THE FRIENDS’ NEWSLETTER
Events in 2023-24
September 2023
November 2023
March 2024
2023-2024 Academic Year
Welcome…
to the first edition of The Friends’ Newsletter! The Friends of LEH began in 1960 so has been supporting the school community for almost 65 years. All LEH parents are members of the Friends but I wonder how many of us, or indeed the staff at LEH really know what this organisation is all about? You might think, ‘oh, it is just another PTA that organises bake sales and class drinks’ but there is a lot more to it. The Friends is a registered charity with Directors, Trustees and Council members with voting rights - all of whom are parents with daughters at LEH. All volunteers, with day jobs (amongst other roles, we are accountants, lawyers, marketeers, teachers, HR professionals and business owners) and busy lives. All having one thing in common: a strong desire to collaborate with the LEH management team to foster the best possible learning environment for all of the girls at both the Senior and Junior schools.
We take this responsibility very seriously. The funds that we raise make a significant contribution to school life and learning opportunities and so we don’t just hand over a cheque each year. Council members meet to discuss the school’s wishlist of items and have the opportunity to raise questions and request further information from school representatives before holding a vote on whether to make Friends’ funding available. We treat this as an important opportunity to represent the parents’ perspective on developing our girls’ learning environment.
So, the work that we do is not simply about fundraising or putting on socials. It is also about forging relationships between the school and LEH families, and helping to create a culture of belonging and friendship for every member of the LEH community. Mrs Cole and I have discussed ways of making more connections between the school and the parent community, and I am delighted that the Friends has the opportunity to support her vision for the future. This is our chance to reach out to you and set out our stall: this is who we are and what we do. Please read on and get in touch if you would like to join the Council or have ideas to share.
Steph Wheeler Chair of The Friends of LEH
What the Friends of LEH has funded in recent years…
As always, The Friends Council and your Class Reps have been working hard to provide opportunities for the whole school community to come together to have fun and to raise money for The Friends’ charity fund.
Thanks to the generosity of our LEH community and of local businesses that also support our main event, the Bazaar, we have been able to provide funding for the following items and initiatives over the last couple of years:
Our aim is to support a wide range of interests and disciplines and the teachers and staff at LEH are always immensely grateful to be able to supplement their work with the fantastic resources we have funded.
Mr Brittain, Head of STEM, eagerly awaits the start of the latest project to be funded by the Friends…He had this to say:
“Thank you so much for supporting the advancement of STEM at LEH by helping us buy the F24 Greenpower Kit Car. Last year I discovered that many of the girls are extremely passionate about motor racing - so it is the perfect “vehicle” for student engagement. (Pun intended!)…This is a great opportunity for students across the technical disciplines to come together to build their passion for STEM and enhance their skills.”
Whilst in the Junior School, the younger girls have enjoyed lessons all the more with the wide array of teaching aides which have been purchased with help from The Friends. Apparently, there is still some debate between year groups on what to call their skeleton. Apparently, Bob is a firm favourite but it will answer to anything!
Last but not least, the Combined Cadet Forces of LEH and Hampton Schools, have also been the very enthusiastic recipients of items funded by The Friends. After a long spell of inactivity during the pandemic, it’s great to see the girls and the boys of the CCF coming together and learning new and exciting skills with equipment we have provided.
Dates for your Diary…
✦ 26 June 2024
Junior School DiscoU2
✦ 14-18 June 2024 Annual Giving Week -whole school
✦ 27 June 2024 Welcome Day for New ParentsYrs F1 and 3rds
✦ 1-3 July 2024
Junior School Cinema and Pizza - Yrs F1-U2
✦ 14 September 2024
Outdoor Cinemawhole school
✦ 24 November 2024
LEH Christmas Bazaar - whole school
✦ 9 December 2024 -
Senior School Carol Concert - whole school
Plans for the coming year
We are delighted to be working in ever closer collaboration with the Senior Management Team and the LEH Development Department to support future initiatives and developments which will directly benefit our own children’s education, as well as the school’s charitable endeavours.
One example of this type of broad initiative is the SCITT Teacher Training Hub at LEH which was announced in March this year. Starting with a focus on Maths, Physics and Modern languages, from September 2024 LEH will be providing teacher training opportunities to new talent in the area who will go on to qualified roles in local schools and possibly at LEH. The Friends are proud to be able to support this initiative and have donated funds towards marketing of the scheme so that we can attract the best talent available. We look forward to seeing the scheme grow and extend to other subject areas in the future.
During the summer break, it will be a hive of activity in the grounds of LEH as work will commence on developing the outdoor space to provide a number of enriching areas for the girls to enjoy all year round. Thanks to your support, the Friends is delighted to be able to fund an under cover outdoor reading space and a 5* Bug Hotel on the Junior School site. At the Senior School we have provided funds for the creation of a quiet space and sensory garden and also an area to be used as a gardening club in which Mrs Cole will be getting her hands very dirty and sharing her green fingered secrets with the girls!
There are further plans to continue improvements outside so we are hoping to provide more support to this and other school projects as we go into the next academic year. Watch this space…
Finally, many parents have asked what The Friends does to contribute towards the wider community and indeed if we make donations to the School’s Bursary Fund. As a charity in our own right, we are restricted to funding our stated cause - the enhancement of the learning experience for the existing pupils of LEH. However, we have made a firm commitment to working alongside the School’s Development team to support and promote their upcoming events like Annual Giving Week in June. Mel Fripp, LEH Development Officer and U2 parent, had this to say about the school’s contribution to the community around us…
“By fostering a philanthropic ethos within our students, we hope to create a cascade of goodwill. Whether through volunteering, donating to our Bursary Fund, buying a cake at a charity bake sale, visiting and socialising with our local senior citizens, helping in the community or individual out of school charity sponsorships, each activity ignites a spark that motivates others, setting off a chain of generosity and empathy. This, in turn, paves the way for a more inclusive, and compassionate LEH community.”
Comings and Goings…
This year The Friends Council said goodbye to:
Harpreet Dhillon , our outgoing Chair who steered the Friends so well in recent years.
Selwyn Ho, Secretary of 5 years who kept us all organised in such splendid fashion.
Other Council Members who stepped down this year: Amna Siddiqui, Saz Wilson and Ebere Orioha
Many many thanks to all for giving so much time and energy to the Friends.
And a very warm welcome to: Sai Iyer , our new Secretary and our most recent joiners to the Council, Áine Bryn and Kul Bhullar.
To Rep or not to Rep…
The Council’s achievements would be impossible without the support of the network of Class Reps at LEH. From Form 1 right through to U4 (and sometimes beyond), each class has parent representatives to help bridge the gap between the school and parents - and much of what the Friends’ organises is supported and promoted by the Rep Team of usually 2 to 3 Reps per form.
Our Reps are the ‘social glue’ that brings together forms and year-groups. Whether it’s a reminder to bring in PE kit, the setting-up of class WhatsApp groups, coffee mornings and nights out, right through to making our Christmas Bazaar a success, they are indispensable and very valued. Being a Rep allows you an insight into the school and how it all works, as well as the chance to get to know parents from other classes and yeargroups, and meet some of the teachers. We were grateful to Mrs Cole for hosting a beautiful canapé lunch for the Class Reps in February 2024, to thank them for their support.
The Form Reps usually change with each school year, so if you’re able to help “rep” next academic year, we’d love to have your support and ideas. It’s honestly not an onerous task and you will always have the full support of the Friends' team to help in the background. So if the question is “to rep or not to rep”, we think the answer is a resounding Yes!
From the Friends Council…
Useful contacts
✦ Steph Wheeler, Chair: friendsoflehchair@lehs.org.uk
✦ Helen Tarragano, Class Rep Co-ordinator: friendsoflehrepcoord@lehs.org.uk
Being part of this wonderful team of volunteers definitely brings rewards and offers a fascinating insight to how LEH operates through our work with the teachers and staff. We are always keen to hear new ideas and fresh approaches from all LEH parents so, even if you don’t want to take an active role on the Friends Council or be a Class Rep, please feel free to drop Steph a line with any suggestions that you might have. And do have a look on The Friends’ page of the new school portal for a comprehensive guide to all that we do and have to offer LEH families.
