
One of the many joys of working in a through school, as I’ve previously touched on, is seeing the blossoming which takes place as students transition from their tentative first steps in Nursery through to confident, independent young women as they prepare to leave the Upper Sixth.
Another source of joy is that of connection. The opportunity for our younger students to look up to and learn from our older ones is inspirational for them. For our older students they connect with the sense of fun which permeates Junior School life and they may well learn much about the patience and empathy needed to nurture and teach children. In the midst of busy days, alongside a focus on learning, the sentiments running through our school creed are played out in a multitude of ways.
Last Friday, Somerleaze students were thrilled to be invited to afternoon tea with Dr Tullis and some of her colleagues from the Senior School. Preparations by the estates and catering teams, along with those of teaching staff, transformed Kensington Hall into a tea salon and a good time was had by all. This event followed hot on the heels of the previous week’s Curiosity Project in which Upper II students connected with staff and students from the Senior School. For our students these events bring much pleasure and intellectual stimulation, but as adults we know, of course, how important it is to forge these links as we begin to prepare these girls for life at senior school. Being able to foster these links at a very personal level is one of the many advantages of educating children in a through school setting.
The opportunities afforded to Junior School students to visit the ‘big’ school and for Senior School students to make the reverse visit, often with squeals of reminiscence and nostalgia, are too many to mention but I am going to single out a recent initiative which has been instigated as part of the Abbey Re-Imagined project. This term a number of Student Tutees drawn from the Sixth Form have been working with members of Upper II to help prepare them for 11+ examinations. This after school project has been a considerable piece of work for all involved and those trusted with delivering the project have been subjected to a rigorous application, interview and training programme. In return, our Upper II students and their families have committed to this programme as a long-term investment of their time and regular attendance. Through this, and many other connections across the age range, our students are, indeed, exemplifying a ‘love of life and living and learning.’

Sacha Heard, Acting Deputy Head