5 September 2025
Dear Parents,
We celebrated Spring Day on Monday….in the cold mist. This is Nottingham Road. Despite the weather’s sense of humour, our gardens are beginning to burst into life, with flowers starting to bloom and colours slowly brightening up the campus.
It is always such a pleasure to commend children on their performance and achievements and to note how often these commendations reflect their service to others and their grit.
Kerri-Lyn Jones shared this summary of research into the development of character and how life at Clifton so effectively supports the growth of grit in our children:
"At Clifton, we honour the integrity of childhood, embracing the messy, the marvellous, and the meaningful moments that shape our children into resilient, curious, and courageous young people. As we continue our shared journey in nurturing confident, compassionate, and capable children, I would like to offer a gentle reflection, inspired by the Let It Grow movement, Angela Duckworth’s research on grit, and the insights of psychologist Jonathan Haidt.
We all want to protect our children—to shield them from pain, guide them through struggle, and smooth their path as they grow. But sometimes, in our deep desire to help, we may unintentionally limit the very experiences that help them develop strength, perseverance, and emotional resilience. Angela Duckworth reminds us that grit — a blend of passion and persistence, is a stronger predictor of success than intelligence or talent. Grit grows when children are allowed to wrestle with challenges, make mistakes, and find their way through. It is strengthened not through perfection but through purposeful struggle, supported by the steady presence of adults who believe in them".
Jonathan Haidt’s recent work, The Anxious Generation, echoes this need for balance. He highlights how children today have fewer opportunities for independent play, real-life problem-solving, and autonomy, all of which are essential for emotional development. When we over- manage or over-protect, we may be feeding their anxiety rather than fortifying their confidence.
At Clifton Notties, we believe that growth is nurtured when children are given the space to try, to fail, to wonder, and to rise. Our values—bravery, intentionality, playfulness, and perseverance—are lived out when we allow our children to experience discomfort, solve small problems on their own, and recover from disappointment with support rather than rescue.
So, how can we best support our children?
By encouraging independent problem-solving before stepping in.
By welcoming boredom as the birthplace of creativity.
By validating their feelings while resisting the urge to fix every challenge.
By celebrating effort and courage, not just results.
Let us trust the process and trust our children, as they learn what it means to be capable and whole. They do not need us to walk every step for them, but they do need us to walk beside them with wisdom and warmth.
New Headmaster
We are pleased to announce the appointment of Mr Jason Brown as the new Headmaster of Clifton Notties. This appointment follows a thorough and comprehensive selection process over the past four months. We were fortunate to have had a strong shortlist of highly qualified candidates, making the decision both exciting and challenging.
Jason is currently the Preparatory School Principal at Clifton Durban. He brings with him valuable experience as a headmaster in international independent education, having served in South Africa, England, Dubai, and Kenya. A History teacher by training, he has also held the role of Head of Safeguarding and Child Protection at Clifton Durban. Over the course of his career, Jason has developed strong skills in strategic planning, curriculum development, pastoral care, performance management, communication, conflict resolution, and staff leadership.
We believe that Jason brings with him a wealth of knowledge in prep school education, together with many years of successful leadership in schools which offer boarding, similar to Clifton. We are confident that he will wholeheartedly embrace the Clifton ethos, values, and traditions.
The appointment of Jason as the next Headmaster marks an exciting milestone for Clifton. We look forward to welcoming him, his wife Cathrine, and their two adult sons into the Clifton community, and to having them on campus soon to meet staff as they prepare for their new journey in Nottingham Road.
Civvies Day
Our interns surprised the children today by arriving dressed in full school uniform – a true civvies day for grown-ups! The children loved seeing them step into their world, and the laughter and double-takes around campus made for a light-hearted and memorable day. It was a wonderful reminder that fun and connection often come in the simplest, silliest forms.
X- Factor Weekend
Last weekend we hosted 20 visiting children to a weekend boarding experience. Our boarders, who had a closed weekend, really rose to the occasion and were the most wonderful hosts to guests. They just absorbed the visiting children into their groups and showed real care for them throughout. If anyone wanted to experience the spirit of Clifton, they just needed to watch our children in action. They made us all so proud.
Expressive Arts
This is the busy season for the Arts Departments. The Junior Primary Production was an absolute hit. The little people had us enthralled with performances which way exceeded many expectations. Take a bow, junior thespians—and a big thank you to the staff who made it all possible.
Mrs Frank has been teaching the Grade 7s the skills of print making, carving images into linoleum tiles, spreading ink and then transferring the images onto paper. A wonderful practical way to understand old school printing skill and the products are really impressive.
Sport
Athletics
Esihle Mbhele showcased his incredible talent again at the KZN provincial championships, proving himself as one of the stronger athletes on the day.
80m sprint - 4th
100m sprint - 4th.
Long jump - 4th.
High jump - 5th and this secured him a position as a reserve in the next round.
His performances earned him a well-deserved invitation to the national championships. Well done Esihle!
Riding
Treverton Eventing:
Petru van Eeden
2025 KZN Eventing Championships - 2nd in the 65cm Pony Rider Class riding Windstar Tomcat.
Maxwells Showjumping Show - placed in both her classes.
Siphokazi Nkabinde, Jennifer Skead and Olivia Skead have been selected to represent KZN at the SANESA Nationals in Johannesburg for Core League.
Online Dressage Competition:
Sophie Miller and Red Doors Daddy Cool won the Preliminary 1 with a score of 72.31%.
Raphaella Constantinou and Shadowfax won the Walk Trot Test.
The Red Doors team riders:
Team A:
Adriana Rautenbach, Sophie and Zara Miller - 1st.
