Blackheath High School - Spring 2015

THE TERMLY MAGAZINE OF BLACKHEATH HIGH SCHOOL GDST

HIGHLIGHTSSpring 2015

BHS_13_rev2.indd 1 02/07/2015 10:30

EPQ COURSE

2 Blackheath High School Spring 2015

EPQ Excellence for our Year 13 Students

This term marked the end of the EPQ (Extended Project

Qualifi cation) course for many Year 13 students. The

EPQ tasks students with writing a 2,000 word essay of

their choice, or creating an artefact and writing a 2,000

word essay to accompany it. It is open to all Sixth Form students.

What makes the qualifi cation so enjoyable for many students is

that they are free to explore a topic of their own choosing that

they are passionate about. They learn valuable life skills through

learning to research and reference sources correctly, managing

their time and being challenged to think analytically about their

strengths and weaknesses. The project is equivalent to an AS-

level and has proven extremely popular with universities around

the country. Evidence shows that many institutions have made

lower grade off ers to girls who are studying the EPQ, compared

to those who are not.

Mr Cannon, Head of Business and Enterprise

We asked three of our Year 13 students to share their EPQ

experiences and learning:

Annabel Sim (Year 13)

My Extended Project was

based around the role

of the country house in

three of my favourite

novels: Pride and

Prejudice; Brideshead

Revisited; and Rebecca.

The premise of the

project was to distinguish

the location of these

novels as not merely

a set, but something

more poignant that

contributed to the

reader’s wider understanding of the text.

Undertaking the EPQ has been a thoroughly

rewarding and engaging experience, through which I

have learnt so much and developed many new skills.

I delved into an area of literature that just a year

ago I knew barely anything about, but from which,

I have learnt so much. The level of independence

required for my EPQ has forced me to become much

more responsible for my own learning, whilst also

encouraging me to admit mistakes and move on from

them. My project has not merely provided me an

outlet to pursue my interests on a deeper level, but

has even encouraged them further.

I am incredibly pleased with the end result of my

project, and the experience has greatly affirmed

my desire to study English Literature at university.

I would recommend the EPQ to any AS student,

not only as a way of deepening your understanding

of a topic you are interested in, but also of honing

valuable skills that will be of great use for A-level

study and beyond.

Annabel is now looking forward to reading English

at Christ Church College, Oxford University.

Elara Surety (Year 13)

I was interested in orthography.

Orthography refers to the way

a language is written, including

aspects such as spelling and

aff ected literacy acquisition.

I was examining it in relation

to the English language,

in particular, whether our irregular orthography is a

disadvantage to us as English speakers.

First, I looked into the irregularities in the language,

and how and why some of these irregularities have arisen.

Then, I focused on whether this made it harder for us to

initially ‘learn’ the English language compared to another

language, and other eff ects, such as increased dyslexia

rates. Building from this research, the vast majority

supported the theory that deep orthographies take longer

and are harder to learn. I went on to look at whether we

should have a spelling reform to counter these negative

impacts. In answering this, I considered the social and

economic benefi ts and disadvantages of the English

Language undergoing a reform. I also considered the

global eff ects of such a reform, which are particularly

pertinent when concerning English, and considered who

has the right ethically to make such changes.

I think the most important advice that can be given to

those about to start the EPQ would be the importance of

carefully considering the topic. I can honestly say that,

had I not been completely fascinated by my topic area,

I would have been much less likely to have fi nished my

project. My interest meant I was motivated to continue

through with it until completion. It also meant that tasks

such as researching did not feel arduous or hard work, as I

genuinely constantly wanted to learn more about the topic

area!

Elara is now looking forward to reading Modern

& Medieval Languages at King’s College, Cambridge

University

BHS_13_rev2.indd 2 02/07/2015 10:30

Elizabeth Isaac (Year 12)

My EPQ was originally going to be an essay on theatre or history. It

took a long time for me to choose a subject, because I knew that I

had to keep the interest in that topic for around nine months. I was

carrying out research into Cromwell’s closing down of the theatres;

it occurred to me that I could create an artefact. As my play-writing

is stronger than my essay writing, I thought that I would write a play

and produce it, and that is what I am doing now. I’ve always loved

acting and directing and writing, so for me it is the perfect choice

and it doesn’t feel like a chore at all. I think that EPQ is fantastic and

I love the freedom that it has given me.

We perform the play, ‘When they Went Dark’ in June; the actors

who have agreed to be my characters are brilliant, and it should be

a fantastic show!

EPQ COURSE

Phoebe HughesYear 11

Perdie Vaughan Williams

Year 12

ART GALLERY

Spring 2015 Blackheath High School 3

BHS_13_rev2.indd 3 02/07/2015 10:30


SCIENCE

Celebrating Science! Science Week and CSI Event

“I enjoy how we

are able to do things

ourselves, not just look

at things/experiments

that have happened.”

Alice Barr

Junior School

Throughout the year, we place a great deal of

importance on STEM subjects. Running a Science Week

allows us to further raise the profile of Science and to

channel the girls’ enthusiasm. During Science Week the

girls cover topics and participate in events and activities that allow

them to extend their experience of Science. Activities during our

Science week this year included; Science Assemblies; a theatrical

performance where the pupils learnt about different states of

matter, and live demonstrations and workshops which provided

opportunity for hands-on activities. An excellent learning week

involving ‘fun’ science was experienced by all. We now look

forward to Science Week in 2016! Mr Mostert

Science WeekScience Week was very eventful at Blackheath High Junior

School, with many enjoyable and exciting activities…

Bunsen Towers

We started our Science Week with an amazing performance by

the Kinetic Theatre Company, watched by KS1 and Reception,

then KS2. The main topic was ‘changes in materials’; it was a

fun and educational show, and we hope to see them again with

another scientific play!

