RESILIENCE: GOING FOR BOLD ISSUE
LEH School & Alumnae News
Spring 2023
FINDING THE COURAGE TO CONTINUE
Our alumnae reveal how they overcome adversity
BE BOLD: BE YOU
What our motto means to pupils
NEVER STOP LEARNING
Retired teachers pursue their passions
As part of our commitment to the environment, Holles Connect magazine is now available to read in a digital format. If you would prefer an electronic version in the future, please let us know your email address: alumnae@lehs.org.uk.
We are also keen to reduce unwanted copies, so if the intended recipient no longer lives at your property, we would be grateful if you could let us know by sending it back or emailing: alumnae@lehs.org.uk.
Please also note, we are now only sending one copy per household. If you require additional copies, do get in touch.
CHAIR Lisa Day (Director of Development and Communications)
SECRETARY Susanna Frayn (Alumnae Communications Officer)
MEMBERS Sue Barber (LEH 1973-1980)
Emily Formby (LEH 1975-1985)
Vivienne Hay (LEH 2003-2010)
Joanna Hubbard (LEH 1977-1987)
Gillian Keller (LEH 1963-1970)
Lizzi Michael (LEH 1997-2007)
Jane Ross (LEH 1957-1964)
Charlotte Surguy (LEH 1982-1986)
Trish White (LEH 1947-1955)
Holles Connect editor Susanna Frayn would like to thank teachers Rachel Hart and Flora Ellison for their contributions to the magazine. Many thanks are also due to our wonderful team of L6 Creative Directors.
We are very grateful to our amazing alumnae who kindly agreed to share their stories: Mary Geraghty, Katie Blake, Leo Grant and Sheyi MartinAllens. And finally a special thank you to my MAD team colleagues for their eagle-eyed proof reading and most especially our brilliantly talented designer Jen Browne.
CONTENTS PAGE RESILIENCE ISSUE
2 HEAD MISTRESS’ WELCOME
Heather Hanbury who is retiring at the end of this year, looks back on what she hopes will be her lasting legacy.
BEING BOLD IN SCHOOL
4 LEARNING TO BE YOUR BEST SELF Head of Life Advice Rachel Hart on teaching selfknowledge.
ALUMNAE NEWS
18 A TIME TO CELEBRATE
Sunaina Srai-Chohan, Class of 1998, was Guest of Honour at our Celebration of the Year.
SPRING 2023
TEACHER NEWS
30LEARNING IS A LIFELONG PURSUIT
Some of our cherished retired teachers reveal what they’ve been up to since leaving LEH.
DATES FOR THE DIARY
33 SCHOOL AND ALUMNAE EVENTS
Grab your diary and reserve your place.
HOLLES HIGHLIGHTS
EMERGING TALENT AWARD
42 ENCOURAGING ALUMNAE TO BE BOLD
The recipients of our 2022 grants revealed!
BEING BOLD IN LIFE
12 SCHOOL OF HARD KNOCKS
Katie Blake, Class of 2004, is giving back by mentoring young people.
22 BACK TO SCHOOL AGAIN
Two of our alumnae have returned to LEH to play a key part in school life.
34 WE DID MEET AGAIN
Our first Alumnae Reunion since the pandemic.
43 PUTTING FUNDS TO GOOD USE
How did our 2021 winners get on?
14 SPEAKING TRUTH TO POWER
Leo Grant, Class of 2003, tries to stay in the moment when the going gets tough.
SCHOOL NEWS
29 NEW HEAD MISTRESS NAMED
Rowena Cole has been appointed to take over from Heather Hanbury next year.
38 HOLLES FOREVER!
Holles Singers past and present sang their hearts out in the Assembly Hall.
44 Those we have loved and lost this year.
OBITUARIES YOUR TEACHERS FONDLY REMEMBERED
48 Staff photos from 1978 and 1946 – is your favourite teacher there?
Follow us on social media: LEH Alumnae
@HollesConnect
@LEHalumnae
Lady Eleanor Holles School
alumnae@lehs.org.uk
Cover image: Sheyi Martin-Allens, Class of 2006.
Image credit: Benjamin Wetherall Photography
So, my dear alumnae, this is simultaneously a warm welcome and fond farewell from me. As I’m sure most of you will know by now, I announced my retirement a while ago and after nine years as Head Mistress at LEH, this will be my last in charge.
It means that since the beginning of September, the packed school calendar of events has been full of bittersweet moments like this, where I do things for the final time, and this will be my last column for Holles Connect.
With just over a term left to go, I have been increasingly looking back and reflecting on my time here. When I started at LEH, the school already had a formidable reputation for outstanding academic achievement, and I’m delighted that we have been able to maintain and possibly even improve on that.
But if all our students get from their education is good exam results, we would all be disappointed. There is so much more that you can gain from attending a school like LEH and we want our pupils to leave as
courageous, enthusiastic risk-takers, with a clear sense of perspective and an inner confidence to know that even if things go wrong from time-to-time, they will not only survive, but thrive.
As a new head, I obviously wanted to make my mark and, for me, that meant fostering a caring, really nurturing environment. Under my tenure we have increased our emphasis on Wellbeing and Pastoral Care. I hope my legacy will be a school which encourages community, collaboration, co-operation, resilience and leadership skills.
It was therefore very satisfying that the benefits of this approach were publicly recognised in the recent outstanding ISI report. The inspectors found that pupils’ personal development is excellent and praised the way
students are encouraged to be openminded and to value the diversity of backgrounds across the school community.
It also noted: “Resilience in their approach to learning is evident and pupils are risk takers, seeing failure as a valuable and inevitable part of learning. They celebrate the success of others and are keen to receive peer evaluation of their own work.”
Every single LEH pupil and alumna will, of course, be very familiar with our school motto Spes Audacem Adjuvat, but just having a mission statement which encourages students to be courageous and bold, doesn’t make it so.
To see what we do as a school that goes beyond the curriculum and exam
results, to really embed this ethos into the hearts and minds of students, please read the articles by Head of Upper School Flora Ellison, who talks about building academic confidence and courage (see page 6), and Head of Life Advice Rachel Hart, who shares some of the ways we equip pupils with a toolkit of skills to help them deal with, and learn from, setbacks in school and outside. See page 4.
As my time at LEH draws to a close, I’m delighted to be able to tick another item off my career bucket list with my appointment as President of the GSA (Girls’ School Association) this year. Working with the GSA team, we agreed that the theme of the Annual Conference in November would be: Future Female: Fearless and Bold.
It was therefore only natural that the two-day event showcased several members of the LEH community. The keynote speech was given by Matthew Syed, a parent of a pupil in the Junior School, two of our ExtraOARdinary alumnae rowers talked about their record-breaking crossing of the Atlantic. Our current pupils also shone, as the Head Girl team interviewed a prominent politician, our Cantata Choir held the congregation at the GSA church service spellbound, and the L6 string quartet entertained everyone at the pre-dinner reception.
6 A Safe and Supportive Space to Learn
Flora Ellison on how we build academic resilience at LEH.
8 Why Does Hope Favour the Bold?
Some of our L6 pupils reveal how they build resilience.
10 This Too Shall Pass
Our wonderful team of L6 Creative Directors set out what the school motto means to them and how LEH is helping them to build resilience and fortitude on page 8. Their words are truly inspiring.
And so are the experiences of four of our intrepid alumnae. I am so very grateful to them for having the courage to share with us how they’ve been able to apply the lessons they learnt at LEH to help them overcome adversity in later life.
Mary Geraghty talks about how she dealt with her breast cancer diagnosis, Leo Grant explains how acceptance helps maintain a positive mindset, Katie Blake discovered an inner strength through facing hard times and now channels it to help others and Sheyi Martin-Allens uses music to help express herself and face her fears. See page 10 onwards.
I’m rather pleased to say that my opening speech generated headlines across the press and sparked a debate about how these days no one has to ‘be like a man’ to succeed in life. In fact, as I told the Conference, what the business world is now looking for are intangible skills and experiences such as empathy, resilience, collaboration, communication and teamwork: the very things that are tendencies which girls and women often find more natural than boys and men – and exactly the same attributes we are so proudly encouraging in our pupils at LEH. See page 24 for the full report.
I’m excited to say that I believe we are on the cusp of a new kind of power –feminine power – which places equal value on intellect and compassion. A human-centred approach to living that celebrates and harnesses empathy, creativity, collaboration, intuition, and courage.
Hope really does Favour the Bold!
Mary Geraghty, Class of 1991, shares how she dealt with being diagnosed with cancer during lockdown.
16 You Are Stronger Than You Think Sheyi MartinsAllen, Class of 2006, uses music to express herself and connect with others.
The bold spirit of LEH was showcased at this year’s gathering of Head Teachers.
We want our pupils to leave as courageous, enthusiastic risk-takers, with an inner confidence
Resilience and its various iterations – grit, inner strength, adaptability, digging deep, bouncing back – is a term that has been arguably over-used in schools in recent years. But after the challenges faced by our young people since the world stopped turning on its predictable axis back in March 2020, it is undeniably a character trait that has never been more important to develop. It is therefore an essential element of the toolkit with which we strive to equip our pupils.
The LEH school motto: Hope Favours the Bold, underlines the importance of being brave, of rising to meet life’s inevitable challenges, of pushing against boundaries that are both visible and invisible, and – in doing so –focuses on the importance of character education, as this fosters resilience, and we need to be resilient to thrive. Lessons in Life Advice, our PSHE (Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education – including Careers) –Programme, have this at their core.
Three years ago Head of Life Advice, Rachel Hart, led the introduction of a new approach to PSHE lessons at LEH, with a more practical focus to equip students with the tools they need to deal with life when it isn’t going to plan, which happens to all of us at some point.
We focus on the importance of healthy friendships and peer relationships, and how to resolve arguments successfully. We learn how to celebrate our own and others’ successes, and we discuss
moments where we most need to be able to pick ourselves up, shake ourselves down and reframe or accept what has happened.
To better understand ourselves we discover where our individual strengths lie (and I’d advise everyone to take the fascinating VIA character strengths test – www.viacharacter.org), we develop crucial skills of self-compassion and self-care, we emphasise the need to balance our minds and bodies with lessons in mindfulness, talks on healthy sleeping and eating habits and – of course – every October we host our hugely popular Wellbeing Day.
Martin Seligman, Psychologist and founder of the Positive Education movement, uses the helpful acronym PERMA when considering how resilience can be developed. This stands for:
what happens when things don’t go to plan and how this makes us feel – as it’s in those difficult and unexpected
Positive Emotions – logging what has gone right today and every day – at
Rather than defining who we are, failure can offer us the chance to become a stronger version of ourselves.
LEH we practise the art of journalling in Form times and use an anxiety thermometer to record our feelings each morning, in order to see how these change throughout the day.
Engagement – finding activities and work that allow you to be in a flow state – at LEH we focus on values of citizenship and community in our Life Advice lessons and House activities.
have learned – each pupil in Thirds to U4 has a Jigsaw Journal in which they note or draw their reflections after Life Advice lessons.
Accomplishments – master one new skill and celebrate this – our extensive extra-curricular programme encourages all pupils to try something out for the first time, and our awards assemblies are truly joyous occasions!
At LEH every pupil has one session of Life Advice every week. It helps underpin everything the school does academically, developing the attributes pupils need to thrive as individuals and responsible, mindful members of society. In doing so it prepares them for a world beyond school.
Relationships – strengthening your friendships and relationships – our bespoke RSE programme at LEH encourages us to be authentic in our connections, and we constantly stress the importance of kindness through our pastoral care.
Meaning – take meaning in what has happened and reflect on what you
Resilience, like all skills, needs practice. Sometimes it is helpful to see behaviour and attributes we all aspire to being modelled by other people to whom we can relate or who we respect. When we hear others talking about overcoming setbacks we learn to embrace, not fear, failure and we begin to understand that, rather than defining who we are, it offers us the chance to become a stronger version of ourselves. Our varied speaker programme gives pupils throughout the school the opportunity to listen to and be inspired by some of these stories.
So, parents – continue conversations at home on the topics we are discussing at school and look for ways to develop resilient attitudes in your children; Alumnae – come in and share
The programme aims to teach and encourage a wide range of strategies and skills including:
• Responsible decision-making
• Negotiation and team-work
• Navigating social media
• Valuing, respecting and celebrating diversity
• Self-reflection and goal-setting
• Awareness of rights and responsibilities
• Setting age-appropriate boundaries
your real-life stories of resilience to become future role-models for LEH pupils today. Resilience is individual, but it can be best engendered by a collective response and outlook.
We need to be resilient to thrive.
“The academic and emotional resilience of the students is something that is a strong focus at LEH. It is easy to talk about resilience but much harder to build it. We owe it to our students to enable them to have the resilience to best meet the challenges that they will face, both now and in the future.
