Mount Head Anna Wilby Reflects on First Term

Pupil voice is a vital part of life at The Mount, and I am warmed to see such a plethora of opportunity for our pupils to lead, develop their skills, and contribute towards the direction of the school they attend every day. At this point in the year we prepare to wish our College leavers well as they approach their final exams, and I would like to take the opportunity to publicly thank the outgoing CLT and House Captains for their work as leaders and role models. Both CLT and our House Captains are wonderful examples of what Mount girls should aspire to be, and I am grateful to all of our outgoing leaders for the enthusiasm and contributions they have brought to their respective roles. Having recently appointed our new College II pupil leaders for the next academic year, I feel so proud of the courage shown by the young women who put themselves up for interview, all of whom clearly have such bright futures ahead of them. I very much look forward to working with them closely from September. 

This term, musical activities have been extensive across all age groups, with community music making at the heart of activities. Last week, our senior school choir delighted audiences at the Living North Fair and our Come and Sing: Faure Requiem workshop and concert was a day of fun had by all. Junior Jamboree was amazing and a wonderful celebration of our EYFS and KS1 pupils’ creativity. It was joyful to see their enthusiasm for music whilst performing on the big stage! Musicians from Year 1 to Year 11 also took their ABRSM instrumental examinations last week, and it was fantastic to see so many pupils involved. Ranging from prep-tests to grade 8, singing to ‘cello, I am so pleased that irrespective of the point our musicians are at in their musical careers, they can push themselves and hone focus by sitting these exams.

Sporting prowess has also been high, with many exciting matches, competitions and events held across a wide range of disciplines. We hosted the York Schools’ Gymnastics Competition which involved over 100 gymnasts from The Mount and other local schools. Fantastically, following the conclusion of performances, The Mount were crowned champions after performing a number of superb routines. Pupils across the junior and senior school have had a netball-filled term, proving their abilities and emerging victorious in several of their games, and swimmers had a particularly impressive win against Harrogate Ladies’ College in a recent match. With games in football, immensely successful events in dance, and practice in badminton, there has been a huge breadth of opportunity for pupils of all ages to get active, compete, and, most importantly, foster great connections with their teammates.

Away from school, many external trips this term have complemented classroom learning and given pupils real-world experiences to invigorate topics covered in school. Year 11 enjoyed a trip to GCSE Science Live, where they attended lectures from a number of Britain’s top scientists covering topics from space travel to the human body. Junior school pupils visited award-winning aquarium The Deep, where they took part in a range of educational workshops specific to their key stage. Further trips included visiting the Theatre Royal to see The Tempest, and boarders’ outings to goat yoga and a pamper party at Lush. Residential trips this term have included visits to The Cranedale Centre (College I Geographers), Bath MUN (Years 10 to 13), Duke of Edinburgh expeditions (Y11 and College 1) and an exciting stay at Marrick Priory, an activity centre in the heart of the beautiful Yorkshire Dales (KS2). I am so pleased that we are able to offer our pupils so many varied opportunities to develop their education beyond the classroom.

As well as looking back and celebrating the achievements of the past term, I have been excited to share the strategic vision for the future of The Mount and our campus development plan. You can read more about our ambitious plans here.