The School menu next week

Year 3 trip to Butser Ancient Farm

On Monday, Year 3 enjoyed a wonderful day at Butser Ancient Farm. We were greeted by our extremely informative guides and a rather gorgeous goat called Hamish, who the children thoroughly enjoyed introducing themselves to. They first visited an Iron Age roundhouse and learnt about building techniques and what life would have been like at that time. They then got into teams and made wattle fences. Luckily, they weren’t asked to also go and collect any animal dung to make the daub that would have gone on it! Next, we had a tour of a Roman villa. Although it was much grander than the Iron Age buildings, most of the children said they would prefer to forsake the hypocausts, frescoes and mosaics and would rather live the simple life round the fire in the cosy Celtic roundhouses.

They also had the opportunity to be archaeologists, digging into the ground and examining all the treasures that they unearthed. Later in the day, they tried their hand at chalk carving. First they smoothed the surfaces of the chalk with flints, then dyed it with dock leaves, dandelions and charcoal before carving their pictures into it. They then created natural soap suds using crushed soapwort leaves to wash their chalky hands before returning home with their precious artwork as treasured souvenirs from a wonderful day out.

Mrs Nicholson

Year 9 Art pupils’ drawing trip

On Tuesday, Year 9 pupils planning to take Art and Design GCSE travelled to London to visit the Tate Modern. The trip was designed to give them the best possible start to their first GCSE art project, which they will be developing around the theme “Structures”. The Tate never fails to impress, surprise and enthral; pupils were given the autonomy to explore the galleries independently and respond to their favourite pieces of work in their sketchbooks. Particular favourites amongst the pupils included Picasso's early work, Fernand Leger's city abstracts and Barbara Hepworth's sculptures.

Following our visit to the Tate Modern, we took a photographic tour of the Southbank and surrounding areas. This took us over the Millennium Bridge to the contrasting architecture of St Paul’s and the alleyways of Blackfriars, followed by the iconic National Theatre and the London Eye. This allowed pupils to collect a wide variety of contrasting visual starting points for their coming project.

Mr Watson

Tom S starring in Big Fish

Congratulations to Year 9 pupil Tom S who is starring in the Project Theatre Company's version of the musical Big Fish this half-term from 29^th May to 1^st June. (Big Fish is written by Andrew Lippa, who also wrote The Addams Family.)

Tom has been busy with Big Fish since the beginning of February, sharing the role of Young Will. Tom is playing Young Will on the Thursday evening and Saturday evening and then performing in the ensemble in the other performances. There are only 14 cast members – 12 adults, plus Tom and another boy. It is not a youth theatre, but a full adult amateur dramatic performance, and Tom is to be commended for his mature approach to the whole process and the hard work he has put into it.

Tickets are selling fast, so if you’d like to come along to enjoy the show and to support Tom, please get booking without delay:

https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/project-theatre-company/

This week, Nursery have been enjoying learning all about ladybirds, while Reception watched their butterflies hatch and retold the story of the Bad-Tempered Ladybird. Year 1 have written their own book, The Naughty Bus at Duke of Kent School. The children were really happy to see it complete. In Maths, they have been practising buying things, using the fewest number of coins.

In Prep School, it's been revision week ahead of School exams next week. However, there's still been a chance to get out and about for some. Year 3 enjoyed a fantastic trip to Butser Farm and then, back at School, consolidated their learning by writing about and drawing Iron Age roundhouses and preparing an estate agent's brochure for their dream Roman Villa. Year 4 have been taking their mathematical learning outside, measuring the area of various different places around the School grounds such as the netball court and vegetable patch. They showed excellent use of the trundle wheels and metre rulers.

The Prep School Council had a lively debate about whether they thought pupils should be allowed to have their own packed lunches on trips – an issue which a Year 5 pupil had proposed. There was much discussion about the advantages and disadvantages of this idea. Overall, it was decided that there were too many points against it, but perhaps in the future there could be more discussion about pupils being able to bring an appropriate snack of their own.

Reading certificates: Charlotte P and Willow B (Gold), Henry S and Elsa (Platinum)

Mrs Nicholson

Stars of the week

Nursery – Theo McA for showing turn taking on the bikes and consideration towards others.

