DoK Flyers Charity Netball Tournament

Last Friday evening the DoK Flyers entered 2 teams into their first tournament of the season. Hosted at Duke of Kent School, teams from Longacre, Pennthorpe, St Cuthbert Mayne and our own Flyers teams competed over 5 rounds of matches. The play was competitive but friendly with great camaraderie amongst the teams. The progress made by both Duke of Kent School teams was evident to see with both getting some fantastic results. Duke of Kent School Blues won all their matches and picked up their first trophy! The team were very proud of how far they have come in a short space of time. All that summer training paid off! Huge thanks to the visiting teams, umpires, Mrs Knox for time keeping and supporting, the School catering team and parents for providing refreshments, and all the parents and children who supported this event. Money was raised for Sarcoma UK and everyone went away exhausted but proud of a successful event.

Miss Coles

 Stretch and Challenge trip to Jane Austen’s house

On a drizzly Monday morning, we made our way to the beautiful village of Chawton, Hampshire, to visit the home that Jane Austen shared with her mother and beloved sister, Cassandra. During our informative and immersive house tour, we learned that this was the place that she wrote all six of her published novels. We stood in the drawing room where the first reading of a published copy of ‘Pride and Prejudice’ took place, in front of close friends and family and saw her writing desk- which was extremely small! We also learned of the vast fortune inherited by Austen’s older brother which allowed Austen, her sister and mother to reside in the beautiful cottage, rent free. There appear to be many parallels between Austen’s own family life, and that of some of her heroines and their fictional families. 

After our tour, pupils took the opportunity to play some favourite Regency period games and to try on a good number of Austen-style dresses, bonnets, top hats and accessories! The writing workshop swiftly followed the fun. Pupils had a chance to write creatively about a selection of enigmatic items from the house, before reading an example of a short, surreal and humorous story named ‘The Beautifull Cassandra’, written by Austen when she was somewhere between eleven and seventeen years old. The session ended with all pupils contributing their own inspired chapters to a collaborative and whimsical version of this story!

Before leaving Jane Austen’s House, we were lucky enough to be the first school group to try talking to an AI Elizabeth Bennett! The new technology is being pioneered by the museum, in conjunction with UCA Farnham. AI Lizzie Bennett was asked an array of eclectic questions, ranging from ‘Who would you vote for in the American elections?,’ to ‘What is love?’, to ‘How do you empty a chamber pot?’!

Thank you to all pupils for their wonderful engagement and exemplary behaviour.

Mrs Southee

Year 7 Residential to Penshurst Place

On Monday the Year 7's embarked on their 3 day residential trip to Penshurst Place in Kent. We were met by some very enthusiastic and friendly members of staff from the Bushcraft Company who led us to our campsite and helped us get settled in. The children enjoyed a number of different woodland games, such as 21 and Predator, followed by a little lesson on how to camouflage themselves effectively. This built up quite the appetite, and lunch was a lovely burger cooked on our own open fire in camp. The afternoon consisted of shelter building, more games, and songs sung around the campfire, activities enjoyed by everyone. 

The first activity for Tuesday was log collecting for the Pizza ovens, lunch for the day. The pupils set off into the woods learning about all the different types of wood and deciding which logs would be good to use. Some of the logs were used to make wooden tent pegs, an activity where the pupils learnt how to carve safely using a knife. Alongside this, everyone was learning how to make a bracelet out of rope. This activity took a lot of concentration, everyone had to make sure they followed the correct steps in the correct order, otherwise the bracelet would not be uniform. Pizza for lunch was a highlight for a lot of students, and they were able to make their own, with various different toppings, and then got to watch it cook in the stone oven in front of their very eyes! The afternoon consisted of a Wilderness Walk, Wilderness First Aid, and making Smores in the evening. Another action packed day completed!

