blackheath high school

Autumn Term 2012

TALKING HEADS – MEET OUR LEADERSHIP TEAMS

WHY LANGUAGES ARE SUCH AN IMPORTANT PART OF OUR CURRICULUM

CELEBRATING 140 YEARS OF

THE GDST

HIGHLIGHTS

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2 Blackheath High School Autumn 2012

talking heads

Talking Heads – meet our Leadership TeamsMrs Laws HeadteacHerWhat initially attracted you to joining BHS?

I was attracted to the idea of being Head of

a GDST school as I knew, by reputation, that

they were excellent schools. Also, having

previously been Head of a stand-alone

school, I liked the idea of being part of a

family of mutually supportive schools. Then

once I had visited Blackheath High, I was

captivated!

What are the most interesting and

enjoyable aspects of your role?

I love my job for two main reasons: Firstly -

working with our committed, talented and

interesting girls is a constant pleasure and

secondly for the scope and variety of the

tasks and activities for which I am responsible.

Each day is different but also very busy and

intense. There is no time to be bored and

I can go from dealing with a difficult and

stressful problem to being delighted by a class

assembly or watching our girls perform at a

concert.

Recently, I spent a few days at Juniors

enjoying interviews with each of our Y6 girls

who are so articulate and interesting. One

of the days I had lunch in the Junior Dining

Room. Within seconds, a Y2 girl got up from

her table, picked up her plate of food and

came to join me with the words “and how are

you today Mrs Laws?” She was soon joined

by a couple of curious friends and they spent

the next 15 minutes quizzing me about my

day and my life and giving me their thoughts

on all sorts of fascinating topics. I was totally

charmed and impressed by their social skills

and confidence. What other job would allow

me such entertaining lunch companions?

What do you think makes BHS so

remarkable and different to other schools?

I think there are many factors including:

• the way in which our girls and staff are so

wholehearted about all that they do. They

give of their time so generously to support

school events and activities.

• the diversity of the school community and

the way in which we all enjoy and value the

differences. We are fortunate to have girls

of a wide range of nationalities from varied

cultural, religious and ethnic backgrounds

which provides a rich, cultural mix which

benefits us all.

• The friendly atmosphere; and

• The breadth of the educational experience

which nurtures the all-round personal

development and high academic

Dr Pascoedeputy Head

What initially attracted you to joining BHS?

Having previously worked in a GDST school,

I was fully committed to the benefits of

delivering single sex education. I was looking

for an opportunity to develop professionally

and to take on new challenges. The more

I found out about the school, the more I

realised what a special place it was. I was

convinced that I would be very happy at

the school and would fit in with its ethos.

Needless to say, I was very excited to be

given the chance to join such a diverse and

busy school.



Learning new things every day! Being part

of the Leadership Team is a very busy and

fulfilling job. I know I am very lucky to be

working with such an experienced staff

and wonderful students. I am particularly

interested in teaching and learning and really

enjoy evaluating and improving current

practice.



Blackheath High is such a very friendly

school. The size of the school means that

it is big enough to be a busy and dynamic

place, but small enough for the students

to know each other and the staff very well.

This brings a real sense of community and

creates a happy and creative place to learn

and develop.

What do you try to instil in our girls?

Take every opportunity that is presented to

you to learn and experience new things. To

reflect on things that go wrong – learn from

them and move on! Also to always strive

to achieve YOUR best, not just to compare

yourself with others.

What are you working on at the moment

that will help improve or enhance the

learning experience we provide for our

girls?

I am currently working with many of the

Heads of Faculty to ensure that we are ready

for the changes to GCSE and A-level courses.

I am always keen to explore pedagogy and

to ensure that the current excellent teaching

is always continuing to improve and that

we are progressing with improvements in

technology. It is my responsibility to ensure

that the education we provide is relevant and

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Summer 2012 Blackheath High School 3

talking heads

Mr Parsons assistant HeadWhat initially attracted you to joining

BHS?

I’d previously worked in a boys grammar

school, an international school in Budapest

and a crumbling independent school in

Bermuda, so I thought I’d try an all-girls

school. It was clearly the right choice as this

is the longest I’ve ever worked in the same

place. I love the Tardis-like qualities of our

school site – it’s utterly labyrinthine, full of

character and strongly contributes to the

school’s strong sense of community.



Much as I love to see our girls working hard,

enjoying themselves and making steady progress, I find it similarly satisfying lending a

helping hand when things aren’t going so well. Our girls are incredibly supportive of one

another, so a few kind words of encouragement and advice from someone with age and

experience behind them is often all it takes to get things back on course.

What do you think makes BHS so remarkable and different to other schools?

BHS is very much an inner London school with a very cosmopolitan studentship;

so many languages, nationalities, cultures, religious and political beliefs. Such an

environment, coupled with a curriculum tailored to the specific needs of our girls,

helps engender an internationalist outlook that will serve them well in our increasingly

globalised world when they leave us.


Imagination, confidence, resilience, habitual critical engagement, high aspirations

specific to the individual and the will to succeed.

What are you working on at the moment that will help improve or enhance the

learning experience we provide for our girls?

I am currently developing KS3 Philosophy and the KS4 Matrix of Knowledge history of

ideas course, both of which are unique to BHS having been designed specifically for our

girls. Followed by IB Theory of Knowledge in the Sixth Form, these courses aim to equip

our girls with the critical thought that will help them navigate their way through the

bewilderment of this age of information and to further enable them to compete during

the Oxbridge and Russell Group application process.

What would you like BHS to be known for?

Producing intelligent, informed, open-minded, confident and articulate young women

who enjoy challenge and are keen to embrace what life has to offer. We are a small,

friendly school that gives the girls the individual attention they deserve and need to take

control of their lives and open opportunities.

What have been your HIGHlights of the Autumn Term?

Osmington Bay with Year 7, drumming with the ukulele players at the Year 8 Talent Show

and leading BHS Iron Woman Club after school every Wednesday... usually from the back!

achievement of our pupils.


The same sort of values and qualities that

I know their parents also promote such

as the value of hard work and always

doing one’s best; resilience – an ability

to persevere through disappointment &

challenging situations; high self-esteem

and confidence alongside respect for

others and their views.




girls?

We are never complacent and are always

looking for ways to improve the education

that we offer our pupils.

Currently we are evaluating the benefits of

senior girls using their own electronic devices

in lessons and are also trialling the use of

ipads – particularly at juniors.

We are also giving thought to ways in

which we can improve the “lunch time

experience” at both Juniors & Seniors.

We are planning new serveries at Seniors

and improvements to the menus and also

refurbishment of the Junior Dining Room.

Improvements to the accommodation at

seniors are also being discussed with the

GDST Estate’s Department, in particular a

new Sixth Form Centre.

stimulating for our students.

