News

Our year 10 pupils embarked on a practice sailing trip that promised not only to teach them the ropes of sailing but also to foster teamwork, resilience, and leadership. With brilliant, warm conditions unusual for March, our young sailors found themselves in an ideal setting for both learning and enjoyment.

Under the watchful eyes of experienced instructors, the pupils took to the waters with enthusiasm and determination. The day provided enough wind to keep the conditions calm yet challenging enough for our pupils to learn the crucial skills of sailing. It was a day filled with laughter, learning, and the kind of camaraderie that only a shared adventure can bring.

Sailing is more than just a sport; it's a profound learning experience that teaches valuable life lessons. On this trip, our pupils not only learned how to steer and navigate a boat but also understood the importance of working together, listening carefully, and trusting each other. These skills are not just vital for sailing but are also essential for personal development and success in life.

In the final week of term, some of the younger pupils in Primary went to Worthing Beach to finalise their history topic. Pupils have been learning about Holidays through the ages and, in particular, how the beach has been an important part of holidaying in the past 100 years. They were so excited to get to the beach and explore the pier that they had heard so much about. Come rain or shine, they enjoyed exploring for evidence of life along the shore and discussing the differences between the beach now and in the past. We enjoyed the age-old tradition of ice cream at the seaside, and it made everyone very proud when they sat beautifully in a cafe for lunch. We cannot wait for our next visit!

We would like to congratulate Tyler (pictured below) and Mason, who have both passed their driving theory exams. Both pupils achieved good scores and fully deserved these through their hard work revising!

Both Tyler and Mason are now about to start their practical driving lessons, which the school support them with!

Well done, and good luck with your practical lessons!

This term, the thematic strand of PSHE has been Health and Well-Being.

Year 7 has engaged in lessons on puberty, the physical and emotional changes that occur for boys and girls during this stage of adolescent life.

Year 8 lessons have focused on emotional well-being, with learning about body image in a digital world and managing disappointment and setbacks.

Year 9 lessons have been geared towards healthy lifestyles, including diet, exercise, lifestyle balance and healthy choices, whilst also considering barriers to these choices.

Year 10 has been exploring the influence of their choices and how they impact their lives now and in the future. The Year 10 group that does not attend college has benefited from an extra PSHE lesson each week where they have the space to talk about relationships and personal issues as they navigate themselves into young adulthood.

Year 11 has been busy with GCSE mock exams and BTEC assessments. During tutor times and PSHE lessons, we have been undertaking activities that promote independence and responsible health choices.

Our Post-16 cohort has engaged in lessons around managing unwanted attention, reducing inappropriate behaviours, and planning pathways for their futures using the Barclays Life Skills programme. PSHE at break times continues to be a positive experience for developing social skills and independence. Next term, the focus for secondary school is Relationships and Sex Education. Please look out for a letter after the Easter holidays that will outline the content for your child next term, with the opportunity for us to talk if you have any queries. Have a lovely break all.

GET COMFY AND READ!

World Book Day changes lives through a love of books and shared reading. Reading for pleasure is the single biggest indicator of a child’s future success. We like nothing more than to see more children reading for pleasure and the improved life chances this brings them. World Book Day was created by UNESCO on 23rd April 1995 as a worldwide celebration of books and reading. It is marked in over 100 countries around the globe.                                                                                 

Reading is about enjoyment, so the pupils were asked to come in with a book, borrow one from the school library or an audiobook. They were able to wear their comfy clothes (or costumes if they wanted to). There were quizzes and games for an extended tutor time and lesson one. This was a quiet and gentle time when the pupils AND STAFF could relax and read or listen to a book online. At the end of the day, prizes were awarded to the winners in a celebration at the end of the day.

Oliver Castle, in Year 11, was the teacher for the Harry Potter quiz session, and he looked really at home in Mrs Green’s chair. All the pupils in the session were respectful to each other and communicated perfectly.

