The Power of Song
There is something deeply moving about the simple act of singing together as a school community. It goes beyond the melody or the harmony; it taps into something far more profound - something that connects us all. When we sing as one, we are united in a shared experience, transcending the individual to create something much larger and more meaningful.
For me, it is a celebration of all that we are and all that we can be, together.
As we come together to sing this festive season, I encourage everyone - children, teachers and parents alike - to embrace the moment, to lift their voices and to celebrate the power of unity that music brings.
On this note, I write with a heartfelt plea to ask for your full support and presence at this year’s Carol Service. It has long been a cherished tradition and a true highlight of the school year at Vinehall.
This service is not merely a performance, but an opportunity for our children to share with us the carols and readings they have worked so hard to perfect. It is a moment for them to stand proudly before their families and sing with the hope that fills their hearts at this time of year. There is something truly magical about seeing their faces light up when they look out into the congregation and find the reassuring presence of their loved ones.
Joff
Drinks Reception
It was wonderful to see so many of you for drinks on Wednesday evening. The atmosphere was warm and vibrant, with the event stretching well past the published finish time and the last guests departing after 10pm; a true hallmark of a successful and enjoyable evening!
What made the evening particularly special was seeing two communities come together, fostering new friendships and a sense of camaraderie. It was a timely reminder of the importance of friendship and community, especially during times of change. The connections formed highlight the strength we can draw from one another as we embrace this new chapter together.
Looking ahead to September 2025, Marlborough House families have now been asked to confirm their intentions of joining Marlborough House Vinehall and the results are very encouraging. 67 children are confirmed to be joining Marlborough House Vinehall already, with another 50 likely to do so.
In January, we will begin sharing details about the likely class sizes and number of forms in each year group. Together, we are building something strong, and it is wonderful to see how the spirit of togetherness is already taking root. Thank you all for your ongoing support and for making this transition such a positive and hopeful experience.
Joff and Eddy
Christmas Excitement arrives in Pre-Prep!
Nicky Whittaker - Head of Pre-Prep
The magic of Christmas crept into Pre-Prep this week, beginning with the amazing “ChristMouse” display so beautifully created by Andy Rennie at the weekend. This year, the mice are glamping in Norway and Andy has lovingly crafted both the igloo and the submarine from recycled materials. The children so enjoy passing the Christmas scene on their way into school each morning, and we thank Andy for his dedication in creating such a fabulous display.
On Monday afternoon we had a wonderful time visiting the Christmas Tree festival at St Mary’s Church in Battle; the children enjoyed seeing the amazing variety of trees and guessing the story or fairy tale which each one represented. We thank Vicky Cooke of St Mary’s for showing us around the church and facilitating our visit.
Finally, we extend our congratulations to Rory Heffernan, who has completed his qualification as a Forest School Leader. Rory has invested a huge amount of time and energy in planning and setting up activities for the children in Nursery and Kindergarten, for whom he runs Forest School sessions on a Friday morning. We are all so proud of “Mr H” and very lucky to have such a dedicated practitioner in our team.
Little Vines Nursery: Parent Reviews
We were absolutely delighted to receive the following reviews on the Day Nurseries website this week – all from current parents of children in our Nursery. Thank you so much to the parents who have taken the time to submit the reviews. Congratulations to Sarah and her amazing team!
“Vinehall Nursery has truly changed our lives. After moving from London, where both my children attended a "good" nursery, we've experienced a world of difference here - it's simply incomparable. The staff are nothing short of exceptional: warm, friendly, and always willing to support parents while providing outstanding care and attention to the children. The play opportunities are endless. Each day, we arrive to find a spotless, thoughtfully set-up space, with a wealth of options from painting to sensory activities to dinosaur play, they seem to have it all. Under the leadership of the manager, the nursery has a warm, welcoming atmosphere. She sets a tone of kindness, and her team follows suit, showing so much love and care for each child. You genuinely feel they are in the safest, most nurturing hands.”
“Little Vines is an exceptional nursery and our daughter couldn't be happier there. The setting is such a beautiful space where the children are free to learn and play and enrich their childhood alongside their peers. The staff are wonderful, so kind and compassionate and they truly excel at their jobs. I feel so happy knowing my daughter is being looked after in their care and she always comes home in the best of moods to tell us about all the wonderful things she did. I can't recommend Little Vines enough, it is a truly brilliant all-round nursery.”
“We couldn't be more thrilled with our experience at Little Vines Nursery. From the moment we stepped through the doors, it was clear that this is a truly special place for children to grow, learn, and thrive. The staff are not only incredibly professional and experienced but also warm, nurturing, and genuinely passionate about the care and development of every child. The facilities are nothing short of exceptional, with thoughtfully designed spaces that inspire creativity and exploration. Whether it's the outdoor play areas, which are perfect for active little adventurers, or the cosy indoor settings that encourage imaginative play, every corner of Little Vines Nursery is geared towards creating a safe, stimulating, and joyful environment. There are regular updates, and open communication, and their genuine interest in our child's progress has made the experience seamless and rewarding. Our son has absolutely flourished since starting at Little Vines Nursery!”
