Our day

Before the school day begins, our Library supervision is open from 7.30am – a wonderful space in which students can catch up on work, relax or socialise with their friends in a comfortable environment.

Your daughter can also join a music or sports club at this time, for example, Ukulele club or tennis.

It’s time to start the school day. We believe that contact time with teachers is important, so your daughter will have a check-in and register with her form tutor before lessons begin.

Every week, Lower School students attend both a whole school and a section assembly. Led by the Headmistress or their Head of Section, assemblies are used to keep students well-informed on the goings on in our community and to celebrate the latest successes of fellow HelKats.

Your daughter will also take part in a weekly Chapel service and designated form time. Each term they will participate in several House meetings, enabling them to meet and connect with older students and establish a sense of community.

No two school days are alike at St Helen and St Katharine – especially if students are taking part in an exciting residential trip to Condover Hall or a combined Art and Science trip to Kew Gardens. But, on a typical day, lessons will start soon after registration. Periods last 40 minutes and, although varying from term to term, students will often start the day with a double English, Maths or Science.

Slow down, HelKats! It’s important to step back from studies, that’s why we provide students with a 20-minute break to leave the classroom and hang out with friends – usually over the famous St Helen’s cookies.

In Year 7, your daughter will have one lesson of Learning Skills each week, where she will learn and practise a range of skills to support her wider curricular studies.

In Year 8, your daughter will have the opportunity to take part in an oracy activity called ‘News Speak’ where they share current events with the class.

Lunch is more than just a meal. Of course, there is plenty of variety when it comes to the food in our Refectory – from the salad bar to the dessert table, as well as at least three meal choices (including vegetarian and gluten-free options) – but it’s also a time to take advantage of the many Beyond clubs and societies on offer.

Years 7 and 8 can get involved with the Junior Socratic Society, unleash their creativity in the Lower School Art Club, or learn recipes from around the world in Cooking Club. Looking for something sportier? Netball, badminton and trampolining sessions are available, as well as our Fitness Suite.

Beyond

Refreshed and revitalised from lunch, it’s time to return to lessons. Lower School will take part in a Personal Development (PD) lesson once every week.  At other times during the week, students could be in our food labs cooking up a storm during Food and Nutrition, stepping back in time to explore the Middle Ages in History, learning about the effects of climate change in Geography or testing out their linguistic skills in Spanish.

It’s been a busy day but there’s more to come. Before their final two lessons for the day, students can step out and relax with friends for a short 10-minute break.

To end another successful school day, Years 7–8 students could be spending their last two periods out on the sports fields for PE in the sunshine or up in one of our computing suites to brush up on their coding and programming skills as they build their own game of Pacman.

It’s almost time to go but before heading off, we take a moment for students to check in with their form tutor at afternoon registration.

After registration, students often find themselves attending one of the myriad Beyond extracurricular clubs as the School continues to buzz – from sports to art clubs, or rehearsing for the annual Lower School Drama production. There is something to suit everyone!

Our Library is open for supervised prep until 6pm – a chance for students of all ages to relax, socialise or catch up on homework until the late bus departs or their parents pick them up. The early bus departs at 4.20pm from St Helen’s and the late bus departs at 5.20pm from Abingdon School.