What would you like BHS to be known

for?

I would like Blackheath High to be known

as a place where students achieve and

develop beyond their own expectations

and leave with many wonderful happy

memories that will last a life-time.

What have been your HIGHlights of the

Autumn Term?

Settling into the new Deputy Head role

and having the opportunity to further

develop my Leadership Skills. Planning a

trip to India and feeling the excitement

build of all the students who have signed

up. Accompanying “Team Hamper” to the

‘Ahead of the Game’ Final. I was so proud

of them; they worked so hard and did

extremely well to get into the final. The

excellent performance of “Daisy Pulls it Off”

was so impressive. It takes a huge amount

of time, effort and courage to put on such

an event. I have great respect for all the

students and staff involved.


The many achievements of our confident,

interesting and talented girls.

What have been your particular highlights

of the Autumn Term?

There were many but particular highlights for

me were our girls’ successes in the Ahead of

the Game competition and the Beckenham

Festival; six Upper Sixth girls gaining

interviews to Oxbridge; and I was hugely

entertained by “Daisy Pulls it Off”, the Nursery

and KS1 Nativity performances and the Junior

Carol Service.

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Mrs eLLiot Head of sixtH form


A friend of mine worked here and was very

happy and couldn’t speak highly enough

about the school and its pupils.



Interesting: helping students through the

university application process to achieve the

place to which they aspire.

Mrs MaDDison assistant Head


I joined BHS as Head of History 12 years ago.

When visiting the school, I liked the fact that

the girls were sparky and asked questions in my

demonstration lesson. I thought that they would

be great fun to teach – and I was right!

What are the most interesting and enjoyable

aspects of your role?

I still very much enjoy teaching, particularly the

Russian History course for GCSE, but this year I

have worked much more closely with staff looking

at staff training and development as my role has changed.

What do you think makes BHS so remarkable and different to

other schools?

BHS is part of the local community; we are not elitist but we do have

very high expectations of every student and every member of staff.

BHS girls genuinely care about other people; they are passionate

about charity fundraising and this always makes me very proud.


I try to instil a belief that they can overcome obstacles, that they

should reach for the stars and always aim to try their hardest. They

should be proud of their achievements and proud of their colleagues

when they achieve their goals.

What are you working on at the moment that will help improve or

enhance the learning experience we provide for

our girls?

The Shine Project involves our girls volunteering

on Saturday mornings to be classroom assistants

and minibus supervisors. This involves them

giving up their time to support the children

who are part of the project. They have taken

responsibility for the practical aspects of the

project, organising the staffing of the volunteers

for example plus attending every week. In terms

of their learning experience, they have proven

leadership qualities and organisational skills. They

have demonstrated care and commitment for the

children and they have been totally responsible

and reliable – beyond the level expected in a sixth

former. This will undoubtedly enhance their university applications

and, it is an aspect of the project that I would like to develop further

next year.


I would like it to be known as a school where girls are passionate about

education and all of the life-long benefits it can bring.


My highlight has been the SHINE project – staff and students gave

up their own time to provide exciting and creative Saturday morning

sessions for 10 year olds from the local area. We have been humbled

by these children and I have been humbled by the dedication shown

by our staff and students who have committed themselves to this

programme from December to February. The SHINE programme

shows what BHS’ community spirit is really about!

talking heads

Enjoyable: Sharing my days with the fun and

intelligent young women who make up our

Sixth Form. We work hard but have many

laughs along the way!



BHS is all about developing the ‘individual.’

We know all of our students very well and

this really does help them to aspire to and to

achieve their very best.


The idea that hard work really is the key to

success. That resilience is needed throughout

life. Also that humour will get you through

the tough times…and to be kind to others.




girls?

I am putting together a programme with a

team from Trust Office which will focus on

the skills required to work independently and

help with university applications.

I am also working on further developing

our EPQ programme and participation

as we encourage students to take up the

Extended Project Qualification. It is an AS

level qualification that helps students to

develop their research and presentation

skills, by completing an extended piece of

work about a topic outside of their normal

curriculum. The EPQ is valued by university

tutors, because of the independent learning

skills it encourages in students. Similarly, in

order to give the girls opportunity to examine

subject areas in more depth, we have

introduced a series of weekly Masterclasses

and TED lectures. Each is hosted by a subject

specialist, who then guides students through

relevant questions and discussions. This is a

much valued opportunity, which is attended

by many students.


Enabling students to do their very best and to

grow into balanced, outgoing young women.

What have been your HIGHlights of the

Autumn Term?

Six interviews at Oxbridge for our talented

students! Fingers crossed!

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Autumn 2012 Blackheath High School 5

What initially attracted you to

joining BHS?

I was initially attracted to

Blackheath High school as a

prospective school for my own

daughter and having attended a

very welcoming Open Morning

I knew that Blackheath High

school was just the school for my

daughter. I was proved right. My

daughter flourished under the care,

guidance and teaching that she

received. The junior building itself is

stunning and in many ways it reminded me of my boarding school.

What are the most interesting and enjoyable aspects of your role?

I joined the staff in September 2004 as a Year 5 class teacher

with responsibility for Science. Since then my role has evolved

and developed quite considerably. It has been extremely

interesting to be part of the management team in thinking about

and contributing to the future development of the school. I

am delighted to be part of this successful team and it has been

professionally rewarding to have our efforts acknowledged by

parents as well as inspectors. The best part of my job is working

with the girls and I am fortunate enough to teach several year

groups as part of my working day.


other schools?

Blackheath High is a very vibrant and busy place to work in, no

school day is the same, there is no other profession I can think

of that, in a single week, I might be taking pupils to the National

Gallery, teaching Year 6 PE, delivering an assembly on Internet

Safety and dressing up as a book character for Book Week. I am

always so proud of their achievements.

What are you working on at the moment that will help improve

or enhance the learning experience we provide for our girls?

I think that we are always striving to provide our girls with a

curriculum full of different experiences that are going to prepare

them for their futures.


That Blackheath High School is a place where everyone is

welcome, where learning can take place, where challenges can

be taken on, achievements are reached and, above all, a happy,

friendly place where adults and pupils can learn together.


There have been two particular highlights for me this Autumn,

the first was when our Junior School Chamber Choir won the

Beckenham Festival Singing Competition for the third year

running, a marvellous achievement, and the second was the

Junior School Carol Concert, when all the girls delivered their

readings and performed their pieces with confidence and

enjoyment, it was a wonderful way to end a very successful term.

Mrs skevington Head of Junior scHool

What initially attracted you to

joining BHS?