“Amazing nursery, my daughter is very happy. I really like the different activities they do and the time they spend outside. All the staff are always friendly and helpful and my daughter's development has thrived in this environment.”
“Little Vines is a wonderful nursery that nourishes children with the most caring staff who provide a fun, warm and stimulating environment. It was a joy to see my daughter skip into nursery each session and to see how they helped her grow, particularly emotionally with their use of their curriculum for emotional regulation.”
Nursery - Where are you Stick Man?
Sarah Wolford - Head of Nursery & Kindergarten
Our book of the week was 'Stick Man' by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler and what a fun-filled week we have had exploring all the creative activities on offer both inside and outside the classroom. The children demonstrated fantastic listening and attention skills as they joined in and retold the story. They hunted in the woods to find the different lengths of sticks they would need to create their own Stick Man, as well as ordering sizes and creating Stick families using different media and materials. The beauty of this book is that, not only does it support children’s rhyme, rhythms, language patterns and listening skills, it promotes children’s understanding of feelings and the opportunity to talk about how Stick Man and his family felt. The Nursery children talked about feeling “green” at the end of the story as they knew Stick Man and his family were happy to be together, what a truly 'happy ever after' ending!
Christmas has arrived in Kindergarten!
Cathy Fuggle - Kindergarten Teacher
This week in Kindergarten we have been learning about the birth of baby Jesus and why we celebrate Christmas. We have also been thinking about Christmas traditions and sharing how we all celebrate this special time at home.
Kindergarten have been very busy doing our final rehearsals for our nativity, 'Humph the Camel', and cannot wait to perform it on Tuesday to show how hard we have been working to learn our lines and songs.
Reception
Claire Sparks - Deputy Head of Pre-Prep
This week Reception have been drawing their self portraits. This is an activity we repeat every half term in order to track development of fine motor skills. The progress from the start of Reception has been phenomenal! Their portraits are filled with wonderful details - fingers, eyebrows, smiles and crowns - and we think they are all simply gorgeous.
Year 1
Jacklyn Garwood - Year 1 Teacher
The Year 1 children explored the topic of shape in maths this week. They went on a hunt around the Pre-Prep looking for 2d and 3d shapes and were amazed to find that everything around them was made up of shapes!
It is slowly beginning to look like Christmas as the children practised their sewing skills in preparation for making some beautiful Christmas decorations. What creative children! Well done Year 1!
Year 2
Louise Hawtin - Year 2 Teacher
Year 2 have had a very busy week. On Monday we visited the Christmas Tree Festival at St Mary’s in Battle, where Frank and Zephan were kindly allowed to have a go on the organ.
We have been programming beebots in Computing, so designed our own beebot maps in small groups, working together like Billy Bee. We were also treated to a visit from Rory’s dad, who told us all about his time in the Amazon Rainforest; he even had the children simulating the sounds of the Rainforest at night, causing great hilarity!
Year 3 – Shadows
Carina Everist - Year 3 Teacher & Religious Studies Teacher Years 3-6
Transparent, translucent or opaque? Year 3 enjoyed investigating shadows by playing a guessing game in Science this week. Thanks to Mrs Walker and Miss Campbell for helping control everything!
Year 3 – Just So
Carina Everist - Year 3 Teacher & Religious Studies Teacher Years 3-6
Year 3 have enjoyed reading their own 'Just So' compositions out to their peers this week. Just like Rudyard Kipling they tried to use alliteration, repetition and interesting adjectives, O' Best Beloved.
Years 3 and 4 - Book Look
Carina Everist - Year 3 Teacher & Religious Studies Teacher Years 3-6
On Friday Year 3 and Year 4 invited their parents or carers into the De Beer building. The children in both classes showed them all the work that they had completed this term. It was lovely to witness such happy smiling faces from children and adults alike.
Year 5 - Seder Symbolism
Carina Everist - Year 3 Teacher & Religious Studies Teacher Years 3-6
Year 5 have found learning about Judaism very interesting this term. This week they were invited to a taster Seder 'meal' as we have been finding out about the festival of Passover. We welcomed Ronen from Year 7, to join our lesson. He sang some prayers in Hebrew at the beginning and end of the 'meal'. Then he hid a 'matzah' in the De Beer garden for the children to hunt for - this was a fun way to finish!
Thanks to Ms Newcomb for her invaluable help in preparing the stewed apple, hard boiled eggs, roast lamb and parsley (dipped in salt water), and of course many thanks to Ronen for coming to answer some of Year 5's questions.
Year 5 – Science: Forces
Becky Prior - Head of Science
Year 5 have been busy learning about forces in Science. We have explored friction by using force meters to test our shoes on different floor surfaces in the De Beer building and collected data for a bar chart.
