Celebrating Chinthurst 2021-22

Celebrating Chinthurst

I am delighted to welcome you to the latest edition of our annual magazine, Celebrating Chinthurst. It is a small window into the children’s exciting and varied school lives and I hope their happiness and sense of fun shines through – as this is the true essence of life at Chinthurst.

Wellbeing is at the heart of everything we do at Chinthurst and we are always looking at ways to build the children’s self-esteem and support their mental health. This year we successfully added the Zones of Regulation (ZofR) framework to our comprehensive Wellbeing at Heart programme. The ZofR curriculum helps the children to recognise and understand their emotions and gives them tools to self-regulate when necessary. In recognition of this, we have once again been shortlisted for a 2022 Independent School of the Year award in the Wellbeing category, a fitting reflection of the hard work and excellent care given by our teaching staff every single day.

Sport has always been one of Chinthurst’s many strengths, providing the children with high standards of coaching and opportunities to represent the school, as well as helping to establish within them resilience, teamwork and a lifelong love of exercise. In 2021 we pioneered a new approach to games lessons by giving boys and girls the freedom to choose which sport they would like to participate in, without being constrained by gender norms. The children now play in competitive teams that reflect a true gender mix and they absolutely love it. They see themselves as equals on the pitch with no preconceived limitations and the encouragement and support they give one another during games continues in other areas of their lives. We are one of only five schools in the country to reach the finalist stage of the ISP 2022 Awards for Sporting Achievement in acknowledgement of this groundbreaking approach.

The children continued to excel in academic performance this year, and our Year 6 leavers, the wonderful class of 2022, all moved on to their recommended senior school, many with scholarships across a range of subject areas. Importantly, they left us as engaged learners, excited for the next step and with strong foundations for a happy and fulfilled future.

School life at Chinthurst continued to be enriched by an exciting curriculum, cutting-edge technology, visitors, trips, and a range of creative and sporting opportunities for all of our children, from Early Years right through to the final year of Upper School. This breadth of experience alongside excellent teaching ensures that the children get the very best start in life and shapes them into inquisitive, enthusiastic and thoughtful individuals who are excited to take on the challenges of senior schooling and beyond.

Cathy Trundle Headteacher

WELLBEING AT HEART

At Chinthurst, we know that happy children can achieve amazing things. Our Wellbeing at Heart programme supports the children’s understanding of how their minds and bodies work and gives them the skills to navigate life’s inevitable ups and downs. The Zones of Regulation framework is an important part of this and helps the children to recognise their emotions and builds strategies to help to regulate them according to the situations they are in.

Scout, Chinthurst’s very own wellbeing dog, is extremely popular with the children. She comes to school every day with Miss Trundle and loves being part of the fun. She has lots of jobs to do like listening to readers who might need a bit of encouragement and having cuddles with children who are feeling a bit sad. She is gentle and kind and makes everyone smile!

ADVENTURES OF EARLY YEARS

Our youngest children enjoy a packed timetable of activities including specialist teaching in drama, music, sport and languages, and they spend a great deal of their time learning through play outdoors. Storytelling forms an integral part of the day at this stage and sparks the children’s imaginations in lots of ways. Reception particularly enjoy re-enacting some of their favourite stories together out in the playground in the summer term. Drama and music lessons are often the highlight of the week for everyone and exciting interactive games are designed to develop confidence and self-expression. There is always plenty of fun and laughter to be heard during the sessions and the children love to sing and play musical instruments.

ADVENTURES OF EARLY YEARS

JUBILEE CELEBRATIONS

On Friday 27 June, the school celebrated the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in true Chinthurst style. Staff and children came to school in fantastic red, white and blue outfits and everyone gathered to form an enormous human 70 on the field to mark the extraordinary length of the Queen’s reign. This was followed by a sumptuous picnic lunch served under gazebos adorned with Union Jack bunting. Afterwards, the children enjoyed playing with their friends and dancing to music on the school field. The younger children wore the crowns they had carefully made from paper plates, which added to the regal theme of the day. The party atmosphere was wonderful and a perfect finale to the school year.

