- Home
- Newsletter Friday 6th March
- School News
School News
Celebrating our love of reading for World Book Day!
We've had an inspiring week celebrating all things books and reading as World Book Day celebrations have brought our favourite stories and characters to life.
In Prep, pupils have been celebrating World Book Day all week. During morning breaktimes, the children have listened to story times led by Prep staff in the Library and on beanbags in the sunshine.
Additionally, they have enjoyed an interactive World Book Day assembly led by 4M, mixed year group paired reading sessions and lunch time activities including short story writing, designing book covers, 'book speed dating', creating bookmarks and crafting dens for book characters. It has been wonderful to see engagement in these activities which have sparked imaginations and conversations all week.
Our talented team from Accent Catering also added a touch of story time magic to our World Book Day themed lunch menu on Thursday!
Meanwhile, innovative costumes helped Pre-Prep celebrate World Book Day on Thursday alongside reading buddy sessions with Year 2 and Pre-School, book toast decorating and a World Book Day House Competition which Dover were the winners of this year.
We have been pleased to see a number of entries for this year's World Book Day Competitions which we look forward to sharing the results of in next week's newsletter.
St Michael's presents World Book Day 2026:
'Always have a book with you, you never know when you might need one!'
A delightful Breakfast Concert!
The Chapel was filled with spring sunshine, smiling faces and beautiful music as we welcomed parents for our first Breakfast Concert of the Lent Term on Monday, celebrating the progress of our musicians, from beginners up to around Grade 2 standard.
Guests were welcomed with a selection of fruit, tea, coffee, juice and a sausage sandwich, whilst our young performers tuned up their instruments and had a final run through. The audience were treated to a wonderful variety of solo performances including voice, accordion, piano, guitar, drums, violin, recorder, flute and saxophone, as well as a particularly charming trio of clarinets that brought plenty of smiles to close the concert!
For many of our young performers, this was their first time playing in a concert, a milestone moment that they should be proud of. The poise and confidence they showed was a testament to the hours of dedicated practice put in with their Peripatetic Music Teachers in the weeks leading up to this point.
Mr Pears congratulated the children, praising not only their performances on the day but recognising the hard work done quietly behind the scenes to become concert ready. A special thank you to Mrs Mumford whose piano accompaniment supported so many of the children and helped them to shine.
We are incredibly proud of every single performer and they have all earned a Silver Star. What a wonderful way to start the day!
Click here to see a full gallery of photos from the concert.
Gordon Baird, Director of Music
National Prep School Cross Country Championships
St Michael’s boys made the most of a brilliant day out at the National Prep School Cross Country Championships last Sunday, taking on one of the toughest courses in the Prep School calendar at Malvern College in Worcestershire.
The sun was out and although the boys arrived with a few nerves, they were buzzing for the challenge ahead. After walking the hilly, leg‑testing route, loading up on carbs and getting a solid warm‑up in, they were ready to go.
In the U11 race which was 2.8km and had 204 runners competing, Cían C and Zach R-B both ran with real grit and smart pacing, finishing 51st and 106th a fantastic effort in such a strong national field.
In the U13 race, Hugo M and Thomas D were up against boys a year older but they rose to the occasion brilliantly. Hugo stormed around the 3.2km course in 11:55, earning an outstanding 12th place, while Thomas dug deep to finish 109th in 13:40 over a very demanding route.
Everyone at St Michael’s is incredibly proud of the boys, not just for their performances on the day but for the hard work and commitment they’ve shown over the past few years. They’ve set a great example and no doubt they will inspire plenty more St Michael’s runners in the future.
Well done, boys.
Steve Brightman, Director of Sport
An owl-standing experience with Exotic Explorers!
Reception were visited by the Exotic Explorers this week. They were wowed by the beautiful owls and their silent flying! They met three different types of owls: Barn Owls, Little Owls and White-faced Owls. Each owl had different coloured eyes which indicated whether they were nocturnal, diurnal or crepuscular. The children loved finding out lots of facts about the birds and sat extremely quietly during the whole session. Exotic Explorers can come again!
Kirsty Playell, Head of Reception
St Michael's swimmers compete in IAPS Qualifier
On Monday 2nd January, St Michael's swimmers from Years 5 to 8 travelled to Walthamstow Hall to compete in the IAPS Qualifier.
The children swam fantastically well and their behaviour throughout the gala was a real credit to the school.
