In the Berkhamsted spotlight

058 - This is the Berkhamsted Spotlight, the podcast showcasing the remarkable Berkhamsted School community. Each episode, we speak to students, staff and alumni to bring you their insights.In today's episode, we're speaking to Debbie Cooper, Head of Stepping Stones, the Nursery at Berkhamsted, who discusses the importance of play and its role in brain development. She emphasises the value of risky play and the need for children to take managed risks to develop important skills. Debbie also highlights the significance of bedtime stories in promoting literacy and vocabulary development. She shares tips for parents to make the most of this time with their children. Additionally, Debbie explains how the school involves parents in their child's education through activities and events. She concludes by discussing the school's focus on preparing children for their future educational journey.TakeawaysPlay is essential for brain development and learning in early childhood.Risky play helps children develop important skills and learn to manage risks.Bedtime stories promote literacy, vocabulary development, and emotional bonding.Involving parents in their child's education enhances the learning experience and strengthens the parent-child relationship.Come with us as we get into this episode right now and find out why Berkhamsted Pre-Prep was awarded Independent Pre-Prep School of the Year in 2023.Berkhamsted onlineWebsite: www.berkhamsted.comFacebook: BerkhamstedSchoolTwitter: @berkhamstedschInstagram: berkhamstedschools and berkopreprep

057 - This is the Berkhamsted Spotlight, the podcast showcasing the remarkable Berkhamsted School community. Each episode, we speak to students, staff and alumni to bring you their insights. In today's episode, we're speaking to Mark Costin, Head of Girls' Cricket and Millie from Year 13, who is the captain of the girls' first team.Come with us as we get into this episode right now.Berkhamsted onlineWebsite: www.berkhamsted.comFacebook: BerkhamstedSchoolTwitter: @berkhamstedschInstagram: berkhamstedschools 

056 - This is the Berkhamsted Spotlight, the podcast showcasing the remarkable Berkhamsted school community. Each episode, we speak to students, staff and alumni to bring you their insights. In today's episode, we're speaking to four pupils from Year Seven, and they're going to tell us what it was like transitioning in from Year Six. Come with us as we get into this episode right now.Berkhamsted onlineWebsite: www.berkhamsted.comFacebook: BerkhamstedSchoolTwitter: @berkhamstedschInstagram: berkhamstedschools 

055 - This is the Berkhamsted Spotlight, the podcast showcasing a remarkable community. Now today we’re speaking to someone really quite special. When Stephen Thorpe is on TV or in the movies he’s more commonly known as Stephen Campbell Moore. But today he’s not with some of the biggest names in the industry (I’m talking Stephen Fry, Rowan Atkinson, Dan Aykroyd) he’s not with them at all because he’s with us. And he’s about to talk about his life when he was at Berkhamsted.We find out how the school helped him with his love of drama, what it was like featuring in a major movie when he was right at the start of his career and how things might change in the industry in the future.But we also find out what he’d say to a student who was considering if an acting career was right for them, interesting to get his thoughts on this.Anyway, that’s all coming up in this episode. So let’s cut the intro and instead step into this conversation as we talk to theatre, film and TV actor, Stephen Campbell Moore.Stephen Campbell MooreBerkhamsted onlineWebsite: www.berkhamsted.comFacebook: BerkhamstedSchoolTwitter: @berkhamstedschInstagram: berkhamstedschools 

054 - This is the Berkhamsted Spotlight, the podcast showcasing a remarkable community. In this episode it's time for the Nativity at Christmas! 🎄Berkhamsted onlineWebsite: www.berkhamsted.comFacebook: BerkhamstedSchoolTwitter: @berkhamstedschInstagram: berkhamstedschools 

053 - This is the Berkhamsted Spotlight, the podcast showcasing a remarkable community. Now today this is a great episode because I’m speaking to someone who left Berkhamsted back in 1993 having gone through the school’s CCF programme and then joining the army. Charlie Taylor is our guest and he talks about what life in the army was really like, what he did, where he served, what it’s like being in different parts of the world and what it’s like for those who are left behind. But we also talk about how the school’s CCF programme prepared him and what he might say to someone considering it at school today.It’s a great episode and I think you’re going to love this conversation. So come with me as we find out about CCF and army life by talking to Charlie Taylor.Berkhamsted onlineWebsite: www.berkhamsted.comFacebook: BerkhamstedSchoolTwitter: @berkhamstedschInstagram: berkhamstedschools 

052 - This is the Berkhamsted Spotlight, the podcast showcasing a remarkable community. Today we’re talking to the recently appointed Head Girl and Head Boy at school so we’ve a real treat for you. Ella and Dan are both in Y13 and they talk about the process they went through, what they’ll need to do in these positions, how they’ll balance this with their academic work and what they think they might be doing once they leave school. Also, turns out it’s a special day for Ella, find out more when you listen to the episode.Anyway, for all that and for a whole lot more come with me as we speak to the current Head Boy and Head Girl, it’s Dan and Ella.Berkhamsted onlineWebsite: www.berkhamsted.comFacebook: BerkhamstedSchoolTwitter: @berkhamstedschInstagram: berkhamstedschools 