Wednesday was our final day. After packing up, cleaning their tents, and having breakfast, the pupils had to put their Wilderness First Aid into action. All the pupils had the task of rescuing Mr Wyllie, Mrs Turnbull, and myself from a "plane crash". It was lovely to see and hear all the year group working together and ensuring all the teachers were rescued safely (and not dropping us as they lifted us from the cockpit and broken wings using a tarpaulin sheet). We just had time for two more activities, Axe Throwing and Archery, before playing a few more wilderness games, having lunch, and getting back on the bus to set off back to school. 

It was a fantastic trip, filled with many games, songs, and a lot of laughs along the way. It was a trip they will remember throughout their time in Year 7 and at Duke of Kent School. The pupils were brilliant and the Bushcraft Company members of staff commented on how fantastic they had been! Well done to all and hopefully you enjoy a quiet weekend!

Mr Monk

Year 5 Social Evening

On Friday evening, Year 5 enjoyed their highly-anticipated social. To kick things off, much fun was had in the Pre-Prep playground, bringing back happy memories to many. This was followed by several action-packed games before enjoying everyone's favourite, Poisoned Smartie! After tea, Year 5 enjoyed several enthusiastic rounds of Musical Statues before demolishing doughnuts, without using their hands or licking their lips. The final activity before home-time was hide and seek in the dark. A super evening was had by all. 

Mrs Tuite

Year 1 Trip to Arundel Castle

After a very exciting drive down to Arundel Castle, we arrived to beautiful weather. We gathered on the lawn for a photo where we overheard Humphrey saying, "Is this a dream? I can’t believe we’re here!" This set the tone for our fun-filled day. 

We began our tour with the amazing Kerry, starting in the classroom where she taught us about when castles were first built. We learnt about the Battle of Hastings and had the opportunity to dress up and reenact the battle. William was particularly excited as he got to act out William the Conqueror, while Austin proved to be the best archer, managing to get Harold (Roman) right in the eye!

Next, we visited the armoury, where we discussed knights’ armour. Oscar did a splendid job explaining what jousting was all about. Our next stop was the Barons' Hall, where we chatted about how this grand space was used for fancy dinners.

We then explored a guard's room, learning that a guard would sleep there, keeping a lookout for enemies. Up in the keep, we saw the store cupboards and battlements, where we discussed how they were used to hide behind when arrows were shot.

Finally, we checked out the Barbican, where the dungeon was kept. The children had a peek down into it, which was a bit spooky! Overall, it was a fantastic trip filled with learning and laughter.

Miss Walpole

I had a rare opportunity to teach Year 2 on Thursday afternoon, and was hugely impressed with their geographical knowledge - of the world's oceans, of the countries of the UK and, now, of the seas around the British Isles. We also had time for some story reading - Mr Gum had us all in stitches; thank you, Year 2! 

Year 1 are the latest class to have had an outing, enjoying a wonderful visit to Arundel Castle, and I was proud to hear our teachers were complimented by the castle staff on the behaviour and manners of our pupils. Year 4 have also had their Social event, today, and I must say a huge thank you to all the Prep staff who have helped to run these enriching and entertaining evenings over the past few weeks. I know that the children would vote to be at School until 7pm every Friday if only the teachers had endless stamina to match theirs...!

In our Thursday assembly, we had our first pupil-led talk of the year; Charlie S and Barnes P in Year 5 sharing with us their interest in rodents of all shapes and sizes. Well done, boys! I suspect the resident rodents in Forest School enjoyed watching the Year 3s following the trail of the tiny Choo Choo people. After hearing that their village had been destroyed by Sneeze, the dragon, they carefully constructed a new settlement for them out of natural materials found to hand in the woods. Year 3 also took their Maths learning outside this week, finding time themed cards before estimating how long it would take them to do challenges like 20 star jumps. Year 5 will also be heading into the school grounds next week, to further explore their topic of perimeter by taking real-life measurements.

