The School menu next week

Silver DofE expedition

On Thursday, we travelled to Ditchling Beacon in the South Downs to begin a three-day walking expedition. Completing this 40+ km venture is one of the four requirements of the Duke of Edinburgh (DofE) Silver Award. It was a warm and non-rainy experience for a change! The four groups of Year 10s walked west towards the first campsite at Small Dole near Steyning. After much comparing of blisters, they survived the first night despite the attention of a grumpy (albeit tethered) goat, who was christened “Gerrard”, and set off for Washington Camp on the second day.

The groups were impressed by the effort required to climb back onto the South Downs ridge! This site also had a usable shower block, which improved spirits tremendously. The successful completion of a human pyramid provided much merriment. There were also three other schools on the site, which made life interesting – a mass football match with Bohunt School was one bonus. It may have been a draw, it was rather hard to tell without VAR.

The final day's walk was completed effectively (and surprisingly rapidly) and concluded at Wepham (near Arundel). EVERYONE worked hard, few, if any, of them having walked three significant back-to-back walks before. Many thanks also to Matron for her huge medical assistance and Mrs Vermeulen who stayed with us for the full duration!

Mr Lodge and Mr Wyllie

ISA Art Competition

Before half-term, 19 of our talented Pre-prep children entered the ISA (Independent Schools Association) Butterfly Art competition. The Pre-prep teachers had the challenging task of selecting just ten entries to send off for the final round. This competition was an opportunity for our pupils to explore the fascinating world of butterflies while showcasing their artistic abilities. The judges were on the lookout for the most creative and unique visual interpretations of the butterfly theme, crafted in any 2D or 3D medium. We were blown away by the wonderfully imaginative entries we received, and house points were awarded to all who participated.

We are beyond proud to share that Theodora J in Year 1 won "Most Creative in the category Year 1-2"! Congratulations to her and a huge well done to all our budding artists! 

Miss Munro

Year 4 Isle of Wight trip

Last Wednesday, Year 4 set sail on the ferry to start our residential trip to the Isle of Wight. Our first stop when we arrived was at Carisbrooke Castle. The children enjoyed walking around the castle walls and seeing the donkeys who would have once turned the wheel in the well house. That evening we walked down to the beach for ice cream and the annual sandcastle competition. On Thursday, we visited Osborne House, the summer home of Queen Victoria. The children enjoyed visiting her beach and exploring many rooms and corridors within the house. Before heading back to School on Friday, we visited the Shipwreck Museum and found out all about marine archaeology. On the ferry ride home, each pupil received a postcard with an award to remind them of their trip. It was a super trip. Well done to the children for representing the School so well!

Mrs Gritton

With Years 5 and 6 away on their residentials for the latter half of this week, it's been a lot quieter and emptier around the School, and the Year 3s and 4s have enjoyed being allowed to choose where they've sat for lunch. Such small, but exciting novelties will be what the children remember best, I'm sure, long after they leave us!

Tuesday's Familiarisation Day was anything but quiet and empty, as we welcomed not only 16 new children who will be joining us in Prep and Pre-prep come September, but our existing pupils were buzzing with the prospect of moving up a class, if only for a few hours. From what I saw and heard during the day, they all had a fantastic time, and I do hope they filled you in with at least a few details of who they met, and what they'd been up to.

Since then, another major highlight for pupils in Years 1 to 4, was a visit from local author – and DoK parent – Zanna Davidson. Zanna had the children spellbound with tales of Izzy the Inventor, as each classroom was turned into a laboratory of literary and scientific exploration. At times, noisy, and messy throughout, the children had a blast, and we look forward to welcoming Zanna back again before too long. 

Lastly, a nod to our Father’s Day Forest School party, with which we rounded off the week. We pride ourselves on going outside whatever the weather, and I hope our dads (and representatives) enjoyed the wilds we have to offer in the grounds. Enjoy a restful weekend!

