnt set of rules. At GCSE Higher Level, only 40% of the marks are awarded for standard procedures -  30% are awarded for reasoning, interpreting and communicating mathematically, and 30% are awarded for solving non-routine problems. This increased emphasis on reasoning, communication and problem solving is also being seen at A-Level.

Adding and subtracting with positive and negative numbers

Algebra: addition and subtraction including positive and negative terms

The distributive law for expanding brackets

Solving equations (where the solution is not an integer)

If you are interested in having a play with the app then do a search for ‘algetools’, and your son can give you the Username and Password, once you get to the site.

This half term, the Year 7s have been working on the play adaption of Frankenstein. One of the moral questions the play raises is whether scientific discoveries benefit or harm society. Though the text is based in the 1800s, the Year 7s used their understanding to consider a modern day scientific dilemma: whether cloning is a positive or negative scientific advancement. The result culminated in an inter-class debate where the boys took to the floor to argue their points and rebut those made by the opposing team. Individually, students began researching the topic, looking at both positive and negative aspects of cloning. The boys then had a week to prepare their arguments (which involved research skills and finding evidence in support of their argument). Mr Hibbert and Ms Burke made guest appearances to observe and assist in selecting the respective winners of the debates. I was impressed with the quality of the debates and how the boys spoke passionately and convincingly about their topic.

We’re currently making a Family Quiz show pilot for ITV and we’re looking for families to take part.

We’re looking for families who love quizzing and have a keen interest in general knowledge.

The family members can be any relation but must be made up of three members that span three generations (kids/parents, step-parents, aunts, uncles/grandparents).

The Quiz Show is a pilot so won’t be broadcast on TV but will be a fun day for the family and a look behind the scenes to see how a TV show is made.

We will be doing Skype auditions in the next few weeks and filming will take place outside of school hours in the Easter holidays.

Marc | Casting Researcher at GameFace Productions in London.