Another brilliant term draws to the close and there is so much that the girls and whole community have achieved to feel proud of. This fortnight alone has seem some absolutely wonderful performances for us to treasure. The Year 2 and 3 Christmas concert was an absolute delight; the girls had learnt and performed their songs and readings so beautifully and there was a real sense of genuine joy and excitement; as well as some pretty impressive Christmas jumpers!

The Carol Concerts at the Old Royal Naval College, both Junior and Senior, were absolutely stunning. Not only was the setting truly spectacular but the music and readings were wonderful. It made me exceptionally proud to see such poise, creativity and teamwork on display. I am extremely grateful to Mrs Gunton and the whole team involved for giving us such a memorable evening: teachers; parent helpers; accompanists and community choirs singers. The concerts were followed by two brilliant nativity performances from Nursery and Reception/Year 1. Adorable, entertaining and heart-warming in equal measure, both of the performances were a real treat and left everyone ‘sparkling’ for the rest of the day. The progress made by the girls, with the support of their teachers is so impressive, but I’d particularly like to acknowledge Mrs Roberts and Miss White who have been working so hard behind the scenes to make everything possible.

Senior girls have also been busy right until the end of term with different activities and projects. Six of our Year 10 girls were fortunate to be invited to the inaugural Girls' Day School Trust (GDST) ‘Day of Dance’ at the iconic Pineapple Studios in Covent Garden. Not only were they taught by some top choreographers, including Lizzie Gough, Joel Morris and Melody Squire, but it was an invaluable opportunity to mix with other GDST students and really immerse themselves in creativity for the day. I continue to be impressed by the unparalleled opportunities the girls can benefit from as part of the GDST network.

Creativity of a different kind was in evidence during the Computer Science department’s ‘Hour of Code’. Parents were able to join in with the students in Computer Science lessons in the Senior school, experiencing for themselves the excitement of coding. On Monday, our impressive Model United Nations Society organised a brilliant ‘MUN’ event for Year 8. Providing a chance to engage in global politics and enjoy the cut and thrust of debate, this was a wonderful student-led initiative. Most of our Year 13 students have been busily completing and sending off their UCAS forms this term and it has been very rewarding to see some exciting offers coming in already and such an exciting diversity of courses applied for. I also wish the very best of luck to those girls who have attended Oxbridge and medical interviews in the lead up to the break and we look forward to seeing the outcome for all applicants in the New Year.

In the meantime, I wish you all a peaceful and restful break with your families over the festive season and thank you for all your support of the girls and school during the Autumn term.