WORLD BOOK DAY

The children came to school in a wonderful array of creative costumes to celebrate World Book Day 2022 with a magnificent range of authors and genres being represented. Everyone enjoyed a special parade around the playground and excitedly shared their reasons for choosing their book characters with their classmates.

OUTDOOR LEARNING

At Chinthurst we take the children’s learning outdoors whenever possible. Children learn best when they are having fun, and lessons outside are always memorable. Concepts can be taught in relevant and practical ways and often children can grasp concepts outside that they have had difficulties with in the classroom. Presenting tasks and problems outside allows for discovery and exploration in a way that only nature can deliver. Time spent outside also boosts wellbeing and the children know they can take a Mindful Minute out in the fresh air during the day. Woodland skills sessions build independence, resilience, confidence, problem solving and creativity.

DAY TRIPS

L earning can be brought to life in imaginative and fun ways by outings to interesting places that link with the children’s topic work, and this year has certainly been packed full of exciting trips to enhance learning. Lower School children enjoyed going to stunning Leeds Castle, beautiful Wisley Gardens and exciting Drusillas Zoo. Upper School were fascinated by Juniper Hall, Kew Gardens, Kent Life Centre, Bough Beech and Newhaven Fort. Everyone had a marvellous time and came back with smiles on their faces, tales to tell and a deeper understanding of the subjects they were studying.

ART AT CHINTHURST

We value a breadth of curriculum at Chinthurst and know that tapping into children’s creativity is essential for their overall academic success. The study of art provides a valuable change of pace to learning and requires children to think and express themselves in a different way. Year 6 produced the most beautiful self-portraits in their final term with us, one of which was selected to be part of the prestigious Royal Academy of Art’s Online Summer Exhibition.

Years 4, 5 and 6 created a magnificent installation of a kelp forest for Global Canvas, an annual international art contest run by the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation (DSWF) and were delighted to reach the finals.

YEARS 4&5 RESIDENTIAL TRIPS

Year 4 ventured to multi-activity centre, Blacklands Farm for their residential trip this year. They enjoyed a host of amazing activities including high ropes and rock climbing and were excited to sleep in dorms with their friends. The weather was fantastic and many wonderful memories were made. Meanwhile, Year 5 set off in the sunshine for their much-anticipated, three-day residential trip to Croft Farm. Activities ranged from abseiling, rock climbing, buggy building from barrels and ropes, and archery. The teachers had a go at everything too and the whole party returned with lots of stories of good times with friends.

YEAR 6 RESIDENTIAL TO FRANCE

Our Year 6 have shown the most incredible determination and resilience, particularly in their last and most unusual Covid-restricted year at the school. Their excellent work ethic has been balanced by a wonderful sense of fun and they have been fantastic role models for the rest of the school. Lasting memories were made during the last few weeks of term when the children enjoyed an exciting five-day residential trip to France. They showed their professionalism during a business enterprise project, camped overnight in the school grounds and had a host of other adventures together. We hope their special Leavers’ Hoodies will always remind them that they are part of the Chinthurst family forever. #TEAM6

MUSIC & DRAMA

ROCK BOTTOM!

E very year, the whole school keenly anticipates the Year 6 children’s end-ofyear production. This year’s performance was particularly special as it was heralded the return to in-person audiences post pandemic. It was certainly worth the wait and Year 6 were magnificent! They transported family and friends to the prehistoric world of Rock Bottom for a hilarious 90 minutes of Stone Age fun. There were lots of laughs and the acting and singing were out of this world!

“It almost felt like we were watching a professional musical production on a west end stage.” Year 6 Parent

CHRISTMAS PRODUCTIONS

Classes from Nursery to Year 2 performed a wonderful array of Christmas plays to packed audiences of parents and friends in the run up to the Christmas holidays. The children had been rehearsing their parts for many weeks and learning lots of songs and actions to go with them. On the day, they spoke clearly and sang beautifully, giving everyone a lovely festive start to the Christmas period. They dazzled us with their abilities and everyone looked fantastic in their bright and sparkling costumes.

