The School menu after half-term

Pre-prep Look Out Discovery Centre trip

On Tuesday, Pre-prep eagerly boarded the buses for our annual trip and set off for an exciting adventure at the Look Out Discovery Centre. The day was filled with hands-on learning and exploration, starting with the role-play building zone. Here, the children designed houses on a light table, built structures with bricks, and even used “scaffolding” to tile roofs, sparking their creativity and teamwork.

The Centre offered a variety of other thrilling exhibits, including a temperature camera paired with heat and cooling elements, interactive displays on forces, a giant floor piano, and much more. Each exhibit captivated the children’s curiosity and enthusiasm. The freedom to explore the exhibits and try out the possibilities of each different “station” meant that so much was experienced and learnt in a short space of time.

A highlight of the day was the Early Years Bug Workshop, where Janet, our knowledgeable “explainer”, taught us about vertebrates and invertebrates, focusing on insects and arachnids. The children interacted respectfully and answered a range of questions, enabling them to share their knowledge and expertise on the subject of minibeasts. Edie proudly modelled an ant costume, showing off the antennae, thorax, abdomen and six legs – all key parts of an insect. The children also learnt that arachnids, like spiders and harvestmen, have eight legs.

Despite the cold and somewhat inclement conditions, the children, armed with nets and pots, ventured into the woodland to discover as many bugs as possible. The children found plenty of ants amongst the bracken, as well as spiders, a cricket and a wriggly caterpillar.

Of course, lunch was a much-anticipated break, providing the energy needed for a play in the wonderful outdoor playground before heading back to School. Everyone had a fantastic day, worked and played collaboratively and did very fine singing on the bus on the way home!

Mrs Henry

Henry R to play Oliver

Good luck to Year 9 pupil Henry R who is playing the role of Oliver in BTA Theatrical's version of Oliver on 6^th June at the Hampton Hill Theatre in Hampton Hill.

Henry has been working incredibly hard in this out-of-School production, and we are very proud of him for landing the lead role! Tickets are available via the link below. If you are keen to see him, then hurry up – there are only a handful left!

https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/bta-theatricals

Mr Rye

Year 4 shape hunt

Year 4 pupils have been identifying the names and properties of 3D shapes in Maths. We ventured out to see how many 3D shapes they could find around the School grounds...with a short rest in the Pre-prep play area! After half-term we will revisit the tally charts they have made and present the results in graph format.

Mrs Nicholson and Mrs Gritton

ADVANCE WARNING!

Road closure for tree works

Monday 3^rd – Wednesday 5^th June, 09.30-15.30

Peaslake Road from School to Coverwood corner.

We held a short assembly this morning to hand out certificates celebrating academic and pastoral achievements over the last few weeks, but it was also an opportunity to acknowledge how well all Prep pupils have conducted themselves this week during exams. Whether or not the results that are published after half-term are what the children were hoping for, I underlined just how proud they should feel for having given it a good go. For those who know they could have done more, too, it's a useful learning experience, and one to bear in mind next year when revision time comes around again. 

Around exams, the curriculum has continued, and Year 3 relished a chance not to be sat at their desks for their weekly Forest School session. They were learning about the different properties of trees and loved playing “Tree Trumps” to help improve their knowledge. Drama, Music, PE, Art and DT have all been especially welcome distractions between exams, to help the pupils move, create and make noise.

The highlight of the week for most in Pre-prep this week was the trip to the Discovery Centre (about which you can read elsewhere in this Bulletin). They've also been hard at work in class; Reception and Nursery focused on spiders, and made some wonderfully inventive mini-beast snacks (in shape and colour, I am assured, not in content). Year 1 were thrilled to be able to share their “Naughty Bus” book with Mrs Knox and also loved making hot air balloons from papier mache in Art. Year 2 were applying their Maths skills to unravel various clues and solve the mystery of the Pudding Lane hero, during the Great Fire of London – it turns out it was George who rescued the stuck cat. Phew!

I hope the children have a fantastic half-term.

