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SCHOOL NEWS
Harvest Festival Donations Delivered
MHV delivered 23 crates and boxes full of food donations from our Harvest Festival to Pebsham Primary Academy, who are collecting local contributions as part of Dom’s Food Mission.
The team at Pebsham and Dom’s Food Mission were amazed by the sheer volume of donations and expressed their heartfelt thanks for everyone’s generosity. These donations will make a real difference to local families most in need - a wonderful example of our community coming together to support one another.
Thank you to everyone for all the donations.
Safeguarding at Marlborough House Vinehall
At Marlborough House Vinehall, one of our most important responsibilities is to keep our children safe. Our Safeguarding Team is made up of trained staff from across the school - from Nursery through to the Upper Prep School - who work closely with pupils, parents, and colleagues to foster a culture where every young person can thrive, be heard, and feel supported with compassion.
I am the school's Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL). As the DSL, I co-ordinate safeguarding meetings, liaise with cross-sector agencies and develop the school's Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy. My contact details are freely available to parents and to children, and my corresponding role as the school's Deputy Head Pastoral means that I have a unique lens, looking into the pupils' unique school experiences.
When we talk about safeguarding, we are talking about everything from a child's physical and emotional health, their attendance and performance, their happiness in school, and the special perspective they give us as the "product" of our work. Our work seeks to develop the professional competencies of staff, heightening their confidence in safeguarding matters, and promoting conditions that bring out the best in our young people.
Safeguarding is everyone's responsibility. We are clear that, to keep children safe, this is the responsibility of staff, parents and volunteers, working together. We always welcome your feedback and look forward to supporting you where we can this year.
The Safeguarding Team:
- Nick Jensen - Deputy Head Pastoral & DSL.
- Mobile: 07947 142980 email: njensen@mhvschool.co.uk
- Joff Powis - Senior Deputy Head
- Catherine Walker - Head of Learning Support
- Izzie Jendrulek - Nurse
- Nicky Whittaker - Head of Pre-Prep
- Sarah Wolford - Head of Nursery & Kindergarten
- Kath Kirkwood - Head of Boarding
PRE-PREP
Year 1 Olden Days Dress-Up Day
Year 1 brought history to life this week, dressing as people from the Olden Days and showcasing their creativity with a lively parade dance through the Pre-Prep corridor. The whole of Pre-Prep cheered them on as they celebrated learning with energy and enthusiasm!
Jackie Garwood, Year 1 Teacher
Apples!
Chloe kindly brought in some apples from her apple orchard for the Year 1 children. As we have been learning about the life cycle of an apple and what apple trees look like in different seasons, it was the perfect treat. The children were very excited to take their apples home to enjoy! Thank you to Chloe and her family for bringing the apples in.
Alice Hancock, Year 1 Teacher
Year 1 - Pumpkin Creations
What a wonderful day we had harvesting pumpkins, exploring their fascinating lifecycle, and turning our freshly picked produce into delicious creations!
From learning how pumpkins grow to writing our own seasonal recipes — and finally enjoying a bowl of warm, homemade pumpkin soup — it was the perfect way to celebrate the season.
Jackie Garwood, Year 1 Teacher
Pumpkin Fun in Kindergarten
Quinn's Autumn Craft Stall Raises £100 for Children's Book Trust
Six-year-old Quinn has proven that a big heart and a little creativity can make a huge difference! Inspired by the beauty of autumn, Quinn set up his very own craft stall after collecting shiny conkers from a tree in the grounds of Bodiam Castle. With great care and imagination, he turned his collection into stunning handmade conker wreaths — each one a unique piece of autumn art.
But Quinn didn’t stop there. Earlier in the year, he had planted pumpkin seeds and patiently tended to them all summer. When harvest time came, his homegrown pumpkins joined the wreaths on his stall, bringing a splash of orange to his autumn display.
His efforts have not only brightened his community but will also help other children enjoy stories and adventures of their own. Well done, Quinn; you are a true young entrepreneur with a heart of gold!
Nicky Whittaker, Head of Pre-Prep
Year 2 to the rescue!
