Last Friday saw our Year 11 students begin their study leave; with the language orals and History examination already under their belts. With the uncharacteristically beautiful sunny weather, it was a real delight to see them enjoying a picnic lunch in the outdoor classroom together and sharing happy memories of time spent in the blue striped uniform. It made me think of what pleasure the new open spaces will bring all the senior girls next year when our redevelopment is complete. As well as physically bringing our community together by joining up all areas of the school, we can already see the sense of space and social hubs that the architect has designed into the new buildings. With the removal of the tower crane and the installation of all windows, we are now moving into the final major phase of the project. The connecting up of all the new sections of the buildings has begun and the jigsaw is beginning to come together. I will continue to keep you and the girls informed of milestones as we move towards September.

With the start of the summer term, summer sports have also arrived. A new and exciting element of our sports curriculum this year is the introduction of additional specialist cricket coaching on Tuesdays for our Year 5 and 7 girls. This is part of our partnership with former England cricketer, Lydia Greenaway’s ‘Cricket for Girls’ initiative, bringing great female cricketing role models into school. As part of this, our teachers also received specialist INSET and the girls will benefit from inspiration days and masterclasses going forward. Whilst it is early days for our cricketing expertise, we look forward to seeing some of our students representing Blackheath High School in future years as the Girls' Day School Trust (GDST) supports the growth of enthusiasm and expertise within the Trust for women’s cricket. We have some great resources and players within the Trust as a whole and it was a real pleasure to see GDST students taking on the MCC women’s side at Hampstead Cricket Club last week.

Four of our Junior girls also had the privilege of attending a science inspiration day at The Royal Institution, alongside 100 other lucky GDST students. From extracting DNA to learning about inspirational female role models in science; it was a truly fabulous day and a tangible example of the additional opportunities available to the girls through the GDST family. 

Our own school community also has many exciting family events on the horizon. This term we not only have our annual favourite events: camp night and the Sixth Form Ball, but a new arrival on the scene too. ‘A Midsummer Night’s Soiree’ is a new additional to the BHSA calendar this term and promises to be a fun evening spent in excellent company at a  stunning venue. I understand tickets are limited so I encourage you to book now on the BHSA website so that you don’t miss out!