The Dragon Magazine 2023-2024

From the Head

As the academic year 2023/4 has come to an end,

I continue to be hugely proud of the diverse, contemporary, broad and relevant education that the girls enjoy here

at St George’s.

Anyone who has visited one of our regular open mornings and heard me talk knows how passionate I am about girls’ education. The world as we know it was not designed by and for women, not yet, and a gender authority gap certainly still exists in the big wide world, but our girls are changing that. The worlds of engineering, tech and media have largely been built by and for men, you only have to mentally picture those in charge.

Girls’ schools like St George’s really are setting the scene for gender balance; for ensuring the future world is designed equally for women and men. At present being in a girls’ school may be the only time in her life where a girl is in an environment where she is at the centre and that is designed by her, with her and for her. It is somewhere where she can be restless, where she has the agency to challenge the status quo and hold the ladder for those women and girls below.

Our inspiring speaker, Sue Anstiss, of ‘Fearless Women’, gave an eyeopening account of the evolution of women’s sport for those of us who were lucky enough to hear her speak at our packed Sport and Dance Review of the Year. We have come a long way in recent years in terms of more equal pay, choice of clothing and so many other things that women should not have to be battling for but we still have some way to go. At St George’s the girls do not have to fight for this gender balance in their school environment. We help to unleash the brilliance of girls; they take all

the leading roles, they believe they can do anything, any subject, any career. We do not have subliminal messages; they can be the change.

Great schools evolve and develop and this year it has been fantastic to see the progression in our sporting strategy as well as changes in the classroom. Our new subjects, Food Preparation and Nutrition at GCSE and Computer Science at A Level, are now well established and we continue to evolve in our innovative learning. We have had a very successful year of staff development in the classroom with a peer coaching approach to pedagogy now embedded, through Tom Sherrington’s ‘walkthrus’, and we were also a finalist for a Google Impact Award at Google HQ for a project motivating teachers to find innovative solutions to the challenges their departments face.

We continue to respond to the increasing demand for flexible boarding and School transport and have a large proportion of girls in the School who benefit from a range of boarding options from the occasional night to full boarding and an ever-growing interest in our private transport routes that are not only local but stretch up to Beaconsfield to the north and into West and SouthWest London on a daily basis.

We also continue to work hard in the area of Justice, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (the JEDIs) and I would like to thank Mrs Kratt for her passion and leadership in this area with both girls and the staff. One of the hot topics over

this past year has been the names of our School houses, which are all named after men, and not all are names where there is a clear link to St George’s past. This year’s Head Girls Judit, Jess and Oona wanted to make changing this in some way their mission, but it has been hard. Questions we have discussed in our meetings and with the School Council include ‘do people just vote for things to stay the same because it is easy?’, ‘should people who don’t care get a vote?’ and ‘how do we include the different, sometimes conflicting facets of diversity –culture, race, nationality, area of influence, age... whilst maintaining a link to the heritage of St George’s of which we are very proud’. One of our last meetings included the comment ‘a dictatorship is surely so much easier!’ So, while we are not yet at the end of this journey, that is okay and we can be patient in our search for the right solution. It takes confidence to pause, reflect and not rush in, and a lot has been learnt along the way as this becomes the challenge of those pupil leaders who follow.

The start of this academic year saw the final term of our wonderful 2023 Centenary celebrations including a fabulous Ball in October and the Chapel Choir singing a beautiful evensong at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle. I would like to say a big thank you to all our parents and friends of the School who so generously supported the Ball and more recently our Indoor Hardball Cricket Nets appeal in March. This is in addition to the £7,700 raised over the past year in aid of our three School charities

that were voted for by the girls in September. With the foundations we have laid in our Centenary year we have been delighted to see our philanthropic work grow in so many areas, not least for our girls who benefit so greatly from their involvement with our local partner schools and community groups. In the last week of the Summer term we saw our second ‘SGA Big Help Out’ where the whole School was involved in a huge range of voluntary activities on site and in the local area, an event that the girls love, learn so much from, and that our local partners are so appreciative of. I would like to thank Mrs Anderson who oversees our partnership work which has grown in both reach and impact over the past year.

The governors continue to be very supportive of the philanthropic work of the School and I was very pleased to welcome former pupil of St George’s and current governor, Katie Trueman Alexander to speak at Prize Giving about the development of philanthropy and the new Loveday Fund of which more

information can be found in this edition.

As you will read in this full and varied publication there has been an enormous amount to enjoy and celebrate across all areas of School life. Highlights include the development of sport under the impressive leadership of Miss Appleby who has now been Director of Sport for just over a year. In netball, the U18s performed brilliantly at a very competitive county tournament finishing 4th and then losing in the final minute of the last 16 of the National Sisters n Sport Plate competition. Our ‘SGA Team of the Year’, the U14A netball team, were the first St George’s team to become Berkshire county champions and came 4th at the England South Region competition (losing in the last minute to miss out on a place in the final) and both teams beat far larger schools along the way. Losing in the last minute is tough (not least for those of us watching!) but it is one of the character building lessons of sport and I know that we will be back even stronger next year.

Swimming continues to go from strength to strength with our impressive facilities and we are launching a performance swimming academy with our partners Frogs and Friends next year. It has also been evident from the girls’ excitement and engagement over the year how much the relatively ‘newer’ sports of cricket and football are taking off here at St George’s, reflecting enormous growth and a wealth of opportunities in these womens’ games nationally. The Summer term has seen our first hardball cricket game, many more girls representing the School in tennis and some fabulous performances in athletics.

The performing arts continue to impress and we were treated to the most brilliantly entertaining performances of the whole School musical, Beauty and the Beast, in October. This was swiftly followed by the Year 7 panto, Cinderella, which showed how much potential our youngest girls have on the stage, including in stand up comedy! There was the very moving performance of the Diary of Anne Frank by

girls in Years 8, 9 and 10 in the Spring term along with a range of challenging and impressive curriculum drama pieces at GCSE and A Level. An excellent Drama Showcase event and the Jazz and Dance Show in the Summer term also showcased a wonderful variety of pieces and incredible talent across the year groups. In addition, it has been great to see the new Music Technology Room and Recording Studio that we opened in September 2023 so well used and I know the GCSE and A Level music pupils are delighted with the opportunities that it brings for them, as well as the excitement in lessons from the younger year groups.

We have also had an enormous range of co-curricular trips this year, enabling the girls to learn and develop away from the classroom as well as have a lot of fun. With numerous day trips and year group residentials for Years 7, 8 and 9 girls, adventures in Washington and Williamsburg, Iceland, Florence and Skiing in the Alps we are really looking forward to our first post-pandemic expedition in October 2024 with a Science trip to Costa Rica.

We continue to provide opportunities for the girls to explore their future options beyond St George’s and learn more about the world around them and the array of activities taking place continues to grow.

This has included regular Model United Nations Conferences, the biannual Alumnae Careers event that was held in November, and a medical ethics debate we hosted with local schools. Once again this year, groups of Lower Sixth girls entered the national Tycoon Enterprise Competition. This involves pupils forming fully fledged small businesses under the guidance and support of Mr Wilkins, Head of Business and Economics. Every participating team writes a business plan, is lent seed money, starts a business and trades, competing with other student companies through a kickstarter style platform. The DEJA team were very impressive and one of only two teams in the region to be invited by ‘Dragon’,

Peter Jones, who spearheads the programme, to attend a fundraising gala in April. There was also success for the Lower Sixth team ‘Avocado’ in the Girls Schools Association GAIN Investment Challenge designed to give young women an insight into investment management, fostering the next generation of female investors, and we were very proud of them coming 5th in the country for their stock pitch and presentation.

In schools we talk a lot about opportunities, successes, facilities and experiences and these are certainly important, but far more important is the culture and that culture comes from the people. This includes the girls in the School but importantly too, it comes from the staff. With Prize Giving this year falling on the same day as the UK General Election, the girls in Years 7 to Lower Sixth had their own taste of a mock general election. In School we emphasise the benefits of healthy debate, of kindness and tolerance. We encourage the girls to listen to others’ views as part of our individual journeys of discovery and opinion forming, and opinion changing (that is okay!), to take the time to talk to people from all walks of life, to listen and to not just fall prey to the often shallow echo chambers of social media that lead to increasingly polarised bite size opinions (infrequently based on fact) and little room for nuance. The St George’s staff set the tone for this culture.

Staff who leave the School, those who come for interviews, and those who join, without exception, comment on the warm welcome, the strong and pervasive sense of community and the support staff have for each other. I would like to thank all the staff in all areas of St George’s life, my fabulous Senior Leadership Team, the teaching, boarding, pastoral, admin and support staff teams, who give their time and energy and commitment to ensure the best possible collective and individual experience for each and every girl.

Liz Hewer | Head

New Staff at St George’s

The following staff joined St George’s in the academic year 2023–2024.

Kate Ashman Head of Food Preparation and Nutrition

Alison Bennett Admissions Assistant

Helen Griffin Sadler Admissions Officer

Patrizia Marangon Visiting Language Tutor (Italian)

Andrew Atkinson Estates Maintenance Assistant

Jacqueline Brignull Speech and Drama Tutor (Self-employed)

Emma Halford Receptionist/School Secretary

Gary Press Head of Computing and ICT

Kate Baker Data Manager and Timetabler

Maxime Brion French Language Assistant

Claire Kirk Finance Manager

Karen Semple Director of Admissions

Rachelle Barnett Head of Philanthropy

Hannah Cross Resident Tutor

Charlotte Low Assistant Housemistress (Knatchbull)

Laura Basten Sous Chef

Janusz Czerniecki Digital Marketing and Fundraising Assistant

Natalie Man Director of Marketing and External Communications

Farewell to leaving Staff

Kate joined St George’s in September 2023 to launch our GCSE in Food, Preparation and Nutrition. She succeeded in engendering a great deal of enthusiasm among the girls for this fascinating and important

Kerry Bertram Director of Admissions

Kerry joined St George’s in 2015 and oversaw both marketing and admissions for many years in a time when the demands on this area of independent schools, especially recruiting schools, has grown immeasurably.

Working with a number of different staff in different roles with different job titles over the years, the Admissions team became strong and

Kate Ashman Head of Food Preparation and Nutrition

subject. Girls particularly enjoyed participating in the House Bake Off competition which she introduced to the School.

Other highlights of Kate’s time at St George’s were the GCSE trip to Borough Market and demonstrations organised by Kate on Chinese Cookery and the correct way to fillet a fish.

We wish Kate all the best as she returns to a school which is closer to her home.

Rosemary Baxter Visiting Learning Support Tutor

settled, so much so that they often appeared in unplanned matching or colour coordinated outfits for an event!

We decided to separate Admissions and Marketing a few years ago and Kerry quite naturally became Director of Admissions. Her care, warmth and commitment are without doubt and many parents (past, current and future), girls and staff were sorry to say goodbye to her.

Under Kerry’s leadership in this area we have developed the strongest reputation for our admissions process in the sector and this is the legacy that Kerry leaves with us – thank you!

We will miss Kerry as an integral part of the School community who has touched so many lives.

Kerry won’t be leaving us of course, as she is also an Alumna and will be back and will keep in touch with us all.

Rosemary began teaching at St George’s in 1999, initially working part-time while also assisting with homeschooling for Surrey County Council. She eventually transitioned fully to St George’s, bringing experience from teaching English, History, and Languages, giving her a real understanding of the classroom teacher’s perspective.

Rosemary conducted nearly all specialist assessments at St George’s, holding a PATOSS qualification. Her detailed reports were comparable to those by Educational Psychologists, providing valuable guidance on access arrangements. Parents and students greatly appreciated her insightful advice.

Rosemary always prioritised pupils best interests, advocating for fair exam access arrangements. She offered effective solutions to complex issues related to exam access, adapting to annual JCQ rule changes. She was flexible with her schedule, often teaching back-toback lessons with minimal breaks to meet students’ needs.

Rosemary is, and was, a dedicated, multi-talented educator whose commitment and expertise were invaluable to us. We will miss her greatly, and thank her for all she gave to St George’s.

Myriam Boussaid

Part Time French Language Assistant

Myriam joined the School in September 2019 as our French Speaking Assistant, and it did not take long for her to strike up an excellent rapport with our French

pupils from Year 10 upwards. The pupils grew ever fond of Myriam, and particularly enjoyed listening to and interpreting all of the exciting and adventurous tales of living in Paris, as a young Parisienne that she would recount, whilst simultaneously preparing the pupils for their GCSE and A Level Speaking exams, showing academic rigour. Her approachable, nurturing nature allowed the pupils to feel safe and secure in her presence and saw the confidence of all who attended her sessions, soar. Myriam is sorely missed and we thank her for all her efforts. We wish her all the best as she centres her energy towards her family and her work for British Airways.

Sharron

Clinton Finance Manager

Sharron Clinton joined the Bursary team at St George’s in May 2022 and, as the Finance Manager, played a key management role.

Maxime Brion

Part Time French

Language Assistant

'Monsieur Brioche' – you know you’ve made it when you get a nickname from the girls!

Maxime rose to the occasion of being our French speaking assistant and has done so superbly. Not only was it his gentle nature, but also his great sense of humour and his extensive knowledge of all things French that made his lessons so enjoyable. We thank him for

Carrie started at St George’s in November 2022 and her first task was to help create content for a social media campaign and many

all his efforts and wish him the best of luck completing his PHD, for his wedding this summer and for his upcoming move to Japan.

Carrie Burnie School Videographer and Photographer

will recall the fantastic footage of our Year 7 girls making snow in the Food and Nutrition room. Since then she was present at almost every event and captured some key moments preserving our School history through her lens. Carrie is such an experienced photographer we wish her well in her next adventure, along with her own photography business.

School finances are complex and not only cover the vastness of termly invoicing, but also the day to day control of many separate budget holders, suppliers and general accounting. She rapidly came to grips with the breadth of this task and her last audit, in September 2023, showed just how effective she had been in delivering excellent standards.

Sharron was a highly regarded member of the team and would routinely go out of her way to provide financial advice to our academic staff as well as giving clear, concise and very effective support to the Bursar and Governors. From the outset she threw herself into Georgian life and it was clear to all that she enjoyed being part of such a friendly and welcoming School where she could make a positive contribution. After two years she had however decided to move to a part time role as this offered a well deserved change of pace. To her credit she delayed this and elected to remain with St George’s until a suitable replacement could be made and a detailed handover completed. This is a mark of her loyalty to the School and we are grateful for the time she spent with us. We wish her the very best for the future.

Lucy French Teacher of Sport and PE

Lucy started with us at St George’s, firstly as a pupil and then many years later as a full time PE teacher before becoming increasingly part-time in recent years. Lucy has been a driving force in the improvement of our netball provision and success,

Natalya started off her time at St. Georges running a successful Film Club for a few years and then stepped into her other role as a Speech and Drama Tutor. She has worked with positivity, enthusiasm

especially with external club links; encouraging our strongest players to train and play with other very strong netballers in the area. She also entered a St George’s Sixth Form team into the Charters Netball League that plays on our courts on a Monday evening, which has given the girls competition against adults and which they have really enjoyed.

It seems fitting for Lucy to finish on a high with impressive netball successes this year; most notably the U18s who she coached to a strong finish at the Berkshire county tournament and who reached the 4th round of the National Sisters n Sport Plate Competition and the U14s, who are Berkshire county champions and came 3rd in the South of England regional competition.

Natalya

Hammond Betts Visiting Tutor, Speech & Drama

and bags of energy and she has been a highly valued member of the Drama Department. Her knowledge of Drama and Theatre, particularly that of Naturalism, is outstanding and she fostered an excellent relationship with the girls over the years, exposing them to her expertise in all areas of acting.

Her smiling face will be greatly missed by the girls and staff alike, and we wish her every success in her next endeavours.

Alex Hawthorn Resident Teacher of PE and Sport (Maternity Cover)

Alex joined us in January 2023 to cover a period of maternity leave.

He has been a key member of the PE Department during his year with us and his calm and practical manner helped the department massively during the Spring term.

He has a great PE ethos and his lessons always demonstrated that he values the experience of all girls, striving to give opportunities to all.

He’s been fantastic at embracing any sport thrown at him; slotting in seamlessly to teach netball and lacrosse despite having no experience of the latter. He led the football programme with great organisation and enthusiasm in a key time in the growth of this sport for girls.

We are delighted that he has found a permanent job at Bloxham school that is such a good fit for him, but we were very sad to have him leave us.

Jane

Jonsson Teacher of English

We were so fortunate to attract Jane Jonsson to the post of English Teacher in 2022.

The combination of Jane’s broad teaching experience, which included much sought after expertise at A Level, whilst being

friendly and encouraging makes her a highly valued teacher. Jane, in such a short time, has made a marked contribution to the English department as a teacher and to the wider School both as a tutor and a member of the Duke of Edinburgh team.

Jane’s lessons are inspirational, knowledgeable and fun. She has the ability to engage and relate to

Sophie Holloway Admissions Assistant

Sophie joined St George’s in November 2018, quickly establishing strong working relationships within the Admissions and Marketing

Julia Hooper Visiting Learning Support Tutor

Julia began teaching at St George’s in 1997 after a career in Business and Marketing. Motivated by her sons’ struggles with dyslexia, she trained as a specialist teacher to support other young people facing similar challenges.

Julia is known for being a very good listener, often providing informal counselling to girls who needed someone to listen. She skillfully guided them into academic work after allowing them to decompress, a valuable approach for students feeling

team. Working with prospective families from all over the world can be incredibly varied and the demands of the job are not always immediately obvious.

The role requires good listening skills, and an empathetic approach, and Sophie’s wonderfully calm disposition was perfect in this regard.

Sophie enjoyed an excellent working relationship with our pupil tour guides, managing our weekly visit diary and briefing and training pupils to tour visiting families at open mornings. Her professional (and when needed ‘no-nonsense’) attitude, and ability to build

relationships with staff, pupils, and visitors alike have been a great asset to the School, representing St George’s on several occasions at the Independent Schools Show in London, feeder school events and looking after Year 5 and 6 pupils at our Education Taster Days.

As a part-time member of the team, Sophie has always been hugely flexible and generous with her time which has been greatly appreciated.

Sophie leaves us to spend more time with her family and will be doing some exam invigilation locally at Charters School. She will be greatly missed.

girls across all the year groups. She deeply enthuses her A Level students on the texts she feels most passionately about: A Streetcar Named Desire and Othello

The students have grown to love these plays because of Jane’s expert teaching and intense knowledge which has instilled a deep appreciation of them from

the pressure of a demanding curriculum.

Julia’s fantastic sense of humour was always evident, especially when she humorously recounted her mishaps, such as breaking her ‘non-bionic’ hip while recovering from surgery on her other hip. Despite her injury, she continued teaching remotely, and always lifted our spirits with her hearty laugh echoing through the Luker building.

educator whose listening skills, humour, meticulousness, and determination greatly benefited the pupils and staff at St George’s – we are very grateful to have had her here for so long, and wish her a long and happy retirement.

Julia is thorough, keeping detailed records of every lesson taught, which proved invaluable when parents sought insights into their children’s progress. She is a dedicated and compassionate girls in their pursuit of the Duke of Edinburgh qualification.

the pupils. She is a wonderfully caring teacher who spends time baking to prepare homemade treats for her classes.

