Boys’ ISA U14 & U16 National Football Tournament
Boys from Year 9 and Year 11 had an early start on Thursday morning travelling to Nottingham for the ISA National 6-a-side football tournament. It started with both teams competing in the group stage with 4 other teams. The U14s won their first game, drew their next 2 and won their last. The U16s won 2, drew 1 and narrowly lost 1. This meant the U14s would compete in the cup for top 4 finish and the U16s went into the plate competition.
The U14s came up against a very strong side, the eventual winners, in their semi-final and narrowly lost in the 3rd and 4th play off. The U16s won their semi-final on penalties after drawing 0-0. They drew the final 1-1, thanks to Leo H with a thunderous volley and won 8-7 on penalties. A great day out in Nottingham with all the boys that played giving their very best for Duke of Kent School. Well done to all those who took part.
Mr Green
Year 9 Boys' House Basketball
On Tuesday, the Year 9 Boys played the 2023 House Basketball. Each team played 3 group stage matches, followed by a 3rd and 4th playoff and Final for the two teams that finished at the top of the group stage table. During the group stages each team showed their competitiveness with their play, always working hard to try and win the ball back for their team. Shooting had a few highs and lows, with the boys scoring from more of harder to make shots that they took. After the group stage was complete this left Kestrel vs Hawk in the 3rd and 4th playoff and Peregrine and Buzzard in the final. Both games kept the competitive spirit from the group stage with Kestrel vs Hawk ending in a draw and Buzzard beating peregrine by just one score to win the final. Well played to everyone involved and congratulations to Buzzard on winning the Year 9 Boys House Basketball.
1st - Buzzard
2nd - Peregrine
3rd - Kestrel
4th - Hawk
Mr Orme
Rugby U10 v. Belmont.
The pitches thawed enough to play some touch but not enough for contact. Though this was disappointing for the boys, they took full advantage with some lovely running and passing. This was reflected with the score line, winning 8 tries to 1. Well done to all those boys who took part and hopefully the pitches will have thawed out for next week.
Mr Green
Netball: U14-16 B v. Downsend
On Tuesday the U14-16 B team took part in a netball game against Downsend. It was a very cold day, but the girls were determined to have a good game. There was a great standard of netball and the girls gave it their all. After an amazing first quarter the girls were in the lead!
The determination from the girls was admirable especially as many of them were playing in unfamiliar positions. Bella S and Phoebe P switched between GD and C with neither of them having played GD before, the determination from them led to many interceptions and turnovers which allowed us to stay in the lead. Ella S and Isla B switched between WA and WD and both played amazingly in these positions providing opportunities for passes and being in great space.
Jess I and Esme P had a great conversion rate in shooting with almost every shot on target! In GK Helana K made interception after interception to reduce the opportunities Downsend created. In the final quarter we had an opportunity to really mix up the positions with everyone playing something unfamiliar. The girls really took this in their stride and there was some great shooting from Ella S! A great performance from the whole team, well done!
Miss Arnold
Netball: U14/15 C and D v. Downsend
On a chilly but sunny Tuesday afternoon, two teams of Year 9 & 10 girls travelled to Downsend to play some netball matches. After a good warm up, both matches got underway. The C team were on fire in the first quarter with Sydney R and Daisy R quickly getting into their shooting stride even from some very tricky angles! The quality play kept on coming with Sophie R, Annabelle R and Josie B all working hard in the mid-court to build the play. Most importantly, the effort from every member of the team (10 in total!) was fantastic and the girls came away with a brilliant win! Meanwhile, the D team were also having a great game. They were kindly lending players to Downsend as they were a few players short, this kindness shows great sportsmanship so a huge well done to all the girls who played for the Downsend throughout the afternoon! The team also had a good start with Rose S scoring some great goals to get the team off the mark. There was some solid defending from Belles H and Daisy N with some great interceptions being made. It was a close game with a thrilling end as Downsend had gone 7-8 up but in the final quarter the Duke of Kent School team remained focused and managed to win 12-8! What a wonderful afternoon of matches, a huge well done to all the girls who took part! A big thank you also to Mr Seeley for coming with us and doing some excellent supporting and epic team talks!
