www.alumni.fhs-sw1.org.uk
From the Head
Having been appointed back in April
last year, I could not be more excited
to be finally taking up the Headship of
this very special school and, in turn, the
presidency of the Alumni Association.
It has been lovely to meet some old girl
parents at open days, school pick-ups and
the amazing Private View of the Chanel
Exhibition on 12th January, and to hear
about past times at FHS. I look forward
to meeting more of you at the 143rd
Birthday Drinks Party and AGM on 7th
March.
Since the first time I came to the School
last Spring, I have been struck by the
wonderful sense of community at
FHS. In my visits last term, my chats at
breaktimes and lunchtimes with the girls
and my conversations with the teachers,
it is community that is the word that
everyone uses to describe what is so
exceptional about the school – and at this
time, what could be more important. It is
the lived embodiment of our values - love,
compassion, humility, courage, hope and
thankfulness – that makes this school tick.
Under Mrs Elphinstone’s leadership came
a clear understanding that children who
feel loved, cared for and supported are
freed to achieve extraordinary things, and
in turn support and inspire others to do so
too. They have the confidence to be that
invaluable 10% braver. That is the magic
here and I am delighted that the torch has
been passed to me.
And achieve extraordinary things they do!
The GCSE and A Level results are superb
by any measure, with value-added that
is exceptionally strong. Girls are leaving
Francis Holland to go to a wide range of
excellent universities in the UK, US and
across the globe to do a very wide range
of courses: Mechatronics and Robotics,
International Relations, Classics
Philosophy… the list goes on. Their
interests and passions are fired during
their time here at FHS through the clubs,
trips, expeditions, partnerships and
outreach, the double national award-
winning Creative Enterprise programme,
the brilliant TIPS (Thinking Innovatively
and Problem Solving) Week, and more.
Today it is not uncommon for many
of our students to have hundreds or
thousands of friends online, but these
are often not authentic relationships.
FHS is a busy, rich and complex
environment, but many of the most
important experiences will not be found
in the event calendar. When you speak
to the girls here, they describe how they
feel known – known by their teachers,
known by their peers -and, crucially,
how the school has supported them to
know themselves. And when girls feel
truly known, they gain the ability to fly.
At FHS there is a unique sense of
‘together we can’ that you can feel
tangibly as you walk around the
School. As a community, we do not
underestimate the calamitous state
of children’s mental health and the
inextricable relationship between
wellbeing and learning. It is therefore
so important that, if you were to walk
among us down the corridors now,
attend a lesson or sit in an assembly,
listen to the conversations in the Staff
Room, share in the joy and laughter,
you would see, hear and feel the deep
culture of joy and belonging. Every
student, from Reception to Year 13, is
involved in a wide-ranging co-curricular
programme – the School excels in
music, drama, the arts, sports, STEAM,
trips and clubs – all things that we
know increase connection, happiness
and the feeling of belonging. Our
religious services create a powerful
sense of togetherness and we prioritise
high levels of person to person social
interaction. Humans never evolved to be
successful as individuals – we evolved
to be successful in the plural; as groups.
We have a whole school curriculum for
Life Skills and emotional wellbeing that
addresses themes of collaboration and
working together. Presently our Junior
School students are completing their
Friendology course, and learning new
ways to articulate and resolve the ups and
downs of the playground. All this is so
important.
I know that many of you will have fond
memories of our Junior School, and we
are delighted that, from September 2024,
it will be relocated to an iconic Victorian
Grade II listed building, just 15 minutes’
walk up the King’s Road. The brief was
extremely tight; we needed a location
that offered a real transformation in terms
of facilities and space and would allow us
to have two forms per year, but to remain
as a small school and in a location close
enough to maintain the strong familial
connections with FHS Sloane Square.
The building, which dates back to 1890,
features impressive facilities including
the old Chelsea library, a spacious School
Hall with staging, a specialist science lab,
an art room and an extensive outdoor
play area. The move will create so many
opportunities, and to reflect this, the
Junior School will become Francis Holland
Preparatory School from next September.
As you all know, our Francis Holland
community is a family, so if you’re on
the lookout for a Prep School for your
daughters, granddaughters, nieces or
friends’ daughters, please do get in touch
with our Admissions Department at
registrar@fhs-sw1.org.uk!
I am delighted that Suzy Dixon, our
current Head of the Junior School,
will be continuing as Head of Francis
Holland Prep. I will be maintaining
overall leadership and look forward to
exciting times ahead. So much will stay
the same: the values of the school, the
depth of nurturing relationships, even
the uniform. Specialist Senior School
staff will continue to advise and teach in
both, and we know the Senior School will
continue to attract pupils from the Prep
at 11+. However, the move will allow the
Prep to increase in stature and show the
world what junior girls’ education can
look like. The skills required for success
in the 2030 workplace are different from
those in 2020, and we are delighted that
the transition will also provide a huge
opportunity for the Senior School, giving
us much needed space to innovate and
create a campus that does our curriculum
justice.
I look forward to meeting you and best
wishes for 2024.
Alexandra Haydon, Head