STEM Assembly

Mr Mostert spoke about the importance of STEM subjects, and

how girls can compete and be very successful in subjects that

were traditionally seen to be for boys only. Thea Simpkin and

I (Martha Norman) then did a presentation about the different

STEM subjects and explained their importance in everyday life.

Zoo Trip

Year 4 travelled to London Zoo and had the experience of a

lifetime, sighting an Okapi, Giraffes, Zebras, Tigers, Penguins,

and many more exotic creatures. We all really enjoyed it and

hope to go again.

Monday Science Assembly

Jess McLaughlin and Katya Labiaga Grace from Year 5 presented

an exciting eclipse assembly. The Year 6 Green Team Prefects

demonstrated some experiments and spoke about famous

women scientists. Both groups were very good, and it seemed

the school really enjoyed it.

Year 1, 2 and 3 Science Activities

The three year groups experienced fun science demonstrations

by Mr Mostert. He explained about the eclipse and safety, and

the groups acted out what happens.

Solar Eclipse

On Friday the 20th of March, we experienced a partial solar

eclipse. The cloud cover made it difficult to notice any big

changes, however, our teachers showed a live stream of the

morning’s events. Year 4 enjoyed making their pinhole cameras

even though we did not put them to use on this occasion.

Science Week was, overall, an exciting edition to our calendar,

and we are sure everyone is looking forward to the fun and

excitement next year. Martha Norman and Kate Robinson

“Fun! Interesting and inspiring” Mille Ferreira-Leake

BHS_13_rev2.indd 4 02/07/2015 10:30

Our Senior Science Department has had a

busy and exciting half term, with lots of

great activities and experiences. On the 25th

February, we set off on a wonderful trip to

Colchester Zoo with Year 7. Surprisingly, we were blessed

with unusually good British weather for the time of the year.

The girls enjoyed a full tour

of all the animal enclosures,

the highlights of which were

the large cats (although they

seemed, generally, to want to

sleep) and the large primates,

with whom the girls had

great fun interacting! A

running and enthusiastic

commentary from our

resident Biologist Mr Laber

highlighted the majesty of

the natural world in what we

were seeing.

The amazing British Science week commenced on the 13th

March, with a spot of pond dipping in the school pond. This

gave the girls the opportunity to look at the variety of fl ora and

fauna the pond produces. They saw frog spawn, newts and

toads, as well as daphnia and other pond-dwelling organisms

and as summer rolls on, we hope to see the nymphs and other

warmer weather creatures making an appearance.

Science Club, a mainstay of the school’s extra-curricular

programme, had an engaging session on the use of conductive

paint, a really remarkable material. The girls fashioned their

own blinking robot greetings cards using the paint, button

cells and LED’s and were genuinely surprised at this cutting

edge material. Its uses include lighting up a tiny bulb on

a birthday card, creating an over-sized game controller

for consoles, and painting an entire wall so that when it is

touched a light comes on.

Later that week saw the highlight of National

Demonstration Day come alive with the double act of Mr.

Jordan and Dr. Mustafa. We had ‘Screaming Jelly Babies’

(well, screaming Gummy Bears in our case), an amazing

Thermite reaction reaching a temperature of about 2000

OC with a shower of sparks and the aptly named ‘Whoosh

Bottle’ (named after the ‘whoosh’ the vapour makes as

the alcohol ignites), exploding hydrogen balloons, the

Chemistry of the Sparkler, a dry ice and magnesium

volcano, dry ice rockets and spooky dry ice fog. All of this

was enthusiastically received by the girls in equal measures

of excitement and healthy fear.

At the end of a busy week, we had arranged for the girls

to trot off to the Heath to watch the partial eclipse but alas,

typical British weather prevailed, so instead they happily

watched the BBC live coverage from the Sports Hall.

Hopefully the skies will be kinder in 2026 for the next one!

To mark the end of a fantastic week of Science, we had a very

interesting and thought provoking assembly talk given to us

by parent Mrs Wright.

She highlighted the concept of innovation in Science and life-

changing inventions, both past and present. She also encouraged

our girls to think about the importance of daring to be diff erent

which was particularly motivational. We thank her for sparing the

time to speak to us. All of this made for a very exciting and fi tting end

to an exciting and hopefully inspirational half term for all our girls.

Dr Mustafa


SCIENCE

Senior School

BHS_13_rev2.indd 5 02/07/2015 10:30

CSI Morning at SeniorsAt the end of term, Year 5 became crime scene investigators

for the day at the senior school!

A large quantity of money had been stolen from the safe.

Evidence was gathered: a footprint was discovered just

outside a window, an unknown white powder was found near

the safe, clothing fi bres had been caught on a forced open

window and a jacket was found near the crime scene.

Throughout the morning, our enthusiastic scientists,

assisted by Year 7 helpers, participated in Biology, Chemistry

and Physics sessions, to deduce clues, determine details and

draw conclusions from their investigations.

Their scientifi c activities included using microscopes to

analyse fi bres and materials; analysing unknown powders;

testing for elements to identify substances; using UV light,

analysing footprints and assessing the reliability of eyewitness

statements.

At the end of the morning, the pupils were invited to

compare their evidence, and discuss their fi ndings.


SCIENCE

“One morning we went to the senior school to learn how to perform some science-based investigations. We were told a story about a robber who had stolen some gold

from a local warehouse. Everyone was split into groups and then had to do three diff erent science experiments to

discover which character in the story was the robber.In each science laboratory there was a series of tasks to

complete to fi nd out more information about the robber. We investigated diff erent areas of Science, Biology,

Chemistry and Physics. Once we had done all the tasks, we were able to fi gure out who the robber was.”

