Walstock 2026

Building on the success of our centenary celebrations, Walstock returned in 2026 bigger and better than ever. It was a fantastic day filled with music, creativity, and community spirit.

The Cast of Matilda the Musical Jr at Walstock

The festival grounds were buzzing with activity, from CarFest’s collection of classic and quirky vehicles to vintage games, archive displays in the giant tipi, and delicious food from Chef Rian and our friends at Ardingly College. The Walstock Arms was once again a popular gathering spot throughout the day.

The music programme was packed with highlights. The cast of Matilda the Musical Jr opened proceedings with an energetic medley, followed by the elegance of Turning Pointe and the vibrant performances of our Pop Choir.

Our Pop Choir has had another fantastic year filled with music, laughter and plenty of dancing! The children have loved learning and performing "Life's What You Make It" from Hannah Montana and the inspiring "Thread of Hope" by Tom Fletcher and Buzz Fletcher.

Every session is full of energy, and we always make time for a little boogie while we sing! The children worked incredibly hard to learn the songs, actions and performance skills, and it is always wonderful to see their confidence grow week by week.

Taking to the stage has helped our choir members become more confident performers, encouraging them to sing proudly and express themselves in front of an audience. Most importantly, Pop Choir is filled with happy faces, teamwork and so many smiles.

We are incredibly proud of all our singers and can't wait to see what songs we will be performing next year in “Pre-Prep Choir”!

It was wonderful to welcome back OGW Eddie B-F and his band, whose special guest appearance had the crowd on their feet.

Collaboration was at the heart of the festival, with Phoenix Fires joined by Miss Rio, Max T-J, and Year 8 band Scorching Sons. The latter impressed the audience with a set of rock covers and the debut performance of their original song, Ripride Rocket.

A huge thank you to our performers, staff, FOGWA volunteers, and everyone who came along to support the event. Walstock 2026 was a wonderful celebration of the Great Walstead community, and we are grateful to everyone who helped make it such a success.

Who's Who?

Get to know Penny Lindfield

Penny Lindfield has worked at Great Walstead for 30 years. She is a Pre-School Room Leader and runs the Holiday Keep.

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?

"If I could live anywhere in the world, it would be Porthleven in Cornwall although I think I would have to live there on my own as it is too far from the Amex for Mr Lindfield."

What did you enjoy most when you were at school?

"The thing I most enjoyed about school were the friends I made, they are still my best friends now even though I left school 33 years ago."

Do you think it's ever right to tell a lie?

"I should probably say that it isn’t right to tell a lie, but I do think that sometimes it can be excused, like when I used to tell my children that when the ice cream van played music, it meant he had run out of ice cream!"

What was your favourite book as a child?

"My favourite book as a child was The Naughtiest Girl in the School by Enid Blyton, I was fascinated by the fact that they had tuck boxes!"

Woofstead

We had a brilliant turnout at our annual dog show, with lots of gorgeous pooches showing off their talents and stealing hearts along the way.

From the ever-entertaining ‘Musical Sits’ competition to some truly impressive paw shaking and tail wagging, there was no shortage of fun and furry flair.

Most importantly, the event supported a wonderful cause, raising an incredible £240 for Guide Dogs UK.

A Summer of Sport

As with all summer terms, the sport came thick and fast as we squeezed in plenty of cricket, tennis and athletics amongst others. We were presented with our fare share of weather problems, with storms and heatwaves causing a good deal of disruption along the way. Our U13 girls’ relay team qualified for the IAPS National Swimming Finals, with three team members also securing individual qualification places. Our U10 boys’ tennis teams took home the Sussex Championship title following some impressive performances at Bede’s and there were some strong results at the Year 4 and 5 Sussex athletics at Hurst. As ever, our sports days were a highlight of the summer term, with Grenfell coming out as winners of the prep school event.

The Secret Garden

Amongst the leafiness of Kelly’s Corner, our Year 6 pupils embraced the wonderful setting of The Walstead Woods for their fabulous performance of ‘The Secret Garden’. We’re so proud of all our pupils’ efforts. They’ve showed tremendous commitment to each other, as well as showcasing the rich talent they have to offer. A huge well done to everyone involved.

Crime Scene Investigates

Year 8 were tasked to solve the grisly murder of Mrs Rees with several staff as suspects. Using evidence gathered from the crime scene the Year 8s completed several activities including blood analysis, lifting fingerprints and identifying poisons to draw conclusions. They also had the opportunity to interrogate each suspect before finally pointing the finger of accusation.