From the Head

From the Head of Pre-Prep

Dear Parents,

The highlight of the week for me has been our House Music Competition. The children performed a song, in front of their peers in Pre-Prep and a judge, Ms Tilly Rogers, who is an opera singer. Each house won a certificate for a different aspect of their performance and the winning house, Rochester, performed Let’s Go Fly a Kite complete with harmonies and swanny whistles! Congratulations to all involved. Well done to Mrs Crane for organising.

May I also take the opportunity to thank all the staff who took the Year 2 children to Stubbers on Thursday and Friday last week. The children had an amazing couple of days and have come back older and wiser this week. It is a huge undertaking with this age group and staff must organise their own families around Stubbers so well done to all involved.

On Thursday, we enhanced our uniform with touches of purple to support research into Recurrent Respiratory Papillomatosis (RRP), a condition that one of our pupils in Pre-Prep has. Many thanks for all of your generous donations. We managed to raise £456.57 in Pre-Prep.

Head of Pre-Prep for the Day today was lots of fun with Miss Darsey taking an active part in our celebration assembly and helping me with all sorts of duties and meetings throughout the day.

Next week, we have our Nursery and Kindergarten Concerts and Sports Events. Nursery will be performing on the Old Pitch near the Fairy Tree at 11am and Kindergarten will be performing in the afternoon at 2pm. These are both on Wednesday 17^th June. Please see the Pre-School Newsletter for further details.

On Friday 19^th June, dads of Reception children are invited to join us for our Father’s Day Assembly at 9.10am in the Pre-Prep Hall. Refreshments will be served in the Pre-Prep Dining Room beforehand.

Overheard in Pre-Prep:

Child: "Wizards are not even alive, they got extinct with the dinosaurs!"

Have a lovely weekend,

Zerrin Leech

At the end of this term we will sadly be saying goodbye to the following members of staff:

Debbie Mumford - Peripatetic Music Teacher of Piano and Recorder

After almost 20 years of dedicated service, we bid a fond farewell to Debbie Mumford as she leaves St Michael’s. During her time with us, Debbie has enriched the lives of many hundreds of children through her passion for music and her inspiring teaching. As a Peripatetic Music Teacher, Debbie has guided pupils across both Pre-Prep and Prep, nurturing their musical development with care, expertise and enthusiasm. Her work in promoting recorder playing has been particularly significant, instilling not only a love of the instrument but also a commitment to individual and ensemble excellence. Her recorder groups and consort have proven popular over the years and thanks to her support and encouragement, many pupils have gone on to take part in exams, festivals and concerts with confidence and success.

Debbie’s long-standing involvement with the Tunbridge Wells Arts Festival has also been invaluable. Thanks to her dedication, St Michael’s has been consistently and proudly represented each year, with pupils enjoying notable success across a wide range of performance classes.

Beyond her teaching, Debbie has been a much-valued colleague: kind, generous with her time and always willing to support school events in any way she could. She will be greatly missed by the children she has taught, as well as by colleagues across the school.

We thank Debbie for her many years of service and wish her a long, happy and well-deserved retirement. We hope she enjoys this exciting new chapter, with more time to travel and spend with family and her grandchildren. 

Satine McWilliams - Early Years Practitioner (Kindergarten)

After being a very valued part of our team, Satine will be leaving us at the end of this academic year to set off on an exciting travelling adventure.

During her time with us, Satine has made a wonderful contribution to the Kindergarten Team and we are so grateful for her enthusiasm, positivity and amazing care of the little ones. It has been a pleasure to have her with us and she will be truly missed.

We are excited for what lies ahead for her and wish her safe travels, incredible experiences and lots of unforgettable memories.

Anna Martin - Reception Teacher

Following 9 years at St Michael’s, we wish Anna Martin well as she leaves us in September to extend her contract with her other school.  She started with us in Kindergarten and has worked as the job share partner with several teachers in Pre-Prep. She leaves us to take up a full-time permanent position. We shall all miss her and thank her for her hard work over many years at St Michael’s. 