Hannah Ridd

Rubia Southcott Year 11

Georgia Robinson Year 12

ART GALLERY

BHS_13_rev2.indd 6 02/07/2015 10:30


ART GALLERY

Katie WrightYear 11

Emma NooneYear 12

BHS_13_rev2.indd 7 02/07/2015 10:30

Beautyand the

at Greenwich Theatre


On Monday 16th March, Blackheath High

School’s Music and Drama Departments

headed to Greenwich Theatre for our annual

musical performance. This year we performed

Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, an enthralling and exciting

tale of enchantment and love. The Beast (Rosie Hough)

and Belle (Alexandra Brilliant) delighted the audience with

their story – which saw us move from the small provincial

town to the Beast’s magical castle. The castle – beautifully

created by the Art Department - revealed several engaging

characters all of whom were under a spell. There they met

the candlestick; ‘Lumiere’ (Poppy Cracknell); a clock called

‘Cogsworth’ (Georgina Smith-Morgan); a teapot ‘Mrs Potts’

(Eden Rickson) and various other exciting personalities.

There were also talented performances in the duo team of

Gaston (Phoebe-Rae Levene) and Lefou (Erin O’Brien). Who

could forget their hilarious duet? The lively music provided

a show-stopping Year 5 Chorus number – Be Our Guest – as

the cutlery they almost stole the show! It might possibly

have been the best show yet and we’ve a lot to live up to

next year.

Mrs Tyrrell, Head of Drama

DRAMA

Beast

BHS_13_rev2.indd 8 02/07/2015 10:30


DRAMA

BHS_13_rev2.indd 9 02/07/2015 10:30


The Spring Term was an incredibly busy term, packed

with trips, musicals and a tour to Amsterdam. Our

academic lessons were supported by trips to the

Institute of Education to enable students in Year 10,

studying GCSE Music to participate in a conference. Our Year

12s also attended a similar lecture where they gained a greater

insight into the coursework element of AS Music.

The Tea Time Concert gave our soloists and smaller ensembles

the chance to perform in the Dance Studio to a supportive

audience of staff , friends and parents. A particular mention

must go to Subeeksha Jayasangar who wowed us with her ‘Dr.

Who’ medley on the keyboard.

A new addition to the calendar was ‘Pop Fest’, which

showcased our Rock Band under the leadership of our guitar

teacher, Mr Luckett. We also heard a number of solo items

performed by girls from across the year groups, many of them

accompanying themselves on the guitar or ukulele.

After a busy fi rst half of term, the school production of ‘Beauty

and the Beast’ gave an opportunity for our best singers to

shine on the stage. The band grew in number this year and we

were delighted to hear some fantastic playing by Olivia West

(percussion), Rubia Southcott (violin), Severine Higgins (violin),

Pascale Higgins (viola) and Jasmine Sheshuryak (viola) who

performed alongside three professional musicians.

The Spring Concert was a huge success, with a large and

supportive audience. The evening started with a warm-up

set given by the Rock Band. Year 7 choir sang ‘Singing in the

Rain’, under the direction of Mrs Coles, and Chamber Choir

and Vocalise both sang a diverse range of music from classical

to jazz. The newly formed Folk Group performed a series of

Gaelic jigs and Glee treated us to an Adele medley. As always,

there was an array of percussion instruments from djembes to

marimbas, showcasing Samba Band, Beat It and Mini Mallets.

Seniors

The fi nal performances were on the last day of the term. A

Level recitals were given by Philippa Jackson and Marie-Odile

von Ungern-Sternberg. Both performed at an incredibly high

standard, with both recitals being completely note perfect. A

fantastic way to end the term. Mrs Gunton, Director of Music

Photos reproduced with kind permission from Marianne Swienink-Havard

http://swieninkhavard.co.uk/msh/Blackheath.html

MUSIC

BHS_13_rev2.indd 10 02/07/2015 10:31


There were many musical

highlights at Juniors during

the Spring Term. Particularly

memorable was the performance

of Song of the Earth, a children’s cantata

written by Lin Marsh. Years 4 and 5

teamed up with Years 5 and 6 from Invicta

Primary to perform eleven songs which

told the story of the Emperor and the

Nightingale. All the children performed

with so much energy and commitment

and it was a pleasure to hear 160 young

voices sing so beautifully. During the

Autumn and early Spring terms, Lin Marsh,

a well known children’s composer and

young voices expert, visited our school

to take rehearsals with both schools.

We were also joined by Ed Scolding,

Assistant Director of the Conservatoire,

who rehearsed and led the accompanying

orchestra of young musicians. The fi nal

concert was stunning; Helen Fraser,

CEO of the GDST, who was among the

audience, tweeted:

@HelenFraserGDST

@BlackheathHigh It was an incredible

evening. The audience (including sta� )

was visibly moved at the end.

Year 5 were impressive as ever as a

chorus in the senior production of Beauty

and the Beast at Greenwich Theatre at the

beginning of March. As the end of term

approached, we were delighted by the

performances of Year 5 and 6 in their Tea

Time Concert, which featured 48 talented

young soloists and was a reminder of the

hard work and commitment that goes

into learning an instrument. These girls

showed the audience and each other their

achievements in music, whether learning

for a matter of months, or years.

The term then ended on a high with

Chamber Choir winning the Junior Choral

Class at Bromley Music Festival. This was

the fi rst time we had participated in this

event and we went

in for the experience

of competing

and dealing with

performance nerves.

The excellent result,

winning our heat

and then overall winner of the three

classes was a wonderful bonus! We were

awarded the only distinction of the class,

beating Blackheath Prep, Bromley High

and Colfe’s among other schools. Well

done, girls!

