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A message from Mrs Knox
Introducing "The Burrow" – Our New Outdoor Learning Classroom!
 We are excited to announce the construction next week of our new outdoor learning classroom, The Burrow, generously funded by the Bucknall family. This wonderful space will offer a unique environment where our pupils can connect with nature whilst learning. Studies show that outdoor lessons boost creativity, engagement and well-being. Whether exploring science, reading stories, or engaging in group discussions, The Burrow will provide enriching experiences beyond our traditional classrooms. For the Bucknall family, this forms part of their longer term plans to support the Surrey Wildlife with their environmental initiatives. We sincerely thank them for their generosity in making this inspiring learning space a reality for our school community! Congratulations also to Knysna G in Year 7 who won the naming competition. I thoroughly enjoyed the Prep School disco and the Years 7,8 & 9 Debating competitions this week as well as our amazing astronomy event. In staffing news, I would like to to congratulate Mr Andrew Boden, our Head of Computer Science for having been appointed as Computer Science teacher at the Denla British School in Bangkok. Mr Boden will be with us until the end of this academic year and will be sincerely missed. I wish you and your family a wonderful half-term break.
Mrs Knox
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A Stellar Night of Astronomy!
 What a night! Our Astronomy Evening was a spectacular success, drawing in an incredible turnout of enthusiastic students, parents, and staff, all space lovers alike. From the moment families arrived, there was an undeniable buzz of excitement in the air.
The highlight for many was the rare and awe-inspiring opportunity to handle real moon rocks, meteorites, and tektites—touching pieces of space history with their own hands. These fascinating celestial objects sparked endless curiosity and wonder, making for an unforgettable hands-on experience. Mr Kulcyzk, Mr Wyllie and Miss Ward enthusiastically shared their knowledge as they showed the samples and answered a multitude of questions.
We were also privileged to welcome Dr. Sam Knox, an expert in astrophotonics, who delivered a captivating presentation. He explored the age-old question: Are there more stars in the universe than grains of sand on Earth? His discussion of telescopes, fascinating celestial bodies, and the breathtaking images he shared left the audience in awe.
Adding to the night’s cosmic insights, our very own Head of Science, Mrs Tattan-Robb, guided us through upcoming meteor showers to planetary alignments, giving us plenty of reasons to keep looking up this year!
With an evening full of discovery, inspiration, and a shared passion for the cosmos, this event truly proved that our curiosity about the universe knows no bounds! A huge thank you to all who attended and helped make it such a stellar success.
 Keep looking up! 
Mrs Tattan-Rob
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House Debating
 What a fantastic day we've had, listening to all the incredible motions in our House Debating Competition. Under the adjudication of Mrs Tuite, Mr Seeley and Annabel O, the Houses in Year 7, 8 and 9 persuaded, pondered and perfected their arguments, much to the awe of the audience. A special thank you must go to George S, George K and Jasper W, who stepped in at the last moment to represent their House due to one of their team members being unable to participate. The winning Houses were as follows: Year 7 Hawk ( Alexander I, Arthur S and Jasmine W), with their motion: ‘Should Tik-Tok be banned in the UK?’; Year 8, Buzzard (Holly B, Thibault J and George R), their motion being: ‘Should vaccines be mandatory?’ and finally Year 9, Kestrel (Alex W, George Sh and George S) arguing whether the Marvel Cinematic Universe should be rebooted. Huge congratulations to the winning Houses and to everyone who took part.
Mrs Punter
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Year 2 visit Brickies
 On Wednesday, Year 2 ventured to Brickies Lego Club. The children had a fun-packed day full of imagination and creation, with lots of learning thrown in for good measure! As we're set to start our new Science topic, 'Plants', very soon, the day's Lego building workshops reflected the learning we will soon be doing in class. The children were given three challenges which they all completed with enthusiasm and vigour. Their first challenge was to create a 2D or 3D plant, making sure it included the crucial elements - roots, stem, leaves, petals and the flower.
 The children's next challenge saw them using their new knowledge of pollinators to create one out of Lego. Some of the pollinators they chose to replicate were wasps, bees, ladybirds and butterflies and a few even challenged themselves to create impressive 3D versions! The children's final challenge involved them creating their own dream garden, full of wild flowers and trees. As you can imagine, the final masterpieces were very diverse in layout; some of the gardens had slides and greenhouses whereas others were more peaceful with lily ponds and areas to sit and relax!
 Year 2, we were very proud to witness your team work, positive behaviour and perseverance in all of the challenges. You represented our school beautifully and as a result, you earned 2 marbles in our 'treat jar'! Well done!
"I loved building my pollinator. I built a bee!" Marc W
"I enjoyed when we were given 'Free Time' to build whatever we wanted!" Grace B
Special thanks to Mrs Nicholson for joining us on our class trip. We loved your company and feel lucky to have spent the day with you. Thank you!
