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APPLY NOWWord from the Head – 17 April 2026
Dear Parents,
I hope that you all enjoyed a wonderful holiday, whether it was spent pottering about at home or travelling further afield. Thank you to Miss Ward and Ms Goodall for taking a group of Sixth Form History of Art and Art students to Paris at the start of the break. It was evidently a most educational and enjoyable cultural experience! Some of you may also have been lucky enough to hear Professor Lewis Dartnell last night in the Arundel Centre, talking about his book Origins. His premise was how the evolution of our planet has shaped human history and he certainly held the packed auditorium gripped. My thanks to Mrs Blake and Mr Morgan, the Heads of Geography and History respectively, for organising this fascinating lecture.
Travelling a very long way from our planet for a moment, I have no doubt that many of you, like me, were gripped by the excitement of the ten day Artemis II moon mission. For me there was something wonderful about the idea that the four astronauts, aged between 47 and 50 years old, were not yet born the last time a crewed mission travelled beyond Earth’s orbit – and for someone who enjoys the occasional bit of Pink Floyd, it was fascinating to discover that the fabled ‘dark side of the moon’ is anything but. If you have not seen the images, I highly recommend taking a look at the NASA website. My favourite was probably this one, of Earth taken just as they lost communications behind the moon.
I was also – predictably – delighted to see women represented prominently in all aspects of the mission. In the crew, Mission Specialist Christina Koch had previously served on the International Space Station for almost all of 2019, setting a record for the longest consecutive time spent in space (328 days) and participating in the first all-female spacewalks. She is also the proud owner of three degrees, earning Bachelor of Science degrees in electrical engineering and physics and a Master of Science degree in electrical engineering from the University of North Carolina State University. Meanwhile NASA’s Chief Flight Director, Emily Nelson, oversaw the mission from Earth. In her role, which she has held since 2023, she manages 31 active flight directors and flight directors-in-training overseeing human spaceflight missions, including the International Space Station and Artemis lunar missions.
What I hadn’t realised, though, is that female representation in space is becoming the norm. This Meet the Leader podcast from the World Economic Forum with Samantha Cristoforetti, a European Space Agency astronaut who has been Commander of the International Space Station, highlights the gender parity in the new generation of space talent. In her view it’s down to two things: not just that women are increasingly choosing the STEM careers from which astronauts and their support teams are selected, but also the recognition that crews need to be selected for their ability to cooperate in a team, just as much for their individual high achievement. I hope to inspire some Channing girls with some clips from Cristoforetti’s fascinating interview and these NASA films in assembly on Tuesday.
Back on Earth, our new Head Girls introduced themselves to the school in assembly this morning. We discovered that Maths and Physics-loving Ava is obsessed with the cosmos (she’ll enjoy the assembly next week!), while Siana is a lover of languages ancient and modern. Their use of music and images to chart their interests and their friendship highlighted the power of taking the opportunities offered to pupils in school, as well as the strengths of the bonds formed within and beyond year groups. I look forward to Ava and Siana’s year leading the school, and seeing what new initiatives they bring with them.
This rite of passage heralds the start of the summer term, which is always a high octane and action-packed sprint to the summer holidays. The long-awaited public exams and internal end of year exams are on the horizon, with the excitement of Enrichment Week, our Year 7 & 8 production of James and the Giant Peach, the annual Gymnastics, Cheer and Dance display and Summer Concert to look forward to – to name just a few.
At the start of the new term I am delighted to welcome three new staff to Channing. Miss Ni’Man is our founding Head of D&T, joining us now to oversee the final fit-out of the new D&T rooms and prepare the curriculum for September. Ms Waltho joins us for two terms as Director of Drama during Ms Hill’s sabbatical, while in the Junior School Mr Parris-Boyle joins as maternity cover Form Teacher. Ms Cooper, Second in Maths, and Ms Hume in Art both return from maternity leave, and Mr Morgan, Head of History, is back from his paternity leave. Sadly Mr Holmes, Head of Computer Science, is still signed off school following his accident in January. I am most grateful to Ms Sequeira for stepping up to look after the department and to Mr Steel who continues to provide cover in Computer Science and Maths.
It’s a shame to end my first Word from the Head of the term on a serious note, but it’s necessary. Samantha Cristoforetti reflects in the WEF podcast on the global perspective she gained from seeing the world from space:
“I think you do have the opportunity up there to reflect about your place in the world and your responsibilities, not only to your community and to your family and maybe to your country, but really a little bit to humanity as a whole. You do have that opportunity of seeing with your own eyes, every day, how interconnected the planet is and how it’s obvious when you look at it from space that, whatever happens in a place, eventually, is going to affect everyone else.”
Over the last 2 and a half years I have found myself writing with distressing regularity about the impact growing antisemitism has had on our community. The attempted arson attack on Finchley Reform Synagogue this week has a particular resonance for many staff and students who are members of the congregation. I am relieved that nobody was hurt and that the building is undamaged, but I understand that the emotional and psychological impact of this event is significant.
I want to remind you of the support we have in place for our pupils. Across the whole school, pupils can talk to form teachers and tutors, Heads of Key Stage and Heads of Year, and our counsellors. Of course any member of staff, including me, would be happy to lend a listening ear. Please let us know if you have any specific concerns about your child and if there are any other ways in which we can help support them, and you, during this difficult time.
Let me end this week by wishing the very best of luck to our Year 10 girls who are setting out on their Silver Duke of Edinburgh expedition tomorrow, and joy and happiness to our families celebrating Vaisakhi this week. Let’s all look forward together to a Summer term filled with fun, laughter and achievements of all kinds.
With warmest wishes
Lindsey Hughes
Headmistress
