Hitchin Girls School:Hitchin Girls School

Hitchin Girls’ School
The school is responsible for setting its own curriculum
under Academy status. The Curriculum and Performance
Committee has fully supported an increase in teaching time
for GCSE subjects and a change from modular to linear
teaching. A full review of the curriculum is taking place.
The new Pavilion and tennis courts at Highbury Road are
nearly complete and we are hoping to officially open the
new building and courts early in October. This event will
be combined with the re-opening of the Highbury House
Music School following its refurbishment. This building was
transferred to the school as part of the Academy settlement.
The Asset Management Committee and all Governors
decided that the old mobile classroom should be replaced
as it is now not fit for purpose. Planning has been obtained
for a new two storey building and contracts are being
signed to commence this replacement during the coming
summer break. We have been fortunate to obtain a grant
of £40,000 from The Wolfson Foundation to complete the
refurbishment of our Science laboratories.
Financial management remains a major task in these days
of austerity and reduced funding. Along with our Head
and Financial Director the Finance Committee are able to
keep a sensible balance between what the school needs
and what it can afford. It is important that we maintain our
Sixth Form numbers. We only have a very modest
contingency planned for the next year or two.
On behalf of the Governors I want to give grateful thanks to
the Head, the Senior Leadership Team, Heads of Departments
and House and all the staff for their magnificent contribution to
the education and development of our students. This newsletter
is full of the achievements of staff and students alike.
Like every successful enterprise we see a healthy turnover
of staff going to greater things whether professionally or
personally. We lost our Deputy Head, Mrs. Donna Lodge,
this year who was promoted to Principal of the new Studio
School in Stevenage. We have been very fortunate in
finding a new Deputy Head, James Crowther, who joins us
in September from The Highfield School. We also
welcomed two new Assistant Heads this term, Ruth Cooper
and Richard Cave, who herald the change of focus on
Teaching and Learning. Along with Assistant Head, Sally
Mills and Director of Finance and Resources, Tony Hankin
this makes a very able and very strong top team under the
leadership of Frances Manning.
At the end of this term we say farewell to our Assistant
Head, Marie Mead, who is retiring. Marie has been
serving this school for thirty nine years. This is a huge
teaching lifetime of immense and incalculable value to so
many students and colleagues. Amongst many other
things, Governors will always remember her for the
charismatic presentations of the year’s exam results. We
wish her a long and happy retirement.
The Governing Body welcomed three new Community
Governors this year. They bring fresh skills and experience
round the table. I would like to thank all our Governors for
their energy, wisdom and good old fashioned common
sense which they bring to bear in tackling the increasingly
complex issues of Governance in this day and age.
My final thanks go to the students themselves - you make us
proud to be Governors.
Colin Minton, Chairman of Governors
AWARDS & PREFECTS
Each year at the Founders’ Day assembly, a number of
awards are presented to recognise achievement and
service to the school. The following are congratulated on
their awards:
The Rand Award - presented for outstanding service to
the school is awarded to Amy Saunders
The Helen Porter Award for Biology is awarded to
Stephanie Smith
The Cathy Taplin Award for Art is awarded to
Sophie Barks
The Wendy Fitzgerald Award for English is awarded
to Julia Speakman
The Frank Ellis Award for Chemistry is awarded to
Cassandra Kennedy
The Beryl Wearmouth Award for Citizenship is
awarded to Fiona Montgomery and Maria Verdeille
The Anne Hendy Cup for Mathematics is a new award
and is awarded to Sasha Gatselyuk
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