Sport

Basketball

This year, we entered the National Schools Cup competition in Basketball for the first time ever. Both our first games in Round 1 were against the U15 and U18 National Champions. Due to Covid not many schools had entered, and our region was particularly strong. However, our team gave it their all and played well in both games, especially considering our team had few opportunities for team practice over the year. There is much untapped talent, and we hope to promote and develop the sport even more next year.

Mrs Lydia Rayne, Director of Sport

“The basketball team is one of the many amazing things I will never forget about from my time at Downe. Basketball has provided me with a new and amazing outlet. Right now, whilst it may be small, our Basketball team is mighty. I truly believe that due to the dedication of pupils, especially those who are rising in the School now, the team will continue to grow – in both success and size. It is entirely due to the passion of those in the team that I myself joined and have fallen in love with the sport.”

Violet Whittaker (LVI), Captain

Cricket

The Cricket season has been fantastic this year. It has been lovely to have the first full, uninterrupted season, seeing so many teams playing on a weekly basis is a real testament to how hard the girls have been working on their cricket. The U12 teams have played regularly against St Helen’s and St Katherine’s, Queen Anne’s and Wycombe Abbey. Their most notable victory this term came against Queen Anne’s. The U12As showed great fielding prowess, as well as impressive individual batting from Lara Kendall (Remove) and outstanding bowling from Cecelia Harris (Remove). A true team performance to cap off a good first season here at Downe.

The U13 and U14 teams played a mixture of hard and soft ball games in 2022. The highs with both year groups have been the sheer number of participants across LIV and UIV. There have been several A and B matches that have meant over 40 different participants have taken to the cricket field for both the U13 and U14 teams this year, a huge increase on last year’s figures. The U13s also enjoyed two hard ball tournaments, playing in eight matches over two days. Improvements with both the bat and ball were noted and testament to how well the girls have honed their skills.

The U15 teams have enjoyed a very good season to date, reaching Round 3 of the Schools’ Cup (a first for Downe House), only to be knocked out by a very impressive Canford side. Nonetheless, some great bowling spells from Amelia O’Connor (LV) and Gabriella Ford (LV) meant Canford did not have it all their own way. Without a shadow of a doubt, the highlight of the 2022 season was seeing the first XI take to the field at Wormsley Cricket Club. We were hosted graciously by St Edward’s, Oxford, who fielded a very impressive girls side. Although Teddies posted an impressive 241-5, Amelia O’Connor (LV) and Molly Bates (UIV) took four impressive wickets between them to make it an exciting last six overs. Some good bowling work, as well as sharp catches at cover by Motunrayo Morinsola Adeniji (LVI) rounded off a great team performance in the first innings. Hetty Hack (LV) was incredibly impressive as both wicketkeeper and with the bat, however, an exceptionally high run chase proved too challenging for us, and Teddies walked away victorious. This did not dampen the spirits of the girls that epitomised teamwork, attacking and sharp fielding as well as fantastic sportsmanship over the course of the day. A fantastic season by all teams and one that will stand us in very good stead for even better cricket next year.

Miss Tash Bott, Head of Cricket and Teacher of PE

Cross Country And Athletics

We have a very promising Cross Country Junior Team, who qualified to the Regional Final after a third place in Berkshire. The U12 Team won both the Newbury and Berkshire Athletics Competitions and both the U15 & U17 Teams came third in Newbury and the Berkshire Schools. Mia Olsen (Remove), Emilia Bushnell (LIV), Constance Hutchings (LIV), Ella Snow (UV) and Jessica Shakespeare (LVI) are to be commended for their excellent performance throughout the year.

It was great to be back competing in Athletics! When we were competing at full strength, Downe House could win their age groups against everybody else. The U17 team beat a strong Dauntsey’s side and the U14 team placed first, equal with Marlborough, in the May multi school invitational meets.

The LVI and UV major contributors are to be commended for attending as many competitions as possible, Jamie Ojo (LVI), Susannah Wood (LVI), India Sparrow (LVI), Jessica Shakespeare (LVI), Hannah Hurd (UV), Katya Longden (UV), Ruby Dean (UV) and Charlotte Absolom (UV).

Both Junior and Intermediate teams qualified to the Regional Final of the National Schools’ Cup and the Intermediate Team were placed in the top twenty in the country. The U14 and U12 Team won the Newbury Schools’ Championships, and sixteen pupils were selected to represent Newbury in the Berkshire Schools’ Championships. The following competed for Newbury (West Berkshire) in the Berkshire Schools’, this is a great achievement as selection for the team was the top two placed in West Berkshire:

1st Desola Omonijo (LV) - 200m

1st Yevedzo Wasterfall (LV) - Triple Jump

1st Adesola Odeyemi (LV) - Discus

2nd Pearl (Ivie) Avwenagha (UIV) – Shot Put

LV – Isabelle Regis, Georgina Ritchie, Iona Neville and Gabriella Ford

UIV – Natalie Sideso, Lucinda Boucher and Scarlett Hayes

LIV – Constance Hutchings

Remove – Emilia Corroon, Scarlett Wykes, Molly Johnson and Olivia Taylor

Desola Omonijo (LV) and Yevedzo Wasterfall (LV) were selected to represent Berkshire in the English Schools’ Athletics Championships in Manchester in July 2022. Desola placed seventh overall in the 4x100m relay and achieved a personal best in her 200m of 26.06 seconds. Yevedzo competed in the Triple Jump, and both pupils were a year young, so the experience this year was fantastic for them to then go back next year and challenge for the medals when they are at the top end of the U17 age group.

Mrs Lydia Rayne, Director of Sport

Netball

ABBA blasting from the courts will be the lasting memory of the wonderful group of Upper Sixth pupils who kept us smiling as we rebuilt the teams after Covid disruptions, and who taught us that teamwork enables success. They have been committed Netballers throughout their years and this certainly shows in their tactical understanding and fluidity of movement on court.

School Netball Captain Hoi Yiu (Danna) Cheung (UVI), led by example, setting high expectations for her teams and showing relentless determination on court in a whole variety of positions. Vice Captains, Antonia McClintock (UVI) and Isabella Pemberton (UVI), created an atmosphere where everyone was welcome and could achieve their potential, what a super trio of leaders they were.

This year, 29 Netball teams have taken to the court on numerous occasions and the staff have worked hard to ensure everyone who wants to play in a team can. The U15B Team topped our performance charts this season and both the second VII and fourth VII finished their year with a winning streak. It was wonderful to have a full season of matches again, and after two terms of hard work in training, we were delighted to lift the second and third team trophies at the Charterhouse Tournament after a fantastic day of Netball.

Our U19A Team had a rebuilding year, having previously secured three unbeaten seasons prior to Covid disruptions; they were back on court training as a unit to get back to their winning ways. The Junior Netball teams took to the courts with enthusiasm and there were some outstanding performances by our shooters, who will ensure the future of DH Netball remains bright. Extra fitness and training sessions have been popular throughout the year and including the Thursday evening mixed year group Summer League Sessions.

Congratulations to Harriet Manning (LV) and Imogen Baxter (UIV) who were selected to represent Woodley Netball Club this year. Harriet also reached the incredible milestone of 100 hours of volunteering as part of the Pass on Your Passion initiative, run by England Netball, a fantastic achievement and one which will no doubt inspire others to sign up to the scheme.

Hockey

It has been great to be back playing matches again this season, with some very successful results. The Michaelmas term is always busy with the Berkshire Schools’ Tournaments. The 1st XI and U16A teams were both in very tough sections, and without much play the previous year we were rusty. But with every game the teams showed great improvement. The U14s and U15s both showed great skill and determination, both coming third, just missing out on regionals on penalty flicks - a skill to practise in the future! The senior teams had some great matches and finished off the season with an inaugural Radley College mixed game, which was played as part of our growing partnership with the College.

Many girls were successful in gaining places in their county age group teams. Congratulations to Jessica Shakespeare (LVI) U17, Cecilia Stone (UV) and Zara Reeve (UV) U16, Natalie Sideso (UIV) and Mia Corbett (UIV) U14 and Poppy McClymont (Remove) U13. The Upper Sixth have loved being part of all the Hockey teams whilst we have been at Downe, we will really miss it next year.

Lauren Raeburn-Ward (UVI), Hockey Captain

Squash

Downe House had an excellent year for Squash. We had seven teams enter National Schools’ Championships, which runs over both Michaelmas and Lent term. Each team must progress through stage one and two of the competition to reach the finals in March, where the top schools battled it out to be crowned National Champion. We had three teams enter at U14, two teams at U16 and two teams at Senior level. All teams compete together in one competition; it is not divided up into A, B, C events. After some tough opposition in rounds one and two we managed to get six teams through to the National Finals, which were played in Nottingham at the end of Lent term.

On day one it was the turn of our U14A, B and C teams. The matches were tough and the girls should be proud of their progress. After a long day we just missed out on a national title by one game! We came away as second, third and seventh nationally. Day two saw our U16 Team compete. They had a very strong draw and unfortunately just missed out on two crucial victories. They still managed to come seventh in the country! On the final day of the competition two senior teams took to the court. Our first team played well and managed to secure seventh place and our second team won the plate, so came away with a gold medal. Downe House was by far the most well represented school in the entire competition!

Outside of National Schools’, we had some friendly mixed socials, pupil vs teacher matches as well as friendly fixtures against other schools. Two UVI pupils, Théa Hawtin and Ceara Bastin, also had the opportunity to play with Paul Coll, British Open Champion and World Number 1. What an amazing experience for them both and we hope this inspires them, and other Downe House girls, to pursue Squash at school and long into the future.