Team B:
Mila Mattison and Sophia Constantinou - placed.
Congratulations to our riders!
Top Woods…Again
I understand that there is anxiety about the felling of trees near Top Woods. Please be reassured that Top Woods is safe. The reality is that some of the trees had reached end-of-life and were posing a danger, others were close to power-lines or buildings. Safety insurance premiums and alien invader status of some species dictated that they be removed.
The bulk of Top Woods remains intact and an integral part of our childrens’ Clifton Outdoor experience. The boys tell me that the removal of the invasive aliens: Bugweed, and Cotoneaster along with some pines which had taken root in the forest, has made Top Woods a better place.
Added to this, the area behind the Grade 4 and 5 classrooms will be populated with large (3m tall) established indigenous trees this season. As these Cape Chestnuts and other trees grow and flower, they will soon bring a very different feel and look to the hillside.
Heard in the playground..........
The Great Clay Mine Saga Continues…The Pre-School playground has become an industrious hub of activity, thanks to our budding entrepreneurs and their latest venture: the Pre-School Clay Mine! With much determination, the Littles insisted on staking out their own ‘quarry’ near the JP jungle gym. Armed with planks, pipes, broken bricks, old brooms, and an impressive assortment of other ‘loose parts’ (sourced from both home and school), the children have established a fully functioning operation. The clay is carefully mined, crushed with the all-important ‘crushing rock’, sorted into grades, and piped, with much ceremony, into waiting wheelbarrows before being transported to ‘market.’ Naturally, such an enterprise needed leadership, and so a CEO was appointed. While the idea was that this role would rotate, our inaugural Boss seems somewhat reluctant to relinquish the power, much to the amusement of the adults watching.
If you’d like a tour of the operation, ask one of our young miners - they are immensely proud of their factory and will be only too happy to oblige. In fact, they are quite convinced that this clay mine factory is their ticket to making millions! Beyond the laughs, the clay mine operation is a charming reminder of the life skills children acquire through imaginative child-directed play: creative thinking, teamwork, the art of negotiation, problem-solving, and discovering that hard work can be wonderfully rewarding.
Closed Squash Tournament - Grade 2
This is what you can expect over the next two weeks:
Monday 8 September
Arbor Week
Grade 4T Chapel: 7.30am - all welcome
Grade 6 parent/teacher interviews by appointment
Girls' tennis fixtures
Tuesday 9 September
Pre-School nursery rhyme show in the EAC: 11.00am - 12.30pm
Grade 6 parent/teacher interviews by appointment
Grade 1 + 2 boys' mini hockey at Clifton
Grade 1 + 2 girls' mini soccer at Cowan House
Boys' tennis vs Winterton
Wednesday 10 September
Grade 0 Jumping for Joy Day
Grade 6 parent/teacher interviews by appointment
Boys' Inter-house hockey
Thursday 11 September
Boarders end of term travel arrangements finalised
Grade 6 parent/teacher interviews by appointment
Girls' Inter-house soccer
Boys' tennis fixtures
Boys' hockey vs Winterton at MHS
Friday 12 September
Grade 1S class assembly: 7.30am - all welcome
Grade 5 trip to Kamberg Rock Art Centre: 7.45am - 1.00pm
Saturday 13 September
Boys' hockey vs Codwalles at MHS
Girls' soccer vs TWC at Clfiton
Riding - DSC KZN Derby
Sunday 14 September
Closed squash tournament - Grade 4
Riding - DSC KZN Derby
Hearts 4J in the Chapel: 6.00 - 7.00pm
Monday 15 September
Chapel: 7.30am - all welcome
Grade 6 trip to Babanango departs: 6.30am
JP + Grade 0 parent/teacher interviews by appointment
Grade 4 + 5 student-led consults by appointment
Grade 7 parent/teacher interviews by appointment
Girls' tennis fixtures
Tuesday 16 September
Grade 6s away
Grade 4 + 5 parent workshop in the Pavilion - Brave Parents, Calm Children: 7.30 - 8.30am
Pre-School Information Day: 8.00 - 11.00am
Grade 1 + 2 boys' mini Inter-house hockey
Grade 1 + 2 girls' mini Inter-house soccer
JP + Grade 0 parent/teacher interviews by appointment
Grade 4 + 5 student-led consults by appointment
Grade 7 parent/teacher interviews by appointment
Wednesday 17 September
Grade 6s away
Grade 6 + 7 parent workshop in the Pavilion - Brave Parents, Calm Children: 7.30 - 8.30am
JP + Grade 0 parent/teacher interviews by appointment
Grade 4 + 5 student-led consults by appointment
Grade 7 parent/teacher interviews by appointment
Thursday 18 September
Grades 6s away
JP + Grade 0 parent/teacher interviews by appointment
Grade 4 + 5 student-led consults by appointment
Grade 7 parent/teacher interviews by appointment
Boys' tennis fixtures
Friday 19 September
JP isiZulu assembly (Mrs Maposa): 7.30am - all welcome
Grade 3 isiZulu Day
JP + Grade 0 parent/teacher interviews by appointment
Grade 4 + 5 student-led consults by appointment
Grade 7 parent/teacher interviews by appointment
Grade 6s return: 3.00pm
Saturday 20 September
Boys' hockey vs Laddsworth
Girls' soccer vs Laddsworth
Girls' soccer (A teams) at Bisley Festival
Riding - DSC ESP
Sunday 21 September
Closed squash tournament - Grade 5
Riding - DSC ESP
I wish you all a wonderful and safe weekend.
Kind regards,
Paul Fleischack
Headmaster
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