A successful Spring Term!
Written by Mr Bennett
This term has been another incredible season for sport at NHEHS, with our students showcasing outstanding commitment, teamwork, and skill across a wide range of disciplines From local competitions to national finals, our teams have continued to thrive, demonstrating the depth of talent within our school
Netball saw fantastic performances, with multiple teams reaching the Middlesex finals and the U12A team winning both the county championship and the regional GDST rally Congratulations also goes to the U16A team who finished 4 in the South East Region th
Water polo was a standout success, with our U15 and U18 teams crowned National Champions This is a historic achievement as it marks the first time our U18 team has won the National Finals The U13 water polo team will be hoping to join them, as they head into their National Finals next term
In Cross Country, our runners retained their title at the Ealing Schools Relay, continuing their dominance in the event. It was also wonderful to see our U13 and U15 cricket teams performing at Lord’s in preparation for the summer fixtures Across netball, badminton, water polo, hockey, football, swimming, athletics and cricket, our athletes have represented the school with pride, earning county and national selections along the way It was also wonderful to see so many of our amazing dancers performing in the Dance Gallery showcase, demonstrating their talent and passion on stage
A huge congratulations to everyone who has contributed to another term of sporting success We now look forward to a fun summer term as cricket, tennis, and athletics take centre stage!
Highlights
U16 Netball compete at South East Regional Finals - Pg 2
U13's play at LordsPg 3
U12A County NetballPg 6
U15 and U18 Water polo National Champions - Pg 8
Spring Term individual achievements - Pg 9
Spring Term sports photos - Pg 10
GDST Swim Rally
Written by Alex D
On the 23rd of January, the NHEHS Swimming Team, made up of swimmers from Year 5 up to Year 13, competed in the annual GDST Swimming Rally It was an action-packed day filled with excitement, outstanding performances, and an incredible display of team spirit Our swimmers put their hard work and dedication to the test, achieving some remarkable results along the way
One of the proudest moments for the other Sixth Formers and I, was watching some of our talented Year 6 swimmers (Amelia, Annabella, Anna, and Naomi) rise to the occasion and win medals in their respective age groups Their success was a testament to their commitment and the effort they’ve put into training A special congratulations goes to Annabella, who not only secured a medal but also set a new GDST record in the 50m backstroke! The older swimmers were beyond proud, cheering them on from the sidelines Seeing the next generation of our team perform so well was truly inspiring and reinforced the strong bond between all of us, regardless of age
The day also saw the U18 relay team, consisting of Jaspreet, Zara, Olivia, and I, deliver a brilliant performance in the freestyle relay, securing third place This race was definitely a highlight of the day for us, as it was intense and tested us as a team, so the great outcome felt truly deserved As well as this, Jaspreet and I managed to qualify for the U18 finals in the 50m freestyle and 50m butterfly respectively
A huge congratulations to every swimmer who competed!
U16A netball team compete at South East Regional Finals
Written by Nico M & Imogen H
On Sunday the 26th of January, we set off bright and early to LEH to start our day of netball Our first match was against tough competition- Putney Although it was a hard match, we managed to put up a fight, ending up losing with a score of 156 Our next matches were difficult, but we kept going, managing to win the majority!
Suddenly, the weather turned We were hit with intense hail and strong winds making it hard to play Nevertheless, the team kept going, pushing through the last few matches! Despite losses to Walthamstow Hall and St Catherines, we won 12-8 v Coopers Coburn, 7-3 v LEH, 7-3 v Redden Court and 5-4 v Sevenoaks
Although just missing out of going to nationals, the team played very well, working together as a team to place 4th overall!