We congratulate Becky Geis on the birth of her baby boy: 

Congratulations to Becky Geis, Early Years Practitioner, who has given birth to baby Tommy! She gave us all a fright when a routine midwife appointment turned into Tommy being born 5 weeks earlier than expected. Welcome to the world, Tommy. We are hoping Becky will be visiting Nursery soon so we can all have a cuddle with the baby.

From September, the following role changes will take place:

Charlotte Dodson and Kâren Stibbons

We are delighted to share that from September, the role of Head of Pre-School will be shared by Charlotte Dodson and Kâren Stibbons. As they both reduce their working hours, they will be working closely together to provide continuity and strong leadership across the setting. We are very much looking forward to the expertise and care they will continue to bring to the team in their new job share role.

Kate Perkins - Year 3 Teacher

Since joining St Michael’s in 2020, Kate Perkins has been a calm, wise and highly valued presence on the Year 3 Landing. Her warm and approachable manner with both pupils and parents, combined with her down-to-earth outlook, has ensured that successive cohorts of children have taken their first steps into Prep with confidence, security and a genuine sense of belonging.

Kate has also been a reassuring and trusted guide for parents, particularly those navigating the transition to ‘big school’ for the first time. Through her thoughtful leadership, she has created a settled and nurturing environment in which children and families alike have felt supported and able to flourish.

While Kate will be stepping down from her role as Head of Year 3, we are delighted that she will continue to share her experience, wisdom and care on the Year 3 Landing.

Emma Shield - Head of Year 3

We are equally pleased to welcome Mrs Emma Shield into the role of Head of Year 3 from September 2026. Although new to the position, Mrs Shield is already a highly regarded and accomplished member of the St Michael’s community. We are confident that, under her enthusiastic care and guidance, our youngest Prep pupils will thrive and quickly embrace all that Prep life has to offer.

Prep Summer Concert - Monday 8th July 

As you will have seen from the school calendar, our Prep Summer Concert is on Monday 8th July at 6.30 pm. We will be sending parents further information regarding the final rehearsals and the concert via Involve (our music timetabling platform) next week so do look out for this if your child is in one of the following groups:

Accordions Assemble!

Cantoria 

Chamber Choir

Guitar Group

Junior Choir

Orchestra

Percussion Group

Record Consort

Treble Trouble

Woodwind Wonders 

Please continue to encourage your children to attend all rehearsals (that are timetabled are in Involve) – if the children are unsure as to where they should be and when they can look at the screen or the white board in the Music Department.

Old towels for DT

Thank you all so much for your donations of old towels for DT. I now have a plethora and do not require any more, so please feel free to donate them elsewhere, use them for your pets etc.

Anneka Gilbrook, Teacher of Art and DT

Logic Launchpad Challenge

St Michael's Prep is an NRich problem solving school which means that we include problem-solving regularly in our lessons. As a result, since the beginning of the Lent Term, the Maths Department have been sharing fortnightly problems for the pupils to solve.

The winners of the last Logic Launchpad Challenge of this academic year are:

Year 3: Thomas D

Year 4: Kseniia P

Year 5: Amelia I

Year 6: Tara W

Senior: Thomas G

Leann de Belder, Maths Teacher

Whole School Photograph

A reminder that we have the whole school photograph on Friday 26^th June. Please ensure that your child is wearing their blazer for this event (Reception to Year 8) and has neat hair with only hair accessories in the school colours (burgundy and green).  

Art House Competition

Camp Beaumont returns to St Michael's this summer!

We are excited that children's activity provider Camp Beaumont will be running sessions at St Michael's again this summer from Monday 13th July to Friday 14th August 2026. 

The perfect solution to keeping the kids entertained during the school holidays, Camp Beaumont's summer camps are packed with a wide range of exciting activities to provide children with a safe, fun environment to play and make friends. 

Every day is a new adventure with multi-activity days that kids of all ages can get involved with. Whether your kids are into sports, arts, reading or love to take part in competitions and team activities, Camp Beaumont has it all.

