Yearly Life at Somerhill

Life at Somerhill Yearly Review 2024-25

We grow amazing people

As we reach the end of another academic year at Somerhill, we would like to take a moment to reflect with pride and gratitude on all that we have accomplished together as a school community. This has been a year that has tested us in many ways and the result we see today is that Somerhill has not just weathered the storm, but has grown stronger, bolder, and more ambitious for the future. While we remain the largest prep school in the area, we believe that we are also the most vibrant and forward-thinking. We take huge pride in our school’s and pupils’ achievements this year, which are testament to a community that does not just adapt when tested but rises. This year, our Year 6 and Year 8 pupils achieved a record number of grammar school offers and scholarships to senior independent schools. These results reflect not only the academic excellence that defines Somerhill, but also the character, confidence, and creativity we cultivate in every child. We are delighted that our values have been recognised beyond Somerhill, and the school has been shortlisted for Independent Prep School of the Year by the Independent Schools of the Year 2025 awards programme. Looking forward to the next academic year, we are delighted to be welcoming over 50 new families to Somerhill this September, proof that our reputation as a school of choice continues to grow. We know that they will be warmly welcomed into a community that is defined by kindness and shared values. This year has reminded us of the importance of connection, the strength of community and the remarkable things we can achieve when we come together with a shared purpose. We are immensely proud of our pupils, our dedicated staff, and every family whose contributions help make Somerhill the truly exceptional school it is. Welcome to Life at Somerhill Yearly Review 2024/25

The Senior Leadership Team

UKSA summer 2024

During the final week of the summer holidays, 34 children and four staff travelled down to the Isle of Wight for the annual UKSA water sports trip. Some wonderful late-summer weather helped the children enjoy their four days on the water. Alongside traditional keel boating and dinghy sailing, the children also experienced windsurfing, raft building and stand up paddle boarding. Evenings were spent crabbing, quizzing, going for walks and spending their money in the tuck shop.

Somerhill staff compete in Tonbridge Lions Dragon Boat Race Somerhill entered an enthusiastic team in the annual Tonbridge Lions Dragon Boat race on Sunday 1st September. Wearing T-shirts with a logo designed by Elle-Marie in Year 6, the team raced three times across the day. Although Somerhill did not win the event, each race resulted in a faster time. It was great to see staff from across the school have such a great time together and to see the wonderful support from many families who lined the course for our races. Any money raised for this event went to the Tonbridge Lions as all their donations go directly to the local community – thank you to all who supported this great local charity.

Minnie and Dottie perform on the world stage

Held in Prague, Czech Republic, and with over 9,500 dancers representing 66 countries, the Dance World Cup is the biggest competition in the world and features all genres of dance. Somerhill pupils Minnie and Dottie were part of a small group of 9 dancers, ranging from 6-9 years old, who competed in the ‘National and Folklore’ section with their dance ‘Lapland’. All the dancers performed incredibly and managed to come away with second place and a silver medal. To finish second in the world in their particular age group and category is an amazing achievement and something that both girls, along with their fellow dancers, should be incredibly proud of.

Somerhill Saplings

Our Somerhill Saplings have been busy in the heart of our forest exploring for firewood, discovering mushrooms, decorating their own pumpkins and enjoying lots of muddy fun.

The questionable British weather has not stopped them and the sight of their muddy wellies and overalls is one of our favourite things to see.

Equestrian success for Somerhill pupils Somerhill had some fantastic recent performances at the NSEA national championships at Hickstead, and as always, the team’s support for each other was wonderful to see. There was a super result for Charlie in Year 6, who placed 2nd in the 60cm on his pony, Toffee. Mae, in Year 4, had a 13th placement on her pony, Rambo, in the 40cm, and Freya, in Year 4, also had a great placement on her new pony, Chance, in the 50cm. All classes had over 100 riders taking part, so well done to our rider who all went clear and did very well. Charlie also had success at The Shetland Pony Grand National, a fundraising event for the Bob Champion Cancer Trust. This is an invitation-only race, so well done Charlie! Finally, Sophie, in Year 5, was named Veteran Supreme Champion at the British Elite Championship Show with her veteran pony, Poppy. Well done Sophie and Poppy!

Somerhill Parents’ Association coffee morning On Friday 13th September, we hosted our Somerhill Parents’ Association coffee morning. This was a fantastic opportunity for parents to come together over a hot drink and some snacks in our newly refurbished dining room. We were pleased to be joined by representatives from Holroyd Howe, our new caterers, who provided insight into the delicious food that our children are served every day. Parents were also delighted to meet Reggie, our Somerhill well-being dog.

Year 7 and 8 camp out at Somerhill

On Friday 6th September, our Year 7 and 8 boys camped overnight at Somerhill for an evening filled with campfire songs and team-building activities!

Despite the weather, everyone had a great night, and on Saturday morning, there were lots of happy (and tired) campers!

Year 1 pupils amazed by Wonderdome visit

Year 1 children were amazed to see a virtual universe appear in the Bickmore Hall. Our excited astronauts entered a dome where the stars and planets spun around them. They were talked through each planet and given facts about stars and the sun. The children had an opportunity to ask questions to find out more impressive space facts from our knowledgeable visitors. All the children had a fantastic morning and came away full of excitement for their topic, 'flying high’.

