April 02, 2018

How much screen time is too much for your child?

April 02, 2018/ sarah monaghan

How much screen time is healthy for your child? Scientists have predicted that use of the Internet exposure may change the way children think. So are we in the middle of an unstoppable experiment with our children? So just what is the impact of screen-based technologies and social media on our children's well-being, attention spans, learning and creative abilities? And how do we balance the recognition that digital skills will be essential to our children’s futures in the workplace?

February 07, 2018

Wartime letter discovered under Sompting Abbotts' floorboards links son to family’s past

February 07, 2018/ sarah monaghan

The unearthing of a letter from 1939 at Sompting Abbotts' Preparatory School has connected an Australian man to his British family during WW2. The letter was found under the floorboards of an old dormitory. Now, the school, intrigued by the letter’s discovery, has succeeded in tracing the identity of ‘Jim’ across continents to his son, Craig, in Australia.

January 29, 2018

What's the difference between a feeder and non-feeder school in the independent school sector?

January 29, 2018/ sarah monaghan

What's the difference between a feeder and non-feeder school in the independent schools sector? And how do you choose the right school for your child when not all children have the same needs, interests and abilities? Headmaster Stuart Douch explains Sompting Abbotts is a non-feeder school because he believes no single school will suit all children equally.

October 30, 2017

Sompting Abbotts' pupil Veronica makes CBeebies voiceover debut

October 30, 2017/ sarah monaghan

CBeebies’ new popular programme, Olobob Top, features the voice of Veronica Painter, a pupil at West Sussex independent school Sompting Abbotts. It was the debut voiceover performance for the 10-year-old who plays the character of an endearing squirrel called Crunch. So was it fun? And what’s involved with bringing a script off the page for an audience who can’t see you?

October 12, 2017

Remembering the Great Storm of 1987 at Sompting Abbotts Preparatory School

October 12, 2017/ sarah monaghan

It's over 35 years since the Great Storm of 1987 which tore through the South East of England, ripping great trees from their roots, damaging properties and causing loss of life. West Sussex independent school Sompting Abbotts Preparatory School, located high on its hilltop overlooking the south coast, would take the brunt, as the winds turned south-westerly and smashed straight into its path.

September 15, 2017

Why learning music is important for STEM skills

September 15, 2017/ sarah monaghan

I bet you never thought of music as a STEM skill? STEM is a buzzword you'll probably have heard a lot if you follow the education world as we do here. STEM is a curriculum based on the idea of educating students in four specific disciplines — science, technology, engineering and maths – needed to fill the jobs of today. Yet music is a subject that's being cut

August 25, 2017

9 easy ways to help get your child ready for 'big school'

August 25, 2017/ sarah monaghan

The transition from nursery to ‘big school’ or Reception can seem huge – both to you as parent and to your child! But with the right preparation, your pre-schooler will be just as able to meet the challenge as the little mouse who took on the Gruffalo. Read on to discover how your little one get ‘big school-ready’ and how to say goodbye on that first day so it’s a happy one your child – and you!

August 23, 2017

What did an old letter, dated 1939 and found under the floorboards of a dorm at Sompting Abbotts, reveal?

August 23, 2017/ sarah monaghan

There's a guilty thrill that comes with reading other people's letters, and doubly so, when that letter opens a window into the past. A well-thumbed hand-written letter, dated 1939, to a pupil at Sompting Abbotts Preparatory School, a private school near Worthing, was discovered under the floorboards of an old dorm. It's a fascinating glimpse into the past.

August 07, 2017

Hoping your child might win a prized scholarship? Here's what you need to know

August 07, 2017/ sarah monaghan

Hoping your child might win a prized academic scholarship? Independent schools have a strong record of honouring talented and hardworking pupils with scholarships. Scholarships are not only awarded for academic potential, but also for success and potential in sports, music, drama and art. Scholarships usually mean prestige and financial help.

August 03, 2017

Private school: I owe it to my daughter

August 03, 2017/ sarah monaghan

Why I chose private school for my daughter. Simone Waplington talks about why she decided to 'go private' and opted for Sompting Abbotts Preparatory School, a Worthing independent school. We’re not wealthy, and we’re both state educated, but my husband and I chose to send our daughter to a private school. In this blog post, I explain why.

Conkers and golden moments: an autumnal tradition at Sompting Abbotts

What child doesn’t love to collect handfuls of glossy brown conkers? At Sompting Abbotts, they don't just fill their pockets — even socks become makeshift pouches. And so, at this time of the year, we send the children out into our school grounds to look for shiny conkers (not that they need any persuading).

Sompting Abbotts named finalist in Independent Schools of the Year 2023 Environmental Achievement Award

Following our earlier announcement in July of the shortlisted entries for the Independent Schools of the Year 2023 awards, we're delighted Sompting Abbotts Preparatory School has been selected as a Finalist in the Independent School of the Year for Environmental Achievement category.

New Beginnings at Sompting Abbotts: Introducing Our New Headmaster

Sompting Abbotts warmly welcomes Mr Chris Gunn as Headmaster, taking the mantle from Mr Stuart Douch who served from 2013-2023. We're grateful that Mr Douch will continue to enrich our community as Head of English and History. We extend our heartfelt gratitude for his excellent past leadership.

Our Environmental Ethos: Outdoor Classrooms and Woodland Coronations

At Sompting Abbotts, we adopt a school-wide ethos that embodies our commitment to the environment. Its principles – 'Embrace Nature; Embrace Learning; Embrace Childhood' – are threaded through our teaching, influencing every child's journey from Pre-Prep to Upper Prep. Our 30-acre grounds and woodland in the South Downs National Park are at its roots.

Sompting Abbotts launches annual Speech Cup of Poetry and Performance

Sompting Abbotts’ annual Speech Cup of Poetry and Performance saw every child from Years 3 - 8 learn and recite a poem by heart! The best performances were chosen at a special competition in front of an audience of their peers and their parents. It was judged by an external expert adjudicator.

Lab detectives: owl pellet dissection and analysis

Pupils have been working as dissection detectives in the science lab at Sompting Abbotts Prep School. They have been investigating Barn Owl pellets found in the school grounds.