Year 2 Assembly

On Wednesday, Year 2 took to centre stage to perform their assembly on perseverance. They told the story of four young frogs who had been taught how to swim by their loving parents. One day, rather cheekily, they left the safety of their pond to go and explore the world beyond their home. Despite the warnings of some nearby cows, they decided to jump into a jug of cream after convincing themselves it was a white pond, fit for swimming and splashing! Although they initially enjoyed the experience, they quickly realised just how slippery the sides of the jug were and how difficult it was to escape! It was at this pivotal moment they remembered what their parents had taught them about never giving up, even when things seemed impossible. Whilst the children retold the story, we challenged the parent audience to have perseverance and see if they could turn the cream into butter by shaking it – they had great success! This story has a valuable message about persevering when times are tricky – if we keep trying, a solution to the problem will appear. 

Well done Year 2 for an inspiring and uplifting performance that reminded us all of the power of perseverance!

Mrs Salley and Miss Munro

Options after Duke of Kent School

With our Sixth Form Information Evening having taken place on Thursday 20th March, thoughts for many are turning to life after Duke of Kent School. All pupils are legally required to remain in education or training until they turn 18, but there are various options available after GCSEs.

Full-time Education: 

A Levels
Many pupils opt to take A Levels, particularly if they plan to attend university. A Levels are Level 3 qualifications (compared to Level 2 for GCSEs) and typically take two years to complete. You can select subjects that you enjoy the most, and if you already have a career in mind, you should choose subjects that align with your goals. For instance, aspiring medical professionals should study subjects like biology, chemistry, and either maths or physics. A Levels focus on academic content.

Vocational Qualifications
Vocational qualifications include BTECs, NVQs, TechBacs, and OCR Cambridge courses. Like A Levels, these are also Level 3 qualifications that can further your education or career. The key difference is that vocational qualifications blend practical, hands-on learning with academic study and technical skills. Unlike A Levels, which are exam-based, vocational qualifications rely on ongoing assessments, which some pupils prefer. These qualifications can lead to further education, training, employment, or university.

Part-time Study: 

T Levels
T Levels are two-year courses available at selected colleges and other providers, equivalent to taking three A Levels. These courses combine practical and theoretical learning at a school or college, with an industry placement of around 315 hours to gain on-the-job experience.

Apprenticeships
An apprenticeship is a paid position within a company, typically lasting between one and three years. During this time, you will work towards a qualification while gaining practical experience and developing skills for further education or career advancement. Apprenticeships are available in a wide range of industries, from beauty and construction to web technology and engineering.

When deciding on next steps, several important factors should be considered. First and foremost, a pupil’s interests play a significant role in their success. They are more likely to thrive if they enjoy the subjects they choose to study. If they have a clear career goal, they should select courses that align with that path (UNIFROG is a good tool to use to research these. All senior pupils have a login and parents can log in here using the code: TDOKParents). Another key factor is the grades they have achieved, as this is crucial for applying to the appropriate level of study. The courses outlined above are Level 3, but pupils who haven’t achieved a Grade 4 or higher in their GCSEs (higher for some courses) may need to consider Level 2 courses. In some cases, pupils may also need to apply for Level 2 courses if they are pursuing a new field, such as hairdressing, plumbing, or electrical work.

You can help your child prepare for making these decisions by looking at websites, such as those below: 

https://nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/ – The National Careers Service website will help you research careers, discover job profiles, find relevant courses and complete skills assessments. A good starting point to compile a list of possible careers?  

https://icould.com/ – A huge library of videos of people in different professions. Use this site if you want to listen rather than read.  

https://www.gov.uk/apprenticeships-guide – Information on the full range of apprenticeships and the facility to search for current vacancies. 

http://www.informedchoices.ac.uk – Advice on the best A Level subject combinations for a wide range of courses at Russell Group universities. 

www.ucas.com – Information for pupils and parents on UK universities and courses. 

http://www.fulbright.org.uk/ – Information for pupils and parents on US universities and courses. 

www.studentladder.co.uk – Useful sections on A Level choices, work experience, university courses and school-leaver training schemes.

Mr Wilson

Dinosaur Day

What an exciting day Thursday turned out to be for Year 1 as we celebrated our much-anticipated Dinosaur Day! The morning kicked off with an inspiring presentation from Freddie in Year 8. He captivated us with fascinating facts about the timeline of dinosaurs and the various types that roamed the earth in the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous periods. We were all particularly impressed as Freddie shared a nostalgic video showcasing a dinosaur for each letter of the alphabet – what a way to learn!

Following this stellar introduction, we headed to the Old Hall, where the children proudly showcased their imaginative dinosaur costumes to Mrs Knox and Mr Southee. The outfits were nothing short of spectacular! Mr Southee then had us all in stitches with his dino-themed jokes, which quickly became a highlight of the day; the children couldn’t get enough of the giggles!

