“Where children flourish in confidence, creativity, and care.”

A grand chapel, powerful organ, joyful voices and proud podium moment: our Senior Choir`s day at the Haileybury Choral Competition was one to remember.

The girls arrived to lunch in the domed Dining Hall (very Harry Potter!), before participating in an inspiring workshop with Haileybury`s pop and jazz specialist. They learned how to connect with their diaphragm muscles through breathing and hissing, and also found creative ways to maintain a steady beat whilst marching and dealing with distractions.

Following a rehearsal of their prepared song in Haileybury`s beautiful chapel - as well as an inspiring organ demonstration by the Head of Music, playing the very rousing and spine-tingling Juipter from Holst`s Planet Suite - our choir joined the other competing schools in sight-singing three folk songs to perform at the concert that afternoon. The girls were quick to learn new musical language and how to sing in an authentic folk style.

When it came to the competition itself, our girls performed their song, `Presence` by Joanna and Alexander L`Estrange, with joy, expression and poise, and were deservedly awarded 2nd place, proudly bringing the Highly Commended trophy home to St Hilda`s.

Thank you to @haileyburyuk for a day to remember — one we will be singing about for some time yet.

#choralcompetition #youngmusicians #schoolchoir #youngvoices #music #sthildasharpenden #caringcuriousconfident #haileybury #prepschoollife #prepschoolmagic #independenteducation #girlseducation #harpenden #hertfordshire #northlondon

Here at St Hilda`s School we like to challenge stereotypes, to break the mould. And one thing we certainly believe is that STEM is for girls.

And so, this week, we were thrilled to host @fab_science, with the whole school exploring the wonders of physics through hands-on experiments and live demonstrations.

The day started with an assembly on Fantastic Forces. From eggs being pushed into flasks using air pressure to ping pong balls floating mid-air, the girls were fascinated by the science behind what they could see.

Throughout the day, class workshops - for Nursery through to Form VI - helped the girls investigate air pressure and friction. They were amazed at how a ping pong ball could stay on a bottle, even when it was upside down, and by their ability to whisk a tablecloth off while leaving a plate and two cups on the table! Older classes also looked at pulleys and lifting heavy bags, as well as magnets and non-contact forces.

To conclude their workshop, evey class also got to enjoy a rocket launch high into the sky.

Thank you to Fab Science for a brilliant day of hands-on discovery, bringing science to life for girls of every age.

#fabscience #STEM #STEMinschool #STEMeducation #futurescientists #girlsinscience #primaryscience #prepschoolmagic #girlseducation #independenteducation #harpenden #harpendenparents #hertfordshire #northlondon #sthildasharpenden #caringcuriousconfident

Snow, storms and soggy pitches may have tested us, but they certainly haven’t slowed us down. It has been a busy and successful start to the Spring Term, with plenty to celebrate already.

🏓 Zoë, Anya, Stella and Izzo represented St Hilda`s at the ISA London North tournament, with all four players progressing through the heats. A standout performance saw Zoë crowned individual girls overall winner, with Stella taking the individual girls plate — alongside impressive sportsmanship, teamwork and attitude from the whole squad.

🏃‍♀️ Three teams competed in the Berko Cross-Country Relays, with the U11s - Violet, Immy, Emily and Edie - securing a fantastic third place and bringing home bronze medals. The U9 team finished a strong fourth overall, with Lizzie winning her leg in superb style, while the U10 runners showed great determination throughout and were unlucky not to position.

🏀 Form IV enjoyed a home netball fixture against St Columba’s, playing in a tournament-style format that ensured everyone took part. Despite challenging weather, there was some lovely play on display — and plenty of soggy but smiling faces at the final whistle.

A resilient, energetic start to the term — with much more to come.

#sthildasharpenden #SHSsportingstars #caringcuriousconfident #prepschoollife #prepschoolsport #teamspirit #independenteducation #prepschool #harpenden #harpendenparents #hertfordshire