ENJOYING TODAY EDUCATING FOR TOMORROW PAGE 14 BOOK WEEK The Book Fair, visiting Author, World Book Day and more PAGE 19 SHAKIN’ UP SHAKESPEARE Year 6 pay homage to the bard with two fantastic performances PAGE 11 LAMDA SUCCESS Distinction across the board for our 34 LAMDA candidates THE CASTLE Spring 2024
At times this term, I have felt more like a weather presenter than a Headmaster! Monday morning assemblies were never complete without a warning to the pupils to dress sensibly and not bring mud into the buildings. Scouring the weather forecast to see whether matches were possible and surveying pools of water on the pitches became a regular part of mine and many other people’s weeks. I’m sure I was not alone in feeling a little despondent at times at the prospect of yet another grey and wet day. As I write this article in the middle of the holidays, it is still drizzling! And yet, the mood around the school has been lively and positive – there was nothing gloomy about the dramatic productions at the end of term as we were entertained by Year 4 and Year 6 with their amusing, entertaining and impressive interpretations of Easter and Shakespeare respectively. There was nothing drab about the Spring Concert where instruments ranged from the harp to the recorder with just about everything in between. World Book Day was a riot of colour and invention, with the staff leading from the front, and who can forget the phenomenal success of our LAMDA candidates. Year 2 lit up the sky as they recreated the Great Fire of London, while the Fizz and Quiz evening was certainly no dull affair! There will always be highlights in a term, but I am often even more proud and delighted by the normal rhythm of a school week successfully navigated and completed. Sometimes we forget to congratulate ourselves for simply achieving everything that we are supposed to within a given week or day. If a pupil has learnt their spellings and their tables, completed their preps to a reasonable standard, played a full part in sporting teams and other activities, and stayed out of trouble, then it’s a thumbs up from me. However, routine is there to be disrupted and sometimes shattered! On the staffing front, no sooner have we said goodbye to Mrs Reid and welcomed in Mrs Cooper (two excellent Beckys!) than news comes through that Mrs Archer is off to be Head of Ashford Prep next year. Congratulations to Philippa, a just reward for all that she has done at MHS over the past few years. That balance between rhythm and events (either anticipated or not) is what makes any school a challenging and exciting place to be. Bring on next term with all its customary end of year rites of passage, supplemented by our 150th Anniversary celebrations. Eddy Newton, Head Note from the Head Spring 2024
Contents Flourishing in Forest School .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Did you know..?.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Burns Night Talk .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Charity Fundraising .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Introducing Instruments .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Music Exam Success.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Year 5 Trip to Steven’s Farm.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Children’s Mental Health Week .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Pre-Prep’s English Extravaganza . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Lunar New Year .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Year 8s watch a French Play .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 New School Review – Talk Education.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Informal Concerts and Open Week.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Distinction’ awarded across the board for our LAMDA pupils.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Year 4’s Trip to The Observation Science Centre . . . . . . . 11 Seniors Trip to Hastings .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Year 4’s Wonka-Worthy Chocolate Workshop.. . . . . . . . . . . 12 Eggcellent News. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Year 5’s Roman Fort Design Competition .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Maths Challenge Runners-Up .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Book Week .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Club and County Hockey Achievements .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Year 2’s Great Fire of London Learning Day . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Comic Relief 2024 .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 FoMHS Quiz and Fizz Night . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Year 6’s morning at The Observation Science Centre . . 18 Boarding Theatre Trip .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Prep School Spring Concert .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Marvellous Maths Day .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Shakin’ Up Shakespeare.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Spring Term Art Showcase .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Spring Term DT Showcase . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Year 4 Easter Service.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Nursery’s Easter Egg Hunt with Years 7 and 8.. . . . . . . . . . . 26 Egg Rolling Competition .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Hispanic Day .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Clubs Highlights.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Sports Teams Round Up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Equestrian Team Round Up .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Staff News .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Marlborough House Society .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 @marlboroughhouse.school Follow us on social media: Private accounts for parents: Boarding: @marlboroughhouse.boarding Reception: @marlboroughhouse.reception Nursery: @marlboroughhouse.nursery /marlboroughhouseschool Scholarships Year 8 Isabella B Humanities Prize - Benenden School Lucy C Sports Scholarship - Mayfield School Ruby C Academic Scholarship - Claremont Senior School and Academic Scholarship - Dulwich Cranbrook Cleo M-C Art Scholarship, Academic Scholarship and Sports Exhibition - Sutton Valence School Year 6 Olivia S Catherine Nunneley Academic Scholarship and Music Exhibition - Benenden School MHS Year 7 Entry Scholarships Oliver A Football Scholarship Alice B All Rounder Scholarship Annie B All Rounder Scholarship Charlotte B All Rounder Scholarship Tara B Sports Scholarship Jesse C Academic Scholarship Louis P All Rounder Scholarship Grace V Music Scholarship Max V DT Scholarship Matthew W Football Scholarship Congratulations to all the children who were awarded scholarships in the Spring term.