Mrs Salley and Miss Munro
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Year 3 Assembly
On Wednesday, Year 3 took the rest of the Prep School and their parents on a journey into the rainforest. Professors Petal and Greenleaf led the exploration through the rainforest layers with a group of children meeting a variety of creatures along the way, from operatic tree frogs and sleepy sloths on the forest floor to dazzling toucans in the emergent layer. The children explained how rich in life and resources rainforests are and also gave ways in which we can all make a difference to protect these precious habitats.
Mrs Nicholson
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Hadestown Performance
 On Thursday night the Year 11 Drama cohort went on their final GCSE theatre trip to see a performance of ‘Hadestown' with a pizza lunch thrown in! The acclaimed production is housed at the Lyric Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue in the heart of the West End theatre district. The story is based on Orpheus in the Underworld classical Greek myth and Hadestown is reset in a post-apocalyptic dystopia, but at the show’s heart is a simple love story. This world is perfectly showcased by Anaïs Mitchell's score which combines so many styles and weaves a musical tapestry that is ‘charming and delightful at times, but gritty and painful at others’. The musicians are put on the stage and made to look like part of the story rather than hiding them in the orchestra pit and had just as much a part to play in the story as the wonderful talented main cast. The moment the curtain went down on the production, the conversation started about the students' favourite character, scene, song and this continued on the walk over Embankment Bridge and on the train home. It was a perfect example of the power of ensemble performance which couldn’t help but inspire our pupils in the final weeks of their GCSE Drama course. Many thanks to Mrs Punter and Miss Elder for all their help in navigating the streets of London!
Mrs Honey
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LAMDA Showcases
 On Tuesday and Wednesday evening this week, our LAMDA Showcases for our Senior School were held in the PA Hall, giving pupils the opportunity to perform their entries ahead of the actual exams that take place this June. These showcases are a wonderful opportunity for the pupils to gain some important performance experience in a relaxed and supportive environment. We witnessed some wonderful acting: from a squabble between sisters Jo and Amy in Little Women to a monologue from a brand new play about Gareth Southgate and the England Football team. The performances were a lovely testament to the talents within our School community. Congratulations to all of those who participated and thank you to all those who came to support.
Mrs Elder
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As we reach the end of the first half of the Spring term, Buzzard has a commanding lead over Peregrine who are in second place. However, Hawk has earned more points so far this term and Kestrel always performs well in the Spring term, so all positions are still wide open!
House Music is a standout event in the second half of the Spring term and all the Houses have been working hard to prepare for it. and there will be several sports competitions occurring across the Prep and Senior Schools, where the winning House will earn a vital 200 points. In the build-up to World Book Day the pupils, and staff, can take part in the ‘Random Reading’ competition. To take part, we are looking for pupils to have a photo taken of them reading in a strange and unusual place. This competition is open to Pre-prep, Prep and Senior students and where possible the photo should be attached to the task posted in the House Google Classrooms. Alternatively, photos can be emailed to me (sgritton@dokschool.org). Pre-prep pupils can also enter the House Character competition to design a character for their favourite book. As ever, pupils who enter a competition earn 3 House points just for taking part.
Mr Gritton
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Sustainability / Outdoor Learning News
The Surrey Wildlife Trust has once again launched its ‘Actions for Nature’ competition to encourage schools and their communities to take practical actions beyond the school grounds to help nature not just survive, but thrive. These actions can be simple ones such as a litter pick or putting a bird feeder up in your garden. You can follow this weblink to see lots of suggestions and guides for the actions you could take. Once you’ve completed your Action for Nature, record your actions, upload a photo and view our actions map at: www.surreywildlifetrust.org/nature-actions-map.
If you could complete one or more Actions for Nature at home or in your community, our school will be in with a chance of winning a £500 grant towards outdoor learning equipment or tools for School Grounds improvement. Every family that uploads their actions is offered half half-price Surrey Wildlife membership. There will also be an internal competition where all of the people who have taken part will be entered into a prize raffle.
Good luck and email me (sgritton@dokschool.org) photos of your achievements so they can be shared and celebrated with the rest of the school community.
Mr Gritton
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 Learning has been out of this world in Prep and Pre-prep this week, as those classes who didn't get to handle the moon rocks last year, had an opportunity to do so this time around. Children in Reception, Year 3 and Year 6 were thrilled to be holding the moon in their hands, here on Earth. I know, also, that many families in Prep and Pre-prep had a fantastic time on Thursday evening, learning about space at our special star-gazing event hosted by the Senior Science department. These glimpses into how the world - and indeed the universe - work, really do spark the children's sense of awe and wonder, and I am sure at least one of our inspired pupils will be stepping into space at some point in their lifetime. Will it be you?
