From the Head

From the Head of Pre-Prep

Dear Parents,

Welcome back to the Trinity Term. In my experience this is the fastest term: in the blink of an eye we will be through Sport Day, Stubbers, end of term concerts and we will all be excited about moving up to our new teachers in September.

We will let you know about your child’s new teacher much nearer the time: we plan to do so during the last week of June, usually the end of that week. This means that children keep working with their current teacher for as long as possible before they mentally switch allegiance to their new teacher!

The Easter Bunny surprised us by arriving after Easter this year and giving the children a little duck each rather than chocolate. It is good to know he is being mindful about the children’s teeth.

The Pre-Prep Disco last Friday was a huge success. Thank you to the P&F parents who organised and ran the event. The children really enjoyed it and couldn’t talk about anything else on Friday.

Open Morning in the sunshine on Tuesday this week encouraged more sign ups and lots of compliments about the great behaviour of our Prep and Pre-Prep children.

On Wednesday Dr Unwin and his team tested the hearing of lots of our Pre-Prep children. He will issue you all with a short report letting you know if a follow-up appointment may be a good idea. Dr Unwin also led an assembly, telling us how to look after our ears and hearing.

On Thursday the Year 2 children all had a wonderful day out at Chatham Dockyard where they raced model boats, made rope and inspected a submarine. Hats off to the wonderful coach driver who tried to miss the traffic on Row Dow on the way home but we just couldn’t get the extra long coach turned around to return through St Michael’s Drive. Thank you parents for your understanding.

Today has been another busy day with three guest schools arriving to take part in our Orchestra Day.

Reminders for next week are:

P&F Meeting at 8pm on Tuesday in the Prep Library

Smartphone Free Childhood presentation led by St Michael's parents on Wednesday morning in the Pre-Prep Dining Room

Year 2 Stubbers Information Meeting on Thursday at 8.45am in the Pre-Prep Dining Room

Thank you for sending your children in with sunscreen already applied and their sun hats in this beautiful weather.

Have a lovely bank holiday weekend. See you all on Tuesday.

Zerrin Leech

We are delighted to welcome the following individuals to St Michael's this term:

Lucy Mann - Teaching Assistant

Lucy has worked in schools in Kent for nearly 15 years. She has been a Class Teacher and Art Lead in her previous school.

She is married with two primary school aged children. As well as working in schools, Lucy is an illustrator and enjoys taking part in many different creative activities. Her most recent course specialised in calligraphy.

Alongside her creative hobbies she loves walking outdoors, being by the sea, drinking coffee and trying new things! One new activity is cold water swimming!

Lucy is really excited to work at St Michael’s and hopes to bring her creativity to the job.

Rajeswary Neelian – Finance Officer

Rajeswary is a friendly, calm lady who loves spending time with children, especially her twins. She is looking forward to join the wonderful team.

Congratulations to the following individuals for their recent achievement:

Mrs Clarke and Mrs Andrade complete London Marathon!

Congratulations to Mrs Clarke and Mrs Andrade who ran the London Marathon last Sunday!

Mrs Clarke was completing her 37th marathon (12th London Marathon) and it was the hottest marathon she has completed since first taking part in the London event in 2007. Mrs Clarke said: "There was a great supporting crowd and Laura and I were part of a record breaking number of marathon finishers. 37 marathons in total for me and hopefully more to come!"

Meanwhile, Mrs Andrade was running her 15th marathon (6th London Marathon) which she made a last minute decision to sign-up for a week before the event! Mrs Andrade said: "The marathon was hot and hard, but probably the most relaxed marathon I've ever done because I wasn't focusing on my time. I was able to soak up the atmosphere and appreciate the brilliantly witty signs that spectators hold up to encourage us runners."

And this wasn't the first time they have completed a marathon together: in 2023 the pair also ran the Chester Marathon. 

A huge congratulations to Mrs Clarke and Mrs Andrade for their achievement and together running a total of 52 marathons so far!

Pupil Ski Trip 2026

Only for the attention of parents of children currently in Years 4 to 7

Dear Parents, 

Following my email last week regarding trips next year, we have engaged with the constructive and positive feedback of the parents that contacted us and reviewed and decided to run the trip.

