Mr Nicholds' Reflections
This week’s theme is ‘Devotion’, which initially brings to one’s mind affairs of the heart, strong emotions or perhaps absolute dedication to a particular cause, but it can have wider application also. It does not have to be something grand, a heroic act, great sacrifice or endless hours of hard work. It can be related to taking care about something, being really focused or simply staying loyal to a person, group or team that you believe in. In a school environment, devotion can usually be found in the actions that students and teachers take every day, waking early to prepare for lessons, doing extra training for a sports event, attending seemingly endless rehearsals for a production or concert, or solid revision to do your best in an exam.
Devoted students are not necessarily the brightest in the classroom, but they are the ones who continue to try when a subject gets difficult or they have set backs. They remain committed to their goals, whether that is to get better grades, achieve something specialin sports, or just contributing to school activities every day to make KC a better place. Resilience is one of our key ASPIRE values at the School and devotion links to this through the discipline and perseverance that follows – and all are qualities that have real value and will stand us in good stead beyond school grounds. As noted, our teachers also demonstrate devotion on an everyday basis. Whether that is in the extra hours that they spend marking, the research and planning of lessons and assignments, or continually providing the support and encouragement for students who might doubt themselves. It is not just our teaching staff at KC though – our Estates team, our Administration, Marketing and Admissions teams, the Catering staff and all those staff members on the Pastoral side have really important roles to play. Schools themselves are communities built on devotion and KC is no exception. Our clubs, sports teams, performances, and projects succeed because our people work together with commitment and care.
In the end, devotion in school is not about perfection. It is about commitment, showing up, putting in effort, and continuing to learn despite challenges, something every parent knows only too well. These habits prepare students for the future, teaching them that success is rarely instant, but often the result of steady devotion over time. Important to note though that when we think about devotion then we see this as healthy and balanced. Devotion shouldn’t mean a loss of independent thought, the prioritisation of others such that we neglect ourselves, blind loyalty or fanaticism about something, it is about deepening a person not consuming them. Jeremy Nicholds Chair of Governors
Subject Spotlight
Super Sport Saturday
What an incredible morning we had at our Super Sport event! It was a pleasure to welcome so many families to experience the energy, enthusiasm and opportunity that sport brings to life at Kent College. Hosted by our PE department, students enjoyed taking part in a wide range of activities, showcasing the breadth and variety of sport available at KC. From teamwork and skill-building to confidence and enjoyment, the event captured the spirit of sport within our school community. A special thank you goes to our Sports Scholars, who represented the school brilliantly by supporting the admissions stand, speaking with prospective families, and helping to lead activities throughout the morning. Their enthusiasm, leadership, and encouragement helped make the event such a success.
Cricket News
On Monday, our Year 7 cricket squad took on Walthamstow Hall in an excellent all-round performance. Batting first, the team completed all 12 overs without losing a single wicket, a fantastic achievement. They then backed it up with some strong fielding to secure a convincing win. Final score: KC 336 – WH 244. Well done to the Year 7 team on a brilliant result!
This Monday, our U13 girls secured an excellent 5-wicket victory over Walthamstow Hall. There were some outstanding batting performances from Sadhbh, Rosie, and Kayla, helping the team chase confidently. The girls also fielded brilliantly throughout the match, with their strong teamwork and sharp fielding playing a key role in the win. On Thursday, the U14 squad also faced Walthamstow Hall and produced another fantastic result, winning by 53 runs. KC posted an impressive total of 320/3, while Walthamstow finished on 267/3. Elodie, Kayla, and Ava each claimed a wicket in a strong all-round team performance. Well done to all the girls on two brilliant victories!
Hockey News
Congratulations to Elodie (Year 9) and Sadhbh (Year 8), who represented Sevenoaks Hockey Club at the U14 Supra League National Finals last weekend at the Nottingham Hockey Centre. The girls played exceptionally well throughout the competition, helping their team finish as runners-up in the country — a fantastic achievement. Well done, Elodie and Sadhbh!
Scholars Focus
Our Scholar Session for Years 7-9 this week focused on developing effective revision strategies and positive study habits, led by a Lower Sixth and Year 10 student. This peer-led session was designed to help younger students understand how to revise efficiently, stay motivated and prepare confidently for their end of year exams.
