2025 Spring Term 1

Dear Parents and Carers,

Attendance has been excellent across the school this half term, with our whole school percentage at 98%. This demonstrates just how much pupils enjoy school and don’t want to miss out on any of their education. This attendance percentage is so important and is higher than many mainstream schools; this certainly makes me very proud of our pupils. Thank you all very much for your support with this.

This half term has seen pupils enjoying many different fun learning activities to help engage and motivate them in their learning. The teaching staff in assemblies has received lots of positive praise for the hard work, dedication, and exceptional learning displayed by pupils.

All year 11 pupils and some of our POST-16 pupils completed a week of Mock exams recently; I was particularly impressed with our pupils, who all certainly tried their best in each exam. This is excellent preparation for the pupils for the forthcoming GCSE exams in June.

I hope you all enjoy quality family time over the half-term break. We look forward to seeing the pupils back in school on Tuesday 25^th February.  

Best wishes,

Mr Anderson

Principal 

I am delighted to report that Muntham House was successfully awarded the National Flagship Award in recognition of the inclusive work which the school provides for our pupils alongside the inclusive outreach work provided to pupils from the wider community who attend local main primary and secondary schools.

The IQM assessor visited the school to thoroughly assess and evaluate our inclusive practice. Here are some examples of the quotes provided in the IQM official report:

‘All staff understand the importance of their roles and are always striving to provide the very best for all pupils. 

‘The school continues to move from strength to strength in terms of its superb inclusive practice.’

‘The curriculum is well thought out, highly appropriate and inclusive.’

‘There are no barriers to what pupils can achieve.’

‘Muntham House is a beacon of inclusivity.’

IQM Flagship School Award

A VISIT FROM AN UNEXPECTED GUEST - KALI THE SEA EAGLE

For two days this term, we had the unexpected privilege of hosting Kali, a magnificent Sea Eagle who had escaped from a bird of prey centre. Known for their incredible wingspan and commanding presence, Kali made herself at home in the line of trees on our school grounds, much to the amazement of staff and pupils alike.

Sea Eagles, sometimes called 'flying barn doors' due to their impressive size, are incredibly majestic birds, and it's not every day you look up to see one in the trees above you!

Staff from the centre joined us on-site to attempt to recapture Kali safely. Falconers employ a range of specialised techniques to retrieve escaped birds, including:

• Using food as bait: Birds are often tempted back to their handlers with their favourite treats.
• Calling the bird: Many birds of prey are trained to recognise and respond to their handler's voice or whistle.
• Using a lure: This involves swinging a piece of food tied to a line, which mimics prey in motion.

Despite their best efforts, Kali proved to be a free spirit and showed little interest in returning home at that moment. After two days of enjoying the hospitality of Muntham House, she decided it was time to move on and set off on her next adventure.

Fortunately, after several more days of careful monitoring and public reports of her sightings, Kali was safely recaptured and returned to the bird of prey centre. Whilst her visit to Muntham House was unexpected, it provided a unique opportunity to see one of nature's most incredible birds up close. 

It has been a studious half-term in Science. The curriculum has been very broad across the year groups.

Year 11 pupils have been studying the electromagnetic spectrum and rates of reactions, as well as revising their mocks using past exam questions.

The Year 9's and 10's have been covering plant and animal cells and fossil fuels.

The Year 8's have completed the topic of acids and alkalis and the rock cycle and are now starting to learn about pathogens.

The Year 7's are learning about the solar system. Some have been able to make their pH indicator from beetroot.

However, our primary focus recently has been on our Year 11 mock exams, which have gone remarkably well. All pupils focused well and took this challenge very seriously and diligently. We look forward to marking the papers and are sure their hard work will pay off.

We hope you all have a fabulous half-term. 

Maths Department Update: Preparing for Success in Year 11 and Beyond!

As we continue to support our pupils in their mathematical journey, we want to highlight two key areas of focus this term: preparing Year 11 for their GCSEs and ensuring Year 7 pupils transition smoothly into their mathematical studies.