In Science, Year 4 were measuring each other, and drawing bar graphs to plot the resulting data, whilst Year 1 were also looking at bodies, instead focusing on how amazing they are. They learnt about people with disabilities who have adapted remarkably well, and the children had a go at writing their names with their feet to appreciate the skills others have had to develop. In English, Year 5 have been working hard to create complex sentences using subordinate clauses, whilst Year 6 finished the diary entries they have been writing and editing, conjuring some superb imagery; Layla B wrote, "I felt my fear crawling up my shoulders and rushing into my head." Max H wrote, "As the clouds swirled violently overhead, we all knew some of us wouldn't survive the night..." - great stuff, Year 6!

I am delighted to have given out our first Values Certificates of the term - 8 this week! These are awarded by teachers who wish to acknowledge pupils' particularly note-worthy achievements in any of our five values, earning a whopping 15 House Points for a certificate (the equivalent of 5 stars!). Certificates awarded to: Olivia H, Max H, Charlotte P, Georgia Car, Lottie O and George S for Effort; Evelyn C for Kindness; Ayla O'K for Respect and Elodie Y for Responsibility.

Rising Readers: Maddie C (3N), Annabelle Sunshine T (4G), Darcie S (4R), Alaska B (5T), Akash M(6G) and George S (6N). 

Mr Wright

Stars of the Week

Nursery: Rupert G for settling into Nursery and for being so kind towards his new friends.

Reception: Martha S for showing great independence when dressing and for amazing swimming! 

Angus T for amazing work in phonics and starting to read books with words independently.

Year 1: Austin Y for his super positive attitude towards his learning. Austin is putting in so much effort.

Harry L for his enthusiasm and maturity on our School trip.

Year 2:

Mattie F for working with such care and focus ti complete her 'recount plan'. She should be very proud of her efforts

Oli T for showing such enthusiasm towards our science theme 'Living Things'.

Mrs Henry

This week has been especially busy for the Senior School, with several trips and excursions taking place.

English enthusiasts from Years 9 to 11 enjoyed a visit to Jane Austen's house, which proved to be an inspiring and creative experience.

Today, Year 8 had their trip to Strawberry Hill House for Gothic inspiration—a consistently popular outing that provides great ideas for the work they are focusing on in class.

I had the pleasure of spending three days with Year 7 on their residential bushcraft trip, where they connected with nature. A highlight for me was putting my acting skills to the test alongside Mr Monk and Mrs Turnbull as we recreated a plane crash scenario. The pupils had the chance to practice their bushcraft first aid, lifting us to safety using tarps. We all felt very secure in their hands!

Year 10 completed the first day of their Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Expedition, navigating through the Surrey Hills. We are hoping for a drier day tomorrow as they tackle the final walk.

Looking ahead to next week, we will be celebrating European Day of Languages on Monday, with a variety of workshops and activities planned. On Friday, we will hold our annual Harvest Festival assembly. Additionally, in honour of National Poetry Week on Thursday, the English Department will be hosting lunchtime sessions during the week in various locations around the school to inspire pupils to explore their creative side and write poetry.

A big congratulations to the following pupils who have achieved milestones of 25 Merit Points! They joined today for Celebration Snack Break, where they were awarded a lunch fast pass and a special stationery prize.

Alex M-C, Lois M, Jenson P, John B, Milly B, Oliver K, Myrtille M, Isabella N, Ben R, Holly R, Harvey R, George S, Edith S, Jasper T, Tansy-Bela T, Issy F, Humphrey G, Clara H-S, Benedict L, Mercy M, Emily N, Jack P, Henry C, Jess I, Alex K, Annabel O, Jamie P, Saoirse W. 

A special congratulations to Lola C, Arthur M, Ben K, Henry R, Tom S, Jake L and Leo T-R for exceeding 100 Merit Points and receiving their recognition badges, and to Mattie R and Daisy R for surpassing 200 Merit Points and earning their recognition badges!

