Terrington Hall School

More than 500 paintings by pre-school children across York and Ryedale were on display at Terrington Hall School on Saturday 18 May at the York & Area Pre-School Art Competition exhibition in which 14 children were named prizewinners.

Designed to stimulate the artistic imaginations of young minds, the competition had invited pre-school children aged two to four years' old to submit paintings or collages on the theme of the popular children's book Aliens Love Underpants by Claire Freedman and Ben Cort.

The competition was launched in the Gazette & Herald and The Press in January and sponsored by local businesses Ray Chapman Motors, Ralph Yates Ltd, Rodgers of York, Minster Alarms and Terrington Hall School.

In response to the launch, entries came in from nurseries and pre-school settings stretching from Scarborough, Pickering, Malton and Ampleforth, to Stockon-on-the-Forest, Tanghall, Heslington, Poppleton, Escrick and Wheldrake.

All entries submitted were on display in the exhibition hall where every available piece of wall space was hung, floor to ceiling, with imaginative aliens and zany underpants of every colour and description.

As they entered the exhibition, excited children ran to find where their work was displayed and to show it to their family and friends.

'It means such a lot to the children to see their paintings put on display outside of their pre-school settings,' said Wath Court Nursery owner Sam Smith. 'I don't know of any other event in the area that celebrates young children's art in this way. Our children have absolutely loved taking part in the competition, as they did last year too.'

With the paintings to view, craft activities for the children, and a child-size alien for the children to put their faces through, there was plenty to do before the prizes were awarded by local wildlife artist Robert Fuller.

'The last time I saw these paintings they were spread out on my studio floor,' said Robert Fuller gazing at the artwork around the exhibition hall. 'No wonder it was so hard to pick out the winners. I was particularly impressed with the work submitted by the children at Ampleforth Community Nursery and St Aelred's Primary School.'

Then, with consummate ease, the father of two knelt down to present the prizes to the two-to-four year old winners, several of whom skipped excitedly onto the exhibition stand to show him their paintings.

The prize-winning entries of the 2013 York & Area Pre-School Art Competition were:
Overall Winner Annabel Mindenhall (Ampleforth Community Nursery); Best Entry Age 4 Ursie Birch (Ampleforth Community Nursery); Best Entry Age 3 Lily Smith (Wath Court Nursery); Best Entry Age 2 Lewis Lazenby (Young Discoverers Day Nursery).

Highly Commendeds were awarded to: Maggie Appleton (Wath Court Nursery), Kian Cooper (St Aelred's RCVA Primary School), Shannon O'Donovan (St Aelred's RCVA Primary School), Isabella Gordon-Finlayson (Wath Court Nursery), Marley Johansen (St Aelred's RCVA Primary School), Elise McMillan (House Martins Day Care Centre), Lucia Mendez (Terrington Pre-School Playgroup), Matilda Rookes (Terrington Pre-School Playgroup), Lillia Wall (Wath Court Nursery), Byron Wood (Ampleforth Community Nursery)

Below, a selection of photographs from the morning's exhibition showing some of the prizewinners and their award-winning paintings . . .

Many congratulations to Year 8 pupil Harry Exley-Moore who was invited to compete at the IAPS (Independent Association of Prep Schools) National Swimming Finals at Crawley earlier this month.. Harry qualiified for the event folllowing his success in  trials held at St Olave's School in January.  At the IAPS finals he competed in the 25m butterfly event in which he came 15th.

Harry, who was Yorkshire U12 openwater champion, trains with Scarborough Swimming Club. He trains five or six times a week for two hours, three sessions of which involve getting up at 4.30am to start training at 5am before coming on to a full day at school.

'Hobson's Choice Would be Future Career in Saddle' (The Press, 11 May 2013)

Twelve-year-old Terrington Hall pupil Ellen Hobson took part in her first BE90 event when she competed at the Northallerton Horse Trials.

One of the youngest in a field of 117 riders, she had a clear round in show jumping on her horse Cookie and a clear cross county round.

Ellen said: 'It couldn't have gone much better for my first BE90 event. Cookie and I have some work to do on dressage but overall I was thrilled with our performance and it was so exciting to be competing alongside people such as Jodie McGregor.'

Ellen's riding career began aged six when she took up riding lessons through Terrington Hall School at Chris and Nicky Pimlott's Scrayingham stables.

'If Terrington hadn't given me the opportunity to take up riding lessons during the school day, I might never have ridden,' said Ellen. 'Chris and Nicky really set me on my way.'

Now stabling Cookie with Naburn Riding Centre, Ellen was a member of Naburn's winning team at the NFU National Pony Club Quiz for two consecutive years in 2011 and 2012.

'Ellen lives and breathes riding,' says her mother Vicky Hobson. 'Every available spare minute is spent down at the stables, and the British team's Olympic success has given her a dream to aspire to. One of her heroes, Mary King, has agreed to meet her later this summer and show Ellen her horses.'

Meanwhile, Ellen has excelled academically at Terrington Hall School where she has been a pupil since nursery. She leaves this summer on an academic scholarship to Queen Margaret's, Escrick.

Ellen and Cookie's next BE90 events will be at Richmond Horse Trials on 12 May 2013 and at Bishop Burton on 25 May 2013.

The sun shone onTerrington Hall's annual Spring Fair on a glorious Mayday bank holiday.

Superbly organised by Mrs PIlmore, the event was a whole school effort. Staff and pupils manned the stalls and games, the kitchens provided the BBQ, parents donated cakes, bottles, tombola prizes and their time on the face-painting stand, and staff put themselves up for ritual humiliation whether in the stocks (thank you Mr Magson, Mr Mulryne and Mr Watt) or in the three-legged race. 

Looking set to top last year's fund-raising record of £954, the proceds from this year's Spring Fair will support Terrington's outdoor education programme and our nominated charity of the year, Ryedale Special Families.

With especial thanks to the many Terrington parents, extended families and friends who so generously supported the event.

'Bright Sparks' (Gazette & Herald, 8 May 2013)

'Scholars' Record Results' (Malton & Pickering Mercury, 8 May 2013)

Eight Terrington Hall pupils have won scholarships to their senior schools, a record number in the school's 92-year history.

Following highly successful rugby careers at the school which saw them selected to represent the U13 North of England Lambs, Head of School Cameron Keanurico and fellow Fijian Saki Kaitoga have won sports scholarships to Durham School.

Academic scholarships have been awarded to Ellen Hobson (Queen Margaret's) and Tara Jones (St Peter's).

Iona Winn-Darley won a sports scholarship to Repton School, Derbyshire.

U13 netball captain and a keen sportswoman who represents her school across all sports, Winn-Darley was selected earlier in the year for the Yorkshire's County Netball training academy.

Twins Ella and Scarlett Latham were awarded an all-rounder scholarship and a sports scholarship respectively to The Mount, and Lily James has been awarded a Basil Hume all-rounder scholarship to Ampleforth College for excellence in drama and sport.

Terrington Hall headmaster Jon Glen said: 'I am terrifically proud of this year's range of scholarships and the pupils' achievements they celebrate. They reflect a school that not only aims for academic excellence but also seeks to develop the individual strengths and passions of each child wherever they may lie.'

William Easterby  (Terrington leaver 2008) was cheered on by friends and family including younger brother Thomas at the Bedale Point-to-Point when he won the Barkers of Northallerton Confined Hunts Race on 'Be There in Five'.   Willliam is pictured here in the winners' enclosure with his parents and younger brother Thomas.