This year we have a new Forest School Leader for Years 3 and 4, Mrs Loke, who runs creative activities, helping children to engage with nature. This term, the children have been crafting with natural materials, making colourful mandalas, happiness catchers, clay tree pixies and colourful stick sprites, and birdfeeders. The Spring term Forest School sessions have seen every sort of weather, from the frozen Specs Pond to sunny, blustery days. The arrival of even more rain in late February meant it was all hands on deck to dam the stream that formed next to Forest School – excellent fun! These sessions have also hosted a range of activities and experiences, enabling children to problem solve and manage risk in the natural environment, develop practical knowledge and use tools, learn about the plants and animals that live in the grounds, and enjoy a big, healthy dose of fresh air. Page 4 Flourishing in Forest School JANUARY 2024 | The Castle
In the Pre-Prep, they have had a great time building much needed shelters, creating pop-up outdoor kitchens (serving ice stew and wood pancakes!), spotting signs of Spring, following flour trails, working with clay, enjoying some ‘Japanese bathing’ and taking part in the RSPB’s Big Schools’ Birdwatch. We look forward to a new season of Forest School in the Summer term, which includes the annual Forest School Days for Years 3 and 4. Page 5 JANUARY 2024 | The Castle SCAN ME Watch the gloriously muddy video
We have interviews from four teachers for you in this edition- your chance to find out a bit more about our wonderful members of staff at MHS. Mrs Brundle, Head of Drama Did you know that Mrs Brundle is also a qualified LAMDA teacher, Mental Health First Aider, stage make-up artist and set designer, who regularly helps out as a Friend of the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford-uponAvon? Mrs Cooper, Head of Pre-Prep Did you know that our new Head of Pre-Prep, Mrs Cooper, is an alumnus of Marlborough House! Prior to taking up her new role at MHS, Mrs Cooper has taught for eight years at Thomas’ Battersea. Mrs Mitchell, Head of Science Did you know that Mrs Mitchell was an Equine Dentist before she became a teacher and runs the MHS Equestrian Team training? Mrs Townsend, Pre-Prep Music Teacher Did you know that Mrs Townsend was put forward for a Music Teacher award with Classic FM and is a published songwriter? Reception enjoyed a fantastic talk from MHS parent Mrs Lane about Burns Night and Scottish traditions. Our thanks to Mrs Lane. The children also found time to bake some Scottish shortbread - delicious. We regularly welcome parents to speak about traditions from different countries and are very grateful to them for giving up their time. With 18% of families at MHS having a parent who speaks a foreign language as their mother tongue, we are a culturally rich School and enjoy celebrating this. If you would like to get involved, please do contact your child’s Form Teacher or Mme De Haan, Head of Modern Foreign Languages Did you know..? Burns Night Talk SCAN ME SCAN ME SCAN ME SCAN ME Page 6 We were delighted to be able to support the Kent Young Carers Charity through the Friends of MHS’ Christmas fundraising. Head Girl Alex P and Mr Newton presented a cheque for £2,000 to charity representative Miss Smith in January, which was gratefully received. The donation will go towards respite trips and activities for young carers. Thank you to the whole MHS School Community for supporting our charity fundraising. Charity Fundraising JANUARY 2024 | The Castle
Musical performances for the Pre-Prep from Prep School pupils are a fantastic opportunity for older children to perform, share their love of an instrument and stand that little bit taller, while the Pre-Prep children love seeing and learning from an older pupil and role model. Most recently, Year 1 welcomed Tara B who played the saxophone and Harriet M who demonstrated the violin. While Year 2 were introduced to the recorder by the Year 3 Recorder Club, ahead of their first recorder lesson. Year 1 also had an opportunity to learn about and play the cello this term, accompanied by a lesson on a beautiful piece of music featuring the cello - The Swan from Saint-Saëns’ The Carnival of the Animals. This term in Year 3, the children were excited to trial the violin, learning to bow and pluck both a D and A string along to “Spring” from Vivaldi’s Four Seasons and making lots of progress and having fun along the way. Mrs Townsend, Pre-Prep Music Teacher and Mrs McEwan, Head of Music Page 7 Introducing Instruments Congratulations to the following pupils on their Spring term music exam results. The teachers in the Music Department are very proud of you all. Prep Test Singing Amber P Isabel B Piano Initial Grade Freddie R – Merit Felix T - Pass Grade 1 Singing Darcey A-R – Merit Charlotte B – Merit Verity P – Merit Charlie P – Merit Milla H-B – Merit Jemima Q – Distinction Max M – Distinction Grade 1 Piano Theo D - Merit Grade 1 Clarinet Evie N – Merit Grade 2 Violin Finley D - Pass Grade 2 Singing Sophie P – Merit Evie N – Merit Grade 2 Piano Poppy H-B - Distinction Grade 2 Jazz Clarinet Evie N – Pass Grade 3 Jazz Soprano Saxophone Tara B – Merit Grade 3 Singing Sophie O – Pass Annabel J – Distinction Olivia S – Distinction Grade 3 Music Theory Olivia S - Merit Grade 3 Violin Emma E - Pass Grade 4 Jazz Clarinet Olivia S – Distinction Grade 4 Piano Olivia S - Distinction Music Exam Success JANUARY 2024 | The Castle