 Pupil Voice

Primary couldn’t wait to dress up, and I have to say there were some fantastic costumes. It’s not every day you come across Spiderman and the Hungry Caterpillar in the same school. Also, the teachers didn’t take much persuading to wear their comfy clothes (PJs and slippers).

Some of the comments from the pupils;

"We really enjoyed dressing up and being in our comfy clothes. It was so relaxing."

"Everyone looked like they were all having a good time."

"It was great to be the teacher for a lesson."

On Saturday, March 16th, Muntham House pupils saw Worthing Thunder play Thames Valley Cavaliers. Everyone had a fantastic time! The evening started when the Worthing Thunders and Muntham House coach, Zaire Taylor, came over to say hello.

Then, it was hot dogs and chips and time to watch the players warm up. When the game started, all the pupils and staff made plenty of noise, cheering the players on! It was a great game and very close!

At the end of the game, pupils and staff talked to the players, took pictures with them, and had their basketballs signed by the players. Charlie S even came away with a match-worn vest!

All the pupils were a pleasure to take out, and we would like to thank Mr Adams and Miss Watson for organising this and giving their time at the weekend. We would also like to thank Sara, Zaire and everyone at Worthing Thunder for their fantastic hospitality!

This half of term, we have been learning how to access the community through train travel training. Our pupils have been practising how to alight a train and become independent travellers.

The pupils have been learning how to book tickets online, find the correct information on the National Railways website, locate the information desk at the station, and board the train on the correct platform.

They have shown a growing confidence in this area, and some pupils are almost ready to venture out on their own.

Going forward, we will continue to familiarise the pupils with the process of planning a journey, organising trips out to differing venues, and being confident enough to speak to a member of the transport staff if they need it.

So far, we have traveled to Horsham, where we saunter down to the local eatery (Subway), chew the cud, and then stroll back to catch the return train. Our next stop…

The pupils on Bodiam have had a fantastic, fun-filled term. They have baked biscuits and cakes, been swimming, and gone for a muddy bike ride.

The pupils have found joy in creative pursuits like colouring and engaging activities like building with Lego, and it’s great to see them spending their time productively and happily.

The pupils enjoyed a classic game of Hide and Seek, and it's lovely to see the older pupils get involved, too.

Clip and Climb was an exhilarating experience. Some of the pupils took to it naturally, and those who were initially hesitant were able to overcome their reservations with each other's support.

Flip Out and McDonald's were well-deserved treats. The pupils had a lot of fun and were competitive on the assault course, and then they could relax with dinner and ice cream.

One of the pupils cooked dinner. He took the initiative, with the support of his Food Tech Teacher, to make dinner for everyone, and dinner was fantastic and enjoyed by all.

A highlight of the term was a trip to the Theatre to see a play by David Walliams; it was an incredible evening enjoyed by all. It was an exciting and memorable experience for the boys, where they were able to experience live theatre and enjoy storytelling.

PLEASE NOTE THAT PUPILS RETURN FROM

EASTER HOLIDAYS ON:

TUESDAY 16TH APRIL 2024

Term dates are on the school website.

 Term Dates

HALF TERM: MONDAY 27TH MAY - FRIDAY 31ST MAY

FOR INFORMATION, THE INSET DAYS UNTIL HALF TERM ARE: 

This year, we are offering a series of Coffee Mornings / Support Sessions on key topics. Each session will have a different focus to help provide additional knowledge and expertise for you in key areas to support you and your child at home and help you understand more about their special educational needs. These sessions will also inform you of the successful strategies we use in school with our pupils. Each session will be delivered by a member of the Senior Leadership team. We have carefully selected key topics that will interest as many parents and careers as possible.  The next set of coffee mornings are as follows:

Wednesday 8^th May – Trauma Informed Schools

Wednesday 26^th June – Speech Language & communication

Sessions will take place on a Wednesday morning in the conference room.  

- Primary sessions will be at 9:30 - 10:30

- Secondary & POST-16 sessions will be at 11:00 - 12:00

Refreshments will be provided, and there will be an opportunity to meet with other parents at the school if you wish.  If there is a session of interest to you, please complete the booking form below to secure yourself a space.  

