Years 9 - 11 House Netball
On a beautiful afternoon, Year 9–11 played their final House netball fixtures of the season, with great team spirit and flowing netball on display from the first whistle. Buzzard were unfortunately hampered by low numbers due to illness and injury, while Peregrine and Kestrel made strong starts.
It was a particularly close contest between Hawk and Kestrel, with Hawk finishing just one goal ahead. In the final round, all houses brought their A game, with players stepping into new positions and captains offering constant encouragement.
With three houses level on points, the overall winners were decided on goal difference — a fittingly dramatic end to a competitive and positive afternoon of netball.
Congratulations to Peregrine who won. Kestrel in second, Hawk in third and Buzzard who finished in fourth place.
Mrs Dann
U11 & U13 Mixed Hockey Tournament
We were delighted to host two hockey tournaments this week for our U11 and U13 teams, welcoming several visiting schools for an enjoyable afternoon of competitive hockey.
The U11 side faced some very strong opposition but showed great determination throughout their three matches. It was particularly pleasing to see the team grow in confidence as the afternoon progressed, with noticeable improvements in their positioning and overall match awareness. The pupils demonstrated excellent effort and resilience, continuing to battle well and support one another across all fixtures.
The U13 team enjoyed a superb afternoon and successfully retained the tournament trophy, having also won the competition last year. The team produced some excellent attacking hockey, scoring multiple goals across their three matches. With the midfield and forwards linking up particularly well in attack, combining effectively to move the ball through midfield and create a number of goal-scoring opportunities. This attacking intent was complemented by a strong defensive performance, with several excellent saves in goal to keep the opposition at bay and brave defending. The Year 8 pupils showed excellent teamwork and composure throughout, securing three wins from three matches to cap a very impressive performance.
Well done to all the pupils involved, who represented the school with great enthusiasm and sportsmanship.
Mr Green
ISA Junior Regional Cross Country
Congratulations to all the runners who represented Duke of Kent School at the ISA London South Regional Cross Country at Radnor House. There were plenty of schools competing and a real buzz of excitement mixed with a few nerves before the races began. Runners from Years 3-6 ran with the top ten from each race qualifying for the National Finals in Dudley on the following Saturday. Everyone gave their absolute best and produced some extremely strong performances. Well done to all who took part and particularly well done to Henry G and Charlotte L who qualified for the Nationals alongside Henry P who won the U9 boys race!!
ISA National Cross Country Finals
Fourteen runners from Duke of Kent School made the long journey west of Birmingham to Himley Hall in Dudley. The course was in good shape and was also a good venue for spectators to watch the whole race. Every runner from Duke of Kent School proudly wore the red London South vest and gave their all to finish as high up the field as possible. Congratulations to our National Finalists who were Finn C, Andoni B, Felix B, George S, Oliver T, Josh W, Bea T-R, James N, Thibaut J, Oliver K, Henry P, Max Mc, Henry G and Charlotte L. You all ran with great energy, determination and should be very proud of your achievements!!
Mr Herbert
What a fabulous World Book Day we had yesterday as we celebrated the wonderful world of books and the joy of reading. All pupils and staff are to be congratulated on their magnificent costumes, which seem to get better and better every year! I thoroughly enjoyed being The Very Hungry Caterpillar for the day and was delighted to see so many imaginative characters brought to life around the school.
Duke of Kent School celebrated its annual World Book Day with a fantastic day of costumes and creativity, as staff and pupils dressed as their favourite literary characters to celebrate a shared love of reading.
The Year 5s enjoyed a bright and engaging morning on Friday with a visit to Sayers Croft. It is an evacuee camp during World War II, as it was once home to an entire school of more than 200 boys, aged 11 to 18, for over four years. The site offered the children a powerful insight into what life was like for young evacuees during the war.
This week's update begins with a note of thanks to the Year 6s, for having taken on Prefect roles with such commitment and maturity so far this year. From keeping the cloakroom areas and Games cupboard tidy, to helping younger pupils log into the Library catalogue as well as reading with Pre-prep children, they have been incredibly helpful, setting a super example to the rest of the department. A small group of children, not involved in Production rehearsals, also demonstrated responsibility this week, with some of them litter picking and others planting a new hedgerow in the wildlife garden.
It has been another lively week at school, filled with a variety of whole-school activities. During National Careers Week, pupils explored potential career paths in form time and discussed how their subjects could link to future opportunities, with teachers encouraging them to think about their interests and aspirations.
Macmillan Afternoon Tea
