Nothing reminds us more clearly than the return of Year 6 from their residential trip and the start of rehearsals for the Key Stage production that we are entering the last part of the academic year!
It has been a brilliant week across the school, both inside and outside the classroom, including assembly in the orchard this morning with Chaplain Katie and the Year 5 Taster Day in the Senior School, which was enjoyed by all. Have a lovely weekend and good luck to all our pupils participating in the Restless Development Schools Triathlon on Sunday 10th May at Sevenoaks School.
Chaplain Katie
After a swift reminder of the Easter story in the Prep Hall this morning, Chaplain Katie revealed an empty Alleluia box, previously containing butterfly pupae. What had happened? Where were they? A walk down to the Orchard to search for the butterflies which had grown and been released was a glorious way to start the day and a reminder of the joy of new life.
What happened in School this week?
Caterpillars
This week the Caterpillar children have been learning about a very special tiny caterpillar with a very BIG appetite - it's The Very Hungry Caterpillar! The children have enjoyed joining in with the story learning the days of the week, lots of counting and exploring the life cycle of a butterfly. They painted their own butterflies learning all about symmetry and how their colours and patterns on the wings match.
Butterflies
This week, we have been exploring the wonderful world of homes and houses! The children enjoyed learning about different types of homes from around the world and sharing the kinds of houses they would love to live in one day. Our little builders had great fun using blocks, magnetic shapes and Lego to design and create their very own houses, showing wonderful imagination, creativity and teamwork throughout the week.
Reception
This week, the children in Reception have continued their topic work on plants and our focus has been sunflowers. We began by looking at the non-fiction book the Life Cycle of a Sunflower and discussed how non-fiction books differ from fiction books and that we can use them in a different way. We learnt about the lifecycle of a sunflower and that sunflower seeds are used for many things. Using bossy verbs, the children wrote instructions for planting a sunflower seed and then used their instructions to plant their own seed.
Year 1
Year 1 have been busy this week creating some beautiful pictures in the style of Paul Klee. We are studying artists who loved to use colour including Mark Rothko and next week, Jackson Pollock. This week the children created a "colour fields" painting by using shades of the same colour which they mixed. We love the results! They have also completed our Maths unit on multiplication and division. By using the language of grouping and sharing, they have been able to split groups of objects (including sweets!) into equal groups.
Year 2
Year 2 have had an incredibly exciting and busy week! We have continued exploring our wonderful English book, 'Ocean Meets Sky', and the children have been full of creativity and imagination. We loved writing clear instructions for how to make a boat, using powerful command sentences. The children also designed their very own adventure boats, carefully thinking about all the amazing places they might travel to. Along the way, we practised using prepositions to describe where objects were positioned on and around our boats. In Topic, we stepped back in time and acted out the very first night aboard the famous RMS Titanic. Year 2 enjoyed imagining what it would have been like to board the grand ship, explore the decks and meet fellow passengers setting off on a great adventure across the ocean!
Year 3
This week in Forest School Year 3 enjoyed a team building activity. In pairs they had to lead each other on a course around the Forest School with one of the pair blind folded. They learnt that clear instructions, listening and being aware of their surrounding were very important. It was a fun activity to do. Luckily their instructions were so good, nobody fell over or got lost!
Year 4
This week, Year 4 enjoyed a fantastic visit from Chaplain Katie, who led a fun and engaging team-building session. The children were presented with a task designed to challenge them, but through perseverance and teamwork, they successfully achieved their shared goal—a great reminder of the power of collaboration. In Science, we kicked off our new topic on Electricity by researching how it is produced, and pupils have begun creating their own short news reports to present their findings. In English, the class produced some excellent Big Writes and have also started exploring our new text, The Great Kapok Tree, learning about the importance and wonder of rainforest environments.
Year 5
Year 5 enjoyed an inspiring afternoon at the Senior School this week, where they had the opportunity to experience two very different and exciting areas of learning. Pupils embraced the challenge of a Latin lesson, impressing staff with their enthusiasm and curiosity as they explored a subject new to many of them. The afternoon also included pond dipping in the school grounds, where pupils worked together to discover and identify a variety of pond life. It was a fantastic opportunity for Year 5 to stretch their academic interests, enjoy hands‑on learning and experience life beyond the Prep School. A thoroughly enriching and memorable afternoon for all!