Parent Coffee Mornings Bookings Form 2023 - 2024

This term has been a rather subdued one on Hever floor; we have been fighting off seasonal coughs and cold lurgies, which seem to have found their way to us this term! Our pupils on Hever have impressed us with the amount of empathy, care and compassion they have shown to each other when not feeling 100%. Still, we managed to have some fun. Our pupils had a fantastic Pirate Day in education, and we all had some fun creating homemade pirate outfits to wear for the day.

We have been cooking and baking up a storm as usual—banoffee pies, homemade sausage, and vegetarian rolls have been popular bakes this term! We also played football and had lots of fun playing hide-and-seek, where all the boarding floors played together as teams. It has been really nice to see the older pupils interacting so well with the younger pupils, who really do look up to them. This is also a great way for older pupils to cultivate mentoring skills.

The highlight of this term has been our trip to the theatre to see David Walliams's production of his fantastic “Awful Auntie" book. We invited some of our friends from the other Muntham boarding floors to come with us. Everyone had a brilliant time, and there were lots of laughs at this wonderful show. All pupils behaved impeccably and showed good manners throughout the trip, both to the theatre staff and to the public.

Hever pupils are looking forward to the coming term. However, before breaking up for the Easter holidays, we have our Hever floor Easter egg hunt!

Basketball Academy 

We had another successful term at the Basketball academy. Zaire Taylor has been leading the sessions and has brought a wealth of experience and knowledge to the pupils. The pupils have been building up to gameplay and played their first game last week. The pupils have been learning how to complete a layup with the correct technique, how to pass the ball and the different types of passes you can utilise in a game scenario. The pupils that attend Basketball Academy have been given the opportunity to watch Worthing Thunder play on the 16th of March.  

Below are the dates for the next term.   

This will run from 4-5pm.  

Please contact [email protected] to register your pupil or if you have any questions.

23/04

30/04

07/05

14/05

21/05

04/06

11/06

18/06

25/06

02/07

09/07

Football Academy 

This term in the football academy, we have focused on defending as a unit and staying compact while defending. We have also been working on passing and moving the ball to gain space against a defender to create a chance. The pupils have been working hard, and we have also been working on our control and technical ability with the ball. The pupils have been taking on the feedback well and have been able to demonstrate what they have learned in the football tournaments and friendlies. The players have shown great problem-solving skills and are now starting to formulate their own strategies to benefit the team, and they have also shown outstanding leadership.  

Below are the dates for the next half term.   

This will run from 4-5pm.  

Please contact [email protected] to register your pupil or if you have any questions.  

Cricket Academy  

Another successful term has passed for our young pupils participating in cricket academy. The pupils have been focusing less on gameplay and more on all the different components that will help them towards being more confident in game scenarios. It has been very pleasing to see the progress the pupils have made during the school year, and we hope that can continue into the summer term. A mention must go to Patrick E, who has progressed significantly this school year and continues to make improvements week by week. Again, we, as a school, would like to thank Dom and Fred for their continued support of our pupils during these sessions. 

Below are the dates for the next half term.   

This will run from 4-5pm.  

Please contact [email protected] to register your pupil or if you have any questions.  

Primary Football Academy  

This half term, the pupils have focused on developing further understanding of the game and skills. Each session starts with a warm-up and revolves around the pupils completing a new skill on the ball, which they can develop and take into a match situation. This half term, we have focused on communication and interaction with teammates. We have encouraged the pupils to talk to their teammates, share positive praise and match instructions. There has been a real improvement in communication, team morale and performance! It has been great to see the pupils apply these skills within football-based scenarios.   

KS3

This half term has been filled with high levels of quality learning and displays of sportsmanship at the highest level. Pupils have been testing their rhythm and timing through various health-related fitness activities, including team sports. Pupils have put their physical and mental resilience to the test when completing the bleep test, as well as their ability to encourage their peers and celebrate success. Some of the year 7 pupils have been accessing badminton by starting off playing balloon badminton and then progressing up to playing doubles with a shuttlecock; this demonstrated high levels of maturity and sportsmanship.

