HEAD MISTRESS

Head Mistress’ Welcome

One of the things that I love most about LEH is the vitality of it, the sheer passion and the palpable creativity that vibrates through the walls of the classrooms and rushes down the corridors. It even seems to fill the air that we breathe.

You can’t see it, smell it or hear it, but you can definitely feel it. Parents and visitors always remark on it. It’s a sort of infectious energy that comes about when we bring young, enthusiastic pupils together and encourage them to express themselves, to be playful and experiment, to use their imaginations, to share their thoughts and experiences – to simply be creative.

It’s there for all to see in the colourful artwork on the walls, in the heart-lifting music seeping beneath the music room doors and in the stunning pottery creations, bright textiles and innovative 3D printer products proudly on display around the school.

But more than that, it’s felt in every classroom, nurtured in each subject, at the very heart of all that we do at LEH. It is not something that just inhabits the school curriculum only as it relates to drama, music, art and other obviously creative subjects, it runs through all of school life, infusing the way human and natural sciences are learned, as Mr Brittain, Head of Physics, explains in his piece about creativity in STEM on page 23.

Creativity certainly doesn’t flourish when children are regarded as pitchers, simply to be filled with facts, nor when a teacher’s sole objective is aimed at coaching children towards exams. Yet despite being intangible it is a quality that can be learned, encouraged and valued. It works best when combined with deep knowledge and expertise. We have long been planning to devote this edition of Holles Connect magazine to the creativity that I believe flourishes at LEH. Then along came the pandemic, forcing us to close our doors for much of the last year, and to enforce strict social distancing measures, one-way systems, and year group bubbles even when we were open. Our lives have been about restrictions and online learning, with teachers and pupils far apart from each other.

I have found great pride and joy in LEH’s indomitable creativity

Creativity might well have become another of the casualties of Covid-19. But I have found great pride and joy

in LEH’s indomitable creativity – which has seen pupils creating lockdown art, taking part in virtual choirs and finding innovative ways to express themselves in lessons and at home.

Necessity is the mother of invention and as Mrs Ashe, Director of Music, and Miss Lindsay, Head of History of Art, both reveal in this edition, they simply had to find new ways to help students come together even as they stayed apart. Letting collaboration and creativity wither was simply not an option.

I know the students’ online performances – be they the Winter Concert, the Carol Service or the Cabaret Night In - have actually been more appreciated than ever, not just by the pupils and teachers, but by their proud parents and impressed alumnae, many of whom haven’t been able to enjoy a performance in person for some years.

And I am heartened to see how creativity continues to inspire many of our alumnae to go on to lead truly fulfilling lives. We are incredibly proud of all our alumnae and the Remarkable

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Alumnae Duo Take on Boldest Challenge Yet

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Creativity Is the Secret Sauce in STEM

Women they go on to be. I am sure you will enjoy reading about the achievements of five of them who are now working in the creative industries, hearing about how they overcame the challenges posed by the pandemic. They are cellist Joy Lisney, opera singer Becca Madden, portrait artist Annie Lee, actor Poppy Gilbert and debut writer Aisling Fowler. Thank you to them for sharing their stories and we wish them all continued success.

I’m afraid it’s simply too soon, as lockdown restrictions are cautiously and gradually lifted this term and next, to say if we will be able to go ahead with the alumnae summer garden party we were hoping to hold. But we are increasingly confident about things returning to normal next academic year, so I hope – at the very least – to see some of you at our Alumnae Reunion in October and the Alumnae Carol Service in December. Please put the dates in your dairies now.

Until then, stay safe and well, and be creative!

Heather Hanbury Head Mistress

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Getting People to Feel Something – That’s Why I Do It

34

Difficult Times Render the Arts Fundamental

36

One of the Best Days of My Life So Far

Alumnae in the News

Unearthing a Glittering Tale

Netflix’s smash-hit film The Dig was a true labour of love for producer Ellie Wood, Class of 1993, who spent 15 years bringing the beautiful heartfelt period tale to the screen.

The Dig, which was released on Netflix earlier this year, explores the story of the excavation of the Great Ship Burial at Sutton Hoo, Suffolk, in 1939. The film is based on a novel of the same name written by John Preston. Many of the events and the characters depicted in both the film and the novel are inspired by real events and real people.

The rather understated, beautifully-told and very British film about making the most of fleeting friendships and loves, packs an emotional punch and has topped viewing figures around the world. It stars Carey Mulligan as landowner Edith Pretty who asks local archaeologist Basil Brown, played by Ralph Fiennes, to investigate a series of mysterious earth mounds on her estate.

Ellie first came across the story before it had even been published as a book, knowing as soon as she read John Preston’s manuscript that it needed to be turned into a film and “just becoming completely obsessed with it.

“For years I kept telling myself I’m going to make it happen. I was just determined. It is such an amazing story and I could picture it all. You don’t come across such good stories that often and I always believed that audiences would be drawn to it.”

It is perfect lockdown viewing and the the film has received rave reviews and hit headlines around the globe. “It’s bigger than we could have imagined,” says Ellie. “It really seems to have struck a chord with people who are stuck at home, and that’s been combined with the might and reach of Netflix. All the stars have just aligned. I couldn’t be more delighted that all those years of just believing and working away have finally paid off.”

The Dig is available to watch on Netflix and is highly recommended.

It’s been a hectic year for Melanie Ivarsson (Class of 1990), who is Chief Development Officer at Moderna, the US based pharmaceutical company, where she led trials of one of the world’s first Covid-19 vaccines.

Alumna Takes a Lead on Covid-19 Vaccine

Melanie has more than 20 years experience in the pharmaceutical industry and feels that LEH played a key role in her development and career. She told us: “Last year I was a keynote speaker for an event for female leaders and I spoke about LEH and how our school motto of ‘Hope Favours the Bold’ had been a philosophy that I have carried through my career along with the education, confidence and beliefs I gained from attending the school.”