As LEH teachers, we create an environment in which academic resilience is considered vital as this allows us to learn the most. Confidence and resilience go hand in hand. Students need to be reflective of their work, look for errors made and be open to guidance and advice on how to do better.
If their confidence takes a knock at not achieving top marks in everything
that they do, then that process is impossible. This can sometimes be described as learning from failure. However, it does not need to be as extreme as that. We want our students to have confidence in their ability to do well and take every opportunity to be reflective. This will mean that they become the best they can when it comes to high stakes moments such as public exams, job interviews and times that really count.
inspection report for its excellence and impact. Our staff are committed to a range of teaching strategies, including Guy Claxton’s Learning Power Approach (see box).
The message is that school is a safe space for mistakes to be made. We are careful to scaffold our approach in lessons as the students progress through the school. We also tailor things to different individuals, some of whom find it harder or unsettling at first.
As Head of Upper School, it is a privilege to see how the students’ resilience grows as they move through GCSEs and into A levels and then university. I recently observed an U6 interview practice session where pairs performed a mock interview in front of their peers. Not an easy task!
We do not spoon-feed the students with information, instead encouraging them to be independent learners who are unafraid of challenge, something that was recognised in the recent
After each one they were given feedback from other U6 students about what had gone well and some constructive criticism. Each pair was comfortable in getting the most out of the experience, rather than being overcome with performance anxiety. They were able to take the feedback positively and the resilience shown
Flora Ellison, Head of Upper School, explains why LEH encourages pupils to embrace their mistakes and step out of their comfort zone to help build self-belief.
The message is that school is a safe space for mistakes to be made.
In his book The Learning Power Approach: Some Non-Negotiables author and education expert Guy Claxton says: “It derives from a commitment to preparing young people for 21st century life, not just for the next stage of education (though it does that too).
“This means that we (practitioners) are not just thinking about today’s lesson, or the up-coming exam, or covering the syllabus, but about the way in which this lesson contributes to the long-term aim of equipping people to flourish in the real world beyond school.”
in taking on board what hadn’t gone well, was impressive. They created a safe environment where they did not fear getting things wrong but instead saw it as an opportunity to learn. This only comes as the result of all the work done lower down the school.
Within the pastoral system we also aim to build emotional resilience. The impact of the last two years on the wellbeing of students cannot be overstated. In some senses one might have expected COVID to have increased resilience. We have all come through difficult times. However, of course that is over-simplifying things, and the individual impact of the pandemic is hugely complex and varied. Teenagers have had a particularly tricky time, missing out on key opportunities to build emotional maturity and resilience.
As the pastoral team, we are constantly reflecting on how to support our students through the wellbeing curriculum and Life Advice lessons. We want them to understand their feelings and where possible to give them the skills “to ride the wave” rather than
being overwhelmed by their emotions. If only we could stop negative feelings and emotions from occurring, but we can’t. Instead, we teach them to recognise that positive and negative
go to plan: the peer mentor system, a new wellbeing room, two school counsellors, TootToot (an app to seek advice and support anonymously which is managed by pastoral staff), and a pastoral system that is ever growing. With such varied support, we ensure that students can use whatever means are comfortable to seek help. In this way they learn that they can get through the tough times and out the other side, ultimately becoming stronger and better able to handle a similar situation in the future.
emotions are part of life and not something to fear. Being a teenager is tough and confusing. We have support for those occasions when things don’t
All too often I see the media or wider society referring to “the snowflake generation”. This is certainly not a term that I would apply to students at LEH. I am endlessly impressed by our students and the resilience that they show in all areas of their lives. It something as a school that we feel proud of. Of course, the job is never done, there are always ways we can adapt to better meet the needs of young people. However, I am confident that LEH students are going into the world with the resilience they need to meet head on, the challenges they will face in 21st Century life.”
We want them to understand their feelings and where possible to give them the skills ‘to ride the wave’ rather than being overwhelmed by their emotions.
Every pupil at LEH is familiar with the school motto, and many alumnae continue to hold it dear as a guiding principle. Our team of L6 Creative Directors explain what it means to them and how it has helped them navigate life so far.
To me, resilience means being prepared to take a risk, for the hope of striking gold; pushing through when it gets tough. Last year, during my GCSE exam season, I decided to continue rowing competitively, attending training nearly every day of the week. It was mentally and physically hard to finish a two-hour exam, and then afterwards complete another two hours of training. However, I felt emboldened by my fellow rowers to apply myself, and my friends supported me through that time, and I finished Upper Fifth with a set of results I was satisfied with. LEH has taught me to organise myself, to be independent, but also rely on my friends for strength and not be afraid of failure.
During my time at LEH, I’ve realised that real resilience is about being kind to yourself and allowing yourself to be supported by a community of people who want what is best for you. I found this community in my teachers and fellow pupils who gave immense support during the GCSE period: the toughest milestone of my school career so far. At times, when the work felt like too much and the concepts felt inconceivable, I always felt like I had a support system to fall back on whether it was for help with academics or just having someone to talk to.
The LEH motto ‘Hope Favours the Bold’ suggests to me that it’s ok to take risks which may or may not pan out the way you hoped. It gives you the chance to explore more about yourself; whether success ensues is secondary. Being bold isn’t just a personality trait, but also a choice as it allows you to make decisions for yourself and accept the consequences regardless. In my opinion, it helps to have an end goal, a target you are set on achieving. Once that’s in place your willpower to attain that will guide you. There are no set pathways in life and failure doesn’t mean the future’s bleak, it just suggests that a different pathway is more suitable.
At LEH we are taught that it is okay to fail, and it is not something that we should fear or be embarrassed about because it actually benefits us hugely. When we make mistakes, we can learn from our past actions. As a competitive swimmer, this is something that I have to do very frequently. After a bad race I may initially feel angry or disappointed and like I do not want to do it again. However, I’ve learnt how beneficial it is to do badly at times, as I can then go into my next race knowing what to do differently in order to achieve the results I want. The school inspires us to have big goals and dreams, and also teaches us that in order to achieve them, we must be brave and take risks, even if we are unsure, in order to reach our full potential.
LEH has taught me to never be disheartened by failure or any difficulty. As people, we should always uplift others and help others if ever in need. I have also learnt, from my time at LEH, that it is very important to be hopeful and always believe in yourself. Resilience is a very important factor in this, as it encourages you to never be discouraged or discourage others. In our Life Advice lessons, we are taught lots of different ways to push past any times of difficulty. This helps us to be resilient. As a community, LEH never fails to teach us to look at the positive side and aspects of every situation, ensuring we always feel strong and empowered.
Resilience is a very important quality to me as it illustrates the ability to overcome failure. In the Thirds, I can clearly remember a teacher telling us that ‘each failure takes you a step closer to success’. I have never forgotten those words of wisdom. The support that LEH provides is extremely comforting and gives students the opportunity to fail without judgement; the students can then go on to overcome and learn from their mistakes, which I think is truly fantastic.
The strong sense of resilience between pupils and teachers is extraordinary and I know that this is one of main contributions to the success among LEH pupils.
The music department at LEH has always encouraged and inspired me to do great things. By presenting performance opportunities on an informal basis, such as Friday Live concerts at lunchtime, we are able to put ourselves out there in a supportive, familiar environment, such that performing in an unfamiliar environment becomes a less intimidating prospect, and actually something exhilarating and exciting. It is important to note that, with great things comes rough times too, and that is when I have drawn most on the confidence engendered by the LEH music department.
“I have two daughters who are both pupils at LEH. Professionally, I am a lawyer and have spent the recent part of my career leading a legal team as General Counsel. My last role was as General Counsel for the Europe, Middle East and Africa region for Starbucks Coffee Company. I left Starbucks this year and took a decision to build my own practice, working for retail, consumer goods and fashion clients. It’s early days but I am looking forward to the possibilities that working for myself can bring.
Like everyone I have faced plenty of challenges and hurdles in my professional and personal life. For the day-to-day challenges, which can feel huge at the time, you need to just grit your teeth and get through it (a difficult day at work after a sleepless night with toddlers is a good example!). Other hurdles take longer to figure out and navigate your way through. It can take time to figure out a route forward and I do believe in trying to tune in and listen to what your body is trying to tell you – there is a reason we call it “gut instinct”!
We often think we can organise and prepare for everything in life, but the reality of life is that it throws up both unexpected opportunities and unexpected challenges. Two years ago, I had walked the girls to the bus stop and headed out for a run before work. When taking a shower afterwards, I found a large lump in my armpit. Later that week I received a breast cancer diagnosis. I was told that I would need to start chemotherapy straight away with a mastectomy and radiotherapy to follow.
The initial shock of the diagnosis, coming so out of the blue when I was fit and healthy, was one of the hardest bits of the whole experience. My sister is a doctor (and a very practical and inspirational LEH alumna!). She swooped in, listened, mopped up my tears and made me realise that the type of breast cancer I had responds well to treatment and can have a very good prognosis. She helped normalise everything for me and put me in touch with some other women who had been through the same experience. She helped me navigate all the side effects, finding recipes and foods to support my battered body through treatment and encouraging me to keep exercising every day to maintain my fitness, strength and to keep positive.
appointments on my own as we were in the middle of lockdown but this, in a strange way, meant that I just had to get on with it. I treated it like a full-time job – regular trips to hospital, blood tests, managing all your symptoms and sickness from chemo, exercising to stay strong and trying to feed your body to stay healthy and keep weight on. Emotionally and mentally, the army of friends and family who joined me for dog walks every day and left meals on our doorstep in the evenings, supported me and the family through the year of treatment.
I have learnt that whenever we are facing challenges in life – whether just a difficult day or whether it is a longer period of challenge – it is just a phase. We will get through it and that phase will pass.
I chose to be very open with my friends, family, and colleagues about what was going on and, for me, this was the best thing I could have done. I had to attend all my hospital
To be able to overcome challenges we need to be resilient and keep our batteries topped up – for me, that means physical exercise, getting a good night sleep, eating well, and having time outdoors every day. For others, they might fill up their batteries in different ways – reading, listening to music, doing something creative or taking some time out every day to be alone.
The initial shock of the diagnosis, coming so out of the blue when I was fit and healthy, was one of the hardest bits of the whole experience.
Mary Geraghty, Class of 1991, was juggling a high-flying career with family life when she was diagnosed with breast cancer during lockdown.
Staying positive is, of course, important. I learnt many years ago not to worry about the stuff I have no control over, or which hasn’t happened yet and to try to take each day as it comes. If I am finding it hard to see the positive, then there are almost always positives to be found in some of the simpler things in life. Today it is pretty grey and wet outside, and I woke up feeling rather overwhelmed with my to do list. I took myself out for a run down by the river, noticed the colour of the autumn leaves, and made myself a slow, perfect cup of coffee when I got home. By the time that coffee was finished, I had a manageable list in place and the world seemed ok again!
Last winter I was full of admiration watching the ExtraOARdinary crew complete the Talisker Whisky Atlantic challenge. It was particularly inspiring hearing Kat’s story and following her progress in the race. Chemotherapy is physically gruelling and takes a lot of time, work, and patience to physically recover afterwards. The fact that she was training for and taking part in the race having recently gone through chemotherapy was completely inspiring for me at a time when I had hit a bit of a brick wall in terms of my recovery.
Challenges or risks we choose to take on are not always huge statements like this. For each of us, taking a risk or being bold means something different. For one person it could be completing the London marathon, for someone else it could be working their way through a Couch to 5km programme to start running. The more you step outside your comfort zone, the more
you believe you can do it and the more it becomes a habit. It still feels uncomfortable, but it stops feeling scary and starts to feel energising. Walking into a room full of people
Having coxed years ago at university but never rowed, I have felt (just a little bit!) envious watching my daughter take up rowing and heading out on the water down at the LEH Boathouse. It has been a long time since I have learnt a new sport and I felt uncomfortable turning up as a novice to our local rowing club where everyone around me looked like experts (“surely no one else wants me here” says the internal dialogue!). I shouldn’t have felt uncomfortable about it – I have met a friendly, welcoming group of people, many of whom are more than willing to give up their time to take on a newbie. This has been my “stepping out of my comfort” challenge over the last few months. I am really enjoying learning something different and meeting a new group of people.
who you don’t know, telling someone something they don’t want to hear, presenting in front of an audience, going travelling on your own, being asked to be a good friend’s “best woman” and giving a best man’s speech to 200 people at their wedding, they are all things which have felt uncomfortable, unnerving, but once done feel pretty awesome!
These are some of the most valuable things I have learnt in life so far: every stage we go through is just a phase – if it is tough, it will pass; to take one day at a time; and to invest in your friendships. The friends who I made at school, university, work and through my children over the years are completely precious to me and the source of genuine happiness and contentment.
The more you step outside your comfort zone, the more you believe you can do it and the more it becomes a habit.