KS4

This half term has been a great learning experience for all our KS4 pupils. Our BTEC sport cohort has been working hard and has completed various fitness tests which test different fitness components. The pupils can now identify which fitness test tests which fitness component. The pupils participated in the bleep test, hand grip test, standing long jump, sit and reach test, and the Illinois agility test. We have measured everyone's score, keeping the tests valid and reliable. Next term, we will study the data and understand where our strengths and weaknesses lie.  

Primary PE

Heart:

How can self-esteem improve through sport

Head:

Introduction to problem-solving through sport

In upper primary school, the pupils have continued their swimming sessions for the last half term. The sessions will be coming to an end as we approach the Easter Holidays. The pupils have represented the school excellently during their time at the leisure centre. It has been fantastic to see a growth in confidence in the water and see the pupils develop a range of new swimming techniques and strokes, all while having fun! 

Football Fixtures

South London Special League: The Muntham House Football Team have had 2 trips to Long Lane this term to take part in the South London Special League. Firstly, our group of Year 10 BTEC Sport students made the trip, eager to carry on the good form they have shown in recent fixtures. Some good, competitive matches made it tough for the boys, meaning teamwork and effort were going to be required for the pupils to get the desired results. The team played well all day, resulting in them finishing second in the group and keeping them in contention for maybe some silverware come the end of the season.  

The second trip was for Primary and Year 7s. The team continued the performances from recent fixtures and, in fact, showed some of the best teamwork and sportsmanship they have shown all year. Out of 5 games, they won 4, drew 1, and didn’t concede a goal all day. These results meant the team won on the day, leaving them several points clear at the top of the table for the season. Great work, team.  

Albion in the Community Cup: Our Years 7&8s made 2 trips to the Triangle in Burgess Hill this term to take part in the Albion Cup, organised and run by the community foundation at Brighton & Hove Albion FC. The students were very excited and ready to play lots of football. There were some tough games across the 2 weeks, with some good competitive football. In week 1, the team lost in the final against St Mary’s School. In week 2, Team A lost in the semi-final to St Mary’s again, and then they went on to win the final. Well done to them. Team B was knocked out of the group but had a team of pupils who don’t participate as regularly in football as others, but all displayed fantastic teamwork, sportsmanship and engagement throughout the day.  

Hassocks Friendly

On Wednesday, 20th March, we were very fortunate to welcome LVS Hassocks again to Muntham, this time for a fixture against our year 10s. The team was excited as always to get playing and was led by fellow peer Charlie S through a very good and productive warm-up. 

The game was closely contested, with both teams showing good skill and teamwork in what is a small space for a fixture in the sports hall. Hassocks, this time, edged them, winning 5-3 overall. 

Staff would like to thank Charlie for leading the team and showing fantastic peer support and coaching skills. Also, a big thank you to the team for making Hassocks feel welcome throughout the afternoon.  They look forward to a rematch soon. 

REVISIADENTIAL TRIP

It’s very easy to tell pupils to revise and the importance of it for them to succeed in their GCSE exams. But in reality, revising can be quite a daunting task! Exam anxiety underlies frustration at not knowing all the answers or how to revise. So, Muntham decided to trial the Revisiadential: a two-night residential in Bosham that reinforces essential revision skills, supplies an alternative space to revise, and addresses any exam anxieties with some fun activities in between. The meaning of work hard, play hard! 

