Welcome from the Head
Dear Parents
Welcome to this week’s newsletter, as the Spring Term draws to a close. We end the term on such a high note, having enjoyed both the informal Spring Concert in school and our Choral and Orchestral Concert in the beautiful surroundings of Cadogan Hall. The breadth of repertoires, the talent of the performers and the energy of the ensembles made these very magical events.
Among the many trips that have taken place this term, we welcomed back Year 8 students from France over the weekend, and our intrepid travellers who returned from the Dulwich College Olympiad in Singapore.
On Monday we announced our new Student Leadership team for the coming academic year. Well done to all Year 12 students who applied for positions of responsibility, and huge congratulations to Deputy Head Girls Elsa, Sara and Tessa, alongside our new Head Girl Olivia, who were greeted with huge applause by the school community in Monday’s assembly. We are all looking forward to working alongside them in the coming year as they embark on their leadership journeys.
My end of term letter to parents and this newsletter will bring you many more updates from a busy final fortnight of term, so all that remains for me is to wish you all a happy and refreshing Easter break and we very much look forward to seeing all students return to school on Tuesday 23 April.
With my best wishes,
Mrs Alex Hutchinson
Head
Dates for your Diary
- Tuesday 28 March – Spring Term ends
- Sunday 31 March to Saturday 6 April – Year 8 and 9 Ski Trip
- Tuesday 23 April – Summer Term begins
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 Update
We have hardly had a moment to draw breath this Half Term. The girls have been here, there and everywhere!
The KS3 girls have been out in force representing JAGS at all sorts of events. In the world of Music there have been two large scale concerts in the last fortnight and I have been so impressed with the standard of performance and aptitude shown by such young students. Auditions for the Junior Show are in full swing and the buzz around this production of The Little Mermaid is palpable – I know ‘Part of Your World’ will be an ear worm for us all over the next few months!
Year 7 pupils have just about managed to get clean and dry after their trip to Hindleap Warren – click here to read Demi and Alex’s full review. We have also just welcomed back students from the Singapore Olympiad. What an incredible a time everyone seems to have had and I know that many bonds of friendship have been formed across those thousands of miles. Thank goodness – on this occasion – for internet communication!
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A welcome rest
The Easter holiday seems to have come around quickly but for most it signals a very welcome rest. All students should take this time to catch up on some sleep and enjoy plenty of reading for pleasure. Year 7s will be reading Animal Farm (amongst other things) whilst Year 8 and 9 have free rein to choose what they please. The aim should be to read at least one novel per week. Be ready to share your feedback with your English teachers and classes.
All that remains is to wish everyone a very happy and healthy holiday and I look forward to seeing you at the start of the Summer Term.
The Easter holiday seems to have come around quickly but for most it signals a very welcome rest. All students should take this time to catch up on some sleep and enjoy plenty of reading for pleasure. Year 7s will be reading Animal Farm (amongst other things) whilst Year 8 and 9 have free rein to choose what they please. The aim should be to read at least one novel per week. Be ready to share your feedback with your English teachers and classes.
All that remains is to wish everyone a very happy and healthy holiday and I look forward to seeing you at the start of the Summer Term.
Key Stage 4 Update
It has been a wonderful Half Term and students across Years 10 and 11 have been tremendously busy. Highlights for our section have included Senior House Music and Multicultural Evening, with a huge number of students participating across both events.
The new student council for KS4 was a huge success and has seen representatives from each form join a new and improved council layout which allows for a wider representation of student voice.
The Year 11 Drama cohort have now completed their practical drama component, while the Duke of Edinburgh’s Silver practice expedition took place (the weather was somewhat changeable!). It was also wonderful to see some of our Music Scholars perform in the recent lunchtime Chapel Concert.
Anna Jones, Head of KS4
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Continued
Year 10 have been just as busy and we were thrilled with those students who helped Miss Braybrook prepare for her International Women’s Day assembly by taking photos of members of the JAGS community. Year 10 DT students also enjoyed a trip to the Design Museum and we were thrilled most recently with Eunice and Emily who took part in the Worshipful Company of Educators’ Public Speaking Competition; Eunice was the overall winner, and Emily was highly commended. A huge well done to them both!
Year 10 have been just as busy and we were thrilled with those students who helped Miss Braybrook prepare for her International Women’s Day assembly by taking photos of members of the JAGS community. Year 10 DT students also enjoyed a trip to the Design Museum and we were thrilled most recently with Eunice and Emily who took part in the Worshipful Company of Educators’ Public Speaking Competition; Eunice was the overall winner, and Emily was highly commended. A huge well done to them both!
