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JAGSnews

13th September 2024: Issue 62

Welcome from the Head

Dear Parents

Welcome to this week’s newsletter, as we approach the end of the second week of our new academic year. It has been such a pleasure to welcome back our staff and students, and to catch up with parents at our Welcome Evenings. Years 7, 10 and 12 all seem to have settled into new routines very quickly, and we look forward to seeing parents of students in Years 8, 9 and 11 in the coming fortnight. Our Year 11 A Level Information Evening on Thursday 19 September is an especially important event, as we introduce our Year 11 families to life in the Sixth Form, alongside the broad range of both A Level and enrichment studies … not to mention a visit to the beautifully refurbished Sixth Form centre!

In other news, we are delighted to be announced as finalists across two awards. We have been selected as a finalist in the Social Mobility Champion category at the School House Awards in recognition of our outstanding bursary provision, with winners announced next month.

Additionally, we are finalists in the Environmental Achievement category at this year’s Independent Schools of the Year Awards. The awards ceremony is in October and in the meantime, we’ll be busy composting, recycling and working in line with our key sustainability targets!

This year, I begin my tenure as President of the Girls’ School Association. It’s a great privilege for me to hold this position, and to highlight the enduring and transformative power of girls’ schools, recognise the talents and commitment of inspiring Heads and staff in GSA schools, and celebrate the association’s educational leaders who help to unleash girls’ full brilliance into the world. JAGS is, simply, the best platform, from which to celebrate an education that places the best interests of young women at the heart of everything we do.

This year is the 150th anniversary of the Girls’ School Association and the research team would like to hear from the whole community within the girls’ education sector, from students and staff to parents and alumnae, to find out what a girls’ school means to them today. Please keep an eye out for the short survey coming to you next week. Together, your responses will help highlight what girls’ education has achieved in the past 150 years and what the future should look like.

With all good wishes for the coming term,

Mrs Alex Hutchinson
Head


Dates for your Diary

  • Monday 16 September – 7pm – Year 8 Parents’ Welcome Evening (VWA)
  • Thursday 19 September – 7pm – Year 11 Sixth Form Information Evening (VWA)
  • Sunday 22 September – 4pm – Foundation School’s concert (VWA)
  • Monday 23 September – 7pm – Year 9 Parents’ Welcome Evening (VWA)

 


Reporting Absences

A reminder to all parents to use this form to report absence in the Senior School due to illness or to request absence for appointments. This form can also be found on our Contact page.

Please complete this form by 8:30am on the morning that your daughter is absent.

Additionally, when informing a teacher of any health issues your daughter may be facing, please remember to cc or School Nurse team on Nurse@jags.org.uk

 

 

 

 


Key Stage 3

It has been such a pleasure to welcome KS3 to JAGS this term. The corridors are once more filled with laughter and the sound of girls getting reacquainted.

The one-to-one devices have been successfully rolled out across the year groups and I have been so impressed by the girls’ ability to adapt to this exciting new piece of equipment. They have taken to their usage like ducks to water. I have a lot to learn from these tech-whizzes!

Myfanwy Bournon , Head of KS3

  • Welcome back

    During our first assemblies together, I spoke of our time at JAGS as being like that of the environs of rock pools. The tide has washed us up here at JAGS and we are able to explore in the safety of our glorious rockpool before the tide changes once more and we move on to our next adventure. The girls will tell you that I pushed this metaphor rather too far but I hope that it resonated with them as they navigate the waters of this new school year.

    Welcome back, KS3. We have so much to look forward to this year.

Key Stage 4

It has been a wonderful start to the term for Key Stage 4 as students settle into the school routine. There has certainly been a wonderful buzz around JAGS and I have been thoroughly enjoying getting to know the students. Thank you to the Year 10 parents who made me feel very welcome at the Welcome Evening on Thursday night, I look forward to meeting the Year 11 Parents at the Sixth Form Information evening next term.

It has been a busy start to the term with Year 10 students starting their GCSE courses and meeting their new classmates now they are no longer taught in their tutor groups. I have been pleased to see them adapting to using the new devices so well and am sure they will further enhance their learning.

Hannah Dodson, Head of KS4

  • Year 11

    Year 11s have started the term with determination and a positive attitude to their final year in the Senior School. Congratulations to all those who participated in a very damp Duke of Edinburgh last weekend, I have enjoyed hearing all about the expedition and resilience shown by the girls.

Sixth Form Update

The school year has begun with enthusiasm and gusto. Everyone in the Sixth Form community has been energised by the quality and design of the refurbishment of the Sixth Form common rooms, kitchen and the Lecture Theatre. We are all very grateful to the students who provided their invaluable voice to assist the designs.

Mat Weeks, Head of Sixth Form

  • Year 12

    The positive spirit derived from the updated environment has complemented the spirited way in which the Year 12s have settled into the Sixth Form. Whether bonding over ice-breakers during Form time, listening intently to the variety of enrichment programmes on offer, playing rounders, discussing their curriculum options or engaging fully in their A Level lessons (even throwing around wool in a Geography lesson to understand the networks of globalisation), they have been the embodiment of A Passion for Life and Learning. We are looking forward to working with them over the next two years.

  • Year 13

    Year 13s have begun where they left off last year, leaning in to the school community on the one hand, in their various student leader roles, whilst also focusing on their own individual Higher Education and Careers aspirations. UCAS personal statements have been redrafted and UCAS forms completed as we embark on the process to get the Early Application UCAS forms sent off. We know that successful outcomes lie ahead.

Award Nominations

We are proud to reveal that JAGS has been announced as a finalist in both the Environmental Achievement category at this year’s Independent Schools of the Year Awards and the Social Mobility Champion category at the School House Awards 2024.