On Monday, 25th March, Year 11, accompanied by Ms Green, Miss Porterfield, Miss Gill, and Mr Imbert, travelled to Bosham, near the Wittering. The day started off with some adventure golf at Chichester Golf Club, followed by lunch and a seaside jaunt. The pupils loved walking and playing freely, enjoying clear views of the Isle of Wight. Afterwards, the group checked into their accommodation in Bosham – a spacious cottage in the middle of farmland with a big kitchen, several living rooms, a pool room and a hot tub! However, before they could enjoy all the entertainment, the revision started. The group started talking about the importance of revision and then played a revision-based game together. After that, they broke off around the house to revise, supported by staff. After a few hours, it was dinner! Monday night was chicken chow mein prepared by Oliver and Toby. It was delicious and proved valuable nutrition for the hungry and hard-working pupils. That evening, the pupils entertained themselves with games and time in the hot tub before a well-earned rest. 

Tuesday morning started with bacon pancakes cooked by Joe and Matthew. Revision started at 9:00am and carried on all the way until midday when the pupils parked the work for a while to go out for lunch and bowling. The drizzly afternoon kept the group inside – but that meant plenty more revision could be done! The group did well in focusing on so many subjects and topics, and the staff was impressed with Billy C, who made fantastic flashcards for History. Dinner that nice – spag bol - was prepared by Tyler, Miss Porterfield and Miss Gill. That evening, the pupils chilled out watching a film and watching the England v Belgium football match before turning in for the night. 

Wednesday morning allowed for one last group revision session before the group packed up, said goodbye to the lovely cottage, and headed back to school in time for rehearsals for the end-of-term show. This was a lovely experience for both the pupils and staff, and we all hope that this alternative opportunity for revision will pay off. Good luck year 11s with your exams! 

This term at the Forest School has got to be the wettest we've all experienced since Forest School has been taught at Muntham. Therefore, credit to all the pupils for still carrying on despite the consistent mud and rain!

This last half term, I've been focusing on whole-group activities that involve the pupils building items. What the pupils are building enhances the look of the Forest School areas and helps them flourish with biodiversity. The primary pupils have been building bug hotels and exploring other ways to enhance insects' habitat within the Muntham grounds. This also included planting more trees and bushes within the Forest School areas. 

Here is some exciting news: The Badgers and Foxes class has been helping the school gain awards from the Woodland Trust. We currently have bronze and silver and await to see if we've earned gold! The next step is platinum!

Click on the below to see the award:

Bronze Award Certificate

Silver Award Certificate

The weather hasn't dampened our spirits as we have plodded on through the wet and muddy puddles. That's not to say that the animals are happy, as the majority of them take shelter at the first sight of rain!

This term, we have been focussing more on animal care, and the pupils have been getting hands-on with their learning, often pushing themselves past their comfort zones and doing work that they initially felt they were unable to do. We have been learning about hoof care, grooming, stable management and general animal welfare. Grooming the goats has been a huge success as not only do they look better, but it has also given the pupils the chance to sit and groom a goat, learning more about how the animals behave in close quarters. 

Often, at the beginning of a block of Animal Support sessions, some pupils are a little wary of getting close to the animals, so we work gradually towards changing this and more often than not, at the end of the sessions, the pupils are usually the first to the pens, greeting the animals, feeding them and being with them without fear. We always aim for them to be able to walk the animal either around the grounds or down to the village shop for treats; this they can do now with confidence, and they have a very good level of control and awareness of the animal in different surroundings. 

We have been working on how our behaviour impacts others, making the pupils more aware of how they come across to other children and adults. Being calmer verbally and physically can have a beneficial result, so we put this into practice with how we behave with the animals. The pupils have to tune in to their own behaviour and mannerisms to then witness how it impacts the animals and whether the animals will happily come to them and allow the child to pat them. A great starting point is chicken catching, and then we progress to the other animals.

The pigs have been enjoying peace and quiet the last few weeks as their pens have been too boggy to spend too much time in. They will make up for it after Easter when they are getting regular washes, grooming, and tummy tickles!

We have our annual visitors to the farm, Muntham ducks. We have been feeding them as they prepare for Spring, and hopefully, plenty of ducklings will arrive next term.