Page 8 On the last day of January, Year 5 headed off to Steven’s Farm, the apple orchard and arable farm in Hawkhurst, owned and farmed by the family of our very own Mrs Budd (Head of History and Latin). Children saw for themselves how apples are grown, picked, washed and sorted, before being packed up and shipped off to local supermarkets. Importantly, there was a lot of discussion about the lengths that farmers go to in order to minimise their impact on the environment. Parents should be warned that there will be uproar from Year 5 students if they buy bags of apples in non-recyclable “crinkly” plastic! Mr Budd (Junior) also highlighted the plight of fruit and vegetable farmers at the moment and the power of supermarkets in dictating the packaging, labelling and prices of their produce and the environmental impact if British farmers can no longer afford to farm and we end up relying on non-British produced food. This is in contrast to the global ‘crop’ market, where global supply and demand determine the prices. The children were able to get up close to the sparklingly clean and massive machinery that helps their work. Mrs Reeve was quick to point out the role of GPS, algorithms and coding to highlight the use of technology in farming. It allows farmers not to ‘overlap’ on their fertilisers and pesticides, as well as not disturbing the soil unlike traditional ploughing practices, which benefits the farmers, the consumers and the environment… a win – win! Although rather chilly, the weather did stay dry and the children really appreciated the opportunity to learn about food production in the local area, a topic that they will soon be learning in geography lessons. Our thanks go to both Mr Budd’s for their time showing us around their impressive farm and explaining their role in minimising our impact on the environment. Mr Kimber, Head of Geography We are pleased to have supported Place2Be’s Children’s Mental Health Week. In line with the theme was ‘My Voice Matters’, the Form Reps and I were excited to run a mental health questionnaire in the Prep School, which will be evaluated at the next Pupil Council meeting. PSHE lessons and assemblies throughout the School focused on mental health and all the children took part in mindfulness exercises such as tai chi and bracelet-making - Years 3 and 4 particularly enjoyed Miss Richardson’s assembly on ‘breathe bracelets’. Everyone reflected on the importance of having their voice heard, being seen, and how it made them feel; reminding us why ‘valuing self and others’ is at the centre of School life. Pupils took time to think about what mattered to them, what made them feel happy - their pets, their football team, their friends - Reception Class RCO even created a wellness display board, capturing these thoughts from the children. As it was also Safer Internet Day during Children’s Mental Health Week, this played an important part in our teaching and IT lessons with Mrs Reeve were dedicated to how we can use computers, the internet, online games and social media in a safer and healthier way. Mrs Walker, Head of Pastoral Care Year 5 Trip to Steven’s Farm Children’s Mental Health Week Year 1 play a Safer Internet Day board game Year 3 and 4’s Breathe Bracelets JANUARY 2024 | The Castle
Page 9 Extravaganza: noun-an elaborate and spectacular entertainment Pre-Prep’s English Extravaganza saw us zipping through the Pre-Prep building in our School Houses, finding something excitingly English at every turn. With a nod to National Story Telling Week, we rolled the story dice; creating collaborative tales and honing our narrative skills. Whipping on a magical story telling cloak and hat, we retold our tales, complete with improvisation, theatrics and embellishment. Next stop, an exciting mark making task, bringing together movement, language and music. After a disco dough warm up, we developed handwriting skills by exercising our gross motor movements, using both hands to cross what is known as the ‘midline’… the vertical line that we can imagine passing just in front of our bodies, from the tops of our heads to the floor between our feet. Around the corner we entered a classroom covered with books. Channelling a ‘scavenger hunt‘ vibe, we raced through pages of books hunting down given words, challenging ourselves with reading, looking Pre-Prep’s English Extravaganza carefully at the text, supporting our team, and ticking them off as we went….’now, where will I find Gruffalo……’ Finally, puppets were milling around waiting to be chosen. We became teachers and taught our cuddly students a range of nursery rhymes. Once confident, the puppets brought their human back onto the carpet and performed what they had learnt. Puppets are very good listeners and excellent learners. Achieved : verb: achieved (past tense) - successfully bring about or reach (a desired objective or result) by effort, skill, or courage: “an elaborate and spectacular morning of English was achieved.” Mrs Willett, Head of English for Pre-Prep Our celebrations began with a wonderful Chinese feast, including prawn crackers, (Marlborough) house special noodle stir fry, sweet and sour chicken, sticky ribs and beef in black bean sauce, followed by crispy banana fritters. Thank you to our fabulous Catering Team! Nursery dressed up for the occasion and looked wonderful, the outfits even survived some experimenting with chopsticks. Back in their classrooms, Nursery and Reception welcomed in the Year of the Dragon with activities including dragon crafts, Chinese-inspired art, sharing red envelopes, Tai Chi, more dressing up and discovering the exciting story behind the 12 animals of the Chinese Zodiac. Lunar New Year JANUARY 2024 | The Castle
