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Matilda the Musical

Congratulations to all of the cast (pupils from P1-P4) and crew who were worked tirelessly to create the musical masterpiece, Matilda. The show was packed with high-energy dance numbers, catchy songs and was an unforgettable and joyous girl power romp! The children performed over two nights on the senior school stage, demonstrating talent beyond their years but above all having lots of fun. Inspired by the twisted genius of Roald Dahl, Matilda is the captivating masterpiece that revels in the anarchy of childhood, the power of imagination and the inspiring story of a girl who dreams of a better life. Matilda, beautifully performed by Amelie S, is a little girl with astonishing wit, intelligence and psychokinetic powers. She's unloved by her cruel parents but impresses her schoolteacher Miss Honey. During her first term at school, the two forge a bond as Miss Honey, Suhana C, begins to recognize and appreciate Matilda's extraordinary personality. Matilda's school life isn't completely smooth sailing, however – the school's mean headmistress, Miss Trunchbull, played hilariously by Alex H, hates children and just loves to punish those who don't abide by her rules. But Matilda has courage and cleverness in equal amounts, and could be the school pupils' saving grace! Mrs Needham, Head of Drama said “I am immensely proud of each and every member of the cast for their resilience, teamwork and talent.”

February 29, 2024|Prep School News|

Christmas Sparkle

Christmas is always a very special time at Birkdale, there are so many activities to enjoy. Prep School Our Pre-Prep children performed incredibly in their Christmas Nativity. Their confidence and talent shone through and delighted the audience with lots of singing and dancing. It was lovely to see how the older children helped the younger ones too!  On Wednesday the annual Christmas Fair took place which was lots of fun for everyone. All proceeds of the Fair will go to the School charity Baby Basics. This was followed by the annual Christmas Carol Service at the Jubilee Centre. We were thrilled to welcome so many parents to join us. It was, as ever, a showcase of music, public speaking and performance by our talented pupils. Senior School At the Senior School there was a musical extravaganza at the Christmas Music Concert, where nearly 100 pupils participated in bands, ensembles and choirs.  The music spanned a wide variety of instruments including strings, brass & wind. Well done to everyone who took part! The Senior Christmas Carol Service was slightly different this year, taking place at the lovely St. John's Church in Ranmoor. It was the perfect setting for a festive evening of music and carols. In true Birkdale style we had numerous Bible readings narrating the Christmas story and were treated to a lovely address by Mrs Hidden, the School Chaplain. Everyone left feeling uplifted and ready for the Christmas period ahead. A short clip can be viewed below:   https://twitter.com/BirkdaleSchool/status/1735293644272234514 Finally, on Friday the whole school came together for a Christmas service before leaving for the holidays. We would like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.      

December 18, 2023|Prep School News, Senior School News|

Stronger together – two leading independent schools to join forces

Two leading independent schools are coming together to build firm foundations for the future and provide more opportunities for pupils today and tomorrow. Governors have decided that South Yorkshire’s Birkdale and the Peak District’s S. Anselm's will join forces from the start of the new academic year in September, and build on both school’s traditions, dating back to 1888. Birkdale School, based in Sheffield, celebrates its 120th year in 2024. It is a day school for boys and girls, with children aged between 4 and 18 while S. Anselm’s, part of the community in Bakewell since 1888, is a day and boarding school for boys and girls from age 3 to 13. S. Anselm’s will become part of the Birkdale family but there will be no day-to-day changes for pupils, families or staff at either school as we design the details, together, of the new opportunities the coming together will bring at both schools. The leadership of both organisations will explore opportunities for both school communities building on a shared ethos of academic excellence that is grounded in a nurturing and caring environment. Paul Houghton, Chair of Governors of Birkdale School, said: “We believe this is an exciting opportunity for both our school communities to come together during a time of rapid change in the world in general, and the independent education sector in particular. “Both Birkdale and S. Anselm’s have continuously evolved in their long histories to provide the best, rounded education to every pupil, and this move will ensure we can build on the ethos both schools share, work collaboratively to extend opportunities for our pupils now and long into the future. “We truly believe Birkdale Prep, Birkdale Senior, Birkdale Sixth Form and S. Anselm’s will thrive as part of an expanded Birkdale family which exemplifies the belief that runs through everything we do, that we are stronger together.” Richard Bowker, Chair of Governors of S. Anselm’s School, said: “S. Anselm’s will become part of the Birkdale family, but there will be no day-to-day changes for pupils, families or staff at either school other than the exciting opportunities afforded over time by the sharing of best practice, facilities and resources. “Our combined entity will be far more than the sum of the individual parts and lead to much greater choice and flexibility for all families and children at both schools.”