Mr Wright

Our week started with the celebration of Environmental Green Day. We were joined by two visitors from Oxford University's Wildlife Conservation Research Unit who spoke about conservation in their respective home countries of Zimbabwe and Zambia. On Tuesday, we were joined by a number of new pupils who will be coming into the School in September for our Familiarisation Day, a wonderful opportunity to meet many new faces as we look forward to another exciting year group coming in. On Thursday, the Year 9 cohort were out completing their Duke of Edinburgh practice expedition, walking through the local area and cooking out in the woods.

It was wonderful to see a huge number of pupils attending Celebration Snack Break this Friday breaktime, to receive their lunch fastpass and stationery prizes for accumulating Merits and Commendations. Those in Year 7 were Lola C, Norah H and Holly B (the latter also receiving a blazer badge for accumulating 100 Merit Points, the first in her year to achieve this!). In Year 8 we had Erin C, Poppy F (who also received a blazer badge for achieving 200 Merit Points) and Issy N. In year 9, Will B, Jamie C, Issy F, Monty L (who also received a blazer badge for achieving 100 Merit Points). In Year 10, Maggie B, Belles H, Isaac P, Daisy R, Sydney R (who also received a blazer badge for achieving 100 Merit Points), Zac W (who also received a blazer badge for achieving 100 Merit Points), Saoirse W, Josh WD and Henry Y. Possibly our highest number of attendees ever, and testament to the ongoing hard work and efforts being made across the School. Well done to you all!

Mr Wilson

Mixed swimming: U9-U11 Swimming Gala v Frensham Heights

Congratulations to the Prep School Swimming Squad who swam to a comprehensive victory over Frensham Heights on Monday afternoon. All the swimmers performed amazingly well and supported each other fantastically throughout the competition. Thank you also to the parents who came and supported the team; you created a fantastic atmosphere for the pupils.

Mr Herbert

Girls' cricket: U14/15 A v Farlington School

On Tuesday afternoon, Duke of Kent School's U14/15 Girls' A Team welcomed Farlington to our Top Pitch for a game of hardball cricket. After some dodgy looking clouds passed, the game began and the sun even came out occasionally! Farlington batted first, and the team played some brilliant cricket in the field. Our captain for the day, Jess I, opened the bowling and got a wicket in her first over! The excellent bowling continued and further wickets came from Edie H (two), Phoebe P, Saoirse W and Jess I (two). Impressively, the team kept extras to under 20 runs over their 14 overs, showing great accuracy and consistency when bowling. Daisy R should be commended for her maiden over. What a great bowling performance! Farlington were slow and steady with their innings, but the fielding from Duke of Kent School remained tight throughout, making it difficult for Farlington to score many runs. After a quick break, the U14/15 A Team were ready to bat. Jess I and Saorise W opened the batting and showed good tactical understanding to play some steady cricket. Jess I went on to retire after scoring a brilliant 30 runs! Other strong batting performances came from Mattie R, Issy F and Tildy C. Well done on a brilliant win, with overs to spare. Congratulations to Mattie R for being voted best bowler and Jess I for best batter. Great work team!

Miss Vickers

Girls' cricket: U14/15 B Team v Farlington School

On Tuesday, it was a rather chilly afternoon for cricket, but thankfully the rain held off for the U14/15 B Team match against Farlington School. It was a softball pairs format and Duke of Kent School elected to field first. Everyone bowled a ten ball over and out of 100 balls bowled, 56 of them were dot balls. Brilliant bowling from Annabel O, who got a maiden over, and Sydney R and Anna S who both took wickets! It was great to see the team field tightly this week and keep Farlington's total runs to 177. Batting highlights were Sydney R's flurry of fours and Josie M and Isla B's sixes! Annie B and Josie M were a particularly good partnership, running bravely between the wickets and scoring a total of 38 runs off 20 balls. There was a positive vibe to this match and Duke of Kent School won by 50 runs. Well done to all involved!

