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"Virtually every parent would say they want their daughter to develop into a happy and confident young woman. At Notting Hill and Ealing they make it happen."

- Good Schools Guide

“Pupils are highly motivated to succeed and are exceptionally focused in their attitudes to learning.”

- ISI 2022

"We believe that Sixth Form should be the most interesting, enriching and academically demanding years of your school life. Each year, pupils join us with the intellectual spark and curiosity to take advantage of everything NHEHS has to offer, and leave with the drive and determination for their next adventure."

Registration deadlines:

Junior School

4+ Reception - 20.10.2023
7+ Year 3 - 08.12.2023

Senior School

11+ - 10.11.2023

Sixth Form

31.10.2023

“Pupils are highly motivated to succeed and are exceptionally focused in their attitudes to learning.”

- ISI 2022

"We believe that being part of a community matters, it involves reaching out to volunteer, raising funds for causes we care about, and sharing our spaces to build meaningful relationships. These collaborations are mutually enriching and enable our students to create connections beyond the school gates."

- Mr Matthew Shoults, Headmaster

Head Girl Team Looks Back at 2019-20

Head Girl Team NHEHSBy Immi, Dhruti, Anna, Dedan, Jojo and Emily (Year 13)

As our time on the HGT (Head Girl Team) is nearing its end, we thought we would reflect on our most memorable moments and what we will miss about NHEHS. Having the opportunity to be on the HGT has been unforgettable and not only have we become so much closer as friends, but we hope we have united the school even more and created an even more positive atmosphere. We were pretty unlucky that our reign was cut short and quite a few of our big plans had to be cancelled due to the current situation, but we are so grateful for the time we’ve had in our positions and hope events like the Talent Show can be rearranged by the new team! We know they will do an amazing job and, although we could not have a traditional handover, we have compromised and made a socially distanced version that you will see in assembly next week. For now, here are a few comments made by everyone on the team about our year!

 

What has been one of your favourite memories this year on the team?

Dhruti: The first time we all sat down as a team and brainstormed our ideas for the year coming. It made me so excited for the year ahead and we have all become so close since then. Not seeing the rest of the team at our weekly meetings will definitely be something I miss. 

Anna: I think that the Christmas assembly we did was really fun as we all dressed up and that was the first time we humiliated ourselves in front of the school. Even though we didn’t get the chance to have a final assembly – where we would have embarrassed ourselves further – I like to think that our Christmas assembly was just as fun!

Dedan: I really enjoyed the first pizza ‘date’ we had as a team over at Jojo’s house. It was the first time we had all got together outside of school and personally I think it was the first time it truly felt like we’d become a team. The weather was great, the pizza delicious and the company (aka the other girls) was excellent. 

Jojo: Our last two days of school were some of the most bittersweet days I think we’ve had as a year. Those two days were so unexpected but so much fun and it was nice to celebrate and mark the end of our 2 years together as a year group. The teachers organised a makeshift Leavers’ Tea and we got to show the year the “one second a day” video that we had been making all year without them knowing.

Emily: I really enjoyed being able to do the Boar’s Head Carol at Christmas! Although I was absolutely dreading it because I am a terrible singer, it ended up being such a great experience after watching it since Year 7, and it was really nice seeing the whole year group together. 

Immi: I loved the sixth form movie we put on at the end of the winter term. It was really nice to see Year 12 and Year 13 come together, sharing popcorn and pizza and taking a very long time to decide on the movie. The Halloween redecoration of the sixth form we managed to pull off was also so memorable; we had doll body parts in the plants, fake spiders and cobwebs, sweets EVERYWHERE, a life-sized holographic skeleton and creepy clowns! 

 

What have you learnt about yourself whilst being on the team?

Dedan: Working as a team for a school year and a half with the other girls has made me realise that sometimes it’s alright to rely on other people and to ask for their help. It’s allowed me to understand that if the work ever feels too much, to speak up and express your worries to others and they too will understand your troubles. Everyone has bad days 🙂

Anna: I have definitely become more confident as being a part of the HGT. I think that my public speaking has improved (hopefully!) and I no longer am afraid to talk in front of large crowds… I actually enjoy it sometimes!

Emily: It’s definitely made me realise how much I love working on a team. Working together to organise events, assemblies and meetings was so much fun as a group and whenever something was slightly challenging, we knew we had each other to rely on!! 

Jojo: I have become much more confident speaking in front of large numbers of people. Being on the Head Girl Team sort of forces you into doing it, which sounds scary but it’s such a valuable skill to have.

Dhruti: I realised how much I wasn’t afraid to make a fool of myself. I’ve become so much more confident that it became a lot easier to forget about what people might think of you and just go for it. 

Immi: Similarly to Dedan, this year I’ve really learnt and accepted that it’s okay to ask for help when life gets quite busy, especially during stressful times like exams or when there are several deadlines waiting to be completed. Sometimes your teachers and friends notice before you do and that’s when you need to take a step back and take a break! They will always be there to listen and help you, so don’t be afraid to ask for some advice if you’re finding it hard to balance workload or when life gets a bit stressful.

