By Mrs Howe, Head of Junior School

There are many highlights in a school year, but if you were to ask me what I will remember most from 2025-2026, my mind drifts to a windswept clifftop in Dorset, a bell tent flapping determinedly in the wind, and later to a sun-baked field in Shropshire where the temperature seemed to rise by the minute. I was fortunate enough to join both our Year 5 and Year 6 residentials this year, and they reminded me exactly why these experiences are such an important part of growing up.

Our Year 5 adventure took us to the Dorset coast, where the weather certainly had plans of its own. There was rain, there was wind, there were a few screams as children scrambled over coastal paths and ran laughing into the sea, and there was the delight of crabbing in Swanage followed by fish and chips enjoyed together at the end of a busy day. Activities had to be reshuffled more than once due to the weather, yet not once did I hear anyone complain. Instead, I watched the girls embrace whatever came next with smiles, laughter and an infectious sense of adventure.

Just a few weeks later, Year 6 couldn’t have had a more different experience at their Field Studies Centre in Shropshire. This time it wasn’t waterproofs we needed but sun hats and plenty of water as we navigated the heatwave. As part of the ‘Egg Drop Challenge’ there were eggs launched from towers (accompanied by a collective chorus of “Oooooff!” as they met an inevitable fate), pond dipping, shelter building, fire lighting, three tiny voles carefully discovered in humane traps, and plenty of soaking each other with buckets and sponges to cool off. Once again, it wasn’t simply the activities that stayed with me, it was the atmosphere. The laughter, the encouragement and the genuine delight in one another’s successes were impossible to miss.

What strikes me most about residentials is that the greatest learning often happens in the moments in between. It happens when girls encourage a friend to have one more go, when they share a tent with kindness and good humour, when they solve problems together, adapt when plans change and discover they are capable of far more than they first imagined. They return home with muddy trainers, tired eyes and bags full of washing, but also with greater resilience, stronger friendships and a quiet confidence that only comes from stepping beyond the familiar.

There is something particularly special about these experiences in an all-girls school. Free from many of the social pressures that can sometimes shape children’s choices, our girls simply throw themselves into every opportunity. They climb, explore, investigate, laugh loudly, cheer one another on and celebrate each other’s successes without hesitation. They hold out a hand when someone is unsure, encourage a friend who is feeling nervous and quietly celebrate one another’s achievements. It is girls supporting girls in its purest form; a community where they feel free to be adventurous, to get muddy, to make mistakes, to take risks and to discover new strengths together. Watching those friendships deepen over just a few days is a powerful reminder of why these experiences matter so much.

They also capture our school values perfectly. Our girls are bold enough to try something new, imaginative enough to find creative solutions when challenges arise, and reflective enough to recognise just how much they have grown by the end of the journey. It is in moments like these that they truly soar, not because everything goes to plan, but because they embrace every challenge with courage, curiosity and joy.

As another wonderful school year draws to a close, I feel immensely proud of every one of our girls. I am grateful to our wonderful team whose care, enthusiasm and endless energy make these experiences possible, and to our families for entrusting us with such precious adventures. I wish you all a happy, restful summer and look forward to another year of watching our girls grow in confidence, character and curiosity.