Boys' Football: U16s v. Box Hill U18Bs
This was a real test for the Duke of Kent School U16 Football Team; the older boys from Box Hill were more physical and it took the U16s a little while to adapt. Adapt the U16s did and put on a fine performance. Duke of Kent School took the lead from a fine strike from Toby T. There were chances for both teams but Box Hill were a little more clinical in front of goal, finally winning 3-1. The U16s should be proud of their performance against the older team!!
Mr Herbert
Boys' Football: U12/13Cs v. Handcross Park
The U12/13C team played a great match in wet conditions against Handcross Park. Handcross started the game well, showing good pace and technique when attacking. Jenson P had to be on his best goalkeeping form to deny the opposition and produced some truly great saves!! Duke of Kent School took the lead and although Handcross pulled a couple back, our U12/13 C team went on to record a 7-2 win. Wolf R and Samuel H showed great determination in defence and each of the other outfield players got on the score sheet. The goal scorers were Alex W (3), Lewis S (2) and a goal apiece for Indie K and Ethan G. Well done to all who played.
Mr Herbert
Boys' Football: U8/9 Lions v. Ripley Court
Thursday saw the Years 3 and 4s have their first football match of the year against Ripley Court. It was great to see the boys showcase their skills over 3 thirds of football. Charlie S showed great strength when tracking back, making some strong tackles. Johnnie G and Rocket M ran tirelessly to ensure Ripley Court didn't have all the possession. Henry A made some great tackles at the back and Daniel L showed bravery when in goal and some good skills on the pitch. Well done to all those involved as they showed great determination for their first match of the season.
Mr Green
Boys' Football: U8/9 Tigers v. Ripley Court
This was a great game against Ripley Court's A and B team. We played three thirds and the Duke of Kent School team showed great determination, skill and good communication throughout the game. The Tigers took the lead through a great strike from Arthur M and doubled this with a Finn H strike. In the second and final third, Ripley brought on their stronger and taller players to take the lead and went 4-2 up. Duke of Kent school Tigers did not give up and showed great persistence with George F scoring a late third goal. Well done to all who played in this really exciting fixture.
Mr Herbert
Boys' Football: U10/11Bs v. Ripley Court
Our second match of the season, like the first, ended in a resounding defeat, yet there were victories to celebrate all over the pitch and the boys should feel proud of the progress they have made in just a week since our first match. George S and Simon F again were dogged and redoubtable across the back line, matched by the tenacity of Freddie G further forward in midfield. Rowan B went on some direct and promising runs forward against strong opponents, and Henry S in goal made some excellent saves, especially in a very busy first half, handling well to avoid giving the opposition a second attempt from any rebounds. Fin C was much more involved than last week, visibly more aggressive but also showing he can distribute the ball to teammates accurately. Our star player, though, was Sam PR, who was a constant thorn in Ripley's side, showing strong physicality, good timing and very encouraging stamina to keep on going to the very end. Positional discipline remains a target for further improvement, and we also need to learn to spread the ball wider to find space to move forward, but despite the torrential weather the boys gave their all and looked like they thoroughly enjoyed themselves!
Mr Wright
Boys' Football: U14As v. Box Hill
Duke of Kent School travelled to Box Hill for our second game of the season. After a convincing win last week, we all realised it was going to be a much tougher game. From the start, it was really 50-50 with counter attacks coming from each team. Box Hill took an early lead, but when Duke of Kent School grew into the game their confidence started to shine through.
There were goals from Hugo S, Harry L and Chester S along with an outstanding debut in goal from Charlie L, making a lot of big saves to keep us in the game. The nail-biting match finished 4-3 to Duke of Kent School with players gaining confidence going into the next match.
Mr Boden
Boys' Football: U14Cs v. Moon Hall
The wind and rain were swirling, but the strength of spirit and resolve were steady amidst the storm. Duke of Kent School fought through elements to keep their heads high and the game even. In the first half, wonderful saves from Declan E and strong tackling from Tom S and Ben K allowed the team to build attack after attack. Relentless running from Robert S and Benedict L in the forward line kept the pressure on Moon Hall but sadly the breakthrough did not arrive. The second half saw a different starting eleven from the opposition, but our players stuck to their tasks and played with stamina. One or two goals were conceded, but it might have been more were it not for a collective team spirit that would not yield.
