Welcome

My first year as Head of The Study has been filled with the unexpected. From our stints of lockdown learning to year group bubbles and starting and finishing the year with an abundance of virtual assemblies, it has been a year like no other!

Despite the disruption and challenges thrown our way I am incredibly proud of everything the school community has achieved. I would like to thank staff and parents for their tremendous collaboration and support that ensured school life thrived. The girls have had a fantastic year, learnt lots and importantly had lots of fun.

Whilst I am sure we are all in agreement that we would rather not see the return of remote learning, it would be remiss not to celebrate some of the positives that came from our experiences. The girls learnt important skills of independence and resilience and as a school we have grasped the opportunity to stride forward with the use of technology. We have invested heavily in iPad’s and staff are working on embedding the use of these into lessons, as technology transforms opportunities for learning.

For me personally, it is the heartfelt feedback that I received from parents that will stay with me from this first year. In

“We are so lucky to have you guiding our daughter through this storm”. This sums up for me the special nurturing ethos at The Study and the care and attention that goes into each and every girl to get the most out of their time at school.

The 8th March was a glorious day for The Study as the girls were allowed to return to school, and it also marked the opening of our new Wilberforce building. The new building is a tremendous asset for the School and the result of seven years of hard work and planning by predecessor, Mrs Susan Pepper, the Governors and the Senior Leadership Team. There was no question that this achievement for the School had to be the theme of our 2021 Gazette.

It’s a joy to see the new building in action and in true Study style the staff took no time at all to adorn the rooms with the displays and colour of our creative curriculum. The building not only looks impressive with a design that is sympathetic to its unique position on the edge of the Common, but it also provides our girls with wonderful modern, light and bright learning spaces. Girls at Spencer House will also enjoy the facilities, especially the impressive Performing Arts space where their music and drama performances will be brought to life.

We were exceptionally proud to have been nominated for Prep School of the Year at the TES Independent School Awards 2021: a fitting recognition of our commitment to preparing the next generation for senior school and fostering their love of learning.

In spite of a disrupted 11+ process, Year 6 once again made us proud with their tremendous results. The girls received offers from 43 leading senior schools and were awarded 55 scholarships. We are confident that they will have settled into their new schools with curiosity, enthusiasm, a love of learning and happy memories from their time at The Study.

School life is so much more than just academic learning and extra-curricular activities, the values learned and discovered by girls are just as important. I look forward to working with the whole school community to build on the rich heritage and founding values of The Study and take them forward into a new era, as we head into a new year with hope and optimism for the future.

Vicky Ellis Head