 

What have you learnt about the school whilst being on the team?

Anna: Through having weekly meetings with teachers, I was able to see another side to school regarding the logistics and organisation of events. This was really interesting and it was great to learn how the school plans events, as a lot of time and effort goes into all the events. I enjoyed brainstorming ideas with our Head of Sixth Form, from Easter Egg Hunts to making Christmas Decorations and I learnt that the school really does value our opinion and wants to know what events you would like to see to make it an even better place. 

Jojo: Coaching many of the younger girls this year has allowed me to fully understand how enthusiastic and passionate the girls at Notting Hill are. I ran a hockey goalkeeping club every Wednesday this year, each week a group of eager goalies turned up really willing to learn and improve their skills. I want to thank these girls for their commitment and enthusiasm, you never failed to put a smile on my face, and I hope that you continue to enjoy hockey into your later years at Notting Hill. 

Emily: I think the main thing I learnt about the school was how much they value our opinions and ideas as students. Whether it was a crazy idea we had for a fundraiser or an idea for how we could improve mental health awareness within the school, the staff always responded with enthusiasm and advice, even if our ideas sometimes seemed impossible. I will forever be grateful for the fact that I could approach my teachers with my ideas and knew that they would listen. 

Dedan: At the beginning of my journey in the Notting Hill and Ealing sixth form, I felt as if I had no chance in pursuing and gaining roles throughout the school, as if being the ‘new girl’ put me at a disadvantage. However, what I slowly realised in Notting Hill, was that it wasn’t impossible and that if I stayed determined and passionate about what I believed in and wanted, then I could truly do it. And I did. I applied and gained a role as one of the school’s medical and English representatives, and then for a role on the head girl team. So if you ever feel as if something feels completely impossible and closed off, don’t be disheartened and don’t give up without having tried anything to achieve the impossible.

Dhruti: Running and being a regular part of school council has really shown me how willing the girls at this school are to bring about change. We aren’t afraid to speak up about things we feel strongly about, whether we’re in Year 7 or Year 13. Along with this, having such supportive teachers (who we can go to with any idea no matter how crazy), has made me so much more grateful for the support system we have around us. Throughout our time there has always been someone we can go to for help, whether that be people in our year, or staff. No matter how busy teachers were, they always managed to make time for us. 

Immi: By talking to girls across the year groups and staff in all departments, I’ve realised just how open and friendly our school is. I’ve seen girls support and challenge each other’s ideas, whether that be in school council or during lunchtime discussions, and I think communication is well received and given. I’m glad that we aren’t afraid to share our ideas and opinions, and looking at our suggestions box, I’ve really seen how girls love to effect change. It’s really inspirational and reassuring to know that we have so many year groups below us that are willing to embrace change. To me, this just shows how much our teachers and the school have helped to prepare us for moments where this will be useful in the future, from speaking up in difficult situations to campaigning for bigger global changes.

 

What’s one thing you would do again?

Dhruti: The Boar’s Head because it really is the symbol of the end of our time at Notting Hill and it felt amazing singing with the whole year in unity.

Jojo: I loved sports day last year, it was at the beginning of my time as Games Captain and although I had lots to do, I really enjoyed it. The best part was running the 800m as a whole year group with music playing so loud – it was such a nice way to mark our last sports day together.

Anna: Even though we didn’t get the normal last week in school of dressing up, I think we had to quickly think as a HGT of what fun events we could swiftly come up as. As a year group we managed to pull together two amazing last days and I would love to do that all again, making the most of my last days at NHEHS. 

Emily: Definitely our unexpected last few days of school, especially now knowing I probably won’t be coming back this term 🙁

Dedan: I’d want to turn back time and do the whole thing again, not as in change every decision we made, because the team made brilliant changes to the school, but to experience it all over again. I was sad to see our reign end short but I’m glad to have known we made a positive difference in Notting Hill. 

Immi: I remember so vividly this time last year when the previous HGT said ‘really live in the moment as the year will be over before you know it’ but I honestly can’t believe how fast the year has actually gone. I would definitely love to relive the ‘last week’ of school before lockdown as everything was inevitably quite rushed and I wish we had longer to prepare for it! As a HGT we wanted to make it an amazing last few days (well, to do as much as we possibly could with one day to prepare), and as thankful as we are to have our impromptu Leavers’ Tea with our teachers and our two day dress up, I wish we could have had the entire week to really spend at our school with our year group and teachers.

 

We wanted to have our last assembly where we share some funny, but embarrassing, stories about our time at NHEHS, and do the typical ‘taking over the assembly’ for our last day as our year group, but we are glad that we can write this blog and make an assembly to show the handover! We have loved every minute being on the team (even during some nerve-wracking speeches and assemblies) and hope we have effected change, interconnected our school community and left our mark on NHEHS.

 

 

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