I joined BHS from a challenging state

primary school and was drawn by

the sense of calm and the happy

atmosphere which prevailed here. I

wanted to enjoy teaching instead of

managing difficult behaviour and I have

certainly been able to do that here.



I love the daily inter-action with our

girls; they are sparky, witty, kind individuals who always have something

interesting to say.


other schools?

I think BHS is remarkable in the way that we allow individuality to grow in

a nurturing environment. The fact that all the staff care so much about the

girls, lets them feel comfortable and secure at school, ready to have a go at

the many opportunities on offer.


I want our girls to be resilient and strong characters, willing to try

new challenges and taking the odd set back in their stride. I love Ms

Eastaugh’s mantra with our Reception girls; “be brave and strong when

little things go wrong”. It is a motto that works well for all ages – adults

included.


enhance the learning experience we provide for our girls?

I am very excited by two initiatives at school at the moment. The Library

has been transformed with the installation of beautiful, new furniture

which will show off our amazing book collection. At the same time,

teachers are busily working on developing the use of the iPad in Juniors.

It sums up our approach to learning, combining the best of the traditional

with the most innovative.


I would like BHS to be known for creating a springboard for confident,

well-rounded, well-educated girls, providing them with opportunities to

excel in so many different ways.


There have been many highlights already this year but the Chamber

Choir’s success at the Beckenham Festival for the third year stands out.

The standard of singing was remarkable and, as ever, I was amazed by the

confidence and poise of our girls. With a very different flavour, the Diwali

evening was another joyful event. We are incredibly lucky to be blessed

with parents who support and contribute to the life of the school and this

was a true family evening celebrating the diversity of BHS.

I have also been delighted that Florence the Labradoodle has settled

into school so well. The girls love her and she feels the same way about

them! We have been trying her out as a “listening dog” for girls practising

their reading; judging by the wagging tail, it is going well! An added bonus

is a regular procession of small visitors to my room throughout the day

who come to stroke Florence and have a quick chat.

talking heads

Ms DaLy acting deputy Head of Junior scHool and Head of Key stage 2

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talking heads

QUOTE frOm IndEpEndEnT SchOOlS InSpEcTOraTE:“The quality of the school’s leadership and management is outstanding. It enables the school to excel in meeting its aims and strategic goals.”

Mrs DonneLLy Head of Key stage 1

What initially attracted you

to joining BHS?

I was attracted to BHS by the

confidence, enthusiasm and

excitement that exudes from

the girls as they go about their

daily routines.

What are the most

interesting and enjoyable

aspects of your role?

The most enjoyable aspect

of my role is teaching and

working with the girls They

can always be relied on

to contribute something different and love to share their own

experiences.


other schools?

Blackheath High School enables girls to reach their potential in any

area of the curriculum, not only academic subjects, resulting in

confident young people who are not afraid to try new things.


I try to instil in the girls that it is ok to make mistakes as that is how

they learn and move forward. In addition¸ I try to encourage them to

have a go at different things even if they are unsure.


enhance the learning experience we provide for our girls?

Over the past three years, I have been responsible for the

introduction of the Creative Curriculum to Key Stage 1. This has been

an exciting challenge and the girls have most definitely responded

well, showing great enthusiasm for our topics. I am still very much

involved in improving the Creative Curriculum, liaising with other

GDST schools and looking for new ideas. I remain deeply committed

to this as I see first-hand the impact it has had, and continues to have

on our girls.


I would like BHS to be known for giving all girls opportunities to achieve

excellence in any area of the curriculum, not just English and Maths.


Being responsible for our Charity fundraising work, my Autumn Term

highlight was the incredible generosity of our girls and their parents

in supporting a variety of worthy causes, especially in this difficult

economic climate.

Mrs eastaugh Head of early years foundation stage

What initially

attracted you to

joining BHS?

The ethos of a high

achieving all girls

school which is stated

so clearly by the

Leadership team and

followed through by a

committed staff.

What are the most

interesting and

enjoyable aspects of

your role?

The most enjoyable aspect of my job is spending my days with my

lovely class who, on a daily basis, delight and amaze me and make

me laugh !


other schools?

The most remarkable aspect of BHS is the truly international feel that

it has, so many of our girls are so well travelled and many of, even

our youngest pupils, are fluent in two or more languages - amazing !


We try to instil into, even our youngest pupils, a reserve of

resilience, we have a mantra in the EYFS ‘Be brave and strong

when little things go wrong’

What are you working on at the moment that will help improve

or enhance the learning experience we provide for our girls?

This year we are working on making the most of our new iPad

technology; check out the RSE Nativity animation on the portal -

it’s brilliant and we are looking forward to adding to our portfolio,

we will keep you posted !


Innovations in education combined with traditional values.


The highlights of the Autumn term were the learning we do outside

the classroom and the two visits we made, one to the Maritime

Museum and one to The Bethnal Green Museum of Childhood.

There are so many exciting opportunities for the girls on outside

trips and they are such a treat to take out as they are always so

good. But of course the best highlight of the term was watching

the Hillbilly Angels skipping and clapping with such energy and

enthusiasm to Cotton Eye Joe in the Christmas Nativity!

Meet Mr Sutherland our Business Manager and also a member of the Leadership Team, in the next issue of HIGHlights and learn how he makes things happen here at BHS!

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GDST 140th Anniversaryon 7th June 1872 a public meeting took

place in the royal albert Hall to discuss the

establishment of schools to advance the

education of young women. this led to

the establishment of the girls’ public day

school company, now called the gdst.

to mark the 140th anniversary of this

historic occasion, we have been celebrating

in many diff erent ways and engaging with

pupils, staff and parents of other gdst

schools. the range of activities highlight

the fun and variety provided by a gdst

education and include sports, science,

history, fi lm, foreign languages, creative

writing and even a cookery competition to

fi nd the best birthday cake!

We hosted one of the gdst ‘Bake-off ’

semi-fi nals and were delighted to be given

the opportunity to show other students our

super cookery room and to also taste the

delicious entries!

the wonderful aroma of baking fi lled the

air as the thirteen girls whisked and stirred

to carefully create their version of a lemon

Victoria sponge cake, as detailed in a recipe

designed by ‘Queen of cakes’ mary Berry,

herself a former pupil of a gdst school.

local food journalist and restaurant critic,

michael Breese, joined us with the enviable

task of tasting and judging the cakes, all of

which were produced to an exceedingly

high standard. the girls presented their

entries in many diff erent ways including

one contemporary display on a slate

tile with fl owers and fruit and another

student adorning her cake with specially

made ribbon printed with “gdst 140th

anniversary.”

continued on page 20

Bake oFF


gdst 140th anniVersarY

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the new school year arrived and, with it,

our new cohort of year 7s. However, for the

majority of them, the senior school was not

all new as they had been coming here for

taster lessons, summer school and evening

events all designed to help them settle in

really quickly. We enjoyed many activities on

our induction day which had been planned

to enable everyone to get to know each

other really well and the school buildings.

after spending time with their form tutors,

the year 7s had the run of the school,

following our fun and exciting “school

trail” – learning where key classrooms,

labs and studios are in the school. lots

Super 7s settle in superbly!

of House points were earned! they also

played drama games with me and we all

got to know each other a little better and

i practised remembering the names of the

girls who i had so much enjoyed visiting in

their primary schools in June, throw in some

sport’s games and what a busy morning

we had! i noticed friendships blossoming

across the year which were further

cemented during our fantastic osmington

Bay trip, where the girls learned new skills,

conquered fears and supported each other

throughout. our year 7s have settled in

exceptionally quickly and are now moving

around school with confi dence and a smile.

