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A Message from Mrs Knox

Welcome to the new school year!

It has been wonderful to welcome our pupils back this week and to see them quickly settling into the routines of school. There has been a lovely energy around the school, and it has been particularly special to see everyone together again. It has also been lovely to see so many parents at our Parent Information Events. I hope you found these a useful opportunity to hear more about the year ahead, meet members of the teaching team and, importantly, put some faces to names. We have been delighted to unveil our new Cookery Studio to the pupils this week. There has been plenty of excitement about the wonderful new space and our cookery classes begin in earnest on Monday. I am sure we are going to see some delicious creations coming out of the kitchen! Finally, thank you for the many kind emails and messages I have received following the announcement of my retirement at the end of the school year. As our Chair of Governors said in his letter, it is very much business as usual, and I am looking forward to a fantastic year ahead. Have a wonderful weekend.

Mrs Knox

Please Meet our New Staff 

Miss Blaise O'Sullivan joins the Learning Development team as a Maths Specialist. She has taught Maths at Davisons School in Worthing and the Regis School in Bognor Regis and is a recent graduate of the Secondary Mathematics PGCE at the University of Chichester. She is particularly keen to work with students to reduce their maths anxiety and build their academic resilience. She is very involved in her church community and Young Farmers.

Mrs Mel Lee joins us as a Teaching Assistant in Reception having been a Teaching Assistant for 18 years, 16 of those spent in Reception. Her previous schools were Park Mead and Longacre. In her spare time she loves walking her 4 dogs and spending time with her family. 

 

Mr Jasper Parsons joins us in the music and PA department as the new PA Technician and Peripatetic Administrator. He trained at the Academy of Contemporary Music, and has since taken to working in schools, so decided to combine the two. 

 

 

Mrs Lucet Kay joins us a Year 4 teacher. She has a keen interest in Girls' rugby and netball.  Lucet was also the Computing Lead alongside her most recent Teacher role.  She is looking forward to getting to know her Year 4 class much better in the year ahead.

 

Miss Lauren Savage is joining the PE department this year as a Sports Assistant. A graduate from Bournemouth University, Lauren is keen to continue to develop her teaching and coaching skills at Duke of Kent School. She is a keen netballer having played for her University team. 

 

Ava Honey, Jemina Solway and Chloe Beddow have also joined the PA Department teaching LAMDA and Woodwind - more details to follow next week!

How lovely to see the children come in yesterday morning, looking smart and happy, if a little anxious. I do hope some of that anxiety lifted quickly - it certainly seemed it as I saw them skipping off at pick-up, excitedly sharing stories of their day. I overheard one Pre-prep child ask their parents "can I come back tomorrow?" I'm happy to say they said yes. In these first few days, there are lots of new things for the children to get used to, but this applies to yourselves as well. Please do not hesitate to get in touch with the Office, your child's Form Teacher or myself if we can be of any help at all. 

Mr Wright

It has been a pleasure to see our students return after the summer holiday, ready to begin the new school year with enthusiasm and renewed motivation. There has been a real sense of energy around the school since pupils arrived back. Classrooms and corridors have been filled with excitement as students have settled quickly into their routines and engaged so positively with their learning. 

This week has also marked the start of working with our new Year 11 leadership team, who have already demonstrated a strong sense of responsibility and commitment. Their leadership has already had a positive impact, and it has been lovely to see the common room once again full of conversation, laughter, and a strong sense of community as they settle into their roles as senior students.

Today, our Year 7 pupils spent the day at Sayers Croft, where they took part in a range of team-building activities designed to develop confidence and encourage new friendships. Although this has been a shorter first week back, I hope the weekend provides everyone with the opportunity to rest and recharge before another busy and enjoyable week begins.

Mr Wyllie 

Another Autumn Term comes around and already the PA Department has to think about Christmas. Sorry, we went there early! Please keep an eye on the calendar for all the wonderful events planned for the end of term. Including of course the Pre-prep Nativity, the Prep Christmas Concert, the School Carol Service and the Senior Production of ‘Guys and Dolls’. Rehearsals for this have already begun and yet again we have a large cast keen and raring to go. 

Instrumental and LAMDA lessons begin next week and we will be in touch with parents of new starters over the next few days. 

