Dulwich Prep Cranbrook is further strengthening its commitment to building emotional resilience for all children with the introduction of the iSpace Wellbeing and #iWonder programmes this term. The aim of pastoral care at Dulwich is simple, everything is focused on helping the children believe in themselves, to flourish in the classroom and thrive as individuals and active members of the school community.

From September 2019, Dulwich Prep is introducing iSpace Wellbeing for children throughout the school. This is an exciting, child-friendly approach to starting the conversation about mental health and wellbeing and has been designed to enable children, parents and teachers to integrate wellbeing into their everyday lives. The programme will offer strategies and tools to help overcome challenges and to thrive despite setbacks.

At the same time, pupils in Years 7 and Year 8 will be introduced to #iWonder which will dovetail with the PSCHEE curriculum. Dulwich Prep is fortunate in being one of the very first schools in the country to trial this programme, and an iSpace Wellbeing Co-ordinator has been appointed to enable continuity across the school.

The school’s existing partnership with leading children’s mental health charity Place2Be means that conversations around wellbeing from troubles in the playground to more deep-seated issues take place as a matter of course throughout the school. Therapeutic support is accessible and easily available to the children, and mental health is discussed as readily as physical health.

Headmaster Mr Paul David commented ‘We pride ourselves on the network of systems in place to ensure that the wellbeing and happiness of our pupils is at the centre of our school. The introduction of the iSpace Wellbeing and #iWonder programmes is a further commitment to ensuring all our children are equipped with the relevant life skills to develop positive attitudes and embrace and overcome challenges.’

Dulwich WOWFest was a ten day period of excitement and a hive of activity across the school. WOWFest is designed to open the eyes of our children to life beyond school and the confines of the curriculum, and provide some real ‘wow’ moments.

he whole school were involved in activities over WOWFest, including exciting trips away to Snowdon and the battlefields of France. From professional story tellers to circus skills via the Big Bug Show and ceramics there was something for everyone. The Wellbeing Tent provided welcome respite from the busy day, where children enjoyed chilling on beanbags, mindfulness colouring and playing cards.

Nancy in Year 5 reports 'WOWFest was filled with all sorts of fun activities like Taiko drumming, foraging, circus performing, shoe making, story telling, illustrating and to finish, we went for a walk to fundraise for Health Poverty Action followed by our flashmob. I really enjoyed the circus workshop, the equipment included a trapeze, ribbons, stilts, glass balls, hula hoops and flower strings.'

Imogen in Year 5 added ' My favourite part of WOWFest was the flashmob, it was so much fun dancing with my friends and raising money for a charity which helps families in Africa have shelter and food. WOWFest was so fun, and I was sad when it was over, but I am looking forward to next year.'

The Art Department at Dulwich Prep Cranbrook are celebrating their fantastic success at this year’s IAPS iArt19 , a national competition open to all prep schools, which received hundreds of entries. Three top awards have gone to our children, a truly fabulous achievement.

Rosa L in Year 5 has been awarded 1st prize in the Years 5-6 category, for her stunning drawing of a bird, inspired by urban street artists from all over the world. In particular, a Belgium born artist called ROA whose identity has never been uncovered! Rosa developed observational drawings from the taxidermy birds in the Art room showing skills in recording their delicate feathery textures using pen and dippy ink. She worked on experimental papers to form a painterly background to capture the street art style.

Jed W has won 1st prize in the Years 9-10 category, which is the year group above his actual age in Year 8. Jed’s art installation is a response to the topic on ‘Fragments’. Jed was inspired by the artists Leonardo de Vinci, Paul Jackson, Mark Powell and Nava Lubelski. He spent hours and hours working on a large-scale portrait of his Granddad using pen and ink drawing techniques; as well as producing a stunning acrylic painting of a skull and mixed-media drawings of the human brain and facial muscle structure. These were presented suspended together in layers as a final outcome.

Eve W in Year 1 has been Highly Commended in the Years 1-2 category. During Year 1’s topic on Knights and Princesses, Eve created this sweet fairy-tale inspired ceramic house for either creatures of the forest, pixies or fairies! Eve used white studio clay and built up a number of layers and textures on her work. After biscuit firing, the house was decorated with under-glazes and a top gloss glaze. Her house will join her classmates’ buildings in an outside, fairy-tale village which the children will create.

As one of the main supporters of the Cranbrook Literature Festival, Dulwich Prep Cranbrook were delighted to host an event with Davina McCall based around healthy eating. Davina shared her ‘Kitchen Favourites’ with the audience, and everyone enjoyed sampling some of the recipes which were prepared by the kitchen staff.

Children from Dulwich Get Active! joined in the session, asking some very interesting questions about exercise and food. Children in Upper School from Years 6-8 can now choose between playing competitive sport on a Wednesday afternoon, or from a range of exciting options including Healthy Cooking and Dulwich Get Active! exercise class, who are busy compiling a CD of exercise moves for younger children.

It was an inspiring afternoon for the group, and thoroughly enjoyed by all who attended

Dulwich Prep Cranbrook  were delighted to welcome author and illustrator Jonny Duddle to school as part of the Cranbrook Literature Festival. Jonny is best known as the illustrator of the Harry Potter books, as well as the author of the popular ‘Pirates’ series of books. Jonny spent the morning with Nursery – Year 3, recounting his pirate tales and drawing some fantastic pictures to create characters suggested by the children. 