Miss Vickers
Netball: U13 A v. Pennthorpe
On Wednesday the U13 A team had a match against Pennthorpe. The girls had a strong team and were eager to get another win after last week's success against Farlington. Tildy C worked hard with Alice B and Clara H-S to create opportunities for shots on goal and their success rate was high and went from strength to strength throughout the game. Every player on the team worked hard around the court making interceptions, closing down options for Pennthorpe and creating opportunities to score from. The girls should all be really proud of their efforts and how the worked as a team. The final score was 27-21 to Duke of Kent School. Well done girls, it was a great match, and you are improving every week as you grow and find your flow as a team.
Mrs Woolgar
Netball: U12 C v. Moon Hall
On Wednesday 25th the U12C netball team headed out into the fog to play Moon Hall. The girls started the game with great pace and teamwork, and Willow D and Holly R were quick to find their feet in the circle, putting us 3-0 up quarter time. Sascha H and Esme W played a prominent role in defence to prevent them from scoring by intercepting numerous passes. Willow D and Holly R continued to impress in the second quarter, increasing our goals to 8. They were ably assisted by Alma E and Poppy F at C and WA who kept a great pace throughout the match, providing great links to bring the ball to our D.
The second half of the match was much more tense as Moon Hall found their feet and put away a few more goals to make it 8-5, however Molly F played with great determination to help keep possession, and special mention to Isla W for making some great interceptions and passes after only just returning from injury. The match culminated in a well fought win and a team full of pride!
Mrs Vermeulen
Mixed Netball: Year 2 v. Belmont
First lesson on Monday morning for Year 2, their first sports fixture for Duke of Kent School. Year 2 was split into three teams for the matches (Blue, Green and Yellow team), with each team playing two matches. With some great teamwork and netball on show from all involved. Lots of goals were scored, even a couple in the highest netball hoops in Ness Hall by Jack M and George D. Before the matches we had a team talk with the Year 2's about working as hard as they can and trying their best for their teams. This was on full display throughout which was fantastic to see, especially from Elsie S who was a great team player always making herself available.
Well played to everyone involved and I hope you all enjoyed Year 2's first sports fixture for Duke of Kent school.
Mr Orme, Miss Arnold and Miss Vickers
Today, on Holocaust Memorial Day, Senior School pupils attended an excellent assembly led by Mr Seeley. The 27th January marks the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest Nazi death camp. We remembered the six million Jewish people killed during the Holocaust and other more recent genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur. Together as a Senior School, we bore witness to those who endured genocide, and honoured the survivors and all those whose lives were changed beyond recognition. Together, we learned what each of us can do to create a safer future free from prejudice, hatred and discrimination. On Monday, we came together as a whole School to celebrate wellbeing and difference wearing a wonderful array of wacky outfits. The purpose was to encourage pupils and staff to look after their mental health and to have the courage to be their authentic selves free from judgement. It was a fabulous day - thank you to our Wellbeing Manager, Mrs Douglas for coordinating such a super day. And finally, my husband Tim and I are so much looking forward to the PADoK Burns night tonight. As Burns wrote in his wonderful poem: To a Louse “ O wad some Power the giftie gie us / To see oursels as ithers see us!’ Such a power or ability would save us a lot of bother and ‘foolish notions’; but we cannot see ourselves as others see us. The one thing we cannot do is take the view of that louse.
This Tuesday, a very excited group of Nursery children went on our annual trip to Little Street in Frimley.This is our eighth visit and it was still a wonderful treat for the children. Little Street in Frimley resides in the old train station waiting room, so it is long and narrow. The room is divided into several exciting role play areas, such as a cafe, hair salon, vets, supermarket, construction site, theatre and ice cream parlour.
