LEH News and Blogs

Hollywood hit LEH on Wednesday with our spectacular Night at the Movies Concert!!

Well done to U2E for a lovely family assembly this morning.

A very busy week on the Netball courts...

In mid-November, students in the U4 visited the First World War battlefields in Belgium and France.  We have just started learning about the First World War in our history lessons, so we were excited to see some famous sites associated to the war, famous for its futility and brutality.

This week the L6 Life Advice session was led by Drama and Eco Squad representatives to begin a conversation on sustainable period products.

LEH Foshan has been open to pupils since September 2020, but until this term, there was no opportunity to celebrate the opening of this fabulous new school.

On Friday the 17th of November, LEH had the privilege of hosting students from three local schools for a taster session of what a Model United Nations conference would look like, under the ISSP (Independent State School Partnership) programme.

Welcome to this week’s Friday newsletter - what a busy week it has been!

A busy week in the Sports Dept which saw action in Lacrosse, Netball, Badminton and Cross Country. 

This Remembrance Day, Saturday 11th November, 27 cadets and three staff members from our LEH CCF contingent travelled to Central London to participate in the annual Lord Mayor’s Show.

From the 2nd -5th November, U5 History students had the great opportunity to visit Berlin to enrich our knowledge of the Cold War and the Rise of the Nazi Party, core elements of our GCSE course.

During the October half term, L6 and U6 Psychology students visited the city of Vienna.

During Autumn half term, a group of Upper Fifth Spanish students travelled to the city of Salamanca to improve our understanding of Spanish language and culture.

Huge congratulations to everyone for two extraordinary Winter Concerts over the weekend. 

The CCF not only offers amazing experiences at LEH  but also benefits from being part of an organisation with over 40,000 cadets. 

Each half term we choose one of our school values to put under the spotlight, and during Monday’s assembly I asked the girls to think about what it means to engage in school life.

In early October, our entire new Thirds Year group headed to PGL Liddington for a fun packed few days of team building and making new friends.

On 21^st-28^th October, nine LEH and seven Hampton Sixth Form Spanish students travelled to the beautiful city of Granada for a week of work experience placements, cultural visits and language lessons.

Black History Month at LEH this year has been extremely successful, with several brand new events being widely attended by pupils and staff.

The Independent/State Schools Partnership (ISSP), is a vibrant educational consortium that nurtures collaboration between students and teachers from Hampton, Lady Eleanor Holles (LEH), and five local state secondary schools: Hampton High, Hollyfield School, Orleans Park School, Teddington School, and Tolworth Girls' School.

After a restful half term break, we are back in the swing of things with football and trampolining.

This October we were joined by a lively group of 35 German students from our partner school, the Ellenrieder Gymnasium in Konstanz, Germany.

I am still smiling to myself after the fabulous and uplifting U1E ‘Happiness’ themed assembly this morning.

Our Service Volunteer Lower Sixth students hosted an event for residents from local care homes at LEH this week. Guests were joined by pupils in the Thirds and enjoyed a quiz and some musical performances.

Leading into the half term break we have continued to have some great matches across our sports, with our LEH students demonstrating their skills and achieving some brilliant successes.

We are delighted to share a brand new publication, The Holles Economist, produced by students across LEH who take part in Economics Club.

Wearing his trademark braces, ZZ Top beard, and ready smile, Andy Brittain, who is a Physics teacher at LEH, as well as coordinator of our award-winning STEM programme, cuts a striking figure in his laboratory, with his eyes twinkling with fun.

That ability to reflect, to take stock, as well as to explore new experiences, was in evidence during our annual Wellbeing Day, which took place in the last vestiges of the summer.

We have had an exceptionally busy week of sport at LEH. Our netball, lacrosse, badminton, swimmers and rowers have all had some great competitions and performed very well across all the sports.

Mr. Lawley's U4 computer science class received a pleasant surprise during their Cyber Security lesson.

21 LEH pupils, representing the delegations of Belarus, Ukraine, Gabon, Syria, Israel, and Syria took part in the annual Reigate Grammar MUN Conference on Saturday 7th October.

L2 returned from their PGL trip, having spent three magical days conquering their fears, playing with friends, exploring the great outdoors and enjoying what can only be described as a giant sleepover!

The years simply fell away, and the memories flooded back, as lifelong LEH friends met up once again for a sunshine filled Alumnae Reunion this weekend.

October is Black History Month and on Monday the Senior School Inclusion reps visited the Junior School to lead a Black History Month assembly on this year's theme, ‘Before Windrush’.

We were off timetable on Wednesday 27th September to take part in a multimedia workshop with Nicole Line.

L5 were treated to a day of German culture this month at London’s Goethe Institute.