Mr Wyllie

Girls' Hockey: U15/16 B v. Moon Hall

On Tuesday afternoon, the sun made a brief appearance and the rain stayed away for the U15/16 B team's match against Moon Hall School. After just 5 minutes of play, it was clear it was going to be an exciting game of hockey with end to end play! Duke of Kent School went 1-0 up with some great play in the midfield from Issy F and Francesca R to help create chances for our forward Belles H. However, Moon Hall School fought back almost immediately to level the score at 1-1. Mattie R, Em F and Sydney R rotated in defence and showed great determination when going in for tackles. Florrie P was a superstar in goal once again, making a few crucial saves for the team. After a quick half time talk, the team worked hard to use the width of the pitch and make more down the line passes. This worked well to create our next goal and give the team a 2-1 lead. However, Moon Hall School once again equalised to make it 2-2 with just 3 minutes left to play. Lucy M, Poppy K and Anna S showed some great tackles and helped to set up Francesca R for a cracking 3rd goal to give Duke of Kent School's U15/16 B team a 3-2 win. What an exciting game! Well played everyone and special mention to Em for being awarded player of the match. 

Mrs Monk

Girls' Hockey: U14/15 A v. Moon Hall

On Tuesday afternoon the U14/15As took on Moon Hall for a hockey match at home. As in previous weeks, the team demonstrated excellent communication, effort and enthusiasm to work cohesively as a well-tuned unit. Their play was cool, calm and collected, showing excellent composure on the ball. Mercy demonstrated some brilliant, loud calling from upfront and continued her goal scoring streak from previous weeks by tapping in our first goal. Some superb pace and power from Edie H then saw us go 2-0 up. As we progressed through the second half, Izzy N strode through the middle of the pitch and again demonstrated excellent confidence charging the ball towards goal to finalise the score at 3-0. An outstanding effort out on pitch, with impressive focus and determination from Willow, Emily and Myrtille meant that Poppy F, as goalkeeper, didn't even have to touch the ball! Iona H was voted as Player of the Game for her solid defending skills, including some great efforts to transfer the ball around the defenders. 

Mrs Green

Netball: U11 v. Ripley Court

On Wednesday afternoon, the U11 girls netball team travelled to Ripley Court. After a quick warm up, they were super excited to get started! The game got off to a fantastic start with some beautifully linked passes in the midfield from Elsa H and Charlotte P. Layla B and Seren G were on incredible shooting form, scoring 5 goals in the first quarter. Ripley Court also had a great shooter score two goals from distance so the score was 5-2 after the first quarter. Ripley Court made some strong efforts to attack in the final three quarters but Evelyn C, Eva W and Evie B were solid in defence with Evelyn C making some quite incredible interceptions! The score moved onto 9-3 to Duke of Kent School after the third quarter. In the final quarter, Florence A and Ivy B worked brilliantly in the mid court and created lots of chances but we couldn't quite convert any more goals. The final score finished 9-4 to the U11 Duke of Kent School team, well done for a superb game and congratulations to Florence A and Evelyn C for being awarded players of the game.

Mrs Monk

Netball: U10 v. Ripley Court

The U10s had their second match of the season against Ripley Court on Wednesday afternoon. As soon as the first whistle was blown, the girls were off, passing the ball quickly and confidently up the court and a goal was scored in the first minute! This speed was kept up throughout the match, the defence by Duke of Kent School being particularly impressive. Charlotte L stood out for working tirelessly to get the ball from the opposition with some amazing blocks. Mila S, Lottie O and  Alaska B also worked very hard to defend. Well done to Violet W, Norah C and Beth F for scoring great goals and to Georgia C for backing them up. The girls should be proud of their win 3-1 which they fully deserved. Well done, girls! 