 Other highlights in the department this week include Year 3's wonderfully entertaining rainforest assembly, Year 2's exciting trip to Brickies to support their learning about plants and, of course, the Prep School Disco, which helped us kick off half term in style. Whilst we hope everyone has a lovely, restful break, there are still several ways to be learning, staying active and earning House Points over the next week. Why not participate in the Action for Nature initiative we are running again after a successful launch last year? Perhaps you can have a photo taken of yourself reading in a strange and unusual place, to enter our Random Reading competition? Pre-prep pupils can also look forward to World Book Day with the character competition and, naturally, there's a book themed costume to think of and prepare for the big day itself, on Thursday 6th March. A reminder to parents that Iona Rangeley's books can be ordered for signing up to Monday 24th February (the first day back after half term) - just drop me an email - and we look forward to seeing many Prep pupils' parents on Thursday 27th February for Parent Meetings (bookings go live on Monday 17th February).
Values Certificates: Effort for Herb M, Sonny C, George S and Dagny N; Responsibility for Charlotte P; and Honesty for Maddie C
Reading Certificates: Bronze for Georgia Car; Lottie O and Josh B; Silver for Finn H, Pia S, Dagny N, George S, Harry S and Darcey M; Gold for Felix Bu and Alfred A
Stars of the Week
Nursery: Indie S for demonstrating a positive attitude throughout the day and improved focus, especially with fine motor skills activities.
Reception: Jacob G for fantastic effort in every lesson, your progress is impressive!
Theo McA for enthusiastic participation on our shopping trip to Cranleigh and our soup making in class!
Year 1: Edie B for your consistent positive approach to your learning.
Harry L for showing great resilience with his injury. Harry has tried so hard in School all week.
Year 2: Charles L for fantastic focus during lessons - you’ve worked so hard this week- well done!
Milly W for perseverance in English lessons this week. You produced a fantastic letter and should be proud!
Mr Wright
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On Tuesday, we welcomed prospective parents to our Open Morning, giving them the opportunity to explore our fantastic school. Our Senior School tour guides did a brilliant job of showcasing all that we have to offer and it was wonderful to hear such positive feedback from visiting parents about how well our pupils represented and spoke about their school with pride.
 The LAMDA showcase was a true highlight this week, with pupils delivering seamless monologues and duologues—an impressive feat at any age! A huge well done to all involved; it was clear how much effort and dedication had gone into their performances.
Sport has been in full swing, with a busy schedule of netball and rugby matches, culminating in our U16 team travelling to Westonbirt School for the ISA National Finals. Well done to all our teams for their hard work and determination on the field.
Thursday’s Science Stargazing Evening, despite some uncooperative weather, was a fantastic opportunity for our school community to engage with the wonders of space. While the clouds kept the telescopes at bay, the evening was still a huge success, featuring fascinating insights into moon rocks, asteroids, meteorites, impactites, stars and planets. A big thank you to the science team for coordinating the event and to our guest speaker, Dr Sam Knox, for sharing his expertise.
 On Friday, we had the privilege of welcoming Toby Balfre, who spoke to the Senior School about the power of AI. His talk was a fascinating exploration of the potential and possibilities that artificial intelligence holds for the future.
The week concluded with the highly anticipated house debating competition between Year 7 and Year 9. The pupils delivered eloquent and passionate arguments, demonstrating impressive confidence and skill in their discussions.
Amidst all these activities, pupils have continued to earn an outstanding number of merit points in recognition of their hard work, kindness, and contributions in lessons.
Congratulations to the following pupils who have reached another milestone of 25 merit points:
Heidi B, Ben G, Alfie H, James N, Ben W, Holly B, Lola C, Elfie Go, Alex M-C, Harry M-C, Ben W, Ollie K, Patrick W, Jude B, Tildy C, Lucy P, Sam R, James B, Alex K, Jake L, Daisy R, Sydney R.
A special mention goes to the huge number of pupils who have surpassed 100 merit points and received their recognition badges: Lauren B, Halle S, Jasmine W, Ruby W, Hector W, Josie M, Harry F, Poppy K, Josh W-D.
Even more impressively, Lois M and Vir O'R who have exceeded 200 merit points and have been awarded their well deserved badges.
Finally, joining the 300 club and having been awarded her hugely deserved badge is the wonderful Poppy F.
A huge well done to all!
Mr Wyllie
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Battle of the Bands success
 Huge congratulations to Herb M, Sonny C and George S in Year 6, who competed in the Prior's Field Battle of the Bands last Sunday. Up against 10 other schools, all of whom were in Year 9 and above, our trio of rock stars did incredibly well, placing third! They played two songs; Wake Up by Rage Against The Machine and Somebody Told Me by The Killers, and it was a proud moment to see them up there doing their thing with confidence and swagger against much older kids. Well done boys!