At every level and stage Jane is able to inspire, enthuse and engage even the most reluctant of readers! She has formed wonderful relationships with her Year 8 tutor groups and supported many of the older

She will be greatly missed by the English department and the girls for her conscientious and caring attitude, wide knowledge and expertise and her sense of fun and adventure!

We wish Jane all the best for her future outside of teaching.

Marina Johnston Head of Learning Support

Marina Johnston’s departure from St George’s marks the end of an era filled with dedication and enthusiasm. With a passion for teaching, especially The Merchant of Venice, her hard work during lockdown to ensure accurate Centre Assessed Grades, highlighted her commitment, even in the most challenging of times.

Marina decided to leave London in 2015 for a more peaceful life in Ascot and we were very fortunate to have her join us then. Despite the growing demands of her role at St George’s, Marina tirelessly advocated for SEN students, profoundly impacting their lives. Her quiet, methodical work and unfailing patience helped countless students reach their full potential, earning immense gratitude from the School community.

Marina has been a wise and caring tutor to 9MJ, participating enthusiastically in activities like Dragon Boat racing and dressing up for School events. Marina’s unwavering support and encouragement made her an invaluable tutor.

As Marina moves to Northumberland for new adventures and to be closer to family, her ten years of service at St George’s leave a legacy of kindness, dedication, and transformative impact.

Clara Marmo Director in Residence

Clara joined us as the Director in Residence in September 2022 and we have been fortunate that she stayed with us for two years. During her time in this role, girls both in drama and in Junior boarding have gained enormously from her enthusiasm and talent. She has consistently remained professional, with a can-do attitude.

Clara is adored by all the girls: she always puts others before herself and always wants to know how she can be helpful or supportive. Clara is a super talented woman, she speaks English, Spanish and French, has a love of literature and history, sings dances, writes; nothing

Laura McConville Director of Drama

Laura arrived at St George’s in January 2022 and in the past two and a half years she has had a major impact on the life of the Drama Department and the girls she has taught.

Being the Director of Drama is an all-consuming role and alongside the long hours of rehearsals and performances, she has faced all the ‘normal’ challenges of a Head of Department of teaching pupils, organising schemes of work, inspiring colleagues and more.

Laura’s talent, skill and her selflessness has been instrumental

is more evidence of these talents than in her future endeavours as she moves on to teach Spanish at a school in Cambridge while also undertaking a masters degree in Creative writing at Cambridge University. The School will greatly miss Clara and everything she has dedicated to SGA. in allowing her to succeed in every aspect of her job.

For the wider St George’s community, the major productions are what Laura will be remembered for, and those who watched the highly polished and hugely entertaining musicals Godspell and Beauty and the Beast, that is unsurprising. However, so much of the rest of her job is done behind the scenes.

Laura’s excellence as a classroom teacher has continued the success of the department and their examination results, in terms of value added, have been amongst the best in the country. Her support of staff in the Drama department, but also in the broader School has been hugely appreciated, and she finished a coaching course, alongside her role, with the ambition of further developing her already excellent mentoring skills.

Her commitment and compassion has been best illustrated by the time she has spent listening to and supporting pupils facing challenges. With her encouragement and guidance they have succeeded and flourished.

Katie Morris Artist in Residence and Acting Assistant Housemistress Knatchbull

We welcomed Katie as Artist in Residence in 2022, working in the art department and across all three boarding Houses.

Katie spent her time in the Art department working on her ceramic skills, creating beautiful vases and jugs, and her passion for sculpture was evident with a wonderful cheetah statue as part of her final work. Katie shared her knowledge and passion for the arts with pupils across

Sally O’Brien Admissions Officer

Sally joined St George’s in April 2017 as an Admissions Assistant and was quickly promoted to

all year groups, and helped everyone from Art Club through to Sixth Formers considering Arts University.

Katie stepped into the role of Knatchbull Assistant Housemistress for the Autumn term 2023 after her year as Artist in Residence. Katie’s calm and measured nature was reflected throughout the Boarding House, and her presence was greatly appreciated by all. Her artistic nature carried into Knatchbull, with boarders enjoying many evenings of art and craft based activities, with the occasional games night thrown in for good measure!

We wish Katie all the best with her next endeavours, she leaves us to take on a Masters degree in Culture, Criticism and Curation at Central St Martins in London.

Anthony Rai Teacher of French and Spanish (Maternity Cover)

Anthony joined St George's in February 2023 as maternity cover, teaching French and Spanish.

He quickly integrated into both the department and the school, and rapidly became a popular figure. An ambassador for Duolingo (not really, but he should be!), Anthony ensured

Admissions Officer. She has been an invaluable member of the Admissions and Marketing team, forging strong relationships with prospective families, pupils, and colleagues. Her warm, supportive approach has made her indispensable in guiding families through the admissions process.

Sally has an analytical mind, enjoying learning new systems, manipulating data, and successfully scheduling complex events like the 11+ and 13+ entrance assessments. Sally’s excellent memory for faces helps ease new pupils’ nerves with a warm, reassuring welcome by name.

lessons were packed with fun, educational and interactive

Throughout her time here, Sally demonstrated dedication, professionalism, and warmth, making lasting contributions. She also studied for her AMCIS (Admissions, Marketing, and Communications in Independent Schools) Diploma while at St George’s, showing diligence and unwavering support for her colleagues by often putting in extra hours.

Though her presence will be missed, we wholeheartedly support her decision to prioritise her family and pursue new opportunities. We wish her every success and happiness in her future endeavours.

activities. His calm and friendly manner, as well as the support he offered the girls, both academically and pastorally, leaves a lasting impact.

The girls have loved Mr Rai's Chess club and are ready to teach the next generation of Chess players so that Chess club can live on.

Anthony's next adventure is teaching Spanish and English in China, and we wish him all the luck in the world.

Bethany Smyth Artist in Residence

Bethany slotted in very quickly and easily to the Art Department routine, and they were delighted to have her work alongside them during the last academic year. She helped in many lessons and she also worked on her own ideas, developing her own artistic practice in her studio space.

Bethany put many hours of work into painting our amazing dragon sculpture, working with the students to compose the design and paint it. The dragon is now displayed prominently at the top of the hill, where it proudly purveys the grounds and welcomes everyone who visits.

We were really lucky to have Bethany at St George’s last year and we wish her well for her future. The experience with us at St George’s and the opportunity to do some teaching with us must have really inspired her, as she has now moved on to do teacher training, in Plymouth.

Rebecca Swan Director of Philanthropy

Rebecca joined us on a fixed term contract in January 2023 in a new role, kick-starting a new area of focus leading our Philanthropy work.

Having established our new Philanthropy department at St George’s, she focused on the 2023 Centenary, the Centenary Ball, work with alumnae and the hardball indoor cricket nets campaign, we have made great strides with the focus on both

Jacky Witt PA to the Head

Jacky started in November 2009, so has been at St George’s for nearly 15 years, and she has been PA to three Heads; Caroline Jordan, then Rachel Owens for 5 years and Liz Hewer for 8 years. She is hugely dedicated and very loyal. She always goes above and beyond and puts the School first and she has been an enormous support to the Head.

She has the most amazing wealth of knowledge about the School and is a ‘go-to’ person

We thank you all for your time at St George’s and wish you all the best for the future.

supporting pupil enrichment and bursaries. Rebecca moves on to more flexible freelance work.

for all members of staff with her knowledge and advice. She never forgets anything (reminders, screen post-it notes, actions), nothing gets past Jacky and woe betide you if you have forgotten a deadline for something! She also has amazing hearing for what is going on in the Front Hall and deflecting a potentially tricky situation.

We will all miss picking her brains for all sorts of things and as a colleague put it, ‘she is very good at handling difficult situations with her poker face’!

The Office and Reception team that she has led are very fond indeed of Jacky and she has developed a great team who are also firm friends who have shared stories of numerous team social events.

Jacky is leaving with our many thanks and best wishes to enjoy an early retirement and we all know she will have the best time jet setting to Tenerife as well as exploring in her motorhome.

Awards and Prize Giving

PREFECTS

Head Girl

Judit Arvidsson

Deputy Head Girls

Oona Gibbons

Jessica Guest

House Captain – Alexander

Ava Kyle

House Captain – Becket

Portia Smith

House Captain – Churchill

Charlotte Coates

House Captain – Darwin

Olivia Hand

Art Prefect

Kathy Zhang

Charity Prefect

Isabella van Beurden

Diversity and Inclusion Prefect

Yeva Chemer

Eco Prefect

Milly Holdsworth

Library Prefect

Ellie Darke

Marketing and Admissions

Prefects

Sophie Elliott

Raida Iqbal

Performing Arts Prefect

Annie Dripps

Philanthropy and Partnerships

Prefects

Lauren Cole

Imogen Devenny

Sport Prefect

Izzy Thomas

PRIZE GIVING

UPPER SIXTH SUBJECT PRIZES

Prize for Art

Isabella van Beurden

Prize for Biology

Hoi Yu Liu

Prize for Business

Alexandra Rotheroe

Prize for Chemistry

Hoi Yu Liu

Prize for Drama

Olivia Hand

Prize for Economics

Judit Arvidsson

Prize for English

Olivia Hand

Prize for Extended Project Qualification

Nyah Millns

Prize for French

Oona Gibbons

Prize for Geography

Milly Holdsworth

Prize for History

Judit Arvidsson

Prize for History of Art

Isabella van Beurden

Prize for Mathematics

Hoi Yu Liu

Prize for Music

Gemma Dripps

Prize for Photography

Kexin Zhang

Prize for Physical Education

Luka Devaux

Prize for Physics

Nesha Giri

Prize for Politics

Charlotte Himsworth

Prize for Psychology

Charlotte Coates

Prize for Religious Studies

Lucia Hall

Prize for Spanish

Charlotte Coates

Prize for Textiles

Yeva Chemer

Dourountakis Cup for Academic Excellence

Oona Gibbons

Upper Sixth Progress

Nyah Millns

Upper Sixth Effort

Chin Yau Yap

Upper Sixth Kindness & Community

Milly Holdsworth

Upper Sixth Diplomas

Divya Balendran, Lauren Cole

Ellie Darke, Imogen Devenny

Sophie Elliot, Elizabeth Fotoohi

Hannah Kite, Raida Iqbal, Lily Irvine, Oi Yan Li, Ruihan Ma

Christina Manduca, Kinza Nackvi

Sophie Ng, Leila Nicholas

Honey Phaure, Teniola Raji

Kar Hang Yuen

UPPER SIXTH CO-CURRICULAR PRIZES

Senior Acting Cup

Milly Holdsworth

The Miranda Leatham Singing Cup

Milly Holdsworth

The Kafena Cup for Music

Anna Dripps

Senior Sports Cup

Isobel Thomas

Services to Chapel Choir

Gemma Dripps, Oona Gibbons

Olivia Hand, Milly Holdsworth

Nyah Millns, Isabella van Beurden

Alexander Award

Ava Kyle

Becket Award

Portia Smith

Churchill Award

Charlotte Coates

Darwin Award

Olivia Hand

Deputy Head Girls’ Award

Oona Gibbons

Jessica Guest

Head Girls’ Award

Judit Arvidsson

YEAR 7

COMMENDATIONS

Commendation for Art

Lily Yeomans

Commendation for Computing

Alice Dhanda

Commendation for Drama

Matilda Butcher

Commendation for English

Alice Dhanda

Commendation for Food and Nutrition

Lily Yeomans

Commendation for French

Maniska Khadka

Commendation for Geography

Josephine Darke

Commendation for History

Sophie Holdsworth

Commendation for Latin Phoebe Mustill

Commendation for Mathematics

Scarlett Quinn

Commendation for Music

Alice Seymour

Commendation for Religious Studies

Maniska Khadka

Commendation for Science

Scarlett Quinn

Head’s Award for Outstanding Academic Achievement in Food and Nutrition, Geography, Mathematics and Religious Studies

Xinyi Shu

Head’s Award for Outstanding Academic Achievement in French, Latin and Science

Ariella Harris

YEAR 8

COMMENDATIONS

Commendation for Art

Marla Norris

Commendation for Computing

Aaliyah Harris

Commendation for Drama

Marla Norris

Commendation for English

Harriet Watson

Commendation for Food and Nutrition

Hermione Morgan-Cooper

Commendation for French

Gaia Nardo

Commendation for Geography

Cameron Dunnage

Commendation for History

Ruby Brooke

Commendation for Classics

Stefania Sukhareva

Commendation for Latin

Gaia Nardo

Commendation for Mathematics

Yan Choi

Commendation for Music

Amira Ilyas

Commendation for Religious Studies

Yan Choi

Commendation for Science

Nafeesah Hussain

Commendation for Spanish

Alexandra Witt

Head’s Award for Outstanding Academic Achievement in English, Geography, Mathematics, Religious Studies and Science

Daniella Nobrega

YEAR 9 PRIZES

Prize for Art

Georgia Eaton

Prize for Classics

Poppy Johnson

Prize for Computing

Yu Han Feng

Prize for Drama

Sally Davy

Prize for English

Sally Davy

Prize for for Food and Nutrition

Vhari-Grae Lunny

Prize for French

Florence Hodgkinson

Prize for Geography

Marina Thurner

Prize for History

Hana Martin

Prize for Latin Qianyu Xu

Prize for Mathematics

Yu Han Feng

Prize for Music

Georgina Eaton

Prize for Religious Studies

Yasmeen Conway

Prize for Science

Poppy Simpson

Prize for Spanish Hana Martin

Head’s Award for Outstanding Academic Achievement in Geography, History, Latin and Science

Liv Dhanda

YEAR 10 COMMENDATIONS

Commendation for Art

Sophia Kazaryan

Commendation for Biology

Katherine Taylor

Commendation for Chemistry

Yue Yang

Commendation for Computer Science

Sakina Pir

Commendation for Drama

Manon Morgan-Cooper

Commendation for English

Sophia Hamid

Commendation for Food and Nutrition

Emilia Petersen

Commendation for French

Jeanne Marie Marais

Commendation for Geography

Chelsea Yujnovich

Commendation for History

Isabel Disley

Commendation for Latin Senna Choudree

Commendation for Mathematics

Yue Yang

Commendation for Music

Jeanne Marie Marais

Commendation for Physical Education

Daisy Blackburn

Commendation for Physics

Katherine Taylor

Commendation for Religious Studies

Manon Morgan-Cooper

Commendation for Science

Daisy Blackburn

Commendation for Spanish Kourtney Mutamangira

Commendation for Textiles

Wan Chu Tsang

Head’s Award for Outstanding Academic Achievement in Computer Science, French and Geography

Marta Shanahan

YEAR 11 PRIZES

Prize for Art

Thea Rhead

Prize for Biology

Asha Harris

Prize for Chemistry

Yunqing Guan

Prize for Classics

Maya Evdokimova

Prize for Computer Science

Amber Bennett

Prize for Drama

Dominique Nobrega

Prize for English

India Knowles

Prize for French

Aanya Shukla

Prize for Geography

Lucy Kieran

Prize for History

Dominique Nobrega

Prize for Latin Maya Evdokimova

Prize for Mathematics

Yunqing Guan

Prize for Music

Yan Sin Li

Prize for Physical Education

Lucy Kieran

Prize for Physics

Asha Harris

Prize for Religious Studies

Katie Guest

Prize for Science

India Knowles

Prize for Spanish

Aanya Shukla

Prize for Textiles

Isobel MacLaurin

Head’s Award for Outstanding Academic Achievement in French, History and Religious Studies

Amber Dhamrait

LOWER SIXTH COMMENDATIONS

Commendation for Art

Tesni Smith

Commendation for Biology

Olivia Wells

Commendation for Business

Matilda Ward

Commendation for Chemistry

Amelia Wells

Commendation for Computer Science

Alexandra Suri

Commendation for Drama

Georgina Howitt

Commendation for Economics

Isobel Darke

Commendation for English

Rosemary Dangerfield

Commendation for French

Josephine Marriott

Commendation for Geography

Estella Dhanda

Commendation for History

Emily Wabwire

Commendation for History of Art

Malak Attia Mekawy

Commendation for Mathematics

Xinke Du

Commendation for Music

Hin Hang Chiu

Commendation for Photography

Panyue Qiao

Commendation for Physical Education

Estella Dhanda

Commendation for Physics

Nesha Giri

Commendation for Politics

Emily Wabwire

Commendation for Psychology

Matilda Ward

Commendation for Religious Studies

Constance Potter

Commendation for Spanish

Olivia Wells

Commendation for Textiles

Felicitas Petersen

Head’s Award for Outstanding Academic Achievement in Computer Science, French and Textiles

Chloé Moston

Head’s Award for Outstanding Academic Achievement in Biology, Chemistry and Psychology

Leila Mount

Head’s Award for Outstanding Academic Achievement in Economics, Geography and Mathematics

Linh Hoang

PROGRESS PRIZES

2023-24

Year 7

Scarlett Quinn

Year 8

Daniella Nobrega

Year 9

Florence Hodgkinson

Year 10

Helen Johnstone

Year 11

Amara Allan

Lower Sixth

Emily Wabwire

EFFORT PRIZES

2023-24

Year 7

Elodie Williams

Year 8

Ruby Brooke

Year 9

Georgia Eaton

Year 10

Emilia Petersen

Year 11

Lucy Kieran

Lower Sixth

Matilda Ward

KINDNESS AND COMMUNITY PRIZES

2023-24

Year 7

Josephine Darke

Year 8

Eliza Marotte

Year 9

Poppy Simpson

Year 10

Devon Jessop

Year 11

India Knowles

Lower Sixth

Malibongwe Gumede

JUNIOR COCURRICULAR PRIZES 2023-24

Junior Acting Cup

Harriet Watson

Junior Music Cup

ZhiQing Zhang

Junior Sports Cup

Poppy Simpson

EAL Cup

Hanjun Wang

13+ SCHOLARSHIPS

2024

Pre-existing 11+ scholar retained for 13+:

Art

Marla Norris

Drama

Harriet Watson

Performing Arts (Drama and Dance

Georgia Fisher

Sport

Etta Seager

Sport Exhibition

Zara Anderson

Sport Exhibition

Gabriele Valiaugaite

New 13+ scholarships:

Art Exhibition

Yixin Chen

Art Exhibition

Yan Choi

Swimming Exhibition

Eliza Marotte

SIXTH FORM SCHOLARSHIPS

2024-26

Pre-existing scholarship retained for Sixth Form:

Academic

Amber Dhamrait

All Round for Sports and Performing Arts (Dance and Drama)

Lucy Kieran

Drama

India Knowles

Swimming

Erin Kozak

Swimming

Amelia Marotte

Drama Exhibition

Dominique Nobrega

New Sixth Form scholarships:

Academic

Asha Harris

Sport

Grace Davy

THE GOOD COMPANIONS CUP

Awarded to a pupil who has given exceptional service within the School community during the past year

Nyah Millns

THE SPIRIT OF ST GEORGE AWARD

Awarded to a pupil who has shown true Georgian Spirit during the past year

Chloe Yap

THE LOVEDAY CUP

Awarded to a pupil who has shown generosity of time, demonstrating commitment to others in the wider community outside St George’s and promoting the School’s evolving philanthropic culture over the past academic year

