PROJECT ZERO Students and alumnae living a more environmentally sustainable lifestyle PLUS Climate change activist Bursary stories Ladies of letters An interview with alumna Alumnae share their Alumnae and students keeping Baroness Featherstone transformative experiences in touch during lockdown 2 Resplendens 2020 The Magazine for South Hampstead Alumnae esplendens The Magazine for South Hampstead Alumnae Hampstead South for The Magazine elcome to the 2020 edition of with GDST Life and other resources available in “South Hampstead students and alumnae are Resplendens, our magazine for South our careers section on pages 8 and 9. Likewise, WHampstead Alumnae. if you are more established in your profession, please do reach out through us, or through these These last six months have been challenging taking on small but important roles in creating networks, to help a South Hampstead alumna for all alumnae in our community. I know make the first steps in their career. that many of you may be vulnerable and awareness of climate change and living a more isolating from your families, others have been The theme of this issue is environmental simultaneously juggling the demands of busy sustainability and we highlight how our students jobs and homeschooling young children, and our and alumnae are encouraging others to combat environmentally sustainable lifestyle” recent graduates are facing a tough job market climate change. In September 2019, we set up as they embark on their careers. a 365 club at South Hampstead with the aim of creating awareness around climate change VICKY BINGHAM When I look back on the lockdown period, and encouraging students to make their own — Headmistress, South Hampstead High School I remember not so much the social distancing eco-pledges, such as only travelling on public and the isolation that we felt in physical form, transport and no longer using single-use plastic but more the sense of our community and people water bottles. The older students were interested coming together online. In particular, I was in the political angle and demonstrations around touched by the 60 students who corresponded climate change, and have become role models weekly with our alumnae sharing stories for the young years. Together, their sacrifices and memories of their time at school. South have grown into a school-wide project where Hampstead is most definitely a community that students are working with staff onProject Zero exists beyond the classroom and beyond year 13, to significantly improve South Hampstead’s virtually or in person. environmental credentials by its 150th You are also a community that speaks up and anniversary in 2026. Resplendens has been printed on FSC® CONTENTS speaks out and I would like to thank you for Encouraging your peers to reduce their carbon certified and carbon balanced paper by acting with thoughtfulness, open-heartedness, Message from the Headmistress 3 footprint and contribution to landfill through one of only a handful of Carbon Balanced respect, courage and honesty when 500 of you lifestyle changes requires leadership and taking Publication Printers based in the UK. The Year at South Hampstead 4 wrote to me in June wanting to know what we the initiative, characteristics that we nurture in are doing to ensure that our curriculum gives Ladies of Letters 6 all year groups at South Hampstead and skills students enough opportunities to learn about that I proudly recognise in our alumnae. The Back Shining Careers at South Hampstead 8 racial prejudice and black history. I would also stories in this edition of Resplendens show how like to thank the 20 alumnae who took time out Alumnae in the News 10 members of your community are playing small of their busy dairies to speak to me on the phone but important roles in creating awareness of and Diana Fox Carney Launches Eco Week 13 about diversity and inclusion. We are listening combatting climate change. You are a creative, to you and with the establishment of our new Alumnae Eco Warriors 14 resourceful and influential group of women who Diversity Steering Group, we will ensure that can inspire each other, and in turn we can learn Interview with Baroness Featherstone 18 South Hampstead is a place where mutual so much from you. Please do let us know what ISSUE #4 respect and diversity can flourish. View from the Archive 20 you are doing in your fields of work to promote As the economy faces even more uncertain sustainability. I look forward to seeing you at Bursary Stories 23 times, we are well aware of the incredibly our events this year, virtually or in person, and South Hampstead High School Alumnae Sing and Celebrate 26 different circumstances our recent alumnae hearing about how you are adapting to live a Alumnae Department Reunion 2020 graduates find themselves in as they embark more environmentally sustainable lifestyle. 