Mrs Barbara Elliott

Headmistress's Letter

February 2010


Dear Parents

I am writing to thank you all for your support on Friday 5 February as the school celebrated its 125th birthday with “Our Point of View” at the Barbican.

I think we are all still a bit shell-shocked at what actually happened on the night, with the sheer scale and quality of what we saw and heard.  The amount of energy and effort that went into producing such a large scale event was spectacular and I know that there were many exhausted Channing people that evening and for days afterwards.

I was particularly impressed with the contribution made by the Fairseat girls and staff. They waited so patiently and performed so brilliantly, and I will be forever grateful to all the staff and parents who helped their girls cope with the demands of such a challenging event. Thank you.

Many of you have written to me to express your sense of awe, as have many of the Old Girls, Governors and other visitors. As I said to the girls at the Senior School Assembly on Monday, we will not see the like of such a concert again…although I hope we will all be invited to the 150th anniversary celebrations!

I was also delighted to be able to call on the talents of Dermot Murnaghan and Lesley Garrett who gave so generously of their time. I know that their contributions really did make it a special night for all of us.

We now have a week to recover fully and then it is onwards and upwards! Senior girls will be fully focussed on preparing for their GCSEs, AS and A levels, with now only weeks to go before the examination cycle begins.
Year 9 girls have to make some important decisions about GCSE options and we will wait anxiously to see how many of our 11+  and 4+ offers will be accepted.

The Governors have given us permission to take between 60 and 80 girls at 11+ and 24 at 4+. I am so pleased that they support this flexibility and very glad that we have the facilities and staff to do this. Channing is a relatively small, “personal” school, where all girls are known, and we will do nothing to compromise that. Classes remain small and staffing generous.

Some significant changes are afoot however, and I will be writing to you after half term with our plans to change the shape of the school day. We have long felt a degree of frustration at the length of our lessons (35 minutes is rather short).

After months of consultation with staff, we have put proposals to the Governors to finish slightly later at the Senior School on three days (Mon, Wed, Thurs), and earlier on two (Tues, Fri). Lessons will be 45 or 50 minutes long, and we would like to move to a two week Autumn half term from 2011.  More details after half term.

The anniversary year is not yet over, and whilst we are all still recovering from “Our Point of View”, plans are being drawn up for two more (final!) celebrations.  The first is the Channing Association’s Anniversary Ball. Time to let your hair down and really enjoy a wonderful night with Channing friends. A flyer is enclosed and I would advise early booking of tickets. I know many parents could not get tickets for the Barbican: please, do not leave the Ball to the last minute. It WILL be very popular!

As I write, a team is meeting to plan Founders’ Day 2010. This will be the culmination of our anniversary year, and all girls will attend. It is the first Saturday in July (3rd) and I look forward to hosting a very special day.  You will be asked nearer the time as to how many tickets you will require.

More dates for your diary, courtesy of the Channing Association: 27 February Y 7&8 School Disco and 6 March CA Quiz

May I also draw your attention to the revised date for the Channing association ‘Swimathon’, this event will now take place on Saturday 27 March at 2.45p.m. not as previously advertised on 13 March. Please see enclosed flyer for further details.  All monies raised go to our school charities, KINOE, Kids in Need of Education, a UK registered charity which raises funds for educational projects in the Indian sub-continent and Noah’s Ark Children’s hospice, which helps support families in North London and South Hertfordshire.  Please help us make this Swimathon a ‘bumper’ 125 anniversary one!

I am happy to announce that the HLSI Young Opera Concert will be repeated this year on Sunday 7 March in the New Hall at Channing Senior school at 3.30p.m.  This event crept quietly into our diary last year but I must say that for opera lovers it is an event not to be missed.  Tickets are available from HLSI. (Highgate Literary and Scientific Institute)

On a more serious note our School Nurses have linked up with the charity CRY (Cardiac Risk in the Young) to organise a cardiac screening session here at the school on Saturday 22 May, open to young people between the ages of 14 and 35.  This is an extremely important and worthwhile endeavour, and I would urge you to read the accompanying letter and information.

2010 will bring another 3 members to the Channing baby club as Mrs Shoham, Mrs Hawkins and Mrs Morgan begin their maternity leave.  I am sure you will join me in wishing them all safe arrivals!

The Channing skiers are preparing for their trip to Canada, as are our Economists and Politics students who will visit New York this half term.

I wish them, and all of you, a wonderful half term break.

Yours sincerely






Headmistress