Many congratulations to our Year 8s on some fabulous Common Entrance results! They will be leaving us, full of confidence, to join their first schools of choice in September.
Hooray for Our Amazing Staff!
As we approach the end of another wonderful school year, we want to give a huge round of applause to our incredible staff who have gone above and beyond over the past few weeks. From organising unforgettable end-of-year trips, to creating magical outdoor learning experiences, their dedication and creativity have truly made this summer term special for our children.
Whether it was a nature walk turned science lesson, a team-building adventure, a leadership task, or simply a sunny afternoon of storytelling under the trees, the effort and care our staff have put into enriching our children's learning outside the classroom has been inspiring.
During this week’s Prep assembly, I reminded the children just how fortunate they are to have such committed and caring adults around them, and I encouraged them to show their appreciation in small but meaningful ways. A kind word, a helping hand, two listening ears or a big smile would go a long way in showing their staff how valued they are.
Thank you to my team in everything they do.
Joff
Nursery and Kindergarten Sports Day!
Sarah Wolford - Head of Nursery & Kindergarten
A fun afternoon was had by all, as the Nursery and Kindergarten children participated in their annual Sports Day Races. They worked collaboratively in their teams, just like our Pre-Prep Pal Billy Bee, and encouraged each other to do their best. We were so proud of every child as they demonstrated their focus of determination, stamina, speed, strength, self confidence and good spirit. A big thank you to our wonderful families, who not only came along to support their child/children but were super role models as they joined in with the parents' race and also worked together in a team! A great day creating wonderful memories.
Reception - Our First Swimming Gala!
Holly Newton - Reception Teacher
We had the most wonderful time showing our parents and grandparents our super water confidence, water safety and swimming skills in the pool. They couldn’t believe just how proficient we had become and we gave each other a great big class ‘well done’ hug afterwards!
Year 1
Jacklyn Garwood - Year 1 Teacher
The day Year 1 had been looking forward to all year finally arrived this week … digging up the Year 1 time capsule!
Excitement filled the Pre-Prep Hall as the children discovered that the moment had come! Mr Craig led us to the exact spot where we buried the capsule all the way back on 5th September 2024. The children carefully unearthed it and, to everyone’s delight, it was completely intact - despite spending nine months in a damp hole!
We opened it up and were amazed to see how much we have grown - both in height and in our learning! It was wonderful to compare our drawings and writing from the start of the year to now. What a fantastic way to reflect on our journey through Year 1.
What amazing memories we have made this year!
We have been learning how to jump into water we can’t stand up in and to then surface and float on our back in a star shape. We have been practising turning from front to back and vice versa and pushing off from the wall with a glide, whilst trying to keep our body flat on the surface of the water. We have also been learning how to kick with our legs and to use our arms to help us to swim on both our fronts and our backs. We can even swim down and collect sinkable toys from the pool floor now too. We LOVE doing that!
Our swimming lessons are so much fun and we look forward to them every Thursday. We are very grateful to our swimming teacher Mrs Walker who makes each lesson so enjoyable, with lots of exciting games and masses of positive reinforcement. We have made huge progress in learning proper techniques and in building our confidence in the pool. THANK YOU, MRS WALKER!
Year 2
Louise Hawtin - Year 2 Teacher
Year 2 showed off their amazing swimming this week in the Swimming Gala. First the children showed everyone their best technique in front crawl and backstroke, before some closely contested races. Next the children demonstrated how great they are becoming at breaststroke and all had a go at butterfly. Finally the children practised their floating and handstands in the water. Great swimming Year 2!
The children have also been super scientists this term, predicting and observing what conditions tomatoes plants need to grow and be healthy. Unsurprisingly, the plant that had water, sunlight and warmth was the healthiest and grew so quickly!
Years 3 and 4 - The Kind Wasp
Carina Everist - Year 3 Teacher & Religious Studies Teacher Years 3-6
Ed Bingham our guitar teacher has a hidden talent! He is also an author. Year 3 and 4 were lucky enough to hear him read his latest storybook 'The Kind Wasp'. We are all now more knowledgeable about how important wasps are to the environment. If any of your children are interested in obtaining a copy of his book, it is now available via Amazon.
Years 3 and 4 Trip to Legoland
Louise Barrett - Head of Juniors
The Juniors headed off to Legoland on Wednesday. We had a fabulous day and it wasn't too busy. They were all very well behaved.
Years 3 and 4 Beach Day
On Monday we headed to the beach; it was rather windy and the sea was quite fierce, but we managed to weigh some rocks, paint some rocks, jump in the waves and eat ice cream! Wonderful.
Year 5
Emily Platt - Head of English
Year 5 have had a fun-packed activities week, starting with camping on Monday night by the pavilion and ending with a trip to the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir (a Hindu temple) in London today.
