Miss Bailey's Blog - Week 14, 2023

I think this has to be one of the most memorable weeks I have experienced during my time in headship at Godstowe. The activities planned for the children could not have gone better and I hope you have enjoyed the vast array of Instagram posts which give you a colourful and vibrant taster of the fun that has been experienced by us all. From the Lower School Christingle, to the Transition and Kindergarten Nativity, we were also treated to the Great Santa Run and Main School Christmas lunches on Wednesday. We hosted the first of our new Stay and Play sessions in the Nursery yesterday which was an absolute joy to attend, with so many new girls and families joining our current class for a Godstowe taster and some festive fun. The exceptional Christmas Gym Display was the icing on the cake this morning, with 96 girls taking part- what a triumph!

My diary was not looking too friendly at the start of the week, but I managed to clear it for long enough to attend the Christmas singing with our Community Champions at the Royal Star and Garter Care Home last night. This was nothing short of beautiful and the girls gave their very special guests a festive concert to remember. Needless to say, the guests thought our girls were brilliant and they really enjoyed seeing them sing and play some lovely (and very hard) pieces. Mrs MacDougall and Mrs Lake did well to organise this second care home event and I think we all came back feeling quite moved by this memorable concert and the impact it had clearly had on everyone.

My visit to Cheltenham Ladies' on Monday was fantastic and I lunched with 8 Godstowe alumnae in my old boarding house, Glenlee! It was lovely to be eating from the same dining table, chatting to our old girls, as I would have done every day aged 11-16! As I always do, I came back with lots of new ideas and plans for partnerships and shared resources. Eve Jardine-Young and her team are so impressive and always offer such a down to earth and friendly welcome. Our alumnae are doing so well there, and one girl was telling me about her Cambridge interview for History, taking place today. Good luck to her from us all! It was good to experience the excited and happy buzz around the school as we toured, and I couldn't help but feel this positivity matched the atmosphere at Godstowe. 

Have a wonderful final weekend and we all look forward to welcoming you back for the last two days of this very special term. With our Perriss Knight Awards and Tuesday's Carol Service, the term will end on a fitting high, ahead of the well-deserved break. See you all there!