Sixth Form Update
This Spring Term has flown by for the Sixth Form community. Students have participated in so many academic and co-curricular activities and now deserve a good, restorative break this Easter Holiday.
Although Year 12 assessments and Year 13 A Level examinations await students upon their return, they have all been encouraged to enjoy some rest and relaxation to ensure they keep things in perspective. While this phrase is often repeated, it is more important than ever to reflect on its meaning in the run up to these opportunities to perform – whether that be academic or otherwise. In assembly last week, I stressed the varied benefits of maintaining an even keel and gave some examples of how it might be achieved, I do hope students took this onboard.
Mat Weeks, Head of Sixth Form
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School Leadership roles
We were delighted to announce our new Head Girl team in assembly this week, along with all those Year 12s who successfully applied for roles as House Captain, School Prefect or Subject Prefect.
A very well done to you all – we look forward to working with you in the year ahead!
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Cadogan Hall
One of the many pleasures of my job is witnessing the incredible talent within our Sixth Form. The performances of the Years 13 in their final Cadogan Hall concert were simply spectacular. Viola, Myfanwy, Keira and Phoebe should be very proud of their amazing musical performances on Monday night.
Well done and thank you to them and all the other Year 12 soloists and all other members of the Sixth Form music community.
We were delighted to announce our new Head Girl team in assembly this week, along with all those Year 12s who successfully applied for roles as House Captain, School Prefect or Subject Prefect.
A very well done to you all – we look forward to working with you in the year ahead!
One of the many pleasures of my job is witnessing the incredible talent within our Sixth Form. The performances of the Years 13 in their final Cadogan Hall concert were simply spectacular. Viola, Myfanwy, Keira and Phoebe should be very proud of their amazing musical performances on Monday night.
Well done and thank you to them and all the other Year 12 soloists and all other members of the Sixth Form music community.
New Head Girl team
Congratulations and welcome to our new Head Girls team:
- Head Girl:
Olivia
- Deputy Head Girls:
Tessa, Sara and Elsa
And of course, a huge thank you to our outgoing team of Beulah, Elise, Gaby and Tilly for your wonderful contribution to life at JAGS.
Music
Choral & Orchestral Concert
This week’s Choral and Orchestral Concert at Cadogan Hall was simply breathtaking with one heavenly performance after another – the culmination of so many weeks of carefully planned rehearsals.
The programme was wide and varied, ranging from sacred baroque choral music to modern musicals.
Each and every student performed brilliantly – with special mention to our Year 13 soloists Myfanwy and Viola.
MFL
Spanish
Year 12 Trip to Barcelona
Earlier this term, Year 12 Spanish students embarked on an unforgettable whirlwind trip to Barcelona.
Below Olivia, Harriet and Eva reflect on the fun-filled trip:
“Visiting Spain with the whole Spanish ‘family’ was an unforgettable experience, and certainly one of my best at JAGS so far. The rich culture, beautiful architecture, mouth-watering food, and so much more made Barcelona one of my favourite cities that I have seen, and it was even better to spend it with my friends and teachers.
“For me, my highlight was our visit to El Padre Damian school, where we got an insight into Spanish life for people just like us, and it was great to be able to put our language skills to use and really see the rewards, by being able to engage, talk, and laugh with so many Spanish people our age . . .
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Olivia continued
“I also loved Casa Batlló, and I thought the architecture was just amazing – like nothing I have ever seen before. The blue tiles and winding staircases were so beautiful, and it was so nice to be able to see all the things we have discussed about Gaudi in real life.
“Last but not least, the food was so delicious. The tapas, the paella, the churros! It was all unforgettable, and I hope I can go back to Spain soon to relive all the amazing moments again. The Spanish teachers gave us the most incredible experiences and a trip that made my love of Spanish even stronger. ¡Muchas gracias!” Olivia (Y12)
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Harriet
“The trip was an incredible experience for a number of reasons, and I created memories that will stay with me forever. One of the most striking parts of the trip was familiarising ourselves with the unique works of Antoni Gaudí, founder of Catalan Modernism architecture, whose works in Barcelona are widely celebrated, such as La Sagrada Familia and Casa Batlló.
“On the first full day, we visited La Sagrada Familia in the afternoon and a guide led us around the church. It was incredible to see the extraordinary stained-glass designs within the interior, and how Gaudí was influenced by the natural world in the structures he designed and the colours he used. The next morning, we walked to Casa Batlló and its exterior was amazing!