Milly Holdsworth

HOUSE WORK SHIELD FOR MERITS

D House

THE HOUSE CHAMPIONSHIP CUP

B House

AUTUMN TERM AWARDS

Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music Awards

Grade 2 Harp (non-pedal)

Practical

Wan Chu Tsang Distinction

Grade 4 Singing Practical

Charlotte Williams Merit

Grade 5 Singing Practical

Maya Evdokimova Pass

Grade 5 Singing Practical

Cleomé Corden Merit

Grade 5 Singing Practical

Manon Morgan-Cooper Merit

University of West London

Music Theatre Grade 6

Harriet Watson Distinction

Music Theatre Grade 7

Isabella van Beurden Distinction

Music Theatre Grade 7

Milly Holdsworth Distinction

Music Theatre Grade 8

Alice Grant Distinction

LAMDA

Acting Grade 8 Solo

Gold Medal

Milly Holdsworth Distinction

Duke of Edinburgh’s Award

Bronze Award

Neha Hothi

Tabitha MacPhee

Marta Shanahan

Silver Award

Rosemary Dangerfield

Sports Awards

Junior Most Improved Sports Cup

Gabriele Valiaugaite

Senior Most Improved Sports Cup

Tabitha MacPhee

Junior Sports Achievement Cup

Poppy Simpson

Senior Sports Achievement Cup

Grace Davy

Effort, Achievement, Progress, Kindness and Community Cups

Year 7 Effort Cup

Ariella Harris

Year 7 Achievement Cup

Xinyi Shu

Year 7 Progress Cup

Kristin Muirhead

Year 7 Kindness and Community Cup

Josephine Darke

Year 8 Effort Cup

Nafeesah Hussain

Year 8 Achievement Cup

Daniella Nobrega

Year 8 Progress Cup

Judith Olawoyin

Year 8 Kindness and Community Cup

Alodia Grace Wong

Year 9 Effort Cup

Poppy Simpson

Year 9 Achievement Cup

Emelie Simpson

Year 9 Progress Cup

Arabella Whait

Year 9 Kindness and Community Cup

Cleomé Corden

Year 10 Effort Cup

Chelsea Yujnovich

Year 10 Achievement Cup

Yue Yang

Year 10 Progress Cup

Johanna Naumann

Year 10 Kindness and Community Cup

Helen Johnstone

Year 11 Effort Cup

Amber Dhamrait

Year 11 Achievement Cup

Dominique Nobrega

Year 11 Progress Cup

Amara Allan

Year 11 Kindness and Community Cup

Ava Timms

Lower Sixth Effort Cup

Malibongwe Gumede

Lower Sixth Achievement Cup

Tesni Smith

Lower Sixth Progress Cup

Xaviera Hatton Mountjoy

Lower Sixth Kindness and Community Cup

Chloé Moston

Upper Sixth Effort Cup

Charlotte Himsworth

Upper Sixth Achievement Cup

Hoi Yu Liu

Upper Sixth Progress Cup

Christina Manduca

Upper Sixth Kindness and Community Cup

Divya Balendran

SPRING TERM AWARDS

Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music Awards

Grade 3 Singing Practical

Martha Sullivan-Hyde Pass

Grade 4 Harp (non-pedal)

Arabella Whait Pass

Grade 5 Cello Performance

ZhiQing Zhang Merit

Grade 8 Piano Performance

ZhiQing Zhang Merit

New Era Academy of Dance and Drama

Devised Drama Grade 4

Yavishthaa Dutt Distinction

Acting Grade 4

Hermione Morgan-Cooper Merit

Acting Grade 4

Beatrice Scott-Lee Distinction

Acting Grade 4

Sally Davy Distinction

Acting Grade 4

Sophia Sobhan Distinction

Acting Grade 4

Georgia Eaton Distinction

Acting Grade 5

Ishpel Williams Merit

Acting Grade 5

Maya Evdokimova Distinction

Acting Grade 5

Charley Jane Willis Distinction

Acting Grade 3

Foundation Medal

Matilda Butcher Distinction

Acting Grade 3

Foundation Medal

Ariella Harris Distinction

Acting Grade 3

Foundation Medal

Scarlett Quinn Distinction

Acting Grade 3

Foundation Medal

Martha Sullivan-Hyde Distinction

Acting Grade 6 Bronze Medal

Thea Rhead Merit

Acting Grade 6 Bronze Medal

Emily Wabwire Distinction

Interview Technique Grade 8

Gold Medal

Isobel Thomas Distinction

Interview Technique Grade 8

Gold Medal

Kar Hang Yuen Distinction

Interview Technique Grade 8

Gold Medal

Lauren Cole Distinction

Duke of Edinburgh’s Award

Bronze Award

Luisa McAllister

Lola Tomlin-Jones

Silver Certificate of Achievement

Felicitas Petersen

Chloé Moston

Olivia Wells

Sports Awards

Junior Most Improved Sports Cup

Betty Johnstone

Senior Most Improved Sports Cup

Chelsea Yujnovich

Junior Sports Achievement Cup

Arabella Whait

Senior Sports Achievement Cup

Teniola Raji

Effort, Achievement, Progress, Kindness and Community Cups

Year 7 Effort Cup

Isla Fortescue

Year 7 Achievement Cup

Alice Dhanda

Year 7 Progress Cup

Anna-Louise Samani

Year 7 Kindness and Community Cup

Sophie Holdsworth

Year 8 Effort Cup

Eliza Marotte

Year 8 Achievement Cup

Etta Seager

Year 8 Progress Cup

Cameron Dunnage

Year 8 Kindness and Community Cup

Gabriele Valiaugaite

Year 9 Effort Cup

Yasmeen Conway

Year 9 Achievement Cup

Liv Dhanda

Year 9 Progress Cup

Charlotte Dewhirst

Year 9 Kindness and Community Cup

Hana Martin

Year 10 Effort Cup

Wing Sze Hui

Year 10 Achievement Cup

Emilia Petersen

Year 10 Progress Cup

Yuewen Ding

Year 10 Kindness and Community Cup

Ishpel Williams

Year 11 Effort Cup

Maya Evdokimova

Year 11 Achievement Cup

Asha Harris

Year 11 Progress Cup

India Knowles

Year 11 Kindness and Community Cup

Arham Zaheer

Lower Sixth Effort Cup

Tesni Smith

Lower Sixth Achievement Cup

Leila Mount

Lower Sixth Progress Cup

Molly Blunt

Lower Sixth Kindness and Community Cup

Malak Attia Mekawy

Upper Sixth Effort Cup

Lucia Hall

Upper Sixth Achievement Cup

Oona Gibbons

Upper Sixth Progress Cup

Teniola Raji

Upper Sixth Kindness and Community Cup

Nyah Millns

SUMMER TERM AWARDS

New Era Academy of Dance and Music

Acting Duologue Grade 4

Stefania Sukhareva Merit

Acting Duologue Grade 4

Mimi Hedderly Merit

Acting Grade 4

Erin Austen Pass

Acting Grade 5

Madeleine Hayward Distinction

Public Speaking Grade 3

Foundation Medal

Yu Han Feng Distinction

Acting Grade 3

Foundation Medal

Saveraa Grewal Distinction

Acting Grade 3

Foundation Medal

Judith Olawoyin Distinction

Acting Grade 3

Foundation Medal

Harriet Watson Distinction

Acting Grade 6 Bronze Medal

Georgia Kohring Distinction

Acting Grade 6 Bronze Medal

Hemani Mehta Distinction

Acting Grade 6 Bronze Medal

Maya Evdokimova Distinction

Acting Grade 6 Bronze Medal

Manon Morgan-Cooper Distinction

Acting Grade 7 Silver Medal

Hin Hang Chiu Pass

Acting Grade 8 Gold Medal

Alice Grant Distinction

Public Speaking Grade 8

Gold Medal

Judit Arvidsson Distinction

Duke of Edinburgh’s Award

Bronze Award

Zara Gunaydin

Isobel MacLaurin

Nailah Ogunlende

Sports Awards

Junior Most Improved

Sports Cup

Mia Kirk

Senior Most Improved

Sports Cup

Wing Sze Hui

Junior Sports Achievement Cup

Zara Anderson

Senior Sports Achievement Cup

Zara Gunaydin

Effort, Achievement, Progress, Kindness and Community Cups

Year 7 Effort Cup

Matilda Butcher

Year 7 Achievement Cup

Josephine Darke

Year 7 Progress Cup

Livia Ongaro

Year 7 Kindness and Community Cup

Alice Dhanda

Year 8 Effort Cup

Yan Choi

Year 8 Achievement Cup

Gaia Nardo

Year 8 Progress Cup

Harriet Watson

Year 8 Kindness and Community Cup

Khloe Mutamangira

Year 9 Effort Cup

Amber Hay

Year 9 Achievement Cup

Sally Davy

Year 9 Progress Cup

Alexis Gilbert

Year 9 Kindness and Community Cup

Scout Cavell

Year 10 Effort Cup

You Lyu

Year 10 Achievement Cup

Katherine Taylor

Year 10 Progress Cup

Tabitha MacPhee

Year 10 Kindness and Community Cup

Katie Thomson

Year 11 Effort Cup

Grace Davy

Year 11 Progress Cup

Islay Ruby Hamill Moore

Year 11 Kindness and Community Cup

Lucinda Dyson

Lower Sixth Effort Cup

Isobel Darke

Lower Sixth Achievement Cup

Linh Hoang

Lower Sixth Progress Cup

Panyue Qiao

Lower Sixth Kindness and Community Cup

Rosemary Dangerfield

Upper Sixth Effort Cup

Honey Phaure

Upper Sixth Progress Cup

Ava Kyle

Upper Sixth Kindness and Community Cup

Jessica Guest

Highlights of the Year

Centenary Ball

St George’s marked one of the major highlights of 2023’s Centenary celebrations, with a spectacular gala fundraising event – The Centenary Ball. A major part of the philanthropic focus of the School’s milestone year, the Ball took place on Saturday, 7 October, at the stunning Pennyhill Park Hotel, and was a resounding success, raising an impressive £45,000 for the School’s bursary programme.

The event drew together a wide range of supporters as parents, alumnae, including HRH Princess Beatrice, and other friends of

St George’s united in their dedication to advancing educational opportunities. The highlight of the evening was an auction, expertly hosted by Sir Jeffrey Archer, and funds raised via sales, combined with sponsorship and generous pledges made on the evening raised a significant amount towards our target.

The money raised at the Centenary Ball will be instrumental in supporting our commitment to providing opportunities to talented girls who would otherwise not be able to join St George’s, including through our partnership with the Royal National SpringBoard Foundation.

The Centenary Ball

Hillier Music Technology Room and Recording Studio

Head’s Board

RNCSF Partnership Announced

Indoor Cricket Nets

Awards Success

Centenary Dragon

The Big Help Out 2024

Opening of the Hillier Music Technology Room and Recording Studio

Thursday 23 November saw the much-anticipated official opening of the new Music Technology Room and Recording Studio, ‘The Hillier Room’, named after Director of Music, Mr Ian Hiller, who celebrated 40 years of teaching at St George’s, and 29 years as Director of Music. Mr Hillier was, of course, in charge of the scissors to cut the ribbon on the night! This fantastic new facility supplements our already comprehensive music school, and technology provision, delivering access to cutting edge recording and music technology.

Head’s Board

A constant of the last 100 years of St George’s has been a focus on excellence in girls education. While the specifics of this goal have changed over the generations, the target has always been to encourage girls to do their very best, whether academically, in sports, or in other areas, and key in shaping this vision is the head. As part of our Centenary celebrations, we unveiled a ‘Head’s Board’, that is displayed in the Front Hall. This honours all the great women that

have so ably guided St George’s and our girls over the past 100 years. We thank them for helping make St George’s what it is today.

New partnership announced with Royal National Children’s SpringBoard Foundation

We are pleased to announce a new partnership with the Royal National Children’s SpringBoard Foundation (RNCSF), a leading social mobility charity. This partnership will provide transformational bursaries to girls who would most benefit from, but would not usually be able to access, a St George’s education. The School is now, more than ever, committed to transforming pupil lives through excellence in education, and enrichment through the provision of an exciting and fulfilling co-curricular programme. This new partnership with RNCSF will open up these opportunities to a wider audience, who will benefit from the difference fully-funded bursaries can make to young lives.

Cricket nets officially in play after fundraising campaign hits a 6!

Friday 10 May saw the grand opening of St George’s hardball indoor cricket nets, marking the culmination of a fantastic fundraising campaign. The launch was attended by supporters, including parents, alumnae, and representatives from local organisations including Royal Ascot Cricket Club, who enjoyed watching Lydia Greenway OBE run a cricket masterclass in the nets with some of our girls. Lydia is a cricket commentator and former England player who is regarded as one of the best outfielders in the women’s game. Lydia’s expertise and passion for the sport brought a sense of inspiration to the event, captivating attendees with her enthusiasm, insights and coaching tips.

With an initial fundraising target of £15,195, we were overwhelmed by the kindness of donors, and closed off our campaign with an

incredible £24,648.15 from parents, alumnae, and our very generous Parent Association. In addition to this phenomenal level of support, as promised, the School matched the first £7,500 raised, meaning the combined total raised towards SGA Girls Cricket is £32,148.15. We are particularly grateful to the Sobhan Family, whose further generosity underpins the wider development of cricket for all at St George’s and beyond.

SGA ‘Highly Commended’ in Muddy Stilettos School Awards 2024, in association with Debrett’s Education

We are delighted to share that St George’s was awarded ‘Highly Commended’ in the category of ‘Most Inclusive School, Senior School’ in this year’s Muddy Stilettos School Awards 2024, in association with Debrett’s Education. SGA was noted for providing a welcoming and safe space for all children, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity or background, and in fostering an inclusive environment for all pupils and staff, and showing that we are ‘doing something very different and modern in education’.

St George’s named as finalist in the Google for Education Reference School and College Awards’ Impact Project Award Category

More fantastic news came as we were named as finalists in the Google for Education Reference School and College Awards, alongside Golftyn CP School, Basingstoke College of Technology, and LEO Academy Trustpen_spark. Although we were not the winner on the night, we were commended for our ‘outstanding use of technology to drive positive learning outcomes’, and it is an honour to be shortlisted in this category.

Interactive Schools Social Media Awards

We were thrilled to be shortlisted in the Best Use of Instagram, Best Facilities Story, and Best Use of AI categories in these awards set up to recognise the use of social media in the education sector. We were even more honoured to be declared highly commended the Best Use of AI category. Finally, St George’s was named as the most Influential AMCIS School on Instagram.

A new arrival to mark the Centenary

We welcomed a new resident to St George’s very early in 2024 – meet our new dragon, perched majestically above the main entrance to the Markham Building.

A guardian of luck, health and strength, the dragon was expertly installed by our Maintenance team, and is ready to watch over us for the next 100 years.

The Big Help Out Returns

Building on the success of His Majesty’s Coronation Big Help Out initiative last year, our second SGA Big Help Out took place in the last week of Summer term. The whole School spent the morning taking part in volunteering activities, all of which benefit the local community. From food banks, to Riding for the Disabled via gardening and creating artwork for day centres, everyone gave it their all. We also welcomed 150 children from nearby Primary schools for a fun morning of sporting activities, including dance, cricket, tennis and traditional sports day fun and they were a fantastic part of the day’s festivities. The day is a huge endeavour, and so rewarding for all that took part – we look forward to doing it again next year!

2023-2024 Prefect Team

A huge thank you to our outgoing Prefect Team, who did such a wonderful job in each of their roles across the School

I am confident and capable of putting myself out there no matter what kind of environment I’m in.

Upper Sixth Pupil

CONFIDENT SGA

Co Curricular

Whole School Activities Day

Thursday 14 September saw the vast majority of the School head off-site for a wide variety of fun activities intended to build and cement friendships, as well as starting the academic year on a high. Year 7 went to Marwell Zoo for an Environmental Seminar and Tour, Year 8 visited Operation Encounter in Marlow for outdoor activities, including team building games, and kayaking on the lake. They ended the day with a swim in the water.

Year 9 took to the high ropes course as they spent the day at Oakwood Youth Challenge in Wokingham. The team building activities, such as crate stacking, provided an ideal opportunity for new pupils to get to know their Year 9 friends. Years 10 and 11 travelled together to experience

‘The Wizarding World of Harry Potter’ in Hertfordshire, where they learnt some amazing facts, such as it took six years to make the model of Hogwarts as it was being constantly updated.

Sixth Form pupils had some work to do before they went out for their activities, as the morning involved tests and UCAS seminars

Whole School Activities Day

School Trips and Residentials

Virtual Author Talk

until 10.30am. They then headed to the School sports fields, for ‘It’s a Knockout’ style fun before and after lunch. Competition was intense, and the mixed Lower and Upper Sixth tutor group teams had made a great effort with their themed costumes. Challenges included both bubbles, and water – which were much appreciated during unseasonably warm weather.

Marwell Zoo was so much fun, we gazed at animals under the sun.

Rhinos, tigers and gazelles too, are some of the animals that they rescued.

Flamingos danced, at that we glanced.

Penguins dived, smoothly they glide.

Rolling down the hill, no one could keep still. As the day flew by, the clouds covered the sky.

We’ll miss you Marwell, you’re the best! And we can’t wait to see what comes next!

By

Josie and Tilly, Year 7

Geography Field Trip to the North Downs

Year 11 had fun learning about the enquiry process in September, which is an integral part of their Geography GCSE examined assessment, as they learn to plan, collect and interpret fieldwork data on both a physical and human topic. Day one of the field trip to the North Downs was spent investigating downstream changes in the River Tillingbourne allowing students to see erosional and depositional processes in action. Although the day was a little wet and windy they made the most of the opportunities even creating their own educational Tik Toks to aid their revision process!

History and Politics Trip to Washington And Williamsburg

During October Half Term, Mrs Kratt, Mr Hoar and 18 girls in the Sixth Form spent a week in Washington DC and Williamsburg, Virginia, on a History and Politics trip.

Girls enjoyed a guided tour of the US Capitol building and Supreme court, during which they were able to enrich their understanding of the deeper context of many historical and political events that feature in their A Level courses, as well as hearing a few of the spooky ghost stories of the Capitol building from their tour guide. They visited various monuments, such as the Lincoln Memorial, the Korean War Memorial, the Martin Luther King Memorial and the FDR Memorial, which were incredibly impactful. The group also visited the World Bank, where they listened to a talk and took part in a Q&A session led by Olekisy Sluchynsky, a Senior Economist at the institution.

Girls spent time visiting many of the museums and found the Smithsonian African American Museum extremely thought provoking, leading them to reflect on their own understandings of

African American history and how this is so important and relevant to modern society. They spent the next three days in Williamsburg in 25 degree weather exploring the amazing campus of William and Mary College and attending lectures on History and Politics. On the last day, they attended a college American Football game, wearing green and yellow to support William and Mary College.

Politics Trip to the Houses of Parliament and the Supreme Court

In January, the Lower Sixth Politics class visited the Houses of Parliament and the Supreme Court. During our tour, we learned how today’s Parliament came to be, from the signing of the Magna Carta in 1215 to the present day. We viewed the iconic woolsack and the King’s chair used during the opening of Parliament in the House of Lords, and gained a deeper understanding of how the House operates.

