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A message from Mrs Knox
It has been a real pleasure this week to attend the LAMDA showcases for Years 7–10. The pupils are to be thoroughly commended on the confidence and polish of their performances, and it's always striking to see just how much their ability and stage presence grows as they move up the school. There were some truly standout performances which were a delight to watch. Well done to them and their wonderful teacher, Miss Elder. Meanwhile, our Reception and Year 1 children enjoyed a wonderfully hands-on trip to the Winchester Science Centre this week, full of curiosity, excitement and plenty of enthusiastic button-pressing. And finally, the rain continues to make its presence very well known - umbrellas at the ready, wellies in regular use and conversations increasingly focused on puddle depth - will it ever stop! Have a lovely weekend.
Mrs Knox
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Jazz Night
 What a night of jazz we had last Friday! The PA Hall was converted into a jazz club (with the help of the wonderful PaDoK parents - thank you), I got to live out my annual fantasy of being a jazz club owner for the evening and we were beautifully entertained by some of London's premier jazz musicians, led by Frank Walden. The band were swinging and played a wonderful mix of tunes, treating us to jazz standards performed to an incredibly high standard.
Special mention must be made of the pupils who also performed. Edie H, Tildy C, Lucy, P, Ethan K, Henry R, Humphrey C, Harris HH and George C all did themselves proud and played superbly.
It was a full house and thank you to all that came along and soaked up the amazing atmosphere and music - I wish we could host these every week!
Mr Rye
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LAMDA Showcase
This week celebrated the Lamda Showcase where pupils had the opportunity of performing their entries for the Lamda acting exams that take place this June. This event, held on Tuesday and Wednesday, showcased the wonderful creativity of our students from comedic monologues about Indestructible Super Puppies and Dynamic Duologues showing the power play between two school girls. The performances were a lovely testament to the talents within our school community. The performers demonstrated not only their skills but also their courage and confidence. Congratulations to all the performers for their performances and a big thank you to their brilliant teacher Miss Elder who has supported them every step of the way.
Mrs Honey and Miss Elder
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Year 7 visit to Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha
 On Monday Year 7 travelled with Mr Monk, Mrs Punter and myself to a Sikh temple, the 'Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha', in Southall, London. This is the largest Sikh temple (gurdwara) outside India, and was to reinforce their learning of Sikhism which we have been covering in Religious Studies this term. After taking off their shoes and fixing their headgear ('patkas') we were hosted by Paramjeet Singh. This was a wonderful opportunity for Y7 to see their knowledge 'come alive', especially by enjoying the communal 'langar' or food. 10,000 meals are produced every day and the food is always vegetarian so anyone can eat it, and is enjoyed by everyone while sitting in rows on the floor. This shows how everyone is equal, a key part of Sikh beliefs. We learned how Sikhism emphasises 'being sweet to everyone' and 'being humble' - with no room for over-inflated egos. Amen to that!
Mr Lodge
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Reception and Year 1 Trip to Winchester
 We were excited to visit Winchester Science Centre and, despite the atrocious weather, were glad it was an indoor venue packed with activities.
Our day began with a “Blast Off” workshop led by Ffion, where the children learned about rocket design and worked in groups to build and improve their own rockets. After testing and making changes, the second launch was much more successful, with Cooper C, Emilia VDB, Indie S, and George RK launching the furthest-flying rocket, well done for their teamwork and problem-solving.
After lunch, we visited the planetarium to explore constellations, the Milky Way, and the planets and moons in our solar system. The children were fascinated by the vastness of space. We then enjoyed the interactive exhibits, with Imogen and Athena especially engaged, Dixie loving the rocket workshop, and Fliss fascinated by the planetarium.
It was a fantastic, educational day that sparked curiosity and excitement about science and space.
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 After showing off some impressive Maths skills to their parents at our Window into Learning last week, Year 2 have been honing their place value skills and rounding. They also got to type on the laptops for the first time - great fun! Prep School celebrated all things number related on Friday, acknowledging the NSPCC's Number Day in home clothes adorned in numbers of all kinds, which proved very useful resources during lessons. We eagerly await the NSPCC Rocks competition results! In Science, there have been investigations aplenty: Year 4 have been exploring which materials best absorb sound; Year 5 have been studying how an object's shape affects water resistance; and Year 6 tested which factors speed up the dissolving process.
 Nursery were in their element, colour mixing on tuff trays and Reception enjoyed a teddy bear's picnic including the moon rocks cakes they had baked themselves. I very much enjoyed observing phonics and handwriting lessons in Reception and Year 2 this week, noting how even small personal successes can spark huge leaps forward in self belief, not to mention enormous smiles! I also had great fun taking one of Year 3's Topic lessons, sharing my experiences of time spent in Nigeria's rainforests. The spider photos definitely split the class!
In Assembly, we had a talk from Alfred A and Jenson Br about their love for cricket and we acknowledged the Y6 girls' own sporting efforts at the recent London South ISA Regional Netball competition. Congratulations all round!
Values Certificates: Ayla OK for Effort
Reading Certificates: Bronze for Jenson Bo; Silver for Alexander W, Milly Wi and Darcey M; Gold for Owen G and Platinum for Lottie O
Stars of the Week:
Nursery: Nia H for great focus in class and progress with mark making- wonderful drawings Nia!
Aurelie H or super pencil control and progress in representing people and ideas in her drawings. Well done Aurelie!
Reception: Imogen W for working on neatness and sentence structure in your independent writing.
Rosie A for impressive fluency in reading, your knowledge of the Tricky words is really paying-off!
Year 1: Jakey G for being a kind and respectful member of our class. Jakey is always reliable and sets a wonderful example to others.
