News from Head of Prep

Last weekend, we welcomed pupils and their families into the grounds of the Prep School for an incredible 150th Birthday Fair. For those of you who were able to join us, I am sure you will agree, it was a joyous event - the sun shone and the grounds were transformed into a fantastic fun fair complete with dodgems, climbing wall, helter-skelter, face-painting, delicious food and even over-sized deck chairs! 150 years is an extraordinarily long time. Our foundations might be rooted in the past, but I can say with confidence that we are a school which is excited by the future - about ensuring we are best placed to create an environment which stretches and challenges our girls to ensure that, families have a choice when their daughter reaches the end of Year Six.

You might be forgiven for thinking that our nurturing environment means we lack academic rigour. Quite the opposite. Our EHS values are rooted in everything we do and because we know girls, we know how best to challenge them academically and how to help them channel their own unique strengths. Our size means we know our girls as individuals, which means we are well-placed to support them pastorally, when things are tricky, but also to identify and target areas of academic strength or weakness.

Year Four kicked off the residential season this week, with a trip to PGL Boreatton Park. The size of their suitcases suggested they were off on a round the world trip, but for the girls it was the first step to independence and exploration. Year Six have been busy immersing themselves in their incredible independent research projects. The standard of work has been exceptional and I have been fascinated to discover so many interesting facts about a wide range of topics.

On Wednesday, I was delighted to welcome prospective families to join us for our Open Afternoon, but it was also lovely to see so many of our current parents. Pupils in Years Three, Five and Six enjoyed a carousel of activities during the afternoon, taking part in robotics in our Computing Suite, art in the Prep Art room and experiments in the Prep Science Lab. It was an opportunity for our pupils to showcase their school - something they love to do and we are never short of girls volunteering to lead tours or to talk to visitors.

Families often ask me what makes us special. The answer is hard to put into words...it is so much better when it is experienced. The girls are testament to that. So, when you sit around the table with your daughter this weekend, look closely. What you will see is a remarkable young lady. One who possesses unique strengths. One who is eager to learn. And one who I am confident will make a positive impact on the world. EHS has been supporting girls to do just that for 150 years...and the future looks bright.

Wishing you a happy and healthy Bank Holiday weekend,

Mrs N Hobson

Head of Preparatory School