Well done girls!

Mrs Tyrrell, Head of Year 7

awesoMe osMington Bay!on a lovely late summer’s day in

september, our fresh-faced year 7s

travelled down to the dorset coast for

the outward bound activity weekend that

would forge friendships as the girls faced

and met the challenges together. there

was the giant swing, aptly named, which

leaves your stomach behind as you swing

down through almost 180 degrees and a

vertical plunging experience that the girls

just couldn’t seem to get enough of! We

also went dragon Boating and discovered

our inner Vikings. We comprised three

boats, three teams and the open water

of the off -site olympic Water sports

facility, where team gB had participated

just a few weeks before. it was beautiful

on the water under the glorious sunny

skies. later, as we walked on the beach at

osmington Bay, with the shore stretching

out to the horizon, the pgl leaders told us

stories of pirates, smugglers and treasure.

some girls even found small pieces of

jewels on the beach before moving on to

play Beach assault.

the next day was an altogether diff erent

story with the weather – downpours of rain

meant we had to go inside for activities, but

this didn’t dampen our spirits as we happily

moved from the individual challenge of

trapeze or abseiling to the team challenge

of ‘drying out’ plus fun team games led

brilliantly by the pgl staff . all too soon

we were packing up to return to london,

knowing that, in the elements and energy of

the weekend, fi rm friendships had formed to

ensure the happiest of schools days ahead.

Mrs Tyrrell, Head of Year 7


transition

Smoothing the transition between key stages

“I really love the Resources Centre as there’s so much information available and we can go there aft er school too.”

“Th e school trail was great on the fi rst day, it really helped me familiarise myself with the school buildings.”

“I really was welcomed with open arms and love it here. Children in Need day was great fun and I raised £28 by wearing my ‘onesie’ to school.”

“I didn’t go to the Junior School but I wasn’t nervous on my fi rst day as I made lots of friends at the Summer School where we did lots of art including appliqué and had great fun trampolining.”

“It’s great to have more independence than at my old Junior School, there’s so much going on and we have lots of interesting things to do.”

BHS_6_Text_rev5.indd 8 06/03/2013 14:17

terriFic tea Partyin october, having settled in and already

feeling truly part of life at Blackheath High

school, our y7 girls invited parents, Junior

school teachers and Headteachers to a

celebratory tea party. the delicious spread

of fi nger sandwiches, biscuits and beautiful

cupcakes, all washed down with cups of tea

or coff ee, made a splendid sight and proved

very enjoyable. the colourful array of cakes

was matched by an exciting programme

of entertainment from the talented piano

playing of lacey reid to the upbeat songs of

the “out of the Blues” choir.

New EYFS Girls – Happy from the Start!at Blackheath High school we place a lot of

importance on smooth transitions between

key stages. in the eyfs we ensure that girls

enter the nursery in a calm and happy way

and, when they move from nursery, or join

us from other settings, that their experience

is as pleasant and stress free as possible.

We liaise with families at every step to make

sure that any small concerns or worries are

quickly and sympathetically resolved.

We view the eyfs (nursery and reception)

as a complete unit and aim to make the

transition between the classes as seamless

as we possibly can. our girls’ happiness is

paramount and we are always keen to meet

with parents individually to discuss any

queries you may have.

transition into nurseryin the november preceding the girls’ entry,

we host play dates for provisional girls and

siblings. this involves the children coming

into nursery, along with their parents, and

having the opportunity to experience a

play session and meet the nursery staff . in

January, we hold informal interviews with

mrs skevington, Head of Juniors and then

off ers of places to join us are made.

in the summer term, play dates are

hosted for those who have been off ered

a place for the following september

but, on this occasion, parents leave

the children and go for a talk with both

ms eastaugh, Head of eyfs and mrs

skevington; giving the children the chance

to experience the nursery environment

independent of their parents. once children

have been allocated to classes, the nursery

staff visit the children either at home or in

their pre-school setting. this allows the

children to meet their new teachers in a

familiar setting so that they feel completely

comfortable with the transition. to further

assist with the settling in process, we

stagger the intake of girls in september,

giving them the opportunity to familiarise

themselves with the nursery environment

and school day in smaller groups.

transi tion to recePtion cLassesgirls from our own nursery are familiar with

popping into reception class from time to

time, en route to somewhere else in the

school. reception teachers spend time in the

nursery classes so they are known by the girls.

We arrange for the nursery and reception

classes to engage in activities together such as

sports days and drama or dance workshops,

so that they are used to each other and familiar

with the teaching staff .

in the summer term, prior to moving into

the reception classes, we arrange regular,

time- tabled visits for playing and story time

sessions in their new class groups. We hold a

new parents’ coff ee morning in the summer

term so that we can all meet each other

informally and staff can answer questions

about the daily routine, uniform etc. We

also invite all of the new girls to their new

classroom for a ‘moving up mornin’g in July

so that everyone has a chance to meet up

with their new or old friends !

to further welcome the girls into reception,

the class teachers write to all of their new girls

during the summer Holidays with a friendly

letter – a touch that is very much appreciated

by the children and parents.


transition

Smoothing the transition between key stages

“Our Osmington Bay adventure was a great chance to make new friends, especially as I came here knowing no one! We enjoyed so many diff erent activities; trapeze, dragon boating, abseiling and also deafening everyone whilst we screamed ourselves hoarse on the dreaded (but fun!) giant swing! Everyone had the time of their lives. We had so much fun and I would love to do it all again.” Ashviny Srinayagam Y7

siblings. this involves the children coming

into nursery, along with their parents, and

having the opportunity to experience a

play session and meet the nursery staff . in

January, we hold informal interviews with

mrs skevington, Head of Juniors and then

off ers of places to join us are made.

hosted for those who have been off ered

the children and go for a talk with both

ms eastaugh, Head of eyfs and mrs

skevington; giving the children the chance

to experience the nursery environment

independent of their parents. once children

have been allocated to classes, the nursery

staff visit the children either at home or in

their pre-school setting. this allows the

”We had a wonderful time at the Y7 Tea Party. First Ashviny

read out a beautiful speech about her time in Y7 so far, then I played ‘Carnival in Rio’ on piano. Th e Y7 Choir then sang ‘I’ve got

Rythym’ followed by the Y7 ‘Out of the Blues Choir’ singing the popular Jessie J song ‘Pricetag’ and everyone loved Maureen’s rap!

