Head's blog - March 2024

Inspiring girls to become the confident, ambitious, intellectually curious leaders of tomorrow is woven into the fabric of Blackheath High School – and yet again, I am so proud of what we have achieved this term. In the last few weeks alone, I have attended a fantastic Sixth Form conference entitled ‘SuperSkills: Preparing students for a changing world’, in which we explored the skills required by the female leaders of the future via an engaging programme of workshops and talks – from speaking skills to financial preparation. I have enjoyed the second in our new Girl emPowered Talk Series, in which we support parents in navigating the nuances of raising strong, independent girls safely in a digital world – this extremely informative talk & tips with Dr Kathy Weston is still available to view until Monday 22 April. And I have listened in on the preparation for an incredible GDST Teaching & Learning conference we’re hosting in the summer which will focus on the advantages and challenges of AI in education, and in particular its impact on women and girls – I can’t wait to tell you more about this next term! 

Celebrating women is not just vitally important – it can also be huge fun. International Women’s Day brought an array of challenges and activities across the school, while World Book Day saw the usual wonderful array of homages to our favourite female protagonists as well as our author visit. It also never fails to amaze me how enthusiastic our students are about WBD, particularly our game Sixth Formers, who never miss the opportunity to don an inventive costume and some face paint. Not forgetting the English department’s lively version of The Wizard of Oz, which had our assembly howling with laughter. 

Of course, that’s just a tiny glimpse into a gloriously busy Spring Term. We’ve also enjoyed some incredible performances – in particular, a stunning version of the musical 9 to 5, and outstanding Spring Concerts from both the Junior and Senior Schools. We’ve welcomed Year 4 & Year 5 parents to the Senior School for the first of many events to ensure a smooth transition to Seniors when the time comes. We’re incredibly grateful to the SEND team and some of our students for a powerful and eye-opening assembly celebrating Neurodiversity Week. And we’re delighted to welcome in a new Head Student Team, as well as a newly created Senior Prefect Team. 

If that is what we can achieve in half a term, imagine what each of our students can do over their time here at Blackheath High School!

As students and staff look forward to a well-earned break, all that remains for me to do is to wish you a wonderful Easter break, filled with fun and relaxation. 

Best wishes, 

Mrs Natalie Argile  
Head