A busy week in the Sports Dept with the preliminaries for the Middlesex County Netball competition taking place. 

On Saturday the 30^th of September, LEH CCF braved the wilds of Hankley training ground; 19 Senior Cadets had prepared fieldcraft lessons for over 40 newer recruits.

Welcome to this week’s Friday roundup and what a busy week it has been!

While many of us were learning how to bake banana bread, Isabel started writing this novel during lockdown in 2020 when she was just 12 years old and she has been instrumental in driving the process through from page to publication.

We started the week with a great weekend at the Condover Hall netball tournament. 

With the crescendo of July’s Celebration of the Year still ringing in their ears, 13 excited LEH U6, alongside Ms Shum, Miss Mercer and a group of Hampton pupils and staff, leapt onto a coach bound for Heathrow and the start of an adventure of a lifetime.

Our A level Computer Science class recently took part in a webinar hosted by NextTechGirls.com (organised by Computer Science teacher Mr. Tovell). Speakers included young professionals working in the tech sector, including Spotify and other known brands.

It feels like Autumn has arrived just in time to coincide with our first residential trip of the year.

It was great to see our new Thirds heading out for their first fixtures representing LEH this week.

Rowers from LEH and Hampton School pull together to raise over £80,000 for Shooting Star Children’s Hospices.

This summer we were fortunate to be able to travel to South Africa on the 2023 Netball Tour. A large group of 31 students ranging across four years all embarked on one of the most action-packed and enjoyable trips LEH has to offer.

The five day trip to Geneva was both a fun-filled and educational experience.

The Sporting calendar has kicked off with a preseason tournament.

In July the Geography Department took students from L5-L6 to the beautiful islands of the Azores. 

It was truly the most fantastic opportunity to go on a one-week LEH CCF camp over the summer holidays at RAF Odiham, home of the Chinook.

Congratulations to all our GSCE pupils today who have achieved excellent results in their public exams. 

Lady Eleanor Holles (LEH) students are celebrating A level success today across 21 different subjects.

At the end of the school year we said goodbye to Mrs Hanbury. And what a goodbye it has been!

The hallowed turf of Twickenham has never seen a more stylish array of guests, as the home of rugby was transformed into a glittering speakeasy club for LEH's Great Big Bursary Ball last week.

It has been a very busy but successful term for sport this summer and here is our final Weekly Sports Highlights for 2022-2023.

U2 have been thinking about the value of money in ‘My Money week’ and put this into practice last week for the Charity Fayre.

It was wonderful to see so many parents joining us for our Sports Day on 22nd June and see the girls enjoying themselves, competing hard and supporting each other in their endeavours.

Enrichment Week has once again been a roaring success, with all students in Middle School enjoying a week off their normal timetable.

In the penultimate week of the term, cricket and athletics fixtures continue.

This Sunday marked the second time LEH cadets went gliding within 10 days!  

On Friday 23^rd June, the U4 set off on a trip to the Battlefields in France and Belgium.

Heather Hanbury, Head Mistress at LEH has been crowned Headteacher of the Year (Independent). She was presented with her prize by TV star James Nesbitt.

We held our annual sports day on Wednesday and thankfully the rain stayed away! All four houses had fantastic representation from across the year groups and the students appeared to thoroughly enjoy themselves!

On Monday the 19th of June the two L6 Art History classes had an amazing time exploring the Inventing Modern Art at the National Gallery during a sunny morning in London.

There was so much excitement in the Junior School last week as Form 1 enjoyed a very entertaining visit from the author and illustrator Laura Ellen Anderson.

As part of celebrating Clean Air Day on Friday 16th June, a thoroughly informative assembly, which was led by Charlie and Connor from the Royal Parks.

A week of Cricket and Tennis matches in the sunshine. 

I hope that everyone who joined us for the Junior School Arts Festival had a wonderful time.

In this week’s Spotlight on… series, we speak to Mrs Lenox-Smith, a teacher of Biology who had a twenty-year career in the pharmaceutical industry before turning her talent – and garden tools – to teaching.

On Saturday 3^rd June several Lower 2 & Upper 2 swim squad members qualified to represent the school in the National IAPS Finals.

Mrs Deverson has been part of the LEH Junior School family for almost twenty years. Here we find out what sparked her passion for English, how she approaches her teaching, and why she loves stories with strong characters. 

Between Friday 26^th May and Sunday 28^th May, the LEH rowing squads took to the water for the National Schools Regatta.

Alex MacKeith is a man of many talents - Classics teacher by day, writer by night and musical comedian at the weekends. Running through it all is his passion for teaching and education.

U2 were busy last week developing their cycling skills and building confidence when cycling on the roads as part of the Richmond Borough Bikeability scheme.