Aft erwards there was African Drumming and then we all sang the Blackheath High School Song. We all loved it and, from the look on

their faces, everyone in the audience loved it too!

Lacey Reid Y7

BHS_6_Text_rev5.indd 9 06/03/2013 14:17

Most people would agree that learning a foreign

language takes time and dedication. they would

also agree that the end result makes the effort

worthwhile.

london is the melting pot of the 21st century with over 600

languages being spoken here alone. learning a foreign language

helps to prepare young people for the globalised world of tomorrow

but, even if our daughters decide to never leave this city, they will

come into contact with friends, family and colleagues who don’t

have english as their first language.

speaking a foreign language allows people to widen their horizons in

terms of higher education and career aspirations and achievement.

if their work involves regular contact with speakers of foreign

languages, being able to talk to them in their own languages

will help to make sales and to negotiate and secure contracts.

Knowledge of foreign languages can also increase their chances of

finding a new job, getting a promotion or a transfer overseas.

our girls are very lucky to be able to learn in a state of the art

modern foreign languages lab with the latest technology to

enhance their learning experience; along with excellent teachers

delivering interesting, engaging lessons and arranging many ‘outside

of the classroom’ language related activities and events.

many english speakers seem to believe that wherever you go on

holiday you can get by speaking english, so there’s no point in

learning any other languages. if people don’t understand you, all you

have to do is speak slowly and turn up the volume. you can more or

less get away with this, as long as you stick to popular tourist resorts;

however, if you want to go beyond such places, knowing the local

language really is necessary.

a basic ability in a foreign language will help you to ‘get by’. if you

have a more advanced knowledge, you can have real conversations

with the people you meet, which will add a new dimension to your

holiday. i also believe that, when somebody at least tries to learn the

language of the country they are visiting, it shows a lot of respect.

people really appreciate it.

communication in another language, however, isn’t just practical.

it gives you a better understanding of another culture and way of

thinking. it is the key that opens the door to the literature, poetry,

films or music of another world. it’s even been proven to delay the

onset of dementia!

learning what a fellow human speaks, teaches you about humankind

as a whole. the more languages you know, the more you understand

our species and that is beneficial, regardless of the situation.

Mrs Pheiffer, Head of Modern Foreign Languages

Why languages are an important part of the Blackheath High School Curriculum

languages


BHS_6_Text_rev5.indd 10 06/03/2013 14:17

Taking the learning out of the textbook - Some of the fun language-based activities our Senior girls enjoyed during the Autumn Term:

poetry day

european day of languages

letters to santa in foreign languages

german exchange

open day – french café with year 11s serving in french

classroom performances of snow White and cinderella in

french

...and plans for Spring Term include:

Bfi study days – using film as a tool for language learning

mfl spelling Bee competition

“i love you” wall project with art department

celebrating chinese new year – (snake)

experiencing a flamenco gala

french camp in school

languages

soMe eXciting Foreign triPs PLanneD For 2013:

february india y10-13

april france y8

June france (pgl) y6

august Borneo y11-13

august france y7 entering y8 in september

october new york y10-13

october sorrento, italy y7-9

We are delighted

to have recently expanded

our MFL Team to include

Language Assistants:

Ms Celda Real – Spanish,

Ms Arnaud – French and

Ms Tatzel – German

“Kolik jazyků znáš, tolikrát jsi člověkem.” “You live a new life for every new language you speak. If you know only one language, you live only once.” (Czech proverb)

Blackheath high school en français Our ‘French blog’ on the school’s portal was created with the idea

of developing our students’ confidence and fluency in writing

‘outside the textbook,’ about topics in which they are interested.

Some students write about their visit to a music festival or other

interesting event, some about a previous trip to France. The

blog allows creative and more spontaneous writing in French.

It facilitates real communication through sharing ideas or

experiences, understanding, reacting, commenting or expressing

views and opinions. For example, Year 10 were recently writing

book reviews which they posted on the blog, they were then asked

to read and react to each other’s reviews for homework. The blog

was created last summer and is becoming an integral part of the

learning process for some classes.

“I really enjoy the French blog and it is simple to use as work can be uploaded very easily. I enjoy reading other people’s work, especially work from the older girls as it is useful to read different work levels and also very interesting. I think the French blog is a very useful resource and is fun to use too.” Harriet Aubertin

“I think that the French blog is very useful because it helps us practise our French and to learn more vocabulary. I also like the fact that it enables us to interact with others.” Katy Hillier


BHS_6_Text_rev5.indd 11 06/03/2013 14:17


senior sport

Gibraltar Netball Tour 2012 – BHS girls ‘Net-it!’o

ur long awaited netball

tour to gibraltar departed

senior school on Friday 19th

october. netballers from

the u14 and u15 squads, plus two sixth

form helpers and three pe teachers made

up the 28-strong party. after a very early

start on friday morning, we were greeted

in gibraltar with sunshine and a warm

welcome from the tour representative. it

was wonderful to escape the rain in london

and be in sunnier climes.

our hotel rooms enjoyed either sea

views or a view of the rock with monkeys

hanging around on the balcony. after

refreshing, we set out to get some lunch

and explore the beach surrounding the

Hotel. We were in a great location and our

first afternoon was spent relaxing on the

beach, followed by exploring the central

shopping and café area, casemates square.

day 2 was action packed. the continental

breakfast was plentiful – just what we

needed before setting off on a busy day

of sight-seeing and the all-important

netball practice. our guide, eddie, drove us

through the major tunnel under the rock

and explained the occupancy and history

of gibraltar, particularly its involvement

during the World Wars. We then came to

the lighthouse and enjoyed views across

the straits to africa. We jumped on the bus

again and headed up the rock to explore

st michael’s cave. this is a network of

limestone caves located in the upper

rock nature reserve, at a height of over

300 metres above sea level. it was great

to explore and take in the stalagmites and

stalactites. upon exiting the caves, the

monkeys decided to drop in – quite literally!

a few of us had monkeys on our shoulders

and some great photos were snapped.