Mark Pluck celebrates 40 years at Somerhill On Friday 27th September, our Somerhill community came together to thank Mark Pluck, our Porter, who is celebrating 40 years at Somerhill. Mark joined Somerhill (then Yardley Court) in 1984 as a 16-year-old boy and has worked with us ever since. A firm favourite of all our children and staff alike, further confirmed by the rapturous cheers and applause he received during Friday afternoon’s celebration assembly, Mark can always be seen around the site offering a friendly hello and a smile to everyone he meets. Duncan Sinclair, Headmaster of Somerhill, said, “Mark’s tenure at Somerhill is hugely impressive and evidence of a wonderful commitment to the school. I am sure all our Somerhill community joins me in thanking Mark for his 40 years of service.” In the celebratory assembly, Mark was presented with an engraved glass clock, a card and a cake. We were delighted to be joined by former Chair of Governors, Diane Huntingford, who shared stories of her time working with Mark and some very special moments they shared over the last 40 years. Thank you, Mark, for everything you have done during your time here at Somerhill!

Somerhill community donate over 625 kgs to food bank Pupils and staff enjoyed delivering all the amazing donations from our Somerhill community to the Community Storehouse, Paddock Wood. Pupils from across a range of year groups helped pack all the donations, load the school van, and then deliver the hundreds of items (weighing an incredible 625 kgs) to the food bank. Pupils were thanked by food bank staff and volunteers, and were given a presentation on how and where their donations can help. A big thank you to everyone who donated!

History explorations for Somerhill pupils Year 5 visit to Bodiam Castle

Year 5 visited Bodiam Castle as part of a study of the development of castles in England. The children toured the site, identifying the castle’s key features, and looking for evidence that the castle was built with both luxury and defence in mind. Back at school, they have successfully written mini-essays discussing Bodiam Castle’s main purpose. All the children had a lovely time and engaged with the history brilliantly.

Year 7 medieval life talk Year 7 enjoyed a visit from Happening Histories. They learned about everything from medieval guilds to the rivalries between England’s royal houses, and everything in between! Trying on armour was a highlight for them, helping them to visualise the soldiers of the Hundred Years War, which they will be studying next term. Discussing medieval life and medicine helped solidify their thinking ahead of writing essays in lesson time which discussed the extent of change after the arrival of the Black Death in England.

Sports round-up

It has been a busy and successful start to our Somerhill sporting calendar with multiple successes for Somerhill and some fantastic individual performances, too.

With cross country medals in the Brenchley Relays, Thomas Trophy and the Rawlinson Run, hockey medals in the Courseham Cup and Rose Hill tournament and football medals in the St Michaels Tournament and the ISFA Regionals, its has been another successful term for our Somerhill sports stars.

An exciting visit from Carnegie Medal-nominated, Christopher Edge On Thursday 19th September, Years 5 and 6 enjoyed their first exciting author visit of the year. Carnegie Medal-nominated writer Christopher Edge visited Somerhill to give a dynamic and engaging talk about his fantastic new book, “The Black Hole Cinema Club.” The children were enthralled by his exploration of the films that inspired the story, and then took part in a series of interactive team challenges, solving clues within movie clips to release book characters back into the real world. Christopher also signed copies of his novels and chatted to the children individually, and it was wonderful to see how inspired they were to go home and dive straight into their new books!

Ross Montgomery’s virtual visit to Somerhill Pre-Prep

Children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 were treated to a virtual visit from the wonderful author, Ross Montgomery. They enjoyed listening to the story 'Space Tortoise' and asked Ross many questions to learn more about life as an author. This certainly inspired our little ones, and many children had a go at writing a sequel to the story and drawing illustrations of the tortoise's next invention and adventure!

Year 7 visit Stratford The Year 7 boys visited Stratford in East London and the site of the 2012 London Olympics as part of their study of urbanisation and the Olympic Legacy. They walked around the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, taking in some of the iconic London 2012 landmarks. They also undertook a questionnaire with members of the public in the East Village in order to find out how the regeneration of the area had benefitted them personally. By contrast, the boys also visited the Carpenters Estate, a council estate built in the 1970s, to investigate how the city's regeneration helped to rebuild the area and how its impact also adversely affected some of the population. It was also a beneficial experience for the boys to see where other people live and for them to understand how the London 2012 Olympics and the Olympic Legacy has had very limited benefits for some of the residents and workers of Stratford, East London.

Year 6 visit Horton Kirby

The Year 6 boys and girls undertook a geography field trip to Horton Kirby near Dartford as part of their study of rivers. Pupils spent the morning in the River Darent measuring the depth and speed of the river at different locations. In addition, they learned about the biodiversity of the Darent by looking at some of the vertebrates and invertebrates collected in river nets and then examined in trays. Back at the environmental centre, pupils spent the afternoon learning about the River Darent's journey from its source near Westerham to where it joins the River Thames, making their own models of rivers with trays of mud and water, as well as studying rocks under microscopes to investigate which type of rock was permeable or impermeable.