Juniors

the fi rst time we had participated in this

BHS_13_rev2.indd 11 02/07/2015 10:31


In April an excited group of Year 11-13 artists set off early

to Florence. On arrival, we went straight out for dinner in a

square and to get our fi rst night-time glimpse of Brunelleschi’s

breath-taking Duomo. The great thing about Florence is its

scale; we were able to walk everywhere for the whole trip.

On the fi rst morning we strolled over the river in the sunshine

to Palazzo Pitti. After a talk in the throne-room from Mr Whitfi eld

about the rich Florentine merchant families, we got to explore

the artwork. Room after room stretched ahead of us; when you

started down a new wing you couldn’t even see the end of it. Each

room was adorned with paintings from the Renaissance era, the

colours were amazing and each room was a diff erent shade of

deep red or emerald green and gold. It was a pretty spectacular

start to the trip.

There was also modern art and an exhibition of the history of

Italian fashion. It was funny to see clothes from the Pop Punk era

displayed in such a grand setting, and it gave the sixth formers

lots of inspiration for their ball dresses. We explored the gorgeous

gardens and enjoyed some drawing time to sketch some of the

things we had seen.

After our fi rst real Italian pizza in

the piazza, we watched a fl ag march

display in front of the Palazzo Vecchio

next to Michelangelo’s famous David.

Some of us even had a go, fl ipping

an enormous fl ag 10 feet into the air

and catching it, which is harder than it

looks!. Afterwards at the Academia we

saw lots of beautiful sculptures, but

the highlight was seeing the famous

prisoners by Michelangelo.

The next day, with the sun shining,

we went on a day trip to Siena, where we went on a tour of the

heraldic districts led by Mr Whitfi eld and climbed central the

Tower del Mangia. Over 100m up, we were treated to some

fantastic views over Siena. After a light lunch we went to the

astounding Cathedral; the Gothic architecture was really beautiful

and diff erent to some of the other sacred places we had seen.

The penultimate day was jam packed with churches and

cathedrals! First we visited the Basilica of Santa Maria Novella;

especially peaceful and beautiful as we were the fi rst people in and

the sun shone through the stained glass windows to create some

really stunning patterns on the fl oor. Inside the Basilica we got to

see one of the fi rst paintings to use perspective as we know it, The

Holy Trinity by Masaccio.

Then we looked round the famous leather markets of Florence

and had the opportunity to haggle for some great souvenirs. Later

we visited the solemn and glorious Medici Chapels, with their

utterly beautiful architecture and sculpture. My favourite part was

the small hidden chambers which contained preserved body parts

and bones of saints in spooky reliquaries.

That afternoon we got our long awaited daytime look at the

Duomo and the Cathedral of Saint Maria del Fiore. The size of the

cathedral was incredible; it really took your breath away! We were

also lucky to have the opportunity to climb the dome, where we

ascended hundreds of stairs to get to the top to see spectacular

views.

On our fi nal evening in Florence, our group got to select a

restaurant we had seen, and to choose whatever we wanted off the

menu. The teachers had spotted a really lovely little restaurant in

a quiet square off the main part of central Florence, which served

genuine Florentine dishes.

On the fi nal day we had just enough time to pop to the amazing

food market. We all came out with huge hunks of parmesan, litres

of Italian oil and other delicious goodies to take home. It was

such a great trip, the weather was beautiful and the sights were

stunning! The whole trip was just spectacular, I already miss it!

Rosie Hough

Senior ArtWe will always have Florence

ART

BHS_13_rev2.indd 12 02/07/2015 10:31

Junior Art

Even before the girls had returned to school after the Christmas

holidays, the staff were hard at work enjoying a half day’s art inset

session, led by our own Mrs Hamburger, who has been with us

teaching Years 5 and 6 while Mrs Drummond has been on maternity

leave. The focus of the session was on close observational work, and everyone

was able to take newfound skills back to their practice in the classroom.

Meanwhile, the rest of the community (the girls and their families) were

hard at work searching for famous artworks which they replicated, using

photography, to produce their own updated versions. We had over fi fty entries

for the display entitled ‘New Images Distant Visions’, which runs along the

corridor leading to the gym. Since then it has taken much longer to get the

school into the gym for assemblies! Several members of staff have commented

on how lovely it was to hear all the girls discussing each piece they passed, and

laughing at some of the humour.

Years 1, 2, 3 and 4 enjoyed second

visits from our Artists in Residence,

run in collaboration with The

Blackheath Conservatoire. The focus

was mainly on 3D work and ranged

from fantastic Louise Bourgeois

spiders to Stone Age statues, from

Turner’s watercolours to magnifi cent

Victorian style bronze busts. The

pupils’ work was displayed in our

annual art exhibition during the

week of 18th May.

The term ended with a Key Stage

2 Easter Bonnet Competition,

arranged by the art prefects, Lily

Chatterjee and Alice Jinks. The

emphasis was on using recycled

materials and provided a light

hearted fi nish to the end of term. A

big well done to our overall winner,

Isobel Adcock (5H).

ART

Art update from the Junior School


BHS_13_rev2.indd 13 02/07/2015 10:31


SIXTH FORM

A show of talentFASHION SHOW

This year’s Fashion Show was a

punchy and funky showcase of

Sixth Form talent performed to

a lively and full house. The girls

chose the theme ‘Nouvelle Vague’ and

the final show really did encompass both

a sense of crest-of-the-wave innovation,

as well as humorous nostalgia and

playfulness.

Highlights included garments made

from shimmering jewel-like plastic,

everyday-wear customised into fairytale

dreaminess, white haired mythic

demi-gods and fauns, gold capes,

intricately printed aprons and wild

animals. Individual collections took

themes such as fairytale, ballroom, gems,

and mythology, processing them into

a professional and surprising array of

garments and sculptural accessories.