To conclude our topic Fire Fire, Year 2 made wonderful fire engines. First they looked at features of real fire engines before they designed their own. They then had to measure the length of their axles, carefully saw the wood and add the wheels.
They also painted their boxes and made additional features such as ladders, hoses and even windscreen wipers. What fantastic fire engines they all made!
Louise Hawtin, Year 2 Teacher
PREP
Heads of House
Congratulations to the following pupils:
- Paxton - Rhiain E & Timi A
- Saxton - Charlie C & Margot C
- Ashton - Rosie A, Jack S, Ronen Z
- Rushton - James H, Harvey P-R
The Heads of House were chosen through a public vote during House meetings last week. The Year 8s wishing to stand for election courageously presented themselves to the children in their House through a short speech. Good luck to the successful nine - more elections to come in March for all those who missed out this time around.
Year 6 – Radio Play in a Day at Eastbourne College
On Tuesday 14th October, some of our Year 6 pupils enjoyed a day of drama and creativity at Eastbourne College, taking part in an exciting Radio Play in a Day workshop.
Working with extracts from Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the children explored how to bring scenes to life for radio listeners. They experimented with sound effects, expressive voices, and emotional delivery, learning how clarity, timing, and teamwork are essential to an engaging performance.
Throughout the day, expectations were high, but our pupils rose admirably to the challenge, producing polished and captivating final pieces. They concluded the experience with a live performance to an appreciative audience, and their recorded scenes will be available soon once the final technical edits are complete.
We are extremely proud of our Year 6 dramatists for their creativity, confidence, and collaborative spirit during this memorable day.
Gail Brundle, Head of Drama
Art Update
The theme of animals has been a source of inspiration for our Saturday artists and their sculpting expertise can be seen on their observations of animal heads, worked in clay.
The Year 5 pupils investigated insects using both primary and secondary sources. They recorded their observations carefully and developed their initial ideas into more refined designs. To enhance their work, they applied a range of artistic techniques, including s’graffito, adding texture and depth to their final pieces.
Tracey Konyu, Head of Art
4B Forest Fun!
We had a wonderful morning in Forest School recently. The session was calm and peaceful, with the children spending lots of focused time creating their acorn keyrings. Although a few were unsure at first, they soon became fully engaged and thoroughly enjoyed the activity. It was lovely to see their concentration and creativity shine!
Louise Barrett, Year 4 Teacher
Year 3 Trip To Batemans
Year 3 Trip To Batemans
This week, Year 3 visited Bateman’s, the home of Rudyard Kipling, to discover more about the life of the famous author. The children learned about Rudyard’s childhood in India and his early love of books, before finding out about his adult life and his time in Burwash, which began in 1902.
The class explored the house and gardens by following the “Ben Plants a Butterfly Garden” trail, taking part in a range of engaging activities at each station. Inside the house, they toured rooms that told the story of Kipling’s fascinating life. As they walked around, the children asked thoughtful questions and listened attentively to the answers.
In addition to exploring the beautiful gardens and watermill, the children also enjoyed spending time in the natural playground.
Well done Year 3, for being such wonderful company and enthusiastic learners throughout the trip!
Melanie Mathers and Rachel Pay - Year 3 Teachers
4P’s Forest School Adventures!
4P had a fantastic time at Forest School this week! The children got creative making miniature model amanita mushrooms using acorn cups and clay, then painted them beautifully. They also decorated wooden rounds to turn into wind chimes, built dens, and enjoyed imaginative play in the mud kitchen and potion lab. We finished our “back to nature” morning gathered around the fire circle for some songs — a perfect ending to a brilliant session.
A huge thank you to Mrs. Loke!
Emily Platt, Year 4 Teacher
¡Arriba, arriba...uno, dos, tres!
On Monday we were delighted to welcome back Señor Janier from Somos Caribe Academy.
Señora Sanz and her Spanish language classes in Years 5 - 8 took part in two energetic Salsa dance workshops full of Spanish vocabulary and vibrant Latin rhythms.
This memorable and enjoyable cultural and linguistic event celebrated the Día de la Hispanidad - marking the spread of the Spanish language across the world. Ask your child to teach you the moves!
