A very happy new year to you all in our first January Highlife! This fortnight has been busy but productive, with the 11+ entrance examination and Year 13 mock examinations marking the start of term. With our highest numbers yet sitting the 11+, we are feeling very optimistic about a great new Year 7 group to follow in the footsteps of our current brilliant cohort.

This week, we were very pleased to welcome Dr Brian Marien from the Positive Group who are working closely with the Girl's Day School Trust (GDST) to implement a school programme designed uniquely for us. Blackheath High was one of the pioneer GDST schools involved in the project and we are very pleased with the impact we are seeing so far. This is a programme which trains teachers so that they can help students to develop emotional literacy and a toolkit of strategies for keeping themselves mentally healthy and emotionally aware. More than that, it also helps teachers to look after their own mental health, because as we all know, young people learn most from what they see us do, not what we tell them to do! Dr Marien gave a fascinating talk to parents about the science behind the programme and there is no doubt we all left feeling more informed about our neural pathways and adrenal responses. Positive are working on a series of parent podcasts, which we will publicise as they emerge and I hope will help you to support the important work we are doing with your daughters.

In an artistic week, we also had the pleasure of seeing the exhibition receptions for two exciting projects. In Seniors, our Art scholars and enthusiasts displayed their work on the theme ‘SE3: Surfaces and Structures’ in the Farrow & Ball showroom in Blackheath village. There are some really stunning creative pieces and I would highly recommend a visit if you are passing before 28 January. In Juniors, our Year 4 students also showed their creative talents in photography at the ‘Through my mind’s eye’ project masterminded by Mrs Smith, involving Fergus Noone and Sarah Rodin and supported by students at John Ball and All Saints too. What I love about both these projects is the way they are so firmly grounded in our beautiful location and reaching outwards into the community.

Our teachers too, have also been reaching out locally, with our first regional Teach Meet organised by Mrs Gunton. Teachers from Bromley High and local primaries joined us for an evening of inspiration and sharing of teaching ideas. So with such a positive and inspirational start, we are all feeling ready for an exciting Spring term and look forward to seeing you at one of our many events soon.