Reception – Harry L for demonstrating greater resilience and willingness to tackle new challenges.

Year 1 – Mattie F for being independent in all you do. You have such a positive attitude towards everything you put your mind to. I admire your strength of character to be an individual.

Year 2 – Annabelle W for showing care and diligence during Maths – you successfully answered the tricky challenge and explained your answer using accurate mathematical language!

Harry R for your wonderful “can do” attitude towards your independent learning.

Mrs Henry

On Monday, Years 7-9 attended an assembly regarding Mental Health Awareness Week, with Mrs Douglas going through the importance of mental health and how we can help take care of ourselves. This year the theme is “Moving more for our mental health” and, therefore, many movement activities, gratitude walks and wellbeing classes have been occurring during the week, along with a whole range of information relating to the positive effects of keeping active.

Year 10 attended an assembly in the Meetings Room on Monday where they met a representative from Godalming College who, on the back of our Sixth Form Information Evening last Thursday, went through the options open to pupils at 16 and the various opportunities that are on offer at Godalming College. Meanwhile, the Year 11 cohort started their first full week of GCSE exams with a bumper two-hour English Literature paper on Monday morning and have been in full swing ever since.

Whilst the midweek weather was changeable, a number of cricket matches went ahead over Tuesday and Wednesday across the age ranges, with generally favourable results. On Friday we saw the Year 10 cohort start their annual School exams, whilst years 7-9 attended an assembly looking at how to manage exam stress, exam etiquette and how to give yourself the best opportunity to do well.

Congratulations this week go to the following pupils who have gained a multiple of 25 Merit Points and therefore received a lunch fastpass and a stationery prize on Friday morning; Rommy B, Henry W (Year 7), Eddie C, Patrick W (Year 8), George C, Arthur DK (Year 9) and Moxon K (Year 10). Well done to you all.

Mr Wilson

ISA Junior London South Regionals

On Friday, Prep school pupils travelled to the Xcel Leisure Complex in Walton to compete against 15 other schools to represent London South. It was a very hot day, with all the pupils competing giving their all in both track and field events. Well done to Ruby W who achieved a bronze medal in 150 metres, with 22.43 seconds, the Year 6 boys' relay team coming 2^nd with a silver medal, and the Year 6 girls' relay team coming 3^rd for a bronze medal. Extra mention goes to Hubie S and Alfie H who have qualified for the ISA National Finals in Birmingham on Monday 17^th June, Hubie S (1^st in high jump with 1.40m) and Alfie H (1^st in 80m with 11.02 seconds).

Mr Green

Girls’ cricket: U14/15 A Team v St Edmund's School

On Tuesday afternoon, the U14/15 A Team travelled to St Edmund's. The initial plan was a hardball game at a cricket club local to St Edmund's School, however, the morning's weather had somewhat let us down, so their hardball pitch was not playable. In order to keep the game on, it was moved to a smaller school pitch with a plastic wicket – perfect for a softball game. The girls were quite excited as some of them had not played softball in a while and slightly different tactics needed to be applied in comparison to a hardball game! Duke of Kent School won the toss and elected to field, so they knew a target to beat when batting. Jess I and Saoirse W bowled some excellent overs, gaining two wickets between them. The wickets continued to come, with Edie H, Daisy R and Phoebe P all bowling with great accuracy. St Edmund's were consistent with their running and hit some boundaries off their last few overs to score 149 runs in total. After a quick team talk, the girls were ready to bat. Maggie B opened the batting and scored a six off her first ball, an amazing start for the team! Phoebe P continued the strong batting start with a four and multiple ones. Phoebe P came in to bat for a second time towards the end of the match and hit two wonderful sixes! Edie H and Alice B were a great pairing, with clear communication and some lovely strikes of the ball. The game was fairly close as the final pair came in. St Edmund's managed to get three wickets in the final three overs, but it was great to see Jess I and Saoirse W use their cricketing knowledge to play it safe with their running and win the game by 14 runs. A brilliant game of cricket. Well done to everyone involved!