Year 11 GCSE Preparation

For Year 11 pupils, the countdown to GCSE exams is on, and our team is working hard to ensure every pupil is ready for the challenges ahead. In lessons, we are revisiting key topics, consolidating understanding, and offering targeted revision sessions. To help boost confidence, we’ve also provided practice papers, interactive revision tools, and tailored support to address individual needs.

We encourage Year 11 pupils to stay consistent with their revision, ask questions, and seek extra help if they need it. It’s not just about understanding the content but also about developing the skills to apply it under exam conditions. The whole team is here to guide and support them every step of the way.

Year 7 Transition: A Solid Foundation in Mathematics

For our Year 7 pupils, transitioning into secondary school can be an exciting yet challenging time, especially as they encounter a new pace and breadth of mathematical learning. One crucial area we’re focusing on is the development of timestables, which are the bedrock of many areas in mathematics. Having a solid grasp of multiplication tables will help pupils in everything from algebra to geometry.

To make learning times tables fun and engaging, we’ve introduced a variety of interactive activities and games in class. Encouraging pupils to practice regularly at home is also key to building fluency and confidence. We’re excited to see them develop into strong, independent mathematicians who are ready for the challenges ahead.

By ensuring Year 7 pupils are well-supported and Year 11 students are fully prepared, we’re setting the stage for future mathematical success across the school. Together, we are building a strong foundation for all our learners!

Maths Department Team

Year 9 pupils have been undertaking a TEAM project, looking at the design of world record-breaking cars.

They identified the design features and then designed scale models to test their ideas.

Pupils will race these next term against each other to test and evaluate their ideas.

We have discussed possible engineering, physics, and maths careers linked to the project.

The start of a New Year has seen our residential pupils in Post-16 continue to progress with their life skills.

Alfie is doing well with his work at Crawley FC and is stewarding some exciting football matches, both at weekends and evenings.

We have enjoyed many pleasant activities again this half term, such as local football matches, bowling, snooker club and baking.

Matthew has taken part in two local music events and played live, this has been fantastic to witness and he is becoming a bit of a local celebrity. His guitar skills are coming on leaps and bounds, and he is very talented. This has helped with his confidence and self-esteem.

Although this is the Spring term, the weather is not springlike. We have taken the time to explore the soil, make tunnels and find treasure! All pupils who visit the garden love to dig, and while the raised beds are empty, it's a great way to relax and think about our well-being. 

We participated in the RSPB bird watch, noting all the birds visiting our bird table. We are excited to share that we have a pair of Nuthatches visiting regularly along with Robins, Blue tits, Wren and Dunocks. One of our primary classes was lucky to witness the enormous white-tailed eagle ( the escapee one ) flying alongside a pair of red kites above the polytunnel. It was a beautiful sight and a privilege to watch. The Wood Pigeons are not so welcome as they are greedy birds and have finished the winter Kale. Some grey squirrels have also visited us; they have had a feast on some sunflower seeds left out over a lunch break. The pupils pressed the seeds into apples and then hung up for the birds to enjoy. 

Our Polytunnel has a new UV filtering cover that will protect us and plants from damaging rays. It was replaced after the storm damage before Christmas; It looks fabulous. We need warmer weather to begin planting it up for the growing season. 

Muntham has been awarded the RRHS's level 2 Growing award. This is an outstanding achievement, and we are all very proud. The pupils put a great deal of effort into making this possible.

Pigs

Everyone here at Muntham Farm is enjoying the new year so far despite the variety of weather we have thrown at us. However, Bangers and Mash are keener on the cold, snowy days than the heavy rain; their pens couldn’t get much muddier. With it being so cold and the pigs being out in the elements, the pupils have been sure to regularly oil the pig’s coats. Bangers and Mash love the extra attention, but I hope spring weather is coming soon. Banger craves attention more than Mash and can often be seen wagging her tail when pupils talk to her or give her snacks.