One of our key aims as a school is ‘To champion social awareness and sustainability’. We are delighted to receive this wider recognition of our efforts and are continually grateful for the support of our close-knit community.

Winners for both awards are set to be revealed next month.

Music

The Music Department accompanied a cohort of over 60 students around Northern Italy for a run of exquisite performances during the summer break. Symphony Orchestra, String Orchestra, Holst Choir and Madrigalists played concerts in four historic venues, performing the music of Vivaldi, Purcell, Rachmaninov and more. There was just enough time in the busy concert schedule to spend a day getting lost in Venice and an evening at the opera in Verona. You can listen to recordings from a few of the performances via the JAGS Music Instagram page.

With the new academic year under way, we now look forward to seeing musicians from JAGS, Alleyn’s School and Dulwich College come together for the Foundation Schools’ concert on the Sunday 22 September. The concert is part of the Holst 150 Celebration and is a tribute to the former Director of Music at JAGS, Gustav Holst.

Tommy Foster, Director of Music

Careers

Over the summer, a number of students took the opportunity to attend work placements and summer schools.

They share their experiences below:

 

  • Erect Architecture

    “During the summer I did work placement at Erect Architecture, which has been one of the most valuable experiences I’ve had in relation to career and my future. From the help of all members of the company, to the skills I learnt which will continue to aid my future education, I had an engaging and fulfilling time.” Maya (Y11)

  • Airbus (Hamburg)

    “My placement at Airbus was really insightful; each day I was placed in a different area of the business and developed a greater understanding of each part of the processes behind building aeroplanes. From research and design to manufacturing and testing, the week enabled me to experience what life is really like on the average working day rather than just reading about it on paper.” Valentina (Y12)

  • Darrick Wood Infants School

    “I found my experience useful as it provided me with a short, but worthwhile, insight into the working world. I learnt how to interact with different children and personalities and how to cater their needs as an individual. I also learnt how to function and behave in a work environment. I enjoyed working and playing with the children and it was interesting to see what work goes into progressing a child’s development behind the scenes. Overall, this was an incredible first experience in the work world.Nandika (Y11)

  • Punchdrunk Theatre Company

    “I shadowed members from multiple different teams including production and marketing to find out what occurs when creating large-scale theatre. In addition, I was given the opportunity to have conversations with some of the employees about their journey before the company, and what their day-to-day life entails. Finally, I was asked to create a short, structured events presentation and was given feedback about my creative and practical skills.” Coco (Y12) 

  • Capgemini

    “During my week at Capgemini, I enjoyed taking part in many in person and virtual activities in the business consulting sector. As many tasks required collaboration in a team as well as working independently, I was able to develop beneficial new skills and further my insight into the world of work.” Anya (Y12)

  • NHS Summer Psychiatry School

    “The NHS Summer Psychiatry School was an insightful experience. We had two busy days full of exciting talks from patients who had suffered from mental health illnesses, providing a unique perspective of mental health. Psychiatry experts and professors from King’s College London delivered one-of-a-kind talks which delved deeper into psychiatry, the mind and health as well as the career itself. Their passion and drive were evident throughout the summer school. We were also given tasks to get thinking and reflecting such as giving us scenarios where actors would play a patient, and we would be the psychiatrist which helped improve our communication and critical thinking skills. Overall, this was a great opportunity!” Anvita (Y12)

     

    “The Psychiatry Summer School was an enlightening experience which caused me to question many misconceptions that I had regarding mental health while encouraging me to educate myself on the topics of Dementia, Addictions, Forensic Psychiatry and much more, as well as allowing me to hear from those with lived experiences of Perinatal depression, and OCD (to name a few!).

    “The talk about ‘Life at Medical school and how to get there’ was particularly constructive and informative. Many questions later, I was convinced Medicine at University was the perfect option for me.” Eemaan (Y12)

  • Homerton College Essay Programme

    “I applied for the University of Cambridge Homerton College Health and Sustainability essay programme after seeing it advertised in the Sixth Form notices. It included lots of webinars on subject themes (that were applicable to lots of disciplines) but also academic writing/research skills and was very flexible to complete (you can watch as many or as few webinars as you like). My essay entry was Highly Commended which meant that I was invited to the student conference at Cambridge over the summer. It was an amazing experience attending a range of workshops/lectures on health/sustainability and interacting with other students/faculty.”  Nitya (Y13)

JAGS Alumnae

One Year Class Reunion

On Friday 30 August, the school was pleased to welcome back alumnae from the Class of 2023 for their One Year Class Reunion. The weather was on our side for a lovely Friday evening spent outdoors. The JAGS Quad was filled with chatter and laughter while everyone enjoyed drinks and a BBQ on a warm summer’s evening.

The event was hosted by our Head Alex Hutchinson, who welcomed the alumnae and enjoyed hearing their journeys since leaving JAGS. Karen Doyle, Head of Development and Alumnae Relations, also shared the exciting plans to continue growing the alumnae community, and the wonderful array of soon-to-be announced events for 2025 including the upcoming new Creative Industries Networking event and the return of the Medical Society Dinner.

We were joined by a number of teaching staff including Mat Weeks, Liz Allan, Debbie Lewis, Anna Parrish and Tracey Walton, among many others, who had a wonderful time catching up with their former pupils, hearing about their university studies and life since leaving JAGS. We look forward to seeing the Class of 2023 at future JAGS Alumnae Association events!

Five Year Class Reunion

We are looking forward to welcoming the Class of 2019 back to JAGS for their Five Year Class Reunion taking place on Friday 27 September 2024.  It will be a wonderful occasion for the alumnae to catch up with friends and staff over drinks and nibbles. For more information visit: https://alumnae.jags.org.uk/events.

Karen Doyle and the Development & Alumnae Relations Team look forward to sharing the programme of events for 2025 in the coming weeks.


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