“I am the Client and Commercial Director at Kallaway, an independent consultancy company that helps brands be successful. We specialise in PR, Marketing, and solutions for any problems they might be facing. I like to describe us a problem-solving company. Clients include Battersea Power Station, American Express, the Hard Rock Café, Tower Bridge and lots of smaller brands. It’s a very diverse mix, but I like it that way.
Pushing yourself outside your comfort zone makes you resilient. The world of work places demands on you that you just won’t experience in school. I regularly helped my Mum out with her PR company during school holidays and got my first Saturday job at the age of 16. I worked in H&M and Top Shop and then regularly in bars and restaurants.
You need to learn as early as possible how to deal with real-life situations and difficulties – that’s what makes you resilient and helps you develop a thicker skin, so you don’t take criticism so personally. I think every young person should be incentivised to take a gap year and actually work during it. It gives you a bit of grit.
I really developed a greater sense of resilience when my mother died when I was 27. She was a great force of nature and that’s massively rubbed off on me. Losing her was a lifechanging moment. It made me see that everything is temporary. It sharpens your lens.
Things beyond my control have had the biggest impact on me. The death of my Mum and the pandemic have been rapid accelerators, major life experiences which have got me to the point where I am now.
I’m a very driven person so work has always consumed me. When the pandemic hit, it was a real test. The first 12 to 18 months were very bleak for many companies, their order books just cleared for reasons beyond their control. Clients just had to stop work and cash flow was hit.
show. Panic sets in when the person you look up to shows stress.
Now we’ve all realised this better work/life balance is achievable, it’s easier to maintain. I’m really committed to my team’s personal development and encourage them to be resilient too. I often say to my team: It’s PR not ER!
By way of paying forward, I have set up my own mentoring programme called Another Way to support young people as they make their way in the world of work. Sometimes it takes someone outside the situation to see things more clearly. I can offer an impartial listening ear – there’s no sense of judgement from me.
I’ve got a young team and I had to keep them positive. I had to have the necessary gumption to believe that this difficult situation was temporary and to convince others that we were going to get through it together. I went to work every day and tried not to let the stress
My proudest moment so far was spotting that someone might have ADHD, which would explain why they had always struggled to hold down a job. After we talked, the young person who had always suffered from low self-esteem, sought help medically and got an official diagnosis. They are now transformed because they know how to deal with things more effectively and have recently got a great job that just wouldn’t have been possible before. I’m so pleased I was able to help.”
Katie Blake, Class of 2004, believes that facing challenges beyond her control has helped build resilience and foster a determination to help others feel empowered to make changes in their own lives.
Pushing yourself outside your comfort zone makes you resilient.
Thanks in part to generous donations from 1710 Society members and others, this year we are able to support 73 students, with 65% of these holding full bursaries. An LEH bursary not only covers the fees of students throughout their time at LEH, it also covers associated costs. Demand for bursaries is greater than ever and we have set ourselves the ambitious target of supporting 100 pupils by 2025.
We are inviting you to join the 1710 Society today by setting up a regular gift. Please help us give more students the opportunity of a life changing education at this remarkable school.
If 100 people give £17.10 a month, with Gift Aid, it would cover the cost of one new bursary student.
If 75 people give £171.00 a month, with Gift Aid, it would cover the cost of 10 new bursary students.
The scheme has shaped my life in so many ways and effectively continues to do so – I wouldn’t be who and where I am now without it.
Leo Grant, Class of 2003, has been returning to LEH for more than 10 years to talk to U6 students at a pivotal moment, as they face the pressure of UCAS applications and imminent A levels, to give a talk entitled ‘My Various Failed Careers’.
Their upbeat, reassuring message of ‘you can’t possibly know already what you want to do for your entire career; you don’t need your whole life mapped out right now; and change is always possible,’ is met with audible sighs of relief.
In their time they’ve worked as a barkeeper, waiter, civil servant, university teacher, admin officer, and a maths/chemistry tutor. They are currently doing a PhD in medical education at Winchester University.
“I’ve never really faced adversity – of course it’s all relative – but I think I had a good start by attending one of the best schools in the country in one of its loveliest areas and, as I say to the U6, that has really shaped how I experience the world.
Obviously as a man I am quite an unusual ex-LEH student, and I think people probably expect me to have faced some adversity relating to that but I don’t feel that I have. I don’t find it very interesting to talk about my gender – it’s definitely something which is more interesting to others. I often get asked about it and I think people are hoping to hear a story about me feeling like I was trapped in the wrong body and was miserable and then when I transitioned, I was transformed and became complete, but that’s just not my experience.
However, I do think I’m quite resilient. I just get on with things, I’ve had a lot of different jobs and I claim that shows resilience and I generally have an attitude of not giving up, probably even when I should!
The thing that has massively helped me is a complete failure of imagination. I never think about how things can be different. I obviously do have goals and plans, but in the moment, I’m just there experiencing it. I think it’s a skill I’ve developed through practice. It’s definitely been beneficial in my day-to-day life.
I’m not trying to avoid negativity, but problems live in the fight of the feeling rather than in the feeling itself.
If I find myself in a difficult situation, experiencing negative thoughts or feelings, I pause, say ‘yes’ to myself, and just accept how it is. It makes life so much simpler and, overall, happier. It’s not that I’m trying to avoid negativity, but problems live in the fight of the feeling rather than in the feeling itself.
I was a very pretentious university student, the potential for which definitely started when I was at LEH. I was studying chemistry, but I read a lot about stoic philosophy, and I guess that acceptance of life just stuck.
Gender is very little to do with how you feel about yourself, more about how you relate to the world and how the world relates to you, which is more extraordinary and more boring at the same time.
At school, my gender expression was different and unusual. I was the kid with the weird gender. When you always exist in that way, when you can’t do anything about it, that teaches you something. That something isn’t always positive – probably what I learnt most growing up was that I was incorrect or wrong in some way. Now, I don’t feel that at all.
I was growing up as a queer trans kid under Section 28 – at the time it was illegal in school to discuss being gay. When I talk to pupils now, they tell me about the LGBT Society and that’s incredible – that would have been illegal before 2003.
When I was at school, I think we all knew which of the teachers were gay, but it was a secret, something we
shouldn’t talk about. During a PSHE lesson we were informed about the existence of gay people but the way it was framed was very much ‘gay people exist, but don’t worry you will never have to meet them’.
Being at LEH made me feel like I was secret too. That was my reality of going to a girls’ school under Section 28 as a queer person. But I don’t have any negativity towards the school in general; they were just complying with the law at the time. There were some experiences I look back on and think should have been different, but they are the minority.
In fact, because of LEH, I think I have had such an easy time. I’ve been able to advocate for myself and to navigate the bureaucracy not only of being trans but life in general. I feel very confident in expressing myself and arguing for my position. The education at LEH was simply brilliant. I really would have had
Don’t feel bad if you don’t know what you want to do, or you end up trying various things with your life. You are doing your best.
Uncertainty is weird and hard. At school I felt like I had to draw on a small amount of experience to deliver a huge amount of decisions. You have to make decisions based on the best available evidence at the time. It’s OK to change your mind later and make new choices.
The absolute truth is that no-one knows what they are doing. Everyone is making it up and getting by on a day-to-day basis. There are really very few wrong decisions. Everything is recoverable. It doesn’t say anything bad about you if you make a mistake or get it wrong. You don’t have to have a perfect career where everything makes sense. Change is always possible. You’re going to be OK.
to try pretty hard to fail. The level of commitment from the staff is off the charts.
In many ways LEH was fantastic and I’m very fond of the school and am pleased to see it thriving.”
Section 28 was a controversial law passed in 1988 by a Conservative government that stopped councils and schools “promoting the teaching of the acceptability of homosexuality as a pretended family relationship.” The Prime Minister at the time, Margaret Thatcher, said: “Children who need to be taught to respect traditional moral values are being taught that they have an inalienable right to be gay. All of those children are being cheated of a sound start in life.”
There were mass demonstrations by LGBT campaigners, including protestors abseiling into the House of Lords and chaining themselves to a desk during a live BBC News bulletin. Thankfully the law finally was repealed in Scotland in 2000 and in the rest of the UK in 2003.
I don’t find it very interesting to talk about my gender – it’s definitely something which is more interesting to others.
Musician, singer, podcaster and tutor
Sheyi Martin-Allens, Class of 2006, has been returning to LEH every year since we launched our Inclusion and Diversity initiative in the wake of George Floyd’s death. She talks to L5 pupils during Life Advice lessons to share her experiences of racism and to open up the discussion to the whole class.
“I am 34 years old now and I live with my husband Simon and daughter Isabella who is four years old. My husband and I run a tutoring company, but my husband is also a writer, and I am a singer.
When I joined the Junior School, I was the only black child in the whole of LEH, apart from a couple of people in the Sixth Form. My face was used repeatedly in photos for the school prospectus, magazines, website, and videos.
My experience at LEH was super, super positive, but I suppose I started to be aware of being treated a bit differently at times. It meant I got away with a lot –no teacher questioned my coloured hair braids or earrings, but at the same time it was difficult being the only black kid out of 800 people.
I think there were some rather clichéd expectations – for example that I’d be good at certain things like sport, singing and dancing. In fact, I was quite good, but it obviously had nothing to do with the colour of my skin! But being at LEH definitely gave me a boldness to go for anything I wanted to. It’s a school that makes you believe that there should be no limit to your achievements.
One of my most extreme experiences of racism was when we visited South Africa when I was seven. I was crossing the road with my Mum when a woman drove her car directly at us, narrowly missing. When we asked her why she did it, she just said: “It’s only a black child so it makes no difference to me”. I remember being so shocked that a person was perfectly willing to mow me down because of my race.
At the other end of the racism spectrum are micro-aggressions like people touching your hair without permission or talking over you. They might not sound like much, but if this is your experience of daily life, it becomes a big deal.
And it made me very determined to go to the most cosmopolitan, multicultural university I could find and that really boosted my confidence. My philosophy is to go with your gut instinct. It’s normally always right.
Unfortunately, adversity is a part of life, and you can always guarantee it will happen. BUT it’s the way that you deal with it that matters. As someone trying to navigate their way through the music industry (and I don’t think I have navigated it properly) I’ve faced numerous disappointments. However, singing is what I love to do, so I don’t really have any choice but to pick myself up and go again!
person. It is me trying to find a way to not let fear control me.
One of the worst aspects of fear is that it can be paralysing; it stops you from doing anything. But I found that writing this song was a start in the process of overcoming my fears and not letting them control me.
Being honest about your fears comes with a certain amount of vulnerability which can be frightening. During the lockdown we all had more time to reflect on things and it made me confront a whole new set of fears such as worrying about passing the virus on to others and how best to protect my child.
The whole BLM movement brutally thrust some of my oldest fears into my consciousness again. I found myself asking will the colour of my skin forever be seen as a something to fear and hate? Stronger was my battle cry; my way of saying no – it doesn’t have to be like this. It was my way of saying that my fears do not own me.
Writing music has given me a voice and the chance to express myself. It’s really important to me that my music has a story and a message. If I’ve told that story well, it allows me to really connect with people.
During the pandemic I wrote a song called Stronger with my pianist Paul March. It is my conversation with fear and what I would say to it if it were a
See Sheyi’s Instagram page for more information about her new music: www.instagram.com/sheyimartinsallen
I am always inspired by the writer and campaigner Maya Angelou, who said: ‘Having courage does not mean that we are unafraid. Having courage and showing courage mean we face our fears. We are able to say, ‘I have fallen, but I will get up.’
So, what’s next for me? I’ll be focusing on expanding our business and making more records. I have more songs to write and more stories to tell. I can’t wait!”
See what L5 pupils made of Sheyi’s Life Advice lesson on page 29.
My experience at LEH was super, super positive, but I suppose I started to be aware of being treated a bit differently at times.
Our Guest of Honour at last year’s prize-giving Celebration of the Year was Sunaina SraiChohan, Class of 1998. She is a Crown Court judge and Director of Practical Guidance at online publishing and legal tech business Lexis Nexis. Sunaina gave such an inspiring address to pupils that we asked permission to share some of it here.
“Being at LEH, with all its opportunities helped me learn who I was and reinforced what my parents had told me all along – that I could achieve anything I wanted. So, I’m delighted to be able to ‘return the favour’ and come to speak to you, LEH’s future stars – and you really are that – as you celebrate this school year.
And what an important thing that is – celebration – and that’s what I want to talk to you about today– about how important it is to celebrate yourself, to celebrate others and to celebrate all the possibilities that lie before you.
Let’s start with the idea that you should celebrate and acknowledge your successes and your failures. Now, when I say celebrate, I’m not suggesting you have a party every time you fail at something but what I am saying is make sure you learn from it. And that way it stops being a failure because it taught you something.