Next, it was time for some action-packed fun in PE, where the children enjoyed an exhilarating Jurassic tag game, darting around like true prehistoric creatures. As a delightful finale to our dino-filled day, we indulged in some scrumptious dinosaur cookies, which were a tasty treat! A massive thank you to everyone for making this day so memorable!

Miss Walpole 

Charity Stalls

Throughout this term, the Year 7s have been looking at how charities use persuasive techniques to encourage us to donate to their causes. This led into the pupils themselves creating their own charities, supporting a cause that they felt strongly about. Working in groups, they created posters, leaflets, TV adverts and pitches, all designed to persuade an audience; culminating in the Charity Stalls afternoon that we held on Thursday. This was a chance for the groups to create a stall, using any materials that they had, to create something that was eye-catching and draw in their crowd. From snow on the table to a shark demanding votes, the Year 6s who visited were enthused by all that they saw!

Next came the pitches. Each group delivered superb pitches to members of the charity committee and Year 7 form teachers, Mr Monk and Mrs Turnbull. It was their tough task to judge which pitch they believed was the most persuasive. The aforementioned prize went to the cleverly named ‘Poor-poises’, which was the mastermind of Arthur S, Ben W, Alfie H, Hubie S and Harrison H.

A huge thank you to all the teachers who helped to facilitate and support this exciting and engaging afternoon!

Mrs Southee and Miss Allsop 

Highlights this week in Pre-prep include Year 2's brilliant assembly on 'perseverance' and Year 1's 'Dinosaur Day' extravaganza - both of which are reported on in more detail elsewhere in the Bulletin.

 

Year 3 set races for each other in Maths on MacRobert Pitch to support their learning of reading time in minutes and seconds, and Year 6 managed to incorporate some games of hopscotch into their study of BIDMAS. In Computer Science, Year 3 used a branching database programme to help them separate groups of animals, Year 4 created code to program their turtles to write letters and those Year 3 and 4 pupils not in rehearsals also honed their tech skills in RS. Having learned about the Last Supper, they were tasked with choosing who they would invite to a special meal, and why, and then used a background remover and Google images to create a visual representation of their unique supper! 

 

The Burrow has been well used already this week, and much learning has taken place in and around the space. Some of the Year 5s and 6s also tackled the wildlife garden, doing a brilliant job replanting flowers, and even naming each bulb as they did so (along with several teachers, we also have Patricia, Barbie and Ken!). Beth F and Georgia C were awarded the responsibility of keeping the plants tended and have decided to conduct their duties on 'Watering Wednesdays'! We even had time for some Year 6s to visit Shere Infant School to assist with the development of their own bug hotel. Year 6 also acknowledged International Women's Day, using it as a springboard to consider the character traits of the female protagonists in our novel, 'Holes'. We very much look forward to celebrating Pre-prep mums at our Mothers' Day Parties next Thursday, alongside the Spring Concert. Don't forget the Pre-prep Easter bonnet parade, too, on Friday - something to get crafty with this weekend, perhaps? 

 

Stars of the Week

Nursery: Finley F for his positive attitude and application throughout the term. Finley listens attentively and applies his understanding to everyday life.

Reception: Oscar S for imaginative, independent art work. Your puffin picture was fantastic!

Fliss F for increased resilience and great reading; you’ve moved up a book band this week!

Year 1: Robyn H for settling into Duke of Kent School so well and for her lovely fact file on a Velociraptor.

Oscar B for super concentration and effort in phonics and reading.

Year 2: Charles L for showing exceptional kindness and empathy towards his peers. You are such a kind, gentle soul and should be proud of how you looked after others this week.

Milly W for displaying an increased level of confidence during classroom discussions. We’re so proud of you!

Mr Wright

What Parents & Educators Need to Know about Roblox

Whilst they can be a great way for friends to socialise, online games like Roblox that allow multiplayer gameplay with strangers are always fraught with a variety of dangers that can expose children to inappropriate or harmful content. Roblox enables people to play anonymously, which can often be something that attracts people to misuse the game and potentially put young people at risk of harm.

In addition to interacting with random strangers across the world, other factors such as in-game purchases and potential scams can also pose a financial risk. It’s important that parents and educators remain aware of the risks associated with this popular title and how it can be used safely. This free guide – also available in podcast format – offers parents and educators expert advice on what can be done to ensure that young people have a safe and enjoyable experience with Roblox.

Click the link to learn more about "What Parents & Educators Need to Know about Roblox".

***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.***

Please find attached the recording of the AI Parent Webinar. This is a fascinating topic, and we are keen to take a proactive approach to helping your children become AI-literate moving forward.