A special mention to Charlotte P and Ethan M from Year 4, who swam up an age group and bravely took on the challenging 50m Butterfly - a gruelling event that no Years 5 or 6 swimmers were willing to enter. Their determination and courage were truly impressive.
The U10 boys won both of their relay heats and the U11 boys and U12 girls also delivered very strong performances. Congratulations to Miranda H, Kayla F, Frédérique M and Chloe S who each won their 50m individual events; a fantastic achievement.
The swimmers were not only competing against those at Walthamstow Hall, but their times will now be ranked against schools from across the country. The top 20 swimmers nationally will be invited to compete in the IAPS Finals at the prestigious London Aquatics Centre (Olympic pool) on Saturday 6th June 2026. The list of successful finalists is usually released in May.
We are incredibly proud of all of our swimmers for their effort, teamwork, and sportsmanship. Well done!
Rosalind Fornasier, Swim School Manager
Musicians impress at Musical Soirée
The Chapel was filled with warmth and a gentle glow as families, staff and friends gathered for our Lent Term Musical Soirée on Tuesday evening. The event showcased the talents of 19 solo performers, each presenting music at around Grade 3 level and above, spanning an impressive range of styles and periods.
The programme featured our Music Scholars and lots of talented and dedicated musicians from across the entire age-range in Prep. Performances highlighted not only increasing technical skill but also a growing musical maturity and confidence that reflected the considerable progress made in recent months. From expressive vocal items to poised instrumental solos, each pupil brought something genuinely individual to the stage and the Chapel provided a beautiful and intimate setting for the evening.
The audience enjoyed a varied and engaging programme that reflected the breadth of musical life within the school. For many performers, the evening represented an important milestone in their musical journey. For others, it offered a valuable opportunity to refine exam repertoire or share pieces explored in lessons and ensembles.
The evening concluded with heartfelt applause and congratulatory words from Mrs Leech in recognition of the hard work, progress, courage and enthusiasm demonstrated by every performer. We extend our warm thanks to the entire Music Team for their dedicated support and preparation. We are also grateful to our musicians' families for their continued encouragement and support.
Congratulations to all who took part in a truly uplifting Musical Soirée.
Gordon Baird, Director of Music
St Michael's win Sevenoaks School Football Tournament!
St Michael’s U11A girls' team took part in the annual Sevenoaks School Football Tournament on Wednesday and what a fantastic afternoon of football it turned out to be! The girls have been working hard in lessons to sharpen their skills and develop their game understanding and they arrived excited to finally put it all into practice as a team.
The girls began brilliantly, moving the ball around confidently and supporting each other across the pitch. Their teamwork paid off straight away with a 4-0 win against Walthamstow Hall School thanks to goals from Ayla A, Ellie S and two from Elodie B.
In the second match against Hilden Oaks School, the team kept their momentum going. There was some excellent defending from Louisa R, Beatrice B, Sophia E and Ella D, helping to secure a 2-0 victory with goals again from Elodie B and Ayla A.
Next came a tougher challenge against Croydon High School. It was a tight and competitive game but the girls showed real determination and worked hard for each other to earn a well‑deserved draw. This result was enough to send St Michael’s through to the Final.
The Final against Holmewood House School was tense from start to finish, with both teams creating chances but neither able to find the breakthrough. After a 0-0 draw, it all came down to the dreaded penalty shoot‑out.
The girls linked arms, encouraged each other and showed brilliant composure. Thanks to two outstanding saves from Abigail L, St Michael’s won the shoot‑out 3-1, securing the tournament victory.
It was a brilliant team effort. Every player contributed and the girls should be incredibly proud of the way they played and supported each other.
Team: Sophia E, Ellie S, Elodie B, Ella D, Beatrice B, Ayla A, Louisa R and Abigail L
Steve Brightman, Director of Sport
U11s score 27 goals in IAPS Regional Netball Tournament!
Our U11A team represented St Michael's at the IAPS Regional Netball Tournament on Thursday 5th March. Set to play 3 group games across the event, the girls arrived raring to go - the sun helping to boost their spirits as they prepared to play their best netball.
There were 4 groups in the competition with 4 teams in each group. St Michael's first game was against Downsend School. Following a slow start, the girls found their feet, displaying some super netball and winning this difficult game 5-4.
Their next game was against Rose Hill School who the girls had faced before at the St Michael's Tournament. They played confidently with all girls making an excellent contribution to their 7-2 win. The final group game was against Marlborough House Vinehall School - an unknown team for the girls but they played exceptionally well to win 11-0.
