The school has a
wide range of music, physical education and other clubs. The range of clubs offered to the
children varies from year to year and throughout the year.
At the time of writing we have a school choir. Many children learn to play the recorder in
music groups that meet at lunchtime, playtimes and before and after school. We have string
tuition from a visiting music specialist. Children in music clubs are taken to opera and
ballet performances. We go to the London Symphony Orchestra’s schools concerts at the
Royal Festival Hall.
Cookbook Launch
We held an international day on
Friday 20 March. The day marked the launch of the school's international
cookbook, containing nearly 150 recipes from all around the world and
several from celebrity chefs including Antony Worrall Thompson.
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The children dressed up in clothes to
celebrate their favourite food or favourite country and some spent the
day cooking delicious recipes from the cookbook such as Les Croque –
Soleil, a French appetizer and Miss Perry’s Mars Bar Cake. A special
song to mark the day was sung by the school choir; it was written by the
music teacher and her husband, Lynne and Vince Holland.
In the evening parents and teachers
met up for an international food and music night, with a live salsa
band.
The cookbook is on sale from the
school office, priced £6 and is selling out fast. All proceeds go to
help develop Darell's playground, with new green areas and games that
the pupils and teachers have asked for.
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If you would like to purchase a copy
of the book it will be on sale at the Darell stand during the Richmond
May Fair on May 9 and again at the school’s own summer fair on June 20.
Alternatively, you can pick up a copy from the school’s office by
calling: 020 8876 6721
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Club |
The football and netball clubs are enthusiastically supported. In Summer there is an
athletics club. There are special training clubs that prepare children for the borough
sports and for swimming competitions.
There is a computer club after
school.
Recently, French clubs and art clubs have been started for both infants and juniors.
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French Club |
Netball Club |
The majority of our clubs are run by school staff or volunteers. One or two clubs are run
by external providers and a charge is made for these activities.
School Journey
Each year the older children go on a
residential school journey for a week. The journey and the visits made during it are the
focus of much of the school work for the term in which it takes place. We encourage all
the Year 6 children to go on the journey.
Many of the children produce the best academic work of their primary school life as a
result of their studies for the school journey.
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Sketching on school journey |
On Symonds Yat Rock |
It gives children the opportunity to live away from home for some days and to develop
increased independence before transferring to secondary school.
We notify parents of the outline of the trip many months in advance. We have a system
whereby families can make regular payments in order to save for the journey. In the case
of families who are unable to pay we have some limited funds available to help.
Educational Visits
We try to take the children on visits as often
as possible in connection with their work. Much of the best work done by children in the
school has been a direct result of visits to look at primary sources of information,
sites, objects and museums.
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Feeding a swan at
Slimbridge |
Feeding the
ducks |
From Richmond Green to Tower Green; from the Orange Tree Theatre in Richmond to the Royal
Opera House in Covent Garden, the school sustains a rich and varied programme of visits
relevant to the work of the classroom.
All children of all ages participate in these programmes and the PTA support the cost of
many of the trips.
In the time that they are at Darell we hope that the children will be taken to most major
London museums and galleries, to concerts and to the theatre. Sometimes it is more
appropriate to invite performers into the school and we have had many memorable recitals,
plays and talks.
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