LEH is a school full of opportunity, challenge and friendship; a place to take risks and become bold; a place to discover passions, talents and yourself; a place that nurtures remarkable women.
We encourage our pupils:
•to be exactly who they are, whatever their current interests or future aspirations.
•to benefit from the warmth, respect, and support of the entire School community as they stretch themselves to become their best, most confident selves, as students, and as citizens of the world.
•to have the freedom to experiment, express opinions, explore and take on new challenges.
•to be supported by strong role models and inspired by their peers.
•to find confidence and strength, and acquire and build the skills they need to succeed throughout their lives.
This Independent Girls’ School is one of the oldest in the country, founded in 1710 in Cripplegate under the Will of the Lady Eleanor Holles. In 1937, the school moved to purpose-built premises in Hampton. Numerous additions to the building have enabled the school to increase to some 999 girls, aged from 7 to 18 years, who enjoy a wealth of specialist facilities and the use of 24 acres of playing fields and gardens. Fourteen science laboratories, Learning Resources Centre, Sixth Form Library, a Product Design suite, extensive computing and multimedia language facilities and a dedicated Careers area are complemented by grass and hard tennis courts, netball courts, 5 lacrosse pitches, track and field areas and a full-sized, indoor heated swimming pool refurbished in 2017. A Boat House, shared with
Hampton School, was opened in October 2000 and a large Sports Hall, adjacent to the swimming pool, in September 2001.
September 2012 saw the opening of a new Arts Centre consisting of a 300-seat theatre, new Music and Art Departments, and Sixth Form Common Rooms, followed in September 2013 by a new dining room, a new suite of classrooms, two dedicated Drama Studios, and a Conference Room.
In 2018 the Gateway Building opened with a state-of-the-art Computing suite, and Product Design facilities. Both of these subjects are now offered at A Level.
Most recently, the Quadrant building provides dedicated teaching space for the English and Mathematics departments and a new Sixth Form expansion project will complete at the end of 2023, providing more informal study space and a refurbished and extended café area overlooking the school playing fields.
Both the Junior and Senior Schools are equipped with a lift for people with disabilities.
The School’s Statement of Purpose embodies the original aim, to encourage every student to develop their personality to the full so that they may become a person of integrity and a responsible member of society. It also emphasises the value of a broad, balanced education which gives due importance to sport, music and the creative arts in general, whilst providing the opportunities for students to achieve high academic standards within a framework of disciplined, independent study.
The Curriculum. In Years 7–9 girls take two modern foreign languages (with the option of Mandarin in Y9), Latin, separate sciences, dedicated computing lessons and a PSHE programme which continues throughout the school. Selection rather than specialisation for GCSE allows girls to respond to individual abilities and attributes, and every student continues to experience a broad education in which as few doors as possible are closed. A large sixth form of over 200 students means that a wide choice of Advanced Level subjects is offered. Most students study four or five subjects in L6, proceeding to A Level with three or four. They have the option of taking the Extended Project Qualification, and emphasis is placed on leadership roles and extra-curricular activities. All sixth form students move on to further training, the majority to Russell Group universities, including Oxford and Cambridge, as well as North American universities. The supportive Careers programme, which begins in Year 9, continues throughout the school and uses external specialists, parents, past pupils, ECCTIS and other computer programmes, as well as the School’s own, trained staff.
Extra-Curricular Activity. A key strength of the school is the range and diversity of its flourishing extra-curricular provision. Some 120 clubs run each week ranging from Music, Drama and Sports to Outward Bound, CCF and subject clubs, all aiming to stimulate further and inculcate a love of learning outside the classroom. Sixth Formers lead a number of groups which focus on various political, environmental and ethical issues, including ‘Model United Nations’, ‘Amnesty’ and Eco-Squad. Sixth Formers are encouraged to take the initiative and form their own clubs with a Medic Group, Law Society and Book Club formed in the recent past. The School is very much at the heart of the local community and has developed a wide range of activities to ensure that students are aware of their social responsibilities, including Service Volunteers which works with disadvantaged local school children and the elderly, and running numerous activities in local primary schools, including language and drama clubs. Pupils are strongly encouraged to participate in extra-curricular activities.