Miss Vickers

Boys’ cricket: U14/15 B Team v Farlington School

Duke of Kent School hosted Farlington on Top Pitch on Tuesday, with Duke of Kent School batting first. Dom K (49 from 40 balls) set the tone with some aggressive batting from the start, hitting seven fours and two sixes. He was able to put on a 56 2^nd wicket partnership with Chester S in six overs with some big hits and finding the gaps. Moxon K (19 runs from 10 balls) kept the run-rate high, hitting four boundaries in the last two overs. At the end of our 13 overs, Duke of Kent School scored 97. Farlington managed to score 62 on their 13 overs, but were pegged back with wickets shared between Oscar H, Jack D and Jude B. Our bowling was backed up by some brilliant fielding as Tom B and Dom K were able to get a run out. Well done to all those involved.

Mr Green

Girls’ cricket: U14/15 B Team v St Edmund's School

On Tuesday, the U14/15 B Cricket Team travelled away to play St Edmund's School. Duke of Kent School won the toss and elected to field first. Em F opened the bowling very well, showing good line and length and a stumping in the first over! Annabel O followed and did equally well with only two runs scored off the over. St Edmund's had a strong second and third pair, who enjoyed a leg-side delivery and hit a few boundaries that were hard to stop. However, Mattie R took a good catch, Em F came back on to bowl another excellent over and Sydney R took a wicket in the second to last over! The team began their batting innings chasing a total of 191. Duke of Kent School were unlucky to start, losing four wickets in the first four overs. Em F played on, Annabel O hit two lovely shots that were caught and Francesca R also played the ball onto her wicket. However, Emily N, Sydney R and Mattie R batted really positively, hitting seven fours between them. Anna S and Belles H also scored plenty of singles after their quick running between the wickets. It was an exciting finish as the team came close to catching their opposition's total, but sadly they were four runs short and finished on a total of 187.

Mrs Dann

Girls’ cricket: U10 Team v Farlington School

On Wednesday afternoon, the U10 girls team made the short trip to Farlington for their softball cricket game. Farlington won the toss, so they elected to field first. Duke of Kent School got off to a flying start with Elsa H and Charlotte P hitting some fantastic fours. Layla B and Seren G showed great communication as a batting team, scoring lots of singles and taking good risks. The score continued to build throughout the innings with the U10 team finishing on a great score of 211 runs. After a quick team talk, the girls were ready to bowl and field. Some particularly brilliant bowling came from Evie B, Florence A, Eva W and Evelyn C. It was great to see the improvement the girls have made over the term, with some really confident bowlers on show! The fielding was also very impressive, with particularly alert and quick fielding from Elsa H, Layla B and Eva W. Farlington fought hard and had a brilliant last four overs to almost reach the 211 target, but they fell just seven runs short. Well done to the U10 for a brilliant win. What a great game!

Miss Vickers

Boys’ cricket: U10/11 C Team v Longacre School

Duke of Kent School travelled to Longacre on Wednesday to play a pairs cricket match. Duke of Kent School bowled first and showed some good accuracy and pace from Ivan K, Sam PR and Herb M, but were unable to get any wickets, with Longacre scoring 102 from their eight overs. This meant it was an uphill battle from the get-go, with Duke of Kent School needing to score just over 25 runs per pair. The boys showed great grit and determination, but fell short of the total with losing three wickets, minus 15 runs, and were not able to capitalise on the free hits. Well done to Ben G and Sam PR as they managed to score 24 runs when batting with four boundaries.

Mr Green

Years 7 and 8 House Cricket

On Wednesday, the Year 7 and 8 girls' House cricket matches took place. It was perfect weather for cricket and the houses joined forces to make up 10 or 11-a-side teams with every House playing three matches. During the first innings, Kestrel and Buzzard batted well and scored 53 runs against Peregrine and Hawk's fielding team. Norah H and Erin C scored some quick singles and Elfie G bowled accurately. During the second innings, highlights were Edith S's wicket and Willow D's quick, accurate bowling. Tansy T and Izzy N were a strong batting pair, but Peregrine and Hawk finished on 38.