Mr Allen
Boys' Football: U15As v. Box Hill
What a rollercoaster of a match!! Duke of Kent School got off to a flying start with Oscar H pouncing on a mistake from the defender to score within the first couple of minutes. However, Box Hill School replied to make it 1-1 despite the best efforts of Leo T-R in goal. This encouraged Duke of Kent School to keep attacking and some good passing resulted in Oscar H running behind the defence and scoring again. Before half-time Box Hill School were able to score again to make it 2-2 at half time with a brilliant strike from outside the box. After a quick rest and hydration Duke of Kent School came out with confidence and we managed to take the lead again through Isaac P after a good pass from Jamie P. Box Hill School came back again after some great defensive work from Josh W-D to make it 3-3. It continued in this yo-yo fashion but with Box Hill School taking the lead before Oscar H completed his hat-trick to make it 4-4. Unfortunately in the last 5 minutes Box Hill School managed to catch us napping and win the game 5-4. Well done to all the boys involved as you showed good fight throughout the match.
Mr Green
Girls' Hockey: U12-13A/Bs v St. Edmund's School
On Wednesday, despite the driving rain and blustery winds the U12-13 A/B Team approached their hockey match with focus and determination. It was fantastic to see greater fluency in their passing and three well worked goals; two scored by Issy N and another by Tansy T. Player of the match was awarded to Willow D who displayed great pace and strength on the ball in midfield. Overall, a thoroughly deserved victory, well done to all involved!
Mrs Dann
Girls' Hockey: U14-16As v St. Edmund's School
On Tuesday, the U16 A's faced a confident St. Edmund's School side, they displayed some strong attacking play in the first half and did extremely well to win a short corner and create multiple scoring opportunities. Notable performances came from Alex K who linked the play skilfully up front and Esme P who was calm and clinical at the back. It was 0-0 at half time so it felt disappointing to concede some goals in the second half but well done to Phoebe P who was voted player of the match and Sydney R who stepped up to play in goal having never tried it before.
Mrs Dann
Girls' Hockey: U14-16Bs v. St Edmund's School
On Tuesday afternoon, the U14-U16B team took on St Edmund's School! It was a team with a mixture of Year 9, 10 & 11 girls who hadn't had much time to practice as a team yet so it was even more impressive to see their flawless performance!! It was an extremely well-matched game with both teams creating chances, maintaining possession and making some epic tackles! Duke of Kent School managed to gain the lead with a fantastic goal from Francesca R. It was great to see the team link their play together in the midfield with Issy F, Ella S and Daisy R all working tirelessly to push forward as well as drop back to defend. Pippa S made some great runs as a high forward and worked well with the midfield. Meanwhile, Clara H-S and Helena K put in a quite remarkable display in defence, cutting off almost every opportunity that St Edmund's created and remaining calm in the final quarter to hold out for the win! Maggie B made some crucial saves in goal and helped the team get over the line. It was an epic performance with great determination shown towards the end of the game. A brilliant 1-0 win, huge congratulations to all the girls involved and particularly Clara H-S for being awarded player of the match.
Miss Vickers
Girls' Hockey: U14-16Ds v St. Edmund's School
On Tuesday, the U16 D Team played their first game of the season and they performed brilliantly! The defence tackled like troopers and the team's effort and commitment throughout the match was second to none. Alex K kindly stepped in to play goalkeeper (after playing in the previous match) having never played there before and was voted player of the match! After going one nil down Duke of Kent School worked hard to try and use the right channel more. They achieved this by putting into practice some skills they had worked on in training and Mercy M scored effortlessly to take the final score to 1-1; a fantastic result.
Mrs Dann
Girls' Hockey: U14-16Es v. St Edmund's School
On Wednesday afternoon, the U14-16 E team welcomed St Edmund’s School to Duke of Kent School for a hockey match. The girls had been practising their positions in their PE lessons, and were ready to get going! It was a fantastic start, with the first two goals scored in quick succession by Belles within the first 10 minutes of play. In defence we had Eva, Emily and Phoebe working brilliantly together, ensuring that by the end of the second quarter we were still in the lead with a score of 2-1. In the last 10 minutes of the match, I was impressed by our midfield players' fitness, with Chloe, Poppy and Rose working tirelessly to drive the ball back into our half. With only a few minutes left of the match, with help from an assist from Lucy, Belles scored her third goal of the match, leaving the final score of 3-1 to Duke of Kent School. The player of the match decided by St Edmund's School was Belles, well done girls!