As winners of their group, the girls then progressed to the Quarter-Finals of the Cup Competition, facing Cumnor House School who they had also played at St Michael's previously. This was a fiercely fought and even game with the goals going with the centre passes. Unfortunately, despite a superb effort, the girls lost 4-7, meaning they did not progress any further. It was an excellent morning of netball - well done to the girls and thank you to the parents who were able to come along to support.
Team: Krisha P, Elodie B, Bea B, Ayla A, Sophie E, Ella D, Louisa R and Ellie S
Cal Wade, Games Coach, and Nicky Denton, Head of Girls' Games
Hot off the Press!
Year 2 Matball Tournament!
Last Friday, Year 2 pupils enjoyed an afternoon of Matball, our adapted version of Netball, with proud parents and supporters watching on from the Sports Hall gallery.
The children demonstrated some brilliant skills and game awareness, whilst displaying positive teamwork attributes including fair play, turn-taking and support for one another.
All teams managed to play three games each, in a two group, round-robin format. The Blue Lions were victorious in their group and the Blue Eagles won their group’s competition; both teams went through the tournament unbeaten.
Congratulations to everyone who took part. It was wonderful to see how much the children have learnt over the past term.
Craig Davies, Pre-Prep PE Teacher
Year 4 blend up nutritious smoothies!
Fruity flavours have been enjoyed in our Design Technology room this week as Year 4 have worked in pairs to design and make the perfect smoothie. Combining ingredients from an exotic selection of berries, apricots and lychee as well as juice and seeds, pupils brought their unique recipes to life using their slicing and blending skills.
The children then had the opportunity to try their smoothies, rating them on different qualities including smell and flavour, before comparing them to their peers' drinks.
Safer Internet Day 2026
Safer Internet Day 2026 has been recognised across St Michael's this week as a range of activities and assemblies have sparked important and topical discussions.
The theme this year was ‘Responsible use of AI’, prompting useful conversations and a wider understanding of AI including its benefits but also its potential consequences.
Younger children considered some positive uses of AI, from preventing illegal logging in to Amazon to creating instant sign language to accompany audio books for deaf children. They also examined how AI should be used responsibly - what could the consequences be for using it to complete homework or to create pictures which could hurt people’s feelings?
Older children looked in more depth at a range of issues including plagiarism, misuse of image generators (or deepfakes), reliance on chatbots for potentially mispleading advice and the effect of AI data centres on climate.
AI is certainly part of our children’s lives whether they are aware of it or not, from smart speakers to Netflix recommendations to summarised search results. At St Michael’s, we believe it is vital that children are aware of the ethics of AI to allow them to navigate this new technology and make responsible choices as to how they use it.
Kath Robertson, Head of Computing and Online Safety Lead
Click here to read more about Safer Internet Day
Rocks Day - the finale!
On Wednesday 3D had an exciting day investigating Rocks, Soils and Fossils as part of our Science topic. We have found out just how amazing our planet is and some ways we can look after it. From using microscopes to making our own volcanic explosions, Rock Man brought the topic alive for us. What a great day!
Sue Davies, Year 3 Teacher
Year 6 Coding Competition winners!
In Computing this term Year 6 have designed, drawn and coded a working prototype of a new electronic toy for 1-3 year olds with some sort of educational benefit (e.g. learning to talk or walk).
Following a detailed planning process, they demonstrated their toy in a Dragon’s Den-style presentation to the class and a judge.
The judges picked three winners and one honourable mention from each class, based on difficulty of coding, presentation style and originality of design.
Winning projects included an interactive dolls house with different activities in each room, an animal puzzle that sensed if the puzzle piece was in the correct place and pets that learn your name and speak to you, amongst many impressive creations!
Congratulations to the winners from each class who were awarded a Head's Star!
Click here to see the winning codes
Kath Robertson, Head of Computing
Modelling the Circulatory System!
Year 6 have been working hard on their innovative models of the Circulatory System as part of their Science learning this term!
Tasked with replicating the system visually, the pupils produced creative replicas incorporating knitting, working syringes and even board games!
The children spent part of their Science lesson looking at each other's projects, giving feedback and interacting with the games.
Great work, Year 6!
Pupils impress at Chichester Music Festival!