Acorn Clayton, Head of MFL
Sports Update
As we head off for a two week break, I’d like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all our pupils and staff for their incredible energy, commitment, and teamwork across all sporting activities over the last seven weeks. Your enthusiasm and effort have made this half term a truly memorable one.
We’ve seen fantastic results in cross country, football, hockey and netball. Our football and hockey teams have displayed skill and spirit, producing some fabulous performances in both tournaments and regular fixtures on a Wednesday. The Year 3 & 4 netballers are enjoying their small sided games and the Year 3 & 4 footballers did brilliantly at our tournament last week. Although there have not been any galas or competitions, the swimmers and gymnasts have been hard at work all term too.
Looking Ahead to After Half-Term
The action continues after half term! The boys will enjoy one more week of football before moving on to rugby — please ensure all players have their mouthguards ready.
Netball for Years 5 to 8 girls will begin in a few weeks, and we’re also excited to see our Year 3 and 4 girls starting their hockey season. A reminder that mouthguards, hockey sticks, and shin pads are essential for all hockey players.
Matt McKinnon, Director of Sport
ART & DT COMPETITION Years 3 - 8
Boarding - Arena Pursuits
Last weekend, the boarders enjoyed a relaxed Saturday at school. They watched a movie, played outside, and spent some quiet time in the library. In the evening, everyone took part in a fun Halloween costume competition, dressing up the gappers in creative outfits. The girls won a later bedtime as their prize and dressed Miss Eriksson up as Harley Quinn!
Later, the children gathered to watch part of the Spain vs. Georgia football match. Although we couldn’t get it on the TV, everyone crowded around Mr Kim’s laptop, cheering and enjoying the game together.
On Sunday, we set off straight after breakfast for a day of adventure at Arena Pursuits. The children tried their hand at target shooting, raced through an obstacle course, and worked in teams to build rafts and cross the water - with plenty of hilarious moments along the way!
After all the excitement, everyone was ready for a well-earned meal, so we stopped at Burger King for lunch. We returned to school tired, well-fed, and happy, ready to prepare for the final week before half term.
We hope everyone enjoys a wonderful two-week break - the last six weeks before Christmas are sure to be busy!
Kath Kirkwood, Head of Boarding
Flexi Boarding Activities in November
We ensure that a night in the Boarding House is a really positive experience for our full, weekly and flexi boarders. In addition, we have two dedicated activities every week which may be of particular interest to our flexi boarders. Activity nights are on a Wednesday and Thursday and details of activities up to the end of November are available below.
To arrange for your child to flexi board, please contact the Boarding Team on the link below:
A Few Spaces Left – Apex Half-Term Holiday Club!
Don’t miss out! There are still a few places left on the Half-Term Holiday Club. Click the link below to book your place.
Taking place during the October Half Term (8.30am–4.30pm, £35/day), the club offers swimming every day, plus a mix of sports, creative activities, and themed programmes including hockey, tennis, girls’ football, and a Halloween week.
There is also a two-day Apex Hockey Camp will run at MHV on Monday 20th and Tuesday 21st October, from 8.30am to 4.30pm. The camp offers top-quality coaching, led by the current Men’s and Ladies’ 1st XI coach at Maidstone Hockey Club (and former Director of Hockey at South Saxons), supported by experienced coaches and England Hockey Talent Academy players from East Grinstead and Sevenoaks.
CALENDAR
Please find below the calendar for Week 10.
Please note that the Firework Night will take place on Thursday 6th November, not the 7th as printed in the Almanac (extract as above).
MENU
Please find below the menu for after half term. The menu is complemented by a wide selection of salads, jacket potatoes and cold food options, available daily to all pupils in the Prep School.
Coming Up
Fireworks
We are really looking forward to our next FoMHV event!
There will be mulled wine, sweets, candy floss, hot chocolate and glowsticks on sale from FoMHV, along with external catering offering hot dogs, burgers and a veggie option - please note both card and cash will be accepted on the night!
There are only a handful of tickets left, so if you would like to join, please book your tickets via the link below - it promises to be a fantastic evening!
Useful Links
Please note that the SOCS password is: mhvsport