I remember when I first learnt how to ride a bike, I thought I was going to do it straight away but I just wobbled and fell off. We probably all have a memory like that but if you think about it, after you’ve fallen you don’t just leave the bike there and say, no, not for me. Instead, you have another go.
Over and over, changing the way you do it each time… until finally you get it and you’re riding a bike. So, when I say celebrate your failures, I mean celebrate what they teach you.
And as for celebrating your successes, well that should easy, but we don’t do it enough. Telling someone about the prize you won at Prize Giving or the medal you won at Sports Day might feel easy but what about the day-to-day successes? What about the smaller things, the non-academic things, the challenges you have set yourself and achieved? Don’t play them down. Don’t minimise your achievements because you’ll be doing yourself a disservice. I say: “Own it. Heads up and be proud of yourselves”.
Now let’s look at celebrating others. If I had to choose, this would be my favourite because you can have such an impact and it is so important. It takes minimal effort, but to the person you are celebrating, it can be metamorphic. I want you to ask yourself: how often do you tell other people when they’ve done something well?
It’s easy to like a video on Tik Tok or a post on Instagram – you can just scroll through quickly liking everything, but I mean in real life? If you already do it frequently… great. Do it more. If you don’t, then start. It can feel a bit awkward and it’s easier to stay silent but don’t let that stop you. Instead, be generous with your praise.
Now, there is no point me giving you advice if I don’t act on it myself, so in the spirit of doing just that, I want to celebrate some of the incredible women who were in my class at school. There is Georgina Nelson who is the Founder and CEO of Tru Rating. She was listed recently as one of the top 50 female entrepreneurs by Beauhurst and her company just won an award for best data and analytics company of the year.
There is Sapna Dattani – I remember she was always top of the class at maths. She was brilliant. She is now Head of Tech Strategy at Citi. There is Catherine Wiltcher who is a USA Today bestselling author. There is Sophy Silver who is Director of Communications at Tik Tok.
And finally, my very good friend, Kate Jillings who is the founder of Toucan Tech – one of the UK’s top scale ups. She has recently returned from a trade mission connecting London’s female founders with investors and tech firms. Such a luminous and accomplished set of women and that is just five of them –there are so many more.
So next time you are fortunate enough to be in the position where you can change someone’s day from bad to good, take it. Be the person who steps
up to support. I urge you to lift each other up. When you can see someone has done well, lift them up with your congratulations. When you see someone struggling, lift them up with your words. When you see someone needs support, lift them up with your actions.
as broad as you want it to be, nothing is off the table, and you can change your mind as you go through life.
I used to be a tax lawyer, I became a commercial lawyer, I am a judge in criminal law. I’m a Director of a legal tech business. And one day I might decide to add actress to the list. Truly. And that’s because all of these things have something in common – they are things I am passionate about and that is what is key. If you choose something you enjoy, you will be good at it.
Don’t limit yourself in anyway. Do you want to be a pilot? Go ahead. Think you know nothing about flying? Not yet. But you will. Do you want to be a physicist, a fashion designer, an artist, a mathematician, a teacher, a judge? Do you want to help solve climate change, work at the UN, support women’s rights, lift children out of poverty? You can. You genuinely can.
Now, let’s move on to the celebration of all the possibilities that are open to you. This is genuinely an incredible school and each and every one of you has worked hard to be here – you deserve it. So, the question is: what will you do with your education? What will you be and what will you achieve?
Some people hear that question and think they need an answer immediately. They don’t. This question is not meant to constrain you. It’s meant to energise and inspire you. Your response can be
And if those sound overwhelming to you and you want to do something on a smaller scale. That’s fine too. Limitations work both ways. You don’t have to limit yourself to something big – something small and meaningful will do too. What you need to remember is that absolutely anything is possible with imagination, self-belief and courage.
So, what is the message from me to you today? Celebrate yourself, your successes, and your failures.
Lift up and support others and open your mind to all the possibilities before you. As our school motto says ‘Hope Favours the Bold’ so be as bold as you can be.
Own it. Heads up and be proud of yourselves.
Dr Daisy Fancourt, Class of 2008, is running the first-ever NHS trial to assess if young people experiencing anxiety and depression will benefit from activities such as dancing, surfing, rollerskating and gardening, which are prescribed by their GPs.
As part of the study, funded by the Prudence Trust, the NHS will offer these activities to 600 11-18 year olds in England and Wales who are on the waiting lists for care for moderate mental health conditions.
Daisy Fancourt, who is an Associate Professor of Behavioural Science and Health at UCL, says: “Young people’s mental health is one of the greatest challenges facing the NHS. Currently, many young people referred to child and adolescent mental health services face long waits, during which time more than three-quarters experience a deterioration in their mental health.”
She explains: “Social prescribing has been rolled out nationally by the NHS since 2018, but unfortunately many children and young people are not engaging in social prescribing and the evidence base for this population is still in its infancy.”
If the trial proves a success, and participants feel less anxious, depressed, and lonely, the scheme could be rolled out across England to help the thousands of children and young people on mental health care waiting lists.
Sustainability entrepreneur Vivienne Hay, Class of 2010, is passionate about combating climate change. Currently based in San Francisco she is now Vice President of Product at Blue Ocean Barns.
Her company has come up with an innovative natural solution to drastically reduce the amount of methane produced by cattle. Methane is a green-house gas that is 25-75 times as powerful as carbon dioxide and is the biggest unsolved mystery to combating climate change.
In a rare win-win-win for the planet, Blue Ocean Barns has developed the most effective burp suppressant for cows made from Brominata, a special seaweed supplement that allows cows to retain more energy from their feed instead of burping it into the atmosphere.
Vivienne explains: “Adding just a handful of this seaweed to cows’ usual feed can have a massive impact, cutting their methane emissions by up to 80%. That’s the equivalent to three tons of carbon dioxide a year, which is the same as taking a car off the road. When you think that there are 100 million cattle in the US, that’s a huge impact.”
With responsibility for the formulation of the product and for working with partners to develop on-farm demos to feed the seaweed to cows, Vivienne is fulfilling a childhood dream. “When I was a growing up, I always wanted to be an inventor, but I never imagined that I would one day be an inventor of a proprietary method of growing seaweed!”
Bella Burns, Class of 2019, is still at university but she’s already launched her own company and is developing an app which she hopes will bring sports gaming and quizzing to a whole new level. She is currently studying Psychology at Sussex University.
“Taking a gap year was the best decision I ever made!” says Bella. “I’ve always taken the unconventional route in
Alumnae friends Georgie Turner and Sophie Doyle, both Class of 2017, have created a hit podcast called Artsing About, which aims to bring art to the masses and make it fun, interesting, and informative for all.
They are currently working on the second series. “We both started our Art History journey in the Sixth Form at LEH under the brilliant tutelage of Ms Lindsay, who ignited our love of the subject,” says Georgie, who works at Twickenham Film Studios as a Coordinator (post production). Sophie is now an actor and writer and also works as an Office Assistant at a company called Meminioc.
Georgie explains: “People often say to me ‘I really love art, but I don’t know anything about it and wouldn’t know
life with everything I’ve done but I truly believe without all the experience I was able to gain then I wouldn’t be where I am today: developing my first start-up company. Namepix is a sports quiz app game with a twist! It was an idea that came to me during COVID when I suddenly had a lightbulb moment after watching reruns of some Manchester United games.”
Discovering her passion has given her a renewed sense of purpose and vision. “I truly never knew the challenge that being a founder of a company would bring, however I have loved every single second in the world of entrepreneurship, and I can truly say it has taken over my life; but, I have never been more motivated. “
Bella is now at the stage of pitching and raising investment to build the app. “It should be launching in a few months so I’m very excited. I absolutely loved my time at LEH, and I truly do feel very blessed to have the teachers that I did because even when I didn’t believe in myself at the time, they always supported me and encouraged me and held me accountable for everything I did at school and without those interactions I really could have lost my way!”
where to start looking’. To me, this is such a shame. We want to dispel the myth that the art world is for a select few and make it available to everyone. Artsing About is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and all major Podcast Streamers.”
Dame Lesley Regan, Class of 1974, has been appointed as England’s first ever Women’s Health Ambassador to drive system level changes to close the gender health gap.
Dame Lesley, who is Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Imperial College, was appointed to the role by the Department of Health and Social Care. She said: “Having spent my career working with and caring for women, it is a great honour to be appointed as Women’s Health Ambassador for
the first government-led Women’s Health Strategy in England.
“I am thrilled that women’s health is getting the attention I think it really deserves. I’m a great believer that when you get it right for women the whole of the rest of society benefits.”
She brings with her a raft of expertise spanning a 42-year career in women’s health with particular interest in miscarriage, gynaecological surgery, and the menopause.
It is an honour to be appointed Governor of LEH. I look forward to the role immensely, and just returning to the school for interviews last year, and again to meet Mrs Hanbury, renewed my sense of pride, and brought those memories back to the fore. A very happy place it was for me, as a pupil back in the seventies and eighties! Miss Candy was my Head Mistress. A tall, elegant figure, as she strode along the corridors, we would enjoy seeing her break into a smile as she passed by.
It was in Holles Connect where I first read that the school was looking to recruit new Governors. This piqued my interest… Hope Favours the Bold I thought, go for it! Education and lifelong learning are my passion, and I often think back to school days with gratitude. This was a potential chance for me to learn new skills, to hopefully contribute some value, and to rekindle a strong connection with my school.
Being shown around the school again was a delight – my, how the school has grown, although the ‘bones’ of it remain the same (the traffic light
system at Mrs Hanbury’s door is still there). Memories of playing lacrosse but not being allowed to approach the Hampton School fence (there was certainly no gate) dropping a Ammeter in the lab at the front of the school (Mrs Haynes was not amused and told me it would ‘go on my parents’ school bill’), pinging rulers under the lids of wooden desks in Latin, eating tasty school lunches in the Great Hall, hanging out on the balcony in the Upper Sixth common room, wearing ‘own clothes’ and feeling cool, hating doing lengths in that fantastic swimming pool. The only class we had in common with Hampton School was ‘car maintenance’, so of course we all suddenly developed an interest in car engines.
After leaving school I read French and German at the University of Bath – I adored languages, and French teachers (Mrs Hannah, Mrs Bacon), and German teachers (‘little’ Miss Thomas, Miss Benke and Mrs Sutcliffe) were stellar at nailing fluency and accuracy (repetition, repetition, repetition). We watched animated films for each language, most definitely the latest technology at the time. Those teachers deepened my love for the languages, cultures, and countries.
I now work for the University of Cambridge. Leadership development and management education became my passion when I worked at an international Business School, INSEAD, in Fontainebleau, France, for several years. My roles there spanned from programme management, design, and development of programmes for corporates and individuals, to marketing and business development. I adored living and working in France, I count it as my second home, my son was born there and is bilingual.
At the University of Cambridge Judge Business School, I am the Director of Open Programmes, and the Cambridge Advanced Leadership Programme, the flagship programme in the portfolio for Executive Education. I am responsible for managing the Open programmes business unit to ensure profitable growth, as well as for the successful operations, delivery, overall strategy, and vision for the business. We live in Cambridge and my son Louis is studying at university.
I look forward to my new role this year, and to working with a very talented group of Governors. I also look forward to meeting pupils, teachers, and parents. My curious mind, seeded and encouraged at LEH, will continue to grow – I hope I don’t bore you with the questions.
Following our appeal for alumnae to step forward Allison Héau (née Wheeler), Class of 1983, has been appointed to the board of governors at LEH to help guide and lead the school.
Dr Becky Taylor, Class of 1992, has returned to LEH in the newly-created role of Director of Outreach and Co-curricular.
Her new position sees Becky take a lead on the strategic development of LEH’s public benefit activity and overseeing clubs, CCF, DofE and trips. Becky also has the rather thankless role of running the school calendar – no small task when there’s as much going on as there is at LEH!
Becky says: “I hope to be able to expand and enhance our public benefit work, with a real focus on the positive impact that has on our own community and those we work in partnership with.” “My interest has always been in student experience, both academic and co-curricular, and institutional strategy including partnership and outreach activity. I am also passionate about institutional culture and its influence on student and staff wellbeing.”
After University, Becky ran an equestrian training centre, before moving in to teaching in further education and then moving to the University sector. Most recently she was Dean of Enhancement at Hartpury University.
The LEH Alumnae community is a strong, supportive network of Remarkable Women, all here to cheer each other on. There are many ways to stay in touch – We can’t wait to hear from you!
Becky joined LEH at the beginning of the Autumn term and says: “I teach on enrichment programmes and also supervise pupils undertaking an EPQ and they are some of my favourite times of the week. In many ways as an alumna I feel a strong affinity with the pupils, however I am also aware that in some areas life is very different for the pupils now compared to when I was at LEH, not least the pressures that come from social media, something I think the pastoral team here offer brilliant support with.”
