Weekly Round Up 17th January

Dear Parents

I hope you are all well.

It has been great to get Spring Term 2025 underway and see the pupils attacking the opportunities in front of them, from daily classroom challenges to their interests outside school.

On Wednesday, I accompanied the Years 7 and 8 girls to Rose Hill for their netball fixture.  They played with tenacity, thought and skill – but what impressed me most was the support they gave each other and the spirit in which they played the game.  I am looking forward to seeing how their season progresses!

On the sporting front, we welcomed former Australian rugby union captain George Gregan to The Prep today.  He spent  time in a Q&A session with pupils, staff and parents, sharing insight into his life as a professional sportsman, the challenges and opportunities this life brings, as well as a focus on “life after rugby” with Years 6, 7 and 8 as part of their careers work.  In the afternoon, George led coaching sessions with our players which will, I have no doubt, inspire them as they begin their rugby season.  I think it fair to say that George’s visit was  a tremendous success and we are extremely grateful to him for joining us for the day.  As way of thanks, we awarded him a personalised Sevenoaks Prep rugby shirt to sit amongst his 139 Wallaby jerseys!

I hope you all have a good weekend.

Best wishes

Luke Harrison

Dear Parents,

Welcome Back to an exciting Spring Term!

Happy New Year! I hope you all had a wonderful festive break.  It is a pleasure to welcome everyone back to what promises to be an exciting and enriching term ahead.  We have kickstarted the year with lots of new topics, and it has been fantastic to see the enthusiasm across all year groups.

This term, we have introduced a refreshed look to the Nursery Newsletter, placing a greater emphasis on activities that parents can enjoy at home to support their children’s learning.  We hope you find these ideas both fun and beneficial, and we look forward to seeing the positive impact here at school.

In Kindergarten, the children have launched into their thrilling new topic, Amazing Animals, with a particular focus on animal habitats.  It has been wonderful to hear about the engaging conversations and activities taking place.

Meanwhile, Reception has introduced an exciting new topic, Dinosaurs!  After listening to the children and gathering their feedback, it was clear this theme would be a big hit.  To launch the topic, the children enjoyed a fantastic Hook Day this week with a visit from a dinosaur specialist.  They explored sandboxes to uncover fossils from iconic dinosaurs such as Tyrannosaurus Rex, Stegosaurus and Triceratops.  They also learned about when and where these incredible creatures lived, what they ate and how they survived.  Adding to the excitement, the children met animatronic baby dinosaurs, expertly handled by our visitor, who shared fascinating facts about their families and habitats.  It was truly a memorable experience for our budding palaeontologists!

In Year 1, the classrooms have undergone a transformation to set the stage for the new term. Mrs Sullivan, Mrs Wake and Mrs White worked tirelessly over the holidays to reimagine the learning spaces, even enlisting the maintenance team to help with significant changes, including repositioning the interactive whiteboard in 1S!  We are looking forward to welcoming Year 1 parents at the end of the half-term to see the fantastic results!

Finally, Year 2 has embraced their new topic, Africa, with great enthusiasm.  Their Hook Day included an incredible African drumming workshop, which was a huge success.  Mrs Pelling added a personal touch by sharing her own experiences, dressing in traditional African attire, and bringing the topic to life for the children.  It was a vibrant and inspiring start to their learning journey.

We are so proud of the hard work and dedication of our staff, who consistently go above and beyond to create a truly inspirational curriculum for the children.  I hope you share our excitement for the term ahead and all the opportunities it holds.

Best wishes,

Helen Cook

Head of Pre-Prep | Acting Deputy Head | DSL