G&L School Magazine 2023-24

Welcome

Welcome to our School Magazine which celebrates many of the highlights of the 2023-24 school year and aims to provide a snapshot of life at Godolphin. Each year our students seize with great energy, enthusiasm, and commitment the myriad of opportunities which come their way, and this year has been no exception. They have impressed us with their talents and dedication at numerous concerts, plays, musicals, art exhibitions, and sporting fixtures; they have thrown themselves wholeheartedly into House competitions, clubs and societies, student committees, Languages Week, STEM Week and, of course, Challenge Your Limits. All of this while successfully pursuing their academic studies.

For me, what shines through the following pages is an all-pervading sense of fun, kindness and togetherness and the pupils’ support for each other and for the wider community. In December we were delighted to throw open our doors and welcome visitors back to the PTFA Christmas Bazaar. We are very pleased that this is once again back on our local neighbourhood calendar. Meanwhile our students have shown great dedication to their charity, community and social impact projects and to the many volunteering programmes they are involved in. I am particularly proud that our Bridge primary outreach programme continues to thrive with the support of our Sixth Form Bridge ambassadors and generous parent donors. This September eight Year 7 students have joined us after graduating from the primary programme. We are steadily growing our Bridge Seniors programme too, and this ran very successfully for the second time during the recent summer holidays.

The last twelve months have seen a significant milestone in the development of the school with the completion of the major building project at the centre of our site. The extended Sixth Form Centre opened at the start of the Autumn Term and the new Cloisters Room and Library were ready for our return after the Christmas break. As well as providing us with fabulous new indoor and outdoor facilities and spaces, the project has allowed us to make better connections between existing buildings enabling students and staff to move more efficiently around the campus. Alison Paines, former Chair of Governors, joined us at our Summer Garden Party to cut the ribbon and officially open the new building, which is named in her honour. It was a wonderful occasion to bring students, staff and parents together to celebrate a year that will go down in our history books.

Despite some headwinds and challenges on the horizon, I look forward with great excitement and optimism to the year ahead and to seeing what the collective efforts of our school community will achieve next.

With all good wishes

Dr Frances Ramsey, Head

Evolution of a Dolphin from

the Head Girls Team 2024-25

WANTED!

YEAR 7

WANTED FOR:

Tripping up half the school with their suitcases and massive backpacks

Can be spotted:

• Preparing for netball and hockey trials like it’s the Olympics

• Crying over getting their first conduct concern

• Filling their Weekly Planners with 100s of clubs (though physically impossible to attend them all)

• Sprinting to the tuck shop and lunch queue

• Playing intense hide and seek around school

YEAR 8

WANTED FOR:

Emptying the King’s SubduedRoadstock

YEAR 10

WANTED FOR:

Trying and failing to surreptitiously chew on their 60 pack cool breeze gum during lessons

Can be spotted:

• Revising more for a random topic test on a niche area of the spec than for actual GCSEs

• Already stressing about whether A Level or IB is the right choice for them

• On the daily after-school trip to get iced vanilla matcha from Alma

• Desperately trying to get past the school IT system to browse Motel Rocks

YEAR 11

WANTED FOR:

Procrastinating revision for GCSEs by playing all the New York Times Games

Can be spotted:

• Beginning to gain enough confidence to answer back to VIth Formers (not appreciated xx)

• Complaining about going to lunch at a normal time

• Sitting in their form rooms radiating ‘iPad kid’

• Lording it over Y7s because they’re no longer the youngest in the school

YEAR 9

WANTED FOR:

Running away from teachers who tell them to roll down their skirts

Can be spotted:

• Hazing the school with the mist of their Sol de Janeiro body spray

• Sporting rainbows of canvas backpacks on mufti day

• Stressing out about the BEST outfit for their first house party/Taylor Swift concert

• Making Taylor Swift bracelets in the Lower School changing rooms

Can be spotted:

• Competing to see who’s the top creator on Quizlet

• Complaining that their form times aren’t Private Study slots

• Bending uniform and jewellery rules because they’ll be ‘in mufti in January’

• Starting plans in September for their tent mates at Reading Festival and post-GCSE summer hols

SIXTH FORM

WANTED FOR:

Turning up late to P5 after going to Pret and M&S to get iced vanilla lattes and sweet treats

Can be spotted:

• Using periods’‘study to nap on the sofas or watch Netflix

• Death staring other groupsyear-using the library

• Showing off their exclusive G&L VIth Form cups

• Running 4 clubs, 2 magazinesstudent and writing a play to include in uni application

• Rewriting their Personal Statement for the nth time

• Realising that everyone else has the same pair of ‘unique’ Adidas Spezials

A Message from the Head Girl

Hello Dolphins. As I sit down to write this and think back to that nervous Year 7 with the oversized backpack who first stepped through the school gates, I can honestly say it’s been an incredible journey!

I have grown so much during my time at Godolphin, both literally and figuratively. I have learnt what my passions are and what kind of person I want to be. I’ve also gained the confidence to speak up about what’s important to me and learnt how to be resilient and push through tough times. Perhaps most importantly, I have made lifelong friends with so many amazing and genuinely kind people.

One of the things that makes Godolphin so special is the sense of community. This was really highlighted to me when I got injured earlier this year and had to take a break from rowing, which felt like such a huge setback at the time. So many people across the school – even those I didn’t really know – came together to support me and help me to stay positive. This sense of family is displayed in so many other facets of Godolphin life, whether it’s trekking across an abandoned field during DofE or helping each other survive the panic and chaos of Year 7 Food Tech. It is during these trying times that students here show their constant ability to laugh and find the good in any situation.

up social impact projects always wows me. I feel so grateful to be part of a school where students are not scared to explore whatever they are passionate about.

Sometimes, however, it might seem that everyone at Godolphin is high achieving, and trying something new can be a bit daunting. My aim as Head Girl is to encourage everyone to put themselves out there a little bit more, whether that’s speaking up in a class you normally stay silent in, or trying an activity that you’ve never done before. Failure and taking risks, even though scary, are so important as they teach us so much more than just staying in our comfort zone and always doing the things we’re good at.

Risk-taking aside, if I could go back and do it all over again, I would try to enjoy the little moments more. I think all of us can become so focused on reaching our goals or doing the next thing that we sometimes forget to enjoy the day-to-day moments that are actually really special. Some of my favourite memories here have been doing buzzfeed quizzes, eating tuckshop ice cream and playing embarrassingly bad tennis on the netball courts. While these moments weren’t big achievements, they remain some of my favourite memories at G&L.

I know it’s cheesy but as we go into this new year, let’s remember to enjoy the journey and not just focus on the destination.

What continues to amaze me about Godolphin students is their overwhelming passion and enthusiasm. Throughout my time here, I have witnessed some of the most full-out lip sync battles and Just Dance performances showing just how fully committed Dolphins are when it comes to competing for their Houses. Students’ bravery and initiative when giving talks, organising fundraisers, or setting Chloe Stefani, Head Girl, 2024-25

Awards and Accolades

London Independent School of the Year 2023

We were absolutely thrilled to be named London Independent School of the Year at the Independent School of the Year 2023 awards. As well as all the curricular and extra-curricular activities that make the most of our London location, we also highlighted the partnerships we have forged with London-based businesses, charities and communities, and local primary and secondary schools.

We were also one of the finalists in the category for contribution to social mobility recognising schools which have made an inspirational and decisive contribution to upward social mobility within their community in the past year. We were very pleased to be able to highlight the success of our Bridge programme as part of our entry, including five Bridge students who joined Godolphin in Year 7 in September 2023 and the eight students who join in September 2024.

Top UK Girls IB School for 2023 (large cohort)

We were delighted to be named Top UK Girls IB School for 2023 (large cohort) after our students achieved a fabulous average point score of 41 in their 2023 examinations.

TOP 20 SCHOOL FOR GIRLS’ CRICKET

We were once again delighted to have been selected by The Cricketer’s judging panel for a place in their coveted 2024 Schools Guide. The guide features the top 100 senior, top 50 prep/junior and top 20 all-girls schools for cricket, including both state and independent schools, with the list finalised after an exhaustive selection process that saw a huge number of entries. All entries were then judged against an extensive set of criteria, which included a compelling commitment to cricket in the curriculum, facilities, fixture programmes and coaching.

Arkwright Engineering Scholarship

Congratulations to Ava, awarded the Arkwright Scholarship 2023-24; and Rebecca, Unaiza and Emily awarded the Arkwright Scholarship 2024-25. All passed the rigorous application process and, as a result, will be supported by the programme to pursue careers in Engineering.

Global Young Journalist Award

Year 8 student Nayeon was named runner-up in the ‘Young Climate Journalist of the Year’ category of The Day’s Global Young Journalist Competition for her article on the use of social media and its relationship to climate change.

Shortlist: Independent School of the Year Awards 2024

Top Marks in Italian iGCSE

Vittoria, Year 10, achieved the highest mark in the world for her Cambridge IGCSE in Italian. This achievement is all the more impressive considering she earned this mark when she was in Year 9.

We ended the academic year with the fantastic news that Godolphin and Latymer had been shortlisted for Independent School of the Year 2024 for outstanding educational partnerships. This was in recognition of the many longstanding and ongoing projects that share our resources, activities and facilities with local primary and secondary school students.

Community, Partnerships and Outreach

Bridge Programme

At the beginning of December, our 2023 cohort of 79 children from 34 primary schools took part in their graduation ceremony to celebrate everything they had achieved over the last twelve months. This included taking part in a joint venture between the G&L Futures programme and the LSE when they dipped their toes into the world of business and entrepreneurship. They worked with the founder of high-protein cheesecake business, Mighty Slice, to develop and pitch ideas for the growth of the startup over the next year. We are really delighted that the majority of our Bridge students go on to apply for academically selective schools and that eight joined Godolphin in September 2024, following in the footsteps of the five Bridge students who joined us in 2023. In January, we were delighted to welcome the next cohort of 80 students who have enrolled in the 2024 programme.

British Red Cross Appeal

British Red Cross Appeal

At the end of Challenge Your Limits Week, we held a special assembly to reflect on the hardship and suffering caused by the earthquake in Morocco, 45 miles southwest of Marrakech, and the floods in northeastern Libya. The Godolphin community raised nearly £3,000 to support the British Red Cross, which had launched an emergency appeal to provide vital ongoing support to people in these regions, including search and rescue, first aid and medical assistance, and the provision of food, water and shelter.

