Category: Events

1st April 22

It really was a fabulously Finton World Book Day this year.

Pupils and staff alike showed their creativity and personality through their World Book Day costumes this year (everybody knows that Fintonians love an excuse to dress up); from Willy Wonka to Madeline and from the Gruffalo to Gangsta Granny, we really did see it all! As is tradition, the Lower School, Middle School and Upper School all enjoyed parading in front of each other in the playground, clapping and cheering for each other’s costumes.

This year the whole school were treated to an assembly and class workshops with our visiting author, Sylvia Bishop, and illustrator Ashley King. Pupils were delighted to meet the author of much-loved books such as Erica’s Elephant and The Bookshop Girl, and even more so to ask questions to Ashley about being an illustrator. One great query was: ‘What comes first, the words or the illustration?’

Some photos from the day can be found on our Instagram .

25th January 22

On Monday 24 February, Finton House was visited by the author Steve Tasane to kick off Poetry Week 2022.

Steve delivered some enthusiasm-filled assemblies to excited audiences across the whole school, and then ran poetry workshops with the Upper School throughout the day. During lunchtime, some of our Librarians and School Reporters managed to grab him for an interview…

What makes a good poem?

I like words that dance. It’s important to me that words dance when being spoken aloud. I always remember what a fabulous poet Roald Dahl is with his dancing words, and I also go onto YouTube and listen to Michael Rosen’s No Breathing In Class which really comes to life when it’s being read out loud.

What/who inspired you to become a poet?

To be honest it’s a combination: firstly of those dancing words I mentioned, and I also started writing poetry because I got upset by things and writing poems about them made me feel better about them. You might feel sad or angry but when you write using tools such as alliteration, onomatopoeia etc. it makes you feel happy when you start reading them. At school I was used to poems being read to us whilst we sat up straight at a desk, not the vibrant poetry we know today.

What’s your favourite poem that you’ve written?

In terms of my children’s poetry it has to be the alphabet rap, as that’s the one people enjoy the most. I think other poems have more importance perhaps, but I never get bored of the alphabet rap!

How long did it take you to learn the rap?!

I wrote the alphabet rap in my head over the space of a weekend. I had the starting line “ABCDEFG, my name is Steve I’m an evil MC” and then I’d go on walks and try to come up with more lines. The lines we remember easily are the lines which are the best/cleverest.

What tips do you have for young poets?

When you’re writing a poem, think about how it sounds when you read it aloud. A good poem will sound like speech – if it doesn’t sound like you’re sharing a secret with your best friend then you probably need to try again. Also – don’t try and rhyme TOO much!

To watch a clip from one of Steve’s brilliant assemblies where the audience got involved in his poem, click here!

20th October 21

Our annual Saturday Open Morning, the fir5st in-person event we have held for prospective parents since before Covid-19, was a huge success this year. Prospective families were welcomed by members of our Senior Leadership team and offered tours around the school by current staff, pupils and parents, and Mr Ben, our Head, held talks in the gym. There were a variety of activities on offer for children to get involved in, including playground games, badge making, science experiments and more! Mr Alan, our Head Chef, put on a lovely spread of homemade snacks and delicious drinks.

No matter your child’s year of entry, we believe that our Saturday Open Morning is a unique chance to meet all of our staff and have a good look around our wonderful facilities. Whilst our next Open Morning is set to be in October 2022, we are offering private tours with our Head of Admissions or Head of Marketing, which include meeting Mr Ben and having an opportunity to ask any questions you may have. Navigate to the Admissions tab for more information and to discover why Finton House is one of the most sought after prep schools in South West London.

Bursaries are available for Year 3 entry in September 2022, with applications closing at the beginning of March 2022. Click on the link below for further information…

7th February 20

A wonderful occasion, the Poetry Celebration and Sign2Sing performance was an absolute success. Thank you to all families for their generous donations towards Sign Health Charity. Your support for this worthwhile cause is much appreciated.

Sophie, School Reporter writes: “On Monday morning the whole school assembled in Trinity Road Chapel for the poetry celebration and the sign 2 sing performance. After Mr Ben’s speech, it was time for the first half of the poetry winners to recite their poems to the school; they were all very funny! After a while, we had a break from the poems, and the choir sang the song “Stand by Me”. There was a loud round of applause, followed by the second round of poetry winners. My favourite recital was William Ryan’s: ‘There was an old lady who swallowed a fly’. We finished with our Sign2Sing song ‘Joining hands today’.”