Mrs Katie Lauder, Assistant Director of Sport (Performance)

Tennis

Tennis at Downe during the Summer term was amazing. It has been so much fun being outside in the sun and getting competitive with both friends and other schools. There have been many incredible wins across all teams, which we hope will continue! My highlight would have to be the friendly matches with Eton College, it was a great way to spend the afternoon and of course an exceptional level of tennis was played. The most recent matches have been a challenge due to the lack of players due to A Levels and GCSEs, but the Lower Sixth have really stepped up and although we have slightly dented the winning streak, we gave it our best shot!

Cordelia Reeve (LVI), Tennis Captain

Swimming

This year has been busy for the swim team. After two years of not being able to swim due to the pandemic, we started off the season at the Berkshire School Relays. The Junior Team came forth in their freestyle relay and sixth in their medley relay, which is an amazing result for their first gala. The Intermediate Team (Isabelle Regis (LV), Emily Regis (UIV), Rebecca Ang (UIV) and Georgina Ritchie (LV)) came first in the county for both relays and broke a 14-year-old School record in the medley. The Senior Team (Kexuan (Angela) Zou (UV), Gwyneth Choi (UVI), Pattrawaran (Teal) Uahwatanasakul (UVI) and Ruby Dean (UV)) also came first in the county for both relays.

Next up in the Lent term we had the Winter Swim Meet for the U12s and U14s who came first and second respectively out of four schools, with Downe House finishing as the top boarding school.

The British Modern Biathlon Championships were held at the end of February and two age groups competed for national titles. The U12 Team (Alexa Peschkoff (Remove), Elizabeth Squire (Remove) and Alexia Walker (Remove)) came sixth with the U13 Team (Alice Bevan (LIV), Evie Pilgrim (LIV) and Emily Mulford (LIV)) coming an impressive third in the country. Isabelle Regis competed individually in the U16 category and with an amazing performance, coming forth in the country.

The infamous GSA gala took place on 22 March in which nine schools took part, with a McDonald’s trip on the way back to School as our main motivation – along with the Bronze medal for Downe House.

The two teams who previously competed in the earlier Biathlon Championships went on to compete in March in the British Schools’ Biathlon Finals at Bath University. Everyone finished with improved scores from the February competition and the U14 Team (Emily Regis (UIV), Natalie Sideso (UIV) and India Evans (UIV)) came second in the country.

Our final gala of the year in May was the Independent Boarding Schools Relays Gala with nine schools competing. Our U13 freestyle relay team (Alexa Peschkoff (Remove), Emily Mulford (LIV), Emily Laing (LIV) and Evie Pilgrim (LIV)) came second. The U15 medley and freestyle team of Isabelle and Emily Regis, Rebecca Ang and Natalie Sideso won Gold medals in both their events. The Senior Team of Gwyneth Choi (UVI), Madeleine (Maddi) Hales (UVI), Amy Wright (LVI) and Kexuan (Angela) Zou (UV) finished second. Scores were added up from all three age groups for the overall trophy and Downe House managed to win by one point!

Over the last two terms, we have won 18 matches, lost three and drawn in one, while achieving a phenomenal 137 personal best times. Madeleine (Maddi) Hales also broke a School record (Senior 25m backstroke) in a gala against Kennet and The Downs.

After seven years at Downe House, we want to say a huge thank you to Mrs Machin for supporting us through it all and always persevering when we said we didn’t want to swim! We are also fortunate to have gained our Assistant Swimming Teachers qualification in the Michaelmas term.

We have fond memories of our time in the Swim Team and we both hope to continue swimming in the future.

Gwyneth

Choi and Madeleine (Maddi) Hales (UVI)

Volleyball

After a slow start, the Volleyball Club picked up pace and grew in numbers, largely inspired by the Captain and Coach, Hoi Yiu (Danna) Cheung (UVI). As there are so few schools nearby that play Volleyball, it is difficult to arrange fixtures but that did not deter the committed members of this club who attended regularly and worked hard to improve technique and skill level.

In the Lent term we finally had our first match, against TASIS (The American School in Surrey), who are very strong in this sport! Under Danna’s keen gaze, we eagerly trained and prepared for this match-up, until one-by-one six of the strongest players had to pull out due to Covid – including Danna! Undeterred we went ahead and had a super fixture despite being somewhat outmatched in ability. The team played well and put some respectable points on the board, although we lost 0-2 overall. There was great camaraderie when we mixed the teams, allowing them to enjoy longer rallies and learn from each other.

At the start of the Summer term, we hosted a re-match which was a completely different, and even more enjoyable, experience. We trounced them in the first set, 25-12, then allowed them a narrow victory in set two, 21-25 and sadly let them win in the third set, 13-15. Nevertheless, it was a thrilling match with superb rallies and amazing team spirit, and we know we WON that match!

Outdoor volleyball was now on offer in PE lessons and the Club continued to grow to include younger members. This resulted in a fixture for the U15 Team, also against TASIS. Our team included a mix of UIV and LV, who had never trained together before and some had only started playing Volleyball that term. They all played extremely well and won the match 2-1. Special mention to Yunyi (Michelle) Jiang (LV) and Zhi Ling (Lauren) Chu (LV) whose experience and expertise helped secure the win.

Overall, it was an outstanding year for Volleyball in terms of the interest and improvement in skill level, both individually and as a team. Congratulations to all who played in the matches this year, and especially to those who have shown huge commitment to the weekly training sessions. Your dedication has not gone unnoticed. Finally, a huge thank you to Danna, who will forever be our inspiration in Volleyball. She has coached and captained the Volleyball Club for the past two years, researching drills to help with skill development and dispensing her invaluable experience and expertise as an advanced player. Danna has handed on the captaincy to Sayuri Shukawa (LVI) who will be ably assisted by Motunrayo Morinsola Adeniji (LVI), as Vice-Captain. These two are determined to maintain the legacy that Danna has created and to continue to grow with the Club.

Mrs Nicola Riddle, Teacher of PE

Inter-house sports in the Summer term started off with House Tennis and House Volleyball. Everyone dressed up in their House colours and were ready to play. Half of each House was doing Volleyball and the rest were playing Tennis, this was a great way to end the term with some friendly competition between the Houses. In Volleyball, Aisholt won all their matches, but everyone was trying their best – we could hear the cheering and support all the way from the tennis courts. Cricket was the following day and everyone was involved, whether they were fielding or batting. The Inter-House Sports finished with Sports Day on Saturday as part of Founder’s Weekend.

Sports Day is certainly one of the highlights of the School calendar, it gives all our pupils the opportunity to come together and use teamwork to try their hardest and compete against other houses. The healthy competition between the houses always creates great House spirit and camaraderie. It is a great opportunity for everyone to give their allocated event their best shot, whether it be something they compete in frequently or (in many cases) their first go. All in all, Sports Day was a perfect example of how the hard work and dedication of both pupils and teachers - and favourable weather - can result in a great day that we will all remember!

This year has felt special. The girls have been back training and competing with very few restrictions in place. The past few years really highlighted how much we all value movement in our lives and I know many of the scholars found it tough to be without their competitive outlet.

We have seen many of our scholars back out on the court, pitch, track and pool competing for their school, club, county and country. Their consistent hard work is really starting to pay off! Many of our scholars are now training in the gym twice a week which has helped to build a really strong foundation for other forms of training. We have continued with our weekly conditioning session as well as weekly mobility sessions too. The girls are starting to understand the importance of listening to your body and knowing when to push and knowing when it is time to pull back a little.

We felt extremely lucky to welcome Kate French, Olympic Gold Medallist in Modern Pentathlon into School to give the girls a taster workshop followed by a Q&A. The girls thoroughly enjoyed learning the skill of shooting! Kate concluded her Q&A by showing us her Olympic Gold Medal and I know that all the scholars found the evening both inspiring and insightful.

During the summer, our scholar, Kexuan (Angela) Zou (UV) competed in the Senior Women’s Lacrosse World Cup in America. She represented China, which was an incredible opportunity at only 16 years of age. Angela scored her first international goal on day one and her second during China’s final placement game as they defeated Latvia! Angela will be sharing her experience with other scholars upon her return next academic year- we can’t wait to hear all about it!

I would also like to take this opportunity to say goodbye to our leaving scholars: Olivia Monckton (UVI), Iona Neville (LV), Lauren Raeburn-Ward (UVI) and Poppy Wessely (UVI). Thank you for all you have given to Downe House Sport over the years, and we wish you the best of luck for the future.

Mrs Katie Lauder, Assistant Director of Sport (Performance)

Our annual Founder’s Weekend was a spectacular celebration of the many talents and achievements of our pupils, and it was made extra special as we marked 100 years of the School’s move to our beautiful woodland campus in Cold Ash.

We took every opportunity to celebrate and commemorate the history of the School and the people who have made it what is today – its founders, former and current pupils and staff!

The special Centenary-themed event saw us open the School gates for an action-packed weekend of performances, productions and exhibitions to create our biggest ever community gathering; including current pupils and their families, members of our alumnae community, staff and their families and, for the first time, members of our local community – our friends and neighbours from the surrounding area. It truly brought together the whole Downe House community.

The girls got the weekend started with a bang – as the starting pistol sounded to begin the annual inter-House Sports Day competition on Saturday morning. As pupils and families alike gathered on the sports field for a morning of track and field events, the Houses took the opportunity to raise funds for their House charities, selling items created by the pupils and housestaff.

With the sun shining, everyone was able to enjoy their picnic lunches in the grounds of the main campus, with the Cloisters being the focal point which was again home to a large festival screen streaming performances and videos throughout the weekend and was the venue for the premiere of a very special Spirit of Downe House film, which celebrates our Centenary and features alumnae, pupils and staff. There truly was something for everyone on Saturday, which also featured a range of incredibly popular Virtual Reality experiences, a Festival stretch tent packed with activities and performances including a Culturalicious experience from the Languages department, STEM workshops with coding and a chance to meet Olive our resident robot. The stretch tent also provided the perfect venue for our musicians and featured performances by pupils and staff – Music Alive!, Buskers’ Corner and, as the sun set on the first day of Founder’s Weekend, live Jazz with canapes – a particular treat for those who stayed to watch The Lion King on Saturday evening.