The children demonstrated their considerable expertise and prowess putting up tents and hammering in countless tent pegs for our two camping ‘villages’ (one for the girls and one for the boys) and enjoyed a pizza supper, after a superb impromptu saxophone concert on the deck of the pavilion led by our saxophone instrumentalists, Albert, Arya, Coralie and Rupert. As dusk fell, we enjoyed s’mores around the campfire and heard some spine-chilling ghost stories from Mr Higginson, Mr Cleghorn and several of the children! 5P take their music very seriously, and Logan was due to have a drum lesson at 8.30am on Tuesday so, under strict instructions to go to sleep at 10pm and stay in tents until morning, they settled well (apart from a couple of children who were spooked when they heard the rumble of a late-night train!). All slept well, fortified by the fresh air and the sound of the owls hooting in the woods beyond the field.
Our day out on Tuesday at Rye Bay Beach School was blustery but great fun. Led by the wonderful Elsbeth Rankin and her daughter Hettie (a Vine and now in her second year studying marine biology at the University of Exeter) the children made elderflower cordial, built dens on the beach, did some beach combing and painted pebbles.
On Thursday, we had a fantastic joint art/English trip to Scotney Castle marking the fact that we have been studying fairytales in English and their picturesque settings. The children found it fascinating learning about the history of Scotney Castle and then sketching the stunning views. Ice cream to finish (of course) and then Year 5 started to prepare for the trip to the temple today. I was very impressed with the teamwork, resilience and general can-do attitude of 5P this week. Life skills have been learnt and memories made!
Year 6 - Le défi de la Tour Eiffel
Acorn Clayton - Head of Modern Languages
6PW took part in a cross-curricular challenge to build a tower from paper straws. The children made good use of teamwork skills developed at camp in a special lesson which combined French, Humanities and STEM.
We learned about the Eiffel Tower in Paris, its design, materials, construction and history. We also investigated building materials and why triangular shapes are strong.
Each group constructed a different design with some original ideas and interesting methods of building.
Teams created a paper "drapeau français" to fly from the top of their towers and stood up for the Marseillaise when the towers were completed.
Mrs Webb and Madame Clayton had a difficult task judging them, but the winning tower was finally selected - built by Ivy G, Alexandra C, Manuela Y and Kelly L.
Bravo les filles!
Year 6 Leadership and Teamwork Development Adventure
Acorn Clayton - Head of Modern Languages
Lucky Year 6 spent three wonderful days camping in the North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty this week. 18 children stayed at Linkenholt Activity Centre near Andover, with three members of staff from Vinehall alongside expert staff from No Limits Development.
We arrived on Monday morning in glorious sunshine, learned to pitch tents, set up camp and made ourselves at home. The rest of the day was spent playing team-building games and meeting group challenges which required physical and mental problem-solving. Everyone worked hard in their teams and enjoyed feats such as crossing the mine field, moving a tower, safely disposing of toxic chemicals and climbing through a giant spider web. After a hearty supper, we played games on the sports field before hot chocolate and bedtime. Of course, it was far too exciting to sleep very much on the first night, so there were some sleepy faces the next morning!
We spent Tuesday developing skills including navigation, map-reading, decision-making and resilience. Each group planned their own route on the map; one group hiked while the others explored the area by mountain bike, then vice versa. The hike became a foraging expedition when we found wild cherries, raspberries, red currants and hazel nuts along the footpaths. The afternoon included Bushcraft training, engaging with the natural world and lighting fires. Then the children had fun playing on the games field; some were quite creative and made their cuddly toys have a motor race (the cars were slippers) around a track!
A highlight for me was the campfire; everyone joined in the funny songs and games. We learned some new songs and skits, remembered old favourites and some children were brave enough to lead everyone else in silly action songs which everyone loved. As expected, the second night was much more peaceful!
Our final day continued the teamwork progress, with an orienteering competition putting newly developed map skills to the test. This was followed by wide games and the "gutter ball" challenge. The children found this needed a lot of concentration and communication, but each attempt outdid the last which was a great achievement.
Sadly, after lunch, the end of the camp came all too quickly. We gave three cheers for the brilliant leaders, Mark, Erica and Will, then piled back into the Vinehall buses for some singing along the motorway (or sleep for a few).
Miss McAllister, Mr Kim and I all enjoyed the camp - the activities were great fun, the children got on with each other well, the place was beautiful and the weather was perfect. When can we go back, please?
Year 7 - STEM Workshop and Thorpe Park
Becky Prior - Head of Science
This week Year 7 pupils took part in an exciting STEM workshop, working in House teams to design and build rollercoasters using K’nex STEM Kits. The hands-on session encouraged collaboration, creativity and engineering skills, as they tackled real-world design challenges. This fun and educational experience helped prepare them for their upcoming trip to Thorpe Park to see rollercoaster engineering in action!
On Wednesday Year 7 enjoyed an exciting trip to Thorpe Park. The sun was shining brightly, adding to the fun atmosphere, as pupils explored the park and rode some of the newest rollercoasters. A highlight of the day was the Tidal Wave ride, where everyone got completely soaked but loved every second! The trip brought learning to life and gave the children a chance to see engineering in action. It was a fantastic, fun-filled day for all involved, with smiles, laughter and memories made.
