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A message from Mrs Knox
 Accompanying Year 9 on their trip to the WWI Battlefields in France and Belgium this week was extraordinarily rewarding. Visits to memorials, museums and cemeteries allowed us all to gain a powerful sense of history and the human cost of conflict. We were able to reflect thoughtfully on the stories of individual soldiers, the personal connections bringing the past vividly to life. Thank you to Mr Lodge for organising a very special trip.
Next week, we will be running an Outdoor Learning Week to acknowledge Outdoor Classroom Day on 8th May. Outdoor Classroom Day is a global movement that encourages making time outdoors a regular part of every child’s learning experience – an approach our School continues to embrace. During the week, teaching staff have been challenged to take their lessons outside whenever possible, making the most of our beautiful grounds and the lovely weather to enrich the curriculum through outdoor learning. Enjoy the Bank Holiday weekend.
Mrs Knox
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Year 9 Battlefield Tour
 On Sunday, Year 9 embarked on a coach for Belgium and France to follow in the footsteps of the soldiers who marched to war between 1914-18. Having studied some of the causes, events and controversies of WW1 in class, they were well prepared. We began at Ypres in Belgium, visiting the Memorial Museum Passchendaele 1917, Tyne Cot Cemetery (complete with a Cross of Sacrifice built on a huge German bunker) and witnessed the Last Post Ceremony at the Menin Gate, a ceremony that has continued virtually every night at 8pm since the end of WW1. It was here that Patrick W discovered the name of his ancestor, William Collet, one of over 50,000 soldiers lost in the fighting in and around Ypres. They are listed on the Menin Gate Memorial as their bodies were never found.
 After our first night at our hostel in northern France (the 'Château d'Ebblingham'), and everyone making their own packed lunches, we travelled to the Somme battlefields in France the following day. Mr Lodge used the actual battleground, and pupils as 'soldiers', at Serre, to describe the fighting and suffering endured by the 'Pals' battalions. The fighting in 1916 was so intense that Max S and Jasper T even found remaining shrapnel balls under our feet – 109 years on. We paid our respects in one of the many CWG cemeteries on the Western Front, focusing on the grave of Horace Iles who was killed aged just 16, having joined up at the same age as our Year 9 pupils – 14.
 We next visited Newfoundland Park (Beaumont Hamel), a preserved battlefield cared for by Canadian volunteers. Mr Seeley used the pupils to re-enact the images in Gassed, a famous painting completed by John Singer Sargent, which depicts the aftermath of a mustard gas attack with a line of wounded soldiers walking towards a dressing station. Finally, the pupils searched for their 'own' name amongst the 72,000 names of missing soldiers on the Thiepval monument before returning to the Château.
 On Tuesday, we returned to Ypres to visit the Sanctuary Wood (Hill 62 Museum). Initially seen as an area of potential safety in 1914, the term 'Sanctuary Wood' became an ironic term given the area was right on the frontline. Preserved trenches and tunnels were the highlight of this visit, punctuated by some time to reflect on the challenges of living in the trenches, including the thought of being infested by lice.
Amidst the learning was some downtime as well. We celebrated the birthdays of Ben O and Edith S, and there was time for volleyball, the odd café and motorbike (game) racing on the ferry! Mrs Knox's translation skills came to the fore when we were visited by a local farmer during one of our Somme visits, Mrs Southee was an outstandingly caring medic and nurse, while the results of Mr Seeley's film wizardry are available on School’s social media platforms, including Instagram. The preparation carried out by Vicky B and Mrs Sarjant were also critical to the success of our mission. I am very grateful to them all! I hope the pupils reflect on this visit for many years to come.
View the photo gallery here.
Mr Lodge
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Year 4 trip to Milestones Museum
On Tuesday, Year 4 took a trip back in time to Milestones Museum to immerse themselves in the Victorian era. We started the day by exploring the Victorian village, popping into shops, blacksmiths and playing some games at the penny arcade. We then found out about the impact the Industrial Revolution had on everyday life and how the Tasker family adapted their blacksmith life during this time.
During our final workshop of the day, the children were put through their paces of what it would have been like for a pupil in a Victorian school. They were told the rules, which included sitting with their hands behind their backs and only speaking when spoken to! The children also practised the three Rs, using slate boards and abacuses. Year 4 gained so much from their visit and thoroughly enjoyed themselves!
Mrs Gritton
  
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Year 1 trip to Brooklands
 We started our day by meeting David, our enthusiastic guide, who first showed us the original racecourse. He explained that it only took nine months to build using shovels and saws, which amazed us! Next, we explored a fascinating array of cars from various eras, and the children were astonished to learn that older models often lacked seatbelts!