Mrs Kirsty Richardson, Director of Drama and Dance

“These have certainly been challenging times in our world and remain so, but the way in which our extraordinary young women worked together throughout the Founder’s

Moving Memories Dance Showcase

This centenary-themed dance show saw dancers from across the school bring to life some of the most memorable figures from the history of Downe House through a wide variety of dance genres. Performed by pupils who take part in extra-curricular dance programmes alongside dancers from the Dance Academy and Company, the girls gave us a wonderful and sometimes thought-provoking glimpse into the life of the School through the years.

Lord Of The Flies

The Upper Fifth pupils’ adaptation of William Goudling’s classic gave us as we’ve never seen it before. In the midst of a deadly viral pandemic that has plagued the globe, children are being sent to quarantine districts to try and survive. However, when the children arrive at District 3, they find themselves alone with no adult or order in their lives. Could this group of children establish democracy among themselves, or would they succumb to the temptations of anarchy? In this dynamic and gritty production, the girls unpicked the original story’s concept of savagery and questioned what that would look like in a dystopian context with an all-female cast. The girls certainly rose to the challenge and made it their own.

The Lion King

Girls from across the entire School give a simply jawdropping production of the smash hit musical The Lion King (Jr). Complete with a full parade of animals, including an audience walk-through by an elephant, giraffes, zebras and many other animals during the stunning opening sequence, there were powerful performances across the board, from the lead characters and the ensembles alike, and some outstanding renditions of The Lion King classics including ‘Can You Feel The Love Tonight’ and the much-loved ‘Hakuna Matata’. Supported by a dedicated and invaluable backstage crew, the girls certainly took us on a magical adventure through the African Savanah that left us singing the songs for days!

“I found the rehearsal process leading up to the performances so much fun. We rehearsed in groups every Monday and Thursday evening to practise individual scenes or songs. It was really exciting to see the whole play come together in our last few rehearsals, especially considering the limited time we had to rehearse in the evening slots. I loved seeing our head pieces for the first time, it was a lot to get used to and Rose, Alice and I really had to practice being aware of them when moving around! When Founder’s was approaching, people were growing nervous and rehearsals could get intense, but the staff made sure to take great care of us. The weekend of the show came around quickly, and we were introduced to the amazing makeup artists who would do each character’s face paint and makeup. During the show, the Drama studio became very busy and full of excitement. The backstage team were also very helpful and a crucial part to making the play run smoothly – we are so thankful to them! It was an opportunity to have fun, get to know more people and put on a great performance to remember for a lifetime!”

Dhyaana Shourie (UIV) - Scar

“In the midst of our Founder’s Weekend celebration this year, the Lower School along with the UIV held a wonderful production of the well-loved musical The Lion King. Led by an amazing team of teachers such as Mrs Watson, the director, Mr Castell, Mrs Archer-Raath and Mr Brown, the musical directors along with choreographers, they staged a jaw-dropping performance that kept the audience captivated all the way through. As an audience member, I could not look away from this colourful celebration created by the detailed props and costumes that really mimicked the plains of Africa and their inhabitants. Every person that entered the stage performed to their fullest, whether they were part of the ensemble or the main cast, really proving the power of collaboration and effort. And I must confess, that I did shed a tear at Mufasa’s death scene even though I have seen the production and watched the movie many times.”

Thea Davies (LVI)

BUSKERS’ CORNER

As is so often the case, the sun shone upon Buskers’ Corner. There were a few minor scuffles with argumentative gusts of wind, but nothing a few pegs and an extra pair of hands could not easily control! And so, the music flowed with the usual flair, variety and superb musicianship on display to a happy and supportive audience.

We heard Ivory Leung (Remove) and Anson Leung (LVI) playing , four hands on one piano; Alice Pernthaller (UVI), Cheuk Wah (Sara) Lee (LVI), and Melissa (Millie) Hulse (UV) performed Ricky Montgomery’s ‘Line Without a Hook’; and Chenxi (Thalia) Li (LVI) gave a spellbinding rendition of John Williams’ ‘Theme to . We had Anson with Cheuk Wah (Sara) Lee on guitar and Alice Pernthaller singing ‘ Elysees’; Downe’s own Trio Sempre Giocando (Anson Leung, Katie Lam, and Cheuk Wah (Sara) Lee (LVI)), performed Elton John’s music for the song, ‘Can You Feel the Love Tonight’, from TheLion King, played with exquisite finesse and style; and Melissa (Millie) Hulse gave us a poignant rendition of ‘ from . Enyi (Christina) Zhao (UIV) enchanted the audience with a very lyrical and expressive Intermezzo for solo piano by Brahms; and Antonia McClintock, Alice Pernthaller, and Sophia Loftus (UVI) performed ‘ d’, from the musical Wicked. The event was rounded off with a solo piano performance from Anson Leung – Gershwin’s ‘ , played with such panache and assured musicianship. To sit in the sunshine and listen to this eclectic blend of musical performances, given so happily by such impressively talented young musicians, was a highlight at Founder’s Weekend 2022, and an outright treat.

Bring The House Downe

The pupils had a wonderfully boisterous end to the weekend with the return of this much-loved pupils’ own ensemble competition, back after a two-year break. The competition attracted 26 entries and after the Preliminary Rounds, nine groups made it through to the Finals – and what a fantastic competition it was for our young musicians. The atmosphere in the Farr Centre was electrifying throughout and after the panel of judges had deliberated, before the stunning ‘Trio Sempre Giocando’ were crowned as worthy winners of this year’s competition. Of course, no ‘Bring the House Downe’ competition is complete without an audience vote and the Cup for ‘The Most Entertaining Performance’ was solely in the hands of the audience – and the winners were ‘River Flows in Us’, following this talented quartet’s brilliant ‘mashup’ of

“We were so excited to win the

Sing Up

An outstanding performance of choral music at its very best from our multi-award-winning choir Prima Voce with special appearance by Katie Hackman, DH 2019 Alumna who is currently training at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire in Vocal and Operative Performance.

‘Siren’; the Main ‘Home Fires’, which really set conduct the choir singing ‘King of Glory, King of Peace’

‘Et Misericordia’ Howells’ ‘King David’

‘Ave Maria’ song in Danish: ‘Lyse Nætter’ by Aske Bentzon and Alberte

‘A Clare Benediction’ ‘Joshua’. The

Founders

FOUNDER’S CONCERT

The long-awaited return of a concert with a full live audience, since the restrictions of lockdown! Featuring all the School’s music ensembles and choirs – Founder’s Orchestra, Sinfonia, Once Removed, Treblemakers, In Harmony and Prima Voce – the programme embraced a wide variety of musical styles from a glimpse of Broadway and spot of Riverdance through to Gospel, Pop and Music for TV. Something for everybody! The concert finale brought together all our choirs from across the School for the first time in three years to sing as one community – very much in the spirit of our Founder, Olive Willis.

‘Lord of the Dance’

‘Tequila’ had everyone singing along and we were ‘Sorry Don’t Worry’

‘Why We Sing’

The Murray Centre and Nickel Room were transformed into gallery spaces which displayed the stunning artwork and creative works of our pupils. With Art, Textiles, Photography and 3D Design works on display, the Murray Centre was a hive of activity throughout the entire weekend. The Nickel Room was transformed into a exhibition hall featuring artifacts from the Archives as well as artworks and poetry created specifically to commemorate our Cold Ash Centenary.

The Creative Arts departments, which comprise Art, Photography, Textiles, and 3D Design proudly presented exhibitions across the School site over Founder’s Weekend. Garments by A Level Textiles pupils were the focal point at the entrance of the main exhibition in the Murray Centre and demonstrated skill, flare, imagination and the fusion of an array of creative techniques. GCSE pieces were displayed on the lower floor and were hung from scaffold so that viewers were afforded an interactive experience.

The Art department showed work by LV and UV GCSE pupils alongside A Level pieces by members of the LVI and UVI. Outcomes were based on personal investigations and all who saw it were astounded by the skill and versatility demonstrated by the participants.

The exhibition of AS and A Level Photography took place in the Collaboration Space towards the rear of the Murray Centre, and it is fair to say that the work would not look out of place at a degree show. Imagery was broad ranging and experimental and it was fantastic to see the development of photography into alternative media such as print, textiles, glass, and sculpture.

Pieces from the 3D department included an UVI A Level desk/table welded in steel with glass shelves. Alongside this, visitors could enjoy looking at a range of developmental work including small scale models, full scale mock-ups and assembly jigs.

In addition, there were beautifully crafted Key Stage 3 insect, fish and ‘scene’ sculptures as well as flying bird mobiles hung from a scaffold gantry over the stairwell.

Some stunning Remove - UIV Art and Textiles work was on display in the Pottery Room and the Textiles Studio, which included portraits of the queen to mark the Platinum Jubilee, ceramic boats and houses, lino prints, lavender hearts, embroidered bags and stitched canvas paintings.

In the Nickel Room there was a special Downe House Centenary Exhibition which featured a display of archive material alongside creative work by Textiles, Art, and English students.

In their Art lessons the UIV made resin-coated Pop Art portraits of the legendary Miss Nickel, as well as lino prints and collage/pen/ink pieces depicting Downe House headmistresses, and notable alumnae and staff. Further responses to the centenary theme took the form of wonderful Grayson Perry-inspired ceramic vessels, and Lower School Art Award Holders referred to archival photographs to inspire portrait pieces using print and mixed-media.