Year 6
Year 6 returned from their residential trip full of smiles, stories and unforgettable memories after an action-packed adventure filled with fencing, climbing walls, laser tag, raft building, zip-lining and the thrilling Big Swing. It was fantastic to see the children challenge themselves, encourage one another and embrace every opportunity with such enthusiasm and team spirit. These are memories they will treasure for many years to come.
Sport News
Super Sport Saturday – Saturday 16th May
Join us for a fun-filled morning at our upcoming Super Sport Saturday on Saturday 16th May, from 8:45am to 11:00am.
Children will have the opportunity to take part in a wide range of exciting activities including hockey, gymnastics, cricket, football, tag rugby and trampolining, all led by our experienced and enthusiastic sports staff. Suitable for children aged 18 months to 11 years, the morning is a wonderful opportunity for families to enjoy our excellent sports facilities, spend time together, and be part of the vibrant Kent College Prep community. Siblings are very welcome to join in the fun. We would love to see you there for what promises to be an energetic and enjoyable morning for all.
Gymnastic News
The U11 National Acro & Tumbling Team competed in the British Championships in Stoke on Saturday, taking part in an exceptionally high-standard competition alongside teams from across Great Britain, including Northern Ireland. The group sequence team of Alivia, Hanna, Harriet, Margot, Aniya and Natalia delivered an impressive performance, finishing 6th overall. Their routine demonstrated excellent synchronisation, with a particularly strong and secure balance sequence. Hanna and Harriet also performed a clean and confident pair routine, finishing in 10th place, while Harriet went on to compete in three dynamic tumbling runs, placing 11th overall. Leonora achieved a fantastic 2nd place in the Key Steps Kent Championships held at the Orion Spires in Canterbury, where she achieved the highest score for her floor sequence.
Our gymnasts showed wonderful determination, teamwork and spirit throughout the competition, and we were also delighted to debut our beautiful new leotards. We are incredibly proud of all the pupils and their achievements. Mrs Cox
Double Success in the Show Ring!
Sophie and Isabelle enjoyed a hugely successful show last weekend, with both girls achieving fantastic results in their respective classes. Sophie won her veteran class riding Tommy, her wonderful 28-year-old pony, competing impressively against adult riders and much younger horses and ponies. She then went on to be awarded Reserve Champion in her section — a remarkable achievement. Isabelle also had an outstanding day, winning her lead rein class on her pony, Henley, before taking Reserve Champion in her section. Both girls qualified for the ultimate show championship, featuring the top five horse and pony riders across the entire show. The girls rode beautifully throughout the competition and should be incredibly proud of their achievements. The event was also excellent preparation for Sophie, who will be competing at the prestigious Royal Windsor Horse Show on 17 May at Windsor Castle.
Watch Swim Week and Inter House Swimming Gala -9 and 10 June
We are delighted to invite parents to join us for our annual Watch Swimming Week and Inter-house Swimming Gala led by the Monson Club swimming coaches and our PE team. The Inter-house Swimming Gala for Years 3–6 will take place on Tuesday 9 June from 10.30am–12.00pm, with parents welcome to take their seats in the spectator area from 10.25am. Nursery, Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 families are warmly invited to attend their child’s swimming lesson during Watch Swimming Week on 9 and 10 June. Please see the letter to Parents for more details.
Come visit us!
In the Summer Term, we are hosting our Taster Day on Saturday 13th June which is for Year 5 students. They will have the chance to challenge themselves on our outdoor assault course and tackle stimulating STEM tasks as they work to break out of our Escape Room. Parents are warmly invited to stay for a short presentation from our Senior Leadership Team. This session provides a fascinating insight into how pupils learn at Kent College and how we nurture confident, bold learners who are ready to embrace future challenges. Parents and siblings are also welcome to join us for a BBQ lunch, celebrating the day’s achievements and activities together.
Lunch Menu W/C 11 May
Have a wonderful weekend!
This newsletter is exclusively intended for the Kent College Community. All photographs featured herein are the property of the school and are used in accordance with our photographic permission policy.