“The shapes were so unlike architecture we had ever seen before, and the blue and green façade was beautiful. After queueing up, we went into the house itself, accompanied with an audio description in Spanish of each room, explaining Gaudí’s process. My favourite part of the house was the colour gradient of the tiles surrounding the staircase, as pale blue became increasingly dark as we climbed the stairs. It was a memorable part of an amazing trip and I miss it already!” Harriet (Y12)
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Eva
“Despite the rainy weather, I had an amazing time and discovered so much about the rich history of Barcelona. My highlight was most definitely visiting the school which our teacher, Señorita Sanchez, had links with. This was hugely interesting as it provided us with a brief insight into the lives that the students lead and the types of facilities that they spent their days in.
“The comparison, which the situation allowed for, with our own school as well as city was extremely interesting. This will also prove to be beneficial in future revision as we spend a large portion of our course at A Level analysing cultural differences between our two countries and the differences between the region of Cataluña and the rest of the country. On top of this, despite us talking to our Spanish counterparts in English at times to allow them to perfect their own learning, I spent most of the time speaking in Spanish which was hugely useful and a confidence boost. Everything from the lovely hostel to the delicious restaurants in which we had dinner made the experience so enjoyable and one that I’ll never forget.” Eva (Y12)
“I also loved Casa Batlló, and I thought the architecture was just amazing – like nothing I have ever seen before. The blue tiles and winding staircases were so beautiful, and it was so nice to be able to see all the things we have discussed about Gaudi in real life.
“Last but not least, the food was so delicious. The tapas, the paella, the churros! It was all unforgettable, and I hope I can go back to Spain soon to relive all the amazing moments again. The Spanish teachers gave us the most incredible experiences and a trip that made my love of Spanish even stronger. ¡Muchas gracias!” Olivia (Y12)
“The trip was an incredible experience for a number of reasons, and I created memories that will stay with me forever. One of the most striking parts of the trip was familiarising ourselves with the unique works of Antoni Gaudí, founder of Catalan Modernism architecture, whose works in Barcelona are widely celebrated, such as La Sagrada Familia and Casa Batlló.
“On the first full day, we visited La Sagrada Familia in the afternoon and a guide led us around the church. It was incredible to see the extraordinary stained-glass designs within the interior, and how Gaudí was influenced by the natural world in the structures he designed and the colours he used. The next morning, we walked to Casa Batlló and its exterior was amazing!
“The shapes were so unlike architecture we had ever seen before, and the blue and green façade was beautiful. After queueing up, we went into the house itself, accompanied with an audio description in Spanish of each room, explaining Gaudí’s process. My favourite part of the house was the colour gradient of the tiles surrounding the staircase, as pale blue became increasingly dark as we climbed the stairs. It was a memorable part of an amazing trip and I miss it already!” Harriet (Y12)
“Despite the rainy weather, I had an amazing time and discovered so much about the rich history of Barcelona. My highlight was most definitely visiting the school which our teacher, Señorita Sanchez, had links with. This was hugely interesting as it provided us with a brief insight into the lives that the students lead and the types of facilities that they spent their days in.
“The comparison, which the situation allowed for, with our own school as well as city was extremely interesting. This will also prove to be beneficial in future revision as we spend a large portion of our course at A Level analysing cultural differences between our two countries and the differences between the region of Cataluña and the rest of the country. On top of this, despite us talking to our Spanish counterparts in English at times to allow them to perfect their own learning, I spent most of the time speaking in Spanish which was hugely useful and a confidence boost. Everything from the lovely hostel to the delicious restaurants in which we had dinner made the experience so enjoyable and one that I’ll never forget.” Eva (Y12)
Russian
Maslenitsa Celebrations
The Russian Department joined Harrow School for a Maslenitsa celebration and poetry competition on Sunday 17 March. The holiday is a week-long celebration which welcomes spring and the end of winter. People celebrate by eating pancakes and playing various games outside.
There was a great selection of Russian food for students to try and we had great fun playing with students from Harrow, St. Paul’s Girls’ School and Hampton School. Miss Nikolaenko led the event in Russian, while I translated from Russian into English.
A number of JAGS students took part in the poetry competition reciting poetry by famous Russian poets from the Silver Century of poetry. We were very pleased that JAGS students were among the winners: Christine (Y8) took the top prize in the beginners category and Eloise (Y10) was commended in her age category.
Ksenia Wesson, Head of Russian
French
IWD 2024
As part the school-wide initiatives celebrating International Women’s Day, students in French have been looking at the problems facing women and discussing potential solutions and empowering messages.