Peregrine and Buzzard won the second match against Kestrel and Hawk by 18 runs. Myrtille M and Willow D hit some great fours and sixes between them, Erin C took a wicket and Lola C and Lois M bowled well. The final match was won by Peregrine and Kestrel against Buzzard and Hawk. Highlights were Penny N's super six, Norah H's wicket and Isla W's catch. Overall, there was a tie of two wins each across three houses, so the final placing was worked out through the total number of runs scored. Peregrine were just on top with 119, Kestrel on 116, Buzzard on 114 and Hawk 81, so a close set of results! Well done to all involved as the matches were played in a competitive and positive spirit.

Mrs Dann

Girls’ cricket: U8/9 Leopards Team 

It was touch and go whether the girls cricket matches against St Edmund's School were going to go ahead on Thursday. Luckily, the weather cleared at just the right time, and it turned into a lovely sunny afternoon for the U8/9's second cricket match this term. Captain, Lottie O, won the toss and wisely chose to field first. Most of the team still find the bowling tricky, but it was great to see everyone persevering and achieving some good deliveries during their over. Well done to Lottie O for her accurate bowling and for the team's improved fielding, particularly their overarm throwing into the stumps. The opposition had some good batters who scored three sixes between them, creating a healthy total for Duke of Kent School to chase. Elsie S and Pia S were the first batting pair. Elsie S hit a lovely four to start the innings and Pia S finished off the first over with some quick running between the wickets to score two singles. Annabelle T and Flossie H showed a good understanding of the game through their confident calling to one another. Elsa H and Lottie O were the highest scoring pair, but the Leopards didn't quite reach their opposition's total. However, no one gave their wicket away and everyone enjoyed the sandwiches and bourbons after the game!

Mrs Dann

Year 7 and 8 boys' House Cricket: Buzzard v Hawk

On a wonderful Wednesday afternoon, the Year 7 and 8 boys’ House cricket got underway. Everybody played with a hardball, which was a great experience for those who do not often play with one. On top pitch, it was Buzzard v Hawk. The first team to bat were Hawk, and they started well against the bowlers, managing to bat four overs before the first wicket fell thanks to Ethan N’s bowling. Ben J and George K scored well, with a few boundaries amongst their runs, and Ethan G rotated the strike well when he came in after some quick thinking from Henry S stumped the previous batter. Hawk set a total of 91 runs, meaning Buzzard had a target of 92 runs to win.

Buzzard started their chase with a lot of pressure being applied by Ben J and George K, with both getting a wicket early on. Despite being two wickets down after three overs, Ollie K and Thibaut J started to counter-attack and managed to put on ten and 14 runs respectively. This late charge led to it being a very close game, but Buzzard were six runs off their target score, meaning Hawk won the match. Well done to all the boys who played in this game!

Mr Clayton

Girls’ cricket: U9 Lions v St Edmund’s School

On Thursday afternoon, the weather cleared in perfect timing for our Year 3 and 4 cricket matches! St Edmund's arrived as the sun began to peek out through the clouds! Duke of Kent School girls were split into three teams and the matches soon got underway. The U9 Lions Team won the toss and elected to field. There was some great bowling on show, with particularly good overs coming from Mila S, Alaska B and Norah C. It was great to see the whole team alert in the field and stopping lots of boundaries! St Edmund's had a great last few overs hitting some fours and finishing with a score of 227. The Lions were roaring (!) to go and excited to bat. Things got off to a shaky start losing a wicket in the first over, however Violet W and Beth F then found their feet and scored two fours! Charlotte L played some brilliant shots scoring a six and multiple fours! It was great to see the girls’ improvement in their communication with lots of pairs running some brilliant ones. The score finished 246 runs to 227. A great win for team the U9 girls – go the Lions!

Miss Vickers

Amidst the myriad of future pathways available to pupils, apprenticeships have witnessed a remarkable surge in popularity and accessibility in recent years. Offering a distinctive route to success, apprenticeships seamlessly integrate practical experience with academic learning, empowering individuals with the requisite skills and knowledge essential for thriving in their chosen fields. Once perceived as a secondary choice for those unable to secure admission to university, apprenticeships have evolved into a compelling option in today's dynamic job market. They now cater to pupils aspiring for hands-on training, professional growth, and a direct entry into rewarding careers. Depending on the employer, apprenticeships often involve remuneration during training and the attainment of recognised qualifications upon completion.