STEM morning at Somerhill

On Wednesday 16th October, Year 2 and Year 7 were armed with sellotape, split pins, black card and torches, the perfect mix to turn our Somerhill STEM morning into a STE A M morning, with pupils putting their art and design skills to the test by creating shadow puppets. Year 2 children were inspired by the book Space Tortoise and continued the adventure with a story of a journey to the moon. They used torches to discover which objects are ‘transparent’ or ‘opaque’ and thought about which materials would be best to make puppets. The children looked at different ways to make hand puppets and had a go at their own story telling. The Year 7 boys put their skills to the test creating elaborate puppet box stages, thinking of the size and design details – one even had a retractable curtain! The STEM morning culminated in an epic performance of our Year 2 children’s stories to Year 7. Meanwhile in Year 1, the children took on the challenge from Kent Wild Life to create bird feeders to help birds during the winter. The children went on a lovely bird walk and checked all the different types they could see here at Somerhill. The children focussed on the different types of beaks and how they could help identify what a bird eats. They also got creative with melting suet fat with their hands and mixing in seeds, squishing the mixture onto pinecones. They had to think about the length of string and the weight of the pinecone to be able to hang it up. Year 1 picked some special places to hang their feeders and are looking forward to seeing which birds visit. A wonderful morning of STEM at Somerhill!

Making new friends and settling into Nursery

Nursery has been a hive of activity as new faces have joined our existing Somerhill family. Everyone arrived with photos of their own families, keen to add them to our ‘chatter-bags’ and share them at circle times and whenever they were missing home. This did not last for long as everyone was busy exploring the new toys and activities on offer; Saplings, welly walks to the paddock, rhododendrons and paddock, sensory play, art and craft as well as PE time with Mr Carter and ‘music and movement’ with Mrs Dawes. The children have settled in wonderfully, enjoying lots of child-initiated play and learning our new friends names- a super start to life at Somerhill!

Pupils shine at our Teatime Concerts

Year 4 pupils performed beautifully, showcasing their growing confidence as soloists with a solid range of instruments and musical genres. Year 5 pupils then took things to the next level, demonstrating notable progress in both their technical skills and musical expression, growing evermore confident in front of an audience. Year 7 and 8 performances were a highlight, displaying remarkable advancements in both ability and passion. These experienced performers delivered impressive recitals, a testament to their individual growth and the dedication of our peripatetic teachers, who work tirelessly behind the scenes.

Reception round-up What a fantastic start to the year Reception has had! The children have settled into their daily routines, happily reconnecting with friends and getting to know new teachers. To kick off the term, each child brought in a box filled with items of personal significance. Sharing these treasures offered insights into their hobbies and interests. We read stories about starting "big" school and explored the emotions surrounding this transition, linking feelings to colours and discussing how they manifest within ourselves. The children reconnected or became acquainted with our pre-prep pals, diving into our core values and understanding their practical implications. Swimming lessons have been an exciting new addition to their timetables, where the children have worked diligently to learn new skills. They have also focused on essential tasks like dressing, undressing, and mastering the art of keeping their feet dry before putting on socks! Every Friday morning, the children have enjoyed wonderful adventures in the woodlands, where they have created hedgehogs from natural materials, built dens, and engaged in a variety of activities that promote well-being, teamwork, and joyful moments. French has also been a new experience for many, with a focus on learning colours, which they have even practised during their child-led time! This term, the children have eagerly embarked on the "On the Move" topic. They have been captivated by space exploration and the stories of famous astronauts. Following an inspiring visit from the Wonderdome, they researched life aboard the International Space Station. Did you know that astronauts must strap themselves in when they sleep to avoid floating away? The children also designed and constructed moon buggies from building materials and built rockets to test their flight capabilities using balloons and strings. We cannot wait to see what next half term will bring!

Year 7 and 8 race in e-sports cars at F1 HQ!

On 13th September, Year 7 and 8 boys took a trip to the Williams F1 head quarters in Oxford where they took part in an investigation into the design of F1 nose cones and how to reduce the speed of an impact during a crash. They were given a tour of the museum and had the opportunity to race each other in the e-sports simulators.

Art at Somerhill

Year 6 pupils have been exploring animals through the lens of different artists such as Albrecht Durer and David Hockney. They also had an excellent visit to the Horniman Museum where they were able to draw many of the taxidermy animals on display. Herbie the tortoise also came to visit for a drawing lesson!

Year 3 pupils have been exploring colour theory, mixing secondary and tertiary colours and learning about minimalism through Mondrian.

Year 7 pupils have made a great start to their first PSB project, The Art of the Machine. They have created cropped linos based on an engine and are on a journey of discovery through reduction lino printing.

Year 8 visited Tonbridge School's OBS Gallery to see the exhibition, 'Almost Nothing But Blue Ground' to kick start their next project about natural forms and collaboration. In class, they have been completing their distorted portraiture project, combining imagery from Lucien Freud, Edvard Munch and Alberto Giacometti.

Year 5 pupils have enjoyed looking at Aboriginal dot painting and have designed their dreamtime story images based on native animals. We are looking forward to seeing their finished canvases next half term.

Pupils in year 4 have been drawing self-portraits, exploring proportion and shading.