At the end of Challenge Your Limits Week, we held a special assembly to reflect on the hardship and suffering caused by the earthquake in Morocco, 45 miles southwest of Marrakech, and the floods in

acts independently in Gaza, providing impartial and vital medical care, including

PTFA Christmas Bazaar

One of the highlights of the Christmas festivities was the PTFA Christmas Bazaar. It was wonderful to open our doors once again and to share the Godolphin Christmas spirit with our wider community. The PTFA and army of parent volunteers organised a fabulous range of stalls, refreshments and activities. With generous support of parent sponsors and advertisers, the event raised over £20,000. All profits from the day were donated to the charities nominated by our six student Houses: Alice’s Arc, Blue Cross for Pets, Great Ormond Street Hospital, the Opie Jones Foundation, Sibs and the Williams Syndrome Foundation.

Musical Theatre Workshop

Year 10 members of the Social Impact Committee devised a drama and musical theatre workshop for students from Flora Gardens Primary School. The event was for Year 5 and 6 pupils, who had a fantastic session working with our students and Director of Music to produce some brilliantly choreographed performances.

Flora Gardens Sports Morning

Lower Sixth students Chloe, Eva and Olivia organised a special morning of sport for Flora Gardens Primary School. Around 70 children from Years 4-6 attended the event at Godolphin, where they participated in various sporting activities, from dance to diamond cricket. In addition to the sports activities, the Lower Sixth students also organised a sports equipment collection to provide Flora Gardens with more resources for sports and athletics.

Art Workshop for Dementia Group

Lower Sixth students May, Georgia and Millie designed and delivered a series of art workshops for a group of dementia and pre-dementia sufferers. Organised in collaboration with the Hammersmith and Fulham Dementia Action Alliance, the workshops were both creative and therapeutic, focusing on the art of tiling and mosaics.

Summer Garden Party

At the end of the Summer Term, the whole community enjoyed the summer sunshine at our inaugural PTFA Summer Garden Party. Food trucks pitched up in the car park, and we enjoyed strawberries and cream and drinks in the courtyard. Year 7 market stalls did a brisk trade, and teachers took a turn on the very popular ‘Sponge the Teacher’ stand, much to the delight of the girls! Out on the astro, there was crazy golf, inflatable bumper cars and very competitive rivalry in the Pupils vs Staff/ Parents tug-of-war. Our former Chair of Governors, Mrs Alison Paines, cut the ribbon to open our new building with aplomb. To add to the Glastonbury vibe, there was a fantastic line-up of talented student singers and musicians on stage at the Summer Jam. All proceeds from the day went to the school bursary programme.

Duke of Edinburgh

Students taking part in the Duke of Edinburgh awards programme contributed 4,238 hours of volunteering with a social value of £22,375 from 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024.

Moorfields Eye Charity

In June, Year 11 student Annabel completed a fifteen-mile walk for Moorfields Eye Charity and Hospital and managed to raise an incredible £6,060! The donations went towards life-changing eye research as well as education programmes to help train the next generation of eye specialists.

Social Impact Prize

The Social Impact prize sets out to inspire students to explore the power that social enterprise has to change the world for the better. As ever, there was a fantastic standard of entries, with some excellent presentations at the Grand Final. The results were as follows:

The Equipment Drive and Sports Day for Local Primary School Pupils (Eva, Chloe and Olivia) and Art Workshops for People with Dementia (Amelia, Giorgia and May) projects were joint winners of the

Senior Social Impact Prize for Impact on the Local Community

The App to Combat Misinformation (Rania and Ella) project was the winner of the Senior Social Impact Prize for Impact on the Wider World.

The Musical Theatre Workshop for a Local Primary School (Chivani, Abby, Annabel, Zeynep, Bella and Ines) project was the Junior Social Impact Prize winner for Impact on the Local Community.

The Book Donation Project for School Children in the Gambia (Mariella) was awarded the Junior Social Impact Prize for Impact on the Wider Community.

Old Dolphins

At the end of September, we had the pleasure of welcoming former pupils back to the school for our annual Old Dolphins’ Day. It was a joyful reunion of old friends spanning the generations, in particular the Class of 1973 celebrating their 50-year reunion. Our alumnae were especially excited to see the new Sixth Form Common Room — with many expressions of appreciation at how luxurious it is compared to the facilities back in their day — and were pleased to hear about our efforts to increase bursary provision. Later in the term, we had a special celebration evening with 60 Old Dolphins from the Class of 2013 to celebrate their ten-year reunion. This was followed by thirty and twenty-year reunions for our Classes of 1993 and 2003.

AROUND THE SCHOOL

Bonding Days

Our Year 7s spent their first day at Godolphin navigating every corner of the school with their special orientation Treasure Hunt. They enjoyed having free rein of the school before the majority of year-groups returned. The following week they soaked up the last of the summer sun, discovered new friendships and enjoyed a range of problem-solving and leadership activities in their new form-groups. A few days later, our newbies met up with their Year 8 buddies in the Sports Hall to share advice and hear about all the fantastic opportunities on offer at Godolphin.

Clubs and Societies Fair

At the beginning of the academic year, students flocked to the Bishop Centre for the Clubs and Societies Fair. From Cyber Security to Worldwise Geography, AI Society to Foreign Literature, many of these clubs are run by our Sixth Formers who are keen to share their enthusiasm with younger pupils.

Challenge Your Limits Week

Our eighth annual Challenge Your Limits Week provided students with a host of opportunities to try something new, broaden their horizons and tackle complex problems. This year, the week moved to September so that CYL could set the tone for the whole academic year and learning could be applied and built on during the months ahead.

A highlight was seeing 400 girls come together in the Sports Hall to compete in their Houses, honing their problem-solving and collaborative skills, to design and build a futuristic LEGO city. Some elements provided a little more challenge than we had anticipated, such as the trip to Dorset on which the intrepid Year 10s unquestionably showed great resilience in dealing with a host of new experiences in less than perfect weather. There were some inspiring visiting speakers, including Old Dolphin, entrepreneur and Google executive Crystal Eisinger (Class of 2008), who spoke about how she had embraced failure as part of her learning journey throughout her career, and an insightful talk from Professor Rose Luckin on the importance of human intelligence in the world of AI. Students also took part in workshops with the founders of City AM, LSE Generate and InnerDrive; worked with Chartwells, our school caterers, to develop a new break-time snack; honed their brand strategy skills with the founder of Oatsu, an overnight oats brand; and, with guidance from our Art and Design teachers, created an incredible Antony Gormley-esque clay installation in our courtyard.

Black History Month

At the beginning of October, we celebrated the start of Black History Month with two assemblies led by the Diversity Committee on the crucial role that black women have played in shaping history, inspiring change and building communities.

Sixth Form Enrichment Programme

This year’s programme delivered by our teachers was on the theme of ‘Margins, Measures and Meaning’ and included lectures on: Geo Domes; Growing up on the margins between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland; the significance of textiles to women in the US between the Revolutionary War and the Civil War; an analysis of how infants learn language so quickly; Charles Booth’s Life and Labour of the People in London and the founding of Sociology; the Anthropocene; Marginal characters in Shakespeare; Happiness: what does it mean, can it be measured and how can we increase it?; From La Haine to les Misérables: the marginalisation of suburban youth; The British Prime Minister’s approach to Polish independence; and Zoonotic diseases.

Upper Sixth Celebration Evening

The annual Upper Sixth Celebration Evening celebrated their achievements in the Sixth Form, particularly their successes in completing a superb array of personal research projects. It is a showcase for the Extended Project Qualification, completed by A Level students. Students spoke with remarkable eloquence and authority on a stunning range of topics, from linguistics to an architectural model of Hammersmith Bridge, to Sigmund Freud’s understanding of the Oedipus Complex.

G&L Futures

At the beginning of the academic year, Lower Sixth students spent the day at the London School of Economics as part of the LSE Mentorpreneurship programme. In workshops led by social start-up founders, students developed their understanding of social entrepreneurship and the value of systematic thinking in social enterprise, as well as their skills in ideation. The programme supports our students as they develop, improve and refine their own initiatives to benefit society and community.

During Challenge Your Limits Week, our caterers, Chartwells, tasked Year 8 with creating a nutritious snack to provide lasting energy throughout the day. The students developed their healthy snacks during their Food and Nutrition lessons and sharpened their entrepreneurial skills by selling them in the Cloisters during breaktime, encouraging fellow students to give feedback on their healthy but delicious products.

Through a programme of structured workshops, Year 10 developed their own TED talks on subjects that they are passionate about, inspired by a series of talks presented by Godolphin teachers. The Year 10s then presented their TED talks to their groups of parents and peers.

The Year 7 Mini Business Adventure was launched in March to guide students through the process of developing products and ideas that benefit people and the planet, tackling problems such as climate change, health, sustainable food, energy, education, housing, inequality and building design.

Celebrating Diwali

In November, Sixth Form students Antara, Millan and Anika led a special Middle School assembly on Diwali, covering its customs, traditions and varied celebrations across different religions. The trio began with a brief history of Diwali, emphasising its roots in ancient Indian mythology and its universal message of light triumphing over darkness, then they explained the distinctions between the Hindu and Sikh celebrations.

Remembrance Day Assembly

The Bishop Centre hosted a contemplative and sombre occasion as the school community gathered for our Remembrance assembly. Here we honoured the memory of the millions of people who, since the start of the First World War, have lost their lives in war. Dr Woodberry and the Sixth Form History Society students gave a thoughtprovoking address about the sacrifices made to ensure the defeat of Nazism in the Second World War. This was followed by the Last Post, movingly played by Bea Simmonds, Year 11.

Anti-Bullying Week

The school community came together to mark Anti-Bullying Week at an assembly run by the Head Girls Team. In keeping with this year’s theme of ‘Making a Noise About Bullying’, they discussed the importance of being an upstander rather than a bystander in tackling bullying, how to combat online devaluing behaviour, and made a schoolwide pledge to always make Godolphin an environment rooted in kindness and respect.

COP28

The Sustainability Committee ran a series of events to coincide with COP28 in the UAE from 30 November to 12 December. These included film screenings of The Great Climate Fight and The Great Climate Scandal, and many clubs and societies hosted activities and talks on related themes such as:

Biomedical Society: Sustainable medicine talk

Classics Club: Ancient Rome’s sustainable legacy

Spanish Chats: Environmental issues

Music Society: Sustainability in the music industry

Social Sciences Society / Foreign Literature Club / Philosophy Book Club: Sustainability’s societal, literary and philosophical dimensions.

Physics Engineering Club: Fusion and the future of sustainable energy

Middle Eastern Affairs Club: Innovative water conservation in arid regions

Feminist Society: Eco-feminism

China Club and China Film Club: China’s role in environmental sustainability

MUN Society: United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

Psychology Club: Marketing sustainable products

Economics Society: Is nuclear power the future of green energy?