the afternoon was dedicated to netball

and we arrived at the Victoria sports centre

to meet our netball coach, Keisha, who

plays for the gibraltar national team. she

set out drills to target key skills, and it was

great to challenge ourselves. plus, it was

wonderful to be playing outdoors in the

sunshine. immediately after our intense

training session, each squad played a

friendly match with a local club team. We

were all nervous but keen to play. the

u14 team had a great match and really

demonstrated the driving and dodging

movements practised in training. it was

an excellent game and the u14s came out

BHS_6_Text_rev5.indd 12 06/03/2013 14:17


senior sport

on top, winning 16 – 12. the u15 squad

had to face much tougher opponents and

the score line was not as close. despite

this, players held their heads high and the

performance standard was outstanding.

day 3 sunday, included two morning

netball matches. We were quite tired from

such a busy day previously, so everyone

had equal opportunity to substitute and

rest. again, it was great to play diff erent

teams and to try out the skills we learnt in

the training session. Both gibraltar club

teams were very good and played to a high

standard. they were challenging opposition

teams and it is fair to say we were all well

and truly exhausted after our games. We

thanked the opposition and made our way

back to the hotel for lunch on the terrace.

later in the afternoon, we set off to the

harbour for a dolphin Boat tour. it was

great fun trying to spot the dolphins as

they swam alongside the boat and jumped

through the waves. it was a wonderful way

to fi nish the day.

day 4. monday morning was spent

relaxing on the beach and by the pool.

We played ‘kick-rounders’, built sand

castles, swam and enjoyed the sunshine.

the weather was glorious and it was

wonderful to be able to relax. after lunch

in casemates square, and one fi nal

opportunity to go shopping, we returned

to the sports stadium for our fi nal two hour

training session. our focus this session

was ‘clear leading’ and ensuring our passes

were fi rm and fl at. We also practised some

set plays from the centre

pass.

final day. sadly, on

tuesday 23rd october, we

had to depart gibraltar

and return to london.

Before checking out of

the hotel, every player was

presented with a small

token award in honour

of memorable moments

on tour…and there were

many! But it didn’t stop there… even our

fl ight home was eventful. We were delayed

in departing, so the flight captain invited

passengers to view the cockpit and chat

with the co-pilot. Before we knew it, with

all the discussions about buttons and

the hotel, every player was

monitors, we were back in our seats and

in the air. in no time, at all the coach was

pulling up to the senior school and it was

time to start our Half term holidays. our

netball tour to gibraltar was a success and

great fun was had by all. Miss Reed

BHS_6_Text_rev5.indd 13 06/03/2013 14:17


senior sport

autumn 2012 saw

the senior students

returning enthused after

a wonderful summer of

excellent sport in London. riding

on this enthusiasm, we started the

term with netball training and went

straight into playing matches. We have

been concentrating on developing the

teams into squads across the board

and this is starting to pay off; u12,

u13, u14, u15 squads have all had

significant wins against teams such as

st. dunstan’s, chislehurst and sidcup

grammar and dartford grammar

schools. at the Kent tournaments

so far this year we have produced

confident team performances against

other teams from throughout the

county, including Kent college,

farringtons school, langley girls’

school and Bromley High school.

our commitment to developing team

sports and extra-curricular activities

remains very high and, with the

addition of several new ventures, our

girls have had the opportunity to learn

many new skills.

during the autumn term we

enjoyed basketball coaching sessions

by Joel moore from greenwich sport

academy, who taught and motivated a

determined group of year 10 students

in an after school club. they have

made such progress within a short

space of time and are now ready to

challenge other schools to matches.

our girls have also shown great

enthusiasm in cross-country practices,

despite the poor weather, in readiness

for competitions this term. We have

also had the sports field mapped for

orienteering which our year 10 and 11

students are very much enjoying.

Senior Sport

BHS_6_Text_rev5.indd 14 06/03/2013 14:17

the autumn term began another

busy start to the academic year

for the Junior Pe Department.

girls in years 3, 4, 5 and 6 have

been involved in numerous sessions at the

fi eld and lots of inter-school matches.

Our school also hosted a very successful

Under 9 Netball Tournament.

The Year 6 Netball team are yet to lose a

league game and are training hard, as they

have some tough games in the Spring Term.

Our Year 4 and 5 teams have played well in

both their game fi xtures and tournaments

and show great potential for the future.

Year 3 have had some excellent training

and practice opportunities. They have also

had a practice match against Blackheath

Prep and look set to follow in the footsteps

of the teams that went before them.

In October, 40 Blackheath pupils

travelled to Bromley High to take part in

the Tony James Memorial Cross Country

Competition; there were some fantastic

team and individual results. The Year 6

Hockey team also travelled far afi eld for a

very successful Hockey tournament.

We fi nished off the term with the Y5 and

6 annual inter-house Netball Tournament

where we saw some very close fought

matches and some excellent play, plus

delightful displays of House pride!!

During the Spring Term, the

sporting events programme continues

to grow with Hockey, Netball and

Cross Country even ts hosted by

Blackheath and other local schools.


junior sport

Junior Sportmatches and some excellent play, plus

sporting events programme continues

BHS_6_Text_rev5.indd 15 06/03/2013 14:17

senior art

Head of Art, Mr Whitfi eld, refl ects on his fi rst term at BHS

Senior Art

What an action packed

fi rst term! I have

been given a warm

welcome by the pupils

of Blackheath High School into their

Art department, and that’s what it is:

theirs. By the time a girl has reached

the 6th form, the art department

has become her own art studio and

is no longer just a classroom. that’s

just what i want for it too; for it to be

a space where every pupil can feel

comfortable to bring in any idea and

test it out in an open and experimental

environment where everyone is

included and participates in their

own way. We have a beautiful mix of

individual ideas and group discussion

and criticality. this is what it’s like:

i am standing in the middle of the

studio turning slowly around: there is

a group of y8s making a huge snake

costume with a red fl oppy tongue;

there are three y11s jacked into imacs

researching their exam work; and

there’s that y12 student weaving a

huge sculptural net on the ceiling

like a spider; two y12s melting plastic

bits together to make accessories

for their plastic jerkins; six girls from

several year-groups are continually

walking around a table to some very

funky music rehearsing for the fashion

show; and there’s leah’s face with

an enigmatic mona lisa expression,

projected massively onto the wall. on

the other wall there is a slowly rotating

china doll, and over there is the three-

metre square year 9 collaborative

painting being jigsawed together. clay

sculptures are drying, life drawing

easels are standing nude, the print

press is pressing, pencils are scratching,

paint is splatting, sewing machines are

gnashing, laser-cutters are shooting,

fruit still-lifes are slowly rotting, trompe

l’oeil are tripping the eye, shutters are

snapping, stuff ed birds are keeping very

still and squeegees are splurging…

What a great thing to be standing in

the middle of this.

i’d better leave it there as i just need

to check there is nobody inside that

trunk paola is sawing in half!