We next visited Westminster Hall, where we viewed the New Dawn art piece – which is powered by

the Thames – and saw plaques commemorating the late Queen who laid in state there, and the speech delivered by King Charles. We then went to the Supreme Court via Parliament Square, making sure to pay tribute to the only female statue in the square; Millicent Fawcett.

At the Supreme Court, we explored the Basement Exhibit, which houses extensive archives of bills and concepts such as Devolution. Exploring different courtrooms, everyone gained valuable knowledge about the process of becoming a Supreme Court justice, and the inner workings of the legal system Emily, Lower Sixth

Talk by visiting author Sophie Cameron

Every year the Library runs a book award for Years 7-9 called the ‘SGA Book Award’, which aims to introduce authors and books girls may not have heard of before, as well as promoting reading for pleasure.

Ascot Racecourse behind the scenes tours for Year 7 pupils

Year 7 visited Ascot Racecourse in February for a behind-thescenes tour; a unique opportunity to learn more about this amazing facility, which is right on our doorstep. Girls heard about the history of the racecourse, its connections with the royal family and its redevelopment which was completed in 2006. They were also able to see inside one of the VIP hospitality boxes and tour the Royal Ascot Racing Club’s lounge. Many were keen to have a go at weighing themselves on the jockey’s scales and everyone took advantage of the opportunity to give the retired racehorse, ‘Side Glance’, a polo mint in the paddock. After winning three races at Ascot in his youth, this horse now has a second career at the racecourse as an ambassador for racing, a role he is clearly enjoying.

Sophie Cameron is one of the authors on our shortlist, and was the first to virtually visit us for this year’s award in February. Sophie spoke about the inspiration behind her book Away With Words as well as reading an extract to the girls and answering questions.

Year 7 Science Trip to the Natural History Museum

Year 7 Science explorers enjoyed a wonderful day at the Natural History Museum in May. As well as getting close up to the largest mammals on our planet, they explored the structure of earth, experienced an earthquake and were dazzled and awestruck by the beautiful crystals and precious jewels that the pressure and heat of the Earth could produce with certain elements.

Poetry Live!

Trip to Reading for Year 11

The English Department was delighted to take Year 11 pupils to Reading for the annual event Poetry Live! In November. Pupils enjoyed listening to some wonderful poets, including Poet Laureate Simon Armitage, read their inspiring poetry. Not only did girls hear some incredibly varied and original poetry, but they were also able to learn about approaches to writing about poetry in their examination from a chief examiner. The day was highly valuable both in preparation for assessment and as a memorable experience.

Geography trip to Iceland

In February half term, 20 pupils and three staff gathered at Heathrow airport, for an Icelandic adventure! Despite the early drama of a volcanic eruption just four days before departure, they embarked on the most incredible trip, a real once in a lifetime opportunity. During the four days in Iceland, the students experienced some of the most amazing wonders of the natural world. They walked between two tectonic plates at Þingvellir National Park, and witnessed the amazing, half-frozen, Gullfoss Waterfall. They lay in the waters of Fontana Geothermal Spa, witnessed the incredible Aurora Borealis, as well as spotting humpback whales on their final day. Other highlights included eating ice cream while strolling through the evening snow in Reykjavik, climbing Sólheimajökull glacier and watching a geyser erupt 30m into the air, all of which combined made for an unforgettable trip.

Ski Trip to the Tonale Pass, Italy

Over the Easter break, pupils and staff had an incredible time on the slopes on our Ski Trip to the Tonale Pass in Italy. Flying in via Milan, the group enjoyed fantastic mountain views from their hotel, which also provided fabulous food.

This was the first School ski trip since Covid, and so a large group travelled, keen to make the most of all the trip had to offer. They were lucky to enjoy lots of snow, which is always a bonus during Easter ski holidays. Great progress was made by all the groups, who enjoyed lessons and skiing a variety of different routes, including a glacier on one expedition.

Year 10 Physics Energy and Forces trip to Thorpe Park

On Wednesday 22 May, Year 10 had the opportunity to see the laws of physics in action on a fun filled field trip to Thorpe Park. The theme park showed the girls excellent examples of forces and energy in the real world, which supports their GCSE Physics curriculum. Girls worked on activity sheets, identifying forces, energy stores and transfers, made estimates and calculations, and took pictures to identify variables (and may have tried out one or two rides as well!).

Year 9 Classics Trip to Bath

In May, Year 9 girls spent the day in Bath as part of their Latin and Classical Civilisation studies, where they attended a workshop on the Romans, and enjoyed a tour of the Roman Baths. This was a great opportunity to see first hand the legacy of the civilisation they are learning about.

Year 9 Geography visit to Box Hill, Surrey

Year 9 battled a stiff breeze and imminent rain in May to climb Box Hill in Surrey, in order to carry out an investigation into the environmental impact of visitors to this beautiful site. The girls climbed with energy and

worked in groups to collect data that would help them evidence the impact. They worked enthusiastically, measuring vegetation, counting vehicles and pedestrians as well as asking other visitors to help answer questionnaires. A highlight was the picnic lunch and a visit to the very popular cafe!

Year 8 watch the Royal Procession at Royal Ascot

In a St George’s tradition that spans over 60 years, Year 8 walked to watch the Royal Procession during Day 1 of Royal Ascot week. St George’s, along with other local schools, was invited into the racecourse to a special viewing area. After waving to the King and Queen, girls watched some races, saw the crowds and met Scotty the Mascot!

Classics Trip for Year 7 to the Verulamium Museum and Roman Theatre

In June, the whole of Year 7 visited the Verulamium Museum and Roman Theatre in St Albans to support their Classics studies.

The day started with a guided walking tour of the ancient site of Verulamium, and after lunch, girls spent the afternoon exploring the museum and enjoyed a teaching session based on archaeology and Ancient Roman society.

Year 10 trip to Borough Market and ‘Bread Ahead’

Year 10 students studying GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition had an amazing time soaking up the vibrant atmosphere and delicious flavours of Borough Market in London in June. This inspiring trip provided plenty of ideas for their upcoming NEA2 projects. They even got hands-on with a workshop at ‘Bread Ahead’, mastering the art of making Focaccia and Grissini, and indulging in the mouth watering doughnuts for which ‘Bread Ahead’ is renowned!

Year 7 Residential visit to Fairthorne Manor

The annual Year 7 Residential visit saw girls travel to Fairthorne Manor in Hampshire for a week of outdoor education, team building and fun! Girls celebrated the end of their first year at St George’s by getting involved in a number of activities such as raft building, kayaking, climbing, abseiling and an exciting stream exploration. The group enjoyed the first week of consistently warm, sunny summer weather and made plenty of memories which were discussed eagerly on the coach home (by those who remained awake at least!).

Year 8 Residential Visit to Brenscombe Outdoor Centre, Corfe Castle

Year 8 spent three days in June at the Brenscombe Outdoor Centre, in a fun filled and action packed trip. Their first activity was to try out the high rope course; there were some incredible efforts from the girls surprising themselves with just how brave and adventurous they

A level Geography residential field trip to Nettlecombe FSC

Lower Sixth Geographers had a wonderful sunny week in Somerset in June, learning the

skills to carry out their A Level NEA, including developing their title and plan, and how to collect their data. Everyone worked extremely hard, whilst visiting the beautiful locations of Porlock Bay, Minehead and Watchet.

can be! Even Mr Rai and Mr Anderson were talked into having a go too.

On day 2 they tackled rock climbing, rafting, and spending time on the water in canoes all with glorious weather. The final day involved a fiercely fought and closely won tug of war contest. The trip was a wonderful way to round out the academic year.

A Level Biology Residential Fieldwork Trip to Nettlecombe Court

As part of the A Level Biology course, girls must cover several ecological units, which they completed on a residential field trip in Spring, run by the Field Studies Council at Nettlecombe Court in Somerset. Lower Sixth pupils had a great time and carried out fieldwork in some really challenging weather, all done with a smile!

Art

Summer Art Exhibition

History of Art, Art and Photography Trips

Dragon Painting Workshop

Summer Art Exhibition

The Summer Art Exhibition was held on the evening of 2 July, showcasing just a snippet of the stunning art, textiles and ceramics completed by girls throughout the year.

History of Art Sixth Form Trip to Florence

A Level History of Art pupils spent four days in the beautiful city of Florence during the Autumn term, immersed in the art and architecture of the 15th Century, to learn more about the Italian Renaissance, which features highly in their course. After visiting the Uffizi Gallery and marvelling at masterpieces such as The Birth of Venus by Botticelli and The Annunciation by Leonardo, we climbed scaffolding to examine Massacio’s Trinity Fresco in Santa Maria Novella and saw first hand

how Brunelleschi was inspired by Antiquity in the Pazzi Chapel.

Mornings started with coffee and local pastries at bakeries, lunches consisted of savouring pasta al dente and paninis overlooking the local square or off a cobbled street. Evenings were spent shopping in the Ponte Vecchio, or taking in the spectacular views of the Cathedral of Santa Maria dei Fiori at sunset from the Piazzale Michelangelo, whilst buskers filled the air with their guitar music. It was a memorable experience that benefits our A Level pupils immensely.

Level

In October, A Level Photography students headed to London, to see the exhibition: Yevonde:

and Colour

Upper Sixth pupil, Kathy, shares her learnings from the day:

Art trip to Pitt Rivers Museum, Oxford for Year 7 pupils

We travelled to Pitt Rivers and Natural History Museum in Oxford on an art trip during the very first week of Autumn term. Pitt Rivers is a museum displaying the archaeological and anthropological collections of the University of Oxford. We saw clay figures children used to play with, and musical instruments from Kenya. We had a workshop about observing and drawing historical items. We saw an example of an incredible sketchbook with pages of amazing drawings. We had such an amazing time filled with fun activities and interesting fashion. We all had a lovely day.

Alice, Year 7

“BE ORIGINAL OR DIE is certainly a great motto for photographers to adopt. In a generation of fastchanging styles and a wealth of creative talent, Yevonde reminded us that photography ‘has no tradition – only a future.’ Yvonne’s exhibition was not only inspirational but also encouraging to those of us who are new to photography.

After viewing Yvonne’s exhibition and encountering her many mottos and quotes, it deeply inspired us to be more courageous and experimental. In her words, ‘If we are going to have colour photography, for heaven’s sake, let’s have a riot of colour’”.

A

Photography visit to the National Portrait Gallery, London

Life

at the National Portrait Gallery, followed by a visit to the British Centre of Photography.

Year 9 Dragon Painting Workshop

A small group of talented Year 9 pupils joined Miss Antolik in progressing the painting of our large Dragon sculpture, which was purchased as part of our Centenary celebrations. Girls were given the freedom to paint

a variety of objects; some chose to paint a waterfall, others the planets, some bugs and flowers, which was quite a challenge on the sculpture’s uneven fibreglass surface. The afternoon was enjoyed by all and we are making progress and near completion. The finished piece was on display at our Summer art exhibition.

Drama

Beauty and the Beast

Cinderella Stage Combat Workshop

The Diary of Anne Frank

This year’s Whole School Musical was the spectacular Broadway production of, Beauty and the Beast, with three performances taking place in October. After an intense schedule of rehearsals,

girls put on an incredible show, filled with all the much loved show songs, and an impressive array of costume changes. With choreography worthy of any professional production, actors

were accompanied by an orchestra featuring pupils, music teaching staff and professional musicians. The audience was blown away by the girls’ talents, and thoroughly enjoyed the shows each evening.

Beauty and the Beast, whole School Musical

Year 7 gave a brilliant performance of Cinderella. The youngest members of our community put together a very professional performance in just six weeks, so soon after joining St George’s. It was an uplifting, heart-warming experience that left a smile on everyone’s faces and spread the joy of Christmas!

Stage Combat workshop for Year 9 pupilsl

Year 9 spent a highly enjoyable day exploring stage combat techniques with fight and movement director

The Diary of Anne Frank, Year 8, 9 and 10 production

In March the Sue Cormack Hall was transformed into Anne Frank’s former hiding place, located at Prinsengracht 263, Amsterdam, Netherlands. Few more poignant true stories emerged from World War II than the diary of young Anne Frank. The stars of this production were a selected cast of Year 8, Year 9, and Year 10 pupils who brought Anne Frank’s story to life in a period of only 12 weeks of rehearsals. They took on the challenge of portraying one of the darkest periods of our human

history in an emotive performance that left plenty of audience members in tears by the end.

Performers took on a challenging text: the Pulitzer Prize awardwinning script by Goodrich and Hackett which draws from the entries of Anne Frank’s diary.

They had a fantastic set to perform in; Mr Turney, theatre designer and technician, recreated the secret annex. It even featured a tap with running water and an attic room!

Mark Ruddick. Mark taught the girls the basics of armed and unarmed combat, drawing on his years of experience in film, tv and theatre. Girls worked on a sequence of fight moves using techniques known as the ‘parrot punch’ and ‘locking up’ as well as applying more well known hooks, throttles, throws and leg sweeps! It was thoroughly entertaining to watch and terrifyingly realistic! Later in the session girls were taught how to strike and parry with stage swords and developed some swashbuckling swordplay. They will continue this dramatic and entertaining work in lessons as they continue to explore the role of stage combat in drama.

Music

Chapel Choir at St Paul’s Cathedral and St George’s Chapel, Windsor

Christmas Carol Concert

Junior Concert

Jazz and Dance Show

Chapel Choir sing Evensong at

St Paul’s

Cathedral

As is now an annual tradition, our Chapel Choir sang Evensong at St Paul’s Cathedral in London on Monday 9 October. In absolutely stunning surroundings, the choir gave a beautiful rendition of Howard Goodall’s Love Divine as the anthem. The choir was joined by Director of Music, Mr Hillier, and School Chaplain, Rev Sami Watts, as well as Mrs Hewer and many parents and friends of St George’s.

Evensong at St George’s Chapel

Chapel Choir was privileged to be invited to sing Evensong at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle on Wednesday 15 November, marking one of our special Centenary events.

The incredible acoustics in the stunning Chapel and performing for staff, parents and the wider SGA community made it a very memorable occasion for all.

Christmas Carol Concert

Junior Concert

We enjoyed two Junior Concerts this year, which took place in November and March – these are fantastic opportunities for our younger pupils to showcase their many and varied musical talents. From a festive flute rendition of Frosty the Snowman in November, played by Alice, Ariella, Belle in Year 7, and Jenifer

The end of the Autumn term was marked, as usual, by the whole School community travelling to Windsor for the annual Carol Service.

This traditional service of carols and readings provides a much-appreciated opportunity for families to join the girls in celebrating the festive season and the term’s end. The service featured many favourite hymns, but also a special version of Silent Night written by Mr Hillier to celebrate St George's Centenary.

in Year 8, accompanied by Upper Sixth Annie, to beautiful solo singing performances by girls from Year 7, 8 and 9, there was much to impress all. There followed violin, piano, viola, and Harp recitals. In March a range of solo and duet performances thrilled the audience, with both concerts rounded out with a wonderful performance from the Year 7 Choir.

Jazz and Dance Show

April saw the return of our annual Jazz and Dance Show in the Sue Cormack Hall. The evening blends the amazing talents of the wonderful SGA dancers, and the ever-fabulous jazz band, led by Mr Smith, in collaboration with the award-winning Natalie Vinson School of Dance and Drama. The audience of family and friends saw a fantastic array of dance, which included contemporary, ballet, acro and street jazz, in stunning group numbers, and outstanding solos, all in dazzling costumes. The evening was a true credit to the hard work of the outstanding performers at St George’s.

CAPABLE SGA

We are consistently proud of our girls’ ambition; developing this inner strength and resilience is a core pillar of St George’s

Trips and Workshops

Duke of Edinburgh’s Bronze Award Qualifying Expedition for Year 10 pupils – Windsor Great Park

With great excitement, and rucksacks full of Pot Noodles, the 23 Year 10 pupils undertaking their Bronze DofE Qualifying Expedition set out from St George’s in September. Their first day’s route took them from Wells Lane into the Great Park ending at Bear Rails Scout Camp in Old Windsor. The weather for the expedition was perfect with blue skies framing the walkers as they made their way through the Village, past the Cow Pond and up to their destination. This was achieved impressively by all the four groups, who then set up their tents and cooked their meals using their culinary skills and the trangias provided. The final task of the day was the planning of their second day route back to School, which all pupils managed before they collapsed into their sleeping bags.

Day two dawned early for the pupils with mist hugging the dew covered ground. The groups cooked breakfast, packed up their tents, and made their way south to Saville Gardens. Their routes took them past the Cascade and the Blacknest Gate on a picturesque walk around Virginia Water. Although one group decided to

Duke of Edinburgh Expedition

Poetry Competition

Wood Engraving Workshop

London Oratory School Model

United Nations

Writing Workshop

Top of the Bench Chemistry Competition

STEM Week

The Apprentice Competition

Year 8 Trip to 3M

MUN Conference in Bath

Politics Conference in Westminster

Biology trip to The Bayer Labs

‘DEJA’ attend Fundraising Gala

GAIN Competition success

Royal Ascot Fashion Competition winner 2024

Year 8 History Day

RSC Schools’ Analyst Competition

make more of the fine weather with a detour (unplanned!) which had to be corrected with more walking, all the pupils were successful in concluding the expedition. With the completion of their Volunteering, Skill and Physical sections on DofE, they were able to receive their Bronze DofE Award at the end of term awards in December.

Poetry competition

To celebrate National Poetry Day the English Department ran a competition to write a poem on the theme of REFUGE. Many pupils entered the competition and entries were very varied but all thoughtfully composed, and each poem reflected the theme well. The Year 7 winner was Scarlett and the Year 9 winner was Yu Han. Highly commended went to Sophia, Sally, and Emelie. Each prize winner received a certificate and a voucher to purchase a book of their choice.

A Level Art Wood Engraving Workshop

A Level Fine Artists were very lucky to experience a workshop led by Royal Academician, Anne Desmet. Anne explained the history of wood engraving, bringing along interesting examples of the London Illustrated newspapers from the 1800s. Girls compared these with Anne’s more modern and very impressive wood engravings. She showed the pupils how to engrave with a variety of tools into different types of wood, which they then used to print their designs. Anne commented on how impressed she was with our talented A Level pupils and the work they produced.

London Oratory School Model United Nations

In November, Yavi (Year 10), Hedy (Year 11), Emily (Lower Sixth), Amber (Year 11) and Arham (Year 11) set off for LOSMUN (London Oratory School Model United Nations) where they heard a talk by Lord Patten, the last Governor of Hong Kong, and present Chancellor of Oxford University. After the opening ceremony, delegates went to their different committees. Hedy discussed the

Rwanda Immigration Plan in SOCHUM; Emily discussed antiterrorism in the UNODC; Yavi discussed Guantanamo Bay in the Human Rights Committee; Amber discussed the arms trade in the Disarmament Committee. Finally, Arham was the proud representative for Malta on the Security Council and discussed the rising tensions in both Taiwan and Mali. Finally, the Closing Ceremony had an emergency crisis on the ‘discovery of oil in the Falklands, which resulted in a

war between Argentina and the USA’. This was an intellectually challenging and enjoyable day for all attendees.