The Junior School (192 pupils aged 7–11) is accommodated in a separate building in the grounds. It is an integral part of the whole school community and uses many of the specialist facilities available for Seniors.
(See entry in the IAPS section for more details.) Entrance. Pupils may enter the Junior School from the age of 7, the Senior School at 11 years, and Sixth Form at 16 years. LEH Junior School pupils are guaranteed places in the Senior School (other than in exceptional circumstances). All external applicants must sit the School’s competitive entrance examinations, which are held in November for Sixth Form entry and December (7+ and 11+) each year, for admission in the following September. There are no internal hurdles for entry to Sixth Form. Registration and Entrance Examination Fee is £150, or £200 for overseas applications.
Scholarships and Bursaries.
11+ Entry Academic Scholarships: Academic scholarships are expressed as percentages of the full fee and will thus keep pace with any fee increases. Awards are non-means-tested and usually 10%. The awards are based solely on performance in the school’s own Entrance Examinations and subsequent interview.
Governors’ Bursaries: Candidates who sit entrance papers at any stage from 11+ onwards may be considered for a bursary award. These are available for up to 100% of fees, plus extras, and are means tested and subject to annual review.
Sixth Form Academic Scholarships: Scholarships worth 10% of fees over the two years of Sixth Form study are offered to internal and external candidates who sit the Sixth Form Entrance and Scholarship Examination in November before the year of proposed entry.
Music Scholarships: Both Scholarships and Exhibitions for Music are available at 11+ and 16+. These are for 10% and 7.5% of fees respectively, plus free tuition on one instrument. Candidates must satisfy academic requirements in entrance papers before being invited to a music audition. Full details are available from the school.
At 16+ only: Scholarships are also available in Art, Sport, Drama and STEM (one in each).
Fees per term (2023-2024). £6,867 in the Junior School; £8,291 in the Senior School. Fees are inclusive of books and stationery and exclusive of Public Examination fees.
Former Pupils’ Association. Holles Connect. Address for communications: Alumnae Administrator c/o Lady Eleanor Holles; email: alumnae@lehs.org.uk.
Governors & Staff:
The Cripplegate Schools Foundation
Chairman of the Board of Governors: Mr D H King, BSc, FCA
Vice-Chair: Mrs D Warman, BA (Hons), CFPID
Governors:
Mrs S Aziz, LLB
Ms S Bhasin
Ms A Blair, LLB
Mr P Davies
Mr M George
Mrs S Haggipavlou, BSC, FCA
Mrs A Heau, BA (Hons)
Mr S Hotchin, MA, BA (Hons)
Mr R J Milburn, MA, FCA
Mrs B Parson, CertEd, BEd Hons
Mr D Sandhu, BA (Hons), ACA
Mr T Woffenden, BA (Hons), MA, PGCE
Clerk to the Governors: Mrs A Skeffington, LLB University of Exeter, Dip LP, Assoc CIPD
Head Mistress: Mrs Rowena Cole, BSc, PGCE, MBA
Deputy Head: Dr D James, PhD King’s College London