The camps are led by a qualified, enthusiastic team that are passionate about ensuring kids have an unforgettable time during their school breaks.

They offer a great selection of activities for ages 3-11. Their Playtime day camps in Kent are for 3-4 year olds, with fun and age-specific activities that little ones will love taking part in. For 5-7 year olds, their Magic summer camps in Kent that are filled with exciting things to do and take part in, from sports and team activities to quiet time and learning opportunities. Additionally, for children aged 8-11, their Active half-term camps in Kent are the perfect option.

Camp Beaumont is an ideal place for your little ones to learn a new skill, try a new hobby or simply make new friends. For parents in need of a flexible and affordable childcare solution during the school holidays, or for kids who want to have fun during the school break, their camps in Kent are available throughout the year for kids in the local area to enjoy.

Use code SMPS26 at the checkout to receive 10% off your booking!

Flash Sale Now On – 11^th-17^th June

To celebrate this summer's Football World Cup, Camp Beaumont is launching a special World Cup-themed Flash Sale from Thursday 11^th June until Wednesday 17^th June (11:59pm). For a limited time, you can save 20% on Summer Camps and programmes by using the code CBWC26 at checkout.

As an added bonus, every booking made during the flash sale will automatically be entered into Camp Beaumont's World Cup prize draw, with the chance to win a range of fantastic prizes including branded football shirts, footballs and water bottles. The more days you book, the more entries you'll receive, increasing your chances of winning.

Need flexibility? Add Flex to your booking for just £4 per day and enjoy the freedom to make changes right up until the last working day before your booking. Families can also spread the cost by paying in three instalments or delay payment for 28 days using Klarna.

Don't miss this limited-time offer to save on your summer childcare. 

Secure your child's place here.

House Performing Arts Festival 2026

This year’s House Performing Arts Festival was, quite simply, extraordinary. From beginning to end, it captured everything that is so special about St Michael’s: creativity, courage, teamwork and a genuine sense of shared joy. Our visiting judge Tilly Green spoke warmly about the experience, commenting on just how blown away she was by both the outstanding quality and the remarkable range of performances across the week.

This year’s theme was Songs from Musicals, which provided a wonderful platform for creativity. We are incredibly proud of our Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 pupils for their outstanding performances in this year’s Pre-Prep House Song Competition. The hall was alive with energy as the children dazzled us with fantastic renditions of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, Let’s Go Fly a Kite and Do-Re-Mi. With props galore, beaming smiles, confident singing and boundless enthusiasm, it was a joy to watch. Congratulations to our award winners: Best Team Spirit: Dover; Most Joyful Performance: Windsor; Most Enthusiastic Conductor: Rochester; Most Creative Prop: Leeds;  Wild Card Award: Dover; Overall Winner (with Let’s Go Fly a Kite): Rochester. Every single child should feel immensely proud—everyone was a winner in our eyes. Well done to all involved for such a heartwarming and uplifting celebration of music-making.

Music continued to shine throughout the festival. The Junior and Senior Soloist classes were a real highlight featuring 24 instrumental and vocal finalists performing with poise, confidence and impressive musical maturity. It was particularly striking to see pupils take to the stage confidently and communicate so effectively through their performances, capturing both the technical and expressive demands of their repertoire.

The Drama classes were a real highlight for so many talented performers. Across the Junior and Senior Monologues, Duologues and the Senior Prepared Verse classes, pupils demonstrated creativity, resilience and an impressive level of performance skill. From the lively and engaging character work in the Junior classes to the more nuanced and emotionally mature performances in the Senior events, the standard throughout was exceptionally high. Particularly notable was the strength of the duologue performances, where partnerships worked with trust, timing and genuine connection, while the prepared verse competitors communicated meaning, emotions and imagery with clarity and confidence. 

We are delighted to congratulate all those pupils who were awarded medals across the various music and drama classes. Their success reflects not only individual talent, but also hard work, dedication and the courage to step forward and perform.