A huge thank you to everyone who attended and contributed to the event, and special thanks to Toby Balfre for leading the session.

If you have any questions or suggestions about AI, or if you would like to share your AI journey with the pupils, please email me at aboden@dokschool.org.

Mr Boden

This week, pupils had the opportunity to attend Spring Doodle Club led by Lucy and Matty from Year 11. Doodle club started back in October and Hello Yellow day, when pupils were invited to doodle for relaxation and expression. It was so well attended and enjoyed that Lucy (our Wellbeing Prefect) and Matty went on to arrange more opportunities for pupils to doodle to their heart's content.

On a beautiful sunny day, thoughts turned to lambs, flowers, bunnies, Easter eggs and all that spring brings. There were some wonderfully free creations as well as doodle decoding, where pupils are given the opportunity to build on someone else’s doodle and create what it suggests to them. We had ice creams for triangles, a huge red button from a circle and an Easter snake (!) from a squiggle.

I’m hopeful that Matty and Lucy’s legacy of a doodle club will continue beyond the end of their time at Duke of Kent School as they take their GCSEs, and our new Year 11s will be able to take up the mantle next year.

Mrs Douglas

With the end of term fast approaching, pupils are understandably tired, and therefore illness and injury rates are increasing at School.  We would recommend a quiet, restful weekend to help pupils power through the last week of term; especially for those who are heading off on the Ski Trip on Saturday 29th March –we do not want any new injuries or infections to spoil the fun! For the last week of term, as germs continue to circulate, please can pupils perform regular and thorough hand hygiene, cough and sneeze into elbows rather than hands and wash hands after putting used tissues into bins. A reminder that pupils with a temperature of 37.8 or higher should stay at home please as they are likely to be infectious (and are unlikely to feel well enough for School), and the 48-hour rule applies to cases of vomiting and/or diarrhoea.

Next week, please can we have final delivery of any last Ski and Battlefields trip medications/vitamins/creams etc and medical forms for Years 3, 4, 5, 6 and 11.  Thank you so much!

The School Nurses

PADoK News

Macmillan Afternoon Tea – Friday 14^th March

Last week PADoK held the annual Macmillan fundraiser in Old Hall. There were cakes, biscuits, fruit skewers, flapjacks, traybakes and much more!

So many parents came and enjoyed refreshments with a treat! Thank you so much for supporting this event. 

The event raised an incredible £856 for Macmillan.

Thank you to Tara Coles, Lois Williams and Ellie Machin for making this such a great success for the charity.

Save The Date ***Saturday 14^th June***

***Viva La Fiesta*** PADoK Summer Event

PADoK are putting on a Mexican-themed summer party, so please do put the date in your diary.

PADoK Second Hand Uniform Shop

The shop will be open for the last time this term on Wednesday 26^th March from 3pm to 4pm.

A popular one for cricket whites!!!

PADoK Clubs:

PADoK Book Club

The book we will be reading this term is Graham Norton’s Holding.  Here is a brief summary of the book:

The remote Irish village of Duneen has known little drama; and yet its inhabitants are troubled. Sergeant PJ Collins hasn't always been this overweight; mother of two Brid Riordan hasn't always been an alcoholic; and elegant Evelyn Ross hasn't always felt that her life was a total waste. So when human remains are discovered on an old farm, suspected to be that of Tommy Burke - a former love of both Brid and Evelyn - the village's dark past begins to unravel.

As the frustrated PJ struggles to solve a genuine case for the first time in his life, he unearths a community's worth of anger and resentments, secrets and regret.

We will meet at the end of term to discuss the book or at the beginning of the Summer Term.

Duke of Kent Flyers – Netball training 

Monday at 5:45 – 6:30pm & Wednesday morning 08.20 – 09.30 – weather-dependent/Ness Hall availability.

DoK Flyers are looking for new players to join in, lots of laughter, exercise & fun. No experience necessary, everyone welcome! Please do come along if you would like to play netball. All welcome. Contact Tara on 07734 888326.

Duke of Kent School Singers

Thursday at 08:20 – 09:00am

Calling all Singers Great and Small!

A smaller group this morning due to diary clashes but we finessed ‘Lean on Me’ to make it concert ready for the Ensembles Concert. It was a fun session with lots of laughter. Beautiful harmonies and some wonderful, positive energy.

Great to welcome a new parent to the choir who came along to see what it is about. She had her young daughter with her who joyfully joined in with clapping. Please do join us whenever you're in the need of some tlc and time for you.

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. Drop me a message any time (Cathy Williams - 07813 282910) or turn up on the day. Every Thursday morning from 8:30-9am in the Meeting Room off Old Hall.

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)

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) 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.