3 Maresfield Gardens, London NW3 5SS on their careers. We realise there is no magic Obituaries 28 bullet to finding a job, but the SHHS and GDST Fiona Hurst Reunions & Events 32 Alumnae Networks can assist you in building Alumnae Manager your own personal networks, guide you in your South Hampstead in the News 35 Email [email protected] next moves after university and help you make Phone 020 7435 2899 Connect with South Hampstead 36 decisions about your future. You can read more VICKY BINGHAM about our LinkedIn groups, online networking Headmistress, South Hampstead High School 4 Resplendens 2020 The Magazine for South Hampstead Alumnae Shining Back Resplendens 2020 5 EMILIA Our first production in the new Waterlow Hall 2019/2020 AT SOUTH HAMPSTEAD OUTREACH DRAMA SPORT MUSIC Students throughout the school continue This year’s main school production was South Hampstead continues to encourage As well as rehearsals for the Waterlow Gala to volunteer in their local community, Morgan Lloyd Malcolm’s play ‘Emilia’ sport for all, providing opportunities for Concert, the music department has been visiting elderly residents at local care homes which tells the story of Emilia Bassano, a girls to try a multitude of sports, from yoga in full swing with over 50 concerts taking Speaking up and through our Pensioner’s Link scheme, black poet long rumoured to have been to British Military Fitness to trampolining. place last year. 350 music lessons take and volunteering at JW3’s In the Loop Shakespeare’s muse. It transferred from In the lower school, there are A - D netball place in school each week, and these, as programme, teaching IT novices how to the Globe Theatre to the West End in 2019. teams all playing regular fixtures. The well as rehearsals continued online during speaking out Tweet, text, FaceTime, post a photo on South Hampstead staged the play’s first U16 and U19 netball teams reached the lockdown, culminating in the 11 day SHHS Instagram and set up a Facebook account. school production. This was the first drama Middlesex County Finals. 172 girls were Summer Festival of Music. This featured 32 For Mitzvah Day 2019, we held a school- production in the new Waterlow Hall, which due to take part in this year’s Gym and wonderful performances from across the wide collection for Camden Food Bank, left everyone feeling incredibly inspired as Dance display, the culmination of a year of junior and senior schools, all filmed at home a collection of sanitary products for the to the plethora of theatrical opportunities choreography. Sadly, this could not take and then mixed and edited together. The class of 2020 has handled the charity Bloody Good Period, and an eco- this space can offer in the future. place in all of its usual splendour, however challenges and uncertainty of their friendly up-cycling project for Leket Food the show did go on. Performances were LOCKDOWN Bank in Israel where students turned old DEBATING watched by fellow students, filmed and sent coronavirus-impacted exam year with t-shirts into tote bags. Sixth Form and home to parents. Students participated in full days of video parent ambassadors continue to support This year we were delighted to be awarded Even a pandemic couldn’t prevent sports lessons throughout the summer term, incredible aplomb. our partnership with Spear, an organisation the English-Speaking Union’s Oracy day. Javelins were replaced by jumping jacks, complete with virtual trips to the Tower based on Finchley Road which helps young Award (ESU) in recognition of the school’s of London, and a year 6 ‘day to the virtual Students were awarded moderated grades via email on results day, only to and shotput by sit-ups as girls competed people facing disadvantage to find work or flourishing culture of debate. A key initiative beach.’ Students in the Upper Sixth, whose have these adjusted to centre assessed grades a few days later. This year’s via video link. At this year’s virtual sports’ continue in education. has been South Hampstead’s ‘Debate Hub’, public exams were cancelled, took part Upper Sixth leavers have so far secured places at top universities to pursue awards, we were delighted to be joined by which works alongside local state schools in fascinating new elective programmes a diverse array of courses, from Astrophysics and Archaeology, to Middle During lockdown, we welcomed Year 11 guest speaker Kira Rothwell, a London Pulse to empower those who would not otherwise beyond the A-level syllabus. They delved Eastern Studies and Mechanical Engineering. students from Michaela Community School Netball superleague player and England to join our pupils on A Level introductory have access to debating. The initiative offers U21 International. into over 25 different courses, including The majority will be heading to their first choice destination, courses. Upper Sixth students at a number regular coaching and friendly fixtures.