How have things changed in the 30 years since she was a pupil? “Well, the uniform for a start!” laughs Becky. “No more grey flannel A-line skirts for the seniors and red corduroy hats in the junior school!
“There is also far more emphasis placed on the holistic student experience and wellbeing in all schools, and I believe LEH does this particularly well. The sense of community, and everyone being supported and valued, is palpable. Also working with communities outside LEH means we are all more aware of the world around us and I think better prepared to live fulfilling lives outside and beyond school.”
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www.hollesconnect.org.uk
Becky Taylor Joins the Senior Team at LEH
Heather Hanbury drew on research from a variety of reliable sources, including UNICEF, McKinsey and Co and the Harvard Business Review to build her case for the clear global benefits of more women and girls fulfilling their ambitions. Their findings show:-
• Firms with more women at executive level are more profitable. Going from zero to 30% of women in C-suite positions boosts profitability by 15%.
In her keynote speech, Head Mistress and GSA President, Heather Hanbury, gave a clarion call for the importance of girls’ only education as she addressed the assembled masses of Head Teachers from leading independent and state girls’ schools. “It’s absolutely time to finally acknowledge that working like a woman is a great way to work and live. I’ve had enough of being told otherwise. No one should feel they have to ‘be like a man’ to succeed in life.”
She added: “Girls’ schools are incubators of new and better ways of thinking and being. We all recognise the value of empathy and understand the importance of ‘soft power’. We all need to unleash our feminine
side – it doesn’t matter what your gender – everyone can work this way. And it’s proven that this is pivotal for society to become truly great. Much has been made of The Female Leadership advantage and quite rightly so. The benefits of more women and girls achieving their ambitions are remarkable in the world. The effects are tangible when women take their rightful place in the world. The data is compelling.”
Her comments generated headlines across the national press, with a frontpage story in The Telegraph, followed by a double page spread talking to prominent female leaders and even an opinion piece in The Times
LEH pupils also made their mark in a feisty exchange between the Head Girl team and Conservative MP Dame Andrea Leadsom. “You’re throwing it at me, so I’m just throwing it back at you,” Andrea told them as she criticised young people for failing to use critical evaluation skills to look at the real situation behind the headlines.
“Use your critical faculties and don’t think you can believe everything you see on Snapchat.”
St Ann’s Church, Manchester Monday 22 November 2021, 5.15pm
• When women participate in public life they help create more inclusive societies. It’s been estimated that it could be worth $12 trillion worldwide if all countries could match the most advanced nations in gender equality.
• A global survey revealed that 66% of people thought “the world would be a better place if men thought more like women”.
All Hallows by the Tower
• Women are good mediators and networkers because they prioritise building relationships and keep a cool head in a crisis.
21 NOVEMBER 2022
• There were fewer COVID cases and deaths in nations led by women rather than men. Findings suggest this is down to women’s more proactive and co-ordinated policy initiatives.
• When women are involved with peace agreements, they have a much higher chance of succeeding – a 20% increase in the probability of it lasting at least two years and a 35% increase in the probability of it lasting at least 15 years.
The LEH spirit of fortitude, determination and poise was on display in abundance at the Girls’
The beautiful singing of the Cantata choir moved many delegates at the Conference Service at All Hallows by the Tower, while the L6 string quartet entertained everyone at the pre-dinner reception.
Our alumnae also proved inspirational with a talk called An ExtraOARdinary Adventure. Abby Johnston, Class of
2007, and Charlotte Irving, Class of 2008, had Head Teachers spellbound as they talked about teamwork and the lessons they’d learned as they battled the elements, sea sickness, salt sores and sleep deprivation to smash the world Atlantic rowing record earlier this year.
The Daily Telegraph was so inspired by Mrs Hanbury’s case that feminine qualities get results that they asked eight female leaders to share their experiences. The double page spread asked: Is winning at work all about soft skills and office democracy?
Those taking part from the world of business and politics included Sheryl Sandberg, ex-COO of Meta, Amber Rudd, former Home Secretary, and Ella Mills, founder of Deliciously Ella.
Helena Morrissey, CEO of the 30 Per
Cent Club, said: “The neuroscience backs up the intuitive argument that women and girls are, on average, more empathetic, more collaborative and more emotionally intelligent. While men are more systematic. We are equal but different.”
Author
Matthew, who has written six bestselling books about mindset and high performance, is a journalist for The Times and The Sunday Times, as well as presenting the popular Radio 4 programme Sideways . He was also the British table tennis number one for almost a decade.
His wide-ranging talk covered the importance of developing curiosity, the
A growth mindset has been linked with better lifelong outcomes, not just improved test results and self-esteem at school but well beyond. Where has this buzz phrase come from and what does it mean?
The concept of fixed and growth mindset gained popularity through the work of psychologist Carol Dweck at Stanford University in a publication called: ‘Mindset: the new psychology of success’.
need for collaboration, diversity, and multidisciplinary teams, as well as the importance of a growth mindset in a fast-changing world.
“The problems we are solving today are complex and interconnected,” said Matthew. “We want young people to have basic conceptual knowledge and want to reach out, to take rational risks and try new things. What do we mean
Her research has become popular across the world and many schools now undertake growth mindset activities to build children’s confidence and support the development of a growth mindset, which in turn develops their resilience and success in class.
A fixed mindset is a belief that intelligence cannot be changed in any meaningful way. The starting point is that people have an innate amount of intelligence
by rational risks? We want them to have a calibrated sense of risk and reward.
“Teachers in a growth mindset encourage pupils to take rational risks and lavish them with praise when they fail. A growth mindset encourages people to see feedback as a valuable thing.”
which is fixed and there’s little one can do to change this.
A growth mindset is a belief that success depends on time and effort. It encourages pupils to believe that their skills and intelligence can be improved with effort and persistence. If they embrace challenges, persist through obstacles, learn from criticism, and seek out inspiration in other’s success, they can achieve what they want.
and highly acclaimed public speaker, Matthew Syed, who is an LEH parent with a child in the Junior School, gave a thought-provoking and lively talk to the GSA about unlocking the potential of today’s young women in school and later life.
During her 12 years in politics, Andrea has been a Conservative party leadership contender, and a former Leader of the House of Commons, as well as holding a variety of key cabinet positions. She is currently the Government’s Early Years Health Adviser.
“We were honoured to represent LEH students in front of Head Teachers from such a wide array of independent and state girls’ schools, and very grateful to Mrs Hanbury, as president of the GSA, for giving us such a unique chance. In particular, as a politically engaged team, we were very excited by the prospect of holding an MP to account and discussing a broad range of political issues.
In preparation for our big interview, we carried out a deep dive into Leadsom’s career – using podcast appearances and her book ‘Snakes and Ladders ’ as references. Eager to dissect our thoughts, we jumped onto a FaceTime call to decide our avenues of enquiry. Before we knew it, Tuesday came around and we travelled up to Tower Hill, cue cards at the ready, and quizzing each other about MP Leadsom’s possible rebuttals on the journey.
Upon arrival at the conference, we met Rebecca, a journalist from PA Media who was writing about the session. She interviewed our team, asking a series of questions surrounding our thoughts on Andrea and what intrigued us about her career. Shortly after, we were led to be fitted with microphones before we took our seats on stage and began the interview. After easing Andrea in
with a few easier questions, we began our grilling, questioning her on topics such as her ardent support of Brexit and the current cost of living crisis. To round off our interview, we queried her thoughts about Matt Hancock in the jungle, to which she responded with much disdain at his decision!
This incredible opportunity proved to be extremely rewarding for us as we got an insight into the life of a politician, ranging from her experience as a woman in the field to opinions on some of the imperative issues facing the UK, to some healthy political gossip. We thoroughly enjoyed the chance to utilise our public speaking skills, Olivia in particular having to answer a question from Andrea herself!”
By Olivia, Amelie, Mia and Nilomi (LEH Head Girl Team 2022-2023)
LEH’s four-strong Head Girl team were named Women of the Week by the GSA after hosting a feisty live interview with high-profile MP Andrea Leadsom.
Last year a team from the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) visited LEH and found the academic and personal achievement of pupils to be of the very highest standard across all areas.
The inspectors observed every aspect of school life over four days. They sat in on a significant number of lessons, spoke to many pupils and examined samples of their work. They also held discussions with members of staff and Governors and observed assemblies and extra-curricular activities.
The ISI inspection report found the school ‘Excellent’ in all of the assessment areas outlined in the report, across both the Junior and Senior Schools, and highly successful in meeting its aims and ethos. A separate compliance inspection also confirmed that all standards are being met.
Head Mistress, Heather Hanbury said: “We hope the findings shared in the ISI inspection report give people a rich insight into what we collectively strive to deliver every day at LEH. We are all extremely pleased that the standard and quality of education and development provided at LEH has received such strong external ratification. The success of our school is thanks to the whole LEH community, from our brilliant pupils and teachers to our wonderful support staff, parents and governors.
“We remain committed to listening and evolving to ensure we continue to create an environment where pupils are encouraged to be exactly who they are, with the confidence to express opinions and take on new challenges.”
The report said: “Pupils celebrate learning for its intrinsic value and make swift progress, applying their skills effectively across the curriculum with curiosity and genuine interest.”
In October LEH pupils and staff were excited to attend the launch of a pioneering Sixth Form partnership for Feltham which opened its doors at the start of the Autumn Term.
Feltham College is a state and independent sector collaboration between Reach Academy, LEH and Hampton School. The three foundation partners have enjoyed a mutually beneficial teaching and learning partnership for over six years and know that working together can transform young people’s lives.
Children’s Commissioner for England, Dame Rachel de Souza, said: “Feltham College Sixth Form Partnership is an excellent example of what can be achieved when the state and independent education sectors come together. All educationalists are united in their passion to help young people thrive and succeed and this is the very essence of what Feltham College is all about – uniting resources and expertise to support young people who deserve every opportunity to fulfil their hopes and ambitions.”
The college is in an area of high deprivation where currently only 20%
of young people move on to university or degree apprenticeship courses, which is less than half the national average. Feltham College offers close links with industry leaders including Kingston University, Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, and award-winning London restaurateur Jacob Kenedy, who offers mentoring and work experience opportunities.
For those pupils following a traditional academic route, Hampton and LEH teachers are providing 28 periods of teaching time per week supporting their Feltham College colleagues across a range of subjects and directing their expertise to where it is needed most. This can range from focused catch-up and extension classes to university preparation sessions.
LEH Head Mistress, Heather Hanbury, said: “Feltham College has the potential to become one of the foremost Sixth Form colleges in London. Its unique approach and ambitious plans to support the education of 16–18 year olds in Feltham chime with all that we stand for here at LEH and we are delighted to play our part in the establishment of this exciting new college.”
Rowena Cole, who has more than 20 years’ experience working in education, has been appointed by the Governors of LEH as the School’s next Head Mistress.
The appointment follows an extensive recruitment process to find an outstanding, experienced and forwardthinking education leader with a commitment to and passion for girls’ education. Rowena Cole has been Head at St John’s School, Leatherhead
As part of LEH’s drive to respect, value and celebrate diversity, Sheyi MartinsAllen, Class of 2006, returned to the classroom to talk to L5 pupils about her experiences of racism. Three of the pupils who took part in the Life Advice session share their thoughts.
“We were lucky enough to be able to hear Sheyi speak about her experience of being the only Black student during her time at LEH. She interacted with us well and this made it an easy environment in which to share our thoughts. We felt that it opened our eyes to the opinions of our peers and gave everyone the voice to express their feedback on ways in which different cultures can be represented.
We were very happy that the school wanted to hear any ideas or comments we had regarding inclusion. The topic
and Head at Dunottar School, Reigate. Prior to that she was Deputy Head at Guildford High School and has held various teaching positions.
Rowena will take up the position in September 2023 when the current Head Mistress, Heather Hanbury, retires after leading the School for nine years.
David King, Chair of Governors at LEH, said “We are delighted to appoint Rowena Cole as our next Head Mistress. Rowena’s exceptional experience and leadership stood out in a very strong candidate field, and we were particularly impressed by her warmth, leadership experience, and alignment with LEH’s ethos and values. I know I speak on behalf of the whole school when I say we look forward to giving Rowena a very warm welcome in September.
“We are extremely proud of LEH, our wonderful pupils and our heritage as one of the oldest and most successful girls’ school in the UK. We are grateful
for the exemplary leadership and many achievements enjoyed during Heather Hanbury’s tenure at LEH since 2014 and she will leave a truly impressive legacy. As we look to the future, we are pleased that we will be guided by Rowena Cole as we write the next chapter in LEH’s remarkable story.”
