Event Archives - Heathfield School

Heathfield Carol Service

Heathfield — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 12:00:29 +0000

The Carol Service provided a wonderful end to the Michaelmas Term and the start of the Christmas holidays. This year the service was held at Ascot Priory across the road from School and began with a beautiful rendition of Adolphe Adam’s haunting O Holy Night setting the scene before Dasha (Form I) sang the first verse of Once in Royal David’s City. In keeping with the long-established tradition, the choirs and congregation joined in from the second verse, culminating in the well-known David Willcocks descant soaring above the last verse.

Christmas readings were given by representatives from all areas of the School including the Headmaster, the Head Girl and students. These readings outlined the Christmas story and were interspersed with a wide range of carols sung by our Choirs. The Top 12 sang John Leavitt’s arrangement of The Angel Gabriel, and the Senior Choir sang a traditional Heathfield arrangement of Do You Hear What I Hear. Form II sang the poignant Candlelight Carol by Simon Mold, while the Form I Choir sang Glory to God by Beryl Price and the Staff Choir sang the very difficult Robin Highcock arrangement of Personent Hodie. A particular highlight was Star Carol by John Rutter with the flute obbligato parts played by Mima and Mrs Nesbit and the Sussex Carol in David Willcock’s timeless arrangement sung by the joint choirs and accompanied in the last verse by the Orchestra.

The final carol, a rousing rendition of Hark! The Herald Angels Sing rounded off the service and, indeed, the term, whilst the Orchestra’s touching playing of Carol of the Bells by Leontovich sent the congregation home with the excitement of the Christmas Story and the Festive Season foremost in their hearts and minds.

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Heathfield Christmas Fair – St Nicholas’ Stalls

Heathfield — Tue, 02 Dec 2025 15:00:35 +0000

St Nicholas’ Stalls brought festive cheer to Heathfield on Saturday 22 November. The event opened with beautiful singing from the Choir, followed by a welcome and formal opening of the fair by our Head, Jonathan Williams.

Visitors enjoyed a wide variety of stalls, from jewellery and cosy jumpers to books and handmade gifts. The four House stalls; Austen, de Valois, Seacole and Somerville, raised funds for their chosen charities, while Santa, fun games a big raffle and the ever-popular Champagne trolley added to the excitement.

The Brewdolph’s Cafe, expertly run by our wonderful HPA, was a massive hit, raising over £800! It was a wonderful day of community fun and festive spirit.

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The Caritas Ball

Heathfield — Tue, 07 Oct 2025 11:22:45 +0000

At the end of September we gathered for the much-anticipated Caritas Ball, a highlight of the School calendar organised with style and dedication by the Head Girl Team. This year’s event combined elegance and purpose, as students, staff, families and friends came together to celebrate while raising vital funds for the Malala Fund, supporting girls’ education worldwide.

The Hall was alive with music, laughter and a wonderful sense of community spirit, as guests enjoyed an evening of dining, dancing and fundraising. Thanks to the creativity and commitment of the Head Girl Team, every detail – from the decorations to the entertainment – reflected their vision and theme for the evening.

We are so proud of the Head Girl Team’s leadership and grateful to everyone who supported the Ball, whether by attending, donating or contributing in other ways. Together, we have created lasting memories while advancing an inspiring cause.

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Sports Day 2025

Heathfield — Tue, 01 Jul 2025 10:26:57 +0000

This year’s Sports Day was a fantastic showcase of athleticism, determination and House spirit, with students excelling across a wide range of track and field events. The competition was fierce but friendly with lots of laughter and some outstanding performances.

Congratulations go to Seacole House, who emerged as the overall winners of the day, demonstrating consistent strength across all year groups and events. Austen claimed a strong second place, followed by Somerville in third and de Valois in fourth.

A particular highlight of the day was the crowning of the Victrix Ludorum, awarded to Zana in Form III, whose incredible performances across multiple events marked her as the standout athlete of the day. Her victory in the 1500m also broke the school record in the intermediate category – an outstanding achievement.

We also celebrated several new school records, testament to the talent and hard work of our athletes:

Junior Category:

· High Jump: Rosa, Form II, with a new record of 1.40m

· Discus: Sophia, Form II with a new record of 25m

· Shot Put: Victoria, Form II with a new record of 8.13m

Intermediate Category:

· 1500m: Zana, Form III

· Relay: Seacole House Team

Senior Category:

· 800m: Annabelle, LVI

Open Relay:

· Seacole House – comprising the four fastest girls in the house – set a new school record, rounding off their day of dominance in style.

Sports Day 2025 will be remembered not just for the records broken and titles won, but for the spirit of sportsmanship, determination and celebration that filled the day.

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Society of Women Artists, London

Heathfield — Mon, 30 Jun 2025 12:21:04 +0000

Heathfield Art Department had the pleasure of taking Precious, Savannah and Tamara, LVI to the Society of Women Artists (SWA) Summer Exhibition. All three students had their work selected and exhibited in The Mall Galleries.