Values certificates

Effort: Mila-R S; Rocket M; Daisy W; Herb M; Evelyn C, Ivy B

Kindness: Amelie C; Jasmine W; Hope N

Responsibility: Lottie O

Reading certificates

Silver: Elsa H (Y5)

Gold: Willow B; Andoni B-S

Platinum: Elsa H (Y3); Henry S, Benat B-S

Mr Wright

Stars of the week

Nursery – Oliver S for settling into Nursery life and for his active participation in class.

Bobby C for developing a “have a go” attitude and for his focus during group activities.

Reception – Sofia ST for fantastic effort in everything she does, it’s really paying off!

Roman N for improved listening in PE. Your resulting tennis skills were very impressive!

Year 1 – Oli T for his excellent progress in reading.

Ali S for kindness to his friends both in the classroom and the playground.

Year 2 – Ayla O’K for your impeccable listening! You always follow instructions and complete tasks to the best of your ability.

Harry S for your inquisitive questions and knowledge at the Look Out Discovery Centre.

Mrs Henry

With exam week in full swing for the entire Senior School it is important to recognise the outstanding application of the pupils across the cohort. Absences have been at an absolute minimum this week and the pupils have given themselves the best opportunity to do well; revising sensibly between exams and working hard to achieve their goals. Whilst nerves are a feature of life, it is imperative that pupils get used to doing exams, learning to manage their anxiety and growing in resilience as they do. My biggest congratulations to them all on getting to the end – they have truly earnt their half-term and should leave School today proud of the efforts they have made.

Congratulations this week also go to Alex W (Year 8), who has gained a multiple of 25 Merit Points in the Senior School and therefore received a lunch fastpass and stationery prize this morning. A special mention also to Emily N and Eva P-R (Year 9) who have now gained 100 Merit Points, receiving their fastpass, stationery prize and commemorative blazer badge in recognition. Well done to you all.

Mr Wilson

The second half of term is, as usual, super busy for the Performing Arts Department. Dates for your diary are below!

Friday 14^th June, 18.30: Evening of Original Works – a chance to see and hear some of the Year 11 and 10 GCSE artworks, original writing and musical compositions. 

Friday 21^st June, 19:30: Summer Concert – choirs, ensembles, Friday dance group and selected Prep and Senior pupils will be performing.

Wednesday 26^th and Thursday 27^th June, 19:30: Years 8 and 9 Production The Light Burns Blue – see below for further details.

Tuesday 2^nd July, 18.30: Year 11 Leavers' Concert and Dinner

Thursday 4^th July, 14:30: Pre-prep Dance Show

Years 8 and 9 Production

Tickets for the production will be available after half-term. Please do not email until we are back at School – many thanks.

The Light Burns Blue by Silva Semerciyan

It is 1917. In the fourth year of the Great War, 17 year-old Elsie Wright borrows her father’s camera and fakes photographs of herself and her young cousin Frances talking with fairies at the bottom of their garden. But she is quite unprepared for the excitement her pictures will unleash. Soon the girls find themselves at the centre of a celebrity media storm. Their photos are published around the world and Sir Arthur Conan-Doyle, creator of Sherlock Holmes, champions them as scientific evidence of psychic phenomena. But can these fragile images and their young creators withstand the cruel light of press scrutiny?

Based on the true story of the Cottingley Fairies, The Light Burns Blue is a tale of deception, public hysteria and the ethical boundaries of new technologies. Are Elsie’s photographs just a thoughtless hoax or the cynical exploitation of people’s need to believe in a world beyond the horrors of war? Or should we view them as an artistic exploration of the possibilities of early photography? One thing is certain, the echoes of Elsie and Frances’s story can be felt today in our arguments and questions over AI.

Mr Rye

Year 2 mixed cricket

On Monday morning, the sun was shining brightly and excitement levels were high as the Year 2s warmed up for their internal cricket match on a beautifully prepared front pitch. The teams batted in pairs and had two overs between them; occasionally using batting “T's” to build confidence. Archie H and Sienna DPL played some lovely shots for their team and Alfred A and Nola S fielded particularly well. Considering the Year 2's only had a handful of lessons in preparation for the match, everyone did brilliantly well to grasp the fundamentals of the game; running confidently between the wickets and working together to stop boundaries. The game was close and all had a great time and enjoyed their match tea! Well done Year 2s!