Donkeys

Buzz and Woody have been up to no good. Their new trick is to pick up the broom in their mouth and throw it about, often narrowly hitting people. All of the animals at Muntham have enjoyed munching their way through the school Christmas trees. They make a healthy, tasty treat and perfect enrichment, providing nourishment and entertainment. Some newer pupils have been learning how to look after the donkeys daily. Mucking out, grooming, and feeding in sessions help the boys learn more about the animals. Grooming and hoof care are essential daily to keep Buzz and Woody healthy. During heavy downpours, pupils can spend close time in the stable bonding with the donkeys. As soon as the rain has passed, they are happy to go on a walk and talk adventure.

Goats

Gizmo, Spike, Wallace and Gromit are entirely over the mud now. When a pupil appears for a session, the goats are all very vocal, wanting to be let out of their enclosure to explore the grounds. Many pupils have built a close bond with the goats and like to take them off the lead for a walk to their favourite snack bushes. A firm favourite in the sessions is to have a running race with the goats across the field. The goats are surprisingly fast, and it’s a fun game for everyone to see who the winner is, usually Gizmo.

Chickens

The Muntham chickens rule the roost in the goat pen daily. They have even laid eggs in the goat’s hayrack, making a lot of noise to tell the goats to give them space. Pupils have been looking out for signs to tell who may be laying next, the colour of their comb generally provides an indication. Some younger pupils are interested in being close to the chickens but not holding them. If they are still and quiet, they can use iceberg lettuce to entice the chickens closer, enabling the pupils to get a good look at their dinosaur-like features.

KS3

Our Key Stage 3 pupils have enhanced flexibility, agility, communication, and concentration. They have been learning this through finishing off their trampolining awards. The pupils have also been immersed in adapted games such as mat racing, 4-way badminton, and glow-in-the-dark badminton. A big well done to all the Key Stage 3 pupils who managed to achieve a Trampolining proficiency award through British Gymnastics. 

KS4 & KS5

Spring Half Term 1

Heart:	Enhancing your determination and resilience and transferring it into day-to-day life
Head:	Analysing and adapting strategy in sport-pressured situations
Hands:	Implementing rhythm and timing in pressured situations

Our Key Stage 4 & 5 cohorts have been enhancing their determination in sports, analysing strategy/techniques in sports and implementing rhythm and timing. They have shown this through their trampolining awards, where they have been analysing their technique for some complex moves and routines on the trampoline. Our BTEC pupils have also been working hard and showing their organisational skills by completing a daily calendar of their day and adding tasks they would like to complete. A big well done to all the Key Stage 4 & 5 pupils who managed to achieve a Trampolining proficiency award through British Gymnastics. 

Football Fixtures  

South London Special League

POST-16

Our POST-16 team represented Muntham House at the South London Special League this term. Our team had four matches: they won two, drew one, and lost one game. They showed great teamwork and resilience during the matches and were unlucky to lose the game, which they did, which could have gone either way. 

Year 11's 

The year 11 team had a successful trip to South London, winning all fixtures without conceding a goal. Some very good all-round performances from the team mean they currently sit at the top of the league table with three visits to South London left this season. This group of pupils have been playing as a team for nearly three years now, and to see them grow and develop as a team has been fantastic to watch. We are hopeful of winning the league in the second successive season.  

Year 8's & 9's

Year 8s & 9s had mixed results but pushed themselves in every fixture and didn't give up even when the scoreline wasn't in their favour. Five of the team stood out on the day, showing great self-behaviour and management skills and representing the school far beyond anyone's expectations. These pupils are fantastic role models for the school team moving forward.  

Primary & Year 7's

Year 7 also had a mixture of results, but despite being a new team and having had some new pupils join this school year, they displayed excellent team skills and reflected on their performances well. All represented the school excellently, and we are confident this team will grow and develop through the years, and the results will reflect this accordingly. Well done, Year 7. There is a lot of potential there. 