Some of the Lower Fifth Textiles pupils created a collaborative wall hanging depicting our Founder, Olive Willis. The background was made using a rag rugging technique and featured the Pepper Pot on the left, and Chapel to the right.

In addition, the English department led their students in writing poetry that responded to poems from the archives which was featured around the room.

Sunday was Community Day – dedicated to our pupils, to our alumnae and members of our local community. Starting with yoga for our pupils in the Cloisters, followed by a leisurely brunch for pupils and alumnae, as well as the open afternoon for neighbours of the School – Sunday had a very relaxed vibe.

There were opportunities to watch many of the performances from Saturday, lots of fun activities including bungy-trampolining, festival face painting and even a magician, as well as the fun and ever-so-slightly competitive alumnae vs pupils lacrosse and hockey matches on the sports field, cheered on by family and friends on the side-lines.

Firm favourites of the afternoon for our pupils were The Great Downe House Bake Off, especially as they were able to eat the entries once judging was complete, as well as the exciting Bring the House Downe music ensemble competition. We called time on this year’s event with a delicious BBQ supper provided by our outstanding Catering department.

Downe House and Radley College have enjoyed close relations for a long time; their proximity and their many shared values mean that siblings often attend the schools, and there have been many socials and other collaborative projects involving boys and girls from both schools over many years.

In 2020, pupils and staff at both schools started to explore the possibility of broadening the scope of our collaboration and formalising it into a coherent strategy. In the same year, the social media campaign ‘Everyone’s Invited’ had highlighted the need for all schools to work hard to build positive relationships between boys and girls, and so the desire to work more closely with Radley was also a response to this.

A committee of six Upper Sixth pupils was established in both schools and these groups met on several occasions to decide on a way ahead. The groups presented their ideas and plans to the Headmistress and the Warden of Radley in October 2021: they did a brilliant job and the project was taken forward enthusiastically.

The Downe House team of Sixth Formers – Deborah (Ayanfe) Adedeji, Hoi Yiu (Danna) Cheung, Maddi Hales, Poppy Wessely, Rosie Montague and Sophie Kelly – and their Radley counterparts have done a superb job initiating and running this project. In the first year alone, over 30 varied collaborative projects – academic, cocurricular and social – have taken place involving pupils from UIV upwards. This is a student-driven project and those involved have worked hard with staff at both schools to agree the vision and objectives of the strategic partnership and to broaden the range of activities completed by the girls and boys.

Vision of the Radley College-Downe House Strategic Partnership:

By working together on mutually beneficial projects, both schools provide all pupils with direct and meaningful experience of working with the opposite sex, preparing them fully for life beyond school while retaining the integrity and value of single sex education. Relationships of respect are created through academic, cocurricular and social interactions. In formalising our long-standing links, we ensure that plans are sustainable and the impact is measurable.

A summary of the Objectives:

To create relationships of respect between pupils

To provide opportunities for personal development

To promote academic excellence

One notable success in terms of academic collaboration has been the Humanities Symposium, which was hosted by Downe House in May 2022. This event stretched some of the two schools’ most academically curious Year 10 and Year 12 pupils. The plan is for Radley to host a STEM Symposium in the Spring term of 2023, and for the two symposia to become annual events. Another exciting collaboration in the Michaelmas term was between the two History Departments. Radley opened its extensive WWI archive to Downe House girls, and our own archivist provided information about our alumnae’s and other local women’s contribution to the Great War effort. These sources enabled some excellent historical research which was conducted by teams of pupils from both schools.

The group of six Radley UVI boys and six Downe House girls who comprised the original committees have now passed the baton on to the same number of pupils in the year below. This new team, which has renamed the partnership as ‘The Respect Project’, met in June 2022 to get to know each other and to start planning how to enhance the Project further.

The new Respect Project Teams from both schools have several exciting developments in mind. They are planning a new collaborative Debating Society and additional sporting events. Also, they will be trained to talk to younger pupils about consent and related issues with a view to leading discussions with the younger pupils in their school about building positive relations with the opposite sex.

Mr Matthew Godfrey, Deputy Head, Downe House

It has been wonderful, to see the Murray Centre shake off its pandemic quiet and return to its proper role at the centre of School life. Always flooded with light, even on a dull day, the building exudes warmth and welcome. Most of us have occasion to pass through the building at least once a day, whether it be to undertake private study, to attend an assembly, lesson or tutor meeting, visit the library or simply get together with friends. The tuck shop and the drinks machine are an undoubted attraction and the icing on the cake (excuse the pun) has been the reopening of the Murray Centre Coffee Shop in the New Year. It has been lovely to welcome Debbie and Harriet to the Murray Centre team. Between them, they run the coffee shop between 9.30am –11.30am and 2pm – 5.30pm every weekday and from 10am-12 noon on a Saturday, offering a range of goodies - from the ever-popular lemon drizzle cake to cookies, popcorn and pretzels. Cold iced tea drinks have gone down a treat as well.

Throughout the year, the Murray Centre has hosted a range of events from Open Mornings for new and prospective parents, to Happy Day when it was turned into an airport terminal! We have been delighted to finally launch the long-planned Murray Centre Residency Programme during which our academic departments can take advantage of the versatility of the building to showcase their subject. The Residency Programme kicked off in style when the Science department moved in for a week in November. Displays, including one on Women in Science, quizzes and competitions proved to be popular and the lunchtime demonstrations by some of our Science teachers were a highlight. We welcomed Physicist and Oceanographer, Helen Czerski, who gave us a fascinating insight into her adventures and research on an expedition to the ice floes of the Arctic Ocean.

In the first part of the Lent term, it was the turn of the History department who chose the theme of Global History. Remove pupils produced a timeline of global historical events called ‘Meanwhile, Elsewhere’ and the Murray Centre was adorned with life-size cardboard cut outs of well-known figures in history and politics. Sixth Form pupils from around the globe gave us some fascinating presentations on the history of their country at lunchtimes and we were delighted to welcome virtually the historian, Jerry Brotton, who shared his research into the connections between Elizabethan England and the Islamic world.

Hot on the heels of the History department came the English department who played a key role in our Festival of Literature in the second half of the Lent term, and we even managed to squeeze in the Learning Skills department who were celebrating Neurodiversity Week.

For most of the Summer term, the Murray Centre fulfilled its educational role with almost every table and desk occupied by hard-working pupils preparing for exams - from 8am right the way through until 10pm. Events, however, continued with the Collaboration Space hosting a Black Classicists Exhibition celebrating the important role of African Americans in Classics. There was a colourful interlude provided in June by our GSA when we celebrated Pride Month and covered the Centre in rainbow bunting, and we ended the year on a high with the Murray Centre, yet again, demonstrating its versatility, providing the perfect backdrop to an exhibition of pupils’ artistic work as part of the Founder’s Weekend celebrations.

The Murray Centre Library has truly returned to ‘business as usual’ this year. It not only provides a peaceful haven for private academic study but has never been busier in terms of the number of visitors coming to browse and borrow from the wide collection of books and magazines. All Remove and Lower and Upper Fourth pupils enjoy a reading lesson in the library every fortnight – a time when they can be inspired and supported by English and Library staff in their book choices. Our new library system, Oliver, now gives each pupil their own personal library account where they can renew and reserve books, explore the catalogue and get personal reading recommendations. Within Oliver, ‘Learn Path’ offers a one-stop shop of high quality, curated academic resources for every age group that can significantly enhance learning in all subjects.

We have continued to expand and update our book collections this year, especially ensuring that the latest fiction titles for teenagers and young adults are available to borrow. There has been an explosion in the popularity of graphic novels, so we are investing in these, too. Our wellbeing section is another important focus so that we can offer relevant and up-to-date advice and support to our pupils across a range of issues that they may be facing.

Bookbuzz

This year’s Book Trust Bookbuzz initiative, where each member of Remove is gifted a book of their choice from a set of new titles, was thoroughly enjoyed by the pupils. After sharing their thoughts on their chosen book with a group, they were then challenged to write an illustrated book review, with the best five winning prizes.

Well done to this year’s Bookbuzz Challenge winnersHarriet Cull, Fong Fan (Charmaine) Hui, Mia McLennan, Mia Olsen and Alexia Walker.

Dhsa Short Story Competition

The annual DHSA (Downe House Seniors’ Association) Short Story Competition is a wonderful opportunity for our pupils to flex their creative writing muscles and share their thoughts on a given theme. This year, Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee was the inspiration with each school section writing on a theme taken from one of Her Majesty’s personal qualities. The story content did not have to relate to the Queen, the themes were purely to spark ideas. The Sixth Form were given the theme of Dignity, Upper School had Endurance and Lower School wrote on Wisdom.

The winners of the short story competition were: Lower School: Sophia Bones, Rosie Ilott and Aryana Patel-Sharma.

Upper School: Annabel Trew (overall winner), Felicity Harris and Isabelle Ashworth.

Sixth Form: Lauren Akinluyi, Mary Hazlitt, Charlotte Butterworth.

We were thrilled to be joined for lunch by some familiar faces from the judging panel as well as the English department. It was wonderful to see everyone bonding over a love of literature. We are immensely grateful to the DSHA for their generous sponsorship of this event and we cannot wait to read next year’s stories!

Literary Seniors

This is an important role for two of our Sixth Form pupils who work with the Library and the English department, playing an important part to ensure that literature is valued across our whole community. Our thanks go to Ashley Wong and Sophie Kelly for their contributions during 2021-22 and we look forward to working with Fife Akinkugbe and Longwen (Vivi) Lei over the coming year.