“It has been a real pleasure to encounter such passion and talent, and to begin to belong to it.”3Dimensional Art Experimentation

self-Portrait rag Doll planning

cara eddie, y4, art capturing ‘speed’


BHS_6_Text_rev5.indd 16 06/03/2013 14:18

junior art

Children in nursery have been very busy

learning about ‘celebrations’ and creating

some outstanding string paintings of

fireworks and most recently, some charming

christmas decorations out of salt dough. Reception girls

produced some fantastic self-portraits as part of their topic

on ‘Ourselves’. By looking in mirrors, they thought carefully

about using appropriate paint colours and pasta. They also

learnt about celebrations and used clay to make divas for

Diwali.

As part of their topic ‘Yum Yum’, Y1 looked at various still-life

art works depicting fruit. They researched the work of ‘Giuseppe

Archimboldi’ and used paint to create their own fruit portraits!

This term, Y2 also based their art work on their creative

curriculum topic ‘Deep Down Under’. They explored a

variety of media, from watercolour paintings based on

Monet, to clay fish.

Y3 were very busy celebrating Autumn and used sponges

to create eye catching Autumn leaf prints. They also made

three-dimensional Autumn leaves to use in the Harvest

Festival assembly.

Y4 have been studying Abstract Art and used topics on

‘Dreams’ and ‘Movement’ to capture speed and explore

different perspectives.

Along with the wonderful year group art, we have also

participated in various school wide activities including

the GDST’s Christmas Card competition and designed

Christmas cards to purchase.

What a term, full of exciting creative activities!

I have now been teaching Art and

Design to girls in years 5 and 6 for a

whole year at Blackheath High Juniors.

I teach one day a week here and spend

the rest of the week working on my

own art commissions and projects

for galleries and museums across the

country. I love my time at Blackheath

High as it allows me to get back to

the core of ‘making’ and reminds me

why I love art and why I became an

artist (rather than constant meetings,

fundraising and emails that my own

art work often involves). I also find

it very inspiring working with the

girls; absorbing their excitement and

enthusiasm every time they try a new

technique or discover a new artwork

that they like.

My approach to teaching art is

rooted in a desire for the pupils to

make work that is directly meaningful

to them and which relates to

contemporary art and design practice.

In Y5 I put this into practice through

a self-portrait project, in which the

pupils design and make a self-portrait

Rag Doll. Here, they must consider

carefully how they want to represent

themselves through choice of clothing

and this allows them to think more

critically about how we read the

semiotics of clothing in everyday

life. The project is complimented by

learning the principles of how to draw

a face and the study of both historical

and on trend rag dolls.

In Y6, pupils explore their local

environment and social setting

through a ‘public art project’ and a

‘branding project’ for a local market. In

the Autumn Term they were focusing

on the public art project, for which

they were briefed to ‘design a public

sculpture for the Heath.’

In order to do this, they had to

research the history of the heath and

the surrounding area and also consider

its role today, as well as thinking about

how they use it or would like to use

it. There is a strong conceptual side

to this project which, for many, is the

first time of working in this way and

can be a challenge but one worth

taking on. The girls have developed

some fantastic ideas from giant ice

creams that actually contain real ice

cream inside to platforms that the

public are encouraged to stand on

and declare their beliefs in response to

the Blackheath Suffragettes. Through

this project, the girls have been

introduced to conceptual art but also

have developed their drawing skills and

learnt new sculpture techniques when

making their models.

I am looking forward to seeing

the end results of the Spring Term’s

projects during which the Y6 girls will

rebrand Lewisham Market and make

a series of print designs to showcase

their new brand.

Junior Art - Ms Drummond, Art and Design specialist for Y5 and Y6 reviews her first year with BHJS

ice-cream sculpture for

the heath

allanah Bonnar, nFt, salt Dough

christmas Decoration

reception self-Portraits


BHS_6_Text_rev5.indd 17 06/03/2013 14:18

senior draMa

For two evenings in november

our school theatre was

transformed into ‘grangewood

Boarding school for girls’. We

performed “daisy pulls it off” by denise

deegan. it was a tremendously spiffing

evening, watching our heroine daisy

(Hannah good) prove her worth and that

her scholarship to a prestigious school

was well deserved. she made lifelong

friends including trixie martin (lucy

englefield) and overcame difficulties,

namely the exceedingly mean sybil

Burlington (poppy cracknell). all of the

girls played their roles with conviction and

energy, making the scenes of treasure-

hunting full of suspense, the hockey

game a triumphant sporting achievement

and the dare-devil rescue at the end an

extremely exciting scene. there was an

excellent sense of ensemble from the

girls and we all enjoyed the witty script.

Well done girls and thank you for your

continued commitment to drama.

‘Daisy Pulls it off!’


BHS_6_Text_rev5.indd 18 06/03/2013 14:18

junior draMa

in the autumn term, Drama played

a key role across the curriculum

and throughout the year groups.

we have held numerous events,

workshops and christmas productions,

displaying a high standard of skill and

enthusiasm in all year groups.

foundation stage girls have taken part in

a number workshops, including ‘mermaids

and pirates’.” a divali workshop also took

place, where pupils in reception and

nursery re-told the story of ‘rama and sita’

through role play and movement.

the highlight of the drama activities

in Ks2 this term was the gadesden

competition, which took place on thursday

29th november. girls in each year group,

from year 3 to year 6, formed groups of

two to four from the same House to write

and perform their own plays; which had to

be no more than three minutes long. each

year group was given a different scenario

from which to develop a script, for example

‘the suitcase’ for year 3 and ‘the shed’ for

year 6. at the end of a week having been

spent developing, writing and learning their

scripts, the children from each year group

got together to perform their plays. each

group was awarded a mark, graded from

‘pass’ to ‘distinction’ and winners were

chosen from each House to perform at the

finals held the following week. the girls

had a fantastic time producing their plays,

and some brought in costumes, props

and even sound effects to enhance their

performances!

meridian House won, with a superb act

from clementine simpkin, anna Hadingham

and freya Burton-franklin. the girls were

given a prompt called ‘the pet’, and

came up with the idea of a ‘Ware

Hamster’. the girls demonstrated

superb acting and were very funny

and performed their story with an

unusual twist!

towards the end of the autumn

term, Ks1 performed a fantastic

nativity called ‘prickly Hay’.

reception performed a superb

dance to ‘cotton eye Joe’ dressed

as Hill-Billy angels. nursery also

performed a beautiful version of the

christmas story.

the term ended with a wonderful

interactive pantomime of Hansel

and gretel. isobella in 1VW said “i

loved it when gretel made a spell

and the handkerchiefs came out of

his pocket!”

it was a wonderful end of another

successful term, with fantastic

acting and script writing. Well done!