History Society: Impact of the little ice age

Holocaust Memorial Day

We marked Holocaust Memorial Day with informative and moving assemblies run by members of the Godolphin Jewish Society. This year the theme of the day was the ‘Fragility of Freedom’ and, as well as learning more about the victims of the Holocaust, students observed a minute’s silence to honour all those who have lost their lives to genocide.

Sustainability Committee: Green Tech

In January, Serena and Livia from the Sustainability Committee presented an assembly to Middle School students on the environmental and human impact of the cobalt mining operations in the Democratic Republic of Congo. They explained that cobalt is used in the manufacture of rechargeable batteries in our smartphones, computers and electric vehicles, and they provided important advice on how to maintain current technology and reduce the need to purchase new tech items.

International Women’s Day

To mark this year’s International Women’s Day on the theme of ‘Inspiring Inclusion’, we were absolutely delighted to welcome Old Dolphin Alice Aedy (Class of 2012), activist, documentary photographer, film-maker and founder of the multimedia platform Earthrise, who gave an inspiring talk at our whole school assembly. Afterwards, Alice was interviewed by Geography teacher and leader of sustainability initiatives, Miss Graham, for the alumnae podcast, followed by lunch with the Head Girls Team. The day was rounded off with a workshop and Q&A session with our student Sustainability Committee.

STEM Week

We celebrated STEM Week with a full programme of exciting events to spark students‘ passion for Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths. Our STEM Week line-up included a fascinating talk from BBC Science correspondent Pallab Ghosh, who has interviewed some notable scientific figures in his time, including Neil Armstrong, Tim Berners Lee and Stephen Hawking. He has covered subjects including the human genome project, cloning, stem cell research and genetically modified crops.

Alongside sessions for Year 8, Team Repair ran a hands-on workshop where 22 Year 10 Godolphin students mentored 90 Year 7 students from Sacred Heart High School. Together, they tackled the Team Repair Challenge, working in teams to fix a games console. This collaborative effort encouraged problem-solving skills and fostered a passion for practical STEM applications.

In addition to the usual lunchtime meetings of the BioMed Society, Chemistry Club and Dissection Club, students spent their lunchtimes tackling some STEM-themed challenges such as solving Rubik’s cubes and building LEGO astronauts.

A special highlight of the week was the visit from Kate and her hearing dog Beany, and the week was rounded off with an event titled ‘The Hidden World of STEM’ featuring talks from three current Godolphin parents, who offered diverse perspectives on the field’s possibilities.

And there were prizes! Alex in Year 8 won the Rubik’s challenge; Nayeon in Year 8 won the Physics Poem challenge; and Year 7 students Lilly and Shirin were the winners of the Escape Room challenge.

Neurodiversity Week

We celebrated Neurodiversity Week with a special assembly led by the student Neurodiversity Committee shining a light on the message ‘Different, not less’. Teachers also shared their own experiences, emphasising the importance of accommodating diverse needs. The assembly ended with a call for continued advocacy beyond the week and for differences to be embraced in building an inclusive community.

Theory of Knowledge Exhibition

In May, Lower Sixth IB students welcomed staff, their A Level peers and parents to the inaugural Theory of Knowledge (ToK) Exhibition. Held on the upper floor of the Library, each student presented a display board featuring their chosen ToK prompt and the three objects they selected to explore this probing knowledge-based question.

School Diversity Week

At the end of June we celebrated School Diversity Week, which is a national celebration of LGBTQ+ equality in schools, coinciding with Pride Month. The Gay-Straight Alliance ran a number of events throughout the week, including Rainbow Flag Painting and the very popular Rainbow Cake Competition. Pride colours were also out in force for our end-ofthe-week Summer Garden Party.

House Competitions

Throughout the year, we enjoyed a full programme of fiercely contested House competitions showcasing the talents and camaraderie of Bassi (purple), Lovelace (green), Maathai (red), Naidu (orange), Quinn Brown (blue) and Sheppard (yellow). From House Quoits, Just Dance, netball, language spelling and translation bees, Masterchef, to music festivals, University Challenge, hockey, football, the Lip Sync Battle, the Big Draw, the STEM photography competition, Marshmallow Challenge, and House Drama — to name but a few! Each event was enthusiastically supported and thoroughly enjoyed.

Among the most popular of the events, we had the House Talent Show, which proved a fantastic finale to the Autumn Term, with members of staff joining the House Captains for a hilarious lip sync medley of Spice Girls’ classics!

House Winners

2023-2024

1ST PLACE: Lovelace - 203 points

2ND PLACE: Quinn Brown - 196 points

3RD PLACE: Sheppard - 185 points

Debating

There was a very full and busy debating programme throughout the year.

In November, we were joined by students from Harrow School for two ‘friendly’ Sixth Form debates and were especially lucky to have Rachel Tait, who coaches for Team England, as one of our judges.

The Middle School team of Izzy, Rania and Lola made it through both the first and second rounds of the ESU Schools’ Mace Debating Competition against Sixth Formers from St Paul’s Girls’ School and West London Free School. The final round to decide which team would go on to the England Regional Final was held at Godolphin, but unfortunately our girls were pipped at the post by just one point by the Sixth Form team from Tiffin.

Two senior debating teams participated in the UCL Winter Cup in November, competing against 60 teams, and the Godolphin A team secured a fabulous second place.

Four teams of Godolphin debaters took part in South Hampstead School’s Debating Competition. 120 teams were participating and all four of our teams finished in the top third of their respective divisions.

In January, Lower Sixth French students took part in the ‘joutes oratoires’ (French Debating Competition) and displayed impressive fluency, articulation and argumentation.

Four teams from Godolphin competed in the prestigious Oxford Union Debating Competition. Out of 60 teams, two teams, made up of Year 11s Frida and Gwendolyn, and Year 11 Sophie and Lower Sixth student Franny, made it through to the finals in Oxford.

The Durham Schools Debating Competition is the world’s largest residential school-level competition, and we entered two teams, who finished a credible 19th and 24th out of 84 teams.

Model United Nations

The first MUN conference of the academic year was at the London Oratory School in Fulham and began with a keynote speech from Lord Patton, former Governor of Hong Kong and government minister. Our students represented Albania, Rwanda and Italy, and they delved into debates and negotiations, showcasing their understanding of complex challenges such as the legality of Guantanamo Bay and rising violence in Mali.

Eleven Year 10 and Lower Sixth students took part in St Paul’s School’s MUN conference, representing both Turkey and Russia. The committees debated a variety of challenging topics such as the establishment of a common policy towards refugees and asylum seekers. The team received three awards for Astrid, Nika and Zeynep, along with a special mention for Rania.

We hosted a MUN Bilateral conference with Lady Margaret School where delegates discussed a range of topics from the ownership of the Falkland Islands in 1982, to COP28’s Loss and Damage fund, and the ongoing tensions between China and Taiwan.

In June, the G&L MUN Society hosted our first full MUN conference in five years. The conference was organised by two Lower Sixth students, Noor and Nika, and began with an inspiring online talk from Rome by Yasmina Bouziane, a senior UN representative at the Food and Agriculture Organisation, who shared her experiences in conflict zones.

There were six committees, attended by representatives from seven schools and, with judicious selection of interesting and engaging resolutions and effective chairing, each session provided opportunities for active participation from all the delegates.

General Election

In July, the school ran its own mock election, and Lower Sixth students took on the challenge of representing the main parties, including some who bravely campaigned for parties whose views they did not necessarily share. There were seven constituencies in total, including a staff constituency and proxy votes from Year 11 and Upper Sixth students counting as a single constituency. The overall result saw the Liberal Democrats win the most votes, but it was the Greens who won the most seats!

Classics

In November, Sixth Form Classical Civilisation students attended the annual Classics Conference at the Harrodian School. The day consisted of lectures by experts in the field, covering topics like Greek tragedy and the role of gender and sexuality in the ancient world. The content directly tied into the A Level syllabus, making it a valuable experience for the students.

Classics students in Year 8 and Year 11 took part in the Classical Reading Competition at Westminster School. All students delivered excellent readings, and Yasmin, Carolina and Heloise won silver medals in the Beginners’ Latin category; Charlotte and Serena won bronze medals in the Greek Dialogue category; and Frida won a silver medal in the ‘Open Latin’ category.

French Absolutism Workshop for Lower Sixth Historians

The Lower Sixth Modern and Early Modern historians met for a workshop on French Absolutism covering the absolutist monarchs, Louis XIV and Louis XVI. Topics ranged from the use of architecture to consolidate absolutism, the influence of Alexander the Great to the relative importance of religion, systems of measurement (including the intriguing ‘King’s Foot’) and the importance of the 1791 constitution.

German Cultural Exchange

In October, Year 10 German students celebrated the arrival of their exchange students from our partner school the Gelehrtenschule des Johanneums in Hamburg. As part of the trip, our visitors experienced Godolphin school life and went on several trips around the sights of London, visiting among others the Tower of London, Hampton Court and the British Museum. The arrival of the German party also signalled the start of wider celebrations, as this year marked the 45th anniversary of both the language and music exchange we enjoy with the Johanneum, and the 75th anniversary for Latymer Upper School. On Thursday 12 October, the three schools came together alongside honoured guests of exchanges gone-by to commemorate this momentous occasion and look back at the history of this long-standing partnership.

Languages Week

Languages Week got off to a show-stopping start with a mouth-watering display of cakes and confectionery from our star bakers at the World Bake Off House competition! During the week, there was a packed programme of activities, including Spanish flamenco and South American salsa, Chinese arts and crafts, an Italian carnival workshop, Mandarin karaoke, tai chi, a German and French ‘escape room’, all in addition to a host of assemblies, conversation clubs, films, quizzes and delicious lunch menus from around the world. As well as improving their language skills, students discovered more about the different cultures and traditions, dress, food, music and dance of different places around the globe. We were also delighted to welcome back Old Dolphins to talk about the importance of learning languages and the experience of studying language courses at degree level.

German Study Day

In the Autumn Term, A Level German students took part in a study day designed to develop their knowledge of German beyond the core curriculum. The day involved talks and workshops from university lecturers at Warwick, Bristol and UCL on the topics of DDR society, literary translation and analysing German film.

Modern Foreign Language Spelling Bee

For the first time in eight years, all five students who entered the Translation Bee competition went through to the national finals held at Cambridge University at the end of June. Congratulations to Imi and Victoria (Year 9 Spanish); Amaya (Year 8 French); Rachel (Year 9 German); and Lara (Year 8 German).

Spanish Flash Fiction Competition

Chloe in Year 8 was awarded runner-up in the Oxford University 2024 Spanish Flash Fiction Competition.