“There’s a wonderful sense of adventure and zest for learning at Marlborough House School, with a warm family atmosphere and happy, outdoorsy pupils who, as head Eddy Newton says, ‘do exciting things and do them well’. What’s not to like?” We are thrilled with what Talk Education’s Reviewer had to say about Marlborough House following their visit in the Spring term. Page 10 This year again we are very grateful to Benenden School for havinghostedus to anotherwonderful play by the Onatti company. “La classe d’art” was fun and offered the right amount of challenge for all girls who had to focus hard to follow the interaction between the two French native actors. The theatre was full and the enjoyment from the audience was palpable. Mme De Haan, Head of Modern Foreign Languages Year 8s watch a French Play We were treated to a lovely array of music in the Prep School’s informal concert. William P kicked off proceedings with his drumming, before many singers, violinists and jazz instrumentalists took to the stage as a final practice before our ABRSM examinations after half term. It was a wonderful, uplifting occasion – well done to all involved. What super professional young musicians we have in Pre-Prep too! Their informal concert highlighted just how well the children presented their music and played and sang with joy and enthusiasm. The concert began with Singing club, followed by 15 instrumental performances. Well done to everyone. Thank you to all the parents who further supported our musicians during our Instrumental Lessons Open Week. Mrs McEwan, Head of Music and Mrs Townsend, Pre-Prep Music Teacher Informal Concerts and Open Week New School Review – Talk Education SCAN ME Read the full review here FEBRUARY 2024 | The Castle
Page 11 Year 4 were lucky enough to visit The Observation Science Centre to explore forces and see the fascinating telescopes. Everything from the giant balancing board and outdoor echo-phone, to the tiny model cam toys and plasma ball were explored in full by everyone in Year 4 (teachers included!). Completely self-directed teamwork was a huge success in the water chamber, where turning two wheels and the Archimedes Screw would result in perpetual water movement up and down the whole run! With many budding engineers, each group successfully built a truss bridge which they all carefully made their way over. We all enjoyed learning from the experts working at the centre, as well as constantly observing, exploring and testing fascinating aspects of practical science. Mr Priddin and I were so impressed with their curiosity and their level of questioning, particularly around the mechanics of the telescopes as well as the relative sizes of galaxies, stars and planets in the universe. The children’s behaviour and engagement was brilliant as always and we won’t hesitate to visit again! Mrs Taylor, Year 4 Teacher Year 4’s Trip to The Observation Science Centre After a term and a half of hard work, commitment and focus, 34 of our children took their LAMDA (London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts) exams at the start of February. The children, from Years 3 to Year 8, honed their performance skills in communication, line-learning, voice projection, facial expression, gesture, and stage positioning so that they could sit exams ranging from Solo Introductory Stage One to Acting Grade Three. When I received the results, I was absolutely delighted that every child gained a distinction award. This is a wonderful achievement and is testimony to the months of hard work that the children have put into preparing for their exams. Many congratulations to them all – I am so proud of them. Year 3: Isabel B, Henry M, Jacobi P, Aalana S, Kristina S Year 4: Darcey A-R, Theo D, Rafferty G, Iona G, James G, Eira R R, Edward I, Miles O, Guy M, Freya R S, Elizabet B, Florence R Year 5: Max M, Ollie M, Eleanor T, Freya B Year 6: Harry A, George M, Rory G, Louis P, Barnaby C, Olivia S, Georgia W, Molly S, Annie B Year 7: Annabel J Year 8: Matilda M, Emilia M, Rosie C Mrs Brundle, Head of Drama and LAMDA Teacher ‘Distinction’ awarded across the board for our LAMDA pupils SCAN ME Scan the code to watch the video FEBRUARY 2024 | The Castle
Year 4 were lucky enough to be visited by Hastings’ very own Willy Wonka: James Bridger from Coastal Cocoa. As well as guiding us through the tasting of ten tempting tidbits of chocolate, James also explained the history of chocolate consumption. We learnt about the bloodthirsty ceremonies of the Mayans, the chocolate houses of 17th century Europe and the technology needed to create the bars we enjoy today. Then, it was on to the highlight of the day: creating our own chocolate bars and lollipops. In a flurry of feuilletine and a storm of Smarties, we fashioned decadent slabs of deliciousness - no doubt long since enjoyed at home! Thank you to James for such a memorable morning. What a way to bring our ‘Sweet History’ topic to a close! Mr Priddin, Year 4 Form Teacher Blowy ‘n’ blustery, wet ‘n’ wild, cold and damp…. However you want to describe the conditions on this particular Tuesday afternoon in February, the weather was the dominant feature as Year 7 and 8 headed to the coast. Stepping out of the bus to enjoy their picnics on the beach, the hungry seagulls were pleased to see 28 packed lunches arrive. Battling in the wind and rain, MHS students had to keep a close eye on their sandwiches to ensure they weren’t stolen from above. The enriching trip to Hastings, had several facets for the children to enjoy. Initially they were allowed to roam amongst the play areas, urban infrastructure and fishing boats to take photos to contrast with the rural setting at Bedgebury Pinetum, which they enjoyed last term. The photos will be put together to form a photo exhibition of contrasting environments. Due to the ferocious weather conditions, the environmental survey wasn’t possible as the sheets would have looked as though they had been for a dip in the stormy sea! However, a brief discussion about how to go about an environmental survey and the elements included gave the children an overview of what is involved. The children were glad to return to the dry, warm bus and head to an indoor activity at the Hastings Museum and Art Gallery. They enjoyed a fascinating look around, exploring the history, culture and art of Hastings and the wider world at this local museum with a global collection. Despite some pretty gloomy weather at times, the children kept high spirits and showed great resilience to enjoy the trip and make the most of their afternoon out of school. Mr Kimber, Head of Geography Year 4’s WonkaWorthy Chocolate Workshop Seniors Trip to Hastings SCAN ME Scan the code to watch the video Page 12 FEBRUARY 2024 | The Castle