Writing workshop with visiting author Tamsin Winter for Year 8 pupils

On Tuesday 21 November author Tamsin Winter visited St George’s for a writing workshop. Tamsin began the day by speaking to Years 8 and 9 about her books and writing career. It was fascinating to learn about the real life inspiration behind her stories and amazing to see the nine drafts of her latest book. The book signing was well attended, with Bad Influence being the book of choice.

For the rest of the day, Tamsin ran creative writing workshops. She started with some fantastic warm ups which made everyone think about the descriptive language they could use at the start of a story. The workshops then looked at creating a believable setting and writing the first paragraph of a story. It was fascinating to see the progress over the session, and girls can use these new skills in their writing in the future.

Top of the Bench Chemistry Competition

Four girls from Year 9, 10 and 11 attended the Thames Valley heat of the Top of the Bench Chemistry competition in January, held at the Chemistry teaching laboratories at the University of Oxford. The competition is designed to inspire excitement about chemistry, and is open to every secondary school in the UK.

Sally in Year 9 who took part reported back “This was a great experience for all of us, as we got to witness the large chemistry labs and use the advanced equipment. We split into pairs and competed against other school teams in a set of experimental challenges. The competition was very challenging but an amazing opportunity for the pupils involved. The day concluded with a fascinating careers talk from Fiona Marston OBE PhD (Chair & CEO at Erebagen Limited).”

The Apprentice Competition

In February, Year 8 took part in a ‘The Apprentice’ themed competition in School as part of the nonfiction unit of work in their English class. The competition involved four finalist groups pitching their product (a chair) to a judges including Mrs Man, Director of Marketing and External Communications, and Mrs East, our Marketing Graphic Designer. Girls also had to design advertising for their chair, and had just six minutes to present their product. The winning team was Chairify, who received a prize and certificate.

STEM Week

In March we marked STEM week at St George’s, a celebration of Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths. Activities were focused on ‘Climate Change’, including a workshop by ZooLabUK, in which girls were able to learn about various wild animals and how our actions impact their habitat, as well as being able to come face to face with some of the creatures. During Food Tech classes, pupils created environmentally friendly

food, using sustainable and seasonal ingredients. Meanwhile, Geographers found out more about how to reduce their carbon footprints. Girls created a computer simulation on the effects of policy decisions on the future of the climate and discussed the psychology behind inaction to climate change. Years 7 to 9 were tasked with writing a story based around Climate Change but in a twist, this was during their Maths lessons! They therefore had to

include in their story a maths method being explained and applied. With so many activities and trips happening throughout

the week the girls learned how they can make a positive impact when it comes to our environment.

Year 8 Trip to 3M, Bracknell

Year 8 spent the morning of Wednesday 13 March at the offices of 3M in Bracknell, a worldwide science-based technology company which aims to improve lives and the way we do business. Girls participated in workshops learning about the latest developments in technology and the impacts that they are likely to have on their lives. This was a fantastic opportunity for girls to develop their appreciation of STEM subjects and may lead them to consider a career in this industry in the future.

MUN Conference in Bath for selected Years 10 to Lower Sixth pupils

Six Year 10 to Lower Sixth pupils spent the first weekend in March at a Model United Nations (MUN) conference at Kingswood School, Bath. Each of our delegates were allocated to separate committees; Science and Technology, Human Rights, Environmental, Political, Historic, and Security Council. Representing Mozambique, they engaged in enlightening debates on pressing global issues like the Israel-Palestine dispute, the RussianUkraine war, nuclear fusion, water scarcity and so much more. Their discussions were influenced by

Mozambique’s unique perspectives, offering fresh insights into complex geopolitical issues.

Despite encountering snow on our second day, momentarily delaying the conference, they were able to use this time to explore Bath city centre. This unexpected hiatus allowed them an opportunity to admire the beautiful views of snowy Bath. On the last day they were presented with the General Assembly crisis topic on the Russian invasion of Lithuania because of disputes over the exclave of Kaliningrad. In their committees they worked together to forward operative clauses in order to reach a fully formed resolution.

A Level Politics Conference in Westminster

Lower Sixth politicians went to an exciting Politics Conference at Westminster Central Hall in March. They were lucky enough to hear from a variety of speakers including Wes Streeting who is a Labour politician, Jacob Rees Mogg, a member of the Conservative Party, and Richard Ticem, the current leader of Reform UK. Attendees heard from The Rest is Politics duo Alastair Campbell and Rory Stewart, who answered questions from the students live, and also took some to answer on their podcast later. Pupils found the experience to be incredibly beneficial towards their studies, as well as a fun and entertaining day out.

The Bayer Labs in Reading

Lower Sixth Biology students thoroughly enjoyed a day out at the Bayer Labs in Reading in April. It was a chance for us to gain experience of working in a lab, allowing us to obtain a useful and valuable insight into potential careers in scientific research. Using advanced scientific equipment, we tried techniques such as PCR and gel electrophoresis to solve a forensic science crime scene

Peter Jones invites Tycoon Enterprise student company DEJA to attend a Fundraising Gala at Foxhills Country Club

Peter Jones (from Dragon’s Den) invited one of our amazing Tycoon Enterprise student companies – DEJA – to send three members of the company to attend a Fundraising Gala at Foxhills Country Club. The event was organised to raise funds for the Peter Jones charitable Foundation who run the Tycoon Enterprise competition for UK schools. The guest list included a number of celebrities including Peter Jones, John Terry (former Premier League and England footballer and coach), Mark Foster (Olympic swimmer), Alan Shearer and Thom Evans (former Scottish

mystery. We were also interested to learn about the science behind important practices in modern life such as ancestral testing and how DNA can be used to identify an individual involved in a crime. It was a great day out and enabled us to apply our knowledge practically, and gain insight into potential future careers. This will prove invaluable in the upcoming months when deciding our University degrees.

Leila, Lower Sixth Biologist

International rugby union player), and only two student companies from the region were invited to attend; ours being one!

SGA place 5th Nationally in GAIN (Girls are Investors) Competition

In May, pupils in team ‘AVOCADO’ were delighted to discover that out of the 108 student teams who entered the GAIN (Girls are Investors) Competition, they had placed 5th in the country. The GAIN programme aims to foster the next generation of female financial analysts. Our winning St George’s team comprised Linh, Bonnie, Shakira and Alexandra from the Lower Sixth. Their prize was an invitation to a masterclass hosted by a member of the judging panel – Sachee Travedi, founder of Trident Capital Investments – who gave them detailed feedback on their stock pitch and presentation and provided inspiring and invaluable advice on career pathways into the Finance sector. Congratulations to team AVOCADO!

L6 Felicitas wins the Royal Ascot Fashion Design Competition 2024

We are very proud of Felicitas in our Lower Sixth, who won this year’s Royal Ascot Fashion Design Competition. Felicitas was tasked with designing an outfit that fits with Ascot’s Queen Anne Enclosure dress code, inspired by the 2024 Royal Ascot LookBook, and saw this outfit brought to life by LK Bennett, when she wore it to Royal Ascot. In addition, Felicitas has been offered work experience at LK Bennett in October, working with their team on the Autumn Winter Coat Collection 2025. The prize also includes £500 for St George’s textiles department.

Open to pupils at all Berkshirebased schools and design colleges, Royal Ascot’s competition is run in conjunction with fashion retailer LK Bennett, and aims to give young designers, aged 15 and above, an opportunity to break into the fashion and textiles industry. Having been announced as the winner, Felicitas met the team at LK Bennett to talk through her design in more detail, including material choices, and to have her measurements taken so that her design could be manufactured to wear to Royal Ascot on Saturday 22 June, 2024. LK Bennett’s milliner designed and created a hat to match Felicitas’ outfit, which was also made to measure. Felicitas’ time with LK Bennett was filmed by

them, and she was photographed and interviewed on Ascot TV at Royal Ascot.

The LK Bennett creative team commented on Felicitas’ design “...[it is] really lovely, and nice to have trousers as they are much more relevant to what’s happening in fashion. The vibrant green is very much in tune with LKB’s best selling colour. It will look wonderful at Royal Ascot!”.

Textiles is a popular subject at St George’s, where girls are encouraged to express themselves creatively, to be bold and innovative and to create exciting and dynamic creations, to which Felicitas’ win is testament.

Year 8 History Day

On 13 June, Year 8 enjoyed a Suffragette themed History Day, which featured a History Bake Off, Historical Fiction writing challenge and performing a dramatic scene based on historic events.

Writing historical fiction is a challenge in itself but the Year 8s were not deterred and wrote incredible pieces from the perspective of a witness to the events at Epsom Derby on

8 June 1913. The following girls were presented with bespoke Historical Fiction pens in special recognition of their work: Mia, Marla, Khloe and Daniella.

In the History Bake Off, girls were enthusiastic throughout and incredibly competitive, working hard to win the title of ‘Star Bakers’, which went to Svetlana, Sophie and Victoria in the morning and Alex, Aaliyah, Ayannah, Khloe & Georgia in the afternoon.

The third activity was to create a short drama piece about a suffragette, using a short clip from the film Suffragette to inspire their thinking. The passion shown was incredible and the thoughtful and relevant performances were impressive. Many thanks to Mrs McConville, Mrs Ashman and Mrs van de Weg for putting on this fantastic experience for the girls.

RSC Schools’ Analyst Competition

Lower Sixth Chemistry pupils enthusiastically took part in the RSC Schools’ Analyst competition. In small groups, they took on the role of analytical chemists assisting the local Trading Standards Office to investigate some unusual products on sale at the ‘Super Sugar Candy Store’. It was suspected that some of the items contain ingredients that are restricted or are in the incorrect amounts. Our Chemists had to demonstrate, and expand on, their existing knowledge and skills to determine if the items for sale were safe for human consumption, and had the correct ingredients on the package. The competition was based on real-world use of Chemistry, and gave our pupils an exciting insight into some of the many ways that chemical techniques are used to solve real problems.

CAPABLE

Sports

Sport and Dance Review of the Year

It was a pleasure to welcome so many pupils and parents to the Sports and Dance Review of the Year on Monday 1 July. Following drinks and canapes, it was inspirational to hear from author, director, podcaster and entrepreneur Sue Anstiss, who has driven change in women’s sport for over 30 years. Many congratulations to all of those who achieved an award; they were thoroughly well-deserved.

Sport and Dance Review of the Year

Strength & Conditioning for Sports Scholars

ESSA Berkshire Qualifiers

Sisters n Sport National Netball Plate for Schools Competition

Nationals Lacrosse Weekend

U13 & U14 Netball Champions

U15 Football

U12 GSA Cricket Tournament

Milestone Hardball Cricket Match

Berkshire County Schools

Athletics Success

Strength & Conditioning for Sports Scholars

The Sports Scholars have had an exciting new addition to their programme this year in the form of weekly Strength and Conditioning with Coach, Mr Watson. They have been focusing on developing their speed and power through a variety of exercises in the gym and sports hall, with the aim of applying these improved attributes to their chosen sports. The Sports Scholars are tested on both their jumping and sprinting ability throughout the year to observe the huge improvements as a result of their hard work and training.

ESSA Berkshire Qualifiers

St George’s hosted the English Schools Swimming Association (ESSA) Berkshire in September. The Junior, Inter and Senior teams were made up of four swimmers each and had to swim two relay events involving 50m legs; the Freestyle and the Medley.

On this day, our squads achieved the best results ever achieved by SGA swim squads. We are so proud of all the swimmers who gave it their all on the day.

Junior Girls:

2nd out of 7 in the Freestyle 4th out of 7 in the Medley

Inter Girls:

3rd out of 9 in the Freestyle 6th out of 9 in the Medley

Senior Girls: 4th out of 6 in the Freestyle 3rd out of 6 in the Medley

U18A team get to fourth round of Sisters n Sport National Netball Plate for Schools Competition

Between September 2023 and January 2024, the U18A netball team took part in four rounds of the Sisters n Sport National Netball Plate for Schools Competition, making it all the way through to the fourth round.

After a strong performance and win against The Abbey in their first match, followed by wins against Gordon’s School in the second and James Allen Girls (JAGS) in the third, it was a tense afternoon as the fourth rolled around on 22 January. Playing renowned netball school, Barking Abbey, and with strong

Nationals Lacrosse Weekend

The senior lacrosse team had an excellent weekend at Nationals. After a full day of games they were placed in Pool A in Division 2 for the second day. On the morning of the second day the team had 2 wins and a draw to win their pool and go on to the knockout rounds. A tense game against St Helen’s resulted in a 3-2 win, putting the team through to the Quarter Finals. The game against Queen Margaret’s, York went all the

support from staff and other pupils, our U18As were narrowly defeated by just one goal in the last few seconds of the game. It was a fantastic outcome, and sets the scene for even greater things in next year's competition.

This was the first outing for SGA in this competition, and what a success it was!

way to extra time and golden goal, with Queen Margaret’s unfortunately winning 3-2. Every single member of the team was outstanding and Miss Gillatt couldn’t be more proud!

The third day of Nationals was the U15s time to shine and a huge well done goes to the whole team. They played very well against tough opponents and they managed to secure a fantastic 3-0 win. It was an absolutely brilliant 3 days of lacrosse and well done to all who were involved.

St Georges crowned Netball champions at U13 (A and B) Ascot Schools Tournament

On Tuesday 5 March the U13 A and B netball teams played at the Ascot Schools Tournament (AST) and there was some fantastic netball on display from both teams. The B team held on for an excellent win by one goal against Heathfield and also convincingly beat The Marist to be crowned AST champions. Congratulations to the team for a fantastic result!

The A team also played brilliantly, and were runners up in their tournament. Players of the tournament went to Isabella, Daniella and Chloé (Year 8).

U14 Netball Team Named County Champions of Berkshire Schools County Netball Championship

Our U14 netball team secured victory at the Berkshire Schools County Netball Championship, held on Saturday 7 October at Theale

Green School. This accomplishment marks a significant milestone for the School and reflects the growing popularity of netball among our students, supported by excellent coaching and enthusiasm from our staff. In an outstanding display of talent and teamwork, we emerged as the champions of the tournament, following a seven match round-robin tournament.

In addition, we were very proud of our U19 team who achieved a commendable 4th place in the County Championship based on goal difference. The competition was highly competitive, with very little separating the top teams –Wellington, Bradfield, The Marist, and St George’s. Only two teams could advance to the regionals, making St. George’s performance so commendable.

These accomplishments reflect the School’s commitment to fostering both academic and athletic excellence among its students, and to providing a well-rounded education that nurtures talent, teamwork and sportsmanship.

It was an absolute pleasure to take 11 keen footballers to Charterhouse on Saturday 16 March for an U15 game. Although the intention was to play 9 a-side, the girls showed good sportsmanship and etiquette by lending the opponents players to enable a more equal game.

We dominated the first 30 minute half and got the first goal early on from Gabriele (Year 8). We scored another through Daisy (Year 10) tapping an easy goal in as we were exploiting space well, but Charterhouse pulled one back before half time.

In the second 30 minute half, the team showed versatility as there were lots of changes and positional switches. We continued to dominate possession but Charterhouse attacked quickly on the counter, which caught us off guard a couple of times; however, Gabriele continued her fine form to score 3 more goals to put us 5-3 up.

Liv (Year 9) was awarded player of the match by the opposition and it was amazing to finish the season with such a convincing victory!

Football v Charterhouse

U12

On Monday 13 May, the U12A and B cricket teams went to Prior’s Field School to compete in the first ever GSA South Central cricket tournament, which is a new initiative created by the GSA South-Central/South East Sport and Wellness Group that is led by Miss Appleby.

Both teams thoroughly enjoyed themselves with the A team coming 2nd out of 3, and the B team coming 3rd out of 5.

Lily, Kristin and Olivia (Year 7) were all voted as players of the match across their games for the As, who beat St Nicholas’ School due to our fielding/bowling strength, but lost to Prior’s Field.

The B team scored huge numbers of runs in their tournament, with Livia, Pearl and Scarlett (Year 7) leading from the front scoring multiple fours in every match! They won against Farnborough Hill and Prior’s Field, with a narrow loss against St Teresa’s School, Effingham and held their own against eventual first place team, St Catherine’s, Bramley.

SGA’s first Hardball Cricket Match

Tuesday 25 June was a milestone cricket game for St George’s as the U14 team took part in the first competitive hardball cricket match in our history, at

Berkshire County Schools Athletics Success

We had some amazing success at the County Schools Athletics Championships. Three girls Lily (Year 7), Sophie (Year 8) and Arabella (Year 9) were selected by Bracknell to compete at the County Championships. Sophie put in a strong performance in the javelin, finishing 5th. Arabella demonstrated fantastic speed,

St Mary’s Ascot. The team came together to play with determination and grit. Well done to Georgia and Arabella in Year 9 who were named Players of the Match. Also well done to Poppy (Year 9) who was top run scorer and leading wicket taker.

finishing a really close 2nd in the 100m and was selected to run at the English Schools Championships in Birmingham after the end of term, which is an incredible achievement. Finally, Lily ran the 70m hurdles and after a series of flawless races, was crowned U13 Berkshire county champion – an exceptional result. We are very proud of all three girls’ performances on the county stage – well done!

CONNECTED SGA

Our aim is to foster knowledge, critical thinking and problem solving skills such that our girls are inspired to enter the world with confidence

The Connected SGA Community

Twilight walk in Richmond for Lower Sixth pupils

On Tuesday 26 September the Lower Sixth came together and enjoyed a relaxing stroll through Richmond. This trip was an opportunity for the girls to get to know each other better outside of a school setting, which was embraced with much enthusiasm.

The girls were given various partners throughout the evening along with sheets which prompted questions, such as ‘who is an important person in your life?’ This encouraged them to have deeper conversations with those they were less well acquainted with.

The walk itself along the Thames was delightful, preceded by the enjoyment of a famous ice cream rose from Amorino. The Lower Sixth arrived at the top of Richmond Hill just in time to see the sun set over the scenic greenery that surrounds the Thames. They then enjoyed fish and chips and halloumi postwalk at Pier 1 Restaurant, which was the perfect way to end such a spectacular evening. It was a relaxed but special trip for the year that allowed them to build connections in an external but still comfortable environment.

Special thanks go to Mrs Kratt for having made this trip possible, and for making it as special as it was.

Twighlight Walk in Richmond

Carols in the Quad and Christmas Dinner

Diversity Week

Imperial War Museum Trip

Australia Exchange Programme

Visiting speaker Dr Guy Sutton

Normandy Trip

Marine Life Talk with Mike Barron

Religious Studies Trip to Guru Maneyo Gurdwara in Slough

Carols in the Quad and Christmas Dinner

Carols in the Quad on the penultimate day of term was full of festive fun as girls and staff sang their favourite carols in the beautifully lit Quad, before enjoying a delicious Christmas feast and then dancing at the disco.

Diversity Week

In February we celebrated Diversity Week at St George’s. As well as celebrating the rich heritage and cultures that exist within the School community, we took an in depth look at South-East Asian culture. Girls had the opportunity to learn and try new activities such as watching and participating in an international fashion show, and Chinese calligraphy and cooking classes led by pupils.

To end the week, girls either wore their traditional clothing or dressed in the colours of their flag. This has been an amazing opportunity for our pupils to immerse themselves in the vast South-East Asian culture, as well as embrace other aspects of diversity that make our community unique.