Albion Cup KS4 

We took a strong Key Stage 4 team to the Albion Cup. In the group stages of the tournament, we encountered some good teams. We won our semi-final 5-0 and advanced to the final. We played a competitive Final against Brimsbury College, which narrowly beat Muntham House 1-0. The game could have gone either way. Well done to the Key Stage 4 team for reaching the final and being runners-up in the Albion Cup. 

Worthing Thunder vs Loughborough Riders 1/02 

On Saturday, 1st February, Muntham House pupils and staff went to watch their school basketball club coach play for Worthing Thunder in a big national league game. All the pupils enjoyed hotdogs, chips and nachos before the big game. All the pupils enjoyed the atmosphere and saw an exciting game in which Worthing won 74 – 70! After the game, all the pupils met the players and got shirts and basketballs signed. We want to thank Worthing Thunder, particularly Zaire Taylor, for looking after us. We want to thank all the staff who supported this trip, as the game was held on a Saturday evening. This trip was an exclusive trip for our Basketball academy players. If you would like your child to have this opportunity, please contact [email protected] to sign up for Basketball Academy. 

Aldershot Town vs Braintree Town 14/01 

On 14th January, we took our Football academy team to a midweek game under the lights. We went to watch Aldershot Town vs Braintree Town in the National League. Thank you to the Aldershot Foundation, which kindly offered our pupils free tickets to the game. Our pupils thoroughly enjoyed the game where we saw four goals and it ended 2-2. Our pupils were also allowed to wave the flags at the start of the game, where the players walked through the tunnel onto the pitch. This trip was an exclusive trip for our Football academy players. If you would like your child to have an opportunity like this, please contact [email protected] to sign up for Football Academy.  

Trampoline Proficiency Awards 

The pupils have been working extremely hard on their Trampolining Proficiency awards last term and for this term. We had 58 pupils who have achieved an award from years 7 through to POST-16. On Tuesday, 28th January, we held an assembly where we gave out all the awards to the pupils. Some of our pupils earned a level 10 award, which is very impressive, as they had to show some complex moves and somersaults. Well done to everyone who achieved an award. 

This half term has seen the Year 9's learn more about the DofE Award and how to complete the separate sections, as well as more about how to read maps and use a compass in preparation for their practice hikes (which were carried out at Kingley Vale near Chichester). Some pupils are using peer mentoring with primary pupils as their Volunteering activity, whilst others are trying something new like litter picking; as you can see with Scott here, you picked up a vast amount of litter in the school's village area. Way to go, Scott! The groups have still found some time to find the relaxing parts of being outside – as Ethan and Chris demonstrate nicely in their hammock! 

Year 10 

Year 10 challenged themselves on steep terrain as they wished to carry out their Silver DofE in more mountainous areas. On a gloriously sunny day, the group hiked through a boggy Pulborough Brooks and climbed onto the Downs to join the South Downs Way. Matty did an excellent job of providing the motivational tunes, whilst Jake offered his local knowledge to pick out a great lunch spot in some sand banks. 

Year 11 

Year 11 have started to find ways of developing their fitness ahead of their Gold expeditions taking place from April onwards. 11A have been going on longer hikes but will start attending the gym on their DofE afternoon lessons, whilst 11B have started cycling and cross-country running, supported by Mr West. 

It has been a busy start to the new year. All the pupils on Hever Floor returned after the Christmas holidays, looking forward to what 2025 has in store. They were all pleased to reunite after the break.

Our evenings have been spent engaging in various activities, including visits to the golf range and swimming. Additionally, we have enjoyed UNO games, cooking, and a particularly popular outdoor game of hide-and-seek with head torches in the dark, led by Mr. Jonson. The pupils found this activity especially enjoyable and have expressed interest in doing it again soon.

We want to take this opportunity to commend one of our pupils for his outstanding contribution to the Muntham community. Freddie, the Student Council representative for his class, has demonstrated exceptional leadership. He spoke with his peers to prepare for the upcoming Student Council meeting. Hever took written notes and effectively conveyed his peers' concerns and suggestions, articulating their views eloquently during the meeting.