Year 6 Science Club visit to Tonbridge School Year 6 Science Club took a trip to Tonbridge School on 2nd October to see a scanning electron microscope in action. Miss Szalczinger explained that instead of using light to produce an image, the microscope scans the surface of an object by firing a focused beam of electrons. The electrons interact with the atoms on the surface of the sample to produce a highly detailed image. The children saw shark skin and teeth, grains of sand, tiny hairs on a stinging nettle and pollen grains from a lily.

Kindergarten round-up

Kindergarten children have whizzed through the first term of the school year thoroughly enjoying our new transport topic ‘On the Move’. We have looked at different modes of transport travelling across land by road and rail, over the sea and even through the air. The children painted their favourite road vehicles and we have had colourful traffic jam displays in our classroom depicting cars, buses, motorbikes, diggers and tractors. We have counted the number of wheels on our vehicles and explored wheel size comparisons between different vehicle types. We have been transport engineers, designing and building junk model trains: selecting the right size and shape of box for each element of our designs and adding collage pieces to depict doors, windows, lights and funnels. We also collaborated with friends to create some magnificent train tracks across the length of our classrooms for our toy trains to travel on. For water transport, the children experimented with a colour-wash paint technique to create a stormy seascape and added black 2D shapes to create their own sailing boat silhouettes. We explored floating and sinking concepts and tested an assortment of objects in the water tray, trying to predict if they would float or sink and testing them to find out. We had a very exciting week looking at air transport, finding out about helicopters and aeroplanes and sharing our experiences of travelling overseas for holidays. We launched our own mini hot air balloon in the hall using a hairdryer for hot air and watched in amazement as it rose up to the ceiling before landing very gracefully back down on the ground as the air inside cooled down. We also watched footage of real hot air balloons taking flight and this inspired us to create our own hot air balloons which can be seen flying across our classrooms. Alongside our creative art activities, we have listened to some lovely stories, exploring rhythm and rhyme in the texts including The Train Ride and The Journey. We have practised our listening skills to discriminate between the sound effects of different modes of transport and we have performed some action songs together including The Wheels on the Bus and Sailing Ships using colourful streamers to move rhythmically in time with the music.

Somerhill abuzz with bees and honey

We were very lucky to be able to harvest some honey from two of our busy beehives. To do so, we removed some of the frames from the hives and brought them to the lab ready for spinning. Bee club enjoyed taking turns to wind the handle and set the machine turning – it was hard work!

School councillors visit Barnes Lodge Care Home School Council members from Year 2 and Year 6 visited Barnes Lodge Care Home on the penultimate day of this half-term to spend an hour with the residents in one of their day rooms. The children interacted with the residents by reading, playing cards, chatting and solving jigsaw puzzles. It was a wonderful way to get to know other members of our local community.

Diwali dance day at Somerhill

Year 5 classes enjoyed some exciting Indian dance workshops in the last week of half-term. The workshops offered a fantastic opportunity for pupils to explore Indian culture through dance, while also enriching their learning about the upcoming Diwali festival.

Life at Somerhill Michaelmas Term | December 2024

On Monday 11th November, our Somerhill community came together for a service of remembrance. Parents joined staff and pupils in Years 2-8 in the Memorial Garden to pay their respects to those who gave their lives for King or Queen and Country. Members of our school council read out names of Yardley Court pupils who lost their lives, and the Last Post was played by Milo in Year 8 before a minute's silence was observed. Remembrance Service at Somerhill

ℎ ℎ , ℎ . ℎ ℎ , ℎ . ℎ ℎ ℎ ℎ .

Year 2 visit Herstmonceux Science Centre On Wednesday 6th November, pupils in Year 2 visited The Observatory Science Centre in Herstmonceux. They participated in science workshops and discovered the materials used to make spacesuits. Our space explorers were treated to an amazing telescope tour where they learnt how telescopes are used to see the planets and stars in space. They ended their day by exploring the Water Planet and the Discovery Park!

Code Show fun for Somerhill pupils

As part of our digital literacy education, Somerhill celebrated the UK's computing heritage with a hands-on roadshow from The Code Show! Gary inspired everyone with his enthusiastic explanation of historical devices, giving our children a better understanding of how young innovators accelerated the computing revolution. Everyone had fun exploring the technology - parents and grandparents, you might recognise some of the 'antiques' on display...

Somerhill Fireworks!

On Friday 8th November, we held our annual Somerhill firework spectacular!

Our 400-year-old Jacobean school was the stunning backdrop as over 1500 people enjoyed homemade chilli and rice, some delicious mulled wine and our amazing firework display! A huge thank you to everybody who made this evening possible and our wonderful Somerhill community for joining us at one of our favourite events of the year.

Odd socks for Anti-Bullying Week Tuesday 12th November was Odd Socks Day, and staff and pupils at Somerhill donned their odd (and very colourful) socks in support of Anti-Bullying Week! Pupils in Years 5 and 6 were also visited by Annabel from Actively Safe UK for an assembly about Anti-Bullying Week, personal safety and respect.

