Start of Michaelmas Term 2019

30th August 2019

Dear parents and guardians,

It is with great pleasure that I write to you for the first time as Houseparent of Mary Windsor. I hope that you have all enjoyed a peaceful and relaxing summer break and that your daughters are feeling refreshed and enthusiastic for the new academic year at Bromsgrove School.

I feel very privileged to have been given the responsibility of leading Mary Windsor and to be joining such a happy and close-knit community. I thank Mrs Tweddell, Miss Fletcher and the rest of the Mary Windsor team for their support and many words of wisdom.

Mary Windsor’s ethos will not change: I want the girls to feel part of the Mary Windsor family and to feel happy, supported, settled and confident within both the house and the wider school community.

Mrs Tweddell and I have worked together to ensure a relatively seamless transition for this September. However, please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any concerns or issues that you feel I should be made aware of. The link between school and home is vital and I hope you will find me very approachable. I have the best interests of all the Mary Windsor girls at heart and, along with my team of house tutors, will do my utmost to ensure that not only do they maximise their academic potential, but that they are also very happy within the house and at school. The best way to contact me is by email ( thelmore@bromsgrove-school.co.uk ) and I will get back to you as soon as I can. You are also welcome to ring the house office (01527 579679 ext 213), where you will be able to speak to our Housemother, Chris Fletcher ( cfletcher@bromsgrove-school.co.uk ) during the working week or a member of the Tutor Team during evening and weekends. Please let us know weekend exeat arrangements and travel arrangements by email in plenty of time. Junior pupils (L4, U4, 5th) will not be able to travel by public transport and all pupils staying out overnight at the weekend will need to be hosted by a parent or guardian over the age of 25 who has been approved in advance both by parents/guardians and school. If you have not already done so, please ensure that you have completed and signed the Special Permission Form emailed out to you by Admissions.

This term we are welcoming 23 new boarders to the house, many of whom have already arrived for International Induction. We have a ‘buddy’ system in place which we hope will help to ease the transition into the school and help to make the first few weeks easier for new pupils. Each pupil in the house also has a tutor who will oversee her academic progress and pastoral welfare and we are lucky to have a vastly experienced tutor team within Mary Windsor. We are also fortunate to have our superb Housemother, Miss Fletcher, who will look after your girls in the House during the daytime. We have a team of Upper Sixth House Monitors who will support pupils within the house and help to organise a range of events and activities.

I look forward to meeting some of you over the next few days and getting to know you over the coming months. I know that many parents live in far-flung places around the world so I intend to keep in regular contact with you by e-mail; the house newsletter will continue to update you with your daughters’ many achievements. If you live abroad and make infrequent visits or a ‘first’ visit to us, you will be assured of the warmest of welcomes.

The Michaelmas term is always a very busy one, with a wide range of school and house events. During the first few weeks of September, the Monitor Team and I will be running ‘Getting to Know You’ events and I will be encouraging all the girls to get involved, as they will be an excellent opportunity to meet new girls and make new friends. This half term the inter-house song contest will provide a good opportunity for house bonding! On Sunday 8th December, we will be returning to Grafton Manor for our annual Christmas Party.

I assume this position with a great sense of responsibility and a determination to provide the best possible care and support to your children.

With very best wishes,

Tara Helmore