We will, therefore, be offering a Pupil Ski Trip for children in Years 5 to 8 (children currently in Years 4 to 7) in March next year (2026).

As this has been a decision made in the last 24 hours, we have been engaging with ski tour companies throughout the morning to get competitive quotes for the trip. 

These are the details that we know. Other details will be communicated as soon as possible. 

Trip dates – Saturday 28^th March to Saturday 4^th April 2026
Destination – French Alps (resort TBC)
Travel – Flight from Gatwick
Approx cost - £1,900

It must be pointed out at this stage that a firm decision from you will have to be made by Thursday 8^th May 2025. After this point, we, as a school, will be liable for deposits to be paid. For the above price, we require a travelling group size of 30 children. If we do not achieve this threshold, we will not run the trip, as numbers below this total cause a sharp increase in price, only increasing more as the numbers fall. 

We are also aware that some families with children that are eligible for the Pupil Ski Trip may have already committed to the Family Ski Trip that was opened for expressions of interest last night. Having discussed this with the organisers of that trip, the decision of which trip you want to send your children on will rest with you. However, if your child(ren) wishes to move to the Pupil Ski Trip and you would still like to go on the Family Ski Trip, without your children, this would be fine. Please email FST@stmichaels.kent.sch.uk to let them know your intentions. The organisers will also need to have a decision by Thursday 8^th May 2025 in relation to this. If they have not heard from you, they will take your decision as remaining as initially indicated. 

Thank you,

Fraser Wiseman, Deputy Head (Pastoral)

French Day - Thursday 22nd May 2025

Pre-Prep and Prep

Our annual French Day is fast approaching and we have lots of wonderful activities planned for the children to enjoy. On this day we invite all our pupils (Nursery to Year 8) to wear the colours of the French flag (bleu, blanc et rouge) instead of their school uniform. Pupils can choose to dress from head to toe in these colours or they may simply prefer to wear accessories or a red t-shirt, for example, but please no football or rugby shirts. 

This year, we are launching another whole school competition (Year 1 to 8) for our pupils, with wonderful French-themed prizes on offer: please see the poster for more details. The competition deadline is Wednesday 14^th May. Pre-Prep and Prep pupils should bring their illustrated idioms to the Pre-Prep or Prep Offices or to their French teachers. The results will be announced on French Day. 

Finally, on French Day the pupils will be offered a traditional French lunch provided by our kitchen. For those who are brave enough, we have ordered snails again. In the morning, our Year 7 pupils will be preparing drinks called “grenadine” (French syrup with water) for Prep pupils. Pupils in Prep are therefore invited to bring in £1 to buy a drink. Pre-Prep pupils don’t need to bring in any money for their stand run by Year 8 pupils.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to email Madame Buttery for Pre-Prep or Madame Poracchia for Prep.

We look forward to seeing all the pupils’ wonderful outfits as well as their pieces of art! 

“À bientôt !” (See you soon!)

Here's a taste of what to expect:

Pre-Prep Easter Holiday Programme

The Easter Holidays saw the introduction of a new venture at St Michael’s, the Pre-Prep Holiday Programme.

This initial programme was a huge success with many happy parents, children and staff enjoying the three days of sunshine and activities including Forest School, dance, sports games, bracelet making, rambling and Easter pot painting.

There will definitely be more Pre-Prep Holiday Programmes in the future, so please watch this space!

A visit from the Easter Bunny!

What better way to start the Trinity Term than with a visit from the Easter Bunny! Children in Nursery to Year 2 were delighted to receive a rubber duck gift each!

Family Ski Trip 2025

This Easter 127 parents, pupils and staff took part in the Family Ski Trip to Sestriere in Italy.

We met early on Sunday at Gatwick and after a smooth flight and short transfer, arrived at our resort by early afternoon.

The hotel was a real upgrade from previous years, featuring a spa with a sauna, steam room and massage treatments (at extra cost). The masseuse was incredibly busy throughout the week!

Conditions were sunny on Monday and Tuesday, with great skiing once the surface ice melted. On Wednesday, we were treated to over 60cm of fresh snow which made for fantastic conditions through to Friday. All of the children made excellent progress and received medals for their efforts.