Mrs Tuite

Boys' Football: U8/9 v. Cottesmore

With the pitches under water the astro was used for the three football matches against Cottesmore yesterday afternoon. The Tigers played a longer game of 15 minutes each way on one half of the Wilson's Pitch and the Panthers and Lions played one fifteen minute match each. The Tigers started strongly and took control of their game. They passed the ball well and were tackling with good technique and determination. After the first goal went in, Duke of Kent School Tigers showed how capable they were finishing with a 7-0 win. Well done to all who played. 

The Panthers drew their match 1-1 and were a little disappointed not to win after creating numerous chances. Henry P scored and there was a real sense of teamwork shown by the Panthers in this game. 

The Lions won their match against Cottesmore 2-1 with the opening goal from Rocket M and a late winner from Josh B. This was a real lift for all of the Duke of Kent School teams and it was  fantastic to see so many happy faces when eating their sausage rolls in match tea.

Mr Herbert

Music and LAMDA Timetables

We have finally finalised the instrumental and LAMDA timetables and these are now available on the ISAMS Parents App. Please be aware these are subject to change, and will occasionally need to be changed due to various unforeseen circumstances. However, these will at least give you a starting point. If you have any queries please drop myself or our Music Administrator Chloe Elder (celder@dokschool.org) a line.

All Shook Up

All Shook Up is rocking along and the cast have been working wonderfully well. Please don't forget the Sunday rehearsal on 6th October 10am - 4pm. Tickets will be available after half term.

GCSE Drama

Best of luck to our Year 11 GCSE Drama pupils who will be recording their first part of the Devising element of their exam next week. This is worth 30% of their final mark and they have been putting the hours in! Many thanks of course top Mrs Honey for all her tireless extra work with this.

Mr Rye

What Parents & Educators Need to Know about Instagram

Instagram is one of the most well-known social media platforms around, frequented by users of all ages worldwide, allowing them to share photos and videos with friends, family, and the wider public if they wish. The site has many younger users, allowing people as young as 13 to create an account and engage with its community.

As a popular choice of platform for teenagers, it's vital that parents and educators understand the risks associated with the site and what can be done to mitigate them. This guide lets you know about the most prominent safety concerns on Instagram, offering expert advice on how to make young people’s experiences on the app as secure as possible.

Click the link to learn more about the risks of "Instagram"

***Also, Internet Matters is a great website that can help you deal with online issues, give you advice for different age groups, and give you step-by-step guides for setting controls for various devices.***

Mr Boden

This week has been very busy supporting pupils as they navigate the start of a new School year.

In order to help with these transitions I have enlisted some of our older pupils to act as mentors and guides for some of our younger pupils.

Year 11 girls will be beginning an arts and crafts club with the Year 8 girls on Monday lunchtimes, offering fun and friendship. Year 10 girls will act as ‘Big sister mentors’ to the Year 6 girls, offering the benefits of their experience in transitioning from Prep to Senior School. Finally, our new Year 9 Peer Mentors have been selected and will commence their training with Mr Southee and myself next week. They will meet their new mentees from Year 7 after half term and continue to forge relationships and support them throughout this School year.

I am always so heartened to work with all these young people and recognise their commitment to supporting their fellow pupils. It is such a testament to who these young people are and who, I hope, will continue to be as they develop into adulthood.

These relationships are often so positive that many of our mentees apply to become future mentors as they work their way through the School, recognising the mutual benefits of helping others.

When we support and listen to others, not only are we helping them, but we are also gaining such valuable skills and self worth - it truly is a fantastic opportunity for all those involved. The effects on mental wellbeing are numerous.

I really wish all those involved in the mentoring programmes huge success and enjoyment as we begin next week.

Mrs Douglas

Please can parents keep the School Nurses "in the loop" about any medical/dental appointments/health updates for your children.  Information should be sent to Form Tutors, the School Office (office@dokschool.org) as well as the School Nurses Chloe and Maya (nurse@dokschool.org).  It's really important we have a complete picture of what's going on with your children when they appear in the medical room, and also when making plans for first aid provisions for off site trips and matches.  Thank you.