Imperial War Museum visit for Year 10

In February, Year 10 went to the Imperial War Museum. Once they arrived they had an hour and a half of touring the Holocaust gallery with iPads that enabled them to learn about the pictures there in greater detail. The iPad also allowed them to answer questions relating to the gallery, and gave background to some of the displays.

At the end of the tour of the Holocaust gallery, the group met with a Museum Officer, who asked them to reconsider the

Australia Exchange Programme

Year 9 Emelie spent seven weeks in Australia in the spring term as part of our exchange programme with St Catherine’s, Melbourne. Emelie said of her experience:

“I loved every part of my exchange! The best part was Victoria Market for souvenirs and Philip Island where I fed kangaroos, and saw penguins come up from the water. I also loved going to the beach and visiting Sovereign Hill. I have

question: “Why do we continue to learn about the Holocaust?” The groups’ written responses were compiled and will be used as part of the museum display in future.

Girls had a chance to explore many of the other interesting displays, learning more about spies in the Cold War, and equipment used in World War II. They had two hours to explore the rest of the museum where many visited the newest wing called: ‘Spies, Lies and Deception’, featuring details of the many brave spies and tactics they used throughout World War I and II, and the Cold War.

Visiting speaker ‘The Present and Future of the Brain’

After a day of Brain Day workshops for A Level Biologists and also A Level Psychologists, Dr Guy Sutton, Director of Medical Biology Interactive (MBI) gave a fascinating lecture on Wednesday 6 December for A Level Psychologists, Biologists and the wider SGA Community. Entitled ‘The Present and Future of the Brain’, the talk covered exciting new areas within brain science, including the effects of space and space travel on the brain, the neuroscience of climate change, growing human brain tissue in the laboratory and brain computer interfacing, considering issues such as mind reading and the possibility of telepathy.

Year 9 Residential visit to Normandy

For over 30 years, St George’s Year 9 girls have spent a week in Normandy in June, learning about the D-Day landings, and experiencing French culture. This year’s trip was especially poignant, as the previous week marked the 80th anniversary of the landings. Girls visited the landing beaches near Arromanches and German gun emplacements to see in person where the events they learned about took place and participated in guided tours, learning about the strategies,

had the best time meeting new people and my exchange family. The most different thing about the school here is that they finish so

early compared to us! The weather here changes really fast, going from freezing 11 degrees in the morning to 30 degrees later in the day!”

The following term, Vera came from Australia to join St George’s for most of the Summer term. As well as getting fully involved in lessons, Vera continued her training as a high performance swimmer. The extended school day was the most obvious change from St Catherine’s along with our cold spring weather!

challenges, and bravery of the soldiers involved.

They also visited museums dedicated to preserving the memories of this pivotal moment in World War II including Pegasus Bridge Museum, Merville Battery, and looking even further back in history, Mont St Michel and

Bayeux. As well as supporting their History and French studies, the trip is an important time to celebrate friendships and spend time together following their summer examinations; together they shared plenty of delicious French cuisine, and immersed themselves in the language, making for a truly memorable trip.

Marine Life talk from Mike Barron, Cape-RADD

In March, Year 9 was delighted to welcome Mike Barron to talk about sharks, underwater ecosystems and marine biology around Cape Town, South Africa. Mike is a world leading expert on white sharks and marine biology. He is a co-founder of CapeRADD in South Africa, a marine field station that serves as a platform for researchers in the False Bay area of Cape Town. This interactive and engaging talk was extremely informative and linked very well to our SGA STEM week focus on the environment.

Year 8 Religious Studies trip to the Guru Maneyo Gurdwara in Slough

In June, Year 8 visited the Guru Maneyo Gurdwara in Slough to further develop their understanding of Sikhism, with a particular focus on faith within our local community.

The Gurdwara organised two excellent workshops; the first was on commitment and the second examined the importance of the 5Ks. Subsequently, Year 8 were honoured to have the opportunity to visit the Guru Granth Sahib Ji and learn about the practice of Simran in the context of Sikh worship. Finally, they were served Langar, consisting of dhal and chapatis before returning to School. It was an excellent morning.

House Competitions

House Debating

The final of the annual House Debating competition took place between A House, who

proposed the motion ‘This house believes that a government of experts would be preferable to a democratically elected government’, with B House in opposition. Year 7 pupils Lila and Maddy gave impressive performances debating effectively for their teams, and Sakina and Yavi in Year 10 then went head to head, debating with passion their points of view. Finally, Jess and Divya were most impressive summarisers. However, B House just managed to win the debate with Jess chosen as the best debater, being noted for her ability to engage with the debate and present wellconsidered arguments. The third/fourth playoff between C and D Houses, who debated ‘This house believes that Humanity should fear advances in artificial intelligence’, resulted in a victory for C House.

Debating Netball

Swimming

House Performing Arts

Music

Art Lacrosse Tennis Football

House Cricket

House Athletics

House Netball

On a rather damp, but nonetheless fun-filled, afternoon on Tuesday 12 December, the majority of the School took to the courts for 2023’s House Netball competition.

With much friendly rivalry between the houses, and after some closely fought games, the final results were:

1st – D House

2nd – A House

3rd – C House

4th – B House

Junior House Swimming

There was excitement in the air as girls took part in Junior House Swimming on Wednesday 13 December. With all the main races and relays in the schedule, swimmers also had the opportunity to take part in some rather different relays, such as the woggle and Minnie Mouse relay!

A new addition for 2023 was the setting of records for each event. Etta (Year 8) achieved the most records on the day – Backstroke A,

House Music Competition

A closely fought House Music Competition was held in March.

With a variety of high energy performances from each house, including choir versions of hits such as Murder On The Dancefloor, Viva La Vida, You Belong With Me and Pink, as well as some amazing solo performances, girls put on a incredible afternoon of music.

After judging, the results were:

1st – B House

2nd – C House

3rd – A House

4th – D House

Front Crawl A, Medley Relay and Front Crawl Relay. Georgia (Year 9), Ruby and Izzy H (both Year 8) also secured three records each.

Ultimately, it was B House who put in a dominant performance, securing wins in nine of the thirteen races. D House were a clear 2nd, with C House pipping A House to 3rd with only a two point difference.

Next year there will be extra points for swimmers who manage to beat the newly set records.

House Performing Arts

On Thursday our girls participated in our annual House Performing Arts Competition. The competition featured a variety of performances, including drama, music, dance, and spoken word poetry, each showcasing the diverse skills and passions of our house members. The hard work and dedication of everyone involved was clear to see - a huge well done to all, and especially to C House, who were the overall winners.

House Art Competition

The theme for House Art this year was ‘Celebrating Culture’ and pupils were encouraged to produce their own interpretation of this.

Each house selected a team of five pupils including one Lower Sixth to help plan, organise and supervise the younger girls. Each team was given an A1 canvas and could use a variety of materials. Acrylic paint is a popular medium and one pupils are familiar with.

Pupils had one week to produce their House Art entry within their extra curricular time. The diverse ideas this year were impressive, as was the quality of the paintings. After several days on display, everyone could see the results of competitors’ hard work.

The finished pieces were judged by Mrs Chris Fidler, who was Head of Art from 1979 to 2017 and the winner was C House, with B House in second place, D House third place and A House in fourth place.

House Lacrosse

The last week of the spring term saw an exciting afternoon for the House Lacrosse competition and it was wonderful to see so many pupils from throughout the School taking part in this event.

Excellent teamwork was demonstrated between year groups and there was a real sense of House spirit from the entire St George’s community. The winners on the day were B House, with A House as runners up.

House Tennis

The House Tennis Tournament was an excellent display of tennis and friendly competition, bringing together pupils from Years 7, 8, 9 and 10. Each House showcased their best players in doubles matches, resulting in thrilling rallies and impressive serves. The tournament was a great

Senior House Football

On Wednesday 13 March, Year 11 and the Sixth Form took part in House Football. Despite some

success with lots of team-spirit and impressive teamwork. It was wonderful to see the individual talents of the players and also the collective effort and enthusiasm of each House. The results were:

1st – D House: 23 points

2nd – A House: 22 points

3rd – B House: 18 points

4th – C House: 16 points

of the girls not having played much football previously they got into the spirit of the game and all played very well. When adding the results to the Junior events, the

final results were:

1st – C House

2nd – D House

3rd – B House

4th – A House

House Cricket

It was a fantastic afternoon of cricket for our Year 7 and 8 pupils at House Cricket on Wednesday 12 June. Many pupils showcased their cricket talent and teamwork and each house fielded enthusiastic teams that battled fiercely on the pitch, demonstrating remarkable house spirit and sportsmanship.

House Athletics

Everyone appreciated the cooler summer weather for the much loved annual House Athletics competition. This was the last competitive House event in the year’s School calendar, and brought together athletes from every House

The tournament saw some impressive batting, strategic bowling, and agile fielding, with all houses competing passionately. The final round was particularly exciting, with C House getting a catch on the final ball which was enough for them to win against a strong B House side! A huge well done to all who took part.

to showcase their skills in a variety of track and field events as well as relays. Spirited cheers from fellow House members, staff, and parents created a great atmosphere, highlighting our special sense of community. Huge thanks must go to our wonderful Parent Association and ‘Sir Whippy’s Ice

On Thursday 20 June it was the turn of Years 9 and 10.

It was a glorious sunny morning with yet more fierce competition.

Final results were:

1st – C House

2nd – A House

3rd – D House

4th – B House

Creams’ for providing ice creams to everyone beforehand to get the event started off on the right foot!

The results on the day were:

1st – C House: 298 points

2nd – A House: 266 points

3rd – D House: 252 points

4th – B House: 230 points

House Parties

A House Party

Early in December, A House's party took place with a Barbie theme. The night started off with an amazing buffet where parents, girls and staff mingled and chatted

whilst enjoying delicious food provided by the catering staff.

Everyone had a lot of fun dressing up either as different Barbies and Kens, or in a lot of pink. After dinner, everyone moved over to

the Cormack Hall to enjoy entertainment from members of the House.

Performances included solos by Alice, Charlie, Bia, Svetlana and Cleo, as well as a group dance performed by Year 7 and Upper Sixth girls to the song I’m just Ken, which brought smiles to everyone’s faces. The entertainment concluded with the House song, Pink by Lizzo.

It was a thoroughly enjoyable evening and many wonderful memories were made.

Ava, Upper Sixth

B House Party

The theme for this year’s B House party was Disco! Girls, staff and parents alike embraced the theme with many sparkly outfits to be seen. The dining room was decorated with a fantastic balloon arch and disco balls. After dinner, guests were treated to some amazing performances from the whole House, including:

Isabella (Upper Sixth) singing Losing My Mind.

Alexis (Year 9) and Ruby (Year 8) dancing Grand pas Espagnol.

Milly (Upper Sixth) singing Mamma

Ensemble – I Saw the Sign/Magic

Year 7 and Upper Sixth Dance – Boogie Wonderland.

House Song – Viva la Vida

Mia.

C House Party

On Friday 18 November, the C House party took place, starting off with an amazing buffet where parents, girls and staff mingled and chatted whilst enjoying delicious food provided by the catering staff. Some amazing pirate costumes were on display, many had clearly made a tremendous effort to be the best and most authentic pirate possible.

Mr Naeem’s costume definitely turned some heads; Captain Jack Sparrow! After taking photographs of the whole pirate crew, everyone moved into the Cormack Hall to enjoy performances by members of the House. These ranged from singing solos, to piano pieces, and group dances. Year 7 had worked hard on a pirate dance and were superb. This was followed by a fun sea shanty dance by Year 8 and Lower Sixth which brought smiles to everyone’s faces. Solo performances included an original song by Jeanne Marie, Leila, Georgina, Alice and Martha and a stunning ballet performance by Charlotte. Entertainment concluded with the House song, Best Song Ever by One Direction, which was high energy and infectious with everyone clapping along.

Of course, it would not be a C House party without a ‘Mr Naeem Speech’,

as always he added his personal touch to it by drawing parallels between his summer crop of ‘green’ chillies and the wonderfully talented members of C House. It was a thoroughly enjoyable night and many wonderful memories

were made which everyone will treasure for many years – a treasure trove that no pirate can ever plunder!

Charlotte, Upper Sixth

D House Party with a ‘Taylor Swift; The Era’s Tour’ theme

D House had the pleasure of hosting a ‘Taylor Swift; The Era’s Tour’ themed party on Friday 2 February. With the dining hall decorated with all of her album covers, it was great to see so many people dressed to match their favourite Taylor ‘era’, from sequins to cowboy hats. Guests enjoyed a lovely buffet dinner as well as lots of socialising between parents, pupils and D House staff.

After dinner, amazing performances from Olivia singing Adele, Tabby singing

Taylor Swift, and Ayannah, who made an amazing debut on the Cormack Hall stage, singing Miley Cyrus were enjoyed by

all. The evening finished with the whole House singing a wonderful rendition of Taylor Swift’s classic You Belong With Me, complete with pompoms!

Thank you to all the pupils and parents for joining us; we look forward to the next one!

Partnerships and Outreach

The Great History Debate

On Wednesday 11 October the History Department hosted the inaugural Great History Debate for primary schools.

As part of our Centenary celebrations, the topic for discussion was ‘What was the most significant invention over the past 100 years and why?’

It was a pleasure to welcome participants from Connaught Primary, South Ascot Village School, St Francis Primary School and Holy Trinity Sunningdale Primary School. The stage was set with four judges from the Upper Sixth –Sophie, Lily, Charlotte and Izzy – all prepared with clipboards and marksheets as well as very supportive Year 7s ready to applaud the speakers.

The most significant inventions ranged from the Covid Vaccination to Nuclear Energy.

All the participants were so impressive, but the winner on the day was Sophie from South Ascot Village School who argued very clearly that it was the Epipen that was the most significant. To add to the excitement of winning, it was her birthday as well!

It was then time for tea and chat with cookies and juice. It was a very enjoyable afternoon that, importantly, supports oracy in schools as well as encouraging a love of history.

A Level Drama Stanislavski Workshop for Sixth Form and visiting pupils from Charters School

Upper and Lower Sixth A Level Drama pupils worked with visiting A Level Drama pupils from Charters School on Thursday 5 October in a fascinating Stanislavski workshop. The day was run by a visiting practitioner and professional actor with the aim of better understanding and learning from Stanislavski, the father of naturalism and naturalistic actor training.

The workshop was extremely challenging and thought provoking, with students encouraged to consider the psychology of performance and the approaches an actor uses to get to the ‘truth’ of a character. All the attendees gained a huge amount from the workshop and it was great to build connections with pupils from another school and share ideas about their A Level experiences.

The Great History Debate

Stanislavski Workshop

Medical Ethics Workshop

Classics and Drama Workshop with Splendid Theatre

The pupils look forward to applying their knowledge of Stanislavski gained from the workshop to their practical examinations in the summer.

Medical

Ethics Workshop for selected Sixth Form pupils

A Level Biology, Chemistry and Philosophy students from Herschel Grammar School and Brakenhale School visited St George’s for a Medical Ethics Debate Conference on Wednesday 22 November.

Pupils worked together in mixed groups to debate a range of ethical topics. The day concluded with a fascinating keynote talk from St George’s parent Dr Bennett about capacity and the age of consent for medical procedures.

It was very interesting and insightful to share knowledge and viewpoints with other pupils studying similar subjects. The event sparked curiosity and encouraged attendees to develop their own opinions on these important ethical matters in the medical field, and they felt that this will greatly benefit their studies and future aspirations.

Classics and Drama Workshop with Splendid Theatre for Year 8

and Charters pupils

Year 8 pupils from St George’s and Charters School enjoyed two drama sessions together, workshopping the myths of King Midas and Narcissus. The sessions enabled pupils to work together to really get into

the techniques of ensemble storytelling, characterisation and physical theatre. Working in small groups, participants drew clear parallels between these myths and modern topics/people which is a useful theatrical storytelling tool, and one the pupils really connected with. Everyone had great fun exploring the theme as well as having the opportunity to work together.

Charity Connections

St George’s has a very active calendar of charity events in which every year group is encouraged to participate. At the start of the academic year, pupils and staff propose a selection of charities working in the Poverty & Justice, Environmental and Health sectors and the whole School community votes for a choice of one charity from each sector to support for the year. This year the charities chosen were Razom for Ukraine, The Little Princess Charity, and The Rainforest Trust. Cake sales, quizzes, summer fairs, swimathons and non-uniform days are regular features alongside collections for the British Legion at Remembrance, Christmas Jumpers for Save the Children, food supplies for the Wokingham Food Bank at Harvest and shoeboxes for Link to Hope at Christmas.

Trackies for Trusts: Girls enjoyed wearing their loungewear to School for a more relaxed feel and raised £532 for our three School charities.

Link to Hope: 24 full boxes were taken to be delivered to families for Christmas in Ukraine, Romania, Bulgaria and Moldova.

Pyjama Day & Cake Sale: Everyone enjoyed the opportunity to dress down for the day (including Mrs Magill, Mr Naeem and Dr Alsopp, and Ms Quinn and Mrs Kirk from the Bursary even sported matching Wonder Woman Onesies!). At break time, a beautiful selection of cakes and sweets supplied by Year 9 were available for sale in the dining room, which were an almost sell-out. Over £800 was raised for our charities; an incredible outcome.

Charity Christmas Fair

International Women’s Day

Charity Fundraising Quiz

Royal British Legion: Girls made donations for poppies for Remembrance Day. A special highlight is the hand knitted poppies contributed by a Georgian Granny, and the students particularly enjoy purchasing these items as well as the traditional paper or pin badge poppies.

Movie themed non-uniform day: The whole School (including some staff!) took part in a non-uniform day and dressed up as their favourite film character. Year 10 then hosted film showings, with tasty snacks, during club time which was a great way to end a memorable day! The girls raised an incredible £969, which will be shared between the three School charities.

Princess themed non-uniform day: In a nod to one of our nominated charities, The Little Princess Trust, girls went for full-on Disney Princess costumes, a tiara, and anything in between. It is always a great joy to see people’s sense of humour and creativity on these non-uniform days, as well as raising funds for such important causes.

Year 11 Charity Christmas Fair

Club time on Tuesday 28 November saw Year 11 pupils host a festive fair. With a huge array of tempting treats on offer, including crepes, cupcakes and sweets, and a range of fun games – including the absolute favourite, ‘Pie the Teacher’ – an incredible £610 was raised. Well done to Year 11 for organising such a fun and successful fundraising event.

International Women’s Day Charity Event

Isabella (Upper Sixth), our Charity prefect, organised events to coincide with International Women’s Day. There was a collection of sanitary products and toiletries which filled up Rev Watts car boot and were taken to Berkshire Women’s Aid in Reading, where they were

passed on to women seeking refuge from abusive situations who have little or no income. In addition, Isabella, with the help of the Charity reps, organised a Bake Sale which raised just under £400, an amount that Berkshire Women’s Aid have said will really make a difference in the lives of some of their clients.

Thank you to everyone for their creativity, generosity and hard work to raise money for good causes.

Charity Fundraising Quiz

Monday 29 April was our fundraising quiz, supporting the School charities. Our Charity Representatives for the Lower Sixth, Mali and Amelia organised and hosted the event in the Chapel, which saw two rival teams of teachers go head to head.

