Mill Hill School

Abba’s 1977 hit title ‘Take a Chance on Me’ could have been my plea to William Winfield as I completed the interview process for the Deputy Head, Pastoral, in April 2003. Luckily for me he did, and so began my 18-year Mill Hill journey. My route into the Independent Sector had certainly not been a traditional one. I had spent the majority of my career in the Maintained Sector, in the full range of schools (a large Sheffield community school; a high achieving voluntary aided grammar school, and a school facing extra challenging circumstances, both in Barnet), with my only experience in the Private Sector, being a four-year spell overseas in a top girls’ independent school in Buenos Aires.

And so, in September 2003, I joined Mill Hill as Deputy Head, Pastoral. In all honesty, I never really expected to still be here after 18 years, but as time passed two things happened. First, the things stayed fresh as I took on a number of different roles, including a stint as Acting Head in the Summer Term of 2012. Second, Mill Hill, quite simply, got into my bones. When the opportunity arose to take up the Headship in August 2018, I felt privileged to lead the school I love.

Three years on, we have made significant progress in so many areas of School life, always remaining true to our core principles of breadth and balance in our educational offer and championing the importance of supporting each individual child to find their own path to success. All within the context of a global pandemic, which brought its own unique and unimaginable challenges.

Two months prior to the first national lockdown in March 2020, the inspectors called. There was much to celebrate in the final report but also some clear pointers towards the areas of focus for the future. Despite the challenges of Covid-19, Mill Hill has continued to work towards ambitious academic goals and now that the worst of the pandemic has hopefully passed, we look forward to driving on as we embark upon a new academic year.

Having recruited a significant number of new staff in 2019 to accommodate growing pupil numbers, in 2021 we have, once again, invested in the recruitment of additional teaching and support staff and extended training and development opportunities. OMs will also be pleased to read that investment in our extensive co-curricular programme has continued unabated; the future looks bright across the piece, not only on the academic front but also in the realms of Drama, Music and Sport.

However, as we emerge from the pandemic, a primary aim is to re-establish the House system. After 15 months in year group bubbles, we look forward to seeing pupils once again mixing in their House families, benefitting from the vertical pastoral structure and the opportunities it offers for personal growth and development. In recent years, the School has seen increasing demand for places, with numbers rising from 650 in 2014 to a roll of 843 in the last academic year, and an anticipated 900 from September 2021. This sustained Senior School growth was a strategic goal established at that time and one which is reviewed annually. Several factors have contributed to the growth: the increased intake from Belmont; the feed-through from MMHI at 16+; an increasingly positive perception of what a Mill Hill education represents; a stronger and more coherent brand across the Foundation, and an increasingly competitive admissions process.

We look forward to commemorating the centenary of the death of one of Mill Hill’s greatest Headmasters, Sir John David McClure, during the coming academic year. McClure’s legacy can be seen all around us in the shape of the numerous, important buildings he commissioned during his tenure, including the Music School, the Chapel and the Gate of Honour. All have stood the test of time in terms of their beauty, style and functionality and remain as important today as they ever were. As we seek to build upon McClure’s legacy, the importance of careful, thoughtful and sensitive planning for the Mill Hill of the future cannot be underestimated. As Head of the School, I fully understand the significant responsibility placed upon me to develop the very best educational environment possible for our current and future pupils, which I am excited to embrace.

We have a wonderful programme of events planned for the McClure Centenary, which includes the 50th Anniversary of the foundation of McClure House. There is much to look forward to next year – the Centenary Music Concert, a Thanksgiving Chapel Service and a McClure Black Tie Dinner which will undoubtedly be significant highlights. However, I am also looking forward to getting out and about, Covid-19 permitting, to the various regional dinners, where I hope to join members of the Old Millhillian Community up and down the country in celebrating McClure’s life and legacy.

There is little doubt that one of Mill Hill’s greatest strengths lies in the bonds forged by pupils and staff during their time at the School and in the traditions, activities and opportunities experienced along the way. It is this shared experience and understanding that binds Millhillians together, whatever their age, ensuring that the principles upon which the School was founded are carried forward for generations of Millhillians to come. And that’s certainly something to celebrate.