Autumn Term Newsletter

Welcome to Muntham House School's new electronic newsletter which has been created to provide you with all the information and feedback on the key things which have happened recently in school. There will be reports included each half term on what is happening across the school to further celebrate the success of our pupils. Any trips pupils are participating in as part of their care curriculum or as part of their education curriculum will be included along with photos in each newsletter.

I am delighted to be the new Principal of Muntham House School and will be totally committed to continue to maintain the highest standards for all of our pupils. The school is an amazing place to be and achieves wonderful results and outcomes year on year. The quality and dedication of the staff team at Muntham House School is extremely high. This enables all of our pupils to feel safe and to be able to establish strong working relationships quickly.

A great deal of work has gone in to the new school website which I hope that you have seen. There is a great short film which captures many of the wonderful things which go on in the school. Please click on the following link to view this.

All important dates of future events which are happening in school such as parents' days and end of term events will be listed in each newsletter. Important links to websites or other sources of useful information will also be included to help keep all parents and careers up to date and fully informed.

I would like to wish you my very best for a wonderful half term break.

Mr Anderson
Principal

New Pre Primary Classroom 

The Pre Primary Classroom is now open at Muntham House School which is a truly amazing facility.  A state of the art building has been created inside the secret garden which provides a place for tranquillity where pupils can re-engage with learning both inside and outside the classroom. The bespoke curriculum enables our children to overcome barriers, which may be present as a result of suffering developmental trauma, adverse childhood experiences or other factors, and empower them to enjoy education again and access the National Curriculum through topics and themes interweaved in to the curriculum.

Our Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) curriculum is underpinned by core values championing the need to attend to the wellbeing of our pupils first. The curriculum will enable pupils to socialise, communicate, collaborate and manage their relationships positively. This in turn will enable them to develop the skills necessary to learn; Resilience, Relationships, Risk Taking, Resourcefulness and Reflection.  A wonderful full range of Early Years and KS1 resources are available for all pupils in Pre Primary which helps motivate pupils and enable them to succeed.  A well qualified and experienced staff team provide outstanding levels of support and care to all pupils across Pre Primary.

We have combined our years of experience, knowledge and consultation with experts in the field of education, mental health and wellbeing to create a specialist curriculum and assessment framework which we truly believe reflects the needs of our pupils and ensures that we are able to offer pupils life changing opportunities and outcomes which will help pupils learn the fundamental aspects of education so that they can develop socially, emotional and academically. 

Congratulations to our Art teacher Miss Coutts who has just managed to achieve the Arts Mark Silver Award in recognition of the excellent work achieved in Art across the school. The Arts Mark accreditation is designed to help unlock the potential of pupils increasing opportunities and developing a culture of art across the school.

The application process has taken over a year to complete, however, now rightfully provides recognition of some of the outstanding Art taking place both within the curriculum or in various art projects taking place across the school.

When pupils put on the Virtual headset they are transported to a futuristic ‘holodeck‘ where they can use innovative head and hand gestures to navigate around. In front of them are a range of educational activities to select from, customised and delivered to the headset by the teacher, or from a pre-defined set of themes and activities. The ClassVR interface locks out system settings, presents a custom set of educational resources, and ensures pupils are kept on task with no distractions.

The immersive nature of Virtual Reality brings depth to educational content by engaging the senses and allowing exploration to a degree that would be difficult to duplicate within the confines of a classroom, making it an ideal catalyst for curiosity and stimulating learning. This is an exciting curriculum development which will be thoroughly enjoyed by all of our pupils.

Leap Ahead with FrogPlay!

At Muntham House School all pupils are given a Frog login. This is so pupils both in school and at home can access their learning in a fun way. The Frog quizzes are set by our teachers to challenge and target pupils individual learning needs. The pupils are also encouraged to have Frog Buddies for extra support and encouragement. To do this successfully pupils have to ask permission from their teacher and buddy. This mutual agreement enables positive social interaction keeping the boys safe, unlike other social media or gaming platforms.

FrogPlay

Curriculum Quiz Engine

If you would like to encourage FrogPlay to be used outside of school hours you will need to use the Muntham House School URL as stated below:

If your child cannot remember their login or password please feel free to get in touch with their tutors and they will be able to provide these for you.

Enjoy learning at home with Frog Play.

Good luck!