Evenings were filled with sledging and playing in the snow. On Friday night, we held our annual talent show, followed by a movie and TV-themed fancy dress dinner as well as a disco in the hotel’s conference room. Our energy and costumes were a hit with hotel staff and fellow guests alike!

We returned on Sunday morning and everyone made their way home with happy memories. It was a brilliant trip and bookings are already open for next year’s return to the same hotel.

Mr Thomas, Head of Boys' Games

Pupil Ski Trip highlights to follow next week

Welcome back!

We have loved being back in school, catching up with friends and diving into our learning!

Neurodiversity Week

St Michael's Neurodiversity Week has been a great success! Celebrating as part of the worldwide initiative that challenges stereotypes and misconceptions about neurological differences, pupils and staff across St Michael's took part in informative assemblies, activity sessions, competitions and a Comfy Clothes Day to mark the occasion. The week was a fantastic way to recognise the talents and advantages that accompany being neurodivergent. Thank you to St Michael's fantastic Learning Development Team for organising the events. 

St Michael's pupils qualify for National Swimming Finals!

Huge congratulations to Nathan H, Miranda H and Kayla F for their outstanding achievement in the IAPS Swimming Qualifying Round. All three swimmers placed in the top 20 nationally and have earned a spot in the National Finals which will take place on Saturday 7th June 2025 at the London Aquatic Centre.

We are incredibly proud of their dedication and hard work in training and wish them the very best of luck as they compete at the highest level!

Mrs Fornasier, Swim School Manager

Maths Countdown Competition

Years 7 and 8 took part in the Maths Countdown Competition on Friday 25th April. The event saw competitors playing the numbers game from the classic TV show Countdown. The Senior pupils have been helping with the younger years' competitions and this was their chance to compete themselves.

It was one of the hardest competitions I can remember with lots of challenging targets and the competitors had to be on the top of their game!

Well done to all involved! The Countdown Competitions are complete in Prep now. It has been great to see so many pupils taking part, enjoying their Maths and competing in good spirits. Well done to all involved!

Year 7:

1st Place: Finley S

2nd Place: Finlay S

3rd Place: Lev V

Year 8:

1st Place: Theo S

2nd Place: Jamie D

3rd Place: William C

Mr Fuller, Maths Teacher

U11 girls compete in Ardingly Football Tournament

St Michael's U11s compete in Ardingly Football Tournament ⚽️

On Thursday our U11 Aces girls' football team took to the field at the challenging ISFA Kent Regional Football Tournament. It was a scorching day and the girls were buzzing with excitement for the final tournament of the season.

The first match against the City of London Freemen's School was a nail-biter, with both teams playing cautiously and ending in a 0-0 draw. The tension was palpable and the girls showed great resilience.

In the second game against Hornsby House, St Michael's created several goal-scoring opportunities. However, in a twist of fate, we conceded 2 goals resulting in a loss. This meant St Michael's needed to win their remaining three games to qualify from the group.

Undeterred and with steely determination, the St Michael's girls showcased beautiful passing football. Goals from Anna W and Ellie S (2) led to a convincing 3-0 victory over Ardingly College. The momentum continued in the next game, with solid defensive work from Iris L, Abigail T and Ella C. The team triumphed 4-1 with well-taken goals from Anna W, Grace P, Mollie H and Elodie B.

The final game was crucial for qualification. Fired up and ready, the girls displayed excellent distribution from Sophia E in goal and Mollie H and Amelia Rose B orchestrating the midfield. Despite creating several chances, they couldn't find the back of the net. Against the run of play, they conceded a goal. The St Michael's team kept their heads up and surged forward, but unfortunately were eliminated.

We are incredibly proud of the fantastic effort and spirit shown by the girls. Watching them grow and develop as footballers and individuals over the season has been a joy. Congratulations to them all on a brilliant effort—they should feel very proud of their achievements!

Keep your heads high, Aces!

Mr Brightman, Director of Sport

Lucy and Alvie represent St Michael's in show jumping competition 

Congratulations to Lucy and Alvie who competed for St Michael's at Duckhurst Farm during the Easter break, both doing two rounds of show jumping with their ponies.

