Girls' Hockey: U15/16 A v.Box Hill Schoool
On Tuesday afternoon, the U15/16 A Team stepped out onto the hockey pitch for their first game of the season. Duke of Kent School looked well organised and demonstrated good ball pace from the outset. Jess I controlled the game well at CM and Isla B made some strong attacking runs and fed the circle well but there was a lot of congestion in the D making it difficult to convert the pressure the team put on their opposition in the first half. Duke of Kent School kept up the pressure and hard work in the second half and were rewarded with their first goal which was beautifully executed by Phoebe P. Considering it was their first match, the team connected with one another really well and made very few mistakes. Clara H-S made a number of excellent tackles in defence and Alice B distributed well from midfield and scored a lovely goal to take the final score to 2-0. Well done to Tildy C who was voted player of the match and to everyone whose work rate and determination was fantastic!
Mrs Dann
Girls' Hockey: U15/16 B v. Box Hill School
On Tuesday afternoon, the U15/16 B team began their hockey season with a home match v. Box Hill. After some warm up practice, the team were ready to go and started well with some nice passing from the midfield and into our forwards to create goal scoring opportunities. Bella S gave the team an early lead and the attacking play continued. Edie H and Issy F scored some great goals at the end of the first half. With lots of switching of positions in the second half, Mattie R came into midfield and had a great game, later being awarded player of the game, for some excellent tackles and powerful passing. Lucy M scored a cracking goal in the second half consolidating our win! A huge well done to the team for a great first win.
Mrs Monk
Girls' Hockey: U12/13 A v. Box Hill School
On Wednesday afternoon, the U12/13 A team welcomed Box Hill to our Wilsons' Pitch for their first hockey match of the term. The team played against 2 of Box Hill's teams, their U13A and U12A as a triangular. The match v. the U13A was extremely exciting with some excellent hockey on show. Duke of Kent School took their chances brilliantly with Halle S and Norah C finishing their chances to put the team 2 goals up. However Box Hill fought back, especially in the second half, despite some quality tackles from Charlotte C and Jasmine W, the score finished 3-3 - what an exciting game! Shout out should go to Lola C who stepped up to play in goal and did a great job. The team also took on Box Hill's U12A and had great success, showing some lovely skill to smoothly get the ball from defence, through our midfield and onto our forward line. It was great to see some brilliant moments of flowing hockey, considering it was the first time the team had played a competitive match together and they gained a well deserved win. Great work girls, keep it up!
Mrs Monk
Netball: Years 3 and 4 v. Longacre
On Thursday afternoon, the Year 3 and 4 girls were super excited for their first netball match of the term! With lots of excitement, and some nerves too, matches soon got underway! The U8/9 dark blue team started well, managing to connect their passes and create some goal scoring opportunities. Darcie S was on fire and quickly scored a great goal. Willow B played brilliantly in C, showing good understanding of the game and some great movement. The game continued to remain very close with a goal for each team being scored in the second quarter! Tildy T, Georgia C and Darcy McC worked hard in defence making interceptions and regaining possession for the team. Dagny N demonstrated great power when passing and Annabelle Sunshine T showed her dynamic movement on the court. Longacre came back into the game in the final quarter and the score finished 3-2 to Duke of Kent School. What a brilliant first game. Huge well done to all the team and to Georgia C for being awarded player of the game!
Mrs Monk
Netball: U9 v. Longacre
This Thursday, the U9 Green Team played their first Netball match of the season against Longacre in Ness Hall. Everyone was very excited to be on court again and there was intense concentration as the team reminded themselves of the rules and which zones they were allowed in! The first quarter was end to end with a terrific display of fluent passing and good catching. Daisy W was brilliant at finding space amongst the frenzy of bodies trying to get free for a pass. Coralie C made some fantastic interceptions in defence and Pia S scored a lovely goal and was voted player of the match. Despite finishing one goal behind Longacre it was such an exciting match; everyone should be very proud of the effort and determination they displayed.
Mrs Dann
Netball: U8 v. Longacre
In their first ever match, the U8 Light Blue netball team showed amazing spirit and determination despite a 1-0 defeat to Longacre School. Every player agreed to try different positions, contributing to an amazing team effort. Nola S delivered some impressive shots on goal and Olivia H made some great dynamic runs through the middle of the court. The team demonstrated excellent passing and displayed great enthusiasm throughout the game. Their hard work and positive attitude were noticeable, promising exciting chances for future matches.
Miss Walters
Football: U15A vs Shoreham College
The U15s kicked off their season with a tight match against Shoreham College on Tuesday. Shoreham College started off brighter out of the two teams with some nice passing in their midfield but Duke of Kent School held strong. Due to some good defending from Will B and defensive play from Chester S and Dom K. Midway through the first half Monty L was able to find some space to feed the ball through to Hugo S, who scored from a tight angle. Shoreham College managed to score before half time to make it 1-1. After the break Felix C started to find some more room which allowed Duke of Kent School to have more possession. This resulted in Hugo S completing his hat-trick with Duke of Kent School being 3-1 winners.