Parents are also reminded that pupils should not be carrying medication on their person or in bags at School unless with prior authorisation by the School Nurse.  Pupils who are suffering cold symptoms are very welcome to access over the counter remedies such as paracetamol, ibuprofen etc via the School Nurses in the medical room during the school day as per the consent given on the medical forms completed when pupils joined the School.

Pupils in Prep School are however welcome to carry their own tissues and lozenges if they need them.

The School Nurses

PADoK News

PADoK Clubs: If you are new to the School and are interested in coming to a club but are unsure, then please do contact padok@dokschool.org so we can put you in touch with the organiser.

PADoK Clubs:

Duke of Kent Flyers – Netball training – Tara Coles

Monday 5.30 – 6.30 & Wednesday 08.30 – 10am

The DoK Flyers meet at the Netball courts on Front Pitch by the School drive.  Do come along if you would like to start playing – new players or beginners welcome.  A friendly match was played last week and training has already begun so please do come along.  All welcome.

PADoK Singers – Cathy Williams

Calling all Singers Great & Small!

A great second week of singing with a couple of new joiners! Everyone is welcome at any time so please do drop in for an uplifting 40 minutes of vocal warm ups, songs and a lot of laughing. Following a fun rendition of Jessie J’s ‘Money’ we started working on a 2 part arrangement of ‘California Dreaming’ by the Mamas & the Papas. Already sounding great, it was a such a fantastic way to start the day. Please come and join in if you find yourself with half an hour on a Thursday morning. The more the merrier! Singing truly is good for the soul.

Please contact Cathy Williams for more info rhodricathy@sky.com

Important Note: please always park at the bottom of the site and walk up to Old Hall.

PADOK Core Control: Strengthen your body, Improve Your Health with our Physio-Led Stability Group. Friday morning 08.30 at Ness Hall

Do you have new fitness goals or want to build on what you are already doing?  Julia is a physio who will help build your core strength and help your fitness training.  We would love to see you on a Friday morning 08.30-09.00 for a quick weekly input (little and often is the key to building long term goals!)  Please contact Julia direct to complete a medical form.  Thank you.

Please contact Julia on julia@therunningspecialists.com 

PADoK Book Club

Our PADoK Book Club choice for the Autumn Term is “You are Here” by David Nichols, of One Day fame.   We look forward to catching up with you about the book when we meet up later this term.

Summary below:

Sometimes you need to get lost to find your way
Marnie is stuck.
Stuck working alone in her London flat, stuck battling the long afternoons and a life that often feels like it's passing her by.
Michael is coming undone.
Reeling from his wife's departure, increasingly reclusive, taking himself on long, solitary walks across the moors and fells.
When a persistent mutual friend and some very English weather conspire to bring them together, Marnie and Michael suddenly find themselves alone on the moor.

Please do get in touch via your class rep if you are interested in joining the WhatsApp group.

Second hand Uniform Shop

We had a very busy first day of opening on Wednesday.  If you wish to hand in items that you no longer need, please leave in the box outside the shop.  ONLY CURRENT UNIFORM bought from Stevensons please. 

We are sorry to have to repeat this-but please can we ask that parents do not leave us with bags of non-school uniform items.  Also, all donations are to be placed in the box outside the uniform shop and not in the Front Office.  Thank you in advance.

Upcoming dates for the Second Hand School Uniform School

Friday 4th October 5.30-6.30pm
Wednesday 16th October 3-4pm
Wednesday 13th November 3-4pm
Friday 22nd November 5.30-6.30pm
Wednesday 11th December 3-4pm

Late opening on Friday 4th October - 17.30 to 18.30.  

We are hoping by adding in another day and time slot that it will be of use to parents who are unable to make the Wednesday afternoon slots.

Mrs Phillips and Mrs Horsburgh

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.