With the spring term having drawn to a close, the time has come to bid farewell to our departing SSLT (Head Girl team), who are now handing over responsibilities to the newly appointed team for the 23/24 academic year.
Chelsea, Grace, Abhi and Saesha have all done a fantastic job in their respective roles, and we all thank them greatly for all of their efforts. We asked the team for their memories and thoughts as they look back on their tenure, and their thoughts are below:
“Being Head Girl has been an incredibly rewarding experience for me. I have led a team of students and contributed to fostering a supportive educational climate. I’ve had the opportunity to interact with Junior School students by presenting them with assemblies and the running of events such as ‘Christmas Bingo’. This has allowed me to see first-hand the impact this has had on their school experience. Events at the school, like the annual Open Morning and the Year 7 induction day, have presented me with the opportunity to be front of-house greeting prospective parents and students. I have also had the chance to attend meetings with teachers and administrators, which has given me a better understanding of the school systems and how decisions are made. Most of all, I have enjoyed the opportunity to be a role model for my peers and show them what it looks like to be a leader. As Head Girl, I will miss the sense of pride I felt when I witnessed the school succeed, as well as being a part of the school community and experiencing the positive influence I can have on the school”. Chelsea, Head Girl
“The past year, being part of the SSLT as Deputy Head Girl of Marketing has been an honour. I thoroughly enjoyed working with the team on events such as Open Days, organising school events (in particular, setting up Santa’s Grotto at the Christmas Fayre). From Junior School and Senior School assemblies to organising tour guides and planning routes for the tours, it has been a whistle stop tour of what life is like for the staff at school along with the dedication and efficiency needed. As I now move onto the next chapter of taking A Level exams, I wish Eliza (the new Deputy Head Girl of Marketing) all the best alongside the rest of the new team!” Grace, Deputy Head Girl Marketing
“I have thoroughly enjoyed my time as Deputy Head Girl of Partnerships. I was able to connect with so many different people and have learnt so much from each and every one of them. One of my highlights has to be the Hardingstone mural. This 70-metre mural celebrating the years of the late Queen’s reign, was organised by the Hardingstone community. Our school was involved right from the start as I created a focus group of Year 5 and 6 pupils, who input their design ideas as well as sketches drawn by Junior School of what they might like the mural to look like. Following this, we had some Year 6 students help paint the background alongside some Year 12 volunteers. In the end, the mural turned out to be extremely impressive and I am very grateful to have been a part of it. Aside from this, I also organised a fundraiser for Children in Need with several games and a pick and mix stall, which, admittedly, did not last very long! We also had a raffle and mufti day raising over £800 in total. Following this, I focussed on supporting KidsAid – our school charity. KidsAid is an amazing charity who help support children who have suffered traumas. We held a creative competition in Junior School with the title – ‘What does unique mean to you?’. We received some amazing entries and the money raised was doubled under ‘The Big Give’. We then raised a further £750 from the Christmas Market which was again doubled. The Christmas Market was a huge success with a great turnout of students and parents. Thank you to all of the volunteers who helped pull this together! To show our gratitude towards some of the people who have been involved with Partnerships, Year 13 baked some Christmas cakes which were delivered externally to the Hope Centre, KidsAid, Eve and other individuals who have supported us over the year. This was very enjoyable and we received extremely positive feedback. My time in the role also involved helping out with the Junior School Summer Fayre, Year 7 discos, the Christmas Concert and many other events within school. I have really enjoyed being able to connect with students and staff throughout this and am very grateful for the opportunities I have had access too. Thank you to all of the people who have helped me and I look forward to hearing about the year ahead in Partnerships”. Abhi, Deputy Head Girl Partnerships
“Reflecting on my time as Deputy Head Girl of Student Services, I have enjoyed every moment. This role has given me the opportunity to get especially involved in our community whether it be through attending events and speaking with parents or becoming more familiar with younger pupils. Running the School Council has been a delight, I have found it has massively furthered my public speaking skills as well as importantly addressing what pupils hope to see in school. Some outcomes from meetings have been creating a lunch committee where meetings are held to discuss our lunch menus and the idea of summative year group discos to end the year. A highlight of my role was having the privilege of fostering the first Cultures Day at school. Through lots of preparation, meetings and student involvement, the day was a true success. During School Council meetings, we established the idea of a flag display representing all cultures which looked incredible on the day. During the event, we welcomed visitors to host workshops and had a wonderful round up assembly where individuals displayed their clothes in a fashion show. As part of the Head Girl team, attending SSLT meetings and collaborating together has enriched my Sixth Form experience. During my role, I was able to co-host the Mayor during the Art Exhibition and listen to MP Andrea Leadsom speak on two occasions. Another incredible opportunity the school gifted us with was attending a Women of the Future event hosted by Pinky Lilani CBE DL, where we heard influential speakers and I found it inspiring”. Saesha, Deputy Head Girl Student Services
