Festive excitement is filling our school

AS the festive season approaches, Queen Anne’s School is filled with excited anticipation and energy, writes headmistress Julia Harrington.

Our enthusiasm for music has been, as ever, unstoppable and the practice rooms have been bursting at the seams as the girls prepare for a full and demanding programme of concerts, including a jazz and film music evening, a concerto concert and the annual carol service.

In the first week of December the Performing Arts Centre will host the senior drama production of The Roses of Eyam — a historical drama set during the 1665 plague outbreak that promises to be both enjoyable and challenging.

On the sports field, football continues to grow in popularity alongside the ever-popular lacrosse and some fantastic achievements in tennis, including an opportunity to showcase skills in front of Dave Rawlinson, the president of the Lawn Tennis Association.

The maths department were in their element during Maths Week England, challenging the girls with daily video puzzles and a variety of seminars and activities, and the lower sixth discovering “How Maths Can Save the World”. Our three dance companies worked tirelessly to bring an explosive and skilled Dance Showcase to the school for the first time since before the pandemic.

The joy and energy from the girls involved was wonderful. Parents and alumnae have not been left out of the many opportunities to share in the Queen Anne’s community and the Parent Curry and Quiz Night proved to be a fun and enlightening evening, while the QA Society Winter Luncheon saw generations of our treasured alumnae come together once again to share memories of their time at Queen Anne’s.