Mrs Turnbull
Girls' Netball: U9s v. St Edmund's School
The U9 Team had their first Netball match of the season on Thursday. The sun shone brightly and excitement levels were high. The team got off to a great start taking an early lead after Violet W shot the first goal with ease. The U9's played St. Edmund's A & B Team and both games were very close. Highlights were some fantastic interceptions made by Charlotte L and Violet W's impressive long range goal. Lottie O was awarded player of the match after demonstrating her versatility in different positions and desire to improve her game. Well done to all involved!
Mrs Dann
Girls' Netball: U8s v. St Edmund's School
On Thursday afternoon, the Year 3s had their first netball match of the year. As you can imagine, the excitement was through the roof!! The girls were split into two teams; team green and team blue! Team green were up first, it was fantastic to see they had remembered the positions and rules of the game and everyone got stuck in. The catching was particularly impressive with the team managing to string passes together from one end of the court to the other. The green team managed to score a goal and win the match! Next up were the blue team, it was another fantastic game with both teams having goal scoring opportunities and Duke of Kent School managed to score two goals! What a brilliant afternoon of netball (and a delicious match tea!) - a wonderful start to the term. A huge thank you to all the parents who came to watch and made it such a brilliant atmosphere!
Miss Vickers
On Wednesday 20th September Reception had a wonderful day out at the Weald and Downland Living Museum at Singleton. We have been looking at both traditional tales and considering our community and how children lived in the past, so this was ideal. 
On Friday 15th September, the English Department warmly welcomed the award-winning author, Hannah Lynn to School. In the morning, Hannah delivered an incredibly inspiring assembly. She highlighted the many careers available in the world of publishing, but most poignantly she shared her personal story of how she moved from being a Physics teacher in an international school, to a published author, and the importance of following your passions. 
Year 9 wrote emotive defence speeches for archetypal villains such as Darth Vader and The Joker in their ‘Flipping Perspectives’ workshops. Year 5 and 7 really developed their understanding of how to plan a narrative full of tension and suspense and how to create a character who is both flawed and empowered in their ‘What’s in a Story?’ sessions. Year 3 demonstrated some fantastic knowledge of Greek mythology in their workshop ‘Myths in Modern Day’; I can’t believe they’ve only been studying it for two weeks! They also created some brilliant (and terrifying) monsters, as well as courageous heroes to star in their own original myths. 
After our dinner of Cowboy Pie and lasagne, we played Chubby Bunnies - which Bea won with twelve marshmallows! - followed by a donut eating competition. Delicious! We then rounded off the evening with another game of Sardines. A fabulous time had by all with loads of laughter. Thank you Mrs Green and Mrs Nicholson!
Year 6 have also spent some time admiring wild animals this week, watching clips of wolves in their English lessons to help them write diary entries from the perspective of a cave-dwelling, lupine character. Amelie C wrote: "the wind whistled and the waves made a soothing song...the echoing sound snaking up my spine like a colony of ants". Terrific! Year 3 were also working on their words, analysing features of adventure stories and learning how to punctuate direct speech. They had a rather soggy but wonderful Forest School visit, studying how animals rely on their senses to navigate woodlands and completed various challenges whilst blindfolded! Lastly, ahead of our European Day of Languages, Reception were focusing on France, singing songs, tasting croissants and - ever up for a challenge - trying to build the Eiffel Tower! Ooh, la, la! Pupils who would like to are invited to wear the colours of a flag on Monday, and we would love it if they could say 'hello' and 'goodbye' in the corresponding language. Bon weekend a tous!
Thursday involved a successful Photography Day at the Witterings, led by Mr Watson, allowing those with a passion for photography to test their skills in a new environment. On Friday we waved goodbye to the majority of Year 10 as they embarked on their Duke of Edinburgh expedition with (fingers crossed!) largely dry weather expected and a pleasant temperature for walking.
Next week, the Prep and Senior students will set the first quiz of the year. The House that collates the highest score will receive 100 House points, with every student who takes part earning an extra 3 House points. The students can also gain House points through rewards, with stars and merits worth 3 House points while a Values Award or Commendation is worth 15! 
We all decided their worry monster needed a name, so every pupil wrote their choice on a star and the worry monster pointed at random to the new name. Meet Year 1’s Rainbow Dash - she will be munching on the children’s worries and letting Miss Walpole know of any she may be able to help with.