Victory for U12 at the GDST Netball Rally
Written by Swara D & Holly B
On Wednesday 29th of January, our U12A team went to play in a GDST netball rally After an early morning start and a long drive there, we finally arrived at Oxford High School Once we got there, we warmed up (despite being super cold) and were ready to play Our first game was against the hosts, Oxford and we won this comfortably We then had 5 more matches against all of the other schools, Northwood, Howells, Royal Bath and Portsmouth, where we won comfortably, and Wimbledon who we narrowly beat by 1 goal After winning all of our games, this put us top of the total table and put us into the cup section for the rest of the tournament
Our team was on a huge high after winning these games but we needed to keep our heads for the next section of the day After having lunch, we went back out onto the courts for our warm up We were due to play Howells, Portsmouth and Wimbledon again as they were also in the cup Our first game was then against Howells where we kept our heads and won respectively We then played Portsmouth and also beat them At this point of the day, we had played 8 matches and were getting very tired on the court We had a lot of nerves and adrenaline running through our bodies but we knew if we won this next game that it would mean we would win the whole tournament Our match started against Wimbledon who were a very tough opposition Our whole team was working so hard to get the ball down to goal and score but so were the opposition At half time, we had a 1 goal lead Unfortunately in the first few minutes of the next half, we let Wimbledon get a 2 goal lead but we thought to ourselves “ we want this more than them” and so we did We fought so hard in the last few minutes, scoring goals and defending our own, that when the final bell went, we all screamed “yes!” in delight as we knew we had won The final score was 11-8 to us and we were ecstatic for this to be our first tournament win of senior school
We were handed our bright, shiny gold medals during the rewards ceremony and were congratulated by the U12A football team who also came along with us for their own tournament Then, with our medals (and spirits) held high, we hopped back onto the bus for the way home Overall, this experience made us realise that if we really want something and if we put our mind to it, we can achieve anything as a team
U13 cricket team play at Lords!
Written by Zaineb F & Suhana C
On Tuesday 11th February, the U13 team travelled to Lords In the group stage, our first match was against St Benedicts We lost the toss and were put into bat first setting a high score of 77 This match was a great starting match as we won by 24 runs! Next up we played Harrodian We lost the toss again and were made to bat first This time we scored 80 runs! We won by 20 runs. We were off to a great start! We then played NLCS. We won the toss and decided to bowl first. They got 60 runs but we chased it down and won The final game of the group stages was against City of London We lost the toss and batted first We scored 69 runs In the end, it was a narrow loss coming down to the last few balls After a short break where we looked around Lords’, we got back into it ready to face St Georges’ in the semifinals We won the toss and decided to bowl first They set a good score of 85 runs on the board Sadly, we lost by 24 runs After our defeat, we still had one more game to determine if we got third or fourth against City of London We all came together to decide our game plan We went in to bat first and we played brilliantly We put up an amazing score of 97 runs which helped NHEHS secure third place
Overall, the experience was amazing and as a team we worked together and supported each other We managed to get 3rd place overall and I think everyone thoroughly enjoyed this opportunity!
GDST Sports Scholar Day
The last day before the half term break, our sports scholars in Years 7-12 attended the annual GDST Sports Scholars Day at Sutton High School
The amazing event was run by the Mintridge Foundation and the students got to connect with a variety of elite athletes such as Eboni Usoro-Brown, Sarah Jones and Lizz Cann, had various coaching sessions and workshops that they attended throughout the day, and listened to a panel discussion
Holly B even won a 6 month mentoring programme with GB athlete Iona Lake for being highlighted throughout the day as a top sports scholar!
Thanks to Sutton High and the Mintridge Foundation for a great day.
"Winning isn't everything, but wanting to win is."
—Vince Lombardi
U12 & U13 Hockey teams at the county tournaments
Both the U12A and U13A Hockey teams played in their Tier 2 County Hockey Tournaments
The U13A team played three matches in their group, with some narrow losses and a draw The team narrowly lost out on progressing through to the playoff’s, however they played with lots of grit and determination against some tough opposition
The U12A team played a round robin format, with 6 matches The team had a fantastic run and finished 3 in the tournament rd
It was wonderful to see both teams showcase their performance in these tournaments, after all their hard work and commitment to training
U15 team’s turn to play at Lords!
Written by Hannah D & Jojo D
This year the NHEHS U15 cricket team attended the Lady Taverners cricket tournament demonstrating an incredible performance and attitude throughout the competition The girls started the morning early, taking the underground to Lords for the tournament with high hopes and excitement They then warmed up getting ready for their first match, which they were able to win with the help of the tight fielding and wonderful batting and bowling performances along with the support of their coach and their teammates on the sidelines
In the next two matches the girls were again successful with consistently great cricket and high energy form the players, who especially took multiple incredible catches in order to get the opposing batters out However, in the fourth match, the girls barely lost, but still put up an impressive performance and were able to come at the top of their pool putting them straight into the finals where they played for first and second place
During the finals the adrenaline was high and the players were full of energy and optimism allowing them to play some splendid cricket, in terms of both bowling and batting, but unfortunately lost the final against South Hampstead coming second overall.
