I am pleased to say that the dark evenings and move into winter have not dampened spirits at Blackheath High! Our Head Girl Team and Year 6 have been spreading kindness throughout Junior school this fortnight with a focus on thoughtfulness and consideration. Lively, colourful and joyous Diwali celebrations, generously organised by our Blackheath High School Association (BHSA) also provided a great opportunity for families to celebrate together and focus on the wider meaning of Deepavali: the victory of light over darkness. Our under 11 Netball team travelled to Oxford High to compete in the Girls' Day School Trust (GDST) rally and acquitted themselves very well in the plate competition, learning lots and bonding as a team along the way.

At Seniors, we celebrated how brilliantly our newest members of the Senior community, Year 7, have settled into school with our annual family tea party. The girls entertained us with a choral piece, stories about their first half term and a wonderful violin piece from Anna K. All students enjoyed a varied programme on Trips Day with trips and workshops as varied as Shakespearian drama and architectural design. The teachers had organised another inspiring and exciting day to engage the girls and I know they feel very lucky to enjoy such a great Trips Day programme each half term.

We marked Armistice Day in both schools with a two-minute silence and a formal service in Seniors. I talked particularly about the centenary of Passchendaele this year and the ways in which we can keep the memories and contribution of veterans alive with the passing of time.

This week in Seniors, Mr Cannon (our Head of Careers and Economics) also organised a careers awareness week with a particular focus on careers in Finance, an area traditionally underrepresented by women. A great evening of talks and networking was arranged for girls and parents, and we are very grateful to alumnae and parents who gave their time so generously to talk to the girls. To find out a little more, do read my blog post 'Addressing gender imbalance in Finance'. 

Finally, I would just like to indulge in a little boast about the work of our Feminist Society. Having already been invited to present on their work earlier this term by the City of London School for Girls, Ms Retallack and the Society will be presenting on their pioneering work this weekend amongst an impressive line-up of speakers, including Zoe Williams and Vicky Foxcroft at the 'Girls to the Front' conference.

It is not too late to get a ticket!