We then delved into the world of bicycles, discovering that early bikes didn’t have brakes or tyres. The highlight was sitting in a Formula One car, and Miss I even experienced a thrilling simulator ride, with Roman declaring her the winner and Harry proclaiming a world record!
After this, we examined airplane engines and iconic aircraft, including Concorde, where we discussed the speed of sound. The luxury of the Sultan of Oman’s plane was a marvel, complete with beds and sofas. We rounded off the day by walking through Concorde and enjoying a workshop where Gareth illuminated the science of flight. What an exhilarating experience!
Miss Walpole
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Year 6 Wat Phra Dammakaya London temple visit
On Wednesday morning, Year 6 pupils visited the Wat Phra Dammakaya London temple in Woking. This trip marked the beginning of our unit on Buddhism for the term, and what an insightful and enriching experience it was.
We received a full tour of the temple, during which we learnt about its origins and founder. We were then introduced to various artefacts significant to Buddhist traditions and customs. Following this, the pupils participated in a meditation tutorial and had the opportunity to practise the art themselves.
To conclude the visit, the children took part in the practice of almsgiving, offering gifts to our monk teacher, who expressed gratitude with a blessing.
In the coming lessons, pupils will reflect on their experience and delve deeper into the foundations of Buddhism, including the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path.
Mrs Green
 
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Year 10 GCSE Drama workshop
 On Tuesday we had the pleasure of welcoming Kerry Frampton, the artistic director and founder of Splendid Productions, who held a full-day workshop for the GCSE Drama Year 10s. The wonderful quote ‘Naturalism is the seasoning not the main course’ set the tone of the day as Kerry gave them an insight into how they could move away from naturalism and explore non-naturalistic devices to make their performances unique.
 As a Brechtian specialist, Kerry was incredibly knowledgeable and gave them useful techniques such as how they could develop their scenes using cinematic viewpoints.
Kerry is an actor, director, writer and professional clown and has worked in collaboration with schools for over 20 years, inspiring over 20,000 students. This summer Kerry will perform in the Olivier-nominated play Rough Magic at Shakespeare Globe. I look forward to seeing how the Year 10s use what they have learnt in their final devised piece.
Mrs Honey
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Author letters
During the Spring Term, Year 3 learnt about letter-writing in their English lessons. As part of this unit of work, they each wrote to their favourite author. We have been lucky enough to have had responses back from Michael Morpurgo, David Walliams and JK Rowling. Some of these have been handwritten and personalised to the recipient. David Walliams told Jenson that his favourite pizza is pepperoni and Michael Morpurgo gave some great book recommendations to Annabelle. The children were absolutely delighted to receive these!
Mrs Nicholson
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 Ballet success for Willow B
Huge congratulations to Willow B in Year 4 who was awarded the first ever Classical Ballet cup at her dance school’s (The Dance Project) ten-year anniversary show over the Easter holidays. The 130 pupils performed to a packed Leatherhead theatre, with dancers ranging from age 2-16, so this was an incredible achievement.
Mr Rye
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Sustainability Forum for parents
We will be holding a Sustainability Forum for parents on Wednesday 7th May at 5.00pm in the Meetings Room. The meeting will outline current plans and direction for the Sustainability Committee and outdoor learning within Duke of Kent School. There will also be the opportunity for parents to bring ideas on what they would like the School to focus on. Jo Hendriksen, our Sustainability Governor, will also be attending.
If you would like to attend, could you please let Helena Everill know via the office email address office@dokschool.org.
We look forward to seeing many of you there.
Mrs Wilkinson and Mr Gritton
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Year 6 have been looking at poetry, creating their own nonsense words and limericks, as well as performing the Ning Nang Nong, by Spike Milligan and, in Maths, they used the Pre-prep playground to measure various objects for practising their multiplying and dividing by 10, 100 and 1,000. Year 3 also took a turn in the Pre-prep playground, learning about ordering fractions by feeding the crocodiles – beware! Year 5 have been using coordinates to plot a mystery picture, and they went on a scavenger hunt in the woods to find facts about the US National Parks.
As well as making exciting discoveries on their history trip this week, Year 4 have also been following tutorials to program the LED light display on microbits. Year 2's Computer Science lessons involved them looking at algorithms, pretending to be robots by following their partners' instructions! In Reception, the focus has been on ladybirds and learning more about time with some games of 'What's the Time Mr Wolf?' Year 1 had a splendid excursion to Brooklands Transport Museum, and Nursery popped down to Coverwood to continue their learning about farms; they even sang yellow submarine to their favourite horse (who apparently was deeply appreciative)! Enjoy the long weekend!