NOVEMBER 2023 | The Castle Eggcellent News Page 13 Fantastic work from Year 5 whose Roman Fort project incorporated a site visit to Richborough Roman Fort, a full-scale plan drawing task and the final 3D build. The winning team is the first fort displayed in the video, featuring a drawbridge, army barracks, a scale model cart and a 3D Roman Soldier. Congratulations to the team members: Nathanael P, Eleanor T and Ellie M, who combined excellent design skills with great teamwork and communication. Mr Everest, DT Teacher In March, Nursery and Year 1 excitedly watched their chicks hatch and enjoyed looking after them through to the end of term. Nursery had 4 chicks while Year 1 finally welcomed 6 chicks who were very happy under the heat lamp. The annual Year 1 voting for chick names subsequently took place, with Sir Clucks-a-lot, Cheepy, Browny, Fluffy, Blossom and Lily the winners! Year 5’s Roman Fort Design Competition SCAN ME Scan the code to watch the video Maths Challenge Runners-Up Congratulations to our Year 5 teamwho achieved a fantastic second place out of 16 teams in the Mayfield School Maths Challenge! During the day were faced with four rounds which tested their logic and problem-solving skills. They showed great teamwork and determination, and I am incredibly proud of their achievement. Miss Jones, Head of Maths
Page 14 BookWeek If only all the children could have an extra day added to the week to devote exclusively to reading or, alternatively, if only every week could be book week! In a very busy week celebrating the written word, we have been designing book covers and bookmarks, browsing and shopping at the book fair, and been amazed by the experiences and stories of our visiting author Sarah Roberts. OnWorldBookDay, accompanied by a book week version of George Ezra’s Shotgun, the whole school paraded, danced and celebrated the book characters that they had become (watch the procession video right). The Pre-Prep have recorded their costumes in art form and, with the inspiration of Julia Donaldson’s Zog, have been experimenting with big catapults, pegs, rubber bands and zip wires in an attempt to get Zog to fly! In the Prep School, book week marked the end of the House Readathon, with Egan celebrating their victory in the competition with an Alice in Wonderland themed tea party. Book Week was rounded-off with a book fair for the School community – inspiring us all to start a new book. Thank you to everyone who supported the sale, whether through donating or buying books. Nearly 400 books were sold and the event raised £191.90 (plus 1 euro and 25 Canadian cents!) for KWEST; a charity providing free access to books for children in Watamu, Kenya. After such an exciting week, we hope that everyone found time on the weekend that followed to put their feet up with a good book! Mrs Henderson, Head of English and Mrs Willett, Pre-Prep English Lead “The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” - Dr. Seuss SCAN ME Scan the code to watch the video MARCH 2024 | The Castle
Page 15 The Prep School Teachers lead the way on World Book Day! See the back cover for more photos! MARCH 2024 | The Castle
Page 16 Year 2 immersed themselves in the historical events surrounding the Great Fire of London during their Learning Day. Through role-play and making artefacts, the children further developed their understanding about the great fire. Soap making, candle dipping, crafting scent bags, writing with ink and making leather bookmarks were just a few of the activities available to try. Teams of children were sent to fight the fire and the whole year group worked together to pass leather buckets between one another. In the afternoon, an archaeological dig meant that teamwork was built upon again, finding evidence and clues to answer questions about the past. Mrs Pay, Year 2 Teacher Year 2’s Great Fire of London Learning Day There was success for seven pupils who played for the winning Marden Hockey Club teams at the Kent Hockey Championships in March. Congratulations to Iona G in Year 4 and Milla H-B in Year 5, who played in the U10 girls’ Marden Hockey team that won the Kent Championships. The team won every game, beating Sevenoaks, Knole Park, Canterbury, Ashford and Tunbridge Wells, and have qualified to play in the regional finals next month – we wish them both the best of luck from MHS! Verywell done to Tara B, Molly S andGeorgiaWin Year 6 who were part of the U12 Marden Russets girls’ team that won the Girls’ Development Cup. 16 teams took part in the pouring rain and the girls’ team came out on top, coached by Georgia’s father, Stuart Whiting. Congratulations also go to Harry A and Jack G in Year 6 who played for the U12 boys’ team which won the Boys’ Development Cup. At the start of the Spring term, we also celebrated the news that our Captain of Hockey, Emilia M in Year 8 had been selected for the Kent U13 Hockey Squad – well done Emilia! Club and County Hockey Achievements SCAN ME Scan the code to watch the video MARCH 2024 | The Castle