Our U2 pupils were so excited to finally head off on their eagerly awaited residential trip to the Isle of Wight last week.

A busy week of Cricket matches as well as Athletics and Tennis.

This is the first of a new series we’re introducing to give you a sneak peek behind the classroom door and shine a spotlight on some of our outstanding teachers. In the hot seat today… Politics with Ms FitzGerald 

On Monday, 22nd May, L2 spent the whole day over the bridge at LEH Senior School.

Many congratulations to Elysia Sanders, Class of 2022, for winning a prestigious award from the Royal Geographic Society in recognition of her outstanding A level course work.

The Junior School Gardening Club has been busy this half term.

A busy week in PE this week practising Athletics ahead of Sports Day.

LEH swimmers really stepped up to the challenge at the World School Games Swimming Championships last weekend.

Finally, three years later than planned, the U4/L5 and Hampton High students hosted 'Lady Malcolm's Ball', LEH's third Write the Girl play.

The National Museum of Computing Museum is home to an impressive collection of computing hardware and software that chronicles the history of computing from its earliest days to the modern era.

The Sixth Form History and Politics trip to the Houses of Parliament and Supreme Court was a fantastic day that gave us a deeper insight into our studies, seeing the institutions that are crucial to the UK political system.

Over the last fortnight, the Lower Sixth have been lucky enough to partake in a clay workshop run by Kate Brett, a ceramics artist.

The optimistically named Midsummer Concert was a succession of chiselled gems.

F1H delivered a super ‘Space Race’ themed assembly, showcasing some very impressive acting skills as well as singing, dancing and fabulous costumes!

On Friday, 5th May F1 attended a concert at St James's Church, Hampton to see and hear a concert played on Baroque instruments performed by Endelienta Baroque Orchestra.

A round up of this week's Summer Sporting fixtures.

The Junior School Eco Squad were joined by Senior School Duke of Edinburgh participants to plant lots of trees at LEH.

Celebrating the Coronation at LEH Juniors with a themed Mufti day and a special Family Assembly. 

Lower 2 had a wonderful day at RHS Garden Wisley on Wednesday, 3rd May.

This term in Music our U2 girls have been learning about cyclic patterns focusing on Gamelan, the traditional orchestral music of Indonesia.

On Wednesday 3^rd May, six U2 girls took part in the English Schools Swimming Association qualifiers

The LEH musicians staged the most mesmerising Summer Spectacular Concert on May 4th.

Despite the weather being less than sunny, we are moving into the Summer Term with Tennis and Athletics. 

Each year Lower Sixth students from LEH and Hampton School, who have been chosen for leadership roles in Sixth Form, join together for a weekend developing their leadership skills to prepare them for their new roles.

The Junior School girls have settled well into the summer term sports even though the weather hasn’t always been kind.

F1 pupils had a great day out at Winchester Science Centre.

On Friday 21^st April we were delighted to host our annual Sports Awards Dinner for the U5 to U6 students.

This week was the start of our Tennis Middlesex League match campaign.

It takes a brave person to stand up in front of an audience and admit to all the things they’ve failed at in life, but that’s exactly what Head Mistress Heather Hanbury did in her Remarkable Women Lecture this week.

U6 student Nida is in pole position for their dream job after completing their first weekend as a fully-fledged motorsport engineer for Evans GP.

Last term the Eco Squad came up with the idea of painting murals in the school to remind the children of some key environmental issues.

Teachers and pupils at Lady Eleanor Holles have helped scientists design and test an exciting new research project.

During the Easter holidays, GCSE and A level LEH Classicists travelled to Greece to explore important sites in the Ancient Greek world. 

This years Sixth Form Politics trip to Washington DC was an unforgettable experience, which brought our study of the US political system to life.

During the Easter holidays, our L5 French students travelled to Paris for the return leg of the French exchange with our host school, Notre Dame-Sion. 

Form 1 pupils enjoyed their trip to Brentford's Water and Steam Museum.

U2 played their last ever netball matches in the Junior School whilst the running club had a blustery trip to Bushy Park.

It was amazing to be a part of such an occasion and to see how others had interpreted the remit, delivering fantastic and innovative creations.

A busy week to end the Netball and Lacrosse 2022-2023 season whilst the rowing season gets underway.

Four students participated in the country's largest MUN conference over the weekend, Haileybury MUN 2023 representing Peru.

The Chamber Concert was another civilised and high-quality evening of music, showcasing the talents of our scholars and exhibitioners, as well as some guest players.

Recognising and Celebrating Entrepreneurial Spirit in Young Women.

The theme for this year's International Women's Day was embracing equity and the L6 Creative Directors planned a full week of activities, both serious and fun to help explain what this means.

