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.

We now have to wait until October for the announcement of the winners - please keep everything crossed for us!

Headmaster Chris Gunn said: "We're so pleased that our commitment to the environment has been noticed by the independent schools community.

"We know our teachers and children really care deeply about environmental issues and want to do their bit for the planet. Big challenges like climate change, disappearing wildlife, and plastic pollution can feel daunting and make you feel 'Where do we even start with all this?'

But we know that if we can immerse children in nature in their everyday lives at school and encourage them to love and respect the natural world (and we've no excuse not to given our beautiful grounds that are teeming with biodiversity), then issues like climate change will feel more real, relevant and manageable."

Children, he adds, will protect the things that they love. And that matters: they're the future guardians of our planet.

Here's Year 4 exploring their creativity in the sunshine and wonderful grassland areas of our grounds where we have lots of beautiful big oxeye daisies. Their large blooms appear from July to September and are so bright that they appear to 'glow' in the evening, hence the other common names of 'moon daisy' and 'moonpenny'!

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

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).

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.