Despite not winning, the girls had shown an exceptional performance and attitude allowing them to make the most of their day at Lords and thoroughly enjoy playing cricket with their teammates, learning from each other and their coach and bringing back silver medals reflecting their outstanding cricket abilities
U14, U15, U16 & U18 A netball teams perform at County Finals
Written by Miss Dunkley
The U14A, U15A, U16A and U18A netball teams all qualified for the Middlesex County Netball Finals, which was held on a sunny Wednesday at LEH
After a good warm up, the U16A and U18A teams took to the courts while the others were able to cheer them on The U14A and U15A teams then had their first round of matches All of the teams were showing great sportsmanship and determination on court After months of training and hard work, the teams put everything into this tournament
The U15A and U18A teams finished 3 , the U16A team finished 4 and the U14A team finished 5 A great performance by all of the teams rd th th
U18 GDST Netball Rally
Written by Hope G
On Thursday 6th March the 1st Netball team attended the GDST rally at Bromley High School It was a glorious sunny day (many of us felt the effects of this later) and perfect playing conditions After an early 7:30 departure from school we were ready to go for the first round against Northwood High School which resulted in a big victory Next up were three more big wins against Nottingham, Streatham & Clapham and Blackheath which all saw us finishing top of our group by quite some margin! After a quick lunch break and some sunbathing we were through to the next stage of the competition with three hardly fought matches against Portsmouth, Bath and South Hampstead These ended with a loss, a draw and a win respectively
Our results throughout the day and impressive goal difference propelled us through to the semi final where we met the imposing purple of Putney Despite a tough fight and lots of grit we fell just short of victory Up next was our final match of the day and final match for the year 13s It was a 3rd/4th play off against Wimbledon We finished 4th overall out of 19 GDST schools and everyone played incredibly well Captaining the team one last time was amazing and made me truly proud to be part of a wonderful and talented team!
We all came away from the day with a slight sunburn but a sense of huge pride and enjoyment
U12A CountyNetball Champs
Written by Swara D & Holly B
On Tuesday the 4th of March, our U12 netball team went to Highgate school to play in the Middlesex Netball Tournament We were all very excited but also nervous as we knew the competition was going to be tough, and we would need to give it our all if we wanted to succeed Once at the pitches, we began to warm up and get ready for our group games Right from the start, we hit the ground running and played with great teamwork, convincingly winning all of our group matches The team was incredibly happy with how we had played in the first half of the tournament but we knew we had a long way to go and that this was just the beginning As we had placed top in our group, we moved on to the quarter finals and were playing City of London We won authoritatively and were ecstatic Just one more hurdle until the finish line, we thought
Our next opponents for the semi finals were Latymer Although some of our team knew a couple of players on the opposing team, with Miss Millns, Miss Dunkley and the U13 A team cheering us on, we managed to beat Latymer and were into the final Over the whole tournament, our team had played amazingly and we were so proud of how far we had come so we really wanted to take home the trophy Against us were Godolphin and Latymer who we had played (and beaten) before but we knew that if we became overconfident, we wouldn’t focus on the game and our basic skills After a game full of teamwork, cheering from the sidelines and success, we had triumphantly beaten Godolphin and Latymer and were taking home the trophy with gold medals around our necks We were super pleased with how we had kept our cool throughout the day and stuck to the plan Overall, this was an amazing experience for the team, a win in our first county tournament together
Cross Country success!
Written by Natasha B
Last Thursday (20th March), a range of NHEHS runner from Years 7-13 competed in the Ealing schools cross country relay championships This cross country remains a favourite in the calendar for many of us as instead of a regular cross country, each team consists of 5 runners in a relay with the first leg being a Year 7, the second being a Year 8, third being a Year 9, fourth being a Year 10 and the final being a Year 11-13
This year the NHEHS team dominated with 4 teams racing! All the teams were extremely supportive of each other as each runner ran 1500m before handing onto the next team member The A team (made up of Lara Year 7, Emily Year 8, Sofia Year 9, Lily Year 10 and Natasha Year 12) finished in first place securing NHEHS as cross country relay champions for the 9 consecutive year! Emily, Sofia and Natasha also achieved the fastest lap time for each of their age groups th
Overall the day was a huge success and a great way to end the cross country season!
Great end of term hockey at the Ibstock Tournaments
The annual end of season hockey tournaments hosted by Ibstock took place once again, with NHEHS sending U12, U13, U14, U15 and U18 teams to their age group tournament
With great hockey played by all of the teams, a special mention must go to the U18 team, with it being several of the players last time playing for NHEHS They had fun throughout the tournament and when the results were announced, the team were shocked to find out they finished 2 ! A fantastic performance from a team who have put so much into their training this season nd
The U13 and U15 teams finished 3 , while the U12 & U14 teams finished 4 rd th
U15 & U18 Water polo teams crowned National Champions!