Rowena Cole said “I am delighted to have been appointed as the next Head Mistress of Lady Eleanor Holles School. The personality of the School, with its energy and ambition coupled with a strong sense of care and community shone through when I visited earlier in the autumn.
“I am excited to be returning to an academic girls’ school where pupils are encouraged to believe everything is possible and where they are celebrated for being exactly who they are. I look forward to joining such a vibrant community of staff, pupils, parents and alumnae and to shaping the next chapter in the School’s history.”
of Rishi Sunak was brought up and how he is Britain’s first Asian prime minister and the three of us contributed to this discussion and talked about how much of an inspiration it is to see someone of our own ethnicity and colour run the country. It was a proud moment to see Rishi Sunak become Prime Minister and we were able to express how motivating it is to see him in this position and overall, how honoured we are.”
Written by Sahana Soosaipillai, Samrath Johal and Kiara Perera in L5See the profile of Sheyi on page 16.
cannot say how lucky I am to have had the opportunity and so far good health to travel, enjoy what I am doing and make many new friends.”
Judy Perkins:
Lesley Hazel:
“Oh dear, where do I start? Retirement is busy and rewarding. Today I stepped down as President of Putney WI after a very active six years. The Committee and I were a ‘lifeline’ to many of our members in Covid. We have delivered almost 7,000 mask extenders to St George’s Hospital and 500 baby hats. For my endeavours I received a runner up prize in Wandsworth’s Civic Awards. I volunteer for Kensington Palace, Marble Hill House, plus Leighton and Sambourne Houses. I would highly recommend these to you. I love them all. I have been painting watercolours and subsequently took up Botanical Illustration, gaining my Kew Certificate and even selling some of my work. I
“In 2005 I had become very part time at LEH for family reasons when I was asked to cover a post in the RS Department at Hampton for two terms. I was in both schools to begin with, and the boys were particularly interested in life at LEH. I was teaching the same A level syllabus in both schools and the boys asked me how they were different. I told them that the girls wrote down everything I said, whereas they didn’t write down anything unless I told them to but that they wanted to argue with everything I said. “Oh no, we don’t!” was the reply! I ended up staying at Hampton until I retired, having spent 32 years on the Hanworth Road. The second lockdown finished me. “Sorry, Mrs Perkins, my Wi-Fi dropped out”…..
I am still living in Kew and enjoy my occasional meetings with former pupils from both schools. It is polite of them to remove their earpieces for a conversation! I am committed
to my parish church and for the recent induction of a new vicar I made Coronation chicken for 250. I am a keen photographer and have completed a project to digitise all my photographs beginning with my parents’ marriage in 1956 and the few photos I have of them before that.”
Chris Dapre:
“I have kept very busy and thoroughly enjoyed life but nothing that makes me a ‘remarkable woman’ although my family might think I am very occasionally! I have been a member of the Teddington Theatre Club since 1976 – all sorts of tasks but none involving treading the boards. I am a volunteer with educational and family activities in the Royal Parks and The Naval Museum in Portsmouth and have helped with LEH Junior Department trips to Bushy Park in the past. Obviously, I can’t quite get education out of my system but both organisations have provided wonderful opportunities for learning and making new friends as has my association with the British Library. I am blessed with two grandchildren who I see often and who provide much joy and amusement.”
There were whoops of delight and excitement when guests spotted a whole table of retired teachers at the Alumnae Reunion in October. We asked them what they get up to these days.
Jacqueline Khan:
“I am now retired from teaching history and, following the death of my husband, live with my daughter and family. I have two young grandchildren, a grandson aged seven and a granddaughter aged five. I help with childcare, meeting them out of school and driving them to football and tennis when required. I have also been found to have some skill at cricket; my grandson is impressed by my overarm bowling. Otherwise, I have time to enjoy life in Dulwich where we now live, close to the Picture Gallery and an excellent cinema. We were given a most interesting tour of the school at the reunion, which is very different to the one I remember from the 1970’s, now with impressive facilities. It was possible however to identify classrooms we taught in and I observed that work is still handed in on windowsills!”
Mary Beardwood:
‘It was wonderful to be welcomed back into school by Heather Hanbury and some of the current delightful Sixth Formers. Meeting up with other retired staff and former pupils, particularly the class of 1982, was such a joy.
Geraldine Kendrick and her netball team were the first team to qualify for the National Schools finals; they were in Upper 2 when I started teaching and have a very special place in my heart. I am still an England netball selector and am forever grateful for the opportunities afforded to me by LEH, working with brilliant colleagues and incredibly talented pupils for all my teaching career. Heather clearly led the school admirably through the Covid pandemic and, as always, LEH is in a league of its own!’
Veronica Kean writes: “I am sure that you will all remember that at the end of term you would sit down with your Form Tutor and reflect on your achievements and set targets for your future goals. After 16 years of teaching at LEH, I am now reflecting on all the changes that have taken place since 2006.
There have been changes to the curriculum, lesson timings, a new week A and week B timetable, the use of iPads throughout the school alongside many impressive physical changes: smart Sixth Form common rooms, a swanky theatre, a stunning Art block, amazing music rooms, a new pupil dining room, the Gateway Building with new IT suites, a beautiful swimming pool and activity studio, the Q building, new numbering for the classrooms, a gate in the fence between Hampton and LEH and the younger years being allowed to use the Sixth Form corridor!
My enduring memories of LEH will be all the MFL school trips, the French exchanges to Béthune, Paris and Marseille or study trips to Nice and the Camargue. Memories of one Sixth Form A level student eagerly getting on the wrong métro train, the doors closing and her friends creasing up with laughter, as
her train pulled out of the station. Being an LEH girl she simply got off at the next station and made her way back to the awaiting group!
Other memorable French experiences include arguing with a ticket inspector in Nice as one of the girls had not validated her ticket correctly, horse riding in the Camargue, going around Arles in a searing heat wave or watching a French sketch and dance routine in the hotel dining room, travelling on Eurostar and oversize cuddly souvenirs from Disneyland Paris.
The school will of course continue to change and evolve, and staff will come and go but some things will remain constant: the passion of the teachers for their subject and the joy of working with remarkable young people who make teaching such an inspiring career.
I have been so privileged to have taught at LEH and, as I embark upon my retirement, will always cherish my 16 years here. I have loved being a Form Tutor to my L4 and U4 tutor groups over the years, being Head of French and teaching groovy grammar to my wonderful GCSE and A level groups. Non, je ne regrette rien!”
We were sad to say au revoir to Madame Kean, Head of French, who retired last year after 16 years at LEH. She says she will cherish the time that she spent here.
Alison Matthews Retires
After an LEH career spanning 30 years, we bid a fond farewell to long-time Head of Economics and Head of Careers Alison Matthews last term.
“So, it has been 30 years and three Head Mistresses, and it has flown by, but my association with the school is even longer as my brother was a Hampton boy and several of my childhood friends attended LEH.
It is funny looking back because I wasn’t totally sure I wanted the job and when Miss Candy rang, I hid in my room and made my mother answer the call. The school was, as it is now, highly selective, and very successful and as a young teacher I thought it might be a very daunting place to work. I quickly learnt that it was a fast paced, happy environment with lots of activities to enjoy.
People often ask if the school has changed a lot and the answer is it has and hasn’t. There was no doubt that it was an amazing school 30 years ago and it still is, but as you would expect it has moved on with the times.
I was trying to think of the changes, especially in my classroom. For most of my time at LEH my classroom was called 61 and was opposite the tower and looked out on the front of the school and the grass tennis courts in summer. The girls often referred to it as the cupboard.
Every Head has added a building, sometimes two, so expect another one when the new Head arrives. The school colours were a sort of pillar box red under Miss Candy, which changed to a kind of burgundy with Mrs Low and returned to pillar box red with Heather Hanbury.
The carpet went on the walls and now, I believe, it is coming off. There was a ‘The’ in front of Lady Eleanor Holles and the pattern of the timetables and breaks has changed three or maybe four times! You may remember that some of the timings for bells were a little unusual with 11.27am and 3.23pm and we also had trebles when I first arrived.
I think that what has stayed the same is the fantastic students, the lovely staff and the beautiful grounds especially the new meadow which has been absolutely gorgeous and planted to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
I have loved working at LEH and have so many happy memories of so many students through the years. I hope to keep in touch with many of you through Holles Connect.”
What has stayed the same over the 30 years is the fantastic students, the lovely staff and the beautiful grounds.
TUESDAY 28 FEBRUARY
7PM – 9PM
FRIDAY 30 JUNE
7PM TIL LATE
In this engaging talk, the well-known curator, writer, and broadcaster Kate Bryan will reveal what it takes to work in the art world and why studying art can have a lifelong impact, even for those in seemingly unrelated fields.
TICKETS COST £15
ALL PROCEEDS GOING TO THE BURSARY FUND
STOP PRESS We’ve just confirmed that Head Mistress Heather Hanbury will give the final Remarkable Women Lecture of the year on TUESDAY 25TH APRIL. Just before she retires Mrs Hanbury will look back at her LEH legacy after nine years at the helm.
SATURDAY 7 OCTOBER
11AM – 3PM
ALUMNAE REUNION 2023
Catch up with former classmates and contemporaries over lunch. Plus a talk from the new Head Mistress, student performances and tours of the school.
TICKETS £20
With a pitch side reception, three course dinner and live band, we’re putting the fun into fundraising. All proceeds go the Bursary Fund.
TICKETS ARE NOW ON SALE LAST TIME WAS A SELL-OUT SMASH, SO GET IN QUICK WWW.LEHS.ORG.UK/BURSARY-BALL-2023
FRIDAY 23 JUNE
5PM – 7PM
Drum roll please! We are delighted to announce that at long last we can welcome back the Class of 2020 for their first much-anticipated reunion. COVID and successive lockdowns mean that we haven’t been able to give these former pupils the LEH send-off they so richly deserve, so this is sure to be a special event.
CLASS OF 2020, PLEASE RESERVE YOUR PLACE NOW
The sun shone and the Pimm’s flowed at the inaugural Holles Boat Club event at Henley Regatta in July, which was hosted by LEH alumna and Head of Rowing Abby Johnston.
The sell-out event, held jointly with Hampton School, proved to be a popular addition to the alumnae calendar with guests declaring that they’d love to return again next year. The Hampton chef made a delicious chicken and chorizo paella, with a vegan version for non-meat eaters.
Abby, Class of 2007, who holds the world record for the fastest trio of women ever to cross the Atlantic after taking part in the Talisker Whisky Challenge earlier this year, raised a toast to the new Holles Boat Club which was set up in 2020 just before lockdown put a hold on all events.
“We hope this will be the first of many alumnae rowing events,” she told the guests, many of them proudly wearing their distinctive red and white striped LEHBC blazers. “LEH has an impressive track record for achieving at the highest levels in the Junior competitions and are proud to have held the National School Regatta title on several occasions. We look forward to our alumnae of all ages getting back out on the water!”
If you are interested in joining the Holles Boat Club, please sign up on the Clubs page of Holles Connect.
There was a wonderful buzz at the Alumnae Reunion at the start of the school year, as four generations, ranging from Boomers to Gen Z, came together to re-live their LEH hey days for the first time since the start of the pandemic.
The Class of 1982, celebrating their 40th anniversary of leaving the school, who described themselves as “the naughty ones” turned out in force and were clearly delighted to see each other again.
But there was good representation across the board, especially from the Class of 1987 (marking their 35th anniversary), the Class of 1997 (who left 25 years ago) and the Class of 2012, attending their first get-together after 10 years.
“It was wonderful to walk the old corridors again and share so many memories with old classmates,” said Clare O’Kane from the Class of 1987.
Jean Wynd, from the Class of 1957, was one of a few celebrating 65 years since leaving the school. She said: “What a lovely time we had at the Reunion. Thank you so much to everyone who worked so hard to give us a memorable time. I feel very proud to have been part of LEHS.”
The wonderful photos were taken by Emma, one of our Sixth Form Creative Directors. Please log in to your Holles Connect account online to see the fully gallery of images.
Four of our amazing alumnae returned to LEH to take part in a special panel to mark International Women’s Day in March, attended by all pupils in the L5.
Each of them works in traditionally male-dominated fields and, in a lively and engaging session, they told students about their experience of discrimination in the workplace and what they’ve done to challenge it. They were lawyer and judge Sunaina Srai-Chohan, Class of 1998, investment strategist Meena Santhosh, Class of 2006, professional boxer Amy Andrew, Class of 2004, and civil engineer Claudia Caravello, Class of 2014.
Sunaina, who is a Director at Lexis Nexis UK and sits as a part-time Crown Court Judge, gave pupils three pieces of advice to help them succeed: “Challenge any bias that you might see – if we all do it, it makes it a lot less acceptable. Lift each other up – it’s important to support each other and bring other women with you. And finally, have confidence in yourself – if you don’t try, you’ll never know what you might have achieved.”