They did fantastically well, both jumping clear rounds in the 40cm, placing 5th and 7th respectively. The next class 50cm was very competitive with 20 riders. Lucy had an unlucky pole down and Alvie jumped clear: he was just outside the optimum time narrowly missed a placing. Both riders should be very proud!

Otford Fete Poster Competition Winners

We are delighted that St Michael's pupils are winners of this year's Otford Fete Poster Competition. Tasked with designing a poster for the popular annual event in keeping with this year's theme of the 200th anniversary of the modern railway, hundreds of St Michael's pupils produced entries for this year's competition.

The winner of the competition, selected from hundreds of entries from children across the village, is St Michael's Erin T in Year 5 whose drawing is displayed on this year's poster.

St Michael's pupils Oliver F in Year 2 and Scarlett M in Year 6 were also runners-up for their fantastic drawings alongside a member of Russell House School.

Internal competition winners

We were so impressed by this year's entries to the competition, that St Michael's decided to award its own prizes for our pupils' entries. The winners of this competition were as follows:

Pre-Prep winners

1st: Ava D, Reception

2^nd: Lincoln L, Year 2

3^rd: Oscar R, Year 2

Prep Pupil Winners:

1^st: Jude S, Year 3

2^nd: Rosanna C, Year 3

3^rd: Erin T and Louisa R, Year 5

Special Mention: Ethan M, Year 3

Join the fun at this year's Otford Village Fete

The Otford Village Fete, run by The Otford Society, is one of the biggest in Kent. Held every year for over 80 years, this year's Fete will be taking place on Bank Holiday Monday 26th May 2025 11am - 4pm on the Otford Recreation Ground, TN14 5PR. You can find out more by clicking here.

St Michael's will also have a stand at this year's Fete: come and say hello as well as taking part in our competitions, activities and story time sessions. 

Smartphone Free Childhood Presentation

A reminder that the next Smartphone Free Childhood presentation by St Michael's parents will take place on:

Wednesday 7^th May 2025 at 8.30am (in-person in the Pre-Prep Dining Room)

Mrs Flora Scott and Mrs Yuliya Folland

St Michael’s parents

House Reading Competition

Congratulations to Leeds house for winning the Prep House Reading Competition!

Last term Prep pupils and staff were challenged to read books from ten categories and received stamps for completing each book. Leeds house received the most stamps overall!

Well done to everyone who took part!

Music exam results March 2025

We are delighted to share the following results from the ABRSM exams taken during the Lent Term at school. Well done to all of those involved.

Year 1 Pre-instrumental Group

We have been delighted to see the start of our Year 1 Pre-instrumental Group this week. The children have been introduced to a variety of instruments including the cello, violin, percussion, guitar, ukulele and accordion. They listened attentively and had the wonderful opportunity to experience playing each instrument.

A special thank you to our Peripatetic Music Teachers for inspiring the children with their expertise and enthusiasm for music. 

Mrs Crane, Pre-Prep Music 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. 

This week we have added a link to The Giaroli Centre's upcoming webinar on Scientific evidence on ADHD treatment taking place on Monday 12th May 2025.

Instagram

"Instagram remains a go-to app for teens, with its endless stream of photos, videos and ‘stories’ keeping young users constantly connected. From influencer content to live broadcasts, the platform is packed with evolving features that can feel fun and engaging – but can also raise some serious concerns around screen time, online pressures and exposure to inappropriate content.

This free guide offers parents up-to-date knowledge on the risks and safety tips for this latest version of Instagram."

Words by Dr Claire Sutherland

Since the beginning of this academic year the International Club members have been busy sharing their cultural experiences and interesting facts about their home countries with the pupils.

During the Michaelmas Term Alexander Sel delivered an interactive assembly on Germany, quizzing the pupils on topics including uniform in German schools, the most popular sport in Germany and traditional German food before revealing the answers. The children also had lots of fun making animal noises in German! 

The Lent Term saw three country assemblies take place on China, Mexico and Poland! 