The festival concluded in spectacular fashion with the Prep House Song competition, a vibrant and unforgettable finale. Performances included Summer Nights from Grease, From Now On from The Greatest Showman, Bad Guys from Bugsy Malone and an electrifying Queen medley. Each house fully embraced the style and energy of their chosen pieces, with bold choreography, striking costumes and inventive staging bringing the performances to life. The level of commitment and enthusiasm on stage was extraordinary and the atmosphere in the room perfectly captured the joy and excitement of performing arts. Congratulations to Leeds for winning the House Song Trophy this year.

We also offer our huge congratulations to Rochester house who were crowned overall winners of the House Performing Arts Festival, a superb achievement in what was a very closely contested and thoroughly impressive competition.

Above all, this festival was a celebration of community. Every single child played their part and every performance contributed to an event that was full of encouragement, support and shared success. It is this sense of teamwork and togetherness that makes St Michael’s so special and this year’s festival was a powerful reminder of the joy that we share.

We are immensely proud of all our performers and it would be impossible not to mention the staff who threw themselves into the House Song performances with just as much energy and commitment as the pupils! Their willingness to join in, costumes, dance moves and all, contributed to the fun and created a truly infectious sense of joy across the whole school.

Mr Baird, Mr Powell and Mrs Crane

A Stubbers adventure for Year 2

Last week, our wonderful Year 2 children set off on their very first overnight residential to Stubbers Adventure Centre and what an unforgettable experience it was! For many, this was their first night away from home and they truly smashed it. We were so proud of their resilience, independence and positive attitudes throughout.

The children threw themselves into every activity, from conquering Clip ‘n Climb and exploring the (artificial!) caves, to working together in bell boating and canoeing. Their teamwork was especially impressive during the team challenge sessions- asking twelve 7 year olds to balance a giant seesaw is always fun to watch. We rounded off day one with a campfire (which very nearly didn’t happen thanks to the storm!) where the children enjoyed toasting marshmallows and singing campfire songs with Mrs Crane.

The weather certainly kept us on our toes – from sunshine to strong winds, and even thunderstorms and torrential rain, although thankfully only Miss Fellingham got caught in the worst of it!

It was a truly special trip, full of laughter, challenge and unforgettable firsts. Well done, Year 2, we couldn’t be prouder of you!

Jo Salmon, Head of Year 2

House Spelling Bees 2026

The annual House Spelling Bees, which showcase the fantastic spelling ability and the bravery of our pupils, have taken place in recent weeks. The Junior Spelling Bee for Years 3, 4 and 5 had 37 entrants and the Senior Spelling Bee for Years 6, 7 and 8 had 20 competitors. Both competitions were of a high standard and proved to be very tense indeed!

This year's winner of the Junior competition was Athira V from Year 4 and Rochester house who won with the word 'lightning'. Our victor in the Senior competition was Clara H from Year 8, whose spelling of the word 'ubiquitous' saw the trophy returning to Leeds house. Congratulations to Athira and Clara and to everyone who entered.

Laura Andrade, Head of English

St Michael's raises over £800 for the Beacon charity

On Thursday 11th June, St Michael’s held a charity day in support of Beacon, a UK-based organisation dedicated to building a united community for those affected by rare diseases.

Pupils were invited to add a touch of purple to their school uniform in exchange for a small donation to the cause. This simple gesture helped raise both funds and awareness across the school.

We chose to support this charity to raise awareness of Recurrent Respiratory Papillomatosis (RRP), a condition affecting one of our Pre-Prep pupils. RRP causes wart-like growths to develop in the airways and respiratory tract, often requiring repeated surgeries and ongoing treatment. As a rare condition, increased awareness and funding are vital to support affected families and advance research.

We are delighted to share that we raised £456.57 in Pre-Prep and £359.15 in Prep, bringing the total amount donated to an impressive £815.72.

Thank you to everyone who contributed and helped support this very worthwhile cause.