In addition, they were awarded prestigious awards in:

Precious – The Circles of Art – ‘Exceptional’ Award (for artists under 25 years old) and the 2^nd Christopher Seow Student Award for her painting ‘Distorted’.

Tamara – The Derwent Special Commendation Award for her biro study ‘Mem Fum’.

Hannah (Alumna) also had her pencil drawing ‘Wander’ exhibited.

We thank SWA and the sponsors for recognising the students’ incredible talent for work which they had created at GCSE.

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Fellowship Day

Heathfield — Wed, 14 May 2025 09:12:49 +0000

On Saturday 10 May, we welcomed alumnae back to Heathfield for Fellowship Day, which was filled with sunshine, laughter and reconnection.

The day began with a warm welcome from staff and students, setting the tone for a joyful and nostalgic gathering. Guests then enjoyed a delicious lunch, where conversations flowed as old friends caught up and shared memories. A moving Chapel service followed, featuring a beautiful performance by the Top 12 Choir, whose voices filled the space with harmony and emotion. It was a moment of quiet reflection and unity, reminding all of the enduring spirit of the Heathfield community.

Student and staff-led tours gave our guests the opportunity to explore the school’s grounds and facilities, with many marvelling at the developments since their own time at Heathfield. The pride and enthusiasm of the guides were infectious, offering an authentic glimpse into life at Heathfield today.

The day concluded with afternoon tea offering a final opportunity for conversations and fond farewells. A truly special occasion, with our former students enjoying reconnecting with one another, with staff and with the school that continues to inspire generations of women.

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Faraday Challenge Day

Heathfield — Sun, 06 Apr 2025 11:57:15 +0000

Form II students attended the Faraday Challenge Day hosted by the Institute of Engineering and Technology. Students had to design, build and test an electronic prototype as part of a national competition linked to engineering and sustainability.

They were challenged with handling a budget to purchase the required materials and adapting their prototype as they experienced different challenges along the way. The team worked brilliantly together and demonstrated excellent communication skills, achieving full marks in three different categories – Engineering Logs, Budget Handling and Teamwork.

The challenge concluded with all six team members presenting their final prototype to the audience. They all spoke confidently and clearly and tackled some tricky questions from the judges about their design. They finished the day joint 1st on points, with the other school just pipping them on a countback method to lift the trophy. We are incredibly proud of the excellent scientific and presentation skills the students demonstrated.

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Shortlisted – BSA Supporting Excellence Awards – Best Artwork Project Award category

Heathfield — Wed, 02 Apr 2025 15:17:24 +0000

We are delighted to be shortlisted in the Best Artwork Project category:

This powerful GCSE project explores the deep connections between the Transatlantic Slave Trade and cultural resilience, inspired by personal history. Using braids, hair and traditional fabrics, Tamara (Form V) highlights how enslaved people preserved their identities and resisted oppression.

Braids played a central role, symbolising both loss and strength. Enslaved women were forced to have their hair shaved, erasing their cultural roots. But within the confines of plantations, hair became a secret tool for communication. Enslaved individuals braided escape routes and safe houses into their hair, transforming it into a powerful language of survival.

The project features a collection of garments made from hair and tribal fabric, each piece a tribute to cultural endurance. Through these creative mediums, Tamara captures both the trauma of slavery and the resilience of those who fought to preserve their heritage. This exceptional work invites reflection on the lasting impact of the slave trade and the unbreakable strength of cultural identity, showcasing remarkable skill and insight, especially for a GCSE student. We look forward to hearing the results on 6th May.

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The Royal Ascot Millinery Collective 2025

Heathfield — Thu, 20 Mar 2025 09:33:38 +0000

Earlier in March, we welcomed Colours Immortalis from Ascot Racecourse to Heathfield to host a fashion illustration workshop for our Art students. During the session, students were given exclusive access to the racecourse’s private fascinator collection from the Royal Ascot Millinery Collective and were inspired to create their own garment designs based on these unique pieces.

The Fashion Design Enrichment Programme is a bespoke programme, and the outcomes produced during the day will be put forward to the prestigious Royal Ascot Fashion Design Competition 2025.

The winning design will be brought to life by the reputed British luxury fashion brand LK Bennett. The winner will have the privilege of wearing their custom-made design along with the designer hat at Royal Ascot. Furthermore, the lucky winner will also gain from an invaluable one week’s work experience opportunity at LK Bennett HQ. We are so proud of what our students produced on the day, and we look forward to hearing the competition results in April.

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New Head for Heathfield

Heathfield — Tue, 11 Mar 2025 14:39:51 +0000

We are delighted to announce that Mr Jonathan Williams, currently Deputy Head (Academic), has accepted the role as our next Head.

Throughout the rigorous recruitment process, Mr Williams shared his outstanding vision and passion for the school, emerging as a worthy successor to build on the foundations laid by current Head Sarah Rollings and her predecessors. His understanding of the unique characteristics of Heathfield was clear. The opportunity for a full handover between Sarah and Jonathan will enable a smooth and seamless transition for the start of the Autumn Term 2025.

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