CHRISTMAS PRODUCTIONS

“The Christmas shows are always a wonderful way to begin the festive season.” Mrs Burton

DRAMA & LAMDA

LAMDA exams are designed to develop life skills, such as clear communication, self-confidence and teamwork, and many children throughout the school have oneto-one LAMDA drama lessons with our Drama Lead, Mrs S-T. The children’s exam successes are always outstanding and this year was no different. An amazing 57 Chinthurst students entered exams and 98% were awarded distinctions. We are immensely proud of them all!

Every year group from Little Chicks upwards have weekly curriculum drama lessons and as the children progress through the school, their confidence, performance and presentation skills grow. Classes are always interactive and lots of fun and the children rehearse and perform in assemblies, concerts and productions throughout the year.

MUSIC AT CHINTHURST

We have a thriving peripatetic music programme covering a wide variety of string, brass, woodwind and percussion instruments. There are choirs, bands and ensembles for the children to join and plenty of performance opportunities. Curriculum music lessons are great fun and classes learn to play the recorder, ukulele, violin and keyboard as they move up through the school.

LOWER & UPPER SCHOOL SPORTS DAY

Lower and Upper School Sports Day was an exciting event with lots of good-natured House rivalry and plenty of laughs. In the morning, Lower School children enjoyed running races, sack races and an egg-and-spoon race, culminating in an exciting House obstacle relay. The children tried their very hardest and there were excellent performances all round. In the afternoon, it was Upper School’s turn to compete with 70 track events taking place alongside the long jump, high jump and javelin, and, of course, the keenly anticipated House tug o’ war for each year group. It was a fantastic afternoon of athletics, teamwork and outstanding sportsmanship, with Raleigh ultimately being victorious.

For the overall result, we added together all of the scores on the days with the result as follows:

Raleigh – 1010 Wellington – 880 Nelson – 846

“You could feel the Chinthurst spirit as the children cheered each other on in the house relays!”

Mr Mussellwhite

NURSERY SPORTS DAY

The Nursery children were raring to go on the morning of the muchanticipated Nursery Sports Day. Parents lined the field to watch them running, jumping, throwing and even trying out a relay race. Everyone was immensely proud to see how well they tried each event and the fun they had participating with their friends.

TEAM SPORTS AT CHINTHURST

Sport is at the heart of Chinthurst with children having the choice to take part in a wide range of different games. We have specialist sports coaching, which enables us to focus on the specific needs of each child, supporting or challenging them so that they can succeed to the best of their abilities.

Rugby, netball, football and cricket are our main sports and are offered to both boys and girls. We believe in opportunity for all, and gender is not a barrier to participation at Chinthurst. You will see girls playing in rugby fixtures and boys in hockey matches, and everyone plays cricket in the summer. In recognition of this, we are delighted to be finalists, alongside just four other schools in the country, for the Independent school of the Year Sporting Achievement Award.

There is so much more to success at sport than winning alone. It is about participation, inclusivity, leadership and teamwork. That is why we have a comprehensive fixtures programme ensuring that every child has the chance to represent their school.

Optional Saturday sport sessions are an ideal way for the children to build upon the coaching they have received during the week and are also lots of fun. Parents are able to enjoy a bacon sandwich on the side lines whilst the children enjoy being out in the fresh air, developing their skills with their friends.

This year we had a fabulous Multi Sports Week when external sports people provided additional sports coaching and the children had the chance to try out a wide range of different sports.

“Sport at Chinthurst is all about fun, inclusion and choice!”

Mrs Atkinson-Hunt

KEEPING IN TOUCH WITH US

As Celebrating Chinthurst illustrates, we are an extremely active school with a host of activities happening throughout the year. To keep up to date with school news, please visit our website or join us online:

ChinthurstSchool chinthurst.school @ChintSchool