Rydal Penrhos Daily Notes – May 21

Day 45 at Rydal Penrhos’ keyworker childcare provision – 16 pupils, 8 staff

Today’s topic is sticks!

How much fun can be had with a stick? I think it depends on your age and species (dogs find them endlessly joyful), but there is no doubt that children find them irresistible!

Schools have a duty of care for the children in their charge, the famous phrase…in loco parentis. So seeing every child wielding a stick, almost the same height as themselves, running across the playground, is definitely cause for a teacher voice and a hand-up posture;

Me: what are you doing with those sticks?

Pupils 1,2, 3 and 4: (rushing past, paying no attention) yaaargh!

Me: (panic rising, voice rising in pitch accordingly) careful, slow down!

Pupil 1: bring the brooms together

Pupil 2: quickly, before they come

Pupil 3: say the spell

Pupil 4: (after looking at me) ssshh, Mrs Davies is coming

It seems that the activity is a secret!

I turn to one of the senior pupils nearby and raise my eyebrows in another teacher ‘classic pose’…this one means ‘what’s going on here?’

The senior school pupil answers with a similar, collaboratively raised eyebrow, “They’ve just read ‘Room on the Broom’”.

Well that’s ok then, the sticks are brooms and wands, no safety hazard there! Now, if they had been swords that would have been a different matter!

Mrs Lucy Davies

Head of Rydal Penrhos Prep School