Page 17 Children across the school were looking great in their hint of red and red noses, helping to fundraise for Comic Relief. Well done to all the pupils who took to the Joke Box to deliver some light relief and spread awareness ahead of Red Nose Day - watch our videos (right). The Prep School also took part in musical Chapels on gratitude. Comic Relief 2024 SCAN ME Scan the code to watch the video - Part 2 SCAN ME Scan the code to watch the video - Part 1 FoMHS Quiz and Fizz Night The evening saw 60 eager attendees fill the Dining Room ready to take on Quizmaster, Mr Newton. 10 excellent rounds were played, including an unforgettable intro’s round, which put Mr Newton’s vocal abilities to the test, much to the amusement of the audience! It was a close contest, but some well-played ‘joker’ rounds meant that last year’s winning teamwere just pipped to the post by this year’s new winners “Year 5 is Alive” who won with an enviable score of 113. Many thanks to all who came along, it was a great atmosphere and good fun was had by all. Mrs MacDonald, Chair, FoMHS MARCH 2024 | The Castle
The trip was jam-packed with excitement, featuring an engaging science show that brilliantly captured the theme of ‘time’ for World Science Week. The children delved into the technology behind operating a robotic arm to move obstacles from one area to another – a challenging task for some, but thoroughly enjoyed by all. They also had the chance to explore the exhibits, such as the captivating light room and the ever-popular water area. After a packed lunch, we headed back to School, just in time for afternoon lessons. Mrs Mitchell, Head of Science The Spring Concert was a wonderfully positive event. With over 70 performers, we were treated to an array of performances from each of our musical groups. Orchestra kicked off proceedings by playing “Pomp and Circumstance” followed by various soloists and ensembles. Special mention must go out to our two players of new instruments to Marlborough House; Bella N on the harp, and Grace V on the viola. Huge congratulations to all involved. Congratulations also go to three of our performers who also competed at the Hastings Musical Festival the week before, with fantastic results: Grace V – 1st in class (viola), Verity P – 2nd in class (violin), Bella N – 2nd in class (harp). Prep School Spring Concert The Boarders were thrilled to be invited to watch Benenden School’s production of Joseph and the Technicoloured Dreamcoat – a highlight of the term’s boarding activities. They particularly enjoyed watching some of our ex-pupils perform in such a spectacular event. We look forward to a fun schedule of outdoor activities in the Summer term for our Boarders. Please look out for details in the School Newsletter. Boarding Theatre Trip Year 6’s morning at The Observation Science Centre Page 18 MARCH 2024 | The Castle
Maths was everywhere at MHS on World Maths Day, which we celebrated as Marvellous Maths Day. In the Pre-Prep, children worked in houses with the Year 2 children leading activities. Matching numbers using Bingo boards, fun with playdough and spaghetti to make 3D shapes. Using tape measures to find out how long their legs and arms were. Dotty Six - a mathematical version of noughts and crosses. The children were challenged and engaged throughout their morning of maths. In the Prep school, there were lots of exciting activities takingplace across the year groups. InYear 3 therewas a carousel of fast-paced maths problem solving activities involving with logic, shape and space. The children worked in small groups, often having to collaborate to act out and solve the problem; demonstrating excellent communication and leadership skills. Year 4 ventured outside to time each other on an assault course before producing bar graphs of the results. In Years 5 and 6, teamwork, communication and collaboration were key as they undertook a maths relay in teams. The children were in two groups within their teams and had to work to solve each problem before delivering the other group their problem. Years 7 and 8 were faced with a range of logic puzzles to solve in groups, each resulting in a number for a combination padlock. As a class, they had to solve their puzzles to receive all the required digits before trialling different combinations in the locks to win their prize. There was a fantastic buzz of excitement across the school, and it was wonderful to see the children engaging in a variety of activities with enthusiasm and determination. Mrs Pay, Pre-Prep Maths Lead and Miss Jones, Head of Maths Marvellous Maths Day Shakin’ Up Shakespeare Year 6 paid homage to the Bard with their adapted versions of his two famous tragedies: ‘Macbeth’ and ‘Romeo and Juliet’. Their performances had something for everyone: lots of Shakespearean language, modern twists, comedy, romance, gory murders, sword fights, and many foot-tapping tunes. Mrs McEwan and I were delighted by all the performancesandhugecongratulationsmustgo to the whole cast and crew for their unwavering enthusiasm, supportive collaborations and amazing acting. For our MHS children, ‘all the world’s a stage’ but they are more than ‘merely players’... they are all such talented performers and we are very proud of them. Mrs Brundle, Head of Drama Page 19 MARCH 2024 | The Castle
Page 20 Spring Term Art Showcase Pop Art by Year 8 Ceramic Heads by Year 5 MARCH 2024 | The Castle Self-Portrait Collages by Year 4
ECO 2023 | The Castle Page 21 Abstract Art by Year 6 Mayan ‘Chocolate pots’ by Year 4 MARCH 2024 | The Castle Seed Pods by Year 6 Abstract Art returned to Figurative Art by Year 6
Page 22 MARCH 2024 | The Castle Japanese Fans by Year 5 Spanish Mosaic by Year 3 Self-Portraits by Year 4 Spanish Fans by Year 5