31st January 20

“Poetry week was jazzed up by our visiting poet Joseph Coelho! He started his assembly off by talking about a useful method that he uses called MORERAPS, which stands for M-metaphor, O-onomatopoeia, R-rythm, E-emotion, R-repetition, A-alliteration, P-personification, S-simile. Then he read from some of his books and poems. Apparently he even has a poem that’s an hour-long! He explained that he writes novels, poems, non-fiction, fiction and picture books.

Later on the School Reporters, well two of us, had the opportunity to interview him. When asked what advice he has for future writers, he replied that he recommends always carrying a notebook for ideas, getting into the habit of observing what is around us and asking lots of questions. Joseph told us that science and non-fiction museums had a big influence on his writing, but he also got inspired by lots of other poets and writers, like Michael Rosen. We asked what he would do if he felt uninspired and how he gets his creativity flowing. He recommended to do something completely different and to take your mind off writing with for example gardening, watching a documentary or cooking. Lastly, he explained that the whole process of writing a book can take around 2 years.

We enjoyed the assembly and especially loved interviewing him.”
By School Reporters Sicily and Rosie (Year 6)

10th December 19

The Reception Nativity at Trinity Road Chapel is a much-anticipated highlight in the busy Finton calendar. George and Sarah, the Prefects, congratulated the children for a superb performance: “What a wonderful start to the festive season! We both remember when we did the Nativity in Reception, six years ago… We know how daunting it is to stand up there and perform in front of all these people, so you did really well. Our favourite songs were ‘Angels Singing’ and ‘Please Stop Knocking’ – they were catchy and joyful. As well as wonderful singing, all of you did superb acting – well done. Special thanks go to all the staff involved – all the Reception staff for putting the play together, Miss Emma and especially Miss Maria for teaching the children all the brilliant songs. Also, thanks to the parents for putting together the excellent costumes. All in all, we think that it was a phenomenal performance!”

29th November 19

An annual event not to be missed, the Sustainability Fair showcases creativity and environmental awareness with Year 4’s sustainable inventions in the spotlight. After learning about sustainability in class, Year 4 children put their theoretical knowledge to the test. From the Desalination Sensation which turns salt water into fresh drinking water to a litter picking robot, the sheer variety of imaginative ideas was impressive. All Upper School children took their turn to visit the Fair on Thursday morning to learn more about the children’s inventions. Fantastic learning opportunity for all!

6th September 19

Sicily, Year 6 School Reporter writes: “On the first day of term Mr Ben welcomed us all back to school. We felt excited to be top of the school as we found our seats in Trinity Chapel. We sang ‘A Little Bit of Kindness’ by Mark and Helen Johnson and everyone remembered the words from last year. When we got our responsibilities it was a great surprise, looking around all of our faces were smiling. Then we sang ‘Thank You for this World’ by Niki Davies and headed off to start our new year.”

9th July 19

What a day! After a year of hard work, it was time to celebrate endeavour, effort, progress and achievements across the school. Assembled in Wandsworth Town Hall prize giving started with some beautiful performances by the choir, recorder ensemble and Upper School band. A variety of prizes were awarded on the day both for academic subject areas as well as rewarding excellent behaviour, diligence, enthusiasm, perseverance, resilience and initiative.

Although prize day is an occasion to celebrate, it also means saying goodbye to our leaving classes. At the end of prize giving, Year 6 could not hold back the tears when watching the film premiere with memories of their seven-year journey at Finton. A very emotional moment for the children! They will be very much missed and we hope that they will visit and tell us all about their senior schools next year.

5th July 19

With a sunny day and an enthusiastic crowd, all children from our four houses battled in field and track events on Friday morning. The colourful display of house flags and fantastic atmosphere on the fields encouraged the children to give their very best for their house. Sports Day is not only fun for the children but it is also the perfect opportunity to teach them about teamwork, fair play, and how to overcome one’s own limits. The children certainly did us proud with their ‘I can’ attitude and enthusiasm on the day.

It is priceless to see the excitement when children cheer on their friends from the sidelines. They feel a real sense of belonging and love to be part of their team. The children do not run for their own personal success but to represent their house. The team spirit on the day was exemplary!

The much-anticipated announcement of the winners was accompanied by loud cheers from Charrington who were the overall winners of the day. Hip Hip, Hooray!
All children had a fantastic day and the main credit for this lies with our PE team who have once again organised a brilliant sports event for the children. Thank you!