In the afternoon the school welcomed children from Sandhurst Primary School to join in a workshop with Jonny, who showed how he created the images of the famous Harry Potter characters. Everyone got busy with their sketch books, having a go at drawing Dobby and Hagrid – there were some fantastic interpretations of Jonny’s original drawings. 

Dulwich Prep were delighted to be host the IAPS National Prep Schools' Triathlon for the fourth consecutive year. Open to all prep school children from Year 5 and above, the event is growing hugely in popularity every year, with competitors coming from far afield to join the event. With over 400 children registered it was a very busy but very rewarding day.  

Full results can be read here A particular mention to our own Harry Miles who won the Boys Year 6 event overall, and is now the National Prep Schools' Champion for U11.  

Triathlon Club at Dulwich Prep is a very popular after school club, and we host our own triathlon later this term. A Triathlon Camp was held over half term for Dulwich pupils to hone their skills and improve their times, as well as enjoying the camaraderie and fun with their peers.

The Boys’ and Girls’ Cricket teams from Dulwich Prep Cranbrook travelled to Devon and Somerset for their annual cricket tour. Their first match v Blundell’s was played in sunshine, with the girls victorious and the boys match going all the way to a thrilling climax with Blundell’s taking the honours on the final ball. 

After a fascinating visit to bat maker Millichamp and Hall, and a lucky encounter with former England player Marcus Trescothick, the teams headed to King’s Hall Prep, Taunton.  The weather was not kind, so the girls played indoor matches, winning their  first game 231 – 204 and a very close second game winning in the last over, 231 – 229. The boys meanwhile had a great afternoon using the wonderful indoor facilities at King’s College, particularly enjoying the high-tec bowling machine. 

After an action packed morning at the Vivary Centre clambering over the high ropes and a picnic in the park, the last matches were played at Taunton Prep. Luckily the pitches had covers so all matches were on despite the rain. Again, the honours were even with the girls winning their match and the boys losing in a close finish. 

All in all a wonderful few days, the children were a pleasure to take on tour, and everyone’s cricket improved enormously. It is undoubtable that cricket for girls is now firmly part of the Dulwich curriculum. Now the preparation begins for the hosting of the Dulwich Girls’ Cricket tournament later this term. 

Dulwich Prep Cranbrook have launched an online archive of photos and documents featuring life at their school over the years. Current and former pupils and members of the school community will be able to access and add their own memories to the records.  The archives can be viewed here http://archive.dulwichprepcranbrook.org/

The school’s roots go back to the outbreak of WWII in 1939, when Dulwich Prep in London evacuated to the orchards of Cranbrook.

 In the uncertain summer of 1939, John Leakey, the Headmaster of Dulwich College Prep in London, prepared plans for an emergency evacuation camp to be constructed in the orchard on his father-in-law's land at Coursehorn, Cranbrook. Originally there were 6 wooden huts, some bell tents, a marquee and some camp kitchen equipment.

 After much preparation at the Cranbrook end, on September 1st 1939 the train taking 135 boys aged 5-13 set off from West Dulwich Station. At 9.00 pm they arrived at Cranbrook Station and, in the pouring rain, made their way by car, sheep lorry and on foot to the camp three miles away.

 The Kent Messenger featured the story of the evacuation, and the original photos are amongst the treasure trove in the archive. An extract from “The Kentish Express” at that time states:

“The only School Evacuation Camp at present fully established and working in England is to be found in the rural district of the Weald at Coursehorn, Cranbrook, where two hundred boys of Dulwich College Preparatory School have an encampment on most modern and up-to-date lines on an eighteen acre estate. The encampment is composed of fifteen huts, or what can more suitably be described as temporary wooden buildings. A large oast house has been converted into a recreation room where the boys can occupy their leisure in billiards, ping pong etc. while one hut has been set aside for draughts and other table games. Work is carried on at Cranbrook School, where the boys attend daily and where separate accommodation has been provided.”

 One of the founder pupils Terry Sweeny remembers one of the first meals after evacuation. He was served a ‘savoury gravy on a suet crust, there must have been meat of some sort but what I don’t recall. That was followed by boiled rice with golden syrup on the top. It was served onto the same plate as our first course – no washing up in between’.   

 Headmaster Paul David commented

 ‘We are very proud of our history and have a thriving alumni association, with a high proportion of our current parents being former pupils themselves. The online archive of our school will be a wonderful resource for our current pupils to learn about the past, and bring to life the reality for children during wartime and beyond.’

 He continued

‘The Alumni committee consisting of former pupils, staff and parents have worked really hard to bring the project to life, and fundraising continues next term with our children enjoying a non-uniform day.’

The archive will be updated with new items by the school Archivist, Karen Brock.

‘I am so excited this project has gone live and am looking forward to hearing from our former pupils who are welcome to add to our collection’ she said.

Dulwich Prep Cranbrook has flourished since those early years, and is a successful Prep School for children aged 3-13, set in 50 acres. The school is still connected to Dulwich Prep London, as both are run under the same charitable trust.

Former pupils can get in touch via the new website or by emailing alumni@dulwichprepcranbrook.org