Year 2 and 3 Creative Morning

Year 2 joined Year 3 in Prep as part of their transition programme of activities for their collaborative Creative Day on Thursday. The day was themed around the picture book 'A Child of Books' by Oliver Jeffers and Sam Winston and the children experienced a range of workshops: air dry clay; dance; role play; creating a large book display; art and a scavenger hunt.

This gave Year 2 the opportunity to explore Prep in collaboration with the Year 3s who all felt very grown up! A lot of fun was had and everyone was engaged whilst building confidence and independence. 

Kate Perkins, Head of Year 3

Year 8 cook up French delicacies

On Monday, Year 8 pupils were treated to an afternoon with our chef, Mark, who led a baking session to cook delicacies from French recipes.

Pupils were able to showcase their creativity and culinary skills by making a pissaladière (a kind of tart from the South of France, bathed in sweet onions and studded with anchovies and olives) as well as baking and decorating madeleines. The results were both beautiful and delicious.

Well done, Year 8!

Juliette Poracchia, Head of Languages

Raising awareness about allergies 

At the beginning of the week, Charlie in Year 4 very bravely held an assembly in Prep where he spoke about his allergies. Charlie explained what an allergy is, his experience and how to treat and support a friend who suffers with one. 

Charlie spoke really confidently about the subject and inspired conversations among pupils.

Mr Pears commented: "I was incredibly proud of Charlie, he was a wonderful ambassador for those living with allergies. It was also lovely to hear spontaneous feedback from a couple of Year 6 boys, who independently commented on how impressive, engaging and interesting Charlie’s talk was."

Drumming with Mr Pears

This week, Mikey in Year 1 enjoyed a very special drumming lesson with Mr Pears, after his parents won the prize at the P&F Ball auction.

Mikey was collected from Pre-Prep and taken up to the Prep Music Room, which was an exciting adventure in itself and he had the opportunity to explore his musical talents.

Reflecting on the lesson, Mr Pears commented: “I hope Mikey enjoyed the lesson as much as I did. He has a natural sense of rhythm, and I look forward to seeing whether he takes up drumming in the future!”

St Michael's swimmers compete in National Finals

On Saturday 6th June, Miranda, Dylan and Kayla competed at the IAPS National Swimming Finals at the London Aquatics Centre. This was a huge achievement, as only the top 20 swimmers in the country qualify.

Our swimmers performed fantastically well and did us proud, it was a very successful day and a fantastic experience competing at national level.

Well done, we are so proud of you!

Rosalind Fornasier, Swim School Manager

Year 8 Forest School sessions

Over the course of two Science lessons this week, Year 8 ventured into Forest School. During the first session, they searched for trees which were evergreen and cut off a branch, peeled it and sharpened it, to use as a stick to toast marshmallows with.

During the second session, Year 8 practised their fire-lighting skills and then toasted marshmallows on the fire to make s'mores.

A fun time was had by all - well done, Year 8!

Jolande Lodge, Science Teacher

Please visit our Learning Development Parent Guides page for a collection of valuable resources for parents, focusing on Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). Here you'll find a variety of courses and information designed to support you and your child. Whether you're looking for educational materials, support groups or expert advice, these resources aim to provide the guidance and assistance that you need. We will update the resources each week so please keep checking this page. 

House Point Certificates

Dover: Sophia P, Aslan P, Neve H, Harper H and Florence E

Leeds: George D and Frankie T

Windsor: Sebastien A, Delilah E and Rebecca A

Rochester: Freddie S, Samuel S, Dilly E, Aria L, Jordan M, Sylvie S, Heer K and Ralph P

Times Tables Certificates

Bronze: Allegra F

Gold: Ethan G

Platinum: Eliza C

Players of the Match - week commencing 8th June 2026

Hot off the Press!

Sam's sporting success!

Congratulations to Old Michaelian Sam Newton, who represented England for the U20 Decathlon last weekend in Fuerteventura. He won the competition with 7531 points which has made him eligible for selection for the U20 World Championships in Oregon in August! He currently sits at number one in the UK and number two in the world rankings for his age group.

Well done Sam, we are so proud of you!

Cricket success for Elodie and Bea!

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