Mrs Dann

Boys' cricket: U14B's v Christ's Hospital School

Duke of Kent School were asked to bat first in the 20/20 match v Christ's Hospital. We lost two quick wickets in the first two overs before a partnership of 87 from Alex B and Kit B steadied the ship. This allowed the others to play freely and Duke of Kent School made 125 from their 20 overs. George C made inroads straightaway, taking a wicket with the first ball of our bowling innings and the third ball of the first over. Helped by some excellent fielding, as Alex B got a direct hit for a run out, and some tight bowling, Duke of Kent School restricted Christ's Hospital to 91 from their 20 overs. Well done to all the boys involved as everyone bowled two overs and showed improvement.

Mr Green

Boys' cricket: U14 A XI v Christ's Hospital School

This was the first time in a while that we have played Christ's Hospital, and it was interesting to see how well our boys would play against new opposition. Duke of Kent School batted first and unfortunately lost three early wickets. Monty L steadied the ship and kept the scoring ticking along with a well-deserved 53 retired. Chester S (26) and Hugo S (52 retired) both batted very well and pushed our total to 182 from 20 overs. Some early wickets from Ethan K and Rupert H gave Duke of Kent School a great start, reducing Christ's Hospital to six for three in three overs. Monty L picked up three wickets with some excellent leg-spin bowling and Felix C (two wickets) and Hugo S (one wicket) helped keep the opposition's score to 81 off their 20 overs. This was a very enjoyable game and all the boys should be very happy with their performance. Well done to all who played!

Mr Herbert

Year 7 and 8 Boys' House Cricket Final

Peregrine played Hawk in the Years 7 and 8 Boys' House Final on Wednesday. Peregrine won the toss and decided to field. Theo C and Dante R-D took a wicket each in the first three overs. A fine caught and bowled, then a stunning one-handed catch from Indie K off Jenson P's bowling helped Peregrine enormously. Ben J played well and, alongside Ethan G, pushed Hawk's score to 66 from 12 overs. Peregrine also lost early wickets from the bowling of George K and Ben D, but were ultimately too strong for Hawk. Theo C and Jasper T helped guide Peregrine past Hawk’s total in eight overs. Congratulations Peregrine!!!

Mr Herbert

Girls' cricket: U8 and U9 Girls' Teams v Farlington School

On Thursday, it was rather blustery, but the U9 Lions Cricket Team approached their cricket match against Farlington with enthusiasm. Duke of Kent School fielded first. It took a few overs to get warmed up, but overall the team made some good fielding decisions and Alaska B and Norah C's bowling was excellent. The team batted extremely well, calling confidently in their pairs and running quickly between the wickets. Violet W and Lottie O scored some super fours between them, enabling a comfortable victory overall. Well done everyone!

The U8 Leopards thoroughly enjoyed their cricket match against Farlington on Thursday. Pia S bowled consistently well and Elsie S hit some lovely fours. Tildy T and Daisy W both made great contributions to the game, and overall the team should be congratulated on their win.

The U8 Tigers also played Farlington. It was a great team effort and everyone played really well and enjoyed their victory. Annabelle Sunshine T and Willow B had a particularly good game.

Mrs Dann

ISA Sports Cover Design Competition (All ages)

The ISA Sports Cover Design Competition is a great opportunity to create art in response to a brief.

Each year, pupils are invited to design the images for the front cover of the programmes for ISA Sports’ national events. Copies will be seen by up to 1,200 spectators at some of the larger events. This competition is open to all ages, and a design will be chosen for each sport; athletics, swimming, triathlon, tennis, football, hockey, netball, rugby and cross country.

For more information click here.

Deadline for entries: 20^th June 2024

Foyle Young Poets Award (Ages 11-17)

Poems can be on any theme and in any style but must be no longer than 40 lines. You can submit as many as you like.

Winners of the award receive a fantastic range of prizes to help develop their writing. The top 15 poets receive a mentoring package, with opportunities to receive support and feedback on their writing; and all 100 winners receive a year’s youth membership of The Poetry Society and a bag full of books donated by generous publishers.

