German took centre stage at our latest lunchtime enrichment session, led by Dr Schneidemesser, one of our Upper School German teachers. Dr Schneidemesser was joined by four enthusiastic Upper School boys — Max (President of the Linguistics Society), Alex (Language Ambassador), and Jonjo and Martin (Removes) — who generously volunteered their time to share their passion for the language with our Year 7 and 8 pupils.
The lively session introduced the boys to a range of German basics, including greetings, weekdays, numbers, feelings and, a particular highlight, cognates. During this activity, the boys used their problem‑solving skills to work out the English meanings of words such as Haus (house), Apfel (apple), and Gut (good), uncovering just how many similarities there are between German and English. They even identified cognates of their own, sparking lots of curiosity and discussion.
Sessions like these offer tremendous value to our Prep boys, enriching their learning through direct interaction with older pupils. Equally, the benefits flow both ways: our Upper School boys gain confidence and a sense of accomplishment by sharing their knowledge, while also serving as inspiring role models for the younger years — many of whom leave eager to follow in their footsteps.
With more exciting enrichment opportunities on the horizon — from Chinese to digital art and manga drawing — boys across the Prep School can look forward to a vibrant programme of lunchtime learning in the weeks ahead.