Mrs Dann

Boys' cricket: Year 9 and 10 House Cricket 

Tuesday saw the semi-finals of the Year 9 and 10 House Cricket taking place on Top and Front pitch. Top Pitch saw Kestrel win the toss and choose to bat against Peregrine. Kestrel scored 95 in their 12 overs, with Dom K scoring 26 from 18 balls, Felix C scoring 20 from 17 balls, Moxon K scoring ten from nine and Harry F scoring 15 from 11 balls. This meant Peregrine needed to score 96 runs in their 12 overs at eight runs an over. They got off to a flyer with Chester S (13 from 20) and Jamie P (27 from 22) scoring quickly with 46 runs from five overs. However, some tight bowling from Harry F (three runs and one wicket from his over), Ethan K (five runs and one wicket) and Felix C (eight runs and one wicket from his two overs) managed to save the game for Kestrel as they won by five runs.

Mr Green

Girls' cricket: Year 9 and 10 House Cricket

After a morning of exams, the Year 9 and 10 girls were excited to get outside and play some cricket! The weather tried to ruin the fun, but it was brilliant to see the positive approach from all four teams and we had lots of very exciting matches! Each house played three matches against the other three houses throughout the afternoon. We started with Kestrel v Buzzard and Peregrine v Hawk. Both Kestrel and Buzzard bowled and fielded very well, making it hard for the batters to score many runs. Kestrel won this game by ten runs. Meanwhile, Peregrine and Hawk also had a close game with Peregrine winning by 14 runs. The matches continued to be close with a particularly thrilling game for Kestrel v Hawk, with Kestrel winning by just five runs! At the end of the afternoon, there were three teams tied on 11 points, with two wins and a loss! So, the results were decided by runs scored, with Buzzard being victorious with 400 runs scored across the afternoon. second and third place had just one run in it, with Peregrine taking second, Kestrel coming in third place and Hawk in fourth. Well done to all the girls, it was so brilliant to see a great standard of cricket across the matches. Some particularly good performances and positive attitudes included; Annie B, Issy F, Josie M, Phoebe A, Lucy P, Saoirse W, Iona H, Phoebe P, Mattie R and Em F. Well done to those individuals and to all the girls for a wonderful afternoon of cricket!

Miss Vickers

Boys' tennis: Year 7 and 8 House Tennis

A drizzly day saw the Year 7 and 8 boys take part in their House Tennis competition. It was great to see all take part over the five courts, with everyone learning a lot about how to score a match and positional play throughout the afternoon. There were some great shots played and some fantastic rallies. Below is the table of results with all five courts combined. Well done to the winners.

Buzzard: Joint 1^st – 16 points

Hawk: 4^th – 8 points

Kestrel: 3^rd – 10 points

Peregrine: Joint 1^st – 16 points

Mr Green

Years 3 and 4 Mixed House Cricket

On Thursday afternoon, everyone in Years 3 and 4 took part in a lovely afternoon of cricket. There were two pitches set out on MacRobert, with everyone getting multiple chances to bat and bowl. They played pairs cricket games and all started on 200 at the beginning of their innings. Houses were drawn out of a hat to play each other in two separate semi-finals, of which the winners would face each other for first and second place and the two others played for the remaining positions.

Semi-final 1 was played out between Kestrel and Peregrine. Kestrel worked hard to score runs after some early wickets fell, pushing their total with good running and a few boundaries, leading to a score of 201. In reply to their total, Peregrine eased the pressure of wickets that fell with some great boundary hits and a well-run three, leading to a total of 215, meaning Peregrine advanced to the final. Whilst this was happening, semi-final 2 was also being played. It was Buzzard playing Hawk and Buzzard batted first. They displayed their running skills well, getting lots of quick single runs all through their innings, resulting in a strong total of 217 and Hawk scored at least one run off every over, but it was not quite enough, falling just short.