The children can move freely within the space and share and transport all the play accessories at will, which they love. All the children behaved beautifully and were engaged and motivated throughout the day. An activity such as this presents so many different opportunities for learning and developing language and imagination. In the words of Einstein ' Play is the highest form of research'. We had such an amazing time with lots of smiling faces before a snooze on the way home.
On Thursday, Year 5 to visited Milestones Museum to build on what they have been learning in their History and English lessons. To begin with the pupils took part in the training process to become ARP Warden. The extensive course included a breakdown of all of the kit the wardens had to carry around and a test of their ability to identify RAF and Luftwaffe planes, a vital skill during The Blitz! Afterwards, a shopkeeper explained how the rationing system worked and the pupils split into groups to decide if the foods in their baskets were rationed. It was accompanied by the usual gasps of horror when they learnt that sugar was heavily rationed and that chocolate had all but vanished by the end of the war!
On Thursday the Year 10 and 11 Drama GCSE cohorts went to see the National Theatre’s streamed performance of ‘The Crucible’ at Cranleigh Arts Centre. It was written by Arthur Miller in 1953 as a reaction to McCarthy’s persecution of Hollywood liberals and is a fictionalised account of the 1692 Salem witch trials, where young girls accused their elders of satanism. The play was directed by Lyndsey Turner and stars Erin Doherty best known for playing the young Princess Anne in The Crown as the antagonist Abigail Williams.
On Friday 20th January we held the first Staff v. Alumni Netball match. After a lot of catching up and reminiscing about the 'good old days' the match began. The alumni team were exceptionally strong, and the staff were most definitely challenged from the first whistle. Izzy B continued her flawless shooting technique from school along with a rotation of equally talented GA players; Kate G and Alice S. Mrs Woolgar, Mr Monk, Mr Southee and Megan G were put under a lot of pressure in the circle shooting with alumni such as Izzy P, Daisy K, Bridget C and Kate G showing no signs of letting us off easy! Center court play was incredible, Bethany B, Millie K, Amelie W-B and Hollie B were nippy and looked like that had been playing together for years but Miss Vickers, Mrs Faulkner (Miss Reynolds when she worked at Duke of Kent School), Mr Southee and Mr Gritton kept up with them all brilliantly. 
On Monday morning we welcomed Huw Chandler to give a Stretch and Challenge talk to pupils about a profession within the insurance industry. Huw gave a great interactive talk about his role within insurance and his journey to this point in his career. 
The Prep School Pupil Council met this week to discuss ideas for replacing the old Roald Dahl mural (behind the teaching block). There was much excitement and suggestions aplenty, including the possibility of including the School Values, House shields, the King's Coronation and also a representation of activities pupils most love doing at Duke of Kent School. It's likely to be an expansive mural, so we hope to cover as much of school life as possible - we hope to be getting underway in the Summer Term, so watch this space for updates! 
An exciting week began with Dress Wacky for Wellbeing Day, a student-led event designed and organised by the Mental Health Ambassadors. This saw a hugely diverse selection of clothing worn with a strong message regarding Mental Health addressed in both the previous Friday's assembly and in the classroom. We also welcomed Huw Chandler, who spoke to a select few on the topic of to a select few who chose to attend.
The day began for Nursery and Reception with a visit from myself. Aptly, as there were a few superhero costumes present, we talked about the powers superheroes possess, then they were introduced to Toots the turtle and Woof the sheepdog to hear about their powers. I encouraged the pupils to consider their own ‘superpowers’; running, cooking and kindness were some they suggested.
We were also joined by Nathan from The Self Esteem Team who presented to Prep and Senior School pupils. Nathan talked to pupils about his own experience growing up, both being unkindly treated and treating others unkindly before accepting and appreciating himself and others for their individual choices. He spoke of the importance of pleasing oneself in appearance, beliefs and opinions rather than changing for others.