For more information click here.

Deadline for entries: 31^st July 2024

Spirited Art Competition (Ages 3-19)

Get creative through this cross-curricular competition!

Join hundreds of schools worldwide participating in this year's Spirited Arts competition! They welcome entries in (almost!) any art form you can think of, including:

• Art (painting, drawing, sketching, etc)
• Poetry
• Photography
• Dance
• Music
• Drama
• Sculpture

For more information click here.

Deadline for entries: 31^st July 2024

Mr Wyllie

This week saw our first Environmental Green Day, with a splash of green worn by pupils and staff across the School. The money raised from the splash of green will go towards exciting sustainability and outdoor learning projects. More on those to follow…

We were also honoured to welcome two students from the University of Oxford’s Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, who spoke of their conservation work in Zambia and Zimbabwe, and joined us for lessons throughout the School.

Competition alert!

We are looking for a new Duke of Kent School recycling logo that can go onto all of our recycling bins at School. Can you update the logo to be eye-catching and encourage pupils to recycle more? House points on offer for all entries, and prizes available for the winner! Open until the end of June, entries should be no larger than A4, and handed in to Mrs Wilkinson or Mr Gritton.

Top tip:

Do you grow herbs at home? We are all aware that bees and other pollinating insects are declining rapidly, but an easy win that you can do at home is to grow some herbs. Not only do bees and insects love them, but they are a versatile and delicious addition to so many recipes. The Soil Association give their five top pollinator-friendly herbs as Lemon Balm, Mint, Fennel, Lavender and Chamomile. They also have some recipes for herbal tea and growing tips on their website.

Mrs Wilkinson and Mr Gritton

Mr Boden

Many of our pupils have gone off on residential trips last week, this week and more next week. I am sure that they have and will bring back many exciting and funny tales of the experiences they have had and camaraderie with their peers. These trips are an amazing opportunity for pupils to begin to build confidence in the wider world and resilience to be away from the familiarity of home and parents. I know from conversations with our pupils over the years that these are the memories they hold with great affection when they reflect on the year and their time at Duke of Kent School.

I do know, however, that some pupils have had to surmount giant hurdles to get to the point where they feel able to join a trip that involves staying away from home. Separation anxiety and homesickness can be incredibly difficult for pupils who struggle (and also for their parents).

I am so proud of those pupils who have managed to overcome wobbles about being away from home to those who have chosen to take part despite the fear and uncertainty they feel when leaving family and home.

For parents whose children struggle on these occasions, whether it be a school trip, a sleepover or longer holiday, it can be upsetting and disempowering. This advice, adapted from PGL children's activity holidays, may be useful.

Prepare

When entering into a unique situation, such as being away from home, it can be unsettling and a little daunting to a child. But, sometimes, all that is required is a little reassurance and, suddenly, everything can seem a lot more fun and exciting! If you can prepare them by talking through all the fun activities and the amount of learning they’ll be doing, then it could help reduce their anxiety. Fear of the unknown can often be a key factor in the way children feel, but sharing the itinerary from school can help.

Communicate

If you notice your child looking a little stressed or worried, then it might be worth asking what they are feeling. Encourage them to speak about their worries and concerns so you can answer their questions. Let them know it’s okay to feel anxious, because being away from family can be overwhelming for so many of them. Help them to try and identify, and then address, any specific worries.

Bring some home comforts

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with pupils bringing a little home comfort with them. Whether it’s a teddy, blanket, piece of clothing, or even a photo. It's a great way to remind them of home and provide some comfort, especially at nighttime!

Reassure

It’s important to make sure that your child feels safe and secure when they’re on their school trip. Children can often overthink that something will go wrong, so staff will reassure them with clear rules, guidelines, and what to do in an emergency – it’ll help them feel more confident throughout their trip. Remind them that you will miss them too and are excited to hear all about their trip.