During the session, students will explore the key Do’s and Don’ts of revision, including how to create realistic revision timetables, use active recall and practice questions effectively, manage distractions and avoid unhelpful revision techniques such as passive reading or last-minute cramming. The student leaders will share their own experiences, successful revision methods, and practical advice on balancing schoolwork, extracurricular activities and their wellbeing.
The session aimed to encourage students to develop independent study skills, while also providing a supportive environment where they can ask questions and learn from older students who have successfully navigated the same challenges. By the end of the session, students left with a clearer understanding of how to make their revision more productive, manageable and less stressful.
Tunbridge Wells Hockey Club
The Tunbridge Wells Hockey Club U14 team have been crowned South East Champions after a brilliant season. Earlier this year, the same group also reached the semi-finals of the England Hockey Tier 2 Cup, narrowly losing to the eventual national winners. What makes this achievement particularly special is that many of the girls have grown up playing grassroots club hockey together, with their success built on friendship, enjoyment and team spirit, rather than heavy performance pressure. A huge congratulations to Grace (Year 9) and Maddie (Year 9), who are part of this fantastic team and proudly representing KC.
HALO Lecture
On Monday, Miss Handford gave a HALO lecture entitled "The Great History Heist: Reclaiming Women's place in the History Curriculum", in which she gave AIMS students an update on the research being carried out by the Ending Sexism in Schools group. She shared some fascinating updates about the English research before moving on to talk about how women are represented in the History curriculum. Interestingly, the research has found that only 12% of lessons at KS3 include women and 59% of lessons feature no women at all. She also shared the steps the group is taking to have women more represented in a balanced curriculum. She then went on to share some information about some of the women that could be included in the future, such as Emma of Normandy, whose inheritance and marriages were key to the three-way dynastic power struggle in 1066 as the mother of Edward the Confessor.
“Amazing talk. So interesting to hear about the behind the scenes work trying to make schools more inclusive. Yay feminism!” - Sarah & Elaina Lower Sixth and Molly Year 10 “It was a very impactful and inspiring HALO lecture. It made us want to learn more about the impacts of women and how they have been forgotten.” - Annabelle, Josie and Ella Year 8 “It was shocking to learn how many women are a crucial part of history, yet not talked or learned about.” - Honor & Lily Year 10
Year 12 Magistrates Visit
As part of our Lower Sixth PSHE programme, a local magistrate, Eleanor Rollinshaw, from Sevenoaks and Maidstone, visited Kent College to speak to our students about the vital role magistrates play in the community, offering a fascinating insight into how the courts operate. Students learned about the range of sentencing options available and were then challenged to take part in role-play scenarios, before presenting and justifying their own sentencing decisions for a given case.
Year 9's Arts Award programme
This week, some of our Year 9 students visited The Scott's Trust in Tonbridge as part of their Silver Arts Award programme. Throughout the year, students have been developing their own creative skills while also learning how to share these with others through leadership and teamwork. Our Art and Dance teams had the opportunity to work directly with the young adults at the Trust, leading engaging and creative sessions designed to inspire confidence, expression and collaboration. The students demonstrated fantastic enthusiasm, kindness, and maturity, creating a positive and enjoyable experience for everyone involved. Miss Johnson and Miss Brown are incredibly proud of the way our Year 9 students represented the school and embraced the opportunity to use the arts to connect with and support the wider community.
MFL Cross Curricular Day
Year 5 pupils from Fordcombe Primary School visited KC for our Modern Foreign Languages Cross-Curricular Day. It was a fantastic day of collaboration and fun! During the visit, pupils took part in an engaging programme designed to bring French and Spanish to life through immersive cultural activities, alongside a practical Chemistry session exploring chemical reactions. Across the day, they were introduced to key scientific concepts and vocabulary in both languages, helping them to make meaningful connections between language learning and real-world application. Pupils also explored aspects of French and Spanish culture, building their confidence in speaking and listening while using new language in practical, interactive contexts. The experience supported key elements of the Languages Curriculum, while also strengthening cross-curricular links with Science and Technology, encouraging curiosity, collaboration and confident communication.