The walks were accompanied with

bespoke films and presented with

exciting choreographic and theatrical

performances. The collections were

interspersed with excellent singing

and dancing performances. Sixth Form

organisers Kathryn Doran, Phoebe

Chard and Maddy Harrington smoothly

rallied their peers and facilitated an

evening’s entertainment that set

everyone’s eyeballs ringing, ears

tapping and feet dazzling!

As we go to Press we have just heard

that Isabella Smith has been shortlisted

for the Young Fashion Designer UK

South finals. Very well deserved!

http://youngfashiondesigneruk.com/

Mr Whitfield, Head of Art

Isabella Smith’s dress; shortlisted for the Young Designer UK South Finals

BHS_13_rev2.indd 14 02/07/2015 10:31


BHS_13_rev2.indd 15 02/07/2015 10:31

NEW HEAD GIRL TEAM

Harriet Aubertin - Head Girl

What is the remit of your role?

Being Head Girl, it is my responsibility to

run the team, look over Senior Societies,

organise the Sixth Form Ball in Year 13,

participate in the School Council, represent

our school on diff erent occasions and

help organise various student events

throughout the year. I’m really looking

forward to working with the younger

students.

Which subjects are you currently

studying?

The subjects I am currently studying in Year

12 are French, Geography, Spanish and

History.

What do you plan to study in HE and do

you have any particular career aspirations?

I would love to study French, with maybe

ab initio Italian. However, perhaps a History

or a Geography degree - I still have yet

to decide! After university, teaching is

an option for me as I really enjoy seeing

students’ understanding after I have helped

them out with work, although for now I

am still very uncertain of what line of work

I would like to do. Living abroad in France

for a couple of years is a dream of mine, as

I love travelling and it could help with my

languages. However, for a career, I would

love one that is highly people-centred.

What made you want to be part of the

HGT?

As I have been at Blackheath High School

since I was three years old, I have looked

up to the Head Girl Team here nearly all my

life. All members have been so inspirational

and I was really attracted to the job. I want

to give back to the school and help in the

community as best I can, and being Head

Girl will defi nitely allow me to do that. I

also love that I am a representative of our

wonderful school and can really show

everyone just how excellent it really is.

What skills and personal attributes can

you bring to the role to the benefi t of the

school and your fellow students?

One of my main attributes is that I am

a very organised person… I even won the

Outstanding Organiser Oscar Award when I

MEET OUR NEW HEAD GIRL TEAM

L-R Elizabeth Isaac, Marie-Odile von Ungern-Steinberg, Harriet Aubertin, Saina Hydara, Rosie Hough


L-R Elizabeth Isaac, Marie-Odile von Ungern-Steinberg, Harriet Aubertin, Saina Hydara, Rosie Hough

BHS_13_rev2.indd 16 02/07/2015 10:31


was younger! I thoroughly enjoy planning,

preparing and leading events of any type. I

also think I am very approachable as I truly

enjoy chatting and helping anybody in any

situation. Furthermore, as I have been here

since Nursery, I really know the school

well. Therefore, I will be able to approach

all aspects of being Head Girl. I have also

been Form Captain many times and really

enjoy taking a challenge with the Duke of

Edinburgh Award - I am currently going for

Gold!

What do you hope to achieve whilst in the

post?

I look forward to the many opportunities the

role will have. My main aim is to further bridge

the gap between all students in our school.

I feel that the younger years really should

not feel scared to come and chat to the sixth

formers once in a while as we were once

them. Furthermore, as I have a big passion

for sport, I would like there to be more

opportunities where the older and younger

years can participate in sport together.

Please give details of any forthcoming

events that you will have a role to play in

as a member of the HGT.

The team and I are helping out in the

Year 10 ‘Moving Up’ evening, so we are all

looking forward to speaking to the parents

and students and giving our advice on

what to expect with Year 11. I have also

arranged that every break and lunch time, a

Year 12 student will be on lunch duty in the

dining room to chat to the younger pupils

and to see if we can help them in any way.

Saina Hydara – Deputy Head Girl

What is the remit of your role (including responsibilities)?

As Deputy Head Girl my main duty is to help Harriet with all her various

activities around the school. These jobs include overseeing the

development of Sixth Form life, helping to manage the Senior Societies and

organising the Sixth Form Ball and other events throughout the school. I also

regularly meet parents at information evenings to tell them about life at BHS.

Which subjects are you currently studying? What do you plan to study in HE and do you

have any particular career aspirations?

Currently I am in Year 12 studying Biology, Chemistry, History and English Literature.

After I fi nish Year 13 I hope to go on to university to study Foundation Year Entry to

Medicine. Alternatively, I hope to study public health course; as long as I can help people

in need to feel better I will be happy! With these qualifi cations, I hope to either become

a doctor or work in the charity sector with organisations such as W.H.O and Médecins

Sans Frontières.

What made you want to be part of the HGT?

My main reason was to inspire the girls of Blackheath High. During my time here at BHS I

have grown in more ways than I could have imagined; my whole attitude towards school

and learning has changed. I wanted to be a fi gure that showed girls that you didn’t have to

be the reincarnation of Einstein to be successful. Even if you are not the top of the class, as

long as you persevere and put eff ort into everything that you do, nothing else matters.

What skills and personal attributes can you bring to the role to the benefi t of the school

and your fellow students?

I think that the main skill that I can bring to my role is my recently discovered ability

to think on my feet. The greatest example of this is my largely spontaneous Head Girl

speech and clearly it worked! I also think that I have the ability to stand strong in the face

of adversity, regardless of what it is.

