CONGRATULATIONS CLASS OF 2020

Head Girl Sangeeta Unnikrishnan Deputy Head Girl Rebecca Coe Senior Prefects Nikhita Majumder Anshini Thakur Ruby Allen Jasmine Kaur Geeta Mahapatra Izzy Macklin Louisa Hutchinson Olivia Heywood Lorretta Krasniqi Abigail Ackroyd Prefects Mariah Ahmed Hafsah Aksar Taryn Allen Lola Allison Imaan Asif Safa Azam Georgia Bainbridge Ellen Barraclough Katie Belfield Catherine Berridge Aimee Blake Molly Boulton Abbey Brooke Erin Budge Saffron Butler Chloe Chandra Hasnaa Choudry Chloe Chow Ella Craven Leah Crisp Charlene Dews Imogen Duncan Eleanor Egan Fatimah Fasil Joanna Fearnehough Niamh Grafton Sana Haider Romy Jackson Lillie Jones Anisha Kamath Thushiga Karunanithy Eleanor Kaye Sophie Knowles Eilidh Lee Kate Leonard Rosalind Maddan Phoebe Marsh-Muir Lily Mathieson Tarynn McWilliam Scout Mehr Alex Middleton Hannah Minifie Lucy Morrell Megan Morris Shaima Mughees Ella Northern Vimbai Nyachuru Molly Parker Juliet Pepper Olivia Pye Ayesha Qarshi Ella Riding Katie Roberts Megan Schofield Katy Shearman Alice Shelbourne Olivia Shuter Neha Sinha Liv Smith Charlotte Stead Izzy Taylor Mal Tulwin Sophie Wainwright Sophia Walker Chanais Wharton Eve Wickham Olivia Wilson Maya Woodcock Olivia Woodhead Hana Yaqoob Raian Yousif

Class of CELEBRATING THE

“Being at this school has allowed me to be around such truly exceptional people ”

2020

Our Head Girl, Sangeeta, reflects on her career at Wakefield Girls’ High School. Starting as a little one at our Junior School and progressing finally into Year 13, she feels that students and staff make exceptional things happen every single day.

This past year has been remarkable, for reasons more than the extraordinary circumstances in which it ended. Though it may not have concluded the way we expected, all of our great memories from our year together will remain intact. In my role as Head Girl, I was honoured to represent the school at various functions, from Parents’ Evenings to Founders’ Day, along with our wonderful team. The biggest project for us was likely the Christmas Revue. Bex and I, along with our committees of directors, scriptwriters and videographers, really enjoyed putting together the production, driven by our talented actors. Our plot involved two girls being trapped in the tunnels under the Sixth Form Centre, with their friends above ground visiting each department in order to receive a key to unlock the doors in the network of tunnels. Of course, in typical Christmas Revue fashion, this involved them getting into lots of hijinks including a Mario Kart-style race, a gladiator combat, and a dance battle with the boys at QEGS! The production required commitment and hard work from so many people, and our year rose to the occasion brilliantly.

Now that my time in the Foundation is coming to an end, I am very sorry to say goodbye to the incredible people I have met, in my year, in the rest of school, and in the staff. Our last few days together at school were marked with many teary goodbyes to each of these groups. I have been in WGHS since nursery, apart from the four years that I spent between Year 1 and Year 4 living in India. I look back at my time here, and it is immeasurable how much learning we have done outside of the classroom: through the challenges we are encouraged to take on, the leadership roles offered to us, and of course, the people we are surrounded by.