Mr Green
Football: U12/13 C's and D's vs Moon Hall School
On Wednesday the C's and D's had a triangular tournament against Moon Hall School to start their season. They found it tough going to start with as Moon Hall School were playing some nice football but Duke of Kent School grew into the game with some strong tackling from Ben G and tireless running from Alex I and George R upfront. This was matched with some brave goalkeeping from Harry MC and George S. Well done to all the boys involved as they showed good teamwork and worked hard until the final whistle.
Mr Green
Football: U8/9 Lions vs St Edmund's
The U8/9 Lions travelled to St Edmund's on Thursday for their first competitive away match of the year. Well done to all involved as they showed great determination for the ball and kept going throughout the entire match. Daniel L made some good saves in goal and was backed up with some great blocking from Harry R and Harry S. Josh B and Johnnie G showed good link up play to get the ball forward to Rocket M. This was all capped off by a brilliant debut goal from Jenson B.
Mr Green
Football: U8/9 Tigers v. St Edmund's
Well done to all of the boys who worked with great determination and effort against a strong St Edmund's Team on Thursday. Although the Tigers did not win this game they showed good teamwork, were very supportive of each other when they conceded a goal and showed good sportsmanship throughout. We look forward to our next match against Ripley Court next week.
Mr Herbert
Football: U8/9 Panthers vs St Edmond's
A drive down the A3 kicked off the year for the boys, with a limited warm up the boys were thrown right into it. Despite this Duke of Kent School started well with early goals from Henry P and Max M giving us an early 2-0 lead. Max and Henry both scored again before half time with some great team play creating loads of chances and bringing out some great saves from the St Edmonds goalkeeper. Archie H led the defense with a fearless attitude strongly supported by others. Duke of Kent School scored 2 more goals again from great team play to start the year with an amazing 6-0 win. Man of the Match goes to Max but the whole team deserves it.
Mr Hewitt
We are well and truly into the rhythms of the new academic year with a week full of learning, trips and matches. A number of our pupil committees are now underway with the sustainability committee laying out their plans for gaining our Eco Schools Green Flag award. Our School Council and Charity Committees are also starting to plan their initiatives for the term. The extra-curricular clubs have started in earnest with the baking club creating raspberry flapjacks and the sign language club learning how to sign their names and the alphabet. I really love this time of the year – there is such a lovely sense of energy and positivity around the School. All of our pupils and families are to be congratulated on settling into the school so well. A huge thank you to our class reps and PADoK for making everyone feel so welcome. Thank you also to parents for your support with our renewed focus on uniform. The pupils are looking incredibly smart – thank you. Have a lovely weekend.
This Thursday, an intrepid group of budding photographers ventured to the bracing yet stunningly beautiful Sussex coastline, just a short drive from our school. They spent the day using photography to explore the nooks and crannies of The Witterings, capturing everything from the stark simplicity of the tidal flats to the intricate flora and fauna that edge the beach. Our trail took us past wind-bleached coastal structures, including piers and groynes, which stood in stark contrast to the brightly coloured boats and yachts along the marina path. Although the local wildlife is beginning to retreat for the winter, they still caught glimpses of its presence in the shells, seaweeds, and crustaceans washed up along the shore.
A full week of lessons, activities and matches, and several weary looking faces and limbs today, as the children head into a well-earned break. Year 6 have been investigating properties of number, and were excited to go home and teach their parents how to 'express a number as a product of its prime factors'. I trust you are now all experts! We're always happy to hear about what's going on at home, too, and Year 1 have made a pet corner in their classroom, from all the photos of their furry friends. Mrs Henry tells me that Reception have had a fantastic week, starting phonics, maths and looking at the UK. They loved reading the traditional tale of 'The Little Red Hen' and even had time to make some bread - delicious! Nursery were not deterred by the changeable weather; in fact they were inspired by it, making some lovely rainy day pictures after a walk during Forest School. In DT, Year 5 have begun their bridge-building project, researching how they bear weight with different designs and materials. I very much enjoyed popping into Year 2's library session, hearing them excitedly choosing new books, and also overheard some Year 3s discussing their new class reader, 'James and the Giant Peach'. For Year 4, their focus in Topic this term is on rivers, and they have already learned the different stages along a river's course and how the water cycle affects them. A super start to term everyone - see you all next week, looking especially smart for the School photo on Monday! 
It has been a busy and productive start to the term, and during this first full week, it has been wonderful to see students re-engaging with their learning.
We had a constructive PADoK meeting on Tuesday 10th September at 08.30 and it was lovely to meet new Reps who have joined the team. Your Class Rep should have sent out the PADoK information and Fundraising documents so please do have a quick read of these to understand our role within the School community and where the funds we raise go.