June 7, 2023|Prep School News, Senior School News|

Enjoying Learning Beyond the Classroom

Children at the Prep School really enjoy their Outdoor Education programme, becoming healthier and more resilient and transferring the confidence they gain into other areas of their learning. We often hear them say “that was the best day ever!” at the end of a trip, even after rainy days.  The chance to experience learning and work as part of a team (sometimes against the elements!) in another setting is a huge boost to the self-esteem of all of our pupils. Outdoor Education at the Prep School builds physical and mental resilience and improves general wellbeing. Each Class across the Prep School has one day every term dedicated specifically to Outdoor Education led by Dom McDermott of Beyond the 4 Walls. The children prepare for these days with briefing sessions where they are talked through the route which they will be walking and basic skills such as how to properly pack a rucksack and how to dress appropriately for the trip are discussed. These basic skills provide an important grounding for the work the children do when they reach Senior School. The Beyond the 4 Walls days take the children across the Peak District. Hope, Edale, Hathersage, Castleton, Mam Tor, Stanage Edge, Burbage Brook, Surprise View and Grindleford are just a few of the destinations. The children focus on orienteering, map skills and building walking stamina. The trips are planned and run entirely using public transport. This builds the children’s ability to plan a route and their independence as a result. The children have opportunities to work as a team and encourage each other in different ways from classroom learning. It provides the opportunity for children who might struggle to shine as leaders.  At Birkdale, children become increasingly confident in their preparation for the Beyond the 4 Walls days and their ability to manage the practicalities grows as they progress through the school.

March 16, 2023|Prep School News|

Prep Festival of Music

The Prep School ‘Festival of Music Concert' to Parents was on Monday evening this week and WOW (!) what a fantastic showcase of school talent it was. The concert had a truly lovely and supportive atmosphere and featured students from P1 – P4 performing an eclectic mix of pop, classical, jazz and funk pieces. We were treated to Grade 8 piano repertoire, choreographed singing and dancing routines and young bands performing their own compositions to a wider audience for the first time. A fabulous time was had by all!

March 14, 2023|Prep School News|

Argh me hearties! 

Birkdale Prep had a swashbuckling time on Thursday last week, when we celebrated a pirate-themed World Book Day. The school was transformed into a pirate ship for the day. The children had a workshop with pirate book author (and former Birkdale TA) Amy Wilkins-Patel, solved riddles on a treasure hunt around school, got up-close to 3 fabulous parrots, ate a delicious pirate-themed lunch, and enjoyed some pirate themed lessons. It was wonderful to see all the children in their fantastic costumes, celebrating pirates and, most importantly, books! Head of the Prep School Mr Burch said 'World Book Day is always a great day as we love celebrating books and reading here at Birkdale. Having a pirate theme this year was all down to a great idea from Mrs Tonks our Head of English. The superb pieces of writing that children from all parts of the school have produced is testament to how inspiring the whole day was.

March 7, 2023|Prep School News|

Christmas Stars

Christmas is a time when Birkdale pupils truly shine. Last Thursday we kicked off our Christmas celebrations with a wonderful concert featuring all of our ensembles, bands and choirs. It was great to have everyone back together for this year’s event. There was a packed programme of music including Christmas favourites with some special arrangements. Around 80 pupils were involved in 13 groups, showcasing the best of Birkdale music. The Heeley Hall was packed with an appreciative audience. Here are some highlights: https://youtu.be/REnAj1ttTAE   For younger pupils our Pre-Prep Nativity – The Birth of a King – was a beautiful way to start the build-up to Christmas. All those involved gave an amazing performance, thank you to everyone who played a part in making it such a success.  https://youtu.be/16M6G1fOAFs

January 10, 2023|Prep School News, Senior School News|

Outdoor Learning in the Lakes

For the first time in living memory, Prep 3 enjoyed a week of perfect weather during their residential to the Lake District. The sunshine provided the perfect backdrop for their canoeing, tree climbing, raft building, hill walking, team challenges and, most people’s favourite, ghyll scrambling. Some of the greatest excitement came from the evenings’ sports tournaments, whilst Mrs Miles’ edition of Pointless was equally competitive. Well done to all of P3, who had a fantastic time. All in all, a fabulous week!

October 11, 2022|Prep School News|

Monday Motivation with Dan Walker

We were delighted to welcome broadcaster Dan Walker to Birkdale on Monday. Living locally, we were thrilled when Dan agreed to visit to give two talks – firstly at the Senior School and then with the younger children at the Prep School. Dan firstly explained how his love of words and language inspired him to become a journalist. He has been lucky enough to cover 5 Olympic Games, present Football Focus and BBC Breakfast amongst many other things. Dan explained that his job in broadcasting enables him to ask the right questions. This was followed by an uplifting and motivational talk about never giving up and he shared three of the most inspirational people to him. He spoke of his Strictly dance partner, professional and former world champion Nadiya Bychkova, who patiently taught Dan to dance. By his own admission he never thought he would last 3 months in the competition, but her determination to never give up inspired Dan to achieve something he thought was impossible. The second inspirational person was Tony Foulds who he met by chance in Endcliffe Park. This chance meeting led to the amazing flypast in 2019. Birkdale Prep School had part funded the flagpole which is now placed at the Mi Amigo memorial in the park. Finally he spoke of Eric Liddell who, at the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris, as a Christian refused to run in the heats for his favoured 100 metres because they were held on a Sunday. Instead he competed in the 400 metres held on a weekday, a race that he won. We are so grateful to Dan for taking the time to visit us and hope to welcome him back very soon.

October 11, 2022|Prep School News, Senior School News|

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