“Being at this school has allowed me to be around such truly exceptional people. My peers show endless Jasmine Kaur was very proud to achieve the Charities Medal in school last year, recognising her motivation and hard work I look back at my time here, and it is immeasurable how much learning we have done outside of the classroom” dedication to their gifts, are driven to make a difference, over the years. Her famous cupcakes have raised a and carve out their own paths for the future. The eight staggering £2000, for a variety of charities including The girls I am mentioning here are a cross-section of the Royal British Legion, Macmillan Cancer Research and range of personalities within my year. Dementia UK. She is hoping to study Pharmacy at the Olivia Smith is a Grade 8 flautist. She created and directed Session Orchestra and directed the Sixth Form Something really exceptional is the fact that Loretta Krasniqi Choir, whose performances you have heard at concerts will be moving to Hong Kong in August, to work at the and assemblies. Her passion to produce music that can Harrow International School as part of her gap year. She will create a positive impact on our lives echoes throughout be assisting in lessons and extracurriculars, and is very the school. She will be going to University of Leeds to excited for the opportunity to travel to new places and take read Music and Music Psychology. on these new opportunities, and support those younger than Lily Mathieson, winner of last year’s Music Soirée, has a forthcoming adventure: distinction in her Grade 8 examination on the viola. She is also training towards her Grade 8 in singing, and will next “In August 2020, I am moving to Hong Kong to work at year study Philosophy and Psychology at the University Harrow International School Hong Kong during my gap year. of Nottingham. Her dedication towards her music is My role is a ‘Gap Tutor’ - where I’ll help to assist in lessons inspirational to all who have seen her play, in group or and extra curriculars. solo performances. University of Huddersfield. herself. I spoke to Loretta and here are her thoughts on her Whilst looking for gap year placements abroad, Harrow Leah Crisp has been a competitive swimmer since she School Hong Kong had truly been the only placement that was eight. She became a double British Champion in the 800m and 1500m freestyle, and won a silver medal in the 400m in 2019. Next year, Leah will be attending the University of Bath to read Economics and Mathematics, and train at the National Training Centre in Bath. has ticked off all my hopes for what I wanted to achieve in my gap year. Hong Kong is a central hub which would allow for me to have the chance to travel across Asia and explore, take on new opportunities and meet new people - which I never thought I would be able to do at the age of 18. Additionally, this placement and moving to Hong Kong will Taryn Allen is a member of the U18 England hockey training squad, and saved the winning penalty shuffle at the U18 futures cup. She currently plays for the Doncaster Ladies 1st team, and hopes to continue doing so next year as she attends Nottingham University to give me the life and work experience that many employees are looking for nowadays. What finally ticked this placement off for me was the opportunity to help and impact those younger than me - and support them through their journey at school - which I would have just completed myself. study Philosophy. It was a difficult journey getting onto this placement. I went through applications and multiple interviews and was alwaysIzzy Macklin was the SRSU Charities Officer last year waiting anxiously in between stages to find out if I did wellwhen she organised the Grandparents’ Afternoon Tea, to enough, to be offered a place. After three long days, after my raise awareness about dementia. Her focus on donating final interview, I received a phone call from the school, time, rather than money, inspired volunteers in the Sixth congratulating me on receiving a place to work at the school. Form as well as a team of talented musicians to do so as I realise now that this is what a real job process is like and well. Izzy will be studying International Management and going through this at such a young age will have me that French at the University of Bath next year. much more prepared for the future.

I’m so excited to be moving across the world and I genuinely cannot see myself doing anything else during my year out of education.

After my gap year, I am hoping to study Finance and Accounting at Durham University.”

Charlene Dews has received an offer from the University of Oxford to read Classics. She has had an interest in Latin since Year 7, and chose to pursue a subject that she enjoys to higher education, driven to do so by her teachers in the field. Her academic brilliance, as well as her genuine enthusiasm for the subject, has led to this applaudable outcome.

As you can see, there is no shortage of exceptional figures within Year 13 - narrowing down this list to eight people was extremely difficult - and there are stellar figures within every year group. I see their incredible accomplishments, whether it’s running a marathon in 24 hours to raise money for NHS Charities Together (Lucy Harding in Year 11) or starting a vegan soap company to promote sustainable cosmetics (Orla and Amber Ventris-Crowley in Year 8) and I am so excited to follow their journeys through school even after I have left.

One of the fundamental messages I have received from my time at WGHS is that nothing is out of our reach, and I aim to hold that lesson close to my heart as I follow my future path ”

Next year, I will be studying Politics, Philosophy and Economics, hopefully at Durham University. I chose this course as it combines three subjects that I am fascinated by, and explores the intrinsic links between them. Each of these disciplines play a huge role in creating the decisions that shape our lives, and I hope that my studies will allow me to understand them with a broader perspective. One of the fundamental messages I have received from my time at WGHS is that nothing is out of our reach, and I aim to hold that lesson close to my heart as I follow my future path.

There are so many opportunities to see the evidence of this positive atmosphere to grow up in, and the brilliance it has encouraged at our school: the merit certificates handed out regularly in assemblies; the rewarding of those who have completed the Matilda Reading Award, Science Reading Challenges, and BEBRAS Maths Challenges; our vibrant school production of Little Shop of Horrors in March; the remarkable achievements of our sportswomen; and the school concerts, to name a few. There are also countless people who go unmentioned, whose acts of kindness and displays of initiative reverberate through our corridors every day. It is all of you who make me proud to be a member of this community.

Sangeeta Unnikrishnan, WGHS Head Girl 2019-20