House Music Judge
 We are delighted this year to welcome singer/songwriter Charlotte Plank to be our guest judge for the House Music finals.
Charlotte is an exciting young artist, who has released three solo singles, and was lead vocalist on the single 'Dancing Is Healing' by Rudimental and Vibe Chemistry, which charted at No. 5 in the UK Singles Chart. She has performed all over the world, including at Glastonbury with Rudimental. She is also a founding member of Loud LDN - a collective of young London based dance music vocalists.
GLIVE
All tickets for GLive have now been sold. We are holding a wait list, so if you have yet to order your tickets and would like to join the waiting list, please email bookings@dokschool.org
Mr Rye
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What Parents & Educators Need to Know about Fake News & Scams
While misinformation and ‘fake news’ are well-known concerns online, it's also the case that scammers and other cyber-criminals can try to utilise this phoney material to manipulate, frighten or otherwise persuade their victims into cooperating.
With constantly evolving scams and such a high volume of misinformation online, it's vital that parents and educators know how to safeguard the children in their care against these kinds of tactics. Our guide breaks down the most prominent ways in which scammers attempt to use ‘fake news’ to their advantage, as well as how to protect youngsters from being manipulated by such techniques.
Click the link to learn more about "Fake News & Scams".
***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.***
Due to unforeseen circumstances, the DOK School Parent AI Webinar, originally scheduled for Monday, 24th February at 7:00 pm, has been postponed to Monday, 17th March at the same time.
If you have any questions about AI that you would like to be addressed during the webinar, please feel free to email me at aboden@dokschool.org. Likewise, if you use AI in your daily life and would be happy to share your experiences with the school community, I would love to showcase this on the evening.
Mr Boden
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Please can parents email Mrs Sarjant nurse@dokschool.org or csarjant@dokschool.org with any updates of illness or injury developments during the half term break.
A reminder that medical forms for the Year 9 Battlefields trip, the Year 10 Residential (and Silver Duke of Edinburgh Expedition; one form for both trips) and the Year 11 Barcelona trip need to be returned after half term ASAP please. Prep School residential trip planning to commence soon - watch this space!
PSHE lessons coming up to be aware of:
- Year 10 pupils; cancer on Wednesday 26th February and Wednesday 5th March
- Year 7 pupils; puberty on Friday 28th February
Year 8 parents are reminded to complete E Consents for their child's HPV Immunisation at school (21st March) as soon as possible.
Finally, please can ski trip medications be delivered to school in the first few weeks after half term - preferably on a Monday Tuesday or Wednesday when Mrs Sarjant is on duty THANK YOU!
Wishing you all a restful, relaxing and hopefully healthy week off. See you on the other side!
The School Nurses
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PADoK News
PADoK Quiz Night - Friday 7th March 8pm in PA Hall
 Bookings are now open for PADoK Quiz Night.
Please get a team together and come & have a fun night. Prizes for the winning team.
Teams of 6 or less.
BYO drinks and snacks (no nuts please).
£10 per head.
Please book at padok@dokschool.org
Second Hand Uniform Shop – 12th February
The shop is open next Wednesday 12th February from 3 – 4pm. An opportunity to fill those uniform gaps before half term!
PADoK Clubs:
Duke of Kent School Flyers – Netball training
Monday at 5:45 – 6:30pm & Wednesday morning 08.20 – 09.30 – weather dependent/Ness Hall availability.
Duke of Kent School Flyers have had a great first half of term with lots of laughter, exercise & fun. No experience necessary, everyone welcome! Please do come along if you would like to play netball. All welcome.
Duke of Kent School Singers
Thursday at 08:20 – 09:00am
Calling all Singers Great & Small!
A brilliant session with Mr Rye before we finish for half term. We enjoyed a couple of quick warm ups, singing about a proper cup of coffee in a proper copper coffee pot and a burst of energy with Mary, Mary, ‘Shackles’. Great for warming up the vocal cords on such a cold morning and of course, a good laugh too!
On to Bill Withers, ‘Lean on Me’, such a beautiful arrangement with some warm, rich harmonies. Coming together beautifully, it’s one we all know so please feel free to come along any time and join in… you’re so warmly welcome as a one off drop in or if you’re interested in coming more regularly.
Thanks to Mr Rye and Mrs Williams for leading the DOK Singers.
Any queries or to express an interest please don’t hesitate to drop me a note. Hope to see some new faces!
Email: 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 at 08.30 in Ness Hall From this term there will be a £5 fee for each week.
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.
Please contact Julia direct to complete a medical form.
Julia Rowe (julia@therunningspecialists.com)
Mrs Phillips and Mrs Horsburgh
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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.
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School social media
At Duke of Kent School we have three social media platforms; Instagram (dukeofkentschool), X (@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.
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