What do you hope to achieve whilst in post?

I hope that during my time as part of the Head Girl Team, I can inspire the younger girls

of the school to think that they too can overcome anything that faces them. I hope to

remind everyone that ‘age wrinkles the body, but quitting wrinkles the soul’.

Please give details of any forthcoming events that you will have a role to play in as a

member of the HGT.

I will be joining many of the other Year 12’s in a new scheme that we will be introducing.

There will now be Year 12’s volunteering in the Dining Room at lunch time to bridge the

gap between the Lower School and the Sixth Form.

Marie-Odile von Ungern-Steinberg Deputy Head Girl

What is the remit of

your role (including

responsibilities)?

As Deputy Head Girl, my

remit is to be a role model

for younger peers, represent

the school at academic functions

and promotional activities and to encourage

communication between diff erent years at

Blackheath High School. Being Deputy Head

Girl means I will always be available to help

Harriet (Head Girl) when she is organising

events, and I can participate more in the

running of the school.

Which subjects are you currently studying?

What do you plan to study in HE and do

you have any particular career aspirations?

The subjects I am currently taking for AS

are Biology, Maths, French, German and

Music. I am planning on dropping Maths and

continuing with my other four subjects. At

the moment, I am thinking about midwifery,

as I want to be able to empower women

and their families to be able to have the

pregnancy and birth that they choose. I want

to enable women to build the confi dence

that they need to make this happen.

What made you want to be part of the HGT?

I wanted to be part of the Head Girl

Team because I wanted to become more

involved in the running of Blackheath

High. I want to be a more active student

in the school community and take on

responsibility, which is benefi cial to the

school’s academic, social and extra-

curricular life.


you bring to the role to the benefi t of the

school and your fellow students?

I can work well in a team and love talking

to students about how the school can be

improved, and then acting on it. I believe I am

quite creative, and will therefore form ideas

which can develop the school further. I think

I am approachable, so anyone can talk to me!

Also, I am organised and reliable so I can do

any duties happily alongside schoolwork.

What do you hope to achieve whilst in post?

Whilst I am Deputy Head Girl, I hope I can

make useful contributions in meetings and

get to know the ins-and-outs of Blackheath

High life, and perhaps even improve it with

the team! However, my main goal is to get to

know younger years better and bridge the gap

between the Sixth Form and the lower years.

Saina Hydara –

What is the remit of your role (including responsibilities)?

As Deputy Head Girl my main duty is to help Harriet with all her various

activities around the school. These jobs include overseeing the

development of Sixth Form life, helping to manage the Senior Societies and

organising the Sixth Form Ball and other events throughout the school. I also

regularly meet parents at information evenings to tell them about life at BHS.

Marie-Odile von Ungern-Steinberg

the school at academic functions

BHS_13_rev2.indd 17 02/07/2015 10:31


Rosie Hough Senior Prefect

Elizabeth Isaac Senior Prefect

NEW HEAD GIRL TEAM

What is the remit of your role

(including responsibilities)?

I am a Senior Prefect on the Head Girl

Team and my job is to assist the Head

Girl, attend all Head Girl Team meetings,

attend, take part in and help to organise

events, as well as helping to run the

Senior Societies and the 6th Form Ball.

Like the rest of the Head Girl Team, I act

as an ambassador for the school.


studying?

For my AS subjects I am studying

German, Spanish, English Literature and

Geography, and I am also doing EPQ,

which is a lot of fun!

What is the remit of your role

(including responsibilities)?

I am one of the new Senior Prefects;

as part of the Head Girl Team my

main responsibilities are to do with

organisation. The next academic year

will see the introduction of Senior

Societies, run by the sixth formers, and

as part of the Head Girl Team we will

need to help organise these and make

sure everyone is doing what they need

to do to make their society work.

What do you plan to study in HE and

do you have any particular career

aspirations?

In the future I hope to study Geography

or Spanish at university before becoming

a travel or ‘geo-journalist’, or maybe a

civil servant at the Foreign Office. Having

said that, my real passion is theatre

and playwriting so I’d be happy doing

anything in the theatrical world or by

writing. In short, there’s a lot that I want

to do in my life.

What made you want to be part of the

HGT?

I wanted to be a part of the Head Girl

Team because I like to help people, I

enjoy interacting with everyone and I

wanted to give something back to the

school. I wasn’t always at Blackheath, I

joined in Year 7; this school has turned

me into a very confident individual. I felt

that serving the school would be my way

of trying to say ‘thank you’- a bit clichéd,

but that’s the truth.


you bring to the role to the benefit of

the school and your fellow students?

I’d like to say that I have a good sense

of humour and am good at leading

people. I also love public speaking

and debating. I’m always very honest

and because of that, I think that I’m

quite approachable. I’m willing to help

anyone and I have been told that I give

sound advice about most things and

that I can keep a cool head in difficult

situations.

What do you hope to achieve whilst

in the post?

I hope to learn how to work in a more

professional environment, in addition

to learning to be more organised

(hopefully I’ll learn from Harriet) and

generally being a better leader and

team-player.

Please give details of any

forthcoming events that you will have

a role to play in as a member of the

HGT.

Recently, we’ve been giving the Lower

School advice about the big right-of-

passage that is GCSE’s and moving

into the 6th Form, attending a couple

of events to help with that.


studying?

I am currently studying Geography,

French, Art and Theatre Studies.

What do you plan to study in HE and

do you have any particular career

aspirations?

I am not entirely sure what I would like

to do at university although I know I

would defi nitely like to take a gap year;

in particular I would like to travel to

South America and East Africa and also

get some work experience working on

a fi lm for a longer period of time. After

this I think I might study Anthropology,

and then hopefully become involved in

the fi lm industry or food journalism, who

knows!