The Sensory Room at Muntham House School has been specially designed to stimulate the senses, promoting de-escalation, encouraging engagement and enjoyment. Sensory experiences can be hugely beneficial to pupils. They are great for promoting a range of developmental skills. For example, colour recognition, hand-eye coordination, fine and gross motor skills.  All of our pupils in primary enjoy using the sensory room whenever they have the opportunity.

The room contains a giant bubble wall which changes colour to stimulate and help pupils calm down at times of stress or anxiety. There is a ceiling mounted interactive projector which has over 900 different interactive slides to engage and educate pupils with various colours, shapes, sounds and activities.

On Thursday 10th October we had Muntham House School’s first Youth Mental Health day.

The boys took part in a number of activities encouraging them to look after their mental health. They explored their body image, discussed how to handle school stress, explored the importance of talking about their mental health. Pupils looked at diet and exercise and the positive impact it can bring and discovered the pros and cons of social media.

All the staff and pupils enjoyed a wonderful day, learning practical tips to help maintain good mental health.

On Tuesday 1st October radio presenter Gary Booker came into Muntham House School to talk to the year 10 & 11 pupils about his career path that has taken him to now become a key DJ at Spirit FM.

Gary spoke about skills and qualities. He also spoke about resilience. Gary first wrote to Spirit FM when he was 13 years old and had his first radio session live on air when he was 33 years old!

All of the pupils enjoyed their sessions with Gary where they also learnt about Spirit FM, radio stations and how they run, and other job positions linked to the radio station.

At the end of the sessions some pupils along with Mrs Beales & Mr Hellyer tried to fill a timed radio time slot, which was not easy!

Gary was very impressed with the school and the pupils he worked with. All of the pupils are looking forward to his next visit to Muntham House School.

Muntham House boys have been very busy this term. They have played in various tournaments and leagues. Please see below for more information on the various venues.

U14s South London Special League – Wednesday 2nd October 2019

We travelled to South London Special League with a squad of 8 players ready to play 4 games against other schools.

Our 1st game we defended brilliantly and finished with a well-earned 0-0.

In the 2nd we had a few good chances to win but unfortunately we weren’t able to finish off and the game ended at 0-0.

Our next game was very similar to the second game we just couldn’t get the ball into the back of the net. Again an undeserved 0-0 draw.

In our final game which happened to be against the toughest opponents, we worked really hard and created some very good opportunities but unfortunately we lost the game 2-0.

U16s Brighton Tournament - Monday 7th October

We travelled to Burgess Hill with a squad of 6 players which only included 1 year 11 the rest were made up of year 10s.

During the group stages the team started slowly drawing the first game 0-0.

The 2nd game we came unstuck after going 1 up we got caught by two quick goals ending the game at 2-1.

The 3rd game, the boys came out of the blocks giving us a 4-1 victory.

The final game was a 1-1 draw with a superb header from one of our boys.

The quarter finals were played against Downsview. Just before the final whistle we had a great shot giving us the 1-0 victory.

The semi final we played Lindfield. Just as it looked like it was going to finish in a draw we placed the ball into the bottom corner of the net to give us a 1-0 win and to put us in the final.

We played Cuckmere in the final. The game ended in a 0-0 draw and went to penalties.

U16s South London Special League – Wednesday 9th October

The 1st match the team started slowly but picked up. Unfortunately we lost the game 3-1.

The 2nd match was an easier affair. The boys managed to keep control of the ball and see the match out for a 1-0 win.

The 3rd match saw a 0-0 draw.

The 4th match they fought hard but lost 1-0.

The final match gave us a 2-0 victory and secured us 3rd place in the league after the first round of matches.

Yrs 8s Brighton Tournament – Monday 14th October

The 1st match we played well but just as the game was looking like a draw, they scored ending in a 1-0 defeat.

The 2nd match Muntham House School started very strongly and scored within the first minute of the match. 2 more goals followed and we finished as 3-0 winners.

In the 3rd match the opposing team scored 2 quick fire goals which we were unable to bounce back from this losing 2-0.

The final match saw a 4-0 victory leading us into the quarter finals.

In the quarter finals we played strongly but the match went to penalties and luck wasn't on our side, we lost 1-0. 

Yr7s South London Special League – Wednesday 16th October 2019

The 1st match was a 5-0 win with the opposing team getting no where near the Muntham half of the pitch. 

The 2nd match was dominated by us but we had to settle for a 0-0 draw.