Outdoor adventures in maths! Learning often takes place outside the classroom here at Somerhill and this term pupils have spent lots of time exploring our glorious parkland and woods during their maths lessons. Pupils in Years 4 and 5 made compound shapes from sticks and then measured the lengths to find the area and perimeter of the shape. They then had to match up nets and 3D shapes, and construct them from natural resources found in the woods. Year 6 developed their orienteering skills to navigate to different points on the school grounds and used teamwork skills to solve fraction problems. Outdoor learning inspires our pupils to apply their classroom knowledge in a practical way and develop their teamwork and problem-solving skills.

Somerhill Saplings

Our Somerhill Saplings have enjoyed another busy term exploring our site and creating memories. With Christmas crafts, cosy fires and festive treats, it has been a wonderful time for our young explorers.

The children celebrated the end of term and the Christmas season by enjoying hot chocolate and marshmallows. They have learnt lots of new creative skills, as well as perseverance and resilience in the changeable weather.

Staff v Year 8 football match

On Wednesday 20th November we held our annual staff against Year 8 boys football match! Our Year 8 boys took an early lead in the first half with a scoreline of 2-1 at half time, but our staff team came out strongly in the second half and managed to steal a 3-2 win at the final whistle. It was a great game to watch and was played in a great and not too competitive spirit (mostly)...

Reading with Reggie Our well-being dog, Reggie, has been busy helping pupils with their reading this term. Pupils love spending time with Reggie, and Esme said she enjoyed it so much because ‘Reggie didn’t stop me when I got a word wrong’.

Teatime Concerts continue to be a big hit at Somerhill

Year 6 musicians took to the stage for their first Teatime Concert of the year. Parents and staff enjoyed an evening of classical pieces, film scores and modern songs performed on a wide range of instruments. It was then the turn of our Year 3 pupils, who entertained parents and staff with their impressive skills. There was a fantastic variety of music played and our young musicians oozed confidence and talent - well done to everyone who performed!

Success for Ollie! Year 8 pupil Ollie made his mark in the karting world and took P3 in the European Karting Championship over the summer. With over 80 drivers participating worldwide, Ollie won in Spain, which was the start of a great season. Ollie has recently been signed by Infinity Sports Management group, who mentor, amongst others, F1 driver George Russell. Having started racing at age 9, Ollie has won big races in the UK, Europe and the USA. For 2024 and 2025, Ollie will be racing as one of the youngest drivers in the FIA European Series for 12-15-year-old racers. This is the highest level of world karting, and he will be racing with Ricky Flynn Motorsport, a team that propelled the likes of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri into F1.

Christmas season at Somerhill

Christmas Fair kicks off the festive season in style

Saturday 23rd November saw our school come alive with festive cheer at the Christmas Fair! From delicious bakes by Somerhill parents to food vans, Christmas-themed games and festive shopping, there was something for everyone. A huge thank you to our amazing volunteers and staff for their hard work. We also appreciate everyone who joined us to kick off the season in style!

Wreath making workshops for Somerhill community It was our parents’ turn to do some hard work at our fabulous wreath making workshops! Emma Lawson of ‘Fabulous Wreaths, Darling’, one of our Year 2 parents, expertly guided people through the wreath process, over two fun-filled evenings. A big thank you to Emma and all the parents who attended.

A baaaaarmy time at our Year 1 Nativities Year 1’s sparkling performances of ‘Baarmy Bethlehem’ lit up the Mansion Hall with the party sheep setting the tone for a vivacious and entertaining re enactment of the Nativity story.

Nursery Christmas craft day!

It was wonderful to see so many parents join us to help our nursery children create beautiful festive Christmas crafts. Thank you for coming along - the children always love sharing their classroom with family and showing off the amazing work they have accomplished this year!

Kindergarten children shine in their first Nativity performance On Friday 6th December our Kindergarten children took to the stage for the first time for their Nativity performance. With our beautiful Mansion Hall as a backdrop, the children’s hard work and enthusiasm shone through and parents enjoyed watching their little ones on the Somerhill stage.

First Year 8 Nativity at Somerhill

On Thursday 5th December, our Year 8 boys entertained parents, family members, friends and staff as they performed their comedy take on the Christmas Nativity.

Our Mansion Hall was full for a night of laughs and songs written by our very own Mr Little and Mr Macdonald. With rave reviews, could this be the first of many Year 8 Christmas performances at Somerhill?

Reception Christmas Celebration

Reception parents joined us in our Mansion Hall on Friday 6th December for a festive Christmas celebration. The children performed traditional Christmas songs like Away in a Manger and Little Donkey, alongside some festive class poems.

Year 2 Christingle Service

On Tuesday 10th and Wednesday 11th December our Year 2 pupils performed their Christingle services. Parents joined us for a festive service full of beautiful singing and confident readings as the children told the Christingle story.

Junior Carol Service at St Stephen’s Church

On Monday 9th December, we hosted our annual Junior Carol Service at St Stephen's Church in Tonbridge. We were delighted to be joined by so many parents, family members and friends as pupils in Years 3 and 4 performed a range of Christmas carols, hymns and readings.