Year 9 Global Citizenship
This week we had two groups go out into the community for their Global Citizenship Projects. One went to a food bank while the other shared personally written poems at a local care home. They were absolutely brilliant and I'll be honest, I'm a little sad that these were the final groups of the school year. I've had so much fun taking these students on their projects and seeing all the hard work they have put into sharing global issues with the community. Can't wait to see what next year's students will bring!
Student Voice
Hi, I’m Jasmine, a Lower Sixth student and the new Head of Wellbeing. I joined the school in Year 7 and I am currently studying A-Level Economics, Business and Maths. As Head of Wellbeing, my role is to help create a positive and supportive environment where students feel heard, included and comfortable within Kent College. I hope to support KC’s positive and kind environment during my year as wellbeing lead. One of the main parts of my role is helping to organise and run the peer mentoring scheme. The scheme gives younger students the opportunity to talk to sixth form students and to feel supported throughout school life. I find it really inspiring to be involved in this programme as it helps students feel more confident and settled in our school environment whilst continually building meaningful friendships across year groups. I look forward to meeting as many students as possible throughout my time in this role, and to create a lasting legacy and impact.
Student Spotlight - Celebrating Success Beyond the Classroom
We are delighted to celebrate our students’ achievements beyond the classroom. When your child has enjoyed success in sport, music, drama, dance, art, academic competitions, volunteering, leadership, or any personal accomplishment, we would love to hear about it. Please use this form to share achievements with us.
Textiles Exhibition
You are warmly invited to our Textiles Exhibition on Wednesday 10th June, showcasing the outstanding coursework created by our talented students. The exhibition will celebrate their creativity, technical skills and hard work across a range of exciting textile projects. We look forward to welcoming you to view and celebrate the students’ achievements together.
Upcoming Productions
Opera Gala
Students from Years 6 to Lower Sixth are currently rehearsing for the upcoming Opera Gala and are doing brilliantly with some quite tricky music. They have learned choruses from Carmen, Dido and Aeneas, La Traviata and are getting into character for being cigarette girls, witches, demons and aristocracy.
Tickets available here: LINK.
The Railway Children
Tickets available here: LINK
Parent Toolbox
The Wellbeing Hub - Podcast
Prep Sign-up Links
Free Prep A homework sessions take place in the library everyday after school (1 hour 15 minutes), providing a focused and supportive environment for students to complete their work. To help maintain concentration, phones are not permitted, and students are encouraged to bring a book to enjoy once their homework is finished. A late bus is available, with sign-out at 5:25pm. Parents collecting their children should come to the main school office. You can find the sign-up links for 2025–26 below:
Prep B sessions (1 hour) are designed for students staying beyond 5:30pm and take place in Boarding and the Dining Hall. Students also have the option of enjoying supper (additional charge applies). The sign-up links are below:
All sessions must be booked in advance for safeguarding purposes.
Second Hand Uniform Shop Opening Dates
Friday 5th June. 3.00pm to- 4.15pm. Friday 26th June. 3.00pm to 4.15pm. Tuesday 30th June: 8.30am - Induction Day. Please email kcseniorshop@gmail.com if you cannot make these dates and would like a visit.
Chaplain Katie's Reflections of the Week
This year I have been blessed with two amazing ladies from Youth For Christ, based in Tunbridge Wells. They work with schools in the area to provide activities, Bible studies, games and support to students of all religious backgrounds. Hannah and Lesley have been absolutely brilliant with our students and each time we meet, the kids leave with big smiles. The other amazing thing about Youth for Christ is that they provide all of their hard work at no cost to the school. It is part of their ministry to be a blessing with no strings attached. That is devotion to the Gospel! They raise all their funding through donations and this year they are doing a big sponsored walk which Hannah and Lesley will take part. If you can find the time to make a donation, it would really go a long way. They are an inspiring team and we can all look up to them as how to live out our calling of caring for others. May God bless you with deep devotion to your calling in life, Amen.
Half Term Holiday Clubs
Summer Holiday Clubs
Half a wonderful Half Term
Wishing our Year 9 students going to Ardeche over half-term an amazing and unforgettable trip! Have a brilliant time, enjoy every moment and make lots of great memories together.
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