Lower School Reading Ambassadors

This year, for the first time, the Lower School houses have appointed Reading Ambassadors as one of their positions of responsibility. They have proved to be a great addition to the Library team. Not only are they trained to be Library Assistants, checking books in and out, reshelving and writing book recommendation cards, but they also run events, write reviews and inspire a love of reading in their houses too.

The fantastic Finding Balance wellbeing programme has continued this year with regular access to morning and evening yoga, sound baths and forest bathing to name just a few of the brilliant activities on offer. Our in-house programme continued too with each house finding innovative ways to focus on finding balance and help develop positive wellbeing strategies that the pupils can use in their daily lives.

As part of our wellbeing programme, the girls took part in bedtime yoga. The sessions, led by Rachael Archer, lasted about 15 minutes and finished shortly before their bedtime, allowing the girls to drift off to sleep. The pupils gathered in the House common room, rolled out a yoga mat each and did some gentle stretching with some meditation to calm their minds. This was very popular and there were more participants with each week.

The wellbeing hampers continue to be popular in houses too, allowing the pupils to dip in and out of the various soothing lotions, relaxation remedies and well-being related items as they need them. Our wellbeing favourite, puppy therapy, returned and many of the pupils enjoyed spending some downtime playing with the puppies.

An exciting new wellbeing venture comes in the form of our newly established Wellbeing Committee which has been established by some of our Lower Sixth pupils and will be rolling out as a whole School pupil committee next academic year. Ten pupils have undergone training to be Wellbeing Ambassadors, who will now be able to develop the School’s wellbeing agenda, increase understanding of positive wellbeing techniques through education and will encourage all pupils to be open and proactive about safeguarding their mental and physical wellbeing.

Mrs

The aim of the Scholars’ Programme at Downe House is to ensure that Academic Award Holders have a wide range of choice and opportunities available to have their intellectual life enriched through stimulating and substantive academic endeavours, and that they take a lead in encouraging and sharing their love of learning with their peers.

This has been a really busy and successful year for our Academic Scholars, which has seen girls take part in a huge range of events:, termly Academic Research Conferences and a lecture on antisemitism and the Holocaust from a visiting US Professor; UIV Scholars’ Book Club led by Mrs Hill, termly Academic Research Essay Seminars for the LV; termly Eton Book Club evenings at Eton for our Sixth Form scholars, as well as the introduction of some superb initiatives: Train of Thought Magazine (Scholars’ Magazine), Footsteps (LV Scholars’ Essay publication) and scholars’ movie and pizza evenings. Debating has really taken off too, with girls of all ages taking part in Debating Workshops run by a leading UK debating coach, and Sixth Formers taking part in the Oxford Schools Debating Competition in the Lent term.

Christmas Supper And Quiz

Alice Pernthaller, Head of Scholars Senior (UVI), organised a brilliant Christmas Supper and Quiz during the Michaelmas term, which was a lovely way to bring the Scholars’ community together for an evening of stimulating conversation, fiendishly difficult quiz questions and great company! The theme was ‘Come as your Academic Inspiration’ and there were some super outfits.

BATTLE OF THE SCHOLARS’ QUIZ

Sio I (Melinda) Leong, Head of Scholars Senior (LVI), masterminded a superb quiz night with Award Holders for Academic, Art, Drama, Sport and Music battling it out to see which category would be crowned the winning team! It was a fun event with rounds on general knowledge, art, drama, music, STEM and sport. First place was shared between the Drama and Academic Scholars! It was a lovely way to celebrate our Scholars at Downe House and to bring all award holders together.

SCHOLARS’ THEATRE TRIP TO SEE THE OCEAN AT THE END OF THE LANE

In February, academic scholars from Remove to Upper Fifth went to see the National Theatre production of Neil Gaiman’s The Ocean at the End of the Lane. Girls had previously read the book (and much discussion was enjoyed in UIV Scholars’ Book Club) and the aim of the trip was to discuss and analyse the difference between the novel and the play. It was a beautiful production that had us crying, cowering under our seats and, at the end, almost lost for words!

COMPETITION SUCCESS!

The Michaelmas term started off with the wonderful news that Tacita Rhys Williams (UV) was shortlisted for the Theology Essay Prize in the John Locke Essay Competition, run by Oxford and Princeton Universities. The John Locke Institute encourages young people to cultivate the characteristics that turn good pupils into great writers: independent thought, depth of knowledge, clear reasoning, critical analysis and persuasive style. The John Locke Essay Competition invites pupils to explore a wide range of challenging and interesting questions beyond the confines of the school curriculum. There were over 4,000 essays from 101 countries, and for Tacita to be commended is an incredible achievement. What’s even more impressive is that the competition is open to pupils up to age 18, so Tacita was competing with sixth formers on an international level.

In the Lent term, a number of our Scholars were successful in the Immerse Essay Competition, an international competition with 5,000+ entrants. In 2021, only 7% of entrants were awarded scholarships. However, this year, seven girls at Downe were awarded scholarships to study at Oxford or Cambridge this summer. The girls were: Longwen (Vivi) Lei (Literature: Who is the most influential author of the 20th century?), Ebunlola Oyegunle (International Relations), Cleo Dutertre-Delaunay (Business Management), Lydia Isadora Dyer (Law), Maria Taraban (Computer Science: Why is cyber security important?), Pearl (Ivie) Avwenagha (Engineering) and Yuwen Ge (Law). Well done to all who took part.

Congratulations also go to our Lower School Scholars for their articles which have been published in Talk Education. Well done Emilia Corroon (Remove), Phillipa Drysdale (LIV) and Gabrielle Yue (Remove).

Train Of Thought

Train of Thought is the Scholars’ magazine, produced and edited by Academic Scholars from the Downe House community. This year’s edition has been put together by our brilliant Lower Sixth editorial team of Ebunlola Oyegunle, Cleo Dutertre-Delaunay and Ling Xuan (Victoria) Tiang.

The theme of this edition was ‘The Silenced’. Our contributors consisted of Academic Award Holders across the Scholars’ community as well as teachers, who all took a trip down memory lane to remember and uplift people whose voices have been stifled. Along with an interview with Mrs Caiger-Smith regarding ‘the School of Silence’ which was the school before Founder Olive Willis brought the School and transformed it into the Downe House we know today!

Winter Wonderland

It was the first weekend of December and there was a Christmassy feeling in the air. The girls and staff were in tremendous delight as they watched our very own Winter Wonderland being created exclusively for the school. Theme-park style rides, games and refreshment stalls had been set up outside of the Murray Centre, and there was even an ice rink in the car park!

The girls, in their hats, scarves and gloves, headed to the space outside the Murray Centre with excitement to enjoy the festive funfair. Lots of fun was had on the Dodgems and everyone enjoyed the Waltzer, even if we did feel a little dizzy afterwards! As well as the rides, there were amusement stalls for the girls to take part in, such as a rifle range and a tin can throwing stall. There was also a photobooth in the style of a magic mirror and a high striker machine, where you could have a go at testing your strength.

The ice rink was also a huge success, and really brought the whole event together. This was hugely popular and many of the girls, staff and their families enjoyed some time ice skating. There were laughs and smiles all around, as well as some impressive skating skills!

For those with a sweet tooth, the CCA department had it covered: unlimited, freshly made doughnuts and pancakes were on offer for all, and everyone stayed warm with a cup (or two!) of hot chocolate. Everyone certainly felt very lucky to be able to enjoy such lovely treats whilst soaking up the atmosphere of Winter Wonderland.

Inflatables Event

The girls had an extra special treat one afternoon as they enjoyed huge, inflatable games and attractions. There was an incredible atmosphere on the Sports Field and there was a buzz in the air; the Upper Sixth had just had their final lessons as Downe House pupils and the rest of the school were looking forward to the Long Exeat. What a better way to celebrate than an afternoon of inflatable fun!

As the girls entered onto the Sports Field, there was music playing through huge speakers and an array of inflatables to enjoy. There was a gigantic, human game of whack-a-mole, and a bucking bronco. Lots of laughter was shared amongst the girls with these amusing games, but this was not all that was on offer. We had girls climbing a 32-ft wall, sliding down an inflatable slide and tackling an enormous obstacle course. Although we did not have perfect summer weather, this did not stop the girls from having a great time. The pupils were also treated to a delicious supper of Goujon Monkey, with a choice of fish, chicken, or halloumi goujons, and a side of fries. It was an amazing afternoon and there was so much fun had by all.

Evening Activities

This year, the girls have been enjoying lots of different activities in the evenings. The CCA department created a programme of activities, both onsite and offsite, to ensure that there was something for everyone.

The evening activities on offer have been great for those looking to start a new skill, or those who want a bit of fun and downtime in the evenings. Our onsite activities have included fencing, silver jewellery making, Art Club and fun swim with inflatables.

The girls have also had the opportunity to head offsite and take part in clubs such as volleyball, golf, gymnastics and horse riding.

In cookery club, the girls have worked with Mrs Lepeck to improve their cooking skills. Each week, the pupils alternated between making sweet treats and savoury food, to ensure that they are making all kinds of dishes. Some of their culinary delights include pasta alfredo, cinnamon swirls, chicken and bacon pie, red velvet cupcakes and much more.

Offsite, the girls have been loving going to Paddleboarding Club at the Andrew Simpson Centre in Reading on a Tuesday. The pupils spent their evening on the water, and it is a great opportunity to do something a little different to normal.

“I really loved getting out on the water with some friends to learn vital skills, such as how to manoeuvre a paddle board and rescue somebody in the water. As well as learning these crucial things, it was also just really nice to be out having fun on a hot summer’s day!” Phillipa Drysdale (LIV) outlet for me: it helps me to restore my equilibrium. I really appreciate the opportunity to ride every Sunday.” Sara (Sally) Niedringhaus (LV)

Another one of our popular offsite activities is horse riding. This has been available to girls of all ability levels and has been a brilliant way for them to relax.