Deputy Head Pastoral: Mrs A Poyner, BSc Exeter, MBA
Head of Junior School: Mrs P Mortimer, BEd Oxon
Director of Finance and Operations: Mr M Berkowitch, BSc, JD
Director of Teaching & Innovation: Mr D Piper, BA King’s College London
Director of Development & Communications, Mrs L Day, MSc King’s College London
Director of Outreach & Co-curricular, Dr R Taylor, PhD Brighton
Head of Sixth Form: Mr M Tompsett, MA Cantab
Head of Upper School: Ms F Ellison, MA Cantab
Head of Middle School: Mrs K Sinnett, BA Cantab
Senior School
Art and Design:
Mrs D Howorth, BA Hons Staffordshire (Head of Art)
Mr L Curtis, BA Slade School of Art, MA Royal College of Art
Miss E Hollaway. MA Wimbledon College of Arts
Ms A E Seaborn, BA Winchester School of Art
Miss S White, BA University of the Arts
Miss D Wellesley, BA Edinburgh
Classics:
Miss K C Eltis, BA Oxon (Head of Classics)
Mrs R Brown, BA Durham (Head of Year U5)
Ms Flora Ellison, MA Cantab (Head of Upper School)
Miss E Lewis, BA MA UCL
Mr D Piper, BA King’s College London (Director of Teaching & Innovation)
Ms A Golding, BA Bristol
Computing:
Mr D Lawley, BSc Sheffield Hallam (Head of Computing)
Mr S Hughes, BA Lancashire, MA Bath Spa
Mr T Tovell, BA Essex
Mrs V Whiffin, MEng Southampton (Manager of Digital Teaching & Learning)
Drama and Theatre Studies:
Miss S Torrent, BA Greenwich (Director of Drama)
Miss Victoria Bedford, MA Royal Holloway (Head of Academic Drama)
Ms H Steele, BA Dublin
Mrs P Tate (Music and Drama Administrator)
Economics:
Miss C Livingstone, MA Oxford (Head of Economics)
Mr R Malone, BA Harvard, MA Virginia USA
English:
Mrs E Gwynne, MA Durham (Head of English)
Miss A-M Wright, MA Aberdeen (Deputy Head of English)
Miss H Barnett, BA Durham (Head of L6)
Mr M Grundy, BA Goldsmiths
Dr D James, PhD King’s College London (Deputy Head)
Mrs K Mackichan, BA Leeds
Mrs U Renton, MA Aberdeen
Ms K Vines, BA Manchester
Ms E Maxey, BA Reading
Food and Nutrition:
Mrs H Boczkowski, BSc Bath Spa (Head of Food and Nutrition)
Mrs M Spriggs, BA Hons Leeds Metropolitan
Geography:
Mr L M O’Rourke, BA Southampton (Head of Geography)
Mrs K Hanna, BSc Edinburgh
Mrs R Lockett, BA Southampton
Miss A Perlowska-Goose, BSc Reading, MSc Oxford
History of Art:
Miss A Lindsay, BA Manchester (Head of History of Art, Assistant Head of U4)
Ms A Farnum-Ford, MA Courtauld Institute of Art
History and Politics:
Mrs N Miller, MA York (Head of History and Politics)
Mr N Allen, BA Nottingham
Mrs A M Bradshaw, MA St Andrews
Mr O Even, BA Oxford
Mrs B Farthing, BA Royal Holloway, University of London
Ms J FitzGerald, BA Newcastle, MA Central School of Speech & Drama (Head of Initial Teacher Training)
Mrs L Harding, BA Warwick
Mathematics:
Mrs J Manns, BSc Sheffield (Head of Mathematics)
Mr S Blatch, MSc Oxford (Deputy Head of Mathematics)
Mrs N Banerjee, BA Delhi
Ms N Carden, BSc Leeds
Mr M Deacon, BSc Exeter
Mrs H Doshi, BSc City University London
Mr P Manns, BSc Essex (Head of Academic Information & Data)
Mrs M Najjar, BSc UCL
Miss R Nicholl, BSc King’s College London (Head of Year L5)