It was a hard-fought competition, with the team comprising Mr Schofield, Mr Naeem, Mr Rai, Mrs Tea and Mrs Allan coming out on top, and the the unlucky losing team (Mrs SuttonJennings, Mr Hoar, Mr Wright, and Mrs Kratt) being on the receiving end of a custard pie each from the victors!

Futures

The Laurie-Walker Leadership Programme

Support in the form of a generous legacy from former governor and alumna Anna Laurie-Walker, has enabled us to launch a new leadership series, ‘The LaurieWalker Leadership Programme’ with the Lower Sixth this year.

Through the programme, the School will support girls in the Lower Sixth in developing their confidence and in enabling them to assert themselves better in everyday life, such as during the presentation of ideas, team leadership and in public speaking. The programme will also help in competitive or workplace situations, such as during applications for further education courses or work, in interviews and appraisals, as well as on promotion boards.

The first speaker of the series was Lieutenant General Peter Pearson CB, CBE, who spent 35 years in the British Army as a Gurkha officer, retiring in March 2010. His senior appointments included

Alumnae Careers Day

On the afternoon of Friday 10 November, 14 former St George's pupils came back to the School to offer their insight and inspiration on their career journey so far.

Commander British Forces Cyprus, Commandant of The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and Deputy Commander of NATO’s southern command.

Peter spoke about public speaking principles, using notes written by Anna Laurie-Walker during her lifetime as she helped coach St George’s girls through the Oxbridge application process. The girls made their own presentations that were then peer-reviewed, helping to build confidence and resilience. This is only the beginning of what promises to be a wonderful legacy for Anna, and the girls that participated.

The careers under discussion were as varied as the talents of our former students, with representatives from the civil service, events management, fashion, finance, engineering and legal profession amongst many others.

The pupils in Year 10 and above signed up to three, one hour presentations and enjoyed the wisdom of the speakers as well as challenging them with a number of interesting and insightful questions. The staff and girls are grateful for the time and knowledge of the returning alumnae, who are such a valued part of the wider SGA community, and we hope they enjoyed the experience.

The Laurie-Walker Leadership Programme

Alumnae Careers Day Your Lasting Legacy

Your Lasting Legacy: Support future generations of Georgians

As Georgians, your friendships and shared experiences, and the knowledge and skills developed during your time at School, will contribute to shaping your successes.

You can help our School to continue to offer that encouragement and support to future Georgians. By choosing to leave a legacy to St George’s, your generosity will enable girls to continue to learn, to excel and to aim for bright futures: a wonderful gift.

To discuss planning a legacy or a gift in your Will, of any amount, please contact Rachelle Barnett, Head of Philanthropy on philanthropy@stgeorgesascot.org.uk

Services

National Remembrance Day

A special service was held on the morning of Friday 10 November for National Remembrance Day, lead by Rev Sami Watts, who was joined by Lieutenant Colonel Richard Ongaro of the British Army, who is also a Year 7 parent. The Chapel Choir sang The Righteous Shall Be, by Mr Hillier after Rev Watts bidding prayer, and the very moving service included hymns and readings that commemorated and gave thanks to the contribution of British and Commonwealth military and civilian servicemen and women involved in the two world wars and later conflicts.

On Sunday 12 November, Chapel Choir led a beautiful service of music, readings and reflection. There was the opportunity to light a candle as a tribute to those who had lost their lives in war, and to remember all those whom we love but no longer see.

Epiphany Carols

Beautiful music from Chapel Choir, reflective poetry and Bible readings combined with prayers and congregational carol singing made for a reflective service as we celebrated Epiphany as a School community on 19 January.

Highlights included John Piper’s poem The Innkeeper and The Infant King (Basque Noel) arranged by Christopher

National Remembrance Day

Epiphany Carols

Confirmation Service and Tea

Robinson. Although this Christian festival falls on 6 January, Epiphany is a season that continues until Candlemas on 2 February. In it, we remember the coming of the Magi to the infant Jesus and the spreading of God’s light throughout the world, to all nations. This message of peace, hope and unity continues to be relevant and important for us all.

Confirmation Service and Tea

It was a joyful occasion to welcome Bishop David Jennings back to St George’s on Saturday 27 April for a service of Confirmation. Six candidates from Year 8 took the step of confirming their Christian faith, supported by friends and family members.

The Bishop reminded all who were present to think of their own baptism and confirmation –or to consider taking this step for themselves if they would like to. He spoke warmly, encouraging the confirmands in their commitment through prayer, Bible reading, fellowship and taking Holy Communion. The splendid afternoon tea which followed the service gave a great opportunity for conversation and celebration.

Boarding Life in pictures

Alumnae

A

warm welcome from

Laurie Glimmerveen Alumnae Co-ordinator

First, a huge thank you to everyone who attended our events this year, from the Carol Service and Drinks in December, all the way through to the Summer Reunion and Chapel Choir Day in June, it has been wonderful to see so many familiar faces

Thanks also to those who gave their time and wisdom at our Careers Day in November, ranging from recent leavers, to those that have completed their career. Over 20 alumnae shared their stories and advice, which is so valuable to our current girls as they think about their futures and heading out into the world beyond St George’s.

We’re also incredibly grateful for your generous donations to the Cricket Nets Appeal. Thanks to this support we now have top-notch facilities for our pupils, as cricket grows increasingly popular.

This section of the magazine is inspired by the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings this year. We have a touching article about war hero Elaine (Hélène) Vagliano (1928 cohort), photos from the trips to Normandy over the years that so many of

Welcome

Remembering Judy Goodland

Then and Now

Reunion and Chapel Choir Day

Your News

Obituaries

Elaine (Hélène) Vagliano

Alumnae Drinks Reception

Normandy Photos

Wartime at St George’s

us enjoyed, and some heartfelt wartime memories. It’s a powerful reminder of our shared history and the courage of those who came before us.

Looking ahead to next year, we would love to include more of your news stories. Whether it’s a new job, an exciting adventure, or a personal milestone, your stories help keep our community connected.

Thank you again for being such a vital part of our School’s story. Your involvement and support mean the world to us.

A Tribute to Judy Goodland A Life of Dedication and Achievement

Judy Goodland, headmistress of St George’s School, Ascot from 1983-1988, passed away on February 18, 2024, leaving behind a legacy of educational excellence and community dedication. Born on May 26, 1938, in Bramhall, Stockport, Judy’s life was marked by dynamic leadership, a passion for learning, and a deep commitment to her community.

Early Years and Education

Judy’s early life in Bramhall was punctuated by the excitement of blackouts and bomb shelters during World War II, which she enjoyed immensely! Her parents, however, were more disturbed by their excited baby daughter

than by the bombs themselves. Growing up with her siblings, Bridget and Richard, Judy enjoyed both intellectual and outdoor pursuits, influenced by her father’s double first in Natural Sciences from Cambridge and her mother’s Modern Languages degree from Oxford.

Judy’s academic career began with a scholarship to Howell’s School in Denbigh, North Wales, where she flourished academically and made several lifelong friends. A degree in French and Spanish at Bristol University followed – including a period at Sorbonne University, which was made more memorable by widespread rioting in Paris, due to the 1958 Algerian crisis. The cause of more parental anxiety!

Personal Life and Early Career

After graduating, Judy married and the young couple bought, and started renovating, a rundown farm in the Lake District. It was a beautiful location, but the house was still a building site, and they were actually living in a caravan in the farmyard when their first child, Helen, arrived in 1963. Over the next three years, two more children, Deborah and Bill, followed.

Making a living from farming was a challenge, so to supplement their income, Judy put her French to use as a temporary teacher in local schools and as a French oral examiner. She took to her new vocation and, after a PGCE at Charlotte Mason College in Ambleside, became a full-time modern languages teacher at Cartmel Priory Secondary Modern in 1968.

It was a long commute for a mother with three young children and so, when a vacancy was

Judy at Bristol University, 1959

Judy at the Official Opening of Knatchbull

advertised for deputy-head of Elleray, the junior school to St Anne’s in Windermere, she took it. Her first headship followed soon afterwards, at St Kiaran’s, a girls’ prep school in Moffat, Dumfriesshire. Returning to England three years later, Judy took up a position as a French teacher and housemistress at Casterton, an independent girls’ school in Kirkby Lonsdale, Cumbria.

A Remarkable Career in Education

In 1983, Judy was appointed headmistress at St George’s School, Ascot, where she made significant strides over five years. Under her leadership, pupil numbers soared from 130 to 300, and substantial improvements were made to the School’s facilities and academic results. Deirdre Brown remembers; “I was Head Girl when Mrs Goodland started at St George’s. She was such a change from the previous regimes and really helped bring the School into the 20th century.”

Janet Harvey, who was Director of Music and Senior Mistress from 1981 – 1990 noted that Judy “immediately perceived the need to improve the School’s infrastructure, which had become outdated to the point of quaint. Queen’s Hill Lodge was remote from the main campus and girls in residence had to cross St George’s Lane to reach it, not ideal particularly during the winter months. It was, moreover, in need of major refurbishment. On the main School campus, the Library and Art Room were both cramped, the Chapel draughty and expensive to heat. Another key need was the provision of space for music teaching.

Judy worked with the School Governors to plan and carry out a major building programme, initially funded by the sale of Queen’s Hill and by a series of fund-raising initiatives to remedy all these shortcomings.

Her legacy is therefore built into the School. However she also initiated events like the House Parties, and saw the need to create a fourth House to give better balance to all House events. Many members of A, B and C Houses who were transferred to D House were not very happy about this, but Judy anticipated that and took it in her stride. I remember also with gratitude her depth of commitment: where she saw a need she would go the extra mile. Once the musicians put on a Victorian Evening: entirely unprompted, she hired a Victorian costume complete with hoop in which she welcomed parents and other visitors as they arrived!”

John Markham, a former Governor, and great nephew of St George’s first Headmistress, Mrs Anne Loveday, recollects Judy’s first interview with the Governors: “I asked her how much she would plan to partake in out of School activities. She replied with great enthusiasm, and setting up the Duke of Edinburgh Awards was one example of her commitment”. Kerry Bertram (née Tichelly) 1988 cohort, and until recently, Director of Admissions at St George’s, recalls camping in Judy’s garden in Cumbria as part of one of the very first groups to participate in the scheme. Since then, hundreds of girls have gone on to take part, building life-long belief in themselves, and supporting them to take on their own challenges.

Karen Jackman (née Lilly) 198899 Head Girl says that she always remembered Mrs Goodland fondly; she was a “strict but fair headmistress who took a chance on me as Head Girl in her last year. I was not the favourite for the position but her support and belief in me, went some way to making me the person I am today. I remember the meeting we had when she told me that she wanted me to be Head Girl, I thought I was in trouble as she

caught me coming back late from a weekend out when she said slightly tongue in cheek “If you have time in your busy schedule Karen, would you please come and see me in my office!” Honestly I thought I was in for a proper telling off! I was gobsmacked when she asked me to be Head Girl – she did add that I’d have to make sure my time-keeping improved!

When she told me at the beginning of the next term that she was leaving I knew that I had to mark this with something special, I couldn’t think of anything more special for her to remember us by than a brooch featuring a gold fire breathing dragon! I love that she gifted it back to the School and am proud to see it being worn by subsequent headmistresses. My time at St George’s had its ups and downs but it was Mrs Goodland’s belief in me that made the difference”.

Staff too benefited from her insightful and considered decision making – Madame Marie-Christine Bissinger, Former Head of Modern Foreign Languages, recalls “Mrs Goodland was one of six headmistresses at St George’s where I taught from 1971 till 2002. As she was a linguist she understood the nature of my work as the Head of Modern Languages, which was a real bonus for me during her five years there.

The brooch Karen Jackman comissioned for Judy

Mrs Goodland expected a high level of accuracy and perfect English expression from her staff’s academic reports on the pupils’ performances in all subjects. It was the responsibility of Form Tutors to check their colleagues’ prose and point out the weaknesses to be eradicated before presenting the finished work to the headmistress. Ampersands and abbreviations were irrevocably forbidden. Such words as ‘prep’, ‘exams’, ‘maths’ were to be rejected and replaced with their original forms of ‘preparations’, ‘examinations’ and ‘mathematics’. Unfortunately for me, one of my colleagues flatly refused to rewrite her reports strewn with the dreaded abbreviations. I pleaded with her to change her mind, to no avail. I had no other solution than to tell Mrs Goodland that I would rewrite all the offensive reports myself. To my surprise she asked who the rebellious teacher was and on hearing her name said that exceptionally she would allow the abbreviations because the said teacher wrote good reports. I was relieved as both my colleague and I would be saved hours of rewriting reports. Strangely enough this incident sealed a long-lasting friendship between the two of us.

I often think of the French saying “Les peuples heureux n’ont pas d’histoire” (happy people have no

history); indeed, when there aren’t unpleasant events or problems in a society, life is good. Mrs Goodland’s five years at St George’s ensured plain sailing and a fruitful uncomplicated life for me and many of my colleagues”.

Joan Cauldwell, Teacher of Mathematics and ICT 1989-2013, first met Mrs Goodland (no first names for headmistresses in those days!) at the end of 1983 when she interviewed Joan for the position. “At the end of the interview, she told me that she was really looking forward to that evening when she would be attending her first inter-house Declamation Cup competition. I had no idea what ‘Declamation’ meant, but I decided not to reveal my ignorance. To this day I don’t know whether she suspected that I might be ignorant of the meaning of this rather esoteric competition. Over the next 10-15 years I became very familiar with the Declamation Cup, and was suitably impressed by girls who could stand up in front of the whole School and ‘declaim’ without notes, on the subject of their choice.

In the 1980s, lunch was a formal meal. Tables of girls from mixed year groups were led by a member of staff or a senior girl. The head of the table served the main course to the people on her table. The girls

at the table waited until everyone had been served before beginning to eat. On one occasion I was the head of a table and Mrs Goodland was in overall charge of the dining room. The main course was lasagna – which had a somewhat crispy top. Halfway through the meal, Mrs Goodland rang the bell and announced to the School that no one should be using a knife to cut the pasta. Knives (she said) were never to be used for pasta and everyone should already know that. But, there was no other way to deal with the crispy lasagne. I was furious that I had been humiliated in front of my table, but decided to set about getting my revenge. A few days later in the staff room when Mrs Goodland was in an affable mood, I raised the subject of the pasta and the knife, and said I thought a more important issue was that for dessert, we were only ever given one piece of cutlery – a spoon. She looked at me, There was a pause, and then she said, “You’re right. I’ll see to it”. From that day onwards, we were always given a spoon and a fork.

Mrs Goodland’s most impressive moment came during ‘Grand Mark Reading’ (Prize Giving) in the chapel. She was on the stage presenting the prizes when out of the blue, a Tarzan character appeared from the back of the Chapel, ran up the centre aisle, leapt onto the stage and took her in his arms. The whole School was frozen with horror. When Tarzan had said his piece and finally left, Mrs Goodland straightened up, adjusted her academic gown, drew breath, and said that as a headmistress, you had to be prepared for anything. This led to tumultuous applause.

Mrs Goodland was a dynamic headmistress and in some ways a little unconventional. She thought nothing of attracting the attention of the whole School with a very audible wolf whistle. She had her finger on the pulse and knew what was going on in every corner of the School. She took St George’s forward in a number of positive directions, and left the School a better place”.

Topping out the Music School at St George’s with Bursar Gordon Eggleston

After St George’s

Judy’s ability to modernise and expand St George’s set a precedent for her later role at Wycombe Abbey where she took up post as headmistress in 1988. Her influence extended beyond her tenure at St George’s, inspiring numerous educators and headmistresses who followed in her footsteps. Caroline Jordan, who also led St George’s (2005-2011), noted, “I owe my career to Mrs Goodland. She played a really key part in my career; although at Wycombe Abbey, we eventually shared a very special link with St. George’s.

In February 1995 I went for an interview at Wycombe Abbey as a Physics teacher. Appointing me was a risk. I was completing my PGCE after spending 10 years post university running my own travel business. I also had a 6 month old baby. I remember Mrs Goodland asking me if I thought that I could teach Chemistry as well as Physics, although I only had O Level Chemistry! I remember mumbling something about doing some Geochemistry in my Oxford Geology degree and fortunately for me Mrs Goodland was not a scientist, and I was appointed.

Being at Wycombe Abbey gave me every opportunity to build my career, later moving into boarding then Sixth Form leadership roles. I left Wycombe 10 years after starting as a newly qualified teacher to take on the headship at St George’s in Ascot, which reassuringly had been where Mrs Goodland had previously been Head before joining Wycombe.

She came to visit St George’s when I was there and it was wonderful to catch up. I remember she was particularly keen to visit the Chapel, the Art room and Knatchbull.

I have tried to emulate her confidence in taking a risk, trying to look beyond what is on paper when people apply for jobs. I have also tried to encourage teachers like she did, so much

so that 10 people who have worked for me have subsequently become Heads. I have no idea how many more headships she was responsible for, but I am one who is incredibly grateful to her for taking a gamble with me”.

Joanna Grant Peterkin, headmistress at St George’s from 1999-2005, immediately prior to Caroline Jordan, also shared a connection via St George’s and Wycombe Abbey: “I knew Judy well as she was also my daughter’s headmistress at Wycombe Abbey. She came back to St George’s to visit me and was highly supportive, remembering all the different things which can happen in a Head’s day, many of them unexpected! She was both kind to me and great fun. I’ll remember her with affection.”

Themes that would re-appear throughout Judy’s career were established during her time at St George’s: the Schools that she led grew in size, in results, in reputation.

They became more modern and more outward-looking – reflecting the changing role of women in society in that period. They also became more comfortable and congenial places to live and study.

A Legacy of Leadership and Community Involvement

After retiring in 1998, Judy did not slow down. She was a member of the local bridge, chess, golf and sailing clubs. She was a passionate fell-walker, covering all the local fells several times over.

She loved to try new things –from bell-ringing, to taking (and passing) a Latin A Level. She also passed the Advanced Driving Test, and took lessons in playing the harp. She was chairman of the South Lakes Decorative and Fine Arts Society.

This was also a time for family: she was a devoted grandmother to her four grandchildren and generously dispensed love,

sympathy and lemon drizzle cake, as the occasion demanded.

She was deeply engaged in the local community: she gave her time to the Crosthwaite village hall committee, she was a Holehird Gardens warden, she was a trustee at Bendrigg accessible activity centre and a volunteer at the Armitt Museum.

She was a governor of Crosthwaite Primary School and a regular on stage in the village pantomime! In her later years, she took special pleasure in helping out at the Crosthwaite Playgroup, listening to the children read (and knitting jumpers for them in her spare time).

A Lasting Impact

Judy’s legacy at St George’s is indelible. Her efforts in modernising the School infrastructure and fostering a nurturing environment for both staff and students are remembered with deep appreciation. Her life was a testament to her dedication, resilience, and passion for education and community, and her influence will continue to be felt by the many lives she touched throughout her remarkable career and vibrant personal life.

As we remember her, we celebrate a life well-lived and a legacy that will endure.

Former Head Rachel Owens with Judy, back at St George’s in 2016

How many differences can you identify between these scenes from the past and how they appear now?

Take a closer look and compare the details – what stands out as changed or evolved over time?

