Miss Hamalis, Head of the Junior School, writes in her Weekly Bulletin about the new pink Highgate Heritage plaque outside the (Junior) School! Read on to find out more.

You may have noticed the new pink Highgate Heritage plaque now proudly displayed on the wall outside our school building. If you haven’t had the chance to see it yet, I encourage you to take a moment...to admire it together. The plaque commemorates two remarkable women, Matilda and Emily Sharpe who, alongside Reverend Robert Spears, founded our school in 1885.

Their vision was bold and forward-thinking: they sought to establish a school where the daughters of Unitarian ministers could receive a first-class education, one that would prepare them not only for university but also for the many roles women would take on in life.

To honour one of Unitarianism’s leading theologians, William Ellery Channing, they named the school after him. From the very beginning, Channing offered a broad and ambitious curriculum. Miss Matilda Sharpe frequently welcomed distinguished visitors, including the young inventor Marconi, to inspire and engage the pupils. Channing soon became recognised as an institution of the highest standards, and to this day, we draw strength from Matilda’s wise words: “Never forget life is expecting much of you and me.”

You might also find it fascinating to learn that Matilda Sharpe was a true Renaissance woman – an educational reformer, teacher, author and painter. Some of her artwork is even housed in the National Portrait Gallery!

In assembly, Mrs Hughes reminded us of the importance of honouring our history as a girls’ school. She highlighted that we will soon be celebrating our 140th birthday in January. Mrs Hughes also spoke about the 150th anniversary of the Girls’ Schools Association (GSA), founded in 1874 by Frances Buss and Dorothy Beale to champion the best possible education for girls.

Together, we watched a segment of the inspiring GSA film, Captain of their ships, and reflected on some thought-provoking questions: What is a captain? What is their role? And what happens to a ship without one? I encourage you to watch the full film. As you do, carefully listen out for the voiceover by one of the Senior School Head Girls and look out for familiar faces, including last year’s Year 6 footballers, the Senior School netballers, and some Senior School pupils working in our Science labs. Don’t miss our Headmistress, Mrs Hughes, making an appearance too!

We urged the girls to embrace their inner captain, to work hard and to have fun in every aspect of their lives. Let’s continue inspiring them to steer their ships confidently, just as the Sharpe sisters envisioned all those years ago.