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CONTACT US Word from the Head – 10 October 2025
Dear Parents,
After the sombre tone of last week’s Word from the Head, we end this week with the uplifting news that Israel and Hamas have agreed to the first phase of a peace deal and, overnight, a ceasefire has come into effect. Donald Trump is hailing the breakthrough as the start of an ‘everlasting peace’. We can but hope that this is true and offer our whole-hearted support to the negotiators as they endeavour to make this a reality.
As a result, and only a week late, I am handing over Word from the Head today to our Senior School Reading Coordinator, Dr Hayward. As you know, reading is a central part of our approach, with dedicated reading periods every Monday morning and a strong emphasis on reading for pleasure. Originally written to coincide with National Poetry Day last week, this is the perfect moment to share a glimpse of some of the exciting work happening in school.
Dear Parents,
Last week, our school celebrated National Poetry Day, which this year took ‘play’ as its theme. How fitting: no community knows the value of play quite like ours! At Channing, we see this spirit shine in everything from the festive creativity of Channing Christmas, when classrooms are transformed into extraordinary scenes, to the exuberance of House Singing, when music, imagination and teamwork come together in joyful competition. Whether it is in the classroom, the playground, or our wider school traditions, the spirit of imagination and experimentation runs through Channing life.
Play, as Albert Einstein once observed, is not a distraction from serious thought, but often the very condition that makes creativity and insight possible. When we play, we allow ourselves to try without fear of failure, to combine ideas in unexpected ways, and to discover new connections. This is why play sits so close to the heart of learning, and why it resonates so strongly with James Nottingham’s idea of The Learning Pit. Stepping into the Pit requires curiosity, resilience and a willingness to engage with uncertainty. It is through this process of grappling, questioning and experimenting that students develop confidence, adaptability and fearless learning.
Poetry, too, is a form of play. It is language at its most experimental – bending rules, exploring rhythms and sounds, and inviting us to see the familiar with fresh eyes. Just as children create whole worlds out of imagination, poets transform ordinary words into something extraordinary. Rhyme, metaphor and wordplay remind us that language can be a game as well as a tool. Wrestling with a challenging poem is very much like entering the Learning Pit: it may feel uncertain at first, but with resilience and a willingness to take risks, students emerge with new insights, deeper understanding, and the joy of discovery. Poetry encourages this fearless engagement, showing that play and perseverance are inseparable in the pursuit of knowledge and creativity.
On Tuesday last week Year 13 students from Literary Society, Opal, Maisie and Yasmine, led our National Poetry Day assembly, exploring riddle poetry with the school community. These playful verses ask us to solve, imagine and delight in surprise. From Jonathan Swift to Emily Dickinson, poets have long hidden answers in plain sight, daring us to puzzle them out. In doing so, they remind us that reading poetry can be as active, joyful and challenging as any game.
To celebrate National Poetry Day, KS3 and KS4 tutors launched the ‘Write Your Own Riddle Poem’ competition, open to individuals, groups or whole forms. It promises to be a wonderful opportunity for students to experiment with language and share their creativity with the community.
Students from 7CWi performing their riddle poetry
Students from 8VS puzzling over a riddle poem
This National Poetry Day I hope our pupils – and indeed all of us – will remember that play is not just for children. It is for thinkers, dreamers and creators of every age. Poetry gives us permission to play with words, and in that play we discover both joy and insight.
Happy National Poetry Day!
With best wishes,
Dr Hayward
Before I end, Mr Meier has asked me to include two practical matters:
Personal Safety
With the nights drawing in, we would like to take this opportunity to remind everyone of the importance of personal safety. While we are fortunate to be in a part of London that is generally safe, a proactive approach helps our pupils to feel confident and prepared should they ever face a challenging situation.
These are some of the points we discuss with the girls in school, and I would encourage you to revisit them at home:
- Choose well-lit routes and avoid dark alleys or parks after dusk
- Keep phones out of sight to reduce the risk of theft
- Avoid wearing headphones when walking alone
- If worried, step into a shop for help or seek support from a trusted adult, such as a police officer
- Whenever possible, travel in groups.
Thankfully, it is rare that our pupils need to put this advice into practice. However we want them to be mindful of their surroundings and equipped with strategies to keep themselves safe.
School Uniform
As you are aware, as a result of feedback from the girls we have introduced a new cut of Channing-branded tracksuit bottoms this year. I have been pleased to hear how popular they have been – both with the girls, who appreciate the comfort and practicality of the style, and with parents, who value their affordability.
The only drawback of their success has been that our suppliers have struggled to keep up with demand! I am assured that stock is now available and outstanding orders are being fulfilled. To reflect this, we are treating this half term as a transition period. Please note, however, that from the start of the next half term we will expect all girls to wear Channing-branded tracksuits on PE and sports club days. Plain black joggers will no longer be considered part of the acceptable uniform.
Finally this week Mrs Blase, our Estates Manager, has reminded me about Thank Your Cleaner Day, which falls on Wednesday 15 October. Started in 2015 in New Zealand by a local trade organisation, word about Thank Your Cleaner Day has spread widely and is now established on a global level. This is a great opportunity to recognise the hard working cleaners in our school, who often work antisocially early and late outside office hours to keep our place of work and learning clean and tidy. I’ll be telling the girls about this in assembly next week and hope that they will take the time to seek out and thank the band of women and men who work so hard behind the scenes.
Chag Sukkot Sameach to all those who have been celebrating this week, and my best wishes for a lovely weekend to you all. In particular our good wishes to Ms Walker, who is running a half marathon in aid of Breast Cancer Now on Sunday: a fabulous cause and a great event! Details are in the section below if you wish to support her.
With warmest wishes
Lindsey Hughes
Headmistress
