House Netball Tournament – Years 5 and 6
Wednesday saw the fantastic mixed Year 5 and 6 House Netball Tournament take place, with all pupils showing great energy and producing some excellent play throughout the afternoon. All games were played in a brilliant spirit, with pupils demonstrating impressive skills, teamwork and determination.
The tournament finished with two incredibly tight matches. Hawk and Kestrel battled end-to-end, finishing in a well-deserved 1-1 draw. On the forum, Buzzard edged a thrilling contest against Peregrine, narrowly winning 5-4 thanks to some accurate shooting and strong defensive work.
Well done to everyone who took part. Pupils showed great listening and worked hard to apply the skills they have been learning in lessons, particularly footwork, passing and movement off the ball.
Final Standings:
1st – Buzzard
2nd – Peregrine
3rd – Kestrel & Hawk
Mr Green
ISA National Swimming Finals
Congratulations to the five swimmers who represented both Duke of Kent School and the ISA London South Region at the ISA National Swimming Finals last Friday. This fabulous event took place at the London Aquatic Centre, a wonderful venue!! Charlotte J and Amelie C both took gold in their individual para categories. They both swam with great technique and determination in front of a large crowd. Dagny N won bronze in the Year 4 Girls' Freestyle Relay, producing a superb leg of swimming. Although Layla B and Henry G did not collect a medal on this occasion in their Freestyle Relay events, both swam fabulously, giving their best for the London south Region. Henry G also swam two relays in a row, stepping in for an older pupil who had fallen ill on the day. Well done everyone, we are incredibly proud of you!!!
Mr Herbert
Year 3 & 4 House Netball Competition Match Report
The Year 3 and 4 House Competition was a fantastic afternoon of sport, teamwork, and enthusiasm. Pupils from all four houses took part with great energy, showing not only their developing skills but also a brilliant willingness to try new positions and support one another. For many children, it was a chance to step into roles they hadn’t played before, and it was wonderful to see their confidence grow as the matches progressed.
Throughout the competition, the focus remained firmly on enjoyment and participation. Every game was played in an excellent spirit, with players demonstrating fairness, resilience, and plenty of smiles. The sidelines were full of encouragement, and the children showed impressive determination in every match they played.
While the emphasis of the event was on taking part, the competitive element added some exciting moments. After all games were completed, in the Duke tournament (bottom court) the final scores were:
Whilst in the Kent tournament (top court) the final scores were:
Congratulations to Hawk and Kestrel House for finishing in first place in their respective tournaments, and well done to all teams for their fantastic efforts. Most importantly, every pupil should feel proud of their achievements—whether they tried a new position, supported a teammate, or simply enjoyed being part of the event. It was a great afternoon of sport, and we look forward to the next competition!
Mr Stuart
A particular highlight for me this week was listening to our Year 1 pupils read their delightful letters to Father Christmas. Their messages were full of charm, wonderful curiosity about the elves, and even a few super Christmas jokes! During our magical Christmas hour, I popped the letters up the chimney. The following day, they were thrilled to read the replies from Father Christmas and share in the festive magic together. As we step into December, the school is well and truly embracing the season. Pupils have enjoyed decorating their form rooms with tinsel and paper chains and Year 3 especially loved the opportunity to decorate the Christmas tree in Old Hall. The Christmas spirit is alive throughout the school and we are looking forward to a busy and joyful week ahead. Festivities include our Carol Service on Wednesday evening and the Pre-Prep Nativity, which I am certain will be simply delightful. Meanwhile, this evening’s Prep School Christmas Concert is shaping up to be another wonderful musical event. I wish all of our performers the very best of luck—I know they will do us proud.
Our annual Senior School Production came to a stunning conclusion last Saturday, with the seventy-five pupils involved in the musical 'Made in Dagenham' creating a wonderful piece of theatre that engaged and entertained. 'Made in Dagenham' is a funny, emotional and at times powerful musical that requires more than just a bit of singing and dancing from the cast - not that that wouldn't be enough! The show needs focused acting, emotive performances and comic timing from the whole ensemble, and it is no exaggeration to say our pupils did us proud.
Each and every pupil should be incredibly proud of themselves, from the Year 7s who had never done it before to the seasoned Year 11 performers who carried and led the ensemble so well. At each performance the audience were treated to wonderful songs and large, choreographed cast numbers, as well as beautifully portrayed and sustained characterisations to tell the true story of the 1968 strikes in Ford Dagenham that eventually led to the equal pay act being passed. Huge thanks are due of course to the whole team, - Lisa Lee, Mrs Honey, Mrs Punter, Mrs Douglas, Miss Hudson, Miss Barnes, MIss Younger and Miss Stamp. To put on a show of this scale in only ten weeks requires commitment and effort from all involved and the School community never disappoints. We are incredibly proud of each and every member of the cast. Head over to the School website to see some of the photos. 
This week, 3N presented their first form assembly to their parents, friends and teachers. The assembly was centred around themes in James and the Giant Peach, which we have been studying in English this term; as well as taking inspiration from the life of Roald Dahl himself. The children talked about times they have persevered with challenges and the importance of kindness. They delivered their lines clearly, loudly and expressively, sharing plenty of wonderful ideas about how to show compassion and thoughtfulness during the festive season. 
Out in Forest School this week, Year 3 were so shocked to discover Sneeze the dragon had destroyed the Choo-Choo people's village that they wrote about it in their newspaper reports in English. Year 6 finished the class novel by the roaring fire, despite being interrupted by a fire drill halfway through the final chapter and in ICT they created Christmas cards using Canva. Year 5 re-enacted the battle of Jericho in RS, investigated how to apply filters to photos in ICT and found common denominators in Maths to order sets of fractions. In Science, Year 3 were investigating which type of paper is the most absorbent and amidst all of this, preparations have continued for the Christmas Fayre, Nativity, Christmas Concert and Carol Service. We look forward to seeing you at some of these events over the coming days.
I would like to start by celebrating all the pupils who took part in the Senior School production of Made in Dagenham. The show was a remarkable accomplishment and a shining example of exceptional teamwork. Its success came from the combined efforts of so many people, those working diligently behind the scenes with props, lighting, and sound; the creative teams responsible for costumes and makeup; and, of course, the outstanding cast whose singing, dancing, and comic timing lit up the stage. Congratulations to every single person involved, and a heartfelt thank you to the wonderful Performing Arts department, whose dedication over the last few months made the production possible.