Finally, the rain has eased, the ground is drying up, and the sun is making an appearance. The growing season has started, and we began by sorting out the strawberries that had produced many new plants on long runners. The pupils planted each new plant in a pot with fresh compost, and we moved them into the polytunnel to give them a good start. They are growing well, and hopefully, we will have lots of fruit in a few weeks. 

Some of the older pupils have started working towards an ASDAN short course in gardening. This will help them learn and demonstrate the skills and techniques needed in gardening, develop an awareness of how gardening promotes a healthier lifestyle, and have a positive impact on mental health and well-being. We will investigate the importance of sustainability and how we can support our environment. 

We have started sowing lots of seeds. A few examples are Peas, Sweetcorn, Beans, Tomatoes, Aubergines, and Cabbage in the polytunnel. As soon as the soil dries up, we will plant the root vegetable seeds straight into the raised beds outside.

Some of the primary pupils went out looking for frogspawn in the school ponds; sadly, we didn't find any, but we had fun looking. We do have a Mallard duck visiting us in the garden. The drake enjoys a swim on our small pond, and the female has built a nest and returns daily to lay an egg. My fingers are crossed we will have ducklings after the Easter break. We continue to feed the birds, and the pupils are now all confident at identifying Robins, Blue Tits and Nuthatches.

The polytunnel is working hard to keep all the newly planted seeds and us dry and warm.

We have grown some great salad leaves in the polytunnel during the winter, and these are now ready to harvest. We had enough to deliver a box of Rocket, Parsley, and Little Gem Lettuce to the chef this week for use on the salad bar. 

We have been very busy in the Food Tech kitchen. The pupils thoroughly enjoyed Pancake Day. There was lots of competition to see who could flip the highest!

With the weather being miserable, many pupils have chosen either comfort foods or warming foods. Sausage Rolls and Toad in the Hole have been favourites, and the pupils have made a variety of Flapjacks, including honey, fruit, and chocolate.

I have been so pleased with the pupils' attitude towards their worksheets. They are busily completing all of the technical questions. The MHC pupils have also been very busy practising their recipes for the Btec exams soon.

Have a happy Easter. If you are lucky enough to sample some of the pupils’ cooking, I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

It has yet again been an exciting and studious half-term in Science.

The year 8s have learnt about Forces and Moments and enjoyed the balance challenge. They have also started learning about the history and structure of the Earth and will soon be covering the Rock cycle using our amazing sets of crystals.

Our year 9s are still working through their GCSE course, learning about and understanding respiration and metabolism.

The year 10s have enjoyed testing for gases with lots of fire, smoke and bubbles. They also had the opportunity to dissect hearts for the topic of the circulatory system. They have also tested food samples for macro-nutrients using iodine, Benedict's solution and Biuret's solution.

A big well done to the year 11s, who did so well in their mocks, which in Science are three long exams. They excelled themselves. A big happy Easter from Team Science. 

It has been an excellent term for all pupils studying English.

In Key Stage 3, Year 7a have been laughing their way through Roald Dahl’s ‘The Twits’, 7b learning to translate and speak Dragonese with Cressida Cowell’s ‘How To Train Your Dragon’, and Year 8 moving through the mystery genre with the board game Cluedo and Agatha Christie’s ‘Murder on the Orient Express.

Our Key Stage 4 and 5 pupils have been working with similar dedication and conviction. Year 10 have been focussing on short stories, which they have loved analysing and tearing to pieces. They have also created their own original pieces of fiction, writing based around the game Scrabble or continuing a story begun using Chat GPT on World Book Day!

Year 11 pupils have done admirably in facing their mock exams and, along with MHC pupils, are now working through their revision preparation for this summer’s GCSE exams. Year 11s are also part-way through their Speaking and Listening component, for which a pass is essential to gain their final GCSE level.

Pupils are also eager to see who will win the ‘Word Nerd’ of the term – ‘Word Nerd’ is awarded daily to the pupil who uses formal English and language techniques in the most creative way. Joe T was delighted to be the winner of this highly coveted prize for accumulating the most daily awards in the Autumn Term.