Miss J Orr, MMath Durham
Mr U Patel, BSc Hons Sussex, MA Ed Open University
Mrs A Poyner, BSc Exeter, MBA (Deputy Head Pastoral)
Mrs M Read, BSc Durham
Miss T Saunders, BSc University of Southampton
Mr C Sin, BSc, MSc Cardiff
Mrs K Sinnett, BA Cantab (Head of Middle School)
Modern Languages:
Mrs U Arrieta, BA Deusto, Bilbao (Head of Spanish)
Mr H Agulian, BA University College London (Head of French)
Mrs S Hewitt, MA Warwick (Head of German & Head of MFL)
Mrs A Buck, Universidad de Valencia, Spain (German and Spanish)
Ms R Hart, MA Oxon (Spanish, Head of PSHE)
Ms M-C McGreevy, BA Leeds, MA Bath (German and French)
Ms N Murray, BA, MA Leeds (French)
Mr H Ng (Mandarin)
Miss D Robbins, MA St Andrews (French)
Mrs A Rowe, BA Nottingham (French and German)
Mr M Tompsett, MA Cantab (German, Head of Sixth Form)
Mrs A Awbery-Maskell, BA Manchester
Music:
Mrs M Ashe, MA Oxon (Director of Music)
Mr B G Ashe, BA York, LRAM (Composer-in-Residence)
Miss C Overbury, MA Oxon
Ms A Prowse, BA Cambridge
Miss N Redman, BMus Manchester, MMus, GSMD (Head of Thirds)
Mrs C Zuckert, BMus Birmingham, MMus
Mrs P Tate (Music and Drama Administrator)
Natural Sciences:
Miss L Mercer, BSc Edinburgh (Head of Science and Biology)
Miss A Boland, BSc St Mary’s London (Head of Psychology)
Mr A Hayter, BSc Durham (Head of Chemistry)
Mrs V Whiffin, MEng Southampton (Head of Physics)
Mr N Johnson, MSc Nottingham (Physics)
Mr A Brittain, BSc Canterbury Kent (Physics)
Mrs N C Camilleri, BSc Manchester (Physics)
Miss H Choi, PGCE UCL (Physics)
Mrs J Crook, BSc Nottingham (Chemistry)
Mrs P Earl, BSc Swansea (Biology)
Miss L Goodman, BSc University College London (Psychology)
Mr R James, BSc East Anglia (Chemistry)
Mrs S Jansz, BSc Bangor (Chemistry)
Mr S Kim, PGCE Kingston (Science)
Mrs H Lenox-Smith, BSc UCL (Biology)
Mr R Mangion, BSc King’s College London (Chemistry)
Miss K Millar, BEng Queen’s Belfast (Physics, Head of Year U4)
Mrs C R Nicholls, BSc Cardiff (Biology, Head of Year L4, Deputy Head of Careers)
Ms C Packer, BSc UCL (Chemistry, Head of U6)
Miss V Ranjan, BSc Durham (Biology) [maternity leave]
Mr P Reilly, BSc Liverpool (Biology) [maternity cover]
Miss C Shum, BSc UCL (Biology)
Mrs T Hayter, BSc King’s College London (Science)
Miss L Mulvey, BSc Manchester (Psychology)
Philosophy, Religion and Ethics:
Mrs L Garcia, MA UCL (Head of Philosophy, Religion and Ethics, Assistant Head of L6)
Mr I Jakeway, BA Oxon, MA Reading
Mr J Winterburn, BA Cambridge
Physical Education:
Miss D Mugridge, BA Hons University College Chichester (Director of Sport and Outward Bound Activities)
Mrs D O’Brien, BA St Mary’s Twickenham (Head of Curriculum PE)
Mrs E Searle, BEd Hons Exeter (Head of Netball)
Mr C Summers, MSc Chester (Head of Lacrosse)
Miss E Martin, BA University of ST Mark & St John (Head of Swimming)
Miss K Bruce, BSc Liverpool John Moores
Mrs K Leaney, BA Hons North Carolina, USA
Mrs C King, BEd Brighton
Miss A Fancy (PE Graduate Assistant – Lacrosse)
Miss A Levy (PE Graduate Assistant – Netball)
Mr N Cousins (Duke of Edinburgh Manager)