“I love horse riding - especially in the sun! It helps me to de-stress at the end of the week.” Tabitha Brewer (UIV)

Amongst the Lower School girls, the favourite activity of the year was Fun Swim with inflatables. With music playing and the pool full of inflatables, the girls enjoyed a fun swimming session with their friends every Tuesday evening.

“I really enjoyed Fun Swim because it was time that I could spend with my friends in a relaxed setting!”

Elizabeth Squire

(Remove)

Another one of our popular evening activities is Art Club on a Wednesday evening. The girls have a chance to create whatever they like, whether that is a watercolour painting, a charcoal sketch, or a collage. Each week, the girls spend an hour in the Art Room working on their creation of choice and, once ready, can take it with them.

The DofE adventurous spirit is certainly strong amongst the Downe House girls, and it is wonderful to see this through those that take up one of the Duke of Edinburgh Awards. Now, almost all the UIV have opted to do the Bronze Award and the LV were pleased to get the full expedition experience this year as DofE Covid restriction eased. The Sixth Form also continued to inspire us with Gold Award activities.

Bronze

Those on the Bronze Award expedition enjoyed the local leafy Berkshire flats, although any small, rounded hill feels like a mountain when carrying a full rucksack of nutritious goodies and team equipment. It was a delight to hear how many simply enjoyed getting out into the countryside, cooking their own meals and sleeping in a tent. It certainly makes one appreciate the joys of a fat mattress at home. One team rewrote the Mamma Mia soundtrack about their DofE experience related to the School’s DNA. It was a masterpiece and a DofE assessor favourite!

As well as the much-loved expedition, many a volunteering hour was given back to the community by the UIV. After restrictions last year, it was pleasing to physically help at several primary schools, busking for the Swings & Smiles charity, helping at the Canal River Trust, supporting Food Bank distribution and many other projects were completed at Cottismore Gardens, Winchcombe Care Home and the Thirtover Girl Guiding Centre.

Gold

Sailing, cycling and walking expedition groups all built up to an assessed 4-day self-sufficient journey, with training and qualifying expeditions throughout the year that suited each group.

Sailing

The Easter sailing group started their journey on the South Coast around the Isle of Wight on Morning Star Trust’s eleven-metre training yacht. They soon got to grips with sailing, sleeping aboard and anchoring these boats. No easy feat, and they interestingly looked at the history of pirates for their presentation. Sadly, the Summer sailing group had to break up as their boat was not ready in time. Fingers crossed it works out next year for them!

Walking

Girls made up three different groups with various companies and ventured across the UK’s National Parks, including the Peak District, Dartmoor and the Welsh Brecon Beacons. Gorgeous places with the UK summer of drought making conditions challenging.

Cycling

Boldly, a group planned on cycling to Paris. Hey, why not! Being the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee year, they enjoyed some training at Great Windsor Park, passing many a royal statue before doing UK’s longest cyclable tunnel, the Combe Down Tunnel near Bath. The assessment saw them on day one enjoying a strong steady tail wind on the South Coast from Bognor Regis to Newhaven. Cycling under the beautiful iconic giant white cliffs near Brighton was certainly a highlight. Days two to four were all on the French side mostly on the old railway trail turned cycle path called Avenue Verte. With nearly 200km complete and a stop at the Eiffel Tower, it was certainly an inspiring and memorable journey of epic proportions.

Residentials

Beyond the expeditions, other activities for the Awards skills, physical and volunteering, sections continued. On top of that, for Gold, I am always amazed at the range of residentials that take place getting to know others. They include Marine Conservation, Outdoor Activity Centre help, Youth Orchestra tours, PADI diving courses, Children Holiday camps, the Tanzania micro finance programme, a Scottish dancing course with Royal Scottish Country Dancing Society and Archaeological excavation of the Vindolanda Roman Fort. Well done to all those on their DofE Award journey and to those who have finished, congratulations. I’m sure the adventures will continue. Thanks also to the dedication and tireless support of the staff who help make all this happen. What gets achieved is truly remarkable. Thank you! We are already looking forward to the next challenging venture to begin!

Mr Tony Riddle, Teacher of PE / Duke of Edinburgh Co-ordinator

It is an immense privilege to serve Downe House as Chaplain. I am most grateful to everyone who helps makes the Chapel a place of respect, hope, peace and love. We are a diverse and rich community, each one of us made in the image of God. Thank you to everybody in the School for reminding me daily that God is here with us! Many thanks to our new Chapel Senior, Daria Andreeva (LVI) for her commitment, grace, diligence and creative response to the role. I am very excited to be working with you! This has been a busy year with two beautiful Carol servicesthank you to Dr Exon and the gifted Music department! We have caught up after the delays caused by Covid and during this academic year we had five Confirmation services (four at Downe and one at Radley College). There have been some most happy baptisms of pupils, staff and their family. A huge thank you to Miss Thabet for her support of Confirmation and her excellent and inspirational work with our Christian Union, Roots. Many thanks to Mrs Norman for her faithful and beautiful playing in our weekday and Sunday services. Finally, my thanks must go to out-going Chapel Senior, Louisa Graves (UVI) who will go down in legend for her beautiful reading of prayers and Scripture, and for her joy-filled, loving service to the life of the Downe House Chapel.

Reverend Anthea Platt, Chaplain ROOTS

Roots is the Downe House Christian Union, to which all girls are invited. Girls from any faith and no faith are welcome. It is an opportunity for anyone interested to explore the Christian faith and ask questions. This year we had two Roots meetings both on Friday evenings; 6.45pm-7.30pm for the Remove and LIV, and from 7.30pm-8.30pm for the UIV and above. In both meetings the girls had a chance to read and discuss a passage from the Bible (sometimes we watch interesting videos and discuss these too), and we had wonderful and deep discussions about life and faith in both meetings. At 7.30pm there was an overlap between the two meetings and this is when we stop and play a game together, this term Articulate has continued to be the most popular game. It has been a wonderful year, with many girls coming and enjoying it thoroughly.

Head Chapel Senior

If there is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens, Chapel falls on the side of planting, healing and mending. Whilst navigating our own times to scatter stones and to gather them, the presence of Chapel is a bedrock of love and safety for so many. Over this past year, we have been able to gather in person consistently, thus many Confirmation services have taken place: each a cause for rejoicing. In returning to the rhythms of Tuesday and Thursday morning services, we have welcomed many outside speakers who offer profound insight into faith, alongside teachers and Housestaff; personal favourites include Mrs West’s reflections on poetry. Miss Thabet’s dedication to Roots, the Christian Union, has been reflected in its growth also; as I say goodbye to Downe, I have no doubt that it will continue to go from strength to strength and enrich the thoughts and lives of those who attend.

A role that has taught me unimaginable amounts and heartened me beyond words, I have been immensely grateful to be Head Chapel Senior; watching Dasha step into the role so competently and conscientiously has given me further hope for the role Chapel plays within the School. As noted by the UVI, who have been consistently remarking the loss they will feel leaving Chapel behind, the beautiful pulse of the School that Chapel constitutes beats on. An inexpressibly deep gratitude must also be expressed to Reverand Platt, who epitomises love and charity for so many of us, and whose leadership of Chapel is truly life-giving and spirit-led.

On Saturday 26 February, the Upper Fourth attended the launch of the Global Schools’ Exchange Programme (GSEP). Mrs McKendrick introduced the programme, explaining to us and our parents that the exchange trips would take place in the Lower Fifth year. We learned about how important it is for Downe House pupils to grow a global perspective, so that we can benefit from these experiences and shape the world in the future.

Downe House are partnered with 14 amazing schools in 11 countries from all over the world, all the schools have been visited by various members of staff in the Downe House Global Initiatives team, who are responsible for selecting the schools. This exchange programme suits pupils who are keen to embrace new opportunities, who are adaptable and want to make a difference in the world.

Ms Akhtar, Director of Higher Education and Global Initiatives, talked about the process for outgoing exchange trips, she showed us where to look for the key documents and went into detail about the information available. Ms Akhtar then talked us through the application process, timelines and what to expect, should we choose to apply.

Finally, Rosie Montague and Mathilda Singer (UVI) talked to us about their own experiences on their exchange trips to New Zealand and India. We learned about a range of things, including the travel arrangements, meeting your host families, the range of new opportunities and how to successfully host your exchange buddy during their visit to Downe House.

We all agreed that the GSEP would help us gain a better awareness of global work cultures, improve our communication within global teams and gain connections around the world, which would be very useful in the future.

Overall, this event was very informative and helped the pupils understand what a great opportunity it would be to go on an exchange trip. Most girls will be thinking about this opportunity now and discussing it with their parents, before applying in the coming months.

“I really enjoyed seeing the differences between the Swedish and English education systems, but especially enjoyed how welcoming and friendly my host family and Campus Manilla were!”

Cheuk Wah (Sara) Lee (LVI), Campus Manila, Sweden, 2022 truly grateful to Iman and her family for being so kind and welcoming to me. My favourite experience at school was from the Valley of a Thousand Hills. We learnt the traditional culture whilst beading and to get a small taste of what these incredible women do every day to earn a living. I loved learning this technique and plan on using it to create small gifts for loved ones.”

“I can truly say that during my exchange to Durban, there was never a moment where I was unhappy or bored.

Katrina Stubbs (LV), Durban Girls’ College, South Africa 2022

“It was so interesting to experience learning in another country. However, the part of the whole trip that had the greatest impact on me was when we visited a local government-funded primary school to help teach the students.”