Year 7 Rye Watersports
Matt McKinnon - Director of Sport & Head of Co-Curricular
On Thursday Year 7 enjoyed a wonderful morning of sailing, windsurfing and canoeing before finishing with an entertaining session in the aqua park.
Year 7 walk
Matt McKinnon - Director of Sport & Head of Co-Curricular
Year 7 did a fantastic job tackling the 7.5-mile walk from Bewl Water to Ticehurst!
It was a beautiful day spent outdoors, filled with teamwork, resilience and smiles. A lovely way to connect with nature and each other.
Year 8 Forest School
Art
Tracey Konyu - Head of Art
3D Printing Demonstration
A few of our pupils attended a presentation on 3D printing by Lee and Mark from FULLY3D UK. Our visitors showed the pupils how to create some computer keys by using the Autodesk Tinkercad application. They explained how they made their larger pieces and informed the pupils about the materials they use, including discarded fishing nets and plant materials to create their beautiful work. The pupils really enjoyed the sessions, and the visitors inspired our pupils to think beyond what they already know.
Year 8 – Textiles
As part of activities week and the Year 8 Leavers' Programme, the pupils were involved in creating their own beautiful tote bags. A local expert on this craft, and our own horticultural specialist, Louise Walters, collaborated with the pupils. We sourced the flowers from our own garden and also use those from Tara's garden. The project's aim was to help promote sustainability and to make use of local resources.
The results were stunning.
Repton International Photography Competition
We are delighted to announce that Esme TK came fourth in the Repton International Photography Competition 2025.
Esme has a keen interest in photography and has worked hard on her passion to achieve this result. Her winning entry of the swan is entitled 'What Happens Above'. Ned E is also a talented photographer and here are a couple of his shots of the pier.
Sport
Sports Day 2025
Matt McKinnon - Director of Sport
Held under bright skies and buzzing excitement, the Vinehall annual Sports Day was a resounding success. Pupils from all four houses gave their absolute best, filling the day with energy, enthusiasm and unforgettable moments. From the first race to the final relay, the spirit shown by all four houses was nothing short of inspiring. Cheers rang out across the field as pupils supported one another, celebrated personal bests, and embraced the joy of healthy competition. After a thrilling day of events, Rushton House emerged as the overall winners. Special mention must go to William H who broke the Senior boys' 75m record. Well done to every participant for making Sports Day 2025 a day to remember.
Gymnastics
Nicola Towner - Teacher of Gymnastics
There was a moment of heartfelt nostalgia and pride as Mrs. Butler was presented with the stunning gymnastics banner she lovingly crafted back in 1997. As captured in the accompanying photos, the banner is a testament to the many hours of dedication and creativity she poured into its creation.
Originally gifted to the Vinehall Gymnastics teams, the banner was designed to accompany them to national competitions, proudly representing the school’s spirit and unity at venues across the country.
Mrs. Butler’s connection to Vinehall Gymnastics runs deep. Her daughter, Philippa (affectionately known as Pip), was a member of the very first Vinehall team to compete on the national stage. Today, that legacy continues as Philippa’s daughter, Florence - now in Year 3 - steps into her mother’s footsteps as a member of the current Vinehall Gymnastics Squad.
A beautiful symbol of tradition, talent and family, the banner remains a cherished part of Vinehall’s sporting history.
The GK Final returns to the Chaplin Theatre
Ally Linney - Deputy Head (Pastoral)
A few weeks ago, Ashton, Paxton, Rushton and Saxton adorned their House colours and cheered on the finalists from each House in the General Knowledge Quiz Final in the Chaplin Theatre. Testing their knowledge in all subjects, the contestants put their learning to the test in a rigorous yet fun challenge.
The courageous representatives who did their Houses proud were:
Ashton: Max P, Teddy H, Tymofii L
Paxton: Thomas G, Betsy S, Act C
Rushton: Persie L, Lucas M, MP T
Saxton: Henry P, Arthur P, Artiom V
Congratulations to Rushton House, who won this year's GK Final Competition!
Boarding
Katherine Kirkwood – Head of Boarding
On Saturday we were very lucky to have such lovely weather for the school sports day. The boarders all came back hot, exhausted and happy. We had a lazy afternoon before we went to Sainsbury's. The girls had convinced me to let them have a midsummer night's party. They decorated the pavilion and we spent the evening eating snacks and playing games on the fields. At about 10.30pm it became too dark to see them, so we came in and not surprisingly went straight to bed.
On Sunday morning, after a slow start, we went to TJ's Diner on the A21 for lunch. The children had huge burgers and shakes and most of them could not finish the lunch. Sunday afternoon, before the weather turned, we had fun on the giant bouncy waterslide. We used so much liquid soap that they looked like giant moveable snowmen wandering around. After a short spell in the library the children got ready for the very busy activities week ahead.