The 3rd match was a 1-0 loss to us at half time but by the next half, due to some excellent defending, we finished with a 2-1 victory.

In the final match we had to settle for a 1-1 draw.

Primary - South London Special League – Wednesday 16th October 2019

The boys were very nervous for the 1st game but didn't create or give away any chances and the game finished 0-0.

In the 2nd match the boys confidence grew and ran away with the game emphatically winning 4-0.

The 3rd match was against the hardest team who managed to snatch a 1-0 victory.

The final match ended in a draw meaning the boys finished 3rd in the league which is an excellent achievement for their first tournament. Well played everybody!

On the 1st April 5 pupils and 3 staff from the Extended Education Unit (EEU) went on their Annual Residential Trip to an Outward Bound Centre.

This year the destination was Ullswater in the Lake District, Cumbria.

All pupils were excited and ready to go on the Monday morning complete with the correct kit. Next was a sing song in the van with a 333 mile journey to Ullswater. 

During the 4 days at Ullswater Activity Centre all Muntham House School pupils were given praise by the Outward Bound leaders and the manager of the centre for their politeness, conduct, friendliness and attitude. All pupils were a credit to the school.

Whilst at the centre the pupils all took part in the following:

• Canoeing
• Assault Wall climbing
• Mountain Scrambling
• Tunnelling
• Camping in artic conditions
• Life boat rowing
• Living off survival rations
• Map reading

All pupils jumped into the icy waters of the lake at Ullswater and swam back ashore. 

There was much fun and laughter throughout the week and everyone mixed in with all the jobs and chores.

At the end of the week all pupils and staff felt that they had learnt something about themselves and had gained some good life / survival / leadership skills.

Blackland Farm

For our end of year trip we took our Year 7 pupils to Blackland Farm which is situated in the glorious Sussex countryside. It is a multi-purpose activity centre on a 120 acre site, comprising of woodland and grassed areas.

Blackland Farm specialises in providing adventurous experiences for pupils with a wide range of fun and exciting activities including;

• Canoeing
• Climbing
• Archery
• Abseiling
• Crate challenge
• Orienteering
• Team building

Our pupils had a fabulous time with canoeing and team building being their favourite activites.

Go-Karting with Yr 10's

On your marks… Get set… Go!

This week, the year 10’s took part in a Go-Karting challenge as part of their end of year reward trip. The challenge was to collect the fastest lap of the day, and beat their tutors. 

The racing was tough, but fair, and the leader board confirmed that Mr Hind won the 15 minute Grand Prix with a fastest lap time of 56.6 seconds. 

This reward was for their fantastic efforts and achievements over the entire year, and the boys did not disappoint. They had a blast and represented the school with flying colours.

The end of term care trip was to Thorpe Park, the home of over 30 thrilling rides, attractions & live events. Thorpe Park Resort is the ultimate destination for thrill seekers which is why it was the perfect end of year trip for our pupils.

Our pupils enjoyed one of the UK's most popular roller coaster, Stealth which is the UKs fastest, there was a lot of squeals and much laughter.

The weather was great, and all the boys enjoyed their special day out. They all behaved brilliantly and were a credit to Muntham House School.

On Saturday 12^th October, we took 11 pupils to Flip Out in Basingstoke. The boys were very excited but perfectly behaved on the journey.

Once we arrived, the boys wasted no time in getting started and after 1 ½ hours of bouncing, were treated to a foot long hot dog.

It was a fantastic day with all the boys engaging positively with each other and being polite to staff members. They were a credit to Muntham House School.

On Sunday 13th October the pupils woke up very early as they were excited for the day ahead. They split into two groups with 5 chosing swimming and the other 7 choosing rock climbing.

Pupils chose to go straight onto climbing the big walls. They all climbed exceptionally well with 2 of the boys, who had never climbed before, reaching the top at great speed. They all behaved outstandingly well with a comment made by the centre manager of ‘this is one of the best behaved schools who have visited’.

The other 5 boys went swimming and all had fun splashing Mr Williamson and Mr Hellyer. They all enjoyed themselves and all seemed to have burnt off a lot of energy.

All 11 boys sat down to lunch together.

Once we had finished lunch they explored the centre a bit more. Due to the weather we came back to school and went to the sports hall to play some football, and a couple stayed on floor to watch a film. All the day boys were picked up on time and all said how much fun they had had this weekend.