Mr D Mihailovic (CCF Contingent Commander)
Mr M Hanreck (CCF School Staff Instructor)
Product Design:
Mr S G Bicknell, BSc Brunel, PGDip (Head of Product Design)
Mr D Smeaton, BEng Southbank Polytechnic
Ms M Spriggs, BA Hons Leeds Metropolitan
Ms T Snook
PSHE:
Ms R Hart, BA Hons and MA Oxon (Head of PSHE)
Mrs A Bradshaw, MA St Andrews
Rowing:
Mr J Moon (Acting Head of Rowing) [maternity cover]
Mr O Night, BA Newcastle (Assistant Head of Rowing) [maternity cover]
Ms A Johnston, BA Newcastle (Head of Rowing) [Maternity leave]
Ms A Leake, BA Newcastle
Mr G Stewart, BEng Surrey
Mr T Darlow
Miss J Symons, MEng Loughborough
Careers:
Mrs N Hampstead, RCDP, CDI Qualified Careers Leader (Head of Higher Education and Careers)
Mrs C R Nicholls, BSc Cardiff (Deputy Head of Careers)
Miss E Felicien (Careers Coordinator)
Learning Support:
Miss M Christodoulou, BA Middlesex, MA Durham, PG Cert (Head of Learning Support)
Ms S Reade, BA Universidade Estadual Paulista, Brazil (Deputy Head of Learning Support)
Ms C Campeanu, PGCert UCL
Learning Resources Manager:
Miss G Pearce, BA Bath Spa (Head of Library Services)
Mrs C Didiot-Cook
Senior School Administrative Staff:
Head Mistress’s Personal Assistant: Mrs F Cuddeford
Registrar: Mrs M Bradley, BA University of Cambridge
Director of HR: Mrs Natasha Geoffrey, Assoc CIPD
PA to SMT/School Office Manager: Mrs S Spight
Estates Manager: Mr P Sisodiya
Finance Manager: Mrs M Seraphimova-Spasova, BSc Oxford Brookes, ACCA Member
Director of IT Services: Mr M Taylor, BSc London, PGCE, CITP
Junior School
Head of Junior School: Mrs P Mortimer, BEd Oxon
Deputy Head of Junior School: Mrs R Yates, BA Cantab, LLM
Teaching Staff:
Mrs J E Allden, BSc London Chelsea College, MSc Kingston (Assistant Academic Coordinator & Head of Computing)
Mrs M Bass, BEd Natal
Miss J Chippendale, BA Brighton (Head of Junior School PE) [maternity leave]
Miss S Connor, BA Hons Kent at Canterbury
Mrs J Deverson, BEd Oxford Brookes
Mr J Estorninho, BEd Melbourne, Australia (Head of Junior School Music)
Miss L Evans, BA Kingston
Mrs M Frampton, BEd Exeter
Mrs S Harding, BEd De Montfort
Mr A Hopkins, BSc Portsmouth
Mrs K Hurley, BA Middlesex
Mrs D King, BSc Ulster [maternity cover]
Mrs K Keightley, MA Edinburgh
Mrs L Kent-Skorsepova, MA Comenius, Bratislava
Mr J Miller, BSc Durham, MSc UCL
Mrs N Rees, MA Cantab
Mrs K Sehgal, BA St Mary’s London
Mrs M Walker, BA Canterbury Christ Church (Director of Studies Junior School)
Mrs L Cowin (Teaching Assistant)
Ms P Evans (Teaching Assistant)
Mrs E Hanreck (Teaching Assistant)
Junior School Administrative Staff:
Junior School Secretary & Personal Assistant to the Head of Junior School: Mrs A Rahman
Junior School Office Administrator: Mrs R Thomas Jones
School Nurses:
Senior School: Sister S Wilson, BSc Brunel NMC, DipHE South Bank
Junior School: Nurse L Parker, RCN
School Counsellors:
Senior School: Mrs G Young, BA, MBACP, Higher Diploma in Counselling
Senior School: Ms K Lacy, MA East London, Diploma in Counselling
Junior School: Mrs R Ticciati, SRCN, SRN, MBACP