051 - This is the Berkhamsted Spotlight, the podcast showcasing a remarkable community. Today we have a great episode as we’re finding out about the recent school trip to Singapore and Malaysia, both amazing places for pupils to visit.Clare Tan is our member of staff who was heavily involved in the planning of this trip but while it’s good to hear from her it’s great to hear from some of the pupils who enjoyed this trip. So we’re also joined by Ben in Year 8, Jemimah in Year 9 and Charles in Year 10, and they’re going to tell us about some of the things that happened on this trip, why it’s so good for them as teenagers and how it helps so much given that they’re learning Mandarin in school.So let’s not waste any more time but instead come with me into Berkhamsted as we speak to three pupils and Miss Clare Tan.Berkhamsted onlineWebsite: www.berkhamsted.comFacebook: BerkhamstedSchoolTwitter: @berkhamstedschInstagram: berkhamstedschools 

050 - This is the Berkhamsted Spotlight, the podcast showcasing a remarkable community. Today I hope you’re hungry because if you’re not then you will be shortly. Sally Rowe is the Head of Food and Nutrition at Berkhamsted and she’s talking to us today about, you guessed it, food.We talk about what food tech looks like at school, the fact that more and more boys are getting into food, and we talk about food in our society, where it all comes from, why that’s important, the different advice that we’re given and the relevance of so-called fad diets.It’s a great episode, I know you’re going to love listening to it. So come with me into the world of Food and Nutrition at Berkhamsted as we speak to Sally Rowe.Berkhamsted onlineWebsite: www.berkhamsted.comFacebook: BerkhamstedSchoolTwitter: @berkhamstedschInstagram: berkhamstedschools 

049 - This is the Berkhamsted Spotlight, the podcast showcasing a remarkable community. Now today we’re getting into sport, in particular Netball. Dani Wates is the outgoing Head of Netball and she’s joined by Dannii Titmuss Morris, the incoming Head of Netball who is also a former Netball Superleague coach. And then we also have Louise Travis, she’s a parent in the school community who is an international netball umpire and she recently umpired at the Netball World Cup in South Africa. So we have quite a team here today!I get to ask them all about what Netball looks like at Berkhamsted, we hear about some recent successes, how each of them got into netball when they were younger and the importance of being an inspirational teacher.That’s all coming up in this episode so let’s not waste anymore time but instead come with me as we speak to Dani Wates, Dannii Titmuss Morris and Louise Travis.Berkhamsted onlineWebsite: www.berkhamsted.comFacebook: BerkhamstedSchoolTwitter: @berkhamstedschInstagram: berkhamstedschools 

048 - This is the Berkhamsted Spotlight, the podcast showcasing a remarkable community. And today we’re speaking to some of the cast of the Prep Musical, Beauty and the Beast.Now, there was a cast of more than 100 pupils in this, so speaking to them all was never going to be an option, but we do have with us seven of the cast including Chip, Madame de la Grande Bouche, Belle, Cogsworth, Lumiere, Maurice and Gaston.We’re going to hear about the rehearsals, the stressful parts of the preparation, what it feels like for our pupils to be on stage and how they cope when things don’t quite go as planned.So let’s dive into this episode with our Y6 pupils and also with the school’s very own, Mrs Kate Turnley.Production Photoshttps://www.berkhamsted.com/prep-musical-beauty-and-the-beast/Berkhamsted onlineWebsite: www.berkhamsted.comFacebook: BerkhamstedSchoolTwitter: @berkhamstedschInstagram: berkhamstedschools 

#047  - This is the Berkhamsted Spotlight, the podcast showcasing a remarkable community. And today we’re speaking to some of the sixth formers.Finn, Bella and Henry are with us and they run the Berkhamsted Union, a debating society that was formed last year.So we’re about to find out what the union looks like, how often they meet up, what kind of issues they debate, how people can get involved and what some of the challenges are to running something like this.But we also get to find out the benefits of being involved in something like this, not just if you’re running it but however you might be involved in it.That’s all coming up in this episode so come with me now as we speak to sixth formers Finn, Bella and Henry.Berkhamsted onlineWebsite: www.berkhamsted.comFacebook: BerkhamstedSchoolTwitter: @berkhamstedschInstagram: berkhamstedschools 

#046  - This is the Berkhamsted Spotlight, the podcast showcasing a remarkable community. And today we’re stepping into Heatherton to speak to Headteacher Nicola Nicoll.Now Nicola’s been on an earlier episode but that was not long after she joined the school so I was very keen to hear how she’s getting on and what changes she’s gone through herself.But I also ask her about something called Game Changers (she explains all about that), we talk about how the school helps girls there to dream big for the future, and we talk about how to break those stereotypes for girls’ career choices.All that’s coming up right now so come with me as we step into Heatherton and speak to Headteacher, Nicola Nicoll.Berkhamsted onlineWebsite: www.berkhamsted.comFacebook: BerkhamstedSchoolTwitter: @berkhamstedschInstagram: berkhamstedschools 