Last week was a Science themed week in the Junior School in celebration of British Science Week with different workshops and activities to celebrate all things science.

It has been an exciting week in PE with our Netball Fun Night, Super Shooter competition and another football fixture.

We enjoyed our last Family Assembly of the term on Friday 17th March, with a fabulous Shakespeare themed performance from L2H.

The last LEH Ski trip took place in February 2020 so pupils were extremely excited to see the trip back on the schedule in 2023.

This year's Young Enterprise team 'Adversus' which is focusing on the mental health of young people took part in the Richmond trade fair on 11th March

A mega week for LEH Sport with Lacrosse Nationals and County tournaments for Netball as well as Fencing Championships and the Bath Cup and Borough tournaments in Swimming.

A LEH Sixth Form student has won a coveted award that celebrates her contribution to Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).

It has been an extremely busy week in PE with our house swimming galas and fixtures.

L2E put on a highly entertaining Tudor themed assembly.

On Tuesday 7th March, the Young Shakespeare Company treated L2 and U2 to an entertaining workshop on Shakespeare’s ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’.

Yet another busy week in the Sport Department in the run up to Nationals!

The Rock, Pop and Jazz concert burst onto the scene in the Theatre on Tuesday.

Last week we celebrated World Book Day with a week of events starting with a series of Murder Mystery events. 

It was a fabulous celebration of World Book Day in the Junior School

The girls have been loving their new orienteering sessions where they have been developing their teamwork and problem-solving skills.

17 LEH pupils, representing the delegations of Jordan, UAE, Cuba and USA, took part in the Epsom College MUN Conference on Saturday 4th March.

On Monday 20th February, our cast of 48 U2 students entered the Jane Ross Theatre for the first time, armed with their scripts for ‘The Greatest Show’ and full of anticipation.

Self-confessed art addict Kate Bryan gave a brilliant, insightful, and uplifting Remarkable Women Lecture at LEH this week, followed by a lively Q&A, which left the audience enthused and wanting more.

Our students dazzled both the judges and audience in their extracts from The Taming of the Shrew and Romeo & Juliet.

On the afternoon of Wednesday 1st March, seven intrepid Classicists set off to Westminster school for the annual London Greek and Latin Reading Competition.

A very busy week of sport to catch up on. 

Three L6 art historians attended a full-day workshop titled ‘Gauguin: Artist and Rebel’ at The Courtauld Institute of Art during February half term.

Nine Lower Sixth biologists headed to the Royal Holloway (RH), University of London to take part in International Rare Disease Day. A rare disease is defined as one which affects fewer than 1 in 2,000 people; most rare diseases are genetic. 

One of the most exciting things that occurred was the cultural mufti during LEH’s inaugural Culture day organised by L6 Inclusion Champions.

There was an explosion (not literally!) of activity as students across the year groups set up their stands for the LEH STEM Fair.

This year, I have had the amazing opportunity to be a part of the cast of our fantastic school play, The Welkin.

Lower 2 enjoyed a few very informative and fun workshops at Hampton Court Palace. 

It has been a great 1^st week of term with the girls enjoying some new curriculum activities of orienteering and badminton in their PE lessons.

On Thursday 23rd February L6 Drama students travelled to the Park theatre in Finsbury Park to watch a performance of The Beach House written by Jo Harper and directed by Bethany Pitts.

It has been a busy start to the second half of term for our lacrosse and netball players.

It has been an exceptionally busy week in PE with so much success to celebrate.

Year after year, the standard of performance in the LEH Music Competition is dazzling and it’s wonderful to hear such marvellously assured performances.

LEH Art historians travelled to Westminster School to attend Katy Hessel’s remarkable talk about her book ‘The Story of Art Without Men’.

It has been a busy past week with many brilliant students participating in various sports activities. Please read on to see what they have been up to.

It has been a fantastic week in PE this week with our first netball fixtures of 2023.

We had a bumper turnout of our amazing alumnae at last month’s busy Careers Evening, where three quarters of all the delegates were former LEH students.

LEH hosted its 14th MUN Conference on the last weekend of January and it was the first time after three years where we had 130 delegates from eight different schools taking part.

It was great to be playing lacrosse again after the last few weeks of frozen pitches.

Every class was able to take an active part in learning some of the ways to stay safe when online during our online safety workshops.

Around 30 schools took part in the Central London French Debating Competition this week. 

Unfortunately, due to the freezing weather we have had, many fixtures were cancelled or postponed in the past week.

U2E performed a wonderful family assembly, based on the book Giraffe’s Can’t Dance.

U6 pupil Polina represented LEH at a regional Articulation heat held at the Courtauld Institute of Art.