Mathematics National Competitions

In the Autumn Term, 21 Sixth Formers took part in the UK Mathematical Olympiad for Girls and achieved excellent results. Our girls received twelve merits and seven distinctions — the latter for Dana, Youan, Chloe and Elspeth (Lower Sixth) and Amelie, Jessica and Athena (Upper Sixth).

In addition, nearly 100 Sixth Formers took the UKMT Senior Mathematics Challenge. Of these, 30 received a bronze award, eighteen received a silver and 19 girls received a gold award. Imogen (Upper Sixth) was best in school and progressed through to Round 1 of the British Mathematical Olympiad. Other students progressed through to the Senior Kangaroo round: Victoria, Rania, Fia, Dana, Francesca, Allegra, Ava, Youan, Chloe and Jingwen (Lower Sixth) and Amelie, Jessica, Oliwia, Estelle, Athena, Francesca, Nina and Marianna (Upper Sixth).

In the UKMT Intermediate Mathematics Challenge for Years 9-11, 89 students received the bronze awards, 120 the silver, and 58 gold. 57 students qualified for the follow-on rounds, with both Lucy and Camilla in Year 9 qualifying for the six-question, two-hour Cayley Olympiad paper. Lucy went on to score 47/60, gaining a distinction and a gold medal which means she was one of the top 20 pupils in the country. Camilla also gained an impressive merit, which also places her as one of the strongest Year 9 pupils. Three other Year 9 girls obtained a merit in the Grey Kangaroo, and seven girls from Year 10 and Year 11 obtained a merit in the Pink Kangaroo. Merits in each competition are for students coming in the top 25% and were awarded to Frida, Rebecca (Year 11), Kim-Loan, Naomi, Chen, Georgia and Emily (Year 10) and Ilioni, Matilda, and Coco (Year 9).

At the UKMT Junior Mathematical Challenge, our Year 7 and 8s achieved 57 bronze, 69 silver and 93 gold certificates overall with 64 progressing to the follow-on rounds. A particular mention for Nayeon, Yi, Emma, Chloe and Charlie in Year 8, who achieved very high scores and qualified for the Olympiad in June.

In May, a team of two Year 8 and two Year 9 students travelled to Tiffin School for the return of the UKMT Team Maths Challenge after a five-year break. After a fabulous day solving complicated maths problems, the girls were thrilled to achieve a fantastic sixth place out of 23 teams.

In the last week of term, we received the results for the Junior Mathematical Olympiad taken by the top 1,200 Year 7 and 8 pupils nationally. Five Year 8s had qualified, and all did fantastically well. Emma, Chloe, Charlie and Yi received merits placing them in the top 40% of pupils, and Nayeon received a distinction (top 25%) — just one mark short of a bronze medal. Well done to all the girls on their excellent achievements in this prestigious competition.

LEGO League Robotics Engineering Competition

Maths Inspiration Live

50 Lower Sixth mathematicians visited the Cambridge Theatre for a series of lectures by three fantastic speakers. Popular mathematics author and New Scientist puzzlist Rob Eastaway pitted students’ wits against ChatGPT; Dr Aoife Hunt MBE, a leading specialist in the movement of crowds, spoke to pupils about the underlying mathematics behind modelling movement and safe evacuation at big events such as Glastonbury; Ben Sparks talked us through some of the beauty of mathematics via Sting’s classic ‘Shape of My Heart’: from the ‘hidden law of a probable outcome’ and gambling with the audience using the Birthday Paradox.

In January, members of the LEGO Mindstorms Club travelled to the Institute of Engineering in Stevenage to compete in their first LEGO League Robotics Engineering Competition. Made up of students in Years 7 and 8, the team competed with other schools to design a robot capable of completing complex LEGO challenges, and they were awarded a trophy for best demonstrating the six core values of the competition: discovery, innovation, impact, inclusion, teamwork and fun!

F1 in Schools Competition

It was our first time taking part in this competition to design and manufacture a miniature Formula One car. Our two teams used various computer-aided manufacturing techniques to design and produce a model F1 car of the future. They also developed the team identity and branding to attract sponsorship and funding. One of our teams was third in their class, and the girls also brought home awards for the best portfolio across all classes, and the best engineered car in class!

British Physics Olympiad’s Senior Physics Challenge

Congratulations to Fia and Youan, Lower Sixth, who secured gold and silver, respectively. Another four students achieved bronze 1, six achieved bronze 2, and one student received a commendation.

Junior Physics Challenge

Our Year 10 students took part in the Junior Physics Challenge during the first week of May along with 14,000 candidates from 280 different schools. They achieved a wonderful set of results; all our students who attempted both papers were awarded a medal: over 28% of our students achieved a gold award (compared to 14.7% globally) and over 80% of our students achieved gold or silver awards.

IRIS Conference

In June, 27 students presented their research to the IRIS Conference at Friends House in London. They had worked on a variety of exciting projects this year such as: learning to code in Python to access CERN data and replicate the discovery of the Higgs boson; use of CAD software to model the addition of hydrogen fuel tanks to aeroplanes and minimise drag; use of satellite imaging and scanning data to model the progression of the Ferguson California Wildfire or the growth of the Cox Bazaar refugee camp in Bangladesh; and using acoustic software to analyse the differences between vowels produced in different English dialects. Students discussed their work alongside fellow pupils from other schools, as well as academics and scientists.

Year 7 Masterchef

The Year 7 G&L Masterchef competition is now very much established on the school calendar and provides a fantastic opportunity for pupils to demonstrate the skills, techniques and creativity they have learnt during their first year at Godolphin. This year’s winner was Elena with a fabulous honey and zataar chicken with avocado mousse and chargrilled grapes — as delicious as it sounds!

Tea Cake Challenge

At the end of the school year, we were delighted to learn that Safiya and Diti in Year 8 had been crowned the winners of the Under 14 and Over 14 categories, respectively, of the Tunnock’s Tea Cake Challenge. Safiya and Diti were judged the winners of the awards for successfully focusing on the elements of decoration, added features and eye-catching presentation.

Bake Off

The Bake Off final in October was a huge success! Five students battled it out to cook and ice a large cake in two hours! The standard was exceptional with not only all cakes looking amazing but tasting delicious too! It was a very difficult decision for the judges and after much deliberation the winner was Safiya. Congratulations to all of the finalists.

ART AND DESIGN

Lower School Art and Design Exhibition

This year’s Lower School Exhibition was a printmaking spectacular showcasing a huge breadth of specialist techniques such as reduction lino-printing, collagraph and embossing. It was wonderful to welcome so many parents, students and guests, and very exciting to see our Art and Design scholars racing across the Bishop Centre, adding red dots to the works which had secured a donation in exchange for the second edition print. The event raised £2,387.50 for the charities Art House Unlimited and The Art Room.

The Art and Design department was delighted to present the IB Diploma, GCSE and the A Level Exhibitions, celebrating our students’ achievements over the last two years.

Here is a selection of their work.

GCSE

Alexandra Dimitriou

Agatha Dshkhunyan

Alexia Burgon-Carter

Amalie Langseth Hughes

Alicja Szubarczyk

Amandine Clerget

Athena Mincione

Annabel Dudley

Axelle-Rica Aboagye-Vliese

Charlotte Pilkington

Darcie Kane

Elena Jiang

Electra Timiryasova

Emily Bartlett

Elina Vilar Hadjipanayiotou

Emily Nurock

Hester Boyle

Indira Van Den Kieboom

Inez Karlsson

Jessica Palmer

Isabella Garayo Rivas

Leyla Egeli

Maria Carrillo Diaz

Madelaine O’Donoghue

Lara Jones

Mariam Megrelishvili

Mariella Brox

Olivia Bentley

Milla Samwell-Smith

Olivia Broadhurst

Oriana Thwaites

Orla Eddis

Viper Yudicheva

Serena Brookes

Sofia Loureiro Pandolfi Da Silveira

Phoebe Rodford

Rebecca Lam

Siena Lepine

Sophia Thomas

Susanna Westin

Izzy De Burca

Valentina Ali

Rosie Emmett

Yuna Earl

A LEVEL

Akeira Thaker

Ariana Murphy

Connie Fouracre

Hannah Whiley

Isobel Fisher

Jess Hindin

Josie Russell

Marina Richards Chapatte

Martha Siva

Nell Richards

Rose Bingham

Sabina Cidonio

Sofia Bradistilov

Tilly McLean

Victoria Lehndorff

Drama

Year 7 Production of Scrooge

During the second half of the Autumn Term, Year 7 students spent their Drama lessons learning lines to Scrooge, the musical adaptation of Charles Dickens’ classic Christmas tale, culminating in an entertaining and energetic adaptation performed by the whole of the year-group.

Emilia

The student-led Senior Production of Morgan Lloyd Malcolm’s Emilia showcased the outstanding technical skill and theatricality of our Year 11 and Sixth Form Drama students. Under the creative guidance of our Theatre Captains, Annabel, Evie and Connie, the ensemble all delivered stellar performances. The technical brilliance behind the scenes was orchestrated by our Tech Captain Isobel and her crew of student stage managers, and lighting and sound operators.

Confusions

Alan Ayckbourn’s comedy was performed in promenade style. Cast members immersed themselves in their roles and mastered the art of improvisation, interacting with their audience across the various locations. The studentled Tech Crew transformed the Bishop Centre into a parkland setting, complete with artificial grass covering the floor of the entire building.

Beauty and the Beast

Rehearsals for our Lower School production began in the Autumn Term and included workshops with leading West End show choreographers. Once the summer examinations were over, the Bishop Centre was transformed into a fairytale French château, complete with iconic singing tableware. Our Year 8 and 9 students gave a fantastic performance of the ‘tale as old as time’, showing a huge amount of talent, energy and commitment, and it was obvious that all of the hard work had paid off. Backstage temperatures soared, but onstage our young cast did not flag; they navigated the beautiful songs and harmonies, acting, storytelling, choreography and some challenging oversized costumes with professionalism and skill.

Trinity College Speech and Drama

Godolphin and Latymer students had an outstanding year in Speech and Drama, rehearsing and performing play extracts, poetry, book extracts and public speeches from a wide variety of periods, cultures and genres. We were once again awarded Trinity College London’s Champion status in recognition of our high standards. More than 300 students entered exams this year from Grades 3-8, with an unprecedented 99% gaining distinction at Grade 3! They received high praise from our visiting examiners, particularly at Grade 8, where students presented a continuous programme of pieces, showed imagination and creativity in their programmes and took real ownership of their material.

Music School Concerts

Choral Evensong

In October, the combined forces of the Junior and Senior Chamber Choirs gave their first performance of the academic year, singing evensong at St James’s Church, Sussex Gardens. The 50-strong choir sang works by Darlington, Wayland Rogers and Howard Goodall.

