Mrs Katharine James (Chair of The Association)

It's been just over a year now since The Association has been able to hold an ‘in person event’ and looking back on the photos from our family quiz in March 2020 we are more excited than ever about being able to get back together as a school community in the coming months. 

Although this year has certainly been different, we are proud that we have still found ways come together as students, parents, teachers and friends of the school in virtual formats and been able to enjoy the various initiatives that have allowed our fund raising to continue.

Our Junior School gift sale, held in the final week of the autumn term was a huge success, with over 3000 gifts for family, friends and even pets ordered by the junior girls. Last week, both the Junior and Senior school sites were full of Spring blooms ready for collection from our inaugural Mother’s Day flower sale and I’m pleased to say that our ever-popular uniform sales have also still been able to run successfully over the past year via our new remote ordering process. I’d like to take this opportunity to say thank you to everyone who has worked hard behind the scenes to make all of these events happen, and also to everyone who has supported them, whether that be through buying flowers or uniform, attending our Christmas wreath workshop or volunteering to wrap some of the hundreds of Christmas presents – we couldn’t do it without you!  

Through these events, we have managed to raise an impressive amount of funds, all of which go back into the school for the direct benefit of the students. So far this year, The Association has funded the purchase of interactive equipment for the Biology department, including models of human torsos and major organs, allowing students across all year groups to learn by touch rather than via screens or books. Within the Art and Textiles department we are looking to fund a project to allow for exhibitions of students work to be hosted at school, with the provision of movable boards, lighting and display plinths; and at the Junior School we have provided funds to purchase dual language library books and a number of e-readers to help foster reading in a number of different languages. These books will be available to all girls in the Junior School and support our school’s ethos of aligning itself with a philosophy of being a diverse community of international life-long learners.    

On behalf of The Association, I hope that everyone is enjoying being back in school, and we look forward to being back together again in person at an event very soon.