10 Jul 2026

Reflections on My First Year at St. Helen’s College by Ms Sophie Green

An extraordinary first year in a community built on warmth, ambition, kindness and care.

As the academic year draws to a close, I have found myself reflecting on what has been an extraordinary first year as Headteacher of St. Helen’s College. Since joining the school last September, I have had the privilege of getting to know a community that is warm, welcoming and deeply committed to the wellbeing and success of every child.

Before arriving, I was aware of St. Helen’s College’s strong reputation for academic excellence. What has become clear over the past year is that the school’s success is founded on something even more important: its values. A commitment to striving for excellence, helping one another and caring for everyone is evident in every aspect of school life. These values are not simply aspirations; they are lived and demonstrated by pupils, staff and families every day.

This has been a highly successful year. Our Year 6 pupils are moving on to an impressive range of leading independent, grammar, and highly sought after local senior schools, with many having been awarded scholarships in recognition of their talents and achievements. While these outcomes are a source of great pride, they are only part of the story. What matters most is that our pupils leave St. Helen’s College as confident, thoughtful, compassionate and resilient young people, equipped not only for academic success but for life beyond the classroom.

One of the greatest joys of this year has been spending time with pupils across all year groups. Whether discussing literature with Year 6, listening to the thoughtful observations of Year 3 over lunch, celebrating the impressive progress made by Year 4, or watching Year 2 settle so successfully into Upper School, I have been continually impressed by the curiosity, confidence and kindness of our children. The energy and creativity of Year 5 also give me every confidence that they will be exceptional role models as they prepare to lead the school next year.

The emphasis we place on kindness, inclusivity, respect and wellbeing is something I particularly value. Throughout the year I have witnessed countless examples of pupils supporting one another, welcoming new friends, celebrating differences and showing genuine care for those around them. At St. Helen’s College, wellbeing is woven into the fabric of daily life, helping children develop resilience, self-awareness and a strong sense of community.

None of this would be possible without our exceptional staff. Throughout my first year, I have been struck by the strength of teamwork across the school. Staff support one another, willingly share expertise and consistently go above and beyond for the children in their care. I am immensely grateful to every member of the school community for their dedication, professionalism and unwavering commitment to our pupils.

I would also like to acknowledge the support of our amazing Senior Leadership Team: Mrs Gilbert, Mr Roche, Ms Matthews and Mrs Cargill, whose wisdom, guidance and friendship have made my transition into headship at St. Helen’s College both enjoyable and successful. Equally, I am grateful to Mr and Mrs Crehan, who continue to be passionate supporters of the school and whose encouragement has meant a great deal during my first year.

Our parents play a vital role in the success of the school, and I would like to thank them for their trust, partnership and ongoing support. The relationship between home and school is central to the experience we provide for our children, and we are fortunate to have such an engaged and supportive parent community.

Alongside the many significant achievements of the year, it is often the smaller moments that stay with us. Some of my favourite memories have come from spending time in Ducklings searching for caterpillars with our youngest children, sharing books with pupils, enjoying conversations in staff rooms, and witnessing the enthusiasm with which children embrace every opportunity offered to them. These moments serve as a reminder that while academic achievement is important, it is the relationships, laughter, kindness and shared experiences that truly define a school’s culture.

Looking back, one of the most encouraging aspects of life at St. Helen’s College has been the genuine love of reading that exists throughout the school. From discussing Skellig with Year 6 to hearing younger pupils enthusiastically recommend their favourite books, I have seen how literature continues to inspire imagination, curiosity and thoughtful discussion. It is a passion that enriches all aspects of school life.

My first year as Headteacher has reinforced what a special place St. Helen’s College is. It is a school where children are encouraged to be ambitious yet compassionate, confident yet kind, and where every individual is valued for who they are. Most importantly, it is a school filled with remarkable young people who make it a joy to come to work each day.

It has been a privilege to lead St. Helen’s College over the past year. I am incredibly proud of everything we have achieved together and excited about the opportunities that lie ahead. As we look forward to the new academic year, I would like to thank everyone who has contributed to making this such a successful and memorable year.

I wish all our pupils, families and staff an enjoyable summer. To our families who attend our year-round provision in Ducklings and Cygnets and our brilliant staff who work all year round I look forward to being in touch over the coming weeks, and I look forward to welcoming everyone back in September for another wonderful year at St. Helen’s College.