At the beginning of May, the Junior Chamber Choir performed at the esteemed Chapel Royal, situated within the historic confines of Hampton Court Palace. They sang an array of musical compositions, including Preces and Responses, the psalm, Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis, the anthem, hymns and a gorgeous rendition of ‘A Gaelic Blessing’.

Our autumn Year 11 and Sixth Form Music Scholars’ Concert showcased our most gifted musicians with a programme including works by Cimarosa, Grieg, Bruch, Debussy, Kreisler and Popper.

229 performers took part in the Autumn Concert, with a varied programme from Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony and Dvořák’s Serenade for Strings, to songs from Matilda and The Little Mermaid.

One of the highlights of our Christmas festivities was the annual Festival of Lessons and Carols. The Bishop Centre was filled with beautiful choral singing, musical accompaniment and yuletide readings.

Students from all year-groups took part in our inaugural Musical Theatre Night with showstopping numbers from a whole host of musicals, including My Fair Lady, West Side Story, Grease, Matilda and Hamilton.

60 entrants from all six Houses took part in the Senior House Music Festival and Amaryllis (Class 1: percussion), Chloe (Class 2: woodwind) and Inez (Class 3: strings) emerged as the overall winners of their respective classes, with Reem (Class 3: voice) and Josie (Class 3: woodwind) receiving highly commended awards for their outstanding contributions. Maathai was crowned the overall winning House.

Orchestral Exchange with Gelehrtenschule des Johanneums

It was the 43rd year of the exchange and, after three days of intensive rehearsals, the combined symphony orchestras of Godolphin and Latymer, Latymer Upper, and the Johanneum gave a fantastic concert in the Bishop Centre. The programme included Schubert’s first Military March, Grieg’s ‘Morgenstimmung’ (from Peer Gynt), Doreen Carwithen’s Suffolk Suite, Elgar’s Chanson de Matin and Chanson de Nuit, Karl Jenkin’s ‘Palladio’ before concluding with the nowtraditional Ode to Joy from Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony.

Spring Choral Concert

The Spring Choral Concert brought together over 200 pupils, staff and Godolphin parents to create a memorable evening of music in the Bishop Centre. The first half of the concert featured all of our individual choirs and vocal ensembles before coming together for a bombastic, declamatory performance of Handel’s Zadok The Priest and a beautifully moving performance of Matthew Coleridge’s Requiem.

Instrumental Ensemble Concert

In the Spring Term, over 100 of our talented pupils took to the stage to perform a varied and enjoyable programme of music opening with the Percussion Ensemble’s Bumble Beat, an exuberant arrangement of Rimsky-Korsakov’s original. The rest of the programme included an arrangement from Saint-Saëns’ Carnival of the Animals and a Disney Medley as well as works by Mozart and Beethoven and the Suffolk Suite by Doreen Carwithen, a very welcome reprise of the work performed at our Johanneum concert.

Chamber Music Concert

The concert featured a delightful array of music, from duets to instrumental ensembles. The programme included works by Bach, Shostakovich, Ravel, Schubert and Handel, with exquisite and wellprepared performances by the voice consort, flute ensemble, string quartet, viola duet, cello duet, voice and piano duets, violin duet and harp duet.

Junior House Music Festival

Music Scholars’ Concert

The Music Scholars’ Concert showcased the impressive talent and musical sophistication of our music scholars in Years 7-10. The evening began with Emily playing Liszt’s Liebesträume, No.3 on the piano; Meredith performed La Source by Alphonse Hasselmans on the harp; Francesca followed with Bartok’s Romanian Dances on the violin; Alicia then played Mozart’s Sonata in D Major, K311, mvt I; Giselle performed Dizi’s Prelude No. 21; Isabel played a stunning rendition of SaintSaëns’ Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso on the violin; and the concert concluded with Sofia playing Chopin’s Ballade No. 3.

After hearing from 117 entries in the preliminary rounds, we were delighted to welcome Ben Ferguson, Musical Director for Les Miserables and Cabaret, to adjudicate the final. All of our pupils performed superbly, and particular warm congratulations go to our category winners Jane, Meredith, Rachel, Honor and Sky, and Amabelle and Amaira. The House winner was Sheppard with 198.5 points narrowly beating Quinn Brown with 198 points.

International Piano Competition

Sofia in Year 10 won first prize in the 14-17 age category at the Recondite Armonie International Piano Competition in Grosseto, Italy, with a fabulous score of 96/100.

Summer Concert

The Summer Concert began with the Symphony Orchestra’s bombastic performance of Bernstein’s The Magnificent Seven theme, which set the tone for the whole evening. Instrumental orchestras and ensembles followed with a Harry Potter Medley, Pachelbel’s Canon, Ravel’s Menuet sur le nom d’Haydn, Vivaldi’s ‘Spring’ from the Four Seasons, ‘Memory’ from Cats, Mr Neville’s brilliant percussion showpiece, I Like Going Out To See A Concert, and Jacob Gade’s Jealousy.

The choirs followed, with works from Todd, Chilcott, Quartel, ‘Spirit’ from The Lion King, Jason Robert Brown’s A Little More Homework and, finally, the entire of Year 7 singing Moana’s How Far I’ll Go. Bravo to all 230 performers!

Winter, Spring and Summer Jams

Our termly Jam Concerts have become so popular that students are now auditioning to take part. The Jam sessions showcase Godolphin’s musical talent in solos, duet and group numbers in a range of musical styles from pop to jazz to rock. One of the highlights of the year was our Summer Jam at the Summer Garden Party, which got the whole community rockin’.

Sport & PE

HOCKEY

The hockey season has been busy and productive, with a large number of pupils participating in fixtures. It has been fantastic to see so many of the new Year 7s take up hockey for the first time and develop their skill level so quickly. Across the age groups, there have been some notable successes.

The 1XI endured long trips away to both Norwich and Ipswich, showing fantastic resilience and team spirit. They had some notable successes in the Tier 1 competition, including beating Sevenoaks school 2-1, scoring late in the game to secure a dramatic victory. The Tier 1 competition is highly competitive, and the girls regularly played teams with a host of junior internationals. In the U18 indoor competition, the team cruised through the county rounds, beating Surbiton and Latymer. Unfortunately, at the regional stages, they lost out in the semi-final.

The annual all-stars game to round off the season was a fantastic display of top-quality hockey, with Team Emmie (1XI Captain) snatching a win from Team Tally (1XI VC). Thank you to our Upper Sixth leavers for all their dedication and commitment to hockey over the years; we wish them all the best for the next chapter in their lives.

The U16s developed well as a team throughout the Tier 1 competition, and they reached the regional stages of the indoor hockey competition. The U14As and U14Bs showed great progress during the season, with some hard-fought matches. The U13s also improved as the season progressed, making fantastic progress in the ISHC plate with a brilliant 2-0 win against Bedes to go through to the third round. The U13s reached the Independent School Cup Plate National Finals, a fantastic achievement, finishing fifth.

The U12s hockey squads from A-D showed excellent progress, developing their technical knowledge throughout the season. The U12A team recently travelled to Nottingham for the ISHC tournament, where they significantly improved their skills and understanding of match play.

The end of season Ibstock tournaments proved very successful for Godolphin, with the U12, U13, U14 and U18 age-groups claiming victories. It was great to see all the girls at the end-of-season celebration breakfasts to award certificates and trophies to individuals, as well as celebrate team successes.

Many of our girls play hockey outside school at local clubs, with some progressing through the England Hockey system, and many players selected for county squads. Special mention must go to Emilia and Florence, selected for England Hockey’s Talent Academy. Emmie was also selected for the U21 Junior World Cup in Chile — a brilliant achievement, especially as she was one of only four school-age players selected. Monica has also been selected to train with the U16 Spanish National team, travelling to Spain twice prior to the Christmas break.

NETBALL

It has been another incredibly busy and exciting netball season. The level of play, commitment and determination at both training and fixtures, across our 26 teams, has been a pleasure to watch, and the season most definitely finished on a high.

The U12s started strong from the outset, fielding six strong teams and winning over 80% of their fixtures this year. Impressing across the board with their level of enthusiasm on and off the court, they have achieved fantastic results and put in great performances. The As proved to be a triple threat, being crowned Ibstock, Harrodian and GSA tournament winners. They also finished the Middlesex finals as runners-up and were crowned National Cup champions in Loughborough, finishing top in the country! The U13s had a positive season, making the most of every opportunity despite some challenging fixtures along the way. The highlights were finishing as Middlesex semi-finalists and in third place overall at the Harrodian tournament. We are excited to see both age-groups continue to flourish next year.

The U14s achieved many successful results, which reflected their efforts and dedication during training. They placed third at the Harrodian tournament, were runners-up at the Middlesex finals, made it through to the quarter-finals at nationals, and won the GSA tournament, which is a fantastic result. In addition, the U15s persevered and displayed some outstanding netball to be crowned as Middlesex champions, retaining their title from last year, and narrowly missing out on first place at the Harrodian tournament on goal difference. The U16s showed great teamwork and resilience against tough opposition. They finished in a deserving fourth place at the Middlesex prelims. The nationals proved to be the highlight of their season when they travelled to Loughborough to compete in the final four of the plate competition and finished in a very promising third place overall.

Last, but certainly not least, the U18s thrived throughout an incredibly busy season, remaining dedicated to both sporting and academic pursuits. Training has been a solid balance of intensity, hard work and good fun, and it is safe to say that the Upper Sixth will be very much missed. They were crowned both Harrodian tournament and Middlesex champions! We wish them all the best and hope they continue their netball journeys beyond Godolphin.

We are incredibly proud of all our players, and we know next year will bring another exciting season, with plenty to look forward to.

ROWING

The beginning of the academic year is always an exciting time for the Boat Club as our new intake of J14s begin their rowing journey and the older rowers roll up an age group to a new squad.

J15s-J18s spent the winter competing in Head Races and time trials over long distances. The first success of the season went to our J16 VIII, who won the Hammersmith Head against some very strong opposition. The Schools’ Head of the River Race in March saw a record breaking win from our 1st VIII, who set a course best time. The 2nd VIII finished a commendable sixth, and the J16 VIII finished second. The younger rowers put in a great effort at the Scullery the next day.