MARCH 2024 | The Castle Page 23 Pre-Prep Corner Jack & the Flumflum Tree Figures by Reception ‘We all fit together’ by Nursery Chinese Dragons by Reception Polar Animals by Year 2 Geography Boxes by Year 1
Page 24 MARCH 2024 | The Castle Spring Term DT Showcase Acrylic Clocks by Year 7 Block Bots by Year 4
MARCH 2024 | The Castle Page 25 Timber Flowers by Year 6 Spanish Tiles by Years 5 and 6 Mechanical Toys by Year 8 USB Desktop Lamps by Year 6 SCAN ME Watch a video of Year 6 making USB Desktop Lamps SCAN ME Watch a video of Year 5’s model Roman Forts Sweet Dispensers by DT Club
Page 26 Egg Rolling Competition In a Senior Chapel with a difference, Years 5 to 8 had great fun at an Egg Rolling Competition on the Colts Pitch. Egg rolling is a traditional game, played at Easter. Different nations have different versions of the game (in the USA it is played on the White House lawn!), which is played with hard-boiled, decorated eggs. Congratulations to competition winner Cleo M-C in Year 8. On Tuesday 26th March, Year 4 took their parents on an Easter journey around the world, visiting Poland, France and Bermuda, to learn what (other than chocolate) Easter is all about, delving into some of the most inventive Easter traditions from around the world. All roads lead back to the story of Jesus’ resurrection with fascinating symbolism in different cultures ways of celebrating. All roads… except the tradition of the ‘Easter Bunny’, who was brought brilliantly to life by the very entertaining Rafferty G. Year 4 had a wonderful time showing off their Bermudan kites, performing their Hip Hop dance sequence, starting a water fight, and singing in three languages! Special thanks to the marvellous Mr Priddin for producing the script and the French Song “Les Cloches de Pâques”! And a huge well done to the whole of Year 4 for bringing together their fantastic 4 dimensional Easter experience! Mrs Taylor, Year 4 Teacher Years 7 and 8 visited Nursery for a fun Easter Egg Hunt in the Nursery garden. The younger children were paired up with their Years 7 and 8 buddies and despite the wet weather, had great fun searching for eggs before all heading into Nursery for some welldeserved chocolate treats. SCAN ME Scan the code to watch the video Year 4 Easter Service Nursery’s Easter Egg Hunt with Years 7 and 8 MARCH 2024 | The Castle
Dance It was lovely for all to see how much the children have really progressed and consolidated their learning this term, especially in the ballet exam work and in the acro routines. In our end of term performances, Ballet was centred around Spring flowers, with children enjoying using these as props for each dance. Acro used the ever popular “Trolls” music along with “Pirates” also to give a little variety. Hispanic Day Club Highlights On the last Monday of Spring term, we celebrated Hispanic Day. Pupils enjoyed a great variety of activities relating to Spanish, starting with an amazing Assembly in Pre-Prep where children learnt how to dance “la Macarena”. In Years 3 and 4 they created beautiful mosaics inspired by Gaudi. Elsewhere in the Prep School, activities included choosing a festival in RS and creating a poster, playing ‘balonmano’ (handball) in games, playing sudoku and battleships in maths, learning rivers and mountains in geography and creating fantastic fans and mosaics in art. A highlight for me was Head Girl Alexandra P showing the Nursery children how to dance ‘sevillanas’. The day was a total success with the help of all the teachers and the Catering Team who served up a great paella followed by churros as good examples of typical Spanish comida (food). Thank you to all. Senora Sanz, Head of Spanish MARCH 2024 | The Castle Page 27
Swifty Club Mme De Haan’s pop-up Swifty Club in Friday breaktimes was a big hit with Taylor Swift fans this term. The children led activities including themed quizzes and games and, of course, lots of singing along to the one and only Taylor Swift. Karate During half term, four Prep School pupils took karate grades and all passedwith flying colours – quite literally! Elizabet B in Year 4 passed her first karate belt, 9th Kyu red belt, while Magnus H, Felix T and Zachary P in Year 3 all passed their third belt to reach 7th Kyu orange belt. Congratulations to them all. Puzzle Club Year 2 children have enjoyed the opportunity to visit the Year 3 classrooms to take part in Puzzle Club this term. The Years 2 and 3 children in the club have puzzled their way through mazes, code breaking, sudoku and jigsaws. Well done to them all. Page 28 MARCH 2024 | The Castle
SPORT 2024 | The Castle Page 29 Boys’ Sport Round-Up The boys have enjoyed a busy, though often very wet, Spring term. Thankfully we did not lose too many fixtures, but the programme was affected at times. In rugby, the U11 boys played an open and running style and only struggled to contain one other side - all the other matches where very close or strongly in our favour, with good wins over Claremont and Radnor House. The U10s proved very robust in their rugby matches and won some exciting games though it would be fair to say defence was an area for us to work on. Our U9s and U8s had some superb matches with the boys really developing their passing skills and understanding a phase play. On the hockey pitches the teams have performed well, with the U12 boys hosting a couple of home matches with exciting and close games ensuing. The U11s side had a slow start in their first tournament, though beating the hosts at Sutton Valence is never easy and this positive result showed their promise. They finished the season with a 7-0 win in the A team over Radnor House (pictured) and this sums up their progression - winning all but one match this season. Our U11 B, C, and D sides all played some great hockey and won far more than they drew or lost. The U9’s look a strong side for the