Angela Tsang spoke to the children about daily life in China. Amongst other things they learnt about school, popular weekend activities  and, of course, the Chinese food. The children asked a lot of questions and showed real enthusiasm for learning Mandarin. 

Casey Bale brought the fun into his assembly on Mexico, a vast country with a warm climate, diverse cuisine and a rich cultural heritage. A few children wanted to pack their bags and explore it immediately! The assembly also noted that Spanish is the fourth most spoken language globally and that the Aztecs invented 'La Piñata'.

Urszula Wiszniewska shared an inspirational video about Poland during her talk which showed just how beautiful parts of the country are. And there was another surprise! A video message from Polish children showing their classroom and telling us a little about their school day.

Coffee Cart

The P&F are looking for a new partner to run the Coffee Cart. If anyone is interested, please email stmichaelspreppf@gmail.com.

Well done to Finley from the Eco Committee who recently made feeders and nests for the birds in his garden! Thank you for making a difference for our local wildlife, Finley!

St Michael's Eco Club invite members of the St Michael's community to take part in our Big Litter Pick this year. 

This week, the Breakfast Club has been filled with laughter and excitement as the children delighted in playing table football and whizzing around the garden on Didi-Cars and scooters. Meanwhile, over in The Hive, creativity has been buzzing as we've been busy designing and painting vibrant fish for our new, eye-catching fish tank wall display.

For more information about the Hive or Breakfast Club or to book in your child, please contact Nicky Smith at WrapAroundCare@stmichaels.kent.sch.uk.

House Point Certificates

Dover: Gabriella A

Leeds: Rowan T and Allegra F

Windsor: Molly F and Caspar H

Times Tables Certificates

Bronze Times Tables Certificate: Faith A; Poppy F; Nikita V; Rusen E and Nieve P

Silver Times Tables Certificate: Millie W; Rupert D and Luca A

Gold Times Tables Certificate: Ivan K; Lincoln L; Jessica C; Reuben S and Martha S

Swim England Awards - Learn to Swim

Level 1: River R; Arthur L; Callahan L; Dilan D; Edwin L and Allegra F

Level 2: Leo E; Arthur R; Oliver F; Archie F and Alex B

Level 3: Archie W; Arianna O; Tancred B and Ivan K

Players of the Match - week commencing 28th April

Nathan competes in Regional Swimming Championships

Congratulations to Nathan who took part in the South East Regional Championships last weekend.

Nathan came 19th place in the 200m Breaststroke and 20th in the 100m Breaststroke.

Nathan had an amazing experience swimming amongst so many high level swimmers. It is a big achievement to qualify and we are extremely proud of him!

Anna and Mollie are European Hockey Champions!

Congratulations to Anna and Mollie who are European Hockey Champions following their success at the Holland Elite U12 European Hockey Championships with Knole Park Hockey Club over the Easter break.

The girls played an incredible two days of hockey and were delighted to bring the trophy home as undefeated Champions, winning 3-0 against Surbiton in the Final.

Albie, Isaac and Oli are U10 Hockey Finalists!

Following their success in the Kent Cup earlier this year, Ollie, Isaac and Albie were crowned U10 Regional Finalists on Sunday with their Knole Park hockey team. Congratulations on their silver medal and hard work all season!

Rafferty wins Tennis Tournament

Congratulations to Rafferty who won a Lawn Tennis Association Grade 5 Singles Tournament in Rochester over the Easter break.

Elodie and Ellie win Gold in South East Championships!

Congratulations to Elodie and Ellie who were part of the U10 Girls' Knole Park hockey team to win Gold and become South East Regional Champions last Sunday!

A tense penalty shoot out in the final match saw them victorious over Woking!

We are proud of the range of independent senior schools our Year 6 pupils apply to each year and this year has been no different!

St Michael's is dedicated to matching the right school to each child and supporting parents through every step of the senior school application process.

For more information about our pupils' destination senior schools including the brilliant grammar schools our pupils receive offers to, please visit our website: https://www.stmichaels.kent.sch.uk/admissions/senior-schools-and-11-plus

Hot Off the Press

Follow us on social media!

Make sure you are following St Michael’s social media channels for important updates and content throughout the year.