Stretch and Challenge
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Our Stretch and Challenge Programme provides students at Francis Holland with academic enrichment which both broadens their overall knowledge and deep dives into specific subject areas.
To help the girls, an e-book has been created in which you will find that each department has provided a wealth of enrichment and extension recommendations designed to stimulate and challenge girls across a range of abilities as well as providing an opportunity to engage and work independently at a high level. Having high expectations means that students are encouraged to engage in their own learning by being active participants in lessons and beyond.
At Francis Holland School, we actively encourage our girls to take responsibility for their own learning, grasping the initiative where possible. Living in London, we are very fortunate to have a multitude of first-class exhibitions, theatres, concert halls, and enriching lectures on our doorstep.
Our Stretch and Challenge book offers a great variety of recommendations to help our girls develop intellectual curiosity, richer knowledge, and an appreciation that learning can happen everywhere, not just in the classroom.
The Hale Lecture Series, named after Baroness Lady Brenda Hale, former President of the UK’s Supreme Court, aims to spark excitement and enjoyment in learning beyond the classroom. The lecture series runs throughout the academic year, with one lecture every half term. The lectures are made available to all pupils, parents, alumni, and our neighbouring schools including St Marylebone School.
The purpose of the programme is to provide a balance and breadth of learning, and to complement the depth and specialisms in the curriculum. We hope that the lectures stimulate our pupils’ intellectual curiosity and appetite to learn from experts in their field. It also provides a wonderful opportunity for our pupils to develop their public speaking skills by introducing speakers, leading Q&As, and offer final remarks and thanks. Our pupils have shown great flair and confidence in leading fascinating conversations through the Questions & Answer sessions.
Baroness Lady Brenda Hale launched our lecture series with a fascinating talk about her impressive career and the adversity she overcame to become a trailblazer for women in the House of Lords and beyond. Pupils from Francis Holland Sloane Square, Wetherby School, St. Marylebone School, King Solomon Academy and All Saints Catholic College joined us for the lecture and Q&A session.
Our previous lectures have included: Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon, co-founder of Stemettes, Gina Martin, British political activist and author, Angela Saini, a British science journalist, broadcaster and the author of books including Superior: The Return of Race Science; Laura Bates, a feminist writer who founded the Everyday Sexism Project and speaks out on issues surrounding gender-based violence and misogyny; Detective Inspector Ahenkora Bediako, who is responsible for investigating cases of modern slavery and child exploitation; hostage negotiator Suzanne Williams who has been deployed in war zones at crucial points to negotiate in very delicate high-risk situations; Historian Dr Hallie Rubenhold, Number One Sunday Times bestselling and Baillie Gifford Non-Fiction prize-winning social historian whose expertise lies in revealing stories of previously unknown women and episodes in history; and Professor Gina Rippon, British neurobiologist and feminist, who has written extensively about the myths surrounding the gendered brain.
Our students have great success entering academic writing competitions where they show passion and academic potential through writing. Recent achievements include: The Day’s Environment Journalist of the Year Award; The Guild’s Young Food Writer of the Year Competition run in partnership with The Week Junior; and the annual Newnham Essay Prize competition.
Pupils also enter the annual Quondam Essay Prize which has been running for over 12 years and encourages pupils to reflect on topical issues through written expression.
Essay competitions are an excellent way to engage talented, intellectually curious students beyond the classroom.
At 11+ entry to the School, scholarships and exhibitions are awarded for talents in Academics, Music and Art.
FHS has numerous ways of offering academic enrichment and stretching the most able. In every subject across the entire curriculum there are opportunities to excel, along with the support, encouragement and challenge which are required to succeed. Our Scholars’ Programme outlines some of the elements of school life which appeal to the most academically able pupils, including some which are available to scholars and exhibitioners only.
Scholars’ Projects
The Thirds and Lower Fourth Scholars work towards the FHS Project Qualification, where they conduct an independent research project on any subject of their choice above and beyond the curriculum. The aim of the FHSPQ is to promote independent learning and develop important research skills such as referencing and searching for sources. Research topics will go beyond their classroom learning, in topics including the environment, the arts and technology.
This will culminate in the creation of a final piece to present or display in the Summer term. Thirds and Lower Fourth Scholars will be mentored by a Lower Sixth Scholar who will offer some meaningful support and guidance as the Sixth Form begin their own research journey through completing the Extended Project Qualification. It is a wonderfully enriching and collaborative approach for our Scholars to be stretched and challenged.
Our Art Scholar’s Programme and Music Scholars’ Programme outline the exclusive opportunities and responsibilities scholars and exhibitioners will enjoy.
The Scholars’ Lunch is a chance to celebrate our scholars’ achievements and to motivate pupils to develop a lifelong love of learning.
The UIV Cross Curricular programme offers an opportunity for our students to extend their learning outside the normal curriculum through the study of three broad themes (Knowledge, Beauty, and Mistakes & Failures) from different perspectives in their lessons. Recent UIV pupils have demonstrated excellent creativity and independent learning when completing these projects. A handful of excellent final essays are showcased in the Cross-Curricular Booklet.
All pupils in the Lower Fifth engage with the iGCSE Global Perspectives course throughout the year as part of their enriching and rigorous curriculum. The Global Perspectives course offers the opportunity to carry out collaborative research into global issues such as Disease & Health, Poverty & Inequality and Tradition, Culture & Identity. As part of their research, students explore different cultural perspectives on the issue they have chosen to investigate and present their findings in a range of formats such as fundraising events, speeches, videos, or presentations. The purpose of the programme is to broaden pupils’ understanding of the world around them and to develop a critical awareness of how a global issue, such as gender equality, can be interpreted in different ways. An important aspect of the project outcome is pupils’ ability to work together effectively to complete the project. Recent projects include the highly successful Vintage Clothes Swap Shop which focused on the implications of fast fashion and, consequently, raised £240. Pupils develop research skills through a taught programme, including lessons on referencing style and plagiarism. It is a highly academic programme which encourages pupils to be creative in how they communicate topical issues to a wider audience.
Each year, a selection of scholars in UIV (Year 9) are selected to participate in an exciting collaboration with the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) and St Marylebone School.
The RIBA Architecture Ambassadors Scheme sees our students partner with an architectural studio to take on the challenge based around “Sustainability and Re-Use”. Teams of students are asked to re-imagine what a specific location could look like decades down the line (when the buildings might be up for demolition, renovation or redesign). Each team will look at taking apart their building and putting it back together, carefully selecting which elements they will be reusing. We will be looking at innovative new spaces that are still drawing on the essence of the old buildings and utilising the available resources sustainably. Our partner studio, Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios (FCBS), were named Building Design Refurbishment Architect of the Year and have won 60 RIBA awards.
For the final submission, students are expected to produce a set of drawings and/or models and possibly 3D views of relevant aspects of their projects in a digital presentation.