In response to the escalating interest in apprenticeships, UNIFROG has curated a series of informative webinars to delve deeper into this evolving option, providing invaluable insights and guidance to pupils navigating their career choices.

To access these webinars, you will need to log into the platform. If you have any difficulty in logging in, please contact Mr Wyllie.

How to find your perfect apprenticeship: click here.

Undecided about Apprenticeships?: click here.

Demystifying Advance Apprenticeships: click here.

Mr Wyllie

This week, the sustainability council met again to finish our current sustainability audit. Although pleasantly surprised by the biodiversity and efforts we are currently making in the grounds, we have a long way to go towards net carbon zero with our transportation, energy and waste! To begin our efforts, we are now a TerraCycle partner, recycling our biscuit, crisp and other wrappers in School, as well as any electric toothbrush heads and covers, electric flosser nozzles, flossing sticks and interdental brushes, dental floss containers and manual toothbrushes. The more we recycle, the more TerraCycle points we gain, so please drop off clean recycling to the snazzy new box outside the DT workshop.

Pupils now also have access to our School litter-pickers, (also housed outside the DT Workshop for easy access!), with merits and House points on offer to those who complete a litter pick around the grounds during morning and lunch breaks.

Entries are still open for both the Eco Schools “Healthy City” and Wilder Schools competitions. See Mr Gritton or Mrs Wilkinson for more details and good luck!

This week’s top tip:

We have just purchased a Duke of Kent School wormery, so in preparation for their arrival, why don’t you help the Soil Association to create a UK worm map to better understand our soil health at home! Getting involved is easy and a lot of fun, and you have until 31^st May to report your findings. Click here to find out more.

Mrs Wilkinson and Mr Gritton

Mr Boden

We are gearing up for exam week for many of our pupils next week. We know for a lot of pupils this can be a stressful time, which can lead to physical symptoms of ill health. Mrs Douglas has sent information on how you can help at home. Click here for a link for more tips from the NHS.

We wish all the pupils the best of luck for their weekend of revision and the exams ahead. Remember to keep perspective – there is life beyond exams; just try your best, make yourself proud, and that's all that anyone can ask. As always, the School nurses and all staff are here to help the pupils through this potentially challenging period of time.

The good news, there is much to look forward to after the exam week. First, a much-needed week of rest at half-term. Then we return to School in June to events and trips a-plenty! Let's hope the weather behaves. Don't forget to come to School suitably prepared with named sunhats, sun cream and water bottles as the days hopefully get warmer. It's also worth keeping an eye out for ticks after time spent outdoors, and please send pupils to School dosed up with antihistamine if they struggle with grass pollen season.

Pupils attending the Years 4, 5 and 6 residential trips (plus the Silver DofE Expedition for Year 10 participants if they wish staff to store and administer their meds) are reminded to send any medications for the trips to Mrs Sarjant at School by Friday 24^th May please. Medications for the Year 3 camp and the Year 10 Dorset residential trip should be delivered the first week after the half-term break please (ie, by Friday 7^th June).

Have a lovely weekend – a bit of revision, balanced with some rest and relaxation we hope.

The School Nurses

PADoK

Grand opening – PADoK Second Hand Uniform shop

Wednesday 5^th June, 15.00-16.00

Please join us for a drink and some nibbles at the official opening of PADoK’s second hand uniform shop.

A fantastic project; from shed to shop, it has come together due to the hard work of our School support team and Bursar, Keith Stacey, our PADoK team, Camilla Phillips, Emma Lowe and Cathy Williams, and is one that is testament to all our parents who play their part in reducing waste, donating and purchasing uniform wherever possible. 

All funds raised go directly to PADoK and ultimately contribute towards our children’s education here at Duke of Kent School. 