With Buzzard's win, it meant that the first and second place final was between Peregrine and Buzzard. Peregrine showed prowess in their batting, with two runs scored a few times and managing to not lose a wicket. Buzzard did have some late joy with the bat, but their wickets conceded meant that the winning team were Peregrine. In the playoff for third and fourth, it was Hawk facing Kestrel and it was a very close affair. Both sides lost a wicket during their innings, so it came down to which team managed to find bat on ball more often and Hawk just edged Kestrel out with a final score of 216 to 210. Overall, the final results were Peregrine in first, Buzzard in second, Hawk in third and Kestrel in fourth. Very well done to all that played! It was an amazing afternoon of cricket with everybody showing off the skills that they have been working on!

PE Department

Henrietta Branford Writing Competition (5-16 years)

The Henrietta Branford Writing Competition, the annual competition for young people which runs in conjunction with the Branford Boase Award, is now open. Entrants are invited to finish this story begun by last year’s Branford Boase Award winner, author of thrilling fantasy adventure Orphans of the Tide, Struan Murray.

Deadline for entries: 31^st May 2024.

For more information click here.

Sketch for Survival (Ages 16 and under)

Sketch for Survival Junior helps to raise vital awareness about species extinction and biodiversity loss, while also raising funds for projects around the world.

The competition showcases a range of different art styles and unites the voices of young people from all around the world in support of conservation.

Deadline for entries: 30^th June 2024.

For more information click here.

Mr Wyllie

As we come to the end of the first half of the Summer Term, we can now share with you the results of our carbon footprint calculations, and some of the food for thought recommendations revealed from it. Having crunched the numbers, tallied the counts and surveyed the pupil body as a whole, our carbon footprint is a whopping size 20, coming in at over 1.3 tonnes of carbon per year. Some of this comes from things beyond our control, such as not having a safe walking or cycling route to School for most of us, but other things we do have the power to change for the better. With a little culture change, we can make a positive impact on our community and planet…more on that soon.

Competition entries are still open until the end of the month for both the Wilder Schools and Eco Schools “Healthy City”. See Mr Gritton or Mrs Wilkinson for more details. Good luck!

Half-term tips:

1^st June marks the beginning of 30 Days Wild! Why don’t you start June off with a bang by going on a sensory nature hunt or an alphabet scavenger hunt. Pledge to complete all 30 days, get sponsored and raise money for The Wildlife Trust or just get out into the fresh air a few days this half-term. It is not only great for vitamin D, but some studies show it also helps children sleep better, improve their mood and get out some of that restless energy. Explore your garden, the park or even further flung places, and report back on what you see, smell and experience. Our challenge to you? Can you spot all the butterflies in our checklist?

Mrs Wilkinson and Mr Gritton

Mr Boden

Last week we enjoyed some fun opportunities for movement as we celebrated Mental Health Awareness Week and the theme of “Movement: moving more for our mental health”. We started the week with a Prep and Senior School assembly on the importance of looking after our mental health and ways we could go about this. Pupils learnt that we are holistic beings and that there is a direct connection between our physical and mental health; if one is suffering it can impact the others’ capacity.

For example, if we are struggling mentally, our emotions can often manifest in very real physical symptoms such as tummy and headaches or extreme tiredness. Equally, if we neglect our physical health through poor nutrition, lack of exercise and poor sleep habits, this can directly affect our emotional temperature and mood, resulting in more difficulty in regulating our emotions, or low mood.

Therefore, the importance of looking after our physical health in order to maintain good mental health is imperative. Pupils shared the ways they maintain good mental health through de-stressing movement activities, such as: dog walking, playing football, bouncing on the trampoline, horse riding and playing games with friends.

The NHS website recommends that children and young people between the ages of 5 and 18 aim for 60 minutes of moderate or vigorous intensity activity every day across the week. This sounds like a lot, but taking into account PE lessons, matches and walking between classes etc. this is usually met. Having observed the breaktime activities of pupils and their energy, I feel sure the majority of our pupils possibly exceed this!

However, it is important to reflect and consider what our body needs in the way of movement. Whilst at times a boisterous kickabout at break with others is appropriate, sometimes a more meditative individual pursuit such as walking or swimming might be what our minds need.