Stars of the Week
Nursery: Aurelie E for settling into Nursery so brilliantly! Well done Aurelie, what a lovely addition to our class you are.
Jude H for having a really positive attitude, great motivation and improving independence every day. Well done Jude!
Reception: Ellie F for a splendid attitude and great work in music using three and four beats, you focus so well!
Emilia VdB for a fantastic start to the term across all subjects and always coming into the classroom with a wonderful smile and a polite ‘Good Morning’!
Year 1: Harry L for his enthusiasm on our school trip. Harry was mature, interested and excited.
Oliver A for his enthusiastic start to the term. Oliver always has his hand up and will always be willing to have a go.
Year 2: Owen G for your sense of pride over your artwork – it’s very important to be proud of your achievements and skills. Your portfolio is super impressive! Well done!
Sasha B for super focus in lessons – you’re trying really hard and open to challenge.
Swimmers of the Week
Jakey G for his positive attitude to swimming, his great body position and wonderful leg technique.
Oliver A for demonstrating his front crawl technique, streamlined body position and breathing bilaterally to the end of the pool and back.
Mr Wright
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What a glorious week of sunshine we have enjoyed as the summer term is now in full swing!
Last Friday, pupils gathered for an assembly to celebrate Earth Day. They learnt about the importance of sustainability and how each of us can make a difference. Mrs Wilkinson led a fascinating quiz that got everyone thinking about just how precious our planet is, and why we must work together to protect it for future generations.
Year 9 had a truly memorable experience on their Battlefields trip, especially poignant as we mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day this year. The sites visited, the commemorations held, and the lessons learnt were deeply moving, and we are sure this experience will stay with them for a lifetime.
On Monday afternoon, our Year 10 pupils took part in mock interviews with members of our School community, who generously gave their time to help support and mentor our pupils. The interviews provided a valuable opportunity for pupils to practise their communication skills and receive personalised feedback. Interviewers praised the pupils for their excellent eye contact, thoughtful responses, and impressive handshakes!
Year 10 also heard from some of our Year 11 school leaders during assembly, who spoke about the qualities needed for leadership, why they matter, and the personal leaders who inspire them. We are excited to see our Year 10 pupils step forward, as the Year 11 leadership application process begins in the coming weeks.
Meanwhile, a large group of Year 10 pupils are currently completing their Silver Duke of Edinburgh expedition in the South Downs. With just one day remaining, they have already showcased impressive navigational skills and some hidden culinary talents!
Wishing you all a wonderful Bank Holiday weekend, let’s hope the sunshine stays with us!
Mr Wyllie
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Jazz Night Cancellation
Unfortunately, due to circumstances beyond our control, the Jazz Night that was due to take place on 16th May has been cancelled. I know there were plenty of people looking forward to this wonderful evening, but sadly there is nothing we can do. There will definitely be an evening taking place in the new academic year, so rest assured the DoK School Jazz Club will happen again!
House Music Finalists Concert
Next Friday, 9th May, is our annual House Music Finalists Concert. This is a chance for parents to see the performances given by the pupils in last term's House Music finals.
It is always a lovely showcase of the work they all put in last term in preparation for the competition and an opportunity to witness thei brilliance!
There will be refreshments available from 6.30pm, the concert will start at 7pm and will run for about 1hr 15 minutes.
An email has gone to parents of those involved.
Mr Rye
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This week, Year 10 have been preparing for possible upcoming applications relating to further education after Duke of Kent School and jobs they may wish to acquire in the not-too-distant future. With this in mind, on Monday, they were involved in one-on-one mock interviews with a number of volunteers from outside the School, allowing them the opportunity to experience how this would feel and how best to go about selling their best attributes. Understandably, there were a lot of nerves about, but the pupils handled themselves fantastically well, developing basic skills regarding handshakes, eye contact and body language, as well as being able to refer to real-life examples when put on the spot and provide evidence when explaining their attributes. We are hugely grateful to our seven guest interviewers and the invaluable feedback they provided.
On Wednesday they were on to CV writing; spending their PSHE lessons looking at personal branding, the impact of a social media profile, and how best to make their CV stand out. By considering their individual skills, work experience, education and interests, they were able to make a good start producing a CV which can be added to and adjusted for all situations.
On Thursday and Friday, those not attending their Duke of Edinburgh expedition were involved in an enterprise task; creating a business concept, planning how their product/service will work, and developing key materials such as a business plan, poster advert, 30-second video advert, website, and pitch presentation.