Ms Sophie Green

Headteacher

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03 Jul 2026

Dive Into a Summer of Stories: Helping Children Discover the Joy of Reading

Miss Cooper wrote in Spring about how confident readers become confident learners. The long summer holidays are a golden opportunity for relaxed reading, which is known to benefit wellbeing as well as learning. Here are some practical ideas and resources that may help to encourage your child to dive into a good story.

My personal top tips to foster positive reading are to read for fun and pleasure, to read together and to read often. And as far as is practical let your child choose the books! They will learn to associate reading with good times and togetherness if you share a book every day, and enjoy the illustrations, jokes and rhymes. Keep a handy book on the breakfast table – in school our children love poetry which can be read in short bursts; maybe A Whale of a Time: A Funny Poem for Every Day of the Year or A Poem for Every Question.

Read aloud, and listen to your child read too, ideally sat next to each other. Invent silly voices and actions! Have a go at drawing the characters; use @Draw With Rob, learn to draw Hilda from Hilda and the Trolls, very popular in the library right now. Share your favourite passage, phrases or plot twist. Listen to their thoughts and understanding of the stories too. What issues did it raise? What surprised them?

Children who observe their adults reading attach importance to it and will model them. Tell them what you are reading, and why, and ideally, read your books together at the same time. Be interested in what your child would like to read, even if they have read it many times before. Consider subscribing to a brilliant magazine like The Phoenix – comics, drawing guides and more for 7 to 14 years, and home to many comic and graphic favourites. Delivered weekly, it promises to “tear them away from screens and get them reading!”.

Reading Bingo is a fantastic way to inject a sense of fun into summer reading. Books for Topics is an excellent resource – it has the best book bingo! The achievable goals to collect include making a den to read in, reading under a tree, or whilst wearing sunglasses, as well as reading a book to someone else over the phone! Print a bingo card for every family member.

To provide books for your bingo, visit a Hillingdon library to sign up for the Summer Reading Challenge with posters, goodies and a digital portal to explore. Libraries are amazing resources for all generations of the family, boasting beautiful, safe spaces (yes, with AC!) and up to 15 books can be borrowed each time. Oak Farm is the library nearest to school and could be combined with a trip to Court Park.

If you are looking to buy, try Books for Topics, Empathy Lab, Inclusive Books for Children, School Reading List. Using expert sites will guide you to well written and entertaining books from the best established and new authors. This is a golden age for children’s publishing, with so much to explore that is new!

My personal favourites for summer? For the youngest Is This A Plum?, a new interactive and very funny story, and The Ice Cream Crocodile. Year 3 Book Club has been enjoying The Boy Who Grew Dragons a story with heart – and lots of exploding dragon poo! There are now two Cruise Ship Kid books to try by Emma Swann, and I love anything colourful and bouncy by Sophy Henn like her Pizazz books or Happy Hills. Nate Lessore’s Super Power books are funny for children and grownups alike.

The next book in the Impossible Creatures is out in hardback, The NeverFear and I can’t wait. Lily Tripp: Diary of an Accidental Time Traveller is perfect for age 9 – 12, especially girls, and the next Finn’s Epic Fails is out too. For the oldest readers Wolf Siren has just scooped a double Carnegie Award and How To Steal The Future is the latest sci-fi thriller from Christopher Edge (very popular in Year 6).

So many choices! However, whatever, and wherever we read this summer, our Year 6 Leavers of the future will thank us for reading with them often and doing so with a sense of fun and adventure. Enjoy your stories!

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03 Jul 2026

‘Enchanting’ Summer Arts Evening

It was wonderful to welcome so many families to the annual St. Helen’s College Summer Arts Evening at the Winston Churchill Theatre this week.

This very special art exhibition and concert celebrates the culmination of another year of success in the expressive arts at St. Helen’s College. Every child in Nursery – 6 exhibited at least one piece of artwork at the ‘Enchanted Forest’ themed exhibition and all three Upper School choirs, the school orchestra and many soloists and ensembles performed at the evening concert. There were also very accomplished poetry and drama recitations.

It was a magical evening of creative expression and a glimpse of just some of the stunning work the children achieve here at St. Helen’s College. The art exhibition displayed the enormous variety of techniques and materials the children are lucky to explore in their lessons.

Following the exhibition the children took centre stage at the evening concert to perform solo, choral and instrumental musical pieces, poetry recitations, LAMDA pieces, group ensembles and more. The children’s performances were outstanding and reflect pupils’ continued hard work and the extremely high standards they achieve in their artistic endeavours. Congratulations to everyone involved for a hugely successful evening.

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