Year 2: Annabelle S for your kindness and readiness to help those around you.
Paul E for your fantastic progress and growing confidence in reading
Swimmer of the Week:
Robyn H for listening carefully to instructions and making good progress. You should be proud of yourself!
Mr Wright
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 It has been another busy and rewarding week in the Senior School, packed with a range of exciting events and achievements. Year 7 began the week with an enriching RS trip to the Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha, which provided a valuable cultural experience. The visit was thoroughly enjoyed, not least for the delicious curry, which many pupils were very happy to sample more than once.
On Tuesday, the School Council met to share pupil feedback on a range of topics and to begin planning a whole school food survey to gather wider student views. Tuesday and Wednesday also saw our LAMDA showcase, which highlighted the impressive work, confidence and considerable talent of our pupils.
 Alongside these events, pupils have continued to earn an impressive number of merit points in recognition of their hard work, kindness and positive contributions in lessons.
Congratulations to the following pupils who have reached the milestone of 25 merit points:
Benat B-S, Rowan B, Sonny C, Casey J, Mehta A, Lauren B, Will M, Orlando U, Sam L, Jordan V, Molly F, Ben J, George S, William B, Tildy C.
A special mention goes to Ben B, who has surpassed 200 merit points and received his recognition badge.
Mr Wyllie
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Next Monday we will be celebrating a Wellbeing day in school to mark the beginning of Children's Mental Health Week. This year the theme this year is ‘This is my place’, aimed at encouraging children to consider where they feel they belong and feel safe. This correlates with Borba’s theory of the building blocks toward children’s development of self esteem - a sense of belonging being vital to children’s development of resilience and sense of self.
I will be focusing on this theme with pupils in an assembly and they will then have an opportunity to take part in a wide range of mindful, active, reflective, creative and fun activities throughout the day.
Pupils should come to school in school uniform as usual.
Mrs Douglas
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Top tips for Parents & Educators: Supporting Safe use of AI
Artificial intelligence is becoming a familiar part of young people’s online experiences, with a myriad of school tools and entertainment platforms in use. This guide breaks down what AI really is, helping adults explain it clearly and realistically so children don’t overestimate its abilities or trust it unquestioningly. It explores how AI systems work, where they appear online, and why understanding them matters.
The guide also highlights key online safety considerations, including misinformation, data privacy, bias and over-reliance on AI tools. With practical advice on setting boundaries, choosing age-appropriate platforms and encouraging ethical, creative use, it empowers parents and educators to build digital literacy while keeping children safe, curious and critically engaged.
Click the link to learn more about " Supporting Safe use of AI".
Mr Monk
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With several school trips still to come this term, please administer any required travel sickness medication at home before school for trips leaving before lunch to ensure a smooth departure.
Off-games requests (due to injury or illness) should be emailed first thing in the morning to both the Games Department and the School Nurses at nurse@dokschool.org, so teams can be adjusted in good time. Please also send a daily update on any day your child is scheduled for sport. Pupils who are off games must remain in school until normal pick-up/bus time.
Prep and Senior School pupils must ensure they are registered each morning and afternoon; if a registration is missed, they should go to the office immediately to be signed in so we can account for them in an emergency.
Finally, please complete any outstanding HPV immunisation consents and residential trip medical forms for Years 4, 9, 10 and 11. Parents of pupils in Years 3, 5, 6, 7 and 8 will receive forms after half term. Thank you.
The School Nurses
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This week I met with the amazing Mr Charlton, who is always helping everyone at Duke of Kent School with IT and technology...
If you were an animal, what do you think you'd be and why?
I'd be a rhino because I just think they're awesome!
When did you join Duke of Kent School?'
I started in September of 2018
How would you describe your job in one word?
Reactive - if there's any ever problems in classrooms with technology I have to drop everything and go and help straight away which can be quite trying.
If you had all the technology in the world available to you, what would you choose to do?
I think I have to say playing games like minecraft because I love seeing what you can and can't create.
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PADoK News
PLEASE SAVE THE DATE – Friday 12th June – Hurtwood Polo Club
PADoK is gearing up for a one-night-only Summer Party to celebrate 50 years of Duke of Kent School. Expect big energy, great food, and a night worth dressing up for.
Details coming soon - This is the one you won’t want to miss.
PADoK Clubs:
Second-hand Uniform Shop
Open on Wednesday 11th February from 3pm – 4pm.
Duke of Kent School Flyers – Netball training
Duke of Kent School Flyers training is on Monday late afternoons from 17.30 to 18.30, and we are looking for new players to join in this term. Come along for lots of laughter, exercise & fun. Everyone welcome! Contact Tara at padok@dokschool.org.
Duke of Kent School Singers – Thursday 08.20 – 09.00
We had a great session on Tuesday with tongue twisters to get us warmed up. We think we have chosen a song to work on.
When: Every other Tuesday from 08:20 to 09:00 & every other Thursday from 08.20 to 09.00
Where: Meetings Room off Old Hall. Contact Cathy Williams -padok@dokschool.org
PADoK Book Club – Meet up on World Book Day
We have chosen a new book “Before the coffee gets cold” by Toshikazu Kawaguch Before the Coffee Gets Cold is a 2015 novel by Toshikazu Kawaguchi. It tells the story of a café in Tokyo that allows its customers to travel back in time, as long as they return before their coffee gets cold.
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Empowering Her Exhibition
Duke of Kent School families are invited to a special viewing of Duke of Kent School's very own parent, Caroline de Peyrecave’s exhibition. Please see @cdepeyrecave_portraits for more details and RSVP to caroline@carolinedepeyrecave.co.uk to receive more info.
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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 TikTok (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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