In the upcoming weeks, the cohort will also be looking at possible team tasks used in interview procedure, discussing how best to equip yourself in such a situation and having a go at various exercises to get a flavour of exactly what this entails!
Mr Wright
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What Parents & Educators Need to Know about Making Friends Online
As technology becomes increasingly embedded in young people’s lives, it’s common for them to form friendships entirely online. These connections can provide companionship and community – but they also bring potential dangers that parents and educators need to be aware of.
From online grooming and privacy breaches to exposure to upsetting content, meeting people on the internet isn’t without risk. This guide explains the possible hazards of online friendships and gives parents and educators essential advice on helping children build safe, positive relationships online.
Click the link to learn more about "Making Friends Online".
Following the success of the show Adolscence, Smoothwall, our School’s digital monitoring system, has published a fascinating article exploring the hidden meanings behind popular emojis. It’s a quick and insightful four-minute read. Click the link to check it out: the hidden meanings behind popular emojis.
***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.***
Mr Boden
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Although the forecast for next week indicates a reduction in temperature, please can pupils continue to attend School medicated for hay fever if necessary, wearing sun cream and carrying a full, named water bottle. The heat and pollen have proven quite challenging for some pupils this week.
Chickenpox and head lice have been reported in the Prep School and Pre-prep respectively. Please remain vigilant! We have also had a number of pupils reporting vomiting in Prep School this week. A reminder that the 48-hour rule applies for cases of vomiting and/or diarrhoea.
Prep School residential trips will soon be upon us after the half-term break. With that in mind, please can we ask for Year 4 and Year 3 trip medications to be delivered to School (leave at the front office or hand directly to the medical room) starting from next Tuesday. These need to be named and supplied in the original packaging with the pharmacy label showing if appropriate (no loose strips please). Please check the medication is within the expiry date and you have supplied enough for the whole trip.
Have a lovely Bank Holiday weekend.
The School Nurses
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It was lovely to welcome back the pupils last week and so many new families to our Duke of Kent School community.
Just as we are saying hello to many new pupils, next week we will also be beginning to say goodbye to our Year 11 pupils who have their last day on Wednesday before beginning study leave. This can be a really conflicting time for pupils – whilst they are often worried about their performance and the unknown nature of exams, they are often really excited by their next steps, moving onto sixth form colleges, whilst also feeling some sadness at leaving their familiar setting behind. Although they may feel incredibly ready to move on, it is also important to allow themselves a good ending. Endings are something we all have to face at various times in our life – it is no different for children. Whether that be the end of a holiday, moving up into a different class and teacher, or moving to a new house.
Endings can be associated with negative emotions because of the sense of finality, but we can take steps to prepare ourselves for a good ending and notice the positive emotions that are also present. Sudden endings such as grief and loss can be very difficult to process as people haven’t had time to prepare. The opportunity we are given with known endings means we have time to reflect on the experience and consider what it was for us. We also have the opportunity then to consider what is unfinished – is there something they want to say or let another pupil/teacher know – and make sure it is said and done. The opportunity to revisit and make peace with things that are held, allows an opportunity to process, let go and move on.
Facing the ending and preparing for it rather than leaving things unfinished, whilst not avoiding the sadness we may feel, does mean we are able to acknowledge and feel it at the time, leaving it at the ending, rather than carrying it with us.
My advice to Year 11s is to try to say goodbye to the people they have connected with, revisit the places that have been significant to them on site and move forward with anticipation and hope to the next stages of their lives.
Mrs Douglas
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PADoK News
Save The Date ***Saturday 14th June***
***Viva La Fiesta*** PADoK Summer Event
PADoK are putting on a Mexican-themed summer party, so please put the date in your diary. Tickets will go on sale soon.
PADoK Clubs:
PADoK Walk – Friday 2nd May 08.30
Hurtwood Control Car Park 3, Pitch Hill. Please do join us for a walk. Everyone welcome.
PADoK Book Club
We are hoping to meet before half-term to discuss the book.
The book we are 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.
Duke of Kent School Flyers – Netball training
Monday at 5:45 – 6:30pm & Wednesday morning 08.20 – 09.30 – weather-dependent/Ness Hall availability.
DoK School Flyers are looking for new players to join in the summer term, lots of laughter, exercise and 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!
We met on Thursday for the first time this term. Mr Rye had a song suggestion for us and discussed when we will be able to perform this term. It was lovely to be singing together again after the Easter break.
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.
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 for the summer 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)
Mrs Phillips and Mrs Horsburgh
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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.
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School social media
At Duke of Kent School we have three social media platforms; Instagram (dukeofkentschool), Facebook (Duke of Kent School) and X (@DoKSchool). 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.
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