#045  - This is the Berkhamsted Spotlight, the podcast showcasing a remarkable community. And today I’m super excited for you to hear this, we’re speaking to James Rodwell, pupil at the school from 1991 to 2002 but after leaving the school he stepped into professional rugby, he’s England’s most capped rugby sevens player, an Olympic silver medalist and he was the Head Coach for the England women’s sevens team.And now he’s back as a rugby coach at Berkhamsted.So we’re going to find out his experience being a boy at school, where he went to university but also all about his professional career, travelling the world and I ask him what it’s like to play rugby in front of 85,000 people, that’s a number I can’t quite get my head around.But we also find out what this means for him now he’s working at school and, more importantly, what that means for the pupils.Whether or not you’re into rugby, this is a great episode and I know you’re going to love it. So come with me as we speak to professional rugby player, coach and member of staff at Berkhamsted, it’s James Rodwell.Berkhamsted onlineWebsite: www.berkhamsted.comFacebook: BerkhamstedSchoolTwitter: @berkhamstedschInstagram: berkhamstedschools 

#044 -  This is the Berkhamsted Spotlight, the podcast showcasing a remarkable community. I’m so pleased you’re here because it’s a new year and this episode features Richard Backhouse, Principal at Berkhamsted. Now the last time Richard featured on the Berkhamsted Spotlight was back in April 2021 and in that time quite a bit has changed.We’re going to find out some of those things and we’re going to find out some of the upcoming changes in the next 12 months. But I also throw Richard a couple of challenging questions which, given that he had no insight into what I was about to ask, makes his responses all the more remarkable.Anyway, all that’s coming up in this episode so come with me now as we speak to the Principal, Richard Backhouse.Berkhamsted onlineWebsite: www.berkhamsted.comFacebook: BerkhamstedSchoolTwitter: @berkhamstedschInstagram: berkhamstedschools 

#043-  This is the Berkhamsted Spotlight and today we’re talking all about technology and how it impacts our lives and, importantly, the lives of our children.Sarah Shields is a school governor who’s spent the last 15 years working for Dell Technologies. She holds a senior position there and as you’ll hear she’s passionate about technology and how it shapes our lives.Sarah is also a parent with two children at the school which puts her in the perfect place to be a school governor. So, if you have children and if they use technology, if they have a phone, if they engage in social media or online gaming, then you’re going to love this episode. Come with me right now as we speak to school governor, parent and technology enthusiast, Sarah Shields.Berkhamsted onlineWebsite: www.berkhamsted.comFacebook: BerkhamstedSchoolTwitter: @berkhamstedschInstagram: berkhamstedschools 

#042- This is the Berkhamsted Spotlight and today we’re stepping into Berkhamsted Girls as we speak to Headteacher Emma Watson. Now Emma’s career before working in education was very, very different and I think you’re going to love what she was doing. Today she’s in an all-girls environment so she’s going to tell us what that means, we talk about risk too, we find out what’s happening over the next few months in school and we find out more about Emma herself. It’s a great episode and I think you’re going to love it so come with me as we speak to Headteacher at Berkhamsted Girls, Emma Watson.Berkhamsted onlineWebsite: www.berkhamsted.comFacebook: BerkhamstedSchoolTwitter: @berkhamstedschInstagram: berkhamstedschools 

#041 -  In this episode of the Berkhamsted Spotlight we’re talking all about what happens when pupils leave the school. We speak to an Academic Consultant at Berkhamsted which means he works with pupils to help them put their best foot forward to pursue their journeys and to realise their potential, particularly post sixth-form study to university. That’s all coming up in this episode so come with me now as we speak to Mo TanweerBerkhamsted onlineWebsite: www.berkhamsted.comFacebook: BerkhamstedSchoolTwitter: @berkhamstedschInstagram: berkhamstedschools 

#040 - In this episode of the Berkhamsted Spotlight we’re speaking to one of the school’s Governors, Gavin Laws. We’re going to find out what it means to be a Governor, how the board of Governors is made up, how it helps the staff and possibly more importantly how this in turn helps the pupils at school.That’s all coming up in this episode so come with me now as we speak to school Governor, Gavin Laws.Berkhamsted onlineWebsite: www.berkhamsted.comFacebook: BerkhamstedSchoolTwitter: @berkhamstedschInstagram: berkhamstedschools 

#039 - In this episode of the Berkhamsted Spotlight we’re speaking to Will Findlay who works at Berkhamsted doing three different roles. He’s a Girls' Head of House, he’s also a Boarding tutor and then in a teaching capacity he’s also the Second in History.He explains to us what each of these roles encompasses, how they all fit together and what that means for the students too. But we also hear what Will has changed his mind about in the last two years and what his remarkable moment at Berkhamsted has been (he cheats in that a little but it’s OK, we can let him off).That’s all coming up in this episode so come with me now as we speak to Will Findlay.Berkhamsted onlineWebsite: www.berkhamsted.comFacebook: BerkhamstedSchoolTwitter: @berkhamstedschInstagram: berkhamstedschools