Junior Drama

“It took a lot of hard work and practice, but in the end, our performance was put together well and we made it funny. I enjoyed the week of writing and performing and look forward to it again next year!” Clementine Simpkin 4TS


BHS_6_Text_rev5.indd 19 06/03/2013 14:18

gdst 140th anniVersarY

World Record Science Attempt

Foreign language spelling bee competitionarounD the worLD in 140 worDs

our girls have also been participating in the

gdst’s fi rst foreign language spelling Bee

competition and, during the autumn term,

girls have been practising their spelling skills

in four modern foreign languages, including

mandarin!

the competition is designed to showcase

the linguistic talents of our girls and to

encourage the study of foreign languages,

enabling our girls to leave school with the

confi dence and the competence to succeed

in an increasingly globalised society.

the preliminary rounds have taken place

in school and 18 girls, from year groups 8

and 9 have been chosen to represent our

school in the inter-school rounds this term.


Who says girls don’t do physics?

on tuesday 13th november, we

attempted to enter the World record

Book. a science experiment involving

over 2,300 girls at 26 schools across

the country – 62 of them from

Blackheath High school – measured

gravity in a bid to set the record for

the world’s biggest practical science

lesson in multiple venues.

the experiments measured the value

of acceleration due to gravity. one

measured the time taken for an object

to drop a set distance, and the other

timed a swinging pendulum.

We were delighted to hear, on 9th

January, that we had, indeed, done it!

“It’s really exciting to be part of this world record attempt and

participating in a lesson that involves girls from all over the country. I can’t wait to see if we’ve managed to make

science history!”

“We’re hugely excited to have been part of making science history

particularly as recent studies have shown that women who go to girls’

schools are more likely to study stereotypically male subjects like

physics and chemistry, both at school and at university. We know this to be true from our own experience, with

around 25% of our girls studying A-level physics, compared to the

national average of 1.6%. Taking part in this world record has created even further enthusiasm for science.”

Mrs Laws

BHS_6_Text_rev5.indd 20 06/03/2013 14:18

Fundraising

Senior Fundraising


autumn was another busy term of fundraising

at the senior school, which began with an

impressive harvest Festival ‘cakefest’, an event

where the four houses competed to produce the

most impressive array of cakes (or one big cake)

for sale at breaktime. My particular favourites

this year were the ‘teapot and cups,’ and the

‘Burger, fries and ketchup’ platter!

our ‘children in need’ fundraising efforts

culminated in a highly entertaining year 8 talent

show. mufti days were held to raise money for the

‘Jeans for gene’s campaign and the trust’s Bursary

fund. an impressive £475 was raised for the ‘marie

curie cancer fund’ in addition to fundraising for the

‘poppy appeal’, the ‘samaritan’s and ‘action aid’, the

term’s charitable activities climaxed shortly before

christmas with a frenzy of fundraising for the ‘crisis

at christmas’ charity. nail bars and hair salons were

set-up, festive sugar canes were delivered and mr

parsons auctioned himself as a personal assistant for

the day, ultimately to a syndicate of girls in year 7! in

was an impressive performance that ultimately raised

£923.36 for those less fortunate than ourselves.

the total raised for the autumn term was an

impressive £2,927.30. Well done, girls!

Mr Parsons

BHS_6_Text_rev5.indd 21 06/03/2013 14:18

Junior FundraisingFundraising


the autumn term was packed with charity events. the fi rst

of these was the ‘Dahlicious Dress-up Day’ in aid of roald

Dahl’s charity for children with neurological disorders. the

children and staff came to school disguised as one of the many

and varied dahl characters. it was great fun and quite a spectacle!

not long after this followed ‘Jeans for genes’ and ‘Breast cancer

awareness’. the girls again enjoyed the opportunity to come to

school in ‘mufti’ in exchange for £1 towards these worthy causes.

Harvest festival was celebrated in october and the generous

off erings of food were donated, as usual, to the salvation army to

be distributed to those in need.

the charity prefects worked hard this year to sell all of the

poppies we had in support of the royal British legion, ensuring

that we made a fantastic contribution. on 16th november was

the children in need day. as usual there were several fund-raising

events going on, ranging from pudsey cookies for sale to ‘guess

the weight of the cake’. the girls had a fantastic day and, most

importantly, managed to raise lots of much needed money.

We have continued to support the noah’s ark and schools in

Kenya through the nasio trust. during the autumn term we sent

girls’ school summer dresses and toothbrushes, kindly donated by

our parents. they were very much appreciated by the trust and the

children themselves.

as ever, we are extremely grateful to the continued generosity of

our parents and enthusiasm of our girls and staff which allows us to

support so many diff erent, important charities.

Autumn 2012

“I took the Toothbrushes to Noah’s Ark School where there were so many to choose from that, rather than be handed a toothbrush each, the children were able to choose their own one. Th ank you so much for

bringing a smile to all of their faces.” Nasio Trust

“It has been wonderful to see the

entrepreneurial and community spirit shown by so many of the

girls in arranging their own fund raising activities. All should be

congratulated with a special mention for Dilmi Gunatilake, Jasmine Bassi. Suki Harris and

Phoebe Jones.” Mrs Skevington

children from the noah’s ark school proudly wearing Blackheath high Junior school summer dresses and holding toothbrushes, all of which have been kindly donated by our parents.

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ForthCoMing eVents


Note from Blackheath High School Old Girls’ Association BHSOGA (www.bhsoga.org.uk)

Forthcoming Events

after serving over 30 years on the committee in various roles

caroline owens has retired as chairperson and Jane allerton

has now taken over the role. Jane has been on the committee

for the past six years and is a teacher at Bromley High school.

caroline was presented with a gift from the members at the

agm and reunion which was held at the Junior school at the

end of september and was attended by around 60 members.

the next agm and reunion will be on 12th october 2013.

the oga has recently launched its new website www.bhsoga.

org.uk which allows members to keep in touch more easily

with each other and the oga, and also provides a forum to

share memories and photos and talk about current and future

activities and events.

March

Bhsa easter Fair

9th March, 11am-3pm, Junior School

year 5 anD 6 concert

14th March, 4:00pm, Junior School

Hall

sPring concert

20th March, 7:30pm, Senior School

the teMPest ProDuction

25th March, Greenwich Theatre

Tickets available from the theatre

www.greenwichtheatre.org.uk,

020 8858 7755 or from the Box

Offi ce in person

year 3 anD 4 ProDuction

26th March, 6:30pm, Junior School

Hall

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blackheath high school - autumn 2012

Documents

busy school

gdst school

school community

school events

standalone school

interesting girls

y6 girls