One of our pupils has recently transitioned to Bodiam Floor, a natural progression for those ready to move to the older boarding floor. This transition has been a positive experience for the individual in question and has also reinforced the importance of "Transition talk" for other Hever boarders. Notably, one pupil even inquired whether he could bring his bed along when he makes the move, as he finds it exceptionally comfortable!

There is much to look forward to in the coming months on Hever. We have been exploring a range of activities for our young people to participate in beyond the Muntham community, such as boxing, Athletics, and youth club. Additionally, our pupils continue to enjoy a variety of on-site clubs, including basketball, football, and cooking. As the evenings become lighter, we look forward to more time to enjoy our excellent school grounds.

We are delighted to welcome McKenzie to Bodiam, who has settled in wonderfully. His room, which is personalised with his football team and pictures of dogs that he loves, has truly become a place he feels at home.

While this term has brought some rather challenging weather, limiting our time on the school grounds, we still had plenty of fun indoors. The boys have enjoyed getting creative in the kitchen, with baking sessions producing an endless supply of flapjacks, chocolate chip cookies, pineapple upside-down cake, and banana bread—always a big hit!

In addition to our baking adventures, the boys had a fantastic time at The Triangle, where they raced down the flumes and splashed the staff on more than one occasion. Our trip to Clip and Climb was equally popular, and the pupils conquered even the more challenging walls with ease. The pupils showed impressive teamwork and courage, pushing each other to do their best.

Bowling was another highlight of this term. The pupils showed great competitive spirit while cheering each other on. It was wonderful to see so many strikes, and the excitement was infectious.

No term would be complete without a movie night, and the pupils thoroughly enjoyed snuggling under their blankets with hot chocolate and popcorn. This has become a firm favourite for everyone.

For our end-of-term trip, we took the boys to Jump In, where they had an absolute blast. The assault course proved a fun challenge, with the pupils taking turns and supporting each other. We rounded off the day with a well-earned treat, “Kentucky Fried Chicken, “where everyone relaxed and shared laughs, making it a perfect way to end the term.

Looking ahead, we are excited for the next chapter and the fun activities we have planned for the pupils.

On Arundel Floor, we continue preparing for the upcoming exams, revising hard and earnestly completing practice papers. The young people all agree that although hard work is taxing on the brain, it helps them in class and positively affects their overall well-being. We have been delving into each topic, the core subjects of English, maths, and science, and the vocational options, such as DT and history. Well done, Arundel residents. Keep up the good work. 

We have many evening activities and options for our pupils, from indoor football to dungeons and dragons and all that lies between. Jigsaws are back in fashion as the winter nights drag; we have now started to frame these and display them on the floor. Off-the-cuff trips to Tesco for a treat are always popular, and more recently, trips to a home-based shop to pick up items we need on the floor. This gives our pupils more time in the community, practising their social skills and budgeting and managing their money- very important life skills, as I think you will agree. 

Two of our pupils have undertaken their work experience placements this half term. This was at a local marketing company, PMW, that kindly offered their guidance and expertise to give the pupils a flavour of the working environment and the jobs provided after their education. Not only that, but the pupils needed to think ahead, plan and prepare for this. An example would be making their lunches for the day and ensuring they are dressed appropriately and on time! Again, excellent life skills were shown during this process, and confidence levels have undoubtedly increased as part of the experience. Well done, Dylan and James. 

So, it was a busy, helpful, and productive half-term. Much was achieved, but there is still much to be done. Arundel residents, shoot for the moon; even if you miss it, you will end up amongst the stars. 

PLEASE NOTE THAT PUPILS RETURN FROM

FEBRUARY HALF TERM ON:

TUESDAY 25TH FEBRUARY 2025

Term dates are on the school website, link below.

 Term Dates

Inset Days for Spring Half Term are:

 MONDAY 24TH FEBRUARY 2025

FRIDAY 14TH MARCH 2025

MONDAY 17TH MARCH 2025