Alumni - Introduction

We are very keen to keep in touch with all of our former students. It is a great pleasure to hear how they are getting on at university and to discover their final career path – often not quite what they anticipated!

We love to hear of marriages and births, and are delighted when ceremonies take place at the school.

The Old Girls’ Association celebrated its Centenary Year in 2005. It produces a regular newsletter for members and organises regular reunions.

In 2007 the school celebrated 150 years on the current site in Ashford, heralding a series of celebrations for both current and former students.

A letter from Mrs Tessa Smith - Headmistress

Dear Old Girls

Six months into post I thought you might like to hear how things are going here in school.

It takes a while before the school relaxes with a new head but we have reached that point now. I know this because I see our adolescent girls are hitching up their skirts until I protest; instead of the hush outside my door I hear some occasional shrieking in the lunch queue; there is some low level muttering about ‘changes’, all signs that my feet are well and truly under the table.

I have unearthed some real strengths: a well-developed house system with a great range of activities into which the girls throw themselves enthusiastically. St David’s has an excellent pastoral system, led by impressively professional staff, and a correspondingly warm rapport between girls and staff. I have the support of a hard-working and experienced management team and it is good to find a high proportion of truly committed staff leading departments well.

The richest seam of my work to date has been, perhaps, the thorough strategic review process undertaken with our board of governors, whose range of expertise is of enormous benefit to the school.

I teach ‘ in the middle’ of the school, all year 6,7,and 8 and I can tell you they are a truly fantastic bunch of youngsters: able, fun, eager to learn, keen to exploit to the full the opportunities afforded to them by St David’s, and destined, I am sure, for a bright future. Before I know it they will be moving on to university and reminding me how they helped me through my first term at St David’s.

Keep reading the weekly newsletter for regular updates – it is available on the website each week!

Tessa Smith