14 Tatler Schools Guide 2020 tatler.comPHOTOGRAPHS: ROB PARFITT14LONDONPUBLICparent. This focus is echoed by
students too: ‘I love that there is so
much for us to do other than aca-
demic learning, such as sport, art,
drama and music,’ chimes one.
Grades are good but this is not a
hothouse and many leave to study
arts, drama and music; last year,
A-level art work was displayed at
an exhibition at Tanya Baxter
Contemporary gallery on the
King’s Road. DT is popular and
taught by a pupil favourite, Miss
Mott. Altruism is also plaited into
the school’s ethos: it runs outreach
acid-etching workshops in the arts
building, and Head Robert Milne
(universally popular with pupils)
has introduced a system where
high-achieving students are given
tokens to donate to one of three
charities. Change is in the air too:
a girls’ football club kicked into ac-
tion this year. The Emanuel 430
launched, heralding the announce-
ment of extra bursaries, a pro-
gramme of improved site facilities,
more classrooms and specialist
subject rooms, a new refectory and
more green space.FRANCIS HOLLAND
SCHOOL, REGENT'S
PAR K
39 Ivor Place, NW1 6XR
Website fhs-nw1.org.uk
Head Charles Fillingham, MA,
since 2016; previously Deputy
Head at City of London School
Pupils 502 day girls Faith C of E
Ages 11–18 Term Fees £6,900
Oxbridge 10% Registration By
September of year before entry; £150
fee Admission Cognitive ability test
and interview Alumnae Emilia
Fox, Theresa Villiers MP
‘The Head, Charles Fillingham, is
a reflection of the school and its
ethos – hardworking, kind, a vi-
sionary with a passion for education,
internationalism and broadening
the horizons for the girls,’ says one
enamoured parent. ‘He knows
every girl by name, has time for
everyone and has a fantastic team
of staff.’ Fillingham (a linguist, you
won’t be surprised to hear) has
brought an outward perspective to
this school, using an offsite studycentre in France for trips and
introducing an Internationalism
Programme, which includes ex-
changes with students in New
York, Singapore, Beijing, Berlin
and New Zealand. Another initia-
tive is the Women of Influence
lecture series: speakers have in-
cluded Mishal Husain, Helen
Pankhurst and Diane Abbott.
When girls aren’t heading off to
the NASA Space Centre or visiting
the Rainbow Centre in Sri Lanka
(which works to enable children to
break free from a cycle of poverty),
they are increasingly finding their
feet on the sports field. Despite the
inner-city location, there’s an in-
credible indoor pool in the school’s
basement, Regent’s Park is across
the road and regular half-day trips
allow all the girls to experience
everything that London has to of-
fer. Academics are also on the up,
with 2018 producing top GCSE
and A-level results. ‘Francis Hol-
land, Regent’s Park is a school that
walks the talk,’ praises one parent.
‘What was presented at the open
day was not just a sell, but a true
reflection of the school. Initial
expectations have been not just
met but exceeded.’FRANCIS HOLLAND
SCHOOL, SLOANE
SQUARE
39 Graham Terrace, SW1W 8JF
Website fhs-sw1.org.uk Head
Lucy Elphinstone, MA, since 2012;
previously Senior Leader and Head
of Sixth Form at Downe House
Pupils 440 day girls Faith C of E
Ages 11–18 Term Fees £7,200
Oxbridge 10% Registration By
November of year before entry; £150
fee Admission Cognitive ability test
and interview Alumnae Jemima
Khan, Vanessa-Mae, Gemma Jones
PREP Head Suzy Dixon
Pupils 168 day girls Ages 4–11
Term Fees £6,500
At this buzzing girls’ school only a
stone’s throw from Sloane Square,
Head Lucy Elphinstone is a dyna-
mo of ideas and creativity, inspir-
ing her girls to constantly reach for
the top but never worry about
failing. Academic results are im-
proving year after year with 63 per
cent achieving A* (8–9) in their
GCSEs, but that’s not due to
increased pressure – instead, Mrs
Elphinstone attributes this success
to the school’s focus on wellbeing.
Many schools talk the talk, but
FHS absolutely delivers, and thisyear Place2Be, the children’s mental
health charity, recognised this by
nominating them for an award.
Girls here can use the drop-in
Place2Talk counselling service
every day of the week in total con-
fidentiality. Happy and positive
students enjoy readily available
catch-up clinics, whole-school
drama productions (this year’s was
Singing in the Rain, performed at
the West End’s Shaftesbury Theatre)
and delicious food. Sport is a big
strength and everyone is encour-
aged to be physically active at least
once a week. Entrepreneurism is
instilled in these girls – the aptly
named Tycoon Club recently
made and sold bamboo pens, with
the majority of the profits being
passed on to charity. Unsurpris-
ingly, applications at 11+ are ever
growing, but in line with their
wellbeing ethos the team here
made time to interview all 600
applicants, despite having only
84 places to fill.GODOLPHIN
& LATYMER
Iffley Road, W6 0PG
Website godolphinandlatymer.com
Head Dr Frances Ramsey, DPhil,
since 2017; previously Principal of
Queen’s College Pupils 800 day girls
Ages 11–18 Term Fees £7,205
Oxbridge 15% Registration By
November of year before entry; £125
fee Admission London 11+
consortium exam and interview
Alumnae Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Julia
King, Baroness Susan Greenfield
What sets a Dolphin apart from
other girls? Where to start? Univer-
sally popular head Dr Frances
Ramsey says it’s not just their high
achievement and a genuine desire
to give back, but also ‘the ability to
think outside the box, not to be in
any way a stereotype, but to be
your own person’. Academic re-
sults are stratospheric, with 97 per
cent of GCSE grades A/A* and an
average IB score of 40 points out
of a maximum of 45. Sixth form-
ers get inventive with the ways
they fulfill their CAS (creativity,
action and service) requirements,
including collecting unwanted ]
EMANUEL SCHOOLGirls at Francis Holland School, SloaneSquare can use the drop-in Place2Talkcounselling service every day of the week10-19-Schools-Guide-PublicLondon.indd 14 13/08/2019 11:56