Our U15 and U18 water polo teams have just won the English Schools Swimming Association (ESSA) water polo national finals in a double celebration!
The U15 water polo team competed in the final held at Marlborough School on 20th March and the U18 team competed at the Sandwell Aquatic Centre in Birmingham on 24th March Both teams defeated Bolton School to claim the top spot Other teams competing included Croydon High School, Alleyn’s School, Highgate School and Kesteven & Grantham School
Our swimming and water polo coach, Mr Bent said: “It’s an incredible victory for our girls After tactical and competitive games we demonstrated just how resilient our students can be, coming away with another victory and opportunity to have our school name engraved on the winner’s trophy for 2025”
Water polo is a growing sport at NHEHS and this is the first year we have qualified for the national finals in all three age groups – our U13s will be competing in their finals on 8th May at Northampton School for Boys The U18 team were national champions in 2023 and came second in 2024. The U15 team were national champions in 2022 and came second in 2023 and 2024
“Thanks to all who have helped our teams to success, ” adds Mr Bent “It starts by sowing the seeds of love for the sport at school and grows with coach Claudio Palumbo and various other local swimming and water polo clubs who we have linked up with for our own talent pathway, and parents that enable our girls to enjoy additional training in and out of school”
Huge congratulations to our teams and coaches!
Sporting achievements by NHEHS students
It has been a busy start to the term for NHEHS athletes, participating in a full Spring Term of school sport, alongside their own sport outside of school
Below are some of the many achievements this term:
Minna W finished 2 in the U17 High Jump at the South of England Indoor Athletics Champs nd
Lydia T, Emily B, Romilly C and Manpreet G were part of the West London Penguins team that won the 2009/10 section of the Mike Glover Cup
Layla R, Alice W-B and Poppy B were part of U14 Middlesex Water polo team that finished 2nd
Aila A was selected as a Limitless brand ambassador for 2025
Alex D won 3 gold medals at the UK Ice Swimming Champs
Minna W finished 4 at National Indoor Athletics Champs th
Alex D won 2 gold and 2 silver medals, along with breaking GB age group records at an Ice Swimming competition
Lydia T, Alice N, Nikhita S-K, Emily B, Romilly C and Manpreet G were part of the U16 West London Penguins team that won teh U16 London Water polo League
Clemmie L-W won the Jack Petchey award for her coaching services at Ealing Hockey Club
Alex D finished 3 in the 1500m at County Champs. rd
Alice W-B and Layla R were part of the U13 Southall & Ealing team that finished 14 at National Cross Country Championships th
Emily C finished runner up at a Tennis Europe event in Stavanger, Norway
Suzie P and Zoe D were part of the GDST Select Hockey Squad
Romilly C, Sophia L, Cosima LD, Maebel G and Isabella WF were selected for the GDST Select Football team
Maria S-W was part of the U13 London North Hockey team that played in a regional tournament
Minna W finished 1 in the High Jump at the Middlesex Indoor Athletics Championships st
Sofia B finished 2 in the 300m and the 800m events at the Middlesex Indoor Athletics Championships nd
Nishka P and Lilly B were part of the U15 Ealing team that won the Indoor Cricket event at London Youth Games
Suhana C, Zaineb F and Swara D were part of the U13 Ealing team that won the Indoor Cricket event at London Youth Games.
Aila A was part of the U15 Middlesex netball team that finished 1 at the Regional Festival st
Tilly N and Betsy B were part of the U12 Ealing Hockey Team that finished 2 at the U12 London Plate Qualifiers nd
Alex D finished 3 in the open 200m Backstroke at the Newham&EUL National Qualifier rd
Swara D, Zaineb F and Suhana C represented Ealing in the U13 Middlesex Junior Cricket Association Indoor finals at Lords and won
Spring Term sport in pictures
U12C & U13C netball teams at the NLC tournament
The players ready for the start of a match at U18 ESSA National Finals
Sixth form fitness team all smiles after their first Hyrox fitness competition
Mother & Daughter against each other in the netball match
Suzie and Zoe after their GDST Select Hockey match
Great action shot of Lilly bowling at the Lady Taverners
Betsy & Arabella in the Dance Gallery Showcase
U12 footballers keeping warm on the sidelines
One of the U13 netball teams after their friendly against St Pauls Girls School
Staff v Year 13 group photo
Some of the Year 9&10 dancers during their performance in the Dance Gallery Showcase
Year 13's ready for action in the Staff v Year 13 football match
Supporters for the Staff v Year 13 football match