Encourage

Encourage your child to get involved with the daily activities, even those they are not sure about. The things that challenge them most will be the things they become most proud of. Ultimately, it is also important to respect their boundaries and allow them the opportunity to say no if something feels beyond their current capabilities.

Mrs Douglas

Yesterday, the Year 9 pupils engaged enthusiastically in an extended PSHE lesson on basic first aid and CPR with Mrs Sarjant before setting off on their practice Bronze DofE walk. There was an impressive level of first aid knowledge amongst the year group, and they were a pleasure to teach.  We hope they don't have to use what they learnt too often!

Residential trips are in full flow – Years 5 and 6 return today to tell us all the news of their adventures under canvas. Next up, Year 10 travel to Dorset on Monday – please can pupils double check they have packed all their medication, a full water bottle, some sun cream (we can hope) and some waterproofs.

Year 3 have their camp at School a week today – please can we have any pupil medications delivered to the front office for the attention of Mrs Sarjant on Monday morning.

Finally, Year 11 has a fun week ahead with last exams on Monday and Tuesday, the prom on Wednesday, and they jet off to Barcelona on Sunday 23rd; what a lovely way to celebrate the end of GCSE stress! Please can parents ensure the pupils pack all their relevant medications and take some strong sun cream with them. Also, don't forget the passports!

Have a lovely weekend.

The School Nurses

PADoK

A Midsummer Night – Saturday 8^th June

Charity event to raise funds for Sarcoma UK

Thank you so much to all the parents that came and supported our charity event on Saturday night.

After a drizzly start to the day, the clouds cleared and the sun came out over the Hurtwood Polo Club, creating a wonderful welcome for all the guests as they arrived in their impressive outfits. It is a beautiful venue.

We had the most delicious Thai meal, all cooked in large pans, two brilliant raffles with so many prizes and then, of course, the fantastic band, The Accidentals who, as always, filled the dance floor. A lot of fun was had.

Thank you to Mr Rendle who generously gave his time to call the raffle for us.

Of course, the main reason for holding this event was to raise lots of money for Sarcoma UK. As soon as we have a definite figure of how much was raised we will let you know. We can say though that we believe it may be over £5,000, which is an incredible amount. Thank you so much to all those who donated prizes and to all who bought tickets and gave so generously.

Huge congratulations to the PADoK team who worked tirelessly to make the evening such a great success for Sarcoma UK and ensure you, the parents, all had a great time. My thanks go to Polly Horsburgh, Tara Coles, Amanda Newmark, Emma Callanan, Claire Newman, Kasia Savage and Ellie Machin.

Duke of Kent School Flyers

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

Another excellent week for all of our netball mums here at Duke of Kent School! 

In Monday night’s training, we focused on drills surrounding the goal D and feeding the ball into our shooting players.

On Wednesday morning, we kept the same focus, with lots of pausing the game to assess how we could re-position ourselves to better spaces. Also, massive congratulations to some of our mums who are taking part in a Wednesday night league outside of School on their first WIN this week. It was an excellent game and so great to see all our hard work with training pay off.

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 Monday afternoon and/or 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)

This week we met in the Meeting Room where work continued on the three-part harmony of Eleanor Rigby. We worked on the last part of the song, as well as a more challenging key change in one section of the song. Mrs Knox came in to listen too, hope we sounded ok!!! Thank you Mr Rye and Mrs Williams, it is always such a great way to start the day.

Please do come along at any time for a listen or a sing. No pressure to perform just enjoy it week-on-week. Hope to see you there!

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

Core control enjoyed the beautiful warm weather outside and continued activating our core stability muscles, while also progressing hip flexibility. We love having new faces and building those very important muscles.

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

PADoK Book Club – Thursday 20^th June, 20.00

(Claire Newman)

We will be meeting in Old Hall at 20.00 to discuss the book. Please come along and enjoy a drink and chat about books. We will be handing over the running of Book Club to Miranda Rendle, who is stepping in to take over from Claire Newman.

This term we are reading a new book called The Household written by Stacey Halls. 

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.

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.