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Pupils' Impressions
| At our recent Open Morning, four girls shared their experiences of life at Walthamstow Hall as 'new girls'. Girls who are considering joining us may be encouraged.
Extracts from what a Year 7 pupil said:
"I joined Walthamstow Hall from Holmewood House School in Langton Green, Tunbridge Wells last September, having been at Holmewood since I was three years old.
I chose to come to Walthamstow Hall because at the Open Mornings I noticed how kind and friendly the students were and how enthusiastic the teachers were. I also joined Walthamstow Hall because of the wide range of activities to choose from.
My favourite subjects this year, out of the sixteen subjects we learn, have been History and French. I am looking forward to learning German out of the choice of Spanish or German next year. This year I started learning Lacrosse for the first time, which is really good fun. I really enjoy swimming. I learn the saxophone which I also enjoy.
One of my favourite moments so far has been a visit to the Hindu temple in Neasden, which I found both exciting and unforgettable.
During my first term I was voted form captain by the girls in my form.
I recommend Walthamstow Hall because all the girls are very friendly and everyone looks out for each other. For example, when I was ill for a few days, some of my new friends, even though I had only known them for a short time, rang me up to see if I was ok. There are always lots of interesting activities going on throughout the week. It is a busy school and there is never a dull moment."
A pupil who joined in Year 9 said:
"It is now nearly a year and a half since I joined Wally Hall. My family moved to Sevenoaks from South Africa and were were looking for a school that would accommodate and help smooth the transition into English education. Due to the different syllabuses, I not only had gaps in Maths and the three sciences, but also in the Modern Languages.
As well as this, our GCSE subject choices were due just a month after my arrival. What could have been a stressful experience was made easy by the guidance and careers advice that we were given by both teachers and the careers department. Nearly eighteen months later and I am a busy but happy Lower Five (Yr 10), enjoying the courses I am taking and feeling satisfied and confident that the choices I made were right for me.
The famous 'Wally' atmosphere is, I am happy to confirm, certainly not a myth. I have now experienced two Annual House Performing Arts Festivals, two Inter-House sports events and have succumbed to the tradition and learnt to master a Lacrosse stick.
The interest and enthusiasm in extra-curricular activities, as far as I see it, is unparalleled, be it Music, Sport or Drama. The annual Summer Music Concert will be the culmination of many hours' of rehearslas and preparation for all those involved in the Music Department. As a violinist, a highlight for me was the beginning of the String Quartet at the start of the academic year. It has given me the opportunity to practise musical leadership and work in a smaller and more focused ensemble.
The range of opportunities that are open to us here is extensive and for GCSE German pupils, this includes a trip to Berlin. In the summer term of last year, nine of us and Frau Fallman made the short trip with EasyJet across to Germany's capital city, which was, at the time, in the throes of the Football World Cup. We were away for just three days but I am quite confident that no other school group has covered quite as much Berlin soil as we did, or taken as many pictures. We came back exhausted but thoroughly cultured, and I think I speak for all of us when I say that it was an incredible trip for which we were all very grateful.
The saying goes, 'once a Wally girl, always a Wally girl,' and I couldn't agree more. It's difficult to describe what it is like to be part of the community that makes Walthamstow Hall what it is. The closest way to describe it is that being in 'Wally Hall' is like being in a family. I treasure the memories I have and look forward to the ones to come."
A Year 12 (and newly-elected Head Girl) said:
"My parents gave me the choice of which Senior School to attend. So, aged 11, I took the 11+ and gained a place at both Tonbridge Grammar and Walthamstow Hall. My main worry of getting on a train by myself and remembering to get off again at Tonbridge Station for school filled me with dread, so I 'phoned a member of our church who was then studying at Tonbridge. She enthused about the school as any student would, but mentioned she didn't want to stay for 6th Form. This struck me as odd - why would anyone not want to spend the best two years of senior school at the school they had grown up in? So I made my decision to come here.
Now I am in 6th Form at Walthamstow Hall I know I made the right choice.
Last year I was delighted to obtain 10 GCSEs, all at the top grades - which definitely shows how much I have benefited from the enthusiastic and supportive staff. This year I have chosen to continue Chemistry, Biology, Physics and Maths through my AS course, after which I hope to study Medicine. In fact, I am just in the process of searching through prospectuses and visiting Unis.
But there is more to school than work. I have just come back from a two week Lacrosse tour to America, where 28 girls played 6 American teams. Despite not winning quite as many matches as we hoped, we had an incredible time shopping, sightseeing around New York and eating in some amazing restaurants - the most memorable being one in Time Square where the waiters danced on the tables and sang to us.
I was also able to get the part of Charlotte Lucas in this year's production of 'Pride and Prejudice' despite having no previous acting experience. Although the rehearsals seemed to never end, finally opening night came, and nothing could compare to walking out onto this stage in costume and getting a round of applause and bouquets of flowers afterwards. It is definitely an experience I won't forget, and one I hope to have again as I become more involved with the drama department.
So why would I recommend Walthamstow Hall? It has a small and caring atmosphere where every individual is given a chance to shine. The staff are committed and enthusiastic about their subjects, as well as eager to discuss and explain concepts, and especially in the 6th Form they act as fantastic mentors for the coming years.
I love every moment of my education."
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