We are extremely proud of our little shop which is proving increasingly popular, and we look forward to seeing those who can make it, at 15.00 outside, to cut the ribbon. 

And yes, our doors will also be open for business. You are very welcome to pick up a tie or two!

A Midsummer Night – Saturday 8^th June

Charity event to raise funds for Sarcoma UK

Tickets have been selling fast for the “A Midsummer Night” charity event but we would love to sell a few more to raise as much money as possible for Sarcoma UK, which is the School charity this year. Please come along, it will be a great night.

We have 33 lovely raffles prizes, a barrow of booze and a very special raffle/auction prize, so plenty of chances to win something exciting.

Please see details of the summer event below:

Where: Hurtwood Polo Club

Raffle with amazing prizes.

Ticket price: £35 which includes a welcome drink, Thai bowl food, The Accidentals (Mr Rye’s fabulous band)

Book tickets by emailing padok@dokschool.org with your child’s name and year group.

PADoK Walk 

This coming week. Date to be decided, but most likely Friday 24^th May 08.30 at Pitch Hill.

Duke of Kent School Flyers

Wednesdays 08.30-09.30 (Tara Coles and Lois Williams)

***As of next week, another session for those who can’t do mornings: Mondays 17.30 – 18.30 outdoor courts***

As of this week, we have added another training session every Monday 17.30-18.30 on the outdoor courts for any parents who can’t make a Wednesday morning. Please do come on down, fun and fitness is guaranteed.

If you’re looking for a fantastic way to stay active, make friends, and be a part of an exciting team, join us on a Wednesday morning and be a part of the Duke of Kent School Flyers!

Come and join us. So much fun to be had and so good for the soul.

Duke of Kent School Singers

Thursdays 08.20-09.00 (Cathy Williams)

No singing this week, hopefully back on next week. Please do come along at any time for a listen or a sing. No pressure to perform, just enjoy it week-on-week. Hope to see you there!

Any questions, please do contact Cathy Williams rhodricathy@sky.com/07813 282910 or please just come along!

A relaxed singing group run by our Director of Music, Mr Rye, who kindly gives up his time to teach us how to sing. It is always fun and uplifting rather than a pressured environment. Our focus is always on enjoying singing and getting the most out of our time together.

PADoK Core Control

Strengthen your body, improve your health with our physio-led stability group. Friday mornings 08.30, Astroturf

We will be cracking on through the summer months now the rain has bid us farewell and hope to be outside at every opportunity by the Astroturf.

For new joiners to the group, please hit us up on the WhatsApp group.

PADoK Book Club

(Claire Newman)

This term we will be reading a new book called The Household written by Stacey Halls. We hope you enjoy it.

London, 1847. In a quiet house in the countryside outside London, the finishing touches are being made to welcome a group of young women. The house and its location are top secret, its residents unknown to one another, but the girls have one thing in common: they are fallen. Offering refuge for prostitutes, petty thieves and the destitute, Urania Cottage is a second chance at life – but how badly do they want it?

Meanwhile, a few miles away in a Piccadilly mansion, millionairess Angela Burdett-Coutts, one of the benefactors of Urania Cottage, makes a discovery that leaves her cold. Her stalker of ten years has been released from prison, and she knows it's only a matter of time before their nightmarish game resumes once more.

As the women's worlds collide in ways they could never have expected, they will discover that freedom always comes at a price …

The Household is the new novel from the award-winning, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Familiars, The Foundling and Mrs England. Set against Charles Dickens' home for fallen women and inspired by real figures from history, it is Stacey Halls' most ambitious and captivating novel yet.

Rainbow Trust

Rainbow Trust will be hosting a Rainbow Adventure Trail at Hatchlands Park on 29^th May. All event proceeds will go to the Rainbow Trust Children’s Charity. They are also looking for volunteers to help with the event, so do get in touch if this would be of interest.

The Rainbow Adventure Trail is part of a bigger initiative: Rainbow Week, which is running over half-term. The week, running from the 26^th May to 2^nd June, will be bursting with colour and fun. They are encouraging everyone across the country to join their fun-filled fundraising activities and raise vital funds to support families with a terminally ill child. Further details can be found here.

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.