See some of the suggestions they came up with in the pictures on the left-hand side.
Maths
Maths Fest
Congratulations to Imi, Laura, Prisha and Brooke (Y10) who travelled to Canons High School to compete in the Maths Fest regional finals. The team worked well together and finished an impressive fourth place out of 18 competing schools, scoring 85/100.
Careers
The JAGS Careers Department has been busy organising valuable networking events and work experience to help our pupils as they contemplate their next steps.
Follow the tabs below to find out more:
Sixth Form Careers in Finance Working Lunch
Sixth Form students were invited to a working lunch with JAGS Governor, Alexandra Loydon and four colleagues from St James’s Place to find out more about careers in the finance sector. Students were intrigued to hear about the different routes into the finance sector and the speakers’ career journeys to date.
“It was so interesting to get a variety of perspectives regarding work in the financial sector. Learning about the different routes into finance and also getting to talk to the panel members about a day in the life, teamwork, and work-life balance was great fun!” Navi (Y13)
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InvestIN Investment Banker Insight Day
“The experience was so insightful and opened me up to the various niches in the world of banking. We were informed about the different careers in banking and role-played various simulations to get a feel for the different roles. I met so many wonderful new people who were interested in similar things to me, which is extremely helpful for networking in the future. We were given advice about how to get into the career in the future and additional guidance that will help with the UCAS applications process. Loved it!” Tharanya (Y12)
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Curriculum Plus – Step into the Future
As part of the Step into the Future course, throughout the Spring term, Year 9 students have been preparing for their employer encounters by researching the roles, thinking about the skills, personality and qualifications required to be successful in different sectors.
Mrs Allan’s group were delighted to be joined (virtually) by JAGS Alumna, Jabin Ali, Assistant Editor at HarperCollins Publishers. After a short introduction, students took it in turns to ask Jabin questions about her career and how this has been influenced by her interests and personality. Students were also keen to hear how work in the publishing sector is changing due to advances in technology including BookTok on TikTok!
Ms Brookes’ group also hosted a virtual careers meeting with Sarah McConnell, who talked about her role as Head of HR. During the question time, students were interested to hear of her career journey and the transition from industrial relations within a trade union to working for the Institute of Structural Engineers. She spoke of her passion for working with people and emphasised to students the importance of good communication skills.
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University of Cambridge Subject Masterclasses
English
“The English masterclass consisted of two invigorating lectures which provided a glimpse into the diverse range of topics taught at Cambridge. The first explored the boundary between literature and medicine, focusing specifically on Chaucer’s depiction of this in his Canterbury tales. The second lecture considered film criticism, an optional 3rd year module, where we were introduced to the broad French critical term ‘Mise en Scène’. The session concluded with a panel of current undergraduate students sharing their experiences and answering questions. Overall, the masterclass provided insight into the breadth yet specificity of the English course as well as a great opportunity to visit various colleges during the remainder of the day.” Sanvi (Y12)
Music
“The Cambridge music masterclass was a very good experience. We heard a couple of lectures and a tour of the facilities, giving an insight into what we may experience, which was especially helpful since music is so practical.” Megan (Y12)
Politics
“I attended the politics masterclass at Cambridge and really enjoyed the experience! I attended two lectures on a topic I was interested in but didn’t know much about, and the talk was very informative and easy to understand with room for discussion. It was also helpful to talk to some of the Cambridge students and professors for advice on the academic and social life there.” Jane (Y12)
“The experience was so insightful and opened me up to the various niches in the world of banking. We were informed about the different careers in banking and role-played various simulations to get a feel for the different roles. I met so many wonderful new people who were interested in similar things to me, which is extremely helpful for networking in the future. We were given advice about how to get into the career in the future and additional guidance that will help with the UCAS applications process. Loved it!” Tharanya (Y12)
As part of the Step into the Future course, throughout the Spring term, Year 9 students have been preparing for their employer encounters by researching the roles, thinking about the skills, personality and qualifications required to be successful in different sectors.
Mrs Allan’s group were delighted to be joined (virtually) by JAGS Alumna, Jabin Ali, Assistant Editor at HarperCollins Publishers. After a short introduction, students took it in turns to ask Jabin questions about her career and how this has been influenced by her interests and personality. Students were also keen to hear how work in the publishing sector is changing due to advances in technology including BookTok on TikTok!
Ms Brookes’ group also hosted a virtual careers meeting with Sarah McConnell, who talked about her role as Head of HR. During the question time, students were interested to hear of her career journey and the transition from industrial relations within a trade union to working for the Institute of Structural Engineers. She spoke of her passion for working with people and emphasised to students the importance of good communication skills.