Senior Carol Service at Tonbridge School Chapel On Thursday 12th December, we hosted our annual Senior Carol Service at Tonbridge School Chapel. Pupils in Year 5 - 8 came together along with staff, friends and family, and governors for a beautiful service of singing, readings and congregational numbers. Our Somerhill Choristers performed two impressive pieces alongside our Derwent Lodge and Yardley Court choirs. The evening was rounded of by some eloquent readings from our Deputy and Head Boys and Girls as well as senior members of staff. Well done to everyone who took part - it was a wonderful end to our festive season here at Somerhill.

Christmas Jumper Day brings colour and joy!

Wednesday 11th December was our Christmas dinner and jumper day at Somerhill! It was fantastic to see so many wonderful Christmas jumpers donned by pupils and staff as they enjoyed a beautiful Christmas dinner prepared by our catering team.

Cross Country Club gets festive for the last week of the term

House Charity Day raises funds for St Helier Hospital Hudson and Windermere pupils took charge of raising funds for the children’s ward at Epsom and St Helier Hospital during their house charity day. From doll making to biscuit decorating, the children did an incredible job planning and executing a fantastic fundraiser.

Art at Somerhill

Year 5 created aboriginal memorial poles in clay. They have used the 'rarrk' technique to carve traditional patterns.

Year 7 have created a stunning series of technical reduction lino prints based on machines using metallic inks.

Year 8 have completed their second PSB project on Distorted Portraiture with some excellent final pieces.

Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 campfire and smores experience

The children were treated to an afternoon of woodland merriment to get the festive season underway. They enjoyed toasting marshmallows and singing Christmas songs around the fire together, as well as exploring the woods, making bug hotels and playing stick man games. A royal day out for Year 8 pupils

On the last day of last half term, Year 8 visited Hampton Court Palace to enhance their studies of power in Stuart England. They toured the famous Tudor apartments, which were also used by their less famous Stuart cousins in order to emphasise their power. The boys considered how the palace was altered and used by later leaders, including Cromwell, the restoration monarchs, and those who reigned following the Glorious Revolution. The boys behaved very well and impressed with their enthusiasm and engagement. They also particularly enjoyed watching a game of “Real Tennis” and spotting koi in the Privy Gardens.

Somerhill raises £3000 for Sustain Foodbank! A group of 12 prep and pre-prep pupils had a wonderful visit to Sustain Foodbank, where they helped pack festive hampers funded by our £3,000 donation to Sustain's Christmas Hamper Appeal! Sustain were "blown away by the generous support from Somerhill" and loved meeting our hardworking pupils. Thank you to all Somerhill pupils, families, and staff for their generosity in helping our local community.

Sports round-up

Science at Somerhill Year 8 finished their chemistry unit in style by investigating the energy content of powdered foods. They developed an ingenious method of combusting them while measuring the light intensity and temperature of the flame produced. These results were recorded on our data loggers while a real time graph was drawn on our iPads. Interestingly, coffee mate contained the most energy!

Pupils from Years 4 and 5 were invited to participate in the first Walthamstow Hall Science Challenge, a special event to explore the unseen world of the millions of bacteria that live among us. The children researched common microbes and conducted their experiments to discover the microbes growing in and around our school. They presented their findings and shared what they learned with other Sevenoaks schools at the 'Marvellous Microbes' event.

Year 8 Geography trip to Reculver

Year 8 visited Reculver in October as part of their study of coasts. They spent the morning on the beach measuring beach profiles, undertaking coarse sediment analysis and groyne measurements to work out the power of the waves and direction of long shore drift respectively. The afternoon was spent using bi-polar analysis to work out the human impact of coastal management along different parts of the coast and the boys also spoke to locals and visitors to gauge their opinions on the coastal defences at Reculver.

Our guide Nick from Urban Geography remarked how very impressed he was with the boys' knowledge and how well they conducted themselves on the day.

IET Faraday Challenge On Monday 25th November, Somerhill hosted the IET Faraday Challenge. Pupils from local schools joined us in the Bickmore Hall for this annual event to solve a design challenge, build a prototype and present it, all while keeping to the budget of 120 faradays. Well done to our Somerhill team as winners of this year's event and thank you to everyone who took part to make it such a fantastic day!

Pupils and parents tested in Bebras Challenge At the start of November pupils from Year 3 to 8 were entered into the national Bebras challenge. This year saw a fantastic performance by Somerhill pupils.

Year 3 Averaged a score of 63.68 (2 points above the national average). Year 4 and 5 averaged a score of 102.9 (5 points above the national average). Year 6 and 7 averaged a score of 140 (15 points above the national average). Year 8 averaged a score of 132 (27 points above the national average).