Pupils also learnt about the chemical reactions in our brain when we engage in physical activity and how these benefit our mental health.

Studies show that movement and physical activity helps our mental health by:

• Improving our mood by triggering chemical changes in the brain 
• Managing stress – producing endorphins
• Improving sleep – reduction of muscle tension
• Improving self-esteem – confidence
• Reducing anxiety by making our “fight or flight” response less reactive – lowering cortisol
• Encourages us to set and achieve goals – production of dopamine
• Connectivity – meeting new people and spending time with others
• Slowing cognitive decline – encouraging growth of new cells

The assembly finished with an active game of “heads or tails” with pupils and staff joining in. Well done to Charlie L in Year 9 for being the overall winner and receiving a prize to encourage him in his pursuit of movement opportunities.

Pupils were also encouraged to consider their mental health and increase their movement by the delivery of resources and activities into their Google classrooms. They were also invited to take part in mindful gratitude walks at break times and a carousel of circuit activities (designed by themselves) on the front pitch at lunchtime. As well as having opportunities for movement during lessons: movement breaks, musical statues in music and dance breaks in English, to name a few.

I hope that next week in the half-term break, pupils are able to balance movement with opportunities for rest and restoration after the challenges of exam week. Pupils have largely faced the challenge with maturity and motivation, despite the obvious worries of some about how it will go. Bodies and brains will no doubt benefit from some brief respite before returning refreshed for the last half-term of the academic year.

I wish you all a restful and enjoyable half-term break!

Mrs Douglas

Recently we have experienced a few pupils complaining of mouth ulcers...most likely a sign of pupils being a bit run down as we head towards the end of a busy few weeks at School (and exams for many). See below for advice.

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/mouth-ulcers/

We have also had a case of "Herpangina" reported, which causes ulcers on the roof of the mouth or the back of the throat – this is caused by a virus from the same family as "hand, foot and mouth" but causes blisters/sores in the mouth only and can sometimes be accompanied with a fever. It resolves on its own and pupils may still attend School unless they feel unwell or have a fever of 37.8 or higher.

See below for more information.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herpangina

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/hand-foot-mouth-disease/

Wishing everyone a very happy half-term break. Please continue to keep the School nurses updated with any new pupil health issues (injury/illness) by emailing nurse@dokschool.org. Emails will be checked periodically throughout the break.

The School Nurses

PADoK

Grand opening – PADoK Second Hand Uniform shop

Wednesday 5^th June, 15.00-16.00

Please join us for a drink and some nibbles at the official opening of PADoK’s second hand uniform shop.

A fantastic project; from shed to shop, it has come together due to the hard work of our School support team and Bursar, Keith Stacey, our PADoK team, Camilla Phillips, Emma Lowe and Cathy Williams, and is one that is testament to all our parents who play their part in reducing waste, donating and purchasing uniform wherever possible. 

All funds raised go directly to PADoK and ultimately contribute towards our children’s education here at Duke of Kent School. 

We are extremely proud of our little shop which is proving increasingly popular, and we look forward to seeing those who can make it, at 15.00 outside, to cut the ribbon. 

And yes, our doors will also be open for business. You are very welcome to pick up a tie or two!

A Midsummer Night – Saturday 8^th June

Charity event to raise funds for Sarcoma UK

Ticket sales will close for the “A Midsummer Night” charity event this weekend. We would love to sell a few more to raise as much money as possible for Sarcoma UK, which is the School charity this year. Please come along, it will be a great night.

We have 33 lovely raffle prizes, a barrow of booze and some very special prizes, so plenty of chances to win something exciting.

If you would like to donate, please do so via the JustGiving link here or the QR code below.

Please see details of the summer event below:

Where: Hurtwood Polo Club

Raffle with amazing prizes.

Ticket price: £35 which includes a welcome drink, Thai bowl food, The Accidentals (Mr Rye’s fabulous band)

Book tickets by emailing padok@dokschool.org with your child’s name and year group.