Mr Rye

The PE Department are really looking forward to the new term and starting some fixtures over the next couple of weeks. If you are able, please come along and support your child/children at some matches this term and enjoy a cuppa and a piece of cake afterwards. Match days are generally the same as last year with the exception of Year 11 who are now having fixtures on a Thursday afternoon instead of a Tuesday. 

If your child has been selected for a match and they are not able to play through illness or injury, please let us now by sending an email to nurse@dokschool.org and copying in myself at gherbert@dokschool.org. 

Mr Herbert
 

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Mr Monk

I’d like to extend a warm welcome to our new families and an equally warm welcome back to our returning families this week. How wonderful it was to have the opportunity to greet so many of the pupils yesterday in Old Hall with smiles on their faces and excitement (as well as some nerves) about the start of a new school year.

It takes a lot of courage for pupils to walk through the door after a long break away and they should all be congratulated on their positive approach to a new term.

There will doubtless be a lot of new information, expectations, rules and people for them to meet and process so expect them to be tired and not necessarily forthcoming at first as they attempt to assimilate the new into their routine.

Mr Southee spoke to the senior pupils about the school value of RESPONSIBILITY, in assembly this morning, which will be the focus this year. One of their responsibilities should always be for themselves and their wellbeing. Recognising when they are struggling and that it is ok to seek out that support by talking to someone and asking for help is so important. This could be their friends, relatives, yourselves or siblings. Mr Southee also reminded them of the huge number of staff at school who are available to listen and support in numerous ways, from their form tutors, subject teachers and support staff.

It was a good opportunity for him to remind them of the Wellbeing Open Door drop in times for Senior and Prep pupils, when they can come and talk to me without prior arrangement. Pre prep pupils can chat with me or Mrs Watkins, our ELSA, via arrangement with their form teacher and yourselves.

Open Door times are: Monday, 10:00-10:20 and 1:00-1:30 as well as Thursday, 10:20-10:40 and 12:30-1:00

Wishing all our pupils and yourselves a fantastic term!

Mrs Douglas

Welcome back everyone, and an especially warm welcome to all our new families, from our School Nurses:

  • Chloe Sarjant (Lead School Nurse; 08.00-15.30 Monday to Thursday, csarjant@dokschool.org)
  • Maya Garside (School Nurse; 08.30 to 16.30 Thursday and Friday, mgarside@dokschool.org).  

We are looking forward to meeting all our new pupils and are happy to help in the event of any illness or injury at school.

The medical room at school is manned 08.00-15.30 Monday to Wednesday, 08.00-16.30 on Thursday, and 08.30 to 16.30 on Fridays.  (Please note that we close the medical room before the end of the school day; first aid is covered by trained office staff after this time...usually Mrs Browning).

Email is probably the best way to get hold of us (we are not always able to answer phone calls if we are busy attending to ill or injured pupils).  Use nurse@dokschool.org to ensure that whichever Nurse is on duty gets your message.  

We are also happy to see parents in person, but please ask at the front office to see if we are available.  Morning drop off can be an especially busy time for us in the medical room, and you may need to wait a short while to be seen.  Thank you for your patience.

Any pupil medications that need to be administered during the school day must be handed in at the front office (they should not be carried by pupils unless with prior authorisation from the School Nurse) in the original packaging with pharmacy label showing (and within the expiry date) and should be accompanied with a completed consent form.  An email in advance to let us know what medication is required is always very helpful!  Please note that we only administer medication during pupil break times (to avoid disruption to learning), so there are occasions when we may adjust your requested schedule slightly.

Pupil absences due to ill health should be emailed to absences@dokschool.org; the nurses will receive this message along with office staff who monitor the registers.

This year we are particularly keen to ensure allergy safety at school.  It is extremely important that parents inform us of any allergies that we are currently unaware of.  Please email Chloe with any relevant information as well as any physical and mental health updates during your child's time at school. 

Finally, we have the Nasal Flu Immunisations coming up quite soon on 24th September for any pupils with consent (Nursery children need to attend their GP for this immunisation).  Please can we encourage any parents who have not yet completed an E consent for their child/ren to do so as soon as possible.  Thank you!

Wishing you and your children all the very best for the new school year.  We feel confident that they will all soon feel right at home!

The School Nurses (Chloe & Maya)