In addition to this we ran a competition for parents based on last years year 6 challenge. Parents averaged a score of 84, this is 56 points below the pupils. Well done to the top 3 high scorers: Jonathan Carver 141 Alix 112 Andrew Harrow 119

BBC 500 Word Challenge first round success! Huge congratulations to the 19 Somerhill prep pupils who have made it through to the second round of the BBC 500 Words creative writing competition. The judges said that 'We received tens of thousands of entries and only around 5,000 go through for the second round of judging by the Reading Agency. You should be very proud!' We will hear in January whether any of our pupils have made it to the final shortlist. We want to commend all of our young authors who submitted entries to the competition; we were so impressed by the creativity displayed across the range of genres and would encourage everyone to keep writing and sharing their talents. A huge well done to the following pupils:

Alicia P, 3LC Poppy S, 3LC Lila K, 3LC Mimi S, 3LC Kit H, 3FBL Arya L, 3NM Harvey G, 3AS Rafael D-B, 3AS Chloe P, 4LL Veronica B, 4LL Oliver C, 4JG Annabel M, 5AB Willa R, 5TM Hudson C, 5TM Blake B, 5SS Henry S, 6HH Samuel S, 6HH Arthur M, 6HH Evelyn C, 6EP Riley S, 3NM

Egyptian Day for Year 4 pupils Wow! What a wonderful term Year 4 have had. We have had learning opportunities galore but a particular highlight has to have been our super Egyptian morning. The squeals of delight along the corridors were a joy to behold! The children were immersed into the Ancient Egyptian civilisation, they became artists, attended scribe school and unlocked the secrets of the Rosetta Stone. They also had to apply their mathematical skills to solve code puzzles and escape the tomb! If that was not enough, they learnt about scarab beetles and created their own intricate designs and finally, the children learning about the fascinating mummification process. They even got hands on and mummified cucumbers!

Life at Somerhill Lent Term | February 2025

Over the Christmas break, we held our Festive Reading Competition for which all pupils were invited to submit a photo of themselves enjoying some festive reading. There were some amazing entries, with pupils snapped reading by the fire, on ski slopes, and even on the Polar Express (with the conductor) and the Great Wall of China! The judges have picked their favourites, and we are pleased to share our winners: Maxwell (pre-prep) Mateo (prep YC) Gala (prep DL) Well done to our winners, and a big thank you to everyone who participated! Festive reading competition

Year 2 Mandarin calligraphy workshop On Thursday 9th January, Mandarin tutor, Sue Yue, visited pupils in Year 2.

The children were delighted to discover such a different language as Sue led an immersive Mandarin calligraphy session. They made magnificent banners wishing us all 'good fortune' this new year!

Success for Somerhill swimmers Our Somerhill swimmers have had some fantastic success recently, qualifying for the Kent Championships at their individual clubs. 12-year-old age group: Kieran (Year 7), Tonbridge SC: Free 50, 100 and 200m, Breaststroke 50, 100 and 200m, Backstroke 50m and 200m Individual Medley Amelia (Year 6), Sevenoaks SC: Free 50m and 200m, Back 50m and Fly 50m Matilda (Year 6), RTW Monson SC: Free 50, 100, 200, 400 and 800m 11-year-old age group: Barnaby (Year 6), RTW Monson SC: Free 50m and Fly 50m Esme (Year 6), RTW Monson SC: Breaststroke 50, 100 and 200m Ollie (Year 6), RTW Monson SC: Free 50 and 100m, Backstroke 50, 100 and 200m and 200m Individual Medley A huge well done to all of you!

F1 in Schools competition Year 6 pupils at Somerhill have been taking part in the national F1 in Schools competition. During lessons, our teams designed and built their cars alongside creating company logos and brand identities. Last term, we held an internal competition to select five teams to compete at the regional finals in Canterbury. We are delighted that one team has qualified for the national final!

French day in pre-prep! On Thursday 16th January, pre-prep children enjoyed their very own French café experience. They gathered in the Grand Salon, which was decorated with French flags, bunting and music, and used their language skills to order French-inspired snacks. They even had some homemade French money to spend. In the afternoon, many pre-prep pupils enjoyed this treat with friends in Year 7!

Somerhill Saplings

It has been another busy term for our Somerhill Saplings; full of adventure and fun. Even the coldest and wettest conditions cannot stop our young adventurers.

This half-term the children have learnt all about birds and their songs, as well as how they build their nests They have also been creating their very own snowdrops from items found in our Somerhill woodland.

A tense game of pool in the Year 7 and 8 Common Room...

There was a very important and tense game of pool taking place in our Year 7 and 8 Common Room during lunchtime on Friday 17th January! We do not know who won, but we do know that everyone had great fun and our Year 7 and 8 boys are very lucky to have this fantastic facility available to them at Somerhill.

Netball success at St Michael’s On Thursday 16th January, our U9A and U9B netball teams travelled to St

Michael’s to participate in the first tournaments of the year. The girls showcased their skills and scored many goals, while applying defensive pressure to win numerous turnovers. Both teams qualified from their groups undefeated and went on to win their finals 2-0, winning both tournaments. Well done from everyone at Somerhill!

Year 2, Year 3, Year 5, and Year 7 and 8 Teatime Concerts impress audiences!

This half-term has seen no fewer than four Teatime Concerts taking place for parents, family members and staff to enjoy. From some debut performances by our Year 2 pupils to graded pieces from our well-seasoned Year 7 and 8 musicians, all the children have worked hard in their music lessons, ensembles and rehearsals to prepare for these concerts and we are really proud of everybody who performed.