Alumnae Reunion and Chapel Choir Day

More than 50 past and present Chapel Choir members sang together on Sunday 23 June, in an entertaining and moving performance at the Alumnae Reunion and Chapel Choir Day.

For some alumnae it was the first time returning to School in over 20 years, and one was even a member of Mr Hillier’s inaugural Chapel

Choir in 1989. Over a spectacular afternoon tea, almost 100 guests including current and former pupils and parents shared stories of their time at St George’s and memories of Mr Hillier’s choir leadership.

This was a wonderful celebration of the School’s history and future and was thoroughly enjoyed by all, with calls to make it an annual event!

Your News and Obituaries

Emma Davies (Alun Jones) 1987 cohort

I so enjoyed the wonderful gala day and meeting up with Rachel Gibson (née Aldridge), Victoria Simmons (née Braithwaite), Harriet Hathaway (née Dawson), Serena Althaus, Lizzie Strangman, Alicia Pawson (née Crossley), Lucinda Wakefield (née Pipe), Georgina Walker (née Napier), and others... What a fun day.

Sarah Evans (née Oglesby) 1979-1986 cohort

I have just completed an MSc in Diagnostic Radiography at the University of Derby (just around the corner!) and will be starting my new career at age 55 with a post at the Royal Derby Hospital. I will be in general X-ray but hope eventually to work in MRI.

My daughter Abbie graduated from the University of York in July with a First in Archaeology and Heritage is back home and looking for her first job. Youngest son Philip will be taking A levels in Maths, Further Maths, Physics and Chemistry next summer and is pretty busy with lots of extra-curricular stuff

Diana Heimann (née MacLeod) 1963 cohort

The Hon Diana Heimann, née MacLeod, died on 30 January 2023 in Cape Town, mother of Hugo, Jake and Charlie, also Francine and Philippa. Grandmother to Bessie, Johnny, Moffy, Owen, Alice and George. She is now at rest with her beloved husband David.

Diana had a rich and varied career. She was born into a political family,

too. My eldest Edward keeps healthy and is well cared for in his residential home and we see him often.

Lilian Sartorius (née Barton) 1974 cohort

I have some great news: we became grandparents in February 2023. My daughter Melanie and her husband Gregory have a lovely son called Valentin.

Priscilla Draper (née Matthews) 1972 cohort

After giving Spain a try as a place to live, I have returned to Belgium. Spain is great for a holiday but I prefer Belgium with my circle of friends and being nearer to the UK for family visits. Otherwise not much news to report. I’m well, the family is well and I have a Caribbean Cruise to look forward to in December to celebrate my 70th birthday. How did that happen? I still feel as young as when I was a teenager at St George’s.

I can be contacted at: priscilladraper@yahoo.co.uk

with her father in the House of Commons and mother in the Lords. In 1963 Diana entered the world of fashion journalism, and by 1965, was the youngest editor on Fleet Street.

In 1976 Diana started the first pilot shop for the Irish Designer, Paul Costelloe, and continued to run their business for many years.

From 1972-1987 she had a change of direction and was

Priscilla Coley (née Hedley) 1955 cohort

Having enjoyed the Centenary Celebration in the company of my daughter last summer, I joined the family at their home in Much Wenlock to celebrate her and her husband’s 25th Wedding Anniversary at the end of October. Unfortunately I tripped over an unfamiliar chair leg in their familiar dining room, and not only broke my right femur (silly old lady fall) but missed the evening party. Having explored the medical facilities of a considerable part of Shropshire, North and South, and had a period of rest and rehabilitation, I am once again more mobile, but being in my mid-eighties recovery is unconscionably slow, though I still live independently.

There are always bright spots – all five grandchildren are now over the age of 18! Expensive but exciting. My eldest grandson looks to get married within the year, his sister trains as a Dental Nurse, Fred is about to start his 5th year as a Medical Student with a placement at Guildford, William completes his 3rd year reading History at Bristol, and Sophie is on the threshold of a University course, having had time in Greece recently, rescuing turtles eggs with a group from her college.

also managing a large farm, and by 1975 she had also founded a nursery school.

In 1977 Diana was elected to local council, and the following year joined the Board of Governors of Downe House School and Stony Dean, and was a Trustee of Ruseymeed Hospice.

1980 saw Diana appointed as Director of the Mustique Company, and by 2006, she was working

full time to relaunch ‘Pomade Divine’ – a natural all-purpose skin balm first produced in 1800.

Throughout her life, Diana was very involved in charities, including, Crisis, N.O.S., Asylum Support Appeals Project (ASAP) and Pancreatic Cancer Research, and dedicated the rest of her life to support the homeless through a variety of different charities.

Carol

Johnston

(née Innes-Hopkins) 1959 cohort

Very sadly, Carol died in early 2023. She had a brain aneurysm in February 2022, which she survived. After four months in hospital she came home and was able to enjoy her eightieth birthday in December and Christmas with the family, and died peacefully on 2 January 2023 after a second aneurysm. Until her first aneurysm she was still very active and Scottish country dancing till a week or so before she collapsed.

Belinda Eames (née Starnes) 1958 cohort

In March 2024, Belinda’s son Christoper wrote with sadness to share that she had passed away recently.

Meriel

Edwards

(née Fraser) 1954 cohort

Meriel Edwards (née Fraser) died on 1 April 2024 aged 88. She was at St George’s from about 1947 to 1952. Her sister and many cousins also attended after her.

Julia

Faulkner (née Flint) 1952 cohort

From Julia’s daughter, Inger Arthur: It is with great sadness that I write to inform you of the passing of my mother Julia Faulkner (née Flint), in November 2022.

My mother was always delighted to receive the annual magazine and relished reading the news of pupils old and new. I know she would have particularly loved the historical pieces in the Centenary issue. She most certainly would have had an opinion on her time at

St George’s in the late 1940s early 1950s, pictured above. She would often tell me about how cold it was (and how awful the food was!) and how different it is at the School now. She attended a few of the ‘old girls’ open days and always enjoyed them, especially the wonderful theatre/stage facility. My mother loved acting and her enjoyment of the arts and theatre was with her all through her life and passed down to her five children.

Susan Elaine Beckwith Smith (née Parkes) 1951 cohort

Sadly, Sue’s son informed us that she died on 22 November 2023.

Judy Goodland Headmistress 1983-1988

Please see feature article ‘Remembering Judy Goodland’.

Julia Faulkner (née Flint)

Diana Heimann

The story of Hélène (Elaine) Vagliano

Elaine was born in 1909. She lived in Ascot with her parents and two brothers, not far from St George’s on the corner of the High Street, in a house called Ascot Grange. She eventually became a boarder, was a member of Alexander House, and played in goal for the first lacrosse team. She left St George’s in the Summer of 1927 at the age of 18 when she moved out to Cannes in the South of France, to live there with her family who had bought and restored a lovely home and garden whilst Elaine had stayed in England to finish her education at St George’s. Although it took place many years ago, this story so far is probably similar to the lives of many subsequent Georgians.

After leaving the School, Elaine was active for a while in our Alumnae Association, sharing her news for The Dragon magazine, describing in a lively style her life on the Riviera. Her spirit of adventure and her originality are very evident:

“1930: writing from Cannes: ‘I have just bought myself a speed boat, and so am thoroughly enjoying life at the moment. It’s a tremendously thrilling sport, especially turning corners, and there is really very little danger – unless one tries going too fast – which I must say is very tempting! I started breeding canaries for fun last autumn, as I thought their voices would be cheerful, but now I am in a terrible predicament as I have, somehow, got 42 – all home-bred and I cannot get rid of any of them!

So here I am, surrounded by platoons of canaries, each one trying to out-sing the others – the noise is indescribable, and I have sadly come to the conclusion that the charm of a bird’s song is

distinctly over-rated. In fact, I am thinking of letting them all loose and going in for goldfish instead –at least they cannot sing!!

1931: “Elaine Vagliano is still roaming the Continent and, when she last wrote, was in Italy, after having spent the summer at St Moritz. She had also done some mountaineering with her brother and “gave the guide many white hairs” – which we can well believe!’

1932: ‘Elaine Vagliano writes from Cannes that she is very busy training tortoises. She assures us that they can ‘positively’ gallop, and one gets almost breathless chasing them’! She was to be in Switzerland for the summer, and hoped to get some climbing.”

1933: ‘Elaine Vagliano had just recovered from chicken pox when she wrote, “a most futile, infantile, purposeless and uninteresting disease consisting of nothing but a succession of insipid spots”!

But these carefree days were numbered, and Elaine’s life was soon to take a very different turn. As the 1930s drew to a close, war was imminent for Europe. Elaine’s family, the Vaglianos, were firmly anti-Nazi and anti-Vichy, and wisely kept a low profile. While her mother lived the life of a typical Cannoise lady - as much as was possible in the altered circumstances after the Armistice - Elaine quickly began aid work. By 1942 she had become the local organiser for the Social Services Department of the Maison du Prisonnier in Cannes - a prisoners’ aid organisation which cared for the families and orphans of lost and imprisoned soldiers. As the war progressed, and virtually everyone became permanently hungry, Elaine would, each week, take groups of the children to restaurants where they could have a rare good meal. She was recognised as being as generous with her money as with her compassion and known never to doubt the final victory of the Allies.

In 1943, oppression in the south increased as the Allies swarmed into North Africa, Italy capitulated and the German Army occupied the ‘Free’ Zone of Vichy France. For Elaine, aid work was now not enough. As well as working with a local Resistance group which helped the hunted to escape from France through Spain, Elaine joined a group operating out of London created by De Gaulle’s Free French governmentin-exile, at the request of Winston Churchill, (who you will remember was also at school here as a boy). The group was formed to inform the Allies of enemy movements and prepare for liberation. Elaine’s group was Tartane and her code name was Veilleuse. She became a ‘letter box’ for the Allies.

Equipped with a radio, Elaine sent and received messages and kept her control informed on the activities of the enemy, as by now the German Army, the Gris-Verts (named after the colour of their uniform) were anticipating an invasion along the coast. The slightly built Elaine was frequently to be seen on her bicycle in and around Cannes, with messages hidden in the handlebars and sometimes, rather recklessly, her radio camouflaged in the rear basket.

On 28 July 1944, at a time when hope was beginning to grow into certainty for an Allied invasion, a car drew up outside the building where Elaine worked. She had been named by an arrested woman, whose son Elaine had helped to escape, and so the French Milice (an organisation created specifically to target the Resistance) accompanied by the usual Gestapo officer, came to claim her. On the same day her parents, who had been unaware their daughter was a member of the Resistance, were arrested as hostages, in a move designed to pressure Elaine into betraying her fellow Resistants.

Torture began immediately at the notorious Villa Montfleury in Cannes. Over the next seventeen days, in different places, it continued; in prison in Grasse, in the Villa Trianon at Cimiez in Nice and then in a military prison in the same town. Her parents were always moved along with her to the same building to ensure they were kept aware of her suffering. Prisoners were kept in badlylit, verminous cells where often there was no water to wash in or to drink. Her mother left quite detailed horrific accounts of the torture which she endured, but her only reply to her captors was always: ‘Je ne sais pas’. This regime continued until the day when, unable to bear the terrible

conditions her parents were suffering and in order to free them, Elaine signed a confession full of invented names and addresses. As her mother was being released she had time to tell her that she would: ‘Send them all over France, looking for people who don’t exist’.

On 15 August, from her cell, Elaine heard a voice calling out in the street that the Allies had landed along the coast at Frejus. Overjoyed, she exclaimed to her cell companion, who later relayed it to Elaine’s mother, that now France was liberated nothing else mattered and her work was done. During the course of the same afternoon, on a Riviera bombarded day and night by Allied planes, Elaine and twentythree other prisoners were collected together and driven in the direction of the Ariane quarter behind Nice. The road to their destination was called the Chemin de la Croix - the Path of the Cross.

On a piece of land in front of a sheer rock face and bordered by a small river, the group was lined up to face the water. Watched with horror from behind closed shutters by a local farmer and his daughter, the Germans set up their machine guns across the river from the prisoners. All twenty-four died that day.

Six weeks after her death, her

body was brought back to the Town Hall in a liberated Cannes. The coffin, covered by the French Flag, the Tricolore, was laid on a guncarriage draped in white. All night long a guard of honour of men and women of the Resistance watched over her. The crowds at the funeral at the Russian Orthodox church the following day were enormous. Every Resistance group in the south was represented, the men marching with their guns reversed. She was laid to rest in the crypt of the Russian Orthodox church in Cannes where a group of women still meet to commemorate her death annually.

Elaine was accorded the title of “Heroine of France” and was awarded a posthumous Legion of Honour. Her courage is celebrated to this day in Cannes; a street in the town is named after her, as is a school. After the war, Général de Gaulle wrote to Elaine’s mother: “Puisse la France ne jamais oublier le sacrifice de celles qui, comme Hélène Vagliano, firent héroïquement le sacrifice de leur vie pour sa libération”. (May France never forget the sacrifice made by those women who, like Hélène Vagliano, gave their lives in the cause of her liberation). Closer to home, in our own Chapel, a brass plaque is dedicated to her memory, and an altar cloth declares: “Remember Elaine Vagliano 1909-1944”.

We will.

Based on an assembly given by former Head, Caroline Jordan, in February 2010.

Alumnae Drinks Reception

Following the Carol Service at the end of last term, we were pleased to welcome former pupils and staff to a drinks Reception at a hotel close to the Church in Windsor. From former staff who joined the School in the

1980s, all the way to girls who left in 2023, a wide range of former Georgians were in attendance, all with stories to share about their time at St George’s, and news of their time since leaving.

This is the war time story of the three Hyde sisters Bridget, Janet and Rosie, as told by Bridget (now Williams). The seven year age gap between the girls means that her story reveals the effects of the war from almost the beginning to the end of boarding school life.

“Janet Hyde, no longer alive, must have gone to St George’s from our home in Scotland in about 1937. When war broke out, Janet remained at the school, though far from home. She experienced the Scarlet Fever epidemic during which someone’s mother very kindly took pity on her and ‘visited’ her from outside glass windows. Janet left the school at Easter 1940, when it was deemed too dangerous for her to be travelling up and down the country and she instead went to a school north of Glasgow to sit her English School Certificate.

By 1943 our family was now living in England, and I joined St George’s in 1943 starting in a class called ‘Shell’. The first wartime memory that springs to my mind is the pulling of the blackout curtains and the staff coming in, frozen, from a ‘blackout check’ to adjust the long drapes that had not quite met together. This was probably during one of our times in the hall (now dining room) where the girls, wearing mittens, struggling with chilblains, hugged the radiators for a little warmth. One year, owing to my excessive naughtiness, I was punished by having to stand in a

Just for fun!

How many familiar faces can you spot amongst these teachers cunningly disguised as pupils?

This photo comes from Mrs Potter’s collection and was taken in the early 2000s.

Back row: Mrs Castell, Mme Bissinger, Mrs Dyer, Name unknown, (apologies, I am sure one of you can fill in the gap, answers on a postcard!), Miss Gregory, Mrs Green, Mrs Spooner, Gap Student, Mrs Wright, Miss Lofthouse, Mrs Fidler.

Front row: Mrs Potter, Mrs Tear, Mrs Hadnagy, Mrs Forbes, Miss Fontes, Gap Student.

at St George’s

corner with my back to everyone during the ‘hall’ times.

One of the big advantages of war time was the arrival of Rosemary Irvine to teach us history. I was so exhilarated by her teaching that I eventually had a place at Margaret Hall, Oxford, to read history. Miss Irvine had wanted to join the WRENS after Oxford, but was told she had to go and teach. We soon found out that the other members of staff called her ‘Baby Bomb’ and we followed suit. My other memories are mostly about food. For example, I can still see Miss Loveday, ‘Bird’ as we called her, telling us we should have eaten all the gristle on the meat as people in Europe were starving. My comment to my neighbours was, “let them have it!” My sister Rosemary’s memories seem more relevant than mine.

Rosemary says: “I arrived at St George’s Junior School in 1944 at the age of 7, the youngest of about 30 boarders. My most vivid memories are the night

time escapades. At least once we were woken up to be brought downstairs and read to by the headmistress. Things must have become worse because I remember the junior classroom plus another room with sliding doors being made into one dormitory and bunk beds brought in for us to sleep on. It was great fun for us but probably not for those in charge trying to get us to sleep! There was an air-raid shelter near the swimming pool, but I think we were only taken there once. Of course, we all had our gas masks. Mine was in a shiny red bag and I was very proud of it as it hung on its peg in the passage way. I don’t remember us ever using them.

Rosemary has vivid memories of the sweetie ration. In the Senior School we were allowed to keep our own and have it out once a week. In the Junior School the sweets were shared in common, not a very popular move as those

first in the queue got the best. At meal times half a slice of bread had to be eaten with only margarine on it, before jam was allowed. As Rosemary had very little appetite, she rarely reached the jam stage!

For us all, bath-times were rationed, two or so a week, and, of course, no showers. Rosemary says she remembers the strip washes in the morning in cold water and the occasional bath in very small baths which had two levels, with only half of them deep enough to in much water.

In spite of everything, staff shortages, book shortages, food shortages and so on, we had an excellent education and I do not regret one little bit the difficulties we felt we had to endure”.

Normandy

For over 30 years, St George’s Year 9 (Third Year) girls have spent a week in Normandy in June, learning about the D-Day landings, and experiencing French culture.

Girls visit the landing beaches near Arromanches and German gun emplacements to see in person where the events they learned about took place and participate

in guided tours, learning about the strategies, challenges, and bravery of the soldiers involved.

They also visit museums dedicated to preserving the memories of this pivotal moment in World War II including Pegasus Bridge Museum, Merville Battery, and looking even further back in history, visit Mont St Michel and Bayeux.

As well as supporting their History and French studies, the trip is an important time to celebrate friendships and spend time together following summer examinations; girls share plenty of delicious French cuisine, and immerse themselves in the language, making for a truly memorable trip.

These photos are kindly shared by Mrs Van der Veen (Teacher of Modern Languages, and also Alumnae Relations Officer from 2008-2018), and were taken by Mrs Victoria Potter (Teacher of French 1989-2014) who joined so many of these trips over the years.

We are proud to launch the Loveday Fund, to build on the three key development areas we selected as our future focus in 2023, our centenary year:

• Transformational Scholarships and Bursaries

Opening up opportunities to a wider cohort of talented girls who are committed to learning and contributing to the School.

• Pupil Enrichment

Offering a diverse range of co-curricular activities which broaden horizons and promote personal development.

• St George’s Growth

Ensuring our School estate is well-managed and develops to meet pupils' needs in an optimal learning environment.

The Loveday Fund A Legacy of Philanthropy

Throughout the decades, St George’s has been fortunate to receive incredible support from individuals who have selflessly dedicated their time, expertise, and resources to our School.

We extend a warm invitation to parents, alumnae and friends of St George's to partner with us and work together to achieve growth and success.

By investing in the future of our School, your generosity will not only make a difference to individual lives but will also contribute to the collective strength and impact of our community.

To find out more about our ambitions for our School and pupils or to donate, please scan the QR Code, visit our website: stgeorges-ascot.org.uk or contact: philanthropy@stgeorges-ascot.org.uk

www.stgeorges-ascot.org.uk