future, with their final match being another strong win to them, this time over Holmewood House. The future looks bright indeed on the hockey pitches. Mr Mathers, Director of Sport Girls’ Sport Round-Up It’s been another great term of girls’ sport at MHS. All our coaches have been extremely proud of the girl’s commitment and attitudes. It is a joy to teach the girls and to take them to matches, knowing that they will give 100% effort and show great sportsmanship. The netball games started just before Christmas and continued until February half term. Highlights came from our U13B and U11B teams who both won five out of their seven matches. From the juniors, the U9B team was the stand out team, winning four of their matches and drawing one, so achieved an undefeated term! We then moved on to the football season, albeit a short one - we packed in as many games and tournaments as we could (around the wet weather)! Highlights came from our U9A team (pictured) who were 2nd in the local schools’ tournament, winning or drawing all but their final game. Also, our U11A team who were placed 4th at the Ashford local schools’ tournament. Our U13A team also performed exceptionally well, being tough competition for other schools and winning all four of their matches. As I always say, it’s not constantly about the winning, it’s about the progress the girls make in their skills within each of the sports and the enjoyment they have. This term, especially within the football season (only our 2nd football season) the girls showed rapid improvement and I can see us being even more competitive next season. Well done to each and every girl this term. Mrs Lelliott, Head of Girls Games
Salvete Rebecca Cooper, Head of Pre-Prep As an experienced and passionate educator, and as an alumnus, I am delighted to be joining the Marlborough House team. Having taught in London for over a decade, teaching at Thomas’s Battersea for the past 8 years, I am really looking forward to my new role as Head of the Pre-Prep. Always central to my teaching is the aim to spark curiosity, encourage an enquiry mindset in our children and equip our pupils with a kind and rounded attitude with which to carry them through their educational journey and the world beyond. I believe whole heartedly that each pupil’s unique and individual character needs to be valued, nurtured and nourished, so that they can develop a secure and confident sense of self identity. I am so looking forward to getting to know the children in the Pre-Prep and it is my privilege to be a part of their educational story. Valete Rebecca Reid, Head of Pre-Prep Positive and passionate, thoughtful and thorough were the four words chosen by Mr Newton to describe Becky Reid – there could have been many more! Her commitment to all aspects of the job and her strongly held ambition for all the children in her care were of the highest level, and the whole MHS community will miss her calm and conscientious nature. Whether in Forest School or Assembly, staff meetings or in front of parents, Becky always thought the best of people and sought the best for everybody - wonderful traits that serve as a fitting eulogy. After 10 years of looking after children in Nursery, PrePrep and Year 3, Becky leaves with our very best wishes to pursue other challenges and spend more time with her family. All the best, Becky! We now have a Kent County Champion on the team! Congratulations to our Riding Captain, Emma G, who competed in the County Qualifiers at Duckhurst in half term and was crowned Kent County Champion in the 1m Show Jumping Class. A massive achievement! Emma therefore qualifies to compete at the NSEA County Finals at Hickstead in May. Also qualifying for the NSEA Eventers Challenge Final at Hickstead in May are Beatrice K and Zoe C, who will compete as individuals in the 70cm and 80cm classes respectively. We wish them all the very best and are very proud of them to have qualified for this prestigious event. Also competing in the February half term was the MHS team of Erin C, Jack G and Matilda M, who rode fantastic clear rounds at Duckhurst, to win the 60cm Show Jumping class and qualify for the championships. They will join their fellow teammates of Barnaby C, Annabel J, Emma E, Poppy E, Tara B, Zoe C and Carolina K, who have all qualified to compete at the Grass Roots Festival at Hickstead in August. A fantastic field of MHS riders. Team training continues every Thursday evening to prepare our riders for the upcoming competitions. Mrs Jones, Equestrian Team Manager Page 30 MARCH 2024 / STAFF APPOINTMENTS | The Castle Equestrian Team Round-Up
MARLBOROUGH HOUSE SOCIETY | The Castle Page 31 It was wonderful to welcome our 2019 and 2020 leavers for the annual Alumni Dinner at the end of the Spring term. Parents and staff joined for pre-dinner drinks in the Gallery, and there was a great atmosphere as the returning year groups and their parents caught up with old friends. We wish the 2019 leavers the best of luck as they leave their senior schools this Summer for pastures new. SOCIETY MARLBOROUGH HOUSE 150th Anniversary Ball Tickets Don’t forget to organise your table and book your tickets for our 150th Anniversary Ball which will take place at School on Saturday 29th June. Tickets are applied for either individually or in tables of 10. Please appoint a table host to purchase the tickets on behalf of your table. Please book your tickets via the link (right) before Friday 24th May. We look forward to seeing as many of you as possible there. Alumni Dinner SCAN ME Scan the code with your phone camera
Marlborough House School Hawkhurst, Cranbrook Kent, TN18 4PY marlboroughhouseschool.co.uk MARLBOROUGH HOUSE SCHOOL 1 8 7 4 – 2 0 2 4 150
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