News
Our Boarding Community has continued to thrive following the Easter holidays but with a marked sense of academic rigour in the air as attentions turn to revision and examinations. I have been proud to see such scholarly motivation amongst our boarders. They have remained motivated and diligent and used the resources and staff available to them to do their very best.
However, the hard work has not stopped the pupils from having fun and spending time with friends. Various events such as dinners, House barbecues, Sunday trips out, and fun sports games have helped ensure our boarders maintain a positive outlook and a strong sense of wellbeing. We look forward to the final Half Term, which will involve sharing more successes with our boarders. We will also enjoy trips to Thorpe Park, the ArcelorMittal Orbit in Stratford and the Boarders’ Festival to round off the term.
Mr Meakin
Assistant Head (Boarding)
It has been another busy term of endeavour and activity in Burton Bank, both in the examination hall and around the school. The pupils are doing well, if not a little tired, but have demonstrated tenacity and perseverance throughout.
Well done to Remove and Lower Sixth pupils who have come to the end of a hectic examination period. Congratulations must go to the Upper Sixth and Fifth Form. They continue to make the most of this challenging time by preparing for and sitting their important public examinations. Most of our Upper Sixth have all received offers from their first-choice universities and should be proud of their efforts so far. A special mention must go to Denys B (Burton Bank House), who has secured a place at Christ’s College, Cambridge, to read Mathematics; an incredible achievement and we are all immensely proud of him.
One notable Burton Bank highlight this term was the wonderful Coronation barbeque in the Burton Bank back garden – which we did not let the rain spoil! Pupils enjoyed time together away from their desks and took the opportunity to clear their heads and release some energy, particularly those involved in the pre-barbeque football match!
Thanks must go to Thomas B’s (Burton Bank House) family, who sponsored the barbeque with delicious rib-eye steaks, which were very yummy! Seeing new boys Thomas B (Burton Bank House), Ben G (Burton Bank House), Dominic K (Burton Bank House), Ibrahim M (Burton Bank House), and Kwaku S (Burton Bank House) settle in so well given the very short time they have been with us has been lovely. Whilst some start their journey in Burton Bank, we are sad to see other members of our family leave.
It was lovely for Mr Parker (Teacher of Geography and Drama) and me to have the opportunity to say farewell to the Upper Sixth with an evening out at the aptly named ‘Bank Restaurant’ on Mill Hill Broadway where we shared stories and laughed lots.
Michael Q (Burton Bank House), Lev R (Burton Bank House) and Ivan E (Head of Burton Bank House) have been in the House for five years, Alexis W (Burton Bank House) and Hani N (Burton Bank House) four years, and these pupils along with the other Upper Sixth have each made their own unique contributions to the life of Burton Bank and will I know take away many fond memories with them. It has been a pleasure having them all in the House. I wish all of them the best and ask that they please keep in touch.
Mr Turner
Housemaster of Burton Bank
We kicked off a busy summer term in Collinson with a triumphant win in the House Spelling Bee competition. With only 20 pupils to choose from, our team of Sisi W (Collinson House), Inaaya C (Collinson House), Kai S (Collinson House) and Yamin S (Collinson House) were dominant throughout the competition, even though only Yamin would consider himself a native English speaker.
In amongst examinations and revision, our pupils celebrated the King’s Coronation, cheered on various nations in the Eurovision song contest and welcomed our six new pupils in our characteristically warm fashion.
Our ‘Family’ quizzes remain a highlight of the week and Family 1; Hirad V (Collinson House), Sadra S (Collinson House), Clara Z (Collinson House), Sebastian J (Collinson House) and Lisa H (Collinson House) are in the lead at the halfway stage of the term.
We will soon be saying goodbye to several of our pupils. At the recent Valedictory Service, Collinson’s own Sisi W (Collinson House, Boarding Monitor) gave her final speech before relinquishing the role and I would like to share some of her words.
“I think that my biggest takeaway is that there really is no other community quite like it. It might sound like a cliché but the people you live with do genuinely become family to you. Spending the majority of your time with the same people allows you to form truly meaningful relationships and I am grateful to have been given the opportunity to grow alongside such a bright and kind group of individuals.”
Mr Hendy
Housemaster of Collinson
The Summer Term is the shortest but busiest of the year, with the first half being characteristically so! The Fifth Form and the Upper Sixth have been using every spare minute to revise for their examinations. We all gathered in the common room to watch the Coronation – many of the girls will understand the significance of the historical event they were witnessing better in the future. Hopefully, they will tell their children and grandchildren that they were in London eating cream tea in their Boarding House with Ms Justice telling them they had to watch it because this is the reason had a day off on Monday!
We enjoyed the Eurovision Song Contest the following week, with many of our boarders watching with keen enthusiasm. Seeing the girls passionately waving flags and cheering on their country or favourite act was lovely. The consensus in our house was that Norway should have won!
This is sadly also the half-term of goodbyes. Ivy H (Macgregor House), our Head of House was the final Macgregor girl here before me. Mr Taylor and I enjoyed a lovely farewell dinner at Miller and Carter, Muswell Hill, with our lovely Upper Sixth girls. My best wishes go to all the pupils and staff leaving Macgregor this year.
Mrs Justice
Housemistress of Macgregor House
Ridgeway House has been a hive of study this term with all Lower School pupils undertaking internal examinations and Fifth Form and Upper Sixth starting their formal examinations. It’s been lovely to see the older pupils helping and cajoling the younger members of the House into independent study, even when sometimes it’s not their first choice of after-school activity! We have several Upper Sixth pupils heading to their first-choice universities with destinations such as Manchester, Leeds and Bristol, which is always amazing to see.
A highlight this term was the CCF General inspection which we are proud to say we had two participants. Emma L (Ridgeway House), and Artem G (Ridgeway House), were immaculately turned out on parade and performed perfectly in the inspection. They were a credit to the House and the School.
We still have several busy and special weeks ahead, not least the activities programme that rounds off the year, but we would like to pass on our best wishes to those taking examinations, particularly to those leaving Mill Hill.
Mr Fryer
Housemaster of Ridgeway