PADoK Walk 

This morning we had a great turn out, with nine parents setting out for a walk around Pitch Hill. It felt chilly when we started but we soon warmed up. We had ten dogs between us and they had a great time, particularly enjoying the ditch swimming resulting in some very muddy legs! I think they will all be tired now! It was a lovely way to head into half-term and celebrate the end of exam week!

Duke of Kent School Flyers

Mondays 17.30-18.30, Wednesdays 08.30-09.30 (Tara Coles and Lois Williams)

Do come and join in after half term.

If you’re looking for a fantastic way to stay active, make friends, and be a part of an exciting team, join us on a Wednesday morning and be a part of the Duke of Kent School Flyers!

Come and join us. So much fun to be had and so good for the soul.

Duke of Kent School Singers

Thursdays 08.20-09.00 (Cathy Williams)

It was lovely to be back singing this week. This week we welcomed a new singer to the group.

We started with some warm-up exercises and songs before continuing to work on the three-part harmony of Eleanor Rigby. Hitting the right note when starting a harmony can be challenging, but Mr Rye worked with us and we soon got the hang of it. Thank you Mr Rye and Mrs Williams.

Any questions, please do contact Cathy Williams rhodricathy@sky.com/07813 282910 or please just come along!

A relaxed singing group run by our Director of Music, Mr Rye, who kindly gives up his time to teach us how to sing. It is always fun and uplifting rather than a pressured environment. Our focus is always on enjoying singing and getting the most out of our time together.

PADoK Core Control

Strengthen your body, improve your health with our physio-led stability group. Friday mornings 08.30, Astroturf

A good session this week. We will be cracking on through the summer months now the rain has bid us farewell and hope to be outside at every opportunity by the Astroturf.

For new joiners to the group, please hit us up on the WhatsApp group.

PADoK Book Club – Thursday 18^th June 20.00

(Claire Newman)

This term we will be reading a new book called The Household written by Stacey Halls. We hope you enjoy it. We will be meeting to discuss the book on Thursday 18^th June at 20.00. Please save the date.

London, 1847. In a quiet house in the countryside outside London, the finishing touches are being made to welcome a group of young women. The house and its location are top secret, its residents unknown to one another, but the girls have one thing in common: they are fallen. Offering refuge for prostitutes, petty thieves and the destitute, Urania Cottage is a second chance at life – but how badly do they want it?

Meanwhile, a few miles away in a Piccadilly mansion, millionairess Angela Burdett-Coutts, one of the benefactors of Urania Cottage, makes a discovery that leaves her cold. Her stalker of ten years has been released from prison, and she knows it's only a matter of time before their nightmarish game resumes once more.

As the women's worlds collide in ways they could never have expected, they will discover that freedom always comes at a price …

The Household is the new novel from the award-winning, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Familiars, The Foundling and Mrs England. Set against Charles Dickens' home for fallen women and inspired by real figures from history, it is Stacey Halls' most ambitious and captivating novel yet.

Rainbow Trust

FREE tickets to the Rainbow Adventure Trail at Hatchlands Park, Guildford, available. These free tickets are limited so when they are gone they are gone!

Use discount code: WALKHATCHLANDS. The code will give you two free adult tickets and two free child tickets. The code includes free entry to Hatchlands Park. Book online at rainbowtrust.org.uk/trail

Senior School optional hoodie

The Senior School hoodies have been redesigned by members of the School Council and the finished product can be seen below. They have done a fantastic job at putting this design together and now finally getting to see the finished product.

This new hoodie is available from Stevenson's on their website: https://www.stevensons.co.uk/.  There is also the option to have your child's initials printed onto the front of the hoodie for a slight additional cost, something we would advise, to avoid mixing up tops with other pupils. This hoodie is not an essential item of School uniform, so there is no expectation for pupils to have it.

If you wish to see the sample, please pop into the Main Office and have a look.

School social media

At Duke of Kent School we have three social media platforms; Instagram (dukeofkentschool), Twitter (@DoKSchool) and Facebook (Duke of Kent School). All of our social media accounts are public.

We recommend following all three accounts to receive push notifications with news, updates, educational articles, interactions with other schools, communities and public figures.