The Moderna vaccine shows nearly 95% protection rates and was unveiled shortly after Pfizer announced that it too was in the late stages of developing a successful vaccine to protect against Covid-19. Both companies have used a highly innovative and experimental approach to designing their vaccines which involves injecting part of the virus’ genetic code in order to provoke an immune response.

Melanie was one of the speakers at the 2020 GeekWire summit, a virtual event exploring the future of tech, business, science, health, policy and innovation. Taking part in a panel discussion, she said: “We are trying to save the world, and it’s a very exciting way to spend your day.” She went on to explain that Moderna is already exploring how the techniques that were developed for its Covid-19 vaccine can be applied to other infectious diseases such as seasonal flu.

She has been heartened by how quickly the scientific community came together to fight the pandemic: “Every day I’m really full of hope. Just the way we have come together as an industry, the transparency we’ve shown each other as companies. We are sharing our protocols, we’re releasing our data, we’re working so collaboratively. I can’t tell you the companies that have reached out to me and said: ‘How can we help?’ It’s just the most extraordinary experience to be a part of. So I am very, very hopeful, and incredibly proud of what we are doing.”

Two Alumnae Named in Queen’s Birthday Honours List

Heartfelt congratulations to two of our alumnae – both from the Class of 1995 – who were recognised in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List in October.

Yasmine Chinwala received an OBE for her services to the HM Treasury Women in Finance Charter, while Lieutenant Commander Louise Wooller was given an MBE for her work with the Royal Navy.

Yasmine says: “I am humbled to have been awarded an OBE for my work on the HM Treasury Women in Finance Charter, which is a government-backed voluntary initiative to increase female representation in senior management across the financial services industry.”

Louise said she was “humbled and delighted” by the award. She heads up the welfare duty of care for all Navy personnel undertaking training at HMS Raleigh with responsibility for over 1500 trainees across six different schools. “It can be quite a challenge,” she said, “But it’s very rewarding work.”

Vanessa Kirby Stars in Pieces of a Woman

Actor Vanessa Kirby, Class of 2005, is in the running for both an Oscar and a BAFTA for her moving performance as Martha in the Netflix film Pieces of a Woman.

It’s a powerful and unflinching tale of the aftermath of a neonatal death which has got viewers and critics everywhere talking. She prepared for the role by spending time on a maternity ward, watching a woman give birth.

It’s a far cry from her last major role playing the scene-stealing young Princess Margaret in The Crown, another Netflix hit.

Vanessa has used her new role to raise the profile of charities that support families who have been affected by the death of a baby, such as Sands (www.sands.org.uk).

She says: “I believe that when we hear our story, or a piece of our story in another’s, it shatters the cage of isolation that keeps grief trapped. We can know that we’re not alone, even when we feel loneliness – we are connecting through our pain. And that in itself is healing.”

Pieces of a Woman is streaming on Netflix now. We’re keeping our fingers crossed that her powerful performance gets the award recognition its due.

Studying the Hidden Effects of Covid-19

Dr Daisy Fancourt, Class of 2008, has scarcely been out of the headlines in recent month, across TV and radio bulletins, online and in newspapers, talking about the findings of her Covid-19 Social Study.

The Associate Professor of Psychobiology and Epidemiology at University College London has been running the Covid-19 Social Study for a year. The study aims to understand the psychological and social impact of the virus and effects social distancing measures are having on adults in the UK. More than 70,000 people across the UK regularly take part in UCL’s Covid-19 Social Study and share their experiences every month in online surveys, which reveal their levels of anxiety, depression, loneliness, self harm, domestic abuse and compliance with regulations.

She has called for clear messaging as restrictions are eased. “The times we found compliance going down have been when the rules have been relaxed,” says Dr Fancourt. “The implicit message is that things are not as serious, so it’s really vital that the government communicates effectively to ensure that the messages are getting out to everybody, rather than just a core few.” The results are turned into weekly reports which are read by the Cabinet Office, the World Health Organisation, Public Health England and other organisations around the UK. If you’d like to take part or find out more about the study, please visit: www.covidsocialstudy.org.

Garlanded with Praise

Poet and playwright Caroline Bird, Class of 2005, won the prestigious Forward Prize for Poetry in October for her sixth collection of poems The Air Year.

Named for the first 12 months of a relationship before the ‘paper’ anniversary, the judges described her poems as “trapeze ropes made with words, swinging us up and out into the unknown.”

The critically acclaimed volume was also shortlisted for the Costa Poetry Award and the TS Eliot Prize, the poetry world’s equivalent of the Booker.

Following the online ceremony, Caroline said: “Obviously it feels amazing. But it is also unsettling, as I write poetry imagining no one will ever read it.”

The Air Year is published by Carcanet Press.

We All Get Pins and Needles

Final year English student Alexandra Crawshaw (Class of 2018) has launched a brilliant new podcast aimed at the under 25s, offering insight and reassurance for those moving through struggle, which couldn’t be more timely.

The pandemic has seen a massive increase in the number of young people feeling isolated and struggling with mental health issues. Alexandra (also known as Sacha at school) hopes her podcast – called We All Get Pins and Needles – will offer listeners an uplifting combination of virtual company, reassurance and insight.

“Each episode is a constructive conversation with people about their experiences and their ways of overcoming versions of pins and needles in life: moving through struggle,” explains Alexandra. “I’ve been very heartened by the response it’s received. People really seem to have been lifted by it, empowered even.”

The first season includes conversations with several of her contemporaries at LEH and is available on Spotify, iTunes and Podbean.