Parent Information
Friends of Sevenoaks
Sevenoaks School’s parent community, Friends of Sevenoaks (FoS), is open to all current parents and Sevenoaks School staff, as well as any former parents and staff who opt in on leaving the school. New families joining the school are automatically included.
The primary focus of Friends of Sevenoaks is to create an engaged and welcoming parent community, enabling you to meet other families in your year group and across the school, build friendships around shared interests, and enjoy relevant and insightful events.
As a registered charity, Friends of Sevenoaks is entirely driven by parents as volunteers. Some people volunteer regularly, others come to the occasional event, and many simply join activities when they have time. If you’d like to join in, we’d love to hear from you – there is absolutely no expectation to do more than you’re comfortable with.
We organise a variety of events throughout the year, including an annual Quiz Night, expert speaker talks, regular coffee mornings for the parents of each year group, a drinks reception following the Carol Service, a Summer Soiree and many more.
There are social coordinators for each year group who will organise more informal get-togethers for the parents in the year group.
The Friends of Sevenoaks Annual General Meeting takes place in the Michaelmas term each year, to which all members are invited. At this meeting the main events to be organised will be discussed, and organising groups will be set up. We hope you will enjoy being a member of Friends of Sevenoaks, and perhaps consider becoming involved in some way.
Classlist
Friends of Sevenoaks uses the digital platform Classlist to connect parents by year group. Parents at Sevenoaks School can use Classlist’s free app to contact each other, book tickets for events, and build their parent community.
Friends of Sevenoaks Community Groups
Within Friends of Sevenoaks there are a variety of community groups representing different interests:
The Sevenoaks Striders
This parent-led walking group meets in the countryside approximately once a month during term-time., and you are welcome to come and to bring your dogs. The walks are circular and typically up to five miles in length, usually around an hour and a half, some with an optional coffee stop at the end. For dog owners, please ensure you always have a lead with you as parts of the walk may be on roads or go through fields with livestock or crops. The walks are a great way to meet parents from other year groups.
Dates for the walks are published at the start of term via ParentPost and Classlist. If you are planning to attend any of the walks or would like more information, please contact FoS so that we can add you to the Striders email list. This will enable us to notify you of future walks or any late changes to planned walks.
Parents of Neurodivergent Students (PONDS)
This parent-led support group is an inclusive community for parents of neurodivergent students at Sevenoaks School, including those with autism, ADHD, dyslexia, dyscalculia and other neurological differences. The community enables parents to connect with each other, share personal stories and experiences, and explore the resources available – both through school and externally – to support their children.
Meetings are arranged twice each term for morning coffee, with dates and venues advertised on Classlist. If you are planning to attend any of the coffee mornings or would like more information, please contact us for more details.
Saturday Running Club
This parent-led, non-competitive running group meets at Duke’s Meadow car park every Saturday (except Exeat weekends and school holidays). Please do come and join fellow Sevenoaks School parents for a social run around Knole Park. All abilities welcome.
Dads’ Group
For those looking for something a bit different, there is a very active Dads’ Group who meet regularly for drinks, casual football games and go-karting. Please contact a FoS committee member to be added to the group.
Our Events Calendar
Friends of Sevenoaks organises events throughout the academic year, creating great opportunities to meet other parents. The table below shows a typical annual calendar of events. Please note that dates may vary each year – keep an eye on Classlist for additional information on events planned and how to book tickets and get involved. If you have an idea or suggestion for a future event, please do get in touch.
| Month | Typical events |
|---|---|
| September | Lower School Coffee Morning, Striders Walking Group, PONDS Coffee Morning |
| October | Quiz Night, Diwali Cultural Lunch, Black History Month, Sevenoaks Literary Festival |
| November | Wreath-Making Workshops, Wine Tasting, PONDS Coffee Morning, Expert Speaker Talk |
| December | Festive Gatherings, Striders Walking Group, Crash into Christmas jazz concert, Carol Service |
| January | Striders Walking Group, Lunar New Year Celebrations, PONDS Coffee Morning |
| February | London gallery tours: exhibitions with lectures, Expert Speaker Talk |
| March | Holi, Eid, Persian New Year Cultural Gatherings, Wine Tasting, Striders Walking Group, many school concerts including Orchestral and Sevenoaks Swings Concert |
| April | Local garden tours with exclusive access and talks, Upper Sixth Form Parent Insights (eg Getting into Medical School), PONDS Coffee Morning |
| May | Theatre Events (eg Hever, Regent’s Park), Leavers’ Events, School Triathlon for Restless Development, Expert Speaker Talk |
| June | Castle Farm Lavender Tour (Shoreham), Striders Walking Group, Summer Music Concerts, Friends of Sevenoaks Summer Soiree; Founder's Day (final Saturday of the Summer term), with Prizegiving and Cadet Force (CCF) Gun Run |
Uniform Shop and Lost Property
UNiform shop
Friends of Sevenoaks runs a second-hand uniform shop to help families access affordable school uniforms while supporting the wider school community.
We gladly welcome donations of clean, good-quality uniform items (washed or dry cleaned). All items are priced by the shop team and made available for resale for up to two years. Unsold items may then be donated to charity.
Uniform donations should be brought directly to the shop during opening hours, as we are unable to accept items left elsewhere, including at Manor House.
The shop is located beside the Sennocke Centre, opposite the bag racks, and is open during term time on:
- Tuesdays: 15:45–16:30
- Saturdays: 08:20–08:50 (except Exeat weekends)
All proceeds go towards student-focused projects supported by Friends of Sevenoaks.
Lost Property
Lost Property is in the Sans building, near Old School, and is open during term-time only Monday-Thursday and Saturday at the following times:
- Monday and Wednesday: 10:45-11:10
- Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday (except Exeats): 08:20-08:50
Please remember to name all items so that, in the event they go missing, they can be easily returned. Unclaimed and unnamed items are collected at the end of every term and donated to the Uniform Shop for resale. Items of high value (AirPods, watches, calculators, etc.) are handed in to the Marshals.
Please remember to name all items so that, in the event they go missing, they can be easily returned. Unclaimed and unnamed items are collected at the end of every term and donated to the Uniform Shop for resale. Items of high value (AirPods, watches, calculators etc) are handed in to the Marshals.
Thank you for your continued generosity and support.