English
“The English masterclass consisted of two invigorating lectures which provided a glimpse into the diverse range of topics taught at Cambridge. The first explored the boundary between literature and medicine, focusing specifically on Chaucer’s depiction of this in his Canterbury tales. The second lecture considered film criticism, an optional 3rd year module, where we were introduced to the broad French critical term ‘Mise en Scène’. The session concluded with a panel of current undergraduate students sharing their experiences and answering questions. Overall, the masterclass provided insight into the breadth yet specificity of the English course as well as a great opportunity to visit various colleges during the remainder of the day.” Sanvi (Y12)
Music
“The Cambridge music masterclass was a very good experience. We heard a couple of lectures and a tour of the facilities, giving an insight into what we may experience, which was especially helpful since music is so practical.” Megan (Y12)
Politics
“I attended the politics masterclass at Cambridge and really enjoyed the experience! I attended two lectures on a topic I was interested in but didn’t know much about, and the talk was very informative and easy to understand with room for discussion. It was also helpful to talk to some of the Cambridge students and professors for advice on the academic and social life there.” Jane (Y12)
SSLP
Thinking About Unlawful Killings
Students from six of the SSLP partner schools, were delighted to be joined by Her Honour Wendy Joseph KC for an interactive Thinking About event at JAGS. As Wendy explored a mock trial, she shared insights into the role of the judge, barristers, witnesses and the jury.
Angelina (Y13) reflected on the experience:
“Walking into the VWA, we found ourselves entering a courtroom setting, with tables laid out at the front for the witnesses, prosecution and defence, as well as a podium for the judge – played by Wendy Joseph KC. Across from this, tables and chairs were set up for the jury, our audience.
“Each juror was provided with a short background brief to the case as well as paper and pens to take notes with – the prospective law students in the room immediately darted for these, thoughts at the ready . . . .
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Continued
“Those students playing ‘active’ roles in the mock trial received packs of information, which they used as a springboard for their questioning. It was delightful to see them skillfully embody their roles, keep their stories straight and stay in character – even once the mock trial had officially ended and they were further questioned in a more informal manner by the judge.
“We are grateful to Wendy Joseph KC for cleverly putting together a mock trial in an accessible and enjoyable way for a range of year groups to understand. I will be keeping a keen lookout for her books from now on!”
“Those students playing ‘active’ roles in the mock trial received packs of information, which they used as a springboard for their questioning. It was delightful to see them skillfully embody their roles, keep their stories straight and stay in character – even once the mock trial had officially ended and they were further questioned in a more informal manner by the judge.
“We are grateful to Wendy Joseph KC for cleverly putting together a mock trial in an accessible and enjoyable way for a range of year groups to understand. I will be keeping a keen lookout for her books from now on!”
Sport
As you will have no doubt seen in previous newsletters, the Spring Term has brought a number of victories for students at JAGS. We were proud to see that this rich vein of form continued over the last fortnight:
Biathlon
A huge congratulations to our Sixth Form Biathlon Team (Zoha, Jane Jee & Isobel) who were crowned GB Schools Biathlon Champions at the University of Bath last weekend.
Michael Golding, Director of Sport
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Fencing
Well done to Eleanor (Y7) who placed an incredible 8th place out of 160 competitors in the U13 Épée at Challenge Wratislavia, Poland!
Additionally, she was the highest ranked British girl across all 3 of the age groups – U11, U13 and U15.
Well done to Eleanor (Y7) who placed an incredible 8th place out of 160 competitors in the U13 Épée at Challenge Wratislavia, Poland!
Additionally, she was the highest ranked British girl across all 3 of the age groups – U11, U13 and U15.
JAGS Alumnae
London Professional Networking Event 2024
We are looking forward to our first ever London Professional Networking Event, taking place on Wednesday 15 May 2024 from 6:00pm to 8:30pm at St. James’s Place City office in Lombard Street.
Alumnae from HSBC, PwC, BBVA, Macfarlanes LLP, Serle Court, Goodwin Procter (UK) LLP and JP Morgan, amongst other organisations, have already registered to attend this fantastic networking opportunity for everyone. The wonderful evening is kindly sponsored by St. James’s Place as a leader in the financial services sector who are actively working to raise the profile of women in the financial field.
The event is open to the JAGS parent community working in finance, property, entrepreneur and law sectors along with their creative and associated industries.
For more information or to book a place contact alumnae@jags.org.uk