What made you want to part of the

HGT?

One of the main things that made me

want to be on the team was the ‘leaving

my mark’ aspect of it, as I have been

at the school since Reception; the

majority of my time here has been

happy, so a part of me feels I owe it to

the school.


you bring to the role to the benefi t of

the school and your fellow students?

I am really looking forward to

representing the school at future

events and talks, as I think I can do this

well.

What do you hope to achieve whilst in

the post?

I have been lucky enough to go on

a lot of school trips abroad and also

have taken part in every play I can; this

has allowed me to build really strong

friendships with the lower years, and

as part of the Head Girl Team, I would

like to give everyone the opportunity

to do this as we are such a small

school, and it is nice to have more of a

network of friends.

BHS_13_rev2.indd 18 02/07/2015 10:31

Eleanor StoreyYear 12


Chloe Neil Year 12

ART GALLERY

BHS_13_rev2.indd 19 02/07/2015 10:31

Junior Sport

Spring Round Up 2015


The Spring term has seen another busy term for

Junior P.E. Year 5 and 6 have changed activities

from Netball to Hockey, and the fixtures have

continued to be varied and exciting.

Year 6 played all of their required league matches and were

placed extremely well in the top four with a second place

in their pool at the end of season tournament. This year the

school’s Junior department hosted both the start and end of

season tournaments. The Year 5 team also managed to sneak

into the year 6 ‘end’ tournament for some extra experience,

as another team dropped out at the last minute. Our strength

this year was in the depth of the entire squad, highlighted in

an A, B, C and D tournament that we attended,

where we were placed second overall (worked

out by a combination of all four teams’ scores).

Year 5 finished their Netball season with the

much loved ‘Silly Socks’ Tournament, where the

girls play wearing their bright and snazzy socks.

‘Silly Socks’ is a charity event supporting the

charity CRY (Cardiac Risk in the Young). The girls

were invited to play in a round robin tournament

and also had a chance to take part in a charity

shooting competition and a fantastic cake sale.

The Blackheath girls did an amazing job with

both the netball and the silly socks, with lots of

money raised for the charity.

Across both schools Year 6 and 7 were involved

in the Inter-house Cross Country event held at

the field, with Paragon as overall winners and lots

of individual personal bests. Congratulations to

the overall winner Freya Burton-Franklin, Year 6!

Continuing with the Cross Country theme,

Blackheath held a Year 4 Inter-School Cross

Country event during the Spring term. The year 4s

were well prepared and Shelby Gordon displayed a

strong performance gaining third place.

The last events of the Spring Term were Hockey

events. Year 5 played in a fast and furious five-

aside Hockey tournament at St Dunstan’s and Year

6 attended the annual Hockey fun afternoon run at

Bromley Cricket Club. This final event of the term

meant that every year 6 girl had an opportunity to

take part in an intra and inter-school competition

this year.

The Summer Term promises to be just as packed

with the Mini Marathon, Dance Competition,

Various Sports Days, fixtures and Year 4

Partnership Sports Festival.

Mrs Hallett, P.E. Teacher

SPORTS

BHS_13_rev2.indd 20 02/07/2015 10:31

Senior Sport

Spring Round Up 2015

It’s been a busy term for the Seniors, starting off with

the annual ski trip to Torgon. This year it was the turn

of the Seniors, with the chance to ski in Saas Fees and

Saas Grund.

January took us straight into the main Cross Country

season, with the fi nal two races of the season for the team

competition in the Greenwich and Lewisham League. We

had some fantastic results this year, with Year 9’s winning

the league and Year 7 & 8 coming third. Individually, Lara

Atkinson, Grace Miller and Ada Phu secured 1st and 2nd

place trophies. We also had great results representing

Greenwich in the London Schools Championships. with Lara

Atkinson coming 8th, enough to secure a place at the English

Schools Championships in Lancashire. Our squad also

enjoyed a good performances at the GDST Cross Country

event at Bromley, with girls looking to better their previous

year’s results.

In games, we have been training hard for the London Youth

Games, in both Netball and Hockey, and are representing

Greenwich Borough. The girls have been getting plenty of

practice at the County tournaments, our U12 and U13 squads

returning with convincing wins. The U12 Squad participated

in the GDST’s fi rst residential tournament weekend this year

(see below), and a chance to ask Stacey Francis, the England

team’s GD some tricky questions on how to improve.

The Sxith Form have challenged local Corelli College to a

basketball match, coached by our own Joel Moore; they had

an excellent afternoon, and we now have girls playing for

Greenwich Titans!

The Trampolining Academy has continued to grow on

Friday afternoons and we have students from both Juniors

and Seniors coaching a Junior Squad for competitions. Our

horse riders have completed their last sessions for the season

at Mount Mascal, with an opportunity to gain Pony Club

qualifi cations as they progress.

Miss Holland, Director of Sport

GDST Year 7 Netball Weekend, Condover HallOn the 6th March, a very excited Year 7 Netball

A Team set off for the beautiful and historic

Condover Hall in Shropshire for a weekend

of Netball with up to 25 GDST teams in the

tournament.

On arrival, we were welcomed by the

enthusiastic JCA staff , who helped us and gave

us a tour of the site. We were then straight into

dinner and then off to our evening activities.

Throughout the weekend when the girls weren’t

playing or practicing their netball, they were given

the opportunity to try lots of diff erent activities

SPORTS


BHS_13_rev2.indd 21 02/07/2015 10:31


On the 6th of March, nine enthusiastic Year 7 A Team netball

players headed off on a four hour bumpy bus ride to Condover

in Shropshire. After a quick stop at Costa, we arrived at an

amazing grand mansion. After a tour of the site from our

amazing leader Mia, we ran out to play fl oodlit netball right

outside our dorm house.

