Bringing to life the art of letter writing, connecting with our community and learning just how powerful it is to communicate.

During the Summer Term of 2019, we launched a really special project to connect NGHS alumnae to current pupils at our school. We encouraged Year 4 and 5 girls to embrace the art of letter writing to an alumna buddy who was an NGHS girl during the years 1940 – 1960.

“Mum had a wonderful time at NGHS and it is such a special part of her memory she still has… she became poorly last year with something called a stroke. This makes you unable sometimes to remember what has happened today, but you still remember all the good things from a long time ago. This is why your letter was so nice for our Mum to read.”

Girls thought about what it is like to be an NGHS girl in 2019, and many asked questions about what it was like to be an NGHS girl in the 40s – 60s. We knew it would be a lovely project, and it exceeded our expectations. What a wonderful experience for our girls and for our alumnae. It brought to life so many elements of the important RECIPE for success we instil in our girls.

Resilience – the girls were blown away by the fascinating and challenging experiences this generation went through. Rationing, evacuations – the everyday challenges so specific to the 1940s.

Empathy – learning about people, understanding their lives and connecting with them.

Creativity – we loved to see the letters written by the girls. Their writing and artwork was a delight to see.

Initiative – girls will have the opportunity to continue to correspond with their alumnae buddies. A great chance for them to take this project further themselves with their parents.

Positivity – as always, our girls were delighted to embrace this opportunity. Their enthusiasm was wonderful to see. They also learnt a lot from the alumnae about how they met challenges with positive attitudes in their younger years.

Excellence – we always expect our girls to deliver work of an excellent standard. These letters prove that they enjoy doing so as a matter of course.

At NGHS, we are passionate about empowering our girls. We want our girls to find their voice, and use it to tell their own stories. This project has enabled them to tap into a wealth of treasured moments from across the years, which are relatable to their own experiences as NGHS girls. They’ve learnt to express themselves to others through their letter writing and to enjoy the positive impact they have had on other people by doing so.

“When she was at school she had to have three hats! A beret, valour & panama.”

Our alumnae are an important part of the NGHS family, and it was wonderful to receive so many positive responses from them, writing back to the girls to tell stories about their time in school. Many spoke of their relocation to different sites during the war, gloopy custard in the Dining Hall, and very large gym knickers! It was inspiring to hear that many alumnae credit NGHS for igniting a passion for learning in them, and a resilience and assertiveness that they have carried throughout their lives; something we still try to impart on girls today. It was a fascinating learning opportunity for our girls as well as a lovely way to stay connected with them.

“She had to have milk every day at school to prevent a disease called rickets.”

This week, ten girls received their letter from their alumna buddy! It was absolutely magical to see their eyes widen as they explored the school history and compared interesting anecdotes. What a delightful experience for everyone, we’re so glad to be part of it.