On Saturday 31st January, five St Michael’s Prep guitar pupils took part in the Chichester Music Festival. They were all highly commended by adjudicator Amanda Cook for their playing and the practice they had put in to perform at such a high level.
Performers from all over the South East took part in the classes. Standards were high and each class had around 10 performers.
Our pupils’ results were as follows:
Daniel W came 1st in the Solo Novice Age 10 & Under Class and was awarded with a trophy for the second year running.
Bruno S played in the same class and it was his first time at the festival. He played like someone who had many more years of experience under their belt and was highly commended.
Balint N and Jacob F came joint 2nd in the Solo Grade IV and Under Class and both were awarded a silver medal.
Espen A was highly praised in the same class for his lovely left-hand control and dexterity. He came away with a very high mark and was unlucky to miss out on a place.
Well done to you all.
Chris Sweatman, Guitar Teacher
Pirate Day memories to treasure!
Adorned with eye patches and skull and cross bones, Year 1 had a fantastic day experiencing life as a pirate on the last day before half term.
After performing their pirate songs in assembly, the children were tasked with making their own parrots, completing pirate puzzles in French and using their agility skills to sink the opposing team's ships in PE!
To complete the day, we followed clues around Pre-Prep which led us to a chest, filled with treasure, before returning to our classrooms to find that pirates had found our messages in a bottle and replied!
Charlotte Grove, Year 1 Teacher
St Michael's runners tackle IAPS cross country course!
On Tuesday 24th February a brave squad of Years 3 to 8 children headed to Somerhill School for the IAPS Cross Country event. The course offered everything a runner dreams of, hills, more hills, and enough mud to swallow a shoe or two. In fact, several of our runners heroically crossed the finish line wearing just one trainer, proving that nothing, not even disappearing footwear, could slow them down.
Every pupil ran with grit, determination and a fantastic team spirit. Willow C stormed to victory in the U9 girls’ race with a gutsy performance, while Hugo M earned an impressive bronze medal in his U13 race, competing a year under his age. Team results were equally strong: the U9 girls placed 3rd overall, the U9 boys secured 2nd and the U11 boys finished 3rd.
A huge well done to all of our runners for outstanding achievements in truly challenging conditions; we are extremely proud of them all.
The Sports Department
Teams:
U9- Anika B, Daphne S, Gabrielle A, Freya E, Harriette R, Willow C, Arthur G, Lucas T, Ruben S, Jude S, Reis N, Rafferty R, Elliott M and Raphael O
U11- Evie T, Nzu O, Olivia D, Saskia E, Sophia E, Miranda H, Ellie S, Grace L, Jacob F, Oliver A, Benji S, Albie C, Ben C, Samuel S, Cian C and Zach R-B
U13- Isla J, Scarlett M, Lana C, Kalya F, Grace P, Viggo W, Ruaridh O, Finlay S, Thomas G, Thomas D and Hugo M
Year 6 create shadow puppets!
As part of their Science topic on Light, Year 6 designed and made their own shadow puppets. This involved lots of intricate cutting out and many of the puppets had moveable parts. Well done Year 6 - it was great to see so much creativity applied to this task.
Esther Neylan, Head of Science
An introduction to Brass!
This week we were delighted to welcome Mr Maslin, our wonderful Brass Teacher from Prep, into Year 1’s Music lessons. He introduced the children to two exciting brass instruments: the trumpet and the P-bone and demonstrated how they work, from producing a clear buzz to mastering a steady airflow.
Every child had the chance to try both instruments and it was inspiring to see how quickly they took to the challenge. With great concentration and a few very determined facial expressions, the children explored how to control their breath and produce those all-important first notes.
Mr Maslin was hugely impressed by their effort and willingness to learn and I couldn’t agree more. We may have some future brass players in the making!
This is particularly pleasing as Brass lessons will be available to Pre-Prep children from September - a very exciting development in the Music Department!
A big thank you to Mr Maslin for such an engaging and uplifting workshop. Year 1 approached it with enthusiasm, curiosity and wonderful musical flair.
Ceri Crane, Pre-Prep Music Teacher
Loaves of fun in Food Technology!
Year 5 have been chopping, measuring and kneading their way to delicious focaccia bread in Food Technology.
Choosing from a range of fillings including sundried tomatoes, olives, apricots, cheese and herbs, the pupils carefully followed a recipe and Ms Gilbrook's demonstration to make their unique sweet or savoury dough.
Once they had oiled the dough, the children then took it home to bake with their families.