Attention: You are using an outdated browser, device or you do not have the latest version of JavaScript downloaded and so this website may not work as expected. Please download the latest software or switch device to avoid further issues.
Future opera singer star Freddie De Tommaso once starred in Holmewood's production of The Twits. More...
In 2007 Year 7 pupils at Holmewood House sent letters to soldiers in Afghanistan. More...
Old Holmewoodians, whose children also attended Holmewood in the 2000s, reflect on their experiences at school in the 1970s. More...
There were multiple departures including Jean Burdon, Barbara Simpson and Sister Sally Seymour who had all been at the school for many years.
The Autumn concert raised over £5,000 for the Hospice in the Weald.
A Millennium Fun Day was put on. Activities included pony rides, bouncy castles and may pole dancing.
The colts A and Under 10 A rugby teams won all of their matches.
A gymnastics team went to Brussels. The U13s came first as a team with first place ribbons also achieved.
23 pupils became the first Holmewoodians to take the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts (LAMDA) acting examinations.
Duncan Goodhew MBE opened the new swimming pool.
In October the completion of the girl’s boarding accommodation into the main building meant that all the boarding at Holmewood was under one roof.
The netball 1st VII won 20 out of 23 matches.
A landmark moment was the purchasing of a majority shareholding in Holmewood House Ltd, which owns much of the school site. The remaining shares were held by the Collings Trust.
Tim Tracey left Holmewood after 30 years at the school. He was originally appointed by accident after being mistaken for his brother, an Oxford Blue at football. Tim was a classics teacher and Yew housemaster as well as encouraging success in the more eccentric games such as archery.
Design & Technology had a successful year at Holmewood with children making wooden vehicles, clocks, beanbags, money boxes and toys across the year.
The new Nursery opened and proved very popular.
New activities across the year included Brownies and climbing while shooting came back onto the programme. A new range was opened in November 2003 by Joanna Hossack, GM, captain of Great Britain U25 Target Rifle Team.
The school put on an excellent performance of The Boyfriend. The Holmewoodian described it as a “professional and dazzling production”.
Video conferencing was introduced at Holmewood. This included calls with the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich and a live ‘dive’ off the Great Barrier Reef.
At least one person placed in each event from the riding team across the year.
Holmewood’s Swim School began allowing Holmewood pupils and the local community to attend classes outside of school hours.
The Under 11 Netball team and the U13 Swimming team became IAPS National Champions while the 1st XV rugby team went unbeaten.
The Friends of Holmewood contributed to the new Adventure Playground, walkie-talkies and a three-faced Jubilee Clock to go on the roof of the changing rooms.
The school celebrated its 60th birthday including a reunion event and a Party on the Lawn, organised by the Friends of Holmewood in the summer of 2006.
On the 9th of December the school paid tribute to Oliver Dicketts who tragically died following the crash of an RAF Nimrod aircraft in Afghanistan on the 2nd of September. A tribute film was shown and a Holm oak tree was planted in Oliver’s memory.
There was a music tour to Belgium, a French trip to the Château de la Baudonnière and a year 8 trip to Granada.
The Brownies had another successful year including a visit to Legoland, a Music Festival and a Brownie Camp.
The 1st XV rugby team were undefeated while the swimming team won three Kent relay championships and two individual championships.
Improvements were made to the Pre-Prep included an enlarged ICT room, a music teaching room and a learning support room. A white canopy outside the theatre was provided thanks to the School’s Secondhand Uniform Shop.
There was a very successful cricket and netball tour to South Africa. Alongside matches, the touring party visited Table Mountain, Boulders Beach and Robben Island.
In memory of former teacher Bob Woolmer, the inaugural Bob Woolmer Challenge Cup took place between Holmewood House and Yardley Court resulting in a one wicket victory for Yardley Court.
Some students went to the BBC Studios in Tunbridge Wells. Presenter John Warnett spoke to Peter Browne about Oliver Dicketts before the children got to talk about the letters they had written to the soldiers in Afghanistan.
An exchange with pupils from St George’s School in Port Elizabeth, South Africa took place.
In the Summer term a Gala Concert for Kokobiriko took place including inviting some of the pupils and staff to the school for the concert. The money raised supported a school in Kokobiriko, Ghana including a house for a teacher. Headmaster Andrew Corbett alongside Sarah Elton and Kate Mather had visited the village earlier in the academic year.
The new ‘Tiger Turf’ was opened by Richard Leman in the Autumn term of 2007.
The 1st XI girls’ hockey team won all of their matches and both tournaments they entered.
The school had a Year 4 Greek Day, similar to the longstanding Year 3 Roman Day.
This was a very successful year for music. The first Groups Concert, featuring 14 diverse groups, took place. The Swing Band enjoyed its annual outing to Eastbourne’s Jazz Day and many of the string players went to Eastbourne for a ‘String Day’ in the Summer term.
Holmewood House was represented for the first time at the Inter-Schools races at Les Houches, France.
13 boys went on a cricket tour in the West Indies.
Heavy snow meant the gap students needed to be transported by tractor to the top of Hither Chantlers in order to catch their flights home.