Year 7 – Science: Diffusion
Becky Prior - Head of Science
Year 7 investigated diffusion using potassium permanganate to see how particles in a liquid can spread out, from an area of high concentration, to an area of lower concentration
Year 7 – Science: Filtration
Becky Prior - Head of Science
Year 7 pupils were given a sample of salty, sandy water and asked to filter it, to collect the salt and sand. The salt crystals formed into intricate patterns inside the evaporating basins!
Year 7 - Colourful Science!
Becky Prior - Head of Science
Year 7 separated ink pigments from pens in their pencil cases, using a separation technique called chromatography. It was exciting to see black felt-tip pens separating out into blues, inks and yellows, before their very own eyes! Pupils were stretched further by calculating Rf values from the chromatograms, which is a required practical at GCSE level. The Year 7s worked very hard and managed to write some great conclusions using their data.
Maths
Kevin Higginson - Head of Mathematics
Last week our Year 5 and Year 6 took part in the Primary Maths Challenge, a maths competition which encourages enthusiasm, boosts confidence in mathematics, and develops pupils' reasoning skills.
Our pupils were all very successful with the following gaining Bronze or Silver Awards: -
Silver: Alexandra C, Harry D, Sam L and Noah Phillips
Bronze: Jack B, Arya E, Coralie F, Freddie F, Gabriella G, James H, Caspar K, Albert P, Esme TK, Guillaume BL, Alice C, Harry M, Arthur P, Alex W
EAL
Annabel Newcomb - EAL Teacher
Last Thursday the Boarders and EAL pupils had a fantastic trip to London to see 'Back to the Future' at The Adelphi Theatre. When we arrived in London the children had the choice of having lunch in Itsu or McDonalds'. It was pretty much a fifty-fifty split.
After lunch, we wandered up to Covent Garden to watch the street performers. Artiom V and Casilda M put themselves forward to help a man who did an amazing and funny show with a ball.
We settled into our theatre seats and suddenly, after about fifteen minutes, the show came to a standstill; we still have no idea why! However, after about an hour the show started again and the children were absolutely awe-struck by the fantastic special effects.
After train delays on the way home, the children returned to school tired but very happy.
Art
Tracey Konyu - Head of Art
Mandalas With Year 5
During their digital art lessons, the pupils from Year 5 used the symmetry tool in Adobe Photoshop to create beautiful Christmas mandalas.
Thank you to everyone who submitted entries into the Christmas Decoration competition. The results will be announced in assembly on Monday 9th December. Judging has begun!
Sport
Rushton Senior Girls Triumph in House Hockey Tournament.
Laura White - Girls' Sport & PE Teacher
After the disappointment of the first netball fixtures being cancelled, the senior girls eagerly turned their focus to house hockey. Donning their house colours with pride, they took to the astro for an afternoon of spirited competition.
Rushton dominated the tournament, delivering a clean sweep of victories and securing first place with an impressive tally of 10 goals. Olivia, led from the front, netting 5 goals, supported by Isobel (3) and Alara (2).
Paxton put up a valiant fight to finish second, with contributions from Constanza (2), Beth (1), Casilda (1), and Victoria (1). Saxton claimed third place, fueled by Margot (3) and Lucie (2). While Ashton, despite a challenging day, showed resilience and earned a goal through Rosie A.
The event was a celebration of skill, teamwork and house pride, with Rushton deservedly taking the top spot.
Bede's Gala
Derek Guy – Swimming Coach
On Monday the Year 5-8 Girls' Swim squad competed at Bede's. The girls were back to their best, with some good competitive racing. In a very friendly and sporting match, Bede's decided not to score the event. It would have been a very close result with both teams a good match. Well done to all the swimmers that took part.
Drama
Folk Tales from Around the World
Mary Alderson - Head's PA and Director of Drama
Years 5 and 6 have had a very challenging term in their weekly drama lessons rehearsing seven separate stories. With a large number of pupil absences throughout and just two sessions to tie it all together, the children tried their best to cope with the dialogue, costume changes and props and there were some stunning performances.
The idea was a drama research lesson set in the studio (with a worryingly absent teacher!), when the children decide that instead of written Prep, they will act out their allocated tales. A giant map showed them where the traditional stories originated and a collection of hats, masks, representative pieces of clothing and a strange assortment of props enabled them to use their imaginations and each other to create scenes from Africa, different countries in Europe and Japan.
Well done to those brave souls who took on extra sections at very short notice to cover their peers and thanks to all those children who threw themselves into the project with aplomb.
House News: Saxton House visit to Dudwell St Mary’s Care Home
Mary Alderson - Head's PA, Director of Drama and Saxton Staff
My huge thanks to Poppy O, India P, Hector EM, Margot C, Lily F, Raphy G, Arthur P and Ivy G for volunteering to represent Saxton House at Thursday's visit to the Dudwell St Mary's Care Home. The residents were delighted by their polite friendliness and I was very proud of the way they conducted themselves, certainly doing 'their best for the benefit of others'.
Gardening Club
Louise Barrett - Head of Juniors
I spotted some busy children on a lovely sunny afternoon in the vegetable patch! They were looking at bulbs and planting them with Louise Waters, our School Horticulturalist.