At Easter the J15-J18 squads travelled to Ghent in Belgium for the Easter Rowing Camp, and all squads made great progress on the flat Belgian water. This paid dividends at the Wallingford Regatta, one of the largest regattas in the world, when our J16 IV took the win, and our J18 double took silver; both outstanding performances. The National Schools’ Regatta in late May is one of the highpoints of the school rowing season. With over 60 Godolphin rowers competing over the three days, we had some absolutely fantastic results! The J14s and J15s raced on Friday and had some year-best performances, while the J15 and J16 VIIIs, the J18 2- and 2x, J16 2x and 4xs fought hard and made their supporters and coaches proud. The J15 IV put in a terrific effort to gain a bronze medal in some fast races against strong opposition. The J16 IV was fastest in the time trial, won their semi-final, and went on to dominate the A-final, where they led from the start and won by a twelve-second margin! This meant they were gold medal winners, National Champions, and holders of the Anna Fangen Cup!

On the back of this, our crew were favourites at Henley Women’s Regatta. With some close racing, they were again victorious, winning the West End Amateur Rowing Association Trophy, and achieving the accolade of being our first-ever crew to win at this prestigious regatta! At the end of the season, our J16 and J18 composite crew raced as a 1st VIII at Henley Royal Regatta. Putting in a top performance, they qualified into round one, ahead of some other strong crews. Unluckily, they were drawn against one of the favourites for the Prince Philip Challenge Trophy, Shiplake College, but our crew put in a strong effort, only losing by a narrow margin. This season has seen some first class performances from each squad, buoyed on by their loyal supporters, and all our rowers and coaches can be very proud.

CRICKET

This year, we have continued to see cricket flourish and once again we were named as one of the top 20 girls’ schools. We have strengthened our offering to the girls, particularly with more hard ball cricket, as we have seen the interest and take-up increase.

Indoors, the U12s were crowned London Schools’ champions and although our U13 and U15 teams did not have the best tournament at London Schools’, they flew through the qualifiers and county finals of the national Lady Taverners competition. The U13s were just pipped in the semi-finals of the regionals, but the U15s qualified for the national finals! We started a little slowly in the round-robin tournament but gained momentum after lunch — obviously some food gave the girls energy! A helpful win by The Leys School over Clifton College meant we were crowned national champions, courtesy of the number of runs our brilliant girls scored! The thirteen year wait was over!

CROSS-COUNTRY AND ATHLETICS

Another exciting cross-country season unfolded this year as a record number of teams entered the Main Schools London XC Championships, including two teams in the junior ‘B’ race and, most impressively, two inter teams. Both inter teams went on to win silver and bronze team medals. Other highlights from the season were Maeve, Year 10, and Allegra, Lower Sixth, qualifying for English Schools National XC, coming 115th and 42nd, respectively; it is an amazing achievement to represent London at this prestigious competition. We have had several students represent Hammersmith and Fulham at the Year 7 and 8 Borough XC Championships, which was a particularly gruelling course, made even more challenging by the relentless rain. A favourite competition of ours is always the Harrow SES XC, where this year we brought home the bronze, silver and gold individual medals as well as the team gold medal in the intermediate race!

Our success continued into the track and field season. We had girls compete across all disciplines and represent Hammersmith and Fulham at the London Schools Athletics competition and Year 7 and 8 Borough Championships, where Tilly, Year 8, won a silver medal in the discus. Athletics captains Maya and Allegra were both selected to represent London at the Nationals in July in the 800m and 1,500m, respectively; this was an impressive accolade and the culmination of a year of hard work. We also had a number of representatives at the London Youth Games in July when all of our girls made a great showing for the borough.

Football

With the profile of the women’s game in the ascendance, football at Godolphin has become increasingly popular, and we have enjoyed more fixtures against other schools, especially for the lower year-groups. The U15s had a great season making it through to the third round of the ISFA Cup for the first time, while the U12s and U13s each played six competitive matches, which is more than in previous years. This all provides a very promising foundation for the season ahead when we expect the interest in football and the number of fixtures and tournaments to continue to grow.

A fantastic highlight of the year for our Years 7 and 8 was their tour of Chelsea Football Club’s Stamford Bridge stadium. For our senior players, in April we welcomed former England Lioness and Arsenal player, Rachel Yankey OBE, to their weekly training session. The coaching session with Rachel — who gained 129 caps playing for the national team and was part of the 2012 GB Olympics squad — came about after Football Captain Arielle submitted the winning entry in the UEFA WePlayStrong Women’s World Cup competition. Rachel, who was a winger and forward, joined the coaching session to put the girls through their paces with some attacking and shooting drills and then took part in a lively Q&A session, with the girls quizzing her on her footballing journey.

With a couple of our girls now playing club and international football, there is potentially an exciting future ahead for our Godolphin teams.

Tennis

It was an excellent summer of tennis, with fantastic engagement across all year-groups as the girls enjoyed the opportunity to soak up some sun on the courts. The quality of tennis from our Years 7–10 squad players improved as the season progressed, and this produced some success in our fixtures against other schools. Our senior girls enjoyed putting their skills to the test against the boys from Eton College and Dulwich College, and pupils had a lot of fun playing mixed doubles! On a more serious note, our U13 tennis team won the Middlesex Division 2 League Final in spectacular fashion by sealing victory in a shootout super tiebreak 10-6. Our U15 tennis team also had an excellent season, making it through to the semi-finals when they were unlucky in the super tiebreak.

A highlight this Summer Term was hosting Dan Bloxham, Head Coach at the All-England Lawn Tennis Club, who ran a series of tennis masterclass sessions for all members of the school community. Dan really inspired and motivated our students with the takeaway quote of the day being ‘practice makes permanent’ as our girls learnt what it takes to train like Grand Slam champion Carlos Alcaraz. Thanks to all the girls who wielded a tennis racquet this season; we cannot wait for the next summer of tennis!

Extra-Curricular Clubs

Students love the variety of clubs they can sign up to during the week, and a huge number take advantage of what’s on offer; whether it is a knock about on the badminton court with their friends or dancing the afternoon away in the studio. There was an impressive demonstration of many of the club activities at the annual extra-curricular display in March. Once again parents were impressed (or possibly scared) at the power of the kickboxers and in awe of the trampolinists, while girls enjoyed seeing their peers perform and in some cases were inspired to join a new club. Talking of new clubs, weightlifting has been added to the vast list already on offer for Year 10 students and above, and this has already seen a number of girls benefit from Mr Barnes’ coaching.

Family Sports Celebration

In March, we entertained over 200 students, parents and families at our inaugural Family Sports Celebration event organised by the PE department and Sports Captains. Mini games included table tennis, capture the flag and spike-ball, while team rivalries and dubious tactics achieved a new level at the Staff and Students vs Parents Dodgeball, much to the delight of the raucous crowd of supporters.

International Sporting Honours

This academic year, we celebrated a number of students who competed at the very top level in their sports:

2023 Emmie Gilbert Hockey U21 England

Ines Goyyarola Fencing U17 Great Britain

Elspeth von Sponeck Showjumping U16 Wales

Elspeth von Sponeck Showjumping U16 Great Britain

2024 Ines Goyyarola Fencing U17 Great Britain

Kienna Grewal-Haque Alpine Skiing U18 Great Britain

Asees Sangha Football U15 England

Monica Alcover Hockey U16 Spain

Emmie Gilbert Hockey U21 England

Henrietta Westin Fencing U14 Sweden

SPORTS DAY

Once again the school came together for the biggest House event of the year: Sports Day. Girls sporting an array of brightly coloured polos spread across the astro, tennis courts and car park for shot put, javelin, discus, long jump, high jump and triple jump, as well as dashing down the track in a multitude of running events. Many thanks to all the athletes for making the day a great way to finish off the academic year in the sunshine! We have certainly never had so many girls competing for the individual cup, especially from Year 10. Staff also played their part by not only participating in the everpopular staff race, but also entertaining the crowds with running commentary throughout the day. A massive thank you must go to the PE department for once again running an amazing day.

Records broken:

Year 7

Selina Krap (Sheppard) equalled Year 7 high jump record with 1.40m

Year 10

Isabelle Spira (Quinn Brown) - high jump 1.44m

Year 8 Elena Greco (Sheppard) - high jump 1.43m

Year 10 Asees Sangha (Lovelace) - 80m 10.93s

Year 8

Amanda Brown (Quinn Brown) - 80m 10.96s

Year 8

Tilly Faes (Quinn Brown) - Discus 21.85m

Year 7

Maathai 4 x 100m relay 1.04.15m

Individual year-group winners:

1st 2nd 3rd

House winners:

Year 7

Year 8

Year 9

Year 10

Selina Krap

Dominika Hubi

Amanda Brown

Marianna Dimitriou

Maeve Minielly

Arabella Nichol

Izzy Brett

Arianna Minerva

Danqi Zhang

Annabel Hammer

Jeanne Chea

Allegra Stenton

Lexi Turnbull

Violeta Malpica

Claire Seton-Rogers

Enara Faes

Yulia Buyanovsky

Alice Francis

LECTURES AND GUEST SPEAKERS

Hibo Wardere

Campaigner and educator for the #NoFGM movement, Hibo Wardere, delivered a moving and informative talk to Upper Sixth students on this pressing issue, drawing on her own life experiences.

It Happens

Students attended a series of interactive workshops by It Happens, which we have worked with for a number of years. They ran sessions with Years 7, 8, 10 and the Lower Sixth in support of our PSHE/RSE curriculum, which is aimed at equipping our students with life-long skills to aid with the pressures of adolescent and adult life.

Politics Society

The Politics Society hosted a fabulous series of well-attended talks from prolific speakers, including (pictured clockwise from top right):

Professor Oliver Heath, Professor of Politics at Royal Holloway, University of London. As an expert on elections, Professor Heath was able to give students a ‘deep dive’ into the research he had done on the 2019 election.

Lord Vaizey, member of the House of Lords and former Conservative MP, who discussed his time as Minister for Culture, Communications and Creative Industries from 2010-16.

Jonathan Aitkins, author, priest and former Conservative MP, talked about his political career, conviction for perjury and his current role as chaplain to the prisoners at Pentonville Prison.

Dr Lauren Bell, Professor of Political Science at Randolph-Macon College, Virginia, spoke about her experience working in Congress and the Supreme Court in the US, as well as in academia.

IB Global Politics

Ellie Evelyn, who is the Events Manager for the Coalition for Global Prosperity, gave a talk to Lower Sixth IB Diploma students about her work’s organisation and their role in promoting the cause of development aid. Ellie focuses on raising awareness among policy makers such as MPs, and she shared her experience of accompanying a group to see the work of NGOs in Sierra Leone.

Global Politics students also welcomed Lydia Paynter, Campaigns Manager at development charity Malaria No More, to discuss the impact of health on countries’ development prospects. Although Lydia’s organisation has a focus on the devastating impact of malaria, she discussed wider health issues, as solutions to these challenges are dependent on healthcare systems.

Economics Society

The Economics Society welcomed Amandine Ohayon, the CEO of Stella McCartney, to speak on her illustrious career and give insights into the daily life of a CEO.

Holocaust Talk and Workshop

Holocaust education specialist, Hephzibah Rudofsky, spoke movingly to Year 9s about the impact the Holocaust had on her family history. Hephzibah is the daughter and granddaughter of Holocaust camp survivors and the custodian of a significant archive containing artefacts, letters and documents collected by her mother and grandmother during their incarceration in the Westerbork, Bergen-Belsen and Biberach camps.

OUT AND ABOUT LONDON

London is our classroom and we enhance the learning of our students with everything that is on offer on our doorstep. Educational trips and cultural visits enrich our students’ learning and this year have included:

Sixth Form Politics trips to the Houses of Parliament to tour the Palace of Westminster, including Westminster Hall and the Houses of Commons and Lords.

Lower Sixth German students travelled to the British Film Institute (BFI) on the Southbank to explore prevalent themes in German cinema, with a Sixth Form study day on ‘The Legacy of East Germany in film’.

Politics students visited the British Library for talks focused on American politics and insights from Democrat Loretta Sanchez and Republican Greg Walden, who were colleagues in the House of Representatives for over 20 years.

Year 9 students visited Highgate Cemetery to complement their studies of Bram Stoker’s Dracula in their English lessons alongside a contextual study of the fin se siècle Gothic in nineteenth century Britain.

Year 11 Art and Design students visited the Victoria and Albert Museum and selected objects from the museum’s collection to produce two observational drawings to enrich the depth and context of their idea development. Year 10 students enjoyed a trip to the Courtauld Institute and the National Portrait Gallery.

Lower Sixth geographers spent the day investigating the impact of the regeneration in Battersea and its surrounding areas.

To celebrate the Chinese New Year, our Year 8 Mandarin students spent an afternoon exploring the vibrant colours and flavours of China Town.

A Level musicians visited the Gielgud Theatre in the West End for a performance of Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends, which is a celebration of Sondheim’s work and an affecting tribute to the gamechanging composer.

Art History and Early Modern History students visited the Queen’s Gallery to see the exhibition ‘Holbein at the Tudor Court’, casting a critical eye over the depictions of Tudor monarchs and members of their courts. The chance to examine some of the key figures of their courses up close and appreciate Holbein’s astonishing draughtsmanship made for a wonderful afternoon.

Year 10 and Lower Sixth Drama students visited the Prince Edward Theatre to see James Graham’s Dear England, a compelling narrative on Gareth Southgate and the England football team.

Sixth Form History of Art students visited the National Gallery for a tour of key paintings in the permanent collection from the Renaissance to the 20th century. They inspected, discussed and documented aspects of ‘real-life’ art such as the reflection of light from the textured gold-leaf surfaces of Renaissance altarpieces, the effects of impasto brushwork in Turner’s later oil paintings, and the monumental scale of paintings like Seurat’s ‘Bathers, Asnières’.

Middle School and Sixth Form classicists visited the Bloomsbury Theatre to see UCL’s production of Euripides’ Bacchae, one of the greatest works of Greek tragedy.

Year 10 Classical Civilisation students visited the British Museum to see the Parthenon sculptures and the frieze at the Temple of Apollo at Bassae. The students have studied these as part of their GCSE prescribed material, so it was a fantastic opportunity to appreciate the finer details in the actual marble.

Sixth Form IB Italian students visited the Italian Institute of Culture to attend a talk centred around two captivating novels: Nel Mare ci sono i Coccodrilli (In the Sea There Are Crocodiles) by Fabio Geda and Per questo mi chiamo Giovanni (That’s Why I’m called Giovanni) by Luigi Garlando.

Year 8 visited Hampton Court Palace to augment their studies of Early Modern England. Pupils took part in education sessions run by palace staff, including examining Global Perspectives in the Tudor period, with a tour of the Great Hall and the Tudor Kitchens.

Sixth Form Spanish students took part in a study day at the British Film Institute on ‘Trauma and Memory: Filming the legacy of dictatorships in Spain and Chile’.

Year 7 Biology students enjoyed a day exploring the greenhouses and treetop walkways at Kew Gardens. They spent the day learning how plants adapt to different habitats, their reproductive processes and the many practical uses of plants.

Year 7 students took part in a trip which combined aspects of both the Philosophy and Religion curriculum and the Design and Technology curriculum. At the National Gallery, they viewed religious art and reflected on its connections to biblical stories, and at the Design Museum, they participated in an interactive workshop focused on sustainability and design.

The Year 7 Geography trip explored the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in Stratford and evaluated the sustainability of its urban regeneration.

In June, Year 8 biologists visited London Zoo to complement their work on conservation and the role of zoos in the preservation of endangered species. The girls visited the new Reptile House and were also able to consider how zoos have changed to accommodate and care for animals.

Around the UK

Students ventured beyond the capital to explore further afield in the UK on both residential and non-residential trips. In unseasonably warm autumn sunshine, Year 8 geographers compared three different types of woodland — the beech, the oak and the pine — and also looked at the different habitats that make Burnham Beeches a site of special scientific interest.

In October, Sixth Form artists made the most of the glorious weather when the Art and Design department took them to Worthing. They were able to record their observations, creating valuable work to contribute to their A Level or IB Diploma coursework portfolios.

During October half-term, Year 8 netballers and hockey players enjoyed a packed four-day sports tour to Edinburgh. They took part in training sessions and competitive matches and explored the city, including a tour of Murrayfield stadium, discovering the new sport of curling on ice and playing some very competitive mini golf and bowling!

As part of their studies into mediaeval England, Year 7 students enjoyed a day exploring monastic life at St Albans Cathedral. Against the backdrop of centuries-old architecture, students dressed as monks and pilgrims to explore the hallowed halls of the cathedral, re-enacting life in the twelfth century.

On a glorious spring day, Year 7 set out on the Classics department’s annual trip to Cambridge. There they visited the Cast Gallery in the University Classics Faculty and the Fitzwilliam Museum then enjoyed a picnic along the King’s Backs before exploring the architecture of university college buildings.

In May, Lower Sixth geographers headed to the Lake District to investigate the impact of glaciation on the landforms of the Lakes, attempting to use the landscape to explain the direction and the extent of ice flows during previous glaciations.

Also enjoying the May sunshine, the Classics department took Year 8 students to Fishbourne Roman Palace. This excursion complemented their Latin studies this year, learning about the palace and its most famous resident, King Cogidubnus and exploring Roman artefacts and the extensive floor mosaics.

In June, Year 10 students enjoyed a fabulous trip to Margam, South Wales. They hiked up to the ‘Bro Stone’, gathered data in Cardiff and explored the evolving characteristics of the River Ogmore from its source to its mouth. A highlight of the trip was the students’ growing confidence as they navigated the river, making good use of their wellies and waterproof trousers!

Duke of Edinburgh Expeditions

The Duke of Edinburgh award scheme includes an expedition element which allows students the opportunity to explore some of the most beautiful landscapes and countryside in Britain. This year, 106 Year 9 students successfully completed their practice expedition in the Chilterns and their qualifying expedition in the Cotswolds. 78 Year 10 students spent two days in the New Forest for their practice expedition and a weekend in the glorious Purbeck Hills for the qualifying expedition. 21 Lower Sixth students completed their gold DofE practice expedition in the Brecon Beacons in May. Students got the full Welsh weather experience — from glorious sunshine to hailstones — and, despite finding some of the terrain challenging, they showed great resilience and had a brilliant time. This set them up well to complete their qualifying expedition successfully in the Peak District

Overseas Trips

French Trip to Paris

Our Year 11 French students had a memorable trip to Paris during October half-term, with plenty of opportunities to practise their language skills ahead of their GCSEs. They worked hard in their morning lessons and enjoyed the afternoon sight-seeing trips, which included: the bateau mouche ride down the Seine; the climb up to Montmartre; an exhibition of the master Impressionists at the Musée d’Orsay; the tranquillity of the Jardins de Luxembourg, the grandeur of the Louvre and Place des Vosges; as well as the stunning interiors of the Palais Garnier.

Italian Trip to Florence

During the first week of October half-term, the Italian Department took nine students from Years 10 to the Lower Sixth to Florence. In addition to their language lessons, the girls sampled Italian life in one of the most beautiful cities in the world where they explored the marvellous churches and palazzos, including climbing the Doumo to enjoy a breathtaking view of the city. They also had wonderful outings to Pisa, Siena and San Gimignano.

Classics Trip to

Athens

During October half-term, 38 Middle School and Sixth Form classicists visited Athens for a week-long exploration of the ancient Greek world. The students delved into the rich tapestry of Greek history, visiting iconic sites that have withstood the test of time. From the breathtaking Cape Sounion to the ancient marvels of Marathon, Delphi, Olympia, Epidaurus, Mycenae and the venerable ancient Corinth, the itinerary was a captivating blend of history, archaeology and mythology.

Spanish Trip to Granada

During February half-term, Year 10 Spanish students stayed with host families in Granada, Spain. They took part in language lessons in the mornings and then explored the cultural highlights of the city, including the stunning Alhambra, in the afternoons.

Skiing Trip to Vermont

Over the February half-term break, Year 9 students perfected their parallel turns on the pristine slopes of Pico and Killington on an unforgettable trip to Vermont, US. Before they returned, they also caught up with Old Dolphins Jessie, Orla, Aurelia and Susanna, all of whom are currently studying at Harvard University.

German Trip to Hamburg

During the Easter holidays, Year 10 German students flew to Hamburg to visit their exchange partners at the Gelehrtenschule des Johanneums, our partner school in this beautiful and historic city. The group experienced daily life with a German family and in the German school system, and they enjoyed examining the differences between their days here in London and at Godolphin. Each day, they headed out on exciting trips to experience local culture, including the city of Lübeck, and they made the most of every opportunity to hone their linguistic skills.

Rowing Camp in Ghent, Belgium

40 rowers from Years 10 to Upper Sixth joined the Easter rowing camp in Ghent, Belgium. It was an invaluable opportunity to sharpen rowing skills before the summer regatta season, balanced with supervised revision for exams. The girls trained on the water, covering at least 24 km each day, supplemented by ergo work in the gym. All squads had a chance to both row and scull, and for many of the J15s this was their first experience of taking a single scull out on the water.

Year 8 Languages

Trips: France, Germany and Spain

Straight after the summer halfterm, Year 8 French, Spanish and German students all set off on their respective language trips.

German students based themselves in the beautiful and historical city of Cologne in western Germany. The girls had lessons at a local language school and explored Cologne Cathedral; visited the birthplace of both Beethoven and Haribo in Bonn; visited the Lindt Museum; and ziplined through the trees at Schwindelfrei. A highlight was a trip to Phantasialand, where the Draufgänger (daredevils) among them rode prizewinning rollercoasters and got soaked on exhilarating water rides.

French students spent a week in Antibes based at the Castel Arabel and Aragon residences, just 750 yards from the beautiful beaches of Juan les Pins. After morning language lessons, they set off on a variety of excursions, including visits to the charming towns of Antibes, Nice and Grasse. Tree climbing, paddle-boarding and kayaking added an element of excitement to their afternoons. Evenings were filled with fun games and mini events, including pizza on the beach, ice creams and cinema screenings.

Spanish students headed to Madrid, where morning language lessons were followed by cultural highlights such as the Reina Sofia Museum, where they saw Picasso’s masterpiece, Guernica. A visit to Las Ventas, Madrid’s iconic bullring, spurred engaging debates among the students about the ethics of bullfighting. The group also enjoyed a delightful evening cooking traditional tapas with local women from the Carabanchel area. One of the trip’s highlights was an afternoon in Segovia, where the students marvelled at UNESCO World Heritage sites.

Belgian

and French Battlefields

Year 9 historians embarked on a memorable trip to Belgium and France to visit the key battlegrounds of the First World War. Students visited the Sanctuary Wood trenches, the Flanders Field interactive museum and the Tyne Cot and Langemark cemeteries. They then headed to the Somme, where they visited Newfoundland Park to develop their understanding of what happened on the first day of the Battle of the Somme, followed by the Canadian trenches at Vimy Ridge. They visited the Canadian Memorial at Vimy, which is a truly stunning monument commemorating those who sacrificed their lives.

HIGHER EDUCATION AND CAREERS Working Lunches

In February and March, our Higher Education and Careers department ran its annual series of Working Lunches. Parents from a range of professions joined us for informal lunchtime seminars to talk about their work experience and career journeys to date, and to offer invaluable insight and advice to our students. Professions represented included veterinary medicine, law, publishing, nutrition and fashion, finance and dentistry.

Helen Donald

Dr Moira Wong

Radhika VaidyaSahdev

Chiara Saccardo

Dr Sarah SetonRogers

Simon Taor

Careers Discovery Event

This biennial event for Year 10s and above brought together an exciting and diverse programme of 20 talks by current Godolphin parents, covering areas such as art and culture, biotechnology, branding, business transformation, climate change policy, corporate communications, finance, heritage and museums, law, public relations in the power sector, green energy investment, leadership advisory, medicine, pharmaceuticals, publishing, structural engineering, tech sector recruitment, startups and strategy/management consulting, TV brand marketing and acting.

Higher Education Preparation

Our Higher Education Preparation Programme (HEPP) included:

Our inaugural University Interview Exchange Evening, when we invited 144 students from local schools to join our students for practice interviews in support of their higher education applications. Students and teachers from Godolphin and Latymer, Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School, West London Free School, Kensington Aldridge Academy, St Mary’s Ascot and other local schools, all came together to engage in stimulating conversations and take part in some nerve-wracking interviews!

Lower Sixth Higher Education Forum, where students and parents heard about the range of undergraduate options available and also about the support the school provides for aspiring medics, Oxbridge applications and students applying to Europe, the US and Canada.

Higher Education Speed Dating, with Upper Sixth sharing their wealth of higher education insights with their Lower Sixth counterparts, particularly on how to navigate the higher education application journey, choosing courses and selecting universities.

Inaugural Higher Education and Careers University Fair, with over 30 stands from representatives from the UK, US and Europe so that students from Godolphin and our partner schools could explore a wide variety of options and pathways.

Year 10 Higher Education and Careers Day, including talks from InvestIN and the Higher Education team.

Lower Sixth HEPP Day in April, including a presentation from the University of Bath and guidance on personal statement writing and applying to the US, Oxford and Cambridge. This was followed up by a Lower Sixth HEPP Week in June which included a wide variety of sessions such as preparation for the Medics’ UCAT, the Law applicants’ LNAT, the Common Application and Supplementary Essay for US applicants, and sessions on applications to Canada and Europe. We were also delighted to welcome the University of Sheffield for a session on applying to Russell Group universities and advice on academic writing.

In June, Old Dolphins (Classes 2017-23) who had left Godolphin for prestigious medical schools joined our aspiring Sixth Form Medics for afternoon tea to talk about the application process and the reality of pursuing a career in medicine.

Overseas Admissions Talks

We were delighted to welcome senior admissions staff from several overseas institutions who provided our students with excellent advice and insights into studying abroad. These included:

A lunchtime talk by the Deputy Director of Admissions and Director of Undergraduate Outreach and Communications at the University of Chicago, Ms Katie Quille Chaszczewski.

The Admission Directors from Barnard, Boston College, University of Miami, and University of Southern California.

The US information evening with the Admission Directors from five leading US colleges and universities: Duke, Dartmouth, Georgetown, Northwestern, and Vanderbilt. This event was attended by over 450 students from Godolphin and partner schools.

Virtual meeting in October with the Stanford Admissions Director, who discussed the aspects which make the Stanford experience so unique, both academically and socially.

Lunchtime talk by the Senior Admissions Officer at McGill University, Montreal, Ms J’bari.

Lunchtime meeting with Ms Legrand, the Programme Director at Ecole Polytechnique, which is one of the leading science and technology institutions in France, who talked about the multidisciplinary curriculum offered through the Bachelor of Science programme taught in English.

Ms Pascucci, the Director of Admissions and Vice Dean at the University of Pennsylvania, who presented to an audience of close to 300 students and parents, providing insights into the US admissions process and the opportunities at Penn, including the coordinated dual degree programmes, as well as the undergraduate research projects and internships available to students.

The Senior Assistant Director of Admissions at New York University, Ms Lisa Mortini, who talked about the diverse spectrum of programmes at the university and answered questions about the academic and social life on campus as well as the elements which make an application stand out in the highly competitive admissions process.

We were also delighted to welcome back Old Dolphin Roxanna (Class of 2022), who spoke to students about studying in the United States and the academic and extra-curricular life at the University of Chicago.

US Applications

Increasingly, our students are considering studying in the US after Godolphin and our students received early acceptances from a range of top US institutions, including Chicago (2), Columbia, Georgetown (2), Harvard, North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Stanford and Tulane. Seven students received offers from McGill University in Canada. From both regular and early applications, our students have received offers from the following institutions (in alphabetical order):

Boston College

Boston University

Colgate University

Columbia University

Cornell University

Dartmouth College

Dual BA between Columbia University and Sciences Po

Dual BA between Columbia University and Trinity Dublin

Fordham University

Georgetown University

Harvard University

New York University

Northwestern University

Pitzer College

Skidmore College

Stanford University

Tufts University

Tulane University

University of California, Berkeley

University of California, Davis

University of California, Irvine

University of California, San Diego

University of California, Santa Barbara

University of Chicago

University of Colorado Boulder

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

University of Pennsylvania

Vassar College

Wesleyan University

Williams College

Special congratulations to Lavinia, who is one of 38 recipients of the prestigious Lester B. Pearson Scholarship, which is offered by the University of Toronto to outstanding international students.

CLASS OF 2024

Sixth Form Leavers’ Reception

At the end of the Summer Term, we said goodbye to our Class of 2024 with a special leavers’ reception to celebrate their time at Godolphin. It was a wonderful occasion celebrating everything they had achieved during seven years at the school, and we can’t wait to welcome them back as Old Dolphins!

Leavers’ Destinations

Courses and destinations that were unconfirmed at the time of printing have been omitted. A full updated list can be viewed on the school website: www.godolphinandlatymer.com.

Architecture with Professional Placement

Art

and Visual Culture

Biochemistry

Philosophy and Theology

Philosophy, Politics and Economics

Physics

University of Edinburgh (2023 leaver) AL

Durham University (2023 leaver) AL

University of Bristol AL

Physics Wadham College, Oxford AL

Physics with Industrial Experience University of Bristol AL

Physics with Particle Physics and Cosmology University of Birmingham

Politics University of Exeter

Politics and International Relations UCL AL

Politics and International Relations UCL AL

Politics and Sociology

University of Manchester (2025) AL

Politics, Sociology and East European Studies UCL AL

Psychological and Behavioural Science

Psychology

Psychology in Education

Social Anthropology and Politics

Social Policy and Politics

Sociology

Durham University IB

University of Leicester (2023 leaver) AL

University of York AL

University of Edinburgh AL

University of Bristol (2025) AL

University of Glasgow (2023 leaver) AL

Software Engineering, Psychology and Music McGill University AL

Theoretical Physics Durham University AL

Staff Leavers

At the end of the school year, it is always sad to see colleagues leave the school, but it is exciting to see them move on to new adventures.

At the end of the Summer Term we said farewell to Miss Matthews, who had taught Spanish here since 2004, including a long period during which she served as Head of Spanish. She is an excellent linguist and teacher, and she was warmly appreciated by her students.

Both Ms Butterworth and Mrs Kellie arrived at Godolphin in 2013 to teach English. Both were committed colleagues who took on roles beyond their core responsibilities, with Ms Butterworth leading our team of IB Theory of Knowledge teachers and Mrs Kellie looking after those teaching and studying English Language at A Level.

Miss Joseph arrived in 2016 and was a remarkable Head of Netball, fostering excellence and ambition in our players at all levels and inspiring a great deal of success for our netball teams. Meanwhile, Mr Hobby joined the staff two years later in 2018 to teach German. His warmth, enthusiasm and sense of humour will be long remembered.

Miss Brown and Mr Corish had worked here since 2019 and 2021, respectively, teaching PE and Mathematics. In addition to her teaching, Miss Brown took on significant pastoral responsibilities as a Head of Year, while Mr Corish gave a great deal to our House system as leader of Lovelace.

Among the support staff, our long-serving resident Premises Manager Mr Martin had an unparalleled impact, caring for our school environment with dedication for 20 years since 2004. We will miss him and his family enormously, including, of course, Charlie the cat! We also said goodbye to our PA to the Deputy Heads, Miss Gerard-Pearse, who since 2020 was a key member of the school office and gave huge support to the Duke of Edinburgh expeditions, among many other things.

A number of teachers spent only a year or two with us, but nevertheless made a very considerable contribution in all kinds of positive ways. They are: Miss Balanta (Spanish), Ms Drennan (interim Head of English), Mr Eliot-Gould (English), Mr Hyde (History), Mr Juvanendran (Head of Biology), Mr Nuttall (Mathematics), Mrs Sutherland (Geography), Miss Marie (Drama).