The next morning we woke up excited and prepped for the

upcoming matches. After our goal defence Esther had a war

injury in action, our versatility helped us to carry through on to

the next matches to win against Sydenham High. Our superb

centre court players, Emma, Lauren and Marta, our great

defence, Sunanda, Tilly and Esther, as well as our fantastic

shooters Dilmi, Ela and Shona pulled together to secure

ourselves a place in the Plate fi nals.

In the afternoon, we had the opportunity to try some of

the activities on the site, as well as watching some of the

other netball talent. In the evening, we went to the disco,

where we won the ‘dance off ’ and had some fun as we danced

continuously for 3 hours…

The next day, we got up ready to go and have our photo

taken in our matching blue hoodies. On courts two and three

we beat Norwich, then drew, but unfortunately lost in the

pouring rain against Streatham and Clapham. We headed

home, tired, wet and hungry with our sandwiches to eat….then

Mrs Hallett announced that we would be making a celebratory

trip to McDonald’s which she kindly paid for - thanks!

We would like to thank Mia, our brilliant fi rst time leader, Mrs

Reed for encouraging us (and also letting us do her makeup),

and of course, Mrs Hallett, who planned the trip and gave

us Lucozade! We will miss having you as a teacher; yelling,

supporting and loving us. We are so grateful to all you have

done for us.

By Sunanda, Tilly and Dilmi

such as low ropes, camp fi re, high ropes, pot holing, laser quest

and grid of stones.

Saturday morning saw the start of the serious netball, after

a pretty hectic fi rst match, where due to an injury Shona

switched from attack to defence, taking it completely in her

stride. The girls had a fantastic morning of netball, and with

their skill and determination growing with each game, we

were proud of our hard earned place in the Plate competition

the next day. Saturday evening was disco night where the

Blackheath girls outdid themselves winning the dance off !

On Sunday morning we were ready for our fi nal games

of netball. Our fi rst game against Norwich ended in a draw,

followed by an impressive 8-2 win over Northampton, but the

girls just missed out on a place in the fi nal when they were

narrowly beaten by Streatham and Clapham in what was to be

their last game of the tournament.

A fantastic weekend was had by all, behaviour and

determination were exemplary. Special mention must go to

Dilmi and Marta who were exceptional as Team Captain and

Vice-captain, with Dilmi also receiving the overall ‘Good Egg’

award. Tilly Evans also received ‘Player of the Tournament’ and

must be congratulated for her consistency, skill and tactical

awareness when playing throughout the two day event.

The PE staff are very proud of all the girls that participated.

Congratulations all for a superb weekend!

Mrs Hallett, P.E. Teacher

SPORTS

BHS_13_rev2.indd 22 02/07/2015 10:31


Chloe NeilYear 12

Maya Gunn De Marcos Year 11

Miss Abraham started her teaching career in a boys’

school where she stayed for 3 years until she began her

career with the GDST. In September 1944 she moved

to Manchester High School for Girls, teaching history at all levels

and French for middle school and from January 1946 she was

Senior History teacher, dropping the French teaching and in 1950

she became Deputy Headmistress. In 1951, at the invitation of the

UNESCO UK Commission, she attended a fi ve week conference

at Sevres on the teaching of History in relation to international

understanding.

She joined Belvedere school as Headmistress from September

1955 and, following an interview in February 1960, she succeeded

the outgoing Mrs Stoker at Blackheath, taking up post in January

1962. She soon felt that Blackheath was resting on its laurels and

set about making changes to shake things up, taking the decision

to revamp the kitchen by replacing the potato peeling machine in

January 1964 for a cost of £103! She was extremely committed to

her role as Headteacher overseeing the building of a New Hall at

Wemyss Road, conversions which gave the school a library, several

subject rooms, an extension to the games pavilion and modern

labs. She also established a bursaries fund which stood at more

than £127,000 when she left Blackheath.

During 1966, she spent a grace term at Berkley University

Death of former Headmistress Mary Abraham

California and in 1974 she had another grace term when she

visited Merseyside & Belvedere, Wales. There she cruised the

Mediterranean and Aegean, visiting Greece and Turkey. During that

same year she received a number of accolades: she was appointed

a Fellow of the College of Preceptors, invited to become a Member

of Council for newly formed City University, and was a guest at the

conference of Somerville College former students conference to

discuss educational topics (she was MA Oxon).

In 1976 she was chosen as Chairman of the London Branch of

the Association of Headmistresses and at the end of the summer

term 1978 she chose to retire, a year before the school Centenary,

returning to the area of her childhood, to live in Chichester.

Miss Abraham died peacefully at the age of 96, after a short

illness. A number of former pupils attended the funeral, which was

held in Chichester on 1st June 2015.

OGA NEWS

BHSOGA AGM & Lunch

BHSOGA’s next annual reunion will be on Saturday 7th

November 2015. This is a departure from the usual

September/October dates, avoiding the tail-end of

summer holidays, half term and Christmas. At the last 2 AGM's

there has been discussion about changing the timing of the

AGM and although we realise that there is never likely to be a

date that will suit everyone, it is also hoped that by changing

the date to November we may see an increase in the numbers

attending.

The OGA (and the school) would love to hear news from

Blackheath High alumnae on their educational achievements,

career paths and other signifi cant developments.

Please email [email protected] – we look forward to

receiving updates from our alumnae.

ART GALLERY

BHS_13_rev2.indd 23 02/07/2015 10:31

BHS_13_rev2.indd 24 02/07/2015 10:31

Blackheath High School - Spring 2015

Documents