Pre-Prep Movie Night! Our Mansion Hall was transformed into a cinema on Friday evening as our pre-prep pupils and their families attended our Pre-Prep Movie Night. Children and parents tucked into some homemade popcorn and cupcakes and watched ‘The Secret Life of Pets’ on the big screen. It was a lovely, wholesome evening for our families at Somerhill, all in aid of the charity Porchlight.

Cross-country runners reach National Championships! Saturday 18th January was a busy and successful day for our Somerhill cross-country runners, with some fantastic performances. Year 8 pupil Guy finished second in the Year 8 and 9 race, the highest-placed Year 8 boy, and qualified for the English Schools' National Championships in February. There were also great performances from Raffy and Ollie, and Raffy has qualified for the Inter-County Championships in February. A huge well done to all of you!

Chinese dance workshops for pupils in Year 2 On Wednesday 22nd January, our pre-prep children participated in a Chinese dance workshop, learning beautiful traditional fan and dragon dances. Great teamwork was shown as the children collaborated and moved their bodies to create dragon gestures and perform their dances in our Grand Salon.

Glow in the dark(ish) disco for House Charity Day

On Friday 24th January we held our annual Ullswater and Nicolson House Charity Day. This year, the event featured a 'glow-in-the-darkish' disco in aid of Porchlight, the largest charity in Kent dedicated to helping the homeless and other vulnerable people. Pupils from Years 3-8 attended during their lunchtime to bust a move and donate. There were also some treats for sale alongside glow-in-the dark face paint and bracelets. Thanks to the kind generosity of the Somerhill community, we raised over £1200 for Porchlight.

Burns Night at Somerhill

Over 100 Somerhill parents and staff attended our traditional Burns Night on Saturday 25th January. Guests were welcomed into the Mansion Hall to the sound of bagpipes, and following a champagne reception, they made their way to our beautiful, candlelit Grand Salon for haggis and a dram of whisky! Thank you to everyone involved in organising this event and everyone who came and embraced the Scottish spirit - Slàinte Mhath!

Future space engineers take on Galatic Challenge!

On Saturday 25th January, 14 future Somerhill space engineers participated in the Bede's Galatic Challenge. They were challenged to plan and build facilities on Mars. They were split into teams with pupils from different schools, and several Somerhill pupils took on leadership roles. Everybody did incredibly

well on this long and challenging day. Well done to everybody who took part! More science explorations at Somerhill...

Year 5 measured the insulating properties of different materials by using our new data loggers and iPads. These can draw the graphs in real-time, allowing for even more accurate analysis of the results.' Year 6 have been investigating the pH scale by measuring the strength of different acids and alkalis'.

Subbuteo scores at Somerhill!

Subbuteo is one of the new additions to our after-school programme here at Somerhill. Pupils who have attended in the last few weeks have enjoyed this tactical football game created locally in Tunbridge Wells, where they have to put their communication and teamwork skills to the test along with a healthy competitive edge.

Somerhill marks the Chinese New Year On Tuesday 28th January, staff and pupils kicked off the Chinese New Year celebrations with a festive Chinese-themed lunch, vibrant decorations, and delicious fortune cookies!

Our Reception children have been learning about birds this half term, and their woodland adventures involved designing their own nests. Orla had a great time in our Somerhill woodland and built a fantastic nest for the birds.

Third place at Tonbridge Rugby Festival

Despite our closure on Wednesday 29th January, Somerhill were still able to compete in the Tonbridge School U10 Rugby Festival. 11 schools entered from across Hampshire, Kent, Sussex and Surrey, resulting in a tough set of fixtures for our Year 5 boys. Our boys played superbly throughout, displaying some gritty defensive work alongside some superb ball-carrying. Overall, Somerhill finished 3rd with the following results: Won 6-2 v Kings House

Won 2-1 v Littlegarth Won 2-1 v Hazelwood Lost 3-2 v New Beacon Won 5-1 v Highfield Well done, Somerhill!

On Thursday 30th and Friday 31st January, our Mansion Hall played host to our Year 6 boys ‘Shakespeare in Shorts’ performances. Five-star reviews for Shakespeare in Shorts!

Junior Strings back at Somerhill Junior Strings has restarted this term and is open to all Year 3 and 4 string players. This ensemble is a fantastic opportunity for young musicians to develop their skills, build confidence, and experience the joy of making music together. Playing in an ensemble develops listening skills, teamwork, and musicality - and is a fantastic way to make new friends!

Second place for Somerhill Chess Club Six boys from Somerhill participated in the inaugural Solefield School Invitational Chess Competition on Tuesday 4th February. The team remained undefeated until the final round, and the boys represented Somerhill with outstanding skill and sportsmanship. A big thank you to Julian from LearnChess, who worked with the boys and prepared them for this competition. Leo, who remained undefeated through all five rounds, said, ‘Chess is a solo game, but when we came second, I felt proud as we had all played a part’.

Art at Somerhill

Year 3 have been exploring space through colour and pattern this term. They have marbled paper and created space collages, building on their cutting and image composition skills.

Year 8 have been creating their own natural dyes and making cyanotypes in response to an exhibition called 'Almost Nothing But Blue Ground' that they visited at Tonbridge OBS Gallery. This is just the start of a group research project investigating the many art and literature connections with Somerhill.