Harriet Manning (LV),

Africa 2022

On Wednesday 27 April, we held our first Festival of Culture event, organised by the UVI outgoing Head Global Ambassadors, Mathilda Singer and Cheuk Yu (Queena) Wong, supported by their LVI successors, Amelia (Mimi) Fernie and Taizya Adedeji. The whole School community was invited to participate in a full day of activities to celebrate global diversity and culture on our campus. Everyone was encouraged to dress up in their traditional attire and there was a gorgeous display of colourful garments on show, ranging from Japanese kimonos and Chinese qipaos to Scottish kilts; it was wonderful to see so many countries represented including Ireland, Wales, France, Germany, England, Nigeria, Egypt, India, Thailand, Turkey and many more!

Throughout the day, the Murray Centre was transformed into an activity centre with a ‘Selfie Corner’ set up to feed our Instagram stories, as well as a ‘Global Snacks’ area where snacks from all around the world were sold, with all profits going to charity. We all enjoyed taking part in Olympic-themed activities during our PE lessons and writing messages in different languages for the ‘Cultural Register’. For supper, a variety of street food from different stalls offered dishes from around the world. Whilst we enjoyed our food, we were treated to a variety of cultural performances with many girls and staff volunteering to perform traditional poetry, songs and dances. The day was magnificent and a huge success! We learnt about multiple cultures and saw an array of cultural attire from around the world, this was something which was enjoyed by pupils and staff alike and is a tradition we very much hope to continue and build on.

Amelia (Mimi) Fernie and Taizya Adedeji, Head Global Ambassadors (LVI)

It has been another joyous year of intellectual discovery and discussion for the Elective Programme. With a whole host of new Electives for this cycle, pupils have enjoyed, for instance, exploring the philosophy of literary study, an introduction to cognitive science, linguistics, Einstein’s theory of relativity, and many more topics. In each Elective, pupils have found ways to push themselves well beyond the curriculum, exploring fascinating academic topics as they do so.

A particular highlight for myself was teaching a completely new Elective – an Introduction to Cognitive Science. In this Elective, a group of UV pupils examined topics such as how we learn, how memory works, habit formation and the many ways in which all of this can make us better pupils! In one specific session, we ran a series of experiments aiming to explore whether multi-tasking is possible. By investigating the cognitive science behind multi-tasking, we discovered that, in fact, when we think we are multi-tasking we are actually just very quickly switching between two tasks. This rapid task switching forces us to move from one context to another, which, as our experiment demonstrates, comes with a cognitive cost!

An easy way to demonstrate this, as we did, is to count 1 to 10 and then recite the alphabet. Easy! But now try to ‘multi-task’ by saying: 1 A 2 B 3 C 4 D, and so on. The time this takes, as we measured, is rapidly increased, and this demonstrates the cognitive cost of trying to do two things at once. We then connected this to the impact it might have on study habits and revision, recognising the cognitive cost of multi-tasking can have a negative impact on how we work, too.

Looking ahead to 2022-2023, we have several new Electives on offer including the science behind wellbeing, an introduction to biomimicry, and an Elective dedicated to teaching pupils how to write their own poetry. Just like this year, it promises to be a year filled with interesting new discoveries, cutting-edge thinking and rigorous academic discussion.

Dr Andrew Atherton, Director of Learning and Research

What Does It Take To Be An Entrepreneur

On Wednesday 4 May, the clouds quickly gathered pace into a dark gloomy evening, which was in stark contrast to the anticipation of the DH LINKS event that was about to take place in the Founders Forum. Nestled off a quiet side street, away from the hustle and bustle of High Street, Kensington, the Founders Forum office had an electrifying buzz of creative energy, full of entrepreneurs busy building their young businesses. This atmosphere set the tone for the DH LINKS event about to take place, where a select gathering of Downe House alumnae were invited to give a presentation on what it takes to be an entrepreneur. We were lucky to have a wonderful space at the venue, kindly arranged by alumna Isabella Boscawen (DH 2013) which allowed a relaxed, collaborative and inspiring atmosphere, perfect for a networking event.

We were fortunate to have six speakers, from a variety of industries, to share their experiences and advice on what they felt were important characteristics of being an entrepreneur. Alyx Van Der Vorm (DH 2017) was first to take the microphone and talked passionately about her business Clyx. Alyx was truly inspiring, despite being fresh from university she ambitiously launched straight into her entrepreneurial role in setting up the app Clyx, an online platform to notify and connect friends on events and streamline the way people organise social gatherings. It was refreshing for our pupils within the audience to see that entrepreneurship can be achieved at any age and that if you feel passionately about something, you should not be afraid to pursue it.

Louise Galvin was the next entrepreneur to take the stage, talking humbly about her journey in setting up her haircare range over 15 years ago. Louise touched on the challenges she faced, the resilience needed to be an entrepreneur, but also the wonderful collaborations she had with chemists, designers and her support teams in delivering her haircare brand Sacred Locks. Louise also touched on the importance of adapting to market trends and thriving in business, a true testament having set up her business 15 years ago.

Venetia Cohen spoke candidly about setting up her Coco & Kinney jewellery business, exploring how initial dreams and visions began to take shape. Venetia was incredibly honest in terms of recognising her strengths and weaknesses, which helped define her strategies in building her business. It was also interesting to hear Venetia’s vision for the business going forward, particularly being online.

Grace Regan shared an illuminating insight into being an entrepreneur, summarising three rules to be successful:

Number 1: Be a ‘doer’ – be proactive, be a creator and get things done.

Number 2: Never stop growing, the importance of having a positive, growth mindset and accepting failure to learn how to overcome life challenges, which in turn will make you a more rounded and open-minded person.

Number 3: Look after your mind and body. Grace drew similarities to being an elite athlete, and how it requires lots of energy to be an entrepreneur and therefore it is so important to look after your mental health.

Katie Cary (DH 2007) echoed a lot of the positive mindset

Grace touched on, having set up Rogue Matilda back in 2015. Her vision started with the idea to revolutionise women’s flat shoes into vibrant styles to be worn anywhere. Fast forward a few years later and Rogue Matilda is a recognised footwear brand and winner of the 2019 Drapers Footwear Designer of the year, a highly coveted footwear recognition.

Finally, Holly Mirza (DH 1991) wrapped up the presentations by sharing her experiences in co-founding Fabric PR. With a wealth of experience in consumer PR, Holly talked about the challenges she faced in a high-profile career and juggling motherhood which ultimately led to her setting up Fabric PR. She never looked back and 12 years later, is now running a successful PR company representing high profile clients such as Scotch and Soda, Crocs and EastPak to name a few.

Having generated so much creative force at the end of the presentations, the drinks and refreshments that followed provided a perfect opportunity for the guest speakers to network and mingle with the audience. We think it’s safe to say that everyone found the speeches inspiring and invaluable advice for those thinking about being an entrepreneur. The candid and honest view from each entrepreneur was refreshing and instantly created a rapport with the audience.

After a short interval of networking and socialising, the event concluded with special goodie bags for the attendees, filled with supporting merchandise donated by the guest speakers which seemed to be delightfully received by the recipients and a lovely way to conclude the evening.

Our sincere thanks to Isabella Boscawen for allowing us to use the venue and to all our wonderful keynote speakers for their time and investment in making this event so special and hugely beneficial.

Mrs Alexandra Barlow, Director of External Relations

One of the joys of boarding is being a part of an eclectic school community, offering pupils, families and staff the opportunity to come together to create a ‘local community’ that unites and stretches across the globe.

With both pupils and staff living on site, boarding brings the extra time together to share and highlight issues that are important locally and globally, but also personally; and pupils are supported to collaborate, to be creative and to bring others with them as they share and rally behind causes that are close to their hearts.

A culture of helping others is part of the fabric of the School and everyone is encouraged to get involved. In our boarding environment, it is inherent for pupils to be compassionate, creative, to work collaboratively and importantly to be outward looking – all part of the Downe House DNA that has evolved from the Founder, Olive Willis’, ethos of kindness.

2022 marks the centenary of Downe House in Cold Ash, where the School stood throughout WWII, and welcomed refugees from other countries with open arms. Here is one testimonial from 1943:

“I arrived in December 1938 at the age of fourteen, a refugee from Austria, with hardly a word of English, to be greeted by Miss Willis in evening dress, surrounded by her Samoyed dogs. Thanks to her hospitality and caring concern I was able to continue my education, and in three years I gained admittance to the University of Reading, and subsequently to the London School of Economics. The friendships, the learning and the concern for others, were among the invaluable riches I enjoyed at Downe House and they have been an inspiration to me throughout my life. Besides myself, there were three or four other refugee children during the war years, who were also given the opportunity of a new life.” Rosemarie C. (DH 1943)

In recent years, a large proportion of charitable activities have been led by pupils and this has resulted in a broad range of activities and causes supported, that inevitably span the many cultures and beliefs represented in a diverse boarding school community. Our pupils are taught to understand that ‘education has the power to change lives’ and as such activities always include an element of education for the wider School community whether that is assemblies, displays and talks by pupils, themed evening and weekend events, or visits by representatives from organisations. Nominations come from the heart and comprise very personal causes, as well as important issues across the globe and topics that affect young people today, wherever they are. Each of the sections within the School is involved in longer term-support too. Upper School boarding houses each have an international link charity supported by fundraising events but also by visits from pupils volunteering their time; Hope Asia, Open Arms Malawi, Sparkes Home Sri Lanka, Reality Gives India and Tiger Kloof School, South Africa. The Lower School houses collectively support the OSCAR Foundation. The common theme with these longer-term associations is the empowerment of children and young people – and generations of boarders have spent their time together productively to play their part in forging and maintaining these strong associations.

We were excited to host our annual Gift Fair in December once again to invite our girls, families and staff to enjoy some Christmas shopping! Welcoming a range of wonderful local and small businesses to the School, as well as our popular cake stall, tombola and prize draw. All the proceeds were donated to Suicide&Co a charity put together by Downe House alumnae, who support those bereaved by suicide through counselling services and online resources.

Supporting charities local to our School enables pupils to donate the gift of time, and to reach out and give something back to the community where they spend a large part of their young lives. Every year pupils collectively volunteer over 1,000 hours supporting organisations in our local community.

Schemes such as the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, which over 90% of our pupils undertake, actively encourages charitable engagement and these have ranged from helping to manage local woodlands, to busking for the ‘Swings and Smiles’ charity, to supporting the Cottismore Gardens ‘Growing2Gether’ project which promotes interest and awareness in local food and building a garden facility to allow those with learning difficulties to access horticultural therapy.

In 2022, the swell of support for those affected by the crisis in Ukraine has been felt across the globe. In support of Ukraine, a School concert in March 2022 raised over £2,000 for the Disasters Emergency Committee fund via Christian Aid, and the School’s choir, Prima Voce, performed A Prayer for Ukraine, learnt over two nights in its original Ukrainian language, and later released on social media to support further donations to the DEC fund. Coordinated by pupils and Housestaff, the whole School community also supported local charity, Racing to Help Ukraine, by collecting emergency aid supplies which the charity drove to Ukrainian refugees at the Ukrainian/Polish border via a convoy of horseboxes.

NAMEUNIVERSITY/INSTITUTIONCOURSE

Deborah (Ayanfe) AdedejiUCL, LondonBiochemical Engineering

Isabella AshleyUniversity of BristolAnthropology

Lucy BarrieEdinburgh UniversityNeuroscience

Ceara BastinSt AndrewsHistory

Sukhmani BathOxford BrookesBusiness and Management

Georgia BiggsUniversity of BristolModern Languages

Vasilisa BorovskayaUniversity of LeedsCommunication and Media

Harriet BoucherDurham UniversityGeography

Tilly BridgemanDurham UniversityEnglish Literature

Charlotte ButterworthPlymouth UniversityMarine Biology & Coastal Ecology

Yizhuo ChenUAL, LondonCostume for Theatre & Screen

Nga Man ChengUniversity of BathMechanical Engineering

Hoi Yiu (Danna) Cheung Kingston University and University of Exeter Art Foundation and Combined Honours

Gwyneth ChoiSanta Clara, USLiberal Arts

Alicia de Broë-FergusonUniversity of BristolInternational Business Management

Georgia DunkerleyCity & GuildsArt Foundation

Vivienne EisenhardtUCL, LondonCrime & Security Science

Zaynah FolawiyoUniversity of BristolPolitics and French

Heloise FriedlanderUniversity of GlasgowFilm & TV Studies/Politics

Tilly GibbensUniversity of BristolEnglish

Louisa GravesCambridge UniversityEnglish

Madeleine (Maddi) HalesNottingham UniversityModern European Studies

Lara HarriesDurham UniversityPsychology

Xinyu HuDurham UniversityAccounting

Celine IboriBrighton UniversityLaw

Ashley IguhLoughboroughInternational Relations

Alethea Ings-ChambersDurham UniversityAnthropology

Fleur JollUniversity of BristolPhilosophy & Theology

Madhulika KaushikBuckingham UniversityMedicine

Maria KheymanUniversity of SurreyInternational Event Management

Madelaina LavelleUniversity of BristolLiberal Arts

Philippa LimParsons, USLiberal Arts

Sophie LoftusDurham UniversityMusic

Honor MathewsCardiff UniversityHistory & Economics

Antonia McClintockUniversity of OxfordMusic

Yasmine McLennanUniversity of LeedsFashion Design Innovation

Olivia MoncktonNewcastle UniversitySport & Exercise Science

Rosie MontagueLSE, LondonPolitics & International Relations

Jiwon MoonEdinburgh UniversityLaw

Honor NevilleUniversity of ExeterPolitics & Sociology

Tumai OgunyemiUniversity of SurreyInternational Relations

Charlotte PearsonUniversity of SurreyInternational Business Management

Hannah PerkinsDurham UniversityAnthropology & Archaeology

Alice PernthallerCambridge UniversityLinguistics

Marina PownallUniversity of LeedsTheatre & Performance

Yitong QiuSt AndrewsArt History

Lauren Raeburn-WardNewcastle UniversityGeography

Imogen RidleyEdinburgh UniversitySocial Policy & Politics

Margot RidleyUniversity of ExeterInternational Relations and Modern Languages

Amelia RoslingSt George's, LondonMedicine

Lisa Lotte ScheunerSt George's, LondonBiomedical Science

Jiaying (Linda) ShenUAL, LondonFine Art: Photography

Mathilda SingerSt AndrewsTheological Studies

Pasitaporn (Memie) SripenBoston, USLiberal Arts

NAMEUNIVERSITY/INSTITUTIONCOURSE

Georgia (Hope) ThistlethwayteManchester UniversityLiberal Arts

Sui Ying (Ashley) TsoiUCL, LondonMedical Science & Engineering

Pattrawaran (Teal) UahwatanasakulLSE, LondonPPE

Morgan WallaceEdinburgh UniversityFrench & Spanish

Yuhan (Angela) WanUniversity of OxfordPhysics

Beatrice WeaverUniversity of BristolLiberal Arts

Zi Xin (Sunnie) WeiUniversity of OxfordChemistry

Poppy WesselyUniversity of ExeterMedicine

Rose WhitbreadDurham UniversityPsychology

Phoebe WhitingUniversity of BristolMedicine

Rosalind WippellCambridge UniversityArchaeology

Matilda (Tilly) WilkinsonNewcastle UniversityEnglish

Cheuk Yu (Queena) WongImperial College LondonMathematics & Computer Science

Ashley WongDurham UniversityEnglish Literature

Wai Che (Rachel) WongImperial College LondonMaterials Science & Engineering

Emma WoodworthCollege of Holy Cross, USLiberal Arts

Xinyue (Audrey) XuFudan, ChinaLiberal Arts

Ziyi (Annie) YangUCL, LondonBiochemistry

Zhihan (Helen) YangUAL - Central Saint MartinsArt Foundation

Kexuan (Sophie) ZhangKing's College, LondonCulture, Media & Creative Industries

Jiayi ZhengCambridge UniversityLinguistics

HEAD SENIOR

Lucy Barrie

DEPUTY HEAD SENIOR

Teal Uahwatanasakul

SENIORS

Ayanfe Adedeji

Milly Assheton

Tilly Bridgeman Gwyneth Choi

Susie Field

Honor Neville

Tumai Ogunyemi Margot Ridley

Phoebe Whiting

AISHOLT

Lara Harries Head

Ashley Iguh Deputy Head

Emma Woodworth Deputy Head

Thea Ings-Chambers LS AIS Deputy Head

AGN

Rosie Montague Head

Louisa Healey Deputy Head

Fleur Joll Deputy Head

Heloise Friedlander LS AGN Deputy Head

AGS

Maddi Hales Head

Ceara Bastin Deputy Head

Isabella Pemberton Deputy Head

Annie Yang LS AGS Deputy Head

HOLCOMBE

Lauren Raeburn-Ward Head

Harriet Boucher Deputy Head

Tilly Gibbens Deputy Head

Sophie Kelly LS HOL Deputy Head

TEDWORTH

Georgia Biggs Head

Airlie Fleming Deputy Head

Eleanor Gibbs Deputy Head

Tilly Wilkinson LS TED Deputy Head

GAMES CAPTAINS

Honor Neville Captain

Poppy Wessely Captain

HEAD OF DRAMA, DANCE & SPEECH & DRAMA

Marina Pownall Head of Drama

Louisa Healey Head of Dance

Celine Ibori Head of Speech & Drama

HEAD OF CREATIVE ARTS

Alicia de Broe-Ferguson

DEPUTY HEAD OF CREATIVE ARTS

Maddie Lavelle

CREATIVE ARTS PREFECTS

Georgia Dunkerley

Lyla Elichaoff

SCHOOL PHOTOGRAPHER

Lyla Elichaoff

HEAD CHAPEL SENIOR

Louisa Graves

HEAD OF WILLIS

Susie Field

HEAD OF ACADEMIC SCHOLARS

Alice Pernthaller

HEAD OF MUSIC

Antonia McClintock

DEPUTY HEAD OF MUSIC

Sophie Loftus

HEAD OF INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC

Jiayi Zheng

HEAD OF CHORAL

Eleanor Gibbs

DEPUTY HEAD OF CHORAL

Alice Pernthaller

Marina Pownall

HEAD AMBASSADOR(S)

Freya Illingworth

Amelia Rosling

AMBASSADORS

Nga Man Cheng

Danna Cheung

Indi Hine

Pippa Lim

Yasmine McLennan

Charlotte Pearson

Hannah Perkins

Memie Sripen

HEAD OF COMMUNICATIONS, MEDIA & EXTERNAL RELATIONS

Audrey Xu

HEAD GLOBAL AMBASSADOR(S)

Mathilda Singer

Queena Wong

GLOBAL AMBASSADORS

Zaynah Folawiyo

Morgan Wallace

Angela Wan

Rachel Wong

HEADS OF LOWER SCHOOL

Honor Mathews

Ashley Tsoi

LOWER SCHOOL SENIORS

Isabella Ashley Thea Ings-Chambers

Heloise Friedlander Sophie Kelly

Maria Kheyman Olivia Monckton Tilly

Wilkinson Annie Yang

LITERARY SENIOR

Sophie Kelly

Ashley Wong

PRESIDENT OF PHOENIX SOCIETY

Tilly Bridgeman

ENVIRONMENTAL AMBASSADOR

Madhulika Kaushik

Queena Wong