Hello everyone, we are Emily and Leah, the new Head Girls for the coming year! We are so excited for what’s to come and are extremely grateful for this opportunity, which we intend to tackle with confidence, purpose, and, of course, joy.

I (Emily) study Maths, Biology, and Chemistry and I’m a Sports Scholar. I (Leah) study Maths, History, and Drama and I’m a Drama Scholar. We are both passionate about all things The Abbey, the empowerment of women, and inclusivity.

So far, stepping into this role together has given us the chance to advocate for The Abbey during an Open Morning, build relationships with the Student and Senior Staff Leadership Team, and form a friendship that will last a lifetime! Working collaboratively with one another has already proved to be rewarding and will continue to be a fulfilling experience.

We both frequently get asked the question, ‘What is your favourite thing about The Abbey?’ – which, surprisingly, is extremely hard to answer as we could talk about it for hours. But if we had to answer in one word, it would be: ‘People’.

First of all, the community created by The Abbey is like no other. It’s a place where everyone is celebrated for who they are, and where there are endless opportunities to support and uplift one another. Whether that’s through the buzz of House Music and Drama, the joy of Diversity Day, or even the Teachers’ Karaoke Battle, these moments bring us together in a way that makes The Abbey feel like a family.

Beyond these big events, it’s everyday acts that make our school so special – hanging out with your friends at lunchtime playing cards or even Lower IVs making a giant Scottish flag with Dr Tullis’s face on it (we have made sure it’s now proudly displayed in the Sixth Form Centre!).

One of the greatest gifts The Abbey has given us is an environment where we feel confident and comfortable within ourselves. It achieves this through its all-girls community, creating freedom for each student. At The Abbey we have the freedom to express ourselves in class, the freedom to be silly when we want to, and the freedom to grow into whoever we choose to be. We truly believe there’s a unique confidence that comes from learning in a space where you are free to be yourself.

The thing we are looking forward to the most is working with Dr Tullis. We are so fortunate to be guided by such an inspirational, hard-working and compassionate role model who never fails to make us laugh. We are motivated by her dedication to The Abbey, which we hope to mirror throughout our time as Head Girls.

Finally, we’d love to share a few words about our vision for the school over the coming year. We are excited to welcome positive change within the school and are striving to strengthen communication between all students at The Abbey. We hope to do this by having open conversations with as many students as possible, because we believe every individual’s voice at The Abbey matters – even if that’s through a student Q&A with Dr Tullis and the Head Girls!

Our aim is to connect younger students with an older support system within the school which we hope to do through team-building events, talks and student-led initiatives. We want to give students a platform on which they can be heard. Even if just one Abbey student is inspired by the work we have done, our time as Head Girls will have been successful.

Emily and Leah, Head Girls