Meena, who is a Portfolio
Manager at Robeco Asset Management, said: “I have a huge passion to get more young women to pursue careers in investing. We have a lot of unique traits to celebrate as women! It’s up to us and the next generation to call out and address the biases we experience.”
Claudia, who is a Project Manager at Turner & Townsend, said “One of my favourite quotes is ‘You can’t be what you can’t see’. A great reminder why it is so important we celebrate women’s achievements, showcase role models in the industry and work together to overcome bias, not just on International Women’s Day, but every day.”
Amy is UK Head of Boxing for Virgin as well as English National Champion. She told pupils: “It can be really liberating as a woman to step out from expectations. Boxing has given me so much more confidence and has really helped me in all areas of my life. I’d recommend it to everyone.”
The team gave a gripping inside account about becoming the fastest female trio ever to row across the Atlantic in the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge last year.
Head of Rowing Abby Johnston, from the Class of 2007, encouraged the audience to try something new and really push themselves: “All of us can achieve far more than we believe,” she said. “You don’t know how extraordinary you can be until you try.”
Fellow alumna Charlotte Irving, from the Class of 2008, talked about the importance of a positive mindset and how they kept themselves focused and motivated by breaking things down into small achievable milestones.
STOP PRESS!
We’ve just heard that they’ve hit their goal of raising £100,000 for cancer charities, but it’s not too late to donate – www.weareextraoardinary.com/donate
Two of our alumnae rowers, and their ExtraOARdinary teammate, talked about the resilience, perseverance, and teamwork that spurred them on, as they gave an uplifting and inspiring Remarkable Women Lecture in September.
With music to lift the heart and traditional readings to nourish the soul, the much-cherished Alumnae Carol Service at St Giles’ Church, Cripplegate, kicked the festive season off in style.
This year we were treated to a range of advent readings and Christmas poems given by key members of the LEH community, including Chair of Governors, David King, Head Mistress, Heather Hanbury, Deputy Head, Pastoral, Amanda Poyner, our Head Girl team, and past pupils and teachers.
Our alumnae readers were (from left to right) Yutong Zhang, Class of 2016, Diana Gollop, Class of 1996, Dr Annabel Jenkins, Class of 1973, Kirstie Jenkins (Newson), class of 1989, and former teacher Jacqueline Khan (Rutherfurd). Annabel said: “What a lovely start to the Christmas season. It was such a pleasure to attend the carol service and to catch up with a few friends. There is something so lovely about happy reminiscing! The singing
Spirits were running high as people greeted each other warmly, after a two-year pandemic induced hiatus. There was a real buzz of excitement and a great turnout of former pupils from both LEH and Hampton Schools.
Head Mistress Heather Hanbury and Head Master Kevin Knibbs were in attendance, chatting happily to their former pupils. It was standing room only, as the many guests made the most of the plentiful food and drink.
was particularly impressive and I enjoyed it enormously. I always think about my Huguenot ancestors when at St Giles’, and that adds to the occasion.”
The service was conducted for the first time by newlyappointed Reverend Canon Jack Noble, who has been in post for seven months. The Alumnae Carol Service was his first festive celebration at St Giles’ and he was impressed by the calibre of singing and reading. He said afterwards: “What a wonderful occasion. It was a genuine pleasure to be a part of the LEH service this evening. Thank you for getting our Advent underway with such warmth and joy.”
It was wonderful to meet up with so many of our alumnae again at the buzzing Joint Networking Event with Hampton School at The Refinery, Bankside, in May.
There were joyful hearts all round when Holles Singers past and present took to the stage (December 2022) for a triumphant celebration of LEH Music in the Holles Forever! concert.
Raising the roof and proving once and for all that LEH Music Lives On, the massed ranks of alumnae and pupils sang for all they were worth, and the audience responded in kind for this special performance to benefit the Bursary Fund.
The triumphs just kept coming –including hits from Abba and Queen,
and all-time favourite medleys from Chicago to Cabaret, and from Britmashe to Sassitude.
“This was the most extraordinary concert – it was like rehearsing and conducting a fantasy choir!” said Director of Music Miranda Ashe. “To look round and see so many generations of top LEH musicians, many of whom went on to study music, retaking their places in the Holles Singers, and feeling the years melt away, blew us all away. The shining eyes, expression and quality of sound were astonishing! Holles Forever indeed.”
The reunion get-together was arranged to celebrate her and Mr Ashe’s 14 years – and counting – of being at LEH. Previous members of Holles Singers jumped at the opportunity to take part, with performers representing the original crew from 2008, right through to the newbies who joined in September 2022.
£5,500 was raised for the Bursary Fund from the proceeds of this event and the spectacular Musical Auction of Promises that preceded it.
But you couldn’t put a price on the enthusiasm and energy generated by re-living their LEH best life and their love for Mrs Ashe. Here’s just a small selection of alumnae responses: -
“What a fantastic day! Music was the highlight to my time at school. Thank you so much for letting me re-immerse myself today!” Ellie Thomas, Class of 2016.
“If I could just be in Holles Singers forever, that would be great please! Thank you for making music so exciting,” Alice Walton, Class of 2011.
“Thank you so much for a wonderful
day and bringing back all the memories from music at LEH. I couldn’t have made it through to do music now if not for all the training here,” Yutong Zhang, Class of 2016.
“My fondest memories of LEH all revolve around your fabulous music department. I’m truly eternally grateful,” Amy Norman, Class of 2021.
“I feel so privileged to have been a part of the Holles Singers and have
never met anyone – musical director or others – as fantastic as you. I hope there is another Holles Forever, because it really is a forever choir.” Lucy Bradley, Class of 2016.
“Your love for music is inspirational. I have you to thank you for where I am today,” Becca Madden, Class of 2012.
“Nothing I can say would do it justice. I am so grateful for all my memories of music at the school,” Sophie Camilleri,
We are excited to reveal that plans are afoot to make professionally remastered downloads of the concert available later this year – with all proceeds going to the Bursary Fund as well. Watch this space for more news.
#LEHMusicLivesOn
It was wonderful to see our alumnae newbies back in school this term for their first-ever reunion. It was the perfect opportunity to collect their A level certificates, catch up with each other and update former teachers about their first term at University.
We hope it will be the first return visit of many and we wish them every success for the future. Please keep in touch!
We’re delighted to announce the recipients of the Emerging Talent Award 2022: they are knitwear teacher and designer Jacki Badger, Class of 2003, and TV/Film producer Alexandra Crawshaw, Class of 2018.
Jacki started her business, called Woolly Badger, while on her maternity leave. She designs and publishes knitting patterns and runs knitting workshops locally and online. She plans to spend the award on re-vamping her website, with professional photography and expert design.
She says: “I’m absolutely chuffed to receive the Emerging Talent award. As a knitter I’m used to things taking time to create, but the amount of time I’ve spent trying to take half-decent photos and build a vaguely functional website has been far more than is reasonable. I’m very much looking forward to getting some help from some pros, so I can focus on the creative side!”
www.thewoollybadger.com
Alexandra currently works as a Production Secretary for an All3 Media Production Company but runs Shaw Productions in her spare time. She will put her funding towards the postproduction of a short film called Over Her Shoulder which stars two other LEH alumnae from her year: Anastasia Martin and Florence Guy. The film explores the theme of coercion and liberation. She hopes to enter it into the 2023 Festival Circuit.
Alexandra says: “I was thrilled to hear that the project is receiving the Emerging Talent Award, and I so look forward to sharing this with the team. I know how much the themes of Over Her Shoulder have resonated with people so far. The Award, facilitating post-production, will enable the film’s delivery and distribution. Thank you!”
I was thrilled to hear that the project is receiving the Emerging Talent Award.
Musician and singer Paige Reynolds (professional name Bea), Class of 2012, used her grant to help part-fund the post-production on her second album, which is called Goodbye, Then ! She says: “I’m super thankful that LEH – a school where I have so many fond musical memories – could support me in doing this.”
Client Portfolio Manager, Meena Santhosh, put her ETA towards creating a new Junior Chess Club for under-18s across Surrey. She says: “The Emerging Talent award has been instrumental in setting up our Chess club for success. We managed to fund our chess equipment and venue for the initial months which meant we had the bandwidth to offer free membership.”
Cellist and composer Joy Lisney used her ETA to help add a new string to her bow by purchasing specialist software to help her compose for the screen for the first time. She says: “I will never leave pen and paper behind entirely, but now I am able to synthesise new sounds using Logic Pro on a powerful desktop computer, as well as prepare my scores for printing at a professional level – concert hall ready!”
Late Afternoon, the online homeware brand created by LEH friends and business partners Rose Robertson and Claire Haddon-Lowson, both Class of 2006, has gone from strength to strength since using their ETA to help drive their digital marketing strategy.
Their colourful artisan-made homeware and ceramics have been a social media sensation and generated plenty of media interest. Excitingly Liberty is now stocking a selection of their products.
TO READ THEIR FULL REPORTS PLEASE VISIT: WWW.HOLLESCONNECT.ORG.UK.
Last year’s recipients have all put their 2021 Emerging Talent Awards to good use over the past 12 months and their reports are now ready to read on Holles Connect.
The remembrance ceremony for Lexie Hennessey, who left LEH in 2019, was attended by many of her LEH friends and teachers last term. Alannah O’Hare, Class of 2021, pays tribute to her dear friend.
“Lexie joined LEH in September 2014 from Wimbledon High Junior School and quickly became a popular and much-admired member of her form class, 3X. Her kindness, friendly smile and good sense of humour ensured she soon made lots of friends and she settled into school life quickly. Living in Wimbledon meant Lexie travelled on the C7 joint LEH-Hampton school bus every day, another opportunity to expand her social circle and have fun on the way to and from school.
Lexie’s irrepressible diligence and astounding work ethic also made her a favourite amongst teachers, she was renowned amongst her class for never handing in a piece of homework late and her work was frequently used as a
model example. Lexie’s zest for learning meant she excelled at the academic side of school and although she achieved the very top marks across the curriculum, her particular passion for RS, English and languages shone through. The L4 trip to France and L5 RS trip to St Paul’s Cathedral were just a couple of the trips she enjoyed during her time at LEH.
Away from the classroom, Lexie was a familiar face in the sports hall as a gymnast and always played a major role in the annual gym display. Her talent for tumbling and trampolining earnt her a place in the gym squad and she regularly represented the school at gymnastic competitions, including the London Schools Trampoline Championships in 2016. She made friends across different year groups through gymnastics and was always noted for her smile and willingness to help younger students.
Outside school, Lexie lived with her family in Wimbledon. She loved her cats and dog, enjoyed helping at Girl Guides and having fun with her friends. She was also very creative, and
enjoyed taking photos, making videos, fashion and writing.
In her time at LEH, Lexie brought so much joy and kindness to many people. Her ambition and determination were an inspiration, she always went above and beyond what was expected of her and was selfless in her enthusiasm to help others. Her generosity, good humour and brilliant mind will never be forgotten.
Lexie was very much loved by her innumerable friends and will always be remembered as a friendly, committed and compassionate member of the LEH community. She will be sorely missed by all.”
Lexie is seen here on her very first day at LEH. Her mother, Gail Hennessey, says: “Lexie came to LEH from Wimbledon High Juniors, one of three girls who were moving from Wimbledon High to LEH at the same time as Mrs Hanbury. Mrs Hanbury would always give them a big smile when she saw them, which made Lexie feel very special! Lexie loved school and especially enjoyed the academic side of things, particularly languages, English and RS. We were so moved and grateful that so many of her teachers and friends were able to join us for her remembrance ceremony.”
Shirley Jones, Class of 1954, who passed away last year aged 85, was a Hampton girl, writes LEH lifetime friend Lindy Chris. She enjoyed playing in the Nursery Gardens which her grandfather owned, and she became a Holles girl in the Preparatory classes that met in the Iron Room.
She stayed in Hampton when the buzz bombs came over and Burlington House was closed. She was artistic, liked sewing and embroidery and got Greek As from Miss Denney for her history pictures. She met Colin Jones at the Hampton Baths and got into trouble with Miss Scott for having his pictures in her desk.
We were very sad to hear from Rebecca Savochkin (nee Stanford), Class of 1989, that her mother and long-time LEH former Deputy Head Mary Stanford had just passed away in October 2022.
Mary will be fondly remembered by many of our alumnae as she worked for LEH for nearly 20 years, first joining the staff in 1976 as a part-time Geography teacher. She progressed to Head of Geography in 1978 and was then made Deputy Head in 1981 before finally retiring in 1995.
She and husband Ed had three daughters, all of whom attended LEH. In addition to Rebecca, Julia O’Grady, was in the Class of 1985, and Kate Tedstone, was Class of 1987. Beckie says: “It was a mixed blessing having
When she left LEH she spent a year at the now defunct Cripplegate Secretarial College and got a job at W.H. Smith in the Art Department. While on holiday in Jersey with classmate Faye Maynard she met and fell in love with James Wilson. They were married in Glasgow where, after starting their family, he decided to re-train and become a doctor. After working as an anesthesiologist, he was offered a position in a hospital in Richmond, Virginia.
your Mum in school! LEH played a huge part in her life, and she devoted many years to the school. Mum was an excellent teacher and inspired lots of young women to follow their dreams.”
Retired LEH Geography teacher Chris Dapre says: “Mary was a very assured teacher with a great sense of humour who had high expectations but made the subject fun. Her positive approach to everything and her admirable work/life balance made her an ideal colleague.
“She was an enthusiastic sailor and was a great help with the fledgling sailing club which had been set up when the school had been given a couple of boats. It was the school’s first foray into water sports and eventually led to the rowing club and the prowess which LEH now has in that field.”
Alumna, retired Chemistry teacher and former fellow Deputy Head Trish White, Class of 1955, says: “I shall remember Mary with affection and gratitude. She and I were appointed Joint Deputy Heads by Liz Candy in 1981. Mary concentrated on the timetabling and I on the pastoral side. Mary was always efficient yet thoughtful and was great as a member of the Senior Team,
Shirley followed him on the Queen Mary with their two children Claire and Christopher and 12 pieces of luggage. Once settled, she joined the Presbyterian Church, sang in the choir, got her degree and teaching credentials from the small but prestigious Christopher Newport University and taught Middle School English. Shirley and James divorced but they both stayed in Virginia. Claire lives in Virginia and Chris and his two boys Rory and Ewan live in California.
always consulting with colleagues yet pursuing innovations with vigour.
“On a lighter note, she appeared in a Sixth Form pantomime at the end of a Christmas term as Batman, with me as Robin. This probably says much. Mary retired from the post before I did in 1995 and Lesley Hazel succeeded her. Mary and her husband, Ed, both moved to Suffolk.”
On retirement Mary decided to take a degree in Fine Art with the Open University. She was in her element debating with others and critiquing the Old Masters. She and Ed moved to Woodbridge and quickly established themselves as key members of the local community.
They resumed their love of travel by visiting the Galapagos Islands, Antartica, Botswana and travelled extensively in Europe.
Beckie adds: “Mum always lived life to the full. Few will forget her laughter, often until she cried, the sense of humour, her artistic abilities and her kindness, combined with her ability to bring people together. She was much loved and will be sorely missed.”
Following another twist of fate, she crossed paths again with her childhood sweetheart Colin Jones. Following the death of his LEH wife Jan Hollands and being an American Civil War buff, Colin decided to visit some of the Civil War sites. Shirley met him at the airport. They were married for 10 years. We remember Shirley – blond, blue-eyed, upbeat, and smiling.
described as “in many ways the most important person in British Chess.” His reputation, chess books and unorthodox openings were well known and admired by many, including the hundreds of pupils he taught during his time at LEH.
Many alumnae will be sad to hear that Chess Coach Michael Basman, who ran the Chess Clubs at LEH Junior and Senior Schools for nearly 30 years, died aged 76 in October 2022.
An International Master, he created the UK Chess Challenge and was
Meena Santhosh, Class of 2006, who is Client Portfolio Manager at asset management company Robeco, said: “Mike spent his years ferociously advocating the merits of chess amongst Juniors, and was instrumental in giving me the confidence I needed to recognise and develop my strengths through the game. Having forged a career as an Investment Strategist, I owe a great deal to Mike in helping me develop the necessary skillset and unique traits needed for this.
“He was a bundle of positive energy for as long as I remember, and I had always looked forward to our chess classes at LEH on our Friday lunchtime breaks. He continued this unwavering support when I set up my chess club for Juniors in Surrey, with support from the LEH Alumnae Emerging Talent Award, mentoring me throughout. I will miss him deeply.”
Although he never achieved the rank of grandmaster, he defeated several holders of that title, and was a charismatic champion of the game. He wrote: “To be a winner you just need confidence, concentration, and the ability to learn – from books, videos, computers and your own defeats. Chess was once the game of royalty but is now open to everyone.”
glowing reports in French, German, Music and History, as well as prizes. In the U6 she received the Margaret Rochford Prize for being Deputy Head Girl, which is one of the prizes still handed out to current pupils at Celebration of the Year.
After leaving LEH, she studied at Birmingham University where she met husband-to-be Brian. They went on to have two daughters, Sue and Kathy. After qualifying as an infants’ teacher, she taught in several school in Ashford and Staines and was an active member of the local church, St Hilda’s, becoming the church warden before her retirement.
Peggy Pinfold, Class of 1952, passed away on Easter Monday aged 88. The sad news reached us shortly after her daughter Sue came in to LEH to donate Peggy’s impressive collection of LEH prize books to our archive.
Peggy, was a gifted student receiving
In later years she and Brian loved to travel. They were keen National Trust visitors, as well as enjoying trips further afield around Europe, including their favourite spot in south-west France. Peggy was quite the character and cut a familiar figure, nipping about town on her scooter. Her interests included
crossword puzzles, baking and keeping in touch with friends and family, whose fond memories of Peggy include:
• Selecting routes that avoided having to turn right
• Claiming she was only resting her eyes, and wasn’t asleep (despite the loud snores)
• Being slightly optimistic at times on her fluency in French, and thinking nothing of launching into a complicated explanation about pickling walnuts
• Somewhat irrational dislikes of Greensleeves and Danny Boy
• Her inability to select tortoise mode on her scooter provided exercise for anyone foolish enough to try to accompany her. Indeed she has left her mark on one of the pillars at the back of the local church as she made a slightly too fast entrance.
It was Peggy’s request that anyone wishing to remember her make a donation in her name to Dementia UK.
Patricia Longmore, Class of 1950, who was also an LEH Governor in the 2000s died peacefully at home in May, aged 88, surrounded by her family and loving husband Professor Donald Longmore OBE.
Pat was the first of three generations to attend LEH. Having enjoyed her time here so much, she sent all three of her daughters – Annabel, Juliet and Susie – to the school, and then her granddaughter Charlotte Harris (daughter of Juliet), followed in their footsteps. Charlotte left in 2013 and went on to graduate from Edinburgh University having read Physics.
Aged just nine, Pat started at Burlington House, during the war, in September 1942. She always claimed that her father had written to the then Head, Miss Nora Nickalls, requesting a place at LEH but saying she was unable to travel in to sit the entrance exam.
Pat faithfully kept all school documents and correspondence from her time at LEH, including 24 school reports, and they make for interesting reading. School regulations at the time required pupils to wear a white frock for school functions and stated that ‘no pupil may attend school without a pocket for a purse and handkerchief’. The fees when Pat started at the school were £7 7s 0d per term with £1 1s 0d less per term for a second family member attending the school at the same time.
Gardening, Botany and Zoology were all on the school curriculum when Pat first joined LEH. While French was one of her least favourite subjects at school, she seemed to excel at PE. Pat’s report for the Autumn Term 1949 states that “Patricia is a reliable and efficient Games Secretary”.
Pat did well and was a popular pupil, however, she did find some school rules baffling. She wondered for example, why, when there were three doors into the school hall, that the girls were made to queue to use one door because the two other doors were out of bounds. Also, why the girls were only allowed on some parts of the lawn and not others.
When pupils were asked by the teachers to write an essay about what they wanted to do when they grew up, Pat thought this objectionable and felt it was no business of the teachers to know her future plans, so she wrote that she wanted to be a ‘sky policeman’.
Her House Report, written by her house mistress in summer 1950, states: “She has been very kind to the younger boarders, and if she takes up massage as a career should be particularly successful with children”. Interestingly Pat did eventually go on to become a physiotherapist and spend some time working with children.
Towards the end of her time at LEH Pat had a National 12 sailing dingy which she sailed at Tamesis Sailing Club in Teddington. Pat’s love of sport continued throughout her life, sailing, playing tennis and skiing well into her 70s and still swimming in her 80s.
After she left LEH Pat wanted to study medicine and become a doctor. However, her father felt it was an unsuitable career for a lady and sent her to a secretarial college instead. However, she did then go onto study physiotherapy at Guy’s Hospital in London. It was here that she met Donald Longmore, who was a medical student at the time.
Patricia Spindler and Donald Longmore fell in love and were married at St Margaret’s Church, in the grounds of Westminster Abbey, on 2nd April 1956. In 1968 he was on the team that performed the first British heart transplant. They remained devoted to one another until the end and were married in total for a happy 66 years.
They shared a passion for sailing and spent many a joyful time at their local club in Staines after moving into the area in the late 1950s. They later went on to become members of the prestigious Royal Yacht Squadron in Cowes. It was here Pat met Prince Phillip, and got to know Princess Anne, who is President of the Royal Yachting Association. They were keen supporters of a RYA initiative to help to teach blind people to sail.
On holiday in the Falkland Islands to see the penguins, and in the freezing cold Pat and Donald joined a crowd waiting to see Princess Anne, who happened to be visiting the Island. When she spotted them in the crowd, she came over to ask them “What are you two doing here?”.
“One of my memories of Mom is her determination in everything she did,” says Juliet. “Whether this came from LEH I don’t know, but I know that an ability to always do your very best is something Holles would have, and still would, encourage. As a family we will all miss her deeply.”
We had a wonderful response to the two staff photos we shared on email recently which prompted a flood of happy memories. We have been busy compiling the names. Can you fill the gaps?
Mrs Mary Beard-wood (PE, especially netball)
Clare Burroughs (Biology)
Dr Margaret Hustler (Chemistry)
Janet ? Elaine Jessop Margaret McLeod
Juliet Cox (RE)
Edna Skeme Pam Sharp Mrs Hugill Elizabeth Norman
Mrs Jean Murphy (French)
Mrs Sue Hounslow (Maths)
Mrs Chris Dapre (Geography)
Mrs Ruth Iredale (Latin)
Mrs Rosamund Harker (Maths)
Miss Elizabeth Gill (Deputy Head)
Miss Margaret Smalley (Head Mistress)
Mrs Eleanor Hanna (French)
Mrs Patrica Haynes (Physics)
Mrs Trish White (Chemistry & Scottish Dancing)
Mrs Jemetta (Russian)
Mrs Elizabeth Bacon (French)
Mrs Jackie Rutherford / Khan (History)
FRONT ROW
Sophie Fisher Mrs Sally Freeman (PE)
Mrs Jane Silk (Art)
Mrs Cynthia Maccoby (Economics)
Miss Ann Thomas (German, Russian)
Mrs Janet Fraser (Art)
Mrs Janet Hanssen (Biology)
Mrs Mary Stanford (Geography)
Mrs Uta Sutcliffe (German)
Jackie Andrew Wendy Jenner Mr Nice (prnounced ‘nees’) (Maths)
Mrs Morag Noble (Chemistry)
MIDDLE ROW
Miss Krnjeric Miss Davies (History)
Mlle Mohr (French)
Miss Cook Miss Denney (History) Miss Cross (Maths) Miss Hepburn (French)
FRONT ROW
Miss Broughton Miss Henman (School Secretary)
Miss Richards Mrs Cundal Miss Elmslie Mrs Few (Domestic Science)
Miss Hodge Mme Lécuyer (French) Miss Morgan-Brown
Miss Wood (Deputy Head) Miss Lacey (Chemistry)
Miss Patterson Joyce Loveless/ Mrs Rogers (Physics)
Miss Miller Mrs Helsby/ Miss Meir ? Miss Sturrock (Art) Miss Tame (Maths)
Thank you for your incredible support of LEH Giving Day 2022. We raised over £50,000, with all proceeds going directly to our Bursary Fund.
The alumnae community is a network of supportive people who want to celebrate and enjoy each other’s successes. All LEH pupils go on to become Remarkable Women and we love hearing your news.
Please do get in touch and let us know what you are up to, whether it’s a significant life event, job change, sports win, charity endeavour or just reaching out to former friends and teachers. We’re here to cheer each other on.
Please email: alumnae@lehs.org.uk
Follow us on social media:
LEH Alumnae
@HollesConnect
@LEHalumnae
Lady Eleanor Holles School
alumnae@lehs.org.uk
www.hollesconnect.org.uk
Lady Eleanor Holles Hanworth Road, Hampton, TW12 3HF T: 020 8979 1601 E: alumnae@lehs.org.uk www.lehs.org.uk
Registered Charity No:1130254 | Registered in England : Company Number 6871042
Incorporating reunions for 3’s and 8’s Saturday 7 October 2023
11am - 3pm, at LEH
£20 per person including lunch
All